But problems kept arising. How could they legitimately leave here and go to the dormitory building to get Old Sang’s key?
Shen Qingqiu glanced at Xiao Muyu. The two of them, with a tacit understanding, left the display board nonchalantly and blended into the group of children who were diligently writing and doing exercises.
However, looking at these innocent children now, and thinking about the clues they had just uncovered, Xiao Muyu, who prided herself on not being moved by others’ pessimism, couldn’t help but feel sorrow.
She even vaguely hoped that they were wrong.
Through their interactions, Xiao Muyu discovered that among these eight children, the most talkative were Xiao Jiao, Xiao Han, and the two boys, Xiao Yan and Xiao Qiu.
At this age, girls tend to be more mature than boys and seem much more composed. Xiao Yue was sullen, and Xiao Qin, due to a congenital defect, could only nod or shake her head or give simple answers, making it hard to gather much information.
Xiao Mei was different from the other children. She was the invisible leader among them, and every child listened to her.
Last night, they had speculated that the doll corresponding to Jia Wenlong was Xiao Liu, but they were still unclear about the child he corresponded to.
Most people present were more focused on finding the doll related to themselves, especially Hou Liang, who had a clear target. But in fact, Jia Wenlong, who seemed to be a figure of the past, was the one who should be analyzed the most. After all, he was currently the only one who knew who his corresponding doll was.
Although Xiao Liu would not be within their guessing range if there were more games later, finding the child corresponding to Jia Wenlong and seriously observing the connection between that child and Xiao Liu would be crucial for their subsequent analysis and reasoning.
Xiao Muyu wandered among the children and found that she was not the only one with this thought. Yang Rui and Zhang Yangfeng had already taken action and seemed to have locked onto a target.
In front of them was the dark-skinned, skinny boy Xiao Qiu. At this moment, he was quietly reading a storybook with his head down, so Xiao Muyu couldn’t see his eyes. Searching her memory, she realized that she had never looked this child directly in the eyes.
Although she couldn’t see Xiao Qiu’s eyes, Xiao Muyu noticed that his reading posture was somewhat odd—he tilted his head.
Just as he was reading, Xiao Yan, on his left, handed him a pen. The chubby boy struggled a bit, finding it difficult to stand up, and stretched his body forward. Only when the pen reached in front of him did Xiao Qiu pause and reach out to take it.
Xiao Muyu walked over and stood beside them. “Found it?”
Zhang Yangfeng was slightly surprised but then returned to normal as if realizing something. “What do you think?”
“Left side visual blind spot. It should be him.”
Zhang Yangfeng nodded, agreeing with her.
Since Zhang Yangfeng had come back to find this child, it meant he had already figured things out. Xiao Muyu decided not to waste any more energy. She glanced at Zhang Yangfeng and said unhurriedly, “We made some discoveries. After observing the children, let’s look around.”
This was a very clear hint. Zhang Yangfeng quickly looked around, understanding Xiao Muyu’s meaning, and gratefully nodded. “Thank you.”
Just as Xiao Muyu was about to turn around, she suddenly paused and let her gaze fall on Xiao Qiu’s hand, her pupils contracting instantly.
When Xiao Qiu reached for the pen, his sleeve slid down, revealing a black mark.
Thinking of something, she composed herself, walked to Xiao Qiu’s side, and looked at the book he was reading. It was Pinocchio.
Standing at a moderate distance, Xiao Muyu softly asked, “Do you like this story?”
Xiao Qiu’s fingers stopped moving on the paper, and after a moment, he nodded. The book was old and had been read many times judging by the marks on it.
Xiao Qiu moved his hand and unexpectedly added, “If someone lies, their nose will grow longer, and everyone will know they are lying, so they can’t deceive people.”
He pointed at the black-and-white illustration of a panic-stricken Pinocchio with a long nose. His clothes didn’t fit well, and the sleeves were a bit long, covering half of his hand. Now, as his hand was exposed, Xiao Muyu clearly saw the black mark.
A straight line, about three or four centimeters long, darker in the middle and lighter at the ends.
However, Xiao Muyu didn’t dwell on this mark. She was touched by the boy’s words and softly responded, “Yes, if that were the case, it would be best. But in reality, liars often deceive others easily. The deeper they hide, the more lies they tell, and once discovered, the price they pay will be greater than Pinocchio’s. No lie can stay hidden forever.”
The skinny boy Xiao Qiu paused and then raised his head. His dark skin and unusual left eye didn’t elicit any special reaction from Xiao Muyu. She simply looked at him earnestly and gently, as if waiting for his response.
Xiao Qiu lowered his head again, but not as deeply this time. “Have you ever lied?”
Xiao Muyu was slightly taken aback but quickly nodded, “I have lied.”
Xiao Qiu tilted his head and stared at Xiao Muyu, “Did you pay the price?”
His gaze was direct and sharp, unlike that of a child. The sudden intensity in his eyes made Xiao Muyu’s heart tremble.
Not far away, Shen Qingqiu had been watching Xiao Muyu intentionally or unintentionally. At this moment, she sensed an eerie tension between Xiao Muyu and the boy, and her heart skipped a beat. She walked over with a stern expression.
Xiao Muyu continued to look at Xiao Qiu and nodded, “I paid a great price. What about you, Xiao Qiu? Have you ever lied?”
Xiao Qiu’s expression shifted from confusion to panic, displaying the emotions of a typical six or seven-year-old. He stammered, “I have. Will I have to pay a great price too?”
Xiao Muyu shook her head, “You are still a child. Compared to adults, children have certain privileges. No child goes without making mistakes, and lying is one of them. As long as it hasn’t caused a major problem, recognizing and correcting the mistake can lead to forgiveness. Just like Pinocchio, who was essentially a good boy; once he acknowledged his mistakes, his nose returned to normal, right?”
Xiao Qiu was silent for a long time before nodding. He didn’t say anything else to Xiao Muyu but gave her a glance with a glimmer in his right eye as she stood up to leave.
Shen Qingqiu, noticing Xiao Qiu’s expression, leaned in and asked, “That boy is linked to Jia Wenlong, right? What did you talk about? It seemed very off just now.”
Xiao Muyu nodded, glanced at Xiao Qiu, and said calmly, “We didn’t say much. He was reading Pinocchio, and we discussed the consequences of lying.”
After finishing, she glanced at Shen Qingqiu, which made Shen Qingqiu feel something subtle.
However, she didn’t say anything further and watched as Xiao Muyu walked past her. The content of the display board was crucial information that Xiao Muyu didn’t keep to herself. Following her hint, everyone saw the pictures inside.
Upon closer inspection, they discovered a photo they almost missed. It was a group photo of men in suits, with a modestly dressed man standing in the center, shaking hands with one of them, looking humble and respectful.
The men turned their attention to the photo of the girls and those men. Although the men were not particularly detail-oriented, they recognized the expressions on the men’s faces in the photo, furrowing their brows.
“Damn, it can’t be what I’m thinking, can it? Are they animals?” Huang Junfeng, usually flippant, cursed, his anger and disgust evident in his eyes.
Yang Rui, looking at the children, felt a block in her chest. She shook her head, pale-faced, “Maybe not… I don’t want it to be true. That would be too…”
She couldn’t continue. Such things were not just the stuff of novels; they had precedents in reality.
This clue cast a heavy atmosphere among them.
In the ensuing silence, everyone checked their control panels one after another. Xiao Muyu reviewed hers.
Her score had reached 21 points, with seven additional points awarded for:
- Discovering the complete link between player Jia Wenlong, Xiao Qiu, and the doll Xiao Liu (1 point).
- Finding crucial evidence: the photo hidden in the display board (5 points).
The task progress chart now listed all missing names, with her new information added to the previously blank areas.
Jia Wenlong’s name appeared under the Ren’ai Orphanage staff information, along with the names of a few others. However, except for Jia Wenlong, the corresponding relationships were still unclear, as shown by the blank spaces beside names like Hou Liang’s, indicating that all three connections must be identified to display the information.
Hou Liang, puzzled, said, “But there’s something odd. The number of people is still a question mark. Haven’t we already met everyone in the orphanage? Shouldn’t the number be 11?”
Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu had discussed this earlier. Huang Junfeng, looking unusually serious, suggested, “I suspect either we haven’t found everyone here, or it refers to how many are alive.” His words made everyone else look at him.
“I’m not wrong. If this is really an orphanage of resentment, then these kids are likely malevolent spirits. That auntie, the director Qu Muxi, and Old Sang all seem suspicious. I doubt any of them are human.”
“Stop speculating. We need more evidence to uncover the truth. If such atrocious things happened here, the director couldn’t be innocent. But logically, if those events did happen, the kids wouldn’t be so reliant on her.”
Xiao Muyu often pinpointed the crux of the problem, silencing everyone with her remark.
However, as she stared at the photo, she had a thought.
They were at an impasse because they had no leads. They couldn’t even identify which child corresponded to themselves, let alone match the children to their dolls. The most important task now was to find a way to open the cabinet.
The morning passed quickly, and Qu Muxi pushed open the door, striding in with a confident smile. She thanked everyone for accompanying the children, but when she reached Xiao Muyu, Xiao Muyu sniffed instinctively. Shen Qingqiu noticed and asked quietly, “Did you smell something?”
Xiao Muyu’s expression tightened, “Smoke.”
Shen Qingqiu was surprised. Qu Muxi smoked? She didn’t look the type.
Qu Muxi continued, “The orphanage is merging, so it’s been very quiet here, with hardly any visitors. The children were delighted to have company today.”
But despite her words, the children behind her remained expressionless. Except for Xiao Jiao, none of the children seemed happy. Even Xiao Yan and Xiao Han, who had been playing with them earlier, were now wooden, as if they were different people.
The stark contrast between the children’s expressions and Qu Muxi’s warm, smiling face created an invisible wall separating them from the group in front of them, as if they were observing from outside a picture frame.
Yang Rui couldn’t help but hug her arms, feeling a chill run through her body.
Qu Muxi, seemingly oblivious, turned and smiled at the children, asking, “Which older brother or sister do you like teaching you the most?”
Except for Xiao Qiu, the other seven children all raised their hands simultaneously, each pointing at a person with standardized smiles and unnaturally eager expressions—expressions that didn’t belong on a child’s face.
Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu’s expressions changed instantly. They weren’t the only ones; the others were equally shocked. The things they had been painstakingly trying to observe were suddenly presented to them on a silver platter.
But this abrupt shift didn’t bring them joy. Instead, it brought endless confusion and fear. If this part of the process was so easy, did it mean that the scenario they feared most wasn’t the game itself? Or was the game even more terrifying than they had imagined?
Their deductions had been correct: Shen Qingqiu corresponded to Xiao Mei, Xiao Muyu to Xiao Jiao, Hou Liang to Xiao Han, Liu Pei to the talkative Xiao Yan, Yang Rui to Xiao Mei, Zhang Yangfeng to Xiao Yue, and Huang Junfeng to Xiao Qin. Despite their shock, as experienced players, they quickly identified the children who had chosen them.
But before they could fully recover from their astonishment, the system issued a prompt: “Dungeon 003 official storyline has been activated. Dungeon 003 official storyline has been activated!”
“What does that mean?” The announcement caught everyone off guard. What did “official storyline” imply? What had they been experiencing up until now?
The sudden system message plunged them into a deeper state of confusion. What was this “official storyline”? Did it mean that everything they had encountered so far was just a prelude, and the real game was only now beginning?
Qu Muxi, however, continued her actions as if nothing had happened, showing no awareness of the system prompt. Her behavior, combined with the children’s unnatural reactions, intensified the eerie atmosphere in the room.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, the players exchanged worried glances. They had to brace themselves for what lay ahead. The real challenge, it seemed, was just beginning.
