HP - Chapter 15

Thank you Elaina for the Ko-fi 😄

Since this is the first Ko-fi we've received, here is another bonus chapter! (2/2)

Typhoon Night Murder Files 10

The majority of people followed Mu Xingchao in standing up. Though no one spoke, their choice was clear

Ji Zhou intended to speak up for Zhong Xu, but was stopped by her.

She spread her hands calmly. "Search, then."

The flashlight beam fell on the suitcase, and everyone was startled when they saw what was inside.

"Why did you buy so many ominous things?"

Zhong Xu said earnestly, "To decorate the room."

"Use these things to decorate a room?" Liang Qing was about to retort when he caught sight of Xu Hangquan out of the corner of his eye and immediately recalled that horrifying room. But he still sounded skeptical. "Do you have another tenant who shares Xu Hangquan's fondness for horror?"

"No. This room is prepared for the murderer who killed Jiang Zhi."

Everyone looked astonished.

The character Song Musi is sensitive and deep-thinking, never easily revealing her true feelings. As her character profile shows, she dislikes many people and things, but still pretends everyone is good friends.

This made it tough for Zhong Xu, who had to deduce the character's motives on her own.

Fortunately, this part wasn't difficult—everything relied on clues.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Do you already know who killed Jiang Zhi?"

Zhong Xu spoke slowly, "I suspected earlier than everyone that Jiang Zhi's death was no accident. The reason I invited everyone here is to investigate the true cause of Jiang Zhi's death. Once the murderer is identified, I will bring them to my room and make them confess to Jiang Zhi."

Xu Hangquan looked conflicted. "I didn't expect you to go this far for Jiang Zhi."

Others looked at her with even more suspicion. "By saying that, aren't you basically admitting to being the murderer who killed Luo Fang and Lin Huaiping? Your goal is clearly to avenge Jiang Zhi."

"I'm not seeking revenge. My only goal is to find Jiang Zhi's killer. I won't do anything until the murderer is identified. Besides, I've had a plan all along," Zhong Xu said. "Remember the 'twelfth tenant'?"

Everyone recalled the empty twelfth seat at the dining table.

"He's a friend of mine, a criminal police officer. I invited him here during his vacation to help investigate." Zhong Xu showed her phone. "But unfortunately, he's a total flaker."

Mu Xingchao immediately took the phone, scrolled through the chat history, and confirmed with his expression that Zhong Xu wasn't lying.

Ji Zhou looked at Zhong Xu with concern. "By saying all this, the murderer might target you."

"Great, the police know we're here!" Liang Qing seemed to have grasped a lifeline and was visibly excited. "Once the typhoon passes and the phone signal is restored, we can contact the police and escape!"

Everyone was infected by his emotion, and their tension began to ease.

In short, it wasn't a dead end—there was hope for survival.

Only Zhong Xu was not optimistic and had to pour cold water. "Really... is everyone sure they'll live until then?"

"..."

Well, the atmosphere instantly froze again.

Ji Zhou leaned in and whispered, "Boss, can we be a bit more positive?"

"It seems you don't want to see tomorrow's sunshine."

...

"Actually, I really don't understand—why attack Lin Huaiping in the living room before killing him?" Xu Hangjia frowned deeply. The others were just as puzzled.

"Probably a method of revenge," Cui Shuying guessed. "The murderer didn't want Lin Huaiping to die too easily... but killing with boiling water is just too cruel."

"It seems the story is clear now—the murderer's goal is to avenge Jiang Zhi." Mu Xingchao looked around at everyone, his gaze lingering a bit longer on Liang Qing. "Now we all know that Luo Fang and Lin Huaiping had grievances with her, and they're both dead. Liang Qing, your conflict with Jiang Zhi is obvious. You're in danger now."

Liang Qing's face turned pale.

He opened his mouth, lips trembling slightly, and it took him a while to find his voice: "My conflict with Jiang Zhi wasn't that serious... It shouldn't warrant death."

Zhou Zhi said calmly, "And yet Luo Fang and Lin Huaiping still lost their lives?"

Hearing this, Liang Qing instinctively retorted, "They were just pests—especially Luo Fang. So twisted, psychologically..."

No one spoke, but many silently realized they agreed with what he said. Some even felt a faint sense of relief—thankfully, they didn’t have such people in their real lives.

People that twisted in the head… maybe they really didn’t deserve to live.

"Who else had a grievance with Jiang Zhi?"

"Not me, anyway. Jiang Zhi was my beloved," Xu Hangquan immediately said. "My sister didn’t have a problem with her either. She likes everyone I like."

Xu Hangjia said weakly, "Brother, I didn’t like her. After she started dating Sang Long, I thought she had no taste and wasn’t good enough for you, so I gave her trouble a few times..."

Xu Hangquan: "..."

He quickly covered his sister’s mouth and looked up at the others, eyes filled with both caution and threat.

"What is this?"

Only Zhou Zhi was still diligently searching for evidence. At that moment, he pulled a newspaper out of a drawer in the room.

[Discovery – Newspaper]:

After Song Musi read the content of the newspaper, she was furious. At first, she crumpled it and threw it into the trash, but later she picked it back up again.

The newspaper reported a piece of news: Jiang Zhi had won an award, but it was surrounded by controversy, with suspicions that she hadn’t won it on merit.

"I found conversations in the Weibo DMs involving paid trolls about this incident. I suspect it was a coordinated smear campaign—and possibly done by someone from within." Zhong Xu waved the newspaper. "So now I want to ask—does anyone admit to doing this?"

"It was me."

After a moment of silence, Mu Xingchao admitted it bluntly. While everyone was still stunned and uncertain, he added calmly, "But I was just giving her a taste of her own medicine."

"What do you mean?"

"Three years ago, after my photography work won the 'Chasing Light Award,' a swarm of paid trolls started slandering and spreading rumors about me. It affected me deeply. I later found out it was Jiang Zhi who orchestrated it."

Everyone was stunned by Mu Xingchao’s words.

Mu Xingchao spoke unhurriedly, his candor laced with subtle sarcasm: "So after Jiang Zhi won her award, I made sure she got a taste of what I went through. Jiang Zhi and I are even now. Still... she must’ve been seriously affected. At the gathering, I noticed she was in a bad mood. I wonder if that had anything to do with it."

Liang Qing nervously reminded him, "Don’t say so much. Be careful, the murderer might still be here."

"The murderer must already know everything if they've acted. Whether I say anything now doesn't matter anymore."

At that moment, Zhong Xu suddenly asked, "Is that why you stopped doing photography?"

"Not entirely. But I was only doing photography out of interest, and later I just lost interest." Mu Xingchao turned to Xu Hangquan. "From what I understand, the reason Jiang Zhi could win that award was because you pulled some strings for her—am I wrong?"

Xu Hangquan’s expression stiffened. "I did help a bit, but Jiang Zhi had the talent to win even without it."

"What a misguided favor. If Jiang Zhi, proud as she was, had found out about it, she probably wouldn’t have forgiven you."

"I already told Jiang Zhi." Xu Hangjia decided to reveal the truth. "To confess to her, my brother filmed a short movie overnight—he took it more seriously than he takes his actual films. But Jiang Zhi rejected him without even watching it. How could she trample on someone’s feelings like that?"

"Confession? But..." Everyone's surprised glances shifted between Xu Hangquan and Ji Zhou.

"At most, I just took advantage of the situation," Xu Hangquan said, knowing exactly what everyone was thinking. "Sang Long and Jiang Zhi broke up two days before the gathering."

Good grief, another juicy piece of gossip.

Everyone turned their gossip-hungry eyes toward Ji Zhou.

"I don’t think it was a breakup." Ji Zhou scratched his head, utterly puzzled. "It was just a fight. If you can fight, you can make up."

It's just that Sang Long never lived to see the day of reconciliation.

"So, why exactly did you fight with Jiang Zhi?"

"Because..." Ji Zhou instinctively looked toward Zhong Xu.

Zhong Xu was speechless.

Everyone's eyes grew even more shocked. "Don’t tell me you also..."

Also? What do you mean also?

Xu Shuangyuan and Zhou Zhi were speechless.

Seeing this, Zhong Xu had no choice but to speak up: "When Sang Long and I were young and foolish, we had a very brief romance. Since it happened so many years ago—and we were too young to really understand feelings—I never told anyone, not even Jiang Zhi."

Ji Zhou followed with an honest admission: "The wristband Song Musi gave me was discovered by Jiang Zhi."

What happened after that was self-explanatory.

Her boyfriend and best friend had once been a couple. Not only had they hidden it from her, but her boyfriend had even kept a gift from the ex. Jiang Zhi must have been heartbroken and furious.

What terrible timing. Jiang Zhi really had it rough—one blow after another.

"This is hard to judge." Cui Shuying shook her head, expressing her disapproval. "What kind of good boyfriend keeps a gift from his ex?"

By now, everyone had come to the same realization—each one of them had, in some way, hurt Jiang Zhi.

So then, who exactly would be the one seeking revenge for her?

The typhoon had passed, but because of the rain, a chill continued to seep in.

The siblings got up and headed to the second floor.

Cui Shuying rubbed her arms and said to Zhong Xu, "Let’s go get a blanket too. It’s so cold."

"Let’s wait. We’ll go up after Xu Hangquan and his sister come downstairs."

Just then, Xu Shuangyuan said, "I want to boil some water. Everyone can drink it to warm up."

Her words were addressed to the girls, but her gaze lingered on Liang Qing. There were only four people left in the living room. If the three girls all went to the kitchen to boil water, wouldn’t that leave only him in the living room?

"...Let’s go, to the kitchen." Surprisingly, Liang Qing stood up directly.

"Clearly, I didn’t eat much today, but my stomach just hurts so much." Exiting the restroom, Zhou Zhi looked apologetic. "The restroom smells a bit. Should we wait a moment before going in?"

"It’s fine. My stomach hurts a bit too." Mu Xingchao shook his head. "Probably just too much tension."

"Who do you suspect the most now?" Staring at the steaming kettle on the stove, Xu Shuangyuan suddenly asked.

"What about you?" Zhong Xu didn’t answer but instead asked back.

"Mu Xingchao, perhaps..." Xu Shuangyuan thought for a moment and said, "I can’t quite say why, but I always feel like he’s hiding something."

"You two are in a relationship. If you say he’s hiding something, then it might be true." Cui Shuying added, "But I’ve also noticed he’s changed a lot. Maybe because of that car accident? Don’t they say—aside from life and death, everything else is trivial? Maybe that experience made him see things more clearly."

"Is there any instant noodles?" Suddenly, Liang Qing’s voice came through while they were talking.

Although he was with them in the kitchen, Liang Qing kept a cautious distance, standing at the doorway, his eyes fixed beyond the dining room, staring straight at the dining room window.

Cui Shuying said irritably, "You can still eat?"

"Yes, I can. If we really run into the murderer, we’ll need strength to fight back."

"Then should we eat a bit too?" Xu Shuangyuan felt his words made some sense.

Just as Zhong Xu opened the cupboard, a loud noise suddenly came from outside.

Bang—

It sounded like something had fallen from a tall building and smashed into the ground.

1. 水军 (Shuǐjūn) - Literally "water army"; refers to paid online trolls or commentators hired to manipulate public opinion.

2. 逐光奖 (Zhúguāng Jiǎng) - "Chasing Light Award"; a fictional photography award, with the name poetically signifying the core element of the art form.

3. 以其人之道，还治其人之身 (Yǐ qí rén zhī dào, huán zhì qí rén zhī shēn) - A classic idiom meaning "to pay someone back in their own coin," justifying a character's actions as poetic justice.

4. 鸽子精 (Gēzǐ jīng) - Internet slang literally meaning "pigeon spirit"; describes a person who is a habitual flaker.

5. 吃瓜 (Chī guā) - Internet slang for "to eat melon"; means to spectate or indulge in gossip as a bystander.

6. 大瓜 (Dà guā) - Internet slang for "big melon"; refers to a major piece of juicy gossip or a shocking scandal.

7. 通关 (Tōngguān) - A video game term for "clearing a level."

Characters (Players)

• 终栩 (Zhōng Xǔ)

  • Role: Protagonist 

  • Game Role: Later assumes the identity of 宋慕思 (Sòng Mùsī), the idealistic guesthouse owner with a hidden agenda tied to her friend’s death.

• 季舟 (Jì Zhōu)

  • Role: Self-proclaimed "萌新" (newbie)

• 老玩家 (Lǎo Wánjiā, Veteran Player)

  • Role: Experienced survivor

• 瘦弱男人 (Shòuruò Nánrén, Thin Man)

  • Role: Terrified newbie

• 眼镜男 (Yǎnjìng Nán, Glasses Man)

  • Role: Silent observer

~~~~~~

• 宋慕思 (Sòng Mùsī) – The protagonist; a quiet, introspective young woman who organized the friends' gathering and owns the 民宿 (guesthouse). Hides complicated past relationships.

• 江栀 (Jiāng Zhī) – Outgoing and sociable; Song Musi’s close friend (闺蜜) but also entangled in a love triangle involving Sang Long.

• 崔书颖 (Cuī Shūyǐng) – Another extroverted friend in the trio; makes Song Musi feel like a third wheel at times.

• 桑隆 (Sāng Lóng) – Jiang Zhi’s current boyfriend and Song Musi’s ex; their past relationship is a hidden source of tension.

• 骆方 (Luò Fāng) – A timid, cowardly classmate whom Song Musi dislikes. Later revealed to have a peanut allergy. [Dead]

• 徐杭泉 (Xú Hángquán) & 徐杭佳 (Xú Hángjiā) – Self-centered siblings; both are classmates disliked by Song Musi.

• 周至 (Zhōu Zhì) – A smooth-talking, socially adept classmate (possibly a surgeon); Song Musi finds him insincere.

• 梁青 (Liáng Qīng) – An insecure and overly sensitive classmate; another person Song Musi dislikes.

• 牧星朝 (Mù Xīngcháo) – A hypocritical rich kid (富二代) with a photography hobby; Xu Shuangyuan’s boyfriend.

• 许双园 (Xǔ Shuāngyuán) – Proud and arrogant; Mu Xingchao’s girlfriend, whom Song Musi resents.

• 林怀平 (Lín Huáipíng) – Jiang Zhi’s cousin who joins the group through her; displays incompetent arrogance, disliked by Song Musi. [Dead]

• 陈警官 (Captain Chen) – A recently acquainted police detective; annoys Song Musi by replying slowly to messages.

Sevyn here ~~~

Enjoy! Ty again Elaina~