Chapter 13

Chapter 13

While her mother was busy putting out the fire, Wei Sen quickly opened the door to her mother’s room and slipped inside.

The first thing that came into view was an oil painting on the wall. There were three people in it.

One was an elderly woman with a head of white hair. She sat in a wheelchair, her expression extremely stern, even tinged with displeasure.

Seated beside her was a blonde woman. Wei Sen could tell it was her mother when she was younger. In the painting, a faint sorrow was hidden in her eyes.

Standing between them was a little girl of about four or five. She wore the Red Hoodie, her hair tied into two braids, and her face shone with a happy smile.

So this was what Grandmother and Little Red Riding Hood truly looked like.

Many years ago, Grandmother, Mother, and Little Red Riding Hood had lived together.

But this house only had two bedrooms. If Grandmother had lived here back then, where had her room been?

And why was there no father in this painting?

Whether in Grandmother’s Cabin or the Red House, she had never found a single trace left behind by any man!

Why didn’t Little Red Riding Hood have a father?

And what had happened that made Grandmother move into the forest alone?

As Wei Sen thought, she searched for the basement key. She had three minutes at most!

Where would people usually keep something important?

In the wardrobe, in the drawers, under the bed… Nothing!

The clue in Little Red Riding Hood’s room had clearly said the key was in Mother’s room. It shouldn’t be wrong. So why wasn’t it here?

Wait!

From the corner of her eye, Wei Sen caught sight of the painting on the wall again. The little girl in the painting was wearing a Red String Bracelet on her wrist!

She leaned in for a closer look. The bracelet’s woven pattern was identical to the one the girl in the Witch’s house had given her in the forest!

The little girl in the painting was the girl from the Witch’s house. It was just that this painting had been made many years ago. The real Little Red Riding Hood had long since grown up, and she had been tortured by the Witch until she no longer looked human, so Wei Sen had not recognized her at first glance.

But why was Little Red Riding Hood with the Witch?

Wei Sen fell into thought. It seemed she had overlooked a very important clue.

What was it…

Just then, footsteps sounded on the stairs.

Mother was coming up!

If Mother discovered that she had entered this room, things would go very badly!

“Little Red Riding Hood!” When Mother reached the second floor, Wei Sen happened to be coming toward her from the hallway. Behind her, the Red Mushroom Decoration on Mother’s bedroom door was still swaying slightly.

Mother’s eyes turned dark and vicious as she looked toward the bedroom door, her expression cooling bit by bit.

Wei Sen forced herself to stay calm. Although she had only come out of the room the second before Mother came upstairs, she had to act as if nothing had happened. She could not let Mother see even the slightest clue!

At that moment, a cool breeze blew in through the hallway window, making the Red Mushroom Decoration on Mother’s door sway even harder.

Seeing this, Mother’s expression gradually eased, though her gaze still held a trace of suspicion as she looked at Wei Sen.

“Did something happen, Mother?” Wei Sen asked.

“Oh, damn it. The spinning wheel caught fire, and it burned a hole in your new clothes,” Mother said.

Because of the painting she had just seen, Wei Sen had even more guesses now. She had not dared to wear that Red Hoodie anyway, and now that it was damaged, she could use it to her advantage instead.

Wei Sen thought quickly and said, “It’s all right, Mother. Help me mend it, and then I’ll go into the forest to find Grandmother.”

Mother nodded. “All right.”

Wei Sen returned to the living room with Mother. The spinning wheel had already been reduced to ashes. A large hole had been burned through the back of the Red Hoodie, and one side of the sofa was scorched as well.

Mother could only sit on the other side of the sofa and begin mending the Red Hoodie.

And from where Mother was sitting, the wall happened to block her view of the dining room door that led to the basement.

Everything was just as Wei Sen had planned. She had deliberately placed the glass of water where it would burn the spinning wheel. Since the spinning wheel was right beside one side of the sofa, the sofa would inevitably be affected too. That way, Mother could only sit on the other side, perfectly unable to see toward the dining room.
Wei Sen clutched the key tightly in her hand. She had found it under Mom’s pillow at the very last second before Mom came upstairs.

She hadn’t expected the key to be hidden somewhere so easy to find. Searching the wardrobe, cabinets, and everything else first had only wasted time.

“Mom, you’ve worked so hard. I’ll go make you an apple pie in the kitchen. You can see how my baking is,” Wei Sen said with a smile.

A flicker of surprise flashed through Mom’s eyes. “Oh, sweetheart, you’ve grown up. You even know how to feel sorry for your mother now.”

“Of course.”

With that, Wei Sen headed toward the kitchen. Mom watched her with relief until her figure disappeared inside.

Once she was in the kitchen and felt Mom’s gaze withdraw, Wei Sen quickly slipped into the dining room.

She took out the key and gently inserted it into the basement door’s keyhole, then slowly turned it. She held her breath through every movement, not daring to make the slightest noise. After all, Mom was just on the other side of the wall.

///Ding~ Warning! Warning! The Host has ten minutes left before fully falling into a Chaos State!///

Wei Sen frowned, forcing herself to stay calm as she continued unlocking the door.

She had to finish exploring the basement within ten minutes and see if she could find any more useful clues. If she could, that would be best. If not, then she would have no choice but to hurry back to the living room and put on the Red Hoodie Mom had knitted.

Poisoned or not, intact or damaged, she would have to stake everything on it!

The lock opened smoothly. The door pushed inward, and Wei Sen held the handle as she eased it open bit by bit without making a sound.

After slipping through the crack, Wei Sen carefully closed the door behind her. Only after locking it again did she dare to breathe.

Behind the door was a staircase leading downward. A burning wall sconce hung on the wall, and the air was thick with the stench of rot, so foul it was almost unbearable.

Wei Sen fought down her physical revulsion, took the sconce, and headed down into the basement.

The scene that greeted her froze her in place. She nearly knocked over the candle in her hand.

This place… looked exactly like a slaughterhouse!

Countless rusted hooks hung from the ceiling. Like hooks piercing through livestock flesh, they had been driven through the hollowed-out chests of corpses, suspending body after body in the air in grotesque poses.

And under the candlelight, every corpse had the exact same face. They were all… her!

Every hair on Wei Sen’s body stood on end.

Why were there so many of her corpses here?!

Even more than at the Hunter’s place!

So many she couldn’t possibly count them all.

And without exception, every one of them was wearing a Red Hoodie!

Exactly the same as the one Mom had knitted for her!

So all the Red Hoodies Mom gave out were poisoned. These were all versions of herself who had once been “Grandmother” and tried to become “Little Red Riding Hood.” Most of them had died because of Mom’s Red Hoodie.

Only for the real Little Red Riding Hood would Mom’s Red Hoodie be safe.

And among these corpses, some were still whole, while others had large portions of flesh missing, especially from the thighs and buttocks.

The first warning had said: There are no livestock raised at home. Do not eat any meat dishes Mom makes!

So the ham Mom ate this morning was actually…

Ugh!

Wei Sen nearly retched.

This mother was absolutely insane!

Wei Sen forced back her nausea and began searching the basement. In a corner, she found a pile of dried grass covered in dust and cobwebs. It looked as if it had been sitting there for many years.

This was… mint!

Wei Sen furrowed her brow in thought.

Why was there so much old mint piled up here?

What was mint used for?

And who would need this much of it?

Wait…

Wei Sen’s gaze shifted to the candle flame burning quietly in her hand.

The corpses in the basement, the aged mint, the portrait of three women, Little Red Riding Hood’s hand cord, the missing father, the Poisoned Apple Pie that had to be delivered every day…

She knew it now. She knew the truth behind this Dark Little Red Riding Hood Fairy Tale!