Chapter 44: Orphan Resentment (Part 4)

This kind of coincidence usually didn’t mean much, but certainly implied something in an instance.

The six other players were observing the two women, especially Shen Qingqiu. The four who came in with Xiao Muyu had never seen her before. Seeing her come down with Xiao Muyu was overwhelming, to say the least. The probability of meeting someone familiar in an instance was much lower than their chance of surviving.

“Is her hand okay? I thought we got separated earlier, but I didn’t expect you both to find this place too.” The one who had spoken was Zhang Yangfeng. His tone was casual, and his eyes shifted between Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu before returning to the companions around him and Qu Muxi.

Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu were both brilliant people. Even though they didn’t know Zhang Yangfeng, and Shen Qingqiu had never seen him before, he must have had a reason for speaking like that.

Xiao Muyu responded, “Her right hand is fractured, so she can’t move it yet. But it’s good that everyone is here.” With just one sentence, she skillfully accommodated Zhang Yangfeng’s words.

“Thank you for taking us in, Director Qu. The weather is awful, and we’ve lost all our belongings. We would be helpless without you.” Zhang Yangfeng nodded at Xiao Muyu and then apologized to Qu Muxi, his face showing nothing but sincerity.

The other few who initially didn’t know each other quickly understood his intention.

Regardless if it was a supernatural instance, once NPCs showed up, they must be treated like real people. And there was a fundamental logic to follow when it came to people. You couldn’t just openly say, “We’re players here to clear an instance.” You had to make up a basic story.

Because they hadn’t had time to discuss their situation properly from the moment they entered, the best approach was to have Zhang Yangfeng craft the story while the others followed his cue.

Qu Muxi shook her head. “You’re being too formal. I’m just temporarily letting you stay. The food is nothing to write home about, and the conditions are simple. I hope you won’t mind.”

“Not at all. You’re being too kind.” The two exchanged pleasantries.

Qu Muxi glanced out the window. “The recent weather has not been favorable, and our Charity Orphanage is remote. It would take nearly a day’s walk if you want to reach a more populated place without a car. So, you should stay here until the weather clears.”

The eight people’s hearts skipped a beat. They subtly glanced at each other, all with slightly strained expressions.

To the players, Qu Muxi’s words were more than just a gesture of civility. It implied they might not leave Charity Orphanage before clearing the instance.

“Don’t be so reserved. Hurry up and eat,” Qu Muxi said. She lowered her head and picked up her chopsticks.

Each person had a tray with rice, a chicken drumstick, and three side dishes. The food was surprisingly good for an orphanage. It looked and smelled appetizing. Honestly speaking, the group’s stomachs were already rumbling at the smell after not eating for an entire day.

Seeing Qu Muxi begin to eat, the others also picked up their chopsticks. However, having survived two instances before, the players remained cautious. They all paid close attention to Qu Muxi’s movements—only after she ate did they start eating.

Xiao Muyu slightly lowered her head. Her nostrils flared as she inhaled the scent. Sitting beside her, Shen Qingqiu gave her a side glance but didn’t rush to eat either.

Then, she watched Xiao Muyu pick up some greens from her plate and put them into her mouth. She took her time eating, an elegant contrast to the eager others.

Shen Qingqiu clumsily used her left hand. After some struggle, she finally picked up a piece of green vegetable and cautiously put it into her mouth. The group observed the “eat in silence” rule well. Only Xiao Muyu quietly whispered to Shen Qingqiu, “Take your time. I’ll feed you later.”

Qu Muxi looked at the two women strangely before apologizing, “I overlooked that. It must be inconvenient to use chopsticks when your right hand is injured. I’ll go get a spoon.” Without waiting for Shen Qingqiu’s response, she stood up and went to the kitchen in the back.

Once Qu Muxi left, the children eating quietly at the table by the window raised their heads and carefully observed the group of eight.

There were eight children—five girls and three boys. Judging by their appearances, they ranged from about five or six years old to thirteen or fourteen. Xiao Muyu glanced at each of them. The girl named Xiao Jiao was sitting in the fourth seat on the left side. Her mouth was full of food, and she had soup all over her lips. As she chewed, she stared at Xiao Muyu. When she noticed Xiao Muyu looking back, she grinned dopily.

Xiao Muyu’s eyes sharpened, quickly focusing on the girl’s mouth. But a careful look revealed nothing unusual. However, recalling the strange scent she had picked up earlier, Xiao Muyu slowly traced a few words on Shen Qingqiu’s leg.

Shen Qingqiu was teasing the children watching them when she felt Xiao Muyu touching her thigh. Her toes curled slightly, but the smile on her face softened. Looking at the eight children across from them, she said, “You kids don’t eat properly when the director’s gone? Why are you staring at big sister?”

She tapped her left hand lightly on the table, signaling to Xiao Muyu that she had understood.

Shen Qingqiu’s words broke the strange atmosphere in the cafeteria. The two older children glanced at her before silently lowering their heads to continue eating. However, Xiao Jiao’s smile brightened. She put down her chopsticks and clapped her greasy little hands, her childish voice sounding sweet and pure. “Not look at sister, look at doll, doll pretty, I like.”

She laughed gleefully, and when her bright, clear eyes met Shen Qingqiu’s, Shen Qingqiu sensed mysterious perceptiveness in them. Her smile turned cold. She locked eyes with the girl, not looking away.

It wasn’t just Shen Qingqiu who felt something was off. Even Huang Junfeng, sitting nearby, got goosebumps from Xiao Jiao’s smile and couldn’t help but draw back.

Shen Qingqiu didn’t restrain her icy smile despite the person across from her being a child. Eyes narrowing, she said to Xiao Jiao, “But only good children deserve to like pretty things. Are you a good child?”

Her tone was soft, but from her icy smile and deliberate pace of her words, it was clear she wasn’t trying to comfort the child.

Xiao Jiao’s smile froze, and her lips began to tremble as if she was about to cry. A nearby girl, around thirteen or fourteen years old, dressed in red, shot her a glance and said softly, “You’re not supposed to talk during meals. Eat properly.”

Xiao Jiao immediately went silent. She gave the older girl a timid look, filled with fear and attachment, before diving back into her chicken drumstick.

Xiao Muyu’s gaze fell on the girl who had just spoken. After scolding Xiao Jiao, the girl lowered her head and resumed her meal. Her expression was stern and earnest, like a little adult. Moreover, Xiao Muyu noticed something odd she hadn’t realized earlier—the girl in red was eating with her left hand. Since her movements were so natural and practiced, it wasn’t noticeable at first.

Meanwhile, Huang Junfeng whispered to Liu Pei beside him, “She’s got guts, confronting an NPC. That kid is super creepy. Is she not afraid of dying?”

Huang Junfeng wasn’t the only one confused. The others were too. They all turned their eyes toward Shen Qingqiu. Xiao Muyu couldn’t help but frown slightly and shook her head at Shen Qingqiu.

Glancing at her, Shen Qingqiu smiled casually before quietly returning her focus to her veggies. Despite her hunger, she was still worried the food might not be clean. So, she inconspicuously pushed all the meat to the side of her plate.

Not long after, Qu Muxi came back with a bowl of spoons. She handed one to each person at the table and gestured for them to continue eating. It was very thoughtful.

After tending to the guests, she went over to the children, reminding them to eat properly before returning to her seat to finish her meal.

For a while, the only sounds in the cafeteria were the clinking of bowls and chopsticks. Before long, the faster eaters were already putting down their utensils. However, there was a lot of uneaten meat left on their plates. Having made it this far in the game, they all had some experience, and many carried deep psychological scars. Seeing neither Shen Qingqiu nor Xiao Muyu were eating the meat, they all avoided it.

The same could not be said for Qu Muxi. She ate at a slow pace but finished all the meat on her plate first. She bit off the meat from the braised chicken drumstick with such grace that it didn’t seem crude at all. Yet, the torn meat had streaks of blood, which didn’t look mouth-watering.

Xiao Muyu observed the director’s expression as she ate, but she seemed accustomed to it. She finished the drumstick with a steady expression.

After finishing her meal, she wiped her mouth and glanced at her guests’ plates. Gently smiling, she said, “The chicken was a little undercooked today, but the auntie’s cooking is quite good. You all should try it. Food is scarce, and we cherish it deeply. I hope everyone can cooperate and not let any food go to waste.”

She maintained her amicability, but as her gaze swept across the eight players, it was clear that a subtle warning lay beneath her words of advice.

At that moment, a chubby little boy at the other table spoke, “Good children don’t waste food. Aunty Director always teaches us that. If we don’t finish, we get punished.”

“Xiao Han is right. Everyone should check their plates. Have you all finished eating?” Qu Muxi stood up and looked over at the eight children.

“All done,” the children responded in unison.

“Go wash up quickly, then. It’s 6:30 now, so you can play for a bit. But I don’t want to hear any noises after 9:00. Everyone has to rest. Understood?”

“Yes!” The children were obedient to Qu Muxi. They looked at her with bright, sparkling eyes, radiating innocence and carefree spirit.

Qu Muxi turned to face her eight guests and glanced at the clock hanging in the cafeteria. “The auntie will clear the dishes at 6:40. After you finish, you can follow Old Sang to the dormitory. He’ll assign you rooms. I’m going to take the children to wash up now. There are washrooms on both sides of the staircase—boys on the left, and girls on the right. It’ll take about half an hour for the children to finish. You may go in after that. Water will be available until 9:30, but the lights go out at 9:00, so it won’t be convenient if you’re late. Make sure to manage your time.”

The group nodded in agreement. Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu immediately picked up on the key time points: 9:00 and 9:30.

As Qu Muxi led the children away, Xiao Muyu had been thinking about how to deal with the uneaten meat. A glance toward the door made her freeze for a moment.

Ever aware of Xiao Muyu’s reactions, Shen Qingqiu looked in the same direction. The third-to-last child was walking with a noticeable limp. At a careful look, he had a leg disability.

Xiao Muyu couldn’t help glancing at Shen Qingqiu. Judging from the seriousness in her eyes, it was clear that she had also noticed something fishy afoot.

“What are we going to do about the leftover meat? Did you guys notice something about it?” Huang Junfeng asked the others around him with a troubled look. His gaze wavered between Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu, before settling on the two.

“No, something just seemed off, and the meat doesn’t look right,” Zhang Yangfeng spoke honestly. He hadn’t noticed anything unusual. It was just a gut feeling. After all, this was an orphanage far from towns or cities, housing only eight orphans. A drumstick and this much meat for each person seemed rather extravagant.

“I felt sick watching her eat that drumstick.” Yang Rui’s reasoning was more straightforward.

“What about you, Miss Xiao? Did you or your friend notice anything?” Huang Junfeng inquired.

Xiao Muyu lifted her eyes. “I had similar concerns, and besides, I’m on a diet—I don’t want to eat meat.”

Her excuse left the men stunned. Although it sounded absurd, they could find no argument against it.

“Maybe we should focus on how to deal with the current situation. Regardless of our reasons, that woman left us no other choice but to eat the meat,” Liu Pei added in a neutral tone, his mood reflected on his grim face.

“From personal experience, not listening to NPCs often leads to dire consequences,” Zhang Yangfeng chipped in.

Yang Rui glanced at him and nodded. Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu also agreed in their heads, but being too obedient might not be a good thing either.

“Listening isn’t necessarily a good thing. I’ve personally experienced that in my last instance.”

Now everyone had their considerations. Huang Junfeng scratched his blonde hair and said, “In that case, we’ll just have to leave it to luck.”

He steeled himself and took a bite of the chicken drumstick. It tasted pretty good. It had some blood and wasn’t overly tender, but it didn’t have an off-putting flavor. He quickly finished the drumstick and ate the rest of the meat on his plate.

Following his lead, the others began to eat as well. Xiao Muyu also wanted to pick up her chopsticks, but Shen Qingqiu took her plate and dumped all the meat into her own. She stuffed the drumstick into her mouth. Only the bone remained when she took it out.

Xiao Muyu was taken aback and couldn’t help but ask, “Shen Qingqiu, what are you doing?”

Shen Qingqiu ate quickly but not rudely. Her left hand moved much more nimbly than before, and she skillfully used the spoon. Chewing, she winked at Xiao Muyu. “She only said not to waste anything. It doesn’t count as wasting if I finish it for you.”

The others, with their mouths full of grease: ……

Why hadn’t they thought of that?

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Author had something to say:

The astonished group: Why didn’t we think of that?
Xiao Xiao: What use is there if you did? It’s not like you have a wife to eat your food for you.
Group: *Cries*