Before Nightfall

Yu Xing wasn't hungry at all, not even a little bit.

Besides the plate of red meat, he ate a lot at noon, partly because the chef's cooking skills were indeed quite good. Although the seasonings were a bit strange due to regional differences, it still managed to rank among the top ten he had ever eaten.

Another reason is that after experiencing so many life-and-death situations underground, his appetite has become incredibly strong; he's developed a serious craving.

So at dinner, the dishes were no different from those during the day, and he didn't eat much. Fortunately, the chef and others had already developed a certain level of trust in him because of what he had done during the day, so they didn't worry about him eating so little.

The dinner passed peacefully.

During the meal, taking advantage of the residents' relaxed state, Yu Xing casually asked about the old lady in room 09.

Why doesn't she come down for dinner?

Daisy paused for a moment, seemingly not having heard, but Little Rosie asked with some surprise, "Brother Yuri, have you seen Grandma yet?"

Yu Xing answered truthfully, "Yes, I saw her. She opened the door and glanced at me."

Daisy: "... She doesn't want to eat, why are you so concerned? My residents all have their own strengths. Having a grandmother who can live without food isn't a big deal."

She said this with a smile on her face, and there was nothing wrong with it.

Yu Xing, however, was able to keenly perceive Daisy's complex feelings towards resident number 09.

It seemed to be a mixture of disgust, impatience, disdain, and a touch of helplessness.

"That grandma has lived here for a long time, and she always locks herself in her room and never comes out. I rarely even see her." Little Rosie swung her legs, looking completely innocent and carefree. "I'm so cute, grandma should like me a lot, but one time when I went to play with her, she seemed to dislike me."

Calodi opened his mouth as if to say something to stop the conversation, but then Little Rosie chimed in, "That's why I hate her too! Humph!"

The little girl pouted childishly, but Yu Xing noticed that the large doll on her back seemed to move its head mechanically at that moment, like a rusty gear, making a "click".

Aside from Yu Xing, no one else realized what had happened, so he didn't mention it and changed the subject with the others, and they finished dinner peacefully.

After dinner, everyone was looking for a place to hang out.

Being stuck in a small hotel for a long time can be very boring, and it's clear that they've done their best to create entertainment options within the limited space to keep people entertained.

The men were playing cards together, and with Calodi and the Mask Face joined by Mummy Yin and the chef, it was hard to imagine what it would be like for these strange-looking people to be playing cards together. In short, when Yu Xing saw it, he felt like it was some kind of killer's party.

The women... plus a little girl, were all on the sofa. As always, Xixi was quietly reading a book, while Mino and Daisy were chatting about some kind of clothing and jewelry. Yu Xing overheard them and realized that they were actually seriously discussing what kind of outfits looked good.

Mino noticed his curiosity and said to him, "Don't look at us like that. The pursuit of beauty is human nature, no matter where you are."

"But aren't we all trapped here?" Yu Xing probed, half-jokingly, "How could you possibly know about the latest fashion trends outside?"

"Oh, you're so adorable. Where do you think your clothes came from? Did the inn prepare them before the curse started?" Mino chuckled softly. "Every now and then, fresh ingredients, clothes, jewelry, and men's favorite newspapers and cigarettes appear in the inn's storeroom... Although I'm trapped in the inn by the curse, I haven't been abandoned."

Her silvery-white hair fell loosely over her shoulders, and Yu Xing sensed a certain undeniable sense of incongruity about her.

He gave Mino a deep look, nodded to indicate that he understood, and then sat down next to the people playing cards, watching as they listened to the conversations from all directions.

He had learned from listening in that nightfall was actually midnight, before which the hotel could light its lights, including the fireplace in the lobby.

This made the whole hotel feel bright and cheerful.

Once it's past midnight, no matter how bright it was before, all the light and fire will go out instantly, plunging the entire hotel into darkness. Those who haven't returned to their rooms by then will encounter something terrible.

Yu Xing waited patiently.

Having experienced the afternoon being sped up, he didn't believe that the time from dinner to nightfall would pass by at a normal pace.

Sure enough, only a little over an hour later, Mr. Calodi, who was playing cards, put down his deck and reminded everyone, "It's 11 o'clock. Anyone who hasn't washed up yet should hurry up. I'm going back to my room."

It seems that no one has any objection to this anomaly in time. In fact, Yu Xing only felt that something vaguely appeared. If it weren't for the fact that his current life level or ability strength had already subtly exceeded the capacity that this building instance could accommodate, he might have been lost in time without even realizing it.

Having already showered in the morning and not having done anything else that day except briefly containing the strange chunks of flesh, Yu Xing didn't want to shower again and decided to go back to her room first.

He hadn't taken two steps when Daisy called him back.

"Darling, let's go to my room." Daisy gave him a flirtatious wink. "The door's unlocked, you can just open it and come in. I'm going to take a shower. I hope we'll have a beautiful night."

The Mask Face snorted coldly, but since he dared not disobey Daisy's decision, he could only silently sulk on the sidelines.

Yu Xing cleared her throat. "Okay, then I'll wait for you in your room."

He didn't procrastinate, for example, by making excuses that he wasn't feeling well and dragging it out for two or three days.

Because he didn't intend to linger in this instance for too long; for him, it was probably time to finish it tonight.

The time allotted for two meals, plus a little entertainment, had allowed him to gather enough information, as long as he could do it tonight...

Yu Xing walked to the second floor and saw out of the corner of his eye that Mr. Calodi had just closed the door. He chuckled and, instead of heading towards room 10, stopped directly at the door of room 01, pressed the handle, and gently pushed it open.

Daisy's room was much more luxurious than room number 10.

Because Daisy didn't have to worry about when she would run out of places to stay, her room was beautifully decorated, reminiscent of the luxurious hotel rooms she had seen when she first arrived on the island.

Yu Xing brazenly rummaged through Daisy's closet and found some strange records in the drawers.