“Chapter 53: Dormitory Ghost Tales (11)”

"Chapter 53: Dormitory Ghost Tales (11)"

"◎[Three-in-One] 'The Murderer Makes a Move.'◎"

"Changing dorm heads was the solution Shi You Qing had mentioned on the rooftop."

"The last rule in the dormitory management guidelines states that students must follow the arrangements of the dorm head and dorm supervisor. The bravery game, approved by the dorm head, fits into a smaller circle within the larger circle of school rules, while being a separate entity altogether."

"Regarding the feasibility of gathering the three dormitories together, if the old methods were used, it would clearly be impossible, as inferred from Hu Lei's remarks."

"After all, the dorm head wouldn’t allow it."

"Thus, the solution was to simply change the dorm heads."

"The incident of the NPC students being reprimanded for hiding lighters occurred just last night, and Ren Yi getting caught while sneaking out also pointed to the laxity of the current dorm heads. This moment, when all players united to petition the teacher for a change of dorm heads (essentially lodging a complaint), was the perfect opportunity."

"If Jing Shan High School were a game in reality, then the NPCs of the three dormitories would be key programs responsible for issuing main tasks and hindering player success, while the school teachers’ primary duty would be to maintain campus order."

"The former would not agree to a plan that facilitates the players’ tasks, but the latter, not engaged with the 'bravery game' and even unaware of its existence, would prioritize school rules. Unconcerned with the bravery game, the teacher would agree to the request to change dorm heads if it seemed beneficial for maintaining campus order. This didn’t come as a surprise to Shi You Qing."

"In a sense, changing the dorm heads was a bug in this copy, but also an exploitable side quest for the players."

"Hu Lei seemed dazed for a long time, seemingly unable to grasp how such a significant change had occurred so quickly."

……

"During the break of the first period of evening self-study, Yu Ze finally appeared."

"Apart from Shi You Qing’s group of three and Zong Zhu Yuan, no one else knew about Yu Ze’s status as a quasi-NPC. They merely thought he had avoided trouble by being alone in violating school rules."

"Since the start of this copy, Yu Ze had always been aloof, and his late arrival didn’t strike anyone as unusual."

"Yu Ze didn’t enter the classroom but stood outside the window, his face hidden in darkness, his emotions unreadable."

"As Shi You Qing moved, Bo Huai came over and leaned down to ask, 'Going out?'"

"Shi You Qing nodded."

"Bo Huai helped him up and walked over to Yu Ze."

"This time, Yu Ze didn’t run, seemingly waiting for Shi You Qing, and nodded to him, 'Shi You Qing.'"

"Shi You Qing eyed him, 'You wanted to see me?'"

"Yu Ze glanced at Bo Huai, then back at Shi You Qing, 'I need to speak with you alone.'"

"Bo Huai frowned."

"Shi You Qing calmly said, 'Okay.'"

"The two headed to the rooftop."

"Bo Huai didn’t leave, standing guard at the entrance to the stairway, watching them intently."

"At the other end of the rooftop, they stood facing each other, a short distance apart."

"Shi You Qing glanced towards Bo Huai, then turned back and said, 'He can’t hear us from this distance, go ahead.'"

"Yu Ze got straight to the point, 'I know you’re not human.'"

"Shi You Qing’s lips tightened. He remained motionless for a moment, then looked at Yu Ze with a smile in his eyes, 'What exactly are you trying to say?'"

"Yu Ze said, 'You’ve already guessed my identity... Objectively speaking, we’re on opposing sides now, you can’t possibly trust me.'"

"Shi You Qing responded, 'I don’t trust your identity, but I know your objective. You never intended to pass the assessment.'"

"Yu Ze paused."

"Shi You Qing continued, 'So you don’t need to threaten me.'"

"‘I wasn’t planning to threaten you!’ Yu Ze frowned, 'Everyone escaped Chenggu Town because of you. I know you’re not a bad person... You might deceive Feng Bin, but not someone who has merged with the game... Shi You Qing, I came to you to tell you that I can help you test the feasibility of all the rules, but I need you to agree to a condition.'"

"Shi You Qing looked at him, 'A condition?'"

"Yu Ze pulled out an envelope, 'After leaving the copy, go to Guo Ya Lan’s home for me. The address is on it. Deliver this letter to her family. She entered the copy while writing it and didn’t get the chance to send it.'"

"Shi You Qing looked down, his gaze lingering on the envelope for a few seconds before turning back to Yu Ze, 'Is this letter important?'"

"Yu Ze nodded, 'Yes!'"

"Shi You Qing, puzzled, asked, 'If it’s so important, why do you still choose to stay here?'"

"Yu Ze explained, 'Since you’ve guessed my identity, you know I won’t die so soon. Staying one more day with her is a gain... As for this letter, I believe there will be someone among the current players who can get out.'"

"Shi You Qing understood; Yu Ze planned to exchange his life with someone during the assessment."

"'You should deliver this letter yourself,' Shi You Qing shook his head, 'I don’t like taking on such tasks.'"

"Yu Ze's face turned pale."

"Shi You Qing turned to leave."

"Yu Ze suddenly exclaimed, 'What would you do in my place?! She’s right there, just like when she was alive! And is going out really living? Rather than dying alone in some other copy later, isn't it better to stay here with her forever?! What’s so wrong with that?'"

"Shi You Qing turned back to look at him, 'She is already dead. Staying here is your choice, but since Guo Ya Lan entrusted that letter to you, she hoped you would leave.'"

"Yu Ze stood frozen."

"‘You’re right, my body is somewhat unusual... but, after all, I am a player, my objectives are aligned with all players. I won’t use my life to test the rules, nor will I use someone else’s. Keep the letter safe. Deliver it yourself after getting out,' Shi You Qing said and left without looking back."

“……”

*

"Shi You Qing wasn’t afraid that Yu Ze would reveal his secret in a fit of anger. It was an instinct, as well as a judgment of Yu Ze’s character."

"He didn’t dwell on this matter, focusing only on the task at hand. As soon as he descended the stairs, he asked Bo Huai about the academic records of those NPCs from that year."

"‘Lin Shuo's grades were always among the best, but Lu Ming Liang and those five were consistently mid to upper class, especially Ren Yi, who often failed. There was no competition,' Bo Huai said, supporting him."

"Shi You Qing nodded, saying nothing further."

"After evening self-study, the students in the academic building dispersed like a tide."

"Shi You Qing didn’t linger, returning to the dormitory with Bo Huai ahead of the others."

"On the way, Bo Huai saw Shi You Qing struggling to walk and bent down to carry him on his back."

"Shi You Qing was slim, particularly thin around the waist, which formed a soft hollow when he lay on Bo Huai’s back."

"As Bo Huai straightened up, his elbow unintentionally brushed that spot, causing him to pause briefly."

"Shi You Qing, deep in thought, asked, 'What’s wrong?'"

"Bo Huai shook his head, feeling warmth at the point of contact, and said hoarsely, 'It’s nothing.'"

"Continuing forward, a slight night breeze blew, leaving Shi You Qing feeling unsettled. He subconsciously moved his legs."

"In an instant, Bo Huai's breathing became slightly more erratic than before."

"Shi You Qing assumed he was tired and didn’t think much of it."

"Upon reaching the dormitory building, they first checked the windows near the ground floor water basin."

"Sure enough, the window had been sealed with a new security grille."

"Back in the dorm, Shi You Qing, with Bo Huai's assistance, finished his nightly routine and sat at the edge of his bed soaking his feet. He sighed contentedly and looked up, only to notice Chen Zheng giving him an odd look."

"Shi You Qing calmly met his gaze, 'What’s up?'"

"Chen Zheng turned away, muttering a quiet 'nothing'."

"Just before lights out, Ren Yi and Lu Ming Liang finally rushed back to the dorm, each carrying snacks, evidently just returning from the store."

"Zong Zhu Yuan was the last to enter."

"Yu Xiao Hui was all geared up with ghost stories, ready to start, but Shi You Qing interjected with a smile, 'Tonight, we’re joining with dorms 305 and 306 for the game.'"

"'No way,' Chen Zheng immediately stood up in protest, 'What if the dorm supervisor catches us...?'"

"'As if you’ve never played with lighters without getting caught,' Li Da snorted, 'Besides, Shi You Qing is our dorm head now, we follow his lead!'"

"Chen Zheng’s face turned ashen, 'But it’s not right.'"

"Shi You Qing, not looking at him, stated firmly, 'I’ve already spoken to the dorm heads of those two dorms, and they agree. Go call them over!'"

"When Shi You Qing spoke without emotion, there was an indescribable sharpness in his demeanor. Even the reluctant Chen Zheng didn’t say anything more."

"While Yu Xiao Hui was still hesitant, Lu Ming Liang had already followed Bo Huai and others to call them."

"Soon, dorm 304 was filled with people."

"—Just that morning, gathering students from the three dorms for a bravery game seemed utterly impossible to most players. Yet now, Shi You Qing had effortlessly demonstrated the feasibility of his proposal."

"Young people love excitement, and most were eager, urging to start the game quickly."

"However, the hosting of the bravery game was still led by the former dorm heads."

"The bravery game, a key task in the copy, is not part of the official school rules but an activity initiated by students. Teachers can change dorm heads, but the leadership of the game has always been determined by student NPCs. Therefore, the game is tied to specific NPCs, not the position of 'dorm head'."

"This was expected by everyone. If changing the dorm head could control the entire bravery game, then the replacement of the previous dorm heads would not have been so straightforward."

"As Shi You Qing was arranging for everyone to sit down, Zong Zhu Yuan watched intently from his upper bunk."

"The youth's gaze was gentle and harmless. Hiding the aggressiveness in his dark eyes with a smile, he seemed captivated."

"He watched, completely absorbed."

"After a rustling of preparations, Yu Xiao Hui began telling the ghost story."

"To be precise, what he narrated was not a story, but a horror version of 'Sea Turtle Soup'."

"In 'Sea Turtle Soup', the storyteller knows the ending but only shares a simple overview. The others must ask questions to reconstruct the story, with the storyteller only answering 'yes', 'no', or 'irrelevant'."

"Yu Xiao Hui, feigning depth, said, 'Xiao Ming killed someone, but he is innocent. Why?'"

"Several players perked up immediately."

"Li Da hastily guessed, 'Xiao Ming hid all the evidence of the murder?'"

"Yu Xiao Hui replied, 'No.'"

"Hu Lei asked, 'Was it self-defense by Xiao Ming?'"

"Again, Yu Xiao Hui shook his head, 'No.'"

"The NPCs each took turns asking questions."

"Shi You Qing turned to look over, noticing Lu Ming Liang, Chen Zheng, and Ren Yi still pondering in silence."

"At that moment, Ye Jing quietly asked, 'Is Xiao Ming a bad person?'"

"Yu Xiao Hui chuckled, 'Irrelevant.'"

"With inspiration running dry, the room fell into a brief silence."

"Until Feng Bin spoke up, 'Is it because Xiao Ming is a minor?'"

"Yu Xiao Hui responded, 'It’s not related to age.'"

"‘Hey, this is really strange!’ one of the student NPCs couldn’t help but interject, ‘The person Xiao Ming killed wasn’t already dead, was he?’"

"Yu Xiao Hui laughed, 'No.'"

"Hu Lei then asked, 'Are both Xiao Ming and the person he killed real people?'"

Yu Xiaohui: "Yes."

"Ye Jing wondered, 'There are no ghosts in this story, right?'"

"Yu Xiao Hui affirmed, 'Correct.'"

"Li Da questioned, 'Xiao Ming’s innocence, does it relate to his identity or his family’s status?'"

"Yu Xiao Hui shook his head."

"After racking his brain for a long time, Ye Jing had a sudden insight and exclaimed loudly, 'Oh! I’ve got it, Xiao Ming is an executioner, and the person he killed was a criminal!'"

"Everyone seemed to have a moment of realization at this, but then they heard Yu Xiao Hui sigh and shake his head, 'No.'"

"Now everyone was baffled, 'If that’s not it... this is really too difficult, isn’t it?'"

"Yu Xiao Hui gently urged, 'Actually, it’s not that hard. Think about it again.'"

"Shi You Qing asked, 'Did Xiao Ming intentionally kill the person?'"

"Hearing this, Yu Xiao Hui’s expression subtly changed, 'No.'"

"'So, it was an accident?' Li Da said, 'Like a boss causing an employee’s sudden death due to overwork, something like that?'"

"'Yes to the first part, no to the second,' Yu Xiao Hui replied, shaking his head, 'A reminder, this is a horror version of Sea Turtle Soup. You can think outside the box.'"

"For a moment, everyone exchanged puzzled glances."

"The air grew somewhat stagnant."

"After a short pause, Bo Huai asked, 'Was Xiao Ming closely related to the deceased?'"

"Yu Xiao Hui smiled meaningfully, 'Yes.'"

"Zong Zhu Yuan scoffed, 'Did this story happen during a time of famine?'"

Yu Xiaohui said, "Yes."

"The answer was now obvious. Zong Zhu Yuan sneered but said no more."

"‘Then I’ve got it!’ Hu Lei exclaimed, ‘Xiao Ming and the person were family, trapped somewhere with no food. To keep Xiao Ming from starving, the relative fed him their own flesh and eventually died, right? In a way, doesn’t that mean Xiao Ming caused their death?'"

"Yu Xiao Hui, however, shook his head, 'You only got half of it right.'"

"Shi You Qing suggested, 'Did the incident happen just as they were about to be rescued?'"

"Yu Xiao Hui’s face lit up with surprise, 'Exactly.'"

"Shi You Qing understood, 'Xiao Ming and his relative were stranded on an island. One day, Xiao Ming found a ship approaching the shore and realized they were about to be rescued. Overjoyed, he joked with his relative, saying something like, ‘Even if we have nothing to eat, I’ll give you my flesh to eat’... Little did he know, this drove the other person to despair and suicide.'"

"Yu Xiao Hui applauded, 'That’s right.'"

"The others murmured in response."

"Shi You Qing did not smile, but looked intently at Yu Xiao Hui."

"He had an intuition that even if Yu Xiao Hui wasn’t the murderer, he must know something."

"‘Alright, let’s get on with it and draw lots!’ Yu Xiao Hui, shaking a paper box, moved to the center of the dorm, 'This time we have three dorms playing together, so we’ll draw three lots! No dorm restrictions this time.'"

"As Shi You Qing approached to draw, he fumbled for a while before picking up a paper ball."

"He didn’t get selected again."

"Soon, the results were out."

"The ones who drew the lots were Zhang Yu, Bo Huai, and Lu Ming Liang."

"As the three left, the others got up to return to their respective dorms."

"Shi You Qing blocked the door with his hand, 'No one leaves until they return.'"

"'Huh?'"

"'Why should we?'"

"'Stay cramped in here for half an hour? You must be joking!'"

"As the dorm heads of the other two dormitories, Feng Bin and Ye Jing were present. Shi You Qing smiled slightly, indicating no intention of further explanation."

"Feng Bin told the few from his dorm, 'Let’s all stay here... Yu Xiao Hui, aren’t you good at telling ghost stories? Continue with it, we can’t sleep anyway.'"

"Seeing this, Ye Jing quickly agreed, 'Yeah, let’s treat it as a gathering. Isn’t this more lively than staying in our own dorms?'"

"Seeing the dorm heads agree, the others reluctantly returned to their places."

"'Alright then, I’ll continue... But don’t blame me if it’s cliché.' Yu Xiao Hui cleared his throat and shone a flashlight on his face, 'One night, someone went to the bathroom, and suddenly! He saw a pale hand reaching out from the stall next door...'"

*

"Zhang Yu’s lot drawing led him to the bathroom."

"He started from the top, avoiding Bo Huai and Lu Ming Liang, checking each stall without success, eventually focusing on the ground floor public bathroom."

"The dorm supervisor was asleep, and everything was dark; the other dorms were silent, with everyone already in bed. This gave Zhang Yu some reassurance as he tiptoed through the corridor to the ground floor bathroom."

"Zhang Yu wasn’t very nervous at the moment, knowing Bo Huai was on the second floor and NPC Lu Ming Liang was on the rooftop, never having come down. Even if someone suddenly came down to make trouble, they’d encounter Bo Huai on the second floor first."

"His main concern was to avoid encountering anyone on the ground floor and creating a situation of walking together."

"Entering the bathroom, Zhang Yu turned on his flashlight, cautiously covering half of the light with his palm, and began searching inside."

"He checked from the outside to the inside, and after a while, upon entering the second-to-last stall, a smile spread across his face."

"He had found it."

"The paper ball was taped to the wall with a strip of tape!"

"It was just a bit high."

"Unable to reach, Zhang Yu overturned a nearby trash can to stand on it and snatched the paper ball from the wall!"

"However, at that moment, from the last stall, right next to him, a strange 'whoo whoo' sound suddenly emerged. Before Zhang Yu could react, a hauntingly familiar voice wafted over, 'Do you have any paper?'"

……

"In dorm 304."

"Yu Xiao Hui was telling a clichéd ghost story about a bathroom, but despite its triteness, it was late at night, and some roommates were outside playing the bravery game, so most were a bit scared, huddling close and talking."

"Since the start of the bravery game, Shi You Qing had been glancing at Yu Xiao Hui from time to time."

"Noticing his gaze, Yu Xiao Hui felt uneasy, muttering, 'What’s up with you, Shi You Qing? You never used to listen so intently to my ghost stories. Trying to scare me, huh?'"

"Shi You Qing shook his head, 'I was just thinking about the Sea Turtle Soup story you told earlier.'"

"Hearing this, Yu Xiao Hui proudly said, 'How was it? I told it well, right?'"

"Shi You Qing nodded, 'You told it really well, so well it reminded me of the student who committed suicide last year. Do you think it could have been like the story you told...?'"

"‘Shi You Qing!’ Hu Lei suddenly interrupted from behind, 'Why bring up that story in the middle of the night!'"

"Chen Zheng instinctively glanced at Ren Yi."

"Ren Yi remained silent, with a stern face."

"A moment later, Chen Zheng turned his gaze back to Shi You Qing, 'That’s in the past. Let’s not bring it up again. Everyone has just moved on, and now you’re... It only brings pain.'"

"Shi You Qing feigned being startled, 'Sorry.'"

"Feng Bin stepped in front of Shi You Qing, 'He didn’t mean it.'"

"Hu Lei sighed, 'Forget it, you don’t understand. Lin Shuo really did commit suicide. Don’t let a fictional story cloud your judgment.'"

"Shi You Qing looked down and murmured an acknowledgment."

"Hu Lei, seeing him lower his eyes, looking dejected, felt awkward, 'We’re not blaming you. Ignorance is no fault.'"

"Shi You Qing, pursing his lips, replied softly, '...Thank you.'"

"Everyone fell silent after that."

"In the bravery game, Lu Ming Liang returned first, shivering as he handed over his paper ball, 'Found it in that little hole on the rooftop. You guys really know how to hide! Scared me to death!'"

"A few minutes later, Bo Huai also returned. He first located Shi You Qing in the crowd, then handed over his paper ball."

"Chen Zheng checked and confirmed, 'It’s correct.'"

"Feng Bin, standing behind the door, breathed a sigh of relief, 'Just Zhang Yu left.'"

"'Zhang Yu?' Ren Yi, closest to him, was baffled, 'Who’s Zhang Yu? Weren’t there just two draws this time? Dude, are you sleepwalking or what?!'"

"Feng Bin was momentarily taken aback."

"Shi You Qing suddenly looked up."

"The NPCs looked indifferent, not finding anything amiss in Ren Yi’s comment, and began teasing Feng Bin."

"The deathly silence lasted only two seconds before being interrupted again by the NPCs' laughter and chatter."

"'Alright, the game’s over, let’s head back to our dorms,' Hu Lei yawned and led the way out, 'I’m sleepy.'"

"Soon, dorm 304 returned to its quiet state."

"None of the players spoke, but they all knew—Zhang Yu was dead."

"The time for the bravery game had long passed."

"According to the dormitory management rules, players normally could stay outside for ten minutes, exceeding which they couldn’t walk together."

"As Shi You Qing got out of bed, Bo Huai seemed to know what he intended to do and immediately came over to carry him."

"Chen Zheng, puzzled, asked, 'What are you guys up to?'"

"Shi You Qing replied, 'My stomach’s upset, need to go to the bathroom.'"

"Chen Zheng just uttered an 'Oh'."

"After leaving."

"'Zhang Yu never came back upstairs after going to the ground floor, his paper ball clue was in the bathroom,' Bo Huai explained as he swiftly descended the stairs with Shi You Qing on his back, heading straight for the ground floor public bathroom."

"The ground floor was eerily quiet, everyone asleep."

"Bo Huai was very cautious, and upon reaching the public bathroom, he didn’t put Shi You Qing down."

"Shi You Qing had no intention of getting down either. At a time like this, if someone appeared, his injured foot wouldn’t allow him to run fast, and it would be too time-consuming for Bo Huai to carry him again."

"In less than a minute, they found the stall with the overturned trash can."

"Due to the copy’s mechanism of erasing players' traces, as a precaution, players had smeared some ink on their shoe soles to leave marks. These wouldn’t be evident on a clean floor but would stand out in a wet bathroom."

"Inside the stall, the overturned trash can and the tiles had black streaks on them."

"And higher up on the wall was a piece of tape, with remnants of white paper still stuck to it."

"‘He fell down,’ Shi You Qing whispered, ‘From the marks, it looks like he slipped forward, fell backward, with his head going down first.’"

"Bo Huai hummed in agreement, shining the flashlight under the trash can, which had a shiny layer on it. He nonchalantly touched it, then wiped his hand before re-gripping Shi You Qing’s thighs, ‘It’s regular glue.’"

"Not super glue, but the kind students use for paper, which takes a long time to solidify and is very slippery when wet."

"Shi You Qing’s face grew somber. After checking the adjacent stalls and finding nothing, amid the rushing water sounds, he looked into the toilet bowl."

"This was an old-style public toilet, with a continuous trough, so water flushed through it periodically."

"Shi You Qing closed his eyes, picturing the scene. Slowly, a blurry image emerged... He opened his eyes, looked again at the tape on the wall, and said, ‘Let’s go back.’"

"On their way upstairs, they ran into Li Da."

"He seemed to be waiting for them."

"‘The murderer is Lu Ming Liang,’ Li Da said grimly, lowering his voice, ‘During the entire bravery game, no other NPC went out except him. Zhang Yu was definitely killed by him!’"

"Bo Huai, coldly, ‘I was on the second-floor corridor the whole time; Lu Ming Liang never went down to the first floor.’"

"‘Everyone has their moments of oversight,’ Li Da hissed, ‘Can you guarantee you were absolutely vigilant at that time?’"

"Bo Huai expressionless, ‘I can guarantee.’"

"Li Da: ‘...’"

"Shi You Qing spoke, ‘Lu Ming Liang returned before Bo Huai, and there’s only one staircase in the dorm building. If he had gone to the first floor, Bo Huai would have known.’"

"Li Da: ‘Then how do you explain Zhang Yu’s death? Don’t tell me there are ghosts here!’"

Shi You Qing: "Sometimes, to kill, one doesn't need to personally take action."

Li Da laughed, about to speak, but Bo Huai had already bypassed him, carrying Shi You Qing upstairs.

Passing by dorm 305, Yu Ze was standing at the door.

Shi You Qing thought Yu Ze had something to say, but as his gaze shifted, Yu Ze turned and entered his dorm, his figure stiff.

"…He seems to think we suspect him," Shi You Qing murmured softly.

"It couldn’t have been him," Bo Huai said.

"Yeah, I know," Shi You Qing pondered for a moment, then returned to the matter at hand, "After a player dies, NPCs forget the existence of the deceased player. Simultaneously, any memory of killing them would also be erased... Do you think the murderer, believing they haven't yet executed their plan, might try the same method again?"

Bo Huai paused, understanding his point.

Shi You Qing leaned closer to his ear, his tone grave, "Let’s visit the abandoned school building tomorrow. Since the body is there, it means we can investigate the cause of death through the player's corpse."

"…Right."

That night, Shi You Qing suffered from insomnia again. Tossing and turning, unable to sleep, his peripheral vision caught a faint light in the corner of the opposite bunk—shining from Chen Zheng's bedding.

Startled, he quietly got up, tiptoed over without putting on shoes, and suddenly flung Chen Zheng's blanket aside, "What are you hiding there?!"

Startled pale by the sudden action, Chen Zheng, along with several roommates awoken by the commotion, shone their flashlights over, "What... what’s going on?!"

Spotting a pile of high school papers in the bedding, Shi You Qing frowned slightly.

Embarrassed, Chen Zheng retorted, "Am I bothering you?"

"No, I thought you were looking at... that kind of stuff."

Chen Zheng, initially secretly writing papers for others and now embarrassed, turned off the light and went to sleep.

Shi You Qing softly apologized and was about to say more when Bo Huai got out of bed and carried him back, "Let’s sleep."

Shi You Qing's gaze still lingered on Chen Zheng.

"He’s working a part-time job," Bo Huai explained.

Shi You Qing nodded: "I understand."

Some students pay others to do their assignments.

At this moment, Chen Zheng sat up again, seemingly determined, gritted his teeth and said: "You all don’t need to look down on me. Ren Yi, that blabbermouth, must have talked about it. Well, I'll say this now—even if Ding Lin is dead, I'll eventually repay his family the money I owe him. I'm not the kind to take advantage of such a situation!"

Lu Ming Liang quickly got out of bed to comfort him, while Yu Xiao Hui also sighed, urging him not to overthink.

Lying down, Shi You Qing looked at him: "I get it... If you really want to work part-time, just do it openly next time. It’s better to write at the desk than under the covers. It's bad for your eyes and too stifling under there."

Hearing this, Chen Zheng looked up at him, his eyes slightly reddened and complex, finally turning his face away with a low hum of acknowledgment.

Lu Ming Liang and Yu Xiao Hui both laughed: "Yeah, it’s not a big deal, but make sure you prioritize your own studies."

Chen Zheng: "…I know."

The atmosphere in the dormitory returned to normal, and everyone truly went to sleep this time.

*

Dawn broke, and Thursday arrived.

"—This was the penultimate day of the mission’s deadline."

The tension was palpably higher.

During breakfast, the Shi You Qing trio made their way directly to the rooftop of the abandoned school building.

In the pile of corpses, unsurprisingly, there was an additional body.

Feng Bin took a deep breath and slowly approached.

Shi You Qing’s leg was no longer as painful, but walking was still a bit awkward. He leaned on Bo Huai and squatted down to inspect.

Zhang Yu's expression before death was particularly fierce, as if he had been greatly frightened.

But Zhang Yu didn’t die of fright, nor was he erased like the new players on the first night for breaking the rules.

The back of his skull was pierced by an extremely sharp stone.

Feng Bin said, "The murderer has made a move."

After observing for a long time, Shi You Qing stood up, "Let’s go down first."

As soon as they left the abandoned school building, they were intercepted by Li Da: "Meet up on the rooftop."

At the rooftop, all the players were gathered.

Li Da started immediately: "You all were there yesterday. I want to ask, apart from Lu Ming Liang, who else do you think could be the murderer?"

Ye Jing frowned, "Among the NPCs, indeed, only he went out..."

Li Da continued, "Right? Didn’t we gather all three dorms together just to observe all NPCs? Now the facts are right in front of us, aren’t they?"

Shi You Qing’s expression was neutral, "Bo Huai already said last night, Lu Ming Liang had no chance to go to the first floor, and Zhang Yu died on the first floor."

Li Da raised his voice, "Yes! His chance of going to the first floor was slim, but those NPCs didn’t even have the opportunity to go out! So, does that mean no one is the murderer?"

Shi You Qing: "What exactly are you trying to say? If you’re so sure Lu Ming Liang is the murderer, go ahead and submit your answer to the system now."

Li Da: "I..."

Feng Bin, seeing through his intentions, frowned and said, "If you’re not brave enough to bet your life, don’t lead others to make mistakes for you. You Qing never said Lu Ming Liang wasn’t the murderer. But just because he went out last night doesn’t make him the murderer. You know this too. But it’s almost Friday, and your anxiety doesn’t justify..."

"I didn’t!" Li Da quickly defended, "I was just sharing my thoughts!"

"Lu Ming Liang is indeed not the murderer."

Everyone paused, turning their attention to Zong Zhu Yuan who had spoken.

Zong Zhu Yuan withdrew his gaze from Shi You Qing, smiling, "Last night, from after self-study to lights out, Lu Ming Liang never went to the first-floor bathroom."

Li Da immediately asked, "How do you know that?"

"I followed him, dummy!"

“……”

"What does that prove?" Li Da responded angrily. "As Shi You Qing said, the murderer didn’t act directly. The method of murder could have been set up long in advance!"

Zong Zhu Yuan laughed out loud, turning his head away, no longer interested in the conversation.

"'The more meticulous the murderer, the less likely they would make such a move,' Shi Youqing said. 'Zhang Yu met his end in the first-floor restroom, lured by a tissue roll into the murderer's trap. There are students on the first floor who could have used the restroom before lights out, but they wouldn't need the tissue roll and wouldn't fall for the trap. If those students had destroyed the trap prematurely, it would all be in vain... The murderer wouldn’t set it up too early and even chose the innermost stalls to prevent the trap from being destroyed by the first-floor students.'"

"'Right! Students wouldn't likely use the stalls furthest inside at night!' Ye Jing agreed."

"Shi Youqing continued, 'Tonight, the murderer is likely to...'"

"Before he could finish, a commotion suddenly erupted outside."

"Zongjin Yuan, closest to the hallway, darkened in expression and immediately gave chase."

"Those on the rooftop looked at each other in bewilderment."

"Soon after, Zongjin Yuan reappeared, holding a visibly tense Yu Xiaohui."

"Ye Jing's face changed drastically: '...Why is it him?'"

"Feng Bin went straight to him and asked, 'How much did you hear?'"

"Yu Xiaohui, terrified, shook his head vigorously: 'I... I don’t know anything! I was just...'"

ЙáΝＦ

"From a distance, I saw a group of you coming up here and thought you were playing some game..."

"Feng Bin grabbed his collar abruptly: 'How much did you hear? Speak!'"

"Yu Xiaohui trembled, and before he could utter a word, someone lifted him from behind."

"'Why waste words? Just throw him off,' Zongjin Yuan said, his tone far from joking as he carried the man towards the edge of the rooftop."

"Terrified, Yu Xiaohui screamed, pleading desperately, 'I... I heard you talking about the murderer tonight... That's all I heard, really!'"

"Zongjin Yuan sneered darkly: 'The murderer? Aren’t you the one?'"

"'...What? What do you mean?'"

"As Zongjin Yuan feigned throwing him off, Yu Xiaohui wailed again, 'I... I’ll talk! Have you figured it out already? Is that enough for you?'"

"The group was taken aback, hastily urging Zongjin Yuan to put him down."

"Yu Xiaohui was thrown to the ground, utterly disheveled."

"Shi Youqing approached, crouched down, and scrutinized him: 'Did you kill someone?'"

"'Who, who killed someone?' Yu Xiaohui immediately retorted, 'Oh, I get it! You've been here all this time discussing about me, right?! You figured out the hints in my story... but you're all wrong! Hey? When did you figure it out?'"

"Bo Huai: 'Cut the nonsense.'"

"Yu Xiaohui choked up before slowly saying, 'Ah, you've got it wrong, it wasn’t me who caused the death, it was Lu Mingliang!'"

"At this revelation, everyone's expressions shifted slightly, but Li Da laughed, 'Are you saying Lu Mingliang killed someone?'"

"Yu Xiaohui, looking pained, hesitated for a long time before nodding, 'But it wasn't intentional. A year ago, on the day Lin Shuo jumped off the building, I saw it. I was standing right here, playing with my phone, and when I looked up, I saw Lin Shuo on the edge of the school building's rooftop. Then, Lu Mingliang suddenly rushed out from the corridor there... Lin Shuo was startled and fell off.'"

“……”

"'Lu Mingliang was also shocked and ran away immediately.'"

“……”

"'Don’t just throw around the term ‘killer’. I’ve been carrying this in my heart for a long time. I didn’t speak up because it was clear that Lu Mingliang didn’t know Lin Shuo was there, and Lin Shuo himself was very safety-conscious. He wouldn’t be in such a dangerous spot for no reason. He must have been planning to commit suicide... It was all just a coincidence.'"

“……”

*

"Long after Yu Xiaohui left, still trembling with fear, before leaving, he hesitantly looked back and said, 'Really, don’t tell anyone about this. Even if it’s made public, he won’t be considered a criminal. Lin Shuo did commit suicide, but spreading this would ruin his reputation in school…'"

"Nobody responded to him."

"After Yu Xiaohui left, Li Da’s smirk never faded, 'Now do you still think Lu Mingliang isn’t the killer? At least Lin Shuo’s death was clearly caused by him, right?'"

"Ye Jing seemed to want to argue, but hesitated and couldn’t come up with anything substantial."

"Li Da said, 'I don’t care what you all think. Tonight is the last night of the courage test game. The killer will definitely act again! He has already successfully killed one player! If I get chosen tonight, I won’t play with them anymore, I will directly reveal the answer! Isn’t it obvious? One killer, three victims, just find out who killed one of them, and that person is undoubtedly the killer!'"

"…'You’re not wrong,' Shi Youqing looked up, 'but if Yu Xiaohui said he saw everything from here, could he see the other side, and the other side not see him?'"

Li Da paused, about to argue, but then heard Bo Huai say, "The murderer doesn't act on impulse. Every time, he makes sure there's no one in his line of sight before committing the crime."

Unconvinced, Li Da argued, "Isn’t Lu Ming Liang’s method clever? Scaring someone about to commit suicide into falling off a building, even if Yu Xiao Hui speaks out, it's not intentional murder. To others, he might not even know Lin Shuo was there... In the end, it’s just a tragic accident."

"If that’s the case, he wouldn’t need to expose himself by rushing out," Shi You Qing countered, turning his head, "For example, right now, if someone hides in the corridor and shouts, that’s enough to startle you."

Li Da was taken aback, then frowned and fell silent.

… He was annoyed but was indeed persuaded by Shi You Qing.

The discussion on this topic ended, and everyone exchanged the information they had gathered before heading down to the cafeteria for breakfast.

Throughout the morning, Shi You Qing pondered over every little detail of the past few days.

Hu Lei, Lu Ming Liang, Chen Zheng, Ren Yi, and Yu Xiao Hui…

During a break, Zong Tian Yuan, with nothing better to do, went to stir up trouble among the NPCs. He was quite skilled at provoking, coaxing Yu Xiao Hui and Lu Ming Liang into an argument.

Lu Ming Liang retorted, "Why are you so afraid of Zong Tian Yuan? He didn’t do anything to you, did he?"

Yu Xiao Hui snapped back, "Easy for you to say!"

Already frustrated, Lu Ming Liang scoffed, "You're just trying to isolate him because you're jealous of the new students' popularity, right? Isn’t that what you're all doing now?"

Hu Lei, who had been eavesdropping, couldn’t sit still any longer. He stood up, confronted Lu Ming Liang, and said, "Don’t push your luck! Hasn’t Yu Xiao Hui done enough for you?"

Lu Ming Liang, startled by this, got teary-eyed, "Me, push my luck? You two have been ostracizing me lately, and I'm the one pushing my luck?"

Caught off guard, Hu Lei and Yu Xiao Hui were stunned. Yu Xiao Hui, exasperated, retorted, "Nonsense! Who’s ostracizing you? Damn! I was planning to clear up misunderstandings during the review session. We were all friends, and I know you acted the way you did back then to protect Hu Lei from Ding Lin. But there’s no need to keep grudges. I talked to Hu Lei, but you avoided us, angering him. Who’s being unreasonable?"

Lu Ming Liang, hearing this, was dumbfounded, unaware of this backstory.

Following an awkward silence, the group reconciled in a typical feel-good moment.

Their classmates around them clapped and cheered.

"So cliché," Zong Tian Yuan, failing to instigate a fight among the NPCs, scoffed coldly and walked away.

Shi You Qing turned away, but his gaze lingered on the awkwardly reconciling NPCs, slowly sipping his hot water.

[? Author's Note]

Special thanks to the angels who nourished me with nutrient fluid: --Waiting for Aurora-- 26 bottles; zbht (Love Raising Xiaojiao Edition), Yun Qiu 10 bottles; Silver Light Star 3 bottles.

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