Chapter 18

“There are so many flowers here.”

During the meal, Jiang Liu remarked as she observed the room’s layout.

They were temporarily renting a two-story building decorated in a natural style. Potted plants of various colors were everywhere, and fresh flowers adorned nearly every visible piece of furniture. It felt as if they were in the midst of nature, completely free of the cold, hard feeling of man-made structures.

Xiao Si was eating quietly. Upon hearing this, a light finally returned to her eyes. She looked at everything in the room with a sense of longing, her tone nostalgic.

“The climate here is very suitable, and the people in town love to grow flowers. An’an decided to settle here because of that.”

When she mentioned An’an, her tone grew somber, and her expression turned worried again. She stopped eating, staring blankly at her bowl and chopsticks from time to time.

Flowers…

Thinking about what she had seen in the garden that day, Jiang Liu’s eyes flashed. She secretly noted the placement of all the potted plants, a guess forming in her mind.

The town was small, and there was no nightlife after dark. By the time they finished eating, the streets were already deserted. Lights were on in every house, making it look no different from any ordinary town.

After the meal, Xiao Si went to the kitchen, and Jiang Liu offered to help.

Xiao Si smiled shyly and didn’t refuse her kindness, just saying gratefully, “Thank you, Sister Liu.”

The corners of Jiang Liu’s lips curved up unconsciously. She asked, as if by chance, “Do you NPCs really rely entirely on acting? Is it that hard?”

There was no sound from behind her. She turned to look and saw Xiao Si focused on washing the dishes, the tap running loudly. It was unclear if she hadn’t heard or didn’t want to answer.

Jiang Liu couldn’t help but lower her gaze, the confusion in her eyes deepening.

What did Yang Caisi mean by ‘playing a role’?

Looking at her now, it really didn’t seem like she was just getting into character as an extra.

Just like Chen Si, she seemed to be an individual with her own memories, completely oblivious to the players’ discussions about missions and storylines.

Jiang Liu’s eyes darted around. She very naturally put her hands into the sink to help and asked curiously again, “Working odd jobs in the instance every day, don’t you ever get a break?”

High-level NPC sounded impressive, but why was she cooking and washing dishes in the instance every day? That didn’t seem right.

Hearing this question, Yang Caisi finally reacted.

Her hands paused, and she looked up to meet Jiang Liu’s probing gaze. Her expression was a mix of helplessness and resignation, and her unforgettable eyes were turbulent with unspoken words.

Jiang Liu’s breath caught. She understood.

Regardless of anything else, the person standing before her right now was Yang Caisi herself.

Just like the first time they met, she had watched her silently, approached, and then feigned indifference.

Did they know each other?

Their gazes met in mid-air. After a long moment, it was Yang Caisi who lost the battle, sighing softly, “If only it were that simple.”

Her words were spoken very softly, muffled by the sound of the running water and quickly dissipating.

Jiang Liu only managed to see her open her mouth. The complex emotion she had yet to grasp had already vanished, replaced by Xiao Si’s relieved sigh.

“Thank you for today, Sister Liu. I’m a bit tired, so I’ll go back to my room to rest.”

After a full day of worrying about Li An’an, her face was already showing signs of fatigue. She had practically forced herself to eat this meal.

Her steps were a bit unsteady, as if she really couldn’t hold on any longer. As she passed the doorway, she stumbled, and Jiang Liu quickly caught her.

“You look exhausted. Let me help you upstairs.”

The girls lived in the four rooms upstairs. Xiao Si’s room was at the very end, directly across from the missing Li An’an’s. Jiang Liu glanced at it as she passed; the door to the opposite room was ajar, and the lights inside were off.

Seeing Jiang Liu looking over there, Xiao Si sighed heavily, a touch of melancholy in her eyes. “I don’t know where she’s gone. She doesn’t know anyone here. I’m so worried…”

Before she could finish, her voice was already choked with sobs, and her eyes reddened again.

Realizing she was getting emotional, Xiao Si smiled apologetically and led Jiang Liu into her own room.

Compared to the flower-filled exterior, this room wasn’t as extravagantly decorated. There was just a pot of blooming white camellias on the bedside table.

Jiang Liu helped her sit down but didn’t leave immediately. Instead, she walked over to the pot of white camellias to examine it.

The plant was well-cared for, with water droplets still on its blooming petals, looking full of life.

Jiang Liu frowned to herself. Her friend was missing, and she still had the mood to water flowers?

Xiao Si waited quietly for a moment. Seeing that Jiang Liu had no intention of leaving, she coughed lightly. “Thank you, Sister Liu. I need to rest now.”

She thought this subtle hint would make Jiang Liu leave, but to her surprise, she seemed not to understand the hint at all and sat down right next to her.

Jiang Liu smiled and familiarly draped an arm over her shoulder, patting it. “I know you’re worried about An’an. We’ll continue searching tomorrow.”

The moment her shoulder was embraced by a warm hand, Yang Caisi’s breath hitched, and her whole body stiffened.

The temperature of the ring on her ring finger grew hotter and hotter, almost becoming a tangible, stabbing pain. She knew she should make Jiang Liu leave, but she couldn’t bear to part with the warmth of her arm.

Where Jiang Liu couldn’t see, Yang Caisi’s throat moved slightly. She struggled to suppress her racing heart, her voice coming out with a hint of raspiness that, in this moment, sounded strangely intimate.

“I believe you, Sister Liu.”

***

Jiang Liu swore that when she leaned over, she had absolutely no other intentions. She really just wanted to get some clues about the instance.

Since she couldn’t figure out if the person in front of her was Yang Caisi, she decided to focus on the instance.

So when she inadvertently saw the blush that had spread almost to Xiao Si’s ears, she was completely stunned.

What was with the young girls in this game? Why did they blush at the drop of a hat!

She admitted that sometimes she liked to tease pretty girls for fun, but it was really just her being cheeky! Everyone appreciates beauty, was she wrong?

The temperature of the girl in her arms gradually rose. The distance between them grew smaller and smaller, their breaths intertwining, making it even harder to pull away.

Just as they were about to press against each other, Jiang Liu suddenly stood up and walked out. “Then get some good rest. Good night.”

Yang Caisi, in the room, didn’t chase after her. She just watched her rare, flustered footsteps and sighed softly.

Was I too hasty?

But with such a beauty in her arms, who could resist leaning in for a kiss!

Yang Caisi felt a little annoyed at her earlier hesitation. She patted her burning cheeks and finally faced the hot ring, silently leaving Xiao Si’s body.

***

Jiang Liu sat on the sofa and downed three glasses of water before she felt the heat on her face subside a little.

“Are you possessed?”

Zhang Xiaochen looked at her strangely, his eyes full of suspicion.

Jiang Liu came back to her senses and shot him an annoyed glare. “What nonsense are you talking about?”

Zhang Xiaochen still frowned, looking at Jiang Liu’s strange expression, at a loss for words.

This person just went upstairs for a bit, how did she become so weird?

Night fell.

Jiang Liu had a rare dream.

The setting was her former home. She got out of bed, rubbing her stomach, and inadvertently touched a warm shoulder.

Who?

Jiang Liu was a little dazed. She turned to look and saw Yang Caisi smiling at her, her misty eyes seemingly filled with endless affection.

“Why are you awake?”

Yang Caisi’s voice was lazy, with a hint of morning hoarseness. She leaned in to kiss her, and Jiang Liu’s eyes widened—

Wait! This dream is not right!!!

She was a restless sleeper and sat up abruptly in her terror, coming face to face with a mass of white.

Looking closely, she saw that a huge flower had appeared beside her at some point. It was constantly twisting its leaves in circles. The pure white flower bent down and stopped in front of her, nuzzling her nose slightly, as if expressing affection.

Jiang Liu was speechless.

For a moment, she didn’t know which was more terrifying: dreaming of kissing Yang Caisi, or waking up to see this thing.

Jiang Liu took a deep breath and got up, looking at the plant with a headache. She realized it seemed to be the white camellia from Xiao Si’s bedside next door.

“What do you want?”

The white camellia shook its leaves a couple of times, then extended towards the door, as if guiding her to go over.

Jiang Liu glanced at it, thinking to herself that this ghostly thing was quite polite, even knowing to close the door for her after coming in.

Seeing her not moving, the white camellia grew anxious. Its branches stretched out and wrapped around her silently, pushing her by the shoulders to get her to move.

At the same time, a scream came from downstairs, accompanied by the sound of a vase shattering. Jiang Liu’s heart tightened, and she rushed downstairs to see.

By the faint moonlight, a chaotic scene was revealed before her eyes.

The sofa had been overturned at some point, and the tables and chairs were in disarray. Countless vines slithered like long worms, and the potted plants that had been so carefully cared for—had all come to life.

Palm-sized flowers had swelled to the height of a person and were writhing in mid-air. Two figures were wrapped up in them against the wall, unable to move.

The branches on her shoulder suddenly shot up, forming a huge cage that enveloped Jiang Liu. The white camellia jumped directly from the second floor, its leaves protecting Jiang Liu securely inside, so she didn’t feel the slightest jolt.

“Thanks!”

Jiang Liu shouted to it, then pursed her lips and rushed towards the person closest to her.

Zhao Ziming watched as Jiang Liu landed abruptly, forgetting to struggle for a moment, his mind frantically screaming!!

Is this what an A-rank Big Shot is like? We were both caught by plants, how come she’s so cool and I’m so lame?!!

In a daze, Jiang Liu had already cut the ivy off him and pulled him out.

Only then did he come back to his senses. He quickly pulled out a fruit knife and rushed forward, unwilling to be left behind. “I’ll handle this here, you go check on those two brothers!”

Jiang Liu didn’t refuse and quickly turned to the room not far away.

The two boys matched this time were real brothers. The older one was Cheng Ji, and the younger one was Cheng Da. Both had entered the game voluntarily through a trade.

Cheng Ji’s door was wide open, and the room was empty. In contrast, the door to the next room was tightly closed, and a clattering sound came from inside, as if something was frantically banging on the door.

Jiang Liu gripped her dagger and kicked the door open. The first thing she saw was a complete mess. A chair had been smashed to pieces at some point, and Cheng Da was hugging a chair leg, swinging it wildly, creating the momentum of a long knife.

In front of him, a giant windflower swayed in the breeze, constantly trying to get closer. Its shadow danced on the ground, as if performing some strange summoning ritual.

Jiang Liu weighed the chair leg in her hand and threw it at the windflower. She looked around but didn’t see Cheng Ji. “Where’s your brother?”

Cheng Da didn’t respond, just waved his arms as if possessed.

Jiang Liu clicked her tongue, bent down to dodge his indiscriminate attack, and pulled him out with one hand.

Zhang Xiaochen held a lighter, his face tense as he approached Jiang Liu and asked loudly, “What do we do now?”

In just a short while, all the plants in the living room had come to life, transforming into life-reaping specters that were gradually closing in.

Jiang Liu stuffed the terrified and possessed Cheng Da into Zhao Ziming’s hands and scanned her surroundings. “Where are Xu Meng and Xiao Si?”

“I’m here!!”

Xu Meng’s desperate cry came from the window. Jiang Liu couldn’t help but look around, but all she could see were dense branches and vines, making it impossible to see anyone in the dim light.

She ran into the kitchen without a second thought.

The chair Cheng Da had dismantled came in handy. She poured a bottle of oil on it, and the moment the lighter touched the wood, a large flame erupted. The scorching heat immediately made the vines in front of her retreat half a step.

Jiang Liu held the torch and followed the faint cries for help towards the window, finally finding Xu Meng under the sofa.

Her leg was pinned by the sofa, and she couldn’t move. She leaned against the window, gasping for breath. Jiang Liu’s gaze swept over and froze.

Outside the window, Xiao Si, who should have been fast asleep, was pushing open the courtyard gate and disappearing into the night.