Gu Qingtong’s coquettish demeanor was completely nurtured by someone’s indulgence. When faced with danger and fright, her first instinct was to seek a sense of security and protection from the person she trusted.
Clasping her hand, Yan Chi became her subconscious choice.
In the pitch-black surroundings, Yan Chi could only feel a fragrant, soft, and warm bundle nestled in her arms. It seemed to tremble slightly out of fear, emitting a small whimper seeking comfort.
Yan Chi knew that Gu Qingtong must be anxious and desperate to seek refuge, disregarding the night vision cameras scattered throughout the castle by the production team and directly hiding in her embrace.
The darkness weakened their vision, making their sense of touch become even more heightened.
Under the illumination of daylight, hidden delusions gradually surfaced.
Yan Chi didn’t consider herself a righteous gentleman either, and she couldn’t ignore the softness of a woman pressed closely against her.
Meanwhile, Gu Qingtong still longed for the familiar and strongly reassuring aura of Yan Chi, seemingly unaware that the other person was gradually becoming somewhat dangerous.
Yan Chi’s grip tightened slightly on her hand, while her other hand discreetly explored beneath the cover of Gu Qingtong’s hair scattered over her shoulder and back. Under the pretense of seeking solace, her fingers brushed lightly around the collar, unintentionally tracing down her spine, using a gentle touch to disguise herself as a soothing shepherd to a frightened lamb, unable to determine whether it was to comfort or tease.
Her voice, slightly deeper, suppressed something, “It’s okay.”
The candid contact between their skins could only be temporary. However, the warmth stirred up by her fingertips remained unresolved.
Clearly, it wasn’t only her who was tormented. The stiff but uncontrollably trembling body beneath her fingers was the best proof.
No one knew about their transgression at this moment.
Though the people in the locked room were gathered together, the darkness obstructed their view, making it impossible for them to see the situation on Gu Qingtong’s side.
Only through sound could they discern that Bai Jin intentionally remained silent earlier, purposefully getting closer to Gu Qingtong to startle her.
Gu Qingtong was probably still trembling in fear, which prompted Yan Chi to suddenly utter the comforting words, “It’s okay.”
Unlike their inattentiveness, Bai Jin was close to both of them. The reason she could silently and accurately approach Gu Qingtong, walking without making a sound, was because she had night vision equipment.
She clearly witnessed the movements that were concealed by Gu Qingtong’s startled cry just now—the moment she shrank into Yan Chi’s embrace.
Facing the famous actress, did she throw herself into her arms?
Not only did Yan Chi not reject her, but she also consoled her with an indulgent attitude…
Unnoticed, Bai Jin gazed at the direction of Gu Qingtong with a hint of a smile, revealing her dimples and small canine teeth. Those who knew her well understood that beneath this perplexing smile lay a mischievous nature.
Gu Qingtong seemed to be even more interesting than she had imagined.
Apart from Bai Jin, the production team also witnessed their actions through the cameras. Unlike Bai Jin’s speculation and conjecture, they clearly saw Gu Qingtong’s panicked and disoriented state, nearly jumping in fright.
Compared to the tension of a couple, this embrace could be seen as Gu Qingtong tightly clutching onto a lifeline.
Yan Chi seemed to respond to Gu Qingtong’s embrace with nothing more than the comforting words, allowing her to shrink into her embrace.
Although it was understood that this was due to the fright caused by the special circumstances, forcing the two to be close.
But even the staff, when watching the recording, would be amazed by the sight of two completely different beauties entwined together.
Cold and radiant, the icy moonlight beauty and the passionate red rose, the two of them didn’t even need any interaction. Just standing there was like a match made in heaven.
Just as the production team was preparing to zoom in the cameras on the two, it seemed that something suddenly changed between them. Gu Qingtong’s body visibly stiffened for a moment, as if finally realizing what she had done, and once again, she became frightened.
Gu Qingtong became aware the moment Yan Chi touched the back of her neck, and her body, sensitive to pain, froze.
Yan Chi continued to soothe her, moving down her collar, although she said, “It’s okay,” the icy and provocative sensation was like setting Gu Qingtong on fire, craving chaos.
A sense of crisis emerged, and she instinctively wanted to break free, but her heart was filled with confusion. It seemed that Yan Chi hadn’t done anything? She was merely comforting her.
Gu Qingtong wouldn’t have thought that Yan Chi was a woman who could maintain a calm breath and indifferent tone even when her desires were unleashed.
She felt cold all over, making it impossible for others to sense her emotions, causing them to miss the opportunity to detect the lurking danger.
Yan Chi never held her tightly, and now she let her go in her panic. She knew that the more composed she appeared, the more the other person would understand one thing: Gu Qingtong had willingly thrown herself into her embrace earlier.
It was simply a matter of giving her a bit of comfort in return, so what ill intentions could there be?
As she had expected, Gu Qingtong snapped back to reality completely. When she realized what she had done, her simple mind exploded in an instant, leaving her dumbfounded in place. She had no time to pay attention to Yan Chi’s recent actions.
Ah, oh no! The cameras must have captured everything!
It’s over, it’s over. After all, subconscious actions cannot deceive people.
From this embrace, Gu Qingtong immediately thought of the public’s attention on the two of them, how it would affect Yan Chi’s career, and even…their marriage might be exposed by paparazzi.
She felt helpless and tears welled up, but their hands were still intertwined, or more accurately, Yan Chi was still firmly holding her hand.
Gu Qingtong knew she should avoid Yan Chi at this point, but she was also afraid of this confined space and was too scared to let go.
Thinking about her own helplessness, Gu Qingtong felt even more sorrowful.
Well, it’s fine. I was scared like this too. The audience should be able to understand… Gu Qingtong took a deep breath.
Yan Chi heard Gu Qingtong’s movement and even with her eyes closed, she knew what Gu Qingtong was thinking.
Everything unfolded as she had expected, and suddenly, Yan Chi felt a twinge of long-lost guilt.
After all, she was the one who took advantage, and moreover, this time it was just a brief encounter. Next time might not be the same. Wasn’t she being a bit too wicked?
Through the darkness, she looked at Gu Qingtong with a gaze that held a hint of increased interest.
“Alright, everyone, stop messing around. Since we’re all here, shouldn’t we start searching for clues?”
Chu Yu, as the highest-ranked guest, had always been used to coordinating everyone. Although Yan Chi had joined now, her cold attitude made it clear that she wouldn’t be involved in everyone’s affairs.
“We should find the candles first, but the NPC just said there are only two candles, clearly not enough for our three teams to share. So, whoever gets them, they’re theirs.”
With this statement, the peaceful path between the three teams was essentially cut off.
Director Bu prepared two candles, wasn’t he just waiting for them to start fighting?
The Bai Jin trio, because they had more people, had an advantage in finding things. Everyone wanted to win, and within moments, the two groups split up to search for the candles.
Gu Qingtong and Yan Chi silently agreed not to mention what had just happened. They maintained their professional and unfamiliar demeanor from before.
“Teacher Yan, have you played a similar escape room game before? If you’re not familiar with it, you can search together with me.”
Gu Qingtong took the initiative, considering that Yan Chi didn’t seem to be into things that young people liked. Gu Qingtong was afraid that this would leave a bad impression, especially since it was her first time participating in an entertainment variety show.
“Alright, I’ll follow your lead.”
Yan Chi’s voice was faint, clearly indicating compliance. However, when those words came out of her mouth, Gu Qingtong couldn’t help but feel a sense of indulgence, as if Yan Chi was pampering her.
“Then let’s go to the dining hall first.” Gu Qingtong had some experience in these situations.
Thinking about checking if there was a candelabrum on the dining table, as it would be impossible to have a candlelight dinner in this European-style building without candles.
Before entering, everyone had seen the layout of the castle, and Gu Qingtong had even paid attention and made mental notes. So now she was taking Yan Chi directly towards the front, as everyone should be facing the hall and stairs upon entering the castle, while the dining hall would be on the second floor.
However, before Gu Qingtong could walk out, Yan Chi grabbed her arm and said, “We’re going the wrong way.”
“Huh…?” Gu Qingtong blinked in the darkness, looking quite confused.
But she knew she had a poor sense of direction, so she didn’t insist on her own opinion and shyly said, “Then let Teacher Yan lead the way.”
After all, she had been worried earlier that Yan Chi might not be familiar with this kind of thing. Now it seemed like she was the clueless one.
Yan Chi, with Gu Qingtong’s absent-mindedness, was genuinely worried that she might stumble upon something in the darkness while leading the way.
So, hand in hand, one in front and one behind, they walked towards the stairs.
When they stepped onto the stairs, Gu Qingtong realized that she had indeed gone in the wrong direction. After the commotion caused by Bai Jin just now, her initial orientation was already off.
Gu Qingtong obediently followed behind Yan Chi, stepping on her footprints, neither fast nor slow, afraid of stepping on Yan Chi yet also afraid of lagging behind.
But when their steps synchronized, Gu Qingtong suddenly heard a faint, discordant sound.
She couldn’t help but turn her head to look behind, but it was clear that there was nothing there.
“What’s wrong?” Yan Chi also noticed her sudden change.
The sound had disappeared without a trace, making Gu Qingtong suspect that it was her imagination. So in the end, she didn’t tell Yan Chi and only asked, “Teacher Yan, can you see things in the dark? I can’t see anything at all.”
It was just that Yan Chi seemed too natural in this pitch-black environment, not even bumping into obstacles on the ground. If it were Gu Qingtong herself, every step would probably be extremely difficult.
Yan Chi paused for a moment, then replied, “I’m used to it. The camera’s light is enough to see a bit.”
Used to it? Gu Qingtong was momentarily stunned and sensitively noticed that this statement was unusual.
But now they were filming the show, so she couldn’t pursue it further. She just responded and kept it in mind.
Meanwhile, the production team, watching them through the live feed, shifted the camera’s focus to behind Gu Qingtong. Gu Qingtong’s earlier guess was correct—there was indeed someone following them from behind.
The second floor was empty, seemingly devoid of the presence of other groups. What was even stranger was that they had been told there would be various NPCs in the castle, but other than the initial waiter guide, they hadn’t encountered any other NPCs.
The silence here felt somewhat eerie, and Gu Qingtong quickly glanced into the darkness, causing a shiver to run down her spine. She instinctively pulled her neck back and hurriedly caught up with Yan Chi.
“This is the dining hall. We need to go further inside for the kitchen.”
Finally, Yan Chi stopped and led the two of them forward, guiding Gu Qingtong’s hand to touch something that felt like a table.
Just as Gu Qingtong was about to move forward, Yan Chi suddenly stopped her.
She could clearly sense that Yan Chi’s vigilance and intensity had increased, as if she had discovered some danger.
“There’s something ahead. I’ll go check it out. Wait here and don’t move. I’ll remember your position and come back for you.”
Yan Chi instructed before letting go of the hand she had been holding tightly.
Unexpectedly, Gu Qingtong urgently grabbed her wrist, and when Yan Chi glanced down, she saw Gu Qingtong looking nervous and said anxiously, “Please don’t go if it’s dangerous…”
Because Gu Qingtong was still on edge, her concern couldn’t be concealed in her words, and she even forgot to use the respectful address of “Teacher Yan.”
“It shouldn’t be a living creature. Don’t worry, and usually, these unusual things tend to be the key to the mission, right?”
“If something doesn’t feel right, just run immediately,” Gu Qingtong hesitated, then let go of Yan Chi’s wrist, and finally added in a timid tone, “Also, remember to come back for me…”
Gu Qingtong couldn’t see anything clearly, so she anxiously listened to the movements coming from Yan Chi’s direction.
There was a rustling sound, followed by a strange metallic collision, and suddenly, without any warning, a loud bell rang throughout the empty castle, echoing in every corner.
Yan Chi had found the candelabrum she was looking for on that object, with two candles inside.
Thinking that the kitchen should be further inside, where there might be a way to light a fire and cook, she said to Gu Qingtong, “I’ve got the candles. Wait for me while I light them, and then I’ll come back for you.”
Gu Qingtong felt a sudden panic and was about to call out Yan Chi’s name.
But unexpectedly, a pair of hands reached out from behind and covered her mouth, and a familiar voice sounded in her ear, “Sister, it’s me.”
It was Bai Jin again… In the instant Gu Qingtong heard that voice, her fear turned into anger. She felt irritated and wondered what Bai Jin was up to.
Bai Jin reached over and turned off the microphones on both of them before speaking, “In this escape room game, I obtained the role of an undercover agent. Now that the bell has rung, I have to capture one player and send them to the ‘black room’ to eliminate them.” Bai Jin was shorter than Gu Qingtong, so she had to tiptoe to cover Gu Qingtong’s lips securely.
“Oh, sister, why are you trembling? Don’t worry, I’m not going to let you go offline so soon. I just came to ask you something.”
“I’ll be straightforward, I saw it all when you were clinging to Yan Chi earlier. Were you doing it on purpose? Trying to climb up the ladder using Yan Chi?”
Upon hearing these words, Gu Qingtong almost burst out laughing. What kind of imagination was this?
“It’s useless. She doesn’t like women at all. She’s completely indifferent. Yun Mingxuan has tried to please her many times, but it’s always been embarrassing. Just now, when you did that, didn’t she even push you away?”
Obviously, Bai Jin, like the production team, hadn’t seen Yan Chi’s hands freely moving under her figure and hair.
Unable to bear it any longer, Gu Qingtong pulled Bai Jin’s hand down, but she didn’t call out to Yan Chi. Instead, she asked cautiously, “What do you want to say?”
“She’s not interested in you, but I am. My family’s company is not much worse than Hua yan’s resources. What do you think, sister?”
The sudden glow from the kitchen illuminated Gu Qingtong and Bai Jin in the darkness, face to face.
Looking at Bai Jin’s innocent face, one couldn’t imagine that she had just uttered those words.
As a clueless rich second-generation, Gu Qingtong had seen all these manipulations in the wealthy and entertainment circles. She had wondered if she would become a wealthy woman and have people flocking around her… but she never thought she would be targeted first by someone else.
“When you say something like that, don’t you realize how outrageous it sounds?”
Gu Qingtong didn’t control her volume anymore, and Yan Chi, who was walking back with the candlestick, clearly saw Bai Jin as well.
The candle flame flickered, casting alternating shadows on Yan Chi’s face, making her look colder than usual. She looked up at Bai Jin and asked, “What are you doing here?”
Bai Jin’s smile didn’t fade, seemingly unconcerned about Gu Qingtong’s rejection.
She even reached out and helped open the microphone on Gu Qingtong’s collar again.
It seemed like an open challenge to Yan Chi, openly speaking about some inappropriate things they had said to each other.
“I just saw Sister Gu and came to say hello. So, you’ve already obtained the candlestick? Impressive. But we need to hurry and find clues. By the way,” she turned to face Gu Qingtong, “Sister Gu, I’ll keep my promise not to capture you this time. However, the next time the bell rings, you’ll be my target for sure.”
Bai Jin left, and the atmosphere between Gu Qingtong and Yan Chi instantly turned icy.
The light from the candlestick cast long shadows, intersecting at a point that they couldn’t reach in front of the camera.
Gu Qingtong was waiting for Yan Chi to say something to her, but Yan Chi remained silent, lowering her eyelashes quietly.
Soon, all the guests, except Bai Jin, hurriedly arrived at the dining hall.
At the moment they heard the bell ring, almost everyone remembered the 8 o’clock deadline mentioned by the waiter. Fearful of facing any punishment, they came directly, but the bumpy journey and cautious walking had caused a significant delay.
Yan Chi carried the lit candlestick back to the dining hall, instantly becoming the only source of light in the dark night, allowing everyone to see their surroundings.
Seeing the candlestick on the table, several guests’ eyes lit up, but they quickly realized that both candles were found by Gu Qingtong and Yan Chi, and their enthusiasm faded.
The most eye-catching thing in the entire dining hall was a lifelike dummy.
It was positioned on a seat, with its head slightly lowered. At first glance, one’s gaze would be drawn to its incredibly realistic hair, almost mistaking it for real.
“Ugh!” Almost everyone was repulsed upon seeing it.
“I was just in the dining hall. How come I didn’t find the candlestick? Could it be in that thing’s embrace?”
Chu Yu couldn’t let go and regretted not examining it more carefully earlier.
“What about Bai Jin? Why is she never around?” Wen Ziyao, seeing his team lose once again, became irritable.
“She seems to be the mole… I felt that she was too sensitive in the dark night, something was off. After searching, we actually found her night vision device. It didn’t feel right, so I tried to detain her, but she ran away too fast. Now we don’t know where she went.”
Deng Dongjun shared his findings with everyone.
“We should have known earlier. The three rooms showcased couldn’t accommodate three people. They must have made prior arrangements with Bai Jin for other accommodations, with the condition that she acts as the mole to hinder our victory.”
Gu Qingtong finally realized that Bai Jin confessed to her because she had been exposed.
The next round of bell tolls would most likely come straight at her… Gu Qingtong’s heart sank.
She couldn’t tell the other teams about this matter. After all, the three teams were in competition with each other, and they wouldn’t help her. They might even join forces with Bai Jin to corner her.
Just as everyone was speculating about the rules, the waiter from earlier reappeared.
Illuminated by the candlelight, he looked thin and pale, appearing even more terrifying than when he had only been a voice without a physical presence.
“As you all have seen, the head of the household passed away this morning on his 70th birthday.
And the seven distinguished guests are undercover detectives I invited to investigate the cause of the head’s death and find the culprit. We have initially identified three suspects but need crucial evidence to convict them.
However, it seems that the information has leaked through the mole among you, and the killer now knows your identities as detectives and intends to eliminate everyone.”
“While you have already exposed the mole, unfortunately, without finding the evidence, I won’t give you the key. As long as you haven’t left this mansion, the game won’t end.
Afterward, the bell will toll every hour. The time here is synchronized with reality, and the main hall has a large clock for everyone to check the time.”
The mole will immediately gain the right to eliminate one guest after the bell tolls. Once caught, it is considered a death sentence until all of you are wiped out. When facing the mole, you can only run or hide, not fight back. Four hours later, if anyone remains inside without escaping, the candlelight will also expire, and the mansion will become a terrifying night of darkness.”
Upon hearing this, Yan Chi suddenly glanced at Gu Qingtong beside her. She had also heard Bai Jin say that she would come to capture Gu Qingtong.
Gu Qingtong noticed the gaze and made a helpless expression.
Suddenly, voices and commotion could be heard downstairs. Everyone instinctively looked over and discovered that the previously empty rooms were now filled with numerous NPCs, as if the castle had returned to its former state.
“So many NPCs?!”
Gu Qingtong remembered that this secret room had various gameplay options. For this filming, they chose the simplified version with three selectable suspects. The original version provided no options, requiring thorough investigation among these NPCs like finding a needle in a haystack. No wonder some people stayed in this game for two days before coming out.
“These are the letters from the three suspects. Time is running out, and even the tiniest detail can become a clue.”
The waiter took out three neatly folded letters from the right pocket on his chest.
“They were found in the locked drawer of the old master, but when I went there, the desktop was empty. The killer probably took them away.”
The content of the letters was clear.
The first letter was from the housekeeper. She stated that her daughter had reached the age of marriage and wanted to resign to focus on finding her a husband. She requested the old master’s approval of her resignation letter.
The second letter was from the gardener. He mentioned that he had worked diligently for the old master for twenty years. However, in recent years, the old master started criticizing his taste and skills, indicating an intention to dismiss him. Therefore, he wanted to receive a retirement fund from the master to open his own flower shop and make a living.
The third letter was from an old man who supervised the wine cellar in the basement. In the letter, he strongly denounced the old master for plagiarizing his invention in the past, gradually becoming rich with the patent for an automatic water pump. He demanded that the old master change the patent to be registered under his own name and used the old master’s hidden secret as a threat.
The letters were quickly passed around among the group.
“At first glance, this old man from the wine cellar seems suspicious,” Deng Dongjun expressed his opinion first, which was agreed upon by Chu Yu and Yu Xi.
“You detectives can investigate on your own. Once you have conclusions, come to the study on the third floor to find me. If the evidence is conclusive and you solve the case, I will provide the key. Of course, detectives should be careful of the traitor’s capture.”
The waiter gave this final instruction and left.
Without waiting for the others to speak, Yan Chi went straight to the dummy model. It was dressed in a proper Western suit, a typical imitation of a European gentleman.
After rummaging through its pockets, she actually found something—a pocket watch. Upon opening it, there was a black and white photograph of a young girl.
Naturally, the others wouldn’t allow Yan Chi to monopolize the clue. They all took a look.
“Who is this girl? His lover?”
“I know, it’s his daughter,” Gu Qingtong pointed at the family photo in the frame on the dining table. The little girl in the photo looked exactly like the girl in the pocket watch.
The answer of “daughter” seemed somewhat distant from the puzzle, and everyone felt a bit disappointed and dispersed.
“What about dividing the candles?” Chu Yu stared at the candlestick on the table for a long time. After all, they couldn’t search for clues in the dark.
Yan Chi didn’t care much. “Qingtong and I will share one, and the four of you can distribute the other one among yourselves.”
Although they said it was up to them to distribute, the four of them knew they would have to stick together to search for clues.
Although they were unwilling, they had to accept it. After all, it was Yan Chi who found it, and she wasn’t someone who was easy to negotiate with.
“Let’s go.” Yan Chi dismantled half of the candlestick and said to Gu Qingtong.
The two of them left directly to search for clues under the gaze of everyone.
“Teacher Yan seems really reliable,” Yu Xi, who had been silent, suddenly spoke, expressing the thoughts of everyone present.
How could there be such a perfect person in the world, capable of doing everything so well?
At the same time, they couldn’t help but feel a bit jealous. What kind of luck did Gu Qingtong have? She ended up teaming up with a top-level expert and effortlessly gaining an advantage.
They wondered if Yan Chi would replace her partner in the next episode.
On the other hand…
“Senior, Bai Jin is going to come after me later,” as soon as they left the dining room, Gu Qingtong complained to Yan Chi with a pleading look. “I can’t fight back and can only hide and run. What should I do…”
Yan Chi looked at Gu Qingtong’s carefree and oblivious expression and felt her possessiveness and jealousy dissipate a bit. She said, “Learn your lesson and don’t provoke her next time.”
Gu Qingtong felt even more wronged. She didn’t provoke her at all!
She was inexplicably targeted as soon as she appeared, and she had been avoiding her before.
“Let’s see if we can solve the case before the bell tolls. If not, we’ll have to hide,” Yan Chi finally relented.
Seeing that Yan Chi was finally willing to help her, Gu Qingtong’s face went from pitiful to excited. “Investigating this case seems quite interesting. Which suspect should we start with?”
“Do you think the contents of the letters are true?” Yan Chi raised the candlestick higher, illuminating the NPCs in the hall below. “Let’s go and ask them about their true situations.”
Gu Qingtong was taken aback for a moment. There were indeed some parts that didn’t seem quite reasonable, like how could an old man who supervised the wine cellar invent a patent and still remain confined in this narrow underground area?
It was likely that each person’s letter depicted themselves as the righteous side.
“The housekeeper? She’s an honest person. Are you saying she’s resigning? It’s so sudden. I haven’t heard anything before. Did something happen in the family?”
The maid, who was dusting the counter with a chicken feather duster, paused as if hearing it for the first time.
“Her daughter? She has been living with us all along. Wasn’t she single for a long time? Why would she suddenly want to get married? But now that you mention it, her daughter hasn’t been here these past few days. She’s probably gone on a blind date, I suppose.”
Gu Qingtong didn’t expect even the most ordinary letter to be a lie, so she analyzed it randomly.
“So, her sudden resignation is because something unexpected happened, and she couldn’t continue staying here. Her daughter’s marriage is just a cover-up.”
Yan Chi didn’t answer but instead asked the maid if she knew about the master’s daughter.
“The master’s daughter, we all know that she passed away due to illness when she was 18. The master has always missed her dearly. There are pictures of her and the daughter in the study and dining room on the table beside the pocket watch.”
Repeating these methods, the two of them learned the true identities of the last two NPCs.
The second gardener was fired because he was too fond of gambling. He was careless in taking care of the garden and managed to swindle a considerable amount of retirement funds from the master in various ways, losing every single one of them. This time, his request was probably to pay off his gambling debts, even at the cost of losing face.
The third old man, needless to say, was a pure alcoholic who oversaw the wine cellar. He lived in his own imagined world and, when drunk, firmly believed that the automatic pump that brought wealth to the master was his creation. When sober, he was a completely different person, loyal to the master. That’s why he hasn’t been fired until now.
“So, everyone is suspicious?” Gu Qingtong exclaimed in surprise.
As Yan Chi passed through the hall, she glanced at the time and realized there were only twenty minutes left until the next wave of bell tolls.
The six of them had spent too much time in the dining room listening to the rules.
It seemed they needed to prepare for the second scenario.
The rooms of the three suspects were open for investigation, but none of them were present, making it impossible to interrogate them.
Yan Chi’s first investigation was the housekeeper’s room. As soon as she entered, she was attracted to a set of medieval-style dress and hat hanging on a clothes rack. Unlike the dusty clothes on the NPC, this dress set looked expensive in terms of material quality.
“Could her daughter really afford such exquisite clothing?”
Gu Qingtong muttered, looking at the nearby wooden wardrobe that was old and dilapidated, with only one door. It was empty inside, as if all the clothes for daily wear had been taken away, leaving only this gorgeous one.
Yan Chi looked at the wardrobe, her eyes slightly narrowed, lost in thought.
She spread out the outfit on the table, and Gu Qingtong couldn’t help but exclaim, “This dress is the same as the one worn by the girl in the photo in the pocket watch.”
Beautiful clothes and jewelry were Gu Qingtong’s hobbies, and she easily recognized the similarities between the two outfits.
Moreover, these kinds of clothes were personally tailored by a seamstress at the time. To achieve such similarity, it must have been intentional.
“Was it given by the master… to play the role of his daughter?”
The master’s daughter died at a young age, and the master’s longing for her became an obsession. The housekeeper, who grew up in the castle from a young age, aroused the master’s twisted thoughts, and he even gave her clothes identical to those of his own daughter.
The housekeeper discovered all of this and urgently tried to stop it. Did she resign and marry off her own daughter as a result?
“We probably won’t make it to the basement in time. Let’s go to the gardener’s room first.”
Almost all the servants and attendants of the castle lived in this area, and the next room was right next door.
The gardener’s room was quite poor, and it seemed that anything valuable had already been sold off, leaving only a bed and a broken wooden table.
The table was piled with IOUs. But when they picked them up and looked at them, they realized that all of them had been paid off, with specific dates written on them.
“The gardener still received the master’s retirement funds?” Gu Qingtong tapped her head, finding it hard to wrap her mind around it. “But the gardener said the master wouldn’t give him any more.”
“Or maybe it was for the sake of money and life? He wanted the retirement funds to pay off his debts, but the master refused, so he got angry and killed him on the spot, taking the money?” Gu Qingtong suggested, trying to connect the dots.
Yan Chi shook her head. “If the master was killed today, the dates wouldn’t match. According to the date displayed on the clock face, this IOU was paid off two days ago, precisely on the third day mentioned in the three letters. The most likely scenario is that the master did give him the money after reading the letters.”
“You remembered the time so quickly?!” Gu Qingtong blinked in disbelief and exclaimed.
Just then, the sound of a bell suddenly came from outside, and both of them realized that something was about to happen.
They couldn’t solve the case within the given time, although they already had a rough idea of what happened. However, there was one aspect that didn’t make sense.
Yan Chi recalled the depicted wounds on the dummy’s body, which were quite violent. The physical build and strength of the person she believed to be the culprit didn’t seem to match this method of killing the master…
Yan Chi snapped out of her thoughts, blew out the candle, and in this pitch-black environment, lighting a candle would blatantly reveal their location to Bai Jin and the others.
Gu Qingtong felt anxious but had no choice but to stick close to Yan Chi and follow behind her. To her surprise, Yan Chi returned to the housekeeper’s room earlier.
Opening the empty wardrobe from before, Yan Chi whispered, “When the footsteps get closer, let’s hide in here.”
“Hide… inside? The two of us together? But there’s not even half of a door left.” Gu Qingtong froze in place.
“It’s too late. Only a few rooms are open for clues, and Bai Jin was following us just now. You just didn’t see her,” Yan Chi’s expression was invisible in the darkness.
As if to prove her words, Gu Qingtong actually heard the footsteps gradually approaching, the provocation coming from Bai Jin.
She could have been silent and stealthy, but she deliberately approached step by step, making the prey scared.
Gu Qingtong pressed tightly against the inside of the wardrobe, making room for Yan Chi.In the next moment, she felt Yan Chi leaning in, pressing against her closely. She could almost feel the scorching heat of Yan Chi’s breath in her sensitive ears.
In the narrow space without any gaps, Gu Qingtong, felt the slightly cooler temperature of Yan Chi’s body than an average person’s, also felt the warmth radiating from her. The combination of this oppressive feeling and the heat was becoming somewhat unbearable for her, causing her to involuntarily let out a soft hum.
Little did she know that the friction of their clothes, the warmth, and the sound of their breaths were clearly recorded by the microphones.
The production team knew that the two were hiding in the wardrobe, but there was no camera that could capture them. Hearing these suggestive sounds made them awkwardly cough a couple of times.
Just then, their microphones were successively muted, and a slight buzzing noise could be heard.
The production team, excited about the situation, quickly switched to Bai Jin’s perspective.
Sure enough, Bai Jin entered. She looked around and her gaze fell on the wardrobe with only half a door, seemingly intrigued by something. She took a few steps forward.
Gu Qingtong could only feel that Bai Jin was separated from her by just a wooden door. She dared not even breathe, afraid of being discovered.
And at that moment, Yan Chi took a deep breath, satisfaction evident in her eyes. Her gaze darkened, and she slightly lifted her head. Seemingly unintentionally, she pressed her lips against Gu Qingtong’s ear, then the next second, she opened her mouth, and her teeth lightly grazed Gu Qingtong’s ear, speaking in a tone that only the two of them could hear:
“Next time, you’re not allowed.”
