Chapter 81

Chapter 81

Su Shuang, who had followed the others inside, turned pale. He staggered several steps back and collapsed against the wall.

Qi Jiajia’s eyes followed only Cheng Miao. She had witnessed too much in the Dormitory instances, all manner of deaths. By now, she was immune to something this bloody and bizarre.

Cheng Miao looked back at Lin Zhu with some concern. Fortunately, the young man had been tempered by experience. Although his face was slightly pale, he was nowhere near as frightened as he had been by his first corpse. In fact, he was handling it better than most.

Qin Wen smelled death the moment he entered. He told his brother to remain with Lin Zhu and Su Shuang, then went forward alone.

After seeing Song Yu’s body, Qin Wen whistled. “Wow. That’s a grisly way to die.”

Cheng Miao could tell that Qin Wen was struggling too. This instance was no simple matter, and with Qin Wu at his side, he was growing anxious.

Lian Ge entered with a sway of her hips, seemingly blind to the grotesque corpse. From somewhere, she produced a pair of gloves as thin as cicada wings, slipped them on, and touched the body.

“He was still alive when they sewed him in.”

“Ugh…” Lian Ge’s words sent Zhang Lele, who had only just stopped retching, back to vomiting.

Lian Ge removed the gloves, tossed them casually into a corner, and stood silently to one side.

Lin Zhu had already revived Xiao Xu and given her a bowl of water.

The cool water cleared Xiao Xu’s head slightly. Her teeth chattered, and tears streamed down her cheeks.

This was too hard. The instance was far too difficult.

“Feeling any better?” No one else seemed inclined to comfort the two young women, so Cheng Miao resigned herself to crouching beside them. Zhang Lele had stopped dry-heaving and was pressed tightly against Xiao Xu.

Xiao Xu nodded weakly. “It was horrifying. We don’t even know when he… I lifted the quilt this morning, and I saw…”

When Xiao Xu began struggling for breath again, Cheng Miao quickly patted her back to soothe her. “Take your time. Start from the beginning and tell us whatever you remember.”

Even with every second precious, Cheng Miao did not pressure them. A hint of gratitude appeared in Zhang Lele’s eyes.

She gathered her courage, squeezed Xiao Xu’s hand, and began to remember.

“I slept beside him last night. He couldn’t fall asleep and kept tossing and turning.”

Xiao Xu nodded beside her. “That’s right. Every time he rolled over, I got nervous. I didn’t dare speak to him, so I could only endure it.”

Cheng Miao slowly helped the two women outside. The other players followed closely and moved aside to clear a path.

After settling them on the steps, Cheng Miao sat down as well. “What happened next?”

Zhang Lele accepted the water Lin Zhu offered and thanked him quietly. After taking two sips, she continued. “Later, he got up for some reason. From the sound, he went to the door. It was too dark in the room, and I didn’t dare move around, so I don’t know what he was doing.”

Zhang Lele lowered the bowl onto her lap, her fingernails unconsciously picking at its rim. “Then he somehow kicked over the chamber pot. It made such a loud noise that I was too frightened to breathe.”

Yezi emerged from the room and confirmed Zhang Lele’s account. “It’s true. I heard it too, and the chamber pot was lying on its side when we woke this morning.”

“Did he get up to use it?” Qin Wu glanced at his brother and interjected.

Yezi shook her head. “There was nothing in the bucket.”

Qin Wu fell silent. He could not understand why someone who knew how dangerous the night was would insist on wandering around and even knock over the chamber pot.

“Can’t figure it out, handsome?”

Qi Jiajia found the contrast between the brothers entertaining. Qin Wu rarely spoke, so she could not resist teasing him.
Qin Wu thought Qi Jiajia was adorable, like a beautiful porcelain doll.

He nodded. In the next instant, the doll gave him a shattered smile. “That idiot wanted to steal the lantern.”

Qin Wu froze before understanding. He instinctively looked up at Qin Wen, who nodded and smiled at Qi Jiajia.

Having said what she wanted, Qi Jiajia ignored the brothers and went back to tugging the braid Qin Musong had done for her.

“Go on,” Cheng Miao prompted Zhang Lele. After thinking for a long time, Zhang Lele shook her head. “That’s all. He climbed back onto the bed afterward, but he still couldn’t sleep. He kept tossing around and even lifted the bedding.”

Only Zhang Lele, who slept beside Song Yu, knew that. Clearly nothing unusual had happened then, or Xiao Xu and Yezi would have remembered it too.

“And then?” Cheng Miao pressed, unwilling to give up.

“Then he suddenly went quiet. I thought he’d finally exhausted himself and fallen asleep. Who knew that when we woke up…” Zhang Lele’s face turned ugly. If she had not already emptied her stomach, she would have vomited again.

Cheng Miao looked up at the cloudless sky. Every lantern outside the villagers’ homes was still burning. Perhaps the candles had been replaced, because none looked as though it had burned all night. Their light remained bright.

“Let’s put it together. Song Yu probably triggered a death condition by making noise when he kicked the chamber pot.” Cheng Miao rose and looked at the lantern opposite them. “But if lanterns were hanging everywhere, why did he still die?”

“It’s simple. Even with lanterns, he triggered a death condition, so of course he died.” Yezi swept back her short hair impatiently. Was that not obvious?

Cheng Miao said nothing. The logic held, but could every villager truly guarantee they would not make a single sound all night?

Coughing and snoring were impossible to control.

Even actually using a chamber pot would make noise.

“You’re awake. Let’s go. You’ll be making lanterns again today. The steamed buns are here, so eat on the way.” The Village Head had arrived at some point carrying a bright red lantern. Zhang Min held two plastic bags filled with white steamed buns.

“Village Head, another person died,” Qin Wen suddenly said. As expected, the Village Head’s already wrinkled face tightened further. “We don’t know how, but he was sewn into his quilt.”

Everyone saw panic flash through the Village Head’s eyes. Even his lantern shook twice.

“I’ll have someone deal with it. What a tragedy!” As the Village Head beat his chest in anguish, Zhang Lele found enough courage to approach. “Sir, several of us have already died. Could we go home early? Please let us leave.”

The Village Head stopped and stared blankly at her pleading face. Then his expression hardened and his eyes turned vicious. “No! You cannot leave! Until the ancestral ceremony ends, no one leaves!”

Zhang Lele recoiled. Qin Musong stepped forward and shielded her behind him.

The Village Head glanced at Qin Musong’s powerful build, then smoothed his expression as though nothing had happened.

“Let’s go. Go make lanterns.”

Cheng Miao’s gaze remained fixed on the lantern in his hand. Up close, it seemed different from the ones they had made, although she could not be certain.

The Village Head’s lantern was more translucent than theirs.