He grabbed Long Aotian's arm fiercely and snarled, "So it was you who harmed my daughter!"

"I'm telling you, you have to compensate me. If I don’t get 100,000, I’ll go to your school and make sure everyone knows you’re a murderer..."

Then, turning to the police officers, she demanded, "Arrest him! You arrest him! He’s the one who hurt my daughter!"

The video evidence was crystal clear.

Long Aotian’s personal statement, interrogation, and alibi all thoroughly confirmed that he had neither the motive nor the opportunity to commit the crime.

When Shen Mengjie recorded the video, hospital surveillance proved that no one had entered the ward during that time.

There were no deleted call records on her phone, nor any evidence of threats made through phone calls.

Moreover, the raw emotion in the video and her clear account of Long Aotian’s state when the mistake occurred painted him, from another perspective, as a victim who knew nothing.

In contrast, Shen Xiu’s history of abusing Shen Mengjie since childhood, along with her deliberate troublemaking at school, only reinforced the video’s credibility.

Though it’s said that "even an upright official finds it hard to settle family disputes," the officers had no patience for such a despicable mother. They forcibly dragged her away and sternly warned her that if she continued fabricating baseless accusations, they would not tolerate it.

The phrase "not tolerate" was delivered with such severity that Shen Xiu dared not entertain any further malicious thoughts.

After Shen Xiu was taken away, the officer who had first questioned them re-entered the room.

He informed them they were free to leave.

"Long Aotian, you’re not innocent either. If you hadn’t left that day, Shen Mengjie wouldn’t have..." Huang Fei’s lips trembled as he spoke, and he slowly closed his eyes.

His mind was filled with the image of Shen Mengjie making a shy, playful gesture in the video.

"If I had been the first to find Shen Mengjie... If I had been the one to give her enough security, none of this should have happened..."

These words stirred a faint flicker of emotion in Long Aotian’s numb and vacant expression.

If he hadn’t chosen to leave that day... If he had given Shen Mengjie a firm answer...

When she grabbed his arm, hadn’t she been hoping he would stay?

On the edge of the cliff, hadn’t she been trying to save herself, wanting him to pull her back?

But what had he done?

He hadn’t held on. Instead, at her most vulnerable moment, he had walked away...

Huang Fei clutched at his own hair, his agonized, heart-wrenching appearance painful to witness.

But no one comforted him now. Everyone’s spirits were weighed down.

Lin Wanning was frantic. Though she didn’t know the details, seeing her brother walk out with the others suggested things had been resolved.

But watching him like this, her eyes reddened uncontrollably.

She wanted to reach out, yet she didn’t know what to say. She had never seen Long Aotian like this—his expression hollow, as if an insurmountable wall had isolated him from the world.

Suddenly, someone tapped her shoulder. It was an officer.

"You know each other, right?"

Lin Wanning nodded earnestly. "He’s my brother."

The officer understood. "Please keep an eye on his emotional state."

Lin Wanning glanced at Long Aotian. His mood was indeed subdued. "I will!"

The officer shook his head and emphasized again, "Pay close attention. If you notice anything unusual, take him to the hospital immediately."

As a public servant, he had seen too much.

People like Huang Fei, who vented their anger and grief through shouting—that was a normal reaction.

But Long Aotian? He was too calm.

From the moment he was brought in, during questioning, while watching the video, even when Shen Xiu grabbed and accused him—he showed no emotion at all.

Only when Huang Fei spoke those words did a faint ripple of feeling cross Long Aotian’s face. But it was fleeting. His eyes remained empty, drained of life. That kind of detachment was anything but normal.

......

The hospital.

Wang Lijuan and the others hesitated outside, unable to bring themselves to enter.

Her grief for Shen Mengjie was genuine, but so was her fear.

Xu Shuai stayed by her side, while Li Longlong leaned against the wall.

Surprisingly, it was Han Xiaojing—the timid, quiet girl—who mustered the courage to step inside.

Hu Yuying and Li Qingxue arrived breathless, having rushed over after receiving the call, skipping class without hesitation.

"Sis..." Lin Wanning’s eyes welled with tears as she approached.

"Don’t cry, don’t cry. What happened?" Hu Yuying forced herself to stay calm as she asked.

In truth, Lin Wanning only knew that Shen Mengjie had passed away. The rest was a mystery.

"Where... where’s my Long-ge?" Hu Yuying’s voice trembled, her composure crumbling.

"He won’t let anyone near him..."

......

She looked as if she were asleep.

Her rest seemed peaceful.

The dress she wore suited her beautifully—it was the kind of outfit that flattered her figure perfectly.

Had she dressed up so carefully, thinking of how lovely she looked before walking to the lake? What had been on her mind then? What had she felt?

Maybe she had been happy, having taken such care with her appearance, even recording a video...

No, no. She must have been in pain. The kind of pain no one could understand, no one could share. She must have been exhausted—physically and mentally.

She said she loved the ocean, but there was no ocean here. She was tired. She just wanted to rest...

Without a direct relative’s signature, she could only remain here...

As time passed, the staff urged everyone to leave.

"Why are you so cold?" Huang Fei turned to Long Aotian, demanding, "Don’t you feel even a little sorrow for her?"

"Lao Huang, can you just stop?" Xu Shuai and Li Longlong had reached their limit.

The video had laid everything bare.

Perhaps even Shen Mengjie hadn’t wanted her mother to twist the truth after her passing—hence why she had explained everything in detail.

And that night, it wasn’t just Long Aotian. The three of them had also been sent to the hotel in a daze!

Shen Mengjie had chosen Long Aotian. He hadn’t forced her.

They couldn’t keep blaming him for everything.

Once, twice—after hearing the full story, they couldn’t take it anymore.

Everyone left, as if they had never been there at all.

"Let’s go too."

Long Aotian looked at the three of them. "I’m a little hungry."

They exchanged worried glances.

Finally, Hu Yuying managed a soft smile. "If you’re hungry, let’s go home. I’ll cook for you."

......

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