When they regained consciousness, they found themselves behind the blood-stained wooden door.
The group was scattered across a luxurious villa complex in the suburbs.
However, despite the exquisite construction, the place felt lifeless.
After passing through several villas, Ning Qiu Shui confirmed that no one lived in this villa complex.
The silence was eerie.
"Is it uninhabited, or have the residents all gone to work?"
Ning Qiu Shui carefully observed the villa complex and noticed something.
"Wait..."
"The gardens have been recently trimmed, there are goldfish in the pond, and there are common tools in the yards... Someone should be living here."
"But... where are they?"
A hint of suspicion crossed Ning Qiu Shui's mind as he continued forward.
Soon, he saw the villa they were tasked to enter.
It wasn't hard to identify.
In the entire villa complex, only this particular villa had someone standing outside.
It was a beautifully dressed, elegant woman carrying a suitcase.
She wore a sun hat adorned with a small red flower and held the hand of a young girl, about eight or nine years old. They stood in the not-too-hot sunlight in the yard, smiling at the newcomers.
The woman's smile was captivating, the kind that grew more beautiful the longer you looked at it. But for some reason, Ning Qiu Shui felt a chill run down his spine when he saw her smile.
Her smile didn't seem like a warm welcome... it felt more like...
Just as Ning Qiu Shui was lost in thought, a large hand slapped his shoulder.
Startled, he turned around to see the bearded Liu Chengfeng.
"Kid, you made it too?"
Ning Qiu Shui nodded.
"Yeah, it looks like that villa is our destination."
Liu Chengfeng glanced at the villa in the distance, his expression growing more serious. He then pinched his fingers together, muttering to himself:
"This is bad..."
Ning Qiu Shui's eyes lit up.
"You know how to read fortunes?"
Liu Chengfeng shook his head.
"Out there, I did help people with fortune-telling... but I just remembered, I don't actually know how to do it. I'm just a fraud."
Ning Qiu Shui's breath hitched.
He was speechless.
This guy was... a classic example.
Did he believe his own lies after telling them so many times?
And...
How could he say something like that so shamelessly?
"Whatever..."
Ning Qiu Shui shook his head helplessly and strode toward the villa where the woman was standing.
Others had already arrived.
The villa's mistress didn't speak to them, only offering a formal smile.
Her smile was neither warm nor cold. When they tried to talk to her, she would only reply:
"Please wait, a few more caregivers haven't arrived yet."
After about ten minutes, all seven of them had gathered.
At that moment, as if some condition had been triggered, the mistress, who had only been smiling until then, suddenly spoke to the group:
"Everyone's here, right?"
"I'm sorry to have called you all here to take care of my mother. My husband is away for work, and I'm taking my daughter to the beach for her birthday, so there's no one at home..."
"My mother is bedridden due to her age, and her mental faculties have deteriorated significantly. I was worried that two or three caregivers might not be enough, so I decided to hire all of you from the company..."
"Don't worry about money. I'm not short on funds."
"When I return... if my mother has been well taken care of, I'll pay each of you individually."
With that, she led the group into the villa, up to the second floor, and into a spacious room.
The room didn't get much natural light.
There was also a faint, unpleasant smell.
On a large bed by the window lay an elderly woman with a kind expression, calmly watching Ning Qiu Shui and the others.
Her face bore a subtle, eerie smile that sent shivers down everyone's spines.
"This is my mother..."
After introducing the elderly woman, the mistress knelt beside her and said affectionately:
"Mom, I'm taking Tuan Tuan to the beach for her birthday. I've hired seven caregivers to look after you for these five days..."
She then leaned closer to the old woman's ear and whispered something.
After that, she stood up and turned to the group with a smile:
"My mother is bedridden and has some dementia, but she can understand simple words. Her overall health is quite good, with no other illnesses, and she has a good appetite... Oh, and I haven't shown you the kitchen yet."
She then led them downstairs to the villa's kitchen.
The kitchen was also large, with all the necessary utensils neatly cleaned and arranged on the table.
To the left of the kitchen entrance were two large refrigerators.
"It's already summer here, and the rainy season is about to start. The storms here can be terrifying, and there might be heavy rain and strong winds in the next few days, making it difficult to buy groceries..."
As she spoke, she opened one of the large refrigerators, revealing it packed full of meat and vegetables. She smiled at the group:
"But don't worry."
"I've prepared plenty of food and water for you..."
"Also... my mother doesn't like vegetables. When you cook for her, just make sure to include more meat."
After finishing, the mistress didn't leave immediately with her daughter. Instead, she asked the group:
"Do any of you have questions?"
Ning Qiu Shui was the first to speak:
"Is this villa complex uninhabited?"
The woman paused for a moment, then smiled calmly:
"Yes, this villa complex was built some time ago, but it's too remote, so no one else lives here besides us. In fact, if it weren't for my mother, we wouldn't be living here either..."
After a brief pause, she added:
"For these five days, just treat the villa as your own. I've prepared rooms on the second floor for all of you. You can choose whichever one you like."
"But remember... you must never, under any circumstances, go to the third floor of the villa. Understood?"
When she said this, her expression suddenly became extremely serious.
The group agreed.
Seeing their compliance, the mistress smiled again.
"Since you all understand, then... I'll leave my mother in your care!"
"Oh, the train is about to leave. I need to go with my daughter now, or we'll miss it..."
With that, she hurriedly walked to the door in her high heels, holding her daughter's hand and pulling her suitcase as she headed outside.
Ning Qiu Shui felt something was off, 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 being led by the woman turned her head and locked eyes with Ning Qiu Shui through the window.
That one glance left Ning Qiu Shui frozen in place.
His eyesight was excellent.
So, he clearly saw a look of... fear in the little girl's eyes!
She was afraid.
Afraid of what?
Afraid of going to the beach?
Afraid of her mother?
Or... afraid of the villa they were in?
As Ning Qiu Shui pondered this, Liu Chengfeng, the burly man with the beard, leaned in and quipped:
"What are you staring at? They're already gone..."
"Kid, I didn't expect you to have a thing for married women at such a young age... Not bad, not bad. You've got a bright future ahead!"