There's definitely something wrong with this murder mystery game

Chapter 68: Chapter 65 The Priest

Xu Shuo changed into everyday clothes, a white long skirt that covered his legs, which made him look both innocent and fragile.

As he opened the bathroom door to come out, Lanruo was standing at the entrance, her face stiff, with bloodshot eyes staring at her unblinkingly, her hands unconsciously gripping tighter.

Although she was not shaking like a sieve as when they first met, her body still trembled slightly.

This nervous appearance made Officer Zhang, standing at the door, narrow his eyes and size her up inconspicuously.

"What's wrong, Lanruo?" Xu Shuo spoke, his face smiling, his eyes full of innocence.

"Qiuzi... are you feeling better?" Lanruo had summoned the courage to meet his gaze, but in less than a second, she had lowered her head in terror once again.

Xu Shuo laughed, speaking with the girl's consistently playful tone: "Thanks for your concern, it was just a little cold, I'm much better after some exercise just now."

Lanruo murmured, "Then remember to rest well when you get back."

Xu Shuo acknowledged her with a sound, then stepped aside to let her in, Lanruo clutching her clothes almost bolted inside and quickly shut the door, locking it behind her.

Behind the bathroom door, Lanruo lost her earlier composure, clutching her chest and gasping for air, her face a mask of panic and terror.

In the cramped bathroom, under the stark fluorescent light, the mirror reflected the girl's pale face and the cold sweat on her forehead, she was more distraught than she had thought.

Lanruo approached the sink, turned on the faucet, and splashed her face with water several times.

After calming down a bit, Lanruo couldn't stop worrying. Qiuzi's behavior today was really too strange, had she forgotten, or...

Would she call the police?

Could she actually be planning revenge in secret?

No, she was supposed to have died last night!

But today, whether it's her behavior, her movements, or her dancing, it's all just like Qiuzi from before!

It's not someone else disguised as her, it's really Qiuzi!

The more Lanruo thought about it, the more terrified she became, her hands scooping up the icy tap water to splash on her face continuously, the droplets streaming down her hair, spreading across her chin, and finally splashing onto the shadow on the floor.

Shivering, she hugged her arms and stared at the mirror, at the girl who was half soaked, her fearful gaze gradually turning vicious.

Maybe kill her again?

...

"Zhang, do I look pretty?"

Xu Shuo twirled in front of Officer Zhang in a little white dress, smiling ominously.

Officer Zhang: "..."

For some reason, compared to when they met in the morning, the girl had become a bit creepy.

They hadn't strayed too far from the dance studio, sitting down in a nearby restaurant. The outside was still covered in persistent rain, the sky oppressive, leaving no room for a breather.

On the midday streets, there were more pedestrians and cars, and from their seat by the window, they could look up to see the dance studio's window not too far away.

Officer Zhang gentlemanly handed the menu to Xu Shuo, and as they were in the midst of ordering, a mild-mannered man wearing a black robe with golden trim walked up, nodding at the two before conscientiously taking a seat next to them.

Dressed like that, he was either suffering from "chuunibyou" or held a special position.

Xu Shuo glanced at the cross necklace around the man's neck, calmly withdrew his gaze, and then ordered three steaks.

"Qiuzi, this is a friend of mine, he's currently a priest at the church," Officer Zhang introduced once the man had sat down.

"Nice to meet you." Xu Shuo put down the menu, raising a smile.

Under the gloomy sky, the girl's face was illuminated by the orange light from inside the shop, casting gray shadows on the glass, creating an eerie effect.

The priest placed his right hand over his chest, smiled at her with the corners of his mouth, and politely nodded.

The waiter took away the menu and set down three glasses of water, the three of them seated in the window booth. The orange light seemed warm and cozy, but suddenly the atmosphere turned strange.

Xu Shuo rested his chin on his hands, smiled mysteriously at them, and said, "Zhang, what exactly did you want to talk about by asking me here today?"

"The person who called the police last night has been found," Officer Zhang said.

"Oh?" Xu Shuo raised his eyebrows slightly.

"But he was mistaken," Officer Zhang lowered her gaze, spoke softly while drinking water, "Last night, as he passed by below, he saw two shadows in the window and thought a murder had occurred, scaring him into calling the police."

Xu Shuo chuckled gently, looked at her, but said nothing.

Officer Zhang asked with a bit of an edge to her voice, "Qiuzi, was it really just you alone in the dance studio last night?"

At that moment, the ever-smiling priest also looked over but not with a probing gaze. His aura was as refreshing as a spring breeze, relaxing anyone around him.

Drumming his fingers on the table as if pondering, Xu Shuo said with a troubled look, "About last night, I actually don't remember too clearly, it was very late after practice, I was tired, and it seemed like... Lanruo came looking for me?"

"Lanruo?"

Officer Zhang thought of the nervous young girl she had encountered earlier in the resting room.

Xu Shuo nodded, his face innocent, "I had an argument with her over dancing yesterday, and she seemed to have come to apologize last night. But I was practicing and didn't pay much attention. By the time I finished, she was no longer there in the dance studio."

His ambiguous words added a layer of weirdness to the conversation. Officer Zhang frowned slightly and was about to ask more when suddenly she heard from beside her:

"Miss Qiuzi."

The quiet priest suddenly spoke up, his smile gentle as he covered the girl's hand on the table with his, asking in a soft whisper, "Did you feel unwell after that?"

Xu Shuo was silent for a while, he stared at the man's hand and said darkly, "Sir, I'm feeling unwell right now."

The waiter, carrying dishes, heard this comment as he passed by and subconsciously looked down.

Officer Zhang: "..."

She couldn't help but glare at the priest, who had previously criticized her for jumping the gun. And now, before they even got a few words in, he was getting handsy!

The waiter set down a steak and quickly left. The priest, his expression unchanged, withdrew his hand.

"I am a priest, and upon seeing Miss Qiuzi, I couldn't help but feel that you were not in a good state," the priest said with a faint smile, "I suspect that you might have been troubled by a 'Mare' that night."

"Just because someone thought they saw a murder?" Xu Shuo withdrew his hand to rub it, feeling very hot after the priest touched it, which had been icy cold.

"As you said, you can't clearly remember if someone was there."

"You godmen always like to lead everything back to the supernatural."

"Miss Qiuzi, this is a holy profession."

"Officer Zhang, you didn't ask to see me today just about last night's incident, right?" Xu Shuo ignored him, suddenly turning his head towards the policewoman.

"Miss Qiuzi, you should also—"

"Let's eat lunch first."

Before the priest could interject again, Xu Shuo darkly pushed the medium-rare steak towards him. His dead, dark eyes radiated a spooky vibe as he said with a gentle smile, "Don't waste it."

Priest: "..."

In his position, he did not eat food with blood.