I was criticized on a dating reality show, but I retaliated and became an internet sensation.

Shu Zi felt the gazes from all directions. She covered half her face with her fan, her tone tinged with innocence:

"Why are you all looking at me? There are plenty of people wearing red cheongsams. You can't assume I've come back to haunt you just because I'm wearing red today, can you?"

"I'm just standing here perfectly fine."

Su Yanhuan exhaled a smoke ring... but it was actually empty; the pipe wasn't lit at all.

"Miss Niantang, your cheongsam is indeed very eye-catching, but this detective insists on evidence and does not discriminate based on color."

[Shu Zi: Wearing a red cheongsam will make me suspicious? Then I'll wear a green one tomorrow.]

[Su Yanhuan: This detective doesn't discriminate based on race. Translation: I also think it's you, but don't worry, I won't say it out loud.]

Shen Yihuai leaned against the doorframe, waiting for them to finish speaking before speaking in a calm and unhurried tone:

"We also found an old photo in Manager Zhao's bedroom bedside table. The photo shows two young women, and on the back is written: 'Sisters who have been together for a long time, now we never meet again.'"

He glanced in Shu Zi's direction, then looked away, took the photo out of his pocket, placed it on the coffee table, and lightly tapped the edge of the photo with his fingertip:

"The photo is quite old, but I do recognize one of the people in it."

Su Yanhuan paused for a moment, then peered at the photo: "You recognize him? Who is he?"

"The woman on the left is named Shen Nian, who was the top singer at the Paramount Ballroom three years ago."

"But she fell to her death three years ago. I followed her case when I was covering social news back then, and the official ruling was suicide."

"As for the woman on the right, she looks younger, and her eyebrows and eyes are about 50 or 60% similar to the one on the left. She should be her sister."

Shu Zi glanced at the photo, opened her fan to cover half her face, and didn't say anything.

Su Yanhuan looked at the photo, then turned to Shen Yihuai, her tone filled with a complex mix of admiration:

"Reporter Shen, is this from your character card? That's a lot of information!"

"Hey, how long is this character card you wrote? How did you memorize it?"

Shen Yihuai: "I didn't write many on the character cards; some of them I deduced from clues."

Su Yanhuan gave a thumbs up, "A promising student."

Shen Yihuai then took out the letter and a pawn ticket from his pocket and placed them on the coffee table:

"There was also a letter and a pawn ticket."

"The letter was unsigned, but it mentioned an old debt, saying that Manager Zhao's debt would have to be repaid sooner or later. Judging from the tone, it should be someone he knows."

"The pawn ticket stated that the item was a silver pocket watch, the date was three years ago, and the signature was Zhao Baoshan."

Yu Shize stood in the corner, waiting for him to finish speaking before saying:

"There were burnt corners of paper under the stove, which should be part of an account book. When I went to see it, the ashes were still cold, which means that it was burned at least a few hours ago."

Fang Yutong took a piece of charred paper from her handbag and placed it on the coffee table:

"It was found in the stove. There were a few blurry numbers and the character 'Zhao' on it. The paper was the same type of paper used by Manager Zhao for his ledgers."

She paused, glancing at Shu Zi with a look that seemed to come out of nowhere:

"Moreover, these scraps of paper were found deep inside the stove in the back kitchen. Normal people don't stuff food that far in when they cook, unless they are people who frequently use the kitchen and know which part burns the cleanest."

Shu Zi raised an eyebrow, her tone neither warm nor cold:

"The accountant is very familiar with the structure of the kitchen stove. She even knows exactly which part burns the cleanest. It seems she has worked there quite a bit."

Fang Yutong smiled slightly:

"Compared to Miss Nian Tang, who never lifts a finger to do housework, but then again, the kitchen is a place full of smoke and fire; Miss Nian Tang, being of noble birth, probably rarely goes there, right?"

Shu Zi gently waved her fan:

"Not going there often doesn't mean I don't know the way. Don't worry, Miss Accountant, there's no place in or around the Paramount that I don't know."

The two exchanged a glance, then looked away.

Su Yanhuan was silent for a few seconds, twirling the pipe between her fingers a few times:

"In other words, someone burned some of the account books around the time Manager Zhao's incident."

She looked up and scanned the room. "That person is very likely the murderer."

Shu Zi sat leisurely in the armchair, watching them analyze without saying a word.

Su Yanhuan's gaze finally landed on Shu Zi:

"Miss Niantang, have you made any discoveries over there?"

Shu Zi rested her chin on her hand, her tone slightly nonchalant:

"We've checked the dance hall on the third floor and the backstage area, but there's nothing unusual. However, we did find a note that says something's fishy about the accounting office, so be careful of the people around you."

Fang Yutong chuckled softly upon hearing this:

"Miss Nian Tang is really lucky. She found such a crucial clue just by flipping through the kitchen. Unlike us, who searched the entire kitchen and only found a scrap of burnt paper."

Shu Zi picked up the teacup beside her, took a sip, gently waved her fan in her hand, and then spoke:

"Luck is one thing, but good eyesight is another. If you think your eyesight is bad, I can lend you a pair of glasses."

Fang Yutong's smile faltered slightly, but she quickly regained her gentle tone:

"No need. I'm just curious; the timing of that note's appearance is a bit too coincidental."

"Soon after Manager Zhao's incident, someone 'coincidentally' found a note pointing to the accounting office on the third floor, as if it had been prepared in advance."

Shu Zi closed her fan and looked directly at her: "Does the accountant mean that I put this note myself?"

Fang Yutong didn't answer directly, she just smiled:

"I didn't say that, but Nian Tang has been in the Paramount for so many years and has a deep network of connections. It shouldn't be difficult for him to put something away or hide something."

Shu Zi chuckled softly, twirling the fan between her fingertips:

"No matter how deep your connections are, they can't compare to the clean and efficient methods of some people. The numbers on the books can be faked, and the paper in the stove can be burned, but the things you do will always leave traces."

She paused, her gaze falling on Fang Yutong's face, her tone carrying a hint of meaning:

"Like some people, they seem friendly on the surface, but behind the scenes they are plotting how to take what belongs to others for themselves."

"Unfortunately, no matter how clean you try to cover it up, you can't erase all the traces. This isn't the first time something like this has happened at the Paramount."

Fang Yutong's smile froze.

[Hiss! Why do I feel like there's something hidden in their words?]

[...I also feel like, is this really about a game?]

One was sarcastic and sarcastic, the other was veiled in sarcasm; both were smiling, but every word they uttered was a stab in the back.