Chapter 67: Ruse of Misery

He never took the initiative to expose his identity, just as he never allowed players to violate their character settings, but after meeting Su Mian, all reasons no longer needed reasons.

Just like how he took the initiative to reveal his character setting at this moment, just to make the girl feel less uncomfortable.

Because from the moment her tears fell, she herself became the entire reason.

——

Sera's body was buried in the Raven Rest Garden by the Mill River.

It looked like it had been abandoned for a long time; only the overgrown thistles and a few crooked tombstones proved that this had once been a graveyard.

Old Joe, the gravedigger, was the only person in the village willing to take jobs here. At this moment, he was sleeping in a thatched cottage, completely unaware that a man and a woman had broken in.

A wooden sign was inserted crookedly, with only Sera's name and a string of dates written on it.

Su Mian placed a bunch of lilies and ivy before the grave and squatted quietly for a while until her feet went numb before standing up. The moonlight was clear, casting a pale light on the lilies.

"Let's go."

She said in a low voice. A few crows flapped their wings and flew onto the eaves of the thatched shed, cawing loudly.

Old Joe threw a slipper up, startling the crows and causing them to scatter. The board shoe flew in an arc in the air and landed next to a spade.

"Don't you want to stay a little longer?"

Su Mian shook her head. Si Shi didn't say anything more upon hearing this, but looked toward a dark field in the distance.

"It's very late now; the inns and lodging houses are all closed."

The two walked on the country road. The waterwheel turned with a gurgle, splashing water into the dark ditch. Grass insects hid in the dense roots, groaning with a creak.

They thought they would have to sleep on the street tonight, but Su Mian had sharp eyes and saw a house in the distance with an oil lamp still lit. An old man inside was sitting in a rocking chair knitting a sweater.

Su Mian's footsteps paused, and her eyes brightened in the darkness, like a cat before hunting.

She grabbed the man's sleeve, and the person in front of her understood her idea at a glance.

"Will we scare them if we look like this?"

Su Mian glared at him. What do you mean "we look like this"? It was clearly only him who was scary, with red hair and wearing a robe; anyone who didn't know would think the Grim Reaper had come.

After thinking for a moment, she took advantage of Si Shi's inattention and put her hand into the dirt to smear it.

She slapped it onto the man's face, her expression serious, as if she were doing something very earnest.

Su Mian blinked, "I don't know if you've heard of the Ruse of Misery."

Si Shi raised an eyebrow.

He had time to react to the girl's action, but deliberately didn't dodge; he just wanted to see what kind of bad idea this little detective had in her mind.

So that's what she had in store for him. He chuckled, not feeling embarrassed at all, grabbed the girl's chin, and leaned his face in.

Before Su Mian could react, she let out a cry of surprise, and wet mud was smeared onto her own face.

She pushed outward with both hands against the man's chest, but ended up getting smeared anyway.

The soft touch of her cheeks was mixed in the mud, causing her to pout, leaving muddy traces on her fair little face.

"You—!!!"

She gritted her teeth and punched Si Shi backhanded, but the man surrendered with both hands and didn't dodge, tilting his head with a smile.

"How can the Ruse of Misery be performed by me alone, my dear?"

The two of them arrived at the rental house while bickering. The old woman was wearing Western-style glasses and hadn't noticed their arrival yet.

Su Mian stopped in front of the door, sniffed, and instantly changed her expression. Si Shi watched this scene with great interest.

"Is... is anyone there? Please... have mercy... open the door..."

The movement inside stopped.

After a while, dragging footsteps came from behind the door, and the door creaked open a crack.

The old woman squinted her dim eyes and looked at the two people outside the door vigilantly.

Su Mian immediately shrank her neck and hid her face in the shadows, revealing only those eyes that looked particularly bright against the mud.

"Grandma... please save us. We are brother and sister on a journey. It got dark, and we ran into some fierce people with sticks in the woods."

"We didn't have anything to give them, so they chased us. We lost our shoes and got covered in mud. It's pitch black all around, and we really have nowhere to go..."

As she spoke, she secretly pinched the inside of Si Shi's arm.

The man received the signal and immediately clutched his abdomen, panting in a low voice, his muffled groans controlled and trembling.

He lowered his head and buried half his face in the shadows; it sounded sexily unlike an injury.

Su Mian touched her slightly red earlobes and almost broke character.

Why is this guy panting in her ear?!

Fortunately, the old woman didn't notice anything unusual. The vigilance on her face slowly disappeared, and then she sighed and pulled the door wider.

"How pitiful..." she muttered, stepping aside, "Come in. It's terrible outside at this time. Are you cold? There's still some warmth by the fireplace."

Su Mian, who had successfully entered the house, hurriedly supported Si Shi. The old woman put away the knitting she hadn't finished and led the way for the two.

A lonely wooden bed lay in the room, but the quilt and pillowcases were clean, and there wasn't a speck of dust on the floor.

A few lonely hawthorns were placed in an iron fruit plate at the head of the bed, and the air exuded the scent of sage powder.

"There's only one bed left, so make do with it. Tell me if you need anything."

Su Mian nodded hurriedly and took her hand.

"Thank you very much."

The old woman waved her hand and walked out swaying with a smile.

She had long seen from their interaction that they weren't brother and sister, so she assumed they wouldn't mind sleeping in the same bed.

Of course, she had extra rooms in her house, but since the two didn't ask, she wasn't prepared to say anything more.

Lighting a candle, Su Mian took off her face veil and bundle. The small space was quiet, and the reflection of the candlelight merged their shadows together.

"... I'm not used to sleeping with others."

"So?"

Si Shi raised an eyebrow. Su Mian scratched her face with her fingers, turned her face away, and muttered righteously: "You're not human, so you shouldn't need to sleep, right?"

The candlelight flickered for a moment. He stepped forward and picked Su Mian up. She let out a cry of surprise and was placed on the bed.

"That's quite unfortunate."

"I specifically set a sleep item in my own program, so I'll have to wrong you a little, Detective Miss."

As he spoke, he squatted down and took off Su Mian's shoes.

Su Mian gritted her teeth, kicked the man's suit lightly, and said sarcastically.

"You really know how to enjoy yourself."

Si Shi grabbed her ankle and looked up from bottom to top, his gaze deepening.

"Are you like this with everyone?"

"What?"

Before Su Mian could react to what he was saying, she saw the man take off his coat and lean over. She hurriedly moved backward, pressing herself into the corner of the wall.

"Don't be afraid of neurasthenia; I will turn off my respiratory system."

He lifted the quilt and lay in, his movements clean and neat.

"Good night."

The room quieted down. When the candlelight hit that strange mask, it actually looked somewhat gentle and tranquil.

His red hair hung obediently behind his ears. Su Mian looked at his broad back; he was such a big guy but was sleeping on the edge, looking pitifully trying to make room for her, and suddenly she wasn't so resistant anymore. ===== CHAPTER 68 =====