Zhou Ziheng turned on the light in the room and saw Xia Xiqing leaning against the wall. His forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat, his lips were pale, his head was half lowered, and his chest was rising and falling slightly.
For some reason, Zhou Ziheng would unconsciously associate himself at this moment with the rose on the paper.
The words Xia Xiqing had said to him before suddenly appeared in his mind.
[I am afraid of the dark.]
[If there is a dark room later, just leave me behind if you don’t want to be held back.]
What he said is true...
It turns out he is really afraid of the dark.
Since they met, Xia Xiqing had a negative and powerful image in Zhou Ziheng's mind, too cunning, too confident, and too smart. Such a person seemed to have no weaknesses anyway, but now, his weaknesses were exposed in front of him.
Zhou Ziheng couldn't tell what kind of emotion this was. It was as if he had gained some special rights, and also as if he had developed an abnormal desire to protect.
The moment this word came into his mind, Zhou Ziheng rejected it. He couldn't imagine how he could associate a person like Xia Xiqing with the desire to protect.
Maybe he's being driven crazy by this perverted reality show.
Xia Xiqing leaned motionlessly against the wall, as if waiting to recover.
The clever and cunning villain was the first to be eliminated. For some reason, he felt a little complicated.
It was not unexpected, because Xia Xiqing was too smart, and people who showed off their talents were always easily eliminated. But Zhou Ziheng couldn't understand why he didn't hide his shortcomings.
How could he know that Xia Xiqing was more than just a man of few talents. After the half-hour countdown began, Xia Xiqing tried his best to draw all of Shang Sirui's attention to himself, with the aim of disrupting his original plan and allowing Zhou Ziheng to escape safely.
Anyway, in his heart, as long as the killer doesn't win, he, as the victim, doesn't lose.
Xia Xiqing supported himself on the wall with one hand, slowly straightened up, turned around and tried to walk to the door.
"Hello… "
Xia Xiqing turned his head, not meeting his eyes. He lowered his head tiredly, with his slender index finger on his lips, and said nothing. His hair was a little messy, hanging down to the tip of his nose, covering the beautiful mole on the tip of his nose.
He has lost his voice.
Zhou Ziheng didn't say anything else and followed him out of the study, through the bedroom and into the living room.
Cen Cen, Ruan Xiao and Shang Sirui were all standing in the living room. Ruan Xiao had a serious expression on his face, as if he had anticipated this result. Cen Cen's expression was even uglier. Her eyes wandered between the two of them, first looking at Xia Xiqing in front of her, then looking at Zhou Ziheng behind Xia Xiqing.
Xia Xiqing felt a little relieved. He didn't want others to see his vulnerable side. To be honest, he wouldn't want to see it even if the other person was Zhou Ziheng. He was even more unwilling.
He raised his lips, habitually revealing a smile that shouldn't belong to a loser, and looked straight at Shang Sirui who "killed" him. The other party's performance was beyond the performance quality of an idol. Although he was a little stunned, he quickly regained his composure and acted a little stunned, "Xi Qing, you..."
Xia Xiqing thought he was unlucky. He had always been "smart". He was only interested in or wary of smart people. In his eyes, stupid people were no different from pets.
Bad habits are the breeding ground for failure.
But Xia Xiqing didn't feel that he had failed. As long as Zhou Ziheng could escape successfully, he had not lost.
Facing Shang Sirui's question, Xia Xiqing did not respond. He slowly raised his hand, pinched his index finger and thumb to the corner of his mouth, and gently pulled it to the other side to indicate that he would keep silent. Then he walked to the attendance desk in the living room in a casual and calm manner, and stood obediently in the small circle with his hands behind his back.
Zhou Ziheng didn't want to look at him.
His eyes first glanced at the dining table at the farthest point, then at the sofa, then at the carpet, and finally at him.
It seems that after going around in a circle like this, I am no longer looking at Xia Xiqing.
Xia Xiqing also looked at Zhou Ziheng, and even tilted his head and smiled at him. His teeth were so white that they were dazzling.
Zhou Ziheng felt as if he was pricked by a needle and immediately looked away. Strangely, the smile just now kept replaying in his mind.
When he tilted his head, his long hair would fall from his cheeks to the bridge of his nose, sweeping over and onto the tip of his nose.
What is this guy still laughing at? He's obviously about to be eliminated. I really don't understand.
"Player Xia Xiqing is out. Three, two, one."
The floor of the circular elimination seat suddenly opened downwards, and Xia Xiqing, who lost his support, fell down. The floor closed again, and Xia Xiqing, who was "killed" by the killer, disappeared in front of everyone.
Zhou Ziheng stared at the circular area, feeling inexplicably uncomfortable. Cen Cen suddenly spoke up, "Could it be that what Xia Xiqing said is true? Ziheng, you are really a killer."
Ruan Xiao, who originally wanted to speak up for Zhou Ziheng, suddenly remembered Xia Xiqing's previous instructions and swallowed his words.
Zhou Ziheng turned around, put his hands in his pockets, and said calmly, "If I were the killer, I would kill him first." He curled his lips, "He is too smart, so I think it's a pity."
"What a pity?" Cen Cen frowned slightly, "What a pity that he was 'killed'?"
"It's a pity that I'm not a killer, so I can't 'kill' him myself." Zhou Ziheng said these scary words in a calm tone, then walked to the dining table, pulled out a chair and sat down. "There's less than a minute left, everyone come and vote."
Cen Cen also came over and sat down, "How do you prove that you are not?"
Zhou Ziheng propped his chin on his hand and looked up at her, "If I were you, I wouldn't have helped Xia Xiqing remove the handcuffs from the beginning."
Cen Cen wanted to continue asking questions, but the announcement from the program team sounded again.
"The countdown is over, and the first round of voting has officially begun. Players, please take your seats."
Although Zhou Ziheng explained it this way, Cen Cen saw Xia Xiqing, who was "killed", coming out of the same room with Zhou Ziheng. She had already determined in her heart that Zhou Ziheng was the killer. "Whether you admit it or not, you will know the truth after this round of voting."
"No." Zhou Ziheng smiled, which was rare. "Even if you vote me to death, you will never know who the killer is. Only when the game is over and you lose completely will you know the truth."
Cen Cen was speechless after being confronted by him. Shang Sirui and Ruan Xiao also sat down. Cen Cen winked at Ruan Xiao, who nodded slightly but remained silent.
Zhou Ziheng looked calm and composed on the surface, but he was still nervous in his heart. Cen Cen was definitely going to vote for him this time. If Shang Sirui was a killer as Xia Xiqing said, then his vote must be for him. Ruan Xiao…
He had almost no communication with Ruan Xiao, but judging from what happened just now, Ruan Xiao had already formed an alliance with Cen Cen.
It would be a lie to say that he wasn't nervous. Zhou Ziheng's palms were now beginning to sweat uncontrollably.
"Please send your desired killer via mobile phone. You only have one chance, so please confirm it repeatedly before sending it. The countdown starts in ten seconds."
"nineteen-"
strangeness.
At this critical moment, Zhou Ziheng's mind suddenly emerged with Xia Xiqing's smile before he was eliminated, and the words he vowed in the dark.
"Eight-seven-"
[Shang Sirui is a killer, believe me.]
He seemed to have anticipated the ending.
"Six-five-four-"
Even though Zhou Ziheng was reluctant to admit it, in this game, the only person he could consider an ally was Xia Xiqing. So at this moment, even if he was executed for believing in him, Zhou Ziheng would accept it.
Besides, he had already begun to suspect Shang Sirui, all he lacked was evidence.
"three two-"
Zhou Ziheng typed the answer in his mind into his mobile phone and clicked send without hesitation.
"One. Time is up. We are counting the votes of all players."
The four people at the table looked at each other in a tense atmosphere. Zhou Ziheng leaned back in his chair, staring at Shang Sirui sitting opposite him, like a cheetah waiting for an opportunity, but the other party subtly lowered his head and avoided his gaze.
To be honest, this didn't seem like the on-the-spot reaction of someone who was so good at hiding, but he still chose to believe what Xia Xiqing said.
"Now the voting results are announced. After the secret ballot of all players, the person to be executed this round is—"
The announcement paused for a few seconds, and Zhou Ziheng felt his heartbeat begin to speed up uncontrollably.
If he was executed, what would happen to the clues we had
All of them must be handed over publicly, then Killer will definitely win, no matter which of the three he is.
Thinking of this, Zhou Ziheng couldn't help feeling depressed.
"No one. This round is a draw and we will not execute anyone. Please continue playing."
This outcome was somewhat unexpected, especially for Cen Cen. She looked at Shang Sirui beside her in surprise, then turned to look at Ruan Xiao, "Who among you didn't vote for him?"
Ruan Xiao frowned innocently, "I voted."
Zhou Ziheng, who was staying out of the matter, observed the expressions of everyone opposite him. While Ruan Xiao was talking, his fingers kept tapping the table. It was obvious that something was wrong. He shifted his gaze to Shang Sirui. His expression was not right, but he didn't seem surprised by the result.
Zhou Ziheng analyzed the ownership of the execution votes in everyone's hands. He voted for Shang Sirui, so Cen Cen must have voted for him.
In the end, there was a tie, which means Shang Sirui and Ruan Xiao voted for him and Shang Sirui respectively. It is absolutely impossible for Shang Sirui to vote for himself.
So, Ruan Xiao invested in Shang Sirui.
Zhou Ziheng figured out the tendencies of the four people on the field and became more convinced that Shang Sirui was the killer. The reason why Xia Xiqing died so quickly must be that he found evidence that could prove he was the killer.
What he now holds in his hand is the clue that can help him leave the entire house. To be honest, there is no need to prove Shang Sirui's identity to everyone. As long as he escapes from the house before him, the game will be over.
Thinking of this, Zhou Ziheng stood up from his seat.
Cen Cen looked up at him, "Where are you going, Ziheng?"
"Of course, we should find clues to escape." Zhou Ziheng pushed the chair back. "No one is eliminated in this round anyway, so it's better to find clues to escape than to sit there and do nothing."
After saying that, Zhou Ziheng turned around and went back to the study. As expected, Shang Sirui called him, "Ziheng, I'll go with you."
Zhou Ziheng did not stop him, "Yeah."
Two people entered the study one after the other.
Everything in the study remained almost the same. Shang Sirui gently closed the door and asked tentatively, "Ziheng, who did you vote for just now?"
Zhou Ziheng pretended to be trying hard to find clues while calmly asking, "Who did you vote for?"
Shang Sirui laughed, "Oh, I abstained from voting." He sat down on the chair in front of the long desk with a relaxed look on his face, "I can't see anything, so it's better not to vote, so as not to kill innocent people by mistake."
Absent a vote? That's a clever explanation.
Zhou Ziheng glanced at him, then nodded slowly, "You're right." He walked to Shang Sirui's side. This chair was the one he sat on when he was tied up before, an exquisitely crafted office chair with armrests on both sides.
Perhaps because of nervousness, Shang Sirui's hands on the armrest were shaking slightly. In order to cover it up, he simply grabbed the armrest to make himself look more normal.
Zhou Ziheng noticed this, he looked away and said, "Now that Xia Xiqing is out, I think I need to find someone to ally with." As he said that, he reached into his pocket with his left hand, took out a piece of paper and placed it on the desk in front of Shang Sirui, "This is an important clue I found, take a look." As he spoke, his right hand reached into his other pocket at the same time.
"Clues?" Shang Sirui leaned forward slightly.
While Shang Sirui focused all his attention on the so-called important clues, Zhou Ziheng seized the opportunity of one or two seconds, took out the handcuffs he had taken from the phonograph from his pocket with his right hand, and handcuffed Shang Sirui's hands tightly to the office chair.
Shang Sirui reacted instantly and realized that the important clue on the table was actually a blank piece of paper!
Zhou Ziheng picked up the rope on the ground and tied Shang Sirui to a chair.
"Ziheng! You! Hey, why are you tying me up?" Shang Sirui kept struggling, but Zhou Ziheng showed no intention of stopping.
"Are you mistaken, or are you the killer?"
"Shh." Zhou Ziheng looked at his face and said softly, "Stop acting. The game will be over soon."
Everything was done. Zhou Ziheng stretched out a leg and gently kicked the bottom edge of the office chair, and Shang Sirui slid away with the chair.
"Sorry, please take a rest first."
Shang Sirui struggled desperately on the chair but couldn't get up. He could only watch Zhou Ziheng leave the room and close the door.
He had no idea that before this, Zhou Ziheng had already collected all the clues to leave the house and lured him here, just wanting to trap him here to prevent him from escaping the house as a killer when the clue was finally cracked.
Before this, Zhou Ziheng took advantage of Xia Xiqing and the other three being entangled in another room to open the painting that Xia Xiqing had given him. According to the clue of [Flashlight on the sofa, lights off in the study], he found the flashlight parts hidden by the program crew on the sofa in the living room and assembled them into a complete flashlight. He tried to illuminate the living room with the flashlight, went around a full circle, and finally found the words that would only be displayed when shining a flashlight on the second line of the password input bar on the door.
Just to the left of the password field that only requires three letters, there is a sentence written.
[Who is the killer?]
But this was only one of the codes. The other code still required him to find numbers. Zhou Ziheng thought of the last two clues of [sofa flashlight study lights off], so he entered the study and turned off the lights. In the darkness, Zhou Ziheng held up a flashlight to check every corner of the room, and found that there were red glowing words in the four corners of the room, which were -2, 3, 7 and prime.
Zhou Ziheng, who had a science background, quickly understood that prime is a prime number. 2, 3, and 7 are all prime numbers, and they are all single digits. There is only one number that meets these two requirements, and that is 5.
Zhou Ziheng came out of the study and strode to the living room. Shang Sirui's shouts could be heard in the living room.
"What's wrong with Si Rui?" Just as Cen Cen was about to go to the study, she was stopped by Ruan Xiao, "Sister Cen Cen, wait a moment."
"Wait a minute? Wait for what?"
Zhou Ziheng had already arrived at the gate. He entered the four numbers [2, 3, 5, 7] in the first column as quickly as possible, and then entered the answer to the question in the next column.
[son]
The son is the murderer.
The touch screen turned blue, flashed three times, and then a line of green prompts appeared.
[The password is correct, congratulations! ]
With a bang, the door opened.
Zhou Ziheng raised his eyes and looked forward. He had imagined many possibilities. Behind this door, there were probably a lot of cameras, or perhaps the planners of the program group. He even thought of the lines for what he would say after he came out.
But he never expected that after he escaped from this door in a cold sweat, the first person he saw was Xia Xiqing.
Xia Xiqing, wearing a white shirt, stood at the door. The light arranged by the program team came from behind him, brushing against his shoulder line and gently covering his left chest. His face became blurred under the backlight, leaving only the beautiful curve of his lips. "Great."
As soon as he finished speaking, Xia Xiqing, who was less than half a meter away, suddenly came forward and hugged him, hugging him tightly in the way men celebrate victory.
Zhou Ziheng was a little stunned. He let this man cunningly take the opportunity to hug him and forgot to resist.
It was strange. The previously aggressive perfume smell seemed to have gradually changed. The tobacco smell faded, and the musk smell disappeared. Zhou Ziheng felt his tired body being gently wrapped by a warm woody scent. The scent, the body temperature, the ironing feeling of the palm against the back, and the ending tone that always seemed not so sincere when this person spoke.
“I knew we were going to win.”