Original subtitles

All real estate properties will be transferred according to the will

after Mr. Quach Linh's death.

This will

was completed

while Mr. Quach Linh was of sound mind

and follows his wishes accordingly.

The drafting process

was done in the presence of witnesses

so there won't be any contest against its legality.

Huh?

Is that all?

-Dad… -That's not enough for you?

That's not it…

If you can give up on gambling,

this shall be enough to feed you well for the rest of your life.

Listen up, all of you.

The Quach family's future

lies in your hands.

All important financial decisions…

must be approved by Nam first.

I'm tired now.

You can all leave. I need to rest.

Nam.

I need to talk to you.

Mr. Quach wants to speak to him privately.

But he's my husband.

PRESENT DAY

Vy, listen.

What's wrong?

They're the police.

That couple isn't from around here, right Uncle?

When we're out doing field work,

don't call me Uncle. It makes me feel old.

Would it kill you to call me Bro?

You're like… 30 years older than me.

Fine.

Your little bro is sorry.

Old bro.

Just stick to the usual.

Hello.

I'm looking for Mrs. Hong.

Is Mrs. Hong home?

You're looking for me?

He slipped and fell off the mountain?

That's right.

My condolences to your family.

You're sure it's my son?

When was the last time you saw him?

At dinner.

Around 7 or 8 p.m.

Did he go out after dinner?

How would I know?

I'm his mom, not his nanny.

After dinner,

I went upstairs to rest.

Whether he went out or not,

how would I know?

Is there anyone Mr. Chinh might be in conflict with?

I thought you said it was an accident?

We just need to ask some routine questions

in order to rule out any other possibilities.

My family…

Is the wealthiest around here.

I'm sure there are folks who are jealous of us.

But a simpleton like Chinh

can't possibly be in conflict with anyone.

What will happen to his properties now that he's dead?

Ah, that…

is for your family to decide.

If necessary, you can hire a lawyer.

I thought you must know the laws well since you're the police?

We're detectives.

That's not our area of expertise.

Fine then.

I have no other questions.

If there's anything else you want to know,

go find Van, Chinh's wife.

But don't you want to know when you can get his body back

to hold a funeral?

That depends on the authorities, who am I to question them?

I'll get it back when it comes back.

Thank you.

Hey!

Will the government provide us a coffin?

This is considered a rural area, you know.

Hey.

Yeah?

This is the first time I've ever seen…

Seen what?

A mother not shedding a single tear after hearing about her son's death.

What else did you see?

She said her family is the wealthiest in the area

but it didn't seem like it from the interior of the room.

What about her demeanor?

She was rather calm.

The fact that the police came didn't even surprise her.

Exactly.

But you shouldn't assume,

since there are many who are born indifferent

and often show almost no emotion.

Come on.

I want to ask you some questions about your brother.

I'm a police officer.

I want to ask about your brother, Chinh.

You're screwed!

You're pregnant.

You're screwed.

You're pregnant.

You're so dead.

You're pregnant.

You're so dead.

Please, calm down.

How could my husband be dead?

-Please sit down. -Chinh!

Where did you find him?

At Lake Ha Mat.

Lake Ha Mat?

Why would he go there?

He didn't even like fishing.

It's cold season now,

why would he even go there?

How could you leave me, Chinh!

May I ask when was the last time you saw Chinh?

Last night…

We…

had dinner

then went to bed as usual.

When I woke up this morning,

he wasn't there.

I just thought that he went up the mountain to find herbs as usual.

So you were the last person to see him alive?

Did you notice anything different about him recently?

No.

Everything was normal between us.

Do you happen to be pregnant?

Why would you ask that?

I heard Mr. Chinh's brother talking about someone being pregnant.

And you believe what a crazy guy tells you?

I'm not pregnant.

So, you guys have no children?

Chinh!

So, you two rarely talked to Chinh?

We haven't worked for that family for a while.

No relation to them whatsoever.

Chinh slipped, hit his head and died?

That's hard to believe.

How come?

He grew up in this area

and went to the mountain on a daily basis.

If he could slip and die that easily,

this old man would have met his end way before him.

It's just karma!

What did he do to get such karma?

My wife used to work for Mrs. Hong

and was often mistreated.

So whenever that family is mentioned,

she itches to get a word in.

Thank you.

Who is it?

We're the police.

Hello.

Please come in.

How may I help you?

The body of Mr. Chinh was just found in the lake.

Did you see him at all yesterday?

I don't know.

I've been staying at home.

Do you often come into contact with him?

He'd come to me for medicine whenever he was sick.

Sometimes he'd also ask me

to turn his rare herbs into medicine

so he could sell for a better price.

Have you ever seen him get hostile with anyone?

That guy couldn't even hurt a fly,

let alone another person.

But how did he die?

He suffered a head injury,

most likely caused by hitting a rock.

Or maybe he fell down the mountain.

What is it?

Right now

is the season of Night Snake grass.

A very rare

and valuable medicinal herb.

Collecting it is no simple job,

it's rather arduous.

You have to collect it before the sunlight hits.

Else, it will lose its medicinal properties.

Such a strange plant exists?

You're just a mere mortal.

Don't expect to understand the wisdom of the gods.

So you meant… Because it was dark,

and the night-dew was heavy

that… the cliff was slippery,

making it easy to fall down?

Precious things have their price.

Sometimes you might even have to trade your life for them.

Don't touch it!

I can't have it sullied by a mere mortal like you.

Well then…

Can you tell us

where we can find this Night Snake grass?

If it's Night Snake grass then it makes sense.

It takes two people to move through there safely.

But according to your parents, Chinh was familiar with the mountain

so this accident seemed unusual.

How nosy of them.

Even monkeys fall from trees.

Many people broke their limbs trying to get Night Snake grass

and had to ask Shaman Mo for help.

At midnight,

There was a heavy rain that lasted until dawn.

It must have been dangerous, with the ground being so slippery.

How come you know the exact time it rained?

Well, the rain woke me up.

I rushed outside to get the laundry.

I ended up fumbling and dropped everything

so now I have to rewash them.

You still haven't answered how you knew it was exactly midnight.

When I got back to bed, I couldn't sleep

so I just stared at the clock, waiting for the morning to come.

And it's such a tiny detail, why do you keep grilling me?

When you ran out here,

did you see anyone leaving their house?

Have you seen Chinh argue with anybody?

You son of a bitch!

If I see you hanging around here, I'll kill you!

Well, he is a man after all.

He gets upset sometimes, but then he forgets.

That guy was as gentle as a lamb,

he wouldn't possibly hold a grudge against someone.

Thank you.

We have to find the place where this Night Snake grass grows.

I can take you if you want.

You can lean against me

so you won't slip.

Even if you were to fall on me,

I won't hold you responsible.

No, it's okay.

My Uncle may look old,

but he's still got it.

I can just lean on him.

Goodbye.

Next time we're out on the field, take it easy with the grooming, will you?

But I heard you were once a ladies man yourself.

You dare talk back?

He went into the woods to get herbs

yet his body was found in the lake.

There's a high chance this is a homicide.

Be careful.

What are the biggest mistakes an investigator can make?

Making baseless hypotheses

and getting stuck in any presumption.

Good.

Perfect score.

Hopefully the pathologist has got something for us.

How was your relationship with Chinh?

We weren't close.

I got to know Chinh through Luu.

He helped me renovate these two cabins.

During that time,

have you ever seen Chinh argue or get hostile with anyone?

I haven't.

But…

Do you think he was killed by someone holding a grudge against him?

What makes you think this is a murder?

Well, I've been asked these kinds of question before.

These questions are just part of our precedure.

It's nothing to be worried about.

Come on, they just want to see your mom for a minute.

No! Mom can't be alone with men.

So you're not a man?

I'm a kid. Mom's safe with me.

Just a kid and already protecting your mom.

Good!

We're the police.

We protect good people from bad people.

You're… a police officer?

-Yes. -Then where's your gun?

It's fine if you're undercover and not wearing the uniform

but you should still carry a gun.

I'm not that easy to fool.

You meant this?

Wow…

A gun!

But you can't bully my mom.

-Little Bao. -Yes?

Have you met Mr. Chinh?

Yes, I have.

How do you feel about him?

Any man… can be a bad guy.

Except for

the police.

I'll stand guard here

so no bad guy can eavesdrop on you.

Thank you, comrade!

Please help yourself.

We're here to ask about Chinh's death.

What?

I just saw him yesterday morning.

What happened?

He hit his head on a rock.

Due to the rain, the ground was probably too slippery.

Chinh is dead?

Who would have thought

this place could be so dangerous.

Vy, listen.

-They're the police. -Why are the police here?

I don't know.

Why did you and Luu come here?

I'm a businessman.

These cabins are part of my homestay project.

This place is quite interesting.

I'm sure it will be popular.

Thank you. For now,

I just want to dedicate this to my wife and kid.

Such a happy family you have!

But… I don't see any family picture?

Actually…

Luu's not Bao's father.

You probably noticed it already.

The boy's a bit quirky.

How long have you been here?

A couple of days.

It's been almost a year for me.

I had to do proper research before getting started.

The police were staring at you just now.

Your bruises and injuries are our own matter.

Have you ever seen

Chinh argue with anybody?

No, I haven't.

He was always calm.

He was very straight-forward,

honest and kind.

During the time you worked together,

have you had any problems with Chinh?

No.

Working with him was easy.

Everything was transparent

and I'm quite reasonable myself.

Last question.

How did you get those injuries?

To avoid any trouble,

you should stay calm,

Don't be anxious.

They'll get suspicious.

From gardening.

Since I like those scarlet flowers outside.

But… I was so clumsy

that I fell right into the bushes.

I hurt myself trying to get out.

You speak as though you fell into a trap.

Yeah, it's ridiculous.

I'm such a clumsy person

and I can't help fiddling with things.

Those red flowers

are probably called Scarlet Sage.

Interesting!

Such a simple name for such a beautiful flower.

But Scarlet Sages don't have thorns.

I didn't say

that I got scratched by them.

In the garden,

next to the Scarlet Sages,

are rose bushes.

Why didn't you ask your helper

instead of tending to the garden yourself

Why all the fuss?

Luu and I came here to be close to nature.

Not to be served.

There are many dangers lurking in nature,

you should be careful.

Also, remind the kid to not run around too much.

Goodbye.

You know these aren't Scarlet Sages, right?

They're Snapdragons.

People who don't know much about flowers…

can easily

get them confused.

Maybe she really doesn't know much about gardening.

Who knows?

Some people have innate acting abilities.

They're leaving already? They just got here.

Do you want the police to stay then?

If they're here,

the bad guys won't be able to do anything.

Why are you so protective of your mom?

I heard Grandma telling her

that she must be careful with men.

That's why I have to protect her.

There must be a reason, no?

Mom wouldn't tell me.

Everytime I asked,

she'd look sad.

That's why I can't ask.

Auntie, did someone get killed? Or was something valuable stolen?

Why would you ask that?

In the comics I read,

the detectives would only come for murder cases

or heists of the century.

It must be something big.

I don't really know.

But, you do know what "valuable things" are?

So in your house,

is there anything valuable?

There is.

Five volumes of Detective Conan under the mattress.

Keep it a secret.

Uncle Luu must buy expensive stuff for you and your mom all the time, right?

Who needs his gifts?

Mom forced me to take them.

Bro.

Did the police ask you about Vy?

What do you mean?

Well, when I went to the bathroom last night,

I saw her leaving through the back door.

What does that have to do with the police?

Even an idiot can see something is wrong here.

Chinh went missing last night

and his body was found this morning. And Vy…

Even an idiot can understand simple words.

The police already said it was an accident.

They were only asking around as a formality.

You don't know the real world like me.

Cops are unpredictable.

Especially that handsome one.

What about him?

He kept asking me

if there was anything strange.

And you told him everything?

I'm not crazy.

She's your wife.

Meaning she's my boss, too!

See how smart I am?

Thank you.

Since you consider me as family,

I'll tell you this.

I brought Vy here as part of her treatment.

Remember the doctor that I had you pick up?

Vy has a severe mental issue

so sometimes

she sleepwalks.

But don't tell this to anyone.

I don't want there to be any problem.

Vy is under enough pressure as it is.

Yes.

Got it.

You can trust me.

Even if I have a knife to my neck,

I will keep my mouth shut.

City folks aren't simple.

It was trouble as soon as they got here.

You talk as if nothing ever happens around here.

Well he suddenly dropped dead, weren't you a bit glad?

I have no attachments here.

I'll get us to the city.

Suong is my ticket to a new life.

Do what you want, just don't you get knocked up again.

One time was humilliating enough.

Don't worry.

I have him…

wrapped around my little finger.

I need to talk to you.

Okay.

Please come in.

Money really makes a difference.

This is good.

Thank you.

Why do you want to see me?

What else? My four months of rent.

Don't play dumb.

Oh…

My initial agreement with Chinh

is that I would pay after six months.

Oh? Don't you know he just passed away?

Well…

Because the time it took to build Scarlet Hill…

Chinh is gone.

Now, I'm the landowner.

You will discuss everything with me from now on.

Chinh was a feeble one.

That's why he let you talk him into these ridiculous deals.

Whether you stay or not,

my decision depends on how quickly you can pay me.

I do have the money, just not right now.

You really caught me by surprise here, it's hard for me to keep up.

How long?

Uh…

16 days.

I will pay you four months' rent upfront

as well as deposit one month.

I'll be counting the days.

Right.

The payback period is one year.

First year growth projection is at 25%.

Next year,

I'll pay you back 50%.

The year after that,

I'll pay off the rest,

including the interest and penalties.

This project has great potential.

DESIGN DOCUMENT

I hope you will be able to see the fruits of your labor by next year.

Thank you for trusting me.

I definitely won't let you down.

But this year, you're still late on your payment.

If this gets out,

how will I look to other people?

Sir, sir!

No, no!

Sir, please!

The police came by today.

Don't worry.

They didn't see anything.

Even if they did,

there's nothing they can do to us.

Cops need concrete evidence to make their cases.

Your dark magic is nothing but superstition…

Hey!

Watch your mouth.

I'm sorry.

I didn't mean any disrespect. You know what I meant.

In a few days,

please help us with the funeral.

I want to quickly send Chinh off.

I don't want his poor soul to linger around.

I'll take care of it. Don't worry.

You just go on with your life.

But for this matter,

-I will need… -Surcharges are included.

Van?

Are you there?

Mother.

Where were you?

Oh… I went for a walk.

A walk?

There's no dinner yet you went for a walk?

Now that your husband is dead,

-I'm nothing to you, is that it? -No, it's not like that.

I just wanted to get some fresh air.

I'll get dinner ready right away.

What's wrong?

Do you think…

I have anything to do with Chinh's death?

Don't be silly.

How could you?

Last night, after I finished work…

I came to bed but

you weren't there.

I looked everywhere but couldn't find you.

Suddenly, I had a hunch…

that you would be at the abandoned Quach mansion.

Vy.

You had no shoes on.

No jacket either.

You must have sleepwalked through the woods.

That's why you and your clothes were scratched up like that.

Lucky that I found you early.

Else, you might have frozen to death.

Chinh was dying somewhere out there,

and meanwhile,

you were at the Quach's abandoned mansion.

How could you be linked to him?

What's wrong?

I was afraid that you'd be worried

so I hid it from you.

When I was sleepwalking…

I saw…

What?

Everything…

was so hazy.

Go!

Vy.

Vy.

Vy.

Get out of here!

Don't be scared. I'm right here.

It's all just a hallucination.

Don't be scared.

It's not the same.

It was horrible!

Much worse!

It felt so real this time.

Okay. Don't think anymore.

Just stop thinking.

Stop thinking.

He didn't have any enemies.

Everyone who knew him said he was a nice person.

Normally, when the husband is murdered,

the prime suspect would be the wife.

If I was murdered, you'd be the number one suspect.

Obviously since we're joined at the hip.

And if I was murdered,

then most likely your wife did it out of jealousy.

He had no life insurance.

Didn't have many assets either.

If this was a case of jealousy then…

That Luu -Vy couple is interesting, too.

Their answers

were very well-prepared.

Behind their amiable front,

I felt something strange.

Especially Vy.

Uncle.

I had some of our guys check out the people there.

The biggest issue with this case,

is we haven't located the initial crime scene.

The water has helped the culprit cover up his tracks.

How tricky!

Wow, speak of the devil.

The forensics team is calling.

After bringing in samples and analyzing the material

taken from the victim's soles,

we found a lot of pebbles.

And pebbles are usually found

at seasides, riversides or around the creeks.

The victim often spends time around the forest and creek.

It's not strange for him to step on pebbles.

Here.

These pebbles are all round and nice,

hardly scratched or chipped.

The dead can't walk.

They can't step on and deform a pebble.

But there's a possibility that

these pebbles got stuck in the victim's soles

at the time the murder happened.

Bach!

Get the team to search the whole area around the creek near Scarlet Hill.

-Got it? -Roger that!

SCARLET HILL

Attention.

We're covering a large area here.

No matter how much effort it's gonna take,

we have to check this area thoroughly.

Got it?

Uncle.

Yeah?

-Isn't this culprit a bit strange? -How?

Usually, a killer would think

of disposing the body first.

Who would just let the body drift from the creek to the lake like that?

There's a possibility that

they deliberately left the body where it could be easily found.

In which case it was some kind of warning.

I think

the culprit could be a stranger to the victim,

so they weren't worried about being tracked down.

Another, and most plausible possibility

is that the culprit didn't have the chance and was in no suitable condition

to get rid of the body.

Ray did say there was a heavy rain

on the night of murder.

So you think

the culprit hid the body near the creek on purpose?

But they didn't expect the heavy rain

to cause the water to rise and wash the body away?

Isn't that right?

What?

Man proposes, God disposes.

Sir, we got something.

Luu.

Hello. What brings you here…

We're here to search the house.

This is the photo of the warrant.

Someone will bring a physical copy to you later.

Hold on.

But why are we being suspected?

We found this at a creek

which could be the crime scene.

It's expensive satin.

Only well-to-do people would be able to afford it.

Search all the closets,

especially the lower drawers.

You're good.

Just one look and you can tell it's expensive satin?

Cheap satin only shows white hue under the light.

But expensive satin…

will glitter.

Mrs. Hong's family

used to be the wealthiest in this area.

Uncle Mung is over there searching Mrs. Hong's house.

I'm working here.

I'll answer your questions later.

Mr. Bach.

This material looks expensive.

Is it yours?

Hello, Hung?

I need your help at the police station.

Be quick!

You can't take my mom away!

But she's an important key to this case.

Then please take me with you

so I can protect her.

I just want to ask her a few questions.

I promise she won't be in any danger.

Why can't you just do it here?

Why do you have to take her back to the station?

To be…

more like real police.

-Have you ever read Detective Conan? -I have.

Remember how the police usually take people

back to the station for questioning?

Rest assured.

No one can do anything to your mom with me around.

FOR NATIONAL SECURITY

When was the last time you wore those pajamas?

And why were they ripped?

It's the most solid evidence right now.

Please cooperate.

I last wore this two days ago.

So, a day before Chinh's body was found?

Why are you asking if you already know?

It's protocol to ensure the recording is valid.

You're right.

While gardening, I was careless

and fell into a thorny bush.

I told you this last time.

When I tried to get out of there,

my clothes were ripped.

So you admit that when you were gardening,

you were wearing these pajamas…

and had no gloves on?

My client is a city girl.

She's never tried gardening before.

Only after she moved to Scarlet Hill

did she decide to try it first hand.

There's no surprise that

she would be clumsy and unprepared.

What kind of medication is this?

That's Vy's sedative.

Sedative?

Why would you need such strong medication?

My client has genophobia.

She's currently undergoing treatment.

Genophobia?

Since when have you had this?

Around eight years ago.

Let go!

-Come on, babe. -Let go of me!

It's okay.

Give in to me.

-It'll be fine. -Let go!

Let go!

I'm sorry about earlier.

It was my fault.

You are so attractive

I couldn't help it.

Let's call it even.

Since then…

I've had this fear of sexual intimacy

…until I met Luu.

He's a good man.

He takes good care of us.

But, you still need the medication?

I still get panicked

every time we're intimate.

Even though…

I do love and trust him.

Does this have to do with you moving to Scarlet Hill?

The real reason was to…

carry out her treatment.

I still don't see any relation.

This is Dr. Hoa's number.

I'll tell her to show you Vy's medical record.

We have nothing to hide.

Let me know if you need anything else.

Thank you for your cooperation.

No kissing if your breath stinks.

Are you thinking of some other chick?

I wonder when the police will

let Luu and his wife go?

You're normally so bold,

yet you lose your balls the moment something happens?

I'm in no mood for jokes.

If they get caught…

The cops will come for me next.

Since you hid the fact that Vy left the cabin at midnight,

you're now scared of being seen as an accomplice?

Gosh!

Just act cool like when you're flirting.

These cops are damn straight.

How do you expect me

to honey trap them?

Have you lost your brain too?

Just say you don't know anything.

Say that you were with me the whole night

and didn't leave the room.

I'll be your alibi.

That's true.

But…

What if it gets you into trouble?

Don't worry.

This small stuff

isn't enough to make me sweat.

But hey,

from now on,

you have to tell me everything.

Listen to me completely.

We ride or die together.

Got it?

Got it.

You're all talk.

How about a little action?

The examination result clearly shows

Vy's pajamas and the piece of cloth we found

have similarities regarding the material and weaving technique.

This piece of cloth has an oval shape.

All the other rips on the pajamas

are vertical lines.

They don't match at all. Please take a look.

Furthermore, Vy's DNA was not found on the piece of cloth.

You can't conclude that it's related to Chinh's death.

So right now, the police

have no other evidence

to connect my client to the murder.

-That's why… -Ms. Vy and Mr. Luu

will be able to leave tonight.

Thank you.

But Ms. Vy is still our prime suspect.

If the two of them were to leave Scarlet Hill without our permission,

I would take that as them running away.

Rest assured. Of course I will remind them.

Goodbye then.

Is he asleep?

Yeah.

Poor thing. He waited for me all day.

This will soon be over.

I believe in your innocence.

I'm not so sure of that.

Don't say that.

You're such a gentle soul.

-How could you… -That's when I'm in my right mind,

not suffering from the treatment's side effects.

Remember what I told you? While sleepwalking,

I saw a man standing by the creek.

Could that be…

Chinh?

Why are you still having such ridiculous thoughts?

Just think about it.

It was only today that the police revealed

the piece of cloth they found by the creak.

But I've seen the man standing by the creek before that.

That's not it.

It must be in your mind.

It was an illusion, a hallucination.

-Something unexplainable. -But it was so real.

I really felt like I was there.

Okay, let's just say it was true.

What about the woman who was playing the flute then?

The one who was screaming at you?

Who was she?

Could she be connected to Chinh's death?

You need to stay calm.

You're innocent.

If the police see you faltering,

they will suspect you.

It might cause unfortunate misunderstandings.

Don't be afraid.

No matter what…

I will protect you.

MENTAL HEALTH RECORD

For this type of mental condition,

there's no specific treatment.

Depending on the condition of the patient,

they might need to try different approaches

to find the most suitable one.

What about Dr. Hoa's approach?

It's feasible.

The downside is, that

it tackles the source of her condition directly…

and rather aggressively,

meaning it can easily produce some side effects.

Side effects, such as?

Depression, hallucination, sleepwalking…

and most concerning, violent tendencies.

Violent?

Meaning Vy could be capable of causing harm to another person?

And… even murder?

Subconsciously.

The patient would not be aware of her own behavior.

‎INSPIRED BY THE NOVEL ‎SCARLET HILL BY THE AUTHOR DI LI