Chapter 157
Chapter 157
Qiao Yu held up his hands and studied his smaller palms in surprise.
They seemed… a little bigger than they had been in the dream?
He sighed and sat on his little bed. The next second, lifting the covers revealed a stack of cards that tumbled out from underneath.
Review Cards… an entire stack of them.
Qiao Yu picked them up and counted.
Ten!
What was going on?
Were these things scattered everywhere in Red Name Instances?
“Qiao Yu!”
A familiar, fierce voice suddenly came from the corridor. Aunt Deng-the same woman who had once chopped off his bangs with a single snip-charged into the room with a broom in hand.
She was broad and obese, with a slight hunch. Her face darkened as she muttered, “Your name really suits you. Every time I see Yu, I get depressed.”
Her voice abruptly rose as she snapped, “Qiao Yu, have you gone mute? Didn’t you hear me calling you?”
Qiao Yu looked at her slightly aged face and corrected her. “You should ask, ‘Have you gone deaf? Didn’t you hear me calling you?'”
Aunt Deng opened her mouth, confusion filling her eyes.
It was almost as if she were wondering whether this brat had… become more talkative.
Only when she heard the scattered footsteps outside did she finally bark, “Hurry up and come with me. Some new children are arriving at the orphanage today. Go outside and welcome them.”
As though afraid Qiao Yu might secretly cause trouble, her gaze sharpened. “And don’t say anything you shouldn’t, or I’ll lock you in the dark room. Understood?”
Qiao Yu’s personality had been set long ago. There was no way he could keep pretending to be the brooding child he had once been, so he simply gave up trying. “Don’t worry. I have social anxiety.”
Aunt Deng stared at him suspiciously, certain something was wrong.
She simply could not say what.
After all, the brat normally kept to himself. You couldn’t beat a single word out of him…
She looked again. Qiao Yu still wore an aloof expression and did not speak further.
So… had she imagined it? Maybe he had taken the wrong medicine earlier.
-Social menace?
-Social terrorist.
-Hey, wake up, streamer. Having social anxiety doesn’t mean making society afraid of you.
-What kind of god-tier social anxiety is that? I almost believed him! Hahahaha…
Meanwhile, at the entrance to the orphanage,
Kong Xianya raised her hand before her eyes and examined it repeatedly, apparently dissatisfied with her chubby little paw.
Then she looked at the noisy group of children on the other side and fell silent.
Cries of “sawadee ka” and “aish” came one after another-and somehow, she understood them all!
Behind her stood a little boy prettier than everyone present… That was definitely her blackhearted boss, wasn’t it?!
Why was a Black Name powerhouse like him here?
This was ridiculous!
[This Instance is called Loving Home Orphanage. It is a competitive points-based Instance. Starting score: 60 points. Main Quest: Survive for seven days.]
[Instance Rules: Points are supreme. High-scoring streamers may issue commands to streamers with lower scores, and low-scoring streamers must obey unconditionally. Note: Disobedience will be punished.]
[Ten Review Cards exist within this Instance. First come, first served.]
[No review is required for this Instance. Review Cards may be used as game substitution cards. Be careful not to offend anyone holding a Review Card, or you will suffer karmic backlash.]
Game substitution cards?
What game?
Kong Xianya could not shake the feeling that there was a trap hidden in those words.
Just then, a tiny, skinny figure squeezed through the crowd. Kong Xianya glanced at the little girl and asked hesitantly, “A friend from Africa?”
The girl’s expression nearly cracked. Baring a mouthful of gleaming white teeth, she cursed, “Africa, my ass. I’m Luo Yunmeng.”
Kong Xianya’s expression cracked too. “Why are you so dark?”
“I spent too much time in the sun in the countryside when I was little.” Luo Yunmeng was helpless. Becoming a child was one thing, but being this dark was truly unbearable!
“By the way, where’s my benefactor?” Luo Yunmeng looked toward Shang Yan in confusion.
Given Shang Yan’s Qiao-Yu-addled brain, why would he condescend to enter a Red Name Instance if his wife was not here?
That was right. Calling him lovesick no longer went far enough. Director Shang’s brain was one hundred percent Qiao Yu.
Kong Xianya shook her head on behalf of her blackhearted boss. “No idea. Maybe he isn’t in this Instance.”
Luo Yunmeng sneered. “Impossible.”
Their lovesickness went both ways. There was no chance only one of them was hopelessly smitten.
Kong Xianya stared at Luo Yunmeng’s wide mouth and the neat row of teeth it exposed. Good grief, they practically dazzled her eyes.
As the three gathered together, the first light of morning appeared.
The gray-blue sky stretched all the way to the horizon, its color gradually paling.
At precisely seven in the morning, the black Iron Door before them slowly swung open. Like a beast crouching in the dark, it opened its enormous jaws and let out a shrieking creak.
The sound drew everyone’s attention. A kindly middle-aged woman emerged through the doorway. She wore narrow, black-framed glasses and looked gentle, intelligent, and approachable.
“Children, Loving Home Orphanage welcomes you.”
Everyone hesitated for a moment, then began walking through the gate in groups of two and three.
Shang Yan glanced at the House Number Plate: 174 Paradise Road.
A group of children waited inside with smiles on their faces. He swept his gaze across them but did not find the familiar figure. His expression darkened.
When he opened the streamer list, the name “I’m Your Dad” was plainly displayed, yet the person himself was nowhere to be seen.
“Hello, everyone. I am your director, Qiao Shihui.”
Everyone clapped cooperatively and looked around the rather dilapidated orphanage with curiosity.
“Now that you’re here, we’re all family. I hope everyone can get along. You children should spend some time getting acquainted and help each other. In a little while, the others can show you where you’ll be living. How does that sound?”
They were not truly helpless orphans, nor were they naive little children. They responded listlessly, as though merely humoring her, then gathered together and resumed their whispered chatter.
Director Qiao Shihui did not possess the gloomy, terrifying appearance common to Ghosts in previous Instances. On the contrary, she seemed gentle and harmless. She did not interfere even as everyone grew increasingly unrestrained, and a faint smile remained on her lips throughout.
The orphanage’s resident children were also warm and hospitable. Some had already begun chatting with the streamers.
Their international guests were less friendly. The unfamiliar hair and eye colors, coupled with those difficult foreign languages, filled them with irritation and fear of the unknown.
Naturally, the foreigners clustered together.
Someone complained, “This is so annoying.”
Han Yoon-sik from South Korea grumbled discontentedly, “Why are there so many Huaxians here? Aish!”
Belle Lucia from America shrugged. “Huaxia is the world’s most populous country. What can you do?”
Azim from India immediately jumped in. “Next year, we’ll be the world’s most populous country!”
Amid the noisy discussion, a pleasant childish voice sounded from behind them.
“We won’t fight you for that title. Hurry up and take it!”
Azim: ??
The moment the words fell, Shang Yan, who had been looking down, abruptly raised his head and stared at the young boy with his back to him.
The boy did not notice him. That little mouth kept chattering without pause.
“And you-what’s with that sarcastic tone? A country that doesn’t even have a language of its own has no right to be snide.”
Lucia: ??
“Oh, right, oppa from South Korea. I really admire you people. Not only are your mouths harder than your dicks, even the world’s greatest thieves have to admit defeat before you.”
Han Yoon-sik: ??
-Sadako: I raise my banner for gege! Let’s see who dares oppose him.
-Painted Skin: Baby QY’s mouth is a machine gun. Once he starts firing, does he really need you?
-Li Xiaoqin: Grabbing popcorn.