DLMSWSHH Chapter 34

TL: Hua

Chapter 34: Surprise

The Duke’s indifferent voice hung in the air.

Zhong Ming: “…”

Looking at the man’s handsome profile, he felt he finally understood this person’s parenting strategy.

There was an old Chinese saying that summarized it perfectly: Out of sight, out of mind.

Zhong Ming remained silent. Although Albert wasn’t exactly the Duke’s son, if he had been raised like this, it was only natural their relationship was poor.

After Albert disappeared, the aura around the Duke became visibly more relaxed, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.

He looked down at Zhong Ming.

“I imagine you must be sleepy.”

Zhong Ming nodded. “A little,” he said. “I want to apologize to Madam Mary, then go back to rest.”

The Duke paused and looked at him.

“Go tomorrow morning.”

Zhong Ming was confused. “What?”

The Duke smiled at him, reaching out to brush away the stray hairs dampened by sweat on his forehead. “Go rest first.”

The moment the man withdrew his hand, an intense wave of drowsiness washed over Zhong Ming. He didn’t even remember how he walked to the bedroom or how he lay down; essentially, the moment his head touched the pillow, he lost consciousness entirely.

The next day, Zhong Ming woke up to the sound of crisp birdsong.

He frowned, thinking: When did the basement get birds?

He opened his eyes and came face-to-face with the tiny black eyes of an oriole.

A small yellow bird with a plump belly was perched on the windowsill. Seeing the human wake up, it tilted its head in confusion and immediately flew away.

Zhong Ming realized he wasn’t in the basement.

He bolted upright and found the sheets beneath him were incredibly soft. The mattress was thick, and the duvet was fluffy, carrying the fresh scent of detergent. Zhong Ming looked up to see a large, half-open window beside the bed; through the glass, he could see the rose garden in the backyard. He turned his head; the fireplace at the foot of the bed was burning quietly, radiating a gentle warmth. Looking up, the ceiling sloped. This was an exquisite little attic room.

Zhong Ming was stunned.

Where is this?

At the same time, the sound of a door opening reached him.

Zhong Ming looked toward the door and met Albert’s emerald-green eyes.

“You’re awake.”

Albert let go of the doorknob and walked straight to the bedside, scanning the room’s furnishings.

“What do you think of this place?” he asked. “If there’s anything you don’t like, you can tell Madam Mary. She’ll change it.”

Zhong Ming looked at him in surprise. The boy’s face was pale, with faint dark circles under his eyes, as if he hadn’t rested well.

“Young Master Albert.” Zhong Ming remembered what happened before he fell asleep last night and lowered his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Where… where did you go last night?”

Albert looked up at him and suddenly smiled: “Are you worried about me?”

Zhong Ming pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling as though he hadn’t fully woken up. His head felt a bit dizzy as he replied: “Of course.”

Albert seemed to brighten up instantly. Grabbing the duvet with both hands, he climbed onto the bed and pressed close to Zhong Ming’s side. “That old man threw me very far away yesterday.” He looked at Zhong Ming and asked, “Do you like this room? I originally wanted you to stay in Madam Sharon’s room, but the old man wouldn’t agree.”

Zhong Ming lowered his hand, came to his senses, and then realized who the “old man” Albert was talking about was. He looked down at the boy. Well, he’s not even calling him Father anymore.

“Young Master, what are you talking about?” Zhong Ming asked in confusion. “What is this room all about?”

Albert replied, “This is for you to live in. It was originally an abandoned attic, but Madam Mary spent weeks tidying it up.” Albert furrowed his brows and repeated, “But I wanted you to live on the first floor.”

Zhong Ming frowned, pressing a hand to his temple, feeling like he had missed something important. “Wait, why am I living here? I thought menservants all lived—”

“No, servants have their own rooms.”

Albert interrupted him, his emerald eyes cold. Looking at him, Zhong Ming suddenly understood that the “servants” Albert referred to were the upper-level servants.

It seemed that in the eyes of these “residents” of the haunted house, there was no fundamental difference between the lower-level servants and the players.

Albert stared at him and suddenly said, “Zhong Ming, you are going to stay with us for a long, long time.”

Zhong Ming was stunned. But before he could say anything, Albert leaned in, cupping Zhong Ming’s jaw with both hands to pull him closer. His green eyes locked onto Zhong Ming’s face: “I reflected on it yesterday. It was my fault; I shouldn’t have been so mean to you.”

Albert’s voice was soft and slow, but his expression was the exact opposite. His features were clouded with gloom: “From now on, we will be very, very good to you.”

Albert paused, then continued: “When the old man dies, I will continue to be good to you. So don’t even think about running away, understand?”

Zhong Ming’s eyes slowly widened, reflecting Albert’s exquisite, prince-like face. He suddenly caught on to a key phrase and frowned: “Wait.” Zhong Ming seized the point. “You said… the Duke will die?”

He asked, “Do you mean he will be killed by the players?”

Albert arched an eyebrow. “Of course not.”

He said, “He wants to die himself. He has wanted to die for a very long time. That’s why he created me and Joan.”

The end of Zhong Ming’s eyebrow twitched.

He suddenly remembered what Joan had said in the chapel. The Duke wanted Albert to replace him.

The Duke harbors a death wish, and that’s why he created Albert and Joan?

Before he could think further, Albert’s voice rose: “Did you hear me!”

Zhong Ming snapped back to reality. Seeing Albert looking at him with dissatisfaction and a darkening face, looking like he was about to get angry again, Zhong Ming hurried to nod. “I heard you, Young Master Albert.”

Albert’s expression softened slightly. “Then swear it. Swear you will never leave us.”

Zhong Ming hesitated for a second, and Albert’s brow immediately knit together. He had no choice but to raise his right hand, pressing two fingers together: “I swear it before the Lord.”

Only then was Albert satisfied. He hopped off the bed and looked back at Zhong Ming. “Get up quickly. If you don’t take me for a walk today, I’m going to punish you.”

Zhong Ming could only nod in agreement. After coaxing the young master away, he looked out the window and saw that it was still very early.

He got out of bed, intending to wash up, but suddenly realized he was wearing a soft linen nightgown with a thin cord crisscrossed over his chest, the knot dangling at his sternum.

Zhong Ming froze, racking his brain. He had absolutely no memory of changing his clothes.

Zhong Ming: “…”

Who changed me?

Zhong Ming fervently prayed in his heart that it was Madam Mary.

After silently chanting that respectable and lovely lady’s name three times, Zhong Ming let out a slow breath. He lowered his head to splash water on his face at the washbasin. When he looked up to find where his clothes were, he saw a brand-new suit hanging behind the door.

Zhong Ming paused, walked over, and touched the suit jacket. He found that the sleeves still held the residual warmth of a recent ironing.

In the early morning, everyone else in the mansion was still asleep, except for Albert, who had been up all night.

Zhong Ming dressed and quietly crossed the hall, heading toward the basement.

Just as he reached the bottom of the stairs, he saw Li Yizhi.

The young man was leaning against the window, a cigarette held in one hand with a glowing crimson tip. Amidst the drifting smoke, he lowered his head and flicked away the ash.

Zhong Ming walked over and said, “You’re up this early?”

Li Yizhi jumped so violently he nearly dropped his cigarette. He spun around abruptly: “…How do you walk without making a sound? When did you get back?”

Zhong Ming was amused by his panicked state, his lips curling into a slight smile. “I didn’t. You just weren’t listening.”

Seeing him smile, Li Yizhi dazed for a moment. He raised the cigarette to his lips, his eyes scanning Zhong Ming’s face cautiously. “You… aren’t angry anymore?”

At those words, the smile on Zhong Ming’s lips faltered. Li Yizhi’s hand shook, and he immediately added, “Never mind, pretend I didn’t say anything.”

Seeing Li Yizhi’s careful demeanor, Zhong Ming paused, then rubbed his temple. That stifling feeling began to creep back into his heart.

“No, it’s nothing,” he told Li Yizhi. “I’m not angry anymore.”

Li Yizhi held his cigarette and looked at Zhong Ming, seemingly trying to judge if this “no” was a genuine “no” or just a “no” people say when they’re still having a temper.

Zhong Ming looked at him. “Is Ye Qing’s body buried?”

Li Yizhi nodded immediately. “Buried. I did the calculations and found a spot with excellent Feng Shui.”

Zhong Ming thought to himself: There’s actually a spot with good Feng Shui in this terrifying, nerve-wracking place? He gave a soft laugh.

Li Yizhi relaxed a little, leaning back against the windowsill and taking a puff. “Seriously, where were you yesterday? While you were gone, the young master nearly tore the roof off. He was so loud that no one could get anything done all day.”

Zhong Ming replied, “I went to the lake.” He said to Li Yizhi, “Did you know? There’s a gray lake at the end of the path outside the house.”

But when he turned his head, he saw Li Yizhi’s face turn deathly pale, his eyes wide with sheer horror.

Zhong Ming froze. “…What is it?”

It took several seconds before Li Yizhi exhaled heavily. “…You went to the Gray lake?”

Zhong Ming knit his brows. “Yes.” He asked, “Is there something wrong with that lake?”

Li Yizhi’s hand trembled slightly as he brought the cigarette to his lips. “I don’t know. I never made it that far; I died in the forest.”

Zhong Ming was taken aback. Then he realized what the other meant. Li Yizhi was talking about what happened back when he was still a player.

“But it must be a bad place.” Li Yizhi exhaled a puff of smoke. “I heard that only a few players have been there, and they all died horribly.”

Zhong Ming thought of that lake, as still and silent as stagnant water. It certainly had an ominous air about it.

“I’m fine.” Seeing that Li Yizhi looked unwell, Zhong Ming said reassuringly, “Nothing happened.”

Hearing this, Li Yizhi calmed down a bit. He took a deep drag, exhaled slowly, and his expression steadied. “True, you’re not a player. Besides, it was daytime.”

He turned to look at Zhong Ming. “Anyway, don’t go back there. It’s dangerous.”

Zhong Ming nodded.

Li Yizhi let out a breath and leaned back against the windowsill, staring at the scenery outside as he inhaled again.

Zhong Ming glanced at him, then looked away. “I know what the Duke looks like now.”

Li Yizhi: “Cough, cough, cough—!”

He nearly choked to death on the smoke. His face turned beet red as he spun around. “…What?!”

His voice jumped an entire octave, his phoenix eyes wide and round. “How do you know?”

Li Yizhi’s mind went who-knows-where, and his face darkened. “You didn’t throw yourself at him, did you?”

At that moment, a scene flashed through Li Yizhi’s mind: Zhong Ming, so upset he was dripping tears, his small face pale and tragic like a classic beauty, swooning into the Duke’s arms.

Zhong Ming knit his brows. “…He walked out on his own.”

Li Yizhi froze, stunned. “What do you mean?”

Zhong Ming shook his head. “I don’t know either. He’s very strange.” He paused and added, “He even told me that the way to clear the game is to kill him.”

Li Yizhi’s eyes widened even further, his phoenix eyes stretching so far they practically developed triple eyelids. He took a step back, pressing a hand to his forehead. “No. Wait a second. Tell me everything that happened yesterday, from beginning to end.”

So, Zhong Ming recounted the events of the previous night from start to finish as objectively as possible.

“Afterward… I fell asleep.” Zhong Ming frowned slightly. “I don’t remember very clearly. When I woke up, I was in the attic on the fourth floor.”

After finishing, he looked at Li Yizhi. “What do you think?”

Li Yizhi squinted, the cigarette dangling from his mouth unpuffed for a long time. His expression was unreadable. It took a while before he managed a single sentence: “God dammit, his methods are filthy.”

Hearing this, Zhong Ming frowned. “Stop using such foul language.”

Li Yizhi: …Is that the point?

Li Yizhi stared at him for a long time before finally looking down, pulling the cigarette from his lips, and stubbing it out against the wall.

Zhong Ming lowered his eyes. “I think he’s very strange. Why would he tell me these things?”

Zhong Ming said with a frown, “He even told me the method to clear the game… He seems completely indifferent to the players, or even the entire game itself.”

Li Yizhi silently lit another cigarette and shook his head. “I don’t know. Among players, the Duke is basically a legend. No one has ever seen him.”

He paused, then suddenly looked up, winking at Zhong Ming. “Maybe he’s just trying to win your favor?”

Zhong Ming’s frown deepened. “…What?”

Li Yizhi shrugged. “I’m just saying it’s a possibility.” Then, he turned serious. “You said he led you through the forest?”

Zhong Ming nodded. “What’s the deal with that? Are there monsters in there?”

“Of course. That place is a player’s nightmare,” Li Yizhi said. “There are hundreds, if not thousands, of monsters in there.” At this, he gave a sarcastic smile. “But none of them can compare to the Duke himself.”

Hearing this, Zhong Ming recalled the exceptionally quiet forest from the night before.

Even though the wind had been strong, there hadn’t been so much as the sound of a falling leaf in the entire forest.

Perhaps all those “things” had been scared back by the Duke walking beside him.

Zhong Ming once again felt confused about the Duke’s motives.

Li Yizhi stepped forward and patted his shoulder. “Forget it, don’t think about it. The way those monsters’ brains work is different from ours.” He curled his lips into a smile. “Look on the bright side. At least I know what the boss of this game looks like now. I guess I didn’t die for nothing.”

Zhong Ming looked up at him. For the first time, the fact that Li Yizhi was a player who had died in the game felt real.

He was silent for a moment, then looked up. “I’ll bring you a few extra sausages today.”

Li Yizhi: “…”

He reached out and gave Zhong Ming’s hair a mess.

“Thanks, babe. I want bacon.”

—

During breakfast, Zhong Ming saw Madam Mary. Before he could step forward to apologize, Madam Mary approached him first. Her gray eyes looked down, staring at him with a complex expression.

Zhong Ming froze. He felt the woman’s sharp gaze sweep across his face. Her thin lips pulled downward. After staring at him for a few seconds, she finally let out a slow breath. “…Since it was permitted by the Duke, we’ll let it slide this time.”

Madam Mary said with a strained expression.

“Don’t run off blindly again, do you hear me?”

From everyone’s attitude, Zhong Ming had realized that his trip to the gray lake was more serious than he had imagined. Thus, he nodded obediently.

“I understand.” Zhong Ming apologized sincerely. “I caused a lot of trouble for everyone yesterday. I’m truly sorry; it won’t happen again.”

Madam Mary looked at him and sighed softly. She stepped forward and gently straightened his collar. “Be more obedient. Stay here and work hard.”

The woman touched the hair on Zhong Ming’s forehead and gave a small smile. “Follow me,” she said.

Zhong Ming followed Madam Mary to the hall and found that all the menservants were gathered by the door. Zhong Ming looked toward Li Yizhi in the crowd; the other arched an eyebrow at him and mouthed, What’s going on?

Zhong Ming gave him a tiny shake of the head. Then, Madam Mary turned and said to him: “Wait a moment.”

She turned and pushed open the door, walking out. Her figure gradually disappeared into the thin mist.

Zhong Ming walked over to Li Yizhi’s side. The young man winked at him. “Did Madam Mary scold you? Was she mean?”

Zhong Ming shook his head. “It was okay.” He paused and lowered his voice. “The Duke seems to have given her a heads-up beforehand.”

Li Yizhi paused at this, then gave a “tsk.”

Zhong Ming looked at him and said, “I think the gray lake has a secret. I might have to go back one more time.”

He had just sworn an oath to Albert, yet here he was saying this. It’s okay, Zhong Ming thought, I’ll apologize sincerely to the Lord later.

Li Yizhi glanced at him, wanting to say that Zhong Ming might not be so lucky to return in one piece next time. But then he remembered how the Duke had gone out himself to fetch him back yesterday, and he promptly shut his mouth.

Meanwhile, within the mist beyond the open doors, Madam Mary’s silhouette emerged.

As she drew closer, the group finally saw that there was a slightly shorter figure behind her.

Zhong Ming’s eyes gradually widened.

“This is the new maidservant.”

Madam Mary entered the hall and spoke to everyone:

“From now on, she is your colleague.”

Behind her, Ye Qing stepped out from the mist. Her panicked gaze swept across the faces of the menservants. Upon seeing Zhong Ming, she visibly relaxed and gave him a shaky smile.

“Zhong… Zhong Ming.”

Standing in the crowd, Li Yizhi’s eyes bugged out, and he took two sharp breaths. He looked at Zhong Ming and, as expected, saw his thick lashes tremble after a moment of shock, followed by an expression of pleasant surprise.

Li Yizhi: …He even had this move up his sleeve??!!