Who is Helping Me Win by Lying Down [Transmigration] - Chapter 60

Chapter 60

Once the thought occurred to her, Wen Jiao decided to act on it immediately.

She asked directly, Jingchuan, the reason Chen Shu couldn’t come with you this time must be because of this live broadcast, right?

Yan Jingchuan replied, Mm.

Wen Jiao continued, How long will this filming last? We’d all agreed to have a proper family gathering this time, and your father was particularly disappointed that he couldn’t make it.

Suddenly being singled out, Yan Xinli was stunned for half a second: Huh?

Wen Jiao raised her hand to cover his mouth and went on, Chen Shu is an artist, and your father is something of an artist himself, so they have that in common. Besides, last time during your birthday everything was so rushed that we didn’t get to properly chat with Chen Shu. Your father found it quite regrettable too. Why don’t we schedule another day to meet up?

Yan Xinli, silenced by her hand, couldn’t refute her.

Yan Jingchuan said, Chen Shu has been very busy lately. He might not have the time.

Wen Jiao felt a warning bell ring in her mind.

Spending less time together was the beginning of emotional cooling-off; she couldn’t just let things drift.

Then why don’t you ask Chen Shu when he might be free? Wen Jiao suggested. We can arrange things according to his schedule.

Yan Jinqing, hearing this, frowned deeply and subtly tried to sabotage the plan: Chen Shu is still young. Being busy with his career shows he’s ambitious. You shouldn’t interfere with him arbitrarily.

The busier Yan Jingchuan and Chen Shu were, the better—ideally so busy they wouldn’t see each other from morning till night.

Dad, look at what you’re saying. How is that interfering? Yan Xinli, having escaped his confinement, regained his right to speak. If he really can’t make it, he can just decline. It’s not like Jingchuan would tie him up and drag him here, right?

Hearing this, a flicker of thought passed through Yan Jingchuan’s eyes.

Yan Xinli looked at him: Jingchuan, what do you think?

Yan Jingchuan replied without changing his expression, Alright.

Wen Jiao finalized the decision: Then it’s settled. We’ll wait for your news.

Yan Jinqing still wanted to say something.

Yan Xinli immediately turned to the live broadcast screen: Dad, watch the show! This is really good.

On the screen, Chen Shu and the other five were still searching around the office.

There’s clearly nothing here! Su Yue knelt on the floor, sifting through a pile of collected trash, hoping to find some clues.

With no sudden incidents for a while and freed from the fear of the unknown in the dark, she had gradually become more relaxed.

Gu Hongye was rolling up her sleeves and moving a student locker aside.

Xue Yifan stared at her in astonishment: Ex-girlfriend, your class beauty image is crumbling.

Who says a class beauty can’t be strong and sturdy? Gu Hongye pretended to kick him. Come over and help already!

Xue Yifan hurried forward.

Meanwhile, Duan Xu and Chen Shu were searching near the discarded desks and chairs: Found anything?

Nothing. Chen Shu tossed aside the wooden block in his hand. As he passed by the door, he noticed the A-frame ladder behind it.

Suddenly, his eyebrows lifted slightly.

Seeing him head straight for the back of the door, Jiang Yan asked, What’s wrong?

Chen Shu had already reached the ladder.

He wiped the accumulated dust off the ladder’s surface with two fingers and asked in return, What do you think this is made of?

Jiang Yan said uncertainly, Iron?

Chen Shu replied, I think so too.

Jiang Yan was puzzled: Is it strange if it’s made of iron?

Not inherently strange, Chen Shu turned to look at the student locker that Gu Hongye and Xue Yifan had half-moved. What’s strange is that this place has been abandoned for six years, yet it still looks new.

Jiang Yan followed his gaze and saw that the iron student locker was covered in rust. Suddenly, it dawned on him: You mean, this ladder might have been deliberately placed here by someone?

Su Yue quickly sprang up from the ground. What are you all talking about!

Before Jiang Yan could respond, Gu Hongye’s excited voice came from the opposite side.

Come quick! There’s a piece of paper stuck here with writing on it!

I love you, but I don’t know how to get close to you. How can I get your attention? If I could make your gaze linger on me, I would do anything. Before the other four could approach, Xue Yifan, standing beside her, had already read the words aloud.

Chen Shu walked to the front of the student locker and knocked on Mi Shi’s locker. This spot?

Gu Hongye said, Yes!

Xue Yifan carefully peeled the paper off the locker and passed it around for others to see.

After confirming the location with Chen Shu, Gu Hongye analyzed, This person must have a secret crush on Mi Shi but didn’t dare to confess, so they secretly pasted these words on the back of the locker. Maybe they’re the killer!

Chen Shu reached out and took the paper handed to him by Duan Xu. After examining it, he said, The handwriting does resemble that on the door.

Handwriting on the door? Jiang Yan picked up a flashlight and hurried to the door to compare.

Gu Hongye exclaimed in amazement, Wow, it’s true! Class president, you’re so observant!

Aha! Su Yue struck her right fist into her left palm. This narrows down the suspects to one of you four boys!

Xue Yifan chuckled, But we can’t rule out the possibility of a girl having a secret crush on another girl either.

Su Yue’s smiling lips quickly drooped. What? Another useless clue.

Not necessarily, Chen Shu said. Since there’s specific handwriting, it means there will likely be related clues later.

Gu Hongye added, And it’s not completely useless. The note says they would do anything to get Mi Shi’s attention. Maybe this person was one of those who bullied her. First of all, this rules out the class president and the coward.

Su Yue’s mouth twisted further. What an awful name. Why is my codename ‘coward’?

Duan Xu said, Be grateful. Mine is ‘bootlicker’.

His role in this scenario had been revealed during their earlier conversation.

Previously an marginalized outcast, he joined Xue Yifan and others in bullying Mi Shi, finally gaining a place in the class. Especially after Mi Shi jumped to her death, he became close with them and escaped marginalization, hence being called the bootlicker.

HAHAHAHA!! Although not the first time hearing it, Su Yue still laughed uproariously. Bootlicker…

Ahem! Gu Hongye cleared her throat to get everyone’s attention. As far as I know, the class president never bullied Mi Shi back then, right?

Chen Shu said, Correct.

Objection. Xue Yifan added after speaking, And report! The class president accepted bribes from me back then, turning a blind eye to my bullying of Mi Shi. When Mi Shi asked him for help several times, he ignored her. It was his indifferent attitude that accelerated Mi Shi’s suicide. I despise him!

At this point, he spat, then looked up and met Chen Shu’s gaze. His expression stiffened, and he spat again toward himself. And I despise myself even more!

… Gu Hongye’s face was full of disgust.

Xue Yifan continued, Besides, I heard the class president went to pay respects to Mi Shi afterward. I reasonably suspect he might want to avenge her out of guilt. Since he’s the smartest among us, who’s to say he didn’t decide to imitate this handwriting after seeing this note?

Gu Hongye felt her head spinning: Alright, alright, no more recursive reasoning! In that case, let’s just keep looking for clues.

What about the ladder? Jiang Yan had already lost interest in the piece of paper. Class president, you said it’s still new—does that mean it holds some clue?

What ladder! Su Yue pressed.

Chen Shu briefly explained the conclusion they had reached, then added, Earlier, I just thought that since we couldn’t find the key on the ground, maybe it’s somewhere we can’t reach.

Gu Hongye noticed his wording: Earlier?

Yes. Facing the camera, Chen Shu had an obligation to explain for the other guests and the audience. But this letter you found gave me some inspiration.

Gu Hongye still couldn’t connect the dots: What could this letter possibly have to do with the ladder?

The others exchanged bewildered glances.

The letter only showed that the writer had a crush on Mi Shi, and the two sentences written were so cryptic they made no sense. They truly couldn’t find any connection.

Chen Shu said, Not the content of the letter, but its meaning.

Wait, wait, wait! Su Yue scratched her head. My brain can’t keep up!

Bullet screen comments flooded the live stream, echoing her reaction exactly.

My brain can’t keep up either! If Chen Shu doesn’t explain his clues, I’ll never find them in this lifetime!

Give me half of Chen Shu’s brain, so I can at least understand this episode!!

Ears: understood. Brain: You understand nothing!

Fortunately, Chen Shu soon continued explaining for them.

The corridor, the writing on the door, and this piece of paper—all were placed where they couldn’t be seen directly with the naked eye. It’s the same technique, representing the killer’s subconscious desire to hide but also yearning to be discovered.

Gu Hongye nodded in awe. That makes so much sense.

Jiang Yan asked, Then what does that have to do with the ladder?

Su Yue raised her hand. I know! Should we check the ceiling for any writing?

That’s one approach. Chen Shu didn’t outright dismiss it but instead said, My thought is, among the three locations we currently know, neither the door nor the wall requires a ladder.

Xue Yifan was the first to react, taking two hurried steps back. You’re going into the corridor!

Chen Shu said, I have an idea.

Gu Hongye also swallowed hard. What idea?

Chen Shu said, There are four pairs—eight lights—in the corridor, and there are also eight characters written on the floor. Based on my guess, each light corresponds to one character. I want to see if there’s anything inside these lights.

Jiang Yan puffed out his chest. I’ll go with you.

Gu Hongye said, Then… I’ll come take a look too…

Duan Xu said, I think the class president makes a good point.

Su Yue and Xue Yifan exchanged glances, their faces filled with grim determination.

Su Yue clung to Gu Hongye’s arm.

Xue Yifan gripped the hem of Chen Shu’s shirt.

The six of them walked to the doorway together.

Suddenly, the lights flickered with a zzzt and went out completely.

The lightning from the only window outside flashed into the corridor, illuminating the eight large blood-red characters on the floor. They seemed to be washed by the heavy rain, plump droplets of blood meandering and spreading, slowly trickling down in crimson trails.

Screams instantly erupted one after another.

Ahhhhhhh!!! Ahhhhhhh, class president!!

Jiang Yan’s legs went weak; he had to lean against the wall to keep his grip on the ladder, forcing his voice steady. I’ll go turn the lights back on.

Chen Shu said, No rush.

… Jiang Yan slid down an inch.

Xue Yifan was still bouncing in place, howling so frantically he’d nearly forgotten his own name. Hearing these words, he managed to reclaim a shred of rationality: How can I not be anxious! Class President, I’m desperate!!

Chen Shu said: Flashlight.

Only then did Su Yue remember she was holding the flashlight. Subconsciously following his instruction, she switched it on with a response.

Xue Yifan hastily bounced to her side.

Chen Shu said: Shine it upward.

Su Yue complied as instructed.

The moment the beam swept across the lampshade, her eyes widened: There’s writing!

Duan Xu read aloud: I’ll only give you three chances.

Wow! Su Yue exclaimed excitedly, The Class President guessed right! The key must definitely be inside here!

There are eight characters, but we only have three chances. We can’t test them one by one. Gu Hongye strained to look upward, using conversation to distract herself. The words on the ground were ‘come play hide-and-seek with me.’ There’s a ‘hide’ character – could it be this one?

Chen Shu set up the A-frame ladder beneath the light. He still didn’t casually dismiss others’ ideas: We can try it.

Gu Hongye caught his implication: But that’s not what you guessed?

Chen Shu said: Mm.

Gu Hongye took a deep breath: Alright, then let me be the one to test it!

Can we turn the lights on now?! This was Xue Yifan’s most pressing concern.

Chen Shu said: Yes.

Jiang Yan, who had been waiting by the switch, immediately raised his hand and turned on the lights.

The eight lights gradually brightened.

Xue Yifan bent over, hands on his knees, calming his racing heartbeat.

Gu Hongye also walked to Chen Shu’s side, preparing to climb up and personally verify the answer.

Xue Yifan watched from a distance, gritted his teeth, and came over to steady the ladder for her: Be careful.

Okay. Gu Hongye climbed the ladder, took a deep breath, and reached up to remove the lampshade.

Xue Yifan looked up at her: Well?

Gu Hongye brought the lampshade before her eyes.

It was completely empty.

At that exact moment.

The lights began flickering with a zzzt sound again.

A crisp girl’s laughter softly arose, echoing and reverberating throughout the corridor.

Abruptly.

The laughter stopped, and in the dead silence she whispered:

Gue~ess wro~ong~

The tone was playful, carrying a naive malice.

As if coordinated, a fierce clap of thunder crashed outside, violent raindrops pitter-pattering against the door, interweaving with the flickering lights like countless ghostly shadows cast throughout the corridor.

Ahhhhhhh—!!Xue Yifan began spinning in collapse again, Turn off the lights! Turn them off!!

Jiang Yan frantically pressed the switch, but the lights showed no change: The switch isn’t working anymore.

Gu Hongye’s guilt now overshadowed her fear as she hurriedly asked: Class President, which character did you guess earlier?

Chen Shu said: ‘Me’. Su Yue’s voice trembled: Are you all sure this guess is right? When we guessed wrong the first time, our switch broke! What if we’re wrong again?

Gu Hongye returned to the ground and looked at Chen Shu.

Chen Shu said: Among the three known pieces of information, only the character ‘me’ appears repeatedly.

Hearing this, Xue Yifan immediately pulled the earlier paper from his pocket, examined it carefully, and said in astonishment: It’s true!

Give me a hand. Jiang Yan had already walked to the A-frame ladder, and together with Duan Xu who came over, they moved it beneath the third light.

Chen Shu climbed up and removed the lampshade.

Before Xue Yifan could even cover his ears.

Ding—

A key fell down from the ceiling.

No laughter, no speaking.

Immediately after, even the lights returned to normal.

This was clearly not the treatment one would receive for guessing incorrectly.

Su Yue quickly picked up the key from the ground, her tone excited: Class monitor is amazing! You guessed right again, we found the key!

Gu Hongye couldn’t help but give Chen Shu a thumbs-up, then applauded and said: You’re really strong.

Su Yue also clapped her hands, then jogged to the locked door at the end of the corridor.

Before opening the door, she pressed herself against it, trying hard to peek through the crack to see what was inside.

However, she found nothing.

She turned back to look at Chen Shu, only then remembering that she was holding the key. As she handed it over, she asked: Should we open it?

Chen Shu looked at the others.

Gu Hongye said: Open it, we’ve searched everywhere here.

The remaining four also nodded in agreement.

Chen Shu then inserted the key into the lock and turned it.

Creak—

The door automatically swung open.

Before them was the usual dimness, with only the corridor light illuminating a doorframe-shaped patch of light inside.

Jiang Yan didn’t dare act recklessly this time and didn’t volunteer to go first.

Chen Shu took a step forward.

There was a slight resistance under his foot.

He slightly furrowed his brows, instinctively sensing wind from his right side. Without time to turn his head, he sidestepped to avoid it.

A human-shaped black shadow flew through the air from above, sweeping straight past his shoulder and floating toward the group behind him.

Thud

The figure’s strings snapped, and it fell to the ground.

Ahhhh—! Ahhhhhhh!!!

Xue Yifan practically flew over the shadow, hiding behind Chen Shu.

Chen Shu looked down.

It was a gray human-shaped cloth doll wearing a suit, with a Homeroom Teacher name tag pinned to its chest.

The doll had no face, only a long strip of paper stuck where the face should be, still slowly fluttering down. Written in bright red ink were six characters:

You’re next

Xue Yifan’s voice was already hoarse from screaming.

His face pale, he shouted hoarsely again: Which one of you is the killer? Please, just kill me first!!

The bullet screen comments were also filled with curses.

Fuck!!! Where’s the program’s built-in high-energy warning?!!

The production team is insane!!! My soul left with this thing when it appeared!!!

Ahhhhhh Chen Shu protect us Chen Shu protect us!!!