Rules of Burial: Why Is Your Vigil So Different from Mine?

Xu Xi could react, the Ancestral Hall door was pushed open.

The person who entered was a familiar face; it was the white-clad maid who had once stopped him at the back gate.

The maid was carrying a tray with a soup bowl on it. The soup was clear and steaming.

"Third Young Master," the maid bowed slightly, her attitude very respectful, "I've come to bring you soup on the orders of Seventh Concubine."

Upon seeing this, Xu Xi was reminded once again of two rules the butler had instructed her to follow before leaving—

"Seventh Concubine might come and bring you some soup; you can drink it if you're thirsty. It's her way of showing her kindness."

"Finally, you can trust the servant wearing the white flower in his hair."

Xu Xi was about to take the soup bowl when she suddenly stopped.

He felt inexplicably that something was rather strange.

On the surface, there seems to be no problem, but...

I'm not thirsty.

The maid seemed taken aback by the blunt rejection; her hand holding the tray paused slightly, and a look of embarrassment crossed her face.

"Third Young Master, this was specially prepared for you by Seventh Concubine."

Seeing that the person still didn't respond, she had no choice but to place the tray she was carrying on a small table to the side.

"I've placed the soup here; please feel free to use it if you are thirsty."

After the maid finished speaking, she gave a slight bow and left.

The gate slowly closed, and the Ancestral Hall returned to silence.

Xu Xi didn't touch the bowl of soup, but instead took out her phone and shone it on the bowl.

He can Rollback after death, but that doesn't mean he doesn't use his brain.

After seeing the once clear soup in the photo turn thick and murky, he knew his intuition was right.

No, it's less about intuition and more about the experience and keen insight that come with time.

As for what that experience was like, never mind.

In short, he has now seen through it all.

On the surface, everything seems peaceful and serene, but the photos reveal a story that's hard to put into words.

Xu Xi put away her phone and glanced at the bowl of soup one last time.

So far, all the rules the butler instructed have come true.

He felt that the two rules themselves might not be wrong.

"A servant wearing a white flower in his hair can be trusted." The servant who brought the soup just now did indeed wear a white flower in his hair, but there was something wrong with the soup.

"Seventh Concubine might come to bring you soup," but it wasn't Seventh Concubine herself who brought the soup; it was a maidservant who was acting on Seventh Concubine's orders.

The person who was supposed to deliver the soup didn't come in person; a trustworthy person delivered something untrustworthy.

Neither rule is wrong on its own, but when put together, they seem contrived.

He didn't know where the problem lay, but he suddenly realized something.

Trustworthy does not equal harmless.

Furthermore, the rules only serve as reminders, not guarantees of survival.

Xu Xi withdrew her gaze from the bowl of soup, stood up, and stretched.

The nausea in his stomach was still there, but he didn't care and turned to pick up the offerings on the table.

The arrival of the maid had interrupted his original plan, but now that she was gone, he naturally had to continue.

His daytime stroll wasn't entirely useless; at least he gained a general idea of where the kitchen was.

Following the passageway through the Hanging Flower Gate, past the storeroom and study, and then through the garden, you arrive at the kitchen.

The distance in the middle could be said to be more than half of the courtyard.

The ancestral Ancestral Hall was located in the farthest corner of the Shen Residence, a location that was far too remote.

Xu Xi carried the offerings and stepped into the night.

The house was so quiet that only the soft sound of his footsteps could be heard along the way.

However, as he passed through the Back Garden, he gradually slowed his pace.

There is no other reason.

He heard another set of footsteps.

"Da, da, da--"

It's not his.

The voice came from behind him, very soft, yet perfectly in sync with his rhythm.

He took a step, and the "person" behind him took a step as well.

But the footsteps were getting closer.

Xu Xi did not turn around.

He continued walking forward, his pace unchanged, but he slightly turned his head and quietly raised his phone.

On the pitch-black screen, a shadowy figure, whose outline could only be discerned, was following behind him.

He sped up, and his opponent sped up too; he slowed down, and his opponent slowed down too.

Xu Xi suddenly stopped.

As expected, the shadow stopped as well.

But strangely, the distance between them is still decreasing.

He simply turned around.

There was no one in sight.

As soon as I turned on the camera, an enlarged, blurry facial outline suddenly filled the entire lens.

Xu Xi's heart suddenly clenched.

The next second, it felt like my consciousness was being invaded; I felt dizzy and my thoughts began to become distorted.

*

Xu Xi stood frozen in place, holding the offerings.

The footsteps behind them also stopped.

Is he dead?

No, that's not the point.

Did he not return to the point where he offered incense during this Rollback?

He's still here, and that thing is still following behind him.

However, this issue isn't urgent; let's put it aside for now.

The most urgent thing now is the shadow behind him that is about to approach him.

Xu Xi took a deep breath, without turning around or looking back, and continued walking forward as usual.

Soon, he sensed someone breathing behind him.

The cool air clung to the back of his neck, blowing in waves that sent shivers down his spine.

Then, something slowly wrapped around his neck.

Xu Xi lowered her head.

A wet rope was wrapped around his neck and was tightening inch by inch.

*

It was Xu Xi's first time being hanged, and she found it quite novel.

However, he has no masochistic tendencies and does not want to experience it a second time.

So he began to think about how to resolve his current situation.

Xu Xi squatted down, glancing out of the corner of his eye at the figure on the screen that was getting closer and closer to him.

Until the shadow passed through his body and disappeared from the screen.

Nothing happened.

After squatting for a while longer without encountering any further unexpected situations, he picked up the tray at his feet, stood up, and continued walking towards the kitchen.

As he walked, he muttered to himself, "Why is it always so much trouble when it's his turn to keep watch?"

Another wave of inexplicable hunger, another wave of maidservants bringing soup, another wave of shadows following—one after another.

On the other hand, the man with the buzz cut, apart from hearing water dripping and rustling sounds from inside the coffin and noticing that the Paper Figure had changed position, calmly waited until dawn.

Shaking her head, Xu Xi stopped thinking about it and quickened her pace.

As for the strange changes in the Rollback points... perhaps the Rollback has its own reasons.

A few minutes later, we finally arrived at the kitchen.

Xu Xi casually placed the offerings on the stove, turned on her phone, and began to survey the interior using the light from the screen.