Chapter 72 — The End of "Resentment in a Republic-era Marriage"

Xu Qing (Mu Ran) sneered and snatched the sheets of rice paper from the anxious hands of Cheng Shu, flipping through them one by one. “Your father’s name is Cheng Feng, isn’t it?”

Cheng Shu (Xu Yunshu) pressed her lips tightly together, standing rigid and upright in front of the woman speaking, her gaze shadowed and resentful.

“So what if he is? What you’re holding can’t prove I murdered Third Mistress. I had no motive to kill her.”

“How could you not?” Xu Qing twisted her slender, boneless waist and walked over to Song Chaoyang, resting a delicate hand on his shoulder. The meaning in her beautiful eyes was clear, her lips curled in a mocking smile.

“Of course you had motive. You’re infatuated with Song Chaoyang, my man, and you’re the one who truly wishes to marry him. You were jealous of Third Mistress. On the night of her marriage, you came to the Song mansion to find her, but by then she had resolved to wed the Master and enjoy a life of wealth and luxury, so…”

“Empty words, you have no proof,” Cheng Shu trembled all over, her pale face flushing red, her chest rising and falling with Xu Qing’s unwavering accusations. She gasped, her voice hoarse, and bloodshot veins appeared in her eyes.

Xu Qing (Mu Ran) smiled lazily. “Indeed, I have no evidence.”

Everyone: “……”

No evidence, yet she speaks so righteously—a truly baseless accusation from Mu Ran.

“There is evidence, but I haven’t found it yet.”

Cheng Shu (Xu Yunshu) breathed a sigh of relief, lifting her reddened eyes, her demeanor gradually taking on a sickly air. She curled her lips in a cold smile, her voice dark and hoarse. “You twist facts so well. If we’re talking motives, yours is the greatest. You’re always clamoring about your deep affection for Commander Song, desperate for everyone to know. But you never imagined he would suddenly decide to marry Third Mistress, so you grew resentful and murderous toward her.”

“Qingqing could never kill Third Mistress,” Song Chaoyang (Gu Beicheng) glanced coolly at the flushed Cheng Shu, his suspicion evident.

“Master, what do you mean?” Butler Song Ke (Lan Yanzhi) asked quietly, puzzled by Song Chaoyang’s certainty that Second Mistress could not have committed the murder.

Song Chaoyang’s lips curled slightly, his narrow eyes full of affection and possessiveness. When speaking of Xu Qing, his tone was always tinged with amusement. “She’s so gentle and timid, silly even—how could she kill anyone? Besides, she knows the real reason I married Third Mistress.”

Just as Xu Qing (Mu Ran) was about to search for clues at the pear blossom bed, her steps faltered and her lips twitched involuntarily. She turned, casting a suspicious and disapproving glance at the man, muttering under her breath, “I’m not timid! And I’m not weak!”

“Commander Song, what was your true reason for marrying Third Mistress?” Third Mistress’s old flame, Bai Si (Wei Xingran), eyes blazing, his husky voice barely containing his anger and disappointment.

Bai Si hated everyone in the Song family, especially Song Chaoyang, the man who had taken the love of his life. He hated the late Third Mistress as well; if not for her foolish desires and pursuit of pleasure, she would not have lost her life.

“I always wanted Qingqing and I to have a child, but… perhaps I’ve killed too many on the battlefield, and Heaven does not wish me to have descendants. Cheng Feng told me Third Mistress’s fate was unique—if I married her, all my karmic burden would transfer to her, and then Qingqing and I could have our own child.”

As he finished speaking, disappointment gradually colored the stern face of the man.

“Now that she’s dead, our child…”

Song Ke (Lan Yanzhi): “Master, you and Second Mistress will surely have a little master and miss.”

“Evidence found!” Xu Qing (Mu Ran) discovered a letter under the drawer of the pear blossom bed—a confession from Third Mistress.

“Cheng Shu, you are the murderer!” Xu Qing stepped before the crowd, analyzing loudly and methodically. “Third Mistress was once a student at the girls’ college funded by your father, Cheng Feng. She was grateful, believing him a great philanthropist.

But in reality, your father was nothing but a hypocrite. Under the guise of charity, he lured and trafficked innocent girls for profit, selling them at high prices to wealthy men across the country as concubines. Third Mistress was one of them!”

Seeing Cheng Shu (Xu Yunshu) remain cold-faced and utterly unshaken, Xu Qing (Mu Ran) was all the more convinced she was the killer.

“My father’s affairs have nothing to do with me. I just returned to Fengcheng today—I know nothing of his business.”

Yet the calm in Cheng Shu began to crack; she hysterically snatched the letter from Xu Qing and tore it to shreds.

“Detective Cheng, when exactly did you return to Fengcheng?” Bai Si (Wei Xingran) frowned, watching Cheng Shu, who could no longer conceal her guilt. He had seen her disembark at the dock the day before Commander Song’s wedding, when he was delivering food to his laborer brother.

“I returned today, received Commander Song’s message, and came straight to the mansion... Yes, that’s the truth.”

“You’re lying. You returned from studying abroad at least two days ago—I just realized why you looked familiar. Remember the fourteenth on the lunar calendar, at the dock, when a young man carrying a heavy load nearly dropped it on you as he passed?”

Bai Si (Wei Xingran) pressed her, tears streaming down his face. “You’re lying! You killed Third Mistress!”

In this murder mystery game, only the murderer can lie.

Cheng Shu (Xu Yunshu) falsely reporting her return date to Fengcheng was proof enough—she was the killer!

DM Hua Ru Jin: [All clues have been found by the five players. Please begin voting—who killed Third Mistress?]

Mu Ran’s brows arched confidently as she looked at Xu Yunshu before her, smiling with fluttering lashes. “I believe the murderer is Cheng Shu.”

“I vote Cheng Shu as well!”

“It must be Cheng Shu!” Lan Yanzhi and Wei Xingran raised their hands to express their support. At first, they suspected each other’s roles, but Mu Ran’s analysis and the evidence she found had convinced them—Cheng Shu was the murderer.

[Alright, players, please return to the recap table.]

DM Hua Ru Jin led the five guests back to the long table in the inner chamber.

[Each of you demonstrated extraordinary acting and deductive skills. Now, would the player holding the murderer’s role please stand!]

With a resolute voice, Xu Yunshu smiled softly and slowly stood. “I am the murderer.”

DM Hua Ru Jin, seated at the corner of the table, gestured for Xu Yunshu to recount the murderer’s actions.

[Teacher Xu, please recap for everyone, as some crucial clues weren’t fully deduced.]

Xu Yunshu showed everyone her script, then looked at Mu Ran beside her, appreciation in her gentle voice. “Mu Ran is remarkable. Every deduction she made was close to the truth.”

[My character is Cheng Shu, daughter of Cheng Feng, Commander Song Chaoyang’s subordinate. Three years ago, she studied medicine in Japan and has always admired Commander Song. She knows about her father’s sordid dealings and even once helped him deceive some innocent girls.

Third Mistress was Cheng Shu’s elementary school classmate, excellent in studies but poor, unable to afford tuition. Cheng Shu had her father sponsor Third Mistress’s education.

Cheng Shu knew her father was secretly contacting buyers, hoping to sell Third Mistress for a good price, but never imagined he would marry her off to the man she loved.

Upon learning this, Cheng Shu hurried back to China, returning to Fengcheng on the fourteenth day of the lunar calendar—the day before Commander Song married Third Mistress.

On the wedding day, Cheng Shu sneaked into the Song mansion at dusk, hid behind Third Mistress’s room, and happened upon an argument between Third Mistress and Bai Si, witnessing Bai Si storm out. She entered the room.

Third Mistress was shocked to see Cheng Shu, knowing she loved Song Chaoyang. But since she was now the Song family’s Third Mistress, and resented Cheng Shu for deceiving her, she mocked her coldly.

Cheng Shu tried to persuade Third Mistress to leave and let her marry Song Chaoyang instead. Third Mistress refused, and the two women fought. In the end, Cheng Shu left Third Mistress’s room in anger.

After leaving, Cheng Shu hid beneath the window, took out a gas poison brought from Japan, and released it into the room.

Once Third Mistress was poisoned, Cheng Shu entered again and hid her body under the bed.

During this, Third Mistress’s maid, Xiaoyu, suddenly opened the door and saw Cheng Shu stuffing the body, fainting in fright.

To prevent the maid from revealing the murder, Cheng Shu fed Xiaoyu a secret Japanese drug, which caused her to lose her will and become mad.

Cheng Shu then hid the maid in the wardrobe, where she found a set of men’s clothes identical to Bai Si’s.

To avoid being seen entering and leaving Third Mistress’s room and to clear her own suspicion, Cheng Shu dressed in the men’s clothes, impersonated Bai Si, and left the Song house.]

“My goodness! The ending is so unexpected—who would have thought the detective hired by the Song family was the murderer!” Wei Xingran stared blankly at the script, shook his head in disbelief, and saluted Mu Ran admiringly. “Mu Ran, your acting is incredible! You truly embodied a Republican-era mistress!”

What impressed Wei Xingran most was her deductive ability—he could only look up to her.

“Xiao Ran, your acting is truly superb! If there’s ever a chance, I’d love to act opposite you in a real film!” Xu Yunshu deeply admired Mu Ran—not only was she talented and good-natured, she was also a world-class skiing champion!

How fortunate one must be to call Mu Ran a friend.

“Teacher Xu, you flatter me—I was just improvising.” Mu Ran saw the kindness in Xu Yunshu’s eyes and smiled sincerely. “Teacher Xu, I have many questions about acting I’d love to ask you.”

“Haha, Xiao Ran, you flatter me. There’s no such thing as asking for advice—it’s just exchanging ideas.”

Xu Yunshu gave off a gentle, comfortable impression. Among the guests, all except Gu Beicheng liked this woman.