Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 77

“Click, click, click…”

…

The distinct sound of high heels echoed through the corridor. Because of the vastness of the villa and the length of the corridor, coupled with the silence of the night, the sound even produced an echo.

Thus, each step, each echo, seemed to transmit a clear and forceful intent to kill in the darkness.

Inside the room, on a small wooden bed, the childlike Zhou Qian lay on his side, facing the child Bai Zhou.

The surrounding silence was almost palpable. After listening intently for a moment, Zhou Qian said to Bai Zhou, “Her footsteps lag half a second behind your heartbeat. It seems she walks with a consistent pace.”

It seemed that even Bai Zhou hadn’t expected Zhou Qian to be paying attention to his heartbeat at this moment. In the dim light, Bai Zhou’s gaze deepened.

However, he quickly sat up—the footsteps outside in the corridor had stopped. Three seconds later, there came a knock on their door. The knocks were heavy and frequent, as if the person outside was both impatient and angry.

Turning his head back, Zhou Qian looked at Bai Zhou lying on the bed. The moonlight from the window highlighted the clarity of his eyes. Contrasting this was a mischievous smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

It was as if he wanted to give Bai Zhou a heads-up about his playful intent as he asked, “Should I go answer the door?”

Bai Zhou simply nodded. “Go ahead.”

Zhou Qian got out of bed and went to open the door.

What he didn’t know was that in the virtual game lounge, in booth A711, there were many gamblers betting on him. Having been upgraded to Rank S, he was no longer the subject of bets from only low-level gamblers; many high-level gamblers had placed their bets on him.

On screen, Zhou Qian was unaware that he was being watched by so many. He was deeply engrossed in the game and, unknowingly, seemed to have developed a certain understanding with Bai Zhou.

But the observing gamblers didn’t seem to get the gist of their conversation, sparking a fervent discussion among them.

“Wait, don’t talk! Did anyone close the booth’s door? Check it! We don’t want other players to see!”

“It’s closed, relax.”

“Good. The main hall is open to all players. Who knows if some player knows that greasy Ma Luoluo? We can’t afford any leaks.”

“I’ve checked many times. It’s fine. Everyone, discuss freely. The soundproofing here is excellent.”

“I’m still not at ease. I’ll stand guard at the door. You guys continue.”

“Why do you think Zhou Qian wants to open the door? Who’s outside?”

“Let me think… The young assistant Zhu Zhu left. It’s unlikely she’d come back in the middle of the night. This is a large villa, with a big courtyard and security at the door!”

“Right, Ruan Mei always wore flat shoes. Sister Ke Yun did wear high heels initially, but she changed later. Oh, that Wang Mei! She didn’t change her shoes after coming in!”

“No. Regardless if Ke Yun and Wang Mei changed shoes after coming in or not, I noticed when Ruan Mei took the kids to wash up before heading to their respective bedrooms; both Ke Yun and Wang Mei had indeed changed into slippers!”

“Haa… But come to think of it, isn’t it strange? Why would a murderer wear high heels?”

“Since all the women had changed out of their high heels before going to bed, it means that the person now walking in the corridor put them on afterward. Why?

“Why would the murderer purposely wear high heels? They need to be stealthy, right? This way, she’d disturb people!”

“Exactly! Not only the heels, but her knocking was also quite audacious and loud!”

“Wait—could it be that the person wearing high heels isn’t the murderer?”

“Possible! We all trust Qian Ge’s intelligence. He dares to open the door, probably because the person outside isn’t the murderer.”

“If the person outside isn’t the murderer, then who is she? Why is she knocking?”

“Let’s analyze each possibility. If she isn’t the murderer… Ke Yun is a traditional well-bred lady, educated and very capable. She genuinely likes these kids, bought many toys for them, and put in effort to assist Ruan Mei…”

“Did you notice that when she was eating at the dinner table, she always kept her mouth closed while chewing?

“Someone of her caliber wouldn’t disturb children’s sleep by clicking around in high heels in the middle of the night.”

“As for Ruan Mei, she’s always worn flat shoes, even when working outside. It’s conceivable that she’s not accustomed to wearing high heels. Regarding Wang Mei…”

“Hey… temporarily excluding the possibility of a creepy man in heels, among the women, Wang Mei is the most likely candidate!”

“But why would Wang Mei do this?”

…

Suddenly, a deep and magnetic voice interrupted the discussions—

“Wang Mei is doing it on purpose.”

The person who spoke was Priest. He gestured to his left wrist, where there was no watch.

This gesture indicated that he’s currently not a player but merely a gambler. Without a watch, he couldn’t communicate with other players via the system, like Ma Luoluo, who intended to kill Zhou Qian. That was why the gamblers dared to let him stay here.

Priest continued, “You’ve analyzed it well. Which murderer would draw attention to themselves by wearing noisy heels before committing the act? She’s not here to kill.”

A gambler immediately asked, “You think it’s Wang Mei too? Why do you say she’s doing it on purpose?”

“Start the analysis from the Ke siblings. Ke Yun, Ke Zheng, and Ke Di are siblings. The Ke family is probably in business, given that Ke Zheng’s young assistant addresses him as ‘Mr. Ke’.

“But Ruan Mei mentioned that Ke Yun is about to become a Bureau Director. So, Ke Yun is in politics. Her career is probably separate from the family business to avoid any potential conflicts of interest. Otherwise, blending politics with business can easily lead to accusations of impropriety.”

“Given the lack of evidence, Ke Yun’s character is leaning towards an independent, strong woman. She likely doesn’t get involved in the family business or care about the inheritance.”

“Thus, inheritance disputes mainly involve the brothers, Ke Zheng and Ke Di. Their long-standing rivalry means they’ve always had a strained relationship.”

He paused and looked at the other gamblers, then said, “This villa belongs to Ke Zheng, not Ke Di and Wang Mei. Although we don’t yet know why they’re staying here tonight, it’s clear they came reluctantly.”

“Wang Mei is haughty and domineering, but she has her reasons. Ke Yun referred to her as a ‘Young Madam’. Given her status and Ke Di’s, she looks down on Ruan Mei, viewing her as a nobody who rose above her station.”

“Nevertheless, Wang Mei dares not cross Ke Yun. When Ke Yun reprimanded her, she didn’t dare talk back.”

“Now, with her high heels and knocking on Ke Yi’s door, it further corroborates my guess—she needs something from Ke Yun or is in some way under Ke Yun’s thumb. In any case, her appearance now is due to Ke Yun.”

He looked at the screen and concluded, “Wang Mei chastised Ke Yi at the dining table. Now she’s come to apologize. But it’s not voluntary. Ke Yun ordered her, so she had no choice.”

“She’s showing her displeasure by intentionally wearing heels. On one hand, she’s throwing a tantrum, wanting to wake everyone up; on the other hand, she’s subtly showing her anger towards Ke Yun—”

“You wanted me to apologize, right? Well, I did. What? Did I accidentally disturb everyone’s sleep? Sorry about that. I’m just doing what Miss Ke asked.”

Gambler A: “Damn, such a simple reason! Why didn’t I think of that?”

Gambler B: “It’s a mindset problem. Those exaggerated movies with femme fatales in heels have misled us!”

Gambler C: “That being said… who would kill multiple children? What’s the motive?”

Priest gave a mysterious smile, opting not to answer.

Another gambler chimed in, “What’s the deal with Ma Luoluo? Does anyone know his background?”

Priest’s eyes narrowed as he said, “Is there a need to delve into the background of a dead man?”

Gambler D: “Wait, what do you mean by…”

Priest said with a tone of disdain, “The current Rank S is too diluted. As the game matured, all sorts of people were elevated to Rank S. Such an idiot… daring to accept a bounty from the Peach Blossom Legion.”

……

Inside the game:

When Zhou Qian opened the door, he indeed saw Wang Mei outside, awkwardly wearing high heels along with her pajamas. Glancing at the other closed doors in the corridor, Zhou Qian intentionally raised his voice in a child-like tone. “Auntie, why are you here?!”

After this shout, the door to one of the rooms slightly opened.

That was Ma Luoluo’s room; he was probably watching what was happening outside Zhou Qian’s room.

Zhou Qian discreetly turned his attention back, tiptoed, and grabbed Wang Mei’s wrist with a very innocent smile. Wang Mei cleared her throat, reluctantly saying, “Is it Ke Qi? Is your brother Ke Yi asleep?”

“Not yet. I’ll call him.”

Zhou Qian smiled and turned his head to Bai Zhou, who had just sat up from the bed, sweetly calling out, “Brother, auntie is looking for you!”

Hearing this, Bai Zhou gave Zhou Qian a deep look before approaching Wang Mei. His gaze was cold, and he remained silent.

Only when Wang Mei saw him did she say, “Ke Yi, you scored well on your test, and I should congratulate you. I was wrong at dinner today, and I’ve come to apologize.”

Bai Zhou simply nodded, not uttering a word.

Zhou Qian, on the other hand, tightened his grip on Wang Mei’s wrist and exchanged a glance with Bai Zhou. In perfect coordination, the two pulled Wang Mei into the room and swiftly closed the door behind her. Their actions were so seamless that anyone in the corridor would have assumed Wang Mei had entered on her own accord.

Once inside, Wang Mei seemed a bit surprised.

“What are you guys up to?”

Zhou Qian questioned her, “Did Auntie send you?”

Wang Mei became uneasy and coldly replied, “I don’t know if she’s awake… anyway. Tomorrow morning, if she asks, remember to tell her I’ve apologized.”

Zhou Qian immediately retorted, “No. We won’t.”

“You—?!” Wang Mei frowned. “What’s wrong with you, kid?”

Zhou Qian replied, “We are a little scared and wanted you to tell us a story to put us to sleep.”

“I’ve never even told my own son a story; why would I tell you?” Wang Mei complained, turning to leave.

Zhou Qian quickly responded, “Then I’ll go complain to Auntie right now and tell her you bullied us!”

“You…!” Wang Mei glared at Zhou Qian.

Zhou Qian continued, “You clearly don’t like my dad, yet you come here for dinner and stay over… Why? Did Auntie ask you to?”

Wang Mei coldly retorted, “I think Ke Yun, used to being a leader at her workplace, loves controlling everyone. She’s got issues!

“After years of disputes with your dad, there’s finally a resolution. Now he manages the factory here, and we take over the one in the neighboring city. Everyone should go their separate ways! But what does Ke Yun want? She insists on us visiting every six months for three days, hoping to reconcile their brotherly bond. Isn’t she crazy? Damn it—”

“If it weren’t for my family’s company being under her jurisdiction… I wouldn’t… never mind.”

“Ugh, why am I telling all this to a kid like you? You wouldn’t understand,” Wang Mei grumbled, looking at Zhou Qian. “Don’t dare tell your aunt what I just said, or I’ll tear your mouth apart!”

Zhou Qian simply responded, “Stay and tell me a story, and I won’t tell Auntie!”

……

One hour later.

Wang Mei, who had been having a petty quarrel with the two kids, had fallen asleep. Forced into submission, she had no choice but to stay. She half-heartedly told a story to Zhou Qian and Bai Zhou, as they had asked.

Later, feeling sleepy, she took a small blanket to cover her knees and drifted off to sleep, leaning against a cushion by the wooden bed.

Suddenly, there was a noise outside.

The doorknob was turning.

They’re here.

Zhou Qian and Bai Zhou exchanged a glance, went to the wooden bed, and picked up two pillows. They hid them in the nearby children’s wardrobe.

Bai Zhou did the same with two quilts. After doing this, they sat side by side on the bed, waiting to see if the person arriving was who they suspected.

While Wang Mei was half-heartedly telling her story, the two listening were also distracted as they were communicating through the private chat.

Zhou Qian said, “From the motive of murder, only Wang Mei and Ke Di have a slight intent to kill. But if I were them, I wouldn’t choose to kill a child from a relative’s house with whom I have disputes during a visit. This would only draw suspicion. Also, this seems to be a serial murder case with a long time interval.”

Bai Zhou nodded. “If many children died at once, their cause of death would likely be similar, but that’s not the case here.”

In Exhibition Hall A, there were seven bodies.

Considering a single killer, there were two possibilities: First, the killer murdered all the children at once; second, this was a serial murder case with a significant interval between each death.

Visiting the exhibition hall revealed that the deaths of the seven children were varied. One child seemed to have suffocated, while a girl had foam in her mouth as if she had died from an epileptic seizure. The other five had various injuries, from head wounds to gaping holes…

If there was only one murderer, killing seven children at once wouldn’t be easy. They would most likely use poison. Hence, the children’s cause of death would be consistent, not varied like this.

Therefore, the possibility of the murderer killing a child after some intervals is quite high.

Their only target appears to be the children of the Ke family. There was no other ritualistic indication, no marks on the corpses, and they didn’t seem to be fixated on a particular method of killing.

It seemed more like the killer, upon wanting to commit a murder, simply used whatever was handy at the moment.

Bai Zhou then said to Zhou Qian, “Now, we are in a VR game where the Ke family has ten children because ten players have arrived. However, the number of players arriving is random. So, compared to the real story, the game must have made many modifications.

“We have to survive here for three days to clear the game. So, during these three days, the murderer will kill. But in reality, there should be a longer interval between each child’s death.”

“Additionally, did you notice that the corpses in the exhibition hall are much younger than us?”

“Mm. In Exhibition Hall A, out of the seven children, most were infants, with only a few who could walk. Considering that after designing it into a mini-game, it’s difficult for babies to pass the level, compared to the real case, the average age of our miniaturized characters in the game has been raised.”

Zhou Qian said, “Mm… For more accurate information on the murder case, we must look at the situation in Hall A.”

“First, the children who were killed are very young—many of them are infants who can’t even walk.”

“Second, there should be a significant time gap between their deaths, which means the real murderer has never been caught, because… no one ever suspected her as the culprit.”

Narrowing his eyes, Zhou Qian continued, “Why wasn’t she considered the prime suspect? Because most of these children’s deaths could be attributed to accidents. The child with a head injury died from accidentally falling from upstairs; the children with a hole in their foreheads fell and hit a stone while playing in the backyard… And now, looking at…”

He glanced at the wooden bed, which was now empty after the pillow and blanket were removed, and said, “A fragile infant turning over and not being able to turn back, accidentally suffocating themselves, is also a very likely scenario.”

“So, if there’s a murder tonight, based on the state in which the corpses are found in the hall, it would most likely be asphyxiation.”

Bai Zhou nodded. “By hiding the pillow and blanket, we should be safe. Moreover…”

Smiling slightly, Bai Zhou added, “You’ve kept an adult here. Seeing someone present, she’s less likely to take action.”

“Mm. Wang Mei can’t be the true culprit behind these serial murders. While she could suffocate a child with a pillow while they’re sleeping, creating other ‘accidents’ would be difficult for her. Especially considering her poor relationship with the children, her approach would make them wary. The same goes for her husband.”

“In fact, from this perspective, both Ke Yun and Ke Zheng can be ruled out. They aren’t directly involved in taking care of the children and wouldn’t know the potential accidents that could occur, let alone exploit these ‘accidents’.”

“So, the real culprit… is indeed only one person.”

Zhou Qian continued, “When I initially ruled out suspects based on motives, I dismissed her.”

“I thought, due to her lack of education, she believed that after marriage, a woman should take care of her husband. This deeply rooted conservative idea made her believe that there’s nothing wrong with her and Ke Zheng’s relationship. If Ke Zheng openly had an affair, she might treat the mistress like a family member.”

“So, I still believe she wouldn’t kill her children, especially not her own.”

Bai Zhou nodded. “Mm. It seems that she enjoys taking care of others. She wouldn’t kill out of fatigue.”

“Exactly,” Zhou Qian said. “Ke Yun suggested hiring a nanny, and they could afford it. Yet, she insisted on personally taking care of the children and cooking. She’s not killing children because she can’t afford them or feels too exhausted to care for them. It’s interesting…”

“I can’t even figure out her motive for murder.”

Hearing this, Bai Zhou looked at Zhou Qian, only to hear Zhou Qian say confidently, “This proves she’s even more disturbed than I am.”

……

Thus, Zhou Qian and Bai Zhou unanimously determined that the murderer was these children’s biological mother, Ruan Mei.

Now was the moment to verify their speculations.

At this moment, the two of them were a few years older than the actual victims in the real case.

Judging by the real circumstances of the victims’ deaths, it would be too far-fetched to attribute a child’s death in a bedroom to something like “falling to death”. Therefore, the accidental suffocation of an infant or toddler seems most likely—for instance, accidentally suffocating oneself with a pillow due to failing to turn over properly.

This was why Zhou Qian had quickly hidden all the pillows and blankets.

Accompanied by the sound of the doorknob turning, Zhou Qian gave Bai Zhou a glance, and the two lay side by side on the bed, pretending to be sound asleep.

After a while, there was a creak as the door opened, and a silhouette entered.

Wind blew in from the window gap, rustling her long hair.

Moonlight illuminated her eyes, but it wasn’t bright enough to clearly reveal her features.

With another creak, the door closed.

The figure approached the middle of the room and then walked towards the bed.

“Ke Yi, Ke Qi, are you asleep?” she whispered softly.

As expected, it was Ruan Mei’s voice.

Hearing no response, she confidently approached them.

Reaching the side of the bed, she stretched out her hands, first placing them on Ke Yi, who was on the outer side, turning him over. Then she did the same to Ke Qi.

Finally, her hands searched around the head areas of the two for a while. Not finding what she was looking for, she exclaimed in surprise. Just then, Ke Qi suddenly sprang up and sweetly called out to her—

“Mom, why are you here? What are you looking for?”

Ruan Mei was taken aback, retreating several steps and falling to the ground.

To her horror, she saw another person lying on the other side of the bed!

That person was Wang Mei. She was awakened by Ruan Mei’s actions.

After yawning and standing up, she blinked in confusion, then approached Ruan Mei. Recognizing her, Wang Mei scoffed, “What are you here for? Worried I’d kill your son? Hah, so suspicious!”

Ruan Mei, trembling, struggled to her feet and, without saying a word, dashed out of the room.

Rolling her eyes, Wang Mei shouted at Zhou Qian and Bai Zhou, “I get it! I scolded you at dinner, so you want to get back at me, huh? I’ve told my side of the story and apologized. You better remember what to say and what not in front of Ke Yun, or you’ll regret it!”

With that, Wang Mei also left.

The door opened and closed again.

Only Zhou Qian and Bai Zhou remained in the room.

Zhou Qian glanced at Bai Zhou, went to the door, and listened for a while.

After a moment, he said, “Wang Mei went straight back to her room. But Ruan Mei went downstairs and is now coming up again.”

“If what happened in this room had occurred in reality, Ruan Mei, having been caught in the act of murder, wouldn’t make another move so soon. But this is a game.”

“Unmasking her method and avoiding it is just our survival strategy this time. She failed in this room, and she might move on to the next.”

While Zhou Qian monitored the situation outside, Bai Zhou simply opened the closet and retrieved the pillows and blankets, neatly making the beds for both of them.

He then looked at Zhou Qian. “Mm, we should be safe tonight. Come to bed.”

Zhou Qian took a silent glance at the pillow and blanket on the upper bunk, then looked at Bai Zhou.

But in the end, he didn’t say anything, walked over quietly, climbed the ladder to the upper bunk, and laid down.

Ten minutes later.

Zhou Qian turned over, leaned out from the upper bunk, and looked down.

In the middle of the lower bunk, Bai Zhou lay with his eyes closed, appearing to be soundly asleep.

Feeling slightly irritated, Zhou Qian squinted and grabbed his pillow, reaching down to smack Bai Zhou on the head.

Bai Zhou, awakened by the pillow, looked up at Zhou Qian and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Zhou Qian: “……….”

Bai Zhou: “Hm?”

“Nothing.” Zhou Qian said, “I just suddenly recalled a doubt.”

Bai Zhou asked again, “What doubt?”

Opening his mouth, Zhou Qian actually answered, “Among the children who died in the exhibition hall, some did not have the surname ‘Ke’. Ma Luoluo and his underling chose to be adopted, probably naively believing that the killer would only target those with the surname ‘Ke’. They thought the killer must have a grudge against the Ke family.”

“Ma Luoluo’s assumption was terribly wrong. But does the information about the adopted children having different surnames have another purpose?”

……

Elsewhere.

With the sound of high heels fading, Ma Luoluo closed the door, gave Meng Pingping a look, and smirked. “The murderer is indeed Wang Mei. She stayed in Zhou Qian’s room for a whole hour and has only left now. What could she have done? Only handling a corpse and destroying evidence!”

Meng Pingping was also pleased. “Even though her primary target is Ke Yi, if Ke Qi is also there, he would definitely be killed too! In this kind of scenario, who lives and who dies is usually revealed the next day. It’s a pity we can’t immediately know the result—”

“But anyway… Zhou Qian is probably gone! We can claim the reward!”

“Even so, don’t get too excited too early!” Ma Luoluo warned. “Everyone says this scenario is sinister. So, it’s definitely not simple. Since the murderer was easy to find, there must be a bigger problem elsewhere! We need to be vigilant!”

“But we’ve managed to get through tonight, right? Wang Mei has returned to her room?” Meng Pingping asked.

“Yes,” Ma Luoluo replied. “The murderer is Wang Mei for sure. So, we can use the others to extract clues!”

Just as they were talking, the door opened.

Someone walked in—it was Ruan Mei.

Their room lights were still on, so Ruan Mei immediately saw the pillows on the beds.

She smiled at the two children. “Were you disturbed by Wang Mei? I was worried she might bully you, so I came to check on you. Come on, go to bed, and I’ll soothe you to sleep.”

Ma Luoluo laughed. “Haha, let’s stop pretending. I know you, as an NPC, are here to give us clues! You’re not the murderer!”

Ruan Mei just gazed at him mysteriously, then grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the bed. “Come on, let mom put you to sleep.”

“Ah, you really want to get into character, huh? Fine, fine, I’ll call you ‘mom’, okay?”

Ma Luoluo then looked at Meng Pingping, and they exchanged an amused glance.

Meng Pingping also called out “mom”, attempting to extract information. “So, mom, why did Wang Mei come to our house? She seems quite reluctant. Does she have a backstory?”

But just at that moment, Ruan Mei had already reached the side of the wooden bed. Suddenly, she picked up a pillow and approached Ma Luoluo.

“What… What are you doing?”

Realizing something was amiss, Ma Luo Luo’s face turned pale.

Suddenly, the watches on their wrists vibrated, and both Ma Luoluo and Meng Pingping received a message from the system.

[The key item determining NPC behavior this time: Pillow]

[The pillow is identified as a murder weapon. When stored in the room and seen by NPC Ruan Mei, it is determined that it can trigger a murder action.]

[Ruan Mei is about to kill “Liu Wu” and “Jiang Liu”]

[Warning: Players Ma Luoluo and Meng Pingping are in a specific game scenario where they cannot use any skills or items to escape.]

[The judgment will take effect immediately.]

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