Chapter 20: The Figure in the Painting

“Good point. It seems I must confront Shi Wenxuan head-on,” Xiang Zhuo said, rubbing his arm as he stood up. “I’ll find a way to force him to reveal his source of information.”

Liao Ruxue placed his hand on Xiang Zhuo’s shoulder. “There’s no need for that. You’ll be targeted on campus, and who knows what might happen next. It’s better if I handle this.”

“You?” Xiang Zhuo’s expression seemed like his worldview had been shattered. He probably never expected to rely on an ordinary person for protection in a game scenario.

Liao Ruxue nodded. “I have a significant advantage going there. First, this world won’t attack me. Secondly, Shi Wenxuan won’t dare to harm me. Lastly, I can also enlist other students to help.”

Xiang Zhuo felt uneasy and was about to object, but Mo Qi tugged at his sleeve.

“In that case, President, we’ll rely on you,” Mo Qi said.

“Oh? Trusting me this much?” Liao Ruxue’s eyes lit up with a hint of surprise.

“It’s not exactly trust, but rather the best allocation for now, isn’t it?” Mo Qi replied, looking at Liao Ruxue.

Liao Ruxue smiled. “Alright then, I’ll take it as you trusting me.”

After Liao Ruxue left the exhibition hall, Xiang Zhuo questioned Mo Qi, “Liao Ruxue is full of schemes. Are you sure letting him go to find Shi Wenxuan is wise? What can he possibly find out? Even if he does find something, he won’t tell us!”

“I don’t trust him any more than you do. I know he’s not going to Shi Wenxuan to help us complete the mission, but for some other purpose. But this is the only way to keep him occupied,” Mo Qi replied calmly.

“Do you have new clues?” Xiang Zhuo asked.

Mo Qi replied, “There are two things you’re not aware of, so you can’t see who we should truly suspect. That’s normal, but I do have a new target.”

Although Fan Ting couldn’t reveal who gave her the Wishing Box, through resonance, Mo Qi clearly saw that Fan Ting received the Wishing Box in the girls’ dormitory.

Their school had strict dormitory management; apart from new students being allowed help from family members during move-in, and males being allowed into the girls’ dormitory once, all other times, even if Liao Ruxue wanted to enter the girls’

“Whoever gave the Wishing Box to Fan Ting in the girls’ dormitory is almost certainly a girl,” Mo Qi stated.

“Liao Ruxue knows so much not only because he’s the student council president but also because he has an informant, the Minister of Literature Department’s Publicity, Wen Miao,” Mo Qi continued.

“So, Wen Miao is the one who knows everything. Why didn’t Liao Ruxue mention this crucial detail earlier?” Xiang Zhuo asked, clearly puzzled.

Xiang Zhuo understood that explaining the complex relationship between Mo Qi and Liao Ruxue couldn’t be summed up in just a sentence or two. Liao Ruxue genuinely wanted to eliminate Mo Qi, but at the same time, he sincerely wanted to help him. When it came to the game’s tasks, Liao Ruxue always stood by Mo Qi’s side. Therefore, he shouldn’t have deliberately concealed the matter involving Wen Miao.

Mo Qi responded, “Some things may seem complex on the surface, but if you trace their motives, they become easier to understand. Liao Ruxue is influenced by my skills, and there’s one thing that overrides everything else in his mind. He’s willing to do anything for that one thing.”

“Wanting to kill you himself? But by obstructing our mission, he’d ultimately lead to your game account being canceled, which isn’t the same as his desire,” Xiang Zhuo puzzled.

“That means his motives have changed,” Mo Qi shifted the focus. “Let’s hurry and find Wen Miao. Even though locating her may not necessarily complete the task.”

“I’m not as familiar with this school as you are. Do you know where she is?” Xiang Zhuo inquired.

“I don’t know either, but I think you can help me.” Mo Qi spread her hands to Xiang Zhuo. “Wouldn’t the Clue Detector suffice?”

“Each team member can only use one detector per mission, and I’ve already used mine.”

“That rule applies to players in the same team. You and I aren’t on the same team. I recall you should have more than one of these detectors,” Mo Qi said.

“Even if it’s just an R-grade item, it still requires points. Are you really asking me for an item for free?” Xiang Zhuo asked.

“At a time like this, when you’re forcing my hand over one or two items,” Mo Qi said, looking at Xiang Zhuo, staring at him for a moment.

Immediately, Xiang Zhuo blushed and took out a card, saying, “After this mission, you owe me an identical Item Card.”

“No problem. I don’t like owing favors,” Mo Qi replied.

The moment Mo Qi accepted the Item Card, a dialogue box popped up before her eyes.

[System: Player Xiang Zhuo has gifted you an R-grade Item Card. Accept? Yes/No]

Mo Qi chose “Yes”.

[System: Do you want to add Player Xiang Zhuo to your friends list? You can send messages after leaving the game and form teams before joining.]

Mo Qi quickly weighed the pros and cons, ultimately deciding to add Xiang Zhuo as a friend.

“The clues provided by the Clue Detector are random; we might not necessarily find Wen Miao,” Xiang Zhuo reminded Mo Qi.

“At this point, the clues we can obtain are likely related to three directions: the third wisher, the third victim, and the mastermind. With a one-third probability, it’s not low. Even if the clues don’t directly point to the mastermind, they must be related,” Mo Qi replied.

Mo Qi’s heart raced as the Item Card transformed into a compass. The pointer spun rapidly before finally pointing towards a painting in the exhibition hall.

Mo Qi glanced at the pointer, wondering why the clue would be related to a painting. Despite her thoughts, her mind instructed her to leave the exhibition hall, her feet moving involuntarily towards the door—the power of the card’s negative effect.

Luckily, Xiang Zhuo was by her side. He quickly reached out and grabbed Mo Qi. “Careful not to take the wrong path,” he said.

Mo Qi pocketed the compass, reclaiming control over her mind’s direction, and approached the painting.

“Is there anything unusual about this painting?” Xiang Zhuo asked.

“I think the Clue Detector must be pointing to this,” Mo Qi pointed at the name of the artist below the painting, which read “Min Shihua.”

Xiang Zhuo asked, “Is she the third wisher or the third victim?”

“I don’t know this person, but from what I can gather, all the victims were disliked by someone. Min Shihua is a student in the Fine Arts Department and is friends with Xiang Wansi. She doesn’t seem like someone who would do wrong and be disliked by others; she might be the wisher,” Mo Qi said.

Xiang Zhuo asked, “Then who would she kill?”

“Not necessarily,” Mo Qi shook her head. “I just thought of something. What makes us so sure that the wish of the wisher must involve taking someone’s life?”

“Isn’t it obvious? The first two ended up dead.”

“But there’s no rule stating that the wisher’s task must involve killing. Isn’t a strong desire enough?” Mo Qi felt this was crucial. It seemed to connect with another matter, but she hadn’t yet figured out what it was.

“Let’s take a step back. Even if she is the third wisher, what difference does it make? You just saw Fan Ting and the wish box yourself, but you can’t touch the box,” Xiang Zhuo said.

“The game app hasn’t indicated the generation of the third wisher yet. I think the mastermind personally hands over the box to them, right? Perhaps we can lure the mastermind out,” Mo Qi said.

“Lure them out? How?” Xiang Zhuo asked.

Mo Qi picked up scattered papers from the ground. These were the handouts he had printed for Xiang Wansi’s explanation. Earlier, Shi Wenxuan forcibly took Xiang Wansi away, scattering these handouts on the ground and leaving several footprints behind.

The introduction of the painting only listed Min Shihua’s name, major, grade, and department. There were no personal contact details available, but they were on the explanation sheet.

In an art exhibition, if someone really likes a piece and wants to contact the original artist, whether to buy the work or promote the student, it’s a good thing. So, the Student Council has the contact details of each artist on the sheets prepared for the lecturers.

Mo Qi retrieved Min Shihua’s phone number from the sheet and dialed it. Soon, someone picked up on the other end.

“Hello, is this Min Shihua? I’m Mo Qi from the Student Council. Today, Xiang Wansi and I were originally preparing for tomorrow’s exhibition. However, another male lecturer suddenly attacked me and took Xiang Wansi away. During the struggle, it seems a part of your artwork was damaged. I’m wondering if you could…”

“I’ll be right there,” came a cold voice from the receiver.

Mo Qi hung up the phone, realizing how simple it was to lure Min Shihua over.

Most of what he said was true. Even if Min Shihua had a good relationship with Xiang Wansi, calling to confirm would only further confirm the incident, especially since Xiang Wansi saw Mo Qi being struck on the painting.

There was also another point: if Shi Wenxuan knew so much about the incident, who told him? Mo Qi guessed that Shi Wenxuan’s source of information was likely the mastermind.

Shi Wenxuan was lucky; the Clue Detector actually pointed directly to the mastermind for him. But in this game, the better your luck, the greater the negative effects that follow. Shi Wenxuan hit the jackpot all at once, but he was also the one who was most miserably used by the mastermind.

Following this speculation, the mastermind must be aware of what just happened in the exhibition hall. Using this reason to lure Min Shihua here is the most reasonable and least likely to be guarded against by the mastermind, and it’s very likely to bring both people here.

One bait can catch two fish.

“I’m lucky too,” Mo Qi smiled. “The Clue Detector gave me a good lead.”

Xiang Zhuo: “…”

“Is this supposed to be good?” The Clue Investigator merely pointed at the painting, something an average player might now be scrutinizing with a magnifying glass for hidden secrets. Yet Mo Qi could glance at the small corner and instantly discern the author’s information, swiftly deducing Min Shihua’s identity, all while setting up this scheme that drew in two people at once.

It wasn’t about having good clues; Mo Qi’s ability to unravel mysteries was just too strong.

“Are you really just a novice player?” Xiang Zhuo couldn’t help but ask.

This time, Mo Qi didn’t affirmatively respond but frowned and said, “I originally thought it was my first time entering this game, but now, I’m not so sure.”

Her adaptability to the game was so strong that Mo Qi began to question her own memories.

Before Min Shihua arrived, Mo Qi had instructed Xiang Zhuo to hide behind a screen in the exhibition hall, pretending he was the only one there, ready to act as a trump card in case of any surprises. At the same time, he took out his dormitory key and whispered “offend” towards the painting, deeply marking a corner with a metal key.

The figure in the painting remained unchanged, seemingly tacitly approving Mo Qi’s actions.

After making thorough preparations, Min Shihua arrived breathlessly on her electric scooter.

Upon entering, she didn’t even glance at Mo Qi, but went straight to the painting, dropping her heavy handbag on the ground carelessly. She meticulously examined every inch of the painting, and in a corner, she discovered the deep mark left by Mo Qi, causing her fingers to tremble with heartache.

“Senior, I’m really sorry. I didn’t protect this painting properly,” Mo Qi said apologetically.

Min Shihua bit her lip and took a step back. Shaking her head, she replied, “I just asked Wansi about it. She told me what happened earlier. It’s not your fault; it’s all because Shi Wenxuan suddenly went crazy.”

“How is Xiang Senior now?” Mo Qi asked casually.

“Her neck is covered in bruises from Shi Wenxuan’s grip. She just got treated at the school hospital and will come to collect the exhibition script shortly,” Min Shihua replied.

“With Senior Xiang injured so badly, can she still manage the exhibition tomorrow? Shouldn’t we consider replacing her?” Mo Qi suggested.

“She’s always been serious about her work and wouldn’t allow herself to flee at the last moment. She’ll wear a high-necked outfit tomorrow, so don’t worry,” Min Shihua said.

As she spoke, Min Shihua took out some painting tools from her bag, attempting to repair the scratch with paint.

Standing beside her, Mo Qi suddenly asked, “Senior, do you know Wen Miao?”

Min Shihua paused in her actions, a hint of discomfort flickering across her face. “Why do you ask about her?”

“It’s nothing, I just have some things I want to ask her about. Senior, do you have her contact information?” Mo Qi replied.

“It’s too easy for someone from the student council to contact a publicity minister. You should have a directory,” Min Shihua said, applying a few more strokes on the painting. She stepped back to observe but sighed in frustration as the new colors didn’t match the original, reluctantly dropping the paintbrush.

Seeing Min Shihua’s deep attachment to the painting, Mo Qi felt a twinge of guilt. He tried to comfort her, “Senior, don’t be too…”

“You don’t understand,” Min Shihua interrupted him. “I might never paint something so spiritual again. She said this is the most beautiful painting I’ll ever create in my lifetime. If I miss it, I’ll never be able to surpass myself again.”

Mo Qi, not someone who pursued art, couldn’t grasp Min Shihua’s current state but caught onto one word: “‘She’ who?”

Min Shihua didn’t respond. Instead, she picked up her handbag and took out a crystal box from inside.

The screen where Xiang Zhuo was hiding shifted slightly. Mo Qi coughed abruptly, causing the screen to settle down.

Unexpectedly, the crystal box was already in Min Shihua’s hands, yet the game app hadn’t prompted the discovery of the third wisher. Was there a missing step?

“Is this from Wen Miao?” Mo Qi asked, looking at the box.

Bound by the rules that forbid wishers from revealing the source of the wish box, Min Shihua’s surprised expression confirmed Mo Qi’s guess. The person behind this box was indeed Wen Miao, the Minister of Publicity.

Mo Qi didn’t attempt to snatch the box. This task wasn’t one to be solved through force; otherwise, Shi Wenxuan would have won long ago. Besides, if he had touched the box earlier, back when he met Fan Ting, Mo Qi would have obtained the wish box.

Min Shihua looked at Mo Qi cautiously. “Do you also have a wish to fulfill? Are you trying to take the wish box?”

Mo Qi quickly denied, “No, my wishes will be fulfilled through my own efforts. Senior, if it’s just a scratch on the painting, we can find someone with better skills to repair it. We can also improve our abilities to surpass ourselves and create better works in the future. These things can be achieved through hard work. There’s no need to seek supernatural powers, right?”

“My wish isn’t something that can be achieved just by improving my painting skills,” Min Shihua said, placing her palm on the wish box, her gaze gradually becoming distant.

“Senior?” Mo Qi cautiously called out to Min Shihua.

The wish box seemed to possess a mystical power. Since Min Shihua touched it, her demeanor had become abnormal, as if influenced by some enchantment.

Seeing that she was no longer responsive, Mo Qi made a decisive move. He pulled out a piece of paper from the exhibition script and used it as a barrier to attempt to snatch the wish box.

Min Shihua offered no resistance. As Mo Qi’s hand touched the wish box through the paper, a terrifying consciousness surged into his mind, forcefully stirring up the deepest desires within him.

“I want a scholarship, I want a scholarship, I want a scholarship…” These words echoed like a haunting mantra in Mo Qi’s mind. He tried to withdraw his hand to free himself from this brainwashing-like thinking, but found his fingers stuck to the paper.

No wonder Fan Ting had warned him against touching the wish box initially. This box had the power to infinitely amplify people’s desires. Even the slightest initial thought, upon contact with the wish box, would transform into an absolute determination to achieve that wish, even if it meant sacrificing one’s life.

Mo Qi not only hesitated to release the wish box but now even contemplated snatching it from Min Shihua.

He realized he couldn’t overcome these thoughts on his own. The only way out was through “resonance,” using the emotions of others in resonance to erode and break free from this constraint.

Xiang Zhuo was still hiding behind the screen. Min Shihua was more severely affected by the box than he was. Choosing her would be suicidal. The only choice left was one person, unsure if that person would be willing to “resonate” with him.

At this moment, with no other options left, Mo Qi decisively looked at the painting, fixing his gaze on the figure’s back.

After a while, the figure in the painting turned slightly, mist rising to separate the two. Only a pair of eyes, harboring countless stories, met Mo Qi’s gaze through the mist.

A buzzing sound echoed in Mo Qi’s ears. A strong, unwavering will surged into his mind, as calm as Mount Tai, suppressing the amplified desires within him.

At the same time, a voice resonated deep within Mo Qi’s heart: “Let her make her wish.”

Seizing this opportunity, Mo Qi let go of the wish box, and the paper slipped to the ground.

Mo Qi, having narrowly escaped a potentially disastrous outcome, looked at the figure in the painting. The person who had just intervened for him turned away again, as if everything was unrelated to him.

Meanwhile, Min Shihua, with an abnormal expression, took out a pencil sharpener knife, nicked her fingertip, and a drop of blood fell onto the box, transforming into a red origami.

She was enveloped in a faint red glow, and Mo Qi attempted to intervene but found himself unable to penetrate this barrier of light. The wish box possessed an enchantment; it would not allow anyone to obstruct it from gathering desires.

Min Shihua earnestly wrote down her wish on the paper, as if controlled by something, and skillfully folded it into a heart shape before placing the origami heart into the wish box.

Once this step was completed, the faint red glow vanished, and Min Shihua’s expression gradually returned to normal.

“What wish did you make?” Mo Qi asked.

Min Shihua seemed to awaken from a deep dream. She looked at the painting and murmured, “All this time, I’ve had only one wish: for my paintings to come alive. She said my paintings seem so lifelike that it would be wonderful if the people inside could come to life.”

Her wish couldn’t possibly be…

Mo Qi glanced at the painting. The mist in the painting dispersed, and a figure stepped out from it, walking silently on clouds and mist, landing on the ground without a sound.

As he stepped out of the painting, the previously overcast sky unexpectedly parted, bathing him in a beam of sunlight.

No, the sky remained overcast; it was just an illusion of sunlight. The feeling came from the fact that since his appearance, all the light seemed to concentrate on him inside the room, casting a faint glow on his chiseled features, giving him an imposing presence.

He took two steps forward, and Mo Qi realized he was more than ten centimeters taller than himself, standing well over six feet tall, making him appear towering to anyone he faced.

“Did you make Min Shihua make a wish to leave this painting?” Mo Qi asked.

The figure in the painting shook his head, his gaze shifting from Mo Qi to Min Shihua. His expression was compassionate yet resolute as he said, “You cannot fulfill my wish.”

“My painting has finally come to life,” Min Shihua exclaimed, tears streaming down her face in excitement. “To witness this moment with my own eyes, even if I die now, it would be worth it.”

With these words, she lowered her head deeply. The origami in the wish box transformed into blood for the third time, with three-quarters of the heart-shaped pattern now filled.

The third wish had been effortlessly fulfilled.

“Life should not be so lightly disregarded,” said the figure in the painting regretfully.

Mo Qi glanced at the figure in the painting, then at Min Shihua, suddenly understanding something profound.

“This mission must have been necessary from the very beginning…”

The figure in the painting extended a finger to touch Mo Qi’s lips, whispering softly, “Someone has already thought ahead of you. You wouldn’t want him to be the last one to make a wish. Hurry and race against time.”

With that, a mist obscured Mo Qi’s vision. When the mist cleared, the figure in the painting returned to being just a painting hanging on the wall.