I See Murders Before They Happen

Chapter 180: Chapter 178: The Scene Was Pitch-Black

「Shunshi Film and Television Base.」

When Su Miaoyi and her team arrived, the crime scene was already cordoned off with police tape.

Officers from the local precinct were questioning the people nearby.

As they approached, the precinct captain briefed Zhuang Yanzheng.

”Captain Zhuang, the body’s in that room,” the precinct captain said, pointing to the building ahead.

It was a siheyuan, a traditional courtyard house.

The outside of the siheyuan was draped with red silk ribbons.

The courtyard was filled with film equipment and props.

It looked like they had been filming a wedding scene.

”After the incident, the director kept everyone inside the siheyuan,” the precinct captain said. ”They’re being questioned now.”

Zhuang Yanzheng nodded. ”Thank you for your hard work.”

”All in a day’s work,” the precinct captain replied. ”The main issue is that the deceased isn’t from around here, he’s very well-known, and...”

The captain lowered his voice. ”His family is powerful and influential. They’re big in the film industry, so there were concerns about public pressure. That’s why the case was transferred to the municipal bureau.”

Zhuang Yanzheng nodded and glanced at Su Miaoyi beside him. ”You guys go on ahead and take a look at the scene.”

Su Miaoyi, Yan Cheng, and the others walked toward the siheyuan.

Just as they reached the entrance, Su Miaoyi suddenly stopped and looked to her left.

”What is it?” Lu Zhishen asked.

Su Miaoyi looked at a distant tree. ”There’s someone over there taking pictures.”

”A proxy photographer,” Chu Xingrou said.

Qi Feng called out to his men, ”Go bring that proxy photographer over.”

Two officers went over.

Only then did Su Miaoyi’s group enter the siheyuan.

The director, screenwriter, cinematographer, prop master, makeup artist, extras, several key production staff, and all their assistants were in the courtyard.

Su Miaoyi spotted Cheng Jue immediately.

On the way over, she had learned that the deceased was Liu Namo.

That had put her somewhat at ease.

Now, seeing him in person, she could finally breathe a full sigh of relief.

However, he was now also one of the suspects.

Cheng Jue was wearing a long gown—a red one, resembling a traditional wedding garment from a bygone era.

His face was powdered white, with cyan patterns painted on it.

In the dead of night, it was a little frightening.

He was standing in a corner and saw Su Miaoyi as well. He instinctively started to walk over, but after taking a single step, he retreated and stood still.

Su Miaoyi gave him a reassuring look.

Cheng Jue nodded.

Su Miaoyi followed Yan Cheng and the others into the room.

The siheyuan had likely been built several years ago specifically for filming.

It was a very faithful reproduction, and many shows had been filmed here.

This variety show had also rented this location for their shoot.

The threshold at the entrance was high. As she stepped over it, Chu Xingrou subconsciously grabbed Su Miaoyi’s arm.

This was the main hall.

It was decorated with red silk, red lanterns, and burning red candles. Red ”double happiness” characters were pasted on the windows.

But right in the center of it all sat a pitch-black coffin.

In front of the coffin was a memorial tablet.

Even with the lights on and the room brightly lit, an eerie feeling lingered in the air.

”Th-this, this...” Chu Xingrou was genuinely frightened. She had a deep, ingrained reverence for these kinds of things.

”Chinese-style horror,” Lu Zhishen commented blandly.

Su Miaoyi patted Chu Xingrou’s hand. ”Their variety show is called Midnight Case Breakthrough. The premise is that a group of people happen to check into the same guesthouse. Then, every night at midnight, they wake up in an unfamiliar place. They have to use deduction to complete certain tasks and return to the guesthouse before dawn.”

”And what if they don’t complete the tasks before dawn?” Chu Xingrou asked.

”Then...” Su Miaoyi looked at her.

Lu Zhishen also leaned in to listen.

Chu Xingrou clutched her clothes tightly.

”Then they get a few new people for the next episode,” Su Miaoyi said. ”Or they give the old ones a new identity.”

Lu Zhishen: ”...”

Chu Xingrou: ”...Oh.”

Su Miaoyi patted her hand again. ”It’s just staged like this for the show. What kind of monsters and deviants haven’t we seen?”

Chu Xingrou nodded and put on a pair of gloves.

Su Miaoyi also put on gloves and went to examine the body.

The body was in the coffin.

Yan Cheng’s assistant first took several photos of the body. Then, Yan Cheng began his examination.

Su Miaoyi helped unfasten some of the corpse’s clothing.

She noticed that the clothes on the body were similar to the ones Cheng Jue was wearing.

With the chest of the clothing undone, there were no visible wounds on the body.

However, there was a large pool of blood beneath the corpse.

This suggested the wound was likely on its back.

”The body is lying on the left side. There’s enough space on the right for another person,” Su Miaoyi said.

”Correct,” Yan Cheng said. ”When I first came in, I heard someone outside say that today’s shoot was for a ghost marriage.”

”I see,” Su Miaoyi said.

”Time of death is between four and six hours ago,” Yan Cheng stated.

Su Miaoyi nodded.

After Yan Cheng finished his initial inspection, Su Miaoyi and his assistant helped prop the body up.

Only then did the wound become visible.

It was right over the heart, on the back.

With the clothes peeled back, Yan Cheng examined the wound.

After he finished, Su Miaoyi also reached out and touched it.

The scene before her eyes changed in an instant.

It was pitch-black. She couldn’t see a thing, but she could hear a woman next to her speaking: ”I’m so scared. Are they really going this far? Is everyone still outside? How come I can’t hear anything? Are they going to try and scare us in a minute?”

”It’s okay, don’t be afraid. We’re just filming a show. Movies and TV series have tons of scenes like this. It’s nothing to be scared of.”

She could feel the woman beside her trembling.

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through her back. She let out a muffled grunt and immediately struggled to get up.

But the moment she moved, the woman beside her started screaming.

”Jin Lan, help me! Jin Lan, it’s me! You... don’t scream, don’t scream! Go, get help! I... I... something’s wrong... my back... Stop screaming, stop...”

As he spoke, his voice grew quieter and his speech slower, until he could no longer form words or muster any strength.

Meanwhile, the woman beside him continued to scream, her arms and legs flailing and kicking wildly.

The screaming continued right up until Su Miaoyi was pulled from the vision.

She took a sharp, deep breath.

Yan Cheng’s assistant suddenly looked at her.

Yan Cheng grabbed her wrist, both to keep her from touching another part of the body and to steady her in case she fell.

Su Miaoyi looked up at him, breathing heavily.

Their eyes met for two seconds. Without a word, they continued the examination.

After a thorough check, Yan Cheng said, ”Let’s get him out.”

He called Qi Feng over, and together they lifted the body out.

While Yan Cheng continued the autopsy, Su Miaoyi inspected the inside of the coffin.

As she was examining it, Chu Xingrou let out a shout.

She looked up.

Along the side of the room were large swaths of red satin.

Chu Xingrou had just pulled one aside, revealing a row of paper effigies behind it.

At night, with the red satin blocking the view and the lighting dim along that wall, it was indeed very frightening.

”It’s fine. They’re props,” Lu Zhishen said. ”I’ll check this area. You go somewhere else.”

Chu Xingrou nodded, composed herself, and boldly went over to inspect them. ”I’m not scared.”

Lu Zhishen watched her. ”So bold, yet so timid.”

...