Chapter 21: Detective Miss (Revised)

He watched with concern. Su Mian opened her mouth, finding her throat too hoarse to speak.

Wang Zhe hurriedly handed her a glass of water. The warm liquid slid down her throat, and Su Mian's body warmed up a bit. She said "Thank you."

"It's nothing... what you did this afternoon was too dangerous."

"If you hadn't controlled the fire, you might have!"

Wang Zhe closed his mouth urgently, but his eyes were full of worry and disapproval.

Su Mian, however, looked indifferent, holding the glass without speaking.

The oversized hospital gown worn on the girl made her look even more fragile, but Wang Zhe knew she was clearly braver than anyone else.

"I killed him."

"... I know."

Wang Zhe sighed, "What you did was forced..."

"It wasn't forced."

Su Mian interrupted him, her slender fingertips stroking the rim of the glass.

She lowered her eyelids, "When he used betrayal and threats as bargaining chips, he should have understood one principle."

"People who think they are clever shouldn't place bets easily, otherwise it's easy to lose everything."

She also had to thank him for the bet he placed; if it weren't for this series of chain reactions, she might have needed more time to prove Wen Zirui's identity.

Thinking of this, Su Mian's gaze fell on Wang Zhe, "Persuade her, let her change her vote."

Wang Zhe nodded. He knew who Su Mian was talking about: Yu Maomao.

In the past, Wang Zhe, hindered by being in the same dormitory as Zhou Yichen, hadn't told Yu Maomao that her boyfriend was actually a scumbag who was flirting with several women behind her back while dating her, and couldn't even forget Su Mian.

Su Mian was certain Zhou Yichen must have bragged about these things to Wang Zhe. They were former roommates; Wang Zhe's words were more persuasive than anyone else's.

Yu Maomao was a simple-minded girl, but also stupid enough; otherwise, a wealthy princess wouldn't have been hooked by such trash.

And yesterday's situation was enough to explain the truth. Su Mian didn't believe she wouldn't be willing to change her vote after seeing all this.

It was just that Su Mian was feeling too terrible right now, her head dizzy, her speech like she was about to stop breathing. She couldn't explain it to Yu Maomao in person, so she resorted to this strategy of letting Wang Zhe speak for her.

After Wang Zhe left, Su Mian relaxed her body, her eyes flickering.

Wait, was it the DM who brought her back?

Su Mian's memory stopped at the moment the man picked her up, but she had forgotten everything that happened afterward.

Forget it, it doesn't matter anymore.

Everything is about to end.

Right?

She asked herself this, her hand holding the glass tightening slightly.

Right?

––

Yu Maomao changed her vote. The moment the broadcast in the activity room announced Wen Zirui was out, 4399 cheered in her mind, and Wang Zhe also shouted excitedly.

Yu Maomao sat beside her, wanting to say something but stopping.

"What do you want to say?"

"I'm sorry... Su Mian, I, I didn't know you were also a victim."

She was too stupid. If it weren't for Su Mian, she wouldn't have survived a single day in this kind of game.

And she had been working against Su Mian all along, helping Zhou Yichen count money while being sold out.

Stupid to death.

Yu Maomao couldn't take it anymore. She stood up and ran to the corridor to wipe her tears silently.

Her boyfriend was dead, but he turned out to be a bad person, and she had survived this game. Her mood was complicated, but guilt and relief occupied the vast majority.

Wen Zirui suddenly laughed without warning. The remaining two in the activity room looked up at the sound.

His demeanor was somewhat abnormal. He was clearly crying, yet he laughed heart-rendingly. His gaze fell on Su Mian and Wang Zhe.

"It's really good... I'm finally liberated."

Su Mian frowned, trying to understand the meaning of this sentence, but there was clearly pain in those eyes, not liberation.

"Wang Zhe, I didn't become like that because of high pressure."

That walking-dead appearance.

"Slap—"

He suddenly slapped the table, making Wang Zhe tremble all over.

"Do you know which game this is for me?"

Su Mian froze.

"The third one."

The voice was hoarse, almost tearing his throat.

"I lost the first two games. Even if I'm not the murderer this time, if I lose one more time, I'll have to die."

"Hahahahahaha!!!"

That laughter exploded suddenly, echoing in the activity room like he had gone crazy.

"It's finally fucking over! Return to reality...?"

His gaze slowly swept over the two, the smile collapsing inch by inch, turning into cold mockery.

"Keep dreaming your fucking pipe dreams!!!"

"Anyone who gets dragged in, no one can get out."

The voice was so loud it almost shattered the glass, vibrating between the walls, the shadows stretching little by little under the light.

The echo lingered throughout the activity room, carrying a faint despair and madness.

"Su Mian..."

He called Su Mian's name. Su Mian looked over, and a trace of imperceptible guilt flashed in Wen Zirui's eyes.

"I drugged that glass of milk."

Before Su Mian could react, a shadow pressed in front of Wen Zirui.

The DM held his shoulder, his wine-red hair blown slightly by the wind, a thin chain hanging below his collarbone, carrying innate superiority and casualness.

He was elegant in posture, but his aura felt exceptionally relaxed and joyful, as if celebrating "happy to get off work."

The covering on his face shifted slightly, and a pair of deep eyes slowly lifted from the darkness.

Su Mian felt that gaze fall on her skin like a cold spider web, making her curl up involuntarily and take half a step back, but she didn't know when the DM had already flashed in front of her.

His distinct knuckles poked her cheek, pulling the girl's mouth corners upward.

"Didn't you say humans are creatures that love to change faces? Why do you always have this expression?"

Su Mian was stunned for a moment, then swatted his hand away, bristling, "Don't touch me."

The man shrugged, full of smiles, "Cleared the level, should be a bit happier, Detective Miss."

As he spoke, he withdrew his gaze and turned around, the tail of his suit jacket drawing an elegant arc in the air.

At some point, an ancient wooden long table appeared out of thin air before him.

The DM lifted his hand, and an arbitration hammer appeared from his palm.

The hammer head was engraved with a dark gold ouroboros, and two faint green lights were embedded in the snake's eyes, quietly judging the players present.

The light in the entire space dimmed suddenly, with only a pale beam of light falling from the void, shrouding him and the long table within it.

"Passing through the fog of lies, penetrating the curtain of blood, glimpsing the truth amidst layers of schemes."

"In the name of the Arbiter, I announce."

The hammer fell.

Bang—

"Detective side, victory."

With the words settled, the arbitration hammer turned into thousands of starlight points. He snapped his fingers, and a crisp, short echo spread through the space.

Su Mian's eyes went black, like the curtain falling on a stage, and the man's voice, gradually diminishing, reached her ears.

"This game session, ends here."

【Saving player profile...】

【Ding-dong, data saved successfully. Congratulations to Detective Su Mian for clearing the Infinite Script Murder: "Orphan's Grudge"】

【Detective points +3000, current points 12000】

【Transmitting to the Main World...】

(Instance One Complete) ===== CHAPTER 22 =====