Mr. Lu Was Devastated After I Left - Chapter 17

Xu Zhuoyang’s phone buzzed incessantly. He did not even glance at it; he knew exactly who was messaging him. It was his nominal father, alternating between endless, vicious abuse and pathetic, groveling pleas once he failed to receive a response.

It was already late. Sitting in the corner would solve nothing, and he had work tomorrow.

He silenced his phone and lay back in bed, but he remained wide awake for hours. Loneliness washed over him like a tide. For the first time, he felt that this house was far too large, so large it was terrifying.

The next day, the moment he stepped onto the set, he felt something was off. Mu Yuan, who had been ignored by everyone the day before, had suddenly become the center of attention. People swarmed around him to curry favor, and even Li Sheng, who had been furious just yesterday, was patiently coaching him through his scenes.

Xu Zhuoyang sat on a stool to the side, quietly reading his script.

Suddenly, footsteps approached. He looked up slowly to see a young man who looked barely out of his teens walking toward him. The boy’s face was soft, clean, and youthful, and he wore a bright, sweet smile. The boy stopped in front of him, bowed slightly, and greeted him. “Hello, Senior. I am the actor playing Yuan Chilian, and my name is Si Yan.”

Si Yan’s attitude was respectful, his clear eyes filled with admiration, his fair cheeks flushed with a shy, youthful glow.

Xu Zhuoyang remembered Si Yan. He had a clean, refreshing aura, a youthful spirit, and a pleasant face, like a white shirt that had not yet been stained by the dyes of the entertainment industry.

Xu Zhuoyang smiled back. “Hello. I am Xu Zhuoyang. Nice to work with you.”

Si Yan took the seat next to him with an easy familiarity. “Senior, could I run lines with you?” He scratched his head, looking embarrassed. “I just graduated, and I am afraid of performing poorly and getting scolded.”

Si Yan had an inexplicable sense of warmth about him. Xu Zhuoyang, bored with his script, agreed, and the two began to practice their lines together.

Li Sheng peeked over at them, feeling a wave of relief. He did not expect everyone to be as low maintenance as Xu Zhuoyang, but he hoped Mu Yuan would not drag everyone down today. The shock Mu Yuan had given him during the auditions had felt like a dream; he was starting to suspect that Mu Yuan had simply performed better than his actual ability that day.

It was time. The departments were ready, and the actors stepped onto the set.

A murder case had shaken H City. The Major Crimes Unit arrived and apprehended a suspect in just a few hours. However, Shan Wu sensed something was off; the arrested suspect seemed like a scapegoat for the true culprit.

Late at night, Shan Wu returned to the crime scene with his new partner, Yuan Chilian, to simulate the crime. The wind howled through the abandoned factory, causing the rotting window frames to rattle. The cold, pale moonlight cast the shadows of trees into the room, making the atmosphere even more chilling.

Xu Zhuoyang kept a blank expression, though he was screaming internally. Is this a suspense thriller or a supernatural horror flick? Even though he had been mentally prepared for today’s location, being there in person was still incredibly unnerving.

He composed himself, walked to the window, and stared at the bloodstains on the floor. He said in a deep voice, “This is where the victim was killed, before being dumped in the river. But the problem is, this place has been abandoned for years and is filthy.

The victim was a woman. It is highly unlikely she would come to a place like this alone. So, why was she here? Who brought her here, or who invited her?”

Yuan Chilian suddenly realized. “It was someone she knew.”

Shan Wu nodded. “The suspect who turned himself in knows nothing about the details of the crime. He is clearly taking the fall. Furthermore, he was not even in the city at the time of the murder. Our investigation shows he had no contact with the victim. This proves he must be acquainted with the real killer, either through some kind of transaction, or because he has a relationship so close with the victim that he would rather face the death penalty than let the killer be caught.”

Shan Wu looked at Yuan Chilian and asked, “Which one do you think it is?”

Yuan Chilian shook his head.

Shan Wu walked to the door, mimicking the scene as the victim entered the factory.

“The fatal wound was to the neck, caused by a slit throat. According to the forensic report, the killer was behind the victim, striking with a backhanded motion. There are no signs of a struggle. Moreover, there is only one set of footprints, the victim’s. So, how did the killer get in, kill the victim with a knife, and leave no tracks?”

Yuan Chilian said thoughtfully, “What if the killer never entered at all?”

“What do you mean?”

Yuan Chilian pointed at the towering tree outside the window, its branches clawing at the moonlight like a demon’s grip. “There is a tree outside, and the victim was killed on the second floor. The killer could have climbed that tree to reach the second floor. The windows have no glass, only frames. If the killer lured the victim to wait by the window, he would have had a perfect opportunity to strike from outside, leaving no footprints behind.”