chapter 22
Meanwhile, a System prompt sounded in Jiang Li’s mind-
[Congratulations to the Host for successfully unlocking a key plot! “Happy Death Day” Instance, plot unlock progress: 90%]
After leaving the psychiatry department, the Husband told Jiang Li to stay where she was and not to move. Jiang Li nodded in agreement. Outwardly, she agreed to her Husband’s request, but in fact, she quietly followed him out.
The Husband was very cautious. He walked to the end of the corridor, looked back several times as if to make sure no one was following. Jiang Li slipped aside, keeping herself hidden. When he saw that his wife was not behind, the Husband finally relaxed and quickly turned into a consultation room.
Jiang Li glanced toward the consultation room. There was a blue sign at the entrance to that area, with “Obstetrics and Gynecology” written on it in large characters.
What was he doing here?
Jiang Li had a vague suspicion in her heart. She crept closer on tiptoe.
Through the crack in the door, she caught a glimpse of the Husband and the doctor. Jiang Li held her breath and listened carefully to their conversation inside.
“I’d like a box of contraceptive pills for my wife. Can you guarantee she won’t get pregnant?”
“Well… we can’t guarantee that. The success rate of emergency contraceptives is only 85%.”
“What if she does get pregnant? Is it possible to terminate it later?”
“Sir, I really wouldn’t recommend it. Your wife just miscarried her daughter not long ago, and if she has another abortion now, it will be very harmful to her body.”
“…”
After leaving the hospital, Jiang Li followed the Husband back home. At dinner, no matter how many Finger Biscuits Jiang Li wanted, the Husband served them all. That night, Jiang Li went to the Bedroom early to rest; Red Infant was waiting for her inside.
After returning, Jiang Li took the dagger from behind the Wedding Photo and put it into the Space.
That night, the Husband did not return to the Bedroom.
Late at night, the Doll in the wardrobe rolled its eyes and shed a drop of blood tears, its voice sounding like crying:
“Mommy, why do you only love sister and not me? Why…”
At that moment, the sound of high heels echoed outside the room. Not long after, there was the sound of chopping meat in the Kitchen. The Bedroom toilet kept flushing continuously…
Jiang Li felt that the truth of the Instance was about to be revealed. That missing detail might unlock the final answer.
Early the next morning, after waking up, Jiang Li’s first move was to sneak into the Living Room while the Husband wasn’t paying attention and turn on the TV.
There was no rule saying she couldn’t turn on the TV.
Jiang Li clearly remembered that on her first day in this Instance, the rules slip was pressed under the TV. At that time, the Husband seemed particularly afraid of Jiang Li approaching the TV.
The more something is kept out of reach, the closer it is to the truth.
She turned on the TV. Inside, a news report was looping-
“According to reports, a wife suffering from Schizophrenia burned charcoal at home with her husband and son to commit suicide on their wedding anniversary.”
“The husband and son have been rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment, but the wife unfortunately died.”
“Neighbors revealed that the deceased was named Liu Xiuqin, a kind and helpful person in daily life, who was a teacher at Hui City No. 3 Middle School…”
At that moment, Jiang Li sensed two figures appear behind her. She immediately became alert. Turning around, she saw the Husband and her son looking at her with sorrowful expressions. They were crying.
Now, the Husband no longer had pig ears or a pig nose, and the son was no longer dressed up as a little girl.
The Husband covered his face and wept, “I’m sorry, wife. It’s all my fault. If I’d paid more attention to that phone call, maybe everything could have changed…”
The son blamed himself too: “Mom, I’m sorry. My birth caused you pain. If I weren’t me, if I were sister, maybe things would have been better… I’m sorry.”
At this point, Jiang Li understood the whole truth.
The Strange Tale World of this Instance was born from the wife’s mental state. In the Instance, the wife had suffered from chronic depression, which developed into severe Schizophrenia. To escape reality, she gave herself a new name in her mental world-Zhang Hui.
In her fantasies, she was not the victim Liu Xiuqin, but the outsider Zhang Hui.
And the misfortune of her married life was not because she had been raped and became pregnant with the rapist’s child.
Under the wife’s self-hypnosis, she tried to fill the role of the villain who had hurt her and escaped legal punishment with the imagined figure of the evil mother-in-law.
Through the wife’s diary, it was clear she was working hard to convince herself that her post-marriage misery was due to mother-in-law and daughter-in-law conflicts.
The wife’s long-term depression also led her to frequently engage in extreme or suicidal behavior.
Every time the Husband discovered this, he would lock her up alone to prevent her from harming herself.
But in Liu Xiuqin’s mental world, the Husband’s protection instead became abuse.
This is why, at the very beginning, the wife was bound hand and foot by the Husband and released from the suitcase.
Because this was the wife’s imagined world.
As for the endless looping alley, it was also because, in the wife’s subconscious, that kind of harm was endless, recurring like a nightmare.
The Husband’s obsession stemmed from the swine fever incident at the pig farm, when he ignored the wife’s call for help.
So, in the Strange Tale World, the Husband gradually turned into a pig.
The son’s obsession was his desire for his mother’s love.
So he gradually became more feminine, becoming identical to the elder sister who should have been born, in order to win his mother’s affection.
At this moment, the System notification sounded in Jiang Li’s ear-
[Congratulations, Chosen One, for successfully uncovering the truth of the Instance! “Happy Death Day” Instance storyline exploration: 100%]
[Pass “Wife’s Ticket” has been redeemed. You have obtained the qualification to board.]
[Your clearance rating this time: SSS Rank. Perfect clearance achieved! Now distributing clearance rewards.]
[Huaguo is spared from this Strange Tale’s descent. Chosen One Jiang Li gains-“Eye of Truth.”]
The skill attribute of “Eye of Truth” was implanted into Jiang Li’s brain, and she discovered that this was an ability to discern the authenticity of written information.
At this moment, Jiang Li separated from the wife’s body and became herself again.
Before leaving, Jiang Li couldn’t help but ask:
“You two didn’t die back then, did you?”
The Husband and son nodded simultaneously.
“If you’re human and stay here, you’ll only become more and more corrupted. This Strange Tale World isn’t suitable for you,” Jiang Li advised.
The Husband smiled and shook his head, and the son had no intention of leaving either.
Jiang Li understood what they meant.
The two of them were willing to become NPCs and remain in the Strange Tale World, probably so they could always see the wife they could never see again.
Knowing that further words were useless, Jiang Li said nothing more.
She closed her eyes and merged into the void.
[Family member bound to the Chosen One-Dai Chunli, will survive temporarily.]
[Now unlocking the second Instance: Ghost Train.]
[Dai Chunli has been unbound. The current binding is now: Jiang Lianlian.]
[Please prepare yourself.]
Jiang Li opened her eyes again.
She was already on the swaying Train.
Jiang Li stood in the middle of the aisle in the Hard Seat Carriage, surrounded by constant noise.
Elderly people talking loudly on the phone, middle-aged men slapping their thighs and bragging, children babbling and shouting…
But strangely, throughout the entire Carriage, voices could be heard but no one could be seen.
“Excuse me, excuse me! Hot water, hot water!” A bowl of instant noodles floated past Jiang Li.
Jiang Li stepped aside.
“Beer, soda, mineral water, peanuts, sunflower seeds, eight-treasure porridge. Come on, tuck your legs in~~”
A Trolley slowly approached from ahead.
Jiang Li could not see the vendor, nor the passengers blocking the way.
At this moment, a basketball rolled off a Seat nearby and landed at Jiang Li’s feet.
“Pretty sister, help me pick up the ball.”
[The second Instance officially begins.]
[Instance Name] Ghost Train.
[Instance Description] At midnight, Train Z114 bound for “Fenling” is running normally on the tracks. However, in this seemingly peaceful Carriage, Aberration events occur one after another…
[Clearance Conditions]
1. SSS Rank: Find the Pollution Source in the Carriage and eliminate it.
2. S Rank: Successfully upgrade your ticket to the Hard Sleeper Carriage and safely reach the Train’s terminal station.
3. A Rank: Safely reach the Train’s terminal station.