Chapter 14

These words exploded in his ear like a sudden clap of thunder, making Jiang Xiao’s mind go blank. It took him a long moment to find his voice:

“…Who’s dead?”

An intensely ominous premonition surged into his heart.

This was no small matter. Everyone rushed to check the situation. Only Jiang Xiao remained standing in place, rapidly recalling everything that had just happened.

The blackout, the forceful kiss, the sound of the door opening, the attendant entering, the cake…

Moments later, the noise gradually subsided. The atmosphere was solemn and heavy. The only medical student present was Wen Xu. He said:

“He can’t be saved. He’s already dead.”

Qin Guan had been found in the storage room, a knife driven straight through his heart. The optimal time for treatment had long passed.

Hearing Wen Xu’s simple statement, Jiang Xiao was utterly incredulous.

Why would Qin Guan be killed at this moment? Jiang Xiao didn’t think Qin Guan had a feud with anyone. None of the people present knew Qin Guan well; that was obvious.

Thus, the only reason he could think of was…

The information Qin Guan had obtained about the true culprit behind his car accident!

At the same time, a red light flashed before Jiang Xiao’s eyes:

【Quest Triggered】

Main Mission:

On the day of the birthday banquet, a blizzard trapped everyone in the hotel. Yet on the very first night, someone died. The murderer is among you.

In your opinion, the murderer is ( ).

Reminder: You only have one chance to fill in the answer. Completing the main mission will grant a stage-clear reward. Failure results in elimination.

——

Upon hearing about the murder, the butler hurried up and politely knocked on the door. Seeing the person lying in a pool of blood, his face instantly showed an expression of extreme shock: “W-what is this? This guest was killed inside the room?”

“If there’s no one else, I believe so.” Wen Xu stepped forward. “But the door was open at the time. We can’t rule out someone using that opportunity to sneak into the room. Could you let us check the hotel’s surveillance footage from that time?”

The butler wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief: “T-this… it’s better to wait for the police to arrive before looking at that.”

“In this kind of weather outside, when can the police even get here?” Ying Weizhu glanced out the window, his tone mocking. “More importantly, if we don’t find the murderer now, are you expecting us to stay cooped up in the same space? If someone else dies, are you taking responsibility?”

It was past midnight. The night was darker than the deepest ink, mixed with the unceasing roar of the wind. In a certain moment, it sent a bone-deep chill through everyone.

Butler: “This… actually, the surveillance nearby has been broken for a week. We were going to go down the mountain to buy supplies, but the continuous snowfall has made the descent difficult, so the replacement has been delayed.”

“No wonder you’re so panicked. Maybe you’re the killer.” Ying Weizhu suddenly threw this out, which thoroughly terrified the butler. “Sir, you can’t say things like that! I’ve never met this guest in my life! We have no grievances whatsoever. There’s absolutely no way I could have killed him!”

“I think we should put the matter of the surveillance aside for now.” Amidst the chaos, Jiang Xiao spoke softly. “Actually, the matter is already quite clear. The person who killed Qin Guan is among us.”

“Why couldn’t it be the butler or this attendant?” Ying Weizhu raised an eyebrow. His tone seemed quite curious, though it was hard to tell if it was feigned. “Jiang Xiao, what makes you so certain the murderer is among us?”

“It’s simple. Suppose the murderer planned this in advance. But I didn’t invite Qin Guan to this birthday party. Even the rooms were just booked today. How could the murderer have predicted he’d come to this specific hotel?”

“If the murderer decided to act after he entered the hotel, Qin Guan spent the vast majority of his time inside this very room. He wouldn’t have had any interaction with the butler or the attendant. So we can rule them out.”

“The remaining suspects are the people who were in this room with him today…”

“The four of us.”

“Why aren’t you excluding yourself?” Bo Xiting, who had been silent for a long time, seemingly lost in thought, suddenly spoke. His tone was as cold and indifferent as ever, but carried an exceptionally clear implication.

“Unwilling, or afraid?”

“Senior, I’m just stating objective facts. Of course, I know I didn’t do it. Besides, I don’t even have the means.” Jiang Xiao spread his hands, nearly laughing. “Look at me. I can’t even step out of this room. How could I possibly follow Qin Guan into the storage room and stab him?”

“Exactly. Why don’t you suspect it was us two?” Ying Weizhu’s voice held a smile, but his words were ambiguous. “Jiang Xiao can’t even handle his luggage without accidentally cutting his finger. He could kill Qin Guan? With that small frame? He’d be lucky not to be overpowered by Qin Guan.”

Indeed, the person with the least suspicion here was likely Jiang Xiao.

No matter who did it, no one would suspect him.

Yet Jiang Xiao had a vague feeling that Bo Xiting’s words held a hidden meaning.

He seemed to believe Jiang Xiao was the murderer.

Why would Bo Xiting think that? Could he have found evidence related to him?

Based on Jiang Xiao’s impression of Bo Xiting from this day alone, the other party was absolutely not the type to make baseless accusations. On the contrary, he might be even more meticulous than Wen Xu, just never showing it.

Skilled at hiding himself and tight-lipped, unable to be pried for even a sliver of information—such a person was the most terrifying.

“Can I take a closer look at him?” Jiang Xiao pondered for a few seconds, then asked.

Jiang Xiao was essentially completely in the dark, knowing nothing. He’d gathered information purely through hearing, completely ignorant of the details. He had to personally examine the crime scene.

Moreover, he already had a speculation in mind.

“He’s covered in blood,” Wen Xu blocked him for a moment. Jiang Xiao shook his head. “It’s fine, I won’t touch him.”

Jiang Xiao, guided by Wen Xu, walked step by step towards Qin Guan.

The location was inside the storage room. Qin Guan had been stabbed directly in the chest. The bloodied knife had then fallen onto the floor. The carpet was thick enough that the sound hadn’t carried.

And at that time, there were actually many other sounds in the room… the sound of the door opening, the rustling sound of the birthday cake cart rolling across the floor. Without obstructions, perhaps Jiang Xiao might have heard even more sounds.

But at that moment, he had been forcibly pushed onto the sofa and kissed by that person. Now, looking back, all he could remember was the sweet peach wine taste.

But…

Who exactly was that person?

In the dark of the night, this unreasonable act now became an extremely critical piece of evidence, because the two of them could mutually alibi each other. Qin Guan definitely couldn’t have been killed by him.

Yet the other party seemed to have absolutely no intention of bringing this up, not even when Bo Xiting questioned Jiang Xiao.

But that led to an even more confusing point.

Jiang Xiao seemed to recall only Bo Xiting drinking peach wine. He had also tasted a bit.

Could that person be Bo Xiting?

That made absolutely no sense.

If it were Bo Xiting, then he shouldn’t be questioning Jiang Xiao right now—Jiang Xiao had no opportunity to commit the murder at that time.

But the way that person kissed him, as if they wanted to devour him… didn’t really seem like Bo Xiting either.

Most crucially…

The knife.

Jiang Xiao said: “Is this knife from our room?”

“It doesn’t seem so.” The butler examined the knife carefully. “The pattern on the handle is unfamiliar. It doesn’t belong to the hotel.”

Jiang Xiao had cut his finger on a knife earlier. He quickly wiped the blood off with his clothes. During that time, he’d inevitably touched the knife handle; it indeed had an uneven texture.

Even without seeing it with his own eyes, Jiang Xiao was now sixty percent certain this knife belonged to Ying Weizhu.

If he were to voice this suspicion now, how would Ying Weizhu refute it? Only Bo Xiting and Wen Xu remained in the room. How would either of them know that Ying Weizhu had brought a knife?

Yet…

Jiang Xiao still hadn’t found the person who kissed him.

If it wasn’t Bo Xiting, then it had to be between Wen Xu and Ying Weizhu.

Wen Xu was his boyfriend; there was no need for him to sneak a kiss at a time like this. Ying Weizhu’s likelihood was very high.

But if he wasn’t the murderer, could the murderer be Bo Xiting or Wen Xu?

The more Jiang Xiao thought, the more his head spun. The case felt entirely bewildering, with every piece of information carrying a potential counter-argument. And what puzzled Jiang Xiao even more was: What exactly was the role of this person, Jiang Mu?

So far, this person had not shown his face.

How long was he planning to hide?

Jiang Xiao fell silent.

Even knowing Qin Guan was just an NPC in the game, the fact that he’d been chatting and laughing with Jiang Xiao just ten minutes ago and was now completely lifeless still filled Jiang Xiao with sorrow.

“System, is there no time limit for the main mission?” Jiang Xiao asked, “So players could potentially stay in the game forever?”

System: “As time passes, your mortality rate will gradually increase due to various events. If you wish to leave the game alive, you must clear it before dying.”

As expected, it’s not that simple…

Seeing Jiang Xiao seemed somewhat downcast, the System added: “Dead NPCs will be respawned. You don’t need to mourn for them. The Main System will reuse them, not letting any value go to waste.”

Jiang Xiao’s mouth twitched.

So even the system world had slave drivers? Even in death, they weren’t left alone.

The group discussed their thoughts on the situation in low voices. The butler mentioned he’d already notified the police, but the blizzard was simply too heavy, looking to last at least three days and nights. It would likely be impossible to come up the mountain during this time, so they would have to handle things themselves for now.

“Senior,” Jiang Xiao suddenly said, “since you think I did it, let’s go out and talk.”

But Wen Xu spoke up first: “Xiaoxiao, if you have something to say, say it here. On your own… it’s not safe.”

“We’ll just be next door. You’ll hear any commotion.” Jiang Xiao smiled. “Since the murderer wants to hide their tracks, they wouldn’t be stupid enough to expose themselves now, right?”

Bo Xiting’s expression remained impassive. He gave a “Mm” and, surprisingly, didn’t refuse, following Jiang Xiao into the adjacent room.

Without the others’ voices and the roaring fireplace, the air in the room seemed to hold a chill, each breath carrying coldness.

“What do you want to say?” Bo Xiting leaned against the corner wall, observing Jiang Xiao from the deep shadows.

Jiang Xiao turned left and right, seeming to search for Bo Xiting, but grasped empty space. He laughed in exasperation: “Senior, why are you standing so far away? Don’t tell me you suspect I’m going to attack you?”

“That sounds like the truth.”

Bo Xiting said flatly.

“…” Jiang Xiao spread his hands open. “I don’t have anything on me. You don’t believe me? Search me then.”

He was wearing just a high-necked sweater, a soft knitted fabric. If he were hiding any sharp object, it would be obvious at a glance.

Bo Xiting slowly walked out from the shadows, standing before Jiang Xiao. “Speak.”

Jiang Xiao tilted his face slightly. “Senior, come a bit closer. Lower your head.”

Bo Xiting frowned. “What exactly do you want?”

The moment the last syllable fell, Jiang Xiao raised his hands and looped them around Bo Xiting’s neck. He smiled faintly. “Senior, how about we kiss?”