Chapter 17 What Are You Doing?

“Oh my god, it really… it’s all wasteland…”

Wang Wenfei, who had followed the others upstairs into the boys' room, didn't know what the people in the kitchen had seen. All she knew was that she was mimicking the other two, looking out of the window facing the backyard.

The backyard was desolate and dilapidated. A collapsed section of the wall marked the small gate leading to the vegetable garden.

And that so-called vegetable garden now looked more like a weed-infested wasteland enclosed by a fence. Despite the rain blurring her vision, she could tell that no fruits or vegetables were planted there.

Mostly, it was just the rampant growth of weeds she couldn't name.

Still, she wondered if Lu Xiaoyao and the others were really so dedicated, actually going to the vegetable garden to investigate in such heavy rain.

Unfortunately, the rain made it hard to see who exactly was standing there, everything was very blurry.

“They've gone right over there to look. I want to see what the boss has to say now,” Mandison said, after staring at the scene for a while. “I’ll go down and meet up with them, and then we’ll see what the boss says.”

“Wait.”

Charlie and Wang Wenfei simultaneously grabbed Mandison's arm, their synchronicity causing Wang Wenfei to glance at Charlie.

Before Wang Wenfei could speak, Charlie said to Mandison, “I don't think it's that simple. Didn't Julian see the same thing we did in the window yesterday? But he still went to investigate today and asked us to come up and confirm it. It seems he's realized something.”

“Besides, if it really is a wasteland, wouldn't the boss be afraid of getting caught if she blatantly invited everyone to look, even if she tried to lie?”

Wang Wenfei also voiced her thoughts, but her expression turned slightly unpleasant the next moment as she said uncertainly, “The only reason the boss can be so fearless is either she has a way to deceive everyone, or… she plans to directly harm the four of them.”

“There are four of them, after all, and we have the numbers, it shouldn't come to that…”

But as he said this, Charlie looked into Wang Wenfei's eyes and suddenly remembered that if the game were really about winning based on numbers, there wouldn't be so many instances of entire groups being wiped out in dungeon games.

After the three of them exchanged a look, Wang Wenfei saw the two boys immediately rummaging through their characters’ backpacks for daggers.

“I think most people who come camping have these things, right? Go find yours, and we’ll go down together later.”

Seeing Wang Wenfei staring at their actions without a word, Charlie reminded her.

Wang Wenfei immediately returned to her room and also took out a dagger. Only then did the three of them cautiously go downstairs again.

But just as they reached the stairwell, Mandison suddenly stopped the two behind him. The three of them immediately held their breath, and the next moment, as hurried footsteps approached, Mandison threw a punch out of the stairwell.

“Ouch!”

Lu Xiaoyao's cry of pain immediately made Mandison realize that he had probably hit the wrong person. The three of them quickly rushed out of the stairwell and saw Lu Xiaoyao clutching her forearm, staring at the three of them with teary eyes and a face full of accusation.

“What are you doing…”

If Lu Xiaoyao hadn't been quick-witted just now, and had promptly raised her hand to protect her face when she sensed something was wrong, Mandison's sudden punch might have knocked her unconscious.

Being knocked unconscious was one thing, but Lu Xiaoyao was afraid of getting a black eye and a swollen face, which would affect the "audio-visual experience" of the live stream.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, why didn’t you say anything?”

“I was going upstairs, what was I supposed to say at the stairwell? Am I supposed to shout at the stairwell, ‘Hello, I'm coming up~’?!”

Lu Xiaoyao was almost laughed at by Mandison's words. She rubbed her forearm and then looked suspiciously at the three nervous people in front of her, saying, “What’s wrong with you guys? I was kindly coming up to tell you to come down and have some delicious food later, but you actually hid and ambushed me? You just punched me, really great!”

To this, Mandison repeatedly apologized to Lu Xiaoyao.

It was his fault for throwing a punch without seeing who it was.

“By the way, what did you mean by having a feast just now?”

Wang Wenfei didn't want Mandison and Lu Xiaoyao to waste time on this topic. She looked Lu Xiaoyao up and down, and seeing that she seemed to be fine except for the place where Mandison punched her, Wang Wenfei breathed a sigh of relief.

Since Lu Xiaoyao was okay, the others should be too, right?

“Ah! I forgot to tell you, there are so many vegetables in that garden! We just begged the boss to make us bacon stew with cabbage for dinner, so I came here specifically to tell you!”

“Ah?!”

This time, it was the three of them who looked shocked and puzzled.

“How could there be… where did the cabbage come from?”

Wang Wenfei stepped forward and stared at Lu Xiaoyao's face, as if trying to see if she was playing a prank.

Unfortunately, Lu Xiaoyao was telling the truth.

“Of course it's from that vegetable garden! It’s growing so well! And also…”

Lu Xiaoyao then described in detail the scene they had just seen in the kitchen, and how they were standing at the kitchen door looking at the vegetable garden.

“You… didn't go to the vegetable garden to look?” Charlie asked with an indescribable expression.

“Why would we go to the vegetable garden? It’s raining so hard, we can see it just fine from the door, we’re not blind, those vegetables are growing so well.”

At this point, Lu Xiaoyao looked strangely at Mandison, who hadn't yet reacted to her words, and complained, “Speaking of which, what's wrong with you boys, spreading rumors about the boss and the others? It's really rare that the boss is willing to put aside past grievances and make delicious food for us tonight. You guys, apologize to the boss later, and don't spread these kinds of rumors in the future, okay?”

“How could it be…”

Charlie frowned, then turned to look at Mandison and Wang Wenfei, whose eyes were also filled with confusion and solemnity.

They were confused because what Lu Xiaoyao had seen and heard was different from what they had seen.

They were solemn because if neither of them was lying, and they really saw different scenes, then wasn't this dungeon going to be some kind of supernatural horror story again?!

“Hey? What are you all doing standing at the stairwell?”

Leng Youyou and Hu Yue also came out of the back kitchen with Mingmei and the others. Earlier, Lu Xiaoyao said she would take the first step to inform the people upstairs of the good news, but when they came out, they saw four people standing at the stairwell without moving.

Seeing Mingmei standing behind Leng Youyou and the others, also looking at her, Wang Wenfei subconsciously hid the dagger she had been holding behind her back.

Mingmei didn't see it, but she had already noticed the unnatural expressions on the faces of the three people when Lu Xiaoyao said that the vegetables in the backyard were growing well, through Lu Xiaoyao's live stream.

It was obvious what the three of them had seen after going upstairs.

Mingmei's eyes narrowed slightly, but the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up.

Although she, as the boss in this game, was indeed very powerful, making these players unable to detect anything while being in the illusion she created.

But in escape games, there were always some flaws left for the players to discover, to give them the opportunity to unravel the truth step by step, to give them enough of a gaming experience.

Like the window in the boys’ room upstairs.

Looking out of that window was the most real scene.

Only by seeing the truth, would their hearts be filled with doubt in the face of illusion, and would they have the determination to leave…