August 29, 2023 by Wyrd
Once Ruan Qing recognized who it was, his expression turned cold, and without hesitation, he tried to close the door.
However, the door was blocked by Teacher Xia, who forcefully pushed it open and entered the room.
Ruan Qing wasn’t as strong as Teacher Xia, so when the door was pushed open, he quickly stepped back several paces, looking defensively towards the doorway. His tone was icy. “Teacher Xia, you’re not welcome at my home.”
“Please leave!”
Teacher Xia casually glanced at the cozy daily furnishings in the room, his expression darkening. Then he turned his gaze to Ruan Qing, letting out a light chuckle before speaking, “Mr. Zhou, don’t be nervous. I’m here to apologize for my unreasonable behavior today.”
“I’m truly sorry. I was wrong during the day with my abrupt approach to you. It was indeed too much to force you to be with me, even when you have a husband.”
Teacher Xia’s words sounded sincere and full of regret.
“After you left, I deeply reflected on myself. Even if it’s for the irresistible attraction I have for you, I should have waited until you were single again.”
So today, he’s here to ‘help’ Mr. Zhou return to being single.
After all, as the chosen sacrifice, one would die sooner or later, right? Dying a bit earlier might lead to reincarnation a bit sooner.
Unlike the apologetic tone of Teacher Xia’s voice, his smile looked genuinely pleased.
Unfortunately, the person in front of him couldn’t see that smile.
Teacher Xia looked around, seemingly not finding the person he wanted to see. He raised an eyebrow and looked at Ruan Qing, “You’re home alone? Has Mr. Yang not come back to accompany you?”
Probably because Ruan Qing’s experience with him during the day was extremely unpleasant, he didn’t answer Teacher Xia’s question. Instead, he forced himself to sound composed. “Please leave immediately, or I’ll call the police.”
Although Ruan Qing’s words carried a threat, his voice trembled slightly due to nervousness and fear, giving off a sense of being tough on the surface but weak inside.
There was no threat whatsoever, and it couldn’t inspire any fear.
At least, it didn’t scare Teacher Xia in the slightest. He took steps closer to Ruan Qing, and he nervously retreated two steps.
Yang Tianhao couldn’t bear it any longer. He hadn’t confronted Teacher Xia yet, and he dared to show up at their door?
Yang Tianhao walked out directly from the kitchen, his expression icy as he headed straight for Teacher Xia and threw a punch.
Teacher Xia naturally saw Yang Tianhao and swiftly dodged, leading to the two of them immediately engaging in a fight.
The intensity was completely different from during the day. During the day, it was in public, but now there’s only Ruan Qing, who couldn’t see. The two of them fought without any restraint. Almost every move was a deadly attack.
However, even so, neither of them could kill the other.
Ruan Qing was blind, but he’s not deaf. He naturally heard the sound of their fight.
Anxiously, he looked in the direction of the sound, his delicate face showing worry and concern, tears filling his eyes. “Husband, please stop fighting, both of you, stop.”
Teacher Xia’s movement halted. He balanced Yang Tianhao’s force to step back, creating distance.
He looked at the man who previously claimed to be “Yang Tianhao’s colleague” with a touch of amusement. “Husband?”
Teacher Xia certainly knew Yang Tianhao, but evidently, this unfamiliar man before him was not him.
Yet, Mr. Zhou’s shout was undoubtedly “husband.”
Teacher Xia glanced at Ruan Qing’s vacant and lifeless beautiful eyes, then at the somewhat nervous and stiff stranger, immediately understanding why.
What a clever way. Why didn’t he think of it before?
Yang Tianhao gazed at the man with a familiar expression filled with hatred, nearly grinding his teeth to bits. He had just dealt with a thief and now, here came a robber.
But even if he saw the man’s intentions, he couldn’t do anything about it.
Because if this shameless man exposed him, everything would be over.
Teacher Xia looked at Yang Tianhao with a mysterious smile. “Mr. Yang, were you cooking just now? Don’t you want to check?”
“It seems... there’s a burnt smell, right?”
Yang Tianhao’s entire body oozed gloom as he looked at the man in front of him. He turned and walked into the kitchen.
Teacher Xia, with a light and brisk pace, walked to the dining table. The two of them seemed to have instantly reconciled, showing no sign of the life-and-death struggle from a minute ago.
Leaving only Ruan Qing standing there somewhat bewildered, as if he didn’t know what happened at all.
In reality, Ruan Qing could guess, probably another ‘Yang Tianhao’ would be added.
From two to one in less than an hour, now it might become two again.
Naturally, Yang Tianhao was not at ease leaving his wife alone with the robber. Swiftly, he brought out the dishes.
The three of them sat strangely at the same table.
Ruan Qing seemed to dislike Teacher Xia immensely. Approaching Yang Tianhao with some fear, he spoke softly, “Husband, why did you invite him to eat? I don’t like him. Can you ask him to leave?”
Ruan Qing’s voice wasn’t particularly loud; an average person sitting across the dining table probably wouldn’t be able to hear it. However, Teacher Xia heard it. He looked at Ruan Qing and spoke with a gentle smile, “Don’t be nervous. Your husband woke me up, and I’ve realized how serious my mistakes are. Just saying sorry to you clearly isn’t enough.”
“Your husband is quite exceptional. I should learn from him, so I’m planning to turn myself in to the police after finishing this meal.”
As Teacher Xia was speaking, he paused for a moment. “You’re not going to deny me my last meal outside, are you?”
Ruan Qing opened his mouth, seeming like he wanted to say something, but his hesitant gaze was clouded.
In the end, he didn’t say anything, and he lowered his head to eat his own meal.
Just as Teacher Xia was about to continue speaking, he suddenly noticed Yang Muqing on the sofa. He looked at Yang Tianhao and calmly asked, “Do you often knock him out like this?”
Before Yang Tianhao could respond, Teacher Xia continued, “It’s quite dangerous, you know.”
Teacher Xia glanced at Ruan Qing, saying, “You might not care, but be careful not to harm Mr. Zhou.”
Yang Tianhao paused upon hearing this, and after considering a possibility, he looked up at Teacher Xia and tentatively said, “Boss... Xia?”
Teacher Xia’s face also showed a hint of surprise upon hearing this, and he looked at Yang Tianhao with astonishment. “Yu...?”
Clearly, it was just as they had thought. The two of them exchanged a glance and ultimately lowered their gazes, concealing their emotions. They didn’t say anything further.
Upon hearing these words, a puzzled expression appeared on Ruan Qing’s delicate face. It seemed he didn’t understand the meaning behind the conversation between the two.
However, regardless of whether it was Yang Tianhao or Teacher Xia, neither of them spoke again, and Ruan Qing refrained from asking further. The living room was filled with the quiet sounds of eating.
Although the two of them had only exchanged a few short sentences, the amount of information conveyed was immense, causing Ruan Qing to connect the dots and piece together the puzzle.
The phrase “knock him out” and “dangerous” most likely referred to Yang Muqing. Because it was only Yang Muqing who was repeatedly knocked unconscious by the murderer and the male neighbor.
Since the two men returned with the identity of “Yang Tianhao,” Yang Muqing had fallen silent. Most likely, he had been knocked out once again.
So, apart from Yang Muqing, there was no second possibility.
There seemed to be some connection between Teacher Xia and Yang Muqing. Teacher Xia was well aware of Yang Muqing’s identity and understood how dangerous he could become if he lost consciousness.
The murderer seemed to be familiar with Teacher Xia, but they probably didn’t know each other’s appearances and real identities. They only had some sort of connection.
Ruan Qing tended to believe that the two have been communicating online, which was why they didn’t recognize each other when they met in person. However, both of them were clearly aware of Yang Muqing’s issue.
Based on the phrase “Boss Xia” used by the murderer, it’s highly likely that he was hired by Teacher Xia.
Regarding the nature of his employment, it’s very likely related to murder.
But who was the target of the murder?
Random killings? Or was there some sort of pattern?
This was a game instance, and there must be some pattern to it; otherwise, players wouldn’t be able to discern any rules or clues.
It’s hard for Ruan Qing to determine how other targets were chosen, but it’s highly likely that Yang Tianhao and Zhou Qing were chosen because of Yang Muqing.
Ruan Qing tightened his grip on the chopsticks. Was it... families of children from Xishan Kindergarten that played the role of “Xiao Xi”?
This wasn’t hard to prove. It’s known that two families had played “Xiao Xi”: Zhou Qing and Yang Tianhao’s family, and the other was Mrs. Ning’s family downstairs.
Ruan Qing remembered that Mrs. Ning mentioned her child playing “Xiao Xi” when she accompanied him to pick up the kids from kindergarten.
He just needed to check if anything happened to Mrs. Ning’s family to confirm his speculation.
However, the two behind-the-scenes bosses, akin to instance bosses, were right in front of him. Ruan Qing had no chance to go to the third floor to investigate.
Nevertheless, he didn’t necessarily have to go to the third floor to confirm. If something did happen to Mrs. Ning’s family, the possibility of them allowing him to go find her was almost zero.
Ruan Qing finished his lunch calmly. After wiping his mouth with a tissue, he looked up at Yang Tianhao and said, “Husband, I’m fine now. You don’t need to stay with me. Go back to work in the afternoon. Taking too much leave isn’t good.”
Before Yang Tianhao could respond, Ruan Qing continued, “You don’t have to worry about me either. I had already made plans to visit Mrs. Ning at her place. She’s a really nice person.”
Yang Tianhao hesitated briefly, then looked at Teacher Xia, who subtly shook his head.
After seeing Teacher Xia’s gesture, Yang Tianhao turned to Ruan Qing and spoke in a warm tone, devoid of any unusualness, as if he was having a casual conversation, “Well, it looks like you might not be able to go.”
Ruan Qing’s expression grew slightly somber, though his face still held confusion and disbelief. “Why?”
“Just now when I got back, I saw Mrs. Ning and her family heading out for a trip,” Yang Tianhao’s tone carried a touch of uncertainty. “It seems her husband won some sort of prize at the company.”
“Ah, I see. Mrs. Ning is quite something, not even telling me.” Ruan Qing’s face carried a hint of regret, but he wasn’t unhappy. It seemed like he was merely regretful that he couldn’t visit Mrs. Ning’s place.
Although what Yang Tianhao said seemed to be true, Ruan Qing knew he was definitely lying.
He couldn’t possibly have encountered Mrs. Ning at this time; Mrs. Ning wasn’t home at this hour to begin with.
The company where Mr. Ning worked wasn’t close to the Xishan Residential Area, and he never came home for lunch. Their two children also had lunch at school, leaving only Mrs. Ning at home.
So generally, at this time, she would be playing mahjong outside with others. She might only be available when dropping off or picking up her children in the morning and afternoon.
Even if Mrs. Ning had returned to pack for a trip due to winning a prize, how could the murderer possibly have a conversation with her?
Clearly, the murderer had merely made up an excuse to tell him that he wouldn’t be able to see the Ning family.
Something happened to Mrs. Ning’s family.
So, as Ruan Qing suspected, the family of the children playing ‘Xiao Xi’ was likely the chosen target.
And Teacher Xia was a teacher at Xishan Kindergarten. This meant he was most likely the main boss of this instance.
Ruan Qing felt a bit of a headache. He was now noticed by this big boss, and the boss wouldn’t easily give up.
He just hoped that the murderer wouldn’t yield to Teacher Xia just because he was his employer, directly handing over Yang Tianhao’s identity.
Otherwise, it would be hard to keep Teacher Xia in check later on.
If he had known the situation would come to this, he should’ve stopped the fight between the murderer and the neighbor.
But now the neighbor’s body had likely gone cold; it was too late for anything.
“Ding-dong! Ding-dong! Ding-dong!” The doorbell rang once again.
The three at the dining table turned their attention to the door simultaneously.
August 29, 2023 by Wyrd
Once Ruan Qing recognized who it was, his expression turned cold, and without hesitation, he tried to close the door.
However, the door was blocked by Teacher Xia, who forcefully pushed it open and entered the room.
Ruan Qing wasn’t as strong as Teacher Xia, so when the door was pushed open, he quickly stepped back several paces, looking defensively towards the doorway. His tone was icy. “Teacher Xia, you’re not welcome at my home.”
“Please leave!”
Teacher Xia casually glanced at the cozy daily furnishings in the room, his expression darkening. Then he turned his gaze to Ruan Qing, letting out a light chuckle before speaking, “Mr. Zhou, don’t be nervous. I’m here to apologize for my unreasonable behavior today.”
“I’m truly sorry. I was wrong during the day with my abrupt approach to you. It was indeed too much to force you to be with me, even when you have a husband.”
Teacher Xia’s words sounded sincere and full of regret.
“After you left, I deeply reflected on myself. Even if it’s for the irresistible attraction I have for you, I should have waited until you were single again.”
So today, he’s here to ‘help’ Mr. Zhou return to being single.
After all, as the chosen sacrifice, one would die sooner or later, right? Dying a bit earlier might lead to reincarnation a bit sooner.
Unlike the apologetic tone of Teacher Xia’s voice, his smile looked genuinely pleased.
Unfortunately, the person in front of him couldn’t see that smile.
Teacher Xia looked around, seemingly not finding the person he wanted to see. He raised an eyebrow and looked at Ruan Qing, “You’re home alone? Has Mr. Yang not come back to accompany you?”
Probably because Ruan Qing’s experience with him during the day was extremely unpleasant, he didn’t answer Teacher Xia’s question. Instead, he forced himself to sound composed. “Please leave immediately, or I’ll call the police.”
Although Ruan Qing’s words carried a threat, his voice trembled slightly due to nervousness and fear, giving off a sense of being tough on the surface but weak inside.
There was no threat whatsoever, and it couldn’t inspire any fear.
At least, it didn’t scare Teacher Xia in the slightest. He took steps closer to Ruan Qing, and he nervously retreated two steps.
Yang Tianhao couldn’t bear it any longer. He hadn’t confronted Teacher Xia yet, and he dared to show up at their door?
Yang Tianhao walked out directly from the kitchen, his expression icy as he headed straight for Teacher Xia and threw a punch.
Teacher Xia naturally saw Yang Tianhao and swiftly dodged, leading to the two of them immediately engaging in a fight.
The intensity was completely different from during the day. During the day, it was in public, but now there’s only Ruan Qing, who couldn’t see. The two of them fought without any restraint. Almost every move was a deadly attack.
However, even so, neither of them could kill the other.
Ruan Qing was blind, but he’s not deaf. He naturally heard the sound of their fight.
Anxiously, he looked in the direction of the sound, his delicate face showing worry and concern, tears filling his eyes. “Husband, please stop fighting, both of you, stop.”
Teacher Xia’s movement halted. He balanced Yang Tianhao’s force to step back, creating distance.
He looked at the man who previously claimed to be “Yang Tianhao’s colleague” with a touch of amusement. “Husband?”
Teacher Xia certainly knew Yang Tianhao, but evidently, this unfamiliar man before him was not him.
Yet, Mr. Zhou’s shout was undoubtedly “husband.”
Teacher Xia glanced at Ruan Qing’s vacant and lifeless beautiful eyes, then at the somewhat nervous and stiff stranger, immediately understanding why.
What a clever way. Why didn’t he think of it before?
Yang Tianhao gazed at the man with a familiar expression filled with hatred, nearly grinding his teeth to bits. He had just dealt with a thief and now, here came a robber.
But even if he saw the man’s intentions, he couldn’t do anything about it.
Because if this shameless man exposed him, everything would be over.
Teacher Xia looked at Yang Tianhao with a mysterious smile. “Mr. Yang, were you cooking just now? Don’t you want to check?”
“It seems... there’s a burnt smell, right?”
Yang Tianhao’s entire body oozed gloom as he looked at the man in front of him. He turned and walked into the kitchen.
Teacher Xia, with a light and brisk pace, walked to the dining table. The two of them seemed to have instantly reconciled, showing no sign of the life-and-death struggle from a minute ago.
Leaving only Ruan Qing standing there somewhat bewildered, as if he didn’t know what happened at all.
In reality, Ruan Qing could guess, probably another ‘Yang Tianhao’ would be added.
From two to one in less than an hour, now it might become two again.
Naturally, Yang Tianhao was not at ease leaving his wife alone with the robber. Swiftly, he brought out the dishes.
The three of them sat strangely at the same table.
Ruan Qing seemed to dislike Teacher Xia immensely. Approaching Yang Tianhao with some fear, he spoke softly, “Husband, why did you invite him to eat? I don’t like him. Can you ask him to leave?”
Ruan Qing’s voice wasn’t particularly loud; an average person sitting across the dining table probably wouldn’t be able to hear it. However, Teacher Xia heard it. He looked at Ruan Qing and spoke with a gentle smile, “Don’t be nervous. Your husband woke me up, and I’ve realized how serious my mistakes are. Just saying sorry to you clearly isn’t enough.”
“Your husband is quite exceptional. I should learn from him, so I’m planning to turn myself in to the police after finishing this meal.”
As Teacher Xia was speaking, he paused for a moment. “You’re not going to deny me my last meal outside, are you?”
Ruan Qing opened his mouth, seeming like he wanted to say something, but his hesitant gaze was clouded.
In the end, he didn’t say anything, and he lowered his head to eat his own meal.
Just as Teacher Xia was about to continue speaking, he suddenly noticed Yang Muqing on the sofa. He looked at Yang Tianhao and calmly asked, “Do you often knock him out like this?”
Before Yang Tianhao could respond, Teacher Xia continued, “It’s quite dangerous, you know.”
Teacher Xia glanced at Ruan Qing, saying, “You might not care, but be careful not to harm Mr. Zhou.”
Yang Tianhao paused upon hearing this, and after considering a possibility, he looked up at Teacher Xia and tentatively said, “Boss... Xia?”
Teacher Xia’s face also showed a hint of surprise upon hearing this, and he looked at Yang Tianhao with astonishment. “Yu...?”
Clearly, it was just as they had thought. The two of them exchanged a glance and ultimately lowered their gazes, concealing their emotions. They didn’t say anything further.
Upon hearing these words, a puzzled expression appeared on Ruan Qing’s delicate face. It seemed he didn’t understand the meaning behind the conversation between the two.
However, regardless of whether it was Yang Tianhao or Teacher Xia, neither of them spoke again, and Ruan Qing refrained from asking further. The living room was filled with the quiet sounds of eating.
Although the two of them had only exchanged a few short sentences, the amount of information conveyed was immense, causing Ruan Qing to connect the dots and piece together the puzzle.
The phrase “knock him out” and “dangerous” most likely referred to Yang Muqing. Because it was only Yang Muqing who was repeatedly knocked unconscious by the murderer and the male neighbor.
Since the two men returned with the identity of “Yang Tianhao,” Yang Muqing had fallen silent. Most likely, he had been knocked out once again.
So, apart from Yang Muqing, there was no second possibility.
There seemed to be some connection between Teacher Xia and Yang Muqing. Teacher Xia was well aware of Yang Muqing’s identity and understood how dangerous he could become if he lost consciousness.
The murderer seemed to be familiar with Teacher Xia, but they probably didn’t know each other’s appearances and real identities. They only had some sort of connection.
Ruan Qing tended to believe that the two have been communicating online, which was why they didn’t recognize each other when they met in person. However, both of them were clearly aware of Yang Muqing’s issue.
Based on the phrase “Boss Xia” used by the murderer, it’s highly likely that he was hired by Teacher Xia.
Regarding the nature of his employment, it’s very likely related to murder.
But who was the target of the murder?
Random killings? Or was there some sort of pattern?
This was a game instance, and there must be some pattern to it; otherwise, players wouldn’t be able to discern any rules or clues.
It’s hard for Ruan Qing to determine how other targets were chosen, but it’s highly likely that Yang Tianhao and Zhou Qing were chosen because of Yang Muqing.
Ruan Qing tightened his grip on the chopsticks. Was it... families of children from Xishan Kindergarten that played the role of “Xiao Xi”?
This wasn’t hard to prove. It’s known that two families had played “Xiao Xi”: Zhou Qing and Yang Tianhao’s family, and the other was Mrs. Ning’s family downstairs.
Ruan Qing remembered that Mrs. Ning mentioned her child playing “Xiao Xi” when she accompanied him to pick up the kids from kindergarten.
He just needed to check if anything happened to Mrs. Ning’s family to confirm his speculation.
However, the two behind-the-scenes bosses, akin to instance bosses, were right in front of him. Ruan Qing had no chance to go to the third floor to investigate.
Nevertheless, he didn’t necessarily have to go to the third floor to confirm. If something did happen to Mrs. Ning’s family, the possibility of them allowing him to go find her was almost zero.
Ruan Qing finished his lunch calmly. After wiping his mouth with a tissue, he looked up at Yang Tianhao and said, “Husband, I’m fine now. You don’t need to stay with me. Go back to work in the afternoon. Taking too much leave isn’t good.”
Before Yang Tianhao could respond, Ruan Qing continued, “You don’t have to worry about me either. I had already made plans to visit Mrs. Ning at her place. She’s a really nice person.”
Yang Tianhao hesitated briefly, then looked at Teacher Xia, who subtly shook his head.
After seeing Teacher Xia’s gesture, Yang Tianhao turned to Ruan Qing and spoke in a warm tone, devoid of any unusualness, as if he was having a casual conversation, “Well, it looks like you might not be able to go.”
Ruan Qing’s expression grew slightly somber, though his face still held confusion and disbelief. “Why?”
“Just now when I got back, I saw Mrs. Ning and her family heading out for a trip,” Yang Tianhao’s tone carried a touch of uncertainty. “It seems her husband won some sort of prize at the company.”
“Ah, I see. Mrs. Ning is quite something, not even telling me.” Ruan Qing’s face carried a hint of regret, but he wasn’t unhappy. It seemed like he was merely regretful that he couldn’t visit Mrs. Ning’s place.
Although what Yang Tianhao said seemed to be true, Ruan Qing knew he was definitely lying.
He couldn’t possibly have encountered Mrs. Ning at this time; Mrs. Ning wasn’t home at this hour to begin with.
The company where Mr. Ning worked wasn’t close to the Xishan Residential Area, and he never came home for lunch. Their two children also had lunch at school, leaving only Mrs. Ning at home.
So generally, at this time, she would be playing mahjong outside with others. She might only be available when dropping off or picking up her children in the morning and afternoon.
Even if Mrs. Ning had returned to pack for a trip due to winning a prize, how could the murderer possibly have a conversation with her?
Clearly, the murderer had merely made up an excuse to tell him that he wouldn’t be able to see the Ning family.
Something happened to Mrs. Ning’s family.
So, as Ruan Qing suspected, the family of the children playing ‘Xiao Xi’ was likely the chosen target.
And Teacher Xia was a teacher at Xishan Kindergarten. This meant he was most likely the main boss of this instance.
Ruan Qing felt a bit of a headache. He was now noticed by this big boss, and the boss wouldn’t easily give up.
He just hoped that the murderer wouldn’t yield to Teacher Xia just because he was his employer, directly handing over Yang Tianhao’s identity.
Otherwise, it would be hard to keep Teacher Xia in check later on.
If he had known the situation would come to this, he should’ve stopped the fight between the murderer and the neighbor.
But now the neighbor’s body had likely gone cold; it was too late for anything.
“Ding-dong! Ding-dong! Ding-dong!” The doorbell rang once again.
The three at the dining table turned their attention to the door simultaneously.
