As a horror dungeon, the sudden appearance of a doll instantly evoked all the terrifying doll stories in everyone’s minds. The abrupt and eerie laughter of the doll was particularly unsettling.
Huang Junfeng’s relaxed demeanor vanished. Leaning against the table one moment, he was darting away the next, like a deflated balloon. Even the normally calm and composed Zhang Yangfeng turned pale and took a few steps back, instinctively raising a defensive hand, his broad back shielding Yang Rui behind him.
Chen Pei, the stern-faced man, also quickly retreated, leaving Xiao Muyu standing closest to the doll. She stared unblinkingly at the doll, which continued to laugh.
Xiao Muyu frowned, then stepped back with her right foot, bending down to look under the table. She met a pair of eyes—it was a child.
The doll on the table suddenly fell. Before Xiao Muyu could react, the child scrambled out from under the table and rushed at her with astonishing speed. Xiao Muyu, though nimble, couldn’t evade and ended up on the ground, the child clinging to her.
Her leg, initially poised to kick, paused when she saw the child. The little girl clung to Xiao Muyu, laughing and murmuring, “Doll, pretty, so pretty.”
Laughing and babbling, the girl drooled, appearing not entirely normal, but her eyes were clear and bright like glass beads. Despite the child’s dirty appearance and behavior, there was something unsettling about her gaze.
The other four, taken aback, watched in shock, too frightened to intervene.
Just then, a gentle female voice called from the hall entrance, hurried footsteps approaching.
“Xiao Jiao, you mustn’t do that. Let go of the sister,” the voice said softly.
The hall fell silent except for the woman’s voice and the child’s laughter. The footsteps seemed to disappear into the background.
Xiao Muyu turned to see a woman in a beige knit top and caramel-colored dress, her hair neatly tied back. Despite her hurried steps, she exuded an aura of gentleness from head to toe.
Her frilled sleeves added a touch of romance, and as she approached, the oppressive atmosphere of the orphanage seemed to lighten.
Xiao Muyu’s first thought was that the woman seemed out of place, her presence strangely incongruent with the surroundings.
However, as the woman knelt to embrace the laughing child, her gentle demeanor oddly harmonized with the eerie environment.
The child, who had been staring at Xiao Muyu, shifted her gaze to the woman and immediately nestled into her arms, quieting down.
Xiao Muyu, still crouched, noticed the girl wiping her mouth and hands, as if afraid to dirty the woman’s clothes.
“Why did you come out alone, Xiao Jiao? Why aren’t you playing with Xiao Mei and the others? Look how dirty you are,” the woman chided gently, cleaning the girl’s face and hands with a handkerchief.
She glanced at Xiao Muyu apologetically. “I’m sorry. Xiao Jiao can be quite mischievous. She’s gotten you all dirty.”
Xiao Muyu looked down at her already soaked coat, now marked with a small black handprint. “It’s okay, I’m already wet. She’s very cute.”
The four onlookers, finally recovering from their shock, couldn’t help but admire Xiao Muyu’s calm demeanor, wondering if she was just highly diplomatic or simply lying.
After Xiao Muyu spoke, both the woman and the child looked at her, their expressions surprisingly similar.
The woman then said softly, “Old Sang told me you all got caught in the rain. We have some dry clothes; you should change to avoid getting sick.”
She turned to the man who had brought them in. “Old Sang, please take them to change. I’ll make some ginger soup to ward off the cold.”
Standing at the hall entrance, Old Sang glanced at them with that unreadable expression before motioning for them to follow.
Wearing wet clothes in the cold could indeed lead to illness, and no one wanted to get sick in a dungeon. They thanked the woman and followed Old Sang.
Xiao Muyu, bringing up the rear, paused to ask, “Has anyone else come here today?”
The woman, still comforting the child, paused briefly. “Yes, before you arrived, Old Sang found three people in the orphanage’s back hills. They were injured and unconscious. Do you know them?”
Xiao Muyu felt a pang of worry but maintained a concerned expression. “I have a friend. We got separated. I haven’t seen her yet.”
“Is your friend a woman? Very beautiful?” the woman asked with a smile.
“Yes, very beautiful.”
“Then she might be one of them. Xiao Mei mentioned how pretty one of them was. Change your clothes first, and I’ll take you to see if it’s her.”
Xiao Muyu nodded, quickly catching up with the group. This woman, likely the orphanage director, seemed too elegant and refined for this place, raising further suspicions.
Xiao Muyu quickened her pace, anxious to see if Shen Qingqiu was among the three injured people and to assess her condition. She felt uneasy. If Shen Qingqiu, with her formidable skills, was injured and unconscious, what kind of danger had she encountered?
The changing area was still on the first floor of the building. Old Sang selected five sets of clothes from the wardrobe. Xiao Muyu noted that the materials and styles were similar, like standardized uniforms.
Xiao Muyu was the first to change. The clothes, a washed-out cotton-linen jacket and T-shirt with pants, didn’t fit well, likely a one-size-fits-all. After quickly drying her wet hair, she went to find the director.
Seeing her emerge so quickly, the director gave her a once-over and smiled warmly. “You must be very close friends to be in such a hurry.”
Xiao Muyu nodded silently, following the director up to the second floor.
The orphanage was eerily quiet. Besides the director, the gatekeeper, and the girl named Xiao Jiao, Xiao Muyu hadn’t seen or heard anyone else.
“Where are the other children?” Xiao Muyu couldn’t help but ask.
The director smiled gently. “It’s nap time. Most of them are very well-behaved and are sleeping. I just put Xiao Jiao to bed.”
She opened a room door, and Xiao Muyu immediately focused on the person lying on the outermost single bed. Brown curls spread across the faded bed sheet, and the person’s face was pale, sleeping on their side. It was indeed Shen Qingqiu.
Xiao Muyu had maintained her composure, trusting that Shen Qingqiu, being highly capable, wouldn’t be seriously harmed so early in the dungeon. However, seeing her now brought a mix of relief and nervousness, revealing her underlying anxiety.
“Shen Qingqiu?” Xiao Muyu hurried over, gently patting Shen Qingqiu’s cheek, which was cold to the touch, causing her to frown.
“Where is she injured?” Xiao Muyu lifted the blanket. Shen Qingqiu’s clothes had been changed, and there were no visible wounds or blood, prompting her to ask.
“She must be your friend,” the director said softly. “I found her unconscious, possibly from a fall. With no obvious external injuries and her still not awake, we’re not sure where she’s hurt. The orphanage’s phone line is down, so we can’t contact a hospital. Since her breathing seems stable, we decided to monitor her for now.”
Xiao Muyu noted the key information: the phone line was down, meaning no contact with the outside world.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. You can rest here. I have other matters to attend to.” The director excused herself, and Xiao Muyu watched her leave. As the footsteps faded, Xiao Muyu’s expression grew serious. She felt paranoid, but she couldn’t shake the feeling.
Taking a deep breath, Xiao Muyu carefully pressed along Shen Qingqiu’s body, worried she might have injured her bones from the fall.
Starting from Shen Qingqiu’s legs and moving up to her ribs, Xiao Muyu was about to check her arms when a hand quickly grasped her wrist.
Xiao Muyu was startled to see Shen Qingqiu awake, her grey eyes gleaming with a playful smile. “How far do you intend to go?”
Xiao Muyu noticed the awkward angle of Shen Qingqiu’s left hand but held back a retort, asking quietly, “What’s wrong with your right hand?”
Shen Qingqiu’s eyes showed a hint of surprise before she glanced past Xiao Muyu’s shoulder, her gaze freezing.
Xiao Muyu, close enough to notice Shen Qingqiu’s subtle change in expression, was about to turn when Shen Qingqiu’s grip tightened, stopping her. Shen Qingqiu’s face showed pain, and she whimpered, “I think I broke a bone. It hurts too much to move.”
Xiao Muyu frowned, lips pressed together. She felt uneasy, sensing eyes on her back, a cold stare she couldn’t ignore. Yet, Shen Qingqiu’s injury was also a concern. A broken right hand would severely handicap her.
“Where does it hurt? Let me check,” Xiao Muyu said, leaning closer. Shen Qingqiu shifted slightly to the left, using Xiao Muyu as a shield while glancing toward the door.
Above the two-meter-high door was a glass window. In the corner of this window, half a face could be seen. The glass was dirty, making the view unclear, but Shen Qingqiu was certain she wasn’t mistaken.
An eye, glowing faintly, was fixed on the room. Since Shen Qingqiu first noticed it, it hadn’t moved, staring unblinkingly through the grimy glass. The sight of that pale face and glowing eye was a test of anyone’s sanity.
Shen Qingqiu, fearless as she was, dared to observe it closely.
The more she looked, the more unsettling it felt. She sensed the eye wasn’t just watching the room but specifically Xiao Muyu, perhaps not noticing Shen Qingqiu’s alertness.
Xiao Muyu, meanwhile, had rolled up Shen Qingqiu’s right sleeve, leaning close enough to whisper, “What’s behind me?”
Shen Qingqiu, despite her bravery, had no desire to continue scrutinizing the ghostly figure. She lowered her gaze and whispered, “Something unclean.”
“Is the elbow swollen? Does it hurt badly?” Shen Qingqiu asked aloud.
“Hmm, it’s swollen. Looks quite serious. It might be beyond repair,” Xiao Muyu said coolly, staring at Shen Qingqiu’s pale arm with detached concern.
Shen Qingqiu: …
Author’s note: When the situation arises…
Xiao Xiao: Where does it hurt? Let me take a look.
Xiao Shen: So gentle.
—— Situation Resolved ——
Xiao Xiao: Hmm, it’s quite serious, I reckon it’s going to be out of commission;
Xiao Shen: …
