Chapter 118 Hello Xiaomei
Lin Qiushi had a gentle temperament, but even this gentle man, when angry, made Ruan Nanzhu feel at a loss as to where to begin. However, since they were still inside the sect, Lin Qiushi didn't let his issues with Ruan Nanzhu derail his work.
He told Ruan Nanzhu everything that happened after he was locked in the house in a businesslike manner, including other people's reactions and Xiao Ji's every move, which were the key points.
After listening carefully, Ruan Nanzhu asked, "Is he the first person to ask you where the key is?"
"Yes." Lin Qiushi nodded. This was actually a bit strange. Since Xiao Ji had collaborated with the box girl, he should have been eager to have the key buried. Yet, he was the one who took the initiative, even risking Lin Qiushi's resentment in order to get Ruan Nanzhu to hand over the key.
If Xiao Ji was not an insider, then his actions would be unobjectionable. However, now that his identity as an insider has been exposed, this behavior has become abnormal and filled with a strange sense of incongruity.
"I think this little Ji knows something else." Ruan Nanzhu deliberately wanted Lin Qiushi to say a few more words. "What do you think, Linlin?"
"Hmm," Lin Qiushi said calmly, "I suspect he might know the location of the tunnel."
With the key and the tunnel, they could leave the house. Xiao Ji was probably worried that something might happen to the box girl, so she was looking for another way out.
"He's just afraid not to tell." Liang Miye sat on the other bed. She said, "I wonder if Xiaomei has any way to make him say it."
Ruan Nanzhu seemed to be lost in thought.
They discussed for a while, then got up, washed up, and planned to go to the restaurant first.
At this time, Xiao Ji was still tied up in the restaurant. They left Sun Yuanzhou and his partner to keep watch at night. There was no movement all night and no special accidents happened.
Before going to the restaurant, Lin Qiushi went to the place where Xiao Ji said the fire extinguisher was hidden yesterday. He listened to the noise inside first, but found that there was already a person hidden in the box.
"There are people in the box." Lin Qiushi said.
Ruan Nanzhu thought for a moment and said, "Mi Ye, go call Ren Ruyuan over."
Liang Miye nodded and went upstairs to call Ren Ruyuan down. Ren Ruyuan was also very understanding. He came over with gasoline in his hand and said, "Then I'll use it on it."
"Use it." Ruan Nanzhu said.
Ren Ruyuan then poured gasoline on the box and set it on fire. A moment after the wooden box caught fire, a shrill scream emanated from within. Then the lid opened, and a pale-skinned figure crawled out. His limbs were twisted, and his entire body was curled up in a heap, wriggling and struggling. The flames ignited his body, and he began to emit a disgusting smell of burnt protein.
When the other people in the villa heard the noise, they all gathered around and saw this horrific scene.
Lin Qiushi noticed something, and he licked his lips with a rather unhappy expression.
After about a few minutes, the screams of the box man gradually subsided and turned into a charcoal-like appearance.
Everyone looked at the motionless man in the box and fell into silence for a long time, until Xiaomei's voice rang out at the door of the house. She said, "Isn't this Wei Xiude?"
"This should be the box man he turned into." Sun Yuanzhou glanced at Xiaomei, "Since he has turned into a box man, he can no longer be considered a human being."
"Really?" Xiaomei responded vaguely.
Lin Qiushi held his breath, walked to the box and looked inside. Sure enough, a red fire extinguisher was lying quietly in the depths of the box. He reached out and picked up the fire extinguisher, then turned around and handed it to Sun Yuanzhou.
Sun Yuanzhou didn't take it, and said, "Take it and use it when appropriate. Anyway, this thing is to save everyone's lives."
Lin Qiushi looked at Ruan Nanzhu and only put away the fire extinguisher after seeing him nod.
The room was filled with the stench of burnt human bodies. After getting the fire extinguisher, everyone left without wanting to stay any longer. Only Xiaomei stood at the door, not moving for a long time.
Lin Qiushi glanced at her, wanting to say something but unable to find the words.
Arriving at the restaurant, Lin Qiushi discovered that two of the supposed eleven people were missing. They waited until around nine o'clock, but still hadn't seen the two men. They knew they wouldn't be back. Lin Qiushi remembered that the two men had been hungry for about three days and couldn't seem to hold out any longer, so they went to open their boxes again this morning...
At this time, there were only nine people left, and the entire villa was filled with box figures made by the box woman.
Fear, hunger and despair are enough to destroy a person's sanity. It is normal to do extreme things here.
Xiao Ji hadn't eaten or slept much all day, and compared to yesterday, he looked much more haggard.
But when Xiaomei saw his appearance, she didn't feel any sympathy at all. The first thing she did when she entered the restaurant was to kick Xiaoji, who was tied to the chair, to the ground.
The others saw this but did not comment. After all, if they had not discovered Xiao Ji's identity as an accomplice, they would probably have been harmed even more miserably by him.
Ruan Nanzhu sat next to Xiao Ji, chewing some bread, and said, "Xiao Ji, tell me, are you hiding something from us?"
Xiao Ji said nothing and stared at them with resentment.
"I think you'd better figure it out," Ruan Nanzhu said. "Your enemy right now isn't us, but the Box Girl. We can't kill you, but the Box Girl can." He toyed with the broken fork in his hand. "Do you think the next box you open will be empty or contain a person?"
Xiao Ji instinctively wanted to open his mouth to refute, but when the words came to his lips, he couldn't say them because he found that what Ruan Nanzhu said was indeed true.
Once he is no longer useful, the box girl will not show mercy to him. Just like Tian Gu Xue, whose identity was discovered...
"Will you promise not to hurt me?" said Little Thistle. "If you can promise me that, I will tell you."
"Of course." Ruan Nanzhu smiled. "Besides, you know that we can't kill people within the sect..."
Xiao Ji fell into deep thought.
Lin Qiushi noticed that Xiaomei, who was standing next to Xiaoji, showed resentment after hearing the conversation between the two. Lin Qiushi thought she would say something, but in the end she remained silent.
"Okay, I can tell you the location of the tunnel," said Little Thistle, "but I can't guarantee that the location of the tunnel has been replaced."
"When did you open it?" Ruan Nanzhu asked.
"It opened out very early." Xiao Ji said, "Probably the first day I came in." He said lightly, "So I always wanted to get the key..." As long as he got the key, he could be the first to leave here, and there was no need to continue cooperating with Hu Moupi and Xiangnu.
But I didn't expect that the key would fall into Ruan Nanzhu's hands in the end.
"Let's go and take him over to have a look." Ruan Nanzhu said.
They went to the room Xiao Ji had mentioned, the kitchen on the first floor. Inside were eight boxes, three of which had sticky notes on them, indicating they had been opened. Xiao Mei stood next to one of the boxes and touched it. Lin Qiushi remembered that her lover had lost his life because he had opened this box.
"Which one?" Ruan Nanzhu asked.
"This." Xiao Ji pointed to a box near the door.
"Since you said the tunnel is inside, please open it first." Xiaomei said coldly.
"Do you think I'm stupid?" Xiao Ji said angrily, "The box lady must have hidden a box man inside. Wouldn't it be a death wish if I opened it like this? Don't you have tools that can determine if there is a box man? Take them out and use them!"
Sun Yuanzhou took out the stethoscope he had taken from Xiao Ji yesterday, listened carefully and said, "There is a sound."
"It doesn't matter if there is a sound." Ruan Nanzhu said lightly, "As long as you are sure it is this box, you can use the white wooden trunk directly." He took out the props.
Bai Muchun can kill the box girl, so naturally he can also kill the box man.
"That's easy," Xiao Ji said. "As long as we use the White Wood Chunk on the box first and make sure there's nothing else inside, then we can just get out, right?" He laughed excitedly. "We can leave here right away!"
There are nine people left in the room now, and except Xiaoji and Xiaomei, they are all veterans.
Although the two newcomers were tricked into entering by Wei Xiu De, as long as they could get out through the door, they would benefit greatly - they could directly skip the nine doors and gain a long period of survival. This was simply a matter of great returns.
"Do you want to use it?" Sun Yuanzhou glanced at Ruan Nanzhu.
"Wait." Ruan Nanzhu, observing the box in the corner, turned and asked, "You drove out of the tunnel the next day, right?"
"Yes, what's wrong?" Xiao Ji said.
"Then do you know when Tian Guxue used the skill of moving around?" Ruan Nanzhu asked.
Xiao Ji was stunned: "She seemed to have found it as soon as she entered the door..." He seemed to remember something, and his body shuddered involuntarily, "What do you mean?"
Ruan Nanzhu said, "What I mean is, do you think it's possible for Xiang Nucun to use this skill?"
Xiao Ji fell silent.
In fact, this possibility existed, because the box girl cried once on the first day they arrived at the house. However, no one took it seriously that time. Moreover, according to the rule book, some skills can be used for a long time without crying, such as the false response.
In the real board game, the skill of the Box Girl's false response is her passive skill. No matter when and where the player asks her, the answer he gets may be wrong.
As Xiao Ji figured this out, cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He swallowed hard and said, "You mean, this box might have been replaced?"
"Yes," Ruan Nanzhu said, "There is such a possibility." He added, "Of course, it's also possible that we are worrying too much."
However, when it comes to life, there is no need to worry too much. As long as there is a slight possibility, it is 100% death.
Everyone listened to the conversation between Ruan Nanzhu and Xiao Ji, and fell silent as they stared at the box in front of them.
The skill of the box girl moving around can be used in the tunnel. There are eight boxes in the room now, which means they have a one in half chance of opening the things inside.
"What should I do?" Xuan Zihui was a little overwhelmed. She had lost her partner and hadn't eaten for two days. She knew she wouldn't make it through the third day and had to open the box tomorrow. However, if she did, she would have to face the threat of the box owner.
Xiao Ji was stunned where he was, seemingly unaware that he would shoot himself in the foot. He said blankly, "What should we do? Why don't we go open some boxes and see if we can get any useful items?"
Ruan Nanzhu sighed and said, "There aren't many unopened boxes left. There are fourteen box-holders, plus fifteen box-girls. They must be hiding in the unopened boxes."
The unopened boxes meant that there were still some items inside that they hadn't gotten yet. The Box Girl wouldn't let them get these items so easily.
"Then what should we do?" Sun Yuanzhou said hoarsely, "Are we just going to sit there and wait for death?"
Ruan Nanzhu didn't say anything.
The difficulty of the tenth door was obvious; it was impossible to pass through it easily. The door before them posed a huge dilemma: should they continue to waste time here, or make an eight-point choice?
They have a one in eight chance of finding a tunnel, and if they find the wrong one...
No one spoke. The wooden box in front of them seemed to have turned into an evil ghost that was demanding lives.
Ruan Nanzhu finally said, "Let's come back tomorrow. By tomorrow, when the stethoscope has been used, we can see how many boxes can be opened."
It seemed that this was the only way. The people who had thought they could get out became dejected, and the atmosphere of despair filled the air once again.
Everyone dispersed, leaving the tied-up Little Thistle alone in the restaurant.
Liang Miye said: "Does the door mean that we all want to die?" There are still nine people and eight boxes. If we risk our lives, we may be able to find the answer. But who would be willing to use their life as a springboard for others?
Ruan Nanzhu said calmly, "This is a very normal thing." He looked at Lin Qiushi, but saw that Lin Qiushi was thinking about something.
Ruan Nanzhu said, "Linlin, why don't you speak?"
Lin Qiushi glanced at him and asked, "What did you say?"
Ruan Nanzhu said, "Just say anything."
Lin Qiushi said, "I have nothing to say."
Ruan Nanzhu said: "You..."
Lin Qiushi seemed to have guessed what Ruan Nanzhu was about to say and gestured to stop: "It's agreed that we'll just talk business now."
Ruan Nanzhu felt wronged instantly and said, "Linlin..."
Lin Qiushi didn't give him a chance to act. He simply stood up and said, "I'll go see Xiaomei."
Ruan Nanzhu: "..." He sighed softly, turned his head and saw Liang Miye's gloating expression.
Ruan Nanzhu: "Does it look good?"
Liang Miye giggled, "It's beautiful." Ruan Nanzhu, who was so aloof on the outside, had no way to deal with Lin Qiushi. She was quite happy to read this gossip.
Lin Qiushi strolled around the house and then went to the restaurant on the first floor.
The villa was no longer as lively as it had been in the previous few days. At night, the entire building fell into a dead silence. But when Lin Qiushi reached the restaurant entrance, he saw Xiaomei sitting inside, slowly drinking from a bottle of wine.
Opposite her was Xiao Ji, who had a piece of cloth stuffed in his mouth and was looking at Xiao Mei with a horrified expression.
"Xiaomei?" Lin Qiushi called out her name. "Why don't you go and rest?"
Xiaomei heard Lin Qiushi's voice, glanced at him, and smiled: "I can't sleep." She took another sip of wine and said.
Lin Qiushi walked over to her and sat down.
Xiaomei asked him if he wanted to drink, but Lin Qiushi refused.
"What did you think when you found out that Zhu Meng was gone?" Xiaomei said.
Lin Qiushi said, "I want to avenge him."
Xiaomei said, "Let's kill that traitor, right?"
Lin Qiushi glanced at Xiao Ji and nodded.
"Actually, I think so too." Xiaomei said, "If it weren't for Xiaoji, we might have gotten out long ago. Not only did he help the box girl, but he also made things difficult for us. People like him really deserve to die." Her tone was understated, but Xiaoji, who was sitting opposite her, struggled violently and cast a look for help at Lin Qiushi.
Lin Qiushi gave him a cold look without responding. He was no saint, and the thought of Ruan Nanzhu dying alone because of Xiao Ji made him feel no sympathy for him.
He deserves all of this.
"Go to bed." Xiaomei said, "It's too late."
Lin Qiushi asked, "What about you?"
Xiaomei said, "I can't sleep, let me drink for a while. You have to be nice to Zhu Meng, she loves you very much." She said, "Of course, you love her too." As she said this, she reached out and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.
Lin Qiushi stood up: "He definitely wants you to live well." He was talking about Xiaomei's lover.
"Yeah, I know." Xiaomei laughed when she heard this, "Who doesn't want to live a good life? I'll go to rest later. Good night."
"Good night." Lin Qiushi turned and left.
He felt that Xiaomei looked familiar. Thinking carefully, he realized that perhaps it was him realizing that he would lose Ruan Nanzhu. Ruan Nanzhu's previous concerns were justified. He couldn't face his lover's departure calmly. Lin Qiushi returned to the room and saw Ruan Nanzhu already asleep in bed.
Hearing his footsteps, Ruan Nanzhu opened his eyes and looked at him, calling out softly, "You're back."
Lin Qiushi said, "I'm back."
Ruan Nanzhu pulled back the quilt: "Can you come and keep me company? I can't sleep without you."
Lin Qiushi walked up to him and said, "Don't lie to me next time."
Ruan Nanzhu was stunned.
"Promise yourself not to lie to me again next time. Even if it means putting on a show or potentially dying, you must tell me everything," Lin Qiushi said. "I'm your lover. I have the right to know everything. I don't need you to do it for your own good."
Ruan Nanzhu reached out and put his arms around Lin Qiushi's neck, placing a soothing kiss on his brow. He said, "Okay, I promise I won't hide anything from you from now on."
Lin Qiushi said, "Go to sleep."
Ruan Nanzhu was content. Although he didn't know why Lin Qiushi had suddenly come to his senses, he was finally willing to pay attention to him, and he promised never to do such a thing again. Ruan Nanzhu thought that the luckiest person in his and Lin Qiushi's encounter was actually himself.
Lin Qiushi fell asleep with Ruan Nanzhu in his arms, their bodies intertwined as they fell into a deep sleep.
At six o'clock the next morning, a scream was heard in the restaurant, which woke Lin Qiushi up. He opened his eyes and saw Ruan Nanzhu's dazed expression.
"What's wrong?" Ruan Nanzhu asked.
"Something happened." Lin Qiushi said, "Go down and take a look."
The two got up from the bed and hurried to the first floor with Liang Miye, but saw Xuan Zihui standing at the kitchen door with a look of horror on her face.
"What's wrong?" Ruan Nanzhu asked.
Xuan Zihui kept shaking his head and pointed inside the house.
Lin Qiushi looked up and saw Xiaomei standing in the kitchen with a cold expression, a knife clutched in her hand. Blood was everywhere. If it were just that, it would be fine, but the most terrifying thing was that she was surrounded by body parts, even some pieces of meat that looked like they had been cut off with a knife.
Xiao Ji, who was originally tied to the chair, disappeared at this time. Lin Qiushi had already guessed his fate.
"Xiaomei!!" Lin Qiushi was stunned. "You killed Xiaoji?!"
Xiaomei said calmly, "Four of the boxes are empty, with no tunnels. This box contains a person, but also has no tunnel. There are three left."
Lin Qiushi instantly understood what Xiaomei was doing. She was forcing Xiaoji to open the box and use Xiaoji's life to test the location of the tunnel.
"Xiaomei! You can't kill anyone inside!" Lin Qiushi said hoarsely, "You..."
"I know I can't kill people, I know." Xiaomei smiled faintly, "Besides, I don't plan to live."
She looked at the three empty boxes that had been opened next to her, as well as a wooden box that was making a small thistle scream, and smiled brightly.
"Wait—" Lin Qiushi guessed what she was about to do, but before he could stop her, he saw Xiaomei walk over to a box and, with a natural expression, reach out and grab the lid. She smiled and said, "Actually, my name isn't Xiaomei. It has the character 'Mei' in it, so I chose this pseudonym for myself." She sighed softly, "Give me another chance."
With a slight movement of her hand, she opened the lid, revealing the box man hidden inside.
However, the moment she saw the man in the box, Xiaomei showed a bright smile. The pale hands grabbed her body, but she did not struggle. Her expression became unusually happy. She hugged the man in the box with her backhand and was dragged in with a satisfied expression.
Lin Qiushi stood by and witnessed everything. He knew why Xiaomei was so satisfied, because the person in the box was her lover.
Ruan Nanzhu, who was standing next to Lin Qiushi, suddenly spoke up. He asked, "Is this a good thing?"
"It's a good thing." Lin Qiushi said calmly, "At least for me."
Ruan Nanzhu said nothing more, but held Lin Qiushi's hand with all his strength.
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