PTYS Chapter 49

Shen Qingqiu’s face remained expressionless, his gaze never once falling on Jia Wenlong. Instead, he meticulously scanned the doll behind Jia Wenlong.

The doll had the same golden hair, curly and thick, with large eyes as black as onyx. The streetlight’s glow reflected in its eyes, but only in its right eye, giving it a slightly peculiar appearance.

Time was running out, and Xiao Jiao’s voice grew urgent, “Hurry up and guess, or you’re done for!”

Jia Wenlong, having been the first unlucky one chosen, was paralyzed by fear and confusion, wasting precious time. Realizing that he couldn’t rely on anyone else, he desperately tried to remember the dolls’ appearances and names.

Shaking, he blurted out a name just as Xiao Jiao issued the final ultimatum: “Little Eight!”

He had no clue and simply guessed the name of the doll that had chosen him first, hoping it was the right answer. He reasoned that if the game was about finding a replacement for the “ghost,” then the doll that chose him might indeed be looking for a substitute. By naming Little Eight, he hoped to survive.

As soon as he said the name, the scene fell into a deathly silence. Zhang Yangfeng and Hou Liang turned away, unable to watch. The doll behind Jia Wenlong wasn’t Little Eight.

“Hehe, too bad, you guessed wrong,” the doll behind him said in a voice distinctly different from Little Eight’s, shattering Jia Wenlong’s last hope. He collapsed to the ground, his face ashen.

The remaining five watched, feeling a mix of dread and empathy. Every instance of impending death served as a grim reminder of their potential fate.

The doll behind Jia Wenlong floated into the air, hovering over him with a gleeful expression, its hand reaching out to touch him. Suddenly, there was a twist in the scene!

Seemingly resigned to his fate, Jia Wenlong sprang up with a burst of energy, his right hand swiftly pulling and snapping something. A black line appeared in the air.

In one swift motion, he snapped the black line, striking the doll’s hand. Shen Qingqiu, with his keen eyes, recognized that Jia Wenlong was using a chalk line, likely a special tool card.

The black chalk line seemed to have significant power. As it struck the doll’s hand, white smoke and a sizzling sound erupted, causing the doll to howl in pain and roll on the ground.

Jia Wenlong, retrieving the chalk line, snapped it again, sending the eight dolls scattering in panic.

Unfortunately, despite its power, the chalk line had limited uses. After driving the dolls away, Jia Wenlong found himself out of options. He turned to run, only to slam into an invisible barrier, crashing heavily to the ground.

The eight dolls surrounded Jia Wenlong, repeating, “Bad guy, bad guy, they all should turn into dolls, they all should turn into dolls.”

Jia Wenlong lay on the ground, his legs scraping against it as he tried to move back. Shaking his head, he murmured, “No, it’s not fair, it’s not fair, I didn’t do anything wrong, I didn’t!”

The next moment, the doll that Jia Wenlong had hurt sneered and slapped his shoulder. Instead of something terrifying happening, to his surprise, the doll vanished after the slap. Not only that doll, but the other seven also disappeared.

At that moment, the distant clock on the orphanage’s rooftop chimed twelve times, each chime resonating endlessly, like a death knell bringing new hope. Midnight had passed, and the game had ended. Tonight’s victim was Jia Wenlong, but he seemed to have narrowly escaped.

As the clock struck twelve, Shen Qingqiu spotted Xiao Muyu outside, where no one had been earlier.

Her heart sank. She had been relieved that Xiao Muyu and Yang Rui, who hadn’t eaten the meat, were missing. Now, seeing Xiao Muyu made Shen Qingqiu inexplicably anxious.

Could it be that Xiao Muyu had been watching the entire time? But how could the ghost dolls allow an outsider to watch?

Others also saw her, including Yang Rui, who only now dared to emerge from the darkness.

“Xiao Rui, you guys…” Zhang Yangfeng finally came to his senses, looking at the two who had been spared from the night’s horror, at a loss for words.

Shen Qingqiu walked step by step to Xiao Muyu and softly asked, “Why are you out here? Are you okay?”

Xiao Muyu shook her head and looked at the other five. “Is everyone okay?”

Jia Wenlong was already weak at the knees from fear, and the others were drenched in cold sweat, their souls seemingly detached. They just shook their heads, and apart from Zhang Yangfeng, who had managed to say a couple of words, the rest couldn’t speak.

“Let’s go back.” Xiao Muyu glanced at Jia Wenlong, who was being supported by Hu Shun and Zhang Yangfeng. His pale face and trembling lips revealed his fear. “Did I escape a disaster? Nothing else will happen, right?”

Hou Liang, who shared a room with Jia Wenlong, glanced fearfully at his back and then quickly lowered his head. The others also glanced at his back, then recoiled as if burned, but said nothing.

Xiao Muyu pressed her lips together before finally saying, “At least you’re safe for now. Stay alert for the rest of the time, and you should be safe until dawn.”

Jia Wenlong shivered again, his eyes dull as a puppet. Supported by the two, he walked back, clearly terrified.

In his current state of mental collapse, he didn’t notice the bright red handprint on his shoulder, like a death mark.

The group silently went upstairs. The only remaining streetlight in the yard flickered, like a single eye in the dark, watching everything unfold.

Hou Liang, who shared a room with Jia Wenlong, didn’t enter after bringing him to the room. He just stood at the door silently, looking at Jia Wenlong, who also looked back at him.

Since he opened his eyes the first second after entering, he saw Hou Liang, which is why they ended up in the same room.

They had no prior connection, having spent only a dozen hours together, but being in this strange environment created a bond.

Everyone understood why Hou Liang didn’t go in, even though some had their own thoughts. It was understandable—Jia Wenlong seemed marked by a ghost, and being near him meant being close to danger and fear.

Jia Wenlong understood this too. He was like a winter seedling, lifeless from the torment, his face frostbitten and pale. He trembled before saying, “I understand how you feel. Go sleep with Liu Pei and Huang Junfeng. I’ll be fine alone.”

Hou Liang’s Adam’s apple bobbed, then he lowered his head and said hoarsely, “I’m sorry.”

Jia Wenlong forced a smile. “There’s nothing to be sorry for. Just close the door for me.”

The door closed, and Hou Liang stood outside for a long time before limping into Hu Shun’s room. Xiao Muyu looked around outside before closing the door.

Shen Qingqiu, standing behind her, had been staring at her. Xiao Muyu, holding the lantern, averted her eyes slightly and said softly, “You must be tired. Get some sleep.”

Shen Qingqiu sat on the bed, waiting for her to get into bed before slowly speaking, “Aren’t you going to tell me what happened?”

Xiao Muyu glanced at her. “What could have happened?”

“I don’t believe the game would allow two uninvolved people to watch. You…”

She stared at the lantern Xiao Muyu had placed aside. Its range had expanded, meaning Xiao Muyu had hit a target.

Xiao Muyu paused, not expecting Shen Qingqiu to ask this. After a moment, she didn’t hide it and recounted how she had followed them and beaten up Xiao Jiao.

Even with limited light, she could see Shen Qingqiu’s face turning cold and the atmosphere growing tense.

She couldn’t understand Shen Qingqiu’s reaction, or rather, she understood her emotions but not why she felt this way.

Shen Qingqiu bit her lip and said sternly, “You were reckless. It was too risky. If there had been more than one ghost, you might not have survived the night. Besides, you hit her just because her voice sounded like Xiao Jiao’s and based on your brief acquaintance with her. That was too… too reckless.”

Shen Qingqiu’s tone was harsh, with a hint of reprimand. Xiao Muyu, equally displeased, responded coldly, “You dared to wield a knife against a ghost; why shouldn’t I dare to hit her? Shen Qingqiu, just because we’re teamed up doesn’t mean you can make decisions for me or lecture me.”

Shen Qingqiu’s expression froze. She seemed like she wanted to say something, a hint of annoyance appeared on her face, but she remained silent.

Xiao Muyu was also taken aback, realizing her emotions had gotten out of control. She understood that Shen Qingqiu’s reaction was probably due to concern for her. This realization made Xiao Muyu uncomfortable, just like she had felt when Shen Qingqiu saved her before, which made her even more reluctant to team up with her.

But Xiao Muyu quickly realized that it was not the right time to be stubborn. They were teammates, and it was unwise to argue under these circumstances.

She took a deep breath and said slowly, “You decided to eat the meat on my behalf and explained that if something happened to you, I could still save you. I don’t like owing people favors. The only reason I got through this game was because of you, so as your teammate, there’s no way I could just sit back and wait while you were lured away by that nursery rhyme.

As for hitting her, it was out of necessity. She noticed me, and if I hadn’t acted, the result wouldn’t have been any better.”

For the first time, Xiao Muyu spoke to Shen Qingqiu at such length about something not related to business. Shen Qingqiu, sitting on the bed, listened to every word.

Xiao Muyu tried to sound official in her explanation, but Shen Qingqiu detected another layer of meaning.

Given Xiao Muyu’s intelligence and meticulousness, she would normally understand that an ordinary person couldn’t blend in with their group and go unnoticed by the ghosts. Yet, she still went down there, acting even more aggressively than Yang Rui. Thinking about it, Shen Qingqiu realized that Xiao Muyu must have been anxious.

Shen Qingqiu’s initial irritation and anger were immediately soothed by her own conclusion. She couldn’t help but flash a smile at Xiao Muyu.

“Oh, I see. You’re always so smart and composed. You didn’t want to owe anyone a favor, so you took the risk to save me. I understand now. Thank you, Muyu. You’re such an excellent teammate. I’m so lucky to be paired with you.”

She blinked, her tone oddly playful, like a seductress trying to entice someone. This made Xiao Muyu extremely uncomfortable and inexplicably annoyed.

“Talk normally, and don’t strain your voice.”

Shen Qingqiu raised her eyebrows, lying on her side while still staring at Xiao Muyu. Her expression was provocative, which Xiao Muyu usually found irritating, but now she found it more tolerable than her previous cold demeanor.

“By the way, Muyu, don’t you think there’s something wrong with this game? It’s started, but there’s no announcement.

Also, I remember this instance is called ‘Orphanage,’ right? I initially thought it was about the story of Ren’ai Orphanage, hence the name ‘Orphanage.’ But those dolls are filled with resentment. It feels like it should be called ‘Orphan Resentment’ instead.”

Xiao Muyu was taken aback by Shen Qingqiu’s odd train of thought. She had also assumed the instance name was ‘Orphanage’ for the same reason, but now realized that ‘Orphan Resentment’ indeed fit the situation better. However, before she could finish her thought, a “Ding” sounded, and the system voice activated.

“Player has identified the true instance name, successfully activating instance 003: ‘Orphan Resentment,’ the main mission of Resentment!”

Xiao Muyu: …

Others: …

Confirmed, it was still the same annoying system.

Author’s Note: It’s been a while since the system acted up. Did anyone notice that the instance name announced by the system to the players was ‘Orphanage’? Haha, I’m such a genius!

Readers: Elderly looking at phone.jpg. Who would notice this pun from the typo king?