The heavy cloud of suspicion hovering over Rongmei had not yet dissipated when a new storm descended.

After a period of intensive shooting, the crew of Wind, Catkins, Mist, and Waves welcomed a day off. The producer hurried to the set, treated everyone to a meal, and they played a script murder mystery game together in the evening. The lead actress, Luo Manchai, not in the best state, went back to her room before midnight for her beauty sleep, leaving her handbag casually in the outer room.

The next day was a day off, but there was a night shoot scheduled.

In the afternoon, her assistant, A’Xi, prepared a fat-loss meal according to Luo Manchai’s habits. She used the key card to open Luo Manchai’s door but didn’t smell the usual aromatherapy scent; instead, a fishy stench hit her.

She tentatively called out: “Sis?”

No response.

Having a bad premonition, she walked into the bedroom with trepidation. Seeing the blood-stained sheets and the person on the bed clearly, she dropped the lunch box onto the carpet, “Ah—”

The giant screen in the city center played Luo Manchai’s beauty advertisement on loop. Police cars drove under the ad; in the rearview mirror, the living Luo Manchai was winking at people. People in the square didn’t know she had become a cold corpse yet; several girls were excitedly discussing buying the makeup she endorsed.

“Is it really Luo Manchai?” Shen Qi clenched his fists tight, his eye sockets red, “I don’t believe it, she is my goddess!”

Xi Wan: “How many goddesses do you have exactly?”

The team members were discussing the deceased Luo Manchai. Ji Chenjiao sat in the passenger seat reading the initial investigation report sent by the sub-bureau.

Luo Manchai, female, 26 years old, was found dead in a luxury suite on the 47th floor of Slinka Hotel by her assistant at noon. The fatal wound was the carotid artery in the neck being severed by a sharp weapon. No signs of struggle, likely killed in her sleep. Estimated time of death was between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m.

The suite door wasn’t damaged, and there were no climbing marks outside the window. The murderer could only have entered by “soft opening” the door, but the elevator and the surveillance on the 47th floor malfunctioned briefly, failing to capture anyone entering or leaving Luo Manchai’s room during the time of the crime.

Ji Chenjiao didn’t follow the entertainment industry much but had heard of Luo Manchai, especially recently. She had two hit TV dramas, and her popularity among the younger generation of traffic stars was unrivaled for a time.

Ji Chenjiao put down the tablet and turned back to ask Shen Qi: “Did Luo Manchai only become famous in the last two years?”

Mentioning this, Shen Qi got excited, “She’s considered a late bloomer. Her popularity rose two years ago after participating in a mystery-solving variety show. The dramas aired this year were also filmed after the variety show. They didn’t pass the review last year and were released this year, two in a row, perfect timing.”

Shen Qi went on endlessly. Ji Chenjiao checked online information while listening—

Luo Manchai was a rare true scholar in the entertainment industry. Unlike many stars who fabricated their academic qualifications, she graduated from the prestigious comprehensive university, Ningnan University, studying pharmacy, which was completely unrelated to acting. The medical majors at Ningnan University were top-tier nationwide; those who could get in were undoubtedly the best in their respective high schools.

Luo Manchai not only excelled academically but was also keen on campus activities. In her junior year, she participated in the Campus Goddess event. Once the video was released, it went viral online. Because of this, she connected with the entertainment industry and was signed by her current company, Brilliant Entertainment, after graduation.

However, when she first entered the industry, Luo Manchai wasn’t outstanding. The online popularity didn’t make her outshine other female stars. For those two years, she played supporting roles in various idol dramas and ancient costume dramas until she participated in the mystery-solving variety show Mystery Sky.

Her knowledge and IQ made her stand out among the stars. Afterward, she started receiving offers for female lead roles, and her acting career finally went smoothly.

She was a model worker in the industry, working almost all year round.

The Serious Crimes Unit arrived at Slinka Hotel. The five-star hotel had sealed off one elevator, and warning tape was pulled up on the 47th floor.

Brilliant Entertainment’s artist director had arrived, a middle-aged man. When Ji Chenjiao reached the 47th floor, he was communicating with the sub-bureau officers with a face full of worry, “Please don’t leak the news, I beg you! This happened too suddenly; please give us some time to respond!”

When Ji Chenjiao entered the suite, Xi Wan was picking up a luxury brand women’s handbag. Besides common items, there was a small red rectangular brocade tag in the inner pocket.

“What is this?” Xi Wan muttered to herself, “An amulet prayed for?”

The small brocade tag looked ordinary, much like trinkets prayed for in temples. Xi Wan took photos of it, bagged it, and continued searching, finding a stiff card with an ugly human face drawn on it from an outer pocket.

“Hm? Why is there such a thing?”

Hearing the sound, Ji Chenjiao looked over, “Script murder mystery character card, the Murderer card?”

Script murder mysteries had been popular in recent years; it wasn’t rare for young people to carry physical cards. But for a Murderer card to appear at this time, Xi Wan let out a surprised “Ah”.

This was a homicide scene, the victim’s body was still in the inner room, and there was actually a Murderer card in her handbag.

Did she put it in herself? Or did someone deliberately put it in? If the latter, it would definitely be a key clue.

Xi Wan immediately sealed the card into an evidence bag and continued the investigation.

An Xun was already working in the bedroom. “Captain, come look at this wound. I don’t think the murderer is a first-time offender.” An Xun supported the corpse’s neck, “He cut the carotid artery with just one stroke. No hesitation marks before the cut, and no additional cuts after. Also, the weapon is very sharp, suspected to be a scalpel used in surgery.”

“There are no signs of compression or restraint on the deceased. Judging from the blood spatter, the murderer stood in this position,” An Xun bowed and stood by the right side of the bed near the headboard, “and cut directly.”

“Boss, there are partial footprints.” Xi Wan squatted on the ground, carefully discerning on the carpet.

This type of plush carpet was hard to leave clear footprints like cement or floor tiles but easily preserved dust and the general shape of shoe soles.

Xi Wan said while extracting: “I’ll take the particulate matter back for testing. The murderer wore size 43 sports shoes.”

The case wasn’t clear. Based on An Xun’s judgment and reasoning, the murderer was likely one of two types: a serial killer who had committed multiple crimes or a professional hitman.

It was almost impossible for someone to achieve the effect of an old hand in a real murder just by observing or practicing on dead bodies or animals.

And the first type of murderer was usually very good at hiding and erasing traces. Leaving footprints and shoe sole attachments for the police was absolutely a major mistake.

So the possibility of a professional hitman committing the crime was temporarily higher.

Hired murder? Someone wanted to buy Luo Manchai’s life.

Was this person the one who put the Murderer card in the handbag?

Revenge? Had Luo Manchai ever been associated with such terrifying words as “murderer”?

Ji Chenjiao returned to the outer room, his gaze stopping on the door lock. A new question arose: Luo Manchai didn’t use the deadbolt?

But ordinary girls knew to use the deadbolt when staying in hotels. A big star like Luo Manchai didn’t use it? Or did someone tell her not to use it?

Ji Chenjiao pondered the suspicious points and suddenly realized that since arriving at the hotel, he hadn’t seen more crew members. Where did everyone go?

The one who discovered the scene was Luo Manchai’s assistant, A’Xi, who opened the door with a key card at noon today. Perhaps Luo Manchai didn’t use the lock to make it convenient for her to enter?

Ji Chenjiao asked: “Where is that assistant?”

A’Xi suffered a huge mental shock and was sent to a nearby hospital. Currently, her emotions were basically stable. In her ward, Ling Lie was carving an apple with a small knife.

A’Xi stammered through the process of discovering the scene, tears falling from time to time, but Ling Lie felt that wasn’t due to sadness, but fear.

This was normal; anyone seeing that scene would probably still have lingering fears.

Ling Lie asked: “You entered directly with a key card; Luo Manchai usually doesn’t use the deadbolt?”

A’Xi bit her lip and nodded, “I am Sister Chai’s life assistant, responsible for waking her up and preparing all necessities before she wakes up. Sister Chai doesn’t use the deadbolt when staying in hotels of this grade, especially luxury suites; safety is guaranteed, and nothing ever happened before.”

“If she needs you to take care of her, why not let you stay inside the suite?” Ling Lie said: “The outer room can accommodate people.”

“Sister Chai, she doesn’t like living with us.”

“Is it a rule she set? Always like this?”

“It’s been like this since I became Sister Chai’s assistant.”

Then the murderer likely knew Luo Manchai had this habit. The apple turned into a little rabbit in Ling Lie’s hands in the blink of an eye. He asked again: “Only Luo Manchai stayed in a luxury suite? Which floor did the other crew members stay on?”

A’Xi shook her head, “Only Sister Chai and I stayed at Slinka. I’m also on the 47th floor, but not a luxury suite, a standard room in the corner. This was a special treat from the crew for us. Our main filming location this time is in Ganxing Town; the director and others stayed in guesthouses in the town.”

Ling Lie calculated; Ganxing Town was seventy kilometers west of the city area. Luo Manchai would rather travel back and forth every day to stay in the city center?

“Was it Luo Manchai’s request?”

A’Xi: “Yes, Sister Chai isn’t used to staying in town guesthouses. She must stay in five-star hotels wherever filming takes place; this was agreed upon when signing the contract.”

“Then does Luo Manchai living so far away affect filming?”

A’Xi hesitated for a moment, “It does. Sister Chai can’t get up in the morning and has been late many times.”

“Did the director say anything about this?”

“The director dares not; this film relies on Sister Chai’s popularity to hold it up.”

“Then there should be people in the crew who resent her.”

“Definitely. They don’t say it, but they are certainly uncomfortable in their hearts.” A’Xi seemed to suddenly remember something, “Sister Chai seemed a bit nervous these past few days; I don’t know if someone played a prank on her again.”

“Prank?”

“Yes, it happened before. Being sent threatening videos, dead animals thrown into the nanny van. Every time this happens, Sister Chai’s mood becomes wrong.”

Ling Lie asked: “Then who do you think is playing pranks?”

A’Xi had been with Luo Manchai for a year and a half. She was the assistant the company changed for her after she became famous from the mystery-solving variety show. Popularity attracts disputes. Plus, Luo Manchai graduated from a famous university with a famous major, her scholar persona was solid. The first time she played an important role in a TV drama, she was sent a threatening video by the female lead.

The video was a record of a foreign female star being abused and killed by multiple people. The intention was obvious: to warn Luo Manchai not to think she could snatch resources from seniors just because she had some beauty.

This matter was naturally suppressed by the producers, and the companies of both parties reached a settlement. The female lead was Yang Xinyue, who had already faded. At that time, her status was higher than Luo Manchai’s. Her assistant bore all the consequences, and she insisted she knew nothing.

The second incident was after Luo Manchai started starring in TV dramas. A bloody Shih Tzu was thrown into her nanny van. That dog was the stray dog Luo Manchai’s character fed every day in the drama. It was brutally killed by someone unknown. Luo Manchai had developed feelings for the dog, so she fell seriously ill.

The crew didn’t call the police, investigated privately, but it was just a dog; dead was dead, and it ended up unsettled.

Luo Manchai had been on an upward trend these two years. After these two incidents, Brilliant Entertainment paid extra attention to her safety, and similar things didn’t happen again.

Ling Lie asked: “For the second incident, did you discuss who it was?”

A’Xi nodded, “Qiu Yubei. At that time in the crew, only she and Sister Chai had status competition. But it’s different now; after Sister Chai’s two dramas aired, her popularity has long crushed her.”

Yang Xinyue, Qiu Yubei… Ling Lie had watched quite a few melodramatic TV dramas while mooching off Ji Chenjiao these past six months and had some impression of these stars. While he was thinking, his phone suddenly rang.

Boyfriend: [Are you with Luo’s assistant?]

Ling Lie replied with a smile: [Smart.]

Ji Chenjiao quickly sent two photos, one of Luo Manchai’s handbag, one of the Murderer card found in the bag. Ling Lie zoomed in to look and said softly: “Yo—”

Boyfriend: [Someone put a Murderer card in Luo’s bag. See her assistant’s reaction.]

Ling Lie turned the phone to A’Xi, “Seen this?”

A’Xi leaned over, saw the thing in the photo clearly, and said in surprise: “Ah, isn’t this a script murder mystery card?”

Ling Lie: “You played a script murder mystery?”

“Yes. This… that next to it seems to be Sister Chai’s bag?”

“Yes, we found this Murderer card in Luo Manchai’s bag.” Ling Lie deliberately emphasized the word “Murderer”.

A’Xi was even more surprised, “Why did Sister Chai bring it back!”

According to A’Xi, the producer treated everyone to dinner at Changpan Japanese Restaurant last night. After the meal, someone proposed playing a script murder mystery. Luo Manchai also participated and drew the Murderer card in the last round. The card might have been taken by Luo Manchai accidentally.

Ling Lie thought, Accidentally? But why in the outer pocket of the handbag?

Luo Manchai was the “Murderer”; the card had been in her hands. It was indeed possible she took the card by mistake, but this didn’t prove no one else could have put the card into the handbag.

Ling Lie asked again: “Who proposed it?”

A’Xi shook her head: “Can’t remember. Cards were bought at the Japanese restaurant then. Although it was a spur-of-the-moment idea, I feel everyone more or less knew we were going to play a script murder mystery.”

“Why?”

“Because Sister Chai is good at it. Everyone still wanted to curry favor with Sister Chai.”

Ling Lie paused for a moment and asked meaningfully: “What about you?”

A’Xi was stunned, “Huh?”

“You count as one of the people who understand Luo Manchai best. To you, what kind of person was she?”

A’Xi lowered her head, hands twisting together unconsciously.

Ling Lie reminded: “Luo Manchai was killed, and you have a spare key card, so I hope to hear the truth.”

A’Xi’s cheeks turned pale, “I… it wasn’t me. I took a high salary; working like a beast was also voluntary!”

“Working like a beast?”

A’Xi confessed that the company let her be Luo Manchai’s assistant because of her humble and submissive personality. After Luo Manchai debuted, the gap from when she was an internet celebrity was too big. Her psychology was suppressed for a long time without release. As soon as she became famous, she demanded the assistant serve her like a queen. Other assistants couldn’t do it, but she could. Of course, she also received higher pay for this.

For a year and a half, the Luo Manchai shown in front of her was completely different from the intellectual scholar goddess in the public eye. A’Xi felt Luo Manchai’s personal quality was no different from other female stars with junior high school education.

“But I never thought of harming her. I’m naturally without much self-esteem. As long as you give me money, I can sell my dignity. Asking me to kowtow to her three times a day is no problem.”

The apple was pared this way and that in Ling Lie’s hands. Originally a cute rabbit, unknowingly it had been carved into a heart shape. This heart had protruding blood vessels like wriggling worms. The apple had oxidized, covered with brown rust. Ling Lie held it in his hand, like a rusted, rotting, yet still beating heart pumping pus and blood.

A’Xi glanced at that “heart”, seemingly disgusted, and hurriedly looked away.

Ling Lie asked Ji Chenjiao what other evidence was at the scene. Ji Chenjiao sent over the small brocade tag Xi Wan found in Luo Manchai’s handbag.

Ling Lie: [Isn’t this just an amulet?]

Boyfriend: [Ask the assistant if she knows when and where Luo prayed for it.]

Ling Lie: “Come, there’s another thing you need to see.”

A’Xi turned sideways, looked at the photo, and said: “This was also found in Sister Chai’s bag?”

“Yes, seen it?”

A’Xi hesitated for a moment, “Seems to have seen it. Sister Chai said, yes, she prayed for it.”

“Did she believe in gods and Buddhas?”

“Not really. But everyone hopes to have good luck.”

Ling Lie returned to the hotel. Ji Chenjiao was waiting for him downstairs. After exchanging known clues, Ling Lie suddenly gripped Ji Chenjiao’s chin.

Ji Chenjiao: “?”

Want to kiss? Really want to kiss? Not impossible, but better look at the occasion.

Unexpectedly Ling Lie said: “Do you think I look like that assistant A’Xi?”

Ji Chenjiao was confused.

Ling Lie: “A’Xi can do anything for a female star for money.”

Ji Chenjiao’s eyelids jumped, “So?”

You can do anything for a female star for money too?

Ling Lie: “I used to be able to do anything for you, this male police officer, for money too.”

Ji Chenjiao: “…”

Ji Chenjiao pondered; this seemed to be the truth. Scammed food, scammed accommodation, scammed pocket money. The most excessive thing was coming to scam his heart too.

Wait, why “used to”?

Ling Lie: “It’s different now. Now money can’t make this person push the millstone.”

Ji Chenjiao: “What can?”

Ling Lie suddenly kissed Ji Chenjiao’s lips. Although only for a short moment, he smacked his lips contentedly when separating, “Only Little Ji’s love can.”

Ji Chenjiao froze for a moment. When he came back to his senses, the heart thief had already slipped away.

Ling Lie waited for Ji Chenjiao by the elevator. The two exchanged a look of having an underground affair, stood in separate corners after entering the elevator, but made eyes at each other in the mirror of the elevator car.

Arriving at the floor, Ji Chenjiao came out first, Ling Lie following closely. Ahead, Shen Qi ran over wildly, “Brother! Captain Brother! Surveillance found something!”

Ji Chenjiao quickly detached from the aftereffects of the kiss and followed Shen Qi to the surveillance room.

The surveillance of the elevator and the 47th floor was interfered with at 1 a.m. and didn’t recover until 6 a.m. The interference source hadn’t been locked yet, but Shen Qi found a suspicious man in the hotel lobby.

At 4:49, the man came out of the elevator with disabled surveillance, walked through the reception desk openly, and left through the main entrance. He wore black sportswear and dark gray jeans, outdoor shoes on his feet, a cap and mask, carrying a black backpack. The bag was very flat, seemingly not holding much stuff.

Limited by the angle and his attire, his appearance couldn’t be determined.

“I retrieved the outside public surveillance, but he probably scouted the spot; none of the public surveillance captured him.” Shen Qi said depressedly: “Now can only infer his height is 1.84 meters based on proportion and Sister Wan’s modeling.”

Ji Chenjiao asked team members to check inside the hotel with this video and pulled up the video of Luo Manchai and A’Xi returning to the hotel last night.

They took the elevator to the 47th floor at 11:10. At 11:48, A’Xi left Luo Manchai’s room and went to her own room around the corner on the same floor, not coming out again before the surveillance was interfered with. The next time she was captured was at 7 a.m., leaving the hotel to buy ingredients, and opening Luo Manchai’s door in the afternoon.

Shen Qi was a bit puzzled, “Assistant has no problem, right?”

Ji Chenjiao said: “Not necessarily. After you finish checking here, go retrieve the surveillance of Changpan Japanese Restaurant. Luo Manchai played script murder mystery before she died; see who sat next to her.”

An Xun took the body back to the city bureau for autopsy. Basic screening was temporarily divided into the crew and the hotel. Around 8 p.m., everyone brought their tasks to the Serious Crimes Unit conference room for a meeting. Ling Lie, as a loose person without organization or discipline, had run off somewhere again.

“I’ll go first.” An Xun distributed an autopsy report to everyone, “The autopsy result is consistent with my estimate at the scene. The murderer is very professional, one fatal cut. But there is a suspicious point: Luo Manchai drank a lot of alcohol before being killed. She wasn’t just in deep sleep, but in a drunken state.”

Shen Qi: “Eh? But she looked very sober when returning to the room at 11-something!”

“This is the suspicious point I mentioned.” An Xun displayed two dense data sheets, “Luo Manchai only drank a small cup of sake at Changpan Japanese Restaurant, not enough to get drunk. She consumed at least 700ml of red wine after returning to the hotel, which is about the amount of a bottle.”

Shen Qi: “Hiss, I heard drinking red wine before bed can be beautifying, but this is too much? Drowning sorrows?”

“I also found the problem with the wine.” Xi Wan showed scene photos, “Luo Manchai probably drank not just on the night she was killed. There are three empty wine bottles on the top shelf of the cabinet, all with her fingerprints. And three to five overlapping stranger’s fingerprints. Whose fingerprints these are hasn’t been determined yet.”

Ji Chenjiao enlarged the photo, “This isn’t wine provided by Slinka Hotel. It’s the most ordinary wine; can be bought at convenience stores.”

Shen Qi: “If convenience stores, the fingerprints are the clerks’ and customers’ who looked at the wine before? No wonder. In this kind of five-star hotel, servers definitely wear gloves when delivering wine, and bottles are wiped repeatedly, usually won’t leave fingerprints.”

Xi Wan was puzzled, “Strange, Luo Manchai would actually drink this kind of wine?”

“And she hid the bottles, obviously didn’t want people to know.” Ji Chenjiao said: “The wine was likely bought by herself in disguise at a convenience store. Only three bottles, meaning she only started drinking in the last few days, and she has been here filming for over a month. What happened to her that she started drinking heavily?”

“She knew she was in danger? But the matter might involve secrets she didn’t want others to know, so she neither called the police nor told people around her?” An Xun said: “Finally she was killed. The possibility of hired murder is getting bigger.”

Xi Wan: “Yes, the modus operandi, and appearing openly in the lobby, shows this person isn’t afraid of being captured by surveillance; no related persons would identify him.”

Ji Chenjiao: “I also think the possibility of hired murder is high. But why did the murderer interfere with the elevator and 47th-floor surveillance?”

“This…” Xi Wan twirled her pen, “Still had some scruples?”

Ji Chenjiao: “He didn’t want people to see how he opened the door.”

The conference room was silent for a while. Xi Wan said: “The hotel’s door opening record shows he used ‘reasonable’ equipment to open the door. That is to say, key card, forged key card are all OK. Could it be he didn’t want us to see what he was holding? If he held A’Xi’s key card…”

Ji Chenjiao nodded: “A’Xi is currently the most suspicious person. Whether it’s the key card or putting the Murderer card into the handbag, she could do it most easily.”

Xi Wan continued: “The suspicious man’s video has been shown to most hotel staff; no one knows him, no one knows how he came in or when he came in.”

Ji Chenjiao: “What about the crew?”

Liang Wenxian cleared his throat, “People in the crew also have no impression of the man. But after asking around, I found that from the director to extras, everyone was more or less dissatisfied with Luo Manchai. This constitutes a motive. Hired murder happened in the entertainment industry before; these stars have plenty of money.”

Ji Chenjiao already knew this point, “Everyone thinks the possibility of hired murder is not small; investigating in this direction is no problem, right?”

Everyone nodded.

“Then the next investigation will start from Luo Manchai’s relationships in the industry. Her assistant mentioned two stars, plus this crew, plus the assistant herself, and people who had frequent contact with Luo Manchai in the company. Motives to consider—jealousy, revenge, conflicts of interest.” Ji Chenjiao said and asked again: “By the way, where did the crew members stay last night?”

Liang Wenxian said: “A four-star hotel next to the Japanese restaurant, Jiangnan Water Pavilion, four kilometers away from Slinka. Everyone didn’t want to rush back to Ganxing Town late at night, so rooms were booked temporarily.”

Shen Qi suddenly said: “Brother, let me add, there might also be emotional disputes. Luo Manchai actually had quite a few scandals; she was photographed getting on a rich second generation’s yacht last year.”

At this moment, the phone Ji Chenjiao had placed face down buzzed. He picked it up to look, eyebrows raising very slightly, “Hard work today. Go back and rest well. Tomorrow proceed according to the direction just set.”

“Yes!”