Ye Shu let out a cold laugh. "I’m not stupid. If I believed you, I’d be a fool! Isn’t it better to stick to what works? Come on, Comrade Lin, call me ‘Dad.’ Let’s see if that cheers me up~"
You could never trust the words of a guai.
If she removed the obedience talisman from Lin Qingyue, this guai's twisted temperament would ensure he killed her in an instant.
Lin Qingyue was so furious his face turned green, his fingers shaking as he forced out two words: "Dad. Dad."
"Hey, son, your dad is here!"
Ye Shu’s flippant tone, paired with her shameless grin, was enough to make anyone want to slap her.
Lin Qingyue’s anger flared again, a wave of impotent rage.
Seeing his mortified expression, unable to control his own actions, Ye Shu felt most of her pent-up frustration melt away. She sprawled across the sofa like a lord as Lin Qingyue fetched tea and poured water for her.
The water was either too cold or scalding hot. Lin Qingyue made a dozen trips between kitchen and living room, his face thunderous, as dark as the bottom of a pot.
Not wanting to push her luck any further, Ye Shu finally spoke up with an air of seriousness: "From now on, Lin Qingyue, you can’t harm me or deceive me. I am your master. If I die, you die too. Now, tell me the rules for clearing this scenario."
Lin Qingyue was so taken aback by Ye Shu’s audacity that he almost laughed. He’d killed many players before, but he’d never met one quite like her!
Nonetheless, Lin Qingyue grudgingly handed over the coveted scenario-clearing rules hidden in his briefcase. His gaze was dark and predatory, cold and sharp, like a leopard watching its prey.
Ye Shu pretended not to notice, spreading out the rules in her palm as she challenged him, "Lin Qingyue, are you sure these are the real scenario rules? Otherwise, run around the street naked for ten laps!"
A murderous glint flashed in Lin Qingyue’s eyes. Clenching his jaw, he handed over another set of back-up rules. "This copy is real. I’m certain!"
This ignorant player… he wanted nothing more than to kill her on the spot.
Ye Shu shot him a look, as if to say, knew it.
She’d expected as much—the damn guai was never going to be honest.
【SSS Rank: Uncover the hidden truth of the 'Sweet Home' scenario.】
【SS Rank: Find your husband...】
【S Rank: Win the children’s affection and obtain a ticket out of Donghu Market.】
【A Rank: Survive five days within the scenario.】
Surviving five days—an A-rank clearance—seemed simple on the surface, but it was a trap. Without any auxiliary items, a player's stamina couldn’t possibly last the full five days, and that wasn’t even accounting for the mental corruption from eating contaminated food.
S-rank appeared straightforward—gain two children’s affection and earn a train ticket out. But both were tainted and partially assimilated by the scenario, and the front door was clearly anything but normal. How many people could survive heading out?
SSS-rank required unraveling the family's mysteries—a challenge, but not impossible, especially if she could pry some information from Lin Qingyue.
But what did it mean to 'find your husband'? Wasn’t Lin Qingyue right here?
Lost in thought, Ye Shu gripped the rules, momentarily forgetting the ominous Lin Qingyue, whose face was shrouded in gloom. Behind him, the yellow obedience talisman was being ripped apart, piece by piece.
"Trying to ambush me, are you? Pretty gutsy…"
With her current reflexes, dodging an attack was practically effortless for Ye Shu.
But then she caught sight of the strange red light flaring in Lin Qingyue’s eyes and noticed the obedience symbol flickering out on the game’s menu. Things were spinning from her control—the high-level item had failed!
Last time, everything had gone so smoothly. What had changed?
Ye Shu moved quickly, but the guai was faster. She swung her peachwood sword to block a vicious blow, but its durability plummeted by 70%—she patched it up with an enhancement, but knew it wouldn’t last forever.
"Wife… you can see again!"
"You can see me!"
Ye Shu’s heart sank. Lin Qingyue was baiting her into breaking the rules. As long as she hadn’t regained her sight, he was bound by the scenario’s restrictions—so long as she didn’t break the rules, the guai couldn’t hurt her.
No matter how good the enhancements, they wouldn’t last forever.
After several exchanges, Ye Shu’s stamina faltered, while the guai grew only stronger—gleaming with a disturbingly eager excitement.
"Shuck!"
A moment’s inattention and her chest was rent open, blood streaming forth. Her heart was crushed in Lin Qingyue’s blackened hand. In her final moments, Ye Shu plunged her peachwood sword into his body.
Sensation drained from her as she collapsed, her body torn apart in an instant.
……
When Ye Shu opened her eyes again, she was alive.
Agonizing pain coursed through her, cold sweat pouring down her face. It was as if she’d been transported back to her very first game: alone, outmatched, hiding wherever she could.
She was still in the bedroom. The guai hadn’t returned yet; she still had a chance. At least she knew the scenario rules now and didn’t need to approach that disgusting entity again.
Last time, she’d only been able to control Lin Qingyue because he’d counted as 'human.'
Inside a specialized scenario, the obedience talisman couldn’t fully dominate him.
Since that was the case... there was no balance of power anymore.
Using the talisman would only enrage him—it was better not to use it at all.
Forcing herself to calm down, Ye Shu sat at the desk, sunglasses masking the crimson hatred in her eyes.
By evening, she heard the sound of a key turning in the front door.
Ye Shu sat calmly on the sofa in the living room. The door swung open. She didn’t even glance over. After all, clearing the scenario didn’t require her husband’s approval—as long as she didn’t break the rules, Lin Qingyue couldn’t touch her.
Just like before, a man in a tailored suit stepped through the door, two children bounding toward him with cheerful cries.
"Dad! Dad! Welcome home!"
Lin Xiaobao eagerly picked up the briefcase and carried it inside, every bit the image of an innocent, lively child—nothing at all like someone corrupted by the scenario.
Unlike last time, Ye Shu didn’t rush to slap on an obedience talisman. She sat demurely on the sofa, offering a polite nod and a gentle, composed smile.
Lin Qingyue stood tall, hands in his pockets. A darkness flickered briefly across his gaze, unreadable.
He had fully expected this player, Ye Xiaoshu, to try binding him again. After all, in this twisted scenario, he held the key to the game's rules.
But she never approached. Instead, Ye Shu feigned ill health, cradled the black cat, and retreated to the furthest bedroom.
Their shared room was the first by the entryway; this one was small, with an old wooden bed and a short table beside it—yet she felt safest here.
The black curtains let in no light. Lying in the center of the bed, Ye Shu watched as her fat hen squatted at the footboard, its wide, bright eyes staring eerily.
The hen had clearly recognized Lin Qingyue’s presence.
If Ye Shu hadn’t brought this advanced guai out of the scenario, it would have spent its entire life as nothing more than an NPC. How was it that guai could switch game maps…?
……
Midnight. Past twelve.
Her save-point skill had refreshed again.
Ye Shu’s nerves settled slightly. If Lin Qingyue tried to kill her again, at least she’d be ready this time.
As she drifted into sleep, she heard footsteps—soft, rhythmic, gradually approaching her room. Just as she thought someone would knock, the footsteps kept going, fading into the distance... and in the silence, Ye Shu peered through the peephole to see the wall opposite had changed—a flight of stairs now rose where it had once stood.