The Box

With a preliminary analysis of the case, their search became more targeted.

Fatty stuck close to Jiang Cheng, but Fan Li, annoyed by his bulky frame blocking his view, reprimanded him a few times. Fatty, however, feigned ignorance, and no one could do anything about it.

Soon, they made a discovery in the master bedroom.

On the wall next to the bed hung a solid wood photo frame containing an old photograph.

The photo looked like it had been soaked in water, the edges yellowed, with only the center clearly showing a family of four standing together.

The man and woman stood in the middle, the woman's hands on the shoulders of a girl with two pigtails, who stood obediently in front of her mother.

Another girl, noticeably taller, appeared more rebellious, her pant legs and sleeves rolled up, revealing slender wrists that seemed to bear traces of tattoos.

She stood beside the man, chin held high.

It seemed this was the family of four who lived in the villa.

Strangely, however, everyone's face was very blurry, as was the background of the photo, making it impossible to determine where it was taken.

Chen Xiaomeng stared at the photo, stunned, then suddenly became agitated. "I remember this photo wasn't here this morning. This wall was blank!"

Sister Nuan remained calm, explaining as if it were commonplace that such things often happened in the Dream Realm.

"We must have found some correct clues and triggered the next stage of the plot," Fan Li said.

Jiang Cheng glanced at him. "Like stage rewards in a game?"

"Something like that."

Next, they found a pair of pliers in the room where Xie Yu's body had been discovered. Beside the pliers was a flat, round tin, like one used for candies.

Fatty picked up the tin and shook it. A rattling sound came from inside.

"What is it?"

Just as he was about to twist open the box with his two chubby hands, Jiang Cheng grabbed him. Holding Fatty, he stared at the pliers, his expression gradually turning strange.

"What's wrong?" Fatty felt a sudden fear.

Jiang Cheng's expression slowly returned to calm. "Nothing. I just thought there might be more clues in the bedroom. I'll go check."

"Oh, okay." Fatty nodded. He had intended to go with Jiang Cheng, but his curiosity about what was in the box was too much to bear.

Three seconds after Jiang Cheng left, Fatty finally twisted open the box.

His eyes went from curiosity to confusion, then widened gradually until they seemed about to pop out of their sockets. "Holy crap!"

By the time Jiang Cheng came back in, covering his ears, Fatty could no longer scream. Fan Li was covering his mouth, and with a look of disgust, dragged the trembling Fatty aside.

Jiang Cheng peeked in and saw the box overturned on the floor. A few small, milky-white objects were scattered around it, along with some thin, translucent flakes.

"It's teeth, as expected," Jiang Cheng nodded, his expression saying, "I knew it." There were also some fingernails.

Fan Li and Sister Nuan didn't seem particularly surprised, as if they had already guessed what was in the box. Chen Xiaomeng, however, looked pale.

With no more clues nearby, Jiang Cheng suggested checking behind the door on the third floor. Fan Li stopped him and pointed out the window.

The sky was already darkening.

Darkness was coming again.

Exploring an unknown area at night was not a wise choice, so after discussion, they decided to stop searching and rest.

Fatty had thought that after last night's incident, they would all sleep together for safety.

But to his surprise, Sister Nuan not only had no such intention but also kicked Fan Li out.

The door slammed shut.

Fan Li stood in front of the master bedroom door, holding a quilt, looking like a husband kicked out of his home, with nowhere to go.

He also carried a floral pillow on his shoulder.

"It's okay, big brother," Fatty comforted him. "You can come to our room."

"No need. You guys sleep in your room. I'll go downstairs." With that, Fan Li truly headed downstairs with his quilt and pillow, his footsteps clattering on the stairs.

Jiang Cheng turned and went into the previous bedroom. Fatty hesitated, then also braced himself and followed.

After entering the bedroom, Jiang Cheng turned on all the lights and leaned against the door, as if listening for sounds outside.

After a while, Jiang Cheng slowly backed away, walked to the sofa, and sat down.

"Brother, we're not sleeping here tonight, are we?" Fatty's face was ashen, his eyes darting towards the space under the bed. He remembered that the ghost from last night had crawled out from under this very bed.

"Of course not. I'll go to the study later," Jiang Cheng said bluntly.

"Me too!"

About 10 minutes later, the sky outside was completely dark. Jiang Cheng checked his watch, then stood up, walked to the door, and gently pulled it open.

He then tiptoed to another room, slowly pushed the door open, and slipped inside.

Fatty followed close behind him.

After closing the door, they each found a chair and sat down. Fatty wanted to turn on the lights, but Jiang Cheng stopped him.

Fatty looked around the dark room, cold sweat pouring down his face. He couldn't help but say, "You should let me turn on the lights. Otherwise, I feel like there are ghosts everywhere."

Jiang Cheng didn't insist this time, nodding. "Alright."

Fatty shifted his body, finally finding a switch on the wall. Just as he was about to press it, Jiang Cheng's voice floated from behind him, "Now the ghosts won't have any trouble finding you."

"."

In the master bedroom, on the bed.

Chen Xiaomeng hugged a pillow, sobbing softly.

The thought of those terrifying tools and the individual teeth in the box made her body tremble uncontrollably.

Sister Nuan sat on the sofa, her gaze no longer as arrogant as before. Chen Xiaomeng, this cute girl, reminded her of her past self.

"Alright, stop crying," she comforted. "You should be able to see that the ghosts in this villa only target men. After we get rid of Fan Li, we'll be safe."

Chen Xiaomeng looked up, her eyes red. "Then aren't the remaining three people very dangerous?"

"Don't say foolish things. It's good enough to protect yourself during the mission, let alone worry about others," Sister Nuan glanced at the door, as if thinking of something unpleasant, her expression turning grim. She then turned back, paused, and continued, "Moreover, in a world like this, it's not just ghosts you need to be wary of, but also the people around you."