Chapter 20

The flames gradually weakened, leaving only a few sparks flickering within.

As the temperature dropped, the plants in the room retreated rapidly, returning to their original positions in the blink of an eye. Their swollen forms shrank quickly, instantly transforming back into ornamental potted plants, standing quietly in place.

If they hadn’t seen it with their own eyes, they would have almost thought that everything last night was just a nightmare they had imagined.

But the dust all over the floor and the damaged furniture were all proof that it was not an illusion.

As the first ray of dawn broke, the chaotic night finally became a thing of the past.

The room was filled with the choking smell of smoke. Staying in it for too long made one dizzy. Jiang Liu unconsciously shook her head and got up to open the window.

The damp morning dew mixed with the smell of earth rushed in with the wind. The cool morning breeze made Jiang Liu stretch comfortably, finally washing away the smell of smoke.

She looked down at the vivid totem on her arm, her eyes deepening.

She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but she felt that the color and lines of the flower were becoming more and more vivid, as if the branches had even stretched out a little.

The others were all slumped in place with a sense of relief after surviving, gasping for fresh air.

Zhao Ziming touched Cheng Da’s forehead and breathed a sigh of relief when he felt the temperature had gone down, a look of relief in his eyes.

Looking at the mess, Jiang Liu silently took out her phone and dialed Xiao Si’s number.

***

Xiao Si rushed back, sweat still on her forehead from running. She burst into the room like a small whirlwind, not even looking at the mess on the floor. She rushed to Jiang Liu by the window in a few steps, her face anxious.

“Sister Liu, are you okay?”

She spoke quickly, her hands already on Jiang Liu’s shoulders, draping a clean shirt over her. Her tone was complaining. “Be careful not to catch a cold. You’ll get a fever.”

As she spoke, she looked her up and down again, carefully smoothing even her hair. This intimate attitude left Jiang Liu feeling a bit bewildered.

Wait, little sister, are you sure you don’t want to check on the house you rented first???

The two were very close, and Xiao Si’s hands were still on her shoulders. Jiang Liu was slightly taller, so she could easily see the moisture on the tip of her nose. It was unclear how long she had been running, as she hadn’t even caught her breath yet.

She had wanted to ask her where she had gone last night, but being looked at like this, the words got stuck in her throat. She could only stare blankly at her flushed face, her mind uncontrollably drifting back to last night—

The ambiguous atmosphere in the room, and that cryptic dream.

Yang Caisi took in her dazed state and couldn’t help but stand on her tiptoes, taking a step closer. Her cool palm pressed against Jiang Liu’s forehead. “Why is your face so red? You don’t have a fever already, do you?”

Her misty eyes crashed into Jiang Liu’s heart. She suddenly felt a wave of heat, and even the gentle breeze from behind couldn’t dispel it.

So familiar, as if in some other time and place, someone had also looked at her like this.

Jiang Liu didn’t know how long she had been stunned. When she came back to her senses, she took a half-step back without leaving a trace, her tone carrying a subtle nuance that was hard for others to detect. “I’m fine, thank you.”

Only then did Xiao Si pat her chest in relief. She finally noticed the chaos in the room and showed a hint of sadness appropriate for her role.

The living room could no longer be described as chaotic. The fire on the floor was dying out, curling the scattered leaves and spreading an indescribable smell throughout the room.

The coffee table had a broken corner, the sofa was overturned, and the wooden chairs by the dining table were reduced to charred backrests. The white walls were blackened with soot.

“How did a fire suddenly start out of nowhere?”

Xiao Si sighed as she looked around, her eyes reddening again and again, forcing back tears.

She had intended to settle down here and was very satisfied with this house. She never expected something like this to happen.

In just two short days, Li An’an had gone missing, and her home had suffered an unexpected disaster. Xiao Si’s emotions were on a rollercoaster, and she was practically twisting the hem of her clothes to shreds.

But with Jiang Liu and the others having just escaped a fire, she had to consider their feelings as well. Her tears welled up for a long time before she bit her lip and softly said she would contact someone to handle it, then quickly ran out.

She came in a whirlwind and left just as abruptly, leaving the others feeling guilty, not knowing whether to comfort her or not.

The atmosphere gradually grew heavy. Only Zhao Ziming suddenly turned his gaze to Jiang Liu, a strange, probing look in his eyes. “You and her… what’s the situation?”

The heat on Jiang Liu’s face had just subsided. Being asked this, she said irritably, “What nonsense are you talking about? What are you trying to say?”

She wanted to know what the situation was too!

This Yang Caisi was perfectly normal outside the instance. It was fun to tease her from time to time. But why did her style change so drastically once she entered an instance?

It couldn’t be that The System had some strange preference, and that both Chen Si and Xiao Si were her type, could it??

Jiang Liu shook her head, trying to banish such a ridiculous guess from her mind.

But someone just had to rub salt in the wound.

Zhao Ziming still looked at her with suspicion, his gaze as if trying to see right through her. “The floor is full of people who just escaped death. How come she only cares about you!”

Based on his experience of clearing three instances, this was definitely not normal!!!

NPCs were just pawns of The System. How could they show favoritism??

When facing Yang Caisi, she felt a little powerless, but facing Zhao Ziming, Jiang Liu was full of confidence. She threw him a cool glance and said, “If you’re jealous that I’m good-looking, just say so. Don’t be so sarcastic.”

Zhao Ziming was speechless for a moment.

How should he put it? Even if it was a fact that she was beautiful, coming from Jiang Liu’s mouth, it just sounded different!!

He stared at Jiang Liu for a long time, but didn’t see any trace of guilt on her face. Only then did he swallow his doubts and say, a little dejectedly, “Forget it. We’re already in the instance. It’s useless even if you have a connection.”

As he spoke, he stopped probing and, pulling Zhang Xiaochen along, helped carry Cheng Da back to his room.

The kid’s fever had gone down, but he was still sleeping restlessly, muttering something in his sleep.

He didn’t want to say more, but Jiang Liu’s interest was piqued.

“Wait,” she said suddenly, but didn’t turn around. Her gaze passed through the half-open door and landed precisely on Xiao Si, who was on the phone in the courtyard.

Looking at that retreating figure, Jiang Liu unconsciously frowned, a hint of confusion in her eyes.

“Are the NPCs in the instance and outside the instance the same person?”

Zhao Ziming was a little confused at first. “What one person, two people? What are you talking ab…”

He stopped mid-sentence, his footsteps suddenly halting, causing Zhang Xiaochen, who was carrying Cheng Da’s feet behind him, to stumble.

“Why did you stop!!!” Zhang Xiaochen complained.

Zhao Ziming ignored him and looked at Jiang Liu with interest instead. “Are you asking about Sister Yang? Oh right, I heard your first instance was led by her. No wonder you know her.”

Jiang Liu unconsciously raised an eyebrow and subconsciously twirled the ring on her ring finger. Her gaze, however, never left Xiao Si, her tone slightly nuanced. “You know her too?”

The “too” was very interesting, as if it was conveying some emotion through that word.

This detail was keenly noticed by Zhao Ziming. Besides him—even Jiang Liu herself was unaware.

Seeing this, his gossipy heart stirred. He stopped carrying the person and rushed to Jiang Liu’s side, bumping her. “What, you want to know about Sister Yang? She’s a big deal!”

He raised his chin smugly, as if waiting for Jiang Liu to beg him for information.

But to his surprise, this girl didn’t play by the rules. She gave him a half-smile and said nonchalantly, “Forget it, I’m not that interested.”

As she spoke, she started to walk away, without any hesitation.

Zhao Ziming: “…Huh?”

Wait, you two were practically glued together just now. How come you’re not interested anymore? How am I supposed to gossip now!!

Seeing Jiang Liu’s unhesitating movements, he panicked and grabbed her wrist. “Don’t go! I’ll tell you, okay!”

Now it was Jiang Liu’s turn to wink slyly, yet she put on a reluctant expression. “Since you insist on telling me, I’ll be merciful and listen.”

Zhao Ziming was speechless.

Damn it, he lost!

The morning sun grew brighter, dispelling the ashes that had accumulated in the room overnight. The two of them stood by the window, their cheerful conversation clearly visible to Yang Caisi.

She was still holding the disconnected phone, her gaze fixed on Jiang Liu. The faint smile on her face gradually disappeared, and a complex emotion flashed in her eyes.

To be precise—she was looking at Zhao Ziming’s hand gripping Jiang Liu’s.

“Hey, I think she’s looking at me!”

Zhao Ziming, by the window, said suddenly, a little delighted. He waved at Yang Caisi outside, his tone a little excited.

“She’s an industry legend, with a very high status in The System,” he explained as he waved.

“I heard from Brother Gao that she’s handled countless instances. She’s practically a model worker! It’s just that she’s a bit cold and not easy to get along with…”

Zhao Ziming rambled on and on, his words straying off-topic. Jiang Liu couldn’t help but space out.

A model worker? Wouldn’t that mean The System was exploiting its employees? No wonder Yang Caisi didn’t seem to like talking. If she had to work here, she wouldn’t want to talk either.

“Right, you were asking if Xiao Si is Sister Yang, weren’t you?”

Zhao Ziming’s words pulled Jiang Liu back from her daydream. Her eyes shifted slightly, and she subconsciously nodded.

His next sentence successfully stunned Jiang Liu—

“How could an instance NPC really be played by a person? Sister Yang and the others are very busy. They just set the NPC to look identical for easier monitoring of the instance.”

Until Xiao Si came in with breakfast, Jiang Liu’s mind was still echoing with those words.

Zhao Ziming seemed to be very familiar with the high-level NPCs. He said he had even gotten her rank information from them.

Then his words had a high degree of credibility. Xiao Si had never admitted to being Yang Caisi either, so… was she really mistaken?

She was a little dazed and naturally didn’t notice the sudden change in Xiao Si’s expression beside her.

With a soft click, the main door was pushed open again, and a youthful, beautiful figure entered their line of sight.

She was wearing a simple tracksuit, her high ponytail swinging with her movements. A large pair of glasses sat on her nose, and her features were identical to the photo Xiao Si had shown them.

—Li An’an was back.

Xiao Si practically ran to An’an in tears. It was a tearful reunion of friends, a false alarm. It should have been a happy occasion.

But everyone looked at Li An’an nervously, a chill running through them, their bodies stiff and unable to move.

The System hadn’t given any notification that the mission was complete.

So this Li An’an standing in front of them—what exactly was she?