Xie He had a plan in mind.
He pushed open the door to the blind box room and went outside. He wandered around the woman's house, searching for what he needed while familiarizing himself with the layout, taking pictures of anything suspicious with his phone.
It was a two-story modern villa, covering approximately 800 square meters.
The first floor has a living room, a dining room, rooms for maids and cooks, and a separate locked room. According to the maid, "Oh, that room? It's been abandoned for a long time. It used to be used to store miscellaneous items. The key was lost a long time ago."
The second floor contained player rooms, the mistress's room, and blind box rooms.
Finally, Xie He went to look around the yard.
It was a cloudy day. Dark clouds filled the sky, pressing down on the view with a gloomy, oppressive atmosphere, as if a sudden downpour was imminent.
The boy stood on the lawn, looking up, his dark eyes fixed on the window of the mistress's room on the second floor.
***
Meanwhile, inside the blind box room, everyone was still busy with their own tasks. They rummaged through everything suspicious, even checking the thermos in the corner, fearing it might contain the ashes of the male protagonist, a ghost.
Liao Mingze cautiously walked to the side, secretly clutching his card.
[Card: SSR-level - Clue Card]
[Function: Obtain important clues from this instance (limited to 1 per day)]
The card flashed an arc of light, and in Liao Mingze's vision, the surroundings darkened, except for a glimmer of light emanating from a corner of the wall.
Liao Mingze's eyes lit up, and he walked over and tapped on the wall tiles.
Thump, thump.
It was a solid, muffled sound; it didn't seem to be a hidden compartment concealing the body.
He pulled a folding knife from his pocket and sliced open the wall.
A corner of a note was visible behind the wall.
A flicker of excitement crossed Liao Mingze's face. He deftly peeled off the note and unfolded it.
It was a clue.
What a ridiculous game, hiding it in such an outrageous place.
But as he looked at it, his brow furrowed—it stated, [Trigger the death mechanism of the evil ghost.]
Taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, Liao Mingze slipped the note into his pocket and hid it.
At noon, the group returned to the dining room after receiving a system notification.
A table laden with delicious food was laid out, the rising steam carrying an enticing aroma that made one's mouth water.
After the hostess finished her opening remarks about the meal, Liao Mingze and Xie He began to eat. They needed to survive for another five days in this instance, and this was their only source of food.
Several other players followed suit, eating cautiously, but before each bite, they would poke their fingers several times with their chopsticks to prevent injury.
The little boy was even more clingy than before. He clung to the hostess's back, reaching for the few flatbreads on the table.
After eating for a short while, he dusted off the crumbs on his hands, climbed off the hostess's back, and ran happily to play in the yard.
Seeing him leave, Xie He casually remarked, "Your child looks quite cute. He must be four or five years old, right?"
"What do you mean? What are you talking about?" the hostess suddenly stopped eating, looking wary.
The players were somewhat surprised, glancing at Xie He and then at the hostess.
They were puzzled by the sudden conversation; there was nothing wrong with the dialogue… why did the hostess's reaction seem strange? "That's your youngest son," Xie He said with a smile, holding his chopsticks. "He was eating on your back just now."
"How...how could this be?!" The woman's face drained of color instantly.
Everyone sensed the atmosphere in the room had become unsettling, a chill running down their spines.
Liao Mingze listened to their conversation, and after a few seconds, he realized what was happening; his face turned completely grim.
Xie He continued to smile nonchalantly.
But his eyes were tinged with the dim light of the fluorescent lamp.
In the blind box room, he had noticed: a pink, plush women's handkerchief, a worn-out, dark blue scarf, a blind box doll making manual…
The house contained the belongings of the man and woman, but nothing that belonged to a child. He went to the other rooms, and it was the same.
At the breakfast table, the woman hadn't interacted with the little boy at all, as if he had never existed.
Is there really a little boy in this house?
Glug, glug—
The broth in the pot bubbled and churned.
The woman of the house was visibly agitated, her fingers gripping her collar tightly. "If you have any questions for me, you can just ask me directly. There's no need for this kind of cruel joke! My...my child died in that car accident years ago." She broke down, covering her face, her voice choked with sobs. "There are no children in this house. Don't lie to me anymore..."
Car accident. Death.
No children.
Pop.
The bubbles in the pot burst.
An eerie silence fell over the room. Everyone felt as if they'd been struck by a hammer, their faces turning an unnatural pale.
Then...who...who was that...?
Aaaaaaahhhhhh!! The little boy who greeted them was dead! Oh my god!
That was a ghost! It was in this house! Just now, it was sitting at their table, eating with them!
For a moment, everyone's face turned deathly pale. Some dropped their chopsticks, completely losing their appetite.
They felt like everyone in the house was a ghost, especially the woman of the house; the more they looked at her, the more unsettling it seemed. They desperately wanted to leave!
Xie He, however, stood up, knelt down beside the woman, and tenderly handed her a tissue. His bright, dark eyes gazed at her, his voice low and pleasant:
"Is that so? I'm sorry, sister. I just saw you were upset and played a little joke on you. Please forgive me, sister. You're so pretty; crying won't make you pretty."
He gently wiped away her tears, his soft tone like a gentle breeze.
When he smiled, the corners of his eyes lifted slightly, revealing a beauty mark at the corner of his eye. There was no hint of grievance in his eyes; instead, it seemed like he was coaxing her.
"..." His sweet demeanor left the woman stunned, her eyes brimming with tears.
However, a young man with such a captivating face coaxing her…who could resist? A smile involuntarily crept onto the woman's lips.
Everyone: “…”
Everyone: “!!!” What a visual shock!
[Holy crap? What's going on? Is this acting?? It feels like a completely different person.]
[If this guy kept calling me "sister," who can resist? I'm totally in love with this younger, charming guy. Hehe…hehe…little brother, can you hug me? I want a little brother too!!]
Seeing the woman gradually lower her guard…
“Everything will be alright.” Xie He stood up and patted the woman's back reassuringly.
After avoiding the woman's gaze, his smile vanished instantly, his expressionless face fixed on her slender neck.
The woman must have something to protect herself from the evil ghost's attacks.
When the little boy was mentioned earlier, Xie He noticed her fingers were tightly gripping her collar; that protective item must be there.
Xie He stared at the thin black cord at the back of the woman's neck, narrowing his eyes.
It was a pendant.
The act had been completed.
…
After lunch, the woman said she wasn't feeling well and needed to rest in her room, instructing the maid to escort the guests back for their afternoon nap.
Xie He greeted Yu You and Xia Gu: "I'm not used to taking naps. I'm going for a walk."
Yu You paused for a few seconds, guessing he was looking for clues, and offered to go with Xie He, but was refused.
"No need."
Yu You thought he was being looked down on for being unskilled, and glanced at Xie He with a wronged expression. But Xie He seemed lost in thought about something else, so Yu You could only say, "Okay, be careful."
Xie He first went for a walk around the yard. He had been there in the morning and had a general understanding of the layout of the house.
"Little meal card. Some cookies." Xie He casually said, holding the meal card.
[Is the little brother hungry?]
[Hahahaha, not full yet?]
A few minutes later, they saw Xie He scatter the cookies that the meal card had produced in the grass in the yard.
The viewers in the live stream were confused:
[Huh?????????? Wasn't he eating? What is the little brother doing?]
[Hahahaha, could it be that he went crazy from being so disheartened after getting the meal card???? Is he trying to plant some cookies and harvest some tomorrow?]
[Every time I see him take out his meal card, I get so excited! I wonder if he can reuse it this time?]
[Are you kidding me? I can't guess. I'll just watch quietly; watching without thinking is more fun. /eating sunflower seeds.jpg]
After laying out the cookies, Xie He squinted, stepped on the air conditioner unit, and nimbly jumped up.
He reached out and easily hooked his hand onto the railing outside the second-floor balcony.
His long, straight legs dangled in the air, the hem of his shirt fluttering slightly in the breeze, revealing a glimpse of his fair, slender waist and abdomen. The silver chain on the side of his trousers swayed gently, gleaming brightly.
With a light flip, he landed steadily on the platform of the second-floor balcony.
The platform led to the mistress's room.
The curtains in the room were half-drawn.
Xie He turned sideways and peered inside—
Because it was backlit, the room was much darker, and Xie He had to press himself against the window to barely see anything.
The room was simply furnished, with only a bed, a cabinet, and a dark wooden table. On the table were many fruits and fresh dishes, like offerings.
And the woman of the house was kneeling before the table with a devout expression.
She held a candle in her hand, seemingly muttering something. Then, she lit the candle and placed it on the table.
Her palms clasped together, tightly clutching the pendant hanging from her chest, and she recited a string of words.
This must be the mistress's exorcism ritual.
Or rather… a ghost-avoidance ritual!
Who was the mistress avoiding? An evil ghost?
The mistress's room was a breakthrough. There must be a picture of the evil ghost or its belongings on the offering table, but unfortunately, Xie He couldn't see them from his angle.
He could hear the mistress still chanting. Xie He silently memorized it, quietly reciting it in his mind.
“Three paths completed, three and five formed, sun and moon together, emerging from the secluded, entering the darkness. Those who see me are blind, those who hear me are deaf, those who dare to plot against me will suffer their calamity, I am fortunate while they are inauspicious!①”
Xie He was memorizing it. Suddenly, the sound of biscuits crunching on the lawn rang out, and something flew past in his peripheral vision.
“Thump—!!!” A sound that was unusually abrupt in the silence!
His thoughts were abruptly interrupted.
A pebble was suddenly flung from downstairs onto the second-floor balcony.
The pebble rolled and rolled, landing right at Xie He's feet!
Xie He stared at the pebble at his feet, his eyes completely darkening.
[!!!!!]
[Holy crap??? A pebble flying from the sky!]
The mistress, hearing the noise, quickly turned her head, her gaze sharp as a knife: "Who? Who's outside!"
Her pupils trembled, a flicker of panic crossing her eyes—the panic of having her secret exposed.
But quickly, a smile spread across her eyes. Just like at the dining table, the polite hostess had invited the players to dine with her, refined and patient.
"You want me to invite you—is that it?" she spoke gently, smiling, but the candlelight in the overcast sky made her face appear eerily pale, devoid of any color.
Xie He, hidden behind the curtain, felt a jolt in his heart.
He stood up.
"Rip—, rip—" The hostess, dragging her slippers, walked towards Xie He step by step, her face ashen.
Gradually approaching Xie He.
"Sizzle—, sizzle—"
The woman suddenly tilted her head, peering through the gap in the curtains.
Her gaze was sharp, her eyes bloodshot, as she stared at the direction outside the window with a sinister smile, her voice chillingly cold: "I see you!"
The viewers watching the live stream felt their hearts pound wildly, holding their breath.
***
Meanwhile, on the lawn in the yard.
Zhang Che's palms were slightly sweaty. He looked up at the second-floor balcony with a mixture of excitement and anxiety.
He and Liao Mingze had come out to search for clues. After discovering Xie He eavesdropping, Zhang Che secretly followed them, picking up a stone and throwing it at Xie He's feet.
He vaguely sensed that Liao Mingze disliked Xie He. If it were him, being constantly suppressed like this wouldn't be pleasant either.
Besides, he had almost lost his life tricking Yu You into going to get the blind box during the day, and Yu You had met together with Xie He again. What if Yu You stirred things up, and Xie He started targeting him?
The game rules forbid players from killing each other, but the mistress's actions are different. If he could use the mistress to get rid of Xie He as soon as possible, it would be best to eliminate any future trouble.
Yes. Get rid of Xie He.
Zhang Che remained completely calm.
Players can bring two cards into the instance. His second card was an invisibility card. No one could see him; he was absolutely safe now.
He waited quietly in the courtyard, like a moviegoer with popcorn in hand, even feeling a little excited, a smile playing on his lips.
Now he could just stay and watch the show.
***
Upon hearing the mistress's shrill voice, Xie He's heart pounded, but his mind became increasingly clear. Judging from the mistress's reaction at the dinner table and now, she hadn't realized who was eavesdropping; she had just made a casual remark.
Xie He quickly flipped off the second-floor balcony.
Light as a feather, he landed steadily.
The mistress would catch up soon.
Rather than running away from the mistress, the best way was to hide immediately.
Xie He remembered that there was a room on the first floor with a window facing outwards—that locked, abandoned storage room.
If all else fails, break open…the window?
???
He looked up and found that the storage room window was not only open, but deliberately ajar. It was dark and unknown inside, yet a mysterious force seemed to beckon him inside.
Danger meant points.
He loved the thrill and excitement—either winning all the points or dying on the battlefield.
Xie He narrowed his eyes, opened the window, and nimbly climbed inside.
The chat erupted in surprise:
[Holy crap? He just…he got in like that? This place is deliberately luring players in, isn't it?]
[This room looks gloomy, the resentment is so strong.]
After landing on the ground, a sharp pain suddenly shot through his palm. Xie He glanced at his hand; he must have accidentally scratched it against the window frame, for a little blood seeped from his palm.
He clenched his fingers, and dark red blood dripped down his pale fingertips, like the addictive, tingling sensation of biting a mouth ulcer.
Ah, it felt like this room was going to devour him. A surge of excitement rose within him.
The room was dark, poorly lit, and the shelves around the room were covered with eerie white sheets, stained with mottled blood.
The white sheets undulated where they touched, suggesting something was hidden beneath.
The room was unexpectedly cold; Xie He felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, ice seeping into his bones, his skin growing increasingly pale.
He wondered what was under the white sheets.
He wasn't sure if what was there would attack him; he had to be cautious from both sides!
"Crunch. Crunch."
The comments section erupted in surprise:
[Holy crap! The cookies were crushed.]
[A ghost???]
[Holy crap? Wait, could someone be following him? Did this guy already anticipate being followed? Amazing.]
Xie He clearly heard the soft sound of a cookie being crushed outside the window. He looked out, but the lawn outside… there wasn't a soul in sight!
It's highly likely that a player was standing there, using a card that allowed them to become invisible.
He felt a gaze upon him from behind; beneath the white cloth, it was as if countless eyes were staring intently at him.
"Come out!! I see you!" A woman's shrill voice came from outside. The voice grew closer; it must be the mistress climbing down the drainpipe from the second floor.
Xie He listened, holding his breath.
The sound of crunching cookies outside suddenly stopped. It seemed… even the invisible player was afraid of the mistress.
The other party didn't leave; clearly, they intended to stay.
They came to watch the show.
And the mistress… judging from her reaction, her room must hold a shocking secret. She thought Xie He had stumbled upon her, which is why she chased after him all this way. Her voice echoed outside; she probably still didn't know he was hiding in the storeroom and was still looking for him!
Silence fell all around, and Xie He was thinking in the darkness.
A sharp object hurtling towards him rapidly magnified in his pupils!
"Bang!" A pebble crashed into the storeroom. Xie He dodged it nimbly.
The windowpane shattered instantly!
Xie He's eyes darkened.
—That person was showing the mistress the way!
"Ah, it's here." The mistress suddenly turned her head, her gaze fixed on the storeroom, seemingly lost in thought.
Xie He felt a deep, intense gaze, as if a sticky stare was piercing him, and he clearly heard the mistress's approaching voice.
"Crunch, crunch—" Heavy footsteps approached him.
"Why are you hiding here? Run! Why aren't you running?" The woman sneered, her lips curling into a wider grin, the dry grass beneath her feet being crushed inch by inch—
Xie He stared out the window. The cookies had moved, meaning someone was there.
If the other party possessed such an incredible ability as invisibility, why wouldn't they dare attack directly? Why were they afraid of the woman?
"Crunch, crunch—" The woman's sinister laughter grew closer, as if scraping against his eardrums.
A glint flashed in Xie He's eyes.
"!"
Wait, unless…
Xie He narrowed his eyes.
Being attacked would… break invisibility!
Thinking this, Xie He remained calm and immediately conjured an apple using his meal card.
He narrowed his eyes and swiftly threw the apple with the force of a gust of wind.
Returning through the hole where they had tried to smash him, they returned the apple to the person who had framed him—
The apple struck him hard…Zhang Che!
“Ouch!” The young, round-faced boy was suddenly exposed to the light of day. He clutched his throbbing head, looking at his suddenly visible arm, his face filled with fear.
Author's Note:
Xie He: Ah, the joyful game of being continuously reported.
①: Excerpt from 《辟邪咒》 on Baidu
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