PTYS Chapter 52

Xiao Muyu nodded. Shen Qingqiu tilted her head slightly, thinking to herself that they finally cleared things up. She couldn’t help but feel that being around such smart people made everyone else seem intellectually anxious.

“I understand now,” Zhang Yangfeng said, “If we assume that because Jia Wenlong was the first player and had a significant disadvantage, the game would provide clear clues even if he didn’t know which doll corresponded to him or which doll represented him. But for us, especially for Shen Qingqiu and Hou Liang, the game won’t provide such obvious hints. This means we need a real-world medium—the eight children and their dolls—to guide us.”

Huang Junfeng frowned as he followed the reasoning. “So, if players correspond to the eight orphans, and the orphans correspond to the dolls, it stands to reason that since Shen Qingqiu and Hou Liang have already identified their corresponding children, either their dolls are difficult to find or there won’t be enough time to find them. Is that what you mean?”

“Very likely.” Xiao Muyu glanced at Shen Qingqiu, who appeared unconcerned and quite calm despite the potential danger she might face tonight.

“Then we should act quickly and interact more with the children to understand their backgrounds. But… since Xiao Jiao isn’t human, could the other children also be ghosts?” Huang Junfeng felt a chill at the thought. Knowing Xiao Jiao wasn’t human and still mingled with them was unsettling.

“Another important task is to recall the appearance of those dolls and create a composite. I doubt we’ll find every doll in reality; we might run out of time or lose track. We’ll need to match the children’s characteristics to the dolls.” Zhang Yangfeng reminded everyone. Xiao Muyu and the others nodded in agreement.

They began to detail their observations, filling in and correcting each other’s recollections. Xiao Muyu summarized their findings:

“Eight dolls: two with blonde hair, representing Xiao Liu and Xiao Ba; three with brown hair, representing Xiao Er, Xiao Wu, and Xiao Qi; and three with black hair, representing Xiao Yi, Xiao San, and Xiao Si. They all wore similar princess dresses and shoes, which I didn’t pay much attention to. Here are the notable features:

“Xiao Er’s hair is beautifully braided into a ponytail, and she has a handmade bracelet, though the material is unclear.

“Xiao Ba, who pushed Jia Wenlong out, has a long braid tied with a bow.

“The doll that actually stood behind Jia Wenlong was Xiao Liu, the other blonde-haired doll.

“The other dolls’ features are less clear due to time, angle, and our nervousness.”

“So, the most distinctive dolls are Xiao Ba and Xiao Er,” Zhang Yangfeng said, summarizing Xiao Muyu’s concise information extraction. He admired her clarity. “We can recognize Xiao Ba because she introduced her partner, and the dolls’ positions were random. Many of us can’t remember specific details, but Xiao Muyu identified them clearly.”

After more than half an hour of discussion, Qu Muxi finally appeared in the hall. She scanned the group with a smile, “Good morning, everyone. I see you’re all up. How did you sleep last night? Was it comfortable?”

Xiao Muyu frowned and glanced at Shen Qingqiu. Both felt something was off with her question. Did she miscount the number of people or did she genuinely think there were only seven?

“Since everyone is here, let’s have breakfast. The cafeteria has porridge and eggs this morning. Our two injured friends need extra nutrition.” Her statement seemed to confirm that she believed the missing person never existed.

The group felt uneasy as they looked at Qu Muxi. Despite their desire to avoid contact, they had to act normal, hoping this elegant, gentle director was human and merely a part of the game setup.

“More food. I doubt I’ll ever want to eat again,” Huang Junfeng muttered despondently, unable to keep quiet, his face full of despair.

Liu Pei glanced at Huang Junfeng but said nothing. The group followed Qu Muxi to the cafeteria. Walking beside Qu Muxi, Xiao Muyu asked, “Director Qu, the Ren’ai Orphanage is quite large. Why are there only eight children?”

Qu Muxi’s expression briefly showed confusion, which quickly disappeared. She explained calmly, “The Ren’ai Orphanage is very remote. At the end of last year, the local government decided to merge it with the city’s welfare institute, so many children have already been transferred. Xiao Jiao and the others are delayed due to paperwork and will join them at the end of this month.”

Xiao Muyu nodded. “What will happen to you and Old Sang after the merger?”

Qu Muxi smiled gently. “I’m just temporarily filling in after the previous director, Director Zhang, left. Once Xiao Jiao and the others leave, I’ll also be leaving.”

Her tone was soft, but when she mentioned the children’s departure, she sighed, her eyes and voice tinged with wistfulness and sorrow, suggesting she was reluctant to part with the children.

Xiao Muyu didn’t press further. They reached the cafeteria in a few hundred meters. Inside, the children were lined up for breakfast. Xiao Jiao stood at the front, with Xiao Mei, the girl who reminded them to eat well yesterday, right behind her.

Xiao Muyu scanned the room, noting that the boy with leg issues, Xiao Han, stood at the end of the line. She noticed his worn left shoe, while Hou Liang’s injury was on his right leg. Hou Liang was clearly fixated on Xiao Han.

Shen Qingqiu, taking her time, observed the woman serving breakfast—still the same woman from yesterday, now in different clothes, expressionless as she served porridge, eggs, and buns.

Xiao Jiao returned with her bowl and then helped Xiao Mei with hers. Xiao Muyu nudged Shen Qingqiu, signaling her to pay attention.

Feigning ignorance, Shen Qingqiu whispered, “What’s up?”

Xiao Muyu, sensing Shen Qingqiu’s mischievous nature, replied coldly, “Forget it. Those seeking death can’t be saved.”

Shen Qingqiu, seemingly amused by the reprimand, smiled and said, “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”

Xiao Mei, the most striking of the orphans, wore a faded white dress and red shoes, exuding a mature air unusual for her age.

“I asked Director Qu when we entered the orphanage if anyone else had come in. She said there were three, one of whom was very pretty, and Xiao Mei always praised her beauty,” Xiao Muyu whispered, unaffected by Shen Qingqiu’s response.

Understanding, Shen Qingqiu glanced at Xiao Mei, who held her bowl in her left hand, her right hand by her side, briefly meeting Shen Qingqiu’s gaze. Typically, children like beautiful sisters or brothers, but in a game where dolls sought replacements, this could be deadly.

“Undoubtedly, I am her replacement or the replacement for her doll. But so far, there’s no clue about which doll is hers,” Shen Qingqiu remarked casually.

As they conversed, Qu Muxi invited them to eat. Zhang Yangfeng suggested, “Director Qu, we’ve been staying here without contributing. Please don’t treat us as guests. We can serve ourselves and spend time with the children. Is that okay?”

Qu Muxi smiled brightly, “That would be wonderful. It’s just Old Sang and me here, so the children would love your company.”

Zhang Yangfeng’s plan was effective. Interacting with the children was the best way to gather clues.

Breakfast was eight-treasure porridge. Shen Qingqiu and Xiao Muyu served themselves. Xiao Muyu noticed Shen Qingqiu’s bowl was half full due to the server’s shaky hand.

Smiling sweetly, Shen Qingqiu complimented, “Thank you, Auntie. You must be tired from serving us. Last night’s food was excellent. We appreciate your cooking. May I know your name?”

The woman, looking like a zombie, stared at Shen Qingqiu for a long time. She finally added more porridge to Shen Qingqiu’s bowl and stiffly replied, “Just call me Auntie Jiang.”

“Ding…”

The system’s voice echoed in their minds, “Player Shen Qingqiu has activated NPC Auntie Jiang’s warm skill: Auntie Doesn’t Shake. Eating Auntie Jiang’s loving eight-treasure porridge will bring good luck.”

Xiao Muyu glanced at her own bowl, then at Shen Qingqiu’s, her mouth twitching. What a warm skill indeed.

With half a bowl of porridge, Zhang Yangfeng, Yang Rui, Huang Junfeng, and Liu Pei were speechless. Truly, Auntie didn’t shake.

Simultaneously, the progress bar updated, adding “Auntie Jiang” beside the cafeteria lady’s title.

Shen Qingqiu found herself gaining 0.5 points. Now she also felt like commenting, especially since there was another line following it.