Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 138: Nursery Rhyme

In the abandoned garden, under a light drizzle, the misty water vapor blurred the line between reality and illusion.

“Your name is… Yan Wang?” Xu Wang asked again.

“Is there a problem?” The young man tilted his head, puzzled at why the two were staring blankly.

Yes, there’s a problem. Meeting Yan Wang in Chi Yingxue’s world wasn’t surprising, but for Xu Wang and Wu Sheng, who had actually spent time with the real Yan Wang, this “Yan Wang” before them was unexpectedly unfamiliar.

It wasn’t just his appearance that was unfamiliar, but also his inner changes. It was like Chi Zhuolin transforming from a domineering CEO to a simple and sweet character, and Yan Wang, from a worldly, mature, and slightly sinister man, had become a vibrant young man.

Simple and straightforward, full of vitality and health, exuding a wild charm—this was very different from the Yan Wang they knew, almost the exact opposite of the Chi Yingxue they knew.

Xu Wang blinked hard, clearing the film of water on his eyelashes, making the “Yan Wang” in his sight clearer and allowing him to organize his chaotic thoughts.

“No problem. It’s just that…” He smiled, pointing to himself and Wu Sheng. “We know a friend who is also called Yan Wang.”

“Oh?” Yan Wang looked curious as he put on his black mask again, asking, “What kind of person is he?”

“A bit more mature, worldly, and obsessive than you.” Xu Wang watched his features disappear back behind the mask, leaving only a pair of eyes shining with a wild alertness.

“Why compare me to him?” Yan Wang chuckled. “We just happen to share the same name; we’re not really related. It would be weird if our personalities were the same.”

“There is one thing that’s exactly the same between you two,” Wu Sheng said leisurely. “Neither of you know pain.”

Yan Wang followed his gaze down to his own bloody and scarred arms and legs and smiled indifferently. “You get used to the pain, and then it doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“You get injured often?” Xu Wang caught a fleeting bitterness in his eyes and felt a tug at his heart, causing him to blurt out the question.

Yan Wang paused, seemingly unprepared for this question, and finally waved his hand dismissively. “Hey, let’s not talk about me. Aren’t you in a hurry to find Chi Yingxue? Then let’s go.”

With that, he turned and walked forward, heading towards a patch of withered trees with no visible path or building in sight.

Xu Wang and Wu Sheng exchanged glances and hurriedly followed, but Xu Wang couldn’t help asking, “Which way are you taking us?”

Perhaps because the real Yan Wang always held some hostility towards Chi Yingxue, Xu Wang and Wu Sheng couldn’t fully trust this amiable “Yan Wang”.

“Of course, it’s my—Yan Wang’s—special route.” Yan Wang glanced back at them, exuding an air of invincibility.

As they spoke, the three arrived at a large, dead tree with wide, yellow leaves hanging from its dry branches. Beneath the tree was an old well with its mouth covered by a stone slab.

Yan Wang bent over, took a deep breath, and pushed the large stone slab aside, revealing the weathered well mouth.

The well was dry, its bottom visible at a glance.

“You’re not telling me you’re planning to jump…” Before Xu Wang could finish, a gust of wind brushed past him.

With a “plop”, Yan Wang jumped down the well and then looked up, calling to them. “Come down quickly.”

Xu Wang looked at the well that was about four or five meters deep, and his head hurt. “This is your special route?”

“Don’t be afraid,” Yan Wang reassured them, spreading his arms. “I’ll catch you.”

“No need.” Wu Sheng refused on behalf of his captain. “He has someone to catch him.”

As Xu Wang landed safely in Wu Sheng’s arms, the small bottom of the well was nearly filled by the three of them. At knee height on the well wall, there was a circular hole wide enough for one person, leading to an unknown destination, with a whistling wind blowing through, chilling their already wet pants.

Yan Wang bent awkwardly and crawled into the hole.

Xu Wang and Wu Sheng looked on speechlessly, feeling as if they had inadvertently strayed off the path.

In the pitch-black tunnel, where the rain sound from the surface was no longer audible, only the occasional “drip-drop” could be heard, amplifying the silence of the darkness.

Yan Wang, Xu Wang, and Wu Sheng, one after the other, crawled forward slowly. The uneven tunnel was painful to navigate, causing aching backs and knees. Xu Wang had to say something to break the silence.

Xu Wang: “Don’t tell me Chi Yingxue lives in a basement.”

Yan Wang: “Of course not. He’s in a proper west wing room.”

Xu Wang: “…Then why are we going underground!”

Yan Wang: “There are guards above.”

Xu Wang: “The gardener and driver have already been driven away by us.”

Yan Wang: “Those two only guard the garden. There are more guards in the inner courtyard. Without Mr. Chi’s permission, you can’t just barge in. Even ten lives wouldn’t be enough.”

Xu Wang: “Mr. Chi? Chi Yingxue’s father?”

Yan Wang: “Who else could it be?”

Xu Wang: “Then that’s it. He’s Chi Yingxue’s father, and we are Chi Yingxue’s friends. With proper communication, there’s no reason he wouldn’t let us meet.”

Yan Wang: “Tsk, that man, you can’t communicate with him.”

Xu Wang: “Have you tried?”

Yan Wang: “No need to try. He’s the one who locked Chi Yingxue in the west wing room and doesn’t let him out. What’s there to communicate?”

Xu Wang paused, and Wu Sheng, in the darkness, also hesitated slightly.

When the veranda shook and a voice declared “Chi Zhuolin”, they had foreseen that this “Elder Mr. Chi” wasn’t to be trifled with.

But at that time, they only thought of him as a stern, unsmiling father who exuded an oppressive aura. They hadn’t thought deeply about the problems in the father-son relationship between him and Chi Yingxue.

Xu Wang: “Why does he keep Xiao Xue locked up?”

Yan Wang: “Xiao Xue?”

Xu Wang: “Oh, that’s what we call him.”

Yan Wang: “Seems like you really are close.”

Xu Wang: “Now we are friends with you, too.”

Yan Wang laughed. “I never thought I’d one day bask in Chi Yingxue’s glory.”

“Back to the previous question,” Wu Sheng reminded gently. “Why does Mr. Chi keep Xiao Xue locked up?”

“I really don’t know.” Yan Wang sighed. “Anyway, whenever I visit Chi Yingxue, I always use this underground route. Follow me, and you won’t go wrong, but…”

Xu Wang, Wu Sheng: “But?”

“This route might be, well, a bit rough,” Yan Wang said slowly, with an innocent tone.

After a long crawl, the three finally emerged from the tunnel into a spacious area of unknown location.

Wu Sheng turned on his phone’s flashlight, revealing that they were in a stone chamber with walls made of smooth bricks on all sides, including the ceiling.

Just as Xu Wang was about to ask where they were, he saw Yan Wang fumbling around a corner of the wall, searching for something.

Soon, a “click” of a lever being pulled came from Yan Wang’s direction.

Then, the wall in front of them fell, revealing another stone chamber.

The new chamber was identical in size to the one they were in, also enclosed on all sides, with a small, inconspicuous red lever in the same corner where Yan Wang stood.

The only difference was that their current chamber had a hole in the wall—the tunnel they had crawled through—while the new chamber had intact walls, but its floor was densely covered with sharp blades pointing upwards, arranged neatly like a deadly formation.

“Counting the one we’re in, there are a total of six chambers,” Yan Wang explained enthusiastically. “We just have to pull the levers, open the stone doors, and get through them one by one, and we’ll quickly reach the west wing room.”

Xu Wang turned to him, struggling to muster a smile. “Are all the upcoming chambers like the one in front of us?”

“Of course not.” Yan Wang immediately shook his head.

Xu Wang sighed in relief. “That’s good.”

Yan Wang added, “The further we go, the more dangerous it gets.”

Xu Wang: “……”

Yan Wang: “?”

Xu Wang: “This is what you meant by… ‘might be a bit rough’?!”

……

In the secret study.

Unaware that his captain and advisor had embarked on a challenging path, Kuang Jinxin finally gave up searching his memory. He was afraid that if he continued, not only would he fail to retrieve the code, but he might also disrupt his normal memories.

Unable to remember, he decided to take the book with him.

After quickly checking the remaining part of the bookshelf and confirming that this was the only real book, Kuang Jinxin, feeling slightly guilty as if he was stealing, packed the book into his backpack.

Just before putting it away, whether out of curiosity or an inexplicable impulse, Kuang Jinxin opened the book again.

When he first found the book, he had already looked through it. Although he couldn’t remember the code, he at least wanted to see what the original book was like. The title “Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes” was completely unfamiliar to him. Intuitively, he thought it would be similar to “Grimm’s Fairy Tales”. Flipping through a few pages, he found simple and fun nursery rhymes about chasing cats, climbing woodpiles, eating Christmas pies, and the like.

But as he was about to put the book halfway into his bag, his hand froze. He took out the book and opened it for the second time.

For no particular reason, he just felt he should take another look.

This time, he came across a nursery rhyme with only five lines—

My mother has killed me.
My father is eating me.
My brothers and sisters sit under the table.
Picking up my bones.
And they bury them under the cold marble stones.

His phone battery completely drained and shut down, extinguishing the last bit of light.

Kuang Jinxin stood in the darkness, his hands and feet ice cold.

He kept telling himself that it was just a book, and besides, there were innocent nursery rhymes in it. It might not be related to reality, let alone Chi Yingxue’s mental world. Maybe it was just a random original chosen for their code game with his brother…

By the end, he couldn’t even convince himself.

He was in Chi Yingxue’s mental world, possibly even in the deepest recesses of his mind. Here, not just a book, but every blade of grass, every leaf, was an imprint of Chi Yingxue’s inner world.

Suddenly, footsteps approached from outside the door, steady and firm, getting closer.

Kuang Jinxin froze, not daring to move.

The footsteps stopped in front of the door.

Then, someone pushed the door of the secret study.

It didn’t open.

Kuang Jinxin had locked it when he entered.

The person outside, apparently not expecting this, fell silent for a moment before knocking twice on the door, politely asking, “Is anyone in there?”

Kuang Jinxin held his breath, his hand holding the book slightly sweating.

The person only asked once and didn’t knock again.

Kuang Jinxin strained his ears, hoping to hear footsteps leaving.

But instead, he heard the sound of a key unlocking the door.

“Creak—”

The door opened, and outside the half-height door, someone was squatting.

Kuang Jinxin quickly stuffed the book into his backpack, then squatted down, cautiously meeting the eyes of the person outside.

Outside the door was a middle-aged man, around 45 or 56 years old, dressed in a suit and exuding an air of authority. Even squatting as he was, he didn’t seem to lose any dignity. The moonlight cast deep contours on his face, highlighting the slight wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, but his gaze was firm and penetrating, as if he could see right through one’s soul.

“I heard noises here and thought it was a rat.” As their eyes met, the middle-aged man smiled, attempting to appear approachable, but the seriousness in his expression remained.

“I-I came here looking for a friend and then got lost,” Kuang Jinxin responded, not sure of the man’s identity, so he chose to be cautious with his information exchange, hoping to create a good impression.

“Looking for a friend?” the man asked gently. “Tell me his name. Maybe I can help you find him.”

Kuang Jinxin hesitated.

The man patiently watched him, neither urging him to speak nor inviting him out, maintaining the awkward posture of squatting on either side of the door.

After a long stare, Kuang Jinxin suddenly felt a sense of familiarity in the man’s features, especially around the eyes and brows.

Chi Zhuolin!

Kuang Jinxin’s eyes widened as he scrutinized the face outside the door more carefully, confirming without a doubt that the facial contours were indeed those of Chi Zhuolin, just years later. He remembered a conversation in Beijing when Chi Zhuolin mentioned that he resembled his father and Chi Yingxue took after their mother, which made Chi Zhuolin decently handsome while his brother was extremely beautiful. It was then that Kuang Jinxin realized Chi Zhuolin could use every positive word in the world when talking about his brother.

“I’m looking for… Chi Yingxue.” Kuang Jinxin cautiously revealed his teammate’s name, hoping his guess wasn’t wrong.

The man outside was surprised, but quickly his surprise turned into warm hospitality. “I am Chi Yingxue’s father. Come out. It must be uncomfortable in there.”

Kuang Jinxin breathed a sigh of relief. His guess was correct.

He also felt fortunate for his luck, encountering the head of the household straight away, no longer having to worry about being sent away by guards like Zhang Ge or Peng Ge.

“Hello, Uncle Chi,” he greeted politely, then, without further hesitation, quickly crawled out through the small door.

“You’re polite; a good kid.” The man patted Kuang Jinxin’s head approvingly, like a generous elder. “Come with me.”

“I heard that Chi Yingxue is sick?” Kuang Jinxin recalled the information he received when he was turned away at the front courtyard.

“Yes,” the man replied lightly. “But he’s taken medicine and took a nap, so he’s much better now.”

Then, why when they were in the front courtyard, were those two so adamant about Chi Yingxue not seeing guests and were vehement in driving them away?

Kuang Jinxin was puzzled but chose not to ask further, fearing to stir up unwanted topics, especially since the encounter in the front courtyard had been quite unpleasant.

For a long time after, Chi Yingxue’s father led the way, with Kuang Jinxin following.

The moonlight stretched the middle-aged man’s shadow long.

Kuang Jinxin watched the tall and broad figure, feeling a complex mix of emotions. Growing up without a father, he always felt warmth and envy when seeing others with their fathers.

[My mother has killed me. My father is eating me…]

The nursery rhyme he had read earlier unexpectedly popped into his mind, and he could even hear the eerie sound of children chanting in his ears.

The clear, innocent voices singing the most gruesome of rhymes…

Kuang Jinxin suddenly stopped walking.

Chi Yingxue’s father, as if he had eyes in the back of his head, stopped almost immediately and turned around. “What’s wrong?”

Kuang Jinxin couldn’t answer.

He didn’t know what was wrong, but he suddenly felt scared. It was an inexplicable uneasiness that overwhelmed his heart.

Kinky Thoughts:

The nursery rhyme is referencing a German folktale known as “The Juniper Tree”. This is actually part of The Grimm’s Fairy Tales and not a Mother Goose nursery rhyme.

The TLDR is stepmother kills her stepson and feeds it to his father. Half-sister buries her brother under the Juniper Tree, and he becomes a bird that sings the nursery rhyme (song) to the townsfolk and eventually takes revenge on the stepmother.

The song the bird sings is:

My mother she killed me,
My father he ate me,
My sister, little Marlinchen,
Gathered together all my bones,
Tied them in a silken handkerchief,
Laid them beneath the juniper-tree,
Tweet, tweet, what a beautiful bird am I!

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 137: Fake Books

Chi Zhuolin stood behind a withered tree, hidden among the yellow grass and plants. He said he had to return to school, but ultimately, he got lost in this abandoned garden, like a toy whose battery had run out.

Xu Wang kept telling himself it was fake, just a chaotic projection from a disturbed companion’s subconscious. But the eerie, thrilling sensation that spread from the bottom of his heart to his limbs still eroded him.

Feeling Xu Wang’s shivers, Wu Sheng gently put his arm around his shoulder.

“Why…” He couldn’t understand why such a brother, who doted on his younger brother, existed in Chi Yingxue’s mind like this.

Wu Sheng pondered for a moment and said, “Everyone has flaws, but a machine can perhaps achieve perfection…”

“Do you mean, in Xiao Xue’s heart, Chi Zhuolin… is perfect?”

Xu Wang looked at the motionless Chi Zhuolin—at his sunny eyebrows, his dashing equestrian attire. Even in such a bizarre moment, if one ignored the screen on his chest, he still appeared to be a well-mannered, exceptional youth.

No. Xu Wang shook his head. That’s not right.

“Wu Sheng,” he almost whispered. “If I had such a perfect person in my heart, I would imagine him as the embodiment of all that is good in the world, but definitely not… like this.”

“I wasn’t finished just now,” Wu Sheng interrupted softly. “A machine indeed can be perfect, but it has one fatal flaw…”

He turned his head slightly.

Xu Wang followed his gaze, looking at the screen on Chi Zhuolin’s chest.

Low battery.

Those red warning letters were strikingly intense.

What kind of brother is perfect for a child? Xu Wang thought. Besides being academically excellent, athletically outstanding, and well-rounded in moral, intellectual, and physical development, what else?

Perhaps.

Wouldn’t everyone want a brother who could stand up for them, shield them from the rain and wind?

So the brother should always be there to play with him, always there to protect him.

Always, would be best.

The night wind blew through the abandoned garden, rustling the dry grass without a single insect sound.

Xu Wang sniffed, noticing moisture in the wind.

A chill touched the tip of his nose.

Looking up, another cool drop fell on his eyelid.

It started to rain.

Wu Sheng also sensed the change in weather and was about to look up when suddenly, a frenzied, ferocious barking of dogs came from afar!

The barking was mad and menacing, as if it would tear apart and devour whatever it was facing at any second!

The two exchanged glances. Without a word, Wu Sheng picked up Xu Wang again, moving swiftly towards the sound!

Xu Wang hadn’t gotten over the aftereffects of being carried last time, and here it was happening again. Dangling from Wu Sheng’s shoulder, he felt nauseous. He didn’t get seasick, airsick, or carsick, but who the hell would have thought he’d be shoulder-sick one day!

But there was no time to complain. To maximize efficiency, he had to cooperate with Wu Sheng’s lightning speed!

The only comfort for Captain Xu was the speed. In the blink of an eye, they arrived. The dog’s bark, which had seemed far away just a second ago, now pierced his ears painfully.

He was set down.

They were in a secluded courtyard, not very large, with two or three rooms and moon gates on the north and south sides. The south gate led to the abandoned garden they had just come from. Where the north gate led was unknown.

There were large water-filled jars at each corner of the courtyard. In the center, a fierce battle was taking place.

A man in black clothes, black pants, and a black mask was struggling against a dog that was bigger than a wolf. It was biting his arm. If it weren’t for the dog’s bark just now, they would have really thought it was a wolf. His legs were also being clamped by a giant crab that was half the height of a person. The crab’s shell was shiny and green, and when it spread its legs out, it was about two meters wide!

There was no doubt, this person was the same person in black who was tracking and spying on them earlier. They had lost him in the depths of the abandoned garden, but now they encountered him again in this form!

The man in black was struggling to shake his arm, but the wolf dog’s bite was extremely fierce. After struggling for a long time, the only result was that the vicious dog’s fangs sank deeper, tearing the black sleeve on his arm to shreds. The area bitten by the dog was now a bloody mess!

The spider crab on his leg was no less relentless. With its pincers, it clamped, stung, and tore, mercilessly turning the man’s leg into a bloodied state!

“What are you dawdling for? Save me—!” The black-clothed man yelled at Xu Wang and Wu Sheng, who were frozen at the moon gate.

Xu Wang and Wu Sheng hesitated. In this unpredictable world, it was impossible to tell what to do, what not to do, who was good, who was evil!

Seeing their hesitation, the man grew desperate, shouting as if he was giving it his all. “Don’t you want to find Chi Yingxue? I’ll take you to him!”

The rain in the courtyard suddenly intensified. As he shouted Chi Yingxue’s name, raindrops splashed into the jars, creating dense ripples!

Wu Sheng made a split-second decision and acted!

Xu Wang didn’t move but kept his eyes on the battlefield, ready to adapt their plan for combat!

A large net fell from the sky, first landing on the black-clothed man’s head. But the net seemed not to feel him, passing right through, continuing downward, and finally covering only the vicious dog still biting him and the crab still clamping his leg!

The inescapable net of heaven, indiscriminate, releasing what must be released, catching what must be caught!

Wu Sheng stepped forward swiftly, gathering the edges of the net, and with a strong pull to the side, the dog and crab were forcibly torn from the black-clothed man!

The ferocious teeth of the wolf dog nearly ripped off a piece of flesh from the arm of the man in black, and the crab’s pincers, in the final moment before being forced to let go, sliced another deep, bone-visible wound on the man’s leg!

Yet, the man in black didn’t make a sound, as if he wasn’t the one who was injured.

Wu Sheng, using the momentum of pulling apart the two beasts, threw the net fiercely to the ground and quickly tied the opening with a dead knot!

The wolf dog let out a low growl, leaped up from the ground, and fiercely tore at the net with its sharp claws and teeth. Its eyes were like those of a starving wolf, viciously glowing green. However, no matter how wildly it struggled, the net remained immovable.

The crab inside the net, struggling with its clumsy body, slowly stood up, standing on its six legs. The two large pincers in front stretched slowly towards the net, and with force, they snapped shut.

“Snap!”

The net was cut at the sound.

Wu Sheng was caught off guard. The crab’s pincers had serrated edges, not knife blades. Even if it wanted to cut, it shouldn’t have been so clean and precise! The sound was more like scissors than crab pincers!

Scissors?

Wu Sheng steadied his mind and took a closer look at the large crab pincers. By this time, the crab had already confidently crawled out of the cut net. The thing’s pincers that were in front of it were green and shiny like its body, but they weren’t crab pincers at all, but a pair of pruning shears!

Even Wu Sheng, upon seeing this scene, felt goosebumps rise on his skin.

Xu Wang saw it too. From the outskirts of the battlefield, not only did he see the crab pincers turn into pruning shears, but he also noticed the dog tag hanging on the neck of the ferocious dog. It wasn’t a dog tag at all, but car keys!

The dense raindrops had made their clothes almost completely soaked, but they were oblivious to it.

Suddenly, the giant crab charged towards Wu Sheng, moving as fast as a centipede!

Wu Sheng dodged backward, but unexpectedly, the ferocious dog also crawled out of the hole in the net and leaped towards his face!

Wu Sheng dodged to the side, avoiding the dog and jumping away from the crab, but his clothes were still hooked by the crab’s pincer. With a forceful pull, a ripping sound followed. The pocket of his clothes tore, and the letter that Chi Zhuolin had entrusted to him was pierced and hung on the pincer’s tip!

Wu Sheng reached out to snatch it back, but the crab sidestepped and ran away!

He could have chased it with his speed, but Xu Wang, who was blocking the retaliating dog for him, was already struggling.

“Forget about me. Get the letter!” Xu Wang shouted.

“It doesn’t matter.” Wu Sheng grabbed the back of the dog’s neck and yanked it off Xu Wang, throwing it far away. “It’s just numbers. I can write another one.”

The dog fell into a pile of dry grass, whimpered, and ran away dejectedly.

The man in black, who had been quietly retreating under the cover of the rain, was now being cleansed of blood from his wounds by the rain. However, as soon as it was washed away, new blood seeped out again. Diluted by the rain, the fresh red blood seemed to turn a pale pink.

He reached the moon gate to the north and decisively turned and ran!

As soon as he stepped out of the moon gate, a voice rang in the man’s ear—

[Owl: Someone has used [(Offense) Voodoo Doll] on you~~]

With the elongated sound, the man in black felt a sudden piercing pain in his chest, like being stabbed with a needle!

He gasped for breath, stopped in his tracks, and instinctively clutched his chest.

This pain was different from external injuries. It was a nerve pain, almost unbearable.

“Try taking one more step forward!” Behind him, Xu Wang held a small straw doll in one hand and a small steel needle in the other, standing tall and proud in a handsome posture.

He had anticipated the need for a tactical patch! If not for being distracted by the pruning shears and car keys, he wouldn’t have let the man in black escape to the moon gate!

Wu Sheng cast an approving glance at him.

Xu Wang, full of pride, said, “Take this—” and gave the little straw doll another needle in the elbow. It wasn’t deep, but it was somewhat painful.

The man in black sucked in a breath of cold air in anger. “I didn’t fucking move, and you’re still stabbing me!”

“Cough, just reinforcing the warning,” Captain Xu replied with a valid reason.

The man in black felt like choking on his blood. Seeing that Xu Wang had no intention of “reinforcing” further, he still dared not take them lightly. While keeping an eye on them, he also glanced around on the ground.

“Don’t bother looking. They’ve run off.” Xu Wang knew he was searching for the two creatures.

The man in black finally relaxed, seemingly more wary of the creatures than of Xu Wang and Wu Sheng.

“Why did they attack you?” Xu Wang asked.

“This isn’t where I belong. They are loyal guardians of this place. Naturally, they would bite me upon seeing me.” The man in black chuckled with a hint of disdain.

“They… What exactly…” Xu Wang wanted to ask what exactly they were, but it was too absurd. He couldn’t bring himself to ask.

The man in black answered without hesitation. “A driver and a gardener.”

“Why is this place not where you should be?” Wu Sheng suddenly asked.

The man in black raised an eyebrow and gave them a cryptic smile. “You ask too many questions.”

Wu Sheng wiped the rain off his face and took two steps forward.

This startled the man in black, who stepped back warily. “What are you doing?”

Wu Sheng shrugged. “Helping you take off your mask.”

“No need.” The man in black refused decisively.

Xu Wang raised the steel needle, threatening to prick.

The man in black: “…I’ll do it myself.”

He gritted his teeth as he spoke, but he actually did it with no hesitation in his movements.

“Satisfied?” With his face exposed, the man in black looked up defiantly at the two men.

It was the face of a young man with healthy, wheat-colored skin, full of vitality and energy. His features weren’t as sharply handsome as Chi Zhuolin’s, but he had a certain charm. There was a hint of defiance in his brow and a determined look in his eyes. He exuded a vibrant, wild strength.

Xu Wang and Wu Sheng stared at him for several seconds, unable to match this face with anyone in their memory.

“Had enough?” The young man clearly lacked patience.

Xu Wang stepped beside Wu Sheng, negotiating calmly. “We saved you. Now it’s your turn to keep your promise.”

“You want to find Chi Yingxue, right? I’ll take you to him!” The young man obviously remembered his promise. But times had changed, and he sized up Xu Wang and Wu Sheng. “You have to tell me who you really are and why you’re so determined to find that guy.”

“We didn’t suspect you, but you’re being defensive first?” Xu Wang was speechless.

“Don’t trust anyone.” The young man laughed, his voice gentle and slow. “In this world, you can’t even trust yourself.”

Xu Wang narrowed his eyes slightly. Just now, for a moment, a familiar feeling flashed by, but it was too fleeting to grasp.

Regaining his composure, he stood his ground. “You want to know our identities, fine, but you’ll have to exchange with yours.”

He never made a losing deal. The other party wanted to probe their background, and they wanted to probe his as well.

“My identity?” The young man laughed as if he was hearing a joke. “Then you’re going to be disappointed. I have no household registration, no ID card, no temporary residence permit—I’m just an undocumented person here.”

Wu Sheng silently pursed his lips.

Xu Wang was even more confused but asked the most direct question. “Name. You must have a name.”

“Oh, that I have.” The young man grabbed his drenched black shirt, flicking it. “My name is Yan Wang.”

Xu Wang and Wu Sheng were stunned, facing the stranger’s face, they momentarily forgot to speak.

The rain eased, but the courtyard was enveloped in a misty fog, like a dream scene in a play. In the faint mist, everything seemed both real and illusory, both dream and reality.

……

Kuang Jinxin chased the child to the end of the corridor, where a wall suddenly appeared with a small door on it. The door was extremely low, reaching only up to his waist.

The wall and door seemed abruptly placed, as if someone had inserted the wall into the continuous corridor, cutting it off and blocking the path of passersby.

Kuang Jinxin smelled the scent of orange soda again.

The scent was faint, like an invisible force drawing him towards the unknown.

Holding his breath, Kuang Jinxin pushed the small door.

The door creaked open, revealing no light inside.

He bent down, turned on his phone, and shone the light inside. The light occasionally swept across some book spines, but they were too far away to see clearly.

After thinking about it, he crawled in.

The space inside was much larger than it appeared from outside. Kuang Jinxin straightened up and looked around with his phone’s flashlight. It was a study.

The room, about twenty square meters, was surrounded by bookshelves filled with thick hardcover books, their spines embossed with gold lettering.

Aside from the books and shelves, there was nothing else, not even decorations. The walls and floor were dusty.

Kuang Jinxin approached a bookshelf and randomly picked a book. As soon as he lifted it, he froze; the book was extremely light, like an empty shell.

He hastily pulled out the book, confirming it was indeed a fake, used for decoration.

Many cafes and restaurants, as well as private homes, use such fake books for decoration to spruce up the appearance. But why were these fake books placed here in this simple and secluded study not meant for entertaining guests?

If these fake books weren’t for show, what purpose did they serve?

Had they encountered anything book-related on their journey?

Kuang Jinxin racked his brains, wishing he had the mind of their advisor…

Wait a minute!

Books?

A coded message!

The original source!

Kuang Jinxin was startled by his own wild thoughts. Reason told him it couldn’t be such a coincidence, but his intuition told him, in this world, not to believe what should be believed nor doubt what should be doubted.

No longer wasting time in thought, Kuang Jinxin began pulling out the fake books from the shelves, examining each one.

After checking each book, he placed it on the ground beside him. After emptying a shelf, he thoroughly searched it.

Continuing in this manner, soon the floor was covered with fake books, leaving hardly any space to step.

The battery of his phone was also rapidly draining from the constant use of the flashlight.

Only one shelf remained. Kuang Jinxin, standing on the fake books, continued his search.

Finally, when he touched a dark red book, he paused.

The book had weight.

Kuang Jinxin eagerly pulled out the book. The cold light of the phone illuminated the words on the cover—”Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes”.

He knew it. He just knew it!

Kuang Jinxin was ecstatic, wanting to announce to the world that his deduction was correct!

But then he thought better of it. It wasn’t confirmed yet. Only if the coded message matched, would it prove he was right.

The code, the code… What were those four sets of numbers again?

Kuang Jinxin, holding the “suspected original source”, belatedly found himself lost in a desert of memory.

The coded message was with their advisor, and he had only glanced at the letter a few times.

120… 36… 8…

Kuang Jinxin racked his brain, nearly pulling his hair out, but could only remember a few vague numbers.

Even if just for a second, he wished he could borrow Sheng Ge’s memory!

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 136: The Black Shadow

“What did you say?” Chi Zhuolin stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.

Kuang Jinxin was startled and hurriedly replied honestly, “I smell the scent of oranges.”

Chi Zhuolin was stunned, then smiled. “Your nose is really sharp.”

Kuang Jinxin didn’t understand. “Huh?”

Wu Sheng and Xu Wang were also confused.

Chi Zhuolin lowered his eyes and said with affection and teasing, “My younger brother loves drinking orange soda. He doesn’t just drink it himself; he also shares it with his friends and ends up harming all his friends.”

The three companions: “……”

Didn’t he say his brother had no friends? Where did these good friends come from? And they must be quite fragile friends if they can’t even drink soda…

“It’s all the flowers and plants in this courtyard.” Chi Zhuolin turned his head, looking at the withered garden, holding back laughter. “He insisted on watering them with soda—even using his cherished soda that he was reluctant to drink—to water the garden, and you see the result now…”

The three listened, not sure whether to believe it or not.

How much soda would need to be stored to kill all the flowers in an entire courtyard?

But if this story is true, how sad must the young Chi Yingxue, who treated these plants as friends, have been?

“He’s just that kind of stubborn person, extremely obstinate, and no one can persuade him. When it’s too late to fix, he hides and cries by himself…”

Chi Zhuolin was still muttering, complaining about his younger brother, seeming quite adept at it.

But at this moment, his foolish sweetness finally included a bit of the down-to-earth nature typical of older brothers—spoiling and bullying his younger brother at the same time—that’s the main theme of brothers around the world.

Suddenly, dark clouds covered the last sliver of moonlight.

In an instant, the entire garden along with the veranda darkened, as if suddenly covered by a thick black cloth!

The three companions gasped for breath. Before they had time to prepare, they felt their bodies sway and lean to the side!

Staggering a few steps, Xu Wang bumped into the railing of the veranda. He immediately grabbed the railing tightly, only to find that the entire veranda was shaking!

The veranda beneath their feet was like a small boat in raging waves!

At this moment, a low, almost chilling voice came from somewhere—

“Chi—Zhuo—Lin—”

The voice was slow and authoritative, oppressively heavy, making it hard to breathe.

However, aside from calling out a name, no second sound was made.

As the last echo faded away, the moon reappeared slightly, and the outline of the veranda and garden slowly reemerged in the three’s view.

The veranda was tilted, as if the foundation had suddenly sunk. The originally level ground became uneven, causing their bodies to lean to one side.

But they were too preoccupied to care about this, as Chi Zhuolin looked apologetic, his eyes showing anxiety.

“Sorry, I can’t lead you anymore. My brother lives in the west wing. Go through the garden and into the inner courtyard, and you’ll see it.” He spoke very fast, as if in a hurry. “I have to go back to school now!”

Xu Wang: “Back to school?”

“I actually snuck back,” he said somewhat sheepishly, fixing his hair and putting his helmet back on. “My dad has found out, so I have to get back before he catches me, or I’ll get a beating again…”

Dad?

The three companions exchanged looks. Was the oppressive voice in the darkness just now the father of the Chi brothers?

“Oh right.” He suddenly paused, magically producing a pen and a piece of paper. “Please help me deliver this letter to my brother.”

He quickly wrote a few strokes. Before the three could see clearly, he finished the letter and handed it over.

Wu Sheng took it, and Xu Wang and Kuang Jinxin leaned over to look, finally realizing why he wrote so quickly.

There wasn’t a single word on the paper. It was just four sets of numbers—12077-34036-58009-80024

The moment Xu Wang saw the numbers, he almost reflexively grabbed Chi Zhuolin’s wrist. “Where’s the source copy?”

Chi Zhuolin, who was about to leave, was taken aback by this pull and question, looking surprised. “You know this is a code? My brother told you about this?!”

Xu Wang: “No, not all from Xiao Xue…”

Chi Yingxue did mention during the code-breaking that he and his brother used to play like this when they were kids, but the real reason for Xu Wang’s “seeing the code and immediately having to find the source copy” mental shadow…

Xu Wang narrowed his eyes at Wu Sheng.

Wu Sheng silently looked up at the moonlight—although it was barely visible.

“My brother memorized the source copy long ago. Just bring this letter to him, and he’ll understand.” After explaining quickly, Chi Zhuolin dared not delay any longer, leaped over the railing, and disappeared into the depths of the garden.

“Hey, wait a minute…”

Xu Wang wanted to chase, feeling a bit unwilling to let the clue break off like this. Although Chi Zhuolin said Chi Yingxue was in the west wing, in such a large house and long veranda, who knows where they might end up.

But before he could move, that feeling of being watched appeared again, right behind him, like a thin needle, pricking occasionally, not painful, but impossible to ignore.

He turned around again, only to find Wu Sheng also looking back.

Kuang Jinxin was clueless, also blankly turning back. Behind them, the long veranda they had just walked through was shrouded in mist, obscuring the way they came.

In this mix of night and fog, the three’s gaze slowly settled on a pillar.

The pillar was about ten meters away from them. It was bright red, and despite being shrouded in night and fog, it was intensely striking. And behind that pillar, a thin, small shadow was vaguely visible.

It seemed like a child hiding behind the pillar. Because the veranda had tilted, the faint moonlight finally outlined his slender side profile, but his whole body was still hidden by the pillar, like a ghost lurking in the shadows.

The scent of oranges came again, this time even Xu Wang and Wu Sheng smelled it.

It was cooler and sweeter than the ordinary scent of oranges.

Chi Zhuolin said that Chi Yingxue liked to drink orange soda.

If the scent they were smelling now wasn’t the remnant of the soil watered with soda but meant something else…

In an instant, the three companions’ hearts lifted, hoping the person behind the pillar was who they were looking for, yet afraid to approach recklessly and scare him away.

“Chi Yingxue?” Xu Wang called out gently, with unprecedented tenderness.

The shadow behind the pillar didn’t move.

Xu Wang tried to take a small step forward, very lightly.

The shadow suddenly shrank back.

“We won’t move anymore.” Kuang Jinxin held Xu Wang back, promising calmly and gently, coaxing, “Xiao Xue, we won’t move. We won’t hurt you…”

The shadow slightly shook, seemingly hesitant.

The veranda suddenly became very quiet. The three companions unconsciously held their breath, silently and attentively watching.

The shadow cautiously moved a small step to the side, revealing a shoulder and an arm. The light was too dim to see what clothes he was wearing, but it was clear that it was a child’s figure that looked very thin.

The three remained still, as if frozen in place.

The black shadow seemed to gain a bit of trust and tentatively moved another small step to the side, about to reveal half of his body, when suddenly, a very faint sound came from the withered bushes outside the railing, like someone lurking in the dark accidentally breaking a dry branch.

The three instinctively turned their heads, then widened their eyes.

There was another person in the bushes! Not a child, but an adult dressed in black, wearing a black mask, almost blending into the night!

This startled the shadow behind the pillar, who suddenly turned and ran away!

The person in the bushes, realizing they had been exposed, also fled into the depths of the garden!

“Split up!” Wu Sheng immediately said. Either could be a clue to the puzzle, so they couldn’t afford to miss it!

“I’ll chase the child.” Kuang Jinxin volunteered.

“Okay!” There was no time for hesitation; Wu Sheng made a quick decision.

In an instant, the three companions dispersed, with Wu Sheng and Xu Wang leaping over the railing into the garden, while Kuang Jinxin chased the shadow along the veranda!

……

In the depths of the garden.

Xu Wang and Wu Sheng were lost. They chased the black-clothed person, plunging into the garden of wild grass and dead branches, and then, they lost direction.

It was as if the moment the garden enveloped them, it started to grow wildly, boundlessly, blocking out the sun and sky.

They pushed aside one dry branch after another, passed through cluster after cluster of withered flowers, but never saw the end. The road seemed never-ending.

Snap.

Another flower stem broke under Xu Wang’s foot. He knew they were already dead, regardless of whether he stepped on them. But at the moment of the breaking sound, an incredible scene appeared before his eyes—the sea of withered yellow gained color, flowers became red, grass turned green, trees were as colorful and splendid as rainbows, like a fantasy forest from a fairy tale.

He blinked hard in disbelief.

The illusion disappeared.

The withered garden remained, with only lifeless yellow prevailing.

Snap.

The same sound of crushing plants came from the left side of Xu Wang.

But Wu Sheng was on the right.

Almost simultaneously, both turned their heads to the left, alert and swift!

There was a figure hidden behind a withered tree not far away.

They rushed over in a flash. With his [Light as a Feather] Wu Sheng reached the tree in an instant!

The person behind the tree didn’t even have a chance to move.

Without a word, Wu Sheng grabbed the person’s arm!

The expected resistance didn’t come. The person just stood there, motionless, allowing Wu Sheng to hold them.

Xu Wang, following up, first saw Wu Sheng’s astonished face, then the person he was holding…

It wasn’t the masked man in black.

Standing behind the tree… was Chi Zhuolin.

Xu Wang was so surprised that he opened his mouth wide, momentarily at a loss for words.

It was Wu Sheng who spoke first. “Are you following us?”

Chi Zhuolin didn’t respond.

There was no response, not in words, nor in gaze or expression.

Xu Wang and Wu Sheng finally sensed something was off.

Chi Zhuolin stood rigid, his gaze fixed on the void, as if under a paralysis spell.

Wu Sheng let go of his hand.

Chi Zhuolin’s arm dropped limply.

He was still wearing his equestrian clothes from before. His skin was soft, and his body was warm. Even when Xu Wang brought his hand close to Chi Zhuolin’s nose, he could feel his breath.

But he had no reaction to the outside world.

Xu Wang felt a chill seeping into every pore.

Suddenly, a cold light shone from Chi Zhuolin’s collar.

Xu Wang and Wu Sheng’s eyes had become accustomed to the dark, so when they suddenly saw light, they were very sensitive.

Wu Sheng gave Xu Wang a look that meant “adapt as needed”, and then slowly raised his hand to cautiously unbutton Chi Zhuolin’s shirt.

One button.

Two buttons.

Three buttons…

Until the top buttons of the outer garment and shirt were undone, revealing the boy’s not-so-broad chest.

Xu Wang widened his eyes and covered his mouth to stifle a scream.

On Young Chi Zhuolin’s chest, there was a cold light screen embedded in his flesh as if it were a part of his body.

And now, the screen was flashing with red warning letters—low battery.

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 135: Veranda

Qian Ai woke up to a faint smell of oranges.

As soon as he woke up, the scent disappeared, leaving only the murky night breeze tickling his nose.

He sat up and sneezed. When he managed to see his surroundings clearly, he was stunned.

He was still in the front courtyard, facing the closed, floral-pendant gate within arm’s reach. Obviously, from the time he fainted to when he woke up, nobody had moved him.

But the courtyard behind him was clean and orderly.

Lao Zhang, Lao Peng, and the mess from their fight were all gone. The entire outer courtyard looked as if nothing had ever happened. The chessboard was still placed at the entrance, but no one was playing.

He looked down at his leg. The pant leg was still rolled up to his knee, but the bizarre young frog was nowhere to be seen, and there were no signs of injury on his calf.

He couldn’t say whether the situation was good or bad, but Qian Ai felt a chill running through his heart.

His gaze returned to the floral-pendant gate. Qian Ai tried knocking on the door panel and called out the names of his teammates in a loud enough voice to be heard on the other side. “Xu Wang, Wu Sheng, Xiao Kuang…”

His voice dispersed in the night wind, and there was no response from the other side of the door.

Qian Ai’s hand, which was knocking on the door panel, slid down in defeat, and he sat there dazedly for a couple of minutes. The last firm promise he made before fainting slowly came back to him—

“Don’t worry. I’ll find a way to rejoin you.”

These words, like a transport plane, injected new strength into Qian Ai’s bewildered mind.

He rarely had such a manly moment. He didn’t remember why he was so sure at that moment, but since he had said it, he was determined to do it!

Qian Ai suddenly stood up and quickly surveyed the entire front courtyard.

The situation in the living room was the same as in the courtyard. Except for the missing fish tank in the corner and the four cups of tea still on the table, everything else was as it was. The sofa wasn’t moved, the floor wasn’t broken, and there was no water or young frogs on the ground.

He couldn’t explain the bizarre situation, but at least those who might attack him were really gone.

After confirming there was no risk of being ambushed, Qian Ai returned to the floral-pendant gate and focused on breaking through it!

He tried everything he could think of: body slamming, using stationery, climbing the wall. The door remained unmoved, and the wall was blocked by an invisible barrier that couldn’t be penetrated.

Qian Ai was sweating profusely and gasping for breath, but he never thought of giving up.

The owl said there was only one chance.

He didn’t believe in bad luck.

Even hundred-dollar bills could be thrown as hidden weapons; he was no longer the old Qian Ai!

Wait, hold on.

Taking advantage of a pause to catch his breath, Qian Ai suddenly swung his arm towards the ground nearby. “Ha!”

The [Money Dart] flew out, its sharp corner embedding itself in the crevice between the courtyard tiles, then fell limply to the ground.

Qian Ai’s face lit up, and he ran over, pulling the bill from the crevice and happily stuffing it into his pocket.

As soon as he did, the bill turned into a wisp of smoke.

Qian Ai: “……”

Well, he was just conducting an experiment. It really didn’t work.

After failing to “strike it rich overnight”, Qian Ai continued to ponder the “path to rejoining”.

Suddenly, the image of the [Money Dart] embedding into the tile crevice flashed through his mind.

If breaking through the door and climbing the wall didn’t work, meaning he couldn’t go through the ground or the air, then why not try… underground?

Yes, underground!

Qian Ai immediately set out, searching the entire courtyard and house for tools that could dig three feet into the ground. The [Money Dart] was useless as soon as it hit the ground, so he needed real, hardcore digging tools!

Surprisingly, after searching for a long time, he couldn’t find a shovel or spade in the large front courtyard—not even a frying spatula. Finally, he found a broom and a plastic dustpan.

Qian Ai looked at the dustpan, which resembled a shovel, and decided to give it a try. He shoveled at the bottom of the floral-pendant gate with the dustpan.

With one scoop, the tile didn’t budge, and the plastic dustpan almost broke.

“You embroidered pillow*!”

*(绣花枕头) Idiom referring to a person who only has the appearance but no knowledge or talent.

After scolding the innocent tool in his heart, Qian Ai stood up, bathed in the sparse light, and looked down at the dustpan, lost in thought.

Two minutes later.

The dustpan received a notification—if it could hear.

[Owl: Someone used [(Illusory) Iron Will] on you~~]

Qian Ai squatted down again, picked up the transformed dustpan, and started prying and shoveling at the tiles under the door. Crack, a tile lifted, revealing the dark black soil underneath!

Qian Ai was overjoyed and didn’t hesitate to start digging vigorously with the dustpan.

……

In the inner house, in a garden veranda filled with withered flowers, a young man appeared.

At that moment, Xu Wang, Wu Sheng, and Kuang Jinxin, leaning on the door and catching their breath, were undecided about whether to continue forward or find a way to bring Qian Ai, separated by a door, back to them. They didn’t even know if Qian Ai was still in the front courtyard.

In their confused minds, the young man appeared, walking along the veranda towards the deeper part of the house, allowing them only to catch a glimpse of his elusive back.

The three companions noticed him at the same time. As if guided by an inexplicable intuition, they all looked in that direction.

Wu Sheng was the first to stand up, followed by Xu Wang and Kuang Jinxin. They quickly pushed through the withered plants, jumped over the railing into the veranda, and chased after him.

Wu Sheng, with the fastest speed, called out first. “Please wait—”

They were prepared for the figure to run away, but to their surprise, he stopped when he heard them and turned around naturally, looking at them with curiosity.

The three companions were stunned.

He was a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old boy, tall and handsome, dressed in a dashing equestrian outfit, as if he had just returned from an exclusive riding club. His eyes still carried the spirit of horse riding. Although he wasn’t fully grown and looked slightly thin, his eyes already showed a hint of determination, leaving no doubt that he would achieve great things in the future.

“Do you need something?” The boy took off his riding helmet and stared at them with his bright eyes.

Although he looked much younger, about a decade or so, and his voice was less magnetic and clearer, his facial features were immediately recognized by his companions…

“Chi Zhuolin?” When Xu Wang called out the name, he himself felt it was absurd, but the person was right in front of them, impossible to deny. Unless Chi Zhuolin had a twin brother who was over a decade younger or had a cloned private child when he was a teenager.

The young man smiled curiously. “Do you know me?”

“We do…” Xu Wang began, then shook his head in confusion. “But not this version of you…”

The young Chi Zhuolin’s eyes were filled with confusion, clearly not understanding at all.

“We know Chi Yingxue,” Kuang Jinxin said. “We came here to find him.”

“You know my brother?” Young Chi Zhuolin first showed surprise, then genuine joy spread across his face. “My brother mentioned me to you?!”

Kuang Jinxin was startled by this reaction.

Xu Wang was also surprised. This person didn’t question their identity but was overjoyed simply because “his brother mentioned him”?

“Yeah, he did.” Kuang Jinxin had to go along with it.

Young Chi Zhuolin immediately asked, “What did he say? What exactly did he mention?”

Kuang Jinxin was at a loss for words and glanced at his captain for help.

Xu Wang quickly intervened. “He just said he has a brother named Chi Zhuolin, who is, um… very outstanding!”

Chi Zhuolin chuckled. “You don’t have to cover for him; he definitely didn’t say anything good about me.”

“……” Xu Wang felt a bit sympathetic towards this brother, realizing that even Chi Zhuolin knew his brother didn’t think highly of him.

But… Why, in Chi Yingxue’s world, is his brother only a teenager?

How old is Chi Yingxue then?

To match the current Chi Zhuolin, Chi Yingxue must be no more than ten years old, but the photo they showed Mrs. Chen was of an adult Chi Yingxue, and she didn’t express any doubts…

A flurry of question marks swirled in the companions’ heads as Chi Zhuolin spoke again. “You just said you’re here to find my brother?”

“Yes.” Xu Wang immediately nodded.

Chi Zhuolin tucked his helmet under his arm, smiling innocently and unguardedly. “I’m also going to find him. I’ll lead the way for you.”

Xu Wang, Wu Sheng, and Kuang Jinxin exchanged glances, all feeling uncertain, suspecting that things wouldn’t be so straightforward.

Moreover, the Chi Zhuolin they knew, a mature man who handled matters appropriately, had suddenly turned into a sweet, innocent boy, which was quite unsettling.

He and this wilted garden seemed to share a blurry, eerie quality.

Before the companions could respond, Chi Zhuolin had already walked ahead.

The three hesitated—to follow or not? If they didn’t, this might be their only chance to find Chi Yingxue. But Qian Ai was still outside the door!

As Chi Zhuolin moved further away, the three made a decision and followed him. Their mission was to find Chi Yingxue, not necessarily all together. As long as each team member was within the level, even if only one of them found Chi Yingxue, the whole team would succeed.

Lao Qian, hang in there!

Thinking their teammate was still fighting outside, the three mentally cheered for Classmate Qian and quickly followed Chi Zhuolin’s steps.

“No friends have ever come to look for him before. Hmph, he secretly made friends and didn’t tell me…”

It was apparent that Chi Zhuolin was in a good mood, walking ahead of the three, heading deeper into the veranda. His steps were light as he constantly talked about his brother in a tone that, despite sounding like teasing, was full of affection.

“But it’s good that he made friends.” He suddenly turned back and smiled gratefully at the three. “I usually live at school and rarely come home. When I do, I have to study this and that, attend social engagements, and participate in various activities. I hardly have any time to play with him…”

In just a few sentences, a life shaped from a young age to be a successor was outlined.

Xu Wang knew that in such families, children are often sent to private elite schools, and full boarding is common. But if the older brother was raised this way, shouldn’t the younger brother be as well? Even if not groomed as a successor, it couldn’t be that one gets an elite education while the other is left to play.

Yet, from Chi Zhuolin’s tone, “playing” seemed to be his younger brother’s main occupation…

“He’s been sickly and hasn’t gone to school. We always have tutors come home to teach him.” Chi Zhuolin looked at Xu Wang, smiling.

Xu Wang was startled. Could Chi Zhuolin hear his thoughts?

Wu Sheng and Kuang Jinxin, unaware of the context, found Chi Zhuolin’s sudden statement quite abrupt.

But if they disregarded the strange context and focused on the statement itself, Chi Yingxue was sickly and hadn’t been to school? So how old is he here…

“Ten years old,” Chi Zhuolin said naturally.

Wu Sheng: “……”

Kuang Jinxin: “……”

Now they understood the shock in Xu Wang’s eyes just now—Chi Zhuolin could hear their thoughts.

And just then, Chi Zhuolin revealed a second piece of information—Chi Yingxue was only ten years old.

How messy.

If Chi Zhuolin could indeed hear their thoughts, he should know that they were on a mission, so why was there no reaction? And if Chi Yingxue was really just ten years old, then how could Mrs. Chen recognize him from the photo…

Wu Sheng rubbed his temples, exhaling deeply with difficulty.

This world was without order. Any attempt to make sense of it was shattered in the next moment without warning.

The veranda seemed endlessly long, as if one could never reach its end. At some point, fog appeared, making the already dim manor even more blurred.

Walking along, Xu Wang suddenly turned back, startling Kuang Jinxin behind him. “What’s wrong?”

“Oh, nothing,” Xu Wang said, looking around and shaking his head before turning back.

He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt like someone was watching them from some unseen place behind them.

A gust of cool air passed through the veranda, and Kuang Jinxin suddenly smelled a faint sweet scent, murmuring subconsciously, “Oranges?”

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 134: The Floral-Pendant Gate

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became tense. Seeing the situation, Mrs. Chen, almost in tears, hurriedly stepped in front of the four companions and spoke softly to the gardener. “Master Peng, they are all young master’s friends. Let’s talk this out…”

The gardener’s temper flared, and he swept his pruning shears towards Mrs. Chen’s shoulder. Although he didn’t really “cut”, the force was enough to push Mrs. Chen aside.

Mrs. Chen staggered a few steps, nearly falling over.

The companions tensed up, and Xu Wang immediately said, “What skill is there in bullying Mrs. Chen? Come at us!”

Mrs. Chen saw that the situation was escalating instead of calming down. Just as she was about to speak again, a heavy hand pressed down on her shoulder.

It was Driver Zhang.

He didn’t make any excessive gestures; he just patted her shoulder, silently exerting an invisible pressure. “Mrs. Chen, don’t forget, you are paid by Mr. Chi.”

His voice was deep, even emitting a hint of coldness—a stark contrast to the warm and hospitable Driver Zhang from before.

Mrs. Chen’s lips trembled slightly, but she couldn’t utter another word.

Eventually, she left silently. The look she gave as she left contained apologies and a sense of helplessness.

Driver Zhang watched Mrs. Chen leave, then turned around, leaning against the door frame, quietly watching the room, as if certain that the gardener alone could handle the four of them.

“The nagging one is finally gone.” Gardener Peng comfortably sighed, digging his ear with his free hand.

Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin, hidden behind the sofa, secretly readied their stationeries—[(Offense) Money Dart] and [(Offense) Dangerous Slingshot]!

Xu Wang and Wu Sheng were still observing. They were ready for battle, but how to fight this battle depended on the other party making the first move.

Suddenly, Driver Zhang stepped back from leaning against the door frame to standing outside the door. The next second, the pruning shears Gardener Peng was carrying on his shoulder began to grow.

The shears, already much larger than ordinary ones, swelled to the size of a person, standing as tall as Gardener Peng himself!

Gardener Peng shifted from carrying them with one hand to holding them with both, swiftly opening the blades and viciously cutting towards the four companions!

The enormous pruning shears didn’t need Gardener Peng to move forward; their length was enough to cut all four of them in one go!

The four companions split up, two to the left and two to the right, all diving to the ground as the blade swept over their heads, cutting the air with a “snap”!

Qian Ai was the first to get up, throwing his arm with flair like a master of hidden weapons from a martial arts novel!

In an instant, he threw a brand new hundred-yuan note from his palm. The thin, nearly sharp bill charged towards Gardener Peng’s face with murderous intent!

Gardener Peng was momentarily stunned but quickly raised the pruning shears to block!

Qian Ai was bewildered from the moment he threw the [Money Dart]. He thought it would be the conventional kind made from coins, not actual hundred-yuan notes! Throwing these bills was like attacking the enemy while stabbing his own heart!

The bill collided with the pruning shears, producing a crisp metallic “clang”!

The obstructed [Money Dart] gracefully landed on the ground, still looking like a thin paper note in mid-air.

After defending, Gardener Peng immediately went on the offensive, targeting Qian Ai with his gigantic shears!

Qian Ai, repeating his earlier move, dove to the ground and rolled towards the corner where the fish tank was!

Gardener Peng tried to follow but suddenly couldn’t move. Looking down, he found his shoe stuck in a puddle of glue, so strong that it couldn’t be pulled free no matter how hard he tried!

[Owl: Someone used [(Defense) Immovable*] on you~~]

*(寸步难行) Idiom referring to being unable to move even a single step. Metaphorically, it could refer to a difficult situation.

Qian Ai caught his breath and gratefully glanced at his tactician, who had come to his aid.

At the same time, Kuang Jinxin, who had been aiming with his [Dangerous Slingshot] for a while, took advantage of Gardener Peng’s distraction to let loose the stretched slingshot!

A sharp pebble whizzed through the air but missed by an inch, grazing Gardener Peng’s leg and hitting the door frame.

Kuang Jinxin was deeply annoyed. If Chi Yingxue had used this weapon, he would have hit the target every time!

“It seems I underestimated you.” Driver Zhang, who had been watching from outside, took off his coat to reveal his muscular physique. He slowly entered the room, approaching the single sofa, bent down, and lifted it with both hands. Without hesitation, he hurled it towards Wu Sheng and Xu Wang!

The two instinctively ran to the side!

The sofa crashed down heavily, breaking many floorboards!

At the same time, Gardener Peng opened the pruning shears, placed them at the sticky spot where his shoe and the glue were stuck, and forcefully cut through the glue, freeing himself!

His first move was to lunge at Qian Ai, aiming for his neck with the shears!

Qian Ai dodged quickly, and the blade instead hit the fish tank behind him, shattering it with a loud “bang”!

Broken glass, murky water, along with the tadpoles and the frog in the tank, all spilled onto the floor, creating a scene of tadpoles struggling on their hind legs around Qian Ai’s feet!

Qian Ai felt nauseous.

In the next moment, those tadpoles began to grow forelimbs! Right on the wet floor, they developed front legs, their tails shrank, and they turned into small frogs! Several of them hopped directly onto Qian Ai’s foot!

Seeing this, the other three companions fighting with the driver also felt a chill.

Qian Ai felt like he was going crazy. He shook his legs, trying to fling them off!

Wu Sheng, who had just dodged a punch from the driver, flashed the thought of using [(Offense) Bolt from the Blue] from his [Stationary Box] but decided against it.

This weapon, unlike the dart or slingshot, was difficult to control in terms of its lethality and range.

If everything happening now had some “feeling resonance” with Chi Yingxue in the darkroom, what if the weapon’s effects were too broad and the lethality went out of control, causing actual harm to Chi Yingxue?

Even with only a one in ten thousand chance, he couldn’t risk it on his own team members.

“Squeak—”

In the midst of the chaos, the sound of the door opening was still distinctly heard by everyone.

The sound came from the courtyard outside the door, which only had one entrance, the floral-pendant gate* leading to the inner house.

*It’s a type of door inside the courtyard of ancient Chinese buildings where the eaves column doesn’t touch the ground and hangs under the eaves. It’s usually painted in the form of petals, so it’s called the “hanging flower gate”.

The four companions were startled, unsure what this new development meant.

Then, they heard that mocking voice again, excited for the drama—

[Owl: The person is in the inner house. You only have one chance. The gate will close in fifteen seconds. Don’t miss it~~]

The four exchanged looks and, without words, saw the same decision in each other’s eyes—go!

They had to enter the inner house; Chi Yingxue was there, and the “east wing room” indicated by the badge manual was there too!

Wu Sheng, avoiding the incoming pruning shears, decisively activated [(Defense) Light as a Feather*]!

*Flying over grass (草上飞) It’s a phrase originally refers to skill in running where one moves so fast that it looks as if they’re flying over the grass. Later, it was exaggerated and misunderstood, and it became something like “feet not touching the ground”.

As the prompt sounded, he felt lighter, as if he was on a magnetic levitation!

But soon he frowned—this defense stationery could only be used by him alone!

With no time to waste, he quickly grabbed Xu Wang, the closest to him, and carried him on his shoulder, speeding out of the house towards the floral-pendant gate, so fast that the driver and the gardener couldn’t react!

Xu Wang felt dizzy, thinking he was being pulled back to reality, but realizing he was being carried by Wu Sheng, the next second he landed on the ground. Wu Sheng pushed him into the open gate. “Hold the door. I’ll get the others!”

Twelve seconds left.

The open floral-pendant gate was slowly closing.

Xu Wang immediately braced it with both hands, trying to resist the gate’s closing force, but it was futile. He used all his strength, yet the door kept closing at its own pace.

Wu Sheng turned back to get the others, only to see Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin already rushing out!

He quickly picked up Kuang Jinxin and returned!

Eight seconds left.

After delivering Kuang Jinxin inside, he turned to get Qian Ai but collided with Driver Zhang!

Driver Zhang threw a punch with force!

Wu Sheng leaned back, dodging the attack!

He hadn’t noticed when the driver got behind him!

Qian Ai had already been pinned down by the gardener, who was straddling him and trying to stab downward with pruning shears. Qian Ai, however, was firmly grasping the gardener’s wrist, preventing him from succeeding!

Qian Ai’s face turned bright red from exerting all his strength, knowing well that time was running out. Yet, when he glanced out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Wu Sheng was still outside the door.

“Don’t worry about me. Get inside quickly—” Qian Ai shouted this with the last bit of his energy.

As he shouted, he lost some of his strength, and the tip of the pruning shears got even closer to his eyeball.

Five seconds left.

Wu Sheng gathered his energy, pushed off the ground like a bullet, and knocked the gardener off Qian Ai, grabbing… Well, he grabbed his teammate and ran towards the floral-pendant gate!

Qian Ai couldn’t keep up with his speed, almost losing his shoes!

Three seconds left.

Only enough space for one person to squeeze through remained in the gate!

Driver Zhang suddenly blocked the entrance!

Wu Sheng cursed inwardly. Inside, Kuang Jinxin and Xu Wang spontaneously kicked the driver’s backside!

Driver Zhang stumbled forward, and in a split second, Wu Sheng maneuvered around him with Qian Ai!

Finally, they reached the gate.

Wu Sheng entered, trying to pull Qian Ai in, but couldn’t.

Turning back, he saw only a narrow gap in the door, outside which Qian Ai was held back by Driver Zhang.

“Don’t worry. I’ll find a way to rejoin you.”

Through the gap, Qian Ai assured his teammates with determination.

In the last moment, he forcefully grabbed Wu Sheng’s hand on him, pushing it inside!

Time’s up.

The floral-pendant gate closed tightly; not even a sliver of wind passed through.

A punch flew at him from behind.

Qian Ai, without looking, threw a heavy punch back at his attacker!

Driver Zhang stumbled backward, sitting on the ground. Qian Ai was about to pounce when he felt an itch on his leg.

Looking down, he rolled up his trouser leg to find a young frog clinging to his calf, which croaked softly upon being discovered.

Qian Ai felt dizzy, then everything went black as he lost consciousness.

……

Inside the floral-pendant gate, the three companions tried everything to break it open—brute force, stationery, all to no avail. They couldn’t climb the wall to look back, as there seemed to be an invisible ceiling blocking them, just like the Moonlight Maze in 4/23.

Exhausted, they leaned against the door.

Before them lay the inner house’s garden, with flowers, grass, and trees—all lifeless.

The grass had yellowed, the flowers wilted, and the trees had dried up.

But everything remained in that moment of withering: the yellow grass lay flat, colorless flowers drooped, and dry leaves hung densely on the branches, obscuring the gloomy sky.

Xu Wang looked at everything before him with an indescribable feeling.

No household’s yard would be like this.

Just as no household would have no lights, keep tadpoles in a fish tank, or have a gardener whose pruning shears could enlarge.

This wasn’t a recreation of memories.

Like Kuang Jinxin’s dream in the dark room, this place was Chi Yingxue’s imagination, or rather, his consciousness world, blending reality with fantasy.

The hell of the mind.

They were in Chi Yingxue’s mind.

They were facing the hell constructed for them by Chi Yingxue’s memories and pain.

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Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 133: Waiting

Chi Yingxue’s deepest nightmare lies in his home.

The four companions suddenly hesitated.

Here lay Xiao Xue’s greatest fear, perhaps also the secret he least wanted others to touch.

The man holding the car keys recovered first from his daze and asked further, “You’re here to see the young master?”

His prolonged tone of doubt brought Xu Wang’s attention back. He quickly conjured up a harmless smile. “We’re his friends, here to… hang out with him.”

Giving a vague answer, almost perfunctory, the man, now overly enthusiastic and happy, invited them into the house behind the chessboard table. “No friends of the young master have ever come over to play. Please come in and sit…”

“Hey.” The man with the pruning shears objected, his thin face drooping even longer. “We haven’t finished this game yet.”

Wu Sheng glanced at the chessboard and understood why the other was unhappy; the game was already one-sided, with the pruning shears brother sure to win.

“You, what’s more important, the game or the young master’s friends? Can’t you see what matters?” The driver scolded him, then turned back to the four, overflowing with enthusiasm. “I am Mr. Chi’s driver, surname Zhang. That’s Lao Peng, who messes with the plants*.”

*Double entendre. He’s using the idiom literally meaning to lust after flowers and grasses (拈花惹草) referring to chasing after women (a womanizer), but also referring to his occupation as a landscaper/gardener.

“Gardener,” the thin-faced man corrected, gritting his teeth.

The companions weren’t interested in their occupations; they were more concerned about the ‘Mr. Chi’ the driver mentioned.

Was it Chi Zhuolin or… Chi Yingxue’s father?

They had no way of determining this, as Chi Yingxue never mentioned his family. Their understanding of his social relations only included Chi Zhuolin. As for the family structure and the situation of his parents, they were completely clueless.

Driver Zhang didn’t listen to the gardener’s protest and directly opened the door, inviting the four inside.

Though it was a north-facing servant room, the inside was very tidy and spacious, furnished with a comfortable-looking sofa set and fresh fruits on the coffee table.

This was a guest room, which should look quite bright and spacious during the day.

But now, the lighting was as dark as outside—no, even darker. The faint moonlight seeping through the window reduced the brightness even further, forcing one to strain their eyes to see the floor and furniture without stumbling.

“Uh, Zhang Ge.” Qian Ai smiled politely at him, not sure if he could see clearly. “Can we turn on the lights in this room?”

“Oh.” Zhang Ge also smiled back apologetically. “I’m afraid not. There are no lights here.”

Qian Ai was stunned, doubting his ears. “No lights?”

Zhang Ge nodded, looking very natural as if it wasn’t an issue. “Yes, no lights.”

Xu Wang and Wu Sheng, who had just sat down on the sofa, exchanged glances, then Xu Wang leaned forward and asked politely, “Zhang Ge, is it just this room that has no lights, or is it everywhere…”

“The entire house has no lights.” Gardener Peng entered, sounding impatient, as if annoyed by the question.

The driver glared at him. “What’s wrong with you? When will you change your unpleasant temperament?”

Gardener Peng, instantly rebuffed upon opening his mouth, gave up on entering and turned back to the chess table outside, playing against himself!

The driver, having dealt with the gardener, sat down on the sofa opposite the four companions, putting on a hospitable smile. “Our house doesn’t have lights. At night, it should be dark.”

Xu Wang stared at him but couldn’t spot any flaws.

It wasn’t about being quirky or scaring people; he genuinely seemed to believe it, smiling like a friendly neighbor, every crow’s foot around his eyes radiating kindness.

But the more he acted like this, the chillier it felt.

In this world, which household doesn’t have lights? Even if there were such households, facing guests, one would know it’s not in line with social norms. It was unnatural to say it so casually, as if it was as ordinary as eating and drinking.

“A guest?” A woman’s voice came from the doorway.

The four companions looked up to see a middle-aged auntie who was dressed simply. She was slightly plump but appeared more approachable.

“Mrs. Chen, you’re just in time.” The driver immediately stood up, saying, “They are the young master’s friends. Please take care of them. I’ll go inform the young master.”

“Alright, you go ahead,” Mrs. Chen replied warmly, looking honest and sounding comforting.

As the driver left, Mrs. Chen got busy. “Please wait. I’ll go make some tea.”

Xu Wang wanted to say it wasn’t necessary, but before he could speak, Mrs. Chen had already disappeared.

In the large, pitch-dark room, only the four of them remained, along with Gardener Peng outside, playing chess alone.

“Captain, can he really bring Chi Yingxue here?” Kuang Jinxin asked worriedly, keeping his voice very low to avoid alarming those outside.

Xu Wang shook his head. The answer was almost predictable. “Impossible. Have you ever seen a level where you just sit, eat some fruit, and finish the task?”

Wu Sheng had already stood up and started “exploring” the room, examining everything from the furniture to the decorations, not missing any corner.

Qian Ai, more carefree, reached for some fruit from the platter. He wasn’t really daring enough to eat it. He just thought to smell it to wake up his mind. Surely it couldn’t be a trap.

But as he squeezed, the fruit deformed, leaving his hand sticky.

“Fuck!” Qian Ai exclaimed softly. “What the hell is this?”

Xu Wang and Kuang Jinxin leaned over, the latter touching some of the “fruit remnants” on his hand and smelling it. “Seems like… cake.”

“Lao Qian.” Xu Wang looked at the fruit plate. “Squeeze another one.”

Lao Qian froze. “Why?”

Xu Wang replied, “To verify if it’s a coincidence or the whole lot.”

Lao Qian: “Why me?”

Xu Wang: “The first to initiate bears all responsibility.”

Qian Ai: “……”

Resigned, Classmate Qian squeezed all the fruits on the plate. Without exception, all turned out to be cream cakes, made very realistically. If not squeezed, they looked and smelled just like real fruits.

Fortunately, there were napkins nearby. Qian Ai pulled out several, wiping his hands while muttering in confusion, “These rich people, even their food is so bizarre…”

“Come here.” Suddenly, Wu Sheng’s low voice called from a corner of the room.

The three hurried over.

Wu Sheng stood in front of an automatic fish tank, gazing intently at the murky water and the dark shadows swimming within.

“Aren’t those just a few little fish?” Qian Ai didn’t understand.

A bright light shone on the glass of the fish tank—Wu Sheng had turned on his phone’s flashlight.

“Damn…” Qian Ai let out an indescribable exclamation.

The murky water wasn’t swarming with fish, but with many tadpoles that had just grown hind legs, thrashing about in the muddy water, like headless flies.

Suddenly, something pressed against the glass of the fish tank where the bright light was shining.

The four companions jumped. Even Wu Sheng’s hand shook for a moment until the light stabilized, and they saw it was a frog.

Before they could recover from the bizarre sight of “a fish tank with frogs,” the frog suddenly opened its mouth wide, swallowing a string of tadpoles swimming by!

“What are you doing—” Apparently noticing the light from the phone, Gardener Peng, sitting at the door, called out rudely.

Wu Sheng hurriedly turned off the phone.

Xu Wang cooperated, responding, “Nothing. We just dropped something on the floor, but we found it.”

The four companions tiptoed back to the sofa, looking at each other, speechless, for a long time.

Strange.

There didn’t seem to be any major problems here, but it was just weird. At first glance, everything seemed normal, but on closer inspection, everything was peculiar.

“Captain,” Kuang Jinxin glanced at the fruit plate with the squashed “fruits” and hesitated before speaking. “Xiao Xue likes to eat cake.”

“Yeah.” Xu Wang patted his head, both to comfort his teammate and to calm himself. “I know.”

The cakes on the fruit plate confirmed at least one thing: this place was indeed related to Chi Yingxue’s world.

But why were they disguised as fruits…

“Sorry to keep you waiting.” Mrs. Chen came in with tea, politely placing a cup in front of each person. Her movements were gentle, like her whole demeanor, making people relax just by looking at her.

After serving the tea, she stood by the sofa, her posture proper, ready to attend to any requests.

Xu Wang quickly said, “Please, have a seat.”

Mrs. Chen waved her hand, smiling. “No need. I’m fine standing.”

Xu Wang, half-jokingly, half-coaxingly said, “If you stand, how can we drink in peace?”

After some persuasion, Mrs. Chen finally sat down. Like the driver, her demeanor and attitude were simple and hospitable. However, when looking at them, her eyes showed more uncertainty than the driver’s—not malicious, just… unsettled.

Xu Wang, sensitive to people’s emotions, quickly caught this and was wondering why, when Mrs. Chen spoke first. “Are you really the young master’s friends?”

“Of course.” Xu Wang smiled, trying to appear honest and harmless.

Mrs. Chen hesitated. “I probably shouldn’t say this, but the young master never had friends…” She looked at the four, her voice getting lighter, seemingly realizing her next request was a bit much. “You say you’re the young master’s friends. Do you have any proof?”

Xu Wang was stumped by her question.

How do you prove friendship? They couldn’t just drag Chi Yingxue out of the darkroom and tell this auntie to confirm their friendship.

“We have proof,” Kuang Jinxin suddenly said.

Xu Wang, Wu Sheng, and Qian Ai, all surprised, turned to him simultaneously.

Kuang Jinxin quickly took out his phone, opened a photo, and handed it to Mrs. Chen.

Phones couldn’t be used in the Owl, but viewing the photo gallery wasn’t a problem.

It was a photo that Xu Wang, Wu Sheng, and Qian Ai had never seen before. It was a selfie of Classmate Kuang at a restaurant in Jiangsu. Half of the photo was his face, and behind him, the four companions shared the remaining 50%.

At that moment, the companions were unaware they had become the background of someone else’s selfie. Wu Sheng was engrossed in solving a “survival formula”, Xu Wang was holding several pages of a “death formula” with a worried face, Qian Ai was arranging the tableware for a better live broadcast view, and Chi Yingxue, while he wasn’t looking, stole a Suzhou-style pastry, ruining the nicely arranged pastry tower by taking off its top, smugly putting it in his mouth.

At that time, they hadn’t really started level eight yet. Although aware of the dangers ahead, they still stole a moment of leisure.

In the photo, Kuang Jinxin was smiling brightly, just like the weather outside the window that day.

The middle-aged woman stared at the photo for a long time, then suddenly sobbed. She quickly wiped her eyes; her voice was filled with relief and joy. “It’s good to have friends. It’s good to have friends…”

These words, heard by the companions, somehow made their hearts sour.

Driver Zhang returned.

Mrs. Chen immediately stood up to meet him, and Kuang Jinxin quickly pocketed his phone.

As the driver entered, the four companions tensed up.

The driver’s demeanor had changed from warmth to severity. “The young master is sick and cannot receive guests. You should leave.”

Before Xu Wang and the others could respond, Mrs. Chen panicked, “Sick? How is he sick? I’ll go check on him—”

As she spoke and started to leave, the driver grabbed her arm. “What’s there to see? You’ll just cause more trouble.”

The four companions were taken aback; they had anticipated it wouldn’t be easy, but the driver’s sudden change was unsettling.

The gardener, who had been playing chess with himself at the door, stood up, ignoring the struggling driver and Mrs. Chen. He entered and gestured for them to leave. “Take care. There’s no need to see you out.”

Xu Wang narrowed his eyes, and in the corner of his eye, he saw his three companions discreetly reaching for their [Stationery Box]. He calmed down and asked the gardener in a slightly raised voice. “What if we don’t leave?”

The gardener clenched the pruning shears in his hand, snapping them twice, the blades cutting through the air sharply.

“Then don’t blame me for being impolite.”

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