The Novelist Forced to Become Famous

Chapter 142

The lunch was curry rice. No one had much of an appetite, so they asked for it to be delivered to their rooms.

In the spacious dining hall, only Jian Jing and Ai Lina remained.

Then it was time to continue the investigation.

Jian Jing carried a full plate of curry and sat down across from Ai Lina. She glanced at Ai Lina's side dishes and said, "You have a good appetite."

"I'm not very familiar with Yang Xiao," Ai Lina said indifferently. "People die every day. It would be strange to pretend to be sad about it."

Jian Jing asked, "Other than Si Yingjie, have you met any of the others before?"

Ai Lina smiled slyly. "Why should I tell you?"

"If you didn't do it, what's the harm in telling me?" Jian Jing retorted.

"Oh my, you're completely different than before," Ai Lina's focus was unexpectedly not on the murder case but on Jian Jing. She gazed at the girl in front of her with roving eyes that hinted at complex scheming. "Fine, I'll tell you. I don't know the others, I just... for Yingjie's sake..."

She lifted her glass and held the icy water on her lips, her voice blurred, "Watch out for Zong Xunmei."

Jian Jing's brows furrowed.

"I'm done eating, help yourself," Ai Lina said lightly as if she hadn't said anything, and casually got up to leave.

Jian Jing watched her retreating figure and shoveled down a spoonful of curry rice.

Ugh, so spicy.

She ate hurriedly to fill her stomach. She still had intense work to do that afternoon—it was time to investigate on site.

There were 12 villas on the waterside complex. Due to superstition, Villa #4 was made into a movie theater and spa. The occupancy of the other 11 villas was:

#1 (vacant), #2 (Jian Jing), #3 (Kang Mu Cheng), #4 (private theater), #5 (Si Yingjie), #6 (Yao Yao), #7 (Yang Xiao), #8 (A Xu & Yin Coach), #9 (Ai Lina), #10 (Zong Xunmei), #11 (vacant), #12 (vacant)

The villas were not built in a straight line but followed the shape of the shoreline, some high and some low.

For example, Villa #1 was the furthest east and on higher ground, perfect for watching the sunrise but quite far from the others, so rarely occupied.

Further down, the villa Jian Jing stayed in (#2) had great scenery and tranquility, which was why Si Yingjie had suggested she stay there.

Although #4 was between Villa #3 and #5, it sat lower so these two were actually quite close.

Villas #6, #7, and #8 were evenly spaced, just meters apart. Their staggered garden layout gave privacy while allowing friends with good relations to visit each other easily.

Villa #9 sat high again like #12. #10 and #11 were a bit lower, seeming to differ in altitude. They were tens of meters apart, suitable for those who valued privacy.

Now, reviewing each person's alone time:

10:13-10:31, 18 minutes, Kang Mu Cheng and Si Yingjie, Villa #5

10:38-10:45, 7 minutes, Yao Yao and Ai Lina, terrace

11:00-11:15, 15 minutes, A Xu and Yin Coach, Villa #8

11:00-12:45, time unknown, Zong Xunmei, bar

Meanwhile, Yang Xiao died in Villa #7.

First, Jian Jing tried walking from Villa #5 to Villa #7. At her brisk pace, it took about 3 minutes. Climbing the wall and entering through the window to kill would take 5 minutes at most, even allowing time for the crime itself.

Round trip would be 6 minutes, plus 5 minutes to kill—11 minutes total. Enough time.

In other words, Si Yingjie had ample opportunity.

However, Jian Jing didn't think he was very suspicious. Kang Mu Cheng had privately reviewed the previous night's events with her. He said Si Yingjie had drunk a huge amount and even vomited, barely able to stand by the end.

Having been good friends for years, Kang Mu Cheng knew Si Yingjie's alcohol tolerance well and firmly told her, "After drinking that much, he could hardly walk back to his room, let alone commit murder."

Also, Kang Mu Cheng had answered the phone call randomly. The cobra venom must have been prepared in advance. If there had been no call, wouldn't the murder plan have failed?

In terms of motive, whether Kang Mu Cheng or friends like Yao Yao, A Xu, and Coach Yin, none had seen Si Yingjie quarrel with Yang Xiao before.

Yang Xiao's presence on the island was also by chance, not premeditated.

By comparison, the pairing of A Xu and Coach Yin was more suspicious.

The bar was westward, not far from Villa #8. Jian Jing tried three different routes—the round trips took at most 7 minutes, and a minimum of just 5. Villa #8 to Villa #7 was just half a minute.

The time A Xu left his room was far too long. Coach Yin's alone time was even longer.

Plus, A Xu had pursued Yang Xiao before, and Coach Yin once had a fleeting romance with Yang Xiao's ex-fiancee. If they worked together, killing Yang Xiao would be easy as pie.

The only doubt was that A Xu had chased Yang Xiao 7-8 years ago, and Coach Yin's affair was 3 years prior. What kind of deep love would lead them to murder even today?

However, A Xu's injury and Coach Yin's medical kit were highly suspicious.

As for Yao Yao and Ai Lina—the stargazing terrace they went to was on a higher platform not far from the bar. At a brisk pace, a round trip would take just 4 minutes.

Considering drunkenness slowing them down, 7 minutes wouldn't be too long either.

The time from the terrace to Villa #7 was trickier. Via the path, it took about 5-6 minutes.

With only 1-2 minutes, completing entry, climbing through the window, murder and more would be difficult. That is, assuming the perpetrator really committed the crime that way.

If there were easier means, perhaps it would be enough time.

Finally, there was Zong Xunmei.

Intoxicated, she had the most ample window to commit the crime. However, they met for the first time today—if she sobered up halfway through, she could easily poke holes in the alibi.

That scheme was rather perfunctory.

Jian Jing pondered while strolling, and unknowingly arrived at Yang Xiao's Villa #7 again.

She went below the bedroom window and looked up at the glass for a while. Putting on gloves, she took a running start and leaped up, scaling the wall.

The short wall was about as wide as her feet. She carefully inspected its surface but found no footprints or scuff marks.

Unscientific.

Although shoe covers could avoid leaving prints, friction was needed for climbing like this. Shoe covers tended to be smooth, prone to slipping.

Also, she had checked the layer of dust on the decorative upper part of the second floor—there was no apparent wiping. It was impossible not to grab that area when climbing over the window ledge.

If not entering through the window, it must have been a remote attack.

A tranquilizer watch... no, a gun?

She looked toward Villa #6 opposite. The decoration on this side perfectly mirrored the one outside Yang Xiao's bedroom window, with a short wall directly facing it.

She would go take a look.

She carefully jumped down from the window ledge and went halfway around to climb up onto Villa #6's wall.

Comparing her height, her head was just parallel with the window ledge across. Shooting from here would be quite difficult.

If using a gun, the perpetrator would have to be taller than her.

"Huh?" A voice suddenly came from behind. Yao Yao poked her head out, her face filled with confusion. "Ms. Jian, what are you doing here?"

Jian Jing felt a little embarrassed—luckily she was female, otherwise she really seemed like a peeping tom.

"Looking for clues," she said casually.

Yao Yao tilted her head and looked at her for a while, seeming puzzled. "Looking for clues here?"

Jian Jing asked, "May I use your bathroom?"

Yao Yao: "Sure."

Jian Jing went upstairs to check the bathroom. This was the room above the short wall. When the window was opened, it directly faced Yang Xiao's bedroom window.

"Do you normally lock the door when going out?" she asked Yao Yao.

Yao Yao: "Of course."

"Was the door still locked when you returned last night?" Jian Jing confirmed.

Yao Yao nodded again.

So Jian Jing thoroughly inspected her bathroom.

As a crime scene, no place was more suitable than this room. Naturally, Yao Yao was the prime suspect. But her timeline was very tight—7 minutes to go from the terrace to the bar, then the bar to Villa #7, and back to the terrace, would take at least 10 minutes.

There were no irregularities in the bathroom.

To be safe, she took a look around the other rooms too.

There were some yarns scattered on the bed, and some adhesive bandages that had been torn off and thrown into the trash can - they had been stuck on the toes, probably because the slippers had chafed the feet a little - the suitcase was empty, and all the clothes were hanging in the closet, all light summer clothes, almost none with pockets.

The things on the dressing table were abundant, though - hair straighteners, curling rods, hair clips and hair bands, makeup brushes, skincare products, piled up dazzlingly.

The safe built into the closet was aligned with the red open mark, not looking like it contained anything.

Jian Jing quickly glanced over the many details in the room, and finally determined that she probably hadn't hidden the thing.

Yao Yao asked, "What are you looking at?"

"Was Ai Lina very drunk last night?" she asked.

Yao Yao recalled, "She can really hold her liquor. I'd only had half a glass but she'd finished a whole one. Her speech was a little slurred too, so she must have been drunk."

"You don't suspect her, do you?"

Jian Jing didn't answer but asked back, "Who do you suspect?"

"I don't suspect anyone. I hope this was just an accident," Yao Yao answered, looking downcast.

Jian Jing smiled and took her leave.

She went back under the wall and activated her sense of smell, sniffing the smells around her.

There was no strong scent of alcohol.

The only ones who might not have drunk alcohol before 10 p.m. yesterday, or who might have bathed after drinking, were probably A Xu and Yin Coach.

It looked like she had to think of a way to search their rooms.

She went to Kang Mu Cheng and asked him to find a way to keep the others occupied, so that she could have a chance to sneak into the rooms - of course, after getting the keys from the butler in advance.

Kang Mu Cheng was very cooperative. After dinner, under the pretext of comforting Si Yingjie, he called all the friends over.

They were all very tactful, making an effort to lift the mood and comfort the disheartened Si Yingjie.

The sky was pitch-black, and a storm seemed imminent. Jian Jing seized the time and secretly slipped into Room 8.

Doing investigation by stealing into a room for the first time was quite thrilling.

However, considering that the suspects were all Si Yingjie's friends, she didn't want to point fingers without complete evidence.

The first place she checked, of course, was A Xu's luggage: tennis bag, clothes, camera, fishing rod, first aid kit... There were many items, but no sign of the thing.

Yin Coach was the same - other than a medicine box and some diving magazines, only the sexy lingerie was particularly eye-catching.

Jian Jing searched very carefully, confident she hadn't missed anything - besides, there weren't many places to hide things in the suite either.

She used her Olfactory Card again.

With her senses enhanced, she caught a whiff of a peculiar fragrance. Following it, she found it was the scent of bath bombs - the torn packaging was thrown in the trash can, and the fragrance it had picked up hadn't yet dissipated.

Wait, didn't Yin Coach bring a box of these bath bombs, all different scents?

Based on common sense, this should have been used by them around 10 p.m. last night - don't ask how she knew it was the two of them bathing together, the smell in the tub was too obvious - but today, they didn't have this fragrance on them, only the smell of regular shower gel and shampoo.

In other words, they had showered again in the early morning or late night.

But earlier, near the wall, she hadn't caught this scent.

What was going on?

Just now she had sniffed around the vicinity of Villa 7 like a Samoyed, and was certain she hadn't smelled this light fragrance before.

On closer recollection, A Xu's hair wasn't damp when he arrived yesterday, and Yin Coach's hair strands seemed half-dry this morning.

Hmm, unless she had guessed wrong, and the crime scene wasn't near Room 7, then A Xu and Yin Coach were probably not the killers.