TEFSCBSS Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Death by Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?

Su Li’s eyes darted around before she suddenly pretended to notice Zhao Si for the first time. Pointing at him, she announced to the crowd, “See that? Zhao Si over there was one of the participants in the competition. Why don’t you ask him about it?”

The crowd whipped their heads around. They’d already felt Zhao Si’s behavior seemed off, and now it all made sense—this guy had been a top-tier participant in the “pooping contest” back in the day. What a player, and so young too.

Zhao Si wiped the sweat from his forehead. He’d known his boss, Su Li, couldn’t resist dragging him into her theatrics.

The crowd quickly swarmed around Zhao Si, eager for more details. Meanwhile, Han Yueyi lingered in place, watching Su Li with her quirky demeanor. For some reason, an inexplicable sense of regret welled up within him.

In a quiet voice, he said, “Zhao Gongzi… or should I say, Su Li?”

Well, there went her cover. She hadn’t expected her subpar disguise skills to fool anyone for long, but getting recognized by her fiancé on her first day of business? That was more than a little unlucky.

“You can call me Zhao Boss. When out and about, please don’t mind the small details.”

Han Yueyi nodded in understanding. He’d wanted to ask about her situation, but Wang Bokao interrupted by grabbing him from behind in a bear hug.

“Hey, Little Third! What are you still doing here? They’re getting to the juicy part of the story over there!”

Unable to break free, Han Yueyi let himself be dragged to Zhao Si’s side.

Su Li watched the two young men, lively and full of energy, and couldn’t help sighing to herself. Look at them, so full of life. And yet, how did they end up being called “Little Third” and “Little Fourth”? People are more complex than they appear!

“My late buddy had no other skills, but man, could he drink!” Zhao Si began, vividly recounting the tale. “In our village, he was famous for being able to hold his liquor—practically invincible after a thousand cups!”

“But who knew that on his wedding day, a few sips of wine would get him drunk enough to be stumbling around, agreeing to whatever anyone said.”

The crowd perked up at this revelation. If the groom was such a heavy drinker, how could a couple of drinks at the wedding have knocked him out like that?

Han Yueyi and Wang Bokao, on the other hand, had more sinister suspicions. Growing up in noble households, they were all too familiar with the underhanded tactics people used. The groom was likely drugged.

The two exchanged a glance but kept their thoughts to themselves for now. There were still too many unanswered questions: the silver hairpin in the chest, the locked outhouse, and the murderer’s whereabouts.

Amid the murmurs, Liu Tuhu’s voice rang out, “How drunk was he exactly? Did someone help him to the outhouse?”

Zhao Si’s eyes lit up. Now that was the right question.

“He was really out of it. We tried to stop him, but he wouldn’t listen. He shoved us off and staggered toward the middle outhouse all by himself.”

“Oh, right!” Zhao Si smacked his forehead. “I almost forgot! My buddy had a peculiar habit—he hated even numbers and only liked odd ones. It was all about being able to pick the exact middle of something. Whether it was a folding fan at a street stall or a miscellaneous book at the shop, he always went for the middle.”

Han Yueyi froze in shock. How odd… That’s just like me.

Wang Bokao glanced at Han Yueyi, his expression a mix of amusement and disbelief. He leaned in close and whispered, “Hey, do you think this groom who died in the outhouse is based on you?”

Ridiculous! Wang Bokao didn’t believe for a second that this was Su Li’s real-life experience. She probably made it up after reading too many fictional tales. Still, she had the guts to use Han Yueyi as material.

Han Yueyi’s odd quirks weren’t new to him. Back when they were kids, he’d occasionally show this obsession with odd numbers and symmetry. But after his mother’s death, Han Yueyi suppressed all his preferences and habits to avoid giving others leverage against him.

The only people who knew about this were Wang Bokao, Su Li, and one other childhood companion.

Wang Bokao looked like he’d stumbled onto the juiciest gossip of the century. Practically bouncing with excitement, he said, “Don’t worry, buddy! I’ll get to the bottom of your cause of death! Hahaha!”

Han Yueyi stared at him, expressionless. With a friendship like this, it was hard to know how to feel.

Still, knowing about the deceased groom’s peculiar habits did start to clear up some of the mystery.

After hearing Zhao Si’s account, Wang Qingmu frowned. “So you’re saying he would’ve insisted on using the middle outhouse, no matter what?”

“That’s right! Whether drunk or not, he would have gone to the middle outhouse no matter what,” Zhao Si recalled. “But that habit of his was only known to a few close friends like us. Nobody else would have noticed.”

Wang Qingmu nodded thoughtfully. “It seems, then, that the culprit must be among those who knew about this habit.”

“Wait, Scholar Wang! Don’t go accusing innocent people!” Zhao Si protested. “It’s been years since this happened. I’m just a humble servant now—how could I possibly be the culprit?”

Liu Tuhu grinned at Zhao Si. “You never know.”

“You—you all…”

Poor Zhao Si. Why did he have to be cast as the bad guy in this story?

Wang Qingmu shot a glare at Liu Tuhu. If they scared off a key witness, how were they supposed to solve the case? Clearing his throat, Wang Qingmu softened his tone. “No one is accusing you. He’s just running his mouth. Besides, identifying the culprit isn’t the most important thing right now. Aside from you and Zhao Boss, we don’t even know the backstories or names of the others involved. The key here is realizing this was a premeditated murder targeting the groom—not some random act.”

The crowd nodded in agreement. No wonder Wang Qingmu was the most educated among them; his explanation made everything much clearer.

Han Yueyi and Wang Bokao also nodded quietly. This Wang scholar seemed to have some potential—perhaps someone worth keeping an eye on and helping in the future.

At that moment, Su Li stepped forward with a bright smile. “Alright, since everyone seems to have a good grasp of the case and the surroundings, why don’t we open the door and see if there are any clues inside?”

“Oh, and one more thing,” she added, her eyes twinkling mischievously. “Be very careful not to disturb the scene. Otherwise, you’ll have to pay for the damages~!”

Wang Bokao rolled his eyes at her teasing tone, then gave her an exaggerated wink as if to say, Well done, little one. You’ve gotten sharper over the years. Watch me help you solve Han Yueyi’s cause of death!

Su Li glared at him, her almond-shaped eyes wide with exasperation: What’s wrong with you?!

Mistaking her reaction as a sign of their unspoken connection, Wang Bokao grinned smugly and shoved his way to the front of the crowd, stopping at the outhouse door. “Hah! A flimsy little door like this? Watch me open it right now!”

He began pushing, pulling, and shaking the door… only to be stopped by Han Yueyi before he could get too far.

“If you keep shaking it, the whole outhouse will collapse. How will we investigate the scene then?”

“Uh… so what do we do?” Wang Bokao rubbed his nose sheepishly. His excitement had gotten the better of him.

Ignoring him, Han Yueyi walked to the side of the outhouse, where a few large stones were stacked. He climbed onto them, just tall enough to peek through the small window near the top of the structure and observe the interior.

Carefully balancing himself, Han Yueyi glanced inside. The dimly lit outhouse revealed a human-shaped figure, about seven feet tall, dressed in red. It was slumped against the door, seated as if it had slid down into that position.

(Hmph. If this was supposed to be modeled after him, they’d done a terrible job—he was taller than that dummy!)

The red clothing made it hard to discern any blood, but there was a silver hairpin embedded in the chest area. The fabric around it appeared darker, suggesting bloodstains.

Han Yueyi squinted, trying to assess the scene further and figure out a way to open the door without disturbing the interior. Just then, someone shoved him from behind, causing him to lose his balance and fall from the stones.

There was no need to guess—it was that little bastard Wang Bokao.

As he fell, Han Yueyi caught a glimpse of something high up on the wall inside the outhouse. Written in red paint were several large characters. He only managed to make out three of them: “Injustice,” “Sister,” and “Death.”

His brows furrowed. Revenge?

Meanwhile, Wang Bokao gleefully replaced him on the stones. “Let me take a look! What’s in there—”

A second later, Wang Bokao jumped down with a yelp. “Holy crap! It’s haunted!”

“The walls are bleeding!” he screamed, his face pale as a sheet.