That night, Zhou Bai lay in bed, listening to the cries of a baby from outside. He ignored the sounds and tried to fall asleep. It was his first night in the world of horror tales, and while he had obtained two sets of rules, the information was still too limited. The most crucial point was that he still didn't know how to clear the game.
Would he clear the game by staying for a certain number of days? By finding a specific location? Or by completing a certain storyline? Zhou Bai ran through each possibility in his mind. It seemed that his primary task for tomorrow was to gather more information.
The baby's cries outside eventually stopped, replaced by a series of knocks on the door. Remembering the rules, Zhou Bai continued to ignore the sounds. Staying clear-headed was vital in this world, so he needed sufficient sleep. Before long, he drifted off.
The live stream viewers were speechless at how calmly Zhou Bai slept.
—"Didn't he hear the noise outside? How can he sleep through that?"
—"Nighttime is the most dangerous. How dare he sleep?"
—"Look at Pete from Beautiful Country; he's still studying the rules."
—"Everyone else is working so hard, and you're just lying down?"
One of Zhou Bai's strengths was his ability to adapt. Even in such a terrifying new environment, he could sleep soundly. He slept until morning, only waking when he heard his wife's voice.
"Honey, wake up. I made breakfast for you."
He first checked his phone. It was 9:05 AM. Seeing the time, all traces of sleep vanished. He didn't respond but sat up cautiously.
"Honey, why aren't you answering? Are you still asleep?" she called out, raising her voice as if worried he couldn't hear her. "Honey, are you okay? Don't scare me."
The knocking on the door grew louder, turning into pounding. The viewers were all tense.
—"Is the person outside really his wife?"
—"According to Rule B, the second rule, she shouldn't be."
—"But what if that rule is wrong?"
—"What happens if she gets in?"
In Beautiful Country's live stream, Pete had spent the entire night analyzing the rules and only fell asleep near dawn. When his wife came to wake him, he groggily responded. The live stream for Beautiful Country then went dark.
Great Xia's viewers, having watched the events unfold in Beautiful Country's stream, were relieved at Zhou Bai's vigilance.
—"Pete from Beautiful Country worked so hard, only to fail the first test."
—"I apologize for doubting Zhou Bai last night."
The knocking and the woman's voice outside continued for an hour before finally stopping. Zhou Bai waited until it was quiet before opening the study door. There was no sign of his wife. His father was still watching TV on the sofa, and his mother was busy in the kitchen, both acting as if they hadn't heard anything.
In the corner lay the black dog, looking thin and listless. Unlike a typical dog, it didn't wag its tail or greet Zhou Bai enthusiastically. It was eerily quiet, more like an elderly person.
"All you do is stay in your study, either sleeping or writing those useless articles. It's been over a week, and you still don't sleep in your room. How am I supposed to have grandchildren?" his mother nagged upon seeing him.
Zhou Bai felt his head throb. So this was what marriage was like—constant pressure to have children. He lamented that he was too young to be dealing with this. Despite her nagging, his mother brought him a bowl of porridge and some side dishes.
The viewers grew tense again.
—"Don't eat it. The mother seems suspicious."
—"Yes, Zhou Bai, don't trust her."
—"She was so eager to push Zhou Bai and his wife to share a room. It feels like a trap."
The expert analysis team was also on high alert.
"Both the father and mother seem suspicious."
"Given their current relationship, it's reasonable for the mother to say such things."
"The father, on the other hand, seems unusually silent."
As expected, Zhou Bai sat down and began eating breakfast. Seeing him unharmed, the experts felt more confident in their analysis. Zhou Bai sipped the porridge, occasionally glancing at his father. Agreeing to his wife's request had been safe, and so was agreeing to his mother's. The biggest question mark now was his father. But it wasn't time to confront that issue yet. His primary task was still to find out how to clear the game.
His mother continued to complain while working in the kitchen. "Even the dog is picky now, won't eat its dog food. If it doesn't eat, it will starve eventually, and we'll just throw it in the trash."
Zhou Bai's attention was drawn to the black dog in the corner, next to a full bowl of untouched dog food. It seemed the dog was weak from hunger. Finding this odd, Zhou Bai asked, "When did the black dog stop eating?"
His mother thought for a moment. "About a week ago."
A week? That coincided with the time he and his wife started sleeping in separate rooms. Was there a connection? Zhou Bai noted this suspicion and continued eating.
After breakfast, he moved to a single sofa in the living room, where he could see his father's profile. His father's face was pale, almost devoid of color, and his hair was almost entirely white. Zhou Bai quickly averted his gaze after a brief look.
His mother finished cleaning the kitchen and grabbed her handbag. "I'm meeting Aunt Wang next door and won't be back until tonight. There's some braised pork in the fridge, just heat it up if you're hungry."
Braised pork? Rule B, the fourth rule: [The market does not sell pork]. Zhou Bai frowned. "Did you buy the pork from the market?"
"No, Aunt Wang next door gave it to me. Alright, I have to go," his mother said, hurriedly putting on her shoes and leaving.
Zhou Bai felt a strange unease but didn't have time to fully grasp his fleeting thoughts before his mother rushed out. The house returned to silence, with only the occasional abrupt laughter from the TV echoing through the room. Zhou Bai looked up at his father, who was staring back at him with a sinister smile.
Now, it was just Zhou Bai, his father, and the black dog left in the house.