DSMC Chapter 182

sorry for the sudden hiatus! Blame my govt for the lateness, okay?

[Want to be Human] livestream channel: 

“This instance doesn’t seem all that complicated at first glance, huh? Has the game gotten worse at designing instances? The plot doesn’t feel very tense, and there’s not much of a mystery. Boooooring.”

“I think so too. And I’ve already figured out the plot. The reason the older generation won’t let the young people leave might be because there was some kind of turmoil in the outside world back then. The ones stopping them from leaving should be the elders who suffered through the war. They just want to live and work in peace here, creating their own secluded paradise.”

“I don’t think the plot is like that. If this really were a secluded paradise, then the buildings here should have been preserved in their most ancient form. But they have cars and electricity now. Where did those things come from? It actually reminds me of an Earth movie I saw before. It was about a production crew that built a gigantic living space in order to document one man’s entire life, while audiences across the country watched the protagonist grow up from birth, go to school, fall in love, and become the nation’s beloved son. Later, the protagonist discovered the flaws in the world himself and left it.”

“I’ve watched that movie too! I agree, upstairs’ theory makes sense. That would explain why this little town, where people aren’t allowed to leave, has become so polarized. I think with Kitty Baby’s abilities, he’ll be able to figure out the plot of this instance very soon. After that, all that’s left is clearing it. When you think about it that way, this instance is kind of boring. I’m getting tired of seeing instances with predictable plots like this.”

“Why do I feel like this is a supernatural instance? But I’m here to watch Kitty Baby, so I don’t really care, hahaha. His expression when he was eavesdropping on them was so cute.”

“I want to know how upstairs managed to see such lively expressions on Kitty Baby’s pitch-black face?”

“Tsk, you guys just don’t understand. Observe carefully! I’m a qualified virtual cat owner. I even made a dedicated fan group for Mimi. Anyone want to join me? The group is called ‘The Strongest Cat Owner of Destiny.’”

Yan Jiyun, who had been dragged away, was pushed into the passenger seat by Liu Jingxi.

Yan Jiyun: “Aren’t you not supposed to drink and drive?”

Liu Jingxi: “With your driving skills, I’m not exactly reassured. I’m afraid that before we even get home—”

Yan Jiyun hurriedly maintained his persona. “Pah, pah, pah! Cousin, don’t say things like that!”

Liu Jingxi suddenly looked startled by him. “You’re pretty superstitious.”

Yan Jiyun: “Isn’t it better to believe it exists than to believe it doesn’t?”

Liu Jingxi: “Then are you afraid of ghosts?”

Yan Jiyun patted his chest. “No. What’s there to be afraid of about ghosts? Think about it. If a ghost wanted to kill me, a human, then after I died, I’d definitely become a ghost too. By then, who knows which one of us would have our souls scattered? I’d just tell him this: if you dare kill me, I’ll kill you after I become a ghost.”

Liu Jingxi: “Quite the bold declaration. I hope you can remember those words tonight.”

Yan Jiyun’s back pressed against the seat. “What are we doing tonight?”

They weren’t going to keep vigil or anything, were they? Liu Jinghao wasn’t even his younger brother.

Liu Jingxi: “You’ll know soon enough.”

Yan Jiyun regretted it. He really shouldn’t have been so quick to brag just now. He would definitely have to change that next time!

According to Liu Jingxi’s established personality and character setting, he shouldn’t be going back to the Liu residence. But if he was pretending, then Liu Jingxi would simply drive back to the Liu residence to look for his group of drinking buddies.

However, Liu Jingxi didn’t take Yan Jiyun back to the Liu family home, nor did he go looking for his drinking buddies. Instead, he brought him to a roadside wonton stall that was still open at this hour.

The owner of the wonton stall was a young married couple. The wife’s belly was visibly rounded, so she should have been pregnant.

The couple’s little stall was doing very well. At this mealtime, several customers were still sitting at the small tables.

Liu Jingxi skillfully found a seat and said to the owner, who was busy cooking wontons, “Boss, give me two bowls of wontons.”

Seeing that Yan Jiyun was still standing, he added, “What? You don’t like wontons?”

Yan Jiyun shook his head, wondering whether he could even eat wontons. They certainly smelled delicious, and his stomach was already growling with hunger, making his mouth water.

He sat down neatly and said, “I just didn’t expect a cousin who could be eating lavish meals at home to actually like eating at little street stalls like the rest of us.”

Liu Jingxi clicked his tongue. “Don’t put a filter on me.”

Yan Jiyun glanced at him, then looked at the other customers around them. Indeed, no one was using a cellphone. How did Liu Jingxi know the word “filter”?

What exactly was going on with this instance world? It was too strange.

It had modern conveniences, yet it was also extremely traditional. A young man who wasn’t allowed to leave the town somehow knew vocabulary from the outside world.

Could it be that Liu Jingxi’s memories had been altered before he was thrown into this town?

He had seen similar movies before. Since the game itself could be livestreamed, could this town also be some kind of livestream program?

But then again, he had already figured out this plot, which meant the other players could too. That would make things a little too simple. <Destiny> was already a livestream program in itself, so having the same setup appear inside an instance didn’t make much sense when it’s this blatant. Perhaps even the viewers in the livestream room could figure out the plot. If so, the plot would lose much of its appeal. Given how malicious the system was toward players, there was no way it would make the plot this easy to guess.

Yan Jiyun didn’t jump to a conclusion. As usual, he first noted down the suspicious points and would slowly unravel the mystery of this instance later.

The fragrant wontons were brought over.

Yan Jiyun stared at the steaming soup and wontons, unsure how to eat them. Although he was using the Human Form Time Card, he still wasn’t very good at eating piping-hot food.

He carefully scooped a wonton out of the soup with a spoon, poured the hot broth back into the bowl, and blew on the wonton to cool it down.

Seeing how much trouble he was having eating, Liu Jingxi said, “You look more like a young master than I do. You even have to blow on a wonton for ages before you can eat it.”

Yan Jiyun once again maintained his persona. With a bitter expression, he said, “Cousin, you probably haven’t eaten much cold food. For children from poor families like us, getting a hot meal is a rare luxury. When I was little, my family was poor, so I mostly ate cold food. Now that I’ve grown up, I’ve gotten used to not being able to eat hot food.”

Liu Jingxi pursed his lips. “Fine. I suppose I’m just ignorant.” He turned to the owner and said, “Boss, give me a bowl of wontons that isn’t quite so hot.”

The owner had clearly heard their conversation. With a beaming smile, he said, “Sure. What the customer said is right. If you eat cold food all the time, you really can’t handle hot food. It’s bad for your stomach. I’ll add a bowl of cool water so you can dip them in for a bit. They won’t be so hot. How does that sound?”

The owner really was an honest, straightforward man, which confirmed that he was a bumpkin from the countryside.

“Sure.” Yan Jiyun sighed, deliberately saying to Liu Jingxi, “Sigh, I may not have the fate of the rich and powerful, but I do have the ailments of the rich and powerful.”

Liu Jingxi lowered his head and continued eating his wontons, saying quietly, “If I’d known, I wouldn’t have brought you here to eat. I should’ve just let you eat at home. The dishes aren’t even that hot there, and if you like meat, you can eat plenty of it.”

Yan Jiyun gave an awkward laugh. “I’m actually not that obsessed with meat.” He had gotten to eat shepherd’s purse wontons, and the moment he bit into one, he was filled with emotion. It had been so long since he’d eaten such delicious wontons.

Liu Jingxi glanced at him and said, “I meant that my family talks too much. We won’t even start eating until the food has gone cold because no one can stop arguing with each other.”

Yan Jiyun understood. Eating in a wealthy household was basically like being in a palace-intrigue drama. The whole family had to trade concealed verbal blows before they could even enjoy their meal. Of course, in the end, everyone would simply get angry enough to feel full, take a couple of bites, and then retreat to their respective courtyards to cook themselves something else. Still, Liu Jingxi really did trust him. He was even willing to share this with him. That was a very good start.

After the two of them finished their respective bowls of wontons, they returned to the car.

Liu Jingxi glanced at the time displayed in the car. Yan Jiyun noticed that this was the third time he had paid attention to the time in the car. Was there some special information to be gleaned from it? Or did he, like Yan Jiyun, simply have absolutely no desire to return to the Liu residence? That made sense too. He had already wanted to run away from home, and the person stopping them from leaving was someone they knew. It was possible that this person had been acting on Master Liu’s orders. Otherwise, how could they have located Liu Jingxi and the others so precisely?

The shepherd’s purse wontons had been delicious, but Yan Jiyun felt that he had eaten too much. He kept rubbing his stomach.

Liu Jingxi caught the movement and couldn’t help saying, “Your stomach really is delicate.”

Yan Jiyun: “Yes. I’ll have to rely on you, Cousin Jingxi, in the future.” When it came to making other people feel good, Yan Jiyun had always been very good at it. He knew exactly what other people wanted to hear.

Liu Jingxi: “Tsk.”

From Liu Jingxi’s slightly raised lips, it was clear that his way of showing concern for others was indeed rather unusual.

The two of them soon returned to the Liu residence.

The atmosphere at the Liu residence during the day and at night was completely different. The former was festive, while the latter was sorrowful.

When they returned, the steward happened to be at the entrance, directing the servants as they removed the red silk decorations from earlier that day.

The steward called out to Liu Jingxi: “Second Young Master, Master asks you to come to the main residence. There’s an important matter to discuss.”

Liu Jingxi frowned slightly, turned around, and headed toward Master Liu’s main residence, leaving Yan Jiyun and the steward facing each other in awkward silence.

The steward was extremely tactful. Realizing that things had gone a little quiet, he said, “Young Master Cousin, get a good night’s sleep tonight. Tomorrow, I’ll have a carriage take you home.”

Yan Jiyun hurriedly waved his hands, maintaining his role as an ordinary little nobody. “No need, no need. I can walk home myself. The roads in my hometown haven’t even been repaired yet, so cars can’t get in.”

The steward looked puzzled. “Are there still roads in our town that haven’t been repaired? I’ll have to ask Master to have a meal with the town mayor and find out what’s going on.”

Yan Jiyun deliberately pretended to be ignorant of social customs. “Huh? Can my cousin-uncle even take care of something like that? Then, is he a very important official in our town?”

The steward smiled. “Master isn’t an official, but all the officials have to show him respect. He’s a well-known philanthropist in our town.”

Yan Jiyun suspected that the word “philanthropist” was being used rather generously. Could a man who had a legitimate wife and still had children with someone else really be a good person?

Could Liu Jinghao’s death have something to do with Master Liu’s identity?

The steward still had work to do, so after exchanging a few casual words with him, he left.

Even after the steward had walked some distance away, Yan Jiyun could still hear him ordering people to keep watch in the newly arranged mourning hall that night.

No one had expected the Third Young Master of the Liu family to die in front of Master Liu. The coffin Master Liu had originally prepared for himself had ended up being used for his son instead. 

Yan Jiyun seized on the words “mourning hall.”

There really was something different about this new instance. In previous instances, once an NPC character died for the sake of the plot, the system would take them offline before long, and they would no longer appear in the story. But this time, Liu Jinghao’s body had been preserved.

Yan Jiyun came to the back of an unoccupied artificial rockery and transformed back into a black cat. He concealed himself in the darkness of the night and followed the steward in the direction he had gone. He should be heading to where the body was being kept.

He soon caught the scent of incense and candles. The mourning hall had been set up in a side hall. It seemed that the Liu family didn’t actually place that much importance on Liu Jinghao’s death. While he was alive, he had still been useful to them; now that he was dead, the Liu family could no longer continue their cooperation with the bride’s family.

The bride and groom had only been married for one day and had no real feelings for each other. They hadn’t even had time to consummate the marriage, let alone have children. The bride could remarry at any time.

Yan Jiyun suddenly felt like laughing. Liu Jinghao had really died for nothing.

However, out of respect for the dead, he quietly hid to one side without making the slightest sound.

The enormous coffin was placed in the side hall, with white cloth hanging all around it.

The bride, who was sitting in front of the coffin, had already changed into mourning clothes. She sat on a small stool, burning paper money for her newlywed husband.

Yan Jiyun jumped through the window of the side hall and crouched in the shadows beneath a table covered with offerings. From this position, he could clearly see the bride’s expression at that moment.

She looked extremely calm. She was very brave, neither crying nor making a fuss, and she didn’t appear nervous at all.

The rumored “mentally ill” bride, who had spent years without leaving the house, somehow knew proper CPR and wasn’t afraid of keeping vigil over a corpse. There was definitely something strange about her.