Chapter 56 "The Culprit is You" (Part 1) - Unveiling the Mystery of a Detective Variety Show...
A post from XHS—
I'm new to Coldy now, so I'd like to ask what her appealing qualities are, and what I should be aware of when becoming a fan?
Today I went to see my idol perform on "Inkigayo" and Coldy was the MC. She was so beautiful that I was blown away. So I stayed and watched her performance of "Always You". Is it possible to see such a performance in 2023 where she sings so openly and dances so well?
Her stage performances gave me a different feeling from others. There was a very subtle sense of pre-planning. At first glance, her eyes lit up. When she danced, she seemed very casual and unrestrained, but it also felt like the arc of her flying hair was carefully designed, because not a single frame was not beautiful.
What I like most is her stage outfit. This black newsboy cap makes her look incredibly cool, but when her eyes droop, it looks like she's about to cry. I bet the people who are leaving are also very reluctant to let her go.
This snowflake-patterned vintage dress looks like it's from Blugirl, right? And it's a runway piece from 2004, just like mine! This style really has that early 2000s heiress vibe. It's form-fitting and hugs the figure, but the white tulle also has a flowing feel. The pink rose fabric belt is the perfect finishing touch. Anyway, it makes you look both elegant and like a first love, a pure white moonlight. If I were Blumarine, I would absolutely adore Coldy.
Sigh, if this dress hadn't been discontinued, I really would have liked to get the same one.
#Another thing that really impressed me was Coldy's performance. She even had acting skills on her music show stages. Her eyes and expressions changed according to the different lyrics. How can some idols who can't even do a good job compare to her? Now I know why Coldy is so popular. Anyone who watches any of her performances will definitely fall in love with her.
I absolutely love the clock behind her at the music show. Combined with her dance moves as she backed away, it gave off a countdown vibe. And I won't go into how good the song is, but everything was perfect and incredibly infectious!
Anyway, I've fallen deeply in love with it!
#The second editor thinks this girl has had too few variety shows since her debut, so I rushed to watch all of "SW". Every single one of her performances was amazing. Coldy is practically a goddess. Even now, when I watch the MV for "Hate", I feel a sense of holiness from her. Every time I watch it, I feel like she's taking pity on me.
Mom, she's simply Mom.
#Thank you everyone for the recommendations. This Coldy with a cool face is so cute! Here are some flowers!
【Sister A (Doukou)】
Falling in love with Coldy is only natural; she's just so adorable! If you have the money, you should subscribe to her fan account on Bubble. Even when she's busy, she's super active on Bubble, coming every day. She almost always says "Goodnight, see you tomorrow" to her fans. Every time I see that message, my heart melts.
【Sister Doukou B】
If you're not a fan of corny jokes, be careful when subscribing, because this woman really likes to tell corny jokes, and sometimes you'll be shocked by them.
But our Panda Girl has a cultural advantage; even Korean and Japanese girls might not understand her Chinese corny jokes, like "I'm a good person because I always spend money; people spend, and human nature is good."
This little girl even marks references, showing great respect for intellectual property rights.
【Sister C】
She's not exactly adorable, but if you're going to pick her up or drop her off at the airport (within normal limits, not during the sasaeng fan phase), she'll definitely turn around if you call her. Coldy will accept letters and handmade gifts, but don't get too close. Coldy won't get angry, but previously, there were so many people picking her up that some almost fell over due to being too close. Coldy even apologized on behalf of the fans and the public. Please try to stay calm!
【Sister D】
Actually, I think Coldy's cool demeanor is super cute. She's always so serious about creating a good show, which you can see from her variety show performances. By the way, did you watch the episode where Coldy bumped into Running Man? She was absolutely stunning! Many people would say she's most beautiful in her everyday clothes. If you like her stage outfits, go watch Running Man! It's a similar style—casual yet elegant, and she's very approachable.
[Poster]
I saw it! I saw this clip was really popular before, but back then I just thought it was so pretty and didn't really become a fan. It wasn't until the interview in that little white dress and the snowflake rose dress she wore for her music show that I was completely hooked. Maybe it's because I'm a hand fetishist; the white lace gloves she wore really seduced me. I'm such a pervert…
【Sister A (Doukou)】
Did you see the Heaven performance? She wore gloves and a ruby ring back then too! But the styles were a little different; I think the lace one, the kind that's only partially revealing, is the most alluring.
【Sister Doukou E】
We in the Kou community are quite tolerant of the poster's fandom. Of course, being a solo fan or a career-focused fan is the most enjoyable, but there are also many fans of the "Grandpa and Grandma" (or "Grandma and Grandpa") pairing. If you like shipping couples, it's best not to be a 1v1 fan, because Kou Jie (the poster) distributes her sweet moments evenly across all groups, and the various pairings' fans often fight. She's quite a peculiar woman who knows how to manipulate her fans.
[Poster]
Actually, I'm leaning towards... Dream Girl fan. Although I'm heterosexual, it wouldn't be so bad if it were Coldy. I really want to be with her (screams) (screams)
【Sister Doukou B】
That's perfectly normal! My heterosexuality was cured by Coldy (laughs). To be honest, I only follow male idols, and Coldy is the only female idol I follow. Being Coldy's dream fan was definitely the right choice. She's incredibly charming, okay? You can see the details in the online autograph session videos. Female fans are completely charmed, with all sorts of close contact and hugs. Male fans can even shake hands with her. And she has a million ways to say "I love you."
【Sister Doukou F】
Welcome to the newcomer! You can always trust Coldy's stage performances! Whether it's the stage for "SW" or the promotional stages for these Korean programs, Coldy is involved in the stage design. For example, during the last "The Wave" promotion, she only changed a small detail in the setup, and the overall stage look was elevated. She's a truly well-rounded girl.
【Sister C】
She's a Northeastern "Wolf Warrior" (not really). She's a great cook; she once made braised goose in an iron pot for all the contestants of "SW," and it smelled so good that the hosts and the production crew couldn't resist joining in. However, she doesn't eat onions or ginger; she can't stand even a tiny bit of them and will pick them all out.
【Sister D】
You should know, right? Coldy used to have a little dog named Wangcai, which has now become a completely electronic pet and is cybernetics immortal. Because every now and then, Sister Kou dresses up Wangcai and uses it as wallpaper, she enjoys it immensely. Recently, it seems that Wangcai is wearing a pink dress. Fans asked about it on Bubble, so Sister Kou posted the wallpaper.
【Sister Doukou G】
Sigh! The poster just got into this fandom at the right time! Coldy's going to be on a new variety show! It airs next week! Your favorite show is here!
[Poster]
Holy crap, is this for real?! What variety show?! I'm ready! Running Man? Or is it PD Na Young-seok's show, "Knowing Bros"? Is this a solo appearance, or a solo variety show appearance for him? To be honest, after watching so many variety shows, I actually prefer to see Coldy on a solo show. I have no problem with his teammates, but Coldy's screen time will be reduced (white flag) (surrender)
【Sister C】
Actually, I am too... but this time it's a solo variety show! You Kou is such an unpredictable and eccentric woman, the variety show she's on is "The Culprit Is You"!
【Sister Doukou E】
What?! Wasn't this variety show supposed to end after three seasons? It's being re-broadcast now?
[Poster]
What kind of variety show is this?
【Sister Doukou B】
Similar to a combination of "Who's the Murderer" and "Great Escape" in China, in South Korea it's like "Crime Scene" + "Great Escape"—outdoor mystery solving and deduction, very entertaining. It's a Netflix production, and I was disappointed it only lasted three seasons, but apparently a fourth season aired last month. I think Koko is a guest on it! Wow, so cool! This show showcases both Koko's intelligence and athleticism; it's sure to be amazing!
【Sister D】
Isn't this show called "Min-young Unnie, Se-jeong Unnie, and Their Useless Men"? It's so great that all the original regular cast members are back... I can't wait for it to air!
【Sister Doukou F】
Oh yeah, there's a member of IOI among the regular cast, so they're kind of WK1's seniors, right? I used to watch Produce 101 and it brought tears to my eyes... I've been a victim of Ment-style variety shows for so long, but watching Coldy now is really enjoyable.
【Sister Doukou G】
I felt it was a pity that Kim Se-jeong became an actress. I thought she would have been great as an idol. This variety show has Daesung, Kwang-soo, Kim Se-hyun, Oh Se-hun... It feels like my youth has returned. Fighting, Coldy!
*
This season of "Busted!" features the return of the regular cast members from the first season, including Ahn Jae-wook, a first-generation Hallyu heartthrob. The other cast members are Yoo Jae-suk, Lee Kwang-soo, Park Min-young, Oh Se-hun, Kim Se-jeong, and Kim Jong-min.
Lee Seung-gi, who joined in the second season and is the host of "Shining World," was one of the original regular guests. He was very popular in South Korea, but his new wife, whom he married this year, is the daughter of a notorious fraudster. He even wrote a long article to "plead for justice" for his wife, and his popularity has plummeted. Therefore, Netflix kicked him out and brought back the original cast.
Jiang Tinghan was very excited when she accepted the invitation to the variety show. She liked this kind of challenging variety show and immediately shared the good news with Kwon Ji-yong.
Kwon Ji-yong: [It'll definitely be a lot of fun, but be careful not to get hurt.]
Jiang Tinghan: [kkk No, my character this time is a girl with a leg disability, so a wheelchair will suffice.]
Kwon Ji-yong: [This is really difficult. I remember this show has these kinds of obstacle courses. If you can't use your legs, you'll have to ask the other regular guests for help.]
Jiang Tinghan: [Yeah, there might be some mud pits... I saw the video of Yoo Jae-suk and Lee Kwang-soo fighting in the mud pit, they kept falling off the board into the mud.]
Kwon Ji-yong was silent for a few seconds when he saw the mud pit. He recalled some bad memories. When he first appeared on Running Man, he was considered a heartthrob, but in the end, he rolled around in the mud pit without any regard for his image. Back then, he had the white hair that was easiest to color.
Horrible...absolutely terrifying!
He didn't want to see his girlfriend follow in his footsteps, so he could only pray that the "The Culprit Is You" program team would treat Jiang Tinghan better.
He comforted you, saying, "It's okay, it shouldn't happen. I think since you've been given a disability, this episode should focus more on intellectual challenges."
Ah...that's a bit of a shame. I think mud pits are quite fun. When I was little, I often stepped in mud when I helped my grandparents farm. I was hoping to relive my childhood.
Kwon Ji-yong was somewhat shocked to see that Jiang Tinghan, a person who was so clean, was eager to try his luck in the mud. This kid was even more thrill-seeking than him.
【Sweetie, your hobby is quite unique. You helped your family with chores when you were little, which shows you're very filial. I don't think I've ever experienced farming. Was it wheat?】
[The muddy ground is for rice paddies, and the marshland also has reeds, water chestnuts, and other crops. There are many kinds of crops. Next time you come to my house, Oppa, I can show you around.]
Quan Zhilong pictured himself as a farmer with hundreds of acres of land, and looking at Jiang Tinghan's slightly excited tone, he felt that trying it would be quite interesting.
Moreover—Jiang Tinghan directly invited him home! He wanted to meet Jiang Tinghan's parents!
Okay! When you're on vacation, take me to your house. (Cat cupping its face.JPG)
Jiang Tinghan's eyes crinkled slightly upon seeing the message. "Great! We'll have another strong man to help with the harvest."
[Inner~]
She also unknowingly caught Kwon Ji-yong's habit of using "~".
Kwon Ji-yong checked the regular cast members of the show, and they were all safe, except—
He stared at this junior from EXO, his feelings becoming complicated again.
Why is there another male idol? He's the kind of handsome male idol that fans jokingly say should be printed on the South Korean flag.
This August was terrible for him.
Kwon Ji-yong recalled the music video that had given him a heart attack before, and now it's back again!
On August 8th, he only sent Jiang Tinghan a birthday greeting text message because the company was keeping a close watch on them that day. But it didn't matter, they had already arranged to meet on Kwon Ji-yong's birthday.
Now, Kwon Ji-yong lives by counting down the days until his birthday, like a carrot dangling in front of a donkey.
Ah... hurry up and get here, hurry up and get here, he's going to go crazy if he doesn't see his girlfriend soon.
Kwon Ji-yong leaned back on the sofa, his black hair, which covered the tattoo on the back of his neck, was folded up, and a few strands slid down his neck, taking on a slightly spicy smell from the smoke coming out of the Marlboro cigarettes.
The embers of the cigarette between my fingers flickered, and after my fitness journey had teetered between success and failure, my attempt to quit smoking was also on the verge of failure.
Every time he hears the song "Always You," his craving for cigarettes kicks in.
Jiang Tinghan was just like Marlboro, making him addicted.
Forget it, I'm not going to stay home anymore!
Kwon Ji-yong, on his deathbed, suddenly sat up and remembered that someone in the group had mentioned where there were birthday support events for Coldy in Seoul. There seemed to be quite a few near Hongdae, so he decided to go out and take a look.
He drew back the curtains and looked outside. The apartment on the top floor of Hannam-dong had a perfect view of the large screen at Gwanghwamun.
Jiang Tinghan's face also appeared on it. It was a short edit of the initial stage of "SW" plus the four public performance stages. Each performance was different, but the editing was very smooth. After turning around on one stage, it could be seamlessly transitioned to another stage. From naivety to maturity, in just a dozen seconds, you could see Jiang Tinghan's growth and changes during the talent show. It was like a Coldy growth report prepared for parents and passersby.
His face was breathtakingly beautiful on the big screen, and countless people stopped to watch it without Kwon Ji-yong's knowledge.
I think I saw this big screen support on Instagram when I was browsing the Korean trending topics. Apparently, there's also a light show at Namsan Tower. Fans really love Coldy.
The short video contained both Chinese and Korean text, which Kwon Ji-yong thought meant something similar: "Happy Birthday Coldy0808," since he recognized the Chinese characters for "happy."
He's been learning Chinese all along!
He leisurely finished a cigarette, drank a small glass of beer, changed his clothes, and went out.
*
This is the magical Hotwind Island, where three out of the four seasons are summer. Most of the residents make a living by fishing and have little contact with the outside world. It is a peaceful and prosperous place where people live and work in peace.
It's actually a small, inhabited island near Geoje Island, a popular tourist destination in South Korea.
The detective team came to Hotwind Island for a team-building activity because it hosts the annual "Ocean Opera Festival." The festival lasts for seven days, and the detective team planned to leave on the third day. However, they were unexpectedly caught in a typhoon, which blocked all access to the outside world, forcing them to stay for a few more days.
But the island's residents have long been accustomed to this situation and continue to live their lives in an orderly manner; banquets are even being held at the Ocean Opera House in the center of the island.
The host of the banquet was a famous wealthy man on the island. Hearing that a detective team that had solved many strange cases had come to his island, he invited the detective team to the banquet, seemingly to entrust them with something.
The wealthy man stood on the second floor, looking down at the guests below, and raised his wine glass high: "A toast to our former soprano genius, Ms. Yin Suya! Even though she has passed away, her voice and her 'Requiem for the Sea' still remain in our hearts."
The others also raised their glasses filled with wine or other beverages, and the detective team looked left and right, but could only follow suit.
Looking at the heartbroken-looking millionaire, they asked with great curiosity, "Who is this Yin Suya?"
Yoo Jae-suk: "Hey, didn't I just say she's a genius soprano? She's a singer, right?"
Lee Kwang-soo immediately challenged Yoo Jae-suk: "Everyone knows that. I want to know the story behind it. The request must be related to this lady, right?"
Yoo Jae-suk feigned annoyance: "That's obvious. The rich man wouldn't bring that up for no reason."
Park Min-young: "Oppas, stop arguing, why don't we just go ask the rich man directly?"
The two men, their faces full of resentment, suppressed the urge to argue and led the detective team in a grand procession to the wealthy man.
We've got a job!
After exchanging pleasantries, the wealthy man told them the story of Yoon So-ah.
Ten years ago, a young female singer named Yoon So-ah performed her original work, "Requiem for the Sea," at the most anticipated gala performance of the Ocean Opera Festival, right on the stage directly opposite on the second floor.
The wealthy man turned around and pointed to the terrace outside on the second floor: "But at the celebration banquet after the performance, she committed suicide by jumping off this terrace."
"But strangely, her composition, 'Requiem for the Sea,' has disappeared. I greatly admire Miss Suya's abilities, and this matter has always been a knot in my heart, keeping me up at night for the past ten years. So I would like to ask you to help me investigate."
"Did Suya really commit suicide?"
The mission has been assigned, and the detective team should get to work. However, before that, Yoo Jae-suk has a question: "This is a theater, and there's a stage, but why aren't there any seats for watching the performance?"
They started out on a very flat floor, unlike the usual densely packed rows of seats in a theater.
The wealthy man was about to answer when he swayed and clutched his forehead, looking unwell.
"I'm going to rest now. If you want to know anything, just ask my daughter."
"Daughter? Sir, where is your daughter?" The detective team immediately looked around.
The wealthy man said, "She should be back soon. You'll recognize her as my daughter as soon as you see her. She went through some things recently, so she looks a little different from other people."
"Bang!" A sudden clap of thunder sounded outside the theater, and a blinding flash of white light illuminated the dimly lit interior. A torrential downpour began.
The weather suddenly turned bad, and many guests on the first floor were already rushing home.
Kim Jong-min: "Ah...we are Detective Ahn, did you drive here?"
Ahn Jae-wook looked completely bewildered: "This is an unfamiliar island, how could I possibly drive?"
Lee Kwang-soo: "The former detective is still as useless as ever."
Ahn Jae-wook: "Hey!"
Wu Sehun suddenly raised his hand: "I have it."
Lee Kwang-soo: "Our young people are more reliable."
Wu Shixun: "It's just a bicycle, I borrowed it from the old lady I was staying with."
Lee Kwang-soo: "What? What good is a bicycle? Can it shelter so many of us from the wind and rain?"
Kim Se-jeong immediately burst out laughing.
The wealthy man kindly said, "Then the detective team members can stay here for the night. The opera house and my residence are connected. Go through that door to find the housekeeper, and she will take you to rest."
The millionaire left, leaving the detective team bewildered. They went back to the first floor first.
Guests came and went, and the door opened and closed repeatedly. Suddenly, Ahn Jae-wook looked out the door and said, "Wait a minute, I think I heard a cry for help?"
Yoo Jae-suk raised his hand in a "shh" gesture, approached the door, and listened quietly for a moment.
Indeed, a cry for help, "Is anyone there? Help me! Is anyone there?" could be heard outside the door.
Yoo Jae-suk flung open the door and saw a girl in a wheelchair frantically pushing her wheelchair, stuck in the mud, along a wet path in the middle of the forest, but she couldn't budge it no matter what she did.
She had no umbrella, only a raincoat, and looked very thin, as if she would be swallowed up by the torrential rain.
Viewers who saw this part already had a premonition and started flooding the screen with comments.
Is it Coldy? Yes!
[I never expected this kind of entrance!]
Oh, poor thing, hurry and help her!
"Oh dear, there really is someone here. Does anyone have an umbrella?" Yoo Jae-suk immediately became anxious.
Park Min-young pointed to the door: "It's here!"
Lee Kwang-soo: "Wow, detective, you're finally doing something useful."
Oh Sehun: "Hyung, now is not the time to talk about this."
The men in the detective team quickly grabbed umbrellas and rescued the girl, pushing her inside.
As she came into view in the light, the girl's features became clearer. She had long, flowing black hair that cascaded like seaweed, making her face appear even paler against the backdrop of her black hair. Her features were exceptionally delicate, like a masterpiece sculpted by God, but she looked somewhat sickly.
His hands were placed obediently on his lap, clasped together, and he looked somewhat restrained.
So beautiful, another day I'm blown away by Coldy's beauty.
[There's a wheelchair, is this part of the character design for a girl in a wheelchair?]
[A highly intelligent girl in a wheelchair, hehe, she's quite attractive.]
She looks a bit delicate now, like she needs my protection. Unnie, let me be your bodyguard!
Count me in!
Lee Kwang-soo was quite wet, but when he touched the water on the umbrella and then touched the girl's raincoat, he exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, this water is actually warm!"
"Hey, Kwangsoo, what's wrong with you?" Yoo Jae-suk couldn't help but laugh. "She's been soaked like this, and you don't care about her status or what happened? Do you want our lady to be drenched in cold water?!"
Lee Kwang-soo said honestly, "No, it's strange that it rains warm water instead of cold water..."
A flurry of "hahahahaha" comments immediately flooded the screen.
【Kwangsoo, what's with your focus?!】
So, was it artificial rain created by the production team? lol
[The expert is right, what if the freezing rain makes our Coldy catch a cold?]
Thankfully, it's hot summer now.
Jiang Tinghan remained indifferent, unmoved by their jokes.
"Don't worry about the details!" Kim Jong-min took a step forward, standing in front of Jiang Tinghan, and pulled out his notebook. "Who are you? Why are you here?"
Jiang Tinghan almost blurted out, "Oh my god, I'm Coldy from Lumera," but she managed to control herself with her professionalism: "I'm the daughter of the owner of this theater."
The theater owner... isn't he a wealthy businessman?
Kim Se-jeong: "So you're the daughter of a wealthy businessman?"
After observing Jiang Tinghan for a while, and combining this with what the wealthy merchant had just said, everyone decided to take a closer look.
"Something happened recently" → Car accident?
"Different from ordinary people" → wheelchair?
It seems like everything matches up?
Jiang Tinghan nodded: "Yes, my name is Jiang's daughter."
Detective Club: ...What a perfunctory name!
"You can also call me Miss Jiang, or Coldy. I studied abroad, and this is my English name."
Lee Kwang-soo: "Coldy is a much nicer name than Jiang's daughter."
Kim Jong-min: Yes.
Jiang Tinghan smiled faintly: "I really like the name Jiang's daughter. I can feel the love that Uncle has for me."
Lee Kwang-soo, who had casually made a remark that hit a nerve with others, quickly shut his mouth in embarrassment.
[Hahaha, Kwangsoo, watch your mouth! You'll get yourself into trouble.]
[I guessed she was a wealthy businessman's daughter as soon as she appeared, but there are so many suspicious points.]
“Okay, Coldyxi,” Yoo Jae-suk readily changed his tune, asking the question the audience wanted to know, “But why are you there alone? Didn’t you just get back? Don’t you have a driver or anything?”
"Yes." Jiang Tinghan kept her hands on her thighs. Because she was sitting and surrounded by them, she had to look up, looking very well-behaved.
"But you saw the layout here when you came, right? Cars can't drive in on this road. The parking lot is on the other side, so I asked the driver to park there. I thought it was only a few dozen meters, and it wouldn't be too much trouble to push it over myself. But I didn't expect the road to be so slippery that we got stuck in the mud."
She still seemed a little shaken, patting her chest: "Luckily I didn't fall straight down; it was a small slope there."
Jiang Tinghan's explanation sounded reasonable and dispelled some of the detectives' doubts.
Park Min-young jotted down a few keywords, squatted down in front of Jiang Tinghan, and looked her in the eye: "Coldyxi, why are you only showing up now? The banquet is almost over. Did something happen that delayed you?"
Jiang Tinghan said with regret, "That's because I just came back from the dock, and it's only been twenty minutes since I arrived on the island. As you all saw, I couldn't walk, let alone fly, so I had to miss this banquet."
The detective team exchanged glances for a few seconds, each seeing confusion in the other's eyes.
Wu Sehun: "Wait a minute, isn't it typhoon season? Are all flight routes suspended?"
“It’s impossible to land on the island at this time…” Lee Kwang-soo continued, “Miss Coldy, you’re really dishonest, lying to our faces.”
Jiang Tinghan faced the suspicious gazes cast upon him by the group of detectives.
"Publicly operated cruise lines have been suspended, so I came back on my family's private cruise ship. Before this rain, the weather was quite nice today. The cruise ship is still docked at the pier. If you have any questions, you can go and take a look."
Lee Kwang-soo: "..."
Sorry to bother you.
Having humiliated himself twice, he decided to remain silent.
Yoo Jae-suk: "Ah...that makes sense, after all, she's a young lady."
Kim Jong-min: "There's a theater, a mansion, and possibly even a cruise ship."
Upon hearing Kim Jong-min's words, Yoo Jae-suk suddenly remembered something: "Oh right, Coldyxi, your father told us we can ask you any questions we have... I forgot to introduce ourselves, we are detectives invited by your father to investigate the truth behind Yoon So-ah's death."
How come this child doesn't know anything but obediently answers all their questions?
"Yin Suya?" Jiang Tinghan was clearly taken aback for a moment, but his expression quickly returned to normal. "I don't know much about what happened back then. I was very young at the time, but I will tell you everything I know."
Yoo Jae-suk: "Then may I ask why this place, which is clearly a theater, has no seats and has been turned into a reception area?"
"That's right. After Miss Yoon So-ah committed suicide here, there were rumors that her ghost was still lingering here. As a result, fewer and fewer people came to the theater, and it soon went bankrupt due to poor management. My father took over the theater three years ago. It is not usually open to the public, but occasionally he will invite friends to have a party."
"The original reception room was behind this door, but because the second floor there was converted into our living area, the first floor became like our own living room, and it wasn't good for people to come and go. So we removed the chairs here so that friends from all over the world could gather here to enjoy meals together. Occasionally, we would also invite some famous artists to perform."
"For example, Exo, IOI, Lumera, and so on."
Upon hearing their (former) group name, Oh Sehun and Kim Sejeong both smiled and nodded along with everyone else to indicate that they understood.
Ahn Jae-wook summarized: "It's like the front half of this building is for public use, and the back half is for private use."
Jiang Tinghan: "Yes."
"But when Miss Yoon So-ah committed suicide, the theater was still the same as before, so everyone held a celebration banquet in the hall behind the door."
Kim Se-jeong: "That's very strange. Did Yoon So-ah show up at the celebration party? Or did she disappear after the performance?"
Jiang Tinghan: "I didn't see it with my own eyes, but my father said that she was there and even clinked glasses with several bosses besides my father."
Yoo Jae-suk glanced at the route from the first-floor entrance to the second-floor terrace: "It's not a short walk, and she has to go upstairs. Why would she deliberately walk through the empty theater to the dark terrace?"
Jiang Tinghan: "I think there are two possibilities. One is that she wanted to go stargazing, because there is a telescope on the terrace, and the sky is always beautiful from here. The other possibility is that she arranged to meet someone here to talk."
Park Min-young: "That makes a lot of sense."
Yoo Jae-suk narrowed his small eyes: "So, you don't think Ms. Yoon So-ah committed suicide either?"
Jiang Tinghan: "Yes, because my father said that Miss Yin Suya is a very sunny person. She is about to perform at the International Grand Theatre. Her future is bright. There is no reason for her to commit suicide at this time."
Lee Kwang-soo couldn't hold back any longer: "Is it possible that she drank too much, stumbled onto the terrace, and then lost her footing and fell, causing this tragedy?"
The others all wore speechless expressions.
Lee Kwang-soo defended himself, saying, "No, didn't Coldyxi just say that Yoon So-ah drank several glasses with the bosses? If she has a low alcohol tolerance, that's entirely possible."
Yoo Jae-suk retorted, "Think about it, although the floor is flat now, there must have been many steps in the theater back then. You would have to go up another flight of stairs to get there. A drunk person would have tripped and fallen halfway up."
Lee Kwang-soo said weakly, "That's not necessarily true... Maybe she's just really good at climbing stairs."
Jiang Tinghan shook his head: "No, Miss Yin Suya never drinks alcohol or beverages to protect her voice. She must have been drinking special ginseng tea at the time."
Yoo Jae-suk: "Was the ginseng tea tested afterwards? Were there any unknown ingredients?"
Jiang Tinghan frowned: "I don't know about that, I'll have to ask my father."
“My father should be resting in his room on the second floor right now. I can take you to him, but I'll have to trouble you to push me, as this wheelchair doesn't seem to work well when pushed by hand.”
Lee Kwang-soo muttered under his breath, "It's probably because there's mud on the wheels and they don't want to touch them."
Jiang Tinghan lifted her eyelids and glanced at him indifferently.
He immediately shut up, not knowing how he could be intimidated by a junior.
Finally, this tiring task was handed over to the youngest member, Oh Sehun, who stood behind Jiang Tinghan and placed his hands on the wheelchair.
Jiang Tinghan said softly, "Thank you for your hard work."
Wu Sehun smiled and said, "It's nothing."
Pushing open that Pandora's door, everyone saw a very magnificent hall. Yoo Jae-suk looked around and asked curiously, "Where's the butler?"
Kim Jong-min: "Really, there's not a single person here."
Jiang Tinghan: "I may have lost the ability to serve others. At every banquet, some of my father's good friends would stay overnight."
They dispelled their doubts and took the indoor elevator to the second floor. Following Jiang Tinghan's instructions, they arrived at the wealthy man's room.
I knocked on the door, but no one answered.
"Excuse me, sir, your daughter is back... We apologize for the intrusion, but we're coming in." Yoo Jae-suk opened the door; the lights were on, but no one was inside.
Jiang Tinghan suddenly said, "Ah... then it might be in another audio-visual room."
"It's in the room at the very end of this place."
So the group moved on to another location and knocked on the door of the home theater again, but still no one answered.
But this time, when I turned the doorknob, it was locked.
"Coldyxi, do you have a key to this room?"
Jiang Tinghan: "No, only my father has the key... but he's gone now. Should we kick the door open?"
Detective Boys: "?!"
"May I?"
Jiang Tinghan smiled: "I don't think so... Go ask the housekeeper, she might know where the key is."
Just then, a loud shout suddenly came from inside the door: "Don't make another mistake!"
The voice sounds like that of a wealthy man.
Immediately following was the sound of a heavy object falling to the ground, like someone collapsing to the ground.
"!!!"
Something terrible has happened!!!
-----------------------
Author's Note: *A lame joke I saw on xhs
Corpse Brother is in position
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