Eyes that are the same as those of evil

Chapter 75 No Such Person 6
Hu Qian's shock was genuine; at least Tan Jia didn't realize she was lying.

Either it's true, or she's just a great actress.

The counselor and school leaders naturally did not want their student to be involved in a criminal case. Hearing her rebuttal, they all breathed a sigh of relief and stood on her side to testify.

"Hu Qian is hardworking and ambitious. She usually spends her free time participating in various school activities. She recently went to another province to participate in an international competition. It's impossible for her to have time to do these things."

"Yes, yes, yes. Although we don't interfere with students' relationships, we still keep an eye on them. I haven't heard other students mention that she's dating, let alone a rich second-generation from outside the school, let alone being pregnant."

Zheng Yan and the others remained noncommittal to the testimonies of the bystanders, staring intently at Hu Qian. Their silent scrutiny and examination were chilling.

Under the watchful eyes of several sharp individuals, Hu Qian's heart raced, and her voice trembled as she spoke.

"It really wasn't me! I don't know anyone surnamed Chen. You can ask my roommate, or what the exact date that person attended the party was. I can prove I wasn't there. Pregnancy... pregnancy is even more impossible. You can take me for a checkup. I haven't even been in a relationship recently, there's no way I could be pregnant!"

She had solid evidence to prove that all her points of rebuttal were unrelated to her. After being reassured by her counselor, she calmed down a bit and said, "You must have the wrong person. Is it someone with the same name as me?"

Zheng Yan's gaze finally swept over her face, and he took out the photos taken by "Qianqian" and the chat history with Chen Anxun.

"The person we're looking for posted photos featuring famous buildings on campus and records of participating in campus activities. That activity was supposed to be only open to students majoring in broadcasting and hosting, and your teacher was also in the photos. Furthermore, that person's nickname is Qianqian, and she had the exact same manicure as you, which was visible in the photos."

The school matches, the professional activities match, and the names are similar. The counselor and school leaders paused in their attempts to comfort Hu Qian.

Hu Qian didn't pay attention, but when she saw the photo of the event with manicured nails, she broke out in a cold sweat.

“This photo…I did take the exact same one, but, but…”

Two pairs of scrutinizing eyes appeared on her, her heart pounding. She took out her phone, opened Weibo, and scrolled down to find a post from last October.

“…It really looks exactly the same,” she murmured, her mind blank, “but it’s really not me. I posted it so that everyone could see it, and I never posted it on my WeChat Moments… Maybe someone stole the picture?”

"The image looks like it's been cropped," Tan Jia suddenly leaned closer, pointing, her tone casual as if she were watching a spot-the-difference game. "Does your photo have a watermark?"

"Watermark..." Hu Qian's mind was overwhelmed by the information. She only glanced around out of the corner of her eye and vaguely saw the collarbone of the unfamiliar girl and the eye-catching green ends of her hair. After digesting the meaning of the word "watermark," her attention returned, and she immediately zoomed in on the photo with two fingers, staring at it intently for comparison. "Yes, the photo I posted has a watermark! This person's photo is smaller, and the watermark at the bottom has been cropped out. She stole my picture!"

"Were the landscape photos also cropped?"

"Yes, yes! They were intercepted too!"

"I see you post quite frequently. The day of the dinner was February 16th. Did you post any photos that day? Scroll up."

Hu Qian was led astray by her words without even realizing it, and obediently scrolled up to see the photo she had posted on February 16th, where she was complaining that someone had knocked over the food she had prepared.

“Here, your alibi. Look in the security footage for the person who knocked over your food; you might even find a witness.” Tan Jia stepped aside, as if she had easily passed a spot-the-difference game.

However, she didn't go far away. After thinking for a moment, she turned her head and asked, "When does your period start?"

Hu Qian first answered, "The end of last month..." Then, realizing what she meant, she looked at her gratefully and said to Zheng Yan and the others, "My period just ended a week ago, which doesn't match that person's pregnancy date, right? That Qianqian isn't me!"

She relaxed, but the police's hearts sank a little further.

If Hu Qian isn't the one Chen Anxun is dating, then who is?

The other party copied Hu Qian's identity and experience, and all the information they revealed to Chen Anxun was copied and fabricated. How can we investigate?
Zheng Yan put away the documents and said in a deep voice, "I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused you. But even if this case has nothing to do with you, the person who can copy your identity, experiences, and interactions with others must be someone who frequently checks your Weibo account, perhaps even your friend or fan. So we still need your cooperation in the investigation."

Hu Qian's joy vanished, replaced by unease.

Yes, someone is watching her from behind, on the other end of the internet, silently replicating her life. It's terrifying to think about.

"Why was I chosen? What does that person want to do that they have to copy my life and date someone else?"

Zheng Yan and the others also wanted to know why. Since Qianqian was able to meet Chen Anxun, sleep with him, and have parties with his friends, it meant that she was indeed a beautiful girl who wasn't afraid of being misrepresented. Why did she need to use someone else's identity?
Is it because there's something fishy about my identity?
The criminal investigation team copied Hu Qian's social media account. The group returned to the car, and the sound of the car door closing was muffled.

"It's really been a lot of twists and turns," Tan Ming said, his tone filled with surprise and admiration. "There's actually such a thing. It's even more bizarre than Wang Yong, who used a female account to hook up with men. Everyone else just fabricates an identity, but this person directly cloned himself into Hu Qian 2.0. He's really not afraid of being exposed."

Zheng Yan didn't reply, started the car, and suddenly said, "I have a feeling that this Qianqian might be related to Qiu Chenxing's fan who deleted her account and ran away."

Tan Jia fastened her seatbelt and casually remarked, "If so, it won't be easy to find out her identity online. Even if we find someone suspicious in Hu Qian's fan list, they've probably already deleted their account and run away. That fan hasn't sent any news back yet, and who knows if the registration information is another fake identity?"

"It's alright, there's an even better way."

Qianqian had met Chen Anxun's friends and appeared in several places.

……

It was already past the start of summer, and the midday sun was so hot it stung the skin.

After visiting the two places with his group, Xiao Chen bought a bottle of water at a roadside convenience store and gulped it down, drinking half of it in one go before letting out a long sigh.

Zheng Yan called at this time, asking if there was any CCTV footage of the gathering on February 16th.

“I asked around, and the restaurant only keeps the surveillance footage for 40 days; videos older than that are all deleted.”

Generally speaking, restaurants are required by regulations to retain surveillance video footage for 30 days for inspection and cannot delete or use it for other purposes. This restaurant retaining it for 40 days is already considered lenient.

After saying that, he asked, "Didn't you find Qianqian herself?"

Zheng Yan: "No, there is no such person behind this name. Right now, we can only rely on descriptions of her portrait from people who have seen her. We will take the portrait artist back immediately, and you should summon those people to the station as soon as possible."

He refused to believe it; surely Qianqian couldn't be a ghost.

(End of this chapter)