chapter 22

Bai Jiang slapped his forehead. “So that’s the needle!”

Cheng Miao idly brushed one fingertip against the fishbone’s point. “This instance is probably an altered version of the story. We are obviously Goldilocks. We must escape before sunset tomorrow, or the three bears will catch us.”

“Judging by the hint and story, what we actually need to do is complete the minor tasks in the schedule, then use the porridge, chairs, beds, and other objects from the tale to identify the bears while they rest at night.”

“Once we know their identities, we can use each bear’s corresponding weakness to control it when it goes berserk, buying time until we find Baby Bear’s toy.”

Looking at the shallow scratch on her fingertip, Cheng Miao continued. “There’s another clue. Papa Bear eating fish produced Mama Bear’s knitting needle. That suggests Mama Bear will produce Baby Bear’s toy.”

Bai Jiang added grimly, “So we must enrage Mama Bear. There is no shortcut.”

Qi Jiajia frowned at the two bears still lying in bed. “But who knows which chair belongs to Mama Bear? Papa Bear is in the kitchen, but what if we wake Baby Bear?”

Tong Qian immediately added, “And what if sitting in Papa Bear’s chair enrages him too? What then? Feed him more fish?”

Bai Jiang rubbed his chin and narrowed his eyes at nothing in particular. “I don’t think so. Papa Bear is like a boss we’ve already defeated. The same trigger shouldn’t activate twice.”

Cheng Miao agreed. Fish had already captured Papa Bear’s attention. Nothing else would enrage him again.

“Then Baby Bear…” Tong Qian still did not understand. Though the bleeding had stopped, severe blood loss left her thoughts foggy. Merely following the conversation took effort.

Qi Jiajia’s tone remained sharp, but she lowered her voice to explain. “It means we prepare to enrage two bears at once.”

Tong Qian’s face whitened. Bai Jiang added, “That’s the worst case. Even with two awake, once Mama Bear receives her needle and yarn, only the enraged Baby Bear will remain.”

“But Baby Bear doesn’t have a weakness yet…”

Silence descended. She was right. They were waiting for Mama Bear to make that weakness.

“There are two possibilities.” Bai Jiang held up two fingers. His expression looked calm, but their tips trembled. No one mocked him; they merely listened.

“First, a bear’s rampage lasts for a fixed period. We survive that period, and we’re safe.”

“Second…” He lowered his hand, scratched his head, and gave a bitter smile. “We hold out until Mama Bear finishes making the toy.”

Seeing everyone’s spirits sink, Cheng Miao clapped to regain their attention. “No matter how difficult, we have to try. Whichever possibility is correct, we need to delay them as long as possible.”

She pointed toward the hemp rope kicked into a corner during the earlier chase. “The Game may have provided this to help us buy time.”

Ignoring everyone’s varied expressions, Cheng Miao turned to Tong Qian. “We’ll find you a relatively safe hiding place beforehand. But danger exists everywhere in an instance. Our plan still carries risk, and the choice must be yours.”

Tong Qian lowered her head in embarrassment. She knew that in her current state, this was their best option. She agreed without much hesitation.

Cheng Miao patted her shoulder reassuringly, then turned to Qi Jiajia. “Your role in the plan is crucial. Listen carefully.”

Qi Jiajia sneered, instinctively preparing a retort, then met Cheng Miao’s gaze.

It held equality and respect, neither special consideration nor contempt. Cheng Miao looked at her as she would an adult.

Qi Jiajia remained silent for a moment, then looked up in wordless inquiry.

“I’ll choose a chair and sit first. The moment an enraged bear attacks, Jiajia, throw the sewing basket to it.”

Qi Jiajia accepted the fishbone Cheng Miao offered without argument. She climbed onto the table and placed it inside the sewing basket.

After repeatedly confirming that Qi Jiajia could throw the basket from her position beside the table, Cheng Miao continued. “That’s the ideal outcome, with a fifty-percent chance of success. My instincts say it won’t go that smoothly.”

She looked at Bai Jiang. “If the bear ignores the sewing basket, I’ll draw it away. Bai Jiang, immediately sit in another chair and enrage Mama Bear. Then Qi Jiajia follows the original plan.”

Bai Jiang and Qi Jiajia rehearsed the sequence several times in their heads. When they had it memorized, Cheng Miao said, “If there are no questions, we’ll set up the obstacles and begin.”

Bai Jiang’s expression was complicated. Undeniably, Cheng Miao had accepted the most dangerous role. Drawing away Baby Bear before they discovered its weakness could kill her if she lacked the necessary ability.

Cheng Miao understood his look but had no intention of revealing Liu Xue’s Jump Rope. She merely explained that newcomer Games awarded Items and that she could protect herself.

Bai Jiang scratched his head. Newcomer Items existed, but weren’t they all useless? Could an expert like Cheng Miao receive something different from minnows like them?

No… It was the same.

Remembering the description of her Swift Running Shoes, Cheng Miao felt faintly awkward.

Without further explanation, she led the other three in arranging the obstacles.

Now, the enormous cluttered furniture became an advantage. In short order, they created a pattern of remarkable complexity, resembling the string games children played with their fingers.

“Watch where you hide later. Don’t trip over your own trap,” Qi Jiajia said sarcastically. Cheng Miao understood what she meant, but found this degree of tsundere behavior difficult to endure.

“Once we handle Mama Bear, we’ll help you,” Bai Jiang added quickly when Cheng Miao’s expression darkened.

Cheng Miao had no time for either of them. She constructed a complete escape route in her mind.

After rehearsing it several times, she exhaled. This would have to do. No plan survived contact with reality; they would adapt as events unfolded.

Cheng Miao judged the garden to be the safest place in the cottage. But its flowers had already eaten someone, and the door might close without warning. Tong Qian, with only one usable arm, could not manage any new danger alone.

As the next best option, they decided to hide Tong Qian in the kitchen.

“The kitchen is the smallest room. Papa Bear is already inside and temporarily nonaggressive, so hiding there is safest.”

The damage Papa Bear had inflicted on her arm remained a powerful trauma. Tong Qian trembled at the thought of sharing a room with the monster.

But she knew these strangers genuinely meant to protect her. Determined not to burden them, she gritted her teeth and crawled beneath the stove.

While Cheng Miao settled Tong Qian in place, Bai Jiang looked toward the still-open door. “What about the man outside…?”