When they regained consciousness, they found themselves behind the bloodstained wooden door. The group had been scattered in a beautiful suburban villa neighborhood. However, the odd thing was, although the area was exquisitely built, it had a lifeless, eerie feel.
Ning Qiushui passed through several villas, confirming that there was no one else around. The silence was unsettling.
"Are these villas uninhabited, or has everyone just gone to work?" Ning Qiushui observed the area closely, as if he noticed something.
"No…"
"The gardens show signs of recent pruning, there are still goldfish in the ponds, and some common tools are left in the yard... This place should have people living in it."
"But… where did they all go?"
A flicker of confusion crossed Ning Qiushui's mind as he continued walking forward. Soon, he came upon the villa they were meant to enter. It wasn't hard to identify.
Out of all the villas, this one was the only one with someone standing outside—a well-dressed woman holding a suitcase, wearing a sun hat adorned with a small red flower. She stood in the yard, smiling warmly at the people arriving. She was accompanied by a young girl, around eight or nine years old, who looked innocent and naïve.
The woman's smile was charming, the kind that grew more beautiful the longer you looked at her, like a loving wife. But for some reason, Ning Qiushui couldn't shake the feeling that her smile sent a cold shiver down his spine. It didn't seem to welcome guests; rather, it felt… unsettling.
While Ning Qiushui was lost in thought, a large hand clapped down on his shoulder, startling him. He turned around to see it was Liu Chengfeng, the burly man with a bushy beard.
"You're here too, little bro?" Liu Chengfeng said.
Ning Qiushui nodded.
"Yeah. Looks like that villa is where we're supposed to go."
Liu Chengfeng gazed at the villa from afar, his expression growing more serious. He then mumbled to himself while counting with his fingers, "Damn it…"
Ning Qiushui's eyes brightened. "You know fortune telling?"
Liu Chengfeng shook his head. "I used to help people with fortune telling outside… but I just remembered, I actually don't know anything. I'm just a charlatan."
Ning Qiushui's breath caught. Damn it. This guy is a textbook case of a fraud. He lies so much that even he believes it, huh? And how can he say all this so confidently?
"Forget it..." Ning Qiushui sighed, shaking his head, and walked toward the villa where the young woman stood.
By the time they reached, the villa's mistress hadn't said a word but simply smiled politely at them. It wasn't a warm or cold smile—just neutral. When they spoke to her, she only responded with, "Please wait. A few more caretakers haven't arrived yet."
Around ten minutes later, everyone had gathered. At that point, as if triggered by some unseen force, the woman who had only been smiling suddenly spoke to the group:
"Looks like everyone's here."
"I'm terribly sorry for asking all of you to come take care of my mother. My husband is away for work, and I need to take my daughter to the seaside for her birthday, so there's no one else at home…"
"My mother, because of her old age, is bedridden and suffering from severe dementia. I worry that two or three caretakers wouldn't be enough, so I've hired all of you from the company to help..."
"Don't worry about the pay. I have more than enough money."
"When I return, if my mother is well cared for, I will pay you all individually."
She said this while leading them into the villa and up to the second floor. They entered a spacious room. The lighting wasn't great, and there was a faint, unpleasant smell in the air. On the bed near the window, an elderly woman with a kind face was lying peacefully, watching them.
Her face held a subtle, eerie smile that made everyone feel an involuntary chill.
"This is my mother…" The woman introduced her and then crouched down beside the elderly woman, her voice tender, "Mom, I'm taking Tuan Tuan to the seaside for her birthday. I've arranged for seven caretakers to look after you for the next five days…"
She whispered something into the elderly woman's ear, then stood up, smiling at the group, "My mother, although she's bedridden and suffers from dementia, she can understand a few simple things. Overall, her health is fine, and she doesn't have any other illnesses. She has a good appetite… Oh, and I haven't shown you the kitchen yet."
She led them downstairs to the kitchen. It was also spacious, with all the necessary utensils neatly cleaned and arranged. To the left, there were two large refrigerators.
"It's already summer, and the rainy season is approaching. The storms here can be really severe, so buying groceries will be very inconvenient for the next few days…" she explained, opening one of the refrigerators to reveal it packed full of meat and vegetables. "But don't worry. I've already prepared plenty of food and water for you all…"
"By the way… my mother doesn't like vegetables, so when you cook for her, just make sure to cook more meat."
After that, she didn't immediately leave with her daughter but instead asked the group, "Any questions?"
Ning Qiushui was the first to speak up. "Excuse me, is this entire villa area uninhabited?"
The woman paused for a moment, then smiled casually. "Yes. This villa area has been around for a while, but it's very remote, so there are no other people living here except for us. Actually, if it weren't for my mother's situation, we wouldn't be living here either…"
She paused again, then added, "For the next five days, you can think of yourselves as the masters of the villa. I've prepared rooms for all of you on the second floor. You can pick whichever one you like."
"But you must be aware… you must never, under any circumstances, go to the third floor. Do you understand?"
When she said this, her expression became unnervingly serious.
Everyone nodded.
The woman smiled again when she saw their agreement. "Well, since everyone understands, I'll leave my mother in your care!"
"Ah, the car's leaving soon. I need to go now with my daughter, or we'll miss the high-speed train…" she said, quickly walking to the door, grabbing her daughter and suitcase as she left.
Ning Qiushui had a faint feeling that something wasn't right. He walked to the window to watch them leave. Just as they were getting into the car, the little girl, held by the woman's hand, suddenly turned and made eye contact with Ning Qiushui.
That gaze froze him in place.
His eyesight was sharp, and he clearly saw the trace of… fear in the little girl's eyes!
She was afraid. But afraid of what? Of the seaside? Of her mother? Or of the villa they were in?
While Ning Qiushui was pondering, Liu Chengfeng, the burly man with a beard, leaned in and clicked his tongue. "What are you staring at? They've already gone."
"Little bro, didn't expect you to have a thing for married women at such a young age… not bad, not bad, the future is looking bright for you!