DSMC Chapter 184

Humans could never outrun cats. Yan Jiyun quickly caught up with the man running into the courtyard. At the same time, he also caught up with Liu Jingyi, who had been walking with someone supporting him.

The person Yan Jiyun had been chasing concealed himself in the shadows of the artificial rockery.

Liu Jingyi, who had been coughing as though he were about to die just moments ago, no longer needed Ah-Juan to support him. He told her to leave, saying that he wanted to spend some time alone.

Ah-Juan looked at Liu Jingyi’s retreating figure with deep reluctance in her eyes. Only then did she grit her teeth and leave.

Yan Jiyun thought that Ah-Juan probably liked Liu Jingyi. However, in a traditional mansion like this, people were divided into different social ranks. Their statuses were worlds apart. No matter how much Ah-Juan liked Liu Jingyi or how much the First Madam favored her, none of it would make a difference. What was more, Yan Jiyun could see that Liu Jingyi had become completely cold and distant toward her. He was treating her exactly as a servant should be treated, and the vulnerability he had displayed in front of others earlier seemed to have vanished entirely.

Yan Jiyun couldn’t delve too deeply into matters of the heart, so he shifted his attention to Liu Jingyi. He was rather curious: why had he stopped coughing?

Liu Jingyi sat on a bench in the covered corridor to rest. His gaze fell on a small fish pond beneath the artificial rockery ahead. He showed no signs of coughing whatsoever and looked perfectly energetic, no different from a healthy person.

The person Yan Jiyun had chased was also observing Liu Jingyi, but he had no idea that a black cat was following him.

Still, Yan Jiyun found it strange. Why was this person secretly keeping an eye on Liu Jingyi too?

When the person had been walking on tiptoe earlier, Yan Jiyun hadn’t been able to identify him. But now he knew. The one who had been hiding outside and eavesdropping was Liu Jingxi.

Hadn’t he just been summoned by Master Liu? When had he managed to take a shortcut over here? He sure could move fast.

Yan Jiyun felt that the entire Liu family was bizarre. Every person seemed to have several different faces, and no one could tell which one was their true self.

He still didn’t know how many branches Main Mission 1, “Funeral Vigil,” had. The task wasn’t simply asking him to find Liu Jinghao’s murderer. Instead, the main mission seemed to be directing players to uncover the truth behind Liu Jinghao’s death — or perhaps the secret behind how the Liu family had maintained its unshakable position in this town for so long.

Now, the mission was pointing toward the Liu family’s restaurant. There might be some secrets hidden there.

After sitting in the corridor for a while, Liu Jingyi got up and walked steadily toward the main residence. Not once did Yan Jiyun hear him cough.

His biological younger brother, Liu Jingxi, continued following him, while Yan Jiyun trailed behind the two brothers.

Yan Jiyun still couldn’t quite make sense of the relationship between the brothers. There seemed to be absolutely no trust between them.

He even felt that he wasn’t witnessing the disappearance of trust in humanity through the players, but through the NPCs instead. If someone became too immersed in the game, perhaps one day they really would lose their ability to trust other people completely.

Yan Jiyun knew this was a dangerous game and that he had to pay attention to every detail. At the same time, however, he reminded himself not to become too immersed in the instance’s world and its rules. After all, it was only a game.

Liu Jingyi stopped outside the main residence. It was very quiet at this hour. Yan Jiyun couldn’t hear anyone talking, and there didn’t seem to be anyone inside.

Where had Master Liu and the First Madam gone? Why weren’t they in their room at this time?

Liu Jingyi actually climbed through a window instead of entering through the front door. That was completely unlike someone who had just been coughing up blood.

Had he been faking his illness? Was it to make himself appear weaker and lower everyone else’s guard so he could compete for the family inheritance?

But Liu Jingyi was already the eldest son of the Liu family. Unless something unexpected happened, he would still receive a substantial share of the inheritance when the family assets were divided. Why would he need to go to such lengths? Was there something else he absolutely had to accomplish?

Looking at it this way, perhaps Liu Jinghao’s death was merely a small crack through which the Liu family’s secrets were beginning to emerge.

Yan Jiyun didn’t dare reveal himself carelessly at the moment. Liu Jingxi, who had been following Liu Jingyi all along, probably already knew that his elder brother was faking his illness. Meanwhile, the man pretending to be sick seemed convinced that he was doing such a good job that no one had noticed.

Yan Jiyun figured he could continue following Liu Jingxi. Perhaps he could obtain plenty of useful information from him and save himself some detours.

For now, the best approach was to keep a close eye on Liu Jingyi and see what he was trying to do.

What did any of this have to do with the Liu family’s restaurant?

What important information was Liu Jingyi looking for in the main residence of Old Man Liu and the First Madam?

After Liu Jingyi entered the main residence, Liu Jingxi moved a little farther forward, then shifted toward a spot farther back. There was a large water jar planted with lotus flowers there. It offered a good vantage point, allowing him to see inside the room through a window on the opposite side.

Yan Jiyun moved as well, crouching about three meters away from Liu Jingxi.

He could hear Liu Jingyi rummaging around inside, opening drawers and searching through things. He really was looking for something important.

After searching for several minutes, Liu Jingyi finally stopped. He had opened a wooden box. Yan Jiyun could distinguish the different sounds made by the drawers as they slid open.

The compartments he had opened earlier were cabinets, while the one he had opened now seemed to be a wooden chest of the kind used in ancient times.

He had apparently found a small casket. Yan Jiyun heard him using a silver needle to pick the little lock.

Unlocking it took some time. Liu Jingyi didn’t seem particularly skilled at lockpicking, and despite working at it for quite a while, he still hadn’t managed to open the lock.

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded along the path outside the main residence. There was also someone speaking extremely quickly. Yan Jiyun recognized the voice. It belonged to the First Madam.

Strange. Wasn’t the First Madam usually so unhurried when she spoke? Why was she talking like a machine gun now? In public, she presented herself as gentle and refined, yet at the moment, she seemed extremely impatient, with a fiery temper to match.

“What exactly are you capable of doing? I told you to keep a close eye on Yi’er! His health is poor, yet you still let him wander around everywhere. Even catching a cold could cost him his life!”

“I understand, Mother. I’ll take good care of Jingyi.” This was Cen Xinzhi, Liu Jingyi’s wife. She was actually this meek in front of the First Madam?

The First Madam’s true personality was certainly eye-opening. Everyone had one face in public and another behind closed doors. Who would have guessed they could be so different?

The First Madam continued berating Cen Xinzhi, the Eldest Young Madam, making her dissatisfaction with her abundantly clear.

“I still don’t know what possessed me to choose you in the first place. You still haven’t given our Liu family an heir, and you nearly let that wench get the better of me! Fortunately, Heaven sees everything, and now she’s lost her greatest source of support. You’d better take good care of your health from now on. Don’t disappoint me again!”

Cen Xinzhi’s voice grew much softer as she was scolded. “I understand.”

Yan Jiyun could even hear the helplessness in her voice. He couldn’t help complaining inwardly. Every single NPC in this instance was practically testing his ability to judge people!

Meanwhile, Liu Jingyi continued trying to pick the lock with the silver needle, but after all this time, he still hadn’t succeeded. After hearing the First Madam’s voice, his hands became unsteady.

The little casket wouldn’t open, but the First Madam was about to enter the main courtyard and push open the door.

Liu Jingyi quickly put everything back in order, then grabbed the casket he had just found and climbed out through the same window. While his wife was still being thoroughly chewed out by her own mother-in-law, he slipped out through another gate in the courtyard he had just crossed.

Yan Jiyun found it strange that Liu Jingyi didn’t seem to care at all about his wife being scolded. The casket in his hands was clearly more important.

What a bizarre family.

After Liu Jingyi left, Liu Jingxi continued following him, and Yan Jiyun followed them both. He wanted to know what was inside the casket. He had absolutely no interest in listening to the First Madam berate Cen Xinzhi. The relationship between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law was probably one of the most difficult and terrifying relationships in the world to navigate.

After leaving the main courtyard, Liu Jingyi took a shortcut back to the eastern wing.

Perhaps Liu Jingyi had used up all his luck while searching for things earlier, because when he reached a corner, he ran into Ah-Juan, who had suddenly appeared.

Half of Ah-Juan’s face was hidden in shadow as she stepped out from the dark corner. Her voice was completely flat.

“Eldest Young Master, your health is poor. Let me help you back to your room.”

Liu Jingyi pretended to feel unwell and coughed twice. “No need. I want to take a walk by myself. Go back to my mother’s side. You don’t need to come and look after me.”

Ah-Juan said, “I can’t do that, Eldest Young Master. Since Madam sent me here to attend to you, if she finds out I haven’t taken good care of you, she’ll definitely lock me in the woodshed.”

For some reason, Yan Jiyun didn’t believe a word Ah-Juan said. She certainly didn’t look like a harmless person.

Liu Jingyi’s expression darkened, and his voice turned cold. “I said there’s no need.”

Under normal circumstances, Ah-Juan should have backed off once she realized he wouldn’t change his mind. Strangely, however, she stood rooted to the spot without moving. Liu Jingyi paid her no further attention and continued toward the eastern wing.

After observing the situation from every angle, Yan Jiyun felt that Ah-Juan’s feelings for the Eldest Young Master were probably one-sided. However, the casket in Liu Jingyi’s arms was rather conspicuous. Before Liu Jingyi obtained it, Ah-Juan could have been ordered away and made to leave. Why was she refusing to go now? Was it because she had her eye on the casket?

If Ah-Juan had previously served the First Madam, she might have seen this casket before and known what was inside. Perhaps that was why she was shamelessly following Liu Jingyi. Did she also want whatever was inside? Could it be an important quest item?

Yan Jiyun was getting curious too. He wanted to get his hands on the casket himself.

However, two other people were also eyeing it covetously: Liu Jingxi and Ah-Juan. They must know what Liu Jingyi was trying to obtain.

Since everyone else knew, there was no way Yan Jiyun could afford to remain in the dark.

Yan Jiyun had the advantage of being small and having dark fur. After Liu Jingyi entered his courtyard, Yan Jiyun quickly slipped through the gap in the door. Perhaps because he was so close to obtaining the treasure, Liu Jingyi didn’t notice that a cat had followed him inside at all.

After entering his study, Liu Jingyi shut Ah-Juan out. Yan Jiyun didn’t slip into Liu Jingyi’s study himself. He wasn’t stupid. Liu Jingxi might already have spotted him when he first arrived, and he couldn’t risk being discovered by Liu Jingyi as well.

As the eldest son of the Liu family, Liu Jingyi had a study in an excellent location. When the window was opened, a small pond lay just outside, with numerous willow trees planted along its banks. Whenever he grew tired of working, he could open the window, admire the scenery, and feed the goldfish. He could have lived a very comfortable life here.

And yet, no one seemed willing to enjoy that comfort.

Damn it. The view from this study was lovely, but there was only one window, right beside the pond. The only way to get around outside was along an extremely narrow ledge. One careless step would send him straight into the water. It was late autumn now, and if he fell in, he would probably catch a cold from the chill.

Although Yan Jiyun had brought several kinds of medicine into the game this time, he still didn’t want anything to go wrong with his body. It would seriously slow down his progress through the instance.

To reach the narrow ledge beneath the window, Yan Jiyun had to jump across several stones. He easily sprang onto the stones and, in two or three quick jumps, reached the ledge beneath the window, which was about ten centimeters wide.

His body had grown a little bigger recently. When he first landed, he nearly lost his balance, but in the end, all four paws settled firmly on the ledge. His wobble had nearly sent the livestream audience’s hearts plunging into the pond.

[Want to be Human] livestream channel: 

“Ahhh! Kitty Baby nearly fell in!”

“From the first-person perspective, I really thought he was going to fall! Damn, Mimi is making my heart stop again!”

“Hahahaha! Unlike you guys, I actually just tried to reach out and catch him!”

Yan Jiyun kept close to the wall as he carefully made his way along the narrow ledge beneath the window.

He heard Liu Jingyi finally pick the lock on the casket.

The desk was right beside the window, and Liu Jingyi was sitting next to it. If Yan Jiyun jumped up onto the desk, he would be discovered.

Just as Yan Jiyun was struggling to decide what to do, someone knocked on Liu Jingyi’s study door.

It was Liu Jingxi, who had followed them there.

Yan Jiyun cheered inwardly. Nice timing!