Chapter 186 - 177.2 (1/2)

A pindrop…

The stand-off persisted.

Seven individuals were unmoving, inside this quiet lounge room were a dead body was next to them. Though there was a frequent distinct noise emitted from the flipped pages of the strawberry haired youth. Wasn't this situation so mind-thrilling enough?

The dead man with wide black-strikened eyes was staring directly to the silver haired young man. His dull and lifeless eyes brought chills to Chun but he noticed the strange-shaped mouth of the victim. It was pursed tightly and it was bloated.

Chun pushed away the dazed shivering curly haired young man, it could be said that they were both close that when the door suddenly slammed shut. Lemon immediately ran to where he was. He treated this youth so kindly the moment he arrived on this hotel for his break as the latter was the one who initiated their friendship.

He frowned when he wanted to remember how did they met? It seemed like he forgot about it. The silver haired young man shrugged those irrelevant thoughts away while he focused to the current event.

Chun wore the gloves that he just took off and neared the dead body. He heard a terrified squeal behind him but he continued to remove the substance that was the victim had been biting on until his last breath.

It could be another clue.

The breath of a dead body was like a person who never undergone the toothbrush since his birth.

He pursed his lips while holding his breath, not to inhale too much 'poison'. The silver haired young man was able to retrieve a piece of rolled-up paper while he slowly unfurled it.

Wiping it with other gloved hand in order to see what was written on it. The paper was smooth in texture and a bit shiny when the fluorescent light shone on it.

”It is silk paper,” Feng Zi was like a noiseless ninja suddenly appearing beside Chun without the other noticing.

”Silk paper?”

”It's a very expensive paper, only the nobles can use it.” He adjusted it his glasses while an 'I'm also a noble' expression was written on his face.

”So you have used this kind of paper too?” Chun played along with the latter's intention. With chin raised and his lofty attitude showed, his scholarly vibe complemented his upbringing. Feng Zi hummed in confirmation.

Chun didn't bother with the antagonistic air between the two youths while he read the written text on the silk paper.

'Find the key before he gets you.'

Even the expressionless long haired woman was interested in the contents of the silk paper. ”Key?”

”So we need to find the key? And who was the 'he' here?” Chun said to the other. It seemed that only the two of them was interested on solving this case so he only directed his question to the girl.

But he didn't think that the taciturn Berry who was occupied on his book, stood up from his chair as he put back the book in the shelf.

Somehow the silver haired young man saw an imagery of a shelf of liquors and wines overlapping the bookshelf while a man was expertly mixing drinks and served it into ċȯċktails on the bar counter. Then the vague scene flashed and disappeared as if it was just an illusion.

”We have no liquors here in the lounge room, how come this person had a wine glass in here?” He simply said while examining the wine glass on the carpetted floor.

A gloved hands stole it from his hand and the strawberry haired youth appeared to be also inspecting it. He sniffed it a bit and immediately frowned from the unexpected scent that came from it. He wasn't fond of alcoholic drinks.

”This is a fifty-year old red wine. Smells sweet and fruity but there's something off with that odd strong sour-like smell…” Berry trailed off. He was in deep thought. The way this day had started to the strawberry haired young man was quite unusual and strange as if the moment he woke up, there was something wrong. Even his instincts were warning him, alarmed bells in his mind kept on ringing.

'What was it? What was it?'

This was the question that kept running in his mind. The moment he stepped out from his room and bumped or more specifically, Lollipop bumped on him. He sensed that he forgot something.