Bai Zhi Stops Being Human

Some things in this world are just that strange.

If someone had told Mu Qiansè a few hours earlier that she would willingly stay at her ex-boyfriend's house, she would have thought it was a joke.

But now, sitting on the Sofa looking at the White-haired loli in front of her who seemed to be glaring at her with considerable hostility, she was speechless.

"Ah... I suddenly have a craving for octopus..."

Leaning against the window and looking out, someone had a look of wistful emotion on their face.

"... That's not an octopus."

Upon hearing this, the Young Girl sitting on the Sofa turned her head stiffly.

"Is there a difference? They're all tentacles anyway."

With a slight pout, the person returned to the table and sat down again.

"Alright, let's discuss the plan. To be honest, the situation is looking a little unfavorable right now..."

--Let 'Time Regression to a dozen minutes ago.

"... I'm sorry to have bothered you for so long, I think it's time for me to leave."

Turning her gaze away from the kitchen doorway, Mu Qiansè said goodbye with a slightly strained expression.

Frankly, if she continued to stay here, she seriously doubted whether her Life could be guaranteed...

"Are you sure you want to leave now? To be honest, it's not a very wise choice."

Raising an eyebrow, Bai Zhi picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip.

As the saying goes, it's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality. With such a rare opportunity to escape the miserable life of eating instant noodles right in front of him, how could he possibly watch his future livelihood slip away?

After tasting a delicious meal that was not only visually appealing and fragrant but also far superior to takeout, asking him to eat instant noodles again would be intolerable, especially now that takeout services have been suspended.

If the other person leaves, who will he ask to cook for him...?

"Uh... but it's not really appropriate to bother you like this..."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the little girl standing by the kitchen door silently raise her knife again, and Mu Qiansè's eyes twitched slightly involuntarily.

"You probably don't have anywhere to go right now, right? Are you going Dormitory? They've cut off the water and electricity, there's no kitchen, and it's not warm there. You might as well stay with us for now."

Bai Zhi placed the teacup back on the Coffee Table and spoke seriously.

"As you can see, none of us here know how to cook, and we also have extra rooms. If you'd like to stay here, I think Qingyi would be very happy."

"..."

Yeah, yeah, they were so happy they even grabbed knives...

"Also, you've seen the weather now. Something's definitely up with this. There are hardly any cars on the road. Are you really going to walk back slowly by yourself?"

Bai Zhi's expression was one of both emotional appeal and logical reasoning.

"We've worked together on several missions before, so we know each other well. What are you worried about staying here? If I were alone, your concerns would be understandable, but I have a younger sister here, so you don't need to worry at all. Besides, you don't have anywhere else to go, do you?"

No, no, no, it's precisely because your younger sister is here that I'm worried...

"... I can stay at a hotel."

After a moment of silence, Mu Qiansè finally spoke.

"Hotels? Don't you know that in horror movies, places like hotels are always haunted by Anomaly and monsters?"

Bai Zhi looked on with surprise.

"Hotels are the scariest places, let me tell you, especially in this weird weather. If you choose to stay in a hotel, you're 100% guaranteed to encounter Anomaly Incident. Maybe while you're sleeping at night, a hideous Female Ghost will be Levitation right above you..."

--For the sake of their future dining experience, this person can be said to have gone to any lengths, completely abandoning all human decency.

Mu Qiansè: "..."

As she watched someone vividly recount the terrifying Anomaly and bizarre events that had occurred in the hotel, she suddenly felt an urge to grab a knife from the kitchen.

Mu Qiansè was never very brave, and this didn't change much even after she became Player.

However, she has no problem being alone or staying in a hotel by herself. After all, compared to her past self, she has experienced so much and has grown a lot.

But now, after some scoundrel meticulously and considerately told her a whole bunch of terrifying stories that happened at the hotel... she felt terrified to even sleep alone tonight, let alone go to a hotel alone.

"Here, this place has three bedrooms and a living room. Besides me and Qingyi, there's an extra room. You can stay here temporarily until the Cold Wave recedes. I won't charge you rent."

Pushing open a door, Bai Zhi enthusiastically introduced himself to the Young Girl who followed him somewhat stiffly.

As for things like asking the other person to cook, he didn't choose to say it outright. After all, it's not really necessary to say such things unless the other person is willing to eat instant noodles with them every day. Otherwise, he basically doesn't need to ask for help with things like cooking.

"... Since it's still early, let's go to the Store and buy some groceries."

Forcing herself to ignore the rather hostile gaze of a certain little girl, Mu Qiansè reluctantly began to speak after taking a quick look around her room.

"There's practically no food left in the fridge, just a few sausages and eggs. For the sake of our health and nutrition, I think we should go buy some groceries."

"Hmm... that makes sense."

After thinking for a moment, Bai Zhi nodded thoughtfully.

"I hadn't considered this before, so I only bought instant noodles and snacks. Now let's set off again, since it's still early. I remember there are a few self-service electric carts downstairs..."

As he spoke, Bai Zhi turned his head to look out the window to check the sky, but this unintentional glance made him freeze in place.

"What's wrong?"

Looking at Bai Zhi with some surprise at his suddenly serious expression, Mu Qiansè turned her head in the same direction. Like him, she froze, her face turning pale.

"What... is that thing?"

Outside the window, a long, Black Shadow hung down.