Chapter 8: Human Skin Manor (Part 7)

The soup was bad, and the bread was also dry and hard, making it difficult to swallow. Everyone struggled to eat, especially those pampered ones with finicky tastes. The girl in the couple couldn’t take it anymore, and refused to eat any further.

Despite her frail appearance, the old woman ate at a quick pace. She didn’t seem to care whether the others finished their meals or not. Once done, she got up and said, “I’m done. This old woman is too tired to stay up, so I’ll be going to rest. Take your time eating; you can only sleep well when you’re full.”

With that, she shakily made her way toward her room—the second floor’s locked room. It struck everyone as odd that an elderly person living alone would keep their bedroom locked all the time. It seemed inconvenient and unnecessary.

After half an hour, some still hadn’t finished their food. The girl named Xiaotian sulkily complained to her boyfriend, “This is too awful. I can’t eat anymore. I’ll just have a little; I’m not finishing the rest.”

Her boyfriend strongly agreed and was also considerate towards his girlfriend. “Alright, if you don’t like it, we won’t eat anymore.”

They weren’t the only ones who couldn’t finish their meal. The man with glasses, Old Liao, and the others, like Xu Ran, had also left food on their plates. Liu Wei reminded them to finish their meals, but aside from Xu Ran, who reluctantly forced himself to finish his food, the others weren’t convinced. In the end, out of the thirteen plates on the table, five still had food left on them.

Xiao Muyu noticed that the brothers, Chen Dong and Chen Xi, had left the most food behind, clearly not wanting to eat.

“There are twelve of us and six rooms, so we’ll need to pair up. Let’s sort out who’s staying with whom.”

Xiao Tian, afraid of being separated from her boyfriend, hastily spoke up, “We have to be in one room. The room we just went to was on the second floor, first one from the left; we’ll stay there.”

“There are five women and seven men, so this works out well. Chen Xi and Chen Dong, you two brothers share a room; I’ll room with Xu Ran, and Xiao Cui, you share with Sister You. Leopard and Old Liao can room together. Does that work?”

Xiao Muyu quirked an eyebrow. No one even considered asking her and Shen Qingqiu, as if they had already assumed the two would room together.

Of course, they ultimately didn’t object, and everyone selected their rooms. As if there was some tacit agreement, the room next to the old woman’s was left to Shen Qingqiu and Xiao Muyu.

The layout of the rooms formed an L-shape. The old woman’s room was to the right of Xiao Muyu and Shen Qingqiu’s, while to the left was Cui Xiaoxuan and You Qiaolian’s room. At the far end directly facing the corridor, was the young couple’s room.

While the old woman was resting, the group also thoroughly searched the first floor but found little of significance. Since the outdoors were off-limits, they had no choice but to retreat to their rooms.

“Miss Shen, Miss Xiao, if anything happens tonight, don’t hesitate to call us. It’s better if we all stick together.” Cui Xiaoxian was clever. She was an old hand at communicating and handling affairs, and had high emotional intelligence.

Xiao Muyu glanced at You Qiaolian, who was standing next to Cui Xiaoxuan, and then nodded. Just before stepping into her room, she offered a piece of advice: “Get some rest tonight, but don’t sleep too deeply.”

Cui Xiaoxuan found nothing questionable about this advice, and smiled slightly. “Mm, you too. Good night.”

Once the door closed, the sounds outside were also isolated. Movements in the neighboring rooms were barely audible, almost indistinct. It was surprising how soundproofed the room was.

“This place actually has working lights. That’s rare.” Shen Qingqiu eyed the dimly lit bedside lamp, then shook her head.

Xiao Muyu didn’t respond. She merely stared at the only bed in the room.

Shen Qingqiu had shed the aloofness and nonchalance she displayed in front of the others. While leaning against the cupboard, she could guess what Xiao Muyu was thinking. She smiled slightly and said, “There’s only one bed. You don’t mind, right, Miss Xiao? You might have no choice but to squeeze in with me tonight.”

Xiao Muyu glanced at her. “We’re both women, so it’s not an issue. I’m just not used to sharing a bed with someone else.”

Shen Qingqiu quirked her lips and casually asked, “You suddenly spoke up to remind that girl earlier. Did you notice something?”

Xiao Muyu didn’t look at her, and continued to tidy up the bed as she calmly replied, “I just said it in passing. We all searched together; if someone found something, we should know by now.”

Shen Qingqiu stood by the window, looking out, before shaking her head. “Not necessarily. A bunch of strangers suddenly thrown into a deadly game instance with no clear picture of the situation—who would be foolish enough to reveal everything about themselves? Besides, I think you’re different from them. You might have discovered something peculiar. For instance, someone acting strangely.”

Xiao Muyu just lifted her head and glanced at her. “Since you’ve already noticed, why ask me? After all, just like Chen Dong and Chen Xi, you’re not a newbie, are you?”

Shen Qingqiu looked Xiao Muyu up and down, noting the bloodstains on her clothes and her disheveled ponytail, giving her a slightly haggard appearance.

Xiao Muyu had refined and symmetrical features. Her straight nose was small and delicate, her lips a light color, and her skin was fair. She appeared quiet yet very classy, quite attractive.

However, her black eyes revealed a hint of distance, and with her usual lack of expression, she was like a layer of hoarfrost on a winter morning—dazzling in the sunlight, but clearly cold to the touch.

“You’re right. Newbies often panic, or act recklessly once they enter an instance. Without someone to guide them, they might not even survive the first day. That’s why it’s common to have players with some experience join in, as having some knowledge is always beneficial.”

“Seems this batch of newbies isn’t very lucky,” Xiao Muyu remarked bluntly. While Shen Qingqiu had saved her, Xiao Muyu hadn’t forgotten the things she had done.

Shen Qingqiu couldn’t help but chuckle lightly, “You really hold a grudge, huh. But it’s true, especially for you. You’ve been repeatedly taken advantage of.” She then frowned slightly. “Honestly, this is the first time I’ve encountered such a disastrous newbie instance.”

Chen Xi and Chen Dong didn’t have good intentions; during the first round of conversation, they didn’t provide any useful hints. As for her, she followed her own path, and didn’t bother to warn them, maybe even thinking of playing a prank.

Xiao Muyu silently rolled her eyes—at least she had some self-awareness.

“I know you’re uneasy. To show my sincerity, I’m willing to share what I’ve observed. Someone in this group is acting very strange. Newbies are prone to impulsiveness and excessive fear, but after barely escaping the first death trap and realizing they need to score points to clear the game, there’s no reason for them to stay completely silent.”

“Oh, you’re talking about Chen Dong and Chen Xi?” Xiao Muyu feigned ignorance.

“Chen Dong and Chen Xi are wary of us, and since this isn’t their first game, their reticence is understandable. But for a newbie to not say a single unnecessary word—that’s suspicious,” Shen Qingqiu analyzed, pretending not to know, deliberately not spelling it out.

“By the way, did you notice the paintings hung around the foyer?”

Shen Qingqiu was indeed speaking seriously, and for someone like Xiao Muyu who was participating for the first time, such exchanges were necessary. In a mystery-solving game like this, it was crucial to have the right approach.

“Yes, there are eleven paintings. Some of them are by Da Vinci.” Xiao Muyu recalled some of the famous paintings she had learned about in her studies, including the “Mona Lisa”, Da Vinci’s self-portrait, and other famous paintings.

“Not just some, all eleven of them are by Da Vinci. The ‘Mona Lisa’, Da Vinci’s self-portrait, ‘The Adoration of the Magi’, ‘Bacchus’, ‘Lady with an Ermine’, ‘The Baptism of Christ’…” Shen Qingqiu listed off the names of all eleven paintings in one breath, eliciting an involuntary, surprised expression from Xiao Muyu.

While Da Vinci was a world-renowned artist, and most people could recognize his more famous works, being able to name all eleven paintings in such an environment was no small feat, especially considering how similar some of the Madonna-themed paintings were. Shen Qingqiu was truly impressive.

Seeing her expression, Shen Qingqiu found it a little funny and said, “Don’t get the wrong idea; I’m not trying to show off.”

Xiao Muyu was just about to roll her eyes when Shen Qingqiu looked at her and quietly asked, “After I named those eleven paintings, did you notice anything strange?”

Xiao Muyu was slightly taken aback, and then thought for a moment. “There’s no ‘The Last Supper’, right?”

Shen Qingqiu’s eyes showed a hint of approval. “I knew you were sharp. Da Vinci has many famous works, but a few are particularly well-known. Out of so many paintings, the absence of ‘The Last Supper’ doesn’t seem like a coincidence, especially when…”

“Especially when there are twelve apostles, twelve dining chairs, and tonight one chair was missing. The eleven paintings are missing one as well and, considering the placement, it should have been hung directly behind the dining table.”

Shen Qingqiu gestured as she spoke. The dining room’s layout appeared in Xiao Muyu’s mind, then her heart skipped a beat, and she murmured, “If you were to paint the scene of us sitting there, it would pretty much resemble Da Vinci’s ‘The Last Supper’.”

Although she had vaguely sensed that the missing chair was odd, she hadn’t connected it to this. With Shen Qingqiu’s hint, a chilling realization crept over her.

“Is this the last supper?” she asked instinctively.

Shen Qingqiu’s smile became cold. “I don’t know, but for some, it might just be.” Her voice dropped slightly, and her tone carried a chill that sent a shiver down Xiao Muyu’s spine.

Noticing Xiao Muyu looking down in silence, Shen Qingqiu continued, “And what about those locked rooms? Aren’t you curious?”

Xiao Muyu didn’t respond. At this moment, she could see the dim light of the streetlamp outside, which had turned on at some point, casting shadows where the writhing skins still lingered, unwilling to leave.

“Even if I’m curious, I’d need to survive to act on it. There’s no need to take risks on the first night. At least I won’t, and I don’t think you will either.”

Shen Qingqiu leaned closer; their shoulders nearly touched as they stood by the window. She tilted her head slightly, her eyes—tinged with a hint of gray—reflected Xiao Muyu’s image with a playful, charming glint. “How can you be so sure?”

Standing at nearly 1.7 meters tall, Xiao Muyu was still two or three centimeters shorter than her, so she lifted her gaze and, with a less-than-pleased expression, said, “We don’t have the luxury of losing another 5 points.”

With that, she headed straight for the small compartment in the bedroom, taking the clothes the system had provided with her.

Shen Qingqiu couldn’t help but laugh genuinely this time, her eyes curving with amusement. This woman was indeed petty, still holding a grudge against her for stealing the noob amulet. With a small sigh, she admitted it had been a waste.

The amulet, despite lasting only 24 hours and costing 5 points to resist an attack, could save someone from death—a rare opportunity. Hehe. Tonight was going to be interesting.

She reached into her pocket, opened her hand and glanced down at it, then looked toward the small compartment where Xiao Muyu had gone. Tightening her fist, she quietly opened the door and slipped out without a sound.

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Author had something to say:

Well done, everyone is really clever! A little cutie even guessed ‘The Last Supper’ previously, I’m humbled. Although this volume is in the supernatural genre, the focus isn’t on horror but rather on reasoning and solving puzzles. I hope this attempt won’t disappoint you—I’m putting a lot of thought into it, though I do get a bit scared when I think about it at night, and sometimes the plot gives me a headache.

Let’s continue—place your bets: who’s going to open the room tonight? And why?

By the way, Xiao Shen is the first one in history to successfully get into bed with her future wife the soonest, but unfortunately… haha…