When they regained consciousness, they had all arrived on the other side of the blood-red wooden door.
The group had been scattered throughout a complex of magnificent villas in the suburbs.
Strangely, despite its exquisite construction, the place felt lifeless.
After passing several villas, Ning Qiushui confirmed that there was no one in the complex.
It was eerily quiet.
"Does no one live here, or has everyone gone to work?"
Ning Qiushui examined the villas closely and seemed to notice something.
"No, that's not right..."
"The landscaping shows signs of recent pruning, there are goldfish in the ponds, and some everyday tools in the yards... People should be living here."
"But... where did they all go?"
A flicker of doubt crossed Ning Qiushui's mind as he continued forward.
Soon, he spotted the villa they were required to enter for their task.
It wasn't hard to identify.
It was the only villa in the entire complex with someone standing outside.
A stylish woman in expensive clothes stood there, carrying a suitcase.
She wore a sun hat adorned with a small red flower and held the hand of a little girl, around eight or nine years old. Standing in the mild sunlight in the yard, she smiled at those arriving.
The woman had a lovely smile, the kind of married woman who grew more beautiful the longer you looked at her. Yet, for some reason, her smile always sent... a chill down Ning Qiushui's back.
That smile didn't seem like a welcome for guests. It seemed more like...
While Ning Qiushui was lost in thought, a large hand landed on his shoulder.
Startled, Ning Qiushui turned and saw that it was Liu Chengfeng, the man with the full beard.
"You made it too, buddy?"
Ning Qiushui nodded.
"Yeah. Looks like that villa is where we're supposed to go."
Liu Chengfeng looked at the villa from a distance, his expression growing considerably more solemn. He worked his fingers as though performing a divination, then muttered:
"This is bad..."
Seeing this, Ning Qiushui's eyes lit up.
"You can tell fortunes?"
Liu Chengfeng shook his head.
"Outside, I do tell people's fortunes... But I just remembered that I actually don't know how. I'm just a charlatan."
Ning Qiushui's breath caught.
He was numb.
This guy really was... a textbook example.
Tell enough lies and you start believing them yourself, huh?
And another thing...
How can you say something like that with such a straight face?
"Forget it..."
Ning Qiushui shook his head helplessly and headed straight toward the villa where the young married woman stood.
Some of the others had already arrived.
The lady of the house didn't speak to them. She merely gave them a polite, perfunctory smile.
Her smile was neither warm nor cold. Whenever they spoke to her, she gave only one reply:
"Please wait a moment. A few caregivers haven't arrived yet."
About ten minutes later, all seven of them were finally present.
At that point, as though some condition had been triggered, the lady of the house, who had done nothing but smile, suddenly spoke to them:
"Is everyone here?"
"I'm so sorry to have you all come to look after my mother. It's just that my husband is away for work, and I'm taking my daughter to the seaside for her birthday, so there really won't be anyone home..."
"My mother is elderly. Not only is she bedridden, but her mental faculties have also deteriorated considerably. I was worried that two or three caregivers might not be able to give her proper care, so I simply hired all of you from the company..."
"You don't need to worry about the money. I can afford it."
"When I return... if my mother has been properly cared for, I'll pay each of you separately."
As she spoke, she led them into the villa, up to the second floor, and into a spacious room.
The room received little natural light.
There was also... a rather unpleasant smell inside.
An elderly woman with a kindly face lay on the large bed by the window, gazing peacefully at Ning Qiushui and the others.
A barely perceptible, eerie smile lingered on her face, making everyone feel... their hair stand on end.
"This is my mother..."
After introducing her to the group, the woman crouched beside the old woman and said affectionately:
"Mom, I'm taking Tuantuan to the seaside for her birthday. I've specially hired seven caregivers for you. They'll look after you for the next five days..."
After that, she leaned close to the old woman's ear and whispered something.
Then she stood, turned to the group, and smiled.
"Although my mother is bedridden and has some dementia, she can understand simple things you say to her. Her health is fairly good overall, and she has no other illnesses. She has a good appetite, too... Oh, right, I haven't shown you the kitchen yet."
As she spoke, she led everyone downstairs to the villa's kitchen.
The kitchen was also large, with a complete set of utensils laid out on the counters, all scrubbed spotless.
Two enormous refrigerators stood to the left of the kitchen entrance.
"Summer has already begun here, and the rainy season is coming soon. The rainstorms here can be frightening. There may be strong winds and heavy rain over the next three to five days, which will make shopping for vegetables and meat very inconvenient..."
As she spoke, the woman pulled open one of the large refrigerators, revealing it packed full of meat and vegetables, and smiled at them.
"But there's no need to worry."
"I've already prepared plenty of food and water for you..."
"Also... my mother doesn't like vegetables. Just cook her more meat when you prepare her meals."
After saying that, the woman didn't leave with her daughter right away. Instead, she asked the group:
"Does anyone have any questions?"
Ning Qiushui was the first to speak.
"May I ask if anyone else lives in this villa complex?"
The woman froze for a moment, then smiled composedly.
"Yes, this complex was actually built some time ago, but it's so remote that no one lives here except us. In fact, if it weren't for my mother, we wouldn't live here either..."
She paused, then added:
"For these five days, just consider yourselves the owners of the villa. I've already tidied up all the rooms on the second floor for you. You can each choose whichever room you like."
"But please remember... you absolutely, absolutely must not enter the third floor. Do you understand?"
As she said this, her expression suddenly became extremely serious.
Everyone agreed.
Once they had agreed, the lady of the house broke into a smile again.
"Now that everyone understands... I'll leave my mother in your care!"
"Oh, it's almost departure time! My daughter and I have to leave now, or we'll miss our high-speed train..."
As she spoke, she hurried to the doorway in her high heels, then headed outside with her daughter by the hand and her suitcase in tow.
Ning Qiushui vaguely sensed that something was wrong, so he went to the window and watched the direction in which the woman left.
Just as they were getting into the car, the little girl holding the woman's hand turned back and met Ning Qiushui's gaze through the window.
That single glance rooted Ning Qiushui to the spot.
His eyesight was excellent.
So he had clearly seen a trace of... fear in the little girl's eyes!
She was afraid.
Afraid of what?
Of going to the seaside?
Of her own mother?
Or... of the villa they were in?
While Ning Qiushui was thinking, Liu Chengfeng, the burly, full-bearded man, sidled up to him again and clicked his tongue.
"What're you looking at? She's long gone..."
"Buddy, I never thought someone so young would have a thing for married women... Not bad, not bad. You've got a bright future!"
Before you continue