"Sorry, my ugly appearance must have startled you."

Xia Xiaomei wasn't just physically unattractive - her voice was also rough and unpleasant to hear. She had no redeeming physical qualities whatsoever.

Yet she seemed kind-hearted. At least, she hadn't done anything wrong. Noticing Jiang Ran's reaction, she actually apologized first.

"It's nothing, really. My bad, please don't mind it." Jiang Ran scratched his head apologetically while mentally reminding himself to manage his expressions better to avoid making others uncomfortable.

"No, it's my fault. What can I do when I was born this ugly? You've actually been quite polite - even I get startled seeing my own reflection in the mirror sometimes." Xia Xiaomei forced a bitter smile before welcoming Jiang Ran inside and having him put on disposable shoe covers she provided.

After entering, Jiang Ran quickly scanned the apartment - clean and tidy. He then asked what she needed help with.

"Can you do makeup?" Xia Xiaomei inquired.

Jiang Ran shook his head. "No, I can't."

Her smile made her appear even less attractive, the dense freckles on her face becoming more pronounced. "I can do my own makeup, but my aesthetic sense isn't great. I wanted your male perspective on how I should do it. What kind of makeup do men generally prefer?"

Jiang Ran made a long "ah" sound of understanding. "I see. No problem at all. While I can't apply makeup, I do have decent taste. By the way, what's the occasion? Meeting a boyfriend?"

Xia Xiaomei shook her head gloomily. "I don't have a boyfriend. I'm 36 and have only had one relationship that ended badly. My family's pressuring me to marry, so I want to find someone quickly. Manager Xiao Zhang announced a matchmaking event tonight in the group chat, so I thought I'd try my luck with better makeup."

Jiang Ran mused that throughout history, few sought partners without considering looks. Attractive appearances provided significant advantages in dating, average looks offered no edge, while unattractive ones were outright detrimental. Of course, exceptional abilities, family background or wealth could compensate for poor looks.

He guessed Xia Xiaomei's family must be well-off since she lived in Alice Apartments. But he held little hope for her success at tonight's event - all attendees would be wealthy residents unlikely to choose someone both unattractive and older at 36. Wealthy men would prefer 18-20 year olds. Her only prospects would be poorer men where money could offset her appearance.

"Sigh, I don't have a girlfriend either... though that might be for the best. I can't have children - they'd likely inherit my personality disorder, giving them a terrible start in life." Through Xia Xiaomei, Jiang Ran suddenly reflected on his own situation.

The makeup session proceeded with Jiang Ran providing male aesthetic guidance. Honestly, he thought hiring a professional would be better if she could afford it.

Meanwhile, outside Jiang Ran's Room 304, a figure appeared - none other than the clown from the welcome party. The clown repeatedly rang the doorbell, awaiting Jiang Ran's response, unaware his target wasn't home.

His presence meant that of the original three targets - Jiang Ran, Sun Yijie and Wang Tao - Wang Tao was already dead. The dice had selected Jiang Ran next, and the clown had come to claim his life.

After prolonged knocking brought no answer, the clown stopped his dancing movements, staring puzzled at the door. He left the third floor briefly, returning ten minutes later with a key - Jiang Ran's spare obtained from Manager Xiao Zhang.

How could he get others' keys? Residents of Alice Apartments gained privileges based on their kill counts. While Wang Tao had killed no one, earning no privileges, the clown's dozen-plus murders granted him access to "lab rats'" apartments (though not other killers').

Entering the silent apartment, the clown searched Room 304 but found no one. Returning to the living room, he noticed the ancient beauty kite hanging near the TV. Tilting his head, he chuckled: "Isn't this Wang Nuli's kite? Why's it here?"

The clown knew Wang Nuli well - they'd become friends in the apartments. After each murder, the clown would deliver the corpses to Wang Nuli as kite-making materials, receiving payment based on the bodies' quality.

But hadn't he heard Wang Nuli recently went insane, imitating his kites by jumping out a window? "Did his death involve Jiang Ran?" The clown knew Wang Nuli would gift kites but never his prized wall-mounted masterpieces. This kite's presence was suspicious.

Regardless of whether Jiang Ran was involved in Wang Nuli's death, the clown wouldn't seek revenge. Their concept of friendship differed from normal people's.

Finding no Jiang Ran, the clown decided to wait, entertaining himself by performing ridiculous clown dances in the living room. Rubbing his hands together, he produced bursts of white paper scraps that floated down like snowflakes, creating a winter-like scene.