When consciousness returned, they found themselves on the other side of the Bloody Door.
They stood scattered across a sprawling, opulent villa complex nestled in the suburbs. Yet, despite its immaculate construction and evident wealth, an unsettling lifelessness hung heavy in the air. It felt… abandoned.
Ning Qiushui passed several villas, confirming his suspicion: the complex was devoid of people. An eerie silence reigned.
"Unoccupied? Or did everyone just… leave for work?" he mused, his gaze sharpening as he took in the details.
"No…"
"The gardens show signs of recent trimming. Koi fish glide lazily in the ornamental ponds. Common tools lie scattered in yards…" He frowned. "People should be living here."
"So… where are they?"
A sliver of unease wormed its way into his thoughts as he pressed forward.
Soon, he spotted the target villa. It wasn't hard to identify. It was the only one with figures standing outside.
A woman, elegantly dressed and radiating affluence, stood in the yard. She wore a wide-brimmed sun hat adorned with a small red flower. Beside her, she held the hand of a young girl, perhaps eight or nine years old. They stood bathed in the mild, unassuming sunlight, their smiles fixed on the approaching figures.
The woman's smile was lovely—the kind that grew more captivating the longer you looked, the epitome of a beautiful, mature woman. Yet, inexplicably, a chill snaked down Ning Qiushui's spine as he met her gaze. That smile… it didn't feel like a welcome. It felt more like…
Before he could pin down the unsettling thought, a heavy hand clapped onto his shoulder.
Ning Qiushui started, whirling around to find Liu Chengfeng, the bearded man, grinning at him.
"Kid, you made it too?"
Ning Qiushui nodded. "Yeah. Looks like that's the place." He gestured towards the villa with the woman.
Liu Chengfeng squinted at the distant building, his expression tightening. He raised a hand, muttering under his breath as he frowned at his own fingers. "Uh oh…"
Ning Qiushui's eyes lit up. "You know fortune-telling?"
Liu Chengfeng shook his head, lowering his hand sheepishly. "Back in the real world? Yeah, I told fortunes… But I just remembered something." He cleared his throat. "I'm actually a fraud. Just a con man."
Ning Qiushui's breath hitched.
Seriously?
This guy… was a classic charlatan. He'd spun his lies so long he'd started believing them himself?
And… how could he admit it so shamelessly?
"Never mind…" Ning Qiushui sighed, shaking his head in resignation. He turned and strode purposefully towards the villa where the young matron waited.
Others had already gathered. The villa's mistress offered each arrival an identical, plastic smile—polite but devoid of warmth. Attempts to engage her were met with the same rehearsed line:
"Please wait. A few more caregivers haven't arrived yet."
Roughly ten minutes passed before all seven stood assembled in the yard.
As if triggered by their completion, the woman's fixed smile flickered. For the first time, she addressed them directly, her voice smooth but carrying an odd detachment.
"Everyone's here? Excellent."
"My sincerest apologies for summoning you all to care for my mother," she began, her hand resting lightly on her daughter's shoulder. "My husband is away on business, and I must take my daughter to the seaside for her birthday. The house will be quite empty…"
She paused, her smile tightening fractionally. "My mother is… advanced in years. She's bedridden, you see, and her mental faculties have deteriorated significantly. I feared two or three caregivers simply wouldn't suffice. So…" Her gesture encompassed them all. "…I opted to hire your entire company."
Her gaze swept over them, cool and assessing. "Rest assured, compensation won't be an issue. Money…" A dismissive flick of her perfectly manicured fingers. "…is no object."
"…When I return… and find my mother well cared for, I will reward each of you personally."
With that, she led the group inside the villa, up to the second floor, and into a spacious bedroom.
The room was dimly lit. An unpleasant odor lingered in the air. On a large bed by the window lay an elderly woman with a benign expression, watching them serenely. Yet, a thin, unsettling curve played on her lips—a smile that raised the fine hairs on the backs of their necks.
"This is my mother…" The mistress introduced her, then knelt beside the bed, her voice softening with apparent affection. "Mother, I'm taking Tuantuan to the seaside for her birthday. I've hired seven caregivers especially for you. They'll look after you these five days…"
She finished, then leaned closer to the old woman's ear, whispering something too low for the others to catch. Standing, she turned back to the group, her smile returning. "My mother may be bedridden and suffer from dementia, but she understands simple speech. Her health is otherwise quite good—no other illnesses, and she has a healthy appetite… Ah, I haven't shown you the kitchen yet."
She guided them downstairs to the villa's kitchen. It was equally large, impeccably clean, with every conceivable utensil neatly arranged. Two massive refrigerators stood side-by-side near the entrance.
"Summer has arrived here, and the rainy season is approaching," the mistress explained. "The storms can be torrential. We may face heavy winds and rain for the next three to five days, making trips to the market impossible…" She pulled open one of the huge refrigerators, revealing shelves crammed full with meats and vegetables. "…But don't worry. I've stocked you with ample food and water."
She closed the door. "One more thing… Mother dislikes vegetables. When preparing her meals, simply focus on meat."
Instead of leaving immediately with her daughter, she paused. "Any other questions?"
Ning Qiushui spoke first. "Excuse me, are we the only residents in this villa complex?"
The woman blinked, a momentary flicker of surprise crossing her face before her composure smoothed into a practiced smile. "Yes, actually. These villas have been here for some time, but the location is rather isolated. Besides us, no one else lives here. In fact, we wouldn't be here ourselves if not for Mother's… situation…"
She paused, then added, "For these five days, consider yourselves the masters of this house. I've prepared all the second-floor bedrooms for you. Choose whichever room you like."
Her expression suddenly hardened, her voice dropping to a serious, almost warning tone. "But there is one crucial rule: Under absolutely no circumstances are you to go up to the third floor. Understood?"
Murmurs of assent rippled through the group.
Seeing their agreement, the mistress's smile reappeared, bright and brittle. "Excellent! Now that everything's clear… I leave Mother in your capable hands!"
She glanced at a delicate wristwatch. "Oh dear! The train! We must dash or we'll miss our high-speed rail!" With that, she clicked hurriedly across the polished floor in her heels, grabbed her daughter's hand and her suitcase, and swept out the front door.
A nagging sense of wrongness tugged at Ning Qiushui. He moved to a window, watching their departure. Just as the woman was ushering the little girl into a waiting car, the child turned her head. Her eyes met Ning Qiushui's through the glass.
That single glance rooted him to the spot.
His eyesight was sharp. Unmistakably, etched deep within the little girl's gaze… was sheer, icy dread.
She was afraid.
Afraid of the trip? Afraid of her own mother? Or… afraid of this very villa they stood in?
Ning Qiushui was still processing the unsettling image when Liu Chengfeng's bulk filled the space beside him. The bearded man clicked his tongue. "Tch. Lookin' at what? She's long gone…" He nudged Ning Qiushui with an elbow, a lewd grin spreading across his face. "Kid, didn't peg you for the type! Young fella like you, already got a thing for married ladies… Not bad, not bad at all! Bright future ahead!"