Chapter 38: A Family of Six (13)

Chapter 38: A Family of Six (13)

◎The Basement◎

As expected, that afternoon, Hao Tianshuo and Su Xi found an NPC in the garden soil again—the old man who should have been resting inside the house.

Just like before, upon emerging, the old man ignored them, mechanically standing up and walking towards the villa.

During dinner that day, Shi Youqing only ate a little. His idea about finding the basement hadn’t been confirmed yet, so he hadn’t mentioned it to anyone. He casually asked Bo Huai if he could come to pick him up after the evening class.

The other person paused, seemingly caught off guard: “I pick you up every day.”

Shi Youqing hummed softly, his mind already formulating a plan.

After dinner, Hao Tianshuo and Su Xi didn’t retreat to their rooms immediately. Armed with a flashlight, he patrolled the garden, deciding not to return to their rooms before midnight after last night’s incident.

In the piano room, Tian Zikun, as usual, came to accompany Su Hui for her lesson.

Shi Youqing began by telling a story, captivating the couple, then naturally turned on the projector, saying, “Regarding the living illusion of this master, please see the photo…”

In the quiet piano room, the couple looked up smiling.

However, upon seeing the blurred face on the wall, Su Hui’s face changed drastically, emitting a near-instinctive scream.

—The projection was of Xiao Zhi’s photo.

Shi Youqing was no fool; he had taken a backup photo with his phone before handing the original to the old lady. It was a clue obtained at great risk by him and Bo Huai, not to be easily surrendered.

The old man had forbidden him from mentioning Xiao Zhi in front of the family. Unfortunate, yet luckily, it was a rule with loopholes: he wouldn’t mention it, but what about inadvertently showing them Xiao Zhi’s photo?

Just like now.

However, unable to predict whether the NPCs would lash out in anger, he had arranged for Bo Huai to be nearby…

At that moment, the photo enlarged by the projector seemed like some malevolent entity. Su Hui scrambled to her feet to run, her shoulders tense, her face quivering, a picture of stress-induced fear.

Tian Zikun, about to scold Shi Youqing, hurriedly embraced her, but before he could utter words of comfort, he received a hard slap: “Why... wasn’t Xiao Zhi already gone? You lied to me! You lied…”

“How could I lie to you? Absolutely not!” Hearing that name, the man showed the same look of terror, but cautious of his pregnant wife, he dared not let go, “She really left! I wouldn’t lie to you!”

“But she appeared!!!” the woman screamed, breaking down.

The man shuddered, glancing at the photo on the wall, and suddenly hurled a water glass at it…

After a startlingly loud crash, the girl’s face didn’t disappear; instead, with the water stains, the blurred face became eerier, and the water trickling down the white cloth covered the face like blood…

“No—” Su Hui’s eyes were vacant, completely collapsing, “She, she’s back! She won’t spare my child! She’s really back…”

The room was in chaos. Tian Zikun, panting heavily, restrained his frantic wife and glared back at Shi Youqing: “What are you waiting for? Turn that thing off!!!”

Shi Youqing slowly picked up the remote and gradually turned off the projector.

"It's gone, see? It's all gone! Don't be afraid..." the man comforted his struggling wife in his arms, "It's all fake."

"No, it's not fake... it was really her..."

As they spoke, Shi Youqing approached: "Sorry, I played the wrong file just now."

"Where did you get that photo?!" Tian Zikun, infuriated at the sight of him, demanded loudly, "Tell me now!"

"…I found it."

"You…" The man’s face twisted in fury, his hand reaching out as if to discipline him, but then a noise from outside the window and, at that moment, his outstretched hand suddenly dropped.

Shi Youqing was taken aback.

As if pressed down by something, Tian Zikun struggled to retract his hand, his body slowly bending forward, hands fumbling behind him…

He almost curled up like a cooked shrimp.

"…What are you doing? Stop making a fool of yourself!" Su Hui kicked him lightly, but with that gentle nudge, Tian Zikun collapsed to the floor like a statue…

His hands still maintained the searching motion, his head forced back, his neck seemingly constricted by something, painfully calling to Su Hui, “Save me…”

"What the hell are you up to?! You think I'll forgive you with this act? Get up! Explain all of this to me now!!!”

"Save me..." The man appeared to be in real agony, his voice growing fainter, his eyes almost bulging out, “She... she's on my back... choking me..."

The air chilled in an instant.

Su Hui paused, then covered her mouth, staggering back a step, “What... what are you talking about?”

Her voice trembled with tears, an unmistakable fear.

Just as the man on the floor began crawling towards her, reaching a threshold, Su Hui couldn’t bear it anymore, sidestepping the figure to hide behind Shi Youqing.

Shi Youqing was startled: “Madam…”

She shivered, saying, “That child has returned, it must be that child…”

Shi Youqing stood still, then suddenly asked her, “Where did the child originally go?”

“No... I don’t know! Don’t let that thing come near me! I don’t know anything!!!”

As she spoke, the man on the ground suddenly slammed his head against the floor, convulsed for a moment, and then, as if finally shaking off something on his back, took a long breath and stood up, looking around in confusion: “Why are you behind him? Why are you crying? What happened?”

It was as if he had forgotten everything that just transpired.

The woman behind him trembled more violently, crying and shaking her head, “It's terrifying, that thing is still on him, it’s so scary…”

The man stepped towards them, “What's all this? Come here…”

The woman, as if about to be devoured by a demon, screamed uncontrollably, pushing away her husband who was coming to support her, and ran outside like a madwoman…

Realizing something was amiss, Shi Youqing quickly followed her.

The woman ran extraordinarily fast, as if she had forgotten she was pregnant…

Along the long corridor, a loud “thud” and a cry of pain suddenly echoed.

When Shi Youqing and Tian Zikun arrived, Su Hui lay motionless on the floor.

“My God…” Tian Zikun cried out in sorrow, staggering over.

Shi Youqing, who was about to help, froze in the next moment.

A red, vaguely human-shaped mass slowly slid out from under the woman, more accurately described as a lump of flesh.

Despite not knowing what a pregnant woman’s accident might look like, common sense told him – what he was seeing was impossible in human terms.

Su Hui was wearing pants; even in a miscarriage, it should be blood that emerges, not a lump of flesh sliding out… it was impossible…

Yet neither Su Hui nor Tian Zikun seemed to notice this horrifying sight, standing up as Tian Zikun exclaimed with relief, “Thank goodness, all is well.”

As if it was just a minor stumble, the woman stood up with her husband’s support, his voice filled with relief and fear, admonishing her not to do that again…

Shi Youqing stood quietly at a distance.

He watched the small lump of flesh wriggle, crawl to the woman’s feet, then slowly climb up her leg like a snail, gradually disappearing under her abdomen…

Shi Youqing couldn't shake off the feeling, as if the flesh lump had a pair of eyes watching him.

Even after the lump disappeared, the sensation of being watched lingered…

The air was cold.

A chill crept up from the floor, unnoticed at first.

Leaning against her husband’s chest, Su Hui accused, her voice filled with grievance, “It’s all your fault. If it weren’t for that child, none of this would have happened!”

“It’s my fault, I’ll handle it… She won’t appear again,” he replied with the same familiar words.

The elderly couple from downstairs, upon hearing the commotion, rushed up to ensure Su Hui was okay. They reassured her, casting resentful glances at Shi Youqing.

With ten minutes left before the end of class, Shi Youqing asked softly, “...Should we continue the lesson?”

“Continue what?” Tian Zikun replied impatiently, “Prepare for tomorrow’s class in the piano room. Don’t let such a blunder happen again! Otherwise…” His gentle gaze turned sinister.

“Okay, I’m truly sorry,” Shi Youqing apologized, bowing his head and retreating to the room.

The piano room was in disarray. Shi Youqing walked to the window, pulled back the curtains, and the person outside looked at him and then jumped in.

Shi Youqing saw the fruit knife tucked away and couldn’t help but smile, “Thanks, but you can’t harm NPCs.” His initial plan was to have the other person help him escape if things went awry.

Attacking NPCs was dangerous.

Bo Huai remained silent, scrutinizing him as if to ensure he was unharmed.

“It's fine, this time went smoothly,” Shi Youqing raised his phone, displaying the girl's photo, “They all recognized the photo, and their reactions were significant… It seems like the erased Xiao Zhi is finally being remembered. We'll check the first floor again tomorrow. If the entrance to the basement hasn't appeared, we'll think of something else…”

After a moment of silence.

“Did you see something else?” Bo Huai asked.

The piano room felt stuffy. Shi Youqing stood by the window for air, then after a pause, said, “Our previous speculation is correct. None of this family is alive. Tomorrow, Su Hui will likely emerge from the ground… But I didn't expect her unborn child to have a physical form…”

As he spoke, his hand was suddenly gripped. Bo Huai’s palm was warm, dispelling the chill brought on by the sensation of being watched almost immediately.

“Drink some ginger tea tonight,” Bo Huai said while warming his hand, then turned to look at the sofa where the female host had sat, “Ghost infants can be troublesome. Starting tomorrow, try to avoid any physical contact with Su Hui.”

“Indeed, it does count as a ghost infant...” He nodded, recalling the initial tasks set by the old man, and couldn’t help but purse his lips, “My duty... from the very beginning, was actually to take care of that ghost infant.”

Initially, due to the term 'prenatal education,' he had instinctively assumed it wouldn't involve an infant.

……

Finally, it was the fifth day.

Waking up in the morning and foregoing breakfast, Shi Youqing and Bo Huai immediately started searching for the basement entrance as soon as they descended the stairs.

The others also sprang into action.

Persistence paid off, and the exit was ultimately found behind a cabinet in the kitchen.

This place had been searched several times before by Bo Huai and Lin Lulu, but it was completely sealed then, without the iron door entrance visible now.

“I can't believe it’s actually like this!” Hao Tianshuo exclaimed upon learning the reason, “Brother Qingqing... I'm almost ready to sponsor your education!”

“...I also study at home.”

Li Yuancheng, incredulous, remarked, “Though it sounds obvious, not at all astonishing, we were stuck in a dead end before and never thought of this...”

Feng Bin said, “The game itself doesn’t set overly complex puzzles, especially in the dark world. Sometimes the answers can even seem like brain teasers… but once you get fixated on a certain line of thinking, you miss the simplest, most basic answers.”

Li Yuancheng reflected, “Keeping the mind flexible is an art in itself!”

“……”

As they talked, Bo Huai finally opened the iron door — by forcefully kicking it down.

“Bang—”

Dust billowed into the air.

Shi Youqing choked, then found his mouth half-covered by a handkerchief.

He looked up and smiled at Bo Huai.

Bo Huai waved away the dust in the air and took hold of Shi Youqing’s arm, leading him forward.

Passing through the iron door, they encountered a downward slope, evoking the same sensation Shi Youqing had experienced in his previous hallucination.

"This is it."

He slowed his pace, as if he already knew what lay ahead.

Soon, Hao Tianshuo and the others who had entered a step ahead let out startled cries.

"Damn—"

"My God..."

“……”

The darkness of the space was illuminated by their flashlight beams.

It was as if time, once silenced, began to flow again, only to freeze once more in the endless darkness.

Upon seeing the small body lying on the ground ahead, Shi Youqing stopped in his tracks.

[Author's Note]

Happy Dragon Boat Festival! Thank you to all the angels who sent me King's Votes or Nutrient Solutions between 2023-06-21 22:45:17 and 2023-06-22 18:53:54~

A special thanks to the little angel who sent a rocket: --Waiting for the Aurora-- 1 piece;

Thanks to the angel who watered with nutrient solution: Xiu Ying, Men Who Don't Care About Themselves Are Like Rotten Cabbages 1 bottle;

I am extremely grateful for everyone's support, and I will continue to work hard!