Chapter 22: Relocating the Grave (10)

Taking a deep look at Xia Junyao’s retreating figure, Qi Yiqing clicked his tongue, suddenly sensing that something was amiss.

The long-haired man, usually possessive to an extreme, wasn’t clinging to the side of the little NPC. Could something have happened to her?

At this thought, Qi Yiqing couldn’t stand still. What a useless piece of trash; he had even given him tools, and yet he still let the little NPC get hurt! He should just kill him, snatch her away, and tie her to his own waist—that would be the only way to ensure her safety.

As he secretly fantasized about various ways to dispose of the man, Qi Yiqing raised his hand to knock, but the door was pushed open from within.

"Hmm?"

Jiang Shengsheng, feeling lightheaded and unsteady, wore a thin, long hoodie with the hood up. The oversized hood obscured half her face, leaving only a slender, fair chin visible. Not expecting to bump into someone upon opening the door, she covered her dizzy head and offered a soft apology.

"Hisss, that was quite a bump."

The man’s cynical, flippant tone carried a hint of feigned injury, causing Jiang Shengsheng to pull back her hood, her face filled with apology and guilt.

*Hmm... perhaps he really is beyond saving.*

He wanted to lock her in his embrace, leave ambiguous marks all over her neck, and let that mad dog who claimed ownership of her watch. Qi Yiqing pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek. *I should visit the graves today.*

After a quick wash, Qi Yiqing deliberately changed into a hoodie of the same color palette as Jiang Shengsheng’s and sat down in the dining room to eat. In Jiang Shengsheng's bowl was the lean meat porridge Xia Junyao had personally prepared. Having little appetite, she only managed a few bites before Xia Junyao took the bowl from her and finished it in a few quick gulps.

Xiyou, busy gnawing on a piece of bread, swept a playful glance over the man’s bulging veins on the back of his hand and let out a silent chuckle. Watching the drama unfold online was truly amusing. Little did he know, in a future instance, Xiyou would develop a fondness for a cream-colored rabbit clockwork doll, engaging in desperate, overt and covert battles for its affection.

Shi Kai and his brother, Shi Chao, were already waiting for them.

"How did you sleep last night?" Shi Kai walked over to Jiang Shengsheng immediately. He glanced at the sickly, fragile look in her eyes and lifted the corner of his mouth in an ambiguous smile.

His shoulder was unceremoniously shoved aside. Shi Kai, his face darkening, shot a gloomy look at Xia Junyao, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. *Forget it,* he thought, *I won't bicker with a pair of doomed lovers.*

Well, if his nose wasn't mistaken, he could already catch a faint, lingering fragrance on Jiang Shengsheng... clearly, the Master was very satisfied.

"Come to think of it, my memories of my parents are so faint I can't even recall their faces," Jiang Shengsheng said, obediently letting Xia Junyao hold her hand as she followed him step by step.

Suddenly, someone darted into her peripheral vision. Jiang Shengsheng blinked her almond-shaped eyes in slow motion, looking at the girl with a ponytail in confusion. The girl beamed with a bright, harmless smile: "What a coincidence, I can't remember their faces either."

When dealing with overly familiar people, Jiang Shengsheng had a standard tactic—never strike a smiling face.

Qi Yiqing’s peripheral vision was fixed unblinkingly on her curved, sparkling eyes. Suddenly, a woman’s soft voice sounded in his ear: "Don't you need to go up and fish for information? She's a ready-made tool."

Reluctantly tearing his gaze away from Liu Wanjun, Qi Yiqing took a few quick steps forward, avoiding her fluttering white skirt: "No need."

He had already asked during his private conversation with Xia Junyao earlier. The little NPC trusted Xia Junyao implicitly, spilling everything she knew without reservation. Suppressing his jealousy, Qi Yiqing made no effort to hide his distance from Liu Wanjun, lengthening his stride to push aside the ponytail girl who had crowded near the little NPC.

It was truly irritating. Xia Junyao was her boyfriend in name only; it was one thing to compete with him, but why were other women trying to get in on the action?

The girl with the ponytail pursed her lips in annoyance. *It seems the NPC knows even less than the players. I really don't know what this instance is meant to be about.*

"Speaking of which, didn't you hear any screaming last night?" Xiyou asked Shi Kai, seemingly casual. Shi Kai shook his head: "You must be dreaming; our village is perfectly safe."

Xiyou didn't commit to an answer. He glanced at Shi Chao, whose expression had tightened slightly, and his own gaze flickered.

The Village Chief was waiting for them at the edge of the village. As his eyes swept over Jiang Shengsheng, a flash of shrewdness crossed them. The three of them had been here once before, but this time they were heading in the opposite direction. Passing a fork in the road, Jiang Shengsheng, leaning weakly against Xia Junyao, vaguely heard a clear, crisp bell sound approaching from afar.

"Jingle, jingle—"

She lifted her lids to look, and in a fleeting, hazy glimpse, she saw a man in dark red robes raising his hand; a red string with a bell tied to it was wrapped around his elegant wrist.

When Jiang Shengsheng blinked and looked again, the red-clad man was gone. Only the trees swayed in the wind, rustling softly.

"...Wife."

The whisper, dissipating in the wind, was caught by the sharp-eared Qi Yiqing. His eyes darted sharply toward the fork in the road.

*Looks like the stray dogs have noticed her.*

The little NPC was simply too obedient and alluring; there were too many filthy things wagging their tails and begging for her attention, which truly vexed him. To maintain a facade of gentleness, the man, notorious on the "Madman Ranking," had to swallow his grievances.

*The little NPC will have to comfort me properly... well, would it be too much to kiss those little lips until they're swollen and bruised? It’s just a small reward, after all.*

Stone Village had no dedicated cemetery; the so-called "old graves" were just mounds of earth dug at random. Looking out, green weeds grew wantonly over the graves, reaching the height of a wrist bone.

"This is Wanjun’s relative’s grave..." The Village Chief pointed out the occupants of each grave one by one.

Jiang Shengsheng was held securely by Xia Junyao. As she looked down at the small mounds, she suddenly felt an intense, regretful gaze. Turning her head, she didn't expect to see a plump man she didn't recognize.

Director Sun hadn't expected Jiang Shengsheng to look back at him. He hurriedly retracted his complex expression and offered a slightly ingratiating smile. Jiang Shengsheng inexplicably read a sense of paternal love and regret in his eyes. She shivered, but when she looked again, the smile on Director Sun’s face looked perfectly normal.

*...The fever must have burned my brain; my eyes are playing tricks on me.*

Standing silently in the shade, the plump man stared at the back of Jiang Shengsheng’s head for a long time. He tilted his head, his bean-sized eyes narrowing into slits, and glared at the Village Chief’s wrinkled face with intense hatred, his back teeth grinding together. The way he looked, he seemed ready to pounce on the Village Chief, rip off his flesh, and chew it viciously to vent his rage.

Qi Yiqing, who had been keeping a watchful eye on Director Sun, saw the man’s twisted, venomous face in its entirety. His gaze darkened, and he fell into deep thought.

It seemed something had indeed happened to the fat man. It was likely that "Director Sun" had replaced the real player during their time at the service area and was walking through Stone Village openly wearing his skin. Due to the protection of the instance, the NPC's replacement of a player automatically obscured keywords related to the "decoding game," so "Director Sun" only understood their superficial identities.

The question was: what had replaced the real Director Sun, and what was its purpose in infiltrating Stone Village?

Qi Yiqing’s mind flashed back to what they had seen when they arrived at the guesthouse last night—skeletal, rotting corpses of various builds moving with agility to surround the building.