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Lin Xian read on. Zhou Duan Yun’s mom hadn’t responded right away, probably because the message was sent in the afternoon. Two hours later, Zhou Duan Yun sent another text: “Mom, I was just playing a game of Truth or Dare with my friends. Don’t take it seriously.”

Then, their usual nightly goodnight texts continued, with nothing seeming out of the ordinary.

Lin Xian scrolled up and down a few more times but found no other useful information. He exited the chat and handed the phone back to Zhou Duan Yun’s mom without a word. She was happily chatting with Zhou Le.

Walking around the room, Lin Xian thought about the two messages he had just seen: “Mom, I can’t escape… call the police for protection! Ji Xin Shui is trying to kill me!” and “Mom, it was just Truth or Dare, don’t worry about it.”

No way this was just a game.

Zhou Duan Yun was a devoted and caring son, as his mother described. He wouldn’t joke about something this serious. Any decent kid wouldn’t make up something that would cause their mom such stress. And no mother would want to get a message like that.

Plus, even if Zhou Duan Yun had played a bad joke, he wouldn’t have waited two hours to explain it. Usually, he’d clear things up in ten minutes. So, Lin Xian concluded: “Zhou Duan Yun lied!”

But this lie must have been forced. At that time, he was in serious danger. He either made Ji Xin Shui mad or got caught doing something wrong. Around 4 PM when the first message was sent, Zhou Duan Yun truly thought Ji Xin Shui was out to kill him. He urgently warned his mom about the danger, named the supposed killer, and told her to call the cops.

This was typical for Zhou Duan Yun. He adored his mom. After making some money, his first move was to better her life. When in trouble, her safety was his priority.

But then, something changed in those two hours. Zhou Duan Yun got out of immediate danger from Ji Xin Shui.

“No,” Lin Xian thought, “he didn’t just escape. If he had just fled, he could hide temporarily but not forever. And what about his mom? If Zhou Duan Yun had truly escaped, why was he still openly walking around in Donghai City, almost challenging Ji Xin Shui? It didn’t add up.”

Thus, it seemed Zhou Duan Yun didn’t escape from Ji Xin Shui; perhaps they struck a deal, became accomplices, or Ji Xin Shui spared him but made him a follower.

“This explains everything,” Lin Xian muttered to himself. The chat records on Zhou Duan Yun’s mom’s phone today tied all the clues together, forming a complete logical framework. Thinking back to dinner with Zhou Duan Yun, Tang Xin, and Gao Yang, Lin Xian recalled Zhou Duan Yun’s conversation with Tang Xin:

“What’s Tang Xin doing now?”

“I work at the Donghai Revival Pharmaceutical Research Institute.”

“Oh, I know your boss!”

“Really?! He’s a big deal… he used to mentor Professor Xu Yun! You know him? Are you close?”

“Not really, we’ve done some business, but I don’t like him. He’s too arrogant.”

This clue matched! The institute’s boss and Xu Yun’s mentor were one and the same: Ji Xin Shui. He hired Tang Xin in Donghai and also tried to kill Zhou Duan Yun. Zhou Duan Yun acknowledged Ji Xin Shui but found him arrogant.

Their complicated relationship fit Lin Xian’s deductions perfectly.

Lin Xian glanced at the fake Hunan University acceptance letter encased in glass… Zhou Duan Yun’s life post-exam was woven with lies. But often, the truth was hidden among these lies, intricately linked.

From the evidence, Lin Xian figured out that Zhou Duan Yun and Ji Xin Shui had a tangled relationship. In Tang Xin’s murder, they were surely accomplices. Ji Lin, despite his smarts and investigative skills, never suspected Zhou Duan Yun or Ji Xin Shui. Given his closeness with Ji Xin Shui, he was probably in on the conspiracy behind Tang Xin’s murder.

The killers of Tang Xin and Xu Yun were clearly the same people. So, Ji Xin Shui, who Xu Yun saw like a father, and the admiring young Ji Lin, were the murderers.

This realization gave Lin Xian the creeps. He had always believed everyone had some decency, enough to avoid hurting their own family. But clearly, Ji Xin Shui and Ji Lin were nothing short of monstrous.

Lin Xian was sure Zhou Duan Yun might risk Tang Xin’s life or even his own someday, but he would never hurt his own mother. However, Ji Lin and Ji Xin Shui…

“What could possibly justify their murdering someone as close as Xu Yun? What benefit did killing Xu Yun bring them?” Lin Xian pondered, confused.

But ultimately, the why mattered less than the what. He now fully understood what Yellow Finch meant by: “You don’t have to seek trouble; it will find you. You might not see it yet… but your cat-and-mouse game has already started.”

Indeed, trouble had found him, and it was now a constant companion. Zhou Duan Yun, a seemingly friendly classmate, was practically glued to his side. Ji Lin, a genius with high IQ posing as a friend, had infiltrated the Donghai police and earned their trust. Ji Xin Shui, a globally influential figure, was too powerful for Lin Xian to confront directly.

And these were just the enemies he knew about. Who knew how many other unseen threats were out there?

This cat-and-mouse game was daunting. The power imbalance was severe. He felt like a mouse on thin ice, surrounded by cats with glowing eyes, waiting for him to slip so they could pounce.

His situation was dire, but at least now he knew who the murderers were, preventing him from falling into their traps. He had gained some leverage.

The next step was figuring out how to turn the tables, bring these murderers to justice, and avenge Professor Xu Yun and Tang Xin!

Soon, Zhou Duan Yun’s mom finished her chat with Zhou Le, who then stood up to leave with Lin Xian. Zhou Duan Yun’s mom brought out a large bag of peanuts, insisting Lin Xian take them home.

“Auntie, we young people don’t really cook. They’d just spoil if I took them. Better you keep them,” Lin Xian said politely.

But Zhou Duan Yun’s mom followed them to the yard, placing the big plastic bag in Lin Xian’s hands: “Auntie’s peanuts are tasty, take them home for your family!”

She gestured to the vast yard full of peanut plants: “I grow so many just to stay busy. Haven’t eaten a single one in ages.”

Recalling how she and her son had eaten unsold peanuts that were nearly spoiled during tough times, she smiled: “We ate so many back then, I feel like I’ve had my fill for a lifetime…”

Finally, unable to reject her kindness, Lin Xian accepted the peanuts. After a brief visit and some light conversation at Zhou Le’s house, Lin Xian caught a cab to the train station, carrying the large bag of peanuts onto the high-speed train back to Donghai.

Stepping out of the station, the sky was dark, and a light rain was falling. Standing in the rain, Lin Xian looked towards the brightly lit Donghai City in the distance… It seemed this game of hide and seek had truly begun!