Faced with so many scrutinizing eyes, Yoko Okino said with a strained expression, "I... it wasn't me! That happened after I got back! I didn't kill him!"
"Then why is your hair in the hands of the deceased?" Officer Megure asked sternly.
"I don't know! I really don't know!" Yoko's voice broke, her expression filled with distress.
Officer Megure looked as though he was about to press further, but Tang Ze stopped him with a calm gesture. He turned toward Megure and said, "Inspector Megure, even if the manager acted suspiciously, it doesn't necessarily prove anything. Actually, I already know the truth behind the case."
"Nani?" Megure blinked in surprise. "You're serious, Tang Ze-kun?"
"Of course," Tang Ze nodded confidently. "I tried to warn the manager earlier, but I didn't want the situation to spiral out of control."
Tang Ze's confidence stemmed from a solid reason—he had seen this case before.
The case involving Yoko Okino's first appearance had left a strong impression on him. After all, she was a celebrity with significant presence in the *Detective Conan* world.
His motivation was also practical: solving this case during his internship would earn him valuable credit and potentially accelerate his promotion—a key factor in the merit-based system of the Ke Xue world.
"Then who is the culprit, Tang Ze?" Megure asked urgently.
"I had a flash of inspiration thanks to Conan-kun," Tang Ze replied, casting a glance and smile at Conan.
"Conan's reminder?" Everyone turned to look at the child, who was being held by Mouri Ran, surprised.
"Yes. Earlier, Conan mentioned that there were traces of water around the body," Tang Ze explained. "That caught my attention, so I took a closer look. There were indeed signs of moisture."
"But what does that prove?" Megure asked, still puzzled.
"Actually," Tang Ze said, scanning the room, "the culprit never left this apartment. The perpetrator is—" he pointed at the body— "the deceased himself!"
"Suicide?!" gasps erupted from the room.
"But how could he stab himself in the back with a kitchen knife?" Mouri Kogoro questioned.
"That's the trick. And for that, I really have to thank Conan-kun again," Tang Ze continued with a smile. "He pointed out that, despite the room being a mess, there was one chair upright near the body. That inconsistency made everything click."
He gestured around the room. "All the other furniture is knocked over, but that chair stood upright until earlier. Combined with the high room temperature and traces of melted water, the truth became clear."
"If someone carved a hole into a block of ice, embedded the knife in it, then stood on a chair and jumped onto the knife—once the ice melted, the weapon would vanish, and it would appear to be a stabbing homicide."
Tang Ze pointed to the floor. "There was a dent near the body, likely where the block of ice was placed. The high temperature was set to melt the ice quickly—erasing the suicide method and simulating a murder."
"And the hair?!" Mouri Kogoro interjected angrily. "He took her hair just to frame Yoko? That's outrageous!"
"Exactly. He must've found her hair on a comb or brush in the room before staging the suicide," Officer Megure added, his expression darkening.
"That's why I said earlier that the manager's suspicious actions only confused the scene further." Tang Ze looked calmly at Eiichi Yamagishi. "You should have been more careful, Mr. Manager."
"I... I'm sorry, Yoko..."
"But why did he kill himself in Yoko Okino's apartment?" Megure asked, still unsure.
"That's something only Yoko-san and her manager can answer," Tang Ze replied. "Earlier, when they saw the body, they acted like they didn't know the man at all."
"I... I do know him!" Yoko suddenly spoke, her voice trembling. "No, it's more than that... He was my boyfriend back in high school."
"Yoko!" the manager exclaimed in panic.
"I'm sorry, Eiichi, but I can't hide it anymore," she said with guilt in her eyes. "I want to know why he did this in my home."
"Was it revenge for the breakup?" someone asked.
"No... It's not like that. We broke up back in high school," Yoko explained. "But after I became famous, he kept showing up, trying to win me back. He wouldn't take no for an answer... I really don't know why he chose to end his life like this."
After her confession, the team resumed their investigation to uncover the final truth behind the suicide.
With Conan's help, they discovered a crucial clue: a pair of earrings. This led them to another suspect—Yuko Ikezawa.
Despite claiming unfamiliarity with the apartment, Ikezawa identified a uniquely shaped lighter and a horse-shaped item hidden in the toilet. Pressed by the evidence, she finally confessed everything.
Yoko had hired Kogoro to investigate the disturbances. Yuko, envious and angered by Yoko's innocence and popularity, believed she needed a more direct approach. She stole Yoko's keys and entered the apartment while Yoko was away.
But she never expected that the deceased, Tengjiang, would enter while she was inside.
Mistaking Ikezawa—who wore sunglasses and resembled Yoko—for his ex-girlfriend, Tengjiang tried to assault her.
After a desperate struggle, Ikezawa fled the apartment.
The incident left Tengjiang devastated. Mistaking Ikezawa's reaction for rejection from Yoko, his lingering obsession turned to hatred. That despair drove him to orchestrate an elaborate suicide designed to frame Yoko for his death.
In the end, it was revealed through the manager's confession that Yoko's breakup with Tengjiang in the past had been arranged by him, believing it would help her career.
A diary found at the scene revealed Tengjiang's heartbreak and inability to move on.
Thus, a tragedy born of lies, misunderstandings, and lost love reached its conclusion.
Tang Ze's impressive deductions earned praise from Inspector Megure. Later, Yoko Okino personally thanked him for solving the case. She even gave him an autograph and exchanged contact information.
Perhaps it was because Tang Ze had cleared her name—or perhaps the manager had warmed to him for not worsening the situation—that no one objected.
Making friends with a competent police officer like Tang Ze certainly had its perks for someone in the entertainment industry.
Later, Tang Ze also introduced Yoko to a hot spring retreat, suggesting she visit with friends when she had time—to relax, and perhaps do a little promotion too.