Chapter 16

"Actually, I thought only people inside the school knew about it. It seems my sister was lying to me."

The bar staff member, seemingly recalling something, pouted in displeasure.

However, Xia Tianqi’s curiosity was piqued, and he hurriedly asked:

"Do you know about this too?"

"Yes, why should that be strange? Don’t you know as well?"

"I just heard about it from someone, but I don’t know the specifics."

Xia Tianqi felt that coming to the internet cafe was a good decision, as he had indeed stumbled upon the right person. He found the non-mainstream bar staff member increasingly likable.

"My sister can’t possibly lie to me. How could anyone else know about this?"

"You just said your sister was lying to you." Xia Tianqi was at a loss whether to laugh or cry at the bar staff member’s logic and continued to press:

"What exactly happened? Tell me."

"What are you to me? Why should I listen to you? Just because you tell me to speak, I should speak?"

"..."

Xia Tianqi had to use a lot of words, even resorting to a bit of flirtation (he believed his good looks played a decisive role), to finally get the bar staff member to reveal a strange incident at Qihe Women's College.

The incident went like this: three days ago, a suicide occurred in one of the dormitory buildings at Qihe Women's College.

As for why it was determined to be a suicide rather than a murder, the bar staff member was not clear on that point.

The reason the bar staff member knew about this was that her sister was a student at the women's college and a roommate of the deceased.

Strictly speaking, very few people knew about this incident. After the event, the school leadership had immediately intervened, granting the students a 20-day leave. They also arranged for specialized teachers to help them catch up on missed classes upon their return.

Of course, some information did leak out, and rumors naturally spread. However, the school did not provide any explanation or deny the rumors. As a result, the incident quickly died down after a couple of days.

"People’s baser instincts are like this. The more you talk about something, the worse it gets. The more you pay attention, the more they take advantage. You think they are human, but they will bite you like a dog!"

As the bar staff member spoke, she seemed to recall some unpleasant past and started to rant. Seeing the situation, Xia Tianqi quickly interrupted her:

"You, little brat, have a lot of theories. Wait a moment before you start philosophizing. I want to know if your sister has come home."

"Yes, otherwise why would she come here to use the internet!" The bar staff member suddenly stared at Xia Tianqi suspiciously, but Xia Tianqi, with his thick skin, was not bothered by any admiration or appreciation.

"Even if I am handsome, you don’t have to stare so hard, do you?"

"What does that have to do with your looks? I just want to know why you are so interested in this."

The bar staff member asked with some caution.

"If I say I am a private detective, would you believe me?" Xia Tianqi said mysteriously.

"I don’t believe it for a second. I don’t want to deal with you anymore."

The bar staff member, seemingly wary of Xia Tianqi, stuck out her tongue and returned to the bar.

Xia Tianqi did not stop her, as the bar staff member had already told him what she knew, and he had achieved his purpose.

After all, he was just gathering information.

If he could get it, it would be a bonus; if not, it wouldn’t affect anything. There were so many students in the school, and surely some knew about the incident.

However, considering that the bar staff member’s sister was a roommate of the deceased, Xia Tianqi thought for a moment and then left the sofa to go to the bar.

Although he had booked an all-night session, Xia Tianqi did not actually stay all night. After all, he didn’t know what would happen the next day at Qihe Women's College, so he needed to ensure he was well-rested.

So, after getting the bar staff member’s sister’s phone number, Xia Tianqi turned off his phone and left the internet cafe, driving to a nearby hotel to stay the night.

The night passed without incident.

The next morning, Xia Tianqi drove to the entrance of Qihe Women's College.

Qihe Women's College is a fully enclosed private high school that only admits female students.

Although it is a high school, academic subjects are not the main focus; they vary according to the students' interests.

For example, if a student wants to become a model, the focus will be on physical training, with academic subjects as a supplement. In short, the purpose of this high school is to help you shape your future career early on.

Unlike ordinary high schools, which are almost entirely focused on academic subjects, where students often forget most of what they learned by the time they graduate.

Therefore, despite being a high school, the campus is not as tense as a regular university. Students must stay on campus every day, but in other aspects, it is almost like a university.

However, the school system had nothing to do with Xia Tianqi, as he was not there to study but to solve a problem.

Thinking about the evil spirit waiting for him inside, Xia Tianqi felt a chill run down his spine and lost all desire to enter.

But clearly, he had no choice.

Returning to his car, Xia Tianqi honked a few times, and a security guard came out from the guardhouse.

It seemed the company had already informed them of his arrival, as he entered Qihe Women's College without much trouble.

Entering this "top" school he had once dreamed of.

Many people had said that Qihe Women's College was full of beautiful women, all with high looks, big chests, and long legs.

If he had come here in the past, he would have been thrilled, but knowing he was coming to face death, he had completely lost interest.

Even though his role for the next period would be a dormitory manager.

"Since I am here, I might as well make the best of it. A day of worry is a day, and a day of happiness is also a day!"

Xia Tianqi took a deep breath, deciding to approach his visit to Qihe College with a calm mind. Otherwise, if he continued to be so anxious, he might end up with a mental illness even if he survived.

The campus was much larger than he had imagined, almost as big as his university. He drove around briefly and parked the car.

Getting out of the car, Xia Tianqi’s gaze was drawn to a nearby dormitory building, as students were constantly coming out, apparently heading to class.

"Is it that my standards are too high? They all seem pretty ordinary."

Xia Tianqi stared for a long time but did not see anyone who amazed him. However, he realized that the students were all in their natural state, unlike the "Monkeys" outside who were heavily made up.

To show off, Xia Tianqi deliberately returned to his car, rolled down the window, and put on a harmless smile.

Although Xia Tianqi was not as handsome as he thought, he still had a certain charm.

After pretending to be a rich and handsome man for a while, Xia Tianqi felt refreshed and got out of the car, stopping a pretty female student to ask:

"Hello, beautiful lady, could you tell me how to get to the principal’s office?"

"..."

Twenty minutes later, Xia Tianqi and three others came out of the principal’s office.

After coming out, the four of them looked at each other, each probably guessing the others' identities.

Xia Tianqi remembered Liang Ruoyun had told him there would be three new people, and these three were just right.

Including himself, there were two men and two women.

"I think it’s better to talk downstairs."

Seeing no one was speaking, Xia Tianqi broke the silence.

The other three had no objections, nodding symbolically and going downstairs together.

During the process, Xia Tianqi observed them quietly, even though their numbers were not "wrong."

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