The internet – famous beauty, Teacher Taotao, was killed.
Before her death, she wrote a few words on the drawing board:
“Zihan’s dad…”
There are four students named Zihan in the class, including my daughter.
I became a suspect.
1
I was at work when the dad of Li Zihan sent me a message:
“Lao Zhang, come and play games. Log in quickly.”
I sat up straight, placed my phone neatly among the piles of documents, and started slacking off.
As soon as I entered the game, the dad of Li Zihan sent an invitation. The dads of Song Zihan and Wang Zihan were also ready.
The four of us, the dads of Zihan, met when our daughters were registering for the first grade. As 90 – s parents, we became good friends because of our daughters’ names.
People always say that our generation of parents name their children without thinking. There are so many names like Xuan and Han.
But I never expected it to be this serious. There are four Zihans in my daughter’s class.
At that time, the four of us dads stared at each other, but we all thought it was fate.
So we happily created a group, and we would take our kids out together during holidays. Our close relationship has lasted from the first grade of our daughters until now.
In the game, the avatars of the four of us are our daughters. The avatar of the randomly – matched player is a beautiful sister.
I joked: “Look, doesn’t this look like Teacher Taotao playing games with our daughters?”
The dads of Zihan were about to flirt with that female player for fun.
Suddenly, a message from my wife popped up:
“Honey, the police are coming to arrest you.”
I was stunned for a moment.
My wife is always steady and wouldn’t make such a joke.
“?”
“Teacher Taotao is dead, and you’re a suspect.”
I was so scared that I trembled.
Teacher Taotao took the kids on a spring outing today. Dead?
What’s going on?
Why am I a suspect again?
I entered the game again to ask the other dads of Zihan if they knew about this.
But in the game room, the dads of Zihan had all logged off, and only that female player was waiting alone.
2
I got on the police car inexplicably. I only learned some information on the way.
Teacher Taotao from Class 2, Grade 3, liked to teach live. She was young, beautiful, unrestrained, and had a hot figure.
Many fathers are secretly sending her gifts using their secondary accounts.
When the incident happened, Teacher Taotao was explaining flowers and plants to the kids. They found many bright mushrooms under a tree.
Teacher Taotao was carefully explaining the toxicity of wild mushrooms.
But after only a while, she suddenly foamed at the mouth and couldn’t speak.
Before Teacher Taotao died, she wrote a line crookedly on the small drawing board: “Zihan’s dad…”
I analyzed the limited information.
Could it be food poisoning?
This spring outing specifically required the kids to make their own boxed lunches at home and bring them. Several teachers tasted the food the kids brought and gave comments respectively.
If it was food poisoning, it shouldn’t be only Teacher Taotao who was poisoned.
If there was a murderer who wanted to poison Teacher Taotao alone, where would they start?
In a scene like the spring outing, there were so many people and eyes.
It was simply impossible.
The strangest thing was, why did Teacher Taotao struggle to write the words “Zihan’s dad” before she died?
Could the murderer be one of the other three dads?
Outside the interrogation room, there were three dads sitting with the same panicked expressions as me.
The “dads of Zihan” sat in a row.
The dad of Li Zihan.
The dad of Song Zihan.
The dad of Wang Zihan.
…
The four of us “dads of Zihan” used to complain together often and talk about some man – topics that we didn’t want the “moms of Zihan” to know.
Among them, there were many about Teacher Taotao.
But now –
This was a taboo topic. At least, we must never say it in front of the police.
3
“Dad of Zhang Zihan, where did you go today? What did you do?”
I looked at the words “Leniency for confession, severity for resistance” on the wall and reported everything in detail. I even reported what time I went to the toilet and which colleagues could prove it.
“Then, do you have any private contacts with Teacher Taotao?”
I was stunned:
“For example, what kind?”
The police coughed. What they wanted to know was about the relationship between a man and a woman. In a murder case, it was nothing more than a revenge killing or a crime of passion.
“No. If there were any, it was just normal communication between a teacher and a parent, like home visits, going to school for activities, and parent – teacher meetings.”
I actually lied.
I gave gifts to Teacher Taotao privately and secretly.
But this was something every parent did. It was a hidden rule everywhere, right?
But if I said it, it would damage the teacher’s image. As a parent, of course, I understood the stakes.
The police asked a few more questions:
“What about the other three dads?
“What’s their relationship with Teacher Taotao?
“Is there anything you think is strange?”
My heart tightened.
The police must also ask the other three dads of Zihan this question.
I denied everything, of course.
But the police obviously didn’t want to let me go:
“Dad of Zihan, since none of you have an in – depth relationship with Teacher Taotao, but she left your information before she died. Do you think it’s possible?
“Now, you’re a suspect.
“You know about leniency for confession, right?”
I nodded repeatedly:
“I can’t figure this out either, police officer. Could there be other “dads of Zihan” that we’ve overlooked?”
“According to our investigation, among the students in the class that Teacher Taotao taught, there are only you four.
“You’d better confess honestly.”
…
After finishing the statement, when the four of us, all “Dads of Zihan”, left the police station, the sky had already brightened.
Probably because the police didn’t find any suspicious points on us, all four of us had alibis.
All the children and teachers who participated in the spring outing had physical examinations, and no one else was poisoned.
The most suspicious foods had all been tested.
The result was that, except for the kids’ unskilled craftsmanship and ugly appearance, the food was absolutely non – toxic and harmless.
The police’s investigation reached a deadlock. The four of us “dads of Zihan” were required not to leave the city and to be available at any time.
4
But I never expected that before the murderer was found out.
A suffocating malice had rushed towards the four “dads of Zihan” from all directions.
5
That night, the parent – group exploded. In the three years since Zhang Zihan entered school, I had never seen the group so lively.
Even the moms who hadn’t shown up for several semesters stood up and spoke freely at this moment.
The parents’ topics were normal at first. They were all mourning Teacher Taotao and recalling the glorious deeds of the people’s teacher.
But soon someone started discussing the case, and the atmosphere changed.
Everyone was a detective, speaking without restraint:
“I suspect this might be a crime of passion.”
“Actually, Teacher Taotao herself had problems, right?”
“Yeah, I’ve wanted to say this for a long time.”
“A teacher who doesn’t teach well but lives – broadcasts every day to be an internet celebrity, and dresses up flirtatiously. How could she not cause trouble?”
…
There was a silence.
The mourning candles that had dominated the screen just now were blown away by a stream of sarcastic remarks.
The dads must all be sweating while looking at their phones at this time, including me.
My wife was coaxing Zhang Zihan to go to bed just now, but now she was staring at me intently.
“Honey, I don’t have any improper thoughts. I don’t have a secondary accounts for sending gifts. Even if I did, I’ve handed over my salary. Even if I wanted to, I’m broke and can’t afford it.”
My wife snorted:
“When you came back from abroad last time, you deliberately brought two sets of the best cosmetics. Were you already planning to give them to Teacher Taotao?
“Or did you two secretly discuss it?”
I was almost on the verge of kneeling on the washboard:
“I’m wronged. Wasn’t it for our Zihan?
“The other dads of Zihan all gave gifts. If I fell behind, what if Zihan was treated differently?”
My wife didn’t respond to me. She was attracted by the chat in the group.
Because in the group, the topic changed again:
“If Teacher Taotao was killed out of passion, could the murderer really be a male parent?”
“I think so too.”
“Yeah, otherwise why would she leave those words?”
“But why didn’t she write the full name?”
“She was almost dead. It’s pretty good that she could leave such information.”
“The police seem to have arrested those four dads today.”
“I saw it, but then they were released.”
“All released?”
“How can this be?”
I felt dry – mouthed and had a bad premonition.
“The murderer can’t be allowed to appear near the school, and neither can their children.”
“I agree. I’m scared just thinking about picking up and dropping off my kids with a murderer.”
“The school should expel those four “Zihans”. At least, they can’t appear around my child until the real murderer is caught.”
This parent’s proposal was met with a lot of approval.
I silently glanced at the tigress sitting next to me, who was breathing heavily and ready to go:
“Don’t make unfounded accusations. Moms, you should be responsible for what you say.”
“I keep a tight rein on my Lao Zhang. I still have this confidence.”
“Don’t want my daughter to go to school?”
“Who do you think you are?”
“The school doesn’t dare to do this either. I’ll go to the Education Bureau to report. Who’s afraid of whom?”
My wife’s speech brought dozens of seconds of silence in the group.
I gave her a thumbs – up, but I didn’t expect that they were just gathering momentum.
“Mom of Zhang Zihan, we should put ourselves in your shoes. If it were you, would you be willing to have a murderer around your daughter?”
“Mom of Zhang Zihan, we’re not targeting your four families. It’s for the safety of all the children.”
“Yeah, and besides, it’s only temporary. After the police investigate and catch the real murderer, your Zihan can come to school.”
“Can’t even wait for this short time? What are you so guilty about?”
…
When my wife was typing, her lips were tightly bitten, and tears were swirling in her eyes.
She edited for a long time and then deleted everything. Finally, she threw the phone on the sofa and burst into tears:
“Honey, what evil have we done? Why are they treating our Zihan like this?”
I hugged her, but my eyes were always fixed on the chat messages in the group on my phone.
The other moms of Zihan also stood up and responded.
Mom of Li Zihan: “You can try it? If anyone stops my Zihan from going to school, I’ll fight them to the death!”
Mom of Song Zihan: “I’ve already taken a screenshot. I’ll sue you for slander!”
Dad of Wang Zihan:
“Moms of Zihan, we should unite and fight against these gossips.
“Teacher, come out and say something.”
Wang Zihan comes from a single – parent family. Only his dad came out to argue with these crazy women.
We waited for a long time, and the teacher in the group finally said a few words that were neither here nor there and extremely official:
“Dear parents, the school understands your feelings.
“Let’s wait for the police’s investigation results. Before the results come out, it’s best not to discuss the case. As for the issue of the four Zihans going to school, it’s not something the school can decide.
“Let’s observe a moment of silence for Teacher Taotao.”
6
I smoked three packs of cigarettes in one night, hoping that these parents would stop. I thought they said those words just on impulse.
But this is the world.
People are used to speculating with the greatest malice. They never think they’re wrong and always think they’re standing on the high ground of correctness.
The so – called protection of children is just an excuse that has been beautified unconsciously.
As long as someone mentions it, they will pounce, suck the blood of the innocent, and act righteously.
I went to work with red eyes. Shortly after I sat down, my wife angrily called me to go home immediately on the phone.
She told me that the parents had pulled up a banner at the school gate and blocked the four Zihans outside.
The final result of the police’s mediation was that the four Zihans would go home to study by themselves first, and the school would slowly do ideological work on the other parents.
“Do what work? Those teachers just stood inside the campus and watched coldly. They didn’t even come out to stop it.”
My wife cried helplessly in front of me.
I felt cold again in my heart.
The death of Teacher Taotao not only triggered the parents’ hatred for the four suspects but also the hatred of her colleagues and even the school towards the four of us “dads of Zihan”.
Because we were all labeled as murderers, like rats crossing the street, dirty, despicable, and vulgar people.
They forgot that even if the murderer was really among the four “dads of Zihan”, there were still three innocent people.
This kind of behavior of slandering three innocent people without asking for clarification for an uncertain bad person is really despicable.
But in their eyes, they can do no wrong. They are noble.
At this moment, they are the high – and – mighty judges, the ones who decide life and death.
But I didn’t expect that even greater malice was yet to come.
7
The news of Teacher Taotao’s murder fermented on the Internet that night.
She was originally an internet celebrity with more than 100,000 fans.
In the eyes of her fans, Teacher Taotao was gentle and kind, with the persona of the most beautiful teacher.
But she died, and she died at the hands of someone called “Zihan’s dad”.
“Disgusting name. Just from the name they gave their child, you can tell that this parent is uneducated, has low taste, and looks like a murderer.”
“How could they bear to kill such a perfect teacher? This kind of person must die.”
“Their children will definitely be murderers when they grow up.”
“They shouldn’t be allowed to go to school. Instead, they should be locked up somewhere.”
“How can the future flowers of the motherland be with these evil people?”
“Come on, let’s dig up their information together, hang their photos, and stay away from the families of murderers.”
“So what if there’s no evidence? In such a matter, it’s better to kill a thousand by mistake than to let one go.”
“Die, “Zihan’s dad”!”
“……”
I forcefully turned off my wife’s phone. I was afraid that if she continued to read these comments, she would go crazy.
But.
The one who was most hurt was my daughter.
My precious Zhang Zihan.
She missed Teacher Taotao and went to school with a low mood. What greeted her was not the mutual encouragement of her classmates but a group of parents with malicious words.
“Dad, did I do something wrong?
“Why do they hate me so much?”
She had red eyes and was nervously picking at her nails.
I didn’t know how to comfort her. I hugged my wife and daughter tightly:
“Baby, you didn’t do anything wrong. You didn’t do anything wrong at all.
“Dad is here. Dad will solve this problem soon, okay?
“Study at home these days. Dad won’t go to work either. I’ll play games with you.”
My daughter rubbed her eyes and burst into laughter through her tears.
I’ve been working overtime every day in recent years and haven’t spent much time with her. When she heard that I would accompany her every day, she was very happy.
But.
My dear.
Dad is also in a mess. Those endless maliciousness, like storms, like typhoon waves. How can I protect you?
But soon, a desperate scream came from my daughter’s room.
That sound stabbed my nerves.
“Dad, Mom, my classmates deleted me. Why?”
For a third – grade child, the WeChat – like circle on the electronic watch is their wonderful world.
It gives them social interaction and a sense of existence.
Even such a small world has been destroyed.
And the reason is just because her name is Zihan.
Because her dad is the suspect “Zihan’s dad”.
8
“Honey, after the case is over, can we go back to our old life?”
My wife didn’t dare to sleep. She said that when she closed her eyes, she dreamed that someone would bully our precious daughter.
Half an hour ago, I received a call from the company leader.
“Xiao Zhang, the company is giving you a leave for a while, okay?”
I curved my lips, but my heart was like an ice – cellar. This was not out of kindness at all; it was a well – disguised malice. Who would welcome a murder suspect in the office? Although my colleagues didn’t say anything, I had already become the target of public criticism. Someone had already exposed my company online, and they were fiercely attacking on the company’s account:
“”The company shelters murderers. Let’s boycott their products together.””
“”A company that shelters murderers must be dirty. The relevant departments should conduct a thorough investigation.””
“”I’ve already reported it.””
“”…””
Countless abuses came so quickly. It was so fast that I hadn’t even reacted from the angry parent – group and the online slander. But my experience was not unique. The Li Zihan’s family was in the same situation. The Song Zihan’s family was in the same situation. The Wang Zihan’s family was in the same situation. The dad of Li Zihan had an even worse experience. The clients of his own company inexplicably refused to cooperate, and the words “murderer” were sprayed in red paint on the company’s gate.
But. We were still just suspects, just suspects. In just one day, it seemed that the four of us, the “dads of Zihan”, had become the targets of universal condemnation, criminals who had aroused public indignation. Everyone seemed to be convicted with conclusive evidence, and everyone was a bad person unworthy of living. What was wrong with these people? What was wrong with this society? In the era of cyber – violence, they just blatantly bullied and slandered anyone. They didn’t need to figure out the cause and effect, they just reacted to rumors. Even if there was a reversal, even if they knew you were a victim of cyber – violence, they would just pat their butts and move on to the next target, without even giving you an apology. I didn’t know how to answer my wife. The internet has a memory, and both good and bad things will always leave marks. Would they let go of the “dads of Zihan” in Class 2, Grade 3? I couldn’t answer. But I clenched my fists tightly. I had to protect this family, protect my wife, and protect my Zihan.
9
It was almost dawn when I finally received the police call that I both anticipated and feared.
“”Parent of Zhang Zihan? Come to the police station for investigation immediately.””
There was new progress in the case. On the way to the police station, I and the other three “dads of Zihan” encouraged each other.
“”When the truth comes out, everything will be over.””
“”I never thought the world could be so cold.””
“”Hurry up and end this. I can’t hold on any longer.””
The dad of Li Zihan created a separate group named “Dads of Zihan”. We didn’t tell our wives, not because we didn’t want them to get involved, but because we understood that this farce caused by our title must be calmed down by us. We were men, the pillars of the four families. We couldn’t collapse. We had to bravely face all misunderstandings, slander, defamation, and malicious words. We also believed that the “Zihan’s dad” written by Teacher Taotao must not refer to us.
10
However, our trust in each other faded like quicksand in the face of new evidence. Suspicion took root and germinated among the four “dads of Zihan” who were originally huddling together for warmth. The world was completely destroyed. There was no pure land left.
11
According to the police’s autopsy report, Teacher Taotao did die from poisoning. But the poison that killed her was an extremely rare poisonous mushroom – the death cap. On the day of the incident, Teacher Taotao was explaining the toxicity of wild mushrooms to the children. How could it be such a coincidence?
“”We’ve checked. There was no such poisonous mushroom found in the park where the children went for the spring outing. But the toxin in her body is indeed amatoxin. 8 to 12 hours after being poisoned, symptoms of nausea and vomiting will occur. After about 24 hours, the first wave of symptoms will disappear for 1 to 2 days. But on the 3rd to 6th day after eating the mushroom, the patient will start to show symptoms of liver and kidney damage, and their life will be in danger, and they may die at any time.””
The police’s explanation was difficult to understand, but I found the key point. That was time. If there was a murderer who wanted to kill Teacher Taotao, the poisoning should have been done 3 to 6 days ago. Not on the day of the spring outing. The police were going to conduct a comprehensive investigation of the people who had contact with Teacher Taotao during this period, and the four of us, the “dads of Zihan”, naturally became the key investigation objects.
“”Police officer, I don’t know the death cap mushroom. Even if I wanted to kill someone with this thing, I couldn’t find it.””
I said straightforwardly that the four of us, the “dads of Zihan”, knew nothing about poisonous mushrooms. So, we were wronged. But why did Teacher Taotao leave the clue “Zihan’s dad…”? I just couldn’t figure it out. This time, the recording of the statement took an extremely long time. The four of us had to report our whereabouts a few days ago in detail and provide proof. Proof that we had no contact with Teacher Taotao and no chance to poison her.
“”Tell the truth. Where did you go on the evening of March 20th, four days ago?””
My heart skipped a beat. Why did they specifically ask about the evening of March 20th?
“”The evening of March 20th? I was… working overtime.””
The police slapped the table, and their sharp eyes pierced my soul:
“”Lying! We just asked your colleagues. You didn’t work overtime that night.””
I couldn’t hide it anymore.
“”Police officer, I lied, but it was because I was afraid my wife at home would find out! You know, we’re all men. We four went to a nightclub together. We didn’t go home until early morning.””
The police stared at me: “Play? What did you play?”
Facing the police’s suspicion, I could only tell the truth because I had already guessed that one of the dads of Zihan had betrayed us and confessed that we went to the nightclub to have fun that night. I thought this was a secret among the four of us, and no one would say it. But still, someone became a traitor. At this time, I could only tell the truth to match the confessions and avoid suspicion. The four dads of Zihan got into their cars, thinking their own thoughts, without even saying hello to each other. I knew that inevitable suspicion had arisen. If the murderer poisoned and killed on the day of the spring outing, then we could all believe that the others were not the murderer. Because our alibis on that day were impeccable. The park’s surveillance cameras, dozens of students, and five or six teachers could all prove that we were not at the scene. And the four of us were also slacking off at work that day, playing games online all the time. But now the time of the crime was pushed back to 3 to 6 days ago. In such a broad time range, anyone could have committed a murder without being noticed. Any of the four dads of Zihan could be the murderer. Everyone was suspect. So, who was it?
12
“”Guys, I’m sorry. It was me who confessed about the night of March 20th…””
In the group of dads of Zihan, the dad of Wang Zihan was the first to speak. As I had guessed, he was the only single dad. Without anyone to check on him, he finally confessed. No one in the group responded to him. But as soon as I entered the house, the dad of Wang Zihan started to message me privately.
“”Dad of Zhang Zihan, I suspect there’s something wrong with the dad of Li Zihan.””
I locked myself in the study, not daring to disturb my wife and daughter who had finally fallen asleep. The message suddenly sent by the dad of Wang Zihan made me suspicious.
“”Lao Wang, you can’t talk nonsense like this.””
The dad of Wang Zihan didn’t reply to me.
The dad of Song Zihan: “”Look, I searched the information about the death cap mushroom on the Internet.””
He sent a photo of the death cap mushroom in the group and also attached a news link. The news said that many citizens went to pick wild vegetables on Xishan in the suburbs this month. Someone found the death cap mushroom. Experts said that it might be the ornamental plants bought from other places on Xishan that carried the fungal spores of the death cap mushroom, so it suddenly appeared. The relevant departments also specifically reminded citizens to stay away from wild mushrooms and not to eat them. I don’t know when, many people became fascinated by wild picking, and some even created activity groups like this. There had been several cases of poisonous mushroom poisoning. But they were all mild poisonings, not caused by the death cap mushroom, which is the most toxic.
Wild picking? I suddenly remembered that Teacher Taotao was also a lover of this activity. I remembered that she had even posted relevant videos. I quickly opened Teacher Taotao’s video account and found that video. The time was March 19th. Five days before her death. According to what the police said, it was just within the time range of the onset of the poison. Was it possible that Teacher Taotao ate the death cap mushroom by mistake during the wild picking? Impossible. Because the content of her video that day also included the popular science of poisonous mushrooms. She introduced various poisonous mushrooms to her fans and even received likes from them, who were all praising her for being beautiful and warm – hearted. How could a person who knew about poisonous mushrooms casually eat wild mushrooms? So, the murderer must have given Teacher Taotao food with the death cap mushroom. The person who could make her eat it without any precautions must be an acquaintance. I was thinking about this when a sentence from the dad of Wang Zihan in the group, who had been silent, made me nervous.
The dad of Wang Zihan:
“”Dad of Li Zihan, doesn’t your company have an estate on Xishan? You often go to Xishan. Have you ever found the death cap?””
I knew about the Xishan estate. The dad of Li Zihan inherited that property from his wife Mei Zi’s father. A year ago, the four of our families went there for a gathering.
The dad of Li Zihan: “”I don’t know. I’ve only heard about it in the news. What’s wrong?””
The dad of Wang Zihan: “”Nothing. I just thought that among the four of us, only you often go to Xishan, so you have the best chance to get close to the death cap mushroom.””
This sentence aroused the dad of Li Zihan’s refutation.
The dad of Li Zihan:
“”You suspect that I’m the murderer? I haven’t been to Xishan for a long time. My wife Mei Zi is in charge of the Xishan estate.””
Was this the reason why the dad of Wang Zihan suspected the dad of Li Zihan? It seemed a bit far – fetched.
The dad of Song Zihan:
“”We need to find the murderer together. Appropriate suspicion is acceptable. Since this incident happened, haven’t our four families suffered a lot of cyber – bullying? So, this is not the time to talk about friendship.””
Wasn’t it true? When I entered the door just now, someone had splashed paint on the door. I didn’t know how heart – broken my wife would be when she found out tomorrow. My precious daughter hadn’t gone out for two days. The parents and children in the community were all full of malice. Even some children called my daughter the daughter of a murderer right in front of her. The experiences of the other three Zihans were no better than my daughter’s. A case with an unknown real murderer had made our four families and four children suffer heavy bullying and insults. We had to end this as soon as possible.
13
The suspicion of the dad of Wang Zihan was quickly overturned. Counting from the day when Teacher Taotao was poisoned and died, the dad of Li Zihan could produce evidence that the two of them hadn’t met for at least ten days.
He had already explained this clearly at the police station.
I continued to browse Teacher Taotao’s videos. On March 20th, Teacher Taotao posted a video that made people think. The caption was like this:
The text reads as follows: “Suddenly, I feel nauseous and want to vomit. It’s as if I’m pregnant. Honey, you’ve got to take responsibility!”
This video incited countless fans to egg it on, and even many male fans claimed to be the child’s father.
This was obviously a prank often played by internet celebrities. According to the introduction of the death cap mushroom, 8 to 12 hours after eating the mushroom, symptoms of nausea and vomiting will start to appear. After 24 hours, the first wave of symptoms will disappear for 1 to 2 days, and on the 3rd to 6th day, symptoms of liver and kidney damage will lead to death. So, we can assume that the nausea and vomiting symptoms of Teacher Taotao on March 20th were actually symptoms of poisoning. Then the time she ate the death cap mushroom should be on March 19th. Who gave Teacher Taotao food with the death cap mushroom on March 19th? Just then, the dad of Song Zihan messaged me privately again.
The dad of Song Zihan:
“”I think the suspicion of the dad of Wang Zihan is reasonable. That night on March 20th, the four of us were drinking in the nightclub. You and the dad of Wang Zihan were drunk. Only I was sober. Do you know what I found?””
I was really drunk and unconscious that night.
The dad of Song Zihan: “”The dad of Li Zihan was the one who called us to drink that night. He was in a bad mood, remember?””
I: “”I remember. He seemed preoccupied at the dinner table and kept looking at his phone.””
The dad of Song Zihan:
“”After you two were drunk, he went out to make a phone call. I heard him when I went to the bathroom. He seemed to be talking to his lover. It seemed that his lover told him she was pregnant and forced him to divorce.””
“”I didn’t suspect anything at first.””
“”But I just watched Teacher Taotao’s video. On March 20th, she posted a video saying she was pregnant.””
“”Is there some connection between these two things?””
My heart tightened.
I:
“”You mean the dad of Li Zihan and Teacher Taotao were lovers and she was pregnant? I also saw that video. It might just be symptoms of poisoning, and was misunderstood?””
The dad of Song Zihan: “”I’m just suspicious. The dad of Li Zihan is a big boss now, but he got rich relying on his wife Mei Zi. If he divorces, he will lose all his wealth. It’s not impossible for him to kill his lover to silence her.””
After ending the chat with the dad of Song Zihan, my mind was even more confused. The rumor that the dad of Li Zihan had a lover was known to many people. We had noticed the crisis in his relationship with his wife Mei Zi two years ago. Mei Zi stopped participating in the gatherings of our four families since then. Every time, the dad of Li Zihan used various reasons to explain. Could it be that the dad of Li Zihan and Teacher Taotao really had an affair? Was this really a premeditated crime of passion? But there were two doubts. If the dad of Li Zihan was the murderer, how did he get the death cap mushroom? And how did he make Teacher Taotao eat the food with the death cap mushroom?
14
I allowed my daughter to go online for an hour so that she could chat with the other three Zihans. The four of them were all regarded as the daughters of murderers by their classmates and were collectively abandoned. The small group of the four of them was their only social circle now.
“”Baby, who do you have the best relationship with?””
My casual question led to my daughter’s complaint.
“”Song Zihan and Wang Zihan. They’re my good sisters. As for that Li Zihan,Humph! We don’t like her.””
This aroused my interest.
“”Why?””
My daughter pouted:
“”Li Zihan didn’t like Teacher Taotao. She always caused trouble for her. But Teacher Taotao liked to please her the most and even called Li Zihan her baby daughter. Ugh! It’s so disgusting! So cheesy!””
If there hadn’t been the suspicions of the dad of Wang Zihan and the dad of Li Zihan, which planted the seeds of doubt in my heart, I would have regarded my daughter’s words as just little girls’ jealousy in front of the teacher. But now, I had to think more. If the dad of Li Zihan and Teacher Taotao were really lovers, then Teacher Taotao’s attitude towards Li Zihan would definitely be different from that towards other children. If she always wanted to take the place of Li Zihan’s mother, she would try her best to win over Li Zihan and even try to replace Mei Zi, Li Zihan’s biological mother, in Li Zihan’s heart. But even if the dad of Li Zihan and Teacher Taotao were lovers, he had evidence that he hadn’t had contact with Teacher Taotao for more than ten days. How did the food with the death cap mushroom reach Teacher Taotao’s hands without leaving any traces? I was thinking about this when my wife in the living room suddenly exclaimed:
“”Honey. Come and take a look. How could the murderer be him…””
15
The dad of Li Zihan posted a long monologue in the parent – group.
The dad of Li Zihan:
“”Dear parents, especially the three dads of Zihan, I’m sorry. It was me who killed Teacher Taotao. You guessed right. Teacher Taotao and I were secret lovers, and this relationship lasted for two years. But recently, she kept forcing me to divorce, so I had to kill her. Coincidentally, someone found the death cap mushroom near my estate on Xishan. So, I started my plan. I made two small cakes with the death cap mushroom. On March 19th, I gave one of them to Teacher Taotao. I left the other one for myself. My time is running out too. Goodbye, dear parents. I’m sorry. Please be kind to my Zihan.”
I was stunned. This was not just a confession from the dad of Li Zihan; it was more like his suicide note. But. Why did I always feel there were so many loopholes in it? How did the dad of Li Zihan give the poisoned cake to Teacher Taotao? If what the dad of Song Zihan said was true, after he poisoned her and found out that Teacher Taotao was pregnant, he should have immediately tried to save her to prevent her from dying. I hadn’t sorted out my thoughts yet when messages from the dad of Song Zihan and the dad of Wang Zihan came.
The dad of Wang Zihan:
“”See? I wasn’t wrong, was I? Now, great! The ‘dads of Zihan’ are free. No one dares to slander us anymore. But why did Lao Li commit suicide? I can’t figure it out.””
The dad of Song Zihan:
“”I really didn’t expect that the dad of Li Zihan and Teacher Taotao were lovers. Although I had suspected it for a long time, I still couldn’t accept this fact. Lao Zhang, do you think this could be true?””
I was sweating profusely in the room. The gloating parents in the group seemed to be celebrating a festival:
“”I told you so. Teacher Taotao must have had a problem with her morals.””
“”She deserved it.””
“”The dad of Li Zihan is so stupid. Is he trying to commit suicide and die with her? Is it worth it?””
“”But since both the dad of Li Zihan and Teacher Taotao ate the death cap mushroom, why didn’t they die together?””
“”You don’t understand. Let me give you a science lesson. The toxicity of the death cap mushrooms takes 3 – 6 days to take effect, and it varies from person to person.””
“”…””
I couldn’t bear to watch anymore. How could these people be so cold – hearted? Clearly, the monologue of the dad of Li Zihan was a suicide note. Calculated according to the 3 – 6 – day time frame, today might be the last day. That is to say, today would be the anniversary of the dad of Li Zihan’s death. But they were still sneering and some were even giving “science lessons” here? I immediately called the police and at the same time sent the same message to the dad of Wang Zihan and the dad of Song Zihan.
“”Did you see the dad of Li Zihan on March 19th?””
As I sent the message, I drove out of the house and headed straight for the dad of Li Zihan’s home. A few minutes later, the dad of Song Zihan replied to me first.
The dad of Song Zihan:
“”I heard him say that he seemed to drive Li Zihan to the school gate in the morning and then went to the company. He didn’t meet Teacher Taotao.””
My heart sank. Could it be that the dad of Li Zihan was really near Teacher Taotao on that day? So, was it during that time that he quietly gave her the cake? But… He didn’t meet Teacher Taotao, so there was someone else who sent the poisoned cake, an accomplice?
“”Hurry to the dad of Li Zihan’s home. I think things are not that simple.””
I sent this message to the dad of Wang Zihan and the dad of Song Zihan again. Fortunately, they were on their way there just like me. Although there were estrangements among the four “dads of Zihan”, in the face of death, we could still put aside our prejudices. The dead should be respected.
16
I didn’t believe the words the dad of Li Zihan posted in the group. What was his motive for killing Teacher Taotao? According to his confession, it was because Teacher Taotao forced him to divorce and wanted to destroy his family. By killing Teacher Taotao, he could keep everything. Then why did he leave a poisoned cake for himself? And when he knew that Teacher Taotao was pregnant with his child, why didn’t he take any remedial measures? It didn’t make sense. Unless, he wasn’t the murderer at all; he was also a victim. And this monologue was most likely not written by him. Then –
My hands holding the steering wheel couldn’t help but tremble. “Zihan’s dad…” The few words Teacher Taotao left before her death kept flashing in front of my eyes. Wait. That wasn’t a clue about the murderer. That was, a warning? She was warning the dad of Li Zihan that someone wanted them to die.
17
The three of us, the dads of Zihan, were still a step too late. The death symptoms of the dad of Li Zihan were exactly the same as those of Teacher Taotao. Officer Li, who was handling the case, frowned and gave us a meaningful look as we rushed over.
“Officer Li, I want to ask something.” I couldn’t help my curiosity: “Was there any evidence of pregnancy in Teacher Taotao’s autopsy report?”
Officer Li shrugged. After leading the team to check the scene, he smoked with the three of us in the corridor. He felt bad too. Two consecutive cases of death caused by death cap mushrooms, and there were suspicions everywhere.
“We also checked that video of Teacher Taotao. We found cold medicine for treating nausea and vomiting in Teacher Taotao’s home, and a used pregnancy test stick was also found in the toilet trash can.”
According to Officer Li, on March 20th, Teacher Taotao might have suspected she was pregnant when she found herself nauseous and vomiting, but the pregnancy test stick didn’t show a result. Then she went to the pharmacy to buy some cold medicine. The staff of the pharmacy near Teacher Taotao’s home could prove this.
“Then, is it possible that she deliberately deceived the dad of Li Zihan to force him to divorce?”
Officer Li extinguished his cigarette butt: “The strange thing is that we can’t find any records of contact between the dad of Li Zihan and Teacher Taotao, at least not in the last month.”
I remembered what the dad of Song Zihan said about hearing the strange phone call of the dad of Li Zihan in the nightclub. The dad of Song Zihan also looked surprised:
“But I clearly heard it.”
Officer Li’s eagle – like eyes looked at us with disdain: “What other clues are you still hiding?”
We had to confess honestly and told him all the discussions in the group and our suspicions about the dad of Li Zihan.
“You’re so muddled. What? Do you three dads of Zihan want to investigate the case by yourselves? Want to prove your innocence?”
We quickly admitted our mistake. But looking at the excited parents outside and the crazy fans of Teacher Taotao, we felt cold again. There were still people holding their phones to live – broadcast. Mei Zi and her daughter Li Zihan were shivering aside. Someone threw garbage at them:
“Dear family members, the dad of Zihan is indeed the murderer…”
“You see? The dad of Zihan committed suicide out of love. It was he who brutally killed our lovely Teacher Taotao…”
“The dad of Zihan is a beast. Why don’t his family members commit suicide and die?”
“It’s unfair!”
…
They shouted the name of the murderer – “Zihan’s dad”! The three of us dads of Zihan present were horrified. Could this cyber – violence really end? They spoke out the so – called “real murderer” just for the sake of venting, which didn’t represent the truth at all. They didn’t even have the patience to add a surname to “Zihan’s dad” to avoid ambiguity.
The dad of Wang Zihan blushed with anger. He rushed into the crowd like crazy and punched around:
“The murderer is the dad of Li Zihan. Li, Li! You blood – sucking guys, do you really want to ruin my life?”
Fortunately, there were police officers present, so the situation didn’t get out of hand. The dad of Wang Zihan knelt in front of Officer Li:
“Police officer, is this case over? Please, announce the case closed. Announce the name of the real murderer. Announce that the murderer is the dad of Li Zihan and clear our names, okay?”
The dad of Wang Zihan was completely out of control. He was the first dad of Zihan driven crazy by this cyber – violence. But I didn’t expect that Mei Zi also suddenly knelt down beside the dad of Wang Zihan, sobbing:
“Officer Li, it’s my fault. I shouldn’t have forced the dad of Zihan to divorce. I actually knew about his affair with Teacher Taotao for a long time. I couldn’t stand the betrayal and had been asking for a divorce. But the dad of Zihan always disagreed. On the night of March 20th, I saw Teacher Taotao’s video and thought she was pregnant. I couldn’t stand it anymore, so we had a big fight on the phone. But I never expected that the dad of Zihan had made a decision on the 19th. He chose to die with Teacher Taotao!”
The three of us dads of Zihan were stunned. The phone call that the dad of Song Zihan overheard in the nightclub was actually from Mei Zi. According to her, she had been forcing the dad of Li Zihan to divorce for several months, so the dad of Li Zihan had cut off contact with Teacher Taotao on his own initiative in the last month, and the police couldn’t find any records. On March 20th, Mei Zi saw Teacher Taotao’s video and thought Teacher Taotao was pregnant with the dad of Li Zihan’s child, so she urged him to divorce again. She just wanted to end this failed marriage as soon as possible.
18
But. The case of Teacher Taotao’s murder still couldn’t be closed. The police were still looking for clues. They had to find evidence of the dad of Li Zihan’s poisoning. This meant that the situation of the three of us dads of Zihan hadn’t changed at all.
As soon as I got home, my wife’s eyes were blood – red. She threw her phone at me:
“Look at what these crazy people on the Internet are saying?”
My precious daughter was hiding aside. These days, she had been listless, and it broke my heart. I opened the phone nervously, and it was all about the death of the dad of Li Zihan. The eye – catching headlines everywhere were all about “Zihan’s dad”… The top – ranked search on the hot list was still “Zihan’s dad kills people”…
“”I heard that the police haven’t closed the case yet. Is there still a murderer?””
“”There must be. Teacher Taotao left a clue saying it was the four ‘dads of Zihan’.””
“”No way. Are all four of them murderers?””
“”I think for the safety of the children, the other three dads of Zihan should be arrested first.””
“”I think so too. They could all be murderers.””
“”We can’t let them walk around freely.””
“”If the police don’t take action, we’ll do it ourselves and punish them with the power of the people.””
“”…””
I felt nauseous. Goosebumps rose on my neck and hands. Someone knocked on the door, but there was a chicken with its neck cut off at the door. Blood was splattered everywhere. On the door, it was written in chicken blood: “”The home of the murderer. Get out of our community.””
I picked up the headless chicken and put it in the trash can in the corridor. Squatting in front of the trash can, I burst into tears. It was a dead – end. I was forced to a dead – end. The dads of Zihan were all forced to a dead – end.
I bought plane tickets for my wife and daughter and let them go back to our hometown to live for a while. When we went out, before my wife could say anything, my daughter Zhang Zihan put on her hat and gloves by herself, hiding herself tightly.
“Dad, I want to hide myself. Those kids all hate to see me. Are we running away? That’s okay. I really want to go to a place where no one is and hide.”
My hands holding the luggage trembled. My wife covered her face and cried. My dear. She was just a third – grade little girl, but she was forced into this state by cyber – violence. She was afraid, evasive,horror, and wanted to escape from the world. This world made her feel scared and insecure.
“Baby, we’re not running away. We haven’t done anything wrong. Believe in Dad. Everything will be okay.”
My wife didn’t say a word to me from beginning to end.
19
I locked myself in the study and pasted all the clues on the wall. I wanted to find the flaw. Xishan – death cap – the dad of Li Zihan – Mei Zi – Teacher Taotao. The fact that the dad of Li Zihan and Teacher Taotao were lovers had been confirmed. If the dad of Li Zihan wasn’t committing suicide out of love, then the real murderer wanted to kill both of them at the same time. That is to say, the murderer sent poisoned food to both the dad of Li Zihan and Teacher Taotao without arousing their suspicion. Who could do this? Mei Zi? She was the wife of the dad of Li Zihan, and their relationship had always been bad. But today, Mei Zi took the initiative to admit the phone call and expressed that she had always wanted a divorce. A woman, facing her husband’s infidelity, usually has two possibilities: one is to hold on tightly and kill out of jealousy, and the other is to want to end it and get free as soon as possible. Mei Zi was the latter. But what if Mei Zi was lying on purpose? She wanted to show her stance and keep a safe distance from the murder. The dad of Li Zihan told us that Mei Zi had always been in charge of the Xishan estate. So, Mei Zi indeed had the opportunity to get the death cap mushroom. The food she sent, the dad of Li Zihan naturally wouldn’t suspect. But Teacher Taotao should be wary of it, and even dislike it and choose to throw it away. Could there be two different poisoners? I was shocked into a cold sweat. But just then, the mom of Li Zihan sent us a distress message:
“”Lao Song, Lao Zhang, come to my house quickly. Lao Wang has gone crazy and is going to kidnap my daughter… Help.””
Kidnapping? What was Lao Wang going to do?
20
On my way to Mei Zi’s house, Lao Song sent me a video. Someone was bullying Wang Zihan. He was forced to kneel on the ground by several little boys, with a sign hanging on his chest saying “My dad is a murderer”. The title read: “”Zihan is the daughter of a murderer. We want to uphold justice.””
Wang Zihan lost her mother when she was in kindergarten. Lao Wang has been raising her alone all these years, and I fully understand the hardships he has gone through. Maybe because of this, Wang Zihan is introverted and often bullied by children of the same age. Even in the class, except for playing with our daughters, she hardly has any friends. During this period, the cyber – violence this father – daughter pair suffered might be even more severe than ours. Now, I somewhat understand why he was the first to suspect the dad of Li Zihan and say things that didn’t consider our friendship. Because he couldn’t bear it anymore and had broken down. Among the four of us dads of Zihan, the dad of Wang Zihan was the one who most wanted the case to be closed quickly and return to the previous life with a good reputation as soon as possible. As a single father, in order to protect his daughter, he could do anything. So, kidnapping Wang Zihan? I couldn’t figure it out.
It was not until I entered Mei Zi’s house and saw the crazy dad of Wang Zihan that I understood his desperate and helpless choice. He was holding a fruit knife, tying Mei Zi and her daughter to a chair, facing the phone camera:
“I want you to tell those people on the Internet personally. It was your husband, your dad, who killed Teacher Taotao. It’s Li, Li Zihan, Li! The other dads of Wang Zihan, Song Zihan, and Zhang Zihan have nothing to do with this.”
Lao Song and I rushed into the room. The dad of Wang Zihan’s eyes lit up:
“Two dads, you’re just in time. I’m going to solve this problem completely today. The police can’t be relied on. We can’t wait. My precious daughter has been bullied, treated like a dog, and tortured like a criminal. I won’t allow anyone to suspect anymore. I won’t allow anyone to hurt her anymore.”
He wanted to use the video of the wife and daughter of the dad of Li Zihan to fight against cyber – violence. But he was wrong. He thought too simply about cyber – violence and underestimated those cold – blooded monsters on the Internet who had a perverted sense of self – righteous morality.
“Dad of Wang Zihan, this won’t work. Now, ‘Zihan’s dad kills people’ is the top – ranked search on the hot list. Do you know what will happen if you send this video? There will be an additional hot search ‘Zihan’s dad is a kidnapper’. The dad of Zihan will have one more identity, an evil reputation that can never be washed away. Do you really want that?”
The light in the dad of Wang Zihan’s eyes disappeared, and he became dejected. He shook his head, like a cornered stray dog pushed into the water. Lao Song and I were heart – broken. Cyber – violence, those keyboard warriors on the Internet were the culprits who pushed him into the water and kicked and beat him. Taking advantage of his inattention, I snatched the fruit knife from his hand. Lao Song untied the ropes on Mei Zi and Li Zihan. Except for Li Zihan’s crying, no one said a word in the room. Lao Song and I were equally desperate. If cyber – violence didn’t stop, the three of us dads of Zihan would all go crazy. The next girl to be bullied and humiliated by her former close friends might be Song Zihan, Zhang Zihan, or Li Zihan. At that moment, we finally felt our own insignificance. We were going to fight against the entire Internet. Cyber – violence was a knife that killed without blood.
21
Mei Zi didn’t call the police but asked Lao Song and me for help . I was very grateful to her. I really couldn’t imagine how big a storm it would cause if the news of tonight’s kidnapping spread on the Internet.
“I’m sorry. It was my husband who got you involved. Li Zihan and I have also suffered all kinds of humiliation. Now that my husband is gone, my company is almost on the verge of collapse. Three dads of Zihan, let’s end this together. Okay?”
Mei Zi’s eyes were full of bloodshot. Everyone in the four families was a victim of this cyber – violence. She looked at Li Zihan. Li Zihan was sitting beside her with her head down, listening to our conversation uneasily.
“Three dads of Zihan. I lied. I’ll tell you the truth.”
22
Mei Zi led us to the balcony of her house. It was a large terrace filled with various plants. There was also a uniquely – shaped rockery covered with moss.
“Li Zihan’s dad liked flowers and plants. A month ago, our family went on an outing to Xishan. He dug back a lot of small plants and moss to grow. A week ago, we were surprised to find that several beautiful mushrooms had grown among the moss. And then, all this happened…”
Lao Song and I looked at the rockery in surprise and smiled bitterly. The source of the death – cap mushrooms that I had been trying to find was actually in Li Zihan’s dad’s house. In this way, everything made sense. The police had been unable to find the source of the death – cap mushrooms, so they couldn’t close the case. But what about the other doubt? Li Zihan’s dad hadn’t seen Teacher Taotao recently.
Mei Zi smiled bitterly and looked at Li Zihan, who was sitting in the living room watching cartoons, with tears in her eyes.
“On March 19th, Li Zihan’s dad sent her to the school gate and then gave her a gift box containing a small cake, asking her to give it to Teacher Taotao. He also told her to tell Teacher Taotao that it was a gift he made with his own hands.”
Li Zihan? These days, I had imagined various ways in which Li Zihan’s dad could give the poisoned food to Teacher Taotao, even thinking about sending it by mail or asking someone to deliver it. I had considered all possibilities. But I had forgotten the children who were with Teacher Taotao every day.
“Then why didn’t you tell the police all this at that time? It made us suffer so much!”
The dad of Wang Zihan couldn’t help but question. Li Zihan was so startled that she almost cried.
“I’m sorry. She’s my daughter. I didn’t want people to know that she was an accomplice to murder. I thought that if I kept it a secret, everything would be okay, and this matter would pass quickly. But I didn’t expect cyber – violence to be so hurtful. I didn’t dare to imagine what kind of harm she would suffer if it was revealed.”
The three of us dads of Zihan were speechless. Mei Zi was also trying to protect her daughter, just like us.
“Now I’ve figured it out. I can’t let your three families continue to suffer from endless cyber – violence. This case must be closed immediately. I hope the truth can make those keyboard warriors shut up.”
Could it really? I didn’t know.
23
The police’s press conference officially put an end to the death – cap – mushroom – related death case. I picked up my precious daughter and wife. Zhang Zihan returned to school, but I could clearly feel her changes. She didn’t like to talk anymore and wouldn’t take the initiative to say hello to people. She was closing herself off from the world. I was very scared. I also didn’t dare to read the news or go online. Because I was afraid that the hot – search term “Zihan’s dad kills people” would always be on the Internet.
But the gatherings of our four families became more frequent. We all hoped that the four Zihans could comfort each other and get out of this situation as soon as possible. In fact, weren’t the three of us dads of Zihan the same? We didn’t dare to easily contact strangers. We were afraid that someone would suddenly point at us and say, “Oh, you’re that ‘Zihan’s dad’ on the Internet!”
What was making us escape from the world? What was making us afraid of this society?
24
One day a month later, the four families went to the Xishan Manor for fun again. We had a camping picnic in the suburbs. The dad of Song Zihan took out his phone and looked at us happily.
“Guys, I have good news. We’ve been off the hot – search for a long time, and no one is talking about it anymore.”
We smiled bitterly. Those cyber – violence perpetrators must have targeted new victims. These days had been really tough. But we all seemed to have developed a habit of not reading the news. Because we were afraid, we stayed away.
“We can’t keep escaping like this forever. If we become so humble in the future, wouldn’t that mean those cyber – violence perpetrators have succeeded? We still have to face it bravely and go out. We should share our happiness.”
The dad of Song Zihan was the first to figure it out. He looked at the Zihans running happily in the distance with a firm gaze.
“Yeah. If we can’t do it, how can we be role models for our children?”
We felt relieved. I opened the long – unused website and looked at the hot – search list. My whole body’s hair stood on end.
“Video of Zihan’s dad having an affair with Teacher Taotao…”
Probably several of us dads of Zihan saw this newly – refreshed hot – search at the same time. It was a video of Li Zihan’s dad and Teacher Taotao secretly checking into a hotel. The time was exactly March 19th. How could this be? The evidence of the meeting between Li Zihan’s dad and Teacher Taotao that had been hard to find was suddenly put on the Internet by netizens. This person might be a hotel employee. When he was extremely bored, he saw the surveillance video that hadn’t been deleted. Then he found Li Zihan and Teacher Taotao. Many people on the Internet had remembered their looks. Teacher Taotao was a big internet celebrity with so many fans. Maybe this person was one of them. So, he put it on the Internet to gain attention and attract traffic. His goal was achieved. Relying on the two hot terms “Zihan’s dad” and “Teacher Taotao” that were almost forgotten, it instantly became the top – ranked hot – search.
We looked at Mei Zi in surprise. Her expression changed greatly, and her hands couldn’t stop shaking. And just then, my daughter was looking at the small snacks that the four girls made by themselves for this camping. She picked up the heart – shaped small cake made by Li Zihan and pouted.
“Dad, I wanted to make this kind of cake during the spring outing. Li Zihan used to give this to Teacher Taotao.”
We all became nervous.
“Baby, which day was it?”
My daughter thought for a long time.
“A month ago. It was also packed in a small bag like this.”
The bag containing the small cake was a black kraft – paper handbag. The children made it in the handicraft class last semester. The children made a lot of them, and there were still some at home. I had a bad premonition. I enlarged the video. When the two of them entered the hotel elevator hand in hand, the bag in Teacher Taotao’s hand was exactly the same as this one. The dad of Wang Zihan and the dad of Song Zihan sensed that something was wrong and quickly called the children to play far away.
On March 19th, it was indeed Li Zihan who delivered the cake to Teacher Taotao. But why did Teacher Taotao take the cake and go to the hotel with Li Zihan’s dad? Li Zihan’s dad tried so hard to ask Li Zihan to give the poisoned cake to Teacher Taotao. Why did he secretly date her on the same day? Since they were going to meet, wouldn’t it be easier to bring the poisoned cake to the hotel and let Teacher Taotao eat it together, and commit suicide together? And this way, his daughter wouldn’t become an accomplice.
“That is to say, Li Zihan’s dad didn’t know about the cake at that time?”
The dad of Song Zihan and the dad of Wang Zihan also thought of the doubts.
Mei Zi put down her phone and looked at Li Zihan in the distance quietly.
“Stop being so suspicious. That bitch might have pestered Li Zihan’s dad to go to the hotel with her to share the cake after she got it.”
“No. Li Zihan’s dad used the packaging bag made by the children in the handicraft class, which means the cake was made at home. But why have you never mentioned this?”
We stared at Mei Zi. Mei Zi was anxious and a bit angry.
“What? Do you suspect that I’m the murderer? Li Zihan’s dad has already told you in the group. Let’s not mention this case anymore, okay? Do you still want to become the focus of public opinion and be cyber – bullied again?”
I shook my head.
“The murderer isn’t you. It’s her.”
I looked at Li Zihan, who was playing. She was chasing and laughing with the other children, looking innocent and carefree. My daughter had once said that Li Zihan never liked Teacher Taotao. On the contrary, Teacher Taotao always tried to please her. Because Li Zihan knew about the relationship between Teacher Taotao and her dad. Although she was young, she wanted to protect her family. She hated Teacher Taotao. When she saw the death – cap mushrooms on the rockery on the balcony, she happened to see the news on the Internet that death – cap mushrooms were found on Xishan and knew that this thing could kill people. So, she put the death – cap mushrooms into the small cake and gave it to Teacher Taotao as a gift. For Teacher Taotao, who had always wanted to please Li Zihan and gain her trust, this was like a god – sent gift. She excitedly told Li Zihan’s dad and took the cake to the hotel to share with him. Unfortunately, Li Zihan’s dad ate the poisoned cake without knowing anything.
“Li Zihan’s dad posted those things in the group to protect Li Zihan. And you, deliberately hiding it, wanted to keep Li Zihan out of this, also to protect her.”
After hearing this, Mei Zi disagreed.
“Dad of Zhang Zihan, my daughter is so young and cute. How could she do such a thing? Besides, do you have any evidence?”
I was speechless. Evidence? I needed evidence.
25
The new hot – search “Zihan’s dad having an affair with Teacher Taotao” quickly attracted the attention of the police. Due to the emergence of new evidence, the police launched a new investigation. That day, Officer Li came to see me specifically.
“How did you suspect Li Zihan? Have you thought that Li Zihan might just be used by someone else?”
I was shocked. It was completely possible. It seemed that the police’s investigation had already suspected Mei Zi. The statements Mei Zi gave to the police might all be false. She wasn’t indifferent to Li Zihan’s dad’s affair. She didn’t just want to get a divorce as soon as possible. Instead, she harbored hatred and wanted to kill the mistress, Teacher Taotao.
A terrifying and chilling picture appeared in my mind: At that time, Mei Zi found the death – cap mushrooms on the rockery on the balcony. She induced Li Zihan to make a small cake and give it to Teacher Taotao, secretly putting the death – cap mushrooms into the flour. But what she didn’t expect was that Teacher Taotao would take the gift Li Zihan gave her to date her husband on the same day. Both of them ate the poisoned cake.
On the night of March 20th, she did talk to Li Zihan’s dad on the phone, and it was indeed because she saw the video of Teacher Taotao pretending to be pregnant and had an argument. What was the purpose of her taking the initiative to admit it?
“The call records can’t be hidden. She knew that the police would find out soon.”
“Right. She wanted to act better. She even took the initiative to tell about Li Zihan helping to send the cake. The so – called protecting Li Zihan was all false. She was using her daughter to get away. Damn mother!”
Officer Li and I were silent. Compared with the random and rough cyber – bullying from strangers on the Internet, being used by the closest family member was the greatest evil.
“But we still can’t get strong evidence. If we can’t find anything else, it will be difficult to reverse the case. But I’ll keep chasing it. Thank you, Dad of Zhang Zihan.”
Officer Li was very busy. Talking to me about the case was also to get some new inspiration. After all, I was a party involved. Wait, I suddenly thought of something.
26
On March 19th, it was Li Zihan’s dad who sent his daughter to school. Why didn’t Mei Zi send her daughter herself? According to common sense, she would be worried about accidents and would want to ensure that the small cake was delivered to Teacher Taotao. Wasn’t she afraid that Li Zihan would eat it by mistake? There was only one possibility. Li Zihan knew the cake was poisoned, and this mother – daughter pair was in collusion.
Li Zihan had always hated Teacher Taotao, knowing that this woman would take away her dad and destroy her family. I was so shocked by this assumption that I felt nauseous. Even Officer Li shook his head.
“Is it that serious?”
I didn’t dare to think further. But what would a murderer do when looking at the trap she had set? What flaws would she leave? She would follow. She followed to the school and saw her daughter enter the school with the small cake.
“Then she pretended nothing happened and went to the company…”
I suddenly woke up. Company? Li Zihan’s dad’s company had always been jointly owned by the two of them. Their destinations were the same. So, it was natural for Mei Zi to follow Li Zihan’s dad’s car. But she accidentally found that Li Zihan’s dad didn’t drive to the company but went to the hotel.
“You mean, from beginning to end, Mei Zi knew they were going to the hotel that day?”
“Officer Li, this is just a guess. You can check the surveillance cameras outside the school and the hotel to find out.”
After seeing Officer Li off, I felt like I had been seriously ill.
27
The truth was cruel. The police quickly found the surveillance videos of Mei Zi’s car appearing outside the school and the hotel. According to Mei Zi’s confession, she followed Li Zihan’s dad and knew that they were going to the hotel for a date that day. She guessed that Li Zihan’s dad would share the cake. She didn’t stop them because when she saw their intimate appearance outside the hotel, she couldn’t hold back her hatred anymore.
“It’s all fate. Since Li Zihan’s dad wants to be buried with her, then die, die.”
Officer Li told me that Mei Zi finally said the truth viciously.
“At first, Mei Zi refused to confess, but the female colleague I sent to question Li Zihan soon brought back key evidence.”
I became nervous again.
“What did Li Zihan say?”
Officer Li told me that his female colleague asked Li Zihan, and Li Zihan said that she originally didn’t like Teacher Taotao, but her mom forced her to make the cake, so she had to do it. As for the lie that she was helping her dad send the cake was also told by Mei Zi. And the scene where she gave the cake to Teacher Taotao was just seen by my daughter. But I had sent my daughter and wife to another place early, so I had always missed this clue.
“Did Li Zihan know about the appearance of death – cap mushrooms on the rockery on the terrace at home?”
Officer Li nodded. He said that Li Zihan was the first to find them and told her mom, Mei Zi. Then she saw Mei Zi collect the poisonous mushrooms and say she was going to throw them away.
“But do you believe what Li Zihan said?”
I asked Officer Li. He was silent for a long time. Yeah, this was just my guess. What could I use to prove the opposite? I was tormented by my lingering terrifying assumption and finally gave up. Having just experienced a life – threatening cyber – bullying, I understood that I should never speculate about others with malice. I didn’t want to change from a victim to a perpetrator.
“But you’re right about one thing. The words ‘Zihan’s dad…’ that Teacher Taotao wrote before her death should not be an indication of the murderer but a real warning to Li Zihan’s dad. She was familiar with death – cap mushrooms and probably guessed from her physical symptoms and thought of the small cake that Li Zihan suddenly gave her a few days ago.”
When Li Zihan’s dad was dying from the poison at home, Mei Zi told him the truth. But Li Zihan’s dad had no hatred. What he thought of first was to protect the murderer. At the moment when he was facing death, was the person he wanted to protect Mei Zi or Li Zihan? This answer was like my terrifying guess. It would always be a mystery.
28
Li Zihan transferred to another school. We sent her to the airport. She was going to live with her uncle in another city. The four Zihans hugged tightly, crying, extremely reluctant to part. Looking at Li Zihan’s small figure disappearing at the ticket – checking gate, my daughter wiped her tears.
“Dad, Li Zihan said she changed her name. No one will know this story in the future. She said she wants to be a botanist when she grows up. She said those small mushrooms are really amazing and can protect her.”
I couldn’t say anything. Story, small mushrooms, protect her… I could only hold my little daughter tightly in my arms.
(The end)
