It was already 2 a.m. when we finished watching this episode of the variety show. Everyone was wide awake and started discussing it in the group chat.
Ye Qi said, "I think Liang Ting is right. Jin Xiaoyue did not sing the second song well. The elimination round will definitely depend on your performance on the spot. If we give her the green light, it will be unfair to the other contestants."
Liu Qiao asked, " I'm not familiar with Jin Xiaoyue's song, but it sounds alright. Xiao Ye, is she really off-key?"
Ye Qi, being from the Music Conservatory, is more knowledgeable about music than most. She explained earnestly, "She sang off-key at the end of the second and third measures, and her final ending wasn't good either. It feels like she's too eager to become famous, which makes her very nervous, and she didn't let her voice out."
Shao Qingge said, "Actually, not all the singers who have signed with Starlight Entertainment through talent shows over the years have become famous. With Jin Xiaoyue's personality, even if she signed, she wouldn't go far. Her mentality is too easily broken, and her psychological resilience is very fragile."
Qu Wanyue also said: " Jin Xiaoyue's experience is very sympathetic, but objectively speaking, the other contestants sang better than her. I think it is reasonable for her to get seventh place. The judges did not score randomly. If she hates Liang Ting because of this, then her mentality is twisted."
Old Mo sighed, "Some people always like to blame their failures on others, always thinking that others are blind and they are not wrong, without reflecting on their own shortcomings... Sigh, Jin Xiaoyue probably thinks like this, so the more she thinks about it, the more she hates Liang Ting?"
Ye Qi has also participated in talent shows. People with a good mindset, even if they fail and are eliminated, will still be grateful for the opportunity to train and grow on the stage. But Jin Xiaoyue is clearly not that kind of person. She is too obsessive. As Shao Qingge said, this competition completely broke her mentality.
When Jin Xiaoyue talked about her parents' death and missing the college entrance examination on stage, she burst into tears. This was obviously not just for the sake of the show, but because she really couldn't control her emotions.
Xiao Lou turned to look at Yu Hanjiang and said, "If Liang Ting gave her a red light in a talent show five years ago, preventing her from making it to the finals, and that's why she hated Liang Ting... then why did she wait so many years to take action?"
Yu Hanjiang, watching the look Jin Xiaoyue gave Liang Ting as she left the stage on the computer screen, analyzed, "She's just an ordinary person; it's very difficult for her to get close to a big star like Liang Ting. This opportunity to do Liang Ting's styling in place of her brother is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Besides, something might have happened recently that triggered her, reigniting the hatred buried deep in her heart. Blinded by hatred, she could easily lose her rationality."
Xiao Lou thought about it and agreed. Jin Xiaoyue had probably been provoked recently, and seeing Liang Ting triggered both old and new grudges, leading her to decide to kill him to vent her anger.
As for what happened recently, we still need to investigate.
Jin Xiaoyue, who only has a high school diploma, can't find a good job. We haven't had time to find out where she works yet. Maybe if we find her younger brother tomorrow, we'll have more clues.
With this in mind, Yu Hanjiang said in the group: "Everyone, you've worked hard. Go to sleep now. I will interrogate Jin Xiaoyue again tomorrow. This case should be solved soon."
A group of people lined up and sent applause emojis: "Amazing, you two even managed to find out that she was a woman disguised as a man!" "Solving the case so quickly, you truly deserve to be called Captain Yu and Professor Xiao."
Ye Qi joked, "Your flattery is subpar. You should say that there's no case that can stump our Yu-Xiao Detective Duo!"
Yu Hanjiang: "..."
He responded to his teammates' flattery with ellipses.
Xiao Lou suppressed a laugh and said, "It's two o'clock, and you guys are still so energetic? Go to sleep. Lao Mo, you four need to keep an eye on things at the film set. Lin Yiyan's case is still unsolved."
Everyone sent goodnight emojis in the group chat, turned off their phones, and went to sleep.
Yu Hanjiang also turned off his computer and went home with Xiao Lou.
At two in the morning, there were few cars on the street, and the wide road seemed deserted.
The streetlights cast their glow on the car window, illuminating Yu Hanjiang's handsome profile. Xiao Lou turned to look; Yu Hanjiang was driving intently, his long, slender hands firmly gripping the steering wheel, his gaze fixed straight ahead.
He only slept for 3 hours last night and worked overtime until 2 a.m. tonight. The man looked obviously tired, and there was some short stubble on his chin. He was obviously very tired these past few days, but he kept pushing himself to solve the case as soon as possible.
Xiao Lou said softly, " The Liang Ting case is almost solved. Go to sleep as soon as you get home tonight. Tomorrow is the weekend, so you can sleep in and go to work at 9:30. Anyway, Jin Xiaoyong hasn't been found yet, and she won't confess easily if we interrogate Jin Xiaoyue directly."
Yu Hanjiang glanced back at Xiao Lou, met his earnest gaze, and blurted out, "Okay, I'll listen to you."
Xiao Lou chuckled and said, "You're such a workaholic. There's really no need to push yourself so hard. There's no time limit in the A-level Heart Room. As long as you find enough clues, you can get an S-level rating and complete the game perfectly. Our efficiency is already high enough."
Yu Hanjiang nodded and said, "Okay, I'll get some sleep when I get back tonight, and I'll pick you up at 9:30 tomorrow."
Xiao Lou pointed to his chin: "When you get up in the morning, shave while you're at it."
Yu Hanjiang then realized that he hadn't shaved for three days... This was the first time someone had reminded him of such a small detail in his life. A warm feeling welled up in Yu Hanjiang's heart, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up slightly: "I know."
After returning home, Yu Hanjiang finally got a good night's sleep, and didn't wake up until nine o'clock the next day.
Come.
He took a shower, dried his hair, and then, as Xiao Lou had instructed, carefully shaved his beard in front of the mirror, making himself look refreshed and energetic before happily picking Xiao Lou up for work.
Today is the weekend, and apart from the two on-duty Criminal Police Officers, everyone else is off work, making the entire police station very quiet.
Xiao Lou didn't return to the Forensic Doctor Center; instead, she stayed in the office to help Yu Hanjiang investigate clues.
Yu Hanjiang contacted the job market in Binzhou City and asked them to check Jin Xiaoyue's employment information immediately.
Binzhou City's largest job market hosts numerous recruitment events, attracting both recent university graduates and those with lower educational qualifications. Jin Xiaoyue, with only a high school diploma, might not find a great job, but given her pride, she's unlikely to take a physically demanding job like a restaurant server, cleaner, or dishwasher.
Therefore, the most likely reason for her to come to the job market is to find some decent jobs that don't require high academic qualifications.
The job market quickly provided feedback.
Yu Hanjiang guessed correctly. Jin Xiaoyue had indeed looked for a job at the job market. This summer, she applied for a job as a receptionist at a fairly large hotel. The hotel's receptionists did not require high academic qualifications; as long as you were pretty and articulate, you could get an interview.
The introduction letter from the job market and the introduction fee paid by Jin Xiaoyue after signing the contract with the hotel were all recorded in detail. Yu Hanjiang carefully looked at the electronic version sent by the other party. In the photo on the introduction letter, Jin Xiaoyue still had long hair and was indeed pretty. Her features were delicate and petite, which was why Xiao Lou felt a little awkward when he first saw her dressed as a man.
Yu Hanjiang immediately drove to the hotel to confirm with the HR department.
The HR manager said, " Jin Xiaoyue, she came to our hotel as a receptionist in June this year, and she was quite diligent in her work. One of our security guards liked her and pursued her for a long time, but she was too proud and didn't even look at the security guards. She resigned last month."
Yu Hanjiang asked, "What was the reason for your resignation?"
The HR manager sighed and said, "I don't know the specifics, but something happened last month. I heard it from Xiao Hui, who worked the night shift with her. Apparently, a few customers came in the middle of the night and recognized her. Jin Xiaoyue didn't give them a friendly look, and then she resigned."
Yu Hanjiang immediately had the HR manager call over Zhi the lover Xiao Hui.
Xiao Hui was around 25 years old. She arrived at the office wearing a dark blue business suit dress and high heels. She had exquisite makeup on her face, and her hair was tied up in a bun at the back of her head, with a red plaid hair clip on the bun.
Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou saw several people with similar clothes and hairstyles along the way; they must be the hotel's uniform.
Xiao Hui smiled politely at the HR manager, but upon hearing that the police were looking for her, her expression changed slightly, and a look of confusion appeared in her eyes: "The police? What happened?"
Yu Hanjiang asked, "Are you familiar with Jin Xiaoyue?"
Xiao Hui paused for a moment, then said, "Sister Yue? I know her quite well. We front desk staff work three shifts, and sometimes we have to work the night shift. We often work the same shift together. She is very talented and knows a lot. I heard from her that she used to have excellent grades and was always in the top three in her class. Unfortunately, her family was too poor at the time, so she couldn't go to university."
Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou exchanged a glance—indeed, this matter had become a source of anxiety for Jin Xiaoyue.
Xiao Hui continued, "She was very smart and very efficient when checking clients in. However, she suddenly resigned and then deleted my contact information."
Yu Hanjiang asked, "She worked the night shift with you before she resigned. Did she run into a few people she knew that night?"
Xiao Hui thought about it carefully, and then described the scene that night to Yu Hanjiang in detail.
Last month, on the evening of October 15th, she and Jin Xiaoyue took over the shift at 8 pm. It was their turn to work the night shift that day.
Around nine o'clock, a couple walked in. They were a handsome man and a beautiful woman, dressed in designer clothes. The woman was carrying a limited-edition designer handbag and wearing a large diamond ring. They were obviously wealthy and had booked the hotel's most expensive luxury suite for couples.
During check-in, the woman suddenly said to Jin Xiaoyue, "Are you Jin Xiaoyue?"
Jin Xiaoyue's expression changed instantly.
The woman said, "I'm Qianqian, the girl who sat in front of you in high school. Do you remember me?"
The man beside her also looked surprised and said, "Xiaoyue? What are you doing at the hotel reception? I remember you were a top student back then... I heard you missed the college entrance exam and didn't retake it?"
Jin Xiaoyue clenched her fists in the audience, her face as pale as paper: "You've mistaken me for someone else."
The woman said, "How could we mistake you for someone else? You must be Xiaoyue. My husband and I are here on a business trip. We're old classmates. Let's have dinner together sometime." She was about to continue speaking when the handsome man beside her gently pulled her back and smiled, "Sorry, we might have really mistaken you for someone else. Please check us in."
Jin Xiaoyue checked them in with a grim expression.
After the two left, Xiaohui asked, "Sister Yue, are they really your classmates?"
Jin Xiaoyue bit her lip and refused to reply, her fingers clenching tightly, her long, red-painted nails almost drawing blood from her palms.
Xiao Hui didn't dare ask any more questions.
As a result, less than half an hour later, another woman walked in with her assistant.
The woman wore a very nice trench coat, had her hair permed in curls, and wore a silk scarf and large sunglasses. She was dressed extremely fashionably and practically walked with a swagger.
She walked to the front desk and looked at Jin Xiaoyue with surprise, saying, "Morning? What are you doing here?"
Jin Xiaoyue's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot: "You've mistaken me for someone else."
The woman smiled apologetically: "I'm sorry, you look a lot like one of my old friends."
Her assistant, who was next to her, was dragging a large suitcase, and the two checked in together.
That night shift, Jin Xiaoyue didn't say a word all night with a sullen face. Xiao Hui was frightened by her expression and didn't dare to ask her what was wrong. As a result, Jin Xiaoyue resigned the next day.
Xiao Hui told Yu Hanjiang the whole story. Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou continued to question other people in the hotel, but no one knew why Jin Xiaoyue resigned, nor had anyone had any conflicts with her.
Yu Hanjiang then checked the hotel's check-in records for that night in the hotel's system.
The handsome couple were Jin Xiaoyue's high school classmates. The man was a top student in the class, while the woman's grades were average. They both went to university in the same city and are now executives at the same company.
The woman with sunglasses and curly hair who checked in later was a contestant from the singing competition she participated in with Jin Xiaoyue five years ago. She came in sixth place and signed with Starlight Entertainment. Although she's not a huge star yet, she's quite well-known and came to Binzhou City to participate in a charity performance.
On the way back, Xiao Lou analyzed, "It seems that it was an old friend she ran into while on night shift that night that triggered her?"
Yu Hanjiang nodded and said, "The resentment and jealousy in people's hearts are all caused by comparison. Her former high school classmate, whose grades were far inferior to hers, is now living a better life than her. She wears designer clothes, has a happy marriage, and stays in the most expensive suites when she goes out to stay in hotels, while she works as a receptionist at a hotel."
Xiao Lou added, "That girl named Morning came in sixth place in the talent show, just one place higher than her, and is now a somewhat famous singer... It's really painful to compare."
The seeds of resentment had already been sown in Jin Xiaoyue's heart, and at this moment, the flames of jealousy were finally ignited, burning away her reason. One can imagine how much pain and regret Jin Xiaoyue felt after returning home that day, staying in the rented room she shared with her younger brother.
Yu Hanjiang sighed and said, "Once we find Jin Xiaoyong, this case can be closed."
******