Chapter 32

Before her was a large, quaintly styled door. The mahogany wood was well-maintained, and its original grain was faintly visible. A metal plaque hung squarely in the center, inscribed with the number ‘082’.

Yang Caisi was dressed in a shirt and trousers, the black and white color scheme accentuating her features. Her two crescent-like eyebrows were knitted together, and she turned the doorknob with a hint of impatience.

“What do you want?” Her voice was a little cold.

As the door creaked open, the room’s layout was revealed.

The room was large but sparse, with the most eye-catching feature being a wide desk. A figure was buried in work at a computer, hands flying across the keyboard. Hearing her, he only managed a hurried, “Give me a minute!”

Yang Caisi lifted her eyelids. Seeing no chairs around, she simply crossed her arms and leaned against the desk, her expression cool and distant, her red lips pressed tightly together.

Gao Yuan managed to look up from his busy work and immediately noticed her displeasure. He explained helplessly, “You spend all your time shuttling through instances and barely come here twice a year, so I moved the spare chairs to the break room.”

Yang Caisi said nothing. She silently walked behind him, her gaze landing precisely on the computer screen. The flood of data made her head ache, and she averted her eyes slightly. “Who reported me?”

Gao Yuan tutted, his mouth twisting in annoyance. “Who else could it be but that bunch from the Inspection Team! They must be bored out of their minds, constantly picking on us.”

He furiously typed on the keyboard, pulling up a webpage for her to see.

On it was a record of the instances Yang Caisi had recently managed. The top three entries were marked in red, the bolded Song Ti font glaringly obvious.

“Number 097 is suspected of rule-breaking behavior. Please handle as soon as possible.”

“Number 097 has engaged in rule-breaking behavior. Please handle.”

The latest one had appeared this afternoon.

Gao Yuan squinted, looking her up and down with an incredulous tone. “Honestly, tell me what you did.”

In all his years working with Yang Caisi, this was the first time he’d had to deal with these warnings. He had nearly dropped his jaw when he saw them.

Heaven knows how shocked he was. Yang Caisi was the ultimate model worker who never took a day off and jumped into any instance she could find. If salaries were based on performance, her hands would be sore from counting money!

Yang Caisi avoided his question, instead tapping the desk lightly with her finger. A dark light flashed in her eyes as she asked enigmatically, “Can you take care of it?”

Gao Yuan scratched his head. “What a silly question. I’ve already blocked them all.”

Otherwise, would she still be here chatting calmly with him? She would have been taken away by the Inspection Team long ago.

Yang Caisi relaxed slightly. She fumbled in her pocket for a moment before tossing him a key. “Thanks. I have a couple of bottles of wine in my locker. Take them.”

Gao Yuan scrambled to catch the key, completely bewildered. “Where are you going?”

It was just one instance; there was no need for her to go in person. Why the rush?

Yang Caisi was already striding away, leaving a sentence behind her as she went. “I have something to do. Block all the reports for me. I’ll deal with it myself.”

As her voice faded, she disappeared from the room, leaving Gao Yuan staring blankly at the key.

“Well, can’t say no to a free drink. Forget it.” He sighed resignedly and shook his head, returning to his work.

***

Yang Caisi stopped at a corner.

In the short time she was gone, night had fallen in the instance. The streetlights were beginning to flicker on, and not far away was Jiang Liu’s lodging.

The NPC ‘Xiao Si’ was sitting properly at the table eating, her words and attitude no different from before. Jiang Liu sat beside her, her expression obscured by Xu Meng’s figure.

She didn’t immediately return to Xiao Si’s body. Instead, she took out her phone, tapped it a few times to set a timed message, and only then allowed herself a confident smile.

As Yang Caisi walked forward, her figure grew fainter and fainter, slowly dissipating like mist.

***

In the dining room, Jiang Liu seemed to sense something and suddenly looked up from her bowl towards the window.

“What’s wrong?” Zhao Ziming happened to see her movement and couldn’t help but turn to look as well.

The window was empty. The night wind stirred the flowers and plants in the yard, but there was nothing there.

Jiang Liu paused for a moment, then shook her head. “It’s nothing.”

She couldn’t explain it, but for a fleeting moment, she felt as if something was watching her.

She glanced at Xiao Si out of the corner of her eye. The girl was focused on shoveling rice into her mouth, showing no signs of anything unusual.

After dinner, Zhang Xiaochen led Li An’an to the balcony as planned, while a distraught Cheng Da ran off to check on his brother.

Jiang Liu stretched. Seeing the night grow darker outside, she knew it was time to get to work.

She had just stretched out her long legs, not yet having stood up, when a hand suddenly grabbed the hem of her shirt.

Xiao Si had a faint smile on her face, her tone sincere. “Let’s change your dressing before you go out, shall we?”

As she spoke, she looked at Jiang Liu’s calf. It was covered by her trousers, so the wound was not visible, but her hand, clutching the fabric, unconsciously tightened.

Jiang Liu’s movements paused for a moment.

The dressing had just been changed that afternoon, and Xiao Si had been in the room at the time. Why would she suddenly suggest this?

A thought flashed through her mind. She composed herself, but before she could refuse, she was cut off.

The knuckles of the hand holding her were slightly pale, possessing a strength a young girl shouldn’t have. Xiao Si’s voice was grave. “Change the dressing first, okay?”

Their interaction caught the attention of Zhao Ziming, who was looking at his phone. He looked up at them, confused, and reminded them, “It’s almost eleven.”

Based on the past two days, the plants would come alive at midnight sharp. They didn’t have much time left to prepare.

Yang Caisi shot him a cold glance. Her usually smiling eyes held an indescribable chill, like a cold wind blowing into his very soul. Zhao Ziming shivered and didn’t dare say another word.

Staring at the scene, he reached up and touched his wildly beating heart, a strange thought creeping into his mind.

Damn it, she’s just an NPC with Sister Yang’s face. Why did I feel like that was Sister Yang herself just now?

The idea was too fantastical. The mere possibility of it made his face turn pale, and he shook his head vigorously to dispel the thought.

After intimidating Zhao Ziming, Xiao Si instantly returned to normal. The speed at which her expression changed was simply astounding.

Their gazes met and clashed in mid-air, sparks flying.

Jiang Liu couldn’t help but lower her eyes, staring thoughtfully at Xiao Si’s hands. Suddenly, she let out a soft chuckle, her bright, smiling eyes melting the previously icy atmosphere. “Alright.”

Xiao Si unconsciously let out a sigh of relief and took the initiative to take her hand and lead her upstairs.

Jiang Liu’s fingers twitched unnaturally, but they were held firmly in the other girl’s palm.

This is a bit strange, Jiang Liu thought.

Xiao Si’s hand was warm and strong, like a soft bundle enveloping the back of her hand. Such a simple, natural touch sent strange, romantic thoughts through her mind.

It felt as if a current was spreading from the back of her hand. It was a sensation Jiang Liu had never experienced before, and her palm began to tingle, even causing her pace to slow slightly.

Neither of them spoke as they walked side-by-side up the narrow staircase. The air itself seemed to grow a few degrees warmer.

Jiang Liu cleared her throat, unable to resist breaking the strange atmosphere.

“It’s not like we’re dating. Why do we have to hold hands?”

The moment the words left her mouth, she groaned internally. It’s all over.

She had a loose tongue and was used to teasing people with flirtatious remarks, but why did she have to blurt out something like that at a time like this?

But the words were already out, and it was too late to take them back. She looked at Xiao Si awkwardly.

Yang Caisi was in a very good mood.

When she was playing Chen Si, she had been a little apprehensive, afraid that her bold actions would startle Jiang Liu. After all, some things were best done with subtlety; a little mystery added to the flavor.

But she soon discovered that, stripped of her real-world identity, Jiang Liu didn’t reject her. She didn’t even resist things like holding hands or hugging.

This realization made her ecstatic. Taking advantage of her role, she grew bolder, finally letting out the words she had suppressed for so long.

The corners of her lips unconsciously turned up. Seeing Jiang Liu’s unnatural expression, she almost laughed out loud. She squeezed her hand and asked probingly, “If Sister is willing, I am too.”

Willing to what? To date?

Willing?

The girl’s soft, sweet voice exploded in Jiang Liu’s ears like thunder, leaving her dazed and bewildered.

Starting from their intertwined palms, a heat spread layer by layer, quickly climbing up her neck and collar.

Jiang Liu’s face turned beet red, and she nearly choked on her own saliva.

Enjoying the dramatic change in her expression, Yang Caisi was surprised to see this side of Jiang Liu. A mischievous thought arose, and with lightning speed, she leaned in close to her ear, her voice slightly husky and exceptionally alluring.

“Wife,” she said.

The long, hurried breaths tickled her ear, the warm air brushing against her skin. Jiang Liu was so startled she took two steps back, nearly losing her footing and tumbling down the stairs.

A pair of slender yet strong arms caught her at just the right moment. Xiao Si, who was half a head shorter than her, blinked impishly. “I was just kidding!”

As she spoke, they had already reached the door. Xiao Si pushed her into the room, giving Jiang Liu no chance to resist.

Jiang Liu was speechless.

She stared at Xiao Si for a long time, confirming that her expression was serious and that it had genuinely been a joke, before finally letting out a small sigh of relief.

Could you not be so scary!

She would rather go outside and chop down a whole garden of plants than suffer a scare like that!!!

Jiang Liu screamed internally as the heat on her face finally began to subside.

Xiao Si was gently applying medicine for her, her movements skilled and focused. Her ponytail drooped onto Jiang Liu’s leg as she tilted her head, making her look very well-behaved.

The strands of hair brushing against her knee tickled, and Jiang Liu watched her movements, the confusion rising once again.

When she returned in the evening, she had spoken with Zhao Ziming alone.

He had said that the so-called NPCs in the instances were all based on the models of the Instance Dungeon Supervisors. Their words and personalities were fixed within the framework of their character settings, and their actions were all predictable.

Both Chen Si and Xiao Si were so lively and vivid, their words and attitudes identical, like a real young girl—charming and cute.

So, did girls of this type just happen to like her type, which was why they were so overly generous to her?

Jiang Liu narrowed her eyes.

She had encountered too few instances so far to be able to tell, but there was one thing she could be sure of—

If the new memories in her head were real, then the person she truly knew was Yang Caisi.

This seemingly cold and capable High-level NPC should be able to answer all her questions.