At seven o'clock, the housekeeper brought bad news.

Because of the typhoon, the police could not go to the island temporarily, and Mermaid Island was also within the expected typhoon range. In other words, the local police could not be counted on for at least 24 hours.

"Damn it!" Si Yingjie's suppressed emotions surged up again, and he said irritably, "What about Xiaoxiao? Who will investigate the case?"

"Brother Yingjie, calm down." Jian Jing pushed him back into the chair and calmed down, "The police can't come for the time being, so we will investigate it ourselves."

Kang Mucheng said in a deep voice: "Yingjie, cheer up, you are the host, you have to take charge of the situation."

Si Yingjie held his head and asked after a while: "What do you want to do?"

Jian Jing said slowly: "We need to find out what everyone did last night to see if there is an alibi." Knowing that Si Yingjie is in a bad situation now, she spoke in great detail, "From seven o'clock last night to six o'clock this morning, where were you, what did you do, and who can prove it." She

added, "I have already asked the staff, they live in the staff dormitory, and they can all testify to each other."

Therefore, if there is a murderer, it must be among the guests.

-

Time goes back to yesterday.

After they parted at the restaurant at noon, everyone went their separate ways.

Si Yingjie said he wanted to teach Jian Jing how to play billiard, so he asked Kang Mucheng to join him, and the three of them spent time in the billiard room until four o'clock. When the sun was not so strong, they went to the infinity pool.

There, they met Ah Xu and Coach Yin.

When asked about the whereabouts of the others, Ah Xu said, "Yaoyao and Xiaoxiao said they wanted to make snacks. Elena and Mr. Zong have not been seen."

The five of them played by the pool until after six o'clock, and then went to the restaurant for dinner.

Because of the embarrassment that everyone knew, they did not start eating at the same time.

Si Yingjie had just mentioned the restaurant, and not long after they started eating, Yang Xiao said that she was not feeling well and wanted to go back to rest. Yaoyao then said that he would take her back to her room.

This was the last time everyone saw her, and the time was seven o'clock.

Afterwards, Yaoyao returned to the restaurant, joined her friends at the table, and let her friends taste the snacks she made with Yang Xiao in the afternoon.

At half past seven, Elena showed up.

She changed her clothes and claimed that she went for a walk in the mountains in the afternoon, returned to her room for a nap at around two o'clock, and woke up at five o'clock. She took a shower and had a spa before coming to eat.

After chatting for a few words, Si Yingjie and Kang Mucheng left, and the two went back to their rooms alone to drink.

Jian Jing wanted to leave time for the couple to chat privately, and did not follow them - she didn't want to stay with the two parents anymore - and chose to stay and play cards.

This was Elena's suggestion.

But as a couple, Axu and Coach Yin wanted to watch a movie together and do some embarrassing things, so they declined.

This is nothing, three people can play Landlord, but at this time, Zong Xunmei appeared and asked with a smile: "If you play poker, how about including me?"

Everyone turned around and saw him standing under the crystal lamp, his eyebrows slightly opened, his eyes dim, as if he was looking at you, but after a closer look, it seems that he actually doesn't care about anyone.

"Welcome." Elena raised her red lips and asked Jian Jing and Yaoyao, "What are the four of us playing?"

Yaoyao said: "I know a little bit, but I'm not very proficient in any of them."

Jian Jing: "...I only know blackjack."

Elena changed her words: "Then let's play mahjong."

"You also know how to play mahjong?" Yaoyao was surprised.

"Games know no borders." Elena asked the housekeeper to bring a set of mahjong and played it very well. "Miss Jian, can you play? It doesn't matter if you don't, I'll teach you."

Jian Jing couldn't help laughing.

"Why, you don't believe it?" Elena glanced at her.

Jian Jing said, "No, I just think your tone is very similar to Brother Yingjie."

"Oh? After all, we are husband and wife, so it's normal to be similar." She said casually.

Jian Jing smiled and said nothing more.

Mahjong was not played very smoothly, no, to be precise, it was a mess.

The rules were complicated and there were many tricks. The other three people played cards very quickly, but it took her a long time to play. She played a card randomly based on her feeling, and she lost twice out of three times.

After a few rounds, Elena couldn't help but tease: "Miss Jian, you're still playing like this even though someone fed you the cards. Your level is really bad." After

a year of rebirth, Jian Jing's acting skills have also improved by leaps and bounds, and she was surprised to hear: "Did I play badly? I thought I played well."

Elena held her chin with one hand, rubbing the mahjong tiles with her fingertips, half seriously and half jokingly: "Look at Mr. Zong, he's in a mess. It's more tiring to let others take the cards than to win yourself."

"I can't say I'm tired." Zong Xunmei leaned back in her chair, looked up at Jian Jing across from her, with a smile on her lips and bright eyes, "Anyway, I don't want to win money."

Jian Jing pretended to be confused and said hesitantly, "I don't understand what you are talking about."

Yaoyao covered her mouth and smiled, "Hurry up and play the cards, it's your turn."

She lowered her head, her scallion-white fingertips slid back and forth on the mahjong tiles, and finally made up her mind and played one.

"Oh, I won." Elena smiled like a flower, "Thank you."

Jian Jing: "... again."

She washed her hands and changed to a glass of low-alcohol sparkling wine, and played again.

Around nine or ten o'clock, her luck improved and she had some experience. With Zong Xunmei's crazy feeding of cards, Jian Jing finally won.

"No more fighting." Elena stretched her waist, her curves were exquisite, "One is a rookie, and the other

is a slacker, it's boring, I'd better go drink." She stood up, stood in front of the window and looked out for a while, pointed to a terrace on a higher ground and asked, "Is it nice to watch the stars there?"

Yaoyao smiled and said, "Yes, the view is particularly good."

"Then I'll go and appreciate the night sky." Elena turned around and said to Yaoyao, "Do you want to go together? Leave the place for someone - after all, what they want to win is not money."

If it's not money, then it's naturally heart. Yaoyao was very interested and smiled and said, "Okay, it's a good time to go out and take a breath."

The two of them took the wine and ice bucket and blatantly slipped away.

"Would you like a drink?" Zong Xunmei looked at Jian Jing, her smile deepening. "You care about me a lot, don't you?"

Jian Jing pursed her lips.

Yes, she was indeed very curious about him, but it was not the kind of romantic feelings between a man and a woman, but a strange intuition - the way Zong Xunmei acted was not in line with him.

Of course, this feeling was very subtle, between existence and non-existence, like a street lamp in a foggy sky, looming, and only catching a glimpse of the reflection of water droplets.

Jian Jing believed in her intuition, but did not want to reveal too much. She turned her head to avoid his sight and did not admit: "No."

Zong Xunmei said leisurely: "Don't worry, I'm not a bad person."

These words startled her, and after hesitating for a while, she followed him into the bar.

Zong Xunmei said a few words to the bartender, and the other party smiled and left, leaving the huge space for the two of them.

Jian Jing remained calm: "What did you tell him?"

"Tell him that it's time to go home." Zong Xunmei went to the back of the bar and looked through the available drinks. "What do you want to drink, Margaret? Pretty in Pink?"

"What is this? I've never heard of it." Jian Jing said casually, "I want butter beer."

Zong Xunmei chuckled: "It's really a little girl's taste."

She said: "Don't you know?"

"This is not a big deal." He said, found a small pot for hot milk, turned on the induction cooker, took out the butter from the refrigerator to melt, added a little brown sugar and cream, stirred it, and then poured in the beer. After stirring evenly, pour it into the cup, whip the cream, slowly pour a layer on it, and sprinkle with cinnamon powder.

"Here." Zong Xunmei pushed the cup in front of her, "Be careful of the heat." Jian

Jing took a sip and swallowed it after a while.

It tasted so strange.

But she couldn't let down the order she had placed.

She acted calmly, thinking that she had well-controlled facial muscles and shouldn't have shown any strange expression. However, Zong Xunmei handed over another newly mixed cocktail, the famous Bloody Mary.

"Half price for the second one?" she asked.

"You'll like this." He asked meaningfully, "It looks like you, doesn't it." Jian

Jing

raised her eyebrows. Zong Xunmei smiled at the corners of his eyes: "She looks gorgeous, as beautiful as a peach, and very cute, but behind her is blood and murderous intent." He said slowly, "Am I right, Miss Jian Jing, the mystery novelist who helped the police solve many murders?"

She narrowed her eyes instantly.

Ji Feng told her that for security reasons, anyone who helped the police solve a case would only have a number in the file, and only a few people would be able to check their identity.

How did Zong Xunmei know that?

She was a little surprised, but also felt relieved that her guess had been confirmed - he was indeed not a simple person.

"Oh, you mean that." Jian Jing kept her composure, her expression calm, and admitted, "It's just an amateur hobby. But how did you know that? I don't remember telling anyone."

"Even a passing goose leaves traces. As long as you are careful, the answer will be clear." Zong Xunmei said.

Jian Jing complained in her heart: You are talking nonsense.

She took the initiative: "That makes sense, just like some people who say they are photographers, but they don't look like photographers at all."

"I'd like to hear more about it."

Jian Jing shrugged, but she didn't talk as eloquently as before - not because she didn't want to, but because she couldn't. The intermediate observation card is enough to deal with most people, but when it comes to a master of disguise like Zong Xunmei, it's a bit stretched. She can only detect the difference, but it's hard to explain why. Zong Xunmei

raised his glass, took a sip of the cold whiskey, and hid the smile on his lips: "It seems to be just a feeling."

At this point, Jian Jing had two choices: either admit it again, show weakness to him, and see if she can use her beauty to get him to talk, or force herself not to admit it, because he couldn't do anything to her anyway.

She didn't want to show weakness, and she felt that with her looks, she would inevitably be fighting against a rock with an egg. As they were hesitating, there were light footsteps at the door.

"Hey, isn't the bartender here?" Yaoyao came in and said, "I want some cold beer."

Zong Xunmei opened the refrigerator and took out a can of cold beer: "Anything else?"

"Elena is a little drunk, I think she should drink something with a lower alcohol content." Yaoyao smiled, and a shallow dimple appeared on her cheek, "You guys continue."

It was 10:40 p.m. Ten

minutes later, the internal phone rang. It was Axu, who asked the bartender to send over the ice cream and vodka. But after hearing Zong Xunmei's voice, he took the initiative to say that he would come and get it.

A moment later, he came alone, chatted with them for a few words, and took away the ice cream and vodka.

It was 11:05.

Jian Jing finished Bloody Mary and was a little tipsy.

"You're a little drunk." Zong Xunmei poured her a cup of Coke, "Drink this."

Jian Jing was ready to stop talking, but Zong Xunmei started talking again: "Let me think, when did you notice my... oh, lemon."

He smiled again, with some mischief hidden in his eyes, but without any malice, like a lover's whisper, gentle and a little charming, but without murderous intent.

Moreover, leaving the topic after it started, it would be like running away.

Jian Jing had no choice but to take the Coke, intending to use the caffeine to wake up, but she didn't know that at this time, the victory or defeat was obvious.

This was an extraordinary opponent. She was clearly on guard against him, but her vigilance was dissolved unconsciously - and this was not her fault at all.

His words were so humorous and his demeanor was so intimate that even the most dull woman could feel the temptation everywhere from him.

Not only that.

For several hours, he did not touch her limbs once, including her fingers, hair, shoulders, and of course the more suggestive legs. He always kept a distance, showing a sense of polite gentleman.

This kind of seduction was decent and relaxing, without the slightest sense of invasion and offense, and full of hormones. It was absolutely pure charm of the opposite sex.

He was also really good at chatting, like a good novelist, throwing out one topic after another, just right, stimulating people's desire to express themselves.

Being listened to, understood, attracted, and affirmed.

Then at some point, he passed out drunk at the bar.

It was very sudden, she felt that she was still conscious one second ago, and when she woke up the next second, she was already in a new environment.

She struggled to sit up and saw that the clock in the room showed 12:45.

"You're drunk," he said. "Go to sleep."

Her remaining consciousness told her that this was not her room and she had to leave.

But Zong Xunmei just held the back of her head and let her rest on the soft pillow. Her body thought it had returned to a resting environment and fell into sleep.

When she woke up at 5:20 the next day,

the message released by the system was hanging in front of her.

[Mission name: Murder in a love triangle]

[Mission description: With blue sky and white clouds, blue sea and sandy beaches, the tropical island ushered in an unprecedented Shura field. Under the spell of love, the murderous intent is approaching step by step. Whose hands are already stained with blood? Please find out the truth on the island]

[Mission rewards and punishments: Success will reward 30 courage points, and failure will not be punished]