When they regained consciousness, they found themselves all behind the blood-red wooden door. The group was scattered across a suburban area filled with magnificent villas. Strangely enough, despite being exquisitely built, the place felt utterly lifeless.
After passing through several villas, Ning Qiushui confirmed there was no one living in this villa complex—it was eerily quiet.
"Is it uninhabited, or is everyone out at work?" Ning Qiushui examined the villa complex carefully and seemed to notice something. "No... The gardens show signs of recent pruning, there are goldfish in the ponds, and there are commonly used tools in the yards... Someone must live here. But where did all the people go?"
A trace of confusion flashed through Ning Qiushui's mind as he continued forward. Soon, he spotted the villa specified in the task. It was easy to identify—among the entire complex, it was the only one with people standing outside.
One was a well-dressed woman in luxurious clothes, carrying a suitcase. She wore a sun hat adorned with a small red flower and held the hand of a young girl, about eight or nine years old. They stood in the not-too-hot sunlight in the yard, smiling as they watched the arrivals.
The woman had a beautiful smile— the kind that grew more appealing the longer you looked. She had the charm of a mature wife, yet for some reason, Ning Qiushui felt a chill run down his spine as he looked at her grin. That smile didn't seem like a greeting for guests; it felt more like.
Lost in thought, Ning Qiushui was startled when a large hand patted his shoulder. He turned around and saw it was Liu Chengfeng, the bearded man.
"Buddy, you're here too?"
Ning Qiushui nodded. "Yeah. It looks like that villa is the one we need to go to."
Liu Chengfeng glanced at the villa in the distance, his expression turning more solemn. He counted on his fingers and muttered, "Oh no..."
Noticing his demeanor, Ning Qiushui's eyes lit up. "Can you tell fortunes?"
Liu Chengfeng shook his head. "Out there, I do tell people's fortunes for a living... But I just remembered—I don't actually know how to tell fortunes. I'm just a charlatan."
Ning Qiushui was left speechless. He was stunned. This guy was truly... a classic example. Did he really believe his own lies after telling them so many times? And... how could he say something like that so unapologetically?
"Forget it..." Ning Qiushui shook his head in resignation and walked straight toward the villa where the young woman stood.
Some people had already arrived. The mistress of the villa didn't speak to them; she only gave them a formal smile—neither warm nor cold. Whenever they tried to talk to her, she would only reply, "Please wait. There are still a few caregivers who haven't arrived yet."
After about ten minutes, all seven of them had gathered. It was as if a trigger had been pulled— the mistress, who had only smiled until then, suddenly spoke to them:
"Is everyone here? I'm truly sorry for asking all of you to come and take care of my mother. But my husband is away on business, and I need to take my daughter to the beach for her birthday—there's really no one else at home...My mother is elderly; she's not only bedridden but also has severe cognitive decline. I was worried that two or three caregivers might not be enough, so I simply hired all of you from the agency...Don't worry about money—I have more than enough. When I come back... if my mother is well taken care of, I'll pay each of you separately."
As she spoke, she led them into the villa, up to the second floor, and into a spacious room. The room had poor lighting and smelled unpleasant. By the window, on a large bed, lay an elderly woman with a kind face, looking peacefully at Ning Qiushui and the others. However, a faint, eerie smile played on her lips, sending shivers down everyone's spines.
"This is my mother..." After introducing her mother to the group, the woman knelt beside the old lady and said affectionately, "Mom, I'm taking Tuantuan to the beach for her birthday. I specially found seven caregivers for you—they'll look after you these five days."
She leaned in and whispered something in the old lady's ear, then stood up, turned to the group, and smiled: "My mother is bedridden and has some dementia, but she can understand simple words. Overall, her health is quite good—no other illnesses, and she has a good appetite... Oh, right, I haven't shown you the kitchen yet."
She led them downstairs to the villa's kitchen. It was also quite large, with a full set of cooking utensils neatly arranged on the table—all spotlessly clean. On the left side of the kitchen entrance stood two huge refrigerators.
"It's already summer here, and the rainy season is about to start. The rainstorms here are terrible, and there might be strong winds and heavy rain in the next three to five days. It will be very inconvenient to buy vegetables and meat then..." As she spoke, she pulled open one of the large refrigerators, revealing it stuffed full of meat and vegetables. She smiled at the group, "But you don't have to worry. I've prepared plenty of food and water for you."
"Also... my mother doesn't like eating vegetables. When you cook for her, just make more meat dishes."
After speaking, the woman didn't leave immediately with her daughter. Instead, she asked the group, "Do any of you have other questions?"
Ning Qiushui spoke up first: "Excuse me, is there no one else living in this villa complex?"
The woman froze for a moment, then smiled calmly: "That's right. This complex was built a while ago, but it's too remote, so no one else lives here besides us. In fact, we wouldn't live here either if it weren't for my mother."
Pausing, she added, "During these five days, feel free to treat yourselves as the owners of the villa. I've cleaned up the rooms on the second floor for all of you—you can choose whichever room you like then. But listen carefully... you must, must not enter the third floor of the villa. Do ya'll understand?" At this sentence, her expression suddenly turned extremely serious.
The group agreed. Seeing they had promised, the mistress smiled again. "Now that you all understand... I'll leave my mother in your care!"
"Oh, the car will leave soon! I have to go with my daughter now, or we'll miss the high-speed train..." She hurried to the door in her high heels, took her daughter's hand, grabbed her suitcase, and walked outside.
Ning Qiushui felt something was off. He went to the window and watched the direction the woman was leaving. Just as they got into the car, the little girl the woman was holding turned around and locked eyes with Ning Qiushui at the window.
That glance left Ning Qiushui frozen in place. He had good eyesight, so he clearly saw a look of... fear in the little girl's eyes! She was scared. What was she afraid of? Afraid of going to the beach? Afraid of her grandmother? Or... afraid of the villa they were in?
As Ning Qiushui pondered this, Liu Chengfeng—the burly, bearded man—sidled up again and clicked his tongue. "What are you staring at? She's already gone far. Buddy, I didn't expect you to be into mature married women at such a young age... Nice taste, nice taste. You've got a bright future!"