PTYS Chapter 43

Shen Qingqiu, momentarily stunned, snapped back to reality and couldn’t help but laugh. She glanced at the door again, and the eye and half a face that had been there were finally gone. She let out a breath and said, “It’s gone.”

Xiao Muyu immediately sat up and turned to look behind her. The room had a window and a small window above the door. Remembering the angle Shen Qingqiu had looked from, she focused on the window above the door, “Was that thing just there?”

Having seen Xiao Muyu’s intelligence before, Shen Qingqiu wasn’t surprised. Her smile faded as she became serious, “Yes, there was half a face there, staring at us. The glass is a bit blurry, so I couldn’t make out what it looked like.”

She looked around the room, which had two beds and looked like a dormitory. She then asked Xiao Muyu, “What’s the situation with this dungeon? Where are we?”

Xiao Muyu seemed a bit surprised, “Did you pass out as soon as you came in?”

Shen Qingqiu’s expression froze, and after a moment, she rubbed her forehead, puzzled, “I don’t know. I can’t remember anything after selecting the dungeon. It does feel like I passed out as soon as I came in, but something feels off.”

She touched her back, which hurt badly when she moved. She lifted her shirt and lay down for Xiao Muyu to check, “How’s my back?”

Xiao Muyu frowned immediately. Shen Qingqiu’s once smooth, fair skin was now scratched and bloody, with the skin broken. There was also a large bruise in front of the thin scabbed wound.

Xiao Muyu, still frowning, pointed out and described the injuries on her back. Then, she pressed on the bruise, and Shen Qingqiu’s back tensed in clear pain.

“Any internal injuries?” Xiao Muyu couldn’t help but ask. Shen Qingqiu replied in a muffled voice, “No. But judging by what you described, my back injury does seem like I fell and slid a bit, which caused the abrasion.”

Xiao Muyu helped her pull down her shirt and nodded, “Yes, so simply falling from a height shouldn’t cause such injuries. It seems more like…”

More like someone threw her, and she hit the ground and slid.

Shen Qingqiu closed her eyes and shook her head, “I feel like I’ve forgotten something.”

Fragments of memory froze at the moment she hit the ground, but trying to recall more made her head hurt badly.

“Don’t push yourself. It seems like the system set this up on purpose. Maybe you’ll remember later.”

All passive settings have a reason. Shen Qingqiu and Xiao Muyu were picked up by Ren’ai Orphanage along with two other players, which had to have a purpose. The system wouldn’t reveal everything so soon.

Shen Qingqiu nodded and let it go for now.

After giving her a look, Xiao Muyu turned and opened the door. There was nothing outside. The door was over two meters high, with no foothold or items outside. It was impossible for a normal person to peek through. Undoubtedly, it was something unclean.

She glanced at the hallway and the door, her gaze slowly sliding over the top of the door and the door itself. Just then, she saw Shen Qingqiu get up from the corner of her eye.

Shen Qingqiu, her face tense, pressed her right hand on the bed and used force. After a light crack, she gasped and leaned against the headboard.

Xiao Muyu instinctively stepped forward but then stopped, watching Shen Qingqiu, who was sweating from pain. “Are you okay?” she asked seriously.

Seeing no redness or swelling on Shen Qingqiu’s arm earlier, Xiao Muyu thought she was fine, but now it was clear she was hurt.

Shen Qingqiu’s face was pale from pain. She shook her head at Xiao Muyu, “Just a dislocation, it’s okay.”

She got out of bed and joined Xiao Muyu in inspecting the room. Being slightly taller, Shen Qingqiu noticed something caught on a splinter above the door. She reached up and took it down.

Xiao Muyu looked as well. It was a thread-like thing, about a finger long and slightly curved, not very thick, but hard and brownish.

“It looks like a thread from clothes?” Xiao Muyu guessed uncertainly.

“Maybe. Let’s keep it for now,” Shen Qingqiu said, examining it with some distaste, unsure what it came from and feeling uneasy holding it.

She walked back into the room, picked a bed, and cut a piece of the sheet to wrap the thread. Xiao Muyu watched, a sudden image flashing in her mind. She quickly stopped Shen Qingqiu, “Wait, let me see it again.”

Taking the thread, her expression turned serious. Shen Qingqiu asked, “What did you find?”

Xiao Muyu exhaled slowly, “I know what it is.”

Shen Qingqiu turned to her, slightly surprised, about to speak when the director’s voice interrupted.

“Is your friend awake? Is she okay?”

Shen Qingqiu looked at the woman, then at Xiao Muyu with a questioning look.

The woman, perceptive, noticed Shen Qingqiu’s questioning look and introduced herself before Xiao Muyu could speak, “Hello, I’m Qu Muxi, the director of Ren’ai Orphanage.”

Shen Qingqiu nodded, “Hello.”

Though not particularly friendly, Qu Muxi maintained a cheerful demeanor, glancing at Shen Qingqiu’s hand, “I’ll check on the other two. I’ve had the kitchen prepare food. You must be hungry, so come down to eat soon.”

“Okay, thank you, Director Qu.”

Given their previous dungeon experience, both were wary of eating, sensing the system might use it to cause trouble.

Qu Muxi entered the adjacent room, and as she opened the door, Xiao Muyu heard voices inside, indicating that the two people in there were already awake.

Shen Qingqiu and Xiao Muyu didn’t go downstairs; instead, they stood there waiting. When Qu Muxi emerged with the two others, both Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu were momentarily stunned. They exchanged surprised glances.

The two people seemed to be players as well. One of them was evidently injured, limping badly, while the other had a bandage over his left eye, with blood seeping through, suggesting a serious injury.

Seeing this, Shen Qingqiu’s right hand fell weakly to her side. Xiao Muyu glanced at her, and they exchanged a quick, meaningful look.

As Qu Muxi approached, Xiao Muyu spoke up, “Director Qu, do you have any bandages?”

Qu Muxi’s gaze immediately fell on Shen Qingqiu, looking a bit surprised, “Yes, do you need them for your friend?”

Shen Qingqiu raised her left hand to touch her right arm hanging by her side, frowning, “My right hand is fractured. It might need to be immobilized to prevent further injury.”

Upon hearing this, the two men looked at her in surprise, with some agitation and unease in their eyes. Getting injured at the start of a dungeon was certainly distressing.

“Yes, we do. Do you need a splint?” she asked with concern.

“That would be great. Thank you,” Xiao Muyu nodded slightly.

“I’ll go get it. The other two must be hungry, they can go eat first.” Qu Muxi suggested, gesturing for the two men to go ahead. They hesitated but then followed Qu Muxi downstairs without saying anything.

Once the three of them were out of sight, Xiao Muyu spoke up, “Did you sense something off?”

“Yes. I didn’t have a chance to ask you earlier, how did you get here?” Shen Qingqiu’s gaze was still directed toward the direction Qu Muxi had left.

“I appeared on a road outside as soon as I entered the dungeon. It was raining, and I followed the signs here. There were four players with me, so that means there are eight players in this dungeon,” Xiao Muyu quickly explained the situation to Shen Qingqiu.

“In this orphanage, I’ve seen Director Qu Muxi, a mostly silent doorman, and a mentally challenged little girl named Xiaojiao, who holds a dirty doll. Everything seems very strange, and so far, only Qu Muxi seems relatively normal.”

Shen Qingqiu nodded, “And the fact that the three of us are all injured feels off. So, let’s go along with the setting and pretend my right hand is really broken.”

She couldn’t help but glance at Xiao Muyu, who calmly nodded. Their brief eye contact was enough for Xiao Muyu to understand her thoughts, which gave Shen Qingqiu an indescribable sense of pleasure.

Suddenly, she chuckled softly, “When you came in, why didn’t you think to use that card to contact me?”

Xiao Muyu turned her head expressionlessly to look at her. The woman had that mischievous smile that made her want to tease her.

So she simply hummed lightly, “No need. I don’t worry about you; troublemakers like you live long.”

Shen Qingqiu’s smile grew sweeter. This person really was something.

Qu Muxi soon returned with the items Xiao Muyu had requested. She looked at Shen Qingqiu and asked gently, “Do you need help?”

Shen Qingqiu shook her head, “No, I’m experienced with these kinds of injuries. I can handle it myself. Besides, my friend is quite skillful; a splint is no problem for her.”

She raised an eyebrow at Xiao Muyu, who remained expressionless but nodded seriously.

“Alright, I’ll go entertain the other guests. The cafeteria is on the first floor, turn right after going down the stairs, and you’ll see it through the backyard. We’ll be waiting for you there.”

Qu Muxi remained courteous and soft-spoken, her gentle demeanor and refined features making her seem genuinely kind.

To play the part convincingly, Shen Qingqiu appeared to have her right hand in a sling when they went downstairs.

Xiao Muyu had done a thorough job with the splint. Though her hand wasn’t truly useless, the injury was real. Even after setting it herself, her hand wasn’t fully functional, and resting it was beneficial.

As they descended the stairs, Shen Qingqiu paused on the last step, her gaze fixed on a corner of the stairwell.

Noticing something was off, Xiao Muyu followed her gaze.

While the central part of the stairwell, frequently used, was relatively clean, the corners seemed to have been neglected, covered in a layer of dust that remained even during rainy weather.

In the dust at the bottom of the stairs, Xiao Muyu noticed two prints. Though not very clear, they were distinct upon closer inspection.

She squatted down to examine them, comparing them with her hand, and whispered, “What do you think this is?”

Shen Qingqiu examined the outlines, “Footprints.”

Xiao Muyu felt a chill. They did look like footprints, crescent-shaped, but…

Shen Qingqiu’s voice was cold, “What kind of person can leave two steps of footprints on a single stair?” She gestured with her hand, showing a gap of less than five centimeters.

Xiao Muyu lowered her eyes, then stood up and said to Shen Qingqiu, “Maybe you’ll find out soon.”

Shen Qingqiu: …

“Why does your tone sound a bit ominous?” Shen Qingqiu narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing her.

Xiao Muyu snorted lightly, turned, and continued down the stairs, a fleeting smile in her eyes.

Shen Qingqiu followed her at a leisurely pace, feeling unexpectedly good. It was rare to see this stoic person with a mischievous streak—quite endearing.

Following Qu Muxi’s directions, they crossed a yard with wooden playground equipment. Being the afternoon, the yard was empty, making it feel spacious.

Behind the yard was a single-story building with the word “Cafeteria” painted in red above the door.

Looking through the windows, they saw indistinct figures inside, but couldn’t make out any details or hear any sounds until they stood at the door and lifted the curtain, letting the noise rush out to meet them.

The two exchanged a glance, instantly tensing up.

Just moments ago, Xiao Muyu had told Shen Qingqiu that the only people she’d seen in the orphanage were Qu Muxi, Old Sang, and the little girl named Xiaojiao. But now, it seemed everyone was present.

The dining hall had two long tables covered with tablecloths. On the left side, eight children sat, all of whom looked up simultaneously as Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu entered.

On the other side were Qu Muxi and the other six players. Upon seeing the two of them, Qu Muxi stood up with a smile, “You’re here. Please, take a seat. Everyone must be hungry; let’s start the meal.”

Xiao Muyu nodded slightly and walked to an empty seat on the left side of the table, but her peripheral vision remained focused on the eight children.

An orphanage having only eight children seemed unusual. What concerned Xiao Muyu even more was that they were also a group of eight.

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Author’s Note:

Based on their recent actions, Xiao Muyu has been awarded the title of “Gentle Blade”!

Xiao Muyu: …

And Shen Qingqiu has been honored with the title “Thousand Cuts.”

Shen Qingqiu: …

Thus, with the scholarly and the domineering paired, “Gentle Blade” and “Thousand Cuts” make the perfect match.