There's definitely something wrong with this murder mystery game

The dancer moved toward the pianist, but didn't actually do anything, simply circling around him curiously.

However, Xu Shuo felt that the footsteps she left on the floor were a bit strange.

It was as if she wanted to do something, but then she held back.

The two people nearby just glanced casually at the dancer's movements, while the pianist was engrossed in playing his melody, so absorbed as to be excessive, not peak artistry but trying too hard.

At least the spreading sound waves allowed Xu Shuo to momentarily "see," and even the melody's bold and intense penetration allowed him to sketch out the contours of the downstairs area lightly.

After the piece ended, the pianist opened his squinted eyes, and then a doubtful voice came from beside:

"Did you play that wrong?"

"Cough," the pianist said unabashedly, "No, I modified it deliberately for the tension in the rhythm."

The dancer looked at him with a strange expression, but it was those few wrong notes that helped her maintain her composure.

The pianist then turned to the blind girl and asked with a beaming smile, "Little sister, how was my playing?"

Xu Shuo nodded, her lips curving into a sweet smile, "It sounded very nice. I felt like your music painted a beautiful world, making my mood much brighter!"

"Oh wow~ The little sister really gets it!" The pianist, pleased with the listener's praise, threw a challenging look at the dancer next to him.

The dancer gave a few perfunctory claps.

While they were listening to music, the lawyer leaning against the book wall and the female writer were whispering amongst themselves, and then, the female writer showed him her notebook.

Sensing something, the dancer quickly approached like a cat smelling fish.

"What are you guys talking about?"

"My notebook doesn't record anything related to the villa," the female writer replied with a helpless expression, flipping open the last page, which held a photo of a table.

It looked like a candlelight dinner, but no one was in the shot, just the served dishes and a table decorated with candlelit roses.

The written text said, "Tasting delicious food amid soothing music is also a way to relax my mind. Thanks to my husband for this special candlelight dinner, I think I have inspiration again!"

This was the last entry in the notebook, the closest to the time of the villa incident, but nothing seemed particularly strange.

The pianist had somehow also joined in and, stroking his chin, asked, "Was the location of this candlelight dinner on the balcony?"

The female writer nodded, "I'd already checked the balcony before, and the table had been cleaned up without any anomalies, so this probably didn't happen yesterday."

Even if it did, the tragedy in the villa likely did not occur during dinner; otherwise, there would've been some trace left there.

Moreover, there was nothing abnormal in the piano room, even though it looked ominous from the dark decor and frequency of appearance, it contained few suspicious items.

In contrast, the more visible areas like the corridor, staircase, living room, kitchen were the most chaotic and contained the most clues.

It seemed that the dispute erupted in an instant, without any surplus plotting.

While they were discussing that, Xu Shuo stood opposite them with her head down, alone as if she were isolated.

"How about, we speculate a bit..."

Suddenly, the girl on that side started speaking softly and cautiously, with a hint of inquiry in her voice.

The dancer's attention returned to her, moving in to grasp the girl's hand eagerly and asking, "How do you want to speculate, little sister?"

Xu Shuo whispered, "None of us know what actually happened, but from what you've said, the situation in the villa is very serious, and it seems that... someone died. If that's the case, could the murderer be one of us seven staying in the villa?"

"But we haven't found the body yet," the pianist said thoughtfully.

"Suppose there is a body hidden somewhere we haven't found, and the murderer is one of us," Xu Shuo said with emphasis. "If we don't speculate like this, perhaps we'll never understand what really happened."

It was one of the rare times Xu Shuo felt sure he was not suspected of the crime—he felt very confident now!

What harm could the pitiable and helpless blind girl do?

"Sister makes sense. Do you have any suspects in mind now?" the dancer quickly brought up the topic.

She had mentioned this earlier, but the others had deliberately avoided it. Now that someone was bringing it up again, she naturally wouldn't miss the opportunity.

Xu Shuo shook his head, an apologetic look on his face: "I can't see anything and am the person who knows the least about what's happening outside. Wild guessing might not be good for anyone."

The dancer, chin in hand, pondered and swept her gaze over the expressions of the three beside her before saying, "Since that is the case, I do have someone in mind!"

"Who is it?" Everyone was somewhat surprised.

"The chef!" the dancer said seriously.

…

…

"If you committed murder, what reason would you have for doing it?"

When this question was asked, the chef, with his simple and honest face, was stunned.

After a moment, he said with a wry smile: "Although I know the kitchen scene might entail some wild thoughts, I feel that if I did commit a crime, I certainly wouldn't choose a place as exposed as the kitchen."

"Then where would you choose?" the butler asked immediately afterward.

"Wait, why do you insist on making me imagine this scenario?" the chef said irritably. "If it were you, where would you choose to commit the crime?"

Hearing this, the butler laughed, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "I'm just a jack-of-all-trades; I don't look like someone with a motive to commit murder, do I? Indeed, it's a bit far-fetched to assume this way."

In the living room on the first floor, the two sat on an unstained couch, discussing this matter.

Holding the bullet in his hand and examining it, the chef continued: "Moreover, looking at the scene of the crime, there might have been more than one person committing the crime at the time, and they had a lethal weapon like a handgun. It seems to me that the most likely suspect would be—"

"The lawyer?" the butler finished the sentence.

"Exactly," the chef nodded. "As the master of the villa and due to his profession, it's most likely for the lawyer to have a gun."

"What about the victim?" the butler continued.

As he spoke, both men paused strangely, and the chef looked up towards the second floor, where the sound of the piano had come from just before.

He said softly, "The female writer's love life is also an important key clue. If the lawyer was armed and discovered his wife's infidelity, could he have done something extreme in anger?"

The butler, stroking his chin and thinking, said, "But since you said there might be more than one person committing the crime, who could be the accomplice?"

"If we speculate boldly, the female writer?" the chef suggested.

"Even more boldly, the dancer loves the lawyer. It's a love square!" the butler said with conviction.

Anyway, the two of them had completely dissociated themselves from it.

And the pitiable and helpless blind girl really had no part in it.