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 method worked quickly.
Zhao Xuan must like Cheng Jia You, or she wouldn't reveal such secrets.
"Meixian and I just had a little argument," Cheng Jia You explained. "She's hot-tempered and gets mad over trivial things sometimes, 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 times already, just being melodramatic."
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 Meixian 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 someone like that, right? I heard your dorm fights all the time."
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 meant to mock Jin Meixian's arrogance, but inadvertently provoked someone 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 Meixian'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 something too small looked awkward and restrictive.
It wasn't her jacket.
Same with the bag. Zhang had on the iconic Chanel diamond quilt bag. The hardware and leather had numerous 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 come out.
Jian didn't have the heart to torment her further. She softened her tone: "Is your relationship good?"
"She has a bad temper," Zhang mumbled. "Sometimes her words are uncensored and unpleasant. But she treats me 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 some virtue. But you're twisting things, I have to admire that. Let me tell you, Jin Meixian deserved to die."
"How is that possible?" Cheng didn't believe it. He knew Jin Meixian, a spoiled rich girl with a bad attitude who often offended people, but this wasn't some 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. Meixian always looked down on her and made catty remarks. Once Qiu came back with an expensive bag, said her boyfriend gave it to her. Meixian 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.
Meixian might not have wanted Qiu dead, but Qiu's fate still changed because of her roommate's words.
Back then, Qiu had already been recommended by the school for a foreign exchange program. But someone 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 Meixian," 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 crime. There is no such thing as a life for a life. Only the law can determine a person's crimes."
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 mention one," Wang shook her head.
Qi looked at the others: "You?"
They also seemed 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 me 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 Meixian'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 Meixian's desk?"
Wang pointed to the one covered in cosmetics.
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 some 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 timer on the desk.
A diligent student.
Jian scrutinized Wang's desk then Jin's.
Jin Meixian, the rich young lady, had a dressing table that resembled a cosmetics 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 me, let me 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 smell 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 message to Qiu Feng: [I feel Wang didn't have much opportunity to poison her, but she is hiding something about her motive.]
Qiu Feng did not expect her to work so quickly: [Explain.]
Jian Jing sent a photo of the cosmetics over: [Jin Meixian 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 smell any potassium cyanide. You can have someone else do a more thorough test.]
Qiu Feng zoomed in on the photo to study it carefully: Why does she have so many of these things that all look the same? Is it the same product?
Jian Jing: [Wang and Jin do not have a good relationship. Cosmetics 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 same major as Jin Meixian.]
That morning when Jin Meixian was taking the exam, she glimpsed her test paper, which was for the finance department. The reference books Wang left on her desk were also economics books.
The two very likely applied for the same major. In other words, there is competition between them.
Whether Jin Meixian would sabotage the other, that remains to be known.
Qiu Feng: [Let me check.]
Moments 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 same major as Jin Meixian?"
Wang was surprised for a moment: "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 mess with me, I'll report her."
Jian Jing pondered, then asked Zhang Bestie: "As far as you know, does Jin Meixian want to cheat?"
"She can definitely get in anyway, as for the rest...I don't know." Zhang Bestie said hesitantly, "But sometimes, 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."
