Chapter 88 — Scripted Murder Mystery: "Who Is the One I Love?" (Part 7)

"I don't know who this person is." The man sitting on the chair insisted he didn't recognize the other Chen Jinsheng, who looked exactly like him.

Jiang Qingyue (Mu Ran) sneered, "So, Teacher Jiang, when are you marrying Huang Qin?"

Jiang Luoyu replied without hesitation, "In three days."

"Very well, then let me congratulate you in advance on your wedding." Jiang Qingyue's lips curved into a smile, her face devoid of expression, yet her eyes betraying an unusual intensity.

Within those eyes lingered unhappiness, anger, and even disappointment.

Jiang Qingyue suspected that Chen Jinsheng did not exist at all! The extravagant patron in her live broadcast room was none other than this sanctimonious man before her!

Jiang Luoyu was undoubtedly a scoundrel!

"Jiang Qingyue, I hope you keep your distance from Huang Qin. The two of you are not the same kind of people." Jiang Luoyu raised his eyes, meeting the woman's gaze directly.

From his cold eyes, Jiang Qingyue saw nothing but aversion.

"Why?" She had only just met this man today, yet he already harbored such strong prejudice against her.

Jiang Luoyu (Gu Beicheng) gave a derisive laugh, speaking bluntly, "Because you do live streams, seducing people on the internet."

Mu Ran: "..."

What kind of muddled scriptwriter came up with this nonsense!

What was wrong with live streaming?

Since when did live streaming equate to seduction on the internet?

Mu Ran glanced at the camera lens with a mocking, silent laugh.

The cameraman behind the camera shivered unexpectedly.

In Gao Mingliang’s studio—

Before the television broadcasting the stream.

"This girl’s got quite the character," Yan Yimou remarked, holding a burning cigarette between his fingers. Smoke drifted past his eyes as he tilted his head, his voice tinged with newfound admiration.

"Axiao, this girl’s acting isn’t bad, but she’s still lacking something. Not quite enough to be your leading lady."

Gu Xiao shot a sidelong glance at the "old smoker" beside him, frowning at the stub in the man’s hand. He leaned over and snatched it away.

"You really ought to get your lungs checked; they're probably as black as your heart by now."

Gu Xiao’s coldly mocking tone was laced with genuine concern.

Yan Yimou gave a sheepish laugh, his weathered face flushing as he instinctively reached for the cigarette pack in his pocket. "I just got a checkup at the hospital a few days ago—early-stage lung cancer. My greatest regret is never winning the Huabiao Award. That award has been my lifelong obsession."

Yan Yimou had worked as a director for many years, winning countless accolades and cultivating a legion of award-winning actors, but the Huabiao Award remained the one prestigious honor he had never received.

With the diagnosis of early-stage lung cancer, he worried his condition would worsen and his days were numbered.

"Axiao, even if I never win that award, you must! That way, my guidance won’t have been in vain."

Gu Xiao’s expression darkened. He shot Yan Yimou a cold look and turned his gaze back to the television, indifferent.

"Win it yourself! Don’t count on me! Early-stage lung cancer is treatable. I’ll find you a doctor, but you are not to smoke anymore."

Yan Yimou chuckled awkwardly. Gu Xiao, like his brother, was cold-faced but warm-hearted.

"Axiao, if you want to cast Mu Ran, I can’t stop you. But can you get past your brother? Will he really trust you with that little girl?"

Gu Xiao said nothing, his eyes deepening as he watched Mu Ran on the screen. His already strikingly mixed features took on a hint of mischief and intrigue.

"Mu Ran is not a woman Gu Beicheng can manipulate at will."

That woman’s temperament was fierce.

He’d experienced it himself at the villa in Biting Garden.

Jiang Luoyu’s (Gu Beicheng’s) office—

"Teacher Jiang, you’re truly amusing," Jiang Qingyue (Mu Ran) said, her smile frigid as ice. Her fists clenched, she glared at the languidly reclining Jiang Luoyu.

"Fine. I wish you eternal happiness in your marriage!"

At the words "eternal happiness," Jiang Luoyu’s (Gu Beicheng’s) composed face stiffened noticeably.

A forced "thank you" squeezed through his clenched teeth.

He knew Jiang Qingyue well.

Sometimes, when he opened Douyin, he would see this woman smiling in her live broadcasts.

He always wondered why, since he had never followed her, every time he saw her videos or streams, they showed as "followed."

Over time, he became familiar with her—and grew to dislike her.

Today, during class, Jiang Luoyu hadn’t expected his fiancée, Huang Qin, to attend with Jiang Qingyue.

Seeing Huang Qin made him happy.

But when he saw Jiang Qingyue, he was filled with aversion.

As Jiang Qingyue angrily left, Jiang Luoyu instinctively opened Douyin.

Sure enough, his account was still following Jiang Qingyue.

But hadn’t he unfollowed her just last night?

Even stranger, money periodically vanished from his bank account.

At first, Jiang Luoyu thought it was some app automatically charging him.

But when he checked Douyin’s transaction history, he finally realized—someone had been using his account to send gifts to Jiang Qingyue.

"Could it be that this Chen Jinsheng is the one watching Jiang Qingyue’s live streams with my account?" the man muttered to himself.

After leaving Jiang Luoyu’s office, Jiang Qingyue saw Huang Qin, who was heading there as well.

"Qingyue! I didn’t mean to lie to you." Huang Qin (Xu Yunshu) looked anxious, clutching Jiang Qingyue’s wrist tightly. "Qingyue, I don’t want to marry him."

"Xiao Qin, it doesn’t matter. That’s your family’s business. I have other things to do now."

Jiang Qingyue (Mu Ran) felt as if she were shrouded in fog.

Who exactly was Chen Jinsheng?

Why was he using Jiang Luoyu’s account and Douyin?

The next moment, her phone rang.

It was a message from Jiang Luoyu on WeChat!

And it was from the same "Top Patron" Chen Jinsheng.

Jiang Qingyue (Mu Ran) opened the voice message he’d sent.

She thought perhaps Jiang Luoyu wanted to say something else to her.

But...

"Qingyue, why so silent? Shall we meet?"

Jiang Qingyue was stunned, her eyes fixed on her phone for a long time, unable to recover.

It was Chen Jinsheng’s voice!

Gripping her phone tightly, she quickly replied: Where shall we meet?

At the top of the chat, the words appeared: "The other party is typing..."

Her heart was uneasy, for she did have feelings for this top patron—the lone wolf of Xijing, Chen Jinsheng—it was, in a sense, an online romance.

During her live streams, it was always this "Xijing Lone Wolf" who kept her company. Even when her audience was small, he stayed from the beginning to the very end.

When she was upset, he comforted her.

When she complained about being broke, he showered her with gifts.

Who could resist a man like that? And in the script, Jiang Qingyue was a girl who loved and hated with equal passion—a sensitive soul.

A moment later, the man replied—

Chen Jinsheng: Jiang Luoyu’s office.

Jiang Qingyue’s expression grew complicated, her legs weak. She slowly crouched down, her gaze glued to the chat screen.

Meanwhile, the cameraman and chief director Gao Mingliang watching from outside were inwardly cheering in delight!

Mu Ran’s acting was flawless.

She conveyed all the emotions of the character Jiang Qingyue in the script-killing game—struggle, confusion, conflict, even anger—with utter mastery.

Jiang Qingyue (Mu Ran) stood up and made her way toward Jiang Luoyu’s office.

Just as she reached the door, she heard Huang Qin’s angry voice from inside.

"Young lady, are you here to see Teacher Jiang?" A cleaning lady emerged from the stairwell, waving at Jiang Qingyue.

The cleaner NPC’s face was grave and cautious. "Girl, let me tell you, there’s something not quite right about your Teacher Jiang."

As she spoke, she tapped her own temple.

Jiang Qingyue approached her, curiosity written all over her face. "Auntie, what do you mean?"

"Oh, you stubborn girl! Must I spell it out? I’m telling you, Professor Jiang seems to have some mental issues—maybe he’s mentally ill!"

"Auntie, you shouldn’t say such things lightly. How could a teacher be mentally ill?"

In truth, Mu Ran was deeply analyzing Jiang Luoyu’s character and suspected he was schizophrenic.

But how could a university professor be schizophrenic?

The NPC noticed Mu Ran slipping out of character and nudged her lightly. "My job is to clean the offices on this floor. That Teacher Jiang—he’s like two different people before and after noon. Sometimes he’s gloomy, sometimes he’s cheerful. And every now and then, I hear two men arguing in his office! But when I sneak a peek through the door crack, there’s only him inside!"

"Auntie, don’t worry. Maybe Teacher Jiang was just watching a movie."

The NPC nodded nervously and patted Jiang Qingyue’s (Mu Ran’s) hand gently. "Just be careful, child. Listen—they’re arguing again. You’d better watch out."

"Thank you, Auntie."

The NPC, task complete, quickly left.

Jiang Qingyue (Mu Ran) stood in front of the door, her clear eyes shimmering. She knocked gently.

"Come in."

The voice from within was unmistakably Chen Jinsheng’s.

"Qingyue? What brings you here?" Huang Qin (Xu Yunshu) was visibly surprised, her hands at her sides clenching tightly.

"I asked her to come."

The man lounging on the sofa, legs crossed with lazy elegance, looked at Jiang Qingyue (Mu Ran) with deep affection.

At this moment, his aura and voice were utterly different from Jiang Luoyu in the office earlier.

But it was the same face.

Chen Jinsheng was icy and domineering.

Jiang Luoyu, cold and refined.

"Jiang Luoyu! You don’t have to do this to me! I told you I don’t want to marry you! That’s my business—why are you harassing Jiang Qingyue? She’s my friend!"

Huang Qin (Xu Yunshu) glared at the man on the sofa.

Chen Jinsheng glanced at the flushed woman, a faint smile on his lips. "I’m not Jiang Luoyu."

At those words, Huang Qin laughed. "Ha! You’re not Jiang Luoyu? Then who are you? Don’t tell me you’re suffering from dissociative identity disorder!"

Huang Qin knew Jiang Luoyu had feelings for her.

But she didn’t like him at all!

She believed he was merely provoking her, seeking revenge.

"Dissociative identity disorder? Ha! Jiang Luoyu is just a thief occupying my body! I am the true owner of this body!"

Chen Jinsheng (Gu Beicheng) uncrossed his legs and slowly stood, an oppressive, formidable aura radiating from him.

It was an aura very much like Gu Beicheng’s own.

His cold, sharp gaze fixed on Huang Qin’s angry eyes as he sneered, "The one I love is Jiang Qingyue. I love her! I don’t know why Jiang Luoyu despises the woman I love so much! Therefore, I can’t let Jiang Luoyu exist any longer."

His lips curled in a smile, like a vengeful demon, striking fear into everyone present.

"What are you planning to do?"

Jiang Qingyue (Mu Ran) kept her expression frosty, her entire body on guard as she pulled Huang Qin (Xu Yunshu) to her side.

Seeing her reaction, sadness flashed in Chen Jinsheng’s (Gu Beicheng’s) eyes. "Qingyue, are you afraid of me? Don’t be. If Jiang Luoyu despises you, I’ll make him disappear!"

"No! Jiang Luoyu cannot die! Chen Jinsheng, don’t you realize you’re suffering from a split personality?"

Nothing could be allowed to happen to Jiang Luoyu, as he was Huang Qin’s fiancé.

Now, Jiang Qingyue’s affection for Chen Jinsheng had completely vanished. She found this man terrifying.