Chapter 57: Orphan Resentment

A few simple sentences didn’t reveal much information on the surface, but they stirred a strange feeling in Xiao Muyu. They understood that Old Sang knew the truth.

While mulling it over, she asked, “Old Sang, Director Qu said she’s only the temporary director. What about the previous director? Where did he go?”

Old Sang’s expression immediately stiffened again, but he couldn’t hide the anger in his eyes. He coldly spat out: “He’s dead.”

Xiao Muyu keenly noticed that his gaze wasn’t directed at them as he said this. But at the pantry where the corpses were.

The suspicion she needed to verify became clear now. Old Sang had given them a lot of information.

However, Old Sang stiffly lifted his head to look at them again. His expression was strange, as if he wasn’t in control of himself. In a dazed tone, he said, “Be careful tonight… the things there are… impure.” After saying this, he left sluggishly. It was completely different from the Old Sang they met the first time.

Shen Qingqiu went to take a look after Old Sang left. He had locked the freezers. They didn’t discuss it further and busied themselves preparing dinner. Time was running out. The spoiled meat must be blanched, thoroughly washed, and seasoned heavily to mask the odor.

Xiao Muyu knew how to cook, indeed. Even though she had never cooked for so many people, she managed to make it look proper. The aroma was enticing despite the subpar ingredients. Yang Rui was caught in a tug-of-war. She felt sick one moment, unable to resist her appetite the next.

The meal was ready by 12:15. Two veggie dishes and a potato stew with meat. To Xiao Muyu, the smell was a mix of tantalizing fragrance and an unpleasant stench.

The dishes looked appetizing. But the three in the kitchen had no appetite, only nausea at the thought of eating them.

The food, already brought out, only awaited the others to eat it. Xiao Muyu glanced uneasily at the kitchen behind her. Shen Qingqiu whispered, “What’s wrong?”

“Old Sang’s warning… I think it’s not just about us knowing eight people have died here,” Xiao Muyu said, her brows furrowed, her expression heavy.

“What do you mean?” Yang Rui asked, puzzled.

“His fear is genuine, but it’s not of us. He said ‘their lingering souls’. Have you considered this? Since the one spying on us that night was male, he should be one of the eight. But he’s already dead.”

Xiao Muyu’s words sent a chill through Yang Rui. Realization dawned on her. “Miss Xiao, you’re saying… they’ve also turned into ghosts? But we haven’t encountered them face-to-face so far.”

“Yes, and that last thing he said before leaving. It felt less like a casual comment and more like a warning.”

Shen Qingqiu didn’t offer any input. She turned and went back into the pantry. After a while, she came out with a gloomy expression. “We missed something. We were too careless.”

“What is it?” Yang Rui’s heart tightened at Shen Qingqiu’s look.

“Old Sang didn’t open the two freezers with the bodies. He only locked them.”

Xiao Muyu stared at her. Shen Qingqiu took a deep breath. “If he was afraid we discovered something, he should’ve checked them, but he didn’t. I wonder if it’s because he can’t open them. And when we said Qu Muxi asked us to cook, Old Sang reacted like he didn’t expect it. Qu Muxi seemed fine this morning, but the Qu Muxi who asked us to cook doesn’t seem right.”

Yang Rui recalled that moment. “It’s true—her posture and tone changed. I thought they’d dropped their facade because the main storyline had started. She stopped being hospitable and even began putting us to work.”

Xiao Muyu closed her eyes, her frustration showing. “I’ve been so foolish. From the looks of it, Qu Muxi couldn’t have harmed those children. That means she’s not in league with those eight men. So, she should want to keep us from discovering the bodies, not blatantly lead us to the kitchen.”

“Maybe she doesn’t know about them. That would rule her out as the killer,” Yang Rui said quickly, her gears turning.

Shen Qingqiu spoke coolly, “Qu Muxi has been at the orphanage for a long time. She must’ve gone into the pantry before. The bodies are already rotting; if she went in, there’s no way she wouldn’t know. And if she doesn’t know, what about Auntie Jiang? As the cook, she must’ve known. But Auntie Jiang isn’t even a suspect. If she’s not the killer but turned a blind eye, that makes her an accomplice. And who would make her an accomplice? Old Sang? That doesn’t seem likely.”

“And Shen Qingqiu, remember I mentioned smelling smoke on her?” Xiao Muyu said abruptly.

Shen Qingqiu nodded. Her gray eyes lowered in thought, her expression focused. “Yeah. She’s a classy woman. She would clean up thoroughly if she smokes. Besides, she wouldn’t smoke around children, don’t you think?”

As always, Xiao Muyu only needed to give a starting thought, and Shen Qingqiu immediately caught on to her meaning.

Yang Rui wasn’t as quick to connect the dots, but she wasn’t clueless. As her mind reached the same conclusion, her eyes went vacant. This time was truly a close call.

The diners arrived. Zhang Yangfeng and the others quickly gathered near the three ladies. They wore weighty expressions.

Qu Muxi walked to the table and examined the dishes. She stirred them with a spoon, her eyes lighting up slightly. “Who did the cooking? Looks quite good.”

No one responded. Qu Muxi seemed displeased. Her brows furrowed slightly as she put weight into her words. “I asked, who did the cooking?” The authoritative tone was characteristic of a leader.

“I did, Director Qu.”

Qu Muxi’s gaze fell on Xiao Muyu. She openly showed her appreciation. “It’s rare to find someone who looks good and cooks well.”

She picked up chopsticks, took two pieces of meat, and slowly chewed. Her expression shifted from mild surprise to delighted enjoyment.

Yang Rui nearly gagged as she watched her. She held it in, turning her eyes away.

“I was worried you’d forget to add meat. Thankfully, you didn’t. It tastes truly wonderful. Many thanks for your hard work, Miss Xiao. Everyone, let’s eat.”

The eight children weren’t as lively this time. Not a single one spoke. Big Xiao Mei’s expression was so cold it seemed like frost might form.

Qu Muxi sat with the group during the meal. Too cautious to speak, the seven players resorted only to exchanging glances. Only sounds of clinking utensils and chewing echoed in the cafeteria.

Qu Muxi didn’t mention finishing the food. Auntie Jiang made no appearance either. So, everyone tacitly avoided eating the meat.

However, Qu Muxi behaved abnormally. She was eating a lot, and mostly meat.

She eventually looked up at them and, fixing her gaze on Xiao Muyu, said, “Why is no one eating the meat? How could you waste Miss Xiao’s excellent cooking?”

Xiao Muyu met her gaze and said unhurriedly, “When they came in, I told them I caught a slight cold. The spices irritated my nose while I was preparing the meat. I couldn’t hold back sneezing several times. Some snot and saliva got in there. They think it’s gross, so they’re not eating.”

Qu Muxi: ……

The others: ……

In that moment, all they could think was, Wicked move.

Instantly, Qu Muxi’s gentle face cracked. But she controlled herself, forcing a smile, “You’re quite the comedian.”

Yang Rui and the others were once again stunned. She just let it slide? Were the NPCs here that dense?

After the meal came the usual afternoon rest. Once the dishes were cleared, they finally had the chance to exchange information.

“We made a major discovery,” Huang Junfeng said, unable to contain himself, which he quickly followed up with, “What happened to you three? And this ‘who’s the killer’ business?”

“Let’s hear what you’ve found first. We don’t have much time. We need to gather more information as soon as possible,” Shen Qingqiu reminded firmly, looking at the four men across from her.

Huang Junfeng found her attitude a bit dull, but Zhang Yangfeng spoke honestly, “We stayed with the kids for a while longer. After Qu Muxi left halfway through, the kids became much more lively. We cautiously asked about the people in the photo, and their expressions turned strange. Some were scared, cowering, and refusing to speak. But that girl, Big Xiao Mei, looked absolutely furious and full of hatred. I think we guessed right. The kids also told me the man with out-of-place attire in the group photo was their director.”

“We already know that.”

Zhang Yangfeng paused but continued, “They also gave us some information I think is critical. But if we tell you, the points…”

Xiao Muyu understood his concern and sighed somewhat regretfully. “It’s fine. What we know is also important, but there’s no way to impart it besides telling you outright.”

“It’s related to the mission about the killer, right?” Liu Pei asked.

“Yes.”

Both sides agreed to sacrifice some points to share information. After hearing the details, the men’s faces displayed a mixed bag of emotions.

“What the hell? Is this instance some kind of gathering ground for demons and bogies? Are we cursed or something? Why is this so convoluted?” Huang Junfeng ruffled his hair a little frantically.

“What about your question? You were only given five hours. How much time is left now?” Zhang Yangfeng asked worriedly.

“Less than four hours.”

Zhang Yangfeng couldn’t sit still anymore. “Then we need to hurry and find clues! We also got some written records the kids kept back then. I don’t know if it’ll help, but you should take a look.”

He pulled out a few sheets of paper and handed them to Xiao Muyu’s team.

The papers appeared torn from a notebook. They recorded events at the orphanage. Most entries weren’t particularly private. However, whenever the orphanage had visitors, there were brief notes—like someone donating or a specific child accompanying the director to greet guests. Big Xiao Mei’s name appeared twice.

As Xiao Muyu read, her heart sank. Though the exact details were unclear, it was evident this place was far from a haven for children.

“‘Pretty sister, very pretty, very gentle, brought dolls for everyone,’” Xiao Muyu read aloud from the neat, childlike handwriting. The mention of dolls was far too significant to ignore.

“Dolls… Did they mention their own dolls at any point?” Shen Qingqiu asked, frowning.

Hou Liang shook his head. “No. They only admitted they liked their own dolls very much.”

Xiao Muyu read on and pointed to a specific phrase. “This ‘pretty sister’ appears in a strange context. Did you notice?”

Shen Qingqiu leaned in to glance at the diary-like entries. Several children had mentioned this sister. They seemed to have trouble describing her adequately in words. Some entries even included pinyin.

Zhang Yangfeng nodded. “We had some guesses about her.”

“It feels like they’re talking about one person. I think I’ve figured out her identity.” Xiao Muyu didn’t elaborate, mindful that they needed to earn points themselves.

At this point, the group had pieced together a general understanding of the situation in Charity Orphanage. One detail became clear: the headcount wasn’t displayed because the players were required to determine it themselves.

Xiao Muyu reopened the progress log and pointed at the question mark beside “Total Headcount”. She exchanged a glance with Shen Qingqiu. After they nodded at each other, the question mark on Xiao Muyu’s screen transformed into a number.

[Total Headcount: 1. 10 points.]

It was apparent this was a key piece of information. Xiao Muyu immediately calculated her points. Her total personal score now stood at 45 points.

The newly earned points included:

• Discovering critical plot—The eight people killed: 10 points
• Identifying the meat used in meals: 2 points
• Learning that Qu Muxi wasn’t the official director: 3 points

Meanwhile, Shen Qingqiu also tallied her points. She lost 5 points from failing to realize Xiao Jiao wasn’t human in the game that night and gained an additional 0.5 points for learning Auntie Jiang’s name. Her progress mirrored Xiao Muyu’s otherwise, bringing her total score to 41.5 points.

Yang Rui had been with them in the kitchen earlier and received the same 12 points for those discoveries. She had also deduced Qu Muxi’s identity, but since her Total Headcount field remained a question mark, she missed out on the additional 10 points, leaving her total score at 32.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yangfeng’s team had uncovered crucial evidence, earning them an extra 5 points. They also got 5 points for confirming Qu Muxi’s identity through the evidence, bringing their scores slightly ahead of Xiao Muyu’s team. Zhang Yangfeng himself totaled 32 points, while the other three, who missed the detail related to Xiao Qiu, were at 30 points.

“Make sure to investigate the total headcount in this instance,” Xiao Muyu advised briefly before heading out. Shen Qingqiu followed closely behind her. The classroom was empty during lunch break. It was the ideal time to investigate.

“Where are you going now?” Liu Pei couldn’t help but ask.

Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu ignored him and walked off silently. Sensing the tension, the typically reserved Yang Rui was forced to answer: “Looking for a key.”

The others decided to follow along after hearing this. Shen Qingqiu glanced back at them and said flatly, “Are you sure it’s a good idea for so many people to go steal a key?”

“Steal?” Huang Junfeng paused in surprise. “You already know where the key is?”

But he immediately smacked his own forehead. “Of course! Only two people could be managing the keys.”

After a brief discussion, they agreed that Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu would retrieve the key.

When the two arrived at Old Sang’s room on the first floor, they found him just locking the door, about to leave. His eyes were blank, his complexion hellish. He looked disturbingly similar to Auntie Jiang, the cafeteria lady.

“There’s something wrong with him,” Xiao Muyu muttered, frowning. “His face is showing signs of death.”