The three of them all replied to the police’s questions somewhat absentmindedly, their attention completely focused on the young man sitting obediently in the chair next to them.
Every inch of the young man’s body was exquisite. Even his ankles were delicately slender.
However, his ankles were now purplish, and even appeared a bit swollen, making them stand out compared to the rest of his skin, which was fair and carried a somewhat sickly feeling.
Yet, it also seemed incredibly ambiguous.
The young man probably didn’t engage in regular physical activity; his fair skin had a touch of fragility to it.
The injury on his ankles, on the other hand, made his skin blush, appearing extremely alluring, like the vibrant red hues of a sunset painting the sky, so mesmerizing that one couldn’t look away.
Moreover, due to the stinging pain from disinfection, his eyes were filled with mist, and he seemed to be clenching his lower lip tightly, perhaps to endure the pain.
But that repressed look only seemed to intensify the sense of torment in one’s heart, wanting to leave marks on his body, wanting to paint him with color.
Wanting to have their way with him, making it impossible for him to endure any longer, only to cry out pitifully for some mercy.
Ironically, he seemed oblivious to it all, and unlike his usual gloomy and reclusive self, at this moment, his beautiful eyes were exceptionally pure and docile.
The police officer held a pen and was questioning, “What were you all doing at the time?”
Ning Mufeng glanced at the person on the chair for a few moments before withdrawing his gaze, as if he had just casually glanced at something.
He answered the police officer’s question earnestly, with a warm and cool tone, “At the time, I left the school to buy a water bottle. When I heard that Student Wang had been injured, I rushed back.”
“But by the time I returned, the chandelier had already fallen. I’m not exactly sure what happened.”
Lin Anyan also withdrew his gaze and said in a deep voice, “At that time, I was backstage, paying attention to the movements on the stage, to prevent any disturbances from the audience. After all, there was a last-minute change in the performance, and I was somewhat worried.”
“The chandelier fell suddenly without any warning, and I only realized it when it made a loud noise.”
In contrast to the calm demeanor of the two, the male student didn’t divert his gaze, continuing to stare at Ruan Qing beside him, his expression somewhat dazed. He began, “That chandelier, it fell, it fell, and it made a loud sound, very white.”
As he spoke, he seemed to be lost in thought, a blush appearing on his handsome face, and his voice getting quieter. “Very... very dazzling.”
Police Officer: “???”
Ning Mufeng and Lin Anyan both cast a casual glance at the male student, their expressions revealing nothing, as if they were just casually looking.
The police officer raised his head, following the male student’s gaze and looked over, and he, too, froze in place.
Lin Anyan cleared his throat, bringing the police officer back to attention.
The police officer coughed and spoke. “Young man, please answer my question seriously.”
The male student, blushing, stammered, “I’m sorry. What did you ask just now?”
The male student’s bashful response made the police officer impatient as he repeated the question, “What were you doing at the time?”
Concerning the incident with the falling chandelier, the male student began to recount, “I was sitting in the front row of the audience. I suddenly noticed the chandelier swaying. Without thinking, I rushed onto the stage and tackled Student Wang.”
“It was a close call; if I had been a second slower, both Student Wang and I might have been crushed by that chandelier,” the male student added with a shiver.
The police officer asked for every detail, covering all possible angles.
Ruan Qing listened attentively but remained silent, displaying a hint of skepticism regarding their responses.
Even the police officer questioned everything thoroughly.
The doctor had advised Ruan Qing to avoid strenuous activities, to which he nodded in agreement.
Once the doctor left, the police officer began questioning Ruan Qing about the situation at that time.
Ruan Qing cooperated, but he did not disclose the reason he went on stage, instead starting with the incident involving the falling chandelier.
“I was playing the flute at the time when I suddenly heard a sound like something breaking above my head. It was abrupt, as if something had snapped, and then the chandelier fell,” Ruan Qing explained.
Hearing Ruan Qing’s account, the police officer furrowed his brows and asked, “Sudden snapping sound?”
The police officer had low expectations, considering that the scene investigation had not yielded much information and the three individuals involved had not provided any substantial leads. However, he was surprised by Ruan Qing’s testimony.
The on-site investigation had suggested that the chandelier had fallen due to aging and loosening of its fixed position, but that wouldn’t produce the sudden snapping sound Ruan Qing described.
Ruan Qing nodded in affirmation, saying, “It was indeed the sound of something suddenly breaking, and the chandelier fell about two seconds after that sound.”
It was highly likely that the sound wasn’t related to the chandelier’s fixed position but rather something else breaking.
Ruan Qing had a vague idea of how the culprit had brought down the chandelier.
It appeared to be a complex design. First, something was held by a rope, and cutting that rope triggered a chain reaction, causing the chandelier to fall.
Even cutting that rope could make certain things, which don’t require human control, happen.
The culprit had completely covered their tracks. Even if the police find some traces, they might not necessarily think in that direction.
And even if they did, it would be challenging to suspect who the culprit was.
The culprit was extremely clever, almost achieving the perfect crime.
But Ruan Qing breathed a sigh of relief deep down. As long as it didn’t turn out like those three instances before, he really didn’t want to face a group of overpowered monsters.
He had no chance in a battle of strength, but in a battle of wits, he wasn’t afraid of anyone.
As long as one did something, they would leave traces.
About two seconds after the sound of the break, the chandelier finally fell. The police had already become serious, realizing that this wasn’t a simple case of wire burning out and falling down, which wouldn’t have had a delay of two seconds.
The police shared this discovery with the on-site investigators. Although the scene had been initially classified as an accident, they immediately resumed their investigation upon hearing the police’s words and thoroughly examined the entire venue once again.
However, the results were the same as the first investigation—no problems were found.
With no discoveries and no evidence, the police had to call it a day.
Ruan Qing also knew that it wouldn’t be that easy to find the truth, and he didn’t hold out much hope.
If he were the culprit, he would never leave any clues at the scene.
There were too many methods for a traceless murder, and many common things that wouldn’t raise suspicion could be used.
It was getting late, around ten o’clock. Ruan Qing didn’t want to stay with the three people, so he refused their help with a cold expression and prepared to take a taxi back to his rented room.
After all, the original owner’s “part-time job” was in the evening, and it was not convenient to live in the school dormitory, so he rented a room outside.
However, the three of them seemed a bit concerned and only left after making sure Ruan Qing got into the taxi.
“Ding Ling Ling! Ding Ling Ling!”
Ruan Qing had just gotten into a taxi when his phone rang. He glanced at the note on his phone.
“Ling Lan?”
Ruan Qing paused for a moment and answered the call.
The moment the call connected, an impatient voice came through the phone. “Where are you, Mei Gui? It’s already working hours. Why haven’t you arrived yet?”
Mei Gui?
Working?
In their line of work, they couldn’t use their real names, so they needed to choose a “stage name” for themselves.
The bar preferred using stage names related to flowers, although it was a bit vulgar, but it was simple and easy to remember, and it suited their identity.
The original owner’s stage name was Mei Gui.
Because the original owner never received much genuine love from a young age, he wanted to be as cherished as a rose, even if it was in bed. (T/N: Mei Gui (玫瑰) means “rose” in Chinese.)
“So annoying. Does that manager have a problem? I just performed a couple of days ago, and he’s making me go on stage again. I’ve been particularly unlucky since I met you.”
The man’s voice on the phone continued to complain, with a cold tone filled with obvious disdain, “Are you naturally born with bad luck or something?”
Ruan Qing remained silent for a while and then lowered his voice. “I’m sorry, can you tell the manager for me that I might not be able to come in recently? I twisted my foot just now.”
The man on the other end of the phone directly sneered, “What does twisting your foot have to do with work? You don’t need to exert yourself; just lie down in bed, and you’ll be fine.”
Ruan Qing: “...”
The man seemed uninterested in talking to Ruan Qing, and he coldly said, “Stop the nonsense, come over quickly, or the manager won’t be as patient as I am.”
“You don’t want him to call you personally, do you?”
The man hung up the phone after saying that.
Ruan Qing held the phone in silence.
The bar where the original owner worked wasn’t exactly a legal place. If he broke any taboos, the bar’s management wouldn’t be lenient, and the consequences were not something an ordinary person could bear.
It’s like signing a contract and then suddenly breaking it, or something like that.
The original owner signed for five years directly.
Now it’s only the first year.
However, the way they treat the ‘employees’ in the bar who followed the rules was relatively mild. As long as they ‘work’ on the days they were supposed to every month and paid the required ‘dues,’ they wouldn’t force the employees to do something they didn’t want.
In other words, employees generally had the autonomy to choose which clients to serve, unless important clients chose them.
But the situation in the bar was rare; everyone wanted to serve important clients, and there’s usually no need for assignments; many people rush to serve them.
Ruan Qing calculated the days, and the original owner’s performance was in three days, and the payment of ‘dues’ was at the end of the month. There were five days left until the end of the month.
With some effort, it’s not impossible to clear the instance within the next three days.
In these three days, it’s the time when the original owner should be “working.” If he didn’t do it, it would be considered a violation of the bar’s rules, and the consequences could be very severe.
Moreover, the original owner, in order to make money, would often pull in customers for the bar, even when it’s not his ‘working’ time. Apparently, it’s unlikely for him not to ‘work’ just because of a sprained ankle.
Ruan Qing had to instruct the driver to change the route and go directly to the bar where the original owner worked.
T/N: We have a new website design! There's now a 'dark mode' if you prefer reading with lights off. LOL. It's still a bit under construction. If you encountered problems, just comment on the 'Contact' page. ^^
The three of them all replied to the police’s questions somewhat absentmindedly, their attention completely focused on the young man sitting obediently in the chair next to them.
Every inch of the young man’s body was exquisite. Even his ankles were delicately slender.
However, his ankles were now purplish, and even appeared a bit swollen, making them stand out compared to the rest of his skin, which was fair and carried a somewhat sickly feeling.
Yet, it also seemed incredibly ambiguous.
The young man probably didn’t engage in regular physical activity; his fair skin had a touch of fragility to it.
The injury on his ankles, on the other hand, made his skin blush, appearing extremely alluring, like the vibrant red hues of a sunset painting the sky, so mesmerizing that one couldn’t look away.
Moreover, due to the stinging pain from disinfection, his eyes were filled with mist, and he seemed to be clenching his lower lip tightly, perhaps to endure the pain.
But that repressed look only seemed to intensify the sense of torment in one’s heart, wanting to leave marks on his body, wanting to paint him with color.
Wanting to have their way with him, making it impossible for him to endure any longer, only to cry out pitifully for some mercy.
Ironically, he seemed oblivious to it all, and unlike his usual gloomy and reclusive self, at this moment, his beautiful eyes were exceptionally pure and docile.
The police officer held a pen and was questioning, “What were you all doing at the time?”
Ning Mufeng glanced at the person on the chair for a few moments before withdrawing his gaze, as if he had just casually glanced at something.
He answered the police officer’s question earnestly, with a warm and cool tone, “At the time, I left the school to buy a water bottle. When I heard that Student Wang had been injured, I rushed back.”
“But by the time I returned, the chandelier had already fallen. I’m not exactly sure what happened.”
Lin Anyan also withdrew his gaze and said in a deep voice, “At that time, I was backstage, paying attention to the movements on the stage, to prevent any disturbances from the audience. After all, there was a last-minute change in the performance, and I was somewhat worried.”
“The chandelier fell suddenly without any warning, and I only realized it when it made a loud noise.”
In contrast to the calm demeanor of the two, the male student didn’t divert his gaze, continuing to stare at Ruan Qing beside him, his expression somewhat dazed. He began, “That chandelier, it fell, it fell, and it made a loud sound, very white.”
As he spoke, he seemed to be lost in thought, a blush appearing on his handsome face, and his voice getting quieter. “Very... very dazzling.”
Police Officer: “???”
Ning Mufeng and Lin Anyan both cast a casual glance at the male student, their expressions revealing nothing, as if they were just casually looking.
The police officer raised his head, following the male student’s gaze and looked over, and he, too, froze in place.
Lin Anyan cleared his throat, bringing the police officer back to attention.
The police officer coughed and spoke. “Young man, please answer my question seriously.”
The male student, blushing, stammered, “I’m sorry. What did you ask just now?”
The male student’s bashful response made the police officer impatient as he repeated the question, “What were you doing at the time?”
Concerning the incident with the falling chandelier, the male student began to recount, “I was sitting in the front row of the audience. I suddenly noticed the chandelier swaying. Without thinking, I rushed onto the stage and tackled Student Wang.”
“It was a close call; if I had been a second slower, both Student Wang and I might have been crushed by that chandelier,” the male student added with a shiver.
The police officer asked for every detail, covering all possible angles.
Ruan Qing listened attentively but remained silent, displaying a hint of skepticism regarding their responses.
Even the police officer questioned everything thoroughly.
The doctor had advised Ruan Qing to avoid strenuous activities, to which he nodded in agreement.
Once the doctor left, the police officer began questioning Ruan Qing about the situation at that time.
Ruan Qing cooperated, but he did not disclose the reason he went on stage, instead starting with the incident involving the falling chandelier.
“I was playing the flute at the time when I suddenly heard a sound like something breaking above my head. It was abrupt, as if something had snapped, and then the chandelier fell,” Ruan Qing explained.
Hearing Ruan Qing’s account, the police officer furrowed his brows and asked, “Sudden snapping sound?”
The police officer had low expectations, considering that the scene investigation had not yielded much information and the three individuals involved had not provided any substantial leads. However, he was surprised by Ruan Qing’s testimony.
The on-site investigation had suggested that the chandelier had fallen due to aging and loosening of its fixed position, but that wouldn’t produce the sudden snapping sound Ruan Qing described.
Ruan Qing nodded in affirmation, saying, “It was indeed the sound of something suddenly breaking, and the chandelier fell about two seconds after that sound.”
It was highly likely that the sound wasn’t related to the chandelier’s fixed position but rather something else breaking.
Ruan Qing had a vague idea of how the culprit had brought down the chandelier.
It appeared to be a complex design. First, something was held by a rope, and cutting that rope triggered a chain reaction, causing the chandelier to fall.
Even cutting that rope could make certain things, which don’t require human control, happen.
The culprit had completely covered their tracks. Even if the police find some traces, they might not necessarily think in that direction.
And even if they did, it would be challenging to suspect who the culprit was.
The culprit was extremely clever, almost achieving the perfect crime.
But Ruan Qing breathed a sigh of relief deep down. As long as it didn’t turn out like those three instances before, he really didn’t want to face a group of overpowered monsters.
He had no chance in a battle of strength, but in a battle of wits, he wasn’t afraid of anyone.
As long as one did something, they would leave traces.
About two seconds after the sound of the break, the chandelier finally fell. The police had already become serious, realizing that this wasn’t a simple case of wire burning out and falling down, which wouldn’t have had a delay of two seconds.
The police shared this discovery with the on-site investigators. Although the scene had been initially classified as an accident, they immediately resumed their investigation upon hearing the police’s words and thoroughly examined the entire venue once again.
However, the results were the same as the first investigation—no problems were found.
With no discoveries and no evidence, the police had to call it a day.
Ruan Qing also knew that it wouldn’t be that easy to find the truth, and he didn’t hold out much hope.
If he were the culprit, he would never leave any clues at the scene.
There were too many methods for a traceless murder, and many common things that wouldn’t raise suspicion could be used.
It was getting late, around ten o’clock. Ruan Qing didn’t want to stay with the three people, so he refused their help with a cold expression and prepared to take a taxi back to his rented room.
After all, the original owner’s “part-time job” was in the evening, and it was not convenient to live in the school dormitory, so he rented a room outside.
However, the three of them seemed a bit concerned and only left after making sure Ruan Qing got into the taxi.
“Ding Ling Ling! Ding Ling Ling!”
Ruan Qing had just gotten into a taxi when his phone rang. He glanced at the note on his phone.
“Ling Lan?”
Ruan Qing paused for a moment and answered the call.
The moment the call connected, an impatient voice came through the phone. “Where are you, Mei Gui? It’s already working hours. Why haven’t you arrived yet?”
Mei Gui?
Working?
In their line of work, they couldn’t use their real names, so they needed to choose a “stage name” for themselves.
The bar preferred using stage names related to flowers, although it was a bit vulgar, but it was simple and easy to remember, and it suited their identity.
The original owner’s stage name was Mei Gui.
Because the original owner never received much genuine love from a young age, he wanted to be as cherished as a rose, even if it was in bed. (T/N: Mei Gui (玫瑰) means “rose” in Chinese.)
“So annoying. Does that manager have a problem? I just performed a couple of days ago, and he’s making me go on stage again. I’ve been particularly unlucky since I met you.”
The man’s voice on the phone continued to complain, with a cold tone filled with obvious disdain, “Are you naturally born with bad luck or something?”
Ruan Qing remained silent for a while and then lowered his voice. “I’m sorry, can you tell the manager for me that I might not be able to come in recently? I twisted my foot just now.”
The man on the other end of the phone directly sneered, “What does twisting your foot have to do with work? You don’t need to exert yourself; just lie down in bed, and you’ll be fine.”
Ruan Qing: “...”
The man seemed uninterested in talking to Ruan Qing, and he coldly said, “Stop the nonsense, come over quickly, or the manager won’t be as patient as I am.”
“You don’t want him to call you personally, do you?”
The man hung up the phone after saying that.
Ruan Qing held the phone in silence.
The bar where the original owner worked wasn’t exactly a legal place. If he broke any taboos, the bar’s management wouldn’t be lenient, and the consequences were not something an ordinary person could bear.
It’s like signing a contract and then suddenly breaking it, or something like that.
The original owner signed for five years directly.
Now it’s only the first year.
However, the way they treat the ‘employees’ in the bar who followed the rules was relatively mild. As long as they ‘work’ on the days they were supposed to every month and paid the required ‘dues,’ they wouldn’t force the employees to do something they didn’t want.
In other words, employees generally had the autonomy to choose which clients to serve, unless important clients chose them.
But the situation in the bar was rare; everyone wanted to serve important clients, and there’s usually no need for assignments; many people rush to serve them.
Ruan Qing calculated the days, and the original owner’s performance was in three days, and the payment of ‘dues’ was at the end of the month. There were five days left until the end of the month.
With some effort, it’s not impossible to clear the instance within the next three days.
In these three days, it’s the time when the original owner should be “working.” If he didn’t do it, it would be considered a violation of the bar’s rules, and the consequences could be very severe.
Moreover, the original owner, in order to make money, would often pull in customers for the bar, even when it’s not his ‘working’ time. Apparently, it’s unlikely for him not to ‘work’ just because of a sprained ankle.
Ruan Qing had to instruct the driver to change the route and go directly to the bar where the original owner worked.
T/N: We have a new website design! There's now a 'dark mode' if you prefer reading with lights off. LOL. It's still a bit under construction. If you encountered problems, just comment on the 'Contact' page. ^^
