Miss S (2020–…): Season 1, Episode 23 - The Scandalous Apartment Part 1 - full transcript

The Scandalous Apartment

Mr Jia, I'm back.

The theatre was showing

Greta Garbo's latest film tonight.

It was just released by Hollywood.

It was so good.

It's a shame that you didn't go.

Madam Hong

Mr Jia, what's wrong?

Have you been drinking again?

Mr Jia? Mr...



Good heavens!

W-What's going on?

Mr Jia!

You're scaring me.

Head a little bit up.

And one, two...

Look. Her footwork is amazing.

Yes. They dance really well.

- How wonderful. -They're doing great today.

I'm getting dizzy, Taozi.

- Well done. -Take my place.

You can take a break.

- Strike a pose first. -Yes.

Good job, Taozi.



You can teach Shen Xiao'an how to dance now.

- I'll get the door. -OK.

Miss Liu Ruqing, I am convinced that

you've worked as a male dancer

at The Paramount before.

I'm pretty sure you've worked at

The Paramount too.

Why haven't I seen you there before?

Maybe I had too many dance partners.

So did I.

Juzi? What brings you here?

I'm here to see Miss Su Wenli.

Do you know her?

I will when I see her.

- Wait... -I must see her.

- Stop... -Miss Su? Miss Su Wenli?

I said, stop.

Miss Su.

- You must be Miss Su. -Yes.

I'm Taozi's sister, Emily.

- Taozi, you have a sister? -I...

When did you change your name to Emily?

Here's what happened.

My close friend was killed by a rogue cop.

I hope you can get justice for her.

Have you heard about it?

Something major happened last night.

What happened?

A high-ranking police officer

brought a woman home

and she wound up dead.

Which police officer is it?

- Jia Tianhao. -Don't spout nonsense.

That's Inspector Luo's mentor.

- MInd what you say. -Good morning, Officer.

I'm here to see Luo Qiuheng.

Who are you? Why do you want to see him?

We're close friends. Just get him here.

It doesn't matter if you're his close friend.

He's not back yet.

I can't wait any longer. It's urgent.

- You can't go in... -Lili.

Qiuheng, I need help.

I've heard about it. Come with me.

They really are close.

My father is in trouble.

I know. Sit down and tell me about it.

I checked with the district police station

when I caught wind of this last night.

I need to hear your side of the story.

Qiuheng, as you know, my father has been alone

since my mother passed away.

He hired a housekeeper, Madam Hong

to handle his daily needs.

After dinner last night, Madam Hong said

she was catching a movie at the Grand Theatre.

She got back at 11.00pm.

She got home and realised

the study room was locked.

She saw blood seeping from under the door.

How is your father doing?

He was found unconscious in the study.

Madam Hong called the police

and he was sent to the hospital immediately.

The doctor said his condition was stable

and he was doing well.

The thing is, he wasn't alone.

There was a woman with him in his study.

I know.

Was she already dead

when Madam Hong found her?

I heard she worked in a nightclub.

What about you?

Were you home when it happened?

I was staying at my aunt's house last night.

Qiuheng, everyone's saying that

the Deputy Commissioner of Police

brought a young woman home

and she wound up dead.

Tell me. How do we face the public now?

Your family's reputation

isn't the only thing at stake here.

If that woman was really murdered

and there was no one else home last night

it means your father is a murder suspect.

What should we do now?

The problem is that this case

is under Fuxi Road Police Station's jurisdiction.

According to the rules, I can't get involved.

Qiuheng.

Even though we aren't together anymore

my father has always thought highly of you.

I'm begging you. You must help us.

All right. You should head home first.

Let me see what I can do.

Miss Su, you must help me.

That old lecher must pay for what he did.

Are you still going back to Brilliant Club?

I have to, how else do I feed myself?

Juzi, you...

I'm Emily. This name makes me money.

The two of you are polar opposites.

My mother always said that too.

Juzi has always been defiant and rebellious.

We came here from Changshu together

but we rarely speak and we lead separate lives.

Try to be more understanding of her.

After all, she's your sister.

I think I'm luckier than she is.

Why do you say that?

Unlike her, I got to know all of you

and Miss Su.

Good morning, Inspector Luo.

As if things aren't chaotic enough...

Send the body to Central Police Station.

Yes, sir.

Inspector Luo, what brings you here?

The high and mighty Deputy Commissioner Jia

is known for combating gang crimes and vice.

Who knew he'd end up drunk

in a prostitute's arms?

It's too early to jump to conclusions.

I'll tell you what really happened

after I close the case.

- Move aside! -Move aside.

You...

Inspector Luo.

What's the meaning of this?

This place is under the jurisdiction of

Fuxi Road Police Station.

This is our case.

We're taking over.

Any case related to police officers

will be handled by Central Police Station.

- How dare you. -What are you trying to do?

Go to the Municipal Administrative Council

if you have any questions. Get to work.

Please leave.

Let's go.

Inspector, according to the report

by Fuxi Road Police Station

Mr Jia was found unconscious in that chair

on the night of the incident.

Besides the wine glass on the table

there should be another one somewhere

and a decanter too.

It's over there.

Smells like liquorice.

It's star anise.

Get the medical examiner here.

Collect these for testing.

Spill it. Why are you at my crime scene?

Oh, please. This is also my case, Inspector.

I saw you taking this case from the Fuxi police.

Your case?

Who asked for your help? The police?

The victim's friend asked for my help.

I didn't know you have nightclub hostesses

among your clientele.

What's with that snippy tone, Inspector?

I've done the legwork on this case for you.

You should be thanking me.

The deceased's name is Jenny Wu.

She was born Wu Caixia and was from Shaoxing.

She worked as a hostess in Brilliant Club.

Her friend, Emily, sought my help

to investigate this case.

Are they Chinese or foreign girls?

Why do they have names like Jenny and Emily?

Brilliant Club is a private clubhouse

for foreigners as well as the wealthy.

That's why the hostesses all have English names.

Emily is also closely related to Taozi.

She's her older sister.

Inspector, your ex...

I mean Mr Jia's daughter is here.

Qiuheng, how's my father's case coming along?

Miss Su Wenli. Miss Jia Lili.

Nice to meet you, Miss Jia.

Nice to meet you too.

So you're Miss Su Wenli.

I've heard about you.

Qiuheng has talked about you too.

Lili is my ex-girlfriend.

In that case, Inspector Luo...

Mr Jia almost became your father-in-law.

I get it now.

I've heard Qiuheng singing praises of

a Lili who's smart and capable.

I finally know who that is now.

Inspector Luo.

Always praise a woman in front of her.

Who was at home when it happened?

I told you earlier.

The housekeeper, Madam Hong

went to catch a movie when it happened.

She's a part of the family

and has taken care of my father for four years.

We have to question her. It's procedure.

All right. I'll get her here.

What a lovely picture. When was it taken?

Please don't contaminate the crime scene.

I'm just looking at it. Don't be so uptight.

I remember now. You did mention once

that your future father-in-law

is a high-ranking police officer.

I thought he was a foreigner.

I said my mentor, not my father-in-law.

Stop taking what I say out of context.

Most high-ranking officials are foreigners.

As a Chinese, my mentor had come a long way

to be the deputy commissioner.

His wife has passed away

and Lili is his only child.

She can be a little spoilt.

Mr Jia is a man of authority

and a widower for years.

There's nothing wrong with him

bringing a woman home on the occasion.

But there are other possibilities.

Such as?

He has offended many people

combating vice and raiding brothels.

Are you saying someone set him up?

It's too early to say.

I just took over the case.

Is that so?

But as someone closely related to the suspect

maybe you shouldn't be on this case.

I told you, I'm not related to him.

All right then. Congratulations to you.

Why are you congratulating me?

Because you can handle this case impartially

since it's not personal.

It's such a lovely photo.

Why did you flip it face down? My goodness.

He has been sickly for a long time.

About three to four years.

- What does he usually... -Xiao'an.

- Is this Madam Hong? -Yes.

Madam Hong, may I know

if you've had any unusual visitors lately?

No. We didn't have any visitors

in the last two days.

Lili came home the day before

to have lunch with her father.

Mr Luo used to visit

but he hasn't been around much lately.

Who else was around during lunch?

Just the cook we hired from Dexing Restaurant

and someone from the power company

who came to repair the electric meter.

Other than that, there wasn't anyone else.

You caught a movie at Grand Theatre. Correct?

- Yes. -What time did you leave and return?

I left at dinner time, around 7.00pm.

The movie ended before 11.00pm.

Did Mr Jia say anything before you left?

Maybe he was expecting a visitor?

No. He was his usual self.

He went into his study after dinner.

He didn't say anything to me.

We need to see your movie ticket.

Mr Luo, are you suspecting me?

If I hadn't called the police in time

and had them break down the door

Mr Jia might have died.

Why did they have to break down the door?

You have the key, don't you?

I do. I tried opening the door

but it wouldn't open.

It was bolted on the inside.

Based on Madam Hong's account

the door was locked from the inside.

Which means Mr Jia was alone with Jenny Wu.

Only a fool would lock himself up in a room

with the woman he killed.

If it wasn't murder

then it could have been an accident.

An accident? What kind of accident?

Their bedroom antics got too wild

and things went wrong.

That's ridiculous.

Mr Inspector, it's just my hypothesis

based on the crime scene.

The deceased was found

with a rope around her neck.

The deputy commissioner might be Chinese

but he has mingled enough with foreigners

to be influenced by them.

Foreigners like this sort of bedroom games.

Putting yourself through extreme conditions

to reach ecstasy. Isn't that true?

Maybe that was what they were doing in the study

and things got out of hand.

So this isn't murder. It's manslaughter.

Enough... please stop right there.

I know what you mean.

How well do you know Mr Jia?

Is he the prim and proper sort?

You can say that.

He wouldn't do the things you said.

You never know.

The strait-laced sort

is usually the most perverted deep down.

Why are you looking at me?

Let's focus on the case.

Mr Jia realised that she was dead and panicked.

His fear and guilt made him decide to

kill himself to atone for his mistake.

So he drugged his wine.

To kill himself?

But before he could die

Madam Hong came home.

I've known my mentor for more than ten years.

Based on what I know about him

what you've just said is plain ridiculous.

Of course, I don't know him like you do.

But don't forget

the golden rule of investigation.

Never rule out any possibilities.

Isn't that so, Mr Inspector?

Don't let your personal feelings

cloud your judgment.

There he is...

- Inspector... -Inspector...

Are you here to arrest the suspect?

- Inspector... -Inspector!

- Inspector... -Please answer our questions.

Inspector...

After we had dinner

Madam Hong said she wanted to watch

Greta Garbo's film at Grand Theatre.

I told her to go ahead and she left.

I poured myself a glass of red wine as usual

and went to the study to read as I drink.

I can't recall what happened next.

I woke up to find myself here.

Do you know they found someone

in the study with you?

I've heard about it.

They found a dead woman on the floor of my study.

That's ludicrous.

What's this?

- This... -Do you know her?

Maybe you've seen her somewhere before?

I don't know her.

Have you been to Brilliant Club before?

What for? I've never been there.

And yet she died in your study.

Qiuheng.

I came here from Chuansha when I was 19.

I started out as a lowly patrol officer

to become the Deputy Commissioner of Police.

Why would I go to such a place

and do something so disgraceful?

Not long ago, you led the raid

at two high-end nightclubs

by Gongping Road Ferry Pier

and Small East Gate near Sima Road.

Someone was shot dead during the raid.

Yes. But, Qiuheng

that's normal in a raid.

I get it now.

Someone wants payback for the raids I conducted.

And they set me up.

Madam Hong said the study room was locked

when she got home.

Obviously, whoever set me up

locked the door behind him when he left.

But the door was locked from the inside.

That's impossible.

Madam Hong couldn't open the door

so she called the police.

The police broke down the door and saved you.

I see.

So, you're saying I did it?

I killed that woman whom I've never met.

Then I locked myself in the study

and tried to kill myself.

- What nonsense! -Father!

Father.

How are you? Do you feel better?

You've given me such a fright.

I'm fine.

Father.

Qiuheng, let me make the introductions.

He's Zhou Kaisheng, my friend from middle school.

Do you remember him?

We've met once. It's nice to see you again.

Nice to meet you...

Mr Jia, please get some rest. I'm leaving.

Mr Luo.

Why did you bring him here?

Father...

Mr Luo, I'm a little embarrassed to say this

but I've liked Lili since middle school.

We've always kept in touch.

Don't get me wrong.

I know you used to be a couple.

But I didn't try to steal her

when you were still dating.

It's fine, really. Congratulations.

No.

I played bridge with Lili's father yesterday.

He's in poor health.

He has high blood pressure.

Then he shouldn't be drinking at night.

True... but that's his only hobby.

There's nothing we can do.

Besides, Lili wasn't around.

I get it.

- Take care. -Yes.

Inspector, who was that?

Mr Jia's daughter.

I know that. I meant that guy.

He's an old schoolmate of hers. Why?

They are more than just old schoolmates.

She only came to you when she needed help.

And you've been working so hard for her.

I think it's unfair to you.

Should she have gone to you for help instead?

Hey, I'm on your side.

If you weren't going to be my brother-in-law

I'd have fired you a long time ago.

I got this job because I'm good at what I do.

Su Wenli, Miss S Private Detective Agency

I didn't know we have female detectives

here in Shanghai.

I was asked to investigate Jenny Wu's death.

I didn't engage your service.

Emily did.

But what's there to investigate?

It has nothing to do with our club.

Jenny Wu died in Mr Jia's house.

It's obvious who killed her.

Has he ever been here to see Jenny?

Miss Su, you know how men are like.

Deep down, they have the same animal urges.

Are you saying Mr Jia denies knowing her?

That's what he said.

Do you think they know each other in private?

I wouldn't know.

Brilliant Club is not some cheap brothel.

But what happens outside of the club

is none of my business.

My girls wouldn't tell me either.

Don't worry.

What is said here is strictly between us.

I'll handle this investigation

with great discretion.

The suspect is a high-ranking police officer.

Shouldn't you be investigating the case

at the police station?

News of this incident is all over town.

I worry that if this carries on

everyone will think that

a woman from Brilliant Club lost her life

entertaining a customer.

Don't you think that'd affect your business?

But I don't want some female detective

sniffing around in my nightclub

harassing my customers.

You won't see a female detective around.

All you'll see is just another performer.

You have my word on that.

Are you saying you want to work for me?

Miss Dong, do I qualify?

I can consider it if you can sing in English.

That's not a problem. I can do that.

See you at Brilliant Club then, Miss Su.

We want justice...

We want justice...

We want justice...

- Here. -Thank you, Uncle Xiang.

- Miss Su. -Thank you, Uncle Xiang.

One of the directors at my hospital

had worked with Mr Jia before.

He said Jia Tianhao once underwent therapy

for an overdose of anaesthetics.

But that was ten years go.

What kind of anaesthetic?

Laudanum.

Sydenham's laudanum

that was made in Germany.

It's enough to knock a cow out.

Laudanum?

Miss Su, does the feather fan match the dress?

Excellent work, Taozi.

Well done. Have Song bring it to the tailor.

Tell the shop to send it here when it's done.

Tell them it's a rush order.

OK. I'll get going.

You, guard the door to maintain order out there.

- Yes, sir. -Yes, sir.

Is the lab report on the wine bottle

and glasses in Mr Jia's case out yet?

It'll be ready in the afternoon.

- Ask them to speed it up. -Yes, sir.

Central Police Station.

I am him.

Greetings, Municipal Administrative Council.

He's still at the hospital.

No, I'm going to...

Yes...

Understood.

Municipal Administrative Council called?

To ask why we haven't arrested Jia Tianhao.

There's a huge crowd out there.

Men!

Go clean up the windows.

- Yes, sir. -Yes, sir.

Inspector, this case is all over the news.

They said our deputy commissioner

hired a call girl who died

during his sadistic bedroom games.

Do you think that's true?

The Jia Tianhao I know won't do that.

I can trust your judgement.

After all, you did almost become family.

What are you talking about?

I mean you're close to Mr Jia.

After all, he's your ex-girlfriend's father.

That's a long time ago. Drop it.

The deceased worked in Brilliant Club.

I hear it's a private high-end clubhouse.

The lady owner is also a well-known figure.

Have you been here before?

Why would I?

But it does look posh.

Let's go and meet Shanghai's elite.

- You're leaving? -I wish I could stay.

Please come again.

Welcome.

Please show us your membership card, sir.

Brilliant Club is a members-only

entertainment venue.

I'm afraid we don't serve non-members.

I left my membership card at home.

Will this work?

Police Badge

Mr Inspector.

Stick closer to me.

I'm sorry, Inspector.

Officer.

May I borrow a lighter?

I don't smoke.

Are you here to ruin the party?

No.

Inspector, do you have a lighter?

Where's the owner?

I'm Emily.

We didn't ask for your name.

Nice uniform.

It's standard issue...

I like men in uniform.

More buttons means more fun.

I'll ask you one more time.

Where's the owner?

Come look for me when you're done.

- Inspector. -Officers.

Good evening.

You must be Miss Anna Dong.

I am Inspector Luo Qiuheng

from Central Police Station.

Your being here is disrupting my business.

We don't mean to do that.

You can run your business as usual.

We're here to investigate a murder.

Officer Shen.

Go talk to the bouncer.

Sure.

Taozi, are you sure about this?

We can give it to Miss Su instead.

That's right. It's inappropriate for

an unmarried lady to visit such places.

- Yes. -I'll be fine.

I want to hand this to Miss Su personally.

I want to see if she likes it.

Thank you.

All right. Be careful.

What's your name?

Xue Jialiang. I'm the bouncer.

What exactly do you do here?

Brilliant Club is a members-only

entertainment venue.

I manage all access to the club.

Did you see the deceased

leaving the premise yesterday?

Our hostesses are always coming and going.

And you can see for yourself

we handle a lot of customers each day.

I can't remember.

What about you? Did you leave the premise?

Me?

I didn't.

You were here the whole night?

Yes. It's my job to be around.

- Hi there. -Hello.

What are you doing here, miss?

I'm here to pass this fan

to one of the performers.

Go ahead.

Thank you.

Wait, Tao...

Officer.

Do you have any more questions?

Right, one more thing...

Have you seen this man in the picture here?

I can't recall.

All right. I'll get back to you later.

- Inspector. -I've asked for their client list.

They'll hand it over later.

Question all the staff here

including Anna Dong.

What did you get from the bouncer?

Nothing much.

Here you go.

- I'm off then, Inspector. -Hey, good-looking.

What's the rush? Stay for a drink.

I... I don't drink.

Your superior is such a bore.

He's so proper.

Come here on your own next time...

Ladies and gentlemen.

It's time for the highlight of the night.

Let's welcome our goddess, Miss Emma.

I've been trapped by your smile

Snapped by your sight upon me

Kissed by your lips

And wrapped by your arms around me

Trapped by the light burning in my heart

Sweet trap, sweet trap of love

Can't go away

With all my might

And wrapped by your arms around me

Kissed by your lips

Snapped by your sight upon me

What are you doing here?

Get back to work!

Let's go...

Taozi!

I think she's mad at you.

But why?

Because of that woman

who was admiring your uniform.

She came on to me. I didn't do anything!

I even tried to dodge her. Didn't you see?

Do you know who she is?

Who is she?

She's Taozi's sister.

- Her older sister. -Kissed by your lips

Wrapped by your arms around me

Can't go away

Sweet trap, sweet trap of love

Trapped by the light burning in my heart

Sweet trap, sweet trap of love

Can't go away

With all my might

Sweet trap, sweet trap of love

Taozi... Taozi!

Taozi!

She...

Miss Emma.

Your performance was captivating.

Thank you.

- What's your name? -Xue Jialiang.

How long have you been working here?

About half a year. This is a posh place.

The customers here are Shanghai's elite.

Even the elite can be dangerous.

There was that woman yesterday

who was killed by a high-ranking police officer.

Yes. It's scary.

Being the bouncer here

you must have seen

your share of interesting characters.

It's mostly drunks who come staggering in

demanding entry.

Other than that, it's a pretty tame crowd.

Oh, right.

There's also this monk who tries to sneak in.

- Really? -Oh, yes.

But Miss Dong had given instructions

not to allow these people in.

I heard from Emily that the police

have been here asking questions.

Has it got to do with the deputy commissioner

who killed Jenny?

I don't think the police are interested in us.

It's our customers they are after.

Those who are rich and powerful.

Why do you say that?

A police inspector was here today

asking for our client list.

It'll just be a waste of his time though

I can guarantee the names on that list

is of no use whatsoever.

Miss Dong knows how to handle the police.

Hi. You're Emma, right?

- Hello. -You're a good dancer.

Thank you. I'm new here.

I'll need your guidance.

I'm Mary. Are you here to replace Jenny?

I guess so. Were you close to her?

Jenny was fiercely loyal

but she was too bold for her own good.

What do you mean?

The day before yesterday, she told me

she had a date at Keswick Road the next day.

I heard it's with

the Deputy Commissioner of Police.

Does he know her from before?

Is he a regular customer here?

I don't remember.

I can't say for sure if they know each other.

We have too many customers here.

It's hard to keep track.

Wu Weiyi...

Cao Kaluo...

It's just a bunch of random names.

The bouncer told me

the client list is of no use to the police.

Miss Dong knows

how to protect her customers' privacy.

Another night wasted.

At least I got to hear you sing.

How did I do?

You were pretty good.

Murder suspect remains at large

Everyone is demanding Jia Tianhao's arrest.

Even the Municipal Administrative Council called

and wanted answers from me.

Where's the razor set I gave you?

Is the lab report out?

They detected the presence of anaesthetics

in both the wine glasses and the bottle.

Anaesthetics?

Was it suicide then?

Who?

Deputy Commissioner Jia Tianhao.

He accidentally killed Jenny Wu in bed

so he tried to kill himself.

If he had wanted to poison himself

he could've just added the anaesthetics

to own his wineglass.

Or maybe it was a murder-suicide.

Did Jenny Wu drink her glass of wine?

The medical examiner said

the report will be out in the morning.

We'll go to the morgue tomorrow morning.

Inspector, you're tired. Close your eyes.

I'm home.

You're back.

I'd say my performance was a roaring success.

You were wonderful on stage

but I'm really not used to seeing you

performing at that sort of venue.

Was my outfit too skimpy for you?

Taozi, it feels really great to be on stage.

You should give it a try someday.

Anyway, it's not like I do this for a living.

What about Juzi?

- I mean Emily. -What about her?

I think Miss Dong's club

provides other kinds of services too.

I see what's bothering you.

Well, I don't see anything wrong with her

using her youth and beauty

to make a living.

That's not how our parents raised us.

We might not be wealthy intellectuals

but our grandfather and father

were teachers in our village.

It was an honourable and respectable job.

We're the first generation to leave home

and come to Shanghai.

I feel so ashamed that my sister

is making a living this way.

Taozi, look how angry you are.

You know what?

Your parents may have raised you the same way

but you and your sister meet different people

and have different life experiences.

Of course you and her would have

different approaches to life.

As long as she's not hurting anyone

she deserves some respect.

You're right.

I know my sister doesn't have it easy.

She doesn't have a Miss Su in her life.

I think I can understand the choices she made.

Should I tell Xiao'an about this?

Why not? What are you worried about?

You and your sister

are two separate individuals.

He shouldn't judge you for what Juzi does.

If he doesn't get this

then he's really a fool.

But he...

He can be a bit of a fool.

I worry that I can't bring myself to say it.

Taozi, what's important is that

you don't look down on your sister.

If you respect her, so will Xiao'an.

Your parents will get old

and pass on one day.

All the family you have left

will be your siblings.

You'll realise then how precious they are.

Thank you, Miss Su.