Nothing rips people apart more than suspicion and mistrust.
At first, everyone was calm and didn't want to make a scene. But once the accusations began, it was hard to stop. They kept pushing each other's buttons and crossing lines.
Jian Jing felt uncomfortable, almost regretting what they'd done. But there was no helping it - this thod worked quickly.
Zhao Xuan must like Cheng Jia You, or she wouldn't reveal such secrets.
"ixian and I just had a little argunt," Cheng Jia You explained. "She's hot-tempered and gets mad over trivial things sotis, but I never took it personally."
Zhao Xuan had already said it, so she didn't hold back: "I heard you say 'break up.'"
Cheng explained: "She's always like this, fighting and threatening to break up over nothing. She's done it seven or eight tis already, just being lodramatic."
That's when the invisible Qi Feng finally spoke up: "How's your relationship?"
"Still okay," Cheng Jia You replied. "Our families have known each other for over ten years. If we keep dating smoothly, we might get engaged after graduation."
Qi asked: "Is she a likable girl?"
Cheng hesitated before answering: "She's alright, just a bit naive." He and Jin ixian had known each other since childhood. He didn't find her temper very intolerable, and she cared a lot about him. Overall, he was quite satisfied.
"You call that naive? She's so annoying," Jian Jing jumped in, aiming her words at Wang Roommate. "It can't be pleasant living with soone like that, right? I heard your dorm fights all the ti."
Whether she'd heard it or not, you could guess with your toes.
"Acting like a spoiled princess all day, who wouldn't get tired of waiting on her?" Wang Roommate said derisively.
Speakers have no intent, listeners find intent. Wang Roommate ant to mock Jin ixian's arrogance, but inadvertently provoked soone else. Zhang Bestie reacted as if stepped on, yelling at Wang: "Who are you calling a servant?"
Wang glanced at her disdainfully, "Whoever admits it."
"You're just jealous that I get to be ixian's friend," Zhang shot back.
Wang snorted, with an expression that she was too lazy to bother with Zhang.
This wouldn't do. Jian had to speak up again: "The kind of 'friend' who gives you her discarded things?"
One look was all you needed to know Zhang and Jin's "friendship."
Zhang's jacket was Chanel, old style. There were residual stains on the collar and lining, carefully cleaned but luxury ready-to-wear fabrics were expensive, colors faded and left traces.
The size was also a misfit. Petite Jin wore small sizes. The jacket wasn't unusable for the taller Zhang, but wearing sothing too small looked awkward and restrictive.
It wasn't her jacket.
Sa with the bag. Zhang had on the iconic Chanel diamond quilt bag. The hardware and leather had nurous scratches. But she handled it very carefully, not forgetting to pad it with tissues when she set it down.
The careful handling conflicted with the shoddy scratches. The only explanation was two users.
Jin didn't treat luxury goods as luxuries, using them carelessly and leaving bold marks. In Zhang's hands, she used them gently to minimize wear.
Looking at the clothes and shoes inside, they weren't luxury brands either, but more personal items - this reflected Zhang's true economic status.
The "friends" weren't equals.
Follower would be more accurate than bestie.
Zhang's face flushed crimson. She wanted to refute loudly but strangely feared Jian. Words stuck in her throat like fishbones, unable to co out.
Jian didn't have the heart to tornt her further. She softened her tone: "Is your relationship good?"
"She has a bad temper," Zhang mumbled. "Sotis her words are uncensored and unpleasant. But she treats well."
It was fine without the justification. Adding that defence provoked Wang's ire. She retorted sarcastically: "Treats you well? How many slaps make you feel well-treated?"
Before Zhang could explain, Wang couldn't hold back anymore and spilled: "I didn't want to say this since she's dead, to accumulate so virtue. But you're twisting things, I have to admire that. Let tell you, Jin ixian deserved to die."
"How is that possible?" Cheng didn't believe it. He knew Jin ixian, a spoiled rich girl with a bad attitude who often offended people, but this wasn't so gangster film. How could she take a life?
Wang said, "Qiu used to live in our dorm. Her family wasn't well off but she was very pretty. ixian always looked down on her and made catty remarks. Once Qiu ca back with an expensive bag, said her boyfriend gave it to her. ixian said she knew all the rich playboys on campus and hadn't heard of anyone chasing Qiu, it must be a sugar daddy."
Rumors were frightening, killing the heart.
ixian might not have wanted Qiu dead, but Qiu's fate still changed because of her roommate's words.
Back then, Qiu had already been recomnded by the school for a foreign exchange program. But soone couldn't let it go and reported her anonymously. Weighing repeatedly, the school had no choice but to rescind her spot due to the rumors.
Qiu committed suicide.
Qi Feng verified this with the school.
The school replied: "Canceling student Qiu's spot had nothing to do with rumors. Another student had higher test scores. Considering overall grades, we chose that student in the end."
But ordinary students didn't believe such official responses.
At least Wang and the other students thought this way.
"Ever since, our whole dorm has hated ixian," Wang revealed the source of her enmity. "A life for a life, she deserved it."
The air suddenly froze.
But Qi said, "Classmate, murder is a cri. There is no such thing as a life for a life. Only the law can determine a person's cris."
Wang didn't refute or accept his words.
He didn't say more, seizing another key lead: "Who was her boyfriend?"
"Don't know, never heard her ntion one," Wang shook her head.
Qi looked at the others: "You?"
They also seed clueless.
Qi pondered briefly before calling over a policewoman: "Take them four back to the dorms and check the victim's personal items." And their personal items.
The policewoman understood: "Okay."
Qi turned to the three boys: "Take to the male dorms to have a look."
He divided them by gender, intentionally ignoring that Jian didn't live on campus. Of course, this was to give her a chance to search the victims' dorm for clues.
It was past 7 p.m. then. Not many were in the dorms. The policewoman was in plainclothes to avoid attention. She went with Wang to Jin ixian's room.
Closing the door, she asked Wang, "Where are the others?"
"We've been down one person since Qiu died," Wang explained. "Another hasn't been back since going to stay with her boyfriend yesterday."
The policewoman nodded: "Which is ixian's desk?"
Wang pointed to the one covered in costics.
The policewoman put on gloves and started searching.
Taking the chance, Jian observed the dorm layout closely: beds on top, desks below, paired side by side. The desk by the door was empty - likely Qiu's seat. The space beside it held so girly items covered in a thin layer of dust - belongings of the roommate who hadn't returned.
Looking at Wang's area, her bed was by the window. Acrylic boxes held affordable skincare. Books filled the shelf, with a pomodoro tir on the desk.
A diligent student.
Jian scrutinized Wang's desk then Jin's.
Jin ixian, the rich young lady, had a dressing table that resembled a costics display case. She had three bottles of expensive foundation, one box of blush, one box of eye shadow, and two drawers stuffed full of lipstick. Her skincare products were similar - all costing thousands of dollars from luxury brands.
Jian Jing squeezed over and politely put on gloves. "Excuse , let take a look."
The policewoman, who should have gotten a hint from Qiu Feng, did not stop Jian Jing from working.
Jian Jing picked up the powder case and opened each one to sll it.
As it is well known, potassium cyanide has a bitter almond scent.
But in these powder cases, there were only various fragrances of face powder.
After careful examination, she sent a ssage to Qiu Feng: [I feel Wang didn't have much opportunity to poison her, but she is hiding sothing about her motive.]
Qiu Feng did not expect her to work so quickly: [Explain.]
Jian Jing sent a photo of the costics over: [Jin ixian has seven or eight boxes of loose and compact powder. Wang would not have been able to know which one she would use that morning. I also checked just now and did not sll any potassium cyanide. You can have soone else do a more thorough test.]
Qiu Feng zood in on the photo to study it carefully: Why does she have so many of these things that all look the sa? Is it the sa product?
Jian Jing: [Wang and Jin do not have a good relationship. Costics like these are usually kept in bags, and girls do not randomly rummage through each other's bags.]
Qiu Feng understood: [What about the motive?]
Jian Jing: [She seems to have applied for the sa major as Jin ixian.]
That morning when Jin ixian was taking the exam, she glimpsed her test paper, which was for the finance departnt. The reference books Wang left on her desk were also economics books.
The two very likely applied for the sa major. In other words, there is competition between them.
Whether Jin ixian would sabotage the other, that remains to be known.
Qiu Feng: [Let check.]
Monts later, he replied: [You're right.]
Jian Jing put her phone away and abruptly asked, "Aren't you afraid she'll sabotage you since you applied for the sa major as Jin ixian?"
Wang was surprised for a mont: "How did you know..." As she spoke, her gaze fell upon her own books. She paused, then disdainfully said: "I don't believe she can rule the world with one hand. Besides, if she dares ss with , I'll report her."
Jian Jing pondered, then asked Zhang Bestie: "As far as you know, does Jin ixian want to cheat?"
"She can definitely get in anyway, as for the rest...I don't know." Zhang Bestie said hesitantly, "But sotis, just a few words, and the direct admission spots are so limited."
Wang's expression suddenly darkened.
After a long pause, she smiled and said, "Fortunately she's dead."
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