Chapter 292 West Courtyard Bride

Chapter 292: The West Courtyard Bride

In the west courtyard of the manor resided the third bride whom Wen Wen and her companions were slated to meet. According to the "ghost bride" tales they had gathered, the west courtyard was perpetually filled with bloodcurdling wails, making it the most unsettling of the three courtyards.

After all, for those living in the real world, most had encountered stories or films featuring ghost brides and weeping female spirits. These specters, long deceased yet crying ceaselessly day and night, seemed to harbor unfathomable obsessions and grievances, rendering interactions with them inherently more perilous.

However, upon reaching the entrance of the west courtyard, the players heard no cries. It wasn't until they pushed open the courtyard gate, walked inside, and arrived at the door of the west courtyard house that a soft sobbing became audible. This gentle weeping was not as terrifying as one might expect from a horror film; rather, it conveyed a sense of ordinary sorrow.

Whether in the east, north, or west courtyard, whenever they engaged with these brides, they would invariably forget that everything within this manor might be an illusion designed to deceive humans. They would even instinctively become immersed in the brides' narratives and laments, transported back to that fateful night when the three brides were compelled to enter the manor.

"Knock, knock."

Wen Wen approached and softly tapped on the tightly shut door.

"Sister bride, are you asleep?"

"Who is it?" a young woman's panicked, tear-choked voice inquired from within.

"We were sent by the butler to attend to the brides. He was concerned the brides might be awake and hungry, so he had the kitchen prepare some broth." Wen Wen recalled the butler mentioning the west courtyard bride was particularly timid, so she softened her voice as much as possible. "If you are awake, sister bride, please open the door so I can bring in the broth."

"N-no, that's quite alright. I-I'm not hungry…"

No sooner had the bride inside finished speaking than Wen Wen and the others heard a stomach rumble. Given how sorrowfully the west courtyard bride had been crying, she likely hadn't eaten anything all day, and by late night, she was naturally famished.

"W-wait a moment." The crying gradually subsided, and from within, there were even sounds of someone struggling to suppress their tears.

"Creak."

After a brief pause, the door opened from the inside. A small, slender bride stood there, the sleeves of her wedding dress still bearing the faint marks of tears.

Having opened the door, the bride immediately retreated back to the bedside.

"You may enter. Just leave the broth over there." The West Courtyard Bride wiped away tears beneath her bridal veil, her voice still trembling with emotion. "No one else is to come in."

"Alright." After placing the broth on a nearby table, Wen Wen glanced back at Sha Linghai and the others. The male members of the team, having learned their lesson earlier, were now dutifully waiting outside the door.

What puzzled Wen Wen was that the east courtyard bride didn't seem to mind others entering her room—could it be due to her exceptionally kind nature?

"Sister bride, the old butler also asked us if you need anything else, or if there's anything we can do for you." Wen Wen naturally couldn't just leave after setting down the broth. Although this bride seemed prone to crying, she appeared much gentler than the north courtyard bride.

"I… I want to go home." The bride seemed to grow more distressed the more she dwelled on it, and she couldn't help but begin to sob softly again.

"Sister bride, this is your home now." Wen Wen cautiously attempted to soothe the bride's emotions.

"No! No! This isn't my home!" The sobbing bride clutched herself in anguish. "It's so cold here, so cold. I want to go home. At least at home, I wouldn't be too cold to sleep. Wuwu—I don't like it here."

As she spoke, the bride curled up fearfully on the bed. The bridal veil she had been wearing slipped off at that moment, revealing the West Courtyard Bride's still-youthful face. The beautiful sixteen-year-old girl looked lovely even without makeup, but the West Courtyard Bride appeared thinner and smaller than others her age, even seeming not much older than Wen Wen.

Perhaps overwhelmed by fear, the West Courtyard Bride cried while murmuring, "Grandma, I miss my grandma. Grandma said she would protect me when I turned sixteen, but she passed away two years ago. No one takes care of me anymore. Wuwu—I even forgot the good luck charm Grandma left me before she passed; I left it at home. I want to go home, wuwu—"

After that, no matter what else Wen Wen asked, the West Courtyard Bride refused to answer.

Having no other recourse, Wen Wen could only exit the room. After closing the door, she turned to leave with Sha Linghai and the others.

Shortly after the door closed, the players heard the clinking of a bowl and spoon inside. It seemed the West Courtyard Bride, unable to bear her hunger any longer, had drunk the bowl of broth left on the table.

"Have you delivered all the broth?"

Just as Sha Linghai and the others departed the west courtyard, Butler Zhao's voice drifted from nearby, startling the players.

"Butler Zhao, we just finished delivering the broth." A smiling Wen Wen was pushed to the front by the other three.

"Have you met all three brides?"

"Yes, Butler Zhao." Wen Wen cast a sidelong glance at the other three, feeling indignant at their bullying of a minor. However, upon reflection, she realized that choosing someone who could disarm the other party was indeed the best approach for task-related conversations, making it easier to glean useful clues when the other party let their guard down.

What could make someone lower their guard more easily than a child?

"Did the brides drink the broth?" Butler Zhao inquired again.

"The brides were awake, but none seemed to have much appetite, so we left the broth with them." As Wen Wen answered, she kept her head tilted up, carefully observing Butler Zhao. "But the brides didn't seem to have eaten well. If they were truly starving, they've probably drunk it by now."

"Is that so?" Butler Zhao frowned. "Well, that's fine. As long as the master doesn't blame us for poor hospitality when he returns."

"It's getting late. You all should get some rest too." Butler Zhao glanced toward a small door on the east side. "The mansion is still being tidied, and the servants' rooms aren't ready yet. You can lie down for a while with the bedding."

"There's some extra broth left from what the kitchen cooked. I've had someone bring it to your room. It's a special treat you don't get every day, so don't waste it." After these instructions, Butler Zhao prepared to leave again.

"Butler Zhao, are there only a few of us in this mansion?" Wen Wen also glanced at the small room next to the east courtyard.

"This mansion isn't very big, and not many people stay here. We don't need many people. But before you arrived, we hired some temporary laborers. They're experienced workers who've worked in other households before. At this hour, they're probably sound asleep in their rooms, couldn't be woken." As Butler Zhao spoke, he added, staring at the four of them, "You're different. If you don't want to be driven out, work hard."

"Now go back to your room, drink the broth, and sleep. You'll have work to do at daybreak tomorrow."

Butler Zhao said nothing more and turned to leave.

Yet Wen Wen couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss.

"Sound asleep, couldn't be woken… a pond that can't drown anyone… broth…" Wen Wen muttered to herself for a moment, then suddenly widened her eyes and looked at the others. "This is bad! I think there's something wrong with that broth!!"

Wen Wen instinctively wanted to turn and run to the west courtyard—after all, the West Courtyard Bride had already drunk the broth when they left.

But after a moment's thought, Wen Wen came to an abrupt halt, her short legs quickly carrying her in the direction of the east courtyard instead.

Sha Linghai and the others didn't know what Wen Wen had figured out, but seeing her so urgent, they could only follow closely, running together toward the east courtyard.