“The dressing room?”

The manager’s expression flickered with unease. She opened her mouth to hint at something, but Zhou Minwen shook her head slightly and said to Gu Xicao, “Master, I’ll take you there.”

As the female lead of the production, Zhou Minwen’s dressing room wasn’t very big. It contained various costumes and wigs but was kept neat despite the clutter due to her tidiness.

The director and others followed them, partly out of curiosity about whether this so-called master could really find the necklace and partly to see if Zhou Minwen might have hidden it herself.

Once inside, Gu Xicao moved as though she already knew the layout. Without asking anyone, she went straight to a corner, looked around, and pulled out a jade necklace from the corner using a hairpin from a prop box.

“The necklace?!” The director’s eyes widened. “That’s it! That’s the missing jade necklace!”

Lin Xingyue covered her mouth in mock surprise. “But didn’t Minwen just say they had thoroughly searched the dressing room? How could it suddenly appear?”

The assistant director nodded in agreement. “Exactly. I even helped search earlier. There wasn’t anything in that corner. Director, isn’t it possible that someone here is crying thief while being the thief?”

As he spoke, his gaze shifted to Zhou Minwen.

Both Zhou Minwen and her manager’s expressions turned sour.

When the necklace first went missing, they had turned the room upside down, searching it multiple times. Not a single spot, not even the costumes, had been overlooked.

It was impossible for them to have missed the corner. Someone must have planted it there after they left to frame them!

“Director, are you sure this is the necklace you were looking for?” Gu Xicao held up the necklace and asked.

The director’s heart raced as he looked at the necklace, his anxiety palpable. “Yes, yes! That’s it! Hand it over quickly before it gets damaged. I can’t afford to replace it.”

He reached out to take the necklace, but Gu Xicao suddenly pulled back, keeping it out of his reach.

The director froze, then realized something. He slapped his forehead and said, “Ah, I see. You want money, don’t you? Master, how much do you want? Just name your price, and I’ll pay it.”

Lin Xingyue and the others frowned slightly.

Everyone here was a veteran in the entertainment industry. They could tell from the director’s tone that he wanted to sweep the matter under the rug and avoid a deeper investigation.

Seemingly naive, Zhou Minzhu spoke up, “Director, we can’t just let this go! Everyone searched the dressing room earlier, and the necklace was nowhere to be found. Now that it’s suddenly appeared here, we must get to the bottom of this. Otherwise, my sister will be labeled a thief!”

The manager nearly bit through her teeth in anger.

Zhou Minzhu had tried to step on Minwen to climb the ranks but had failed. No one knew what backing she’d found, but she had managed to join the crew as the fourth female lead.

Fine, if they could just stay out of each other’s way, but now she was adding insult to injury!

“Yes, Director, you heard what Zhou Minzhu said. This can’t just be brushed aside,” Lin Xingyue chimed in, her voice syrupy sweet. She lightly patted the director’s shoulder with her manicured fingers. “We all have valuable things. Take my watch, for example—it’s a Rolex. This time, we were lucky to find the necklace, but what if next time, something goes missing for good? I’m not taking a loss like that!”

The director awkwardly moved away from Lin Xingyue and tried to mediate. “Come on now, things don’t go missing like that often. You’re overthinking it, Ms. Lin.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” Lin Xingyue said coyly, her smile widening. “We should get to the bottom of this, shouldn’t we, Minwen?”

She turned to Zhou Minwen, her smile as sharp as a blade. “If you’re innocent, you wouldn’t mind clearing this up, right?”

Zhou Minwen finally understood.

This entire setup was likely orchestrated by Lin Xingyue.

The cold smile on her lips masked her growing anxiety. Lin Xingyue was known for her cruelty and was rumored to be backed by a triad boss. Many celebrities who crossed her had suffered for it.

Now, with such an elaborate trap, Lin Xingyue must be confident she could ruin Zhou Minwen.

But Zhou Minwen couldn’t say she didn’t want to investigate.

The necklace had been found in her dressing room. If she refused to investigate, it would seem like an admission of guilt.

“Ms. Zhou, I think we should investigate,” Gu Xicao said, shaking the necklace slightly. She winked at Zhou Minwen.

Zhou Minwen immediately understood—Master Gu had a plan!

She didn’t hesitate. “Then investigate thoroughly! Let’s find out the truth so no one has to second-guess.”

Lin Xingyue’s smile widened. “Director, I think just asking the cast isn’t enough. We should question the crew as well. Only then can we uncover any clues. Let’s bring in the staff, shall we?”

The director sighed and gave Zhou Minwen a helpless look. There was no turning back now. “Bring everyone here.”

The crew wasn’t large. Unlike future productions, which could involve hundreds of people, crews at the time often wore multiple hats. A props person might also handle costumes or even act as an extra.

The current set had only about twenty people.

Once everyone was gathered, the assistant director explained the situation.

The staff exchanged nervous glances, murmurs growing louder.

Gu Xicao scanned the group, her gaze landing on a middle-aged woman.

The woman fidgeted with her hands, her expression uneasy.

“Don’t just stand there whispering! If anyone has a lead, speak up! I’ll offer a 1,000-yuan reward for useful information!”

Zhou Minzhu stepped forward and announced loudly.

A thousand dollars?

The offer immediately caught everyone’s attention.

Finally, the middle-aged woman stepped forward hesitantly. “I… I saw something earlier.”

Zhou Minwen’s expression darkened slightly.

Wang Laoshi leaned in and whispered, “Ms. Zhou, who’s that?”

The manager answered, “She’s the makeup artist, Sister Qi.”

“Sister Qi, if you know something, just say it. The director, assistant director, Lin Xingyue, and my sister are all here. If anyone dares retaliate against you, they won’t stand for it!” Zhou Minzhu said, her tone tinged with excitement.

To an outsider, it might seem like a concerned sister standing up for her sibling.

Lin Xingyue added, “Yes, you can speak freely!”

Sister Qi swallowed nervously and looked at Zhou Minwen. “I’m sorry, Ms. Zhou, but earlier… I saw you and your manager secretly take the necklace into the dressing room.”

Zhou Minwen’s face remained emotionless.

From the moment Sister Qi stepped forward, she had known exactly what Lin Xingyue—or whoever orchestrated this—intended.

The necklace was in her dressing room, and now there was a witness claiming to have seen her move it. With both physical evidence and testimony, she had been framed perfectly.

Even if the police were called, they’d assume she was the thief.

“You’re lying! My sister would never do something like that!”

Zhou Minzhu’s face flushed bright red. She stepped forward and grabbed Sister Qi. “Sister Qi, think carefully. Did you really see my sister doing this with your own eyes?”

“I’m truly sorry,” Sister Qi said, her gaze dodging Zhou Minwen’s, fixed only on the floor. “But I did see it with my own eyes. After the assistant director searched the dressing room, I went back to grab something and happened to witness the scene.”

“Then why didn’t you say anything earlier?!”

The director’s frown was so deep it could squash a fly. He was thoroughly annoyed. His frustration surged at the thought that someone had played tricks in his crew to frame Zhou Minwen and had even bought off one of his staff.

Sister Qi’s lips trembled. She knew the director would never hire her again, but she had chosen this path for the money she had received. “Because I was afraid of offending Ms. Zhou. She’s a big star. Who would believe a makeup artist like me? And I wasn’t even sure if Ms. Zhou had left the necklace in the dressing room, so I didn’t dare speak up.”

What a perfect chain of schemes.

Zhou Minwen almost laughed coldly.

Her manager, trembling with anger, lashed out, “You’re spouting nonsense! Ah Wen has never been anything but kind to you! She buys you gifts, and didn’t she even give your son a generous red envelope for his wedding? And this is how you repay her?”

“A-Li, enough,” Zhou Minwen interrupted, shaking her head at her manager. She had long since seen the reality of this industry: deceit and backstabbing everywhere.

Sister Qi’s betrayal was unexpected but not entirely surprising.

“Minwen, is it true? Did you really do this?”

Lin Xingyue’s face looked stricken as she widened her eyes in feigned shock, staring at Zhou Minwen.

The assistant director sneered. “Do we even need to ask? There’s evidence and a witness. I say we call the police!”

“I agree. Let’s call the police,” Gu Xicao said with a cheerful smile.

Everyone turned to look at her, their expressions a mix of surprise and suspicion.

The director frowned. “Don’t talk nonsense. Why call the police? This is just a minor issue.”

“Director, calling the police is the best way to find the real culprit,” Gu Xicao replied calmly. “Otherwise, wouldn’t it be unfair to let Ms. Zhou Minwen be falsely accused?”

“What are you talking about? Evidence and witnesses both point to her! Who’s falsely accusing her?!” The assistant director glared at her and barked.

Gu Xicao raised an eyebrow. “Evidence and witnesses can be fabricated. Take this necklace, for example. Who’s to say that just because it was found in Zhou Minwen’s dressing room, she’s the thief? What if the person who stole it hid it there to frame her?”

She pointed directly at Sister Qi.