Chapter 43: Orphan Resentment (Part 3)

After Shen Qingqiu got over her surprise, she couldn’t help but laugh. When she glanced back at the glass door, that one eye and half a face had finally disappeared. She sighed in relief and said, “It’s gone.”

Xiao Muyu immediately sat up and turned to look behind her. This room had one window and a small window above the door. Recalling the angle Shen Qingqiu had looked from, her eyes focused on the top of the door. “Was it over there just now?”

Having witnessed Xiao Muyu’s intelligent feats, Shen Qingqiu was no longer surprised. She suppressed her laughter and turned serious. “Yes, it showed half of its face, and its one eye kept staring at us. The glass was blurry, so I couldn’t get a clear view of what it was.”

After saying this, she surveyed the surroundings. The room had two beds, resembling a dormitory. She asked Xiao Muyu, “What’s the situation in this instance? Where are we?”

Xiao Muyu looked astonished. “Did you faint as soon as you came in?”

Shen Qingqiu’s expression suddenly stiffened. After a moment, she rubbed her forehead in confusion. “I don’t know. I can’t remember what happened after choosing the instance. It feels like I passed out as soon as I came in, but something just doesn’t seem right.”

She touched her back, where a sharp pain shot through her whenever she moved. She lifted her shirt and lay on her stomach for Xiao Muyu to see. “How’s my back?”

Xiao Muyu immediately frowned when she got a look. Shen Qingqiu’s once fair and smooth back was now scraped raw, showing a patch of bloodstains. Moreover, there was a large bruise above the crusted wound.

Brows still tightly-knit, Xiao Muyu reached out, her finger tracing the wound as she described it. Then she pressed on the bruise. Shen Qingqiu’s back visibly tensed up, indicating it was quite painful.

“No internal injuries?” She couldn’t help but ask. Shen Qingqiu replied in a muffled voice, “No. But, based on what you pointed out, it seemed like my back got injured from a fall, and then I slid a bit after hitting the ground. Hence, the scrapes.”

Xiao Muyu lowered Shen Qingqiu’s shirt and nodded. “Right, so a mere fall from a high place shouldn’t cause such injuries. It’s more like…”

…Like skidding after being thrown to the ground.

Closing her eyes, Shen Qingqiu shook her head. “I keep feeling like I’ve forgotten something.” Fragmented images stopped at the moment she hit the ground, but thinking about anything else made her head throb painfully.

“Don’t push yourself. It looks like this is the system’s deliberate setup. You might remember later.” Every passive setting had a reason. There must be a purpose in the Charity Orphanage bringing back the other two players after Shen Qingqiu and Xiao Muyu got separated. It wouldn’t make sense for them to know so quickly.

Shen Qingqiu nodded. There was nothing more to be done for now.

Xiao Muyu glanced at her before turning around to open the door. There was nothing outside. The door was over two meters high. Usually, people couldn’t show their face from that height without stepping on something. Undoubtedly, it was some corrupted thing.

She looked at the corridor and the door. Slowly, she slid her gaze over the door frame and the top of the door. In the corner of her eye, she saw Shen Qingqiu getting up. She noticed the other woman’s tense expression, her right hand pressing against the bed. Suddenly, Shen Qingqiu gave a forceful push, and a sickening crack immediately followed. With a gasp, she collapsed back against the headboard.

Xiao Muyu took a step forward but stopped herself. Looking at the woman with cold sweat on her forehead, she asked with concern, “Are you okay?” Shen Qingqiu’s arm didn’t appear very swollen earlier, so Xiao Muyu assumed it was fine. It turned out she was actually injured.

Shen Qingqiu’s face had become pale from the pain. She glanced at Xiao Muyu and shook her head. “It was just dislocated. No problem.”

She got off the bed and joined Xiao Muyu’s inspection of the door. The slightly taller Shen Qingqiu found a barbed protrusion at the top of the door. Something seemed to be hanging from it, so she stood on her toes to take it down.

Xiao Muyu looked at what she got. In Shen Qingqiu’s hand was something resembling a thread, about a finger’s length long, slightly curled, and not thick. She reached out to touch it. It felt a bit stiff and had a brownish color.

“This looks like a thread. Did it come off someone’s clothing?” Xiao Muyu said uncertainly.

“It does look like one. Let’s keep it for now.” Shen Qingqiu examined it closely, showing a hint of distaste on her face. Not knowing what it was from, she felt grossed out holding it.

After thinking for a moment, she walked into the room, chose a bed, and cut a piece from the bedsheet to wrap the thread. A sudden image flashed through Xiao Muyu’s mind as she watched. She quickly reached out to stop Shen Qingqiu from closing the white cloth. “Wait, let me take another look.”

Xiao Muyu picked up the thread and observed it for a while. Shen Qingqiu’s expression became serious. “Did you figure something out?”

Xiao Muyu slowly exhaled. “I know what that thing was.”

Shen Qingqiu turned to look at her, a hint of surprise on her face. She was about to say something when the director’s voice cut in from nearby.

“Your friend is awake. Is everything okay?”

Shen Qingqiu immediately looked over to assess the woman in front of her. When she turned back to Xiao Muyu, there was a hint of inquiry in her eyes.

The observant woman noticed Shen Qingqiu’s confusion and introduced herself before Xiao Muyu could speak. “Hello, I’m the director of the Charity Orphanage, Qu Muxi.”

Shen Qingqiu nodded. “Hello.”

Despite Shen Qingqiu’s lukewarm expression, Qu Muxi remained cheerful. Her eyes looked Shen Qingqiu up and down before stopping on her hands. With a gentle tone, she said, “I’ll go check if the other two are awake. I’ve arranged for meals in the cafeteria. You must be hungry, right? You can head down to eat soon.”

“Okay. Thank you, Director Qu.”

After their experience with the first instance, the two didn’t have much enthusiasm for eating. They couldn’t shake off the feeling that it was just another way for the system to create trouble.

Qu Muxi went into the adjacent room. Xiao Muyu could hear voices inside. The other two must have woken up too.

Shen Qingqiu and Xiao Muyu stood there waiting instead of going downstairs. When Qu Muxi returned with two people, Shen Qingqiu and Xiao Muyu were stunned. They exchanged a glance, amazement evident in their eyes.

Because the other two were also injured. They appeared to be players as well. One was limping due to an injured leg, while the person supporting him had a bandage over his left eye, with blood seeping through as if pierced.

Seeing this, Shen Qingqiu’s right hand relaxed and dropped limply to her side. Xiao Muyu glanced at her, and they communicated briefly through their eyes.

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

Qu Muxi’s gaze immediately fell on Shen Qingqiu, and she asked in surprise, “Yes, is your friend injured?”

Shen Qingqiu raised her left hand to touch her limp right arm, frowning. “I have a fracture on my right arm. It might need to be immobilized to prevent further injury.”

The two men looked at Shen Qingqiu in surprise, their expressions showing a mix of nervousness and unease. Getting injured right at the start of the instance was troublesome indeed.

“I do. Do you need a splint with it?” Qu Muxi asked with a concerned tone.

“That would be great. We’d appreciate it,” Xiao Muyu said with a slight nod.

“I’ll go get it. You two must be hungry. You can go eat first.” Qu Muxi motioned for the other two to head downstairs together. The two men looked at Shen Qingqiu and Xiao Muyu. They hesitated but didn’t say anything and followed Qu Muxi downstairs.

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

“Yeah. I didn’t get a chance to ask you earlier; how did you get here?” Shen Qingqiu’s gaze remained fixed in the direction where Qu Muxi had left, her expression downcast.

“I appeared in the middle of the road as soon as I entered the instance. It was raining outside, and I followed a roadsign to get here. There were four players with me at the time. That makes it eight people who had entered this instance,” Xiao Muyu gave Shen Qingqiu a quick rundown.

“In this orphanage, I’ve only seen Director Qu Muxi, a gatekeeper who doesn’t talk much, and a little girl named Xiao Jiao, who seems to have a mental disability; she holds a dirty doll. Overall, everything has a weird vibe, and only Qu Muxi seems normal for now.”

Shen Qingqiu nodded. “Even though all three of us are injured, something doesn’t add up. It’s better to stick to the script and act as if my right arm is fractured.”

After saying this, she couldn’t help but glance at Xiao Muyu. The other woman nodded calmly. Xiao Muyu understood what she was thinking just from a look, which gave Shen Qingqiu inexplicable delight.

She suddenly had a thought and chuckled. “When you didn’t see me after coming in, why didn’t you use that card to contact me?”

Xiao Muyu turned to shoot her a blank look. The woman’s attractive face wore her signature mischievous smile, the kind that begged for a smack. She gave a faint snort. “There’s no need. A scourge like you will last a thousand years. I don’t have to worry about you.”

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

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

Shen Qingqiu shook her head. “No. I’ve handled injuries like this. I can manage. Besides, my friend here has capable hands. She’ll have no problem putting on a splint.” She even quirked a brow at Xiao Muyu.

The capable Xiao Muyu maintained a calm expression but nodded earnestly.

“Alright then, I’ll go downstairs to attend to the guests. The cafeteria is on the first floor. Go down the stairs, turn right, and pass through the backyard. You’ll see it. We’ll be waiting for you there.”

Qu Muxi remained courteous and gentle. Her refined features exuded tenderness. Combined with her sweet temper and graceful demeanor, she was like a pleasant spring breeze.

Their act had to be convincing. When the pair headed downstairs, Shen Qingqiu had her right arm in a sling, which Xiao Muyu had wrapped meticulously.

Although the claim about losing her arm had been exaggerated, she was actually hurt. Shen Qingqiu had set it back herself earlier, but it was still not as functional as a healthy arm. Resting it like this was a good idea.

They descended the stairs, but at the last step on the first floor, Shen Qingqiu suddenly paused, her eyes fixed on a corner.

Xiao Muyu noticed Shen Qingqiu stopping, glanced at her, and followed her line of sight.

The center of the staircase, where people often walked, was relatively clean. However, the corners of both sides looked as though they had been overlooked during hurried cleaning. A layer of accumulated dust was still evident despite the dark weather.

Within that layer of dust on the last step, Xiao Muyu saw two faint marks. They weren’t very distinct, but upon closer inspection, there was definitely something different about them.

She crouched to examine them more closely. Using her hand to gauge the size, she whispered, “What do you think they are?”

Shen Qingqiu looked at the outlines. “Footprints.”

Xiao Muyu felt a chill down her spine. They did look like footprints, crescent-shaped, but… Shen Qingqiu’s poised voice sounded beside her, “What kind of person could leave two steps’ worth of footprints on a single stair?” She extended her hand and indicated a distance of less than five centimeters between two fingers.

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

Shen Qingqiu: …

“Why do I sense mischief in your tone?” Shen Qingqiu squinted her eyes, scrutinizing Xiao Muyu.

Xiao Muyu snorted softly, turned, and resumed walking down the stairs. A faint smile flashed in her eyes, disappearing as quickly as it appeared.

Shen Qingqiu followed her at a leisurely pace, her mood unexpectedly light. It was rare to see this usually stoic person show playfulness. ‘Hmm, it’s kinda cute.’

Following Qu Muxi’s instructions, the two passed through a courtyard. It had some wooden playground equipment for children. However, with no kids around during mealtime, the place appeared spacious.

Behind the courtyard was a one-story building, with the word “Cafeteria” written in red paint above the entrance.

Peeking inside through the window, they could see shadowy figures moving about, but the details were unclear, and no sound came from within. The two stood at the doorway and lifted the curtain. The noise finally hit them in the face.

The two exchanged glances, and their senses immediately heightened.

Earlier, Xiao Muyu told Shen Qingqiu that she had only seen Qu Muxi, Old Sang, and the little girl named Xiao Jiao in the orphanage. But now, it seemed that everyone in the orphanage had gathered here.

The cafeteria had two long tables, each covered with a tablecloth. At the left table sat eight children, who all raised their heads to look at Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu as they entered.

Qu Muxi and the other six players were at the other table. Seeing the two women, Qu Muxi stood up with a smile and said, “You’re here. Take a seat. Everyone must be hungry, let’s start eating.”

Xiao Muyu nodded subtly and walked toward an empty spot on the left side of the table. However, she remained focused on the eight children in her periphery.

It didn’t make sense that an orphanage only had eight kids. What concerned Xiao Muyu even more was that there were exactly eight players.

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Author had something to say:

After her performance above, Comrade Xiao Xiao is now awarded the title, “Gentle Knife”!
Xiao Xiao: ……
Comrade Xiao Shen is awarded the honorary title of “A Thousand Deadly Blades”.
Xiao Shen: ……
With this, the Top Student and School Bully make the perfect match: Gentle Knife x A Thousand Deadly Blades.