Three Women, One Show

"Oh, me?"

Li Tian'er was startled, but fortunately, she did not break character.

While Li Tian'er gave her testimony, Yu Xuan and Liu Xiao conscientiously put on their headsets, cutting themselves off from the information here.

It was clearly a murder investigation, yet it felt like the set of a variety show.

Jiang Qian sighed and walked over to Li Tian'er. "Tell me about your contact with the deceased that day, and what happened after you returned to your room."

"Okay..."

Li Tian'er began her account. "I knew Jiang because he's Yu Xuan's younger brother. He's very smart and handsome, and we all liked him quite a bit. During tonight's entertainment event, the two of us even danced together, but that was all. I wouldn't fight with my sisters over a man!"

As she spoke, she glanced at Liu Xiao and lowered her eyes. "After the dance, we went our separate ways. Later, around 7:30, I returned to my room to change clothes..."

"And then? Did you hear anything from next door?"

Jiang Qian stared into her eyes. If he ruled out the possibility that she was the murderer, then everything she said now would be the truth.

Li Tian'er thought for a moment, her eyes shifting. "I had music playing at the time, so I didn't pay much attention to what was happening outside."

"You didn't hear anything at all?"

"Mm..." She sounded slightly hesitant.

"Was there anyone else in your room?" Jiang Qian switched to another question.

"No." She was very certain.

"So you have no alibi. No one can prove that you stayed in your room the whole time." Jiang Qian pinched his chin as he analyzed. "If you stole a guest room keycard and entered Room 8001 to commit murder, the timing would have worked perfectly."

As he spoke, he asked the host, "Are there spare room keycards on this floor?"

"Yes. Sorry, I forgot to mention it earlier! During the time of the crime that night, the supervisor of the guest room floor was called away by the manager for a reprimand. According to her, the spare room keycards were kept in an unlocked drawer in her workroom, but they went missing last night." The host looked ashamed.

You're only telling me such an important clue now? Are you a pig...? Jiang Qian immediately put on an admiring expression. "That addition is very important. Thank you."

"No, no need to be so polite." The host shrank her neck and gave an awkward laugh.

That meant that, aside from Yu Xuan, who had an alibi witness in the director, both Li Tian'er and Liu Xiao could have obtained a spare keycard and entered the room to commit murder... No, Yu Xuan had discovered the body. Her suspicion could not be completely ruled out either.

The most crucial thing now was to compare the three women's perspectives, eliminate possibilities, or seek out a flaw in the real murderer's story.

And some key points were the best bait for exposing the real murderer.

For example, that "sound of a door opening" before he collapsed...

"What songs were you listening to on the night of the crime?" Jiang Qian continued searching for a breakthrough.

The question left Li Tian'er utterly confused.

"Uh... how could I remember them all? Let me think!" Li Tian'er looked toward the lower left while rubbing her fingers together. "There was Ignite, Lethal Industry, and Prayer X?"

Jiang Qian smiled. "Are you asking me?"

Then his gaze sharpened as he pressed her hard. "You really didn't hear any other sounds? No arguing, no door opening, nothing?"

Li Tian'er touched her neck, and her left shoulder trembled. "No... I guess."

Body language that concealed something, along with an answer full of obvious uncertainty. That made three times... Jiang Qian fixed his target and slowly applied pressure in a lowered voice. "'I guess'? Only the murderer gets to lie. Think again."

"Uh, actually, I heard you arguing with Liu Xiao... Liu Xiao slammed the door shut hard! After that, I pressed myself against the door and listened for a while. You went back to Yu Xuan's room next door, and then there was no more movement. Not long after, Yu Xuan screamed from next door, then she opened the door and ran out to call for help. I wasn't sure what had happened, and I didn't dare go out to look. I'm sorry, that's all I can remember!"

Jiang Qian leaned close to Li Tian'er and asked in a voice only she could hear, "Tell me quietly. Forget the evidence—who do you think was most likely to harm me?"

"Um, Yu Xuan?"

"Oh?"

"She doesn't like you spending time around us, and her feelings for you are definitely more than just those of an older sister!" Li Tian'er declared with utter certainty.

"Very good. Thank you."

Jiang Qian left Li Tian'er without hesitation and walked over to Liu Xiao.

Li Tian'er put her headset back on, while Liu Xiao removed her soundproof headset.

"Desire... Miss Liu, please describe your situation at the time of the crime." Jiang Qian nearly let those two words slip out.

Miss Liu Xiao looked at Jiang Qian with a face full of resentment. "You little brat, you're still so annoying even after dying!"

The audience erupted in an uproar, with laughter rising everywhere.

Such terrible acting. I really want to roast her, but I'm racing against time... Jiang Qian cleared his throat. "Let's talk business first."

"Hmph!"

Liu Xiao shot Jiang Qian a vicious glare, clearly resentful over being stood up by him.

Then she slowly began, "I admit it. From the moment you entered the nightclub, I noticed you. But you didn't seem interested in me at all, so I used a little trick. I used incense to drug you, then took the opportunity to slip the room keycard into your pocket. Heh, I didn't expect you to really come!"

"I have to say, your way of humiliating a woman is disgraceful. I've never been rejected like that before! Am I not pretty enough? Or is something not big enough? I believe no normal man would nitpick my measurements..."

"To be honest, I really wanted to finish you off with my own hands then! Hmph, unfortunately, someone else beat me to it..."

Liu Xiao folded her arms and rambled on, but her gaze remained fixed on Jiang Qian, half affectionate and half resentful.

But Jiang Qian had no time to respond to her.

Jiang Qian recalled the circumstances at the time. He had been drugged, his mind already muddled, and even his bodily senses had been greatly dulled. Could it have been possible that Liu Xiao stabbed him before he left her room?

Not very likely.

He remembered clearly that Liu Xiao's hands had been bare during their intimate contact. She had worn no gloves or other accessories capable of preventing fingerprints, while the investigation results had just shown that no usable fingerprint evidence had been found on the murder weapon.

If Liu Xiao was the murderer, then she must have entered Yu Xuan's room afterward to kill him. That would also have made it easier for her to frame Yu Xuan or Li Tian'er.

"What did you do afterward? Did you stay in your room the whole time?"

"Of course! I was furious and had no mood to do anything else, so I took a bath and went to sleep."

"Did you notice anything happening outside?"

"No. I was too upset to care about anything else! You damaged my confidence."

Liu Xiao spoke with righteous confidence, and there were no obvious flaws in her body language.

"I didn't consider that well enough. I never thought someone as stunning as you would so easily doubt herself..." Jiang Qian said sincerely. "When did you put the room keycard in my pocket?"

"When you first entered the venue. I already told you, I became interested in you the first time I saw you!"

"I'm honored by your affection... Oh, right, one more thing. Forget the evidence—who do you think was most likely to harm me?" Jiang Qian used the same tactic again.

"Li Tian'er!"

Jiang Qian showed no reaction. "Why?"

Liu Xiao lowered her voice, absolutely certain. "There's something wrong with her head!"

Jiang Qian stepped over to Yu Xuan.

Looking at the familiar face before him, Jiang Qian reminded himself: the woman in front of me is not my sister at all. She is merely the dungeon boss wearing my sister's skin.

After mentally preparing himself, Jiang Qian put on an expression of deep sibling affection.

"Your turn, Sis."

Yu Xuan raised her eyes to Jiang Qian. Longing, regret, pain, and other complicated emotions flashed through her autumn-like gaze.

She turned grief into strength, adjusted her emotions, and began answering her younger brother's questions.

"I kept waiting for you to bring me the script, A-Qian, but you never came... So I had no choice but to take my leave of the director for now and return to my room. Then, then I..."

Yu Xuan could not continue. She covered her cheeks, tears welling in her eyes.

Jiang Qian's heart clenched. Other than on television, he had almost never seen Yu Xuan cry.

She really put her heart into this scene... Jiang Qian calmed his emotions.

"What did you see? Tell me every detail, okay?" Jiang Qian gently guided her.

"Mm... Blood. There was a knife stuck in your back, oh God! So much blood... My first reaction was: that wasn't you! But reality was so cruel..."

Yu Xuan had never been this long-winded. No matter the situation, she was always clear and organized, always stating the important points first... Yet Jiang Qian still showed complete patience. "Was there anything else? The state of the room, for example. Was the window open or closed? Was it different from when you left?"

"The window was open... But this is the eighth floor!"

Her unspoken meaning was clear: would someone risk climbing up to the eighth floor, break in through the window, and intend to kill?

That was an interesting reaction.

Jiang Qian kept his expression unchanged. "Was the bathroom door open?"

"The bathroom? Mm... I think so. It was open."

Mm, her testimony matched the crime scene in the photos.

Then that was it.

Jiang Qian replayed the events after entering Yu Xuan's room in his mind once more.

Then he leaned close to Yu Xuan's ear and asked his final question. "Sis, who do you think was most likely to harm me?"

"Mm... Liu Xiao!"

"Why her?"

"She loved you but couldn't have you. She must have wanted to destroy you."

Jiang Qian nodded thoughtfully.

"Jiang, do you have any other questions for the three ladies?"

"No."

"And you can ask me more questions! I mean, I'll answer your questions truthfully, but there will be a fee..." The host winked playfully at Jiang Qian. "For example, your eyes, um, or your tongue. Your teeth would work too. You have to give up something, after all."

Jiang Qian looked at the host, his gaze gradually deepening.

He recalled the evaluation of himself in that notebook. Now it seemed that it had not been baseless mockery—the dungeon truly liked turning people into "incomplete" beings.

"Have you thought it through? You have less than ten minutes left. If you still haven't found the correct answer after ten minutes..."

"No rush." Jiang Qian slowly curled his lips. "I already have the answer."