Chapter Fifty-Three: Ji Chen Is So Naive

"Did you find photos of Xiaolin and Zitan in that house?" Lin Chunshui didn’t mention that Ji Chen seemed to have seen photos of the two of them on the first day. "So, this house has something to do with Xiaolin and Zitan then?" Lin Ze glanced at the group, sensing a faint alliance forming among them.

[I think I get it now—could this be a scripted murder mystery?]
[This is getting interesting. Almost everyone took care of the child for two days, except for Lin and Teacher Chen, who actually handed her over. That must be an important clue.]
[Guoguo spent those two days at the restaurant hidden inside that big trash bin. Zhao Funing and Pei Xue don’t seem like good people.]

"We had no idea about that house. Guoguo told us she was at her uncle’s place for the first two days, then hid in her uncle’s friend’s shop for two more."
"I noticed that plastic bin was brand new—it looked prepped in advance. Are you sure you don’t know something about each other?" Lin Ze stroked his chin, and Su Zitan added,
"When we found Guoguo that day, the plastic bin was hidden in a very secluded spot, and Guoguo was unconscious. It really looked like you’d abandoned her."
Since the two groups planned to join forces, Lin Ze and Su Zitan naturally wanted to pull Chen Weiguo and Bai Qiong over to their side. Their secret tasks only overlapped with those two, making their ties closer.

"Who else knows about those photos of Xiaolin and Zitan in the room?" Bai Qiong asked.
Pei Xue glanced at Lin Chunshui. It seemed only their two groups had seen the house…
Wait!
"No one besides us should know, but…"
"Xiaolin, Zitan, you two completed your secret task on the first day. What was it?"
Someone had rented the house. If Ji Chen and Lin Chunshui didn’t know, then those two, who also had secret tasks on the first day, were likely the ones who rented it.
"Singing," Lin Ze replied without hesitation. "Our first task was to busk at the commercial square and earn fifty yuan in tips."
What?
A thought suddenly struck Pei Xue, and her palms began to sweat.
"That fried rice was delicious, Brother Zhao, Sister Xue," Su Zitan laughed heartily.
Fried rice!?

Pei Xue suddenly felt a hot rush from the soles of her feet to the top of her head. Her face flushed red, embarrassment flooding her heart.
Who else could have sung and eaten fried rice that day but the father and daughter begging on the street?
She hadn’t realized it at the time and even went over to give them two bowls of fried rice herself.
[Haha, I can already feel Aunt Xue’s embarrassment!]
[This is as awkward as asking a girl for her WeChat on the street, pouring your heart out, and then realizing she’s your ex in disguise.]
"Wait, that ‘This person is Mom’—that was you two?" Ji Chen was also shocked.
"Yes," Lin Ze nodded. "So, the first people to have contact with that house were you, Brother Ji, and Lin Chunshui. Maybe you two put our photos in the house on the second night."
"No! Absolutely not!" Lin Chunshui immediately denied it.
"Then why would there be our photos in Guoguo’s uncle’s house?"
"You…"
As the debate continued, Director Zhang interrupted.

"Fifteen minutes are up. I have a question for everyone to vote on."
Director Zhang held a sheet of paper, reading out each word carefully.
"Guoguo returned to her hometown, later married there, had three children, and didn’t see her mother again until she was thirty-six. They hadn’t met in over twenty years, but when Guoguo finally saw her, she reconciled with her mother."
"Please cast your votes. After your discussion, which group do you think is suspicious?"
Lin Ze raised his hand first. "I think Brother Ji and Sister Lin are suspicious! Whether it’s the house or picking up Guoguo, they’re both acting strange!"
"Hey, Xiaolin…" Ji Chen glared at Lin Ze through gritted teeth.
"We vote for Xiaolin and Zitan!" Lin Chunshui was the second to raise her hand.
"Our secret missions always involved Guoguo, but their first mission didn’t really relate to her!"
"It did!" Su Zitan insisted earnestly. "We sang to mend the relationship between Guoguo and her mother, hoping to awaken her mother’s love."
[Guoguo: Thank you.]
[That makes sense, but what does the first day’s beggar disguise have to do with Guoguo?]
[Didn’t you see that news report? Someone controlled an entire beggar syndicate, blinding children, breaking adults’ arms and legs, and forcing them to beg on the streets.]

[That’s horrifying! But Lin spent two days with Guoguo and never made her beg, did he?]
"…" Lin Chunshui was silent for a moment. "Isn’t that a bit far-fetched?"
"We’re voting for Xiao Ji too!" Chen Weiguo and Bai Qiong also cast their votes for that pair.
"Guoguo said the first two days were no fun, and Xiao Zhao’s group even hid her in a trash bin for two whole days."
Chen Weiguo glanced at Zhao Funing’s group. "If Xiao Ji’s group weren’t so suspicious, I would have voted for you."
"This isn’t fair…" Zhao Funing muttered, rubbing his cheek awkwardly.
"We were really busy, otherwise we’d have played with the little girl too."
"So, Teacher Zhao, Teacher Pei, which group gets your vote?" Director Zhang asked with a smile.
"We…"
Pei Xue thought carefully. This vote must be connected to what comes next, and that brief alliance made her want to vote for Lin Ze’s group.
But thinking of the consequences, she voted for the most suspicious group…
"Ji Chen!"
Ji Chen’s eyes widened in disbelief.
"Aren’t we allies?"
[Hahaha, Ji Chen is so naïve! He never seemed this gullible on other shows!]
[Why do I find the word ‘adorable’ fits this old man so well?]
"Sorry, but I care only about the truth," Pei Xue exchanged a look with Zhao Funing.

"So, in the first round, Teachers Ji Chen and Lin Chunshui have three votes. Next, I’ll hand out your group’s story and cards."
Director Zhang distributed four scripts, one for each group.
Lin Ze and Su Zitan huddled together to read their story.

"You returned to Tong County half a month ago. Coming home in glory, you naturally wanted to have a meal with old friends. That day, your old friend Lao Ji, seeing how well-off you’d become, was envious and asked how you made your money."

As Lin Ze read this, from the corner of his eye he noticed Ji Chen suddenly looking up and staring intently in their direction.