TSBDRA 71: Murder Mystery Game

That night, Liang Feng really sang until his voice was hoarse.

The livestream cut off at the moment the concert ended, but the audience was still buzzing with excitement. Even at three in the morning, they were wide awake, and the next day, everyone showed up to work with dark circles under their eyes.

Yan Yao stayed up all night without sleeping. The kiss between Xu Xishuang and Yan Yushan in front of the camera had hit the trending list again, and the supertopic was flooded with high-resolution GIFs from fan recordings, along with freshly made fan edits. Yan Yao couldn’t get enough of them, giggling as she watched, wriggling with excitement, and sending a bunch of them to Yu Shudie.

They had a long, exhausting day of fun yesterday. The guests had planned to sleep in, but except for Liang Feng, the special guest, the other six regular cast members were woken up early by Fei Yuan.

Fei Yuan held up a small whiteboard, beaming at the others. “Good morning, everyone! Do you still remember the name of our show?”

Xiang Yao yawned and responded half-heartedly, “It’s called A Travel on a Whim.”

“Exactly!” Fei Yuan flipped the small whiteboard around, revealing the words written on the other side. “The key is on a whim! So the production team has decided—we’re heading to the next destination right now! How about that? Surprised? Excited?”

Everyone else: …

【Damn, it’s a real travel-on-a-whim kind of trip】

【Do the guests not get a break? After the last livestream, they had some time off before filming this one】

【I remember the show was originally meant to run episodes back-to-back, and it’s only three episodes total. The break last time was just because it overlapped with Chinese New Year】

【Ugh, I don’t want it to end—I want to keep watching Yan Yushan and Xu Xishuang’s sweet daily life】

Everyone glanced at Fei Yuan’s little whiteboard, ignored him, and turned wearily back to their rooms to quickly pack. Then they boarded the van prepared by the production team and headed to the airport.

Since last night had been so wild and they had to get up so early this morning, as soon as they got on the plane, everyone fell asleep. Fei Yuan didn’t get a chance to say another word.

He had to hold it in until the plane landed. Then he raised his whiteboard again and asked the guests, “Wanna take a guess on who our next special guest is? There’s a special reward if you get it right!”

Fei Yuan’s credibility had long gone out the window, and no one was interested in his so-called “special reward.” When no one answered, he paused awkwardly for a second before continuing, “Okay, I’ll give you a little hint—this person’s very first film and TV project was with Teacher Xu Xishuang!”

The weather back home was freezing, and the cast had all switched into down jackets. Yan Yushan was helping Xu Xishuang put on a newly unpacked brown scarf. Hearing Fei Yuan’s words, both Xu Xishuang and Yan Yushan looked up at the same time. “Chi Siyuan?”

“That’s right!” Fei Yuan clapped. “Correct! It’s Chi Siyuan! Congratulations, you’ve won a special reward. It’ll be given out once you arrive at the destination. Now hurry and get in the car!”

【Suddenly jumping from sunny beaches to a snowy winter—feels so jarring】

【I can’t believe the special guest is Chi Siyuan. I used to ship him and Xu Xishuang back in the day—I’m guilty, I’m sorry】

【Sigh… After he switched companies and announced his boyfriend, my mama-fan heart was shattered】

【I knew something was off when Chi Siyuan got photographed with Song Yao—turns out I was right! That sneaky Song Yao stole our Yuanyuan!!】

【Director! You still haven’t told us where they’re going! Don’t leave us hanging!】

Fei Yuan deliberately kept the destination a secret. He got into a different vehicle and left ahead of the cast.

After several hours of driving, the six cast members finally arrived. The livestream comments picked up again.

In front of them stood a tall, antique-style wooden gate. The doors on either side were open, and the plaque above read “Wenquan Ancient Town.” Red lanterns hung beside the wooden pillars supporting the gate.

Looking through the open gate, the streets on either side were lined with a mix of replica and original ancient-style buildings. Many people had set up small stalls, dressed in traditional costumes like those seen in period dramas, enthusiastically attracting passing tourists. The whole place was bustling with energy.

Another car pulled up at the gate. Chi Siyuan stepped out, dragging his suitcase. The moment he saw Xu Xishuang, his eyes lit up. He ran over to the group of six, greeting each of them one by one, then quickly moved to Xu Xishuang’s side. Like a tadpole finding its mother, he looked up at Xu Xishuang with big, sparkling round eyes and said with excitement in his voice, “Senior!”

Just as Chi Siyuan was about to scoot closer, noticing Xu Xishuang shift slightly, an arm suddenly wrapped around Xu Xishuang’s shoulders and gently pulled him a step away, putting a clear two-step distance between him and Chi Siyuan.

Yan Yushan glanced over from beside Xu Xishuang, raised an eyebrow at Chi Siyuan, and said, “Go find your own boyfriend. Don’t come clinging to mine.”

Chi Siyuan: … Annoyed, but can’t win in a fight.

【Yan-ge is so petty—Shuangshuang and Yuanyuan are both zeroes, nothing’s gonna happen, don’t be so tense】

【Yeah, they’ve got more of a “sisterhood” vibe at most, Yan-ge don’t be jealous】

【Wait a sec—guys, Wenquan Ancient Town… is it that Wenquan Ancient Town? The one that used to just be historical architecture, then got popular after they discovered hot springs?】

【Yep, that’s the one! And lately they’ve been doing… live-action murder mystery games?】

“Welcome to Wenquan Ancient Town’s Large-Scale Immersive Murder Mystery Experience!” Fei Yuan’s voice rang out as he suddenly appeared on the upper floor of a building, holding a loudspeaker and shouting to the newly arrived guests. “Here, you’ll get to play a full day-and-night murder mystery game. You can pick from all sorts of storylines—though don’t worry, I’ve already chosen one for you. Total immersion guaranteed! Excited or what?”

Chi Siyuan, still new and not yet familiar with Fei Yuan, played along and replied enthusiastically, “Excited!”

As long as even one person played along, Fei Yuan could run with it. He let out a hearty laugh and had the production staff carry out a box, bringing it over to the seven guests.

“Now, please draw a slip of paper,” Fei Yuan instructed. “Each one contains your role for this round of the murder mystery. You only get one draw—no do-overs, no trades. Once everyone has drawn, you can reveal your public identity. After that, I’ll hand out the full scripts. Please stick to your roles and don’t let anyone else know the content of your script—especially the murderer, don’t give yourself away.”

No one moved to draw a slip right away. Yan Yushan looked over at Fei Yuan and asked, “What about the reward you mentioned?”

Fei Yuan slapped his forehead. “Oh right, I almost forgot. You and Xu Xishuang get a free hot spring session after the murder mystery game ends—a private VIP pool just for the two of you. Pretty nice, huh?”

He urged them along. “Come on, draw your roles! Once you’ve drawn, you can change into a costume based on your character and step into your roles—then the journey officially begins!”

【W-Wait… a hot spring together? That’s kinda spicy, huh?】

【Will the hot spring session be livestreamed? No hidden agenda—I just want to see what the pool looks like (innocent face)】

【The person above is plotting so loudly, I can hear it all the way from H Province】

【I feel embarrassed calling you out, but are you really curious about the pool? Come on, you just want to see them doi (no shade, I wanna see too hehe)】

The seven guests discussed it briefly and decided to draw their roles in order of age. Shen Youlian went first, followed by Xiang Yao, then Yan Yushan, Yan Yao, Yu Shudie, Xu Xishuang, and finally Chi Siyuan.

Shen Youlian unfolded her slip in her palm. “I’m the Eldest Princess.”

【The Eldest Princess! The emperor’s sister! Totally matches Shen the Queen’s aura】

“I’m the Imperial Physician,” Xiang Yao said a little nervously. “Whoever got the emperor, please don’t go around threatening to wipe out my whole family, okay?”

【Hahaha, Movie King Xiang’s concern is completely valid】

Yan Yushan remained calm. “I’m the Grand General.”

【I remember Yan-ge played a general before—those horse-riding GIFs were killer】

Yan Yao stared at the words on her slip for a few seconds, then read out her role with a strange expression, “I’m the Chief Eunuch.”

【Hahaha what even—okay, now I truly believe this show isn’t scripted】

【All I can say is, thank goodness that role didn’t go to one of the male guests—haha】

Yu Shudie pressed her lips together. “I’m the Left Minister.”

【A female official! Go, Shudie! Believe in yourself】

When it was Xu Xishuang’s turn, he, like Yan Yao, stared at his slip for a solid ten seconds before finally looking up and addressing the camera, trying to keep a straight face. “I’m a concubine.”

【Huh? Did I hear that right? A concubine? As in, from the imperial harem?】

【Who got the emperor role? The emperor is so lucky—he actually gets to marry Xu Xishuang, such a beauty, sob sob】

【Trying to steal Yan-ge’s man? This emperor’s not afraid the Grand General will start a rebellion?】

【I only care if Shuangshuang baby will wear women’s clothing hehe—my wifey in a dress, hehe】

All the pressure shifted to Chi Siyuan. He met Yan Yushan’s dangerous gaze, silently turned his head away, and wished with all his heart that he wouldn’t draw the emperor. Then he unfolded his slip, “I’m the Prince.”

【Phew, thank god Yuanyuan didn’t get the emperor role—I was genuinely scared he wouldn’t make it through the night】

【? This is a murder mystery game, not an actual guest-vs-guest battle—the people who die are supposed to be NPCs】

Once everyone had drawn their roles, the staff led the guests into the ancient town and took them to different locations to change into the outfits prepared by the production team. They put on wigs, got their makeup done, and the livestream was temporarily paused.

Xu Xishuang ran into a familiar makeup artist. He greeted them, then sat down to get his makeup done while reading through the script.

Though the script in his hands was thick, Xu Xishuang was already used to it. He quickly read through it once, and couldn’t help but sigh at how the writer clearly loved melodrama. Even so, it was definitely thrilling. He then gave it a second and more careful read, even silently drafting a short character backstory in his head for “Consort Xi.”

When he received the costume for the concubine role, Xu Xishuang took a look—it wasn’t overly feminine. It was a thick, white robe-like outfit, not much different from men’s clothing, with silver moon motifs embroidered on it. It looked like something specially made by the production team, with enough room to layer clothes underneath.

Since Xu Xishuang had drawn this role, Fei Yuan was worried about his health acting up again, so he had a long white faux-fur cloak added to his costume for extra warmth and coverage.

Viewers outside the livestream waited for an hour, and when the stream finally resumed, they were shocked to find that the feed had been split into seven different screens. In a flurry, they scrambled to open them all at once.

【Help, seven camera feeds—my eyes can’t handle this】

【Are they giving us god mode? So I’ll know who the killer is right away?】

【It can’t be that easy. I bet they’ll cut the stream during the murder and make us guess】

【Wait a minute—there’s a problem. All seven guests are actors! They’re too good at acting. How are we supposed to figure out who the killer is?】

In one of the seven feeds, Xu Xishuang, dressed in white robes, was led by a staff member to the residence of Consort Xi.

On the way there, he casually observed the so-called “imperial palace” and thought it looked more like a mini Hengdian. It seemed that Wenquan Ancient Town had poured serious money into attracting tourists.

Xu Xishuang took a look around the furnishings of the palace chamber, recalled his character’s favored-consort setting from the script, then turned to the NPC maid Xiao Hong, played by a staff member, and asked, “Where is this consort’s cat?”

The makeup artist knew his preferences and tailored everything to suit the character. They didn’t even apply foundation, they just extended the ends of his brows to soften his features and deepened his lip color, adding a subtle touch of allure.

Xu Xishuang had never played a cross-dressing role before, but his looks were already strikingly beautiful. After putting on the long wig and robes, he appeared even more androgynous. Now, speaking in a softened voice, the staff member playing the maid Xiao Hong was momentarily dazed just looking at him, taking a few seconds before responding, “This servant does not know.”

The moment she finished speaking, there was a sound at the window. A snow-white cat with emerald-green eyes leapt in, walking with regal poise. It stopped in front of Xu Xishuang, tilted its head to glance at him, then jumped onto a cabinet, lay down, and continued to watch him, flicking its tail and letting out a soft “meow.”

【Ahhh the beauty is unreal! Another day of envying Yan-ge, sob】

【There’s no way such a beautiful Consort Xi who has a cute cat could be the killer】

【Frantically taking screenshots—wifey is too gorgeous. Wifey, have you thought about taking on more cross-dressing roles? I am so into this male-as-female look】

【Kitty! Xu kitty and the white kitty staring at each other is way too adorable, sob】

“This consort has been feeling troubled lately. I want to take a walk in the garden,” Xu Xishuang said, glancing at the cat on the cabinet and delivering his line to the maid Xiao Hong. “You don’t need to come.”

Xiao Hong nodded. “Yes, Your Grace.”

【? Going to the Imperial Garden alone? So suspicious】

【Guys, I just came from another split screen—Yan-ge and Yu Shudie are also headed to the Imperial Garden!】

Xu Xishuang finished speaking with Xiao Hong, turned, and walked out, following the map from the script as he made his way outside. As he walked, he double-checked the props on his body.

Despite being a favored consort, Consort Xi’s accessories were surprisingly few. Xu Xishuang noticed the half jade pendant hanging at his waist, picked it up and felt it briefly, then let go, adjusting his cloak while recalling his character’s lines and backstory.

Consort Xi had a cold temperament, preferred reading and tea, and often spent time alone in silence. Everyone in the palace knew he had a strange personality, so even when they saw him walking alone, no one dared approach or disturb him.

Xu Xishuang made his way smoothly and unbothered to the Imperial Garden. Since it was winter, many of the plants in the garden had withered. He strolled around for a bit and was just about to head back when he heard voices not far away.

He froze in place, then quickly hid behind a tree, listening closely to the conversation.

It was none other than the Grand General Yan and Left Minister Yu. Yu Shudie was saying her lines to Yan Yushan, “General Yan, do you know the phrase, ‘When the birds are gone, the fine bow is put away; when the cunning hare dies, the hound is cooked’?”

Yan Yushan replied, “Minister Yu, feel free to speak plainly. I’m a soldier, I’m not good with all this subtle scheming.”

“Very well, then I’ll be direct,” Yu Shudie nodded, her expression stern. “General Yan, I believe you’ve already realized what it means that His Majesty recalled you from the border.”

She lowered her voice, but Xu Xishuang, hidden behind the tree, still caught the words, “General Yan, His Majesty wants to strip you of your military power—then have you killed.”

Without giving Yan Yushan time to react, she continued, “But I have a way to help you avoid that fate. Would you be interested in hearing it?”

Yan Yushan paused for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, “Please speak, Minister Yu.”

【Based on my drama-watching instincts, this Left Minister is definitely a villain. Don’t trust her, General Yan!】

【If we follow typical drama logic, Xu Xishuang should be stepping on a twig any second now and getting caught eavesdropping】

“Consort Xi, what are you doing here?”

A passing palace maid suddenly spoke up. Xu Xishuang’s body froze. He silently stepped out from behind the tree.

At the far end of the corridor, both Yan Yushan and Yu Shudie turned to look in his direction—they had already realized he had been eavesdropping.

Yan Yushan and Yu Shudie’s expressions both changed. Yan Yushan’s gaze locked tightly onto the jade pendant hanging at Xu Xishuang’s waist, while Yu Shudie quickly regained her composure. At the same time, Xu Xishuang, who had been watching them quietly, noticed Yan Yushan’s stare and instinctively reached to cover the pendant with his hand. Then, without a word, he followed the palace maid and quickly left the Imperial Garden, his steps hurried.

【Damn, he really got caught! Is Xu Xishuang going to be the murder mystery’s first victim?!】

【What kind of melodramatic twist is this?! Whoever wrote this script needs to come out and get smacked! Don’t let my beautiful Consort Xi be the first to go, sob】

【What about the other four? Anyone kind enough to report from the other camera feeds?】

【I got you! The emperor showed up—he’s an NPC. He trusts Yan Yao’s Chief Eunuch character a lot and asked her to organize tonight’s grand banquet. Shen Youlian as the Eldest Princess and Chi Siyuan as the Prince, both part of the royal family, have entered the palace and are chatting with the emperor in the same room. Midway through, the emperor gets a headache and calls for the Imperial Physician—Xiang Yao】

【So who’s going to die? And more importantly… who’s the killer?】