Ch5 - Little Sister Carries A Doll (3)

There were seven people this round. Including the deceased, that made for eight rooms to search, though no one could search their own room.

Hai Ri searched Xue Chuan, or the mistress’, room. 

The moment Hai Ri stepped into the room, the thick fragrance enveloping the entire room assaulted his nostrils, triggering a sneeze. The smell was similar to that of the cherry blossom tree in the yard, albeit an overly cloying one. Hai Ri walked into the room and looked up. The layout of the room was essentially the same as his room, but with an additional dressing table. The mirror directly faced the end of the bed in what was basically a straight line.

Hai Ri: ?

Where did this fantastical feeling of strangeness come from?

Hai Ri tried sitting at the dressing table. Staring at his face, he looked himself over and tidied his hair. He couldn’t help but lament at his handsome looks. Why was he so handsome? Was it appropriate? 

He was a pure 0, yet was so handsome, so his eventual outcome was not having a 1. Sure enough, there was always a dark side to anything positive in this world.

As he was tidying up his hair, he suddenly caught sight of the window behind him in the mirror. There was a drawer on the right side of the dressing table, so the person would have to sit a bit closer to the left. However, the mirror was placed in the center. In this sudden manner, Hai Ri pinpointed the subtle feeling of strangeness.

He stood up and pushed open the windows. Under the rays of the sun, the massive cherry blossom tree glinted with searing, white streams of light.

Hai Ri turned back again. The mirror just happened to be facing the tree.

He stood by the window and examined the room once more. The enormous cherry blossom tree was blocking a great part of the sunlight, casting the entire room in a murky dimness. Hai Ri felt the bed with his hand; it was a bit damp. The dampness was inevitable when living in such a room.

The nostril-assailing scent in the entire room came from the perfume case for women on the dressing table. Hai Ri sat down again. The drawer was tightly locked. It was locked with a password, meaning that it couldn’t be searched and everything had been placed in the open. Clues obtained from the first round of evidence-searching wouldn’t be much, likely around half. The remaining half of the evidence could only be dissected tomorrow.

Which was also to say that one person was doomed to leave tonight, regardless of who it was.

Placed on the desk was Xue Chuan’s comb, as well as a wooden jewelry box containing two jade hairpins and a pair of pearl earrings. For a woman’s dressing table, it was too neat. 

Hai Ri looked around a while more before leaving the room.

One room would only have so many clues. Compared to mobile games, there were very few clues given in this game. The focus was more on the obscure clues hidden within the story, and there was greater dependence on the players’ acting and their mental resilience.

Hai Ri had already searched all that he could and seen whatever he should see. Whether there was any deep meaning behind them was something that would require interrogation.

He was the first to return to the reception room. The deceased was seated on the tatami mat, her long hair strewn far out. Hai Ri sat down and spoke without thinking, “Has your hair always been this long?” 

The deceased lifted her eyelids, glancing at him. Her movements were excruciatingly slow, the type that would give people the suspicion that a sudden change would befall her and that she would crawl over maniacally. The courageous Hai Ri had no such concerns. “When is meal time?”

The deceased asked, “You’re done searching?”

“Ah,” Hai Ri responded. “I’ll search you now.”

The deceased stood up and started stripping in front of him. 

Seeing the deceased take off her clothes as he lay on the floor, Hai Ri felt that something was off. He was about to put a stop to it when the door swung open, revealing a group of people standing outside.

Hai Ri and the deceased looked over simultaneously, meeting everyone’s frozen gazes.

We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.

Ljl El: …

“Qtja?” Ljl El rjlv. “Ugfafcvlcu ilxf sbe vbc’a xcbk ktja P’w vblcu?” 

Ktf wlvvif-jufv wjc mjiifv Ulcu Alf rwlifv afjrlcuis. “P vlvc’a xcbk atlr ilaaif ygbatfg tjv remt jc lcafgfra?”

Ljl El kjamtfv Vtfcu Jjcsjcu kjix lc klat atfw. “Gbcf rfjgmtlcu?”

Dea atf qfgrbc ktb jcrkfgfv kjr Ulcu Alf. “Gbcf, ifa’r rfjgmt atf vfmfjrfv atfc. Jbwf, mbcalcef raglqqlcu.”

“No need,” Hai Ri stood up. “Let’s go out, let the three of them search.” 

There were three girls this round and there was no fear of them faking anything since there was only one murderer among the seven people. There would at least be two good people among the three, so letting them do the searching was more appropriate.

Having been warned by Hai Ri previously, Shan Xing dared not meet his eyes. Hai Ri glanced at Xue Chuan, who smiled and nodded. “If you’re at ease with that, leave it to us.”

Ping Jie hesitated a moment. Paying him no attention, Hai Ri glanced at Sheng Canyang, who stood up and patted his pants before walking out with him.

Shortly after, Ping Jie and the rest walked out as well. 

Ping Jie gave them each a cigarette. When the cigarette made its way to Sheng Canyang’s hand, he turned it down. “I don’t know how to.”

Ping Jie laughed. “Oh oh, I understand. You’re a big star after all.”

Sheng Canyang’s brows furrowed slightly, but he didn’t say anything.

Ping Jie offered a cigarette to Hai Ri, who accepted it but didn’t light it. 

The four men stood along the corridor. Ping Jie posed a question, “Little brothers, how did you die?”

Hai Ri replied, “Suffocation.”

Ping Jie: “From drowning?”

“No. I covered my head with a plastic bag and suffocated myself to death,” Hai Ri clarified. “A bit stupid, right?” 

Ping Jie chortled. “Never heard of such a way of dying.”

Hai Ri: “Quite punkish eh?”

Amused, Sheng Canyang cast Hai Ri a glance.

Ping Jie: “You’re very handsome, why commit suicide?” 

Hai Ri pointed at Sheng Canyang. “Isn’t he more handsome than me?”

“You’re both handsome,” Ping Jie said. “He’s a celebrity, the immense pressure is understandable.”

Hai Ri: “I’m under immense pressure too. You don’t understand the pressures of being handsome – there are too many people pursuing me and insisting that I don’t marry. They’re desperate, offending any one of them isn’t a good idea. Over time, I disappointed many people, and my mental state grew distorted.”

Ping Jie: … 

For a moment, Ping Jie didn’t know whether he was being truthful or just talking nonsense, and whether he should laugh or be a bit more solemn. What if it was real? Laughing about it would be quite impolite.

But anybody who listened to this would take it as nonsense, right?

Sheng Canyang couldn’t help laughing.

Since Sheng Canyang laughed, Ping Jie’s dilemma was solved, and he burst into laughter. “You’re really humorous!” 

“I participated in talk shows in the past,” Hai Ri said. “I have some talent, no? I’m also a small celebrity, the pressures are too great.”

Ping Jie was skeptical. He glanced at Hai Ri, who didn’t have much of an expression. He had also been bullshitting with a straight face just now, but since Sheng Canyang didn’t say anything this time, it should be true?

Ping Jie: “Alas, you’re both stronger than me. You guys don’t want to go back, but for me, I can’t go back.”

Hai Ri seized the chance to ask, “Why so? You have something you can’t say?” 

Ping Jie: “I owe money. I’m already at this age, and have both a son and daughter. Who would commit suicide if not for a bit of extra pennies in the pocket?”

Hai Ri: “How much do you owe?”

“One or two hundred million?” Ping Jie answered. “I don’t remember the specifics very well, but it’s definitely not as much as three hundred million.”

Hai Ri: … 

“Bro, what do you do?” Hai Ri was alarmed.

Ping Jie: “Stocks and bonds. Xing An Finances – ever heard of it?”

Hai Ri vaguely remembered hearing this name before. They dealt with deficits of several hundreds of millions at the drop of a hat; it was too thrilling. Hai Ri’s own family was quite wealthy, but not to this extent; they were in completely different leagues. “You’re the boss?”

Ping Jie: “No no no, just a small ant under the boss.” 

Ping Jie said, “That was in the past. Now my family’s wrenched apart, and my wife ran off to America with the kids. I can’t leave, so I can only commit suicide. If I don’t die, I’ll be squatting in a jail cell. Going back isn’t an option.”

Hai Ri was momentarily speechless.

Ping jie continued, “After this task ends, I’ll be able to leave this place. I don’t know what death leads to, but I’m not curious. It’s too tiring being human, hopefully I won’t be human my next life.”

Hai Ri smiled wordlessly. 

Two to three hundred million was a large amount. He had it easy after dying, but who was going to pick up the tab for him?

Ping Jie glanced at Sheng Canyang. “What about you, little handsome brother?”

Interest rose in Hai Ri. “Guess how old he is?”

Ping Jie looked him over carefully. “Twenty? Not yet twenty.” 

Hai Ri nodded. “Nineteen this year.”

Sheng Canyang: …

Hai Ri’s tone was too much like a parent showing off their child. He gave Ping Jie an introduction. “He’s a singer, you couldn’t tell right? He’s particularly gifted in music. At the age of seven, he composed lyrics and tunes, and could then write music. Not a big deal compared to Luo Binwang, who wrote poetry at the age of four.”

Sheng Canyang was speechless. “Isn’t that enough…” 

Ping Jie: “So impressive? Which university was he from?”

Hai Ri stalled the next instant. His hesitation was just like a bicycle’s chain snapping, him pedaling several hundred times in vain, and then coming to a stop at his original location.

Sheng Canyang laughed mockingly. Glancing at Hai Ri, he said, “I didn’t go to university.”

Ping Jie: “Ah? You haven’t taken the exam?” 

“Didn’t attend,” Sheng Canyang said.

One of the sore points in mama Hai Ri’s heart was that Sheng Canyang didn’t attend university. The year of the exam, Sheng Canyang went to participate in a program and didn’t take the entrance exam. The original plan was to take it the next year, but after his debut, the company didn’t bring up the matter again.

Sheng Canyang had been in contact with the entertainment industry since a young age and was very behind in his studies. Wanting to enter a first-rate university might not be easy, but entering an arts academy definitely wouldn’t be a problem. His child’s life was held up because of this, when he merely didn’t attend university or take the exam.

Hai Ri sought to impress by forcibly hoisting Sheng Canyang onto an even higher pedestal, “Whether he did or didn’t attend isn’t a major problem. Even if he did, he would be specializing in music, he knows all those things taught in school.” 

Hearing the way he spoke, Ping Jie glanced at him. “You’re his…?”

Mom, Hai Ri thought.

“Friend,” Sheng Canyang helped him explain. “But being a mom is his hobby.”

Hai Ri cracked up, along with Sheng Canyang. The two of them laughed half the day away, while the people beside them had a face full of confusion. 

Right at this moment, the door behind them opened. Xue Chuan uttered, “Come in, we’re done searching.”

The deceased was seated on the tatami mat with her clothes properly on. “Please chat at the dining table.”

It was time for their meal and also their confrontation.

The deceased served up seven plates, placing it in front of them before retreating with a bow. She left the room, leaving the space to them. 

The atmosphere suddenly turned heavy and cold. What came next was the true game, all performances would commence from this moment on.

Hai Ri took a look at his phone. It was half past six now, there was one and a half hours to lights out and the ceasing of all activity.