Chapter 50: Orphan Resentment (Part 10)

With wide eyes, Xiao Muyu turned to look at Shen Qingqiu. They saw the same reaction reflected in each other’s faces—exasperation mixed with speechlessness.

Rotten as the system was, they couldn’t afford to ignore it if they wanted to make it through, so they braced themselves and listened.

“Instance No. 003: Orphan Resentment.
Main quest activated: Uncover the hidden secrets of the orphanage!
Difficulty: A.
Duration: 4 days.
The final grading will depend on points awarded for individual contributions!
Instance clearance requirements:
1) Score a minimum of 70 points,
2) Survive until the instance ends.
Failure: Become a doll and remain within the instance!”

Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu exhaled slowly. The clearance criteria seemed much like in their first instance, Human Skin Manor. It was clear this orphanage also held a hidden story.

“Finally, we’re getting a sense of this instance’s setup,” Shen Qingqiu said, her expression turning serious. “Another main quest clearance, it seems. They’re different instances, but a pattern’s emerging. Orphan Resentment is a deadly escape-room style instance like Human Skin Manor and Deadly Room Numbers.”

“We only get to know some people on the first day, not any important information. But since the quest is to uncover the orphanage’s hidden secrets, we should’ve already checked off part of that goal.” With a contemplative frown, Xiao Muyu mentally reviewed the people they had encountered and what they had experienced thus far.

Shen Qingqiu caught on immediately. “You mean the part where you found out Xiao Jiao isn’t human?”

“Exactly. And it’s not just her. Those eight ghost dolls, too. They lure players into that ‘Kagome Kagome’ game late at night. That has to be part of the orphanage’s hidden lore. So why hasn’t the system acknowledged any of this yet?”

Shen Qingqiu blinked. “Kagome Kagome?” she asked, but a sharp tone sounded in their minds before she could get any further.

Instead of another system announcement, each player noticed something new appear on their interface.

It was a document labeled “Instance No. 003: Orphan Resentment Main Quest Progress Sheet”.

Words began to type themselves out, line by line, on the previously blank sheet.

Location: Charity Orphanage
Current Characters:
Director: Qu Muxi
Doorman: Old Sang
Cafeteria Lady: **
Orphans: Xiao Jiao, Xiao Mei, Xiao Han, **, **, **, **, **
Total Headcount: ?

As the two rapidly scanned the text, they found it hard to express their reactions.

“Hah, the system’s certainly being thorough, isn’t it?” Shen Qingqiu scoffed. The asterisks represented names they had yet to learn, but why was the total headcount a question mark?

The typing cursor skipped a few lines before displaying a new entry.

[Xiao Jiao: A young girl who loves dolls, formerly an orphan at Charity Orphanage, sings Kagome Kagome, non-human. Simple-minded, prone to crying and laughter.]

After another blank space, the cursor typed out the next entry.

[Vengeful spirits haunt the orphanage. Eight ghost dolls select players to participate in the Kagome Kagome game. Players who fail will become dolls.]

Their expressions changed after reading that. The text suggested failing the game led to becoming a doll. So, was Jia Wenlong doomed?

More updates appeared on their interfaces. Xiao Muyu saw a silent notification appearing on hers.

[Player Xiao Muyu uncovered a major secret: The seemingly sweet child Xiao Jiao turns out to be a ghost! 5 points awarded!]

[Player Xiao Muyu uncovered the ghost doll mystery and the Kagome Kagome game. 10 points awarded!]

[Main Quest Progress: 10%]

Xiao Muyu frowned at her interface. From the side, Shen Qingqiu asked in a lowered voice, “How’s your progress looking? How many points do you have?”

Xiao Muyu brought up her screen for Shen Qingqiu to see. Shen Qingqiu stared at it briefly and said in realization, “So it’s counted separately for each person. We’ve uncovered similar things, but I got no points for discovering Xiao Jiao is a ghost. However, I did get points for the ghost dolls and the Kagome Kagome game.”

Xiao Muyu lowered her head in thought. “So, whatever we uncover will be updated to that list. However, whether we get points for them depends on individual contribution. You were all under the influence of the singing when the game began, so none of you saw Xiao Jiao. Since you know about her only after I told you, it only gets recorded and you don’t get points. But the system awarded you points for the ghost dolls because you discovered them yourself. Sound about right?”

Shen Qingqiu looked at her with a teasing smile that made Xiao Muyu oddly uncomfortable. “Why are you staring at me like that?”

With a grin, Shen Qingqiu lay back, propping her chin on her hand in a suggestive and impertinent manner. “I just can’t help but marvel—how are you so clever?”

That pose, that graceful figure, the cheekiness, and the enigmatic allure were all too much. Xiao Muyu shifted her gaze to the ceiling, ignoring Shen Qingqiu. “You already knew I was right, so it means you’ve figured it out. Maybe you should save some of those praises for yourself.”

Shen Qingqiu chuckled and glanced at her own interface. “You earned 15 points. But I’ll tell you something—I scored 12.”

Xiao Muyu nodded but suddenly froze as a realization clicked into place. She turned her head to Shen Qingqiu. “Then you know something more than I do?” Otherwise, by the system’s logic, Shen Qingqiu should only have 10 points.

“See? You are clever. While I did get an extra two points, since it doesn’t seem to be a key clue so far, I’ll keep it to myself for now. And who knows, maybe you’ll pick up on it at breakfast tomorrow.”

After comparing Xiao Muyu’s interface and points to her own, Shen Qingqiu confirmed the scoring and exploration rules. However, Xiao Muyu was amazingly perceptive in pinpointing the reason for the score difference so quickly.

The reason Shen Qingqiu withheld her discovery was simple. Xiao Muyu wouldn’t get points for finding it if she shared it now. Since it wasn’t urgent, a hint seemed more fitting to let Xiao Muyu uncover it herself.

Xiao Muyu understood her intention. She lay on the bed, muttering, “This orphanage covers a fair amount of ground, and the characters’ stories are more complex than I anticipated. We’re bound to miss many things if we don’t share information. Or worse, we’ll share things under misconception of the rules and ruin our progress.”

“So, we’ll enlighten them first thing tomorrow morning.”

“Mm, it’s late now. Let’s sleep.” Xiao Muyu put away the carousel lantern. Once the last bit of light disappeared, the darkness of the night took over.

Even though she had just experienced a strange and terrifying game and suspected she might be the next victim, Shen Qingqiu still felt at ease. The person beside her, whose figure she could barely make out, had somehow become her source of comfort before she realized it. Shen Qingqiu was confused. It wasn’t right—she must not let herself truly sink into this game.

Lost in these scattered thoughts, the two drifted into sleep. The rest of the night lapsed without incident.

Suddenly, a man’s alarmed and broken scream ripped everyone from their dreams.

“Ah!”

Xiao Muyu suddenly opened her eyes. After exchanging a glance with Shen Qingqiu, she threw off the covers, pulled on her clothes, and rushed out of the room. There was no need to identify the source of the sound. They immediately headed two doors down to their right—to Jia Wenlong’s room!

The others soon ran out of their rooms as well. They found Hou Liang kneeling on the floor by the bed, his face a mix of terror and outrage.

One corner of the blanket was folded over, and there was a lump on the mattress, but the shape didn’t match that of a grown man lying down.

Xiao Muyu intended to approach, but when she reached out, Shen Qingqiu stopped her. Shen Qingqiu lifted the blanket herself and pulled Xiao Muyu back two steps.

“Ah—” A horrified gasp and sharp inhales rose from behind while Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu frowned at the scene before them.

The figure lying on the bed was not Jia Wenlong but a doll. Unlike the girl dolls they had seen the previous night, this one was a short-haired boy with an eye patch. The doll wore the same clothes Jia Wenlong had the day before.

Shen Qingqiu stepped closer to examine it. The bloody handprint on the doll’s right shoulder had already turned black. She said in a low voice, “This should be Jia Wenlong. He actually turned into a doll.”

“F*ck this, what kind of sh*tty game dismisses people’s lives like this! For what reason? Why?!” Hou Liang covered his face, shouting hysterically. Much to the others’ surprise, this grown man shed tears.

Xiao Muyu glanced at the bed next to Jia Wenlong’s with a complicated expression. “Did you come back last night?”

Hou Liang looked up at her with an expression that was not exactly friendly. With furious eyes, he said through gritted teeth, “He was miserable enough already. Leaving him alone in the room to… to wait for death would have been too cruel. I thought it over for a long time and came back.” He recalled Jia Wenlong’s pitiful appearance last night. The way he had choked up, repeatedly saying thank you before they slept. It was heart-wrenching.

“When I woke up this morning, I noticed something off with his bed. When I lifted the blanket… I found that… that he’d turned into a doll.” Hou Liang’s voice faltered. He curled up with his head lowered.

Shen Qingqiu looked at Hou Liang with slight surprise. They all saw the strange mark on his back last night. However, she hadn’t expected this short, average-looking man to overcome his fear and return to stay with him out of a simple sense of camaraderie.

It wasn’t just Shen Qingqiu. Zhang Yangfeng and the others were surprised, too.

Xiao Muyu’s sharp eyes caught something. She stepped forward and pulled a card from under the pillow on Hou Liang’s bed. She glanced at it and was momentarily stunned.

“What’s that?” When Liu Pei and Huang Junfeng also saw it, their hearts skipped. So, did Hou Liang come back for…?

Xiao Muyu glanced at the two and then at Hou Liang. He was still kneeling in a daze, oblivious to what Xiao Muyu had found.

She walked over, handed the card to him, and patted his shoulder. “This must have been left for you.”

Hou Liang looked up and froze when he saw the card in Xiao Muyu’s hand. After a while, he turned to look at the doll on the bed. Tears started streaming down his face. Clutching the ink line marker item card that Jia Wenlong had given him, his shoulders shook silently.

Everyone fell silent, overwhelmed with feelings they couldn’t quite name. Maybe it was sorrow, amazement, or envy. It was all a tangled mess.

The group dispersed sometime later, leaving Hou Liang alone in the room.

Once outside, Shen Qingqiu sighed. “I didn’t expect those two to have such depth. Hou Liang risked his life staying by Jia Wenlong’s side; that took more than a little courage and loyalty. But for Jia Wenlong to entrust his item to Hou Liang ahead of time… It seems he knew he wouldn’t escape his fate. People reveal their kindness in the face of death—those two are truly remarkable.”

Xiao Muyu glanced back. After listening to Shen Qingqiu’s words, she responded matter of factly, “This world is full of cold-hearted people. In this game especially, there’s no shortage of those unconcerned with the struggles of others and those who are selfish, ready to sacrifice others for their own benefit. At times, we need a few people with some humanity. It’s nothing unusual.”

She had spoken with a peculiar expression—listless, yet with a certain hardness. It reminded Shen Qingqiu of what Xiao Muyu had said in Human Skin Manor and her claim of being a heartless person.

After watching her for a long moment, Shen Qingqiu quickened her pace and sidled up to her. “So, do you think I have humanity?”

Xiao Muyu glanced at her sidelong, then looked ahead indifferently. She replied in a flat tone, “I don’t know if you have humanity, but the fox-like vibe—there’s no hiding that.”

Shen Qingqiu blinked in surprise before breaking into a grin. Unfazed, she leaned close and said, “Are you saying I’m… foxy?”

Zhang Yangfeng and Yang Rui appeared just then to head downstairs. They exchanged looks with Shen Qingqiu, visibly awkward.

Shen Qingqiu wiped the smile off her face. Her gaze became cold and impenetrable, as if the person smiling flirtatiously from moments ago had been an illusion. She cast a quick glance at them before stonily going downstairs.

Yang Rui couldn’t help but whisper, “Those two really are a team. They both have two sides.” Remembering Xiao Muyu fearlessly beating the little ghost and making her cry filled Yang Rui’s usually expressionless face with admiration.

Once downstairs, Xiao Muyu glanced at the first-floor duty room. She could see it was empty through the crack in the window. Old Sang must have already left.

The rain, which had stopped last night, had started drizzling again. It looked like the next few days would be rainy.

It was already seven o’clock. As the group of players headed downstairs, they could hear noises from the third floor. The children must be waking up. Through an unspoken agreement, the group chose not to go upstairs and disturb them. Instead, they all gathered in the lobby after composing themselves.

Shen Qingqiu leaned back in her seat. She showed no intention to speak up. Considering the time constraints, Xiao Muyu got straight to the point: “Everyone should have a general understanding of the current situation already. We’ve received the quest and are all aware of our individual progress. But there’s one thing I need to clarify. Based on our analysis, points and exploration progress are directly tied together. However, just because one person discovers something first doesn’t mean others won’t have a chance to earn points. So, I hope no one is overly guarded against others.

“Do not share any answers you uncover unless it is necessary. For something you didn’t discover yourself and you’ve learned it from someone else, your progress will increase, but you won’t earn any points. I trust everyone understands what I mean.”

Expressions among the group shifted subtly at her words. So that was how it worked. While uncovering secrets was essential, reaching the 70 points required for clearing the instance was just as crucial.

“Are you two sure?” Liu Pei, who had been silent in the corner, suddenly spoke up.

“Yes, we’re sure.”

“And your reason?”

Xiao Muyu glanced at him. Before she could respond, however, Shen Qingqiu mildly cut in, “Because I’m her teammate, and I can see her interface. I didn’t get any points for what she’s told us. You all probably had the same result. Also, I discovered something none of you have yet. If you don’t believe me, should I tell you?”

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Author had something to say:

Xiao Shen got called out, haha. She’s a protective wife with double standard.
To others, she’s like the autumn wind come to sweep the fallen leaves away. To her wife, she works hard without complaint and accepts all the criticism.
Current Xiao Xiao: You’re a fox, not a human.
Future Xiao Xiao: You are wonderful.