The Rules of Burial Said There Was No Need to Sleep Tonight

Reluctantly, Xu Xi remained silent for a while before getting up again, opening the door, and walking out.

The same thick night, the same murmurs surging in from all directions.

This time, however, he changed direction, and then--

I encountered the same Water Shadow.

The feeling of suffocation overwhelmed everything again.

The second time, he died.

Rollback, get up, open the door, step out, and continue changing direction.

The third time, he died.

The fourth time, the fifth time...

At first, Xu Xi tried to figure out the pattern.

For example, how long do those sounds take to appear? Is it because one of his actions or behaviors triggered something? And is there any traceable evidence for the appearance of the Water Shadow?

But after dying countless times, he gave up.

He's numb, he can't die anymore.

He finally realized that it was a glitch in the system.

It's the kind that guarantees death when triggered.

Xu Xi had just experienced another Rollback, fell into deep thought.

It seems he really can only continue sleeping tonight.

He stood up, ready to go to sleep.

Suddenly, the silence inside was broken by the barking of a dog outside.

"Woof, woof."

It was very short, and the sound wasn't loud.

It seems to be some distance from here.

But... a dog barking?

Xu Xi instinctively froze on the spot.

They had been living in the Shen Residence for so long, yet they had never seen any dogs inside.

Besides, the entire house was so quiet you couldn't even hear an insect chirping, so where did the dog's barking come from?

Thinking of this, he didn't hesitate at all, and his steps, which were originally about to walk towards the carved wooden bed, suddenly changed direction.

Sleep? What sleep!

New anomaly! New clue!

He didn't care if it was a dog or something else barking; he'd accept it even if it was a ploy to lure him out as a midnight snack for that Water Shadow.

It's not like we can't continue.

Xu Xi opened the door, her movements more decisive than ever before.

[Xu Xi really getting ready to go out?]

Why is there a dog barking all of a sudden? Where did the dog come from?

The comments section showed that the young man had originally planned to go to sleep, but after the dog barked, he changed direction without hesitation.

The movements, the speed—it all looked like it was planned in advance.

[So, Boss Xu Xi was specifically waiting for this dog bark?]

[Very likely! He was probably waiting for that dog barking last night.]

[Oh right, last Xu Xi was obviously waiting for something too. I thought he was just waiting to see what would happen after midnight.]

[No wonder Xu Xi didn't seem interested at all after that strange conversation outside last night; it turns out he was waiting for something different from us.]

Under their watchful eyes, the young man had already stepped across the threshold.

*

As Xu Xi looked around, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes.

This time, the scene outside the door was completely different from before.

There was no thick, inky darkness, nor any noisy whispers.

A layer of hazy light appeared on the horizon, the kind of light that is just before dawn.

The White Lanterns under the eaves were extinguished, the bluestone slabs underfoot were dry and clean, and the doors and windows of the side rooms on both sides of the corridor were still tightly closed, but behind the window paper was no longer pitch black, but the outline of daylight could be vaguely seen.

Most importantly, the air was filled with a faint scent of morning dew, mixed with the smell of earth and grass—the normal, morning scent.

Aside from the occasional soft whistling of the wind as it blew through the pillars, there were even intermittent chirping sounds of insects.

Unlike the deathly silence of the daytime, and unlike the deliberate liveliness of last night.

Only at this moment did the house seem to truly come alive.

After quietly savoring this difference for a moment, a sudden flash of inspiration struck Xu Xi, as if something had been gently touched. He subconsciously remembered the rule the butler had mentioned—

You must not leave your room after midnight, regardless of what sounds you hear.

What if this rule is indeed correct, but it's incomplete?

For example.

Unless you hear a dog barking?

Woof, woof.

The barking started again, this time closer.

Xu Xi wasn't sure if his idea was correct, so he lifted his foot and walked towards the direction from which the sound came.

Along the way, the corridors, artificial hills, flowers, trees... everything was exactly the same.

But they are not quite the same.

If I had to describe it, it's like a gray and white painting that has suddenly been infused with color.

It has a sense of realism, and is no longer lifeless.

"Xueke, come here! Don't run away, my little darling!"

Xu Xi followed the call through a moon gate and saw a maid dressed in plain white clothes chasing after a small yellow dog.

The puppy ran along, barking every now and then.

The sound was short and urgent.

The maid chased after it for a few steps, then stopped and looked back. Once the maid was almost caught, it continued running.

The morning light streamed down from the gray sky, illuminating the white flower by her temple.

White flowers!

Xu Xi immediately stopped in her tracks.

He actually encountered a second People Wearing White Flowers.

The maid also noticed Xu Xi's presence and gradually stopped in her tracks.

The next second, she bowed slightly.

"Third Young Master."

The maid bowed, and the little yellow dog ran back to her feet, rubbing against her legs. When no one reacted, it started biting her trouser leg, trying to drag her forward.

Xu Xi's gaze swept over the white flower at her temple, then fell on the yellow dog.

"Xueke, stop making a scene." Seeing that the young man's expression was rather cold, as if he disliked the noise, the maid quickly whispered a reprimand.

Then she heard the other person suddenly ask, "What's going on?"

The maid paused for a moment, then carefully replied, "Third Young Master, are you asking about this dog? Its name is Xueke, and it was adopted by Sixth Young Master a couple of years ago."

"Ever since the sixth young master accidentally fell into the well a few days ago... he's been going to sit by the well every day, rain or shine, and no matter how much we call him, we can't get him back."

Upon hearing this, Xu Xi's gaze shifted slightly.

Sixth Young Master?

Could it be Shen Jiayang, the son of that Seventh Concubine?

The yellow dog named Xueke twitched its ears, let out a low whimper, and tugged at the maid's trouser leg even harder.

"Like this," the maid sighed softly, "She insists on dragging someone along."

Xu Xi looked down.

It was indeed straining; its small body was taut.

It was as if it was urging the maid to go with it.

The maid was clearly used to it. She bent down, reached out and patted the yellow dog's head, coaxing, "Alright, alright, I'm going, I'm going, don't rush..."

After calming the yellow dog, she looked at Xu Xi with slight hesitation. "Third Young Master, what do you think—"

"I'll go with you."

The maid clearly hadn't expected the Third Young Master to make such a request. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but ultimately hesitated and nodded.

Xu Xi's reason for choosing to follow was simple.

Because he discovered a problem.