Chapter 127

He seemed to realize something; Su Mian let go of his hand and wiped the sweat from her palm with a handkerchief—that sweat was Willow's.

"You will see a pair of red dancing shoes."

He listened to the voice that seemed both near and far, gradually falling into despair.

Red dancing shoes...

Really... in the factory?

I am the one who...

Countless fragments exploded in his mind: size thirty-eight feet, the map of Wind Whisper Creek he had seen by chance on the second floor, and that letter all the players had discovered together.

Only then did he realize that Su Mian had not been controlled.

She was clear-headed, insightful of everything, and was currently using this magnificent dance as a curtain to read out the silent truth to him, the ignorant "murderer."

She could have clearly left after putting on the dancing shoes, and the plot of this script could have ended right there; after Elizabeth spoke the truth, he would have become the murderer, and the game would have ended.

Why tell him?

Willow's dance steps stiffened completely, and he stumbled to a halt, his hand still resting vaguely on Su Mian's waist, but shaking like a sieve.

Was it pity? Pity for him, a fool toyed with by the rules, who wouldn't even know the truth by the end of the game.

Giving him a chance to face the truth and digest this overwhelming despair before the final judgment descended?

Compared to the mechanical, cold game rules that only announced results, her "notification" at this moment felt like a cruel mercy.

It was a gentle judgment, and also an angel within the Grim Reaper.

She gave him time to digest it, making this reprieve less painful.

The music did not stop, and the revelry continued.

The NPCs continued to spin and laugh, as if this brief silence concerning life and death in the center of the dance floor did not exist.

Su Mian gently withdrew her hand and gave Willow a very slight nod, completing an elegant farewell.

She was not a player trapped within the rules.

She walked above the rules, and in her lowered gaze, there was the decisiveness to easily unearth the truth and master life and death, as well as a trace of lingering human warmth.

Willow knew that Su Mian did not intend to tell the truth tonight, otherwise this dance would have been for nothing.

Perhaps she would tell them the truth tomorrow while he was still asleep, and then let the DM take her away silently.

Pain and despair gradually spread throughout his entire body.

No one knew what had happened between the two; they only knew that after the ball ended, Willow became absent-minded, his gaze desolate, yet as if he had accepted his fate.

"This was his own choice."

Su Mian leaned against the railing, watching quietly.

"I pointed the way for him; whether he struggled hard or accepted his fate and retreated, it was all decided by him."

"As for where he goes after hearing it, it has nothing to do with me."

Felix propped up his face, his gaze so obsessed it was about to stick to her.

Su Mian let out a "tsk," her tail flicking impatiently, and Felix immediately withdrew his gaze, coughing with feigned seriousness.

"Sometimes I really think the game rules are too cruel; everyone voted out is bound to die."

He yawned, "When can this rule be changed..."

In fact, he had gone to Wind Whisper Creek once, and upon seeing the factory opposite, he had been very suspicious of Willow.

But due to a tiny bit of cowardice, he didn't dare go in, and thus missed out on the truth.

He hadn't found Elizabeth in the room just now; he had just stepped out when he bumped into the scene of the two dancing together.

Although a bit jealous, he was more curious, so he called out to Elizabeth, intending to ask her.

Hmm... it was really time to vote, and he felt a bit reluctant; thinking this, he glanced at the girl beside him again, his Adam's apple rolling, his heart pounding.

"Where did... that little slave of yours go?"

Su Mian frowned, "Stop prying into my business."

Felix feigned sadness, clutching his chest, biting his lip exaggeratedly, his eye corners drooping.

Before Su Mian could make an expression, she heard the huge bell toll from the bell tower.

Ding-dang—

Ding-dang—

She immediately thought of something, her pupils widening slightly, and she lifted her skirt and turned to run.

"I have something to do, I'll go first."

Felix didn't even have time to ask her to stay before the girl ran off in a flash.

He scratched his head, staring at the ground and muttering amusingly.

"Why didn't she leave behind any crystal dancing shoes..."

The magnificent cake skirt quickly faded away, turning into the denim outfit Su Mian had worn in the morning, the brown trousers making her slender legs faintly visible.

Her tail swept against her pant legs, swaying back and forth; she quickly rushed into the bedroom and closed the door, touched her ears, and then looked at her lower back.

Damn it.

Why hadn't these furry things disappeared yet?

Using "Fortunately Ella's Bell Toll" would result in a backlash; after the bell rang, Su Mian thought she would become weak.

But no, her whole body felt like a furnace, and her cheeks and ear roots were about to burn up.

This is killing me.

Her lower abdomen also seemed very hot, much hotter than other places; her tail felt uncomfortable, as if subconsciously, or as if it had come alive, wrapping around Su Mian's inner thighs and rubbing gently.

"Woo..."

The vest that had fit well in the morning was now tight, constricting Su Mian's chest so she couldn't catch her breath.

She was forced to undo the top button, revealing her collarbone, and buried her face in the pillow in discomfort.

So strange, why is it so strange?

I really want to make myself feel more comfortable.

So she reached out to rub her inner thighs, a place she didn't often touch except when bathing... the stimulation surged up instantly.

"Ha..."

Dopamine began to secrete in her brain, and her body seemed a little more pleased, and also received comfort.

But it still wasn't enough... the sweat on her forehead was also unknown if it was because of anxiety, or because of something else.

A cool hand stroked the girl's spine; she shrank back violently, shrugging her shoulders and turning her head, pressing her cheek against her collarbone, trying to relieve the heat.

The figure in the moonlight was indistinct; Su Mian identified the person clearly and immediately turned her face away, not wanting him to see.

"Forty! Didn't I tell you to leave?"

She was a bit agitated, her pupils wet, and her angry voice sounded like coquetry; she was angry that Forty didn't listen to her instructions.

Letting him go was naturally something Su Mian had arranged long ago, in order to make Tian Nuan believe that she had fallen into the trap.

On the other hand, she was afraid of Forty's recklessness, afraid that he wouldn't be able to control himself and do something terrible.

"But are you willing to let me leave now?"

She heard Forty speak and suddenly froze, the voice then brushing against her earlobe.

"Hmm? Mian Mian."

Su Mian's brain went blank instantly; she stingily revealed half of her cheek, using that eye to look at him, her eyes hiding a hint of disbelief.

Red hair.

White mask.

Forty had turned into Si Shi.

"You..."

Su Mian's voice was stuck in her throat, and suddenly she couldn't say a word; she wanted to ask how Si Shi suddenly had his memories, but didn't know how to start.

"When I got your skill cards, I had already remembered something..."

He didn't say when he remembered everything, but it didn't matter; perhaps it was seeing a strange NPC, or some small loopholes the script hadn't patched, or perhaps...

At the edge of Wind Whisper Creek, he saw Su Mian's face.