Muffled voices carrying Wen Xu and Jiang Mu’s argument drifted into the room from outside.
Jiang Xiao sighed. Of course, he couldn’t just stay in Jiang Mu’s room like this, but…
How the hell was he supposed to undo these handcuffs?
Jiang Xiao yanked hard at the cuffs on his wrist. Jiang Mu had only cuffed one hand. He had tried every method, yet still couldn’t free the cuff from the bedpost.
Unless…
Moments later, Jiang Xiao was utterly exhausted. The sounds outside also gradually died down. It seemed Jiang Mu had sent Wen Xu away.
Jiang Mu: “…”
Recalling what had just happened, Jiang Xiao only wanted to say one word to his past self:
Served. You. Right.
Twenty minutes ago, after hearing the reason Jiang Mu gave, Jiang Xiao had almost started to feel sorry for him. There are plenty of fish in the sea, why fixate on one scumbag? But since he himself was that scumbag, Jiang Xiao couldn’t say that out loud. So he just changed the subject.
“So you just stood at the door for a bit and left? You didn’t hear anything?”
“I did do something else,” Jiang Mu said.
This news instantly energized Jiang Xiao. “What was it?”
But Jiang Mu fell silent, deliberately making Jiang Xiao anxious. After a long pause, he finally drawled, “Stay with me tonight, and I’ll tell you everything.”
Jiang Xiao, of course, firmly refused. Jiang Mu didn’t insist, just smiled. “Then I have nothing else to say.”
Jiang Xiao was stunned. He hadn’t expected Jiang Mu to be so difficult. He thought for a moment and said seriously, “You already know, don’t you?”
“About what?”
“Someone was killed in our room.” After saying this, Jiang Xiao waited nervously for Jiang Mu’s reaction.
But Jiang Mu was unhurried. First came a “Hm?”, followed by a puzzled tone: “What happened? Who died?”
Then his gaze swept over Jiang Xiao’s entire body. “Are you hurt?”
Jiang Mu’s tone didn’t seem feigned. Although Jiang Xiao still had some disbelief—Jiang Mu could also be pretending—it was flawless so far. At least he hadn’t found any holes.
Jiang Xiao said, “I’m fine. It’s Qin Guan who died. Do you know him?”
Jiang Mu paused for a moment. “The redhead staying with you?”
Jiang Xiao asked suspiciously, “You remember him?”
That shouldn’t be. Jiang Mu wasn’t even a student here. How could he possibly know Qin Guan, and so accurately at that?
This point only deepened Jiang Xiao’s suspicion of Jiang Mu.
“I was taking you to your freshman orientation that day. You said his hair color looked good.” Jiang Mu said flatly. “You never complimented me like that.”
Jiang Xiao: “…”
Bro, are you a love-brain?
This doesn’t quite fit your persona.
This statement from Jiang Mu unlocked multiple pieces of backstory information.
[Jiang Mu was someone you met during your graduation trip at eighteen. At the time, you were uncertain about your sexuality, and Jiang Mu actively pursued you, so you half-heartedly agreed to be with him.]
[Unlike the turbulent future you imagined, Jiang Mu was mature and steady, putting you first in everything. You gradually accepted the fact that you liked men.]
The corners of Jiang Xiao’s mouth twitched as he read. “Um, System, can I switch you out? The immersion is too strong.”
System: “Like changing ‘you’ to ‘Jiang Xiao’?”
Jiang Xiao thought for a moment and gave up. “Forget it. Just keep it like this.”
[Your relationship with Jiang Mu lasted a full year. You were deeply affectionate every day and explored all sorts of joyful methods available to same-sex lovers. Jiang Mu became your sexual enlightenment teacher, as well as the aesthetic benchmark for your future selection of boyfriends.]
Jiang Xiao: “………………”
So when Jiang Mu said, “Your kissing skills got worse,” that wasn’t mockery, but a sincere evaluation?!
Jiang Xiao’s face was a picture of absolute horror. More importantly, what the hell did those last few lines mean?!
System: “It means…”
Jiang Xiao: “No, no! I don’t want to know! I beg you, stop!”
System: “Heh heh.”
Jiang Xiao thought and thought, then asked warily, “Can I set up an Intimacy Lock?”
System: “Insufficient points. Unable to purchase.”
Jiang Xiao raged, “Why does this thing need to be bought?! Then what if I encounter that kind of plot later?!”
System: “Either fight or lie back.”
Jiang Xiao: “Thank your ancestors for me.”
Jiang Xiao’s first heartfelt goal since entering the game had been established.
Save up and buy an Intimacy Lock.
The System suddenly offered kindly, “Actually, it doesn’t matter, because it’s only your spirit entering the game. Your physical body is still lying in reality. If you successfully leave the game, you can treat everything that happened as a dream.”
Jiang Xiao shouted furiously, “In your dreams!!”
Jiang Mu asked, “Have you caught the murderer yet? If not, the culprit is very likely among the people in that room.”
Jiang Xiao withdrew from the conversation with the System, his thoughts returning to reality. He took a deep breath. “Exactly. The reason I came to find you is also because you appeared outside our room. So you could have committed the crime too.”
“That is true. So the murderer hasn’t been caught yet.” Jiang Mu nodded.
“You didn’t know?” Jiang Xiao said.
Jiang Mu smiled helplessly, with a tone that suggested he already knew exactly what Jiang Xiao was thinking:
“Xiaoxiao, you can’t seriously think I did it? Your roommate and I have only met once. You’d even suspect me for this? Or is it that you already have a culprit in mind, but you’re unwilling to believe it’s them?”
“Of course I… didn’t think that way,” Jiang Xiao said. “I suspect everyone. That’s the most fair.”
“It is fair, but… Xiaoxiao, when you don’t know the murderer’s goal, you have to choose to trust at least one person.” Jiang Mu said. “I have absolutely no reason to kill Qin Guan. Can you trust me now?”
Jiang Xiao spit out a single word: “No.”
“I trust Wen Xu more than you.”
The smile at the corner of Jiang Mu’s mouth slowly faded.
Jiang Xiao said, “If you don’t want to talk, I won’t force you. But if it really was you, I will find your flaw.”
Jiang Xiao stood up, his fingers touching the air before him as he moved step by step toward the door.
Jiang Mu remained seated in silence. Jiang Xiao knew he wouldn’t talk.
Jiang Mu and Bo Xiting really were brothers; even their tight-lippedness was identical. Whatever he didn’t want to say, Jiang Xiao had no way to get the truth out of him.
But, all he needed was time.
The truth would eventually come out.
“I’ll tell you.”
Jiang Xiao had already touched the door handle and was about to turn it when Jiang Mu’s voice came from behind. Not too loud, not too soft, just enough for Jiang Xiao to hear.
Jiang Xiao’s movement stopped. “I’m all ears.”
“Sit down and talk, after all.” Jiang Mu stood up and also walked to the door. His dark green eyes fixed on Jiang Xiao, dark and still, churning with emotions so heavy they were terrifying. Yet his tone was calm, with no hint of abnormality. “This matter is a long story.”
Jiang Xiao hesitated.
Why did Jiang Mu suddenly want to talk? Had he thought of an excuse, or did he think saying it didn’t matter anymore?
Should he stay and listen?
Various thoughts clashed chaotically in his mind. Finally, Jiang Xiao’s fingers gripping the door handle slowly loosened. Led by Jiang Mu, he walked back into the room.
Listen. He had to listen.
Even if what Jiang Mu said wasn’t crucial, to Jiang Xiao, it would still be an important clue. At the very least, he could piece together the scene more completely.
But the premise was that Jiang Mu wasn’t lying.
Jiang Xiao was just pondering this when he suddenly felt that the direction Jiang Mu was leading him was wrong.
This wasn’t the way back to the sofa!
Jiang Xiao had been so engrossed in his thoughts that he only realized now: this path seemed to lead deeper into the bedroom suite, definitely not the living room. His heart jolted in alarm. He immediately tried to pull his hand back, but the moment he moved, the grip on his wrist tightened considerably, as if his escape had been anticipated all along.
“Jiang Mu, let go.” Jiang Xiao suppressed his rising panic, but couldn’t help thinking: The murderer really is Jiang Mu? Is he turning himself in?
“I don’t want to listen anymore. Let me go!” Jiang Xiao enunciated each word. “Wen Xu is right outside. What do you want to do to me—”
Jiang Xiao felt a dizzying whirl. Jiang Mu had actually scooped him up horizontally in his arms, then tossed him onto the bed. The mattress beneath him was very soft, but Jiang Xiao was in no mood to enjoy it. The next second, he frantically scrambled to get up and flee. But Jiang Mu was faster than him—
Click!
A cold sensation touched Jiang Xiao’s wrist, and just like that, his heart instantly turned cold.
“What are you doing? Jiang Mu.” Jiang Xiao struggled to calm himself. He strained against the handcuffs, but they were hard as iron. Completely immovable with one hand. “Didn’t we agree to talk?”
Jiang Mu countered, “If I hadn’t said that, would you have stayed?”
“…”
“You trust Wen Xu too much, Xiaoxiao.” Jiang Mu spoke calmly. But after what just happened, Jiang Xiao would never again consider him an emotionally stable person.
Jiang Mu was an absolute madman!
“If I don’t trust him, should I trust you? How can I trust you after this?” Jiang Xiao gritted his teeth. “You’re nothing but a liar! Let me go right now, or Wen Xu will definitely come in.”
This was the second time Jiang Mu told Jiang Xiao, “You trust Wen Xu too much.”
What exactly was he trying to insinuate?
Jiang Mu slightly curled his lip. “I will fulfill my promise and tell you everything I just did, as long as you stay tonight.”
“Impossible,” Jiang Xiao bit out, word by word. “I’m not staying. What are you going to do about it?”
A hand gently pinched Jiang Xiao’s cheek, as if resigned to his stubbornness. Jiang Mu smiled and said:
“You can also scream and shout, make them take you away. But after that, I won’t speak another word to you about anything that happened tonight, nor will I let you fish for any of these details from anyone else.”
“The clues you want to pursue to find the murderer will come to an abrupt halt, right here.”
“Xiaoxiao, choose. The clues, or Wen Xu?”
This was naked, blatant blackmail.
Jiang Xiao’s eyelashes trembled slightly, as if he hadn’t yet accepted Jiang Mu’s such cruel words. But what if Jiang Mu really meant it?
He said softly:
“…I choose you.”
“The correct choice.” Jiang Mu leaned down and planted a light kiss on the side of Jiang Xiao’s face. He said, “I’ll send Wen Xu away. I’ll be back soon.”
