Mo Yu raised his eyes toward the naked body. The light in the room reflected in his dark crimson eyes, the sharpness and brutality in them threatening to spill over.
His expression remained unchanged. He merely glanced at the young man, who was vomiting his guts out.
Shen Ru was clearly oblivious when it came to this sort of thing, so it was only natural that he could not understand.
Through his own death, the Butler had made a perfect, spectacular display to Mo Yu of his smug satisfaction at having the young man all to himself at that moment.
Even if it cost him his life, he had eagerly embraced it.
Heh. What a truly disgusting creature.
Shen Ru was already feeling much better. Apart from being a little pale, he was otherwise fine.
Only then did he straighten up, looking at the others in confusion as he asked, "Why... did you come back?"
Wei Lanxing hurried to answer, "Because you suddenly disappeared. Mo Yu went to check whether anything had happened to anyone else, but it turned out you were the only unlucky soul who got caught."
Shen Ru sneered inwardly. Of course he was the only one caught. This was the grand gift the Butler had given him in return.
As if afraid he would not appreciate it, the Butler had even invited him to sample it twice.
Wei Lanxing's eyes darted about as she asked with a mischievous grin, "So... what happened between you?"
The memory of this little brat laughing at him was still fresh in his mind, so Shen Ru only picked out a few key points to explain.
"What? You saw Mrs. Leon?" Qi Ning sounded surprised.
The lady had always refused to appear in public, claiming she was too unwell to receive visitors. They usually only had a chance to see her at events such as the Tea Party. None of them had expected Shen Ru to stumble upon her by accident.
Shen Ru opened his mouth, but before he could answer, the Black Shadow lurking in the darkness suddenly wrapped around him and lifted him onto the sofa like a little chick.
The Black Shadow deliberately tightened sharply around the young man's abdomen, leaving an intimate red mark. Shen Ru shuddered, gritting his teeth to keep a sound from escaping.
"..."
A faint smile rested on the man's lips as he said unhurriedly, "The floor is cold."
*?????*
Where was this concern earlier?
I'd already been sprawled on the floor throwing up forever!
With a smile that did not reach his eyes, Shen Ru replied flatly, "How thoughtful of you, President Mo."
A faint edge of antagonism lurked in their exchange, yet an inexplicable atmosphere seeped into the air along with their words, slowly unfolding and spreading.
Wei Lanxing and Wen Meng were more perceptive. Sensing the strange atmosphere, they quietly kept their mouths shut.
But Qi Ning was still focused on the Instance itself. He had not noticed the change between the two men and continued his reasoned analysis from the side:
"Mr. Leon really did change because of his daughter's death. It looks like there are indeed connections between last year's Instance and this year's."
Shen Ru nodded in agreement. "Could Mrs. Leon speak last year?"
"Yes."
Wei Lanxing's expression grew solemn. She took a deep breath and said slowly:
"In the last Instance, Mrs. Leon gave her daughter the job of picking tea. But it happened to rain that day, and the mountain paths were slippery. In the end, the girl lost her footing and fell off the mountain. No one expected it to end that way. Perhaps Mr. Leon is doing this to punish his wife, and her refusal to divorce him is her way of punishing herself."
After hearing Wei Lanxing's explanation, Shen Ru suddenly understood the source of everything that had felt wrong.
Despite the physical and mental torment her husband inflicted on her, she had been unable to nod her assent to ending his life even at the very last moment. Shen Ru had thought Mrs. Leon had lost her mind over love.
Seen in that light, becoming a source of nourishment for the Rose vines had also been something Mrs. Leon chose willingly.
Humans were truly strange creatures.
They were always punishing their present selves for mistakes made in the past.
Although he could not understand such behavior,
he did not dispute it.
On the evening of the Tea Party.
The garden was especially quiet at night. At some point, dark clouds had obscured the moonlight, leaving only a few dim electric lights glowing faintly nearby.
A gloomy, uneasy atmosphere spread through the group.
It was pitch-black around the garden, with no end in sight. Dark fog surrounded the entire courtyard, and the blackness felt so deep that even a stone tossed into it would make no sound.
Everyone was already waiting in the garden.
Because of the little incident that afternoon, Shen Ru could no longer wear his jacket. Fortunately, just as much care had gone into the shirt beneath it.
His refined, elegant face looked languid and nonchalant. He wore a loose, slightly sheer white shirt, its elaborate lace collar lending him an air of nobility, while fitted suit trousers accentuated the long lines of his legs.
As he lifted his gaze slightly, his dark red eyes looked utterly bewitching beneath the dim lights.
The young man slowly surveyed the eerie surroundings. The entire Villa was deathly still, and even the main gates had been thoughtfully secured with several layers of locks.
Anyone could tell that this hardly looked like the setting for a tea party. It looked more like a funeral.
Shen Ru's eyelid suddenly twitched. An inexplicable sensation came over him, stirring a faint unease in his heart.
Before long, a married couple emerged from the dimly lit Villa.
Unlike what Shen Ru had witnessed earlier, the Leons appeared deeply affectionate before the crowd. Mrs. Leon, in particular, wore a gracious smile, her complexion rosy. She seemed an entirely different person from the fragile, terrified woman of that afternoon.
And just as the two appeared, Shen Ru suddenly felt a burning, vicious gaze upon him.
He whipped his head around.
Guan Wenyue was smiling at him with his glass raised, as though using the very fact that he was still alive to mock the young man's ignorance and arrogance.
"Good evening, everyone."
A strong, resonant male voice broke the brief silence. Everyone turned toward the host, Mr. Leon, who had begun to speak.
"Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to visit our humble home. Please forgive any shortcomings in our hospitality."
Mr. Leon swept his smiling gaze across the crowd. Shen Ru distinctly felt the intense resentment and hatred in that gaze when it landed on him.
*???*
What had I done???
I spared his worthless life, and this is how he repays me???
Soon, the host's voice rang out again:
"But something unfortunate happened today. The Butler, who served me for many years, was tragically murdered this afternoon. I hope you can all assist me in finding the true culprit."
No sooner had he finished than the system's voice, unheard for some time, suddenly rang in the Players' ears:
"Ding! Player has triggered the Ultimate Mission: find the Butler's murderer and hand them over to the Leons." "Time limit: 1 hour." "Mission reward: S-rank Card, Mrs. Leon's Tears."
As soon as the voice fell silent, Shen Ru met those eyes brimming with malice.
Mr. Leon's eyes were wide, the corners of his mouth raised into a grotesquely exaggerated curve as he stared fixedly at him.
Fuck...
How was this any different from handing him the answer?
"Let the game begin."
Before you continue