The Pingling City Public Security Bureau's Detention Center for the Preliminary Trial Department is located on a very secluded side street on the outskirts of Pingling City, and if Yao Dawei hadn't brought him personally, Han Ding might have been looking for half an afternoon by bus or taxi. The police in the detention center and Yao Dawei seem to be very familiar with each other, so they are also more enthusiastic about Han Ding, talking and laughing as if they are their own. Han Ding and Yao Dawei also chatted with the guards in the detention center's police office for a while, and took the initiative to tell them some Beijing gossip news. After a pause in the topic, Yao Dawei said that he had left in advance, and the police in the detention center led Han Ding to the back of the prison area.

It was an unusually clear afternoon, the sun's rays were blindingly white, and the courtyard of the prison was illuminated very brightly, and the bright vision made the whole courtyard seem empty. And when Han Ding walked through the courtyard into a long corridor, it was like walking into a gloomy basement, and goosebumps immediately appeared on his skin. The dark corridor kept turning, and there was an iron gate not far away, Han Ding couldn't remember how many iron doors opened in front of him, and closed behind him, and the sound of the iron door switch colliding in the unmanned corridor reverberated one after another, making Han Ding even doubt whether he could get out of this deep prison.

Finally, he was taken to a large room, and he immediately realized that this was his destination. In the center of this empty room, there was only a large long table, and the party he was going to meet, Long Xiaoyu, was already sitting upright on one side of the long table, and was casting a restrained gaze on him. Han Ding could sense a hint of surprise in that gaze, and he knew that Long Xiaoyu might not have expected that this lawyer of his would be as young as himself.

The light in this conversation room was as dim as the corridor, and only a faint ray of sunlight was projected from a high window above Long Xiaoyu's head, lining Long Xiaoyu, who was sitting in the backlight. Han Ding walked to the long table, stood across the table from him, and the policeman who accompanied Han Ding in went straight to the inside of the long table and sat down silently. Although the lawyer had the right to meet with the client alone, since the police sat down without saying anything, Han Ding also sat down and did not ask the police to leave, so as not to make him unhappy and cause trouble in the future. He sat down and gave the policeman a polite look, and the policeman looked at him, knowing that this conversation should begin.

This was his first conversation with Long Xiaoyu. He came with deep feelings for Luo Jingjing and Luo Jingjing's ardent expectations for him, but when he really faced Long Xiaoyu at this moment, what spontaneously arose in his heart was not the desire to be rescued, but an inexplicable disgust. He had to hide his disgust with the professionalism and sympathy of a lawyer. Fortunately, the initial questioning was procedural, and there was no need to carry any emotion, he only needed to use a calm and plain tone, like an endorsement, to ask meticulously:

"Are you Long Xiaoyu?"

He asked the first sentence, and after asking, he didn't wait for Long Xiaoyu's answer, because he didn't want to make the next conversation where both parties had to treat each other with sincerity look like a condescending interrogation, so he didn't leave room to ask the second sentence:

"I am Han Ding, a lawyer at Beijing Zhongya Law Firm, and I am entrusted by your friend to serve as your defender. Do you have any objection to me acting as the defender? ”

Long Xiaoyu said, "No." ”

Han Ding said step by step: "If you have no objection, then please sign this power of attorney." ”

He pushed a pre-printed power of attorney against the table in front of Long Xiaoyu, and then handed over a fountain pen as well.

Long Xiaoyu moved his hands that had been under the table onto the table, and Han Ding saw that he was wearing a pair of handcuffs with a dark light on his wrists, which gave Han Ding's nerves a secret stimulus, reminding him not to forget that the honest young man opposite him was a murder suspect and a dangerous person, so he must carry weapons. Han Ding saw that he had a little difficulty signing the power of attorney, and after signing it, he quickly read the brief content of the power of attorney. Han Ding waited for him to finish reading it before he took the power of attorney back with the pen.

He said: "Long Xiaoyu, before I exchange views with you on your case, I would like to make a request to you, as your lawyer, I have the right to make such a request, that is: I have the right to know the truth, if you lie to me, it will be difficult for me to defend you." Can you grant me this request? ”

Long Xiaoyu said in a muffled voice: "Yes." ”

Han Ding said: "Also, in my future questioning, it may involve the relevant situation of you and your family, and some of your personal privacy, which seems to have nothing to do with your case on the surface, but it may be helpful for my defense, so I hope you can actively cooperate and answer these questions truthfully, do you agree?" ”

Long Xiaoyu lowered his head, his voice was still dull, and his dullness made his answer sound a little reluctant.

"Agreed."

Han Ding nodded: "Okay, then let's start now." I'm going to know about you first ......"

At this time, Long Xiaoyu suddenly raised his head and interrupted him: "Lawyer, I also want to ask a question first, is it okay?" ”

Han Ding was stunned for a moment, but his voice was calm: "Yes." What questions do you ask? ”

"Which of my friends asked you to come?" Long Xiaoyu asked.

Han Ding was silent for a moment, and he himself didn't know why he was silent for a moment.

"Luo Jingjing." Han Ding said coldly, "Is she your friend?" ”

Regarding Han Ding's answer, Long Xiaoyu should have guessed it a long time ago, he might just need to confirm it again. But Han Ding still saw that when he heard Luo Jingjing's three words, Long Xiaoyu's eyes immediately welled up with shining tears, and his face began to tremble slightly. Han Ding deliberately turned a blind eye to his excitement, and asked again indifferently:

"Is she your friend?"

Long Xiaoyu tilted his head up, probably to prevent tears from flowing. He said, "Yes, she's my girlfriend. ”

There was nothing wrong with Long Xiaoyu's answer, it didn't distort the facts, but it made Han Ding very unhappy in his heart, and this unhappy mood was obviously manifested in his next tone.

"Then let's start with this girlfriend of yours, when did you meet?"

Long Xiaoyu raised his head again and looked at Han Ding, he didn't expect this conversation to start here, he frowned and asked, "Could it be that this is also related to my case?" ”

Han Ding said strongly: "I have already said that the question I asked you may not be directly related to your case, but it may be helpful for my defense." If I can't find evidence of your innocence, then I will have to find the factors that reduce your guilt from your personal experience and the circumstances in which you live. All my questions are raised for this purpose. Don't you even want to answer such a simple question? ”

Long Xiaoyu said wordlessly: "Ah, no, I'm just asking." ”

"Okay, let's start over."

Han Ding opened the notebook and used the pen that Long Xiaoyu had signed just now to write down today's date on a brand new page. On the way to the detention center, he had calmly thought that Luo Jingjing's tears were certainly the motivation for him to defend the case, but tears could not replace reason, and the entrance and focus of defending the case still had to be placed on the motive for committing the crime. The person who can make Luo Jingjing fall in love so infatuatedly will not be a blank who kills people without blinking by nature.

Han Ding raised his eyes, and he saw that Long Xiaoyu's eyes were also looking at him. If it is true that the eyes are the windows of the soul as people say, then will Long Xiaoyu's heart be as clean and thorough as his eyes? Are his eyes windows to the soul or a disguise of the mind? Han Ding thought that maybe no one knew, including Luo Jingjing, who thought he knew him completely.

Outside the conversation, someone shouted out, and the police officer who was watching stood up to get out, and their conversation paused for a moment, and the two watched the police walk out of the house. After that, Long Xiaoyu's eyes fell back to Han Ding's face, and his tone at the moment was the same as his gaze, as simple as a child: "What did you ask just now?" ”

He asked Han Ding rhetorically, and Han Ding repeated again: "When did you and Luo Jingjing meet?" ”

Long Xiaoyu thought for a moment: "The year before last, the spring of the year before last." ”

Han Ding asked again: "How did you meet?" ”

Long Xiaoyu said: "I was riding a bicycle, and she drove by and knocked us down. ”

Han Ding asked, "You guys?" Who are you? How many people did she bump into? ”

Long Xiaoyu said, "Two." ”

Han Ding asked, "Who is that one?" ”

Long Xiaoyu was silent for a moment and said, "It's Siping." ”

"Is it Zhu Siping, the victim in this case?"

Long Xiaoyu said a little sluggishly: "Yes." ”

"What was the relationship between you and Zhu Siping at that time?"

"We are...... Friend. ”

"What friend? Is it a normal friend, or a boyfriend or girlfriend? ”

“…… It's boyfriend and girlfriend. ”

"In other words, between you and Zhu Siping, you are in a relationship, right?"

"Even if it's it."

"Don't count, please answer in the affirmative: yes, or no?"

"Yes."

Han Ding flipped through the materials copied from the procuratorate's file and said: "From the case file of this case, it can be seen that the testimony of many witnesses collected by the public security organs, including Siping's parents, denied that you had a romantic relationship with the victim. ”

Long Xiaoyu lowered his head and was silent, and said for a long time: "They don't admit it, and I can't help it." ”

Han Ding thought for a moment and said, "Since you said that you and the victim are in a relationship, then you can tell me how you fell in love." Did you meet in Pingling, or did you meet in your hometown? ”

"In my hometown."

"Are you classmates?"

"It's not. I only met her after dropping out of Shaoxing University of Economics. ”

Speaking of Shaoxing University of Economics, Han Ding had to interrupt the question just now. Before figuring out the relationship between Long Xiaoyu and Zhu Siping, it seems that he should first sort out the experiences of Long and Zhu.

"By the way, I can see from the interrogation transcript that you went to college, and then dropped out after two years, why?"

"I was able to go to college because my dad was making money for me, and I dropped out because my dad was gone."

"Why isn't it there?"

"He's dead. Sick, dead. ”

Han Ding paused and asked again, "Then you came to Pingling, what are you doing here?" ”

"It was Siping who called me here, she came half a year earlier than me, she met a person named Nobita in Pingling, and said that Nobita could help me find a job, so I came."

"Nobita got you any job?"

"Daxiong is also from our Shaoxing, he has been in Pingling for many years, and he is a foreman in the construction team, and many people from our side follow him. However, when I first arrived, he didn't have any work on his hands, everyone was idle, and I didn't have a job as a small worker. ”

Han Ding stopped his pen and looked up at Long Xiaoyu opposite. By this time, his eyes had adjusted to the darkness of the room, and he was able to scrutinize the defendant's face in the shadows. It should be admitted that Long Xiaoyu does have a face that can make girls like, with beautiful eyebrows but no lack of manly temperament; Dark-skinned but healthy and smooth, you can still feel his long and straight figure even when sitting, which is an image that can easily make girls impulsive and fantasizing. Moreover, it can also be seen that he has a certain education and is cultured. The contrast between Long Xiaoyu's appearance and his murderous behavior made Han Ding more confident in starting with the motive for the crime. He continued from the outermost plot in the order he had planned in his mind:

"You're a college student, even if you drop out of school and don't graduate, how can you want to find Nobita to be a small worker in the construction team?"

In response to Han Ding's question, Long Xiaoyu's expression was indifferent, as if it was not surprising: "There is no way, people always have to eat." ”

Han Ding pulled the topic to Siping again: "Why did Siping come to Pingling, also to find a job?" ”

Long Xiaoyu said: "Her parents used to be employees of the Fengzejiang Paper Mill in Shaoxing, but because of the pollution problem of the paper mill, the paper mill was closed, and her parents were laid off. Her mother was sick and the family lacked money, so she had to come out and find a job. ”

The questioning was interrupted, Han Ding looked down at the materials, he had read them three times, but he hadn't found any flaws yet, and it seemed that he still needed special time to calm down and digest and think. The evidence submitted by the public security organs seems to be comprehensive: the time, place, and process of Long Xiaoyu's crime...... and motives and purposes, all of which are listed. Some evidence is not only too strong to be refuted, but even makes it impossible for you to question, such as the blood stains left by the victim on Long Xiaoyu's clothes, the ** left by Long Xiaoyu in the victim's body, and so on. According to the judgment of the public security organs, Long Xiaoyu was desperately resisted by the victim when he forcibly had sexual relations with the victim, and then immediately attempted to kill the victim. The conclusion of the autopsy of the victim is very conclusive - the victim not only had sex with Long Xiaoyu before his death, but also suffered from the dragon's **, and there were multiple scars of struggle and struggle on the corpse, which is ironclad proof of this.

Facing this autopsy report, Han Ding felt like a crawler with difficult movements looking up at an impassable mountain. And then he asked questions, almost not knowing whether it was for the need for defense or for the purpose of prying eyes.

He asked, "What do you like about Siping?" Do you like this person, or do you like her flesh? ”

Long Xiaoyu was silent for a while, looking a little embarrassed in front of this private, discussion-like question.

"It was Siping who liked me first, she used to be very good to me, so I should also be good to her."

Han Ding unceremoniously asked, "Then how did you treat her well?" ”

Long Xiaoyu bowed his head and was silent. Han Ding couldn't figure out if he didn't want to answer, or if he couldn't. With some sadistic pleasure, he went further into the words of the question:

"You and Siping, do you often have sex with each other?"

Long Xiaoyu looked away and whispered, "I don't want to talk about this." ”

Han Ding forced with his eyes: "You have to talk!" ”

Long Xiaoyu's eyes were still looking away. But finally, very reluctantly, he replied: "It happened." ”

"How many times has it happened?"

“…… I can't remember. ”

"That is, many times, right?"

“…………”

"When was the last time?"

Long Xiaoyu's gaze was pulled over by this question, and he turned his face to look at Han Ding coldly, with hostility in his eyes.

Han Ding also looked at him, and he felt almost like a lawyer facing his client at this time, but like a judge facing prisoners. He didn't wait for Long Xiaoyu to answer, he answered for him:

"Just the day you killed her, before you killed her, right?"

Long Xiaoyu's face turned pale, and he slowly opened his mouth: "Since you also believe that I killed you, what are you defending for me?" ”

Han Ding was asked, this time he took the initiative to look away, no longer looking at Long Xiaoyu, he blindly looked at the materials at hand, and he didn't know what he wanted to see. He slowed his breath and continued to ask.

"Do you love her, then?"

Long Xiaoyu didn't answer right away, his silence represented his resistance to Han Ding's questions. Han Ding asked again: "Or, did you ...... before?" Have you ever loved her? ”

"She used to be nice to me." Long Xiaoyu finally spoke again after being silent for a while, "At that time, my father had just died, and he died very suddenly. I dropped out of school, I didn't have a job, I didn't have relatives, Siping was kind to me at that time, I was very moved, I don't know if that counts as a kind of love. ”

Han Ding sneered: "So, you don't know what ** is, right?" ”

Long Xiaoyu looked at Han Ding and did not refute.

Han Ding also looked at him, and couldn't help but suddenly ask, "Then do you love Luo Jingjing?" ”

The relationship between Long Xiaoyu and Luo Jingjing seems to be farther away from this case, but Long Xiaoyu did not hesitate at all, nor did he cover it up at all, and replied very quickly and firmly:

"Love!"

"Don't you know love?"

"I don't know if I love Zhu Siping or not, but I know that I love Luo Jingjing. I love Luo Jingjing! ”

Han Ding was overwhelmed by Long Xiaoyu's firmness, and he couldn't tell what it was like, whether he was moved or disgusted, disgusted or stunned, angry or disgusted. He subconsciously wanted to leave this topic, but when he opened his mouth, the sentence that was likely to make him and Long Xiaoyu lose both ways, still blurted out:

"Does Luo Jingjing love you?"

Long Xiaoyu's eyes flashed with tears again, and the tears were choking in his eyes and did not fall. His voice also became muffled, as if this was the only way to penetrate the choking in his throat:

"Love."

The word "love" seemed to pause between Long Xiaoyu's chest and throat for a moment before its echo gradually disappeared. Long Xiaoyu said again: "But I'm sorry for her, I made trouble for her......"

Han Ding asked: "Your relationship with Luo Jingjing, do you want Siping to know?" ”

Long Xiaoyu's answer became hesitant again, and he said reluctantly, "I know." ”

"What's her attitude?"

"She thinks I hate the poor and love the rich, and she thinks that I got along with her because Luo Jingjing was rich, so she dumped her."

"Do you think you are?"

"It's not. I love Luo Jingjing, I don't love Siping. ”

Han Ding stopped, he was intuitively the same as Siping, very skeptical of Long Xiaoyu and Luo Jingjing's love, the purity of this love, and the original motives. "You and Siping have known each other since they were in their hometown, they are not childhood sweethearts, they can be regarded as being kind to each other, you said it yourself, she was good to you when you were most helpless. And you and Luo Jingjing have only known each other for a short time, is your love really not a little bit like the poor and the rich...... Taste? Even if it's just a subconscious, is there really none? Don't you admit that with your living situation, with the huge difference in economic status between Siping and Luo Jingjing, your choice is likely to be governed by this subconscious? ”

Long Xiaoyu raised his eyes to look at Han Ding, his gaze suddenly became clear at this moment, and endless reverie flashed in the clarity. His voice was also unconscious, as if it was a little affectionate, although it was not obvious, but Han Ding could hear it, he heard that Long Xiaoyu was indeed emotional, and this emotion could never be contrived.

"Do you need so many reasons to love someone, do you need so much rational analysis?" Long Xiaoyu said, "Love is actually a very emotional thing. I love Luo Jingjing because she has a good heart, because she is simpler than Siping, she is more educated, tasteful, and educated than Siping, which of course has something to do with her family and her economic status. Her family is rich, and she lives in the upper class of the city, that's why she's like this. The ancients also said: Etiquette is known when food and clothing are sufficient. The first time I saw Luo Jingjing, I only knew that she was very beautiful, and later I learned that she was so different from Siping, she was really attractive to me, I have never loved someone so sincerely, I have never been so brave and loyal to be willing to do anything for a person. You can say that the reason why I am like this is because she is rich, then you can say, I don't deny it, okay, I don't deny it! After all, it was she who brought me closer to the high society in the city, let me see a life I had never seen before, and let me see my future, so I love her, she is the confidence of my life, and my spiritual support......"

Han Ding wanted to say: Yes! Because you believe that Luo Jingjing can change your future, change your living standard and social status, so she has become your spiritual pillar! But he didn't say it. Because he can't conclude from this that Long Xiaoyu's love for Luo Jingjing is a hypocritical deception, that is, using and trading. Love is complex, it is a comprehensive reaction of physiology and psychology, and the cause and process of love cannot be explained in one sentence. Long Xiaoyu's confession of mentality, Han Ding is difficult to describe its rights and wrongs in words, but he can faintly feel the truth in it. Yes, a beautiful, simple, polite, cultured girl - at least compared to Siping - and rich, living a carefree life, all of this constitutes Luo Jingjing in Long Xiaoyu's eyes, so he fell in love with her, which is reasonable, it is a lot of factors that play a role, not a money word.

Most of the first day of conversation between Han Ding and Long Xiaoyu was entangled in the triangular relationship between Long Xiaoyu and Zhu Siping and Long Xiaoyu and Luo Jingjing, and these topics were not easy for both parties. That night, after Han Ding calmed down, he objectively reviewed his mood during the day, and then reluctantly reflected on his personality. He had to secretly admit that his voyeurism and jealousy in his bones had seriously interfered with his mentality as a lawyer. As soon as Long Xiaoyu mentioned Luo Jingjing, he was uncomfortable, so he couldn't help but put himself in a position that was violated, so his questioning during the day was very harsh and vicious, and he was eager to ask Long Xiaoyu silently. His interest does not seem to be in asking the situation but in questioning and refutating, and it seems to have brought some personal anger to him. He couldn't even tell if Long Xiaoyu wasn't his rival in love, if he wouldn't have a better impression of him, at least he wouldn't be as disgusted with him as he was now. What he hated the most was Long Xiaoyu's unhesitating appearance when he talked about the holy word "love", the more he did not hesitate, the more Han Ding felt that he was hypocritical, since you love Luo Jingjing so much, why did you have that kind of physical relationship with Siping? And after having a relationship, he used such a ruthless hand to kill her brutally with a wooden stick and a sharp knife. Anyway, she's been obsessed with you, and she's had a skin-to-skin relationship with you. People are not animals, and animals are not so ruthless!

Except for Zhu Siping and Luo Jingjing, there was almost nothing else in the conversation on the first day. Maybe Han Ding's set goal is in this direction - not whether Long Xiaoyu killed Siping or not, but why he killed Siping. In fact, even without Lao Lin's guidance, Han Ding would consciously or unconsciously ask Long Xiaoyu what kind of relationship he had with Zhu Siping and Luo Jingjing. This is not only his defense plan, but also an instinct of his, and it is the mentality that he will inevitably have as Luo Jingjing's current boyfriend, and he wants to know these very much. This may be an important motivation for him to finally agree to Luo Jingjing as the defender in this case. In other words, this is one of the reasons why he finally became Long Xiaoyu's defender.

As soon as Han Ding returned to the workers' new village from the detention center that evening, Luo Jingjing, who had been waiting anxiously, eagerly asked him about Long Xiaoyu's situation. Han Ding couldn't bear the unhappiness in his heart, and roughly talked about the situation when he saw Long Xiaoyu, and answered a lot of questions from Luo Jingjing: Is he okay? Fat and thin? How is he feeling, did he ask you about me? Han Ding replied one by one: He is in good health, a little thin, and his mood is average, so he didn't ask about you. Luo Jingjing stared at it and asked, "Did he really not ask me?" Didn't ask a word? Han Ding said lightly: "I really didn't ask, I don't have to lie to you." Luo Jingjing was stunned, her face a little disappointed. Han Ding was also disappointed. His disappointment was disappointment in his heart. He said to Luo Jingjing listlessly: "When I commit something and go to prison, I don't think you are so worried." Luo Jingjing turned her mind at this time, glared at him, and said angrily: "Don't talk so nonsense, I will be uncomfortable enough when he goes in, if you want to do something again, I really have to jump off the building." ”

The corners of Han Ding's mouth smiled at this time, he wanted to hug Luo Jingjing, but he didn't.

Luo Jingjing's heartfelt concern for Long Xiaoyu made Han Ding a little puzzled in addition to jealousy. His opinion of Long Xiaoyu has always been ruled by an irreconcilable contradiction, and on Long Xiaoyu's upright and simple face, there is indeed not the slightest trace of fierceness and evil, it is really a young, vibrant, healthy and decent face. But it is precisely such a face, such a person, who has committed such cruel atrocities that are inferior to beasts, and committed such heinous heinous crimes! Han Ding could almost confirm Long Xiaoyu's true motive for committing the crime through the first day of conversation, he killed Siping for nothing else, precisely because there was a Luo Jingjing in his life, Luo Jingjing brought him both spiritual and material pleasure, and also brought him fantasy about the future. And Siping, how can Siping compare with Luo Jingjing? In addition to a face that is also not bad, there is a world of difference between her and Luo Jingjing. Perhaps, it was precisely because Siping did not let go of Long Xiaoyu that he became a thorn in Long Xiaoyu's eye, and he wanted to go quickly, so he killed Siping. And the reason why the police decided that he was kicked and beaten to resist when he raped Siping, and he became angry and became angry, because the police didn't know that Long Xiaoyu and Luo Jingjing had such a relationship, and their relationship has always been hidden and unknown. Why the relationship between Luo Jingjing and Long Xiaoyu was so secret, that was something that Han Ding slowly understood later, but at first his feelings about this relationship were quite strange and suspicious. Luo Jingjing and Long Xiaoyu quietly came and went, quietly happy, quietly fell in love with each other, and even quietly lived together, completely hiding from Luo Baochun, but also from Director Wang and everyone around them. They had promised each other almost all their lives without knowing it, which made them look not at all a pair of immature teenagers, but almost like a pair of scheming accomplices.

Towards the end of Han Ding and Long Xiaoyu's first meeting, he decided on a new theme for their next meeting. He said to Long Xiaoyu: "If you can't sleep tonight, just think about Siping again, and also think about your parents, your teachers and classmates." I hope that when I come back the day after tomorrow, you can tell me about your hometown, about Siping and the past you have experienced, and there seems to be a sentence in your case file that you have always been an excellent student in middle school and university in the past...... Do you remember all the things in the past? ”

Long Xiaoyu was very dull and smiled: "What happened in my past, does it have anything to do with my current affairs?" Are you really that interested in my past? ”

Han Ding also smiled, and he used such a relaxed smile to end their first conversation: "Of course I am interested, because I hope to find some evidence to prove that you used to be a person of excellent character and learning, a person who honored his parents, a person who was eager to learn and motivated, and a person with a sound conscience." I want to let the people who indict you and try you know what are the reasons that have led such a person to stand in the dock today. ”

Long Xiaoyu stared at him and said, "Is this what you are going to do to defend me?" In other words, do you think I must have killed Siping? ”

Han Ding nodded: "I have gone through all of your case files, and in those case files, the police have presented multiple pieces of evidence that are sufficient to prove that you committed a felony of homicide. And you, apart from denying it, did not cite a single fact that would prove your innocence. As for whether there are any inaccuracies in the police evidence, I still need some time to do further investigation and analysis, which is a question that we will talk about later. ”