Chapter 15
Red Infant shook his head. “Mommy, all of these are correct.”
Jiang Li nodded in response.
That was good; it saved her the trouble of deducing any incorrect rules.
However, Jiang Li couldn’t shake a vague sense of unease from her heart.
She couldn’t quite pinpoint the reason for this uneasiness.
Jiang Li simply chose to ignore the feeling, carefully stowed away the rules, and walked out of the Bedroom.
Her Husband saw that Jiang Li had changed into a dress, and a look of amazement flashed in his eyes.
“You look beautiful,” her Husband sincerely complimented.
Jiang Li smiled and greeted him, “Honey, I’m off to work.”
She walked to the entryway to change her shoes.
“Aren’t you having breakfast?” her Husband asked.
On the dining table sat a steaming basket of meat buns-her Husband had made them.
After glancing at them, Jiang Li took out the half-bag of Finger Biscuits she carried with her.
She smiled. “I’ll pass, I can’t eat meat, Honey. I’ll just have these.”
His wife had gastritis and couldn’t eat meat.
Her Husband seemed a bit forgetful and only now remembered this.
He said apologetically, “Oh, I actually forgot. I’ll make you steamed buns for breakfast tomorrow.”
“Alright, thank you, Honey.” Jiang Li smiled, her brows arching.
Her Husband turned to tidy up the table.
He had gotten up early and worked hard to make the buns, but now no one would eat them.
His expression seemed a bit disappointed.
Suddenly, Jiang Li thought of the S-Class Clear Condition:
[Gain your Husband’s favor, and have him personally promise that he is willing to die for you.]
Now, it seemed there was little chance of achieving an S-Class clear.
She could only strive for the SSS-Class Clear Condition.
SSS-Class Clear Condition:
[Investigate the truth of the “Family Death Anniversary” and escape this city.]
Now that Jiang Li had obtained the train ticket, she had completed half the task.
What she needed to do next was uncover the truth.
“Be careful on your way,” her Husband’s voice reminded her.
“I will,” Jiang Li replied gently.
Before opening the door to leave, she glanced at the house key on the entryway shelf.
[The key belongs to your Husband. You cannot take it with you!]
Jiang Li calmly withdrew her gaze.
If she couldn’t take the key, she could still take something else.
On the entryway shelf, her Husband’s flip Pocket Watch was still running.
Jiang Li casually slipped it into her pocket, opened the door, and left.
With a “thud” as Jiang Li shut the door, the motion-sensor light in the corridor came on.
Jiang Li could see her surroundings in the corridor.
It was an enclosed corridor, no windows, four apartments per floor.
Jiang Li’s home was the fourth apartment at the end of the corridor.
She walked to the center of the corridor.
To her right was the elevator, to her left, a red, rusted iron door.
In the lower right corner of the iron door, the words “Safety Passage” glowed with an eerie green light.
Corridor Rules, Rule 3:
[In the corridor, the door to the safety passage is green. There are no red doors.]
Jiang Li glanced at the red, rusty passage door.
The red door was not to be entered.
“Screeeak-”
From the old hinge of the red door came a sharp noise.
Along with that sound, the red door opened a crack-as if luring Jiang Li inside.
Jiang Li stared into the pitch-black gap, but had no intention of entering.
She turned, walked to the elevator, and pressed the downward arrow next to the elevator door.
After a few seconds, the elevator still hadn’t arrived, but the corridor light went out.
In the enclosed corridor, except for the faint green glow of the sign, everything else was dark and silent.
Corridor Rules, Rule 2:
[The corridor’s motion-sensor light often malfunctions. Don’t panic, and don’t shout, lest you disturb the neighbors’ rest.]
Jiang Li stomped her foot twice, but the light didn’t come on, so she didn’t bother making more noise.
She stood quietly in the darkness for a while.
About ten seconds later-
Footsteps sounded in the corridor, carefully light and cautiously approaching.
Those steps were cautious, as if afraid of being discovered by Jiang Li.
The footsteps drew closer and closer.
Jiang Li took a deep breath and waited intently at the elevator door.
There’s nothing to be afraid of.
As long as she doesn’t break the rules, those things can’t touch her.
“Ding dong-”
The first elevator arrived.
The elevator doors opened, illuminating the darkness before Jiang Li’s eyes.
Inside the elevator was an elderly man, white-haired and leaning on a cane.
The old man nodded at Jiang Li.
Jiang Li nodded back, but did not enter.
Corridor Rules, Article Four:
[Each elevator trip may carry only one person. Please be careful not to overload.]
She could only wait for the next one.
Two seconds later.
The elevator doors closed.
The light from inside the elevator vanished as well.
Jiang Li was once again enveloped in darkness.
Footsteps from the shadows approached again.
Jiang Li calmly reached out and pressed the “down” button.
She began waiting for the second trip.
The elevator did not display the current floor, so Jiang Li could only wait.
During this time, those footsteps came to a stop right beside Jiang Li, no longer moving.
Only the faint sound of breathing could be heard.
Jiang Li’s back stiffened.
This time, she waited about a minute before hearing the elevator’s arrival.
“Ding dong-” sounded.
The elevator doors opened again.
Bright light spilled out from the crack.
Jiang Li’s figure was illuminated; around her, there was nothing.
Jiang Li looked into the elevator.
Once again, someone was inside.
Inside stood a five-year-old little girl.
The little girl’s face was deathly pale, a red string tied around her hand.
She saw Jiang Li’s face and asked in a soft voice,
“Aunt Liu, have you seen my mom?”
The little girl gave Jiang Li a bright smile.
Jiang Li smiled and shook her head, indicating she hadn’t seen her.
The little girl’s face fell, but for a moment, her lips twisted in a strange way.
Unhappy, she pouted and pressed the button to close the elevator doors.
The second elevator trip had to be missed again.
Corridor Rules, Article Five:
[The morning elevator runs three trips; there will not be a fourth.]
Jiang Li silently recited the rules in her heart.
Now, only the last trip remained.
Surely there wouldn’t be anyone on the last one?
In the dark corridor, Jiang Li pressed the green “down” arrow at the elevator entrance for the third time.
At the same moment she pressed it,
All the buttons outside the elevator disappeared.
“Ding dong!”
The third elevator doors opened.
As the gap widened, a “Zhang Zifeng classic smile” appeared inside.
A woman in a long red dress, with long black hair draped over her shoulders, suddenly appeared before Jiang Li.
A chill ran through Jiang Li’s heart.
Three times, and each time someone was inside? She really ran into all of them.
[…If all three trips are full, immediately return home. Do not go out!]
The experts watching the livestream held their breath.
Just as they all thought Jiang Li would immediately return home-
Jiang Li went in!
“What’s going on! Can’t Jiang Li see that woman?”
“How could Jiang Li make such a rookie mistake?”
“Maybe her perspective is different from ours…”
“Quick! Use the Communication Opportunity, remind her immediately!”
The experts were in a panic.
But at that moment, the elevator doors slammed shut with a “thud.”
It all happened in just three seconds-there was no time to warn her!
The experts’ hearts sank instantly…
Three seconds passed, but the expected death announcement didn’t come.
Instead, the livestream showed the inside of the elevator.
Jiang Li… was alive?
She was completely unharmed??
Inside the livestream.
Jiang Li stood calmly beside the woman.
After entering, Jiang Li curled her lips in a cold smile.
She recalled that confusing rule:
[If all three trips are full, immediately return home. Do not go out!]
But this elevator-how was it full?
Before she entered, wasn’t there not a single “person” inside?
Jiang Li looked at the woman’s skirt inside the elevator.
Beneath the bright red hem, there were no feet at all…