Chapter 47
“We just went through a wave of NPC attacks, so there shouldn’t be any more appearing for a while. Everyone, just follow me and don’t be afraid.”
Ning Xi was thinking about what the Program Team said-the guest with the most viewers in their livestream today would receive an exclusive reward. So, she diligently interacted with the netizens while exploring.
“Alright, the second floor is full of rooms. Let’s just pick one and take a look. It’ll be fine, trust me-”
She opened the door and came face-to-face with a male servant NPC sitting in a chair, his neck twisted and a long tongue lolling out of his mouth.
Ning Xi slammed the door shut in a second. “My eyes are playing tricks on me. Let’s try that again.”
[Hahaha, she got slapped in the face right after raising a flag.]
[By the way, that NPC seemed to have a pretty good body…]
Ning Xi realized this belatedly as well.
She turned to the others, striking a pose of heroic sacrifice.
“That NPC seems to be holding something. I’m guessing it’s a prop. If you’re scared, just wait outside. I’ll go in and check.”
However, Ning Xi had only taken one step when both her arms were grabbed.
Shen Yibai quickly let go, his tone cold. “I’ll go.”
Ning Xi shook her head repeatedly. “It’s fine, I can do it.”
Xie Lanchen frowned and asked, “Aren’t you afraid?”
Ning Xi looked troubled. *The one who should be afraid later is probably that NPC…*
But she certainly couldn’t say that.
“A fake ghost isn’t nearly as scary as a broke ghost like me.”
Xie Lanchen said calmly, “But I’m afraid.”
Ning Xi: “?”
“So I’ll go in with you.”
Xie Lanchen’s words were final.
Ning Xi: …
Fine, fine, fine.
So, Shen Yibai and Jiang Sheshe stayed outside to keep watch while Ning Xi and Xie Lanchen entered the room to get the prop.
Seeing the male servant NPC sitting solemnly in the chair, Ning Xi muttered under her breath:
“Six feet tall, long legs, pale skin… he probably has an eight-pack too…”
“What did you say?” Xie Lanchen hadn’t heard her clearly.
Ning Xi turned serious in a second. “I said, once we take the prop from the NPC, he’ll probably wake up and try to catch us. Be ready to run at any moment.”
Xie Lanchen nodded. “Okay.”
[Xie Lanchen runs, but you’re not running, are you?]
[Ning Xi, I don’t even want to call you out, because I’d do the same thing if it were me, hahahaha!]
[This is the first time I’ve watched a haunted house show and forgotten I’m a coward, because I’ve turned into a total simp.]
Ning Xi slowly approached the sleeping servant. Up close, his legs seemed even longer.
*Drool.*
Ning Xi snatched the prop from the servant’s hand.
A blinding white light suddenly filled the room. Simultaneously, the servant opened his eyes, let out a roar at Ning Xi, and reached out to grab her.
Ning Xi quickly threw the prop back into the servant’s arms.
“I didn’t take it! Sit back down!”
The servant: ?
Netizens: ?
The NPC’s programming was indeed set so that he could only give chase once a player took the prop, but never before had a player taken it and then thrown it back!
The servant sat back down, bewildered.
Ning Xi approached again and took the prop once more.
The servant leaped up instantly, but in the next second, Ning Xi threw the prop back into his arms again.
She raised both hands: “I didn’t take it!”
The servant: ???
[Ning Xi, are you exploiting a bug here?]
[NPC: What a psycho!]
Ning Xi was having a blast.
However, just as the servant sat back down and Ning Xi planned to keep teasing him-
Xie Lanchen was one step faster. He grabbed the prop and immediately took her hand:
“Run!”
Ning Xi: ????
At the same time, a cabinet in the room suddenly swung open, and another male servant NPC with a bloody face appeared.
From under the bed, another NPC with its stomach ripped open crawled out.
Fine, there’s really no choice but to run now.
Ning Xi and Xie Lanchen sped away. Hearing the commotion, Shen Yibai and Jiang Sheshe followed suit from the doorway.
Along the way, Shen Yibai’s gaze darkened as he looked at Ning Xi and Xie Lanchen’s tightly clasped hands.
The four of them ran, searching for a place to hide, eventually ducking into a room at the end of the second floor.
Once the NPCs outside had left…
“Sigh…”
Ning Xi let out a breath, sounding a bit regretful.
If Xie Lanchen hadn’t taken the initiative to grab the item, she could have kept teasing the NPCs for a while longer.
“You two?”
Jiang Sheshe’s gaze suddenly fixed on a certain spot.
Ning Xi looked down and realized that, at some point, she and Xie Lanchen had ended up holding hands.
Feeling the warmth in her palm, Ning Xi quickly withdrew her hand.
Then, she looked at the item they had just taken from the NPC.
It was a diary.
…
July 8th
I came to the castle to work as a maid.
The Duke and Duchess are very kind to me; as an orphan, this is the first time I’ve felt such warmth.
It’s just a pity that the Duchess seems to be in poor health. My heart goes out to such a beautiful, frail woman.
…
“This is the diary of a maid in the castle.”
What would a maid have to do with the castle fire?
Ning Xi focused and continued reading.
…
July 10th
Everyone says I look a lot like the Duchess did when she was young.
Perhaps because of this, the Duke occasionally stares at my face for a long time.
Some say the Duke likes me, but how could that be?
God as my witness, I can clearly see how much the Duke and Duchess love each other.
July 15th
Today, I overheard the Duke on the phone in his study.
He mentioned something about a “Soul-Swapping Potion,” saying, “She’s an orphan, the perfect candidate,” and “I only want the Duchess to live a long life.”
An orphan? Who was he talking about?
Why do I feel like he was talking about me?
And what on earth is a Soul-Swapping Potion?
July 16th
I’ve been sleeping longer and longer lately. I suspect it has something to do with the milk I drink at night.
Lucy, don’t be afraid! Stay calm!
July 18th
So there really was a Soul-Swapping Potion in the milk!
The Duke wants to swap my soul with the Duchess’s!
July 22nd
A Witch gave me a ring. She said that as long as I wear it, the Soul-Swapping Potion will be completely neutralized.
July 24th!
The Witch is a liar! Whatever you do, don’t-
…
The handwriting on the final entry was extremely messy, seemingly written in a fit of rage.
Moreover, it was unfinished.
Ning Xi guessed that the owner of the diary, Lucy, might have already met with an unfortunate end.
“What’s this? A ring?”
Just then, Jiang Sheshe found a glowing ring in the room. Thinking it was fun, she put it on her finger.
However, when she tried to take it off, she found the ring tightening, making it impossible to remove.
Jiang Sheshe panicked. “What’s going on?”
Ning Xi looked at Jiang Sheshe with a pitying gaze.
“This must be the ring the Witch gave to the maid, Lucy. You’re quite lucky, girl. Based on the diary’s description, there’s something wrong with this ring. You’ve been chosen by the God of Plot.”
The thought terrified Jiang Sheshe. “Then I don’t want to go upstairs anymore!”
Ning Xi was still very gentle toward girls. She raised her hand to comfort Jiang Sheshe.
“Don’t worry. No matter what happens, we’ll all face it with you. I swear, I won’t let you encounter any danger.”
Jiang Sheshe looked moved.
Xie Lanchen couldn’t help but cough, and Shen Yibai’s expression also looked a bit off.
However, just as Jiang Sheshe summoned the courage to head to the third floor, she suddenly paused.
“Wait, did you just swear with your middle finger?”