Jiang Xiao came out of the room, clutching a small key in his hand, leaning against the railing as he tried to remember the way back.
Crap, he didn’t seem to remember it very well.
Jiang Xiao was silent for a few seconds before asking the system, “Can you guide me?”
System: “The newbie tutorial has already been used up. I can’t provide you with any more help.”
Jiang Xiao was shocked. “Then what use do I have for you?”
System: “I’m just a useless system.”
Jiang Xiao: “I don’t… quite think that. Never mind. I remember there should be stairs over here. Yeah, going down should be right.”
His fingers rested on the carved railing. The warmth from his body was quickly absorbed by the icy cold, and Jiang Xiao instantly felt a bone-chilling cold, as if it were seeping into his bones. He had no choice but to wrap his bathrobe tighter.
After a few more steps, Jiang Xiao’s pace gradually slowed until he stopped. He paused for a moment and then spoke. “Who’s there?”
No one answered.
Jiang Xiao’s heart grew uneasy. In the dead of night, who wasn’t sleeping and was wandering outside? Could it be the murderer coming for him?
Jiang Xiao had a vague premonition. The Lucky Star item had triggered twice. The first time most likely occurred around the time of the death that night.
After all, his mortality rate had already reached 50%, a probability of one half.
And, if one thought about it carefully, Jiang Mu’s words contained many loopholes that completely failed to convince Jiang Xiao.
But why hadn’t the murderer killed him, and instead killed Qin Guan?
Jiang Xiao hadn’t figured out the reason. Everything was still just speculation.
“There’s no one else here. Do you still have to keep up the act?” A deep, mocking voice rang out.
The voice was not far from Jiang Xiao. He recognized it as Bo Xiting’s voice but didn’t relax his vigilance. “Why are you here? And what act am I putting on?”
Bo Xiting was concealed in the darkness, watching Jiang Xiao come out of the room, fumbling around, looking like he wanted to leave but didn’t dare to…
His acting was quite convincing.
Bo Xiting didn’t answer the question. He watched Jiang Xiao descend the steps, scanning Jiang Xiao’s entire body. Instead of answering his question, he said coldly, “Jiang Mu didn’t give you any clothes?”
Jiang Xiao was only wearing a bathrobe. Because he had left in a hurry, it was tied hastily in a loose knot, the collar open, revealing the smooth lines of his neck and collarbone. As he walked, his bare, fair calves peeked out.
In the darkness, he was like a glowing piece of jade, unwittingly attracting the peeping gazes from the darkness.
Jiang Xiao gave a wry smile. “It is a bit cold.”
Jiang Mu’s state earlier had been somewhat abnormal. The moment Jiang Xiao had cuffed him, he had become fully awake. He looked down at the handcuffs and actually smiled.
“I was wondering why you were so obedient earlier. So it was for this.”
His voice contained not a trace of anger, which instead made one’s heart grow even more uneasy.
Not being angry didn’t mean there was no threat. Quite the opposite—Jiang Xiao couldn’t unlock the handcuffs, but that didn’t mean Jiang Mu couldn’t.
Therefore, Jiang Xiao didn’t exchange another word with him. He turned and left hurriedly, forgetting to even grab a coat.
After thinking for a few seconds, Jiang Xiao walked in Bo Xiting’s direction. He stopped and said, “Why are you standing here instead of sleeping?”
Bo Xiting’s feeling towards him was somewhat different from the other few. Ying Weizhu and Jiang Mu had both exhibited retaliatory behavior towards him to varying degrees, but Bo Xiting remained completely unmoved, even unwilling to say much to him.
Yet now, for some unknown reason, he was standing motionless in the pitch-black, ice-cold corridor like a ghostly shadow. If Jiang Xiao’s eyes could see, he would surely be greatly startled.
“Waiting.”
Bo Xiting slightly lowered his gaze. His eyes were usually deep black; only by looking closely and observing could one detect a hint of deep green within them. But now, his green eyes were as obvious as fireflies in the dark.
“Waiting for what?”
“Waiting for you to get back together with him.” Bo Xiting’s tone was without a ripple. “I know you’re hoping for this day.”
Jiang Xiao: “?”
Wait.
This sentence carried a lot of information.
He mulled it over for a moment before understanding that the “him” Bo Xiting referred to was Jiang Mu.
Jiang Xiao asked, puzzled, “When did I ever say I wanted to get back together with him?”
Was there a new plot he didn’t know about?
“You invited him here precisely for this,” Bo Xiting said coldly.
“Then I invited you too,” Jiang Xiao blurted out. “Why don’t you think I want to get back together with you?”
The moment these words were spoken, the atmosphere suddenly became somewhat strange.
As if the mood had jumped from the prelude of a horror film to a channel for a romance drama.
Although he couldn’t see, Jiang Xiao could feel that the heavy, almost crushing aura around Bo Xiting suddenly vanished.
Because of what he said.
“Cough, cough.” Jiang Xiao folded his arms. It was too cold outside; he was already shivering from the chill. So he said directly, “Don’t you feel cold?”
Meaning, since there’s nothing else, why don’t we both go back to our own places and talk tomorrow.
After waiting a few seconds, Bo Xiting’s presence drew closer, and he tapped twice on the back of Jiang Xiao’s hand.
…What did that mean?
Jiang Xiao was even more confused.
“Aren’t you unable to see?” Bo Xiting glanced at him sideways. “Now you can see again?”
Jiang Xiao muttered, “If only I could see…”
Saying this, he still didn’t catch on.
Bo Xiting frowned slightly, pressed down on his wrist, and placed it onto his own sleeve. “Hold tight.”
“If you get lost, I’m not going to look after you.”
Jiang Xiao, who had inexplicably ended up holding Bo Xiting’s clothes and following him back to his room: “???”
Was this guy actually a kind person behind that cold face?
But wasn’t he too awkward? Couldn’t he just say “I’ll walk you back to your room”?
As soon as they entered the room, a wave of warmth greeted them. Jiang Xiao’s stiff limbs and bones relaxed, and he let out a comfortable sigh. “Thank you for bringing me back. It’s so late; you should go back and sleep early too.”
Back in a familiar place, Jiang Xiao was much more at ease. He planned to warm up by the living room fireplace for a while first. Huh? … Why was there a wall here?
The room layout had changed.
“This is my room,” Bo Xiting said. “Where do you want me to go back to?”
Jiang Xiao let out an “Ah.” “You… didn’t take me back?”
Bo Xiting fell silent, with the air of “I bring you back and you still push your luck.” Jiang Xiao said, “Then I’ll go back myself. What number do you live in? It should be not far from my room, right?”
“Suit yourself.” Bo Xiting finished speaking, got up, and left. Probably finding Jiang Xiao an eyesore, he went back to the bedroom to rest.
“Such a rotten temper,” Jiang Xiao grumbled. He hadn’t provoked Bo Xiting, had he? He felt utterly despised.
But actually, staying here wasn’t so bad.
Although Bo Xiting disliked him, he wasn’t at the point of wanting to kill him, making it a relatively safe place for now.
The burning wood gave off a pleasant pine fragrance. Jiang Xiao’s frozen brain slowly began to function again. He felt around beside him, pulled a blanket over himself, and leaned against the back of the sofa to think.
He didn’t believe a single word of the “facts” Jiang Mu had told him.
All lies.
Looking through Jiang Mu’s computer, though he couldn’t crack the passwords, it wasn’t without gain. What was that mysterious software used for? And the hidden folder requiring a password…
Jiang Mu’s purpose for coming here was definitely not simple.
Jiang Xiao vaguely felt that although the storyline of this instance seemed simple on the surface, a greater conspiracy might be hidden behind it.
Who exactly could have done it?
Jiang Xiao mentally reviewed the actions of the few people after entering the hotel: Bo Xiting, who had been drinking heavily; Ying Weizhu, carrying a knife; Jiang Mu, who lied about not being at the hotel; and…
A boyfriend with a low presence, often leaving for matters: Wen Xu.
Among the four of them, who was the real murderer?
Ying Weizhu and Jiang Mu’s statements contradicted each other. One of them was certainly lying. Which one was it?
Looking at it now, Ying Weizhu and Jiang Mu were actually the most suspicious. Once they obtained an alibi from Jiang Xiao, it would completely clear them of suspicion.
But the killer had used Ying Weizhu’s knife. Could it have been Ying Weizhu himself?
This raised another question: did Ying Weizhu know someone had tampered with his knife?
But it was very difficult to deduce further from this point…
Jiang Xiao was deep in thought when he heard the slight “pop” of a bottle cap being removed with an opener beside him. Bo Xiting had sat down next to him at some point.
“You’re drinking again?” Jiang Xiao couldn’t help but say. “Aren’t you afraid of drinking yourself to death here?”
“You know that too?” Bo Xiting glanced at him and said indifferently.
“Can’t see, just guessing,” Jiang Xiao said grumpily. He suddenly felt this was a good opportunity to fish for information. “You don’t still think I’m the murderer, do you?”
“Aren’t you.”
“Is there a murderer like me? Can’t even remember the way, needs someone to guide me.” Jiang Xiao said, “When the power went out, didn’t you all go to the storage room? Didn’t you see anything?”
“Is that what Jiang Mu told you?” Bo Xiting tilted his head back and took a gulp of wine, not even guessing. “But unfortunately, I didn’t see anything.”
“The room was very dark. The situation was chaotic at the time. The storage room door was closed. Someone came in, and I went out to check the situation.”
“That attendant was blocking the doorway, constantly saying ‘Don’t touch the cake.’ It was very noisy, drowning out a lot of sounds.” Bo Xiting narrowed his eyes slightly, his deep green pupils very dark. “I suspect he was being directed by someone.”
Jiang Xiao noted this information and asked again, “What else?”
“Nothing.”
“That’s it?” Jiang Xiao clearly didn’t believe him. “Think again. What else?”
“It’s your turn to talk,” Bo Xiting said.
Jiang Xiao was taken aback. “I… What should I say?”
“Tell me what you were doing during those few minutes of the power outage.”
“I was just sitting on the sofa at the time, and I heard you all say the power was out. But for me, power or no power makes no difference.” Jiang Xiao’s speech rate was perfectly normal, without any hesitation. “I kept sitting there. What happened after that, you all know.”
“Kissing Ying Weizhu?” Bo Xiting said.
“Yes… yes.”
Bo Xiting let out a soft chuckle upon hearing this.
Jiang Xiao paused. “What are you laughing at?”
Since they’d met, Bo Xiting had been cold and stern towards him, let alone smiling or speaking gently. This sudden laugh made Jiang Xiao a little scared.
“Nothing.” Bo Xiting’s tone returned to its usual coldness. “I just suddenly understand that you actually don’t care about anyone.”
“Dating, for you, is merely playing along for the occasion.”
“When have I ever played along for the occasion?” Jiang Xiao said, puzzled. “Although we broke up, while we were dating, I was serious.”
“Is that so.”
Bo Xiting’s words carried an unmistakable icy chill.
“Then why did you think it was Ying Weizhu kissing you?”
“After we broke up, you can’t even remember my kiss anymore?”
