...MURDER THE DREAM GUY...

Deemed hopeless by her family and that she was better off married when her fourth novel continued to be a flop, aspiring author Xiang Wan begins to doubt herself. While feeling conflicted about continuing her dream as an author, things take an unexpected turn when a dazzling guy appears before her and takes her to the police station.

“What? I’m the primary suspect in a murder case?”

A murder has taken place and the details are eerily similar to the details of her latest novel. The dazzling guy turns out to be a talented detective with a hidden identity who is assigned to investigate the case. From then on, her life turns topsy-turvy.

In the beginning, she seeks the detective’s protection by requesting to stay overnight at his place.

“Detective Bai, is it not the duty of the police to protect the witness when her life is in extreme danger?”

She ends up staying at his house overnight because of various reasons, such as—

Scenario 1:

Xiang Wan: “Detective Bai, you have no right to detain me…”

Detective Bai: “I remember you’re the one who requested to stay at my house?”

Scenario 2:

Xiang Wan: “There’s no need for that. Detective Bai, I can return…”

Detective Bai: “You’ve not cleared of suspicion yet. If something happens, at least you’ll have an alibi.”

Scenario 3:

Xiang Wan: “Why did you bring me to your house again?”

Detective Bai: “You haven’t released a new chapter today!” he said, enunciating each syllable, “I want to read your latest chapter before telling you of our latest investigations.”

“…”

...

All alone

Why do I need friends

When I've got plenty of enemies?

I have a way

Of finding out their sins and secrets

Bringing them to their knees

The world owes me a debt

And now I've come to collect

So don't get in my way

I came up from nothing

The streets were my playground

I belong to the city

And was raised by the stakes I claimed

So I let the rumors

Turn me into a legend

'Cause I'm only human

But a good myth is hard to kill

Maybe I'm

Too obsessed with retribution

Somebody has to pay

By the time

You figure out the rules I broke

I've already won the game

The world owes me a debt

And now I've come to collect

So don't get in my way

I came up from nothing

The streets were my playground

I belong to the city

And was raised by the stakes I claimed

So I let the rumors

Turn me into a legend

'Cause I'm only human

But a good myth is hard to kill

The odds are stacked against me

I keep my cards close to my chest

Just let them see my worst and

They'll never judge me for my best

The world owes me a debt

And now I've come to collect

So don't get in my way

I came up from nothing

The streets were my playground

I belong to the city

And was raised by the stakes I claimed

So I let the rumors

Turn me into a legend

'Cause I'm only human

But a good myth is hard to kill

...

...

“Ah Sheng, let’s do it now. You know what I mean, right?”

“No, no, no, no, we can’t, he…”

“He’s a blackhearted *sshole! I was only chosen because he wanted me to give birth to his child! Ah Sheng, let’s not talk about him. I only wanted to, you know, do that with you. I’m yours…”

“Er Niu, no, don’t… we can’t afford to trifle with him.”

“We need not be afraid of him anymore! Never again! Ah Sheng… he doesn’t exist anymore.”

Ah Sheng looked at her, puzzled.

“I… killed him.”

Xiang Wan was reading what she had written and stopped when she saw her cousin, Fang Yuanyuan, staring hard at her with a straw between her lips. Xiang Wan frowned. “You didn’t find this part full of suspense, didn’t you?”

Fang Yuanyuan ruffled her hair in exasperation. “Sis, do you know the reason why each and every book you wrote failed?”

“Hm?”

“Weak dialogues and content, fuzzy logic, readers don’t get what you’re trying to say! Do you understand what young girls like me want to read? It’s romance, romance, romance! Important things need to be said three times!”

“Isn’t there romance in my book? Wait, what do you mean by young girls like you?”

“…What, do, you, think?”

Fang Yuanyuan pouted and looked at Xiang Wan sympathetically.

“Besides, you’ve never even dated before. Are you sure you’re able to write a romantic love story? You even need to imagine a sex scene out of thin air, how are you able to write a pair of lovers who love each other deep into their soul? Hence, I hereby suggest you should get into a relationship, okay?”

“But I’m writing a murder mystery novel,” said Xiang Wan with a smile.

“Girls don’t like to read a murder mystery novel without romance. And if you’re going after the male readers, your novel is still lacking in some areas…”

“Fang Yuanyuan!” Xiang Wan forced a smile again. “I do have a group of really loyal and unwavering readers as well…”

“Forget it! With the trashy stuff you wrote, if I’m not your editor, you won’t even be able to become a VIP writer. You only have a handful of paying readers, and the royalties are not even enough to pay your rent! My dear cousin, just give up!”

Xiang Wan leaned on her chair slowly as she looked at her cousin intently with a faint smile.

“One day, I’m going to write the most popular novel on the internet. Do you believe me?!”

“You? Hoho!” Fang Yuanyuan put her coffee mug on the table and took her handbag. “Youngest aunt has arranged the blind date tomorrow night at eight o’clock, Ocean Sky Hotpot. Do as you see fit!”

Another matchmaking session!

Xiang Wan knocked on her own forehead.

After packing her laptop, she left the cafe. The weather outside was like an oven. She could hear the buzz of electrical fans on the streets near her house. A passing cool breeze was soon replaced by a hot gush of air. She felt as though she was going to be roasted alive.

She rented herself an apartment with just one living room and one bedroom to get away from her mom’s constant nagging, despite not having a lot.

At the young age of 26, she was already facing the mayhem of a midlife crisis. She had never dated before and was never embarrassed by that, but with a pretty face like hers, her relatives thought that she had just been too arrogant and picky. As time went by, rumor has it that there might be something wrong with her.

Must she just get married off to a man and give up her dreams for the rest of her life?

Her fragile heart was crushed to smithereens once more by the sound of her mobile phone ringing when she arrived at the foot of the apartment building that she lived in.

“Oh mom! What’s up again? You interrupted me while I was thinking about my novel plot!”

“Novel plot! It’s always about your novel plot! Who reads your stuff anyway? Let me remind you, you’re almost 30…”

“I’m 26!”

“Round up!”

“Are you really my mom?” Xiang Wan felt her head aching mildly. She felt it might be due to the free air-conditioning she enjoyed at the cafe. “I just haven’t found a good man, alright?”

“What type of man do you like? Just tell mom and I’ll find you one.”

“A national grade rich and gorgeous guy with a height of 1.9 meters, 16-pack abs, lives in an 88-storey villa, and wakes up in a bed of 800 meters. Otherwise, it’s a no.”

“… Are you planning to marry a centipede?”

“Bye, mom!”

“Hey…”

Xiang Wan was chatting with her mom while she climbed up the stairs. Before she knew it, she was panting and had already reached the sixth floor.

That was actually the top floor. Under the hot summer sky, one would feel like a crab placed inside a cooking pot, wishing to be freed from all the heat. However, there was a man who was quietly leaning against the wall just outside her door. He looked so suave, so cool, and so fresh without any trace of perspiration—his appearance dazzled her eyes so much that she felt dizzy…

The man was tall and had well-defined and chiseled features, as if he had walked out directly from an idol drama.

He looked at Xiang Wan without much emotion. His eyes were amazingly bright under the sun, but at the same time, he looked exceptionally distant, cold and arrogant. Yet, contradictorily, his pair of brooding eyes emanated an irresistible, piercing charm that could stir up feelings in any girl just with his physical appearance and eye contact. He was a typical set-up of most male leading characters in romance fiction.

Oh my, what have you done to my maiden heart!

Xiang Wan puffed a sigh inside her head as she took out her keys.

“Who are you looking for?”

She composed herself, suppressing the emotions that stirred within her.

As the man threw a glance at her, he said, “You’re Xiang Wan.”

That glance was attractively subtle, and that voice was too sexy.

Xiang Wan had never thought that her name could sound so good in her ears. Her cheeks started to feel hot.

“Yes, is there any problem?”

The corners of his mouth turned upward. Xiang Wan’s gaze almost melted completely under his inscrutable smile. He fished out his police officer badge and showed it to her.

“You’re being suspected of murder. Please kindly cooperate with the investigation!”

...

Bai Muchuan.

The police officer badge showed the name of the man.

The photo of the man on the badge appeared slightly younger than the man in front of her, also wearing a faint smile on his lips.

The photo also had the same look as earlier—cold, bad*ss, sexy, cool, and a seemingly complex personality.

As Xiang Wan thought of these words to describe the man before her, her heartbeat suddenly started to race and her tongue felt dry.

“Will you kindly repeat one more time? I didn’t hear clearly.”

The man gave her a complicated gaze under the blazing summer sun.

“You’re being suspected of murder,” he said, “please kindly cooperate with the investigation.”

…

This time, Xiang Wan heard very clearly.

…

She had been a female otaku for many years and trusted her instincts very much, though she was often deceived or scammed.

Firstly, she did not know of any dashing, fair, and lean “detective” that lived in this shabby alley.

Secondly, whenever there was a need to bring in someone for questioning, the police would dispatch at least two officers. She knew general knowledge like this.

Thirdly, she wished she could stay at home for 48 hours a day, so how could she be involved in a murder?

Xiang Wan firmly believed that she had met a fake detective, a scammer.

Perhaps the only thing she didn’t understand was if this scammer was a love swindler or was only after her money.

“Ahem!” She cleared her throat. “How do you want me to cooperate?”

“You need to come with me!”

Dong! Xiang Wan’s heart sank. Looking at this man who hardly showed any emotion, she was convinced of her assumption.

“Alright, but I need to get changed first.”

She flapped the collar of her blouse which was drenched from perspiration and dangled the keys on her hand as a signal for him to move out of the way.

He peered at her for a good five seconds before he slowly moved aside.

Xiang Wan tried very hard to pretend to be calm as she opened the door with her heart in her mouth. Her hand almost trembled as she tried to turn the key.

The door finally opened.

“Wait a while.” Xiang Wan turned to smile at him before she swiftly ducked inside and proceeded to slam the door shut.

Just when the metal door was about to close, a hand suddenly emerged from the gap, and the door slammed heavily on it.

Gasp! Xiang Wan felt pain on behalf of the man but he remained indifferent.

“Let go!”

“…” It was not an easy feat to trap his hand, why would she let go?

Xiang Wan pushed her body against the door so as to ensure she had the man securely trapped. Her heart pounded against her chest so hard that it was drumming within her ears as she punched in the numbers of the police hotline—110.

“Hello, 110 right? I’m reporting a case!”

The man did not move but studied her closely instead.

Through the gap, she could see the man’s gaze that felt sharp as a knife, like a pair of eyes from a wolf, as if she could be torn into pieces at any moment.

A chill rose from the bottom of her foot as every part of Xiang Wan became stiff.

“Yes, yes, yes, Green Garden Estate number three, sixth floor, building number three! There is someone impersonating as a police officer, and I’ve managed to trap him here…”

“…”

Xiang Wan ended her call. She felt somewhat at ease as the man did not struggle to pull his hand away.

“Young man, you’re so good-looking, can’t you just stay as a gigolo instead of snatching business from scammers?”

“…”

“With your idol like face, you can simply get yourself a wealthy sugar mama to develop an improper relationship and earn some legitimate cash. Isn’t that easy for you? Why do you want to engage in illegal acts?”

“If you don’t let go, I’m going to charge you for assaulting a police officer!”

“Haha!” This scammer is pretty savage too? Xiang Wan thought.

Xiang Wan used all her strength to press against the door while gritting her teeth.

“Okay then! When the police arrives, you can tell them that! AH—”

That was her shrill scream!

That hand suddenly seemed to have a life of its own as it forcefully pushed the door, along with her 90 pound body. Next, the man grabbed Xiang Wan’s wrist and pinned her onto the now open door.

His other hand was pressing onto the door as well, blocking most of the sunlight. She could faintly hear his breathing.

That sure was an exciting stunt!

Xiang Wan felt her heart shrink. “Help! Rape—”

There was a police station not too far away which was situated opposite the neighborhood. Xiang Wan could often see police vehicles move in and out of the place when she ate instant noodles by the window sill.

With her loud, shrill cry, some flurried footsteps could be heard coming from the stairs. A tall detective in civilian clothes was gasping. He had arrived earlier than the policemen just dispatched out by Xiang Wan’s call.

“Boss, what… I only went to get a pack of cigarettes. How did this, this, this… ”

This, this, this—what about it?

His boss pinned a woman on the door, and the woman cried rape…

The “crime scene” was too picturesque that he was unable to describe it.

Bai Muchuan looked at him for two seconds before he let go of Xiang Wan.

“I’ll leave it to you now.” He put on a pair of sunglasses and strode away.

The weather was burning—Xiang Wan felt distressed—things had gone so wrong.

She saw Bai Muchuan’s now bruised hand where there were tiny blots of blood. Cold sweat spiralled up from her spine and flowed down from her forehead.

“Erm…”

She took a deep breath and tried to explain herself lest she get charged for assaulting a police officer. But when that man let go of her and walked away, she smelt a faint, sweet peppermint scent that suddenly made her tongue-tied.

She couldn’t continue her words.

The tall, lanky detective was a straightforward person. He directly freed her from further embarrassment. “You’re Xiang Wan, right? There’s a case that we need you to assist in our investigation. This is not the place to talk. We need you to make a trip to the Criminal Investigation Unit.”

…

The interrogation room was cloaked in chilly air, making Xiang Wan shiver.

The deceased victim was Jin City’s famous local tycoon—Zhao Jiahang.

Zhao Jiahang was in his thirties and was already the CEO of a public-listed company which had a market value of several hundred millions of dollars. Not only did he have a smooth sailing career, he also had an exquisite face which women adored. He led a life of envy.

Perhaps the only thing missing from his seemingly perfect life was that he had no offspring; his wife was half-paralyzed due to an accident that had befallen her many years ago, leading to her being unable to conceive.

However, although Zhao Jiahang was wealthy and charming, he did not abandon his half-paralyzed wife. He still loved her wholeheartedly—the perfect example of an exemplary husband.

When she saw the gruesome pictures taken by the police at the scene, Xiang Wan recalled the numerous pictures of this man that she saw in various media platforms. Each one of them was bright and handsome. For a moment, she couldn’t accept what happened to such a man.

“Who killed him?!”

“That is exactly what we wanted to ask you.”

“Ask me? How would I know? I don’t know him at all.”

The two detectives exchanged glances and handed her a document.

“Look at the details of the crime. Does it look familiar to you?”

According to the dossier, Zhao Jiahang was killed beside his SUV in the garage of his villa.

It was public knowledge that Zhao Jiahang loved cars as much as he loved his wife. He liked to modify vehicles and had spent a lot of money on installing a protective device on the SUV at the scene. The protective device would activate a supporting steel piece to balance and protect the SUV whenever it loses control.

Zhao Jiahang’s body was practically nailed onto the wall by the steel piece.

From the picture, Zhao Jiahang had experienced an extremely tragic death. The former glorious tycoon’s eyes were unusually dilated with an incredulous and terrified expression that marked the end of his glamorous life.

Zhao Jiahang’s wife had gone to visit her own parents two days ago. No one else was in the house.

The surveillance camera did not capture anyone else at the garage except Zhao Jiahang himself.

No clues were found to suggest a possible homicide at the scene.

The police had preliminarily determined that it was an accident caused by vehicle failure. Zhao Jiahang was believed to have gotten out of his vehicle to check the abnormal condition without pulling the brake. He was then pushed to a corner in the garage by the moving vehicle, and the protection device was somehow triggered, resulting in him getting killed.

A man killed by a vehicle.

It was rare but not entirely impossible.

However, around 10 a.m. that morning, news of Zhao Jiahang’s death had just been released by the media when almost immediately, someone alerted the police that he came across a criminal case in a web novel by the title of “Murder The Dream Guy” where not only did the crime happen in exactly the same way as the details, the victim’s background and road to success were very similar as well…

“I admit…” Xiang Wan gulped, her pupils shrunk as she looked at the detective who was taking down her statement. She quickly continued to finish her sentence, “When I wrote that character, I used Mr. Zhao’s background as reference.”

“Why did you do that?” The detective squinted his eyes.

“That, why did I do that? I wanted to write about a local tycoon, but I don’t know any of them nor do I understand anything about them.” Xiang Wan was in a hurry to explain herself, and was somewhat agitated. “I can only search for information about local tycoons in the internet that best fits the ‘Dream Guy’ inside my novel as reference.”

She was talking rather loudly and her fingers were tightly clenched.

There was silence in the interrogation room.

“Detective,” Xiang Wan said after pondering for a few seconds, “have you read my novel? The murderer in my novel is the local tycoon’s mistress. If this case is exactly replicated as per my novel, then…”

She felt a little embarrassed as she destroyed the image of Zhao Jiahang, who was a good role model of a husband known to love his wife dearly, by giving him a mistress in her novel.

“Of course, I didn’t know if Mr. Zhao really has a mistress or not. What I wrote in my novel was totally made-up…”

“That’s not the point,” a voice that sounded just nice interrupted her.

Xiang Wan turned and saw someone, backlit by the light from the door—it was Bai Muchuan.

He removed the white gloves on his hands and retracted his gaze from the novel “Murder The Dream Guy” to Xiang Wan. Her eyes appeared to be slightly enlarged when she saw him.

“The point is, Zhao Jiahang died yesterday night at around half past ten. Your chapter which is related to the details of the scene was published today at twelve midnight sharp.”

At that instant, Xiang Wan felt as if all her blood cells had been frozen.

It was such a hot day, yet she felt cold from head to toe.

...