uninvited guest
Seeing Gu Nanzhi and his group approaching like hungry wolves, Qi Mingxiu felt a surge of grievances in his heart, but there was no one to talk to. He could only pull up the limp servant and run away, tears mixed with sweat flying everywhere. He had never been so embarrassed in his life.
A dense "clicking" sound came from the depths of the maze's corridors. The time limit of one stick of incense had expired, and the puppets collectively rioted, rushing in from all directions like a tide, with their dry claws almost brushing against the back of their necks.
"Young Master! Exit!" The servant boy pointed hoarsely at the faint light ahead.
The two of them used up their last bit of strength to rush towards the light, but saw Gu Nanzhi's two teammates from the red team squatting at the exit with their arms folded, smiling maliciously.
"This road is built by me." The tall and thin man stood up slowly.
"I planted this tree!" The short and fat young man stomped his feet in cooperation, shaking up the dust.
"Give me your life!"
Blocked in front and pursued from behind, Qi Mingxiu swallowed the last antidote pill in desperation and temporarily avoided the poisonous clutches of the two men, but he also mixed in with the group of puppets and could not escape.
As he was pinned to the ground with his hands tied behind his back, he vaguely heard the servant boy crying, "Master, get out of here! I'll stop them!"
Before he could finish his words, the servant suddenly took out a handful of poison, took the opportunity to break free from his restraints, and rushed towards the red team without looking back, stopping them all by himself!
Qi Mingxiu was touched: Good brother! I'll give you a big red envelope after the game is over!
Then he ran towards the exit, but... he overestimated the strength of his teammates.
Before the servant boy could even begin his imagined heroic sacrifice, he was grabbed by the scruff of the neck by a rioting puppet nearby, picked up like a chicken, and thrown into a dark corner.
“Swish—bang!”
After a perfect parabola, the servant disappeared into the pile of debris deep in the maze, leaving only a miserable echo: "I will definitely come back..."
Qi Mingxiu's smile froze on his face. The next second, he was tripped to the ground by the duo of the red team and was carried in front of Gu Nanzhi with his hands and feet tied.
Gu Nanzhi lifted his chin with her sword sheath and smiled brightly, "Master Qi, we meet again."
Qi Xiuming: ...
How humiliating! He was pinned to the ground by this tomboy, the puppets around him standing like loyal guards, their dark green pupils fixed on him.
He swallowed his saliva cowardly and forced out the most flattering smile in his life: "Gu, Miss Gu... don't hit people in the face."
“Bang!”
Gu Nanzhi's fist smashed directly into his left eye: "I'm going to slap you in the face! I'll let you trick me! I'll let you steal the props!"
"Ah! Wait! I--" Qi Xiuming wanted to save him.
"Bang!" Another punch to the right eye: "Get up if you can!"
Qi Mingxiu was beaten so hard that he had no time to breathe. He roared madly in his heart: Gu Nanzhi, just wait! Sooner or later, I will beat you until you cry for your parents!
But on the surface, he could only run away in fear: "Grandma, spare my life!"
After he said so many nice things, Gu Nanzhi finally got tired of beating him. She flicked her wrist and sneered, "Kneel down and shout, 'Sister, I was wrong.' I'll give you half a cup of tea to escape."
"A gentleman can be killed but not humiliated!" Qi Mingxiu stiffened his neck for three seconds, then saw the other party clench her fists again, and his face instantly fell: "...Sister."
"I didn't hear it~"
"Sister, I was wrong." Qi Xiuming's face flushed and he was furious.
"Bigger!"
"Sister, I was wrong!" He roared with his eyes closed, his ears red as if bleeding.
Gu Nanzhi, if I don’t kill you, I’m not surnamed Qi!
Gu Nanzhi plundered all his props with satisfaction, then snapped his fingers and the puppets all made way for him: "Run."
Qi Mingxiu always felt that she was cheating, so he would secretly glance back after running a few steps. Seeing that she really didn't move, he rolled and crawled forward two steps. Suddenly, he heard her chuckle behind him: "The cat and mouse game is about to begin."
Gu Nanzhi was indeed "trustworthy". When half a cup of tea was up, she waved her hand lazily: "Little mouse, are you hiding? Sister is here to find you~"
Qi Mingxiu scrambled and rolled into a crevice in the wall, holding his breath as he listened to the approaching sound of brisk humming in the distance. Gu Nanzhi's embroidered shoes tapped slowly against the bluestone slabs as she hummed an off-key tune: "Little mouse, come out quickly! If you lose hide-and-seek, you'll have to drink three glasses of wine!"
“!”
Qi Mingxiu covered his mouth tightly. The gap in the wall was so narrow that he could only curl up in an extremely awkward posture, with his knees pressed against his chest, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.
The footsteps came closer and farther, brushing past the cracks in the wall several times. Just when he thought he had escaped, fine dust suddenly fell on his head. Gu Nanzhi was sitting on the wall where he was hiding, swinging his legs!
"Huh? Why is there a shoe print here?" She jumped down the wall in surprise, her fingertips rubbing against the stain Qi Mingxiu had left on the bricks, "It's still warm~"
Gu Nanzhi snapped her fingers, and the puppets dispersed, surrounding Qi Mingxiu like a pack of hunting wolves. With a playful smile on her lips, she said slowly, "Run, little mouse? Aren't you the best at escaping?"
Qi Mingxiu's scalp tingled, and he rushed deeper into the maze. However, just after he took a few steps, the puppet in front of him suddenly made way for a narrow path, and he slipped through without thinking.
"Click, click—"
The puppets followed slowly behind him, their withered claws occasionally brushing against the corners of his clothes, but they deliberately slowed down their movements when they were about to catch him. The tall and thin member of the Red Team even deliberately kicked a stone at his feet, causing him to stumble and fall.
"Ouch~ Master Qi, be careful!" Gu Nanzhi's chuckle came from behind, "Do you want to take a break?"
Qi Mingxiu was so angry that he was fuming, but he could only continue to escape by crawling. He had to survive until the end of the game, then he would have hope!
Every time when he thought he was about to be caught, the puppet would always "happen" to be tripped by something, giving him a chance to catch his breath; and when he relaxed a little, the withered claws would immediately attack him from behind!
When the bell for the end of the game was about to ring, Gu Nanzhi suddenly flashed in front of him and pulled him lightly with her slender hand.
“Swish!”
A large piece of Qi Mingxiu's collar was torn off, revealing his disheveled undershirt.
Oh my god! There's a BT here!!!
Qi Xiuming instinctively wrapped his clothes tightly and looked at the female hooligan in front of him in horror.
"Haha, mistake, mistake." She smiled awkwardly while holding up the cloth strip, and did not forget to stuff a poison pill into his mouth, "You lose."
Qi Mingxiu collapsed to the ground with a blank look in his eyes. This woman was a devil. She was deliberately playing with him.
The bell rang, signaling the end of the game. Ruan Yunsheng came to the disheveled Qi Mingxiu, holding a brand new brocade robe. He smiled and said, "Thank you for your hard work, Master Qi. I'll have someone take you to change clothes."
Adhering to good professional ethics, Ruan Yunsheng would never laugh in front of her. This was the last bit of dignity she could leave for this old customer.
When Qi Mingxiu changed his clothes and came out, Ruan Yunsheng had already lit incense and led everyone to the elegantly decorated side hall.
Under everyone's expectant gaze, she tapped the gilded incense burner on the table with her fingertips. Slowly speaking amidst the swirling smoke, she seriously misled everyone, "Yao Niang's real name is Su Yao. She was originally the only daughter of the Su family, who worked at the Jiangnan Embroidery Workshop."
"Many years ago, in an effort to expand their business, the Ye family exposed the Su family for smuggling banned goods and set fire to their embroidery workshop. Su Yao escaped the disaster because she was out shopping, but she witnessed her parents perish in the flames."
Her voice grew colder. "From then on, she held a grudge against me. She changed her identity and sneaked into the Ye Mansion, using poisonous insects to control everyone. She first poisoned the pregnant Ye Qingwu, and then fed Ye Li bone-eroding powder day and night."
In fact, it's not completely fooling them. This information can be verified. As for the twists and turns, who cares? There is no evidence.
"Where is the child?" Gu Nanzhi asked anxiously.
"She was cut open alive by Yao Niang and made into a baby spirit puppet."
Just as they were about to ask what would happen next, she winked playfully and said, "That's the content of the third act. Please be patient and wait."
Everyone wailed in unison. Gu Nanzhi grabbed her sleeve and said, "You should at least tell me the reward for winning, right?"
Ruan Yunsheng sighed, and Gu Zuo was embarrassed: "As you all know, a rival has recently appeared. In order to prevent the subsequent plot from being leaked, the details will be revealed when you participate in the third act."
Although Gu Nanzhi and his companions were unwilling to give in, they could only leave in disappointment when they saw Ruan Yunsheng smiling but refusing to give in. Only Qi Mingxiu had been unusually quiet since he changed his clothes, and no one knew what evil intentions he was harboring.
As the plot of the second act changed to customers exploring freely, the girls were finally freed from the tense rehearsals. An Yue leisurely floated on the beam and flipped through the storybook, Wan Niang threaded the needle in the corridor with a new embroidery pattern, and even the busiest sister Qing took a break to make scented tea.
Ruan Yunsheng nestled comfortably on the soft couch, biting the crystal grapes with Song Tinghe's hand, and the sweet juice splashed on his suddenly solid fingertips. She deliberately licked his fingertips stained with grape juice, and saw his face blush from the roots of his ears to his collarbone as she wished.
This is what living a life is all about!
However, the good times did not last long, as an uninvited guest arrived quietly.
The sun was shining brightly. Ah Luo was leaning against the gate of Ye's residence, smiling and handing flyers to passers-by. Suddenly, she saw a carriage with green curtains galloping towards them. Before the carriage stopped, a woman with triangular eyes jumped out. Her face was sallow, and a black-haired matchmaker's mole on the side of her lip moved up and down as she spoke, like a fly full of blood.
"Grandma, are you here to participate in our haunted house game?" A'Luo greeted her enthusiastically.
"Pah!" The old woman spat a mouthful of yellow phlegm precisely on the tip of Ah Luo's embroidered shoes, covered her nose with a handkerchief and took three steps back. "Girls, instead of marrying honestly, you're trying to imitate those brothels and show off in public!"
She slanted her eyes and curled her lips so tightly that the hair on her mole trembled. "Strolling bitch, stay away from me, it's bad luck!"
Ah Luo immediately flew into a rage and grabbed the old woman's crimson collar, "Old hag! Who are you calling a streetwalker?"
"What am I scolding you for?" The old woman dug her sharp nails into Luo's face. "You're a bitch raised by a poor family! Sooner or later, you'll be...ah!"
A'Luo bit her wrist hard. The old woman shook her hand in pain, and the handkerchief inlaid with gold thread fell to the ground. The two of them immediately started to wrestle. A'Luo grabbed the other's hair and pushed it down. The old woman's nails like dry claws scratched her clothes on the back, tearing a hole in it.
"This is outrageous! How dare you, little bitch, challenge the Ruan family!" The old woman gasped and howled, "My wife can crush all of you with just one finger..."
"stop!"
Seeing that the situation was not good, Sister Qing rushed out and forcibly separated the two. Ah Luo's hair was disheveled and she was panting. The old woman's hairpins were crooked and her face was scratched. She was still jumping and cursing: "You lowly whore! I will definitely..."
“Bang!”
Sister Qing slapped her backhand, causing her to stagger half a step. "You old, disrespectful thing, you have such a foul mouth. Apologize to my sister."
The old woman staggered half a step after being slapped by Sister Qing. She covered her swollen cheek and stared in disbelief: "You, do you know who I am? How dare you touch someone from the Ruan Mansion!"
Sister Qing grabbed her by the front of her collar, her eyes stern: "I don't care who you are! Apologize to A'Luo!"
The people watching the excitement gathered around and pointed, saying, "Scolding a little girl in the street, how shameless!"
The old woman's triangular eyes flashed with resentment, and she suddenly laughed shrilly: "Really just like that bitch Ruan Yunsheng! A bastard born of a mother but not raised by her! So vulgar..."
Sister Qing's heart trembled. This person actually called Boss Ruan by his name and insulted his origins? Just as she was about to ask, Hua Rong rushed out of the door.
"Everyone, go away!" Hua Rong's expression suddenly changed when she saw the old woman's face. She forced a smile to disperse the crowd. She grabbed the old woman's arm, her nails almost digging into her flesh. "Isn't this Granny Wang? Why are you here? Come in and talk."
Granny Wang proudly shook off her hand, and with her head held high, she crossed the threshold with her beautiful face. As she passed Sister Qing, she deliberately bumped into her with her shoulder and shouted at the top of her voice, "Tell the Second Miss that the First Lady asked her to go back."
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