However, Shen Qingqiu was just saying it on purpose and didn’t really want to eat those things.
For their last supper, Xiao Muyu simply made a few home-cooked dishes, and Shen Qingqiu was thoroughly satisfied.
Putting down her chopsticks, Shen Qingqiu’s eyes sparkled as she stared at Xiao Muyu, smiling brightly, “How many lifetimes of good fortune did I cultivate to meet you? You’re so smart, so virtuous, and so adorable.”
Xiao Muyu glanced at her, amused, “If you keep flattering me like that, it won’t seem genuine anymore.”
Shen Qingqiu shook her head, “How could it not be? Every word is from the heart. From the first time I saw you, I thought you were special. Each time after, I marveled at how someone as perfect as you could exist. Though, you’re not completely perfect; you’re always so stiff and contrary to me.”
Xiao Muyu put down her chopsticks and looked at her with a faint smile in her eyes.
Shen Qingqiu continued to stare at her, whispering, “But after you accepted me, you became so gentle. I’ve really struck gold.”
Xiao Muyu gave her a sidelong glance, “If I wasn’t gentle, you wouldn’t have struck gold?”
Shen Qingqiu propped her chin with her hand, smiling, “Not at all. I liked you even when you weren’t gentle.”
Xiao Muyu said nothing but smiled and reached out to clear the dishes. Shen Qingqiu quickly stopped her, “You cooked, so I’ll wash the dishes. Otherwise, if I’m not virtuous, what if you don’t like me?”
“Nonsense,” Xiao Muyu reproached gently.
“I can’t let you get tired, I’ll do it.”
Xiao Muyu didn’t insist. After helping Shen Qingqiu clear the dishes, Shen Qingqiu found an apron and tied it on, then went to Xiao Muyu to help her tie it.
Of course, it wasn’t that she couldn’t tie it herself, but Shen Qingqiu liked to find opportunities to be close to Xiao Muyu. Xiao Muyu was well aware of her little intentions but was happy to indulge her.
Seeing her dressed like a butterfly, tying on the apron and bending down to wash dishes, Xiao Muyu felt a deep sense of contentment.
Shen Qingqiu didn’t know how to wash dishes at first. It was obvious that she could endure pain, but lived a rather pampered life. However, after they got together, she took everything she rarely did before very seriously. Setting aside their current predicament, Xiao Muyu truly felt a sense of happiness living with Shen Qingqiu.
During the month-long break, Shen Shiyi didn’t disturb them again. Xiao Muyu went to work every day and, after coming home, chatted leisurely with Shen Qingqiu and Su Jin. Their days were so tranquil that it felt like they had returned to the real world.
But the more real and blissful these days felt, the deeper their rejection and loathing for the Tianwang world grew. Each one of them longed intensely to return to reality, to continue their simple, beautiful lives. Those days they once complained about, despised, and found boring had become an unfulfilled dream they deeply missed.
The beauty of the virtual world had its limits, and soon the thirty days would be up.
On this day, Xiao Muyu gathered everyone to explain the precautions.
“No one knows what this dungeon will be like this time. We might get separated. If that happens, everyone must stay calm and find ways to regroup using our communication tools. It’s safer to clear the dungeon together. Unless absolutely necessary, don’t act on your own. Understand?” Xiao Muyu looked at the group.
Su Jin and the others nodded in agreement.
“Also, there’s something we need to be mindful of. In this set of item cards, there was one that prevents players from using any item cards.
This leads me to speculate that we might encounter other teams later, so don’t assume everyone you meet is an NPC. Stay vigilant.”
This conclusion came from sorting through the cards with Shen Qingqiu. With the dungeon approaching, Xiao Muyu had to emphasize it.
Chen Kaijie felt a chill in his heart. This point was crucial. Facing ghosts in the dungeon was their test, with rules and patterns to follow. But if it was other humans, everything became unpredictable and more dangerous than ghosts.
“Got it. There are differences between players and NPCs. We’ll be careful.”
These precautions were just in case they got separated. If they didn’t, everything would be much easier since they could discuss and act together.
The month had ended, and the five of them spent the whole day cautiously, waiting to be summoned into the dungeon, with a major concern hanging over their hearts.
Until the evening, there was still no movement. So, Shen Qingqiu and Xiao Muyu had to go back to their own home to wait.
Thinking about this, Shen Qingqiu frowned in confusion, “It’s already time, so why is there no news at all?”
This feeling was like waiting anxiously for a test. You’re eager to see the exam paper, but the teacher keeps delaying, making you uncomfortable.
“Since we’re here, we might as well accept it. It will come sooner or later, so stay calm. Why are you getting anxious?” Xiao Muyu looked relaxed as she tried to soothe Shen Qingqiu.
Shen Qingqiu sighed, taking the water Xiao Muyu poured for her, worriedly saying, “I don’t know. I used to look forward to entering dungeons because it brought us closer and deepened our relationship.
Now that we’re already close and our relationship is stable, I’ve started to feel worried and scared.”
Xiao Muyu sat down, looking at her gently, “What are you afraid of?”
Shen Qingqiu put down the cup, holding her hand with a slightly somber expression, “I’m afraid the dungeon will be too dangerous, and I won’t be able to protect you.”
As expected, Xiao Muyu smiled and then said seriously, “I trust that you’ll protect me. But, Qingqiu, it doesn’t mean I’ll just wait for you to protect me.
You’re human too. You can get hurt, bleed, and feel pain. I hope to be your armor, not your weakness. Do you understand?”
Shen Qingqiu looked at her intently, then leaned over and hugged Xiao Muyu.
“You’re not just my weakness; you’re also my armor. I might fear some things because of you, but I also gain courage because of you.
No matter how difficult the path ahead is, I won’t back down. It’s not just me protecting you; you’ve always protected me too, just in different ways, right?”
Xiao Muyu felt warmth spreading through her heart, closing her eyes as she tightly embraced Shen Qingqiu. Despite the upcoming life-and-death situation, holding Shen Qingqiu made her feel incredibly at ease and calm.
“Ding!” At the same time, a sound echoed in their minds, followed by a somewhat unfamiliar female voice.
“Welcome players Xiao Muyu, Shen Qingqiu, Su Jin, Chen Kaijie, and Zuo Tiantian to dungeon 005. I am the referee for this dungeon. Enjoy the game!”
This time, they were not sent back to the reception room but directly into the dungeon.
“Preparing to load the game! Loading complete, decompressing! Decompression complete!”
As the familiar voice ended, a sharp noise pierced Xiao Muyu’s ears, as if drilling into her brain, causing her ears to ring and her head to spin.
It was extremely uncomfortable. Xiao Muyu struggled to see her surroundings, but everything was dizzying and painful.
In her spinning vision, she saw a swath of white, quickly interrupted by a distorted flesh-colored figure moving around.
Something approached her, and instinctively feeling danger, Xiao Muyu gathered her strength and rolled over.
“Bang! Crash!” She hit the ground, the pain snapping her back to awareness, allowing her to see clearly.
She realized she had fallen off a bed covered in white sheets. The moving figure was a nurse in a white uniform.
The thing approaching her was a syringe in the nurse’s hand.
As Xiao Muyu rolled off the bed, she hit a medical cart, knocking down a tray of medical tools.
Her right hand stung; she noticed the IV needle had been pulled out, blood trickling from the spot. She quickly pressed down with tape, scanning her surroundings and then focusing on the nurse.
She was in a hospital, and she was alone. That was her first piece of information.
“What are you doing?”
The nurse spoke stiffly, her tone cold and harsh. Her face was ashen, and she looked at Xiao Muyu with indifference.
“I should be asking you, what were you trying to do?” Xiao Muyu stood up, taking a step back.
The nurse’s mouth twitched into a strange, mocking smile.
She raised the syringe, grinning mechanically, “Of course, I’m here to treat you. Lie down.”
She wore rubber gloves, and as she raised her hand, a gash on her wrist became visible, like a scratch, with the skin and flesh turned out, looking quite terrifying.
Xiao Muyu glanced at the nurse’s name tag: Tian Jia. The syringe was 20ml, with the cap off, filled with a rusty red liquid, unlabelled.
Holding her stomach, Xiao Muyu said with difficulty, “My stomach hurts. Let me go to the bathroom first. You can treat other patients first and come back later, okay?”
She grabbed a tissue and hurried into the bathroom, closing the door.
Instinctively, she tried to lock it but realized the hospital bathroom couldn’t be locked. She leaned against the door, quickly assessing the situation.
The “Family Bond” card had no usage restrictions. She activated it to contact her teammates, but no one was online, indicating they were all more than a kilometer away. Just as she feared, they had been separated in this dungeon.
“What are you doing, Tian? You haven’t changed the medicine for the patients in ward 8 yet. Why are you back?”
There was silence outside. Xiao Muyu peeked through a crack. Tian Jia stood at the door, being questioned by an older nurse with two stripes on her hat, indicating she was the head nurse.
“I’m going right now.” Tian Jia’s response was slow and stiff.
“You don’t look well. Are you feeling unwell?” The head nurse frowned, noticing something off.
“It’s nothing, head nurse.”
The head nurse hesitated a bit, “Are you sure you’re okay? If you’re feeling unwell, don’t push yourself. If something goes wrong, it’ll be a big issue, understand?”
“I understand, I’ll go now.” Tian Jia replied before pushing the medical cart away.
Seeing this, Xiao Muyu came out. The head nurse seemed normal, so she cautiously asked, “Nurse, could you tell me if I have any other treatments today? Nurse Tian mentioned a treatment earlier with a syringe filled with a rusty liquid. Do I still need to get that?”
As she asked, Xiao Muyu glanced at the name tag on the nurse’s chest: Head Nurse Li Mei.
“Rusty liquid?” The head nurse was taken aback, asking instinctively.
“Yes, it was in a 20ml syringe. It looked strange.”
The head nurse’s expression shifted slightly but quickly changed to a gentle smile, “Alright, I’ll check if the doctor adjusted your medication. How are you feeling now?”
“Thank you, Nurse. I’m feeling much better.”
“You had a severe infection. Although you’re recovering, your body is still weak. Get plenty of rest and drink lots of water.”
“Thank you, Nurse.” Xiao Muyu thanked her and returned to her bed. After the nurse left, she quickly moved to the door and saw Li Mei hurrying to ward 8.
She was in ward 2, and the door to ward 4, diagonally across, was ajar. A short-haired woman peeked out, observing the situation just like Xiao Muyu.
Their eyes met for a split second before they both looked away and closed their doors. Li Mei was already walking quickly towards the nurse’s station with Tian Jia.
Listening carefully, Xiao Muyu opened the door slightly. She noticed Tian Jia’s gait had changed, her joints stiff, causing her to walk awkwardly.
As Xiao Muyu watched, Tian Jia suddenly stopped and twisted her head around unnaturally. Her once stiff face had turned blue and wrinkled, with blood dripping from the corners of her mouth.
At that moment, her now cloudy eyes fixed on Xiao Muyu, and she gave a rigid smile.
Author’s Note:
Hmm, it’s started, a bit late though. What is this dungeon about?
