There's definitely something wrong with this murder mystery game

The next morning, a light rain continued to fall.

The sky remained gloomy, with dark clouds amassed above the city, raining down droplets densely, though the downpour was not as heavy as the previous night.

After a night of heavy rain, the streets were flooded, and the area beneath the buildings in the urban village had turned into a swift stream.

Xu Shuo had watched videos all night, and by morning, he had finally managed to apply makeup that looked passable, making his complexion appear much healthier.

Then, he picked out a black long-sleeved dance outfit for himself, complete with white thigh-high socks and a white tulle skirt puffed up at the bottom. The color scheme should also help conceal any abnormalities in his body.

He hoped that today, he would be able to successfully choose one of the three people.

After getting ready, Xu Shuo stood downstairs in a white long dress and black leather shoes, staring into the stream in front of him, lost in thought.

If the drainage system of the old urban area was problematic, it couldn't even handle a night's rain, let alone in such a dirty and disordered urban village, where chewed up vegetable leaves mixed with unidentifiable things, stained the water in front of the building with a weird color.

Xu Shuo looked at the range of the water flow, calculated the distance, and prepared to jump over when suddenly, a shout came from ahead—

"Miss Qiuzi!"

Xu Shuo, who was about to leap, staggered and steadied himself.

He looked up to see a small sedan car slowly backing up through the crowded street, finally coming to a stop in front of him.

Officer Zhang looked at him with a beaming smile and said, "Why didn't you message me yesterday, eh? Didn't you say you would let me know once you got home?"

Xu Shuo was startled, then sheepishly said, "Sorry, I forgot. I was too tired when I got back and went to sleep first."

After returning, he had been busy gathering intelligence. Who would think about her?

Moreover, the officer seemed busy with something yesterday too. After they exchanged contact information, she left in a hurry, and she didn't message later that night to ask anything. Experience the epic saga on m_vl-em|p-yr

It was clear that they had simply forgotten each other!

"Never mind, I forgive you~" Officer Zhang sized him up, then continued, "Are you preparing to go to the dance studio? It just so happens I have work to do there for an investigation today. Let me give you a lift."

Xu Shuo gave her a silent glance. Whether or not the police station was on the way here, it seemed that this person was probably keeping an eye on him.

Then, a coy smile appeared on his face, "You are too kind."

After all, he wasn't one to pass up a free ride.

Officer Zhang was not in uniform today, and even her car was a private sedan, but Xu Shuo did not ask a word about her so-called work and investigation.

The car's seats and interior were quite old and worn, suggesting it was an aged vehicle. The sky was dreary, raining steadily; the wipers worked intermittently, with a squeaking noise that was somewhat annoying.

The car did not speed, and as they passed the alley from last night, both Xu Shuo and Officer Zhang glanced over at it involuntarily.

The alley also led to the urban village; its narrow path was clear at a glance. Just then, someone emerged, having just come downstairs.

In the daytime, the alley did not seem so terrifying.

What the female officer encountered there yesterday remained a mystery.

Shortly, the building housing the dance studio arrived. After Xu Shuo got out, Officer Zhang drove off, apparently having actual business nearby.

Xu Shuo went up to the sixth floor, greeted the security guard at the door, and then proceeded towards the dance studio.

The entire floor was silent, the lights in the corridor somewhat pale. There weren't many people in the other dance studios; it was as quiet as a forgotten place.

But as he arrived at the door of the dance studio he had been in last night, he heard faint sounds from inside, like the dull thuds of footsteps tapping on the floor.

Xu Shuo pushed the door open to see a tall figure dancing in front of a mirror, up on tiptoe, with a sway in her movements that was bold and unrestrained.

He silently glanced once over the dancer and headed to the rest area, sticking close to the wall.

"Qiuzi?" At that moment, the dancer spoke up, not turning her head, just looking at the person in the mirror.

The woman was about twenty-five or twenty-six, with a rigid and serious expression. Glancing at the petite figure in the mirror, she spoke faintly, "You don't seem to be in good spirits?"

Xu Shuo turned to look at her. This woman had also appeared in Qiuzi's photo album, one of the three people, seemingly an elder, with several girls looking quite respectful toward her.

He spoke, his voice somewhat hoarse, "It rained on my way home last night; I caught a little cold."

The woman turned around, slowly finishing her last pose, and looked at him emotionlessly, saying, "The competition among you will start soon. Falling sick at this time isn't good."

"I'm sorry." Xu Shuo lowered his head.

As his eyelids lowered, he noticed the shadow approaching. The woman silently walked up to him, reaching out to lift the girl's chin.

The woman's face still showed little emotion and seemed quite harsh as she said faintly, "You are my most satisfying student, and I actually hope you will be the one to perform in the end, so don't disappoint me."

A student? Was she Qiuzi's dance teacher?

Xu Shuo recalled the phone book in his cell phone, finding the only name with a title, and ventured, "I understand, Teacher Changying, I won't disappoint you."

The woman smiled satisfactorily, released him, and said, "Hurry and change your clothes."

Xu Shuo obediently nodded, turning to enter the changing room. The moment he turned his back, the smiles on both their faces faded slightly, both gazes growing profound.

——Could it be a player?

In such games, the real trouble is not the NPCs hiding various stories for you to figure out, but the players who might oppose you.

After all, the missions can create opposing situations.

Just like detectives and murderers, one side seeks the truth while the other hides, one must fail.

...

Inside the restroom, Xu Shuo changed out of his street clothes, looking at his overly pale and cold skin, he pondered the dance teacher's reaction just now; it seemed she didn't know "she" had died.

One out of three, it's possible to eliminate one for now, unless the other party's acting was so superb there was no sign.

Nonetheless, Xu Shuo still felt it was most likely to be one of the competitors.

After all, Qiuzi seemed to be the teacher's favorite.

Xu Shuo put on the tight dance costume, Qiuzi's delicate yet strong body outlined in the mirror. Qiuzi had a great physique, and certainly would look elegant dancing.

But now there was an essential problem.

He couldn't do ballet!

How on earth was a full-grown man supposed to cross-dress as a girl who can dance? Who came up with this crappy script?!

Xu Shuo, cursing under his breath, tied up his hair into a bun, thinking about how he might muddle through later. Although he couldn't dance ballet, this body's instincts were still somewhat there.

Maybe just pretend to be in poor condition and twist an ankle?

As he thought this, a clattering noise suddenly came from the changing room, followed by the voices of two girls.

"Is someone in the toilet?"

"Is it Qiuzi? She always comes the earliest!"

"How...how could it be..."

In the restroom, Xu Shuo's gaze suddenly sharpened, his lips curling into a strange smile.