Yan Ning stared blankly at the gaudy doll in front of her.

"You, you're the Mad Hatter?"

The Mad Hatter grinned, his blue-green eyes shining so brightly they were almost blinding.

"Of course, my dear lady!"

His voice was a little hoarse, but his enthusiasm was practically overflowing. "Come on, come on, sit down and enjoy a wonderful afternoon tea with me!"

Yan Ning's alarm bells rang, and her hand instinctively reached into her bag, where she found several talismans.

She quietly took half a step back, her eyes scanning the Mad Hatter up and down.

But the Mad Hatter didn't pay any attention to her wariness.

He walked to a small table set with pretty cups and saucers and deftly pulled out a chair.

Before Yan Ning could react, he grabbed her wrist and forcefully pressed her into the chair.

"Sit down, sit down! You'll get the best cake if you sit down!"

Yan Ning was forced to sit down, her mind still a little foggy, when several cakes were pushed in front of her.

The cake was made like a work of art, and the aroma was so enticing that it made your mouth water.

"Oh dear! I'm so sorry, I'm late!"

Just then, there was a rustling sound from the bushes nearby, and a rabbit dressed in a dark blue suit with gold trim jumped out.

This guy is quite big, with long ears and a little bow tied at the tip.

He held a small basket full of flowers in both hands, his eyes narrowed into slits as he smiled, revealing his pearly white teeth:

"Thank goodness, the mini carriage Smith made for me runs fast enough, so it didn't take too long!"

The Mad Hatter was immediately displeased and complained with a pout:

"March Hare! It was supposed to be exactly six o'clock! Look, it's already six-fifteen!"

The March Hare ignored him and first bowed elegantly to Yan Ning, his demeanor resembling that of an old-fashioned gentleman.

"Beautiful lady, I'm so sorry! I discovered a hole in my dress before leaving, so I quickly patched it up, which is why I was delayed."

Mad Hatter? March Hare?

Yan Ning's heart skipped a beat. Wasn't this a character from "Alice in Wonderland"?

How did she end up in a fairy tale?

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she suddenly remembered that she was still clutching the talisman in her hand.

Whatever it is, let's just throw it and see!

She quickly raised her hand, and with a "whoosh," several yellow paper talismans flew towards the Mad Hatter.

The talisman floated lightly onto the Mad Hatter's coat.

Curious, he picked up a sheet, turning it over and over to examine the winding black lines on it, and asked with a frown:

"Dear Miss, what is this? Is it a little gift you brought?"

He brought the talisman to his nose and smelled it, looking disgusted. "Tsk, this smell... it smells like rotten wild vegetables?"

The talisman isn't responding?!

Yan Ning was completely dumbfounded.

If they're not ghosts, then what are these two in front of me? Am I hallucinating from exhaustion and have really turned into Alice?

"But since it's your kind gesture, I'll accept it!"

The Mad Hatter was quite generous, casually stuffing the talisman into his pocket.

He picked up a delicate napkin and gently placed it on Yan Ning's knees.

Those blue-green eyes were smiling and curved, looking quite gentle.

He pushed a cake piled high with bright red strawberries and snow-white cream in front of Yan Ning, blinked, and asked:

"Beautiful lady, why haven't you said anything? Is it because the pastries here aren't to your liking?"

Yan Ning frowned, completely at a loss for words in this bizarre situation.

She cleared her slightly dry throat and made up an excuse:

"No, the cake is good, it's just... I have a bit of a cold, my throat is sore, and I can't eat anything sweet."

"Oh dear! That's such a pity!"

The Mad Hatter chuckled, tilted his head back, and gulped down the entire cup of tea, his eyes shining like a cat's in the night.

"Our desserts are the best in the world!"

"Yes, yes, it's such a shame we can't eat it."

Yan Ning smiled perfunctorily, but her hands, hidden under the table, were busy rummaging through her bag.

His fingers rummaged through a pile of random magical artifacts and finally grasped the heavy piece of lightning-struck wood.

In the blink of an eye, Yan Ning suddenly pulled out a wooden stick, aimed it at the Mad Hatter's head with the top hat, and slammed it down with all his might.

A muffled thud!

The Mad Hatter was knocked backward, clutching his head and screaming in agony:

"Ouch! That hurts so much! Miss! What are you doing?"

Yan Ning saw it clearly: where the stick struck, the Mad Hatter's forehead skin looked like oil slicks on the surface of water.

It spread out in tiny ripples, without even a hint of redness on the skin!

Even lightning-struck wood didn't work?!

Yan Ning's heart sank to the bottom, and her voice trembled slightly:

"I'm...I'm so sorry! I just saw a big bug on your hat! It scared me to death, and in my panic I..."

The March Hare, who was watching the commotion, suddenly burst into exaggerated laughter, covering its mouth with its paws and shaking with ecstasy.

"Hahaha! My dear lady, you're incredibly bold! You dare touch the Mad Hatter's precious hat? That's his lifeline!"

The Mad Hatter rubbed his head and waved his hand: "Never mind, I believe you didn't do it on purpose. Come on, let's continue drinking tea and having snacks."

Yan Ning lowered her head, pretending to stare at the cake in front of her, but her mind was racing.

The colorful flowers, the mist floating around, and these two lovable characters...

Everything matches up with Alice in Wonderland!

Her eyes flickered.

If I remember the plot correctly, the Mad Hatter is next to ask that famous, nonsensical question...

Sure enough, the Mad Hatter looked up at her with a sincere yet curious expression:

"Then, dear lady, can you tell me why a crow looks like a writing desk?"

Yan Ning's mind raced. If everything went according to the script, her answer might not be very meaningful.

She didn't speak immediately, and the Mad Hatter remained in that slightly forward-leaning posture.

His expression froze; it seemed that he could only proceed with the next step after Yan Ning answered.

At this moment, Yan Ning suddenly noticed that the Mad Hatter and the March Hare were behaving strangely.

Although the Mad Hatter's eyes were bright, they also had an emptiness in them, as if his thoughts were not entirely in this world.

The March Hare, while agile, moves with a mechanical repetition.

It kept adjusting its clothes, even though there were no holes at all!

"I need to think about this issue carefully."

Yan Ning's heart began to race. She stood up and pretended to think, pacing around the table.

She suddenly noticed a barely visible brown bloodstain on the brim of the Mad Hatter's hat.

There was also a faint bloodstain on the tip of the March Hare's ear.

Blood?! Why are they bleeding?

If it's a horror cartoon, and you see blood on a character, what's the next step...?

Are they about to start killing people?