Kill Time (2016) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Qiushou vanished after his mother was murdered under similar circumstances to the other victims in the unsolved case. The summary indicates he disappeared without explanation, leaving Tian Xiaomai and his mother behind. The investigation later reveals his life was entangled with the murder case, suggesting his disappearance may have been connected to the crime itself, whether as a witness, suspect, or victim is part of the mystery Tian uncovers during her investigation.

• qiushou disappearance
• vanished sweetheart
• 15 years missing
• qiu shou missing

The purple scarf appears to be the signature method used in the unsolved murder case that Tian's father investigated. The case involved multiple strangulations, including Qiushou's mother, all connected by the purple scarf. When Tian purchases a purple scarf from the online marketplace Witch District, new murders begin occurring, suggesting the killer is still active and the scarf serves as both a murder weapon and a disturbing calling card that ties past crimes to present dangers.

Foreshadowing: The summary mentions that a close friend dies strangled by a purple scarf, directly mirroring the original case.

• purple scarf murder weapon
• strangled with scarf
• killer signature
• unsolved case method

Witch District is an online marketplace introduced by Tian's friend Qian Ling that claims to sell almost anything, including memories of love. Tian uses it to investigate the unsolved case, and the mysterious purple scarf she purchases there triggers a cascade of new accidents and murders. The marketplace serves as both a plot device connecting the digital world to the physical crimes and a symbolic space where memories, particularly Tian's feelings for Qiushou, become entangled with the investigation.

Foreshadowing: The introduction of Witch District coincides with Tian's decision to purchase the purple scarf, which directly leads to the escalation of danger.

• witch district memory market
• online shop mystery
• buy memories
• marketplace clues

As Tian investigates deeper, she discovers that Sheng Zan's family sits at the heart of the conspiracy connecting the present to the past. This revelation creates a profound conflict for Tian, as it blurs the boundaries between her affection for Sheng Zan, her family duty to her father's memory, and the murder investigation. The conspiracy appears to involve covering up or participating in the original murder case that spans over ten years.

Foreshadowing: The summary foreshadows this involvement when it notes that the investigation reveals connections between the murder case and those close to Tian.

• shengzan family conspiracy
• husband family secret
• family involvement murder
• cover-up decade

Tian's father was a policeman who died in the line of duty just before her wedding. While sorting through his belongings, Tian discovers his investigation notes from over ten years ago, detailing the unsolved murder case involving the purple scarf. The summary suggests his death may not be unrelated to the case, as the old murder appears to resurface in the present with new ominous signs after his death, implying the case he worked on may have led to his demise.

Foreshadowing: The father's death triggers Tian's discovery of the investigation notes, directly connecting his death to the cold case.

• father death investigation
• policeman father murder case
• old case cold case
• death line duty

The summary reveals that Qiushou is closely tied to the murder case, but whether he is the perpetrator or another victim remains part of the central mystery. What is clear is that his mother was murdered with the purple scarf method, he vanished fifteen years ago, and his reemergence is connected to the string of new murders. Tian must determine if Qiushou returned as someone seeking revenge for his mother's death or if he is being framed by the actual killer.

Foreshadowing: The summary notes that Tian believes Qiushou has returned seeking revenge, but this is her interpretation rather than confirmed truth.

• qiushou killer
• qiushou victim
• revenge murder
• childhood sweetheart murderer

Tian buys the purple scarf from Witch District because she discovers it mentioned repeatedly in her father's investigation notes as a key element in the unsolved murder case. The recurring reference to the purple scarf intrigues her, prompting her to purchase one from the peculiar online marketplace. This purchase soon leads to new murders, suggesting the scarf may be cursed or deliberately placed to trigger the killer.

Foreshadowing: Tian finds her father's journals with recurring references to the purple scarf, which directly motivates her purchase.

• buy purple scarf
• father investigation notes
• online purchase trigger
• scarf purchase reason

Qiushou's mother was murdered fifteen years prior to the story's present, strangled with a purple scarf in the same manner as the other victims in the unsolved case. This crime was never solved and became the cold case that Tian's father investigated. Her murder is the traumatic event that led to Qiushou's disappearance, and it remains central to the mystery as the pattern appears to repeat itself with new victims.

Foreshadowing: The summary states Qiushou's mother died from a similar crime fifteen years before the main events.

• qiushou mother death
• murdered mother
• cold case victim
• strangled mother

The investigation reveals that love memories and the murder case are deeply entangled. Tian's childhood memories of Qiushou are woven throughout the mystery, and the Witch District marketplace explicitly deals in memories, suggesting someone may be manipulating or profiting from these emotional connections. The past's love story becomes a piece of the larger puzzle that could unlock the whole mystery, as memories serve as both clues and potentially motives for the crimes.

Foreshadowing: The summary indicates that the line between affection and accusation becomes blurred as truth surfaces.

• memory murder connection
• love memories case
• emotional motive
• childhood memories clue

After Tian purchases the purple scarf from Witch District, a series of accidents and murders begin occurring around her. The strange coincidences suggest the old murder is not in the past but represents a current, growing danger. The scarf seems to braid her present fate with the orbit of her youthful love, creating a web where memory, guilt, and desire become powerful forces driving the new wave of violence.

Foreshadowing: The timeline shows that purchasing the scarf directly precedes the escalation of dangerous incidents.

• new murders triggered
• scarf purchase danger
• accidents escalate
• present murder wave

Tian decides to investigate her father's case after finding his investigation notes among her father's belongings following his death. What begins as a way to cope with her grief and understand her father's life becomes a personal obsession as she realizes the case may be connected to her own past through Qiushou. The deeper she digs, the more the past insists on resurfacing, pulling her into a dangerous investigation that threatens her upcoming marriage and her life.

Foreshadowing: The discovery of investigation notes in her father's relics directly initiates Tian's investigation journey.

• investigate father case
• death investigation
• personal mystery
• family secrets cold case