Chapter 56: Orphan Resentment (Part 16)

Xiao Muyu didn’t miss Yang Rui’s expression but paid little mind to it. Instead, she listened intently to Shen Qingqiu’s report.

Shen Qingqiu was a reliable person, indeed. From her detailed account, Xiao Muyu could tell she consciously avoided making subjective statements or jumping to conclusions. She focused solely on objective observations.

When the explanation ended, Xiao Muyu didn’t react or say anything. Instead, she grabbed a radish and began chopping it rhythmically. Yang Rui was stunned. That’s it? We’re not going to analyze it properly?

Shen Qingqiu chuckled softly and set aside the vegetables Xiao Muyu had cut up. Glancing at the pile of greens, she rubbed her chin and remarked with an air of calm, “Should we add some meat? What if they complain the food doesn’t suit their palate or it’s not balanced nutritionally?”

Yang Rui’s stomach turned at the mere thought. She quickly shook her head. “No way! If we add meat, we’d have to eat it ourselves later. What if it’s like last time, and eating the meat drags us into another game?”

Shen Qingqiu shot a look at Yang Rui, her gaze carrying a hint of undisguised disdain.

That single look snapped the terrified Yang Rui back to reality. She blushed and muttered, “That was stupid of me. We don’t have a choice on whether to eat or not. And besides, if eating meat means going into the game, someone might try to avoid eating altogether.”

After all, between playing the game and skipping a meal, the former carried more risk of dying. As for the latter, skipping a meal in Auntie Jiang’s absence might not have consequences. It was worth the gamble.

At that moment, Xiao Muyu spoke. “All eight victims are men wearing watches and bead bracelets. Based on the state of the orphanage, it’s clear this isn’t a modern urban environment. So, the economy is poor. People wearing accessories like those would be considered meticulous about their appearance. They’re not likely to be orphanage staff.

“The fact that their bodies weren’t buried but instead displayed like exhibits, stored brazenly in the cafeteria’s freezers… what does that tell us?”

Yang Rui froze for a moment before quickly chiming in, “People always say, ‘let the dead rest in peace,’ even when it comes to murder. Most people would destroy the body to cover up all evidence. Displaying the bodies so openly either shows a twisted mindset or extreme hatred. Laying them out like objects denies them peace while serving as a way to vent.”

“Yes. And speaking of watches, when we looked at the photos before, we didn’t think much of it, but several of those men were wearing watches. I didn’t notice anyone with bead bracelets, though. Plus, it makes sense why these men ended up like this if our guesses about those photos are right.” Xiao Muyu spoke about the grisly, brutal dismemberment with unsettling calm. It suddenly struck Yang Rui that, in a way, Xiao Muyu was a lot like Shen Qingqiu.

“The cuts are uneven, and there are obvious signs of tearing. Does that mean they were ripped apart alive? Shen Qingqiu, is that what you’re thinking?” Since Xiao Muyu hadn’t seen the scene firsthand, she turned to Shen Qingqiu for confirmation.

“Exactly. If you’ve watched wildlife documentaries, you’ll know that large carnivores like crocodiles don’t just bite off their food. They twist and tear it away with brute force. The marks left behind look very similar to this.” Shen Qingqiu gave an example for more accuracy. However, it only made Yang Rui’s mind spiral into vivid mental images of the scene.

“The bones are fractured unevenly, with missing fragments. It fits the characteristics of violent tearing or forced breaking. To put it simply, this isn’t just dismemberment—it’s more like they were physically torn apart.” Xiao Muyu finished slicing a carrot, then, like nothing happened, took another Shen Qingqiu handed to her. After a short pause, she continued, “But something like quartering a body isn’t humanly possible. As for wild animals… there’s no evidence pointing to that in the orphanage. Besides, animals aren’t that easy to control. So, whatever killed them… was not human.”

*Ding!*Xiao Muyu’s knife suddenly stopped mid-slice as the system chimed again.

“Players Xiao Muyu, Shen Qingqiu, and Yang Rui have activated the main storyline quest: Who Is the Killer! This quest will be in quiz form. You have five hours to answer. Each player must complete the quest independently. A correct answer will earn you 20 points. An incorrect answer will let the real killer escape unpunished. The falsely accused will be consumed with rage, bringing an all-out assault on you from both sides. Therefore, use your authority wisely. Do not wrong an innocent person, and do not let a guilty one go.”

Xiao Muyu, Shen Qingqiu, and Yang Rui’s expressions all changed. Yang Rui looked flustered, while Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu frowned deeply.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yangfeng’s face turned ashen upon hearing the announcement. The other three players exchanged bewildered glances. However, all they heard was the quest announcement, nothing more.

The three ladies were still trying to comprehend the situation when a question popped up on their interfaces.

“Who killed these eight victims? ( )”

The system continued to speak in its artificial, mechanical tone.

“This system upholds the glorious tradition of prioritizing friendship over competition. Thus, we’ve reduced the difficulty level for the three of you. This question is specially formatted as a multiple-choice problem, so you can guess even if you don’t know the answer. Even an idiot could do it!”

The three looked at this “idiot-friendly” question. Beneath it was a long list of choices that was easily several times longer than the question itself. There were 14 options labeled from A to N!

Yang Rui, who prided herself on her good upbringing, blurted out despite herself, “Screw you!”

Her face flushed with anger. This time, the system remained obediently silent. It seemed it was aware of just how much it deserved the scolding.

“Heh, sure, even an idiot could pick an answer. But what’s the point of picking if you can’t get it right!? And guessing? Go ahead and guess yourself!” Yang Rui vented all her pent-up frustration without pausing for breath.

But she also knew there was nothing she could do about it now. They weren’t just tasked with cooking anymore. They had to figure out who had killed these eight people.

Xiao Muyu lowered her head to examine the question. Fourteen options in total—though the first ten were clear and straightforward. They respectively listed Old Sang, Qu Muxi, and the eight children. The remaining four were:

K. Qu Muxi and Big Xiao Mei
L. Qu Muxi and Old Sang
M. Big Xiao Mei and Old Sang
N. The eight children and Qu Muxi

Xiao Muyu looked at the options for three minutes before speaking a full paragraph.

“Ever heard this during school? When unsure about a multiple-choice question, don’t just pick an answer from four options based on the question alone. Consider why these four options are here. A good test taker also knows how to think like the person who wrote the question. A well-designed question will surely have a correct answer among the options. However, there’s something else to consider. The wrong options shouldn’t be too ridiculous. Or else it’ll make it easier to rule out the wrong ones and pick the right one even if you don’t know the answer.”

“Are you saying that…?” Yang Rui also fixed her gaze on the options, deep in thought.

Just then, Shen Qingqiu looked up and was surprised to find a face peering through the kitchen window. It was the third time she had seen that face. Her mood immediately soured. Without hesitation, she threw her dagger.

With a clang, the dagger flew straight through the glass towards the face.

The shattered glass scattered across the floor. That face twisted in fear before quickly jerking to the side, narrowly dodging Shen Qingqiu’s dagger.

When Xiao Muyu finally realized what was happening, Shen Qingqiu was already leaping through the broken window like a gust of wind, ignoring sharp glass shards. In an instant, she had the person pinned to the floor, her knee pressing firmly on them.

Xiao Muyu and Yang Rui rushed over to see what had happened. Shen Qingqiu’s expression was grave and strange. The man pinned beneath her was Old Sang, one of the suspects listed in their options.

Old Sang looked utterly disheveled. His cheek pressed flat against the floor, his face pale. A long blood streak ran down the side of his face, extending behind his ear. There was a gash on his scalp, a testament to his thrilling brush with death.

Once Shen Qingqiu realized who it was, she quickly stood up and released him.

Xiao Muyu hurried out, looking at the grim-faced Old Sang. She quickly spoke up, “I’m so sorry. We weren’t expecting you here, so my friend acted recklessly. Are you alright?”

Old Sang’s fingers clenched and unclenched repeatedly. His response was cold and harsh, “What kind of people are you? Who walks around with a dagger and throws it at someone when they see them? That is completely lawless!”

“Old Sang, I’m truly sorry. There’s been a misunderstanding. The thing is, yesterday we saw a face peeking through the glass window twice. It was a little scary, so my friend reacted too strongly. Please understand.” Although Xiao Muyu was apologizing sincerely, her tone remained measured, neither humble nor forceful, making it pleasant to listen to.

But to her surprise, Old Sang closed his mouth after hearing her words. His expression stiffened. A range of emotions flickered in his eyes. After a long pause, he finally asked, “Where did you see?”

Xiao Muyu glanced at Shen Qingqiu, whose eyes immediately gleamed. They sensed a meaning behind the question.

Xiao Muyu’s expression turned serious. With a hint of unease, she replied, “Once outside a room, through the glass window above the door. We couldn’t get a clear view, but it was half a face. The second time was in the third-floor bathroom. That time…”

Before Xiao Muyu could finish her sentence, Shen Qingqiu, who had been silently brooding, immediately interrupted. She casually pointed at Yang Rui as she spoke. “The girl was in the shower at the time. Both Muyu and I saw it. The face looked like a man’s.”

Yang Rui: … Is this woman having memory issues or just playing double standards?

It was she and Xiao Muyu in the shower. Why did Shen Qingqiu change it?

Xiao Muyu immediately picked up on Shen Qingqiu’s little trick. She was unsure whether to roll her eyes or laugh.

Old Sang’s lips began to tremble. His face contorted with anger, fear, and a hint of madness.

“Scum! Scum! Beast!” Veins bulged on his neck and forehead. His rage was visibly reaching a boiling point.

“Old Sang, there are only several of you here. Where did these other men come from? Don’t tell me…” Shen Qingqiu’s eyes held a clear disdain, her gaze unguarded as she stared at Old Sang. The expression on her face made it clear what she was thinking.

His face drained of color, his anger reaching its peak. He shouted, “Don’t talk nonsense! I’m not like those animals! I may not be a good person, but those are just children! How could I do something like that!”

“Their lingering souls won’t leave us alone. Even after they’re dead, they still want to disgust us!” He spat viciously, burning a stare through the kitchen.

But then his expression froze. He snapped his head around, glaring at them venomously. “Who told you you could come in here? Didn’t I tell you not to wander around? Do you have a death wish?!”

The three exchanged confused looks. Xiao Muyu quickly explained, “Director Qu said Auntie Jiang fell and got hurt. No one was there to cook, so she asked us to do it.”

“Director Qu? How could she ask you to cook? Wait… you went into the pantry?” Old Sang’s expression shifted to one of sheer terror. He could no longer hold it back, as if the world was crumbling around him.

Xiao Muyu’s heart sank. She cautiously replied, “Yes, we went in. We saw some carrots, potatoes, and greens.”

“Did you find anything else?” Old Sang swallowed, his voice trembling, his expression odd and unnerving.

The three felt their insides twist in turmoil with each question and answer. But one thing was clear: Old Sang didn’t want them to see those things. And in this situation, if he knew they had seen the bodies, things could spiral out of control very quickly.

Shen Qingqiu’s eyes flicked with a sudden idea. She quickly shifted from her earlier, domineering expression. Face paling, she grabbed onto Xiao Muyu’s arm, her whole body hanging onto her. Suppressing the fear and disgust on her face with effort, she said, “How can you even ask? This place is just too weird. It must be a heartless orphanage. Who—who keeps crows as food, stuffing them in a freezer like that? We just wanted to check what ingredients you had. When we opened the first freezer, it was nothing but crows! Ugh! I’m usually strong, but that scared me so bad I almost cried!”

Shen Qingqiu even put on a face as if she couldn’t continue. Tears threatened to spill over her beautiful face like raindrops on a pear blossom.

Xiao Muyu and Yang Rui: ……

Xiao Muyu kept her face cold and wooden. She let this over-the-top woman lean on her while seriously covering for her. “That’s right, it really scared her. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been so impulsive earlier.” She was referring to Shen Qingqiu throwing the dagger.

Yang Rui reluctantly played along. However, she was genuinely scared and sounded far more sincere than Shen Qingqiu. “Why keep crows inside? Was the meat served in the cafeteria that day… crow meat?”

Old Sang swept his gaze over their faces. After a moment, he seemed to relax. He wouldn’t be so calm if he knew they had opened the freezers and looked inside.

His expression grew stern. “Charity Orphanage is isolated, and there’s no funding now. We barely have any vegetables left, let alone meat. And what’s wrong with crow meat? It’s not inedible. You’re making a big deal out of nothing.”

He turned to walk inside, then paused. He glanced back with a warning, “If you’re scared, just stay away.”

Watching Old Sang walk away, Xiao Muyu glanced at Shen Qingqiu with a faint look. “He’s gone in. No need to keep acting.”

Shen Qingqiu rubbed her eyes. She straightened, distancing herself from Xiao Muyu, sighing and frowning. “I’ve never been so fake in my life. Such a huge sacrifice.”

Yang Rui inwardly grumbled. You sure were into it. Still, she had to acknowledge Shen Qingqiu’s quick thinking. She managed to smooth things over so perfectly in such an urgent situation.

It was natural for someone to be frightened by the crows. So not wanting to continue looking was a very reasonable response.

However, Xiao Muyu still seemed worried. “What about the state of the pantry?”

“Don’t worry. I was going to take the meat out, but I didn’t get to it. Everything else was untouched, and I didn’t clean up that pile of crows either.”

Old Sang came back out before they could discuss it further. His expression was solemn. “I don’t know why the director let you three handle the cooking, but let me be clear. There must be meat in the dishes. I’ve already brought out some pork for you. Crow meat won’t harm anyone, and the kids love it. You can’t leave it out.

“And as for the cold storage, there’s nothing in it. Whatever you do, don’t touch it. If you do, the consequences will be more than you can handle.”

---

Author had something to say:

Xiao Shen: I was so scared at the time.
Yang Rui: That’s my line. You have the nerve to say you were scared.
Xiao Shen: If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t be clinging to my wife like you did.
Yang Rui: Shameless!