My Roommate Is a Detective Episode 12 Recap
> My Roommate Is a Detective Recap
Following the mysterious circumstances of the previous episode, where Lu Yao fell asleep at the movie premiere and lead actor Gao Song was mysteriously shot, this episode begins in a packed movie theater where Gao Song has died. Lu Yao orders the staff to seal off the premises, prompting frustrated audience members to protest loudly and demand to be let out. Some even accuse Lu Yao, who was seated behind the victim, of being the most likely suspect.
Lu Yao calmly states that anyone eager to leave at that moment would be considered suspicious, which momentarily quiets some. Bai Youning attempts to appeal to their curiosity, suggesting that witnessing such a high-profile death would be a "big news" event for them. Just then, Qiao Chusheng arrives with his patrol officers. Lu Yao briefly explains he had been sleeping during the movie, with Bai Youning as his witness.
After learning of Gao Song's bloody abdominal wounds, Qiao teasingly suggests Lu Yao might have committed the murder while snoring. Lu Yao, indignant, then declares that he would not disclose the killer's identity even if he knew it, due to Qiao's persistent accusations and his declaration that Lu Yao wouldn't receive consulting fees as a suspect.
As the investigation commences, an officer reports that no murder weapon was found at the scene, and confirms no audience members had left the theater during the screening, effectively making the venue a locked room. The coroner reports that Gao Song's wounds are unusually severe, suggesting he was hit by a dumdum, a type of expanding bullet banned since the Hague Convention of 1899.
However, the lack of penetrating wounds or any bullet found in the body, coupled with Gao Song not being in the front row, puzzles investigators. Bai Youning dramatically dubs it a "Bullet from Ghost" for a potential newspaper headline. Lu Yao then decides to get breakfast, complaining that Bai Youning's prior promises of script fees for a co-written screenplay had gone unfulfilled, making him wary of her new offer of a consulting fee.
Bai Youning and Lu Yao discuss the film script they had co-written, which Gao Song had liked, but he died before they could finalize a deal. Bai Youning notes that Gao Song was a notorious playboy, and rumors circulated about his involvement with the film's leading actress, Shen Yaoguang. Shen Yaoguang had wanted to continue the relationship after filming wrapped, but Gao Song, known for changing partners with every new movie, refused.
Feeling hurt, Shen Yaoguang reported Gao Song to her boss, Mr. Bai, Bai Youning's father, leading to Gao Song being severely beaten by several strong men the previous week. Bai Youning suspects her father was behind the beating. Qiao Chusheng later discusses this with Mr. Bai, who firmly denies involvement. Mr. Bai explains that he wouldn't kill Gao Song over a slighted relationship, especially since Gao Song was contracted for three more films with his company.
He also emphasizes that Shen Yaoguang is a "cash cow" for his company, implying he wouldn't jeopardize her career by getting involved with her. Mr. Bai also extends an invitation for Lu Yao and Bai Youning to have dinner at their home. Lu Yao concludes that Shen Yaoguang, having been deeply hurt, is a potential suspect and decides to interview her, while Qiao Chusheng goes to gather more information from Mr. Bai.
At Shen Yaoguang's residence, Lu Yao is visibly struck by her beauty. Shen Yaoguang, however, remains cold and expresses no sorrow for Gao Song's death, stating she is "glad to know he's dead" and that he "deserved more than death." She reveals she skipped the premiere because she never wanted to see him again. For her alibi, she states she was getting her hair done at Huating with multiple witnesses.
She also discloses that Gao Song had borrowed 200 silver dollars from her and never repaid it, lamenting that while it is acceptable for capable men to be fickle, cheating women out of money is despicable. When Lu Yao asks what kind of man she likes, she candidly replies, "He has to be rich or powerful."
Back at the police station, the coroner re-examines Gao Song's body, definitively ruling out the dumdum theory as there are no explosive remnants in the body. Lu Yao, still intrigued, then requests a check for sleeping pills, sedatives, or nerve poisons. Lu Yao informs Qiao Chusheng that he still considers Shen Yaoguang a suspect and has arranged to have dinner with her that night at Baoshan Restaurant, which is near the theater.
A witness had seen Gao Song exiting the restaurant before going to the movie. Lu Yao invites Qiao Chusheng to join, but Qiao refuses to pay for the meal. At Baoshan Restaurant, the elevator is out of order, forcing Lu Yao and Bai Youning to climb five flights of stairs. A service staff member confirms that Gao Song had indeed eaten lunch there on the day of his death, accompanied by a man in a hat and sunglasses.
They had overheard a heated argument, with the man stating, "Who you think you are? You're nothing without me," to which Gao Song retorted, "I've shown extreme patience and magnanimity. Don't be self-righteous." Lu Yao then orders Gao Song's exact lunch menu, which consists entirely of heavy meat dishes like Dongpo Pig Knuckle and Stewed Pork Cubes, surprising Lu Yao given Gao Song's celebrity status.
The staff clarifies that Gao Song is a huge meat-eater, joking that he is a "reincarnation of Pigsy," but claims he manages his weight by consistently working out. Lu Yao decides to consume all the dishes himself to rule out any food poisoning from incompatible ingredients. After finishing the enormous meal without any ill effects, Lu Yao returns to Qiao Chusheng, confirming that food poisoning is not the cause and demanding reimbursement.
Qiao Chusheng, in turn, presents Gao Song's recent medical records, which indicate he is in excellent health with no chronic illnesses. The coroner also confirms no traces of poison, sleeping pills, or sedatives are found in Gao Song's body. Puzzled, Lu Yao decides to investigate Gao Song's home, accompanied by Bai Youning. They find the house filled exclusively with imported furniture and a stash of diet pills, which Lu Yao notes would explain Gao Song's large appetite without weight gain.
Despite finding various high-end cosmetics, Lu Yao concludes there are no new valuable clues and leaves. Lu Yao and Bai Youning attend Gao Song's funeral, presided over by the film's producer, Tan Xiao. Tan Xiao insists that Gao Song's death was caused by an explosion and tearfully acknowledges Mr. Bai's crucial financial support in launching the film, emphasizing its continued release as Gao Song's final work. Lu Yao observes Director Li Rui, noting his odd expression, and later approaches him.
Li Rui offers to help Lu Yao sell his crime script, praising the plot but criticizing the dialogue, promising a "big money" deal. Lu Yao slyly suggests to Bai Youning that Li Rui might have a motive for the murder, but then jokes that they could arrest him after he sells the script, to which Bai Youning protests, guaranteeing Li Rui's innocence.
Lu Yao then spots a photo of an 18-year-old Gao Song, who appears significantly overweight, prompting him to deduce that Gao Song had lost a considerable amount of weight two years prior. Lu Yao immediately instructs Bai Youning to investigate order forms at Yun'an Department Store. Meanwhile, Qiao Chusheng has apprehended Director Li Rui. A restaurant staff member identifies Li Rui as the man who had argued with Gao Song at Baoshan Restaurant.
Qiao also presents a "fuse" found at Li Rui's home, which Li Rui claims is a prop for his upcoming war film. Qiao, convinced Li Rui is the killer, begins to interrogate him. However, Lu Yao bursts in, adamantly declaring Li Rui innocent and redirecting Qiao's attention to Tan Xiao, the producer, as the true culprit. Qiao has Tan Xiao brought in, but Tan Xiao vehemently denies any involvement. Bai Youning arrives, confirming she has obtained purchase records.
Lu Yao then begins to lay out his theory: Gao Song, despite his unhealthy diet and lack of exercise, maintained his physique using diet pills.
Lu Yao explains that if the dosage of these pills, identified as dinitrophenol (a type of uncoupler that drastically increases metabolism), is significantly increased, and the person is then subjected to strenuous exercise, it could lead to a rapid rise in body temperature, heart palpitations, and internal "self-explosion" as blood vessels rupture, a phenomenon he demonstrates with an experiment on mice. Tan Xiao continues to deny his guilt. Lu Yao systematically dismantles Tan Xiao's defense.
He points out Tan Xiao's fatal slip-up at the funeral, where he mentioned Gao Song's death by "explosion," a detail only known to internal investigators at that early stage. Lu Yao then explains that Tan Xiao had deliberately chosen the "shabby" theater for the premiere, despite an offer from a superior venue, because of its proximity to Baoshan Restaurant.
This ensured Gao Song would eat there, following his habit of dining near his engagements and favoring the restaurant's heavy, meaty dishes. Furthermore, Tan Xiao had tampered with the elevator at Baoshan Restaurant, forcing Gao Song to climb five flights of stairs. For a person who had ingested a large dose of high-concentration dinitrophenol, this forced exertion was deadly. Once inside the theater, the drug took full effect, causing a drastic increase in Gao Song's body temperature and profuse sweating.
Lu Yao reveals that sedatives had also been subtly introduced into Gao Song's drinking water, making him fall into an unnoticeable coma or sleep, which explained the lack of struggle or sounds. The small dose of sedatives was quickly metabolized and excreted through the heavy sweating, which is why the coroner found no trace of them. Lu Yao concludes that the murder weapon was, in effect, Gao Song himself.
As evidence of foul play, Lu Yao presents the bottle of diet pills found at Gao Song's home: marked as opened five days prior and usually containing 150 pills, it should have had 125 pills remaining if Gao Song took the standard five pills daily.
However, Lu Yao found 130 pills, proving that the original pills had been swapped out for a high-concentration version and then swapped back, with the killer forgetting to account for the five pills Gao Song would have taken that day. Lu Yao then exposes Tan Xiao's chemical engineering background, despite his claim of studying literature, citing his peculiar water-pouring habit as evidence. He also reveals that Tan Xiao had purchased a large quantity of diet pills from Yun'an Department Store.
Cornered and speechless, Tan Xiao finally confesses. Lu Yao then lays out Tan Xiao's motive: he was deeply in debt, owing Mr. Bai a substantial sum with high-interest rates, and had hoped the movie would be his financial salvation. However, Gao Song's scandal with Shen Yaoguang and her subsequent refusal to attend the premiere threatened the film's reputation and box office success.
To generate massive publicity and ensure the film's profitability, Tan Xiao had orchestrated Gao Song's death, turning it into a sensational "last work" mirroring the film's plot, thereby ensuring a box-office hit to pay off his debts and save his life. Tan Xiao further reveals that he also acted out of a twisted sense of loyalty to Shen Yaoguang, feeling Gao Song "deserved more than death" for hurting her. Tan Xiao is then taken into custody.
