Chapter 27: Deadly Room Numbers (Part 7)

Warning: Flashback of domestic violence and abuse. There are also a couple of slurs.

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The last several rounds had completely drained their stamina. They had to seize every second to recover, so without saying anything, the remaining seven leaned against the wall, resting with their eyes closed.

When Xiao Muyu closed her eyes, her thoughts became even more jumbled. She frowned slightly, then eventually opened her eyes again.

The others were covered in bloodstains, while she and Shen Qingqiu appeared the cleanest. Xiao Muyu was actually uninjured, but Shen Qingqiu’s all-black outfit had concealed most of her bloodstains. Only the lingering blood on her left hand served as a reminder of her severe injuries.

Xiao Muyu could clearly smell the strong, metallic scent of blood.

She noticed that Shen Qingqiu had quietly distanced herself again, just like during their previous rest. Xiao Muyu suddenly had a thought. Was Shen Qingqiu distancing herself so she wouldn’t smell the blood on her?

Xiao Muyu’s sense of smell was more sensitive than most, which was why she could detect the remnant traces of human skin in the air. She loathed, and even feared, the stench of blood. While Shen Qingqiu knew about her sharp nose, Xiao Muyu hadn’t openly revealed the latter.

But as soon as the idea emerged, she felt it was too self-indulgent. Shen Qingqiu had been getting close to her for fun, nothing more. There was no reason for her to go to such lengths for Xiao Muyu’s comfort.

Everyone here was stained with blood. Zhang Qiang, who had lost an arm, smelled particularly unbearable, and Xiao Muyu’s nose involuntarily twitched again.

“Bear with it; it should be over soon,” Shen Qingqiu said quietly. She had opened her eyes at some point.

Xiao Muyu couldn’t help but glance at her. The sweat on Shen Qingqiu’s forehead hadn’t dried, and there was unmistakable exhaustion on her face. Her wounds were clearly still hurting.

“I’m not that delicate,” Xiao Muyu replied. The blood stench bothered her both physically and mentally, but it would be rather unreasonable if she couldn’t endure it in a place like this.

“Right.” There was a touch of gentle amusement in Shen Qingqiu’s response, which frustrated Xiao Muyu for some reason.

The two merely exchanged a few brief words until the sixth door opened, and then they stood up. They had rested for over forty minutes this time, which meant that Zuo Tiantian’s red rope had finished cooling down.

“Your item is our trump card. You must use it carefully,” Xiao Muyu reminded her.

Zuo Tiantian nodded, fully aware.

Zhang Qiang could barely stand, and Lin Hai didn’t wait for any reminder before instinctively supporting him. Chen Kaijie stood up and also stayed close to Zhang Qiang. During moments of respite after surviving danger, people naturally showed care and empathy for their companions, likely because they had gone through hell together.

As usual, Shen Qingqiu was ready to take the lead, but Xiao Muyu caught her hand. She had no distinct expression on her face, but Xiao Muyu said firmly, “I’ll go first.”

Shen Qingqiu looked a little surprised. The two were locked in a silent standoff for a brief moment, but Shen Qingqiu ultimately relented with a smile, and a charming sparkle in her light gray eyes.

Although Xiao Muyu thought she was prioritizing the bigger picture, she suddenly felt a little uneasy under Shen Qingqiu’s gaze. She quickly set foot into the next room.

Xiao Muyu cautiously scanned the room, and was momentarily stunned. It was a living room, brightly lit and unexpectedly clean. A hexagonal lantern-shaped wind chime hung from the ceiling, and to the far left stood a full-length mirror, making the space appear even larger.

She felt a bit disoriented, and something didn’t seem right. Just then, a breeze blew through, causing the wind chime to spin rapidly, like a carousel lantern. It produced a crisp and pleasant sound, making her feel strangely relaxed.

“Why aren’t you helping with dinner when you’re back? What are you standing around for?” A tired, slightly impatient voice sounded behind her. Xiao Muyu turned around to see a woman wearing a nightgown, her hair disheveled. The relaxation completely vanished from her eyes, and her body immediately tensed up.

“Did you hear me, or are you deaf? You walk around with that cold face, just like your dead father. Do I owe something to you Xiaos?” The woman appeared to be nearly forty, her face marked with fine lines, her eyes swollen from sleeping too long, and her nightgown wrinkled and unkempt.

She kept cursing as she went to pour water, only to find the kettle empty. In an instant, she became like a dog whose tail had been stepped on, and viciously snapped at Xiao Muyu, “Can’t you even boil some water!?”

Then, she threw the cup in her hand straight at Xiao Muyu.

Xiao Muyu stood there, too stunned to dodge. The cup struck her forehead hard, and blood immediately began to trickle from the wound.

She reached up to touch it, feeling the warm, sticky sensation of blood—real and unmistakable. Her right hand, which had been hanging at her side, slowly clenched into a fist, trembling slightly.

“Mom,” she called out, sounding dazed and confused.

The woman’s eyes flickered with panic upon seeing the blood on Xiao Muyu’s forehead, but a look of disgust soon replaced it. “You really are his child. Are you even human? Can’t you feel pain? Clean this up, now!”

The woman turned and walked away, swearing while talking. Only then did Xiao Muyu crouch down to pick up the broken shards on the floor. Blood slowly dripped through her fingers as she gripped the shards tightly, her eyes darkening more and more.

There was the sound of a key turning, though the door didn’t open. Instead, loud banging echoed through the house as a drunken man outside slurred, “Huang Xiao’e! Open up this door! Hurry up!”

The woman who had just been overbearing came out of her room, her expression changed, with a bit of fear in her eyes. Her gaze darted to Xiao Muyu and, as if burned, she rushed to open the door.

Just as the door was opened, the man shoved it hard against the wall, and immediately landed a heavy slap across the woman’s face.

“Are you deaf? You made me yell for so long before opening the door. Sneaking around with another man, wh*re? If you don’t dare to open the door, I’ll beat you to death!”

He struck her with such force that Huang Xiao’e staggered back and fell, her body hitting the tiled floor with a loud thud. Before she could even cry out in pain, the man kicked her, again and again without mercy, aiming at her stomach and back. She curled up, shielding her head with her arms, and endured his blows.

Xiao Muyu watched the farce unfold. It was humiliating and disgusting, making her whole body tremble.

She did nothing to stop the man—just stood there, coldly watching.

After venting his anger, the man staggered toward Xiao Muyu, reeking of alcohol. The stench of booze mixed with cigarette smoke filled her nose, making her want to retch.

He stared at her with alcohol-clouded eyes and let out a sleazy chuckle.

“Xiao Yu, you’re getting prettier by the day, even more tempting than your sl*t of a mother. In a couple of days, we’ll go out for a meal. I’ll introduce you to a friend. You’re sure to like him. I’ve raised you all these years, so don’t be as ungrateful as your mom. It’s time you repaid your dear dad properly.”

His eyes lit up with excitement, as if imagining something.

“Such a fine young thing, it’d be a shame to let someone else have you first. I should get a taste myself; make it worth it.” The pig’s voice was nauseating.

The woman had been moaning on the floor in pain, but suddenly, as if clinging to her last bit of energy, she struggled to her feet and began hurling insults at Xiao Muyu. “You little sl*t! Already seducing men at your age; not just anyone, but your mother’s man! Do you have no shame?”

The man, who had been loosening his tie and moving toward Xiao Muyu, turned to the woman cursing like a shrew. Furious, he resumed beating her, and even unbuckled his belt.

The woman rolled over on the floor screaming in agony, and eventually curled up into a ball, motionless. Xiao Muyu just watched with stormy dark eyes, void of any light.

The man eventually grew tired and forgot what he had intended to do. He stumbled into the bedroom, collapsed onto the bed, and within moments, his thunderous snores filled the air.

Xiao Muyu stared at the familiar surroundings from her memories, and felt as though she’d been plunged into an icy abyss. There was no escape, no way to break free; she always found herself back in this place. How did it come to this?

While Xiao Muyu was lost in thought, the woman beaten black and blue somehow found the strength to get up. Like a vengeful ghost, she lunged at Xiao Muyu and wrapped her hands around her throat.

Her disfigured face twisted with rage as she snarled, “All my suffering is because of you. If it weren’t for you, my life wouldn’t be like this. You’re just like your biological father—heartless and inhuman. Your own mother almost got beaten to death and you just stood there, completely indifferent! A monster like you should die. Die! Just like that freak!”

Xiao Muyu couldn’t breathe. The hands around her throat felt like talons, squeezing tighter and tighter. Her face turned from red to purple, then started to take on a bluish hue. Yet, strangely, she didn’t want to fight back. As her legs gave out from lack of oxygen, and her mind became muddled, she thought she was finally about to be freed.

Through the haze, she suddenly heard the sound of wind chimes, and a burning sensation in her waist briefly jolted her back to awareness.

No, her mother was already dead, and so was that man!

Xiao Muyu snapped back to reality, eyes flying open, and found that she wasn’t in the living room anymore. She was kneeling in front of a mirror, and tightly squeezing her own throat with both hands.

Her grip loosened as her mind cleared. Xiao Muyu took big gulps of ice cold air before collapsing to the floor in a violent coughing fit. Her eyes, bloodshot from hyperemia, involuntarily brimmed with tears.

Xiao Muyu massaged her throat with one hand, while the other reached into her pocket and pulled out the amulet she had brought. It was still warm. Even as she kept coughing, she was truly thankful for the amulet. If she didn’t have it, she would have strangled herself to death.

Before she could fully recover, Xiao Muyu struggled to push herself up, and just then, a hand reached out to steady her.

Back tensing, she quickly looked up. Through her tear-blurred vision, she recognized the face—it was Shen Qingqiu.

Shen Qingqiu helped her to her feet, gently rubbing her back. Concern was written all over her face.

“Are you alright? What happened?”

Xiao Muyu let out a breath of relief. “I’m fine. I got careless. This round caught us off guard. There’s something strange about that mirror. What about your side? Have you seen the others?” She subtly touched her forehead, and then checked her hand. There was no blood, but the pain still lingered.

Shen Qingqiu shook her head. “No, I just managed to break free from my own illusion. I heard some noise here, so I came to check.”

“It seems we’ve been separated.”

Xiao Muyu’s nose twitched slightly, and she glanced at Shen Qingqiu. She could still see the bandages peeking out from Shen Qingqiu’s left shoulder.

“Yes, we need to be careful here. It won’t be this simple.” After she finished speaking, Shen Qingqiu drew her dagger. Xiao Muyu noticed the movement and briefly lowered her gaze.

“Qingqiu, could you lend me your dagger for a moment? My clothes are coming undone,” Xiao Muyu asked.

Shen Qingqiu hesitated for a moment before she handed the dagger over to Xiao Muyu.

Xiao Muyu took the dagger, looked down, and cut off some loose threads from her clothes. When she looked up again, the dagger flashed as she stabbed it into Shen Qingqiu’s chest. At the same moment, another slender hand reached out, slashing Shen Qingqiu’s throat with swift precision.

As the body collapsed to the floor, Xiao Muyu saw another Shen Qingqiu standing before her.

She wiped the blade clean, watching as the fake Shen Qingqiu let out a shriek and dissolved into ashes. The real Shen Qingqiu looked at her, a hint of grievance in her voice as she said, “Did you have to be so ruthless with me? You stabbed me so decisively.”

Xiao Muyu swallowed, trying to ease the pain in her throat. Her voice came out hoarse: “You slitting your own throat was even more brutal.”

Shen Qingqiu was about to question the unusual tone in Xiao Muyu’s voice, when she noticed the deep red marks on her neck, already turning purple, making it clear just how tightly she had been choked.

Shen Qingqiu’s chest unconsciously tightened, and her expression shifted. She stepped forward and gently lifted Xiao Muyu’s chin, carefully running her fingers over the marks. “How did this happen?”

Her face looked quite serious without her usual smile. Xiao Muyu’s heart skipped a beat, and she took a step back, averting her gaze awkwardly. “I fell into the trap as soon as I came in… ended up strangling myself.”

Shen Qingqiu pursed her lips into a tight line, her expression still sour. “Looks like it got off easy.”

“You got hurt again?” Xiao Muyu noticed a stronger scent of blood on Shen Qingqiu. She looked closely at the wound on her left shoulder, which had reopened. There were also fresh cuts on her left waist and arm.

Shen Qingqiu inhaled before voicing her thoughts. “We must’ve been separated into different rooms. As soon as I entered, the mirror trapped me. It projects the scenes and people we most dread facing. I fell for it and took a few hits.”

“Silent and lethal… this round’s definitely more brutal than the previous ones. Let me patch up your wounds quickly, and then we’ll go find the others,” Xiao Muyu said.

The fact that the system hadn’t announced the conditions for passing the round made her feel something was off.

Shen Qingqiu watched Xiao Muyu bandaging her, and intriguedly asked, “How did you know that other Shen Qingqiu was a fake?”

Xiao Muyu glanced up briefly, then focused again on tying the bandage. “I didn’t,” she replied calmly. “I was just in a bad mood, so I acted.”

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Author had something to say:

Xiao Shen: Must you be so brutal?
Xiao Xiao: I was in a bad mood, so I stabbed you.
Xiao Shen: You shouldn’t murder your own wife.

Far in the future

Xiao Shen: Are you that impatient?
Xiao Xiao: I’m in a good mood, so I pounced on you.
Xiao Shen: You can’t just jump your wife’s bones whenever you feel like it.