Chapter 7
There are seven of them.
Ye Nianchu thought about the photo from the previous day. Could these strange ‘figures’ be what she captured? Now they seemed to have come knocking on her door.
The rain outside was getting heavier, and the wind howled against the windows, creating a loud, eerie sound.
The figures by her bed stayed still, just watching Ye Nianchu.
Time dragged on slowly, every second feeling like torture. Ye Nianchu had never wanted dawn to come so badly. The dark, stormy night seemed endless.
Finally, the first light of dawn pierced through the heavy darkness.
The storm outside had stopped.
As soon as the pressure on her body lifted, Ye Nianchu sat up abruptly and gasped for air. She hated feeling so out of control and helpless and never wanted to experience it again.
If she guessed right, daytime should be a ‘safe time’ in this round, so she planned to rest during the day from now on.
Ye Nianchu fell back onto the bed, exhausted, and closed her eyes for a brief rest. Staying in good shape was crucial to avoid being caught off guard in a game like this.
By the time she left her room, it was already past ten.
After last night's rain, the moist air mixed with the fresh scent of grass and trees. A light mist hung over the river in Huanzhen.
Everything looked calm and peaceful.
But after the previous night, where she couldn’t tell if it was a dream or reality, Ye Nianchu now viewed this town with deep suspicion.
No matter how beautiful it looked, the town couldn’t hide the underlying eeriness.
Ye Nianchu went to the first-floor restaurant for breakfast, then took a side path up the stairs. She noticed two flower petals on the steps and five or six more in the grass.
Peach blossoms?
Peach blossoms in early fall?
The petals seemed to have fallen because of the heavy rain last night.
Ye Nianchu had walked all over Daiyong Town yesterday and hadn’t seen any peach trees. So, she thought the game’s ‘Peach Blossom Garden’ referred to Daiyong Town. But the petals on the ground now disproved that idea.
Ye Nianchu pondered this, considering the other players. She paused and looked at the petals, trying to hide her confusion.
When she stepped onto the terrace, she saw the good-looking teenager from the room next door drawing again.
Ye Nianchu thought she could see the area she had just passed from here.
“Good morning,” the teenager greeted her with a polite smile.
The clouds overhead blocked the sunlight, giving the whole town an oppressive, gloomy atmosphere.
The teenager’s smile was as pure and clear as winter snow, which seemed out of place with everything around them.
Ye Nianchu smiled back but felt a twinge of caution.
She couldn’t pinpoint why, but it felt strange.
Her gaze fell on the teenager’s painting. It was clearly of professional quality and couldn’t be fake.
“Are you here to sketch?” Ye Nianchu asked casually.
He looked at her, his long eyelashes fluttering slightly, “Hmm.”
Ye Nianchu nodded. Players might pretend to be NPCs, but it was unusual for anyone to spend so much time drawing.
In a game where danger could appear at any moment, drawing seemed odd.
No normal player would do this.
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