Chapter 56: Her Boyfriend Could Slap a Coquettish Pest Dead with One Hand (19)

In the early morning, a scream echoed from room 303, prompting everyone to rush over simultaneously.

Jiang Xun forcefully pushed open the door. “What happened?”

Tian Susu was crouched in the corner, deeply shaken. Her small face, no bigger than a palm, looked all the more pitiable, stained with fear. She pointed with trembling fingers at the person lying on the bed. “She... she’s dead!”

The woman lying on the bed stared with ashen eyes, her features twisted into an expression no living person could ever make—one could only imagine the terror she endured before death. There was a bloody hole in her chest, from which bloomed a scarlet flower.

This flower seemed to have grown out of her very heart, or perhaps it had been deliberately planted there, her heart serving as the richest nourishment.

Jiang Xun calmly approached and helped the trembling Tian Susu to her feet. He asked, “Why did something happen to Miss Mei?”

The woman who had died was none other than Mei Yun.

Tian Susu was so frightened she couldn’t look at the body. Overwhelmed by terror, she forgot all propriety and huddled into Jiang Xun’s embrace, lowering her head and weeping. “I don’t know... I just came out of the bathroom... and saw her like this...”

Her stammered words made it clear she didn’t want to trouble anyone, struggling to suppress her sobs, but her fear was too great to control.

How could such an adorable person exist in this world?

Jiang Xun was a true gentleman. He didn’t push her away but instead offered her comforting words.

The bald man, seeing Jiang Xun holding a beauty in his arms, felt a pang of envy and resentment. He edged closer, hoping to seize the opportunity to take advantage under the guise of consolation. Yet Tian Susu only buried her face deeper in Jiang Xun’s chest, ignoring everyone else.

To ease his embarrassment, the bald man said, “Why did they suddenly kill someone? Did Mei Yun break one of the rules?”

A bespectacled man replied, “Impossible. I was with Mei Yun yesterday. She was always cautious and made no mistakes.”

The bald man continued, “So, are you saying the rules we received don’t actually restrain them? They can kill whenever they like?”

At these words, everyone’s expression darkened.

If the rules had no power, it meant any of them could be killed at any moment. The situation was bleak indeed.

At that moment, Zha Lan, who had been standing at the doorway watching, finally spoke. “Mei Yun was fine before, so why did something happen as soon as she stayed in someone else’s room?”

Everyone turned to look at Zha Lan.

He gave a wicked smile. “Who said only ghosts can kill here?”

Of course. Wasn’t he a murderer himself?

Instantly, the gazes directed at Tian Susu shifted in nature.

Tian Susu lifted her tear-stained face, eyes blurred with grief and helplessness. Just one look at her fragile figure was enough to make anyone’s heart ache. She bit her lip so hard it nearly broke the delicate skin. “I didn’t kill anyone...”

Her soft, tearful voice was so full of grievance that everyone felt a pang upon hearing it.

The bald man immediately shouted at Zha Lan, “What nonsense are you spouting! Susu is so kind—how could she ever kill someone?”

The bespectacled man added, “I don’t believe Susu could do such a thing. She can’t even bear to step on an ant in the street, let alone hold a knife. If you’re claiming Susu did it, you might as well say Mei Yun killed herself.”

“Wu...” Tian Susu bit her lip tightly, her tears making her face look even more delicate and soft.

Indeed, she was just a fragile, weeping girl. How could she possibly kill someone?

Jiang Xun said, “There’s something strange about this. We shouldn’t turn on each other. Instead, we need to be more careful. Perhaps this is the murderer’s attempt to sow discord. Mei Yun’s death shows that the rules are meaningless to them. We must unite to face the crisis.”

Both the bald and bespectacled men nodded in agreement.

Zha Lan gave Jiang Xun and Tian Susu a long, searching look. He sneered and turned to leave.

Tian Susu lowered her head, tears falling. She was telling the truth—she hadn’t killed anyone, nor did she know why Mei Yun had died. The only thing she knew was that the system had instructed her to quietly stay in the bathroom for the night once Mei Yun had fallen asleep.

She obeyed. She sat silently in the bathroom all night. In the deep of night, she thought she heard children laughing and playing, but the system told her not to make a sound.

When morning came, she left the bathroom and saw the horror that had befallen Mei Yun.

Tian Susu: [You knew Mei Yun was going to die, didn’t you?]

System: [If she hadn’t died, then you would have, little crybaby. She’s spoken ill of you more than once behind your back, so there’s no need to feel sad for someone like that.]

At these words, Tian Susu’s feelings grew even more complex and difficult to describe.

In the lobby.

Yin Huanmian sat on the sofa and took a bite of fresh rose cake, flipping through a booklet of local attractions with great focus.

Someone brought her a cup of rose tea. She looked up and said, “Thank you.”

Mr. Shu, the proprietor, smiled and asked, “It’s lively upstairs. Aren’t you going to see what’s happening?”

Yin Huanmian’s lips curved with a faint smile as she replied, “It’s much quieter here. I prefer to spend my time in peace. Mr. Shu, may I ask you something?”

He replied, “What would you like to know?”

Yin Huanmian turned to the page introducing the Rose Manor. “There’s only one photo here—it’s beautiful, but there’s no other information. Does that mean not everyone can visit?”

Mr. Shu smiled politely. “The Rose Manor is a special place. It only ever admits one guest at a time, and only the luckiest travelers have the chance to find and enter it.”

Yin Huanmian lowered her eyes, thoughtful.

Only one guest at a time—so, in the end, only one of them would survive.

At school, the bell signaling the end of class rang.

Bai Yao came out of the office carrying her lesson books. As she reached the classroom door, she saw a line of students standing in the corridor.

Hua Hua, Ah Quan, and Xiao Mei stood against the wall, faces full of complaints, muttering to each other about the math teacher.

When they saw Bai Yao approaching, they quickly fell silent and stood up straight.

Bai Yao asked, “Why are you being punished to stand out here? Weren’t you paying attention in math class?”

The children shook their heads vigorously. “We were paying attention!”

Catching Bai Yao’s scent, Tiao Tiao ran out of the classroom to tattle. “Miss Bai, these three wouldn’t behave! They snuck out to play last night instead of doing their math homework, so Mr. Wu punished them!”