Chapter 115: Three Won’t Do Without One 8

The next person to step forward was the young master of the Wang family, Wang Aiguo.

He seemed a bit nervous, distancing himself from his peers made him uneasy. He asked Xianyu, “Can we change the song? This rhythm is too cheerful—do-re-mi-so—it’s making me anxious.”

“Sure,” Xianyu replied, well-prepared with a variety of music genres, and immediately switched to a more soothing track.

But the young master remained uneasy. “Change it again… no, change it again. This rhythm is too slow; the atmosphere is even gloomier.”

“Well then… I’ll find something with a stronger upbeat vibe.” Xianyu browsed her phone’s music library, selected a piece, and played it.

Suddenly, a stirring symphony burst forth!

Wang Aiguo jumped in surprise.

“This is the French national anthem, La Marseillaise. Is that okay?” Xianyu asked considerately. “There’s also ‘God Save the Queen,’ oh, that’s Canada’s Royal March, and Russia’s—our sacred motherland’s anthem. But my top recommendation is that one that instantly stirs the blood of volunteers…”

“Let’s go with this one!” Wang Aiguo interrupted, wiping the cold sweat from his brow. “This one will do just fine…”

Xianyu sang along with the music: “Forward, forward! Water the fields with the enemy’s blood!…”

Wang Aiguo was speechless.

Xianyu smiled at him, “Feeling more relaxed now, aren’t you?”

Wang Aiguo gave her a complicated look. “It’s… okay, I guess…”

“Why don’t you introduce yourself first?” Xianyu picked up her pen, opened a page, and began taking notes seriously.

Wang Aiguo cleared his throat twice and started his self-introduction.

His account was a hundred times more detailed than Xia Yu’s—height, age, major, hobbies, skills—all covered thoroughly, especially emphasizing how precious he was to Boss Wang. If anything happened to him here, no one would inherit the Wang family’s fortune.

Xianyu asked, “What kind of person do you think Du Xiaoling is?”

Wang Aiguo frowned. “We hardly knew each other. She’s an honor student who doesn’t really associate with us underachievers. Basically, just a model student in both character and academics.”

Xianyu nodded and continued taking notes.

Wang Aiguo’s description aligned closely with Xia Yu’s; Du Xiaoling seemed to have a good reputation at school.

“If you want to know what Du Xiaoling was really like, you should ask her inner circle—like Bai Yuxi, Xia Yu, Wan Qianqian, and the other girls. They were always together, so Du Xiaoling’s death must have something to do with them!” Wang Aiguo said.

Xianyu paused her pen and looked up at Wang Aiguo with curiosity. “Why do you think that?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Girls are like that—outwardly close, but full of scheming inside! Just like in dramas,” Wang Aiguo stated matter-of-factly. “There’s a term for it… oh! ‘Plastic sisters’—meaning fake friendships.”

Xianyu thought for a moment. Since she had already spoken with Xia Yu, and Bai Yuxi seemed emotionally unstable, it would be better to talk with Wan Qianqian first.

Not being a detective herself, Xianyu wasn’t skilled in interrogation techniques, but she could try asking questions to see if any clues emerged from their words.

Since she was here, she resolved to keep calm no matter what.

She asked Wang Aiguo to fetch Wan Qianqian, the girl who had been with Xia Yu earlier, persuading Bai Yuxi. Wan Qianqian wore a pink tulle skirt and had a head of dyed, curled hair. Her slightly upturned eyes gave an impression of shrewdness and straightforwardness.

She sat down confidently in front of Xianyu, her gaze probing as she sized her up. “Are you a Taoist practicing at the Chang Le Palace? You don’t look very old.”

Xianyu was taken aback.

Wan Qianqian was quite forward, not waiting for questions before throwing out her own. People with such personalities likely wouldn’t just sit idly by in any situation.

“My time practicing isn’t long, but rest assured, I have experience with cases like these. Daoist Zhou and I will work quickly to find a solution for you all,” Xianyu said sincerely.

Wan Qianqian smiled. “Thank you both, Daoists.”

Xianyu said, “Please introduce yourself. The situation is still unclear, so I need to understand everyone’s basic background first.”

Wan Qianqian smiled again. “My situation is simple. I’m studying at Haishi University. Back in high school, I was in the same class as Bai Yuxi and Du Xiaoling, so we were close. Everyone gave us four a nickname—the ‘Sister Dream Team.’”

Xianyu silently took notes, thinking: Like Xia Yu, Wan Qianqian glossed over details about herself, seeming reluctant to share much.

“You all must have been very close, right?” Xianyu asked.

“Yeah, the four of us were almost inseparable at school,” Wan Qianqian tilted her head thoughtfully. “But we did have our quarrels. For example, Yuxi and Xiaoling fought once, Xia Yu and Xiaoling too. But we’re friends, so I acted as mediator a few times, and in the end, we all made up.”

Xianyu had intended to ask who she suspected most, but hearing Wan Qianqian’s words, she changed her approach. “Then who do you think had the best relationship with Du Xiaoling before she passed?”

Wan Qianqian replied, “Probably me. No matter what Xiaoling thought, I always regarded her as my best friend. I never expected something like that would happen on school anniversary day… I couldn’t get over it for a long time. Xiaoling was truly a wonderful person.”

Xianyu studied her expression carefully, then cautiously asked, “May I assume… although you four appear to be a close-knit group of friends, your relationship with Du Xiaoling was actually closer than with Xia Yu or Bai Yuxi?”

Wan Qianqian smiled and explained, “That’s only natural. I met Bai Yuxi through Xiaoling, and then got to know Xia Yu through Bai Yuxi.”

Xianyu was momentarily surprised and blurted out, “You weren’t in the same class?”

Wan Qianqian nodded. “Xiaoling and Bai Yuxi sat together. I met Xiaoling in a club, and she introduced me to Bai Yuxi.”

“And Xia Yu?”

“Oh, Xia Yu and Bai Yuxi have known each other since childhood.”

Wan Qianqian paused, her tone meaningful. “Actually… after Yuxi and Xiaoling became friends, for a long time Xia Yu was quite unhappy.”

She smiled casually. “Sounds a bit childish, right? Girls can get jealous sometimes, whispering bad things behind each other’s backs. But it’s nothing serious; eventually, we all made up.”

Xianyu listened quietly.

She felt the term ‘green tea’ didn’t suit Xia Yu, but rather Wan Qianqian—every word praising friends while hiding subtle implications, yet managing to keep herself completely untarnished. Quite impressive.

“Daoist, do you think the killer is among us?” Wan Qianqian looked into Xianyu’s eyes. “If we find the culprit, will we be able to leave here?”

Xianyu lowered her gaze, replying vaguely, “Hmm… probably…”

“Daoist, you should ask Bai Yuxi more questions later,” Wan Qianqian suddenly lowered her voice.

Xianyu looked up at her.

Wan Qianqian looked back and said, “Isn’t it strange? We’re trapped here because we attended the class reunion hosted by Bai Yuxi.”