Chapter 45

Chapter 45

Cheng Miao cut Lin Zhu off with a smile. “This has nothing to do with you, so don’t feel guilty. I have another companion who may come looking for me. I need to wait here for her too.”

Lin Zhu relaxed and wiped his mouth with a napkin. Curiosity soon followed. “You have another teammate, Sister Miaomiao?”

Thinking of Qi Jiajia, Cheng Miao’s face twitched. Then she looked at Lin Zhu’s innocently expectant expression and silently mourned for him. “Yes. She’s a young girl, even younger than you. It’s just… her temper is awful. You may have to be patient with her.”

Stars appeared in the top student’s eyes. “Someone that young who can team up with you must be amazing! Powerful people are allowed to have a temper. Don’t worry, Sister Miaomiao. I’ll work hard to make her accept me!”

Something about that sounded wrong, but Cheng Miao could not be bothered to correct him.

Lin Zhu had exhausted himself in Secrets of the Chang Residence and returned to his room early to sleep. Cheng Miao took a quick shower before the warm water turned cold, changed into her newly purchased clothes, then went to chat with Brother Parrot while drying her hair.

Elsewhere, Qi Jiajia slowed her breathing among a pile of corpses. Her bright, feline eyes narrowed as she watched the movement outside.

The suffocating stench of death filled her nose. Disgust crossed her face, only to be replaced by anxiety.

This was her third instance since separating from Cheng Miao. Unable to save enough money to advance to a Guesthouse, she had remained in the Advanced Dormitory and cleared one instance after another.

By now, she could recover her strength inside an instance. She had just slept among the corpses. If the commotion outside had not started again, she could have rested longer.

Qi Jiajia feared Cheng Miao’s ability had already carried her to a Guesthouse. Fighting back nausea, Qi Jiajia had questioned the cockroach brothers and learned that time passed differently inside instances than it did in the Survival Inn. If she moved fast enough, she could still catch up.

Cheng Miao would not wait for her. If Qi Jiajia missed her, there might never be another chance to meet.

Qi Jiajia did not know why she insisted on following Cheng Miao. Perhaps she was simply pathetic. A mocking smile crossed her blood-smeared face. Everyone at home indulged her, and everyone outside feared her.

She knew Cheng Miao did not like her. That only made her determined to change Cheng Miao’s mind.

After a good night’s sleep, Cheng Miao lay in bed and stared into space while the fan at its foot creaked endlessly.

The Guesthouse grew hot and humid at night. Sleeping without the fan was impossible. Cheng Miao did not dare open the window either. Nothing outside could kill her here, but who knew what might wander past after dark?

After a late breakfast, she went out to explore. Lin Zhu was still asleep. Joining Cheng Miao’s team had eased most of his anxiety, allowing him his longest sleep in ages.

Brother Parrot was away from the front desk. Cheng Miao had long been curious about the area beyond the Guesthouse. Unlike a Dormitory, a Guesthouse allowed its residents to go outside. After looking around and finding no sign of Brother Parrot feeding, she stepped through the glass doors.

The day was bright and sunny. Cheng Miao had not seen the sun in what felt like forever. Warm light fell over her as she leaned against the Guesthouse wall. Was this sun truly real, or merely another illusion?

The longer she remained in the Survival Inn, the stranger it seemed. It was almost another world.

The original Dormitory had been little more than a crude place to rest. A Guesthouse, however, already contained some of the necessities of real life.

Sunlight, for example. And the moon.

Everything was becoming more real. Cheng Miao crouched down. If she had not known Brother Parrot ate players in the rice fields, she might have gone to lie among them.
A small black speck suddenly entered the corner of Cheng Miao’s vision. She jolted upright and assumed a guarded stance.

Then she saw what it was and froze.

A beautiful black cat stood nearby, its glossy coat gleaming beneath the sun. Tiny ears pointed straight upward and swiveled occasionally to catch the sounds around it.

Its eyes were blue as gemstones. Under the midday sun, the black pupils had narrowed to vertical slits.

The cat noticed Cheng Miao but neither feared nor approached her. It simply walked to the sunniest patch beside the Guesthouse, tucked its paws beneath its chest, curled into a ball, and began basking.

Cheng Miao nearly died from sheer cuteness.

She forgot she was inside the Game and never paused to wonder why a black cat had appeared. Crouching, she carefully edged closer. “Here, kitty. Pspsps…”

The cat lazily glanced over its shoulder. Then it closed its eyes without reaction, rested its head on its paws, and went to sleep.

It was unbearably adorable.

Lin Zhu rubbed his eyes and opened his curtains. Seeing Cheng Miao crouched outside the Guesthouse with her knees hugged to her chest, he wondered whether he was imagining things. He assumed she had discovered a clue and rushed downstairs without even eating, two steamed buns clamped between his teeth.

Instead, he found her hunched low, whispering to a cat.

Had Sister Miaomiao been possessed by a ghost?

Sensing someone emerge, Cheng Miao turned with a besotted expression. “You’re awake? Look, there’s a kitty.”

Lin Zhu had no response.

He sat with Cheng Miao for half an hour until the sun heated the top of his head. Watching her sit quietly beside the cat with a piece of clothing draped over her hair left him at a loss for words.

“Sister Miaomiao, I think someone’s coming!” Lin Zhu raised a hand over his eyes and peered at the dark speck drawing closer.

Brother Parrot had a vicious temper and a poisonous tongue, so the Guesthouse had few residents. Cheng Miao and Lin Zhu had barely seen anyone over the past several days. The longer-term guests had no interest in speaking with the newcomers either.

Cheng Miao looked up at the approaching figure’s little Western-style dress, whose original color had vanished beneath dirt and blood. Something inside her quietly settled.

Qi Jiajia had been transmitted here immediately after leaving an instance. She had gone two days without food or water, and she staggered as she walked.

Damn it. Why did this Guesthouse have so much sunlight outside?

Hearing voices, Qi Jiajia narrowed her eyes toward them. That figure…

When the girl suddenly began running, Cheng Miao stood with a twitch of her lips. Awakened by the noise, the black cat stretched, gave the approaching figure a cold glance, then vanished with several effortless leaps.

Cheng Miao watched it leave with regret. The next second, someone grabbed the hem of her clothes.

She looked Qi Jiajia over. The girl seemed to have cleared more than one instance. Her clothes were in tatters, and she had apparently carried many wounds before leaving. None had been fatal, but they must have hurt.

Qi Jiajia still wore the same gloomy expression, but she had grown steadier. Her former restlessness had vanished. Cheng Miao could not decide whether she should marvel at how effectively instances trained people.

“Sister Miaomiao, is this your other companion?” Lin Zhu poked his head around Cheng Miao. A tiny girl had made it all the way to a Guesthouse alone. That was impressive.

At the sound of his voice, Qi Jiajia narrowed her eyes. Lingering violence and bloodlust filled the stare she directed at Lin Zhu beside Cheng Miao.