“Chapter 31: A Family of Six (6)”

"Chapter 31: A Family of Six (6)"

"◎The Key◎"

"It was like completing a long-distance run, reaching the finish line at his thirstiest. Li Yuancheng weakly released the phone receiver, took a deep breath, and collapsed to the floor, his body limp as mud."

"'Beep, beep, beep…'"

"The call on the other end had ended."

"Outside, the sound of nails scraping against glass continued. Although it was impossible not to be afraid, hearing Shi Youqing’s words gave Li Yuancheng some assurance. He stuffed balls of tissue into his ears to block out the unsettling noises, eventually unable to bear it, he curled up beside Feng Bin's folding bed, muttering various textbook knowledge to himself..."

"Outside the glass window, the night was as dark as an unfading blob of ink."

"Li Yuancheng didn’t know when the voice outside disappeared. When the person on the bed stirred in pain, Li Yuancheng jolted, looking up as if waking from a dream, 'You’re awake?!'"

"Feng Bin's eyes weren’t fully open. His hand was subconsciously gripping the sheets, trying to prop himself up, as if struggling with something..."

"Li Yuancheng hurried to help him up, glancing outside the door."

"Phew!"

"The shadow was indeed gone..."

"Shi Youqing's guess was correct!"

"'...What happened?' Feng Bin's voice was hoarse, his brow furrowed. He tried to get out of bed, nearly falling over, '...Why am I so weak? I can’t muster any strength.'"

"Li Yuancheng, now realizing something was amiss, took out his 'earplugs' and, despite his fear, recounted the recent events, including the lifesaving call from Shi Youqing."

"'...A little girl?'"

"'Yes, she’s the sixth member of this family!' Li Yuancheng whispered, gesturing, 'I suspect she's the daughter of the man’s ex-wife, but she could also be some secret child from outside...’ Seeing Feng Bin's exhausted state, he grew worried, ‘Could it be because we slept during our shift? Does this mean we can’t sleep while on night duty?'"

"'That’s unlikely. Security guards, even on night duty, aren’t expected to stay awake the entire time...’ Feng Bin rubbed his head, thoughtful. He looked at the half-empty cup of water on the table, then glanced at the water dispenser behind the door, 'I only drank water from here after coming to the security room.'"

"Li Yuancheng inhaled sharply, 'Poisoned water? Can't be, right?'"

"Feng Bin thought for a moment, asking him another question, 'After we split into rooms last night, did you drink any water or eat anything?'"

"Li Yuancheng shook his head, 'I don’t usually drink water at night.'"

"'...Neither did I last night,' Feng Bin frowned, 'If the stickers determine where the room is, then it’s not about the security room, but a taboo associated with the room itself.'"

"'A taboo of the room?'"

"'Our room’s sticker is ‘rat.’ What would a homeowner typically do if they had rats?'"

"'...Poison them?! My God...'"

"'That seems to be the idea,' Feng Bin said, eyeing the water dispenser, 'Eating or drinking in the room could be problematic, but I didn’t die. So, this rule probably only results in death when it’s violated.'"

"Li Yuancheng immediately thought of Sun Enhao, 'Sun Enhao’s room sticker was ‘pig!’ His method of death…'"

"His expression turned grim, leaving the sentence unfinished."

"Feng Bin understood his implication, nodding in agreement."

"'Pig'—led to the slaughter."

"'If I had opened the door just now,' Li Yuancheng mused, 'I probably would have been poisoned to death...'"

"After a moment of silence, Feng Bin speculated, '‘Fish’ might correspond to suffocation or burning, but what about ‘cow’...'"

"'Didn’t Shi Youqing experience sleep paralysis on the first night?' Li Yuancheng suggested, 'Cows symbolize toil and labor. Sleep paralysis can be exhausting. Could it be related to that? But if one breaks the rules, does it mean dying from exhaustion caused by sleep paralysis?'"

"It sounded somewhat plausible, yet not as tightly connected as the previous examples..."

"Feng Bin thought for a moment and then called the other three rooms."

"Hao Tianshuo, still drunk, didn’t answer, so Feng Bin informed the four people in Shi Youqing’s room about the room sticker situation, urging them to be cautious."

"After hanging up, Feng Bin patted his head to stay alert, pondering over the 'cow' taboo. Glancing at Li Yuancheng, still looking around nervously, he said, 'You rest. I’ll keep watch until dawn.'"

*

"As soon as it was light, everyone quickly gathered in the first-floor dining room."

"Except for Hao Tianshuo, who had been drunk all night, everyone else looked unwell, especially Li Yuancheng. Despite resting later, the earlier fright made it difficult for him to sleep, his panda eyes quite conspicuous."

"Discussing the previous night's events, Hao Tianshuo was clueless and shocked, almost spitting out his drink when Su Xi mentioned the ghost knocking on their door. Hearing about the animal stickers, the last bit of color drained from his face, '...How brutal is this?!'"

"On the other side, watching the earnest discussion and teasing among the people at the table, Shi Youqing kept silent about his dream from the previous night."

"Even though he didn’t mention it, everyone was already aware of the little girl. As for that monstrous man..."

"'Brother Youqing, what's wrong with you?' Hao Tianshuo, who had been lamenting, noticed Youqing's distracted state and couldn't help but lean in and ask, 'You didn’t have another episode of sleep paralysis last night, did you?'"

"'Ah... no,' Shi Youqing shook his head, 'I was just thinking about something.'"

"Thinking about his mother."

"About those eerie yet previously ordinary-seeming memories."

"When he saw the man’s white pupils last night, he felt both shocked and a sense of familiarity. After much reflection, the blurred memories from his past began to crystallize—he realized those weren’t just familiar, but also the same abnormal eyes he had seen on his mother!"

"The last time his mother played chess with him, she had looked at him with those very eyes!"

"She had asked him then, 'Youqing, do you prefer black or white?'"

……

"Clearly, that question pertained to the black and white versions of this game."

"But why had he always overlooked this memory?"

"Why hadn’t he felt anything amiss about it before?"

"It was as if a person who detested bitterness had eaten bitter melon without realizing it, only to recall days later that they had indeed consumed something so bitter!"

"It was all too strange..."

"Lost in these endless questions, the old man of the house appeared, carrying a notebook and announcing solemnly, 'In five days, it’s my wife’s birthday celebration. You must start preparing from today! Follow everything written here. If you’re not ready by the time, you all have to leave this place!'"

"Everyone was startled, and after the old man left, Su Xi said, 'That’s the seventh day!'"

"'Our contracts are all for seven days. If we’re thrown out on the seventh day...'"

"Feng Bin concluded, 'We’ll die.'"

“……”

"So, everyone turned their attention to the notebook the old man had left on the table."

"It read as follows:"

"1# Housekeepers must attach ‘Longevity’ paper-cuts in every room;"

"2# Security guards must ensure no outsiders invade the villa;"

"3# Gardeners must keep the soil in the garden free from debris;"

"4# Chefs must prepare a feast that all our family members love for the celebration;"

"5# Prenatal teachers, please remember your responsibilities."

"A deathly silence fell."

"Lin Lulu cautiously reached out, extracting a stack of paper-cuts tucked inside the notebook, murmuring, 'Every room... Does that include the room upstairs?'"

"Su Xi: 'Apparently so.'"

"Hao Tianshuo was annoyed, 'Debris in the soil? For such a large garden, are we supposed to dig three feet deep every day to check?'"

"Su Xi: 'The instruction says ‘maintain,’ implying the soil was clear before. We just need to watch for any signs of digging in the garden. If someone buried something, it wouldn’t be hard to detect...'"

"Yet, her words only intensified the fear among those present."

"...What could possibly be buried in the garden?"

"At that moment, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the stairs. They turned to see Tian Zikun rushing down and leaving the house without a backward glance."

"On the stairs, the lady of the house, looking somewhat weary, watched her husband leave. After a while, she beckoned to Shi Youqing."

"'I’ll be right there...' As the lady disappeared from view, Shi Youqing stood up, 'Start working on the plan quickly and be careful.'"

"He was referring to the plan about the keys."

"As soon as she left, Bo Huai was the first to approach and knock on a door."

"The old man, visibly irritated, flung open the door, 'What is it?'"

"Bo Huai: 'The ingredients in the kitchen are no longer fresh.'"

"The old man was taken aback, 'Impossible. They were fine just yesterday...'"

"'Go and check again now.'"

"'...Don’t try to fool me!' The old man grumbled as he stepped out, 'I stored those vegetables properly... Hmph, I know what you’re up to, trying to get more money out of me... Not happening!'"

"Meanwhile, after the old man was led to the kitchen, the old lady just happened to come down from the upstairs dining room."

"Feng Bin and Li Yuancheng were prepared. They approached her, 'Old lady, someone was lurking outside the door this morning, we're not sure what they were up to...'"

"'What?' She became instantly tense, 'Where? Show me quickly! We can’t let thieves get an eye on us...'"

"With this, except for the male owner who had left for work, all the other NPCs were successfully distracted."

"At the door of the elderly couple’s room, Hao Tianshuo confirmed there was no movement inside, then slowly pushed the door open with his foot and peered inside before shaking his head. Lin Lulu, carrying a mop, sneaked in quietly."

"Hao Tianshuo kept watch at the door."

"Elsewhere, Su Xi stayed near the dining table, keeping an eye on the activity in the kitchen from afar."

"Minutes ticked by, what was less than two minutes felt like an eternity..."

"Sweat formed on Su Xi’s forehead. Hearing the old man’s angry shouts from the kitchen, she quickly tapped her cup on the table—a signal indicating the old man was returning."

"The room was dark, Hao Tianshuo could only see Lin Lulu's silhouette rummaging through the drawers under the bedside table. He urgently whispered, 'Hurry up!'"

"'Almost done...' Lin Lulu, also nervous, accidentally made a few clattering noises..."

"Around the corner, the old man’s footsteps were already approaching."

"Su Xi rushed over to intercept him, 'Sir, I have a question about the seedlings...'"

"'I hired you to work, not to be taught!' The old man, impatient, pushed past her."

"'Too late...' Hao Tianshuo, heart racing with urgency, disregarded everything, rushed in, grabbed Lin Lulu by the arm, and ran..."

"In a panic, the two ducked into the stairwell. Just then, the old man arrived."

"Back at the door now closed, Su Xi let out a long sigh of relief."

"The three regrouped in the stairwell."

"Lin Lulu, her face flushed with tension, clutched a bunch of keys tightly. She pressed the other end of the keychain against her abdomen to prevent any clinking noise..."

"'...All the keys of this house should be here.'"

"'Let's go, try each one!'"

"As they headed upstairs, Hao Tianshuo asked, 'What about Brother Youqing’s caregiver?'"

"'...Bo Huai?' Su Xi replied, 'The old man, realizing he’d been tricked, ordered him to reorganize all the vegetables in the fridge. He can’t leave his task.'"

"'Sigh, why couldn’t the old man order him to switch rooms with me...'"

“……”

"Reaching the second floor, Lin Lulu and Hao Tianshuo tried each key at the door, while Su Xi kept watch at the corridor entrance."

"The possibility of the old man discovering the missing keys kept them on edge, with even the lookout Su Xi periodically checking in."

"But the situation was not promising; so far, none of the keys had opened that door..."

"'Only two left...' Lin Lulu’s hands began to shake, 'Is it this one?'"

"As the key slid into the lock, the sound of a doorknob turning suddenly echoed from the other end of the hallway..."

"Their faces turned ashen."

"The next moment, Shi Youqing’s voice faintly reached them, 'Madam! Just tell me if you want some fruit... You’re not feeling well, please rest...'"

"Then, as expected, a familiar figure emerged."

"Shi Youqing, seeing them, gestured quickly — hurry up."

"As the young man's footsteps descended the stairs, the last key finally slid into the lock."

"Before they could celebrate, the trio standing at the door froze."

"The door had opened."

"But... after unlocking it, no one had pushed the door open!"

"The door seemed to open by itself..."

"The room was pitch dark. Before they could decide whether to enter, someone forcefully pushed them from behind, and all three cried out as they tumbled in—"

"'Creak'—"

"The door closed!"

"Su Xi reacted the fastest, scrambling up from the floor almost instantly to reach for the doorknob... But where the doorknob should have been, there was nothing but empty space!"

"Frantically waving her hands, she grasped only air..."

"How could this be? The door was right here..."

"'Su... Su Xi,' Lin Lulu called out to her."

"'I'm behind the door, but I can’t find it,' Su Xi responded, orienting herself from the position she’d entered, 'Don’t move, I'm coming to find you...'"

"'Ah?' The other's voice trembled before she hesitantly added, 'But... Hao Tianshuo is in front of me, and you were right behind me, leaning against me...'"

"[Author’s Note]"

"Thanks to our nurturing angels: Jian Yiguiyi 20 bottles; Xiaomaibu 6 bottles; Aiyowei Zhezhezhe, Nanrenbuziaijiu Xianglanbaicai, Qiu'an 1 bottle each;"

"Thank you all for your support, I will continue to strive!"