Chapter 4: The Widow in the Mansion (Part 4)

Page 1/3

Yu Deng walked forward with a stern expression. Actually, he wasn’t sure what to do next or where to go; in any case, it was best to put some distance between himself and the troublesome stepson. Yes, the stepson had already been branded a “villain” in Yu Deng’s eyes.

Meanwhile, the viewers in the live stream were watching the drama unfold.

“[Deng Deng looks so adorable when he seriously says he’s angry and wants an apology—I’m about to swoon from the cuteness…]”

“[Baby, you’re like a fluffed-up cat.]”

“[If someone else acted like this, I’d think it was making a mountain out of a molehill, but if it’s Deng Deng, I’m all for it! That’s too much; an apology is a must!]”

“[But I can understand the stepson; Deng Deng seems to have a special role? His appearance was different from the other newcomers, so the stepson probably thought he was an NPC and decided to test him.]”

“[From the way the player controls him, the stepson seems fine.]”

“[But that doesn’t stop me from scolding him! How can you treat your wife that way? She’s scared, and you don’t even comfort her, just test her!]”

“Stepmom, why are you walking so fast?”

Cheng Xiao, tall and long-legged, caught up with Yu Deng in a few strides.

Yu Deng looked at Cheng Xiao with his slightly reddened beautiful eyes, saying nothing yet conveying a silent accusation.

Cheng Xiao clicked his tongue softly. He felt the injustice dripping from Yu Deng’s expression. Well, since he caused the trouble, it wouldn’t hurt to comfort him a bit.

Cheng Xiao grabbed Yu Deng’s sleeve to stop him: “I didn’t finish what I was saying earlier.”

Yu Deng pouted subtly. “Then say it now.”

Suppressing the urge to press Yu Deng’s lips, Cheng Xiao said, “I just felt that the butler, crossing over you to give orders and handle those guests, was disrespecting you.”

In a way, this was Cheng Xiao’s genuine thought at the time, so it wasn’t a lie to say it now.

“Stepmom, I’m sorry. Next time, I’ll check with you first on these matters.”

Yu Deng stared at the stepson with his clear, distinct eyes for a few seconds, then nodded. “Alright.”

Since the stepson apologized, he might as well generously remove the “villain” label.

Cheng Xiao lowered his gaze for a few seconds, almost unable to resist pinching Yu Deng’s face. He was so easy to appease.

He wondered if his deceased father, whom he had never met, could be soothed as easily.

……

Elsewhere, several players—excluding the man with the receding hairline—were scattered inside the mansion under the guidance of veteran players, chatting with people in an attempt to gather clues.

By the time the instance began, it was already afternoon. After some fussing, night fell quickly.

Cheng Xiao was carrying a box he had intercepted from a servant as he returned to the original mansion when he happened to run into two players.

“Hey, Cheng Xiao,” the tall, slender man called out using the name given by the instance. “What are you carrying? Where are you going?”

Cheng Xiao stood on the steps, glancing coldly at the two. “None of your business.”

“You…” The tall man wanted to get angry but was stopped by the woman beside him. She forced a smile. “This instance is a hard mode; there’s no competition between players. We need to work together to find the truth, or none of us will survive.”

Cheng Xiao, a stubborn player with guts and ability, was their biggest fear—hard to deceive, disobedient. Seeing him want to leave, the woman quickened her speech: “Clues are scattered; we only know the surface situation. The testimonies from the Cheng family aren’t enough. We just spoke with Cheng Wenhao, but he didn’t share much with us classmates.”

“The butler just told us that unless there’s a special arrangement, guests must return to their rooms by ten at night. It’s best to follow the rules on the first night. We have to search for clues before then.”

Cheng Xiao shrugged, “Then go look.”

The tall man almost suspected Cheng Xiao was pretending not to understand. “Your identity badge is better than ours; it’s definitely easier for you to find clues! You have to come with us!”

Page 2/3

“Don’t boss me around. If you want to go, go yourselves,” Cheng Xiao said impatiently.

The boy’s lips curved in a habitual smile, but his eyes were dark.

“Besides, aren’t you all veteran players? Let me think… you must have some life-saving items or skills. I’m just a newbie, so I won’t cause trouble.”

The two veteran players did have their safeguards, but hearing this, their expressions shifted slightly.

“Enough. I’m going to deliver food to Stepmom.”

Cheng Xiao glanced at the box in his hand. Thinking of Yu Deng’s angry face, he said casually, “If I’m late, she might get hangry.”

The veteran players thought: …Could it be he’s really interested in that NPC?

“Cheng Xiao, remember, we’re all having a meeting tomorrow morning!” the woman called out.

Cheng Xiao was already gone without a trace.

……

At this moment, the NPC Yu Deng had returned to his room to rest.

He locked the door, drew the curtains, turned on the lights, and sat on the bed, zoning out before starting to organize the clues collected since entering the instance—trying to deduce who the murderer might be.

After pacing the room and sorting through the clues for a long time, Yu Deng found his mind muddier than before and reluctantly gave up.

One small piece of good news was that while moving about, he accidentally discovered a door in the bedroom, hidden behind decorations and a dark pattern, which had gone unnoticed due to the dim light.

He casually pushed it open and found a private bathroom.

Inside were a flush toilet, a simple shower, a bathtub, a washstand cluttered with bottles, and a small hook.

Given the setting from a century ago, such a bathroom was truly a luxury only wealthy families could afford.

Yu Deng cautiously tested the tap water and found it was hot and running normally. The space was too small to hide anything.

If he just took a quick shower, it should be fine.

Perhaps because he had witnessed the Mediterranean man’s tragic state, Yu Deng felt a faint, almost imperceptible bloody smell on his body, along with a sticky sensation, making him want to wash up.

But maybe he should wait… perhaps he could endure it.

Yu Deng hesitated for a long time before the system, unable to bear it, prompted: [Host, you currently have a special status. As long as you don’t reveal your identity to characters in the instance, you generally won’t be a primary attack target.]

Yu Deng’s eyes lit up. He opened the wardrobe, found a set of fresh clothes and a bathrobe, and after searching the compartments, located a single pair of underwear.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door.

“Who is it?”

“Stepmom, it’s me. Please open the door.”

Yu Deng casually tossed the clothes on the bed, opened the door just a crack, met Cheng Xiao’s gaze for a few seconds, then fully opened it.

Cheng Xiao squeezed in and said, “There was chaos today. Auntie and the concubines weren’t in the mood to eat; the food was delivered to their rooms. I brought this to you since it was on the way. You should eat first.”

Yu Deng responded with an “oh.”

Not going to lie, he was a little hungry.

He quietly said thank you, not questioning why his stepson insisted on delivering this meal, and set the box on the small rosewood round table.

Opening it, he saw a porcelain bowl with plain rice, clear soup, and some vegetables.

Very simple and unappetizing.

Yu Deng wrinkled his nose but didn’t insist on being picky.

Cheng Xiao took the opportunity to inspect the room.

At first glance, nothing seemed special—just ordinary furniture.

Page 3/3

Cheng Xiao’s gaze unconsciously drifted to the large bed in the center and suddenly froze.

There were several pieces of clothing scattered on the bed.

A small piece of white fabric was carelessly thrown there; its thin material was so sheer that the color of the quilt beneath was visible.

Did Stepmom just throw clothes around like that?

And she even opened the door to let him in—wasn’t she afraid someone might see?

Yu Deng didn’t notice anything amiss. He looked at Cheng Xiao curiously and hesitated, “Are you going to watch me eat?”

“I won’t bother you,” Cheng Xiao said.

After standing a moment and looking at Yu Deng’s profile, he quickly left the room.

……

After eating the bland dinner, Yu Deng carried the empty box downstairs to give it to the kitchen staff.

Midway, a servant with braided hair quickly took the box from him. “Madam, let me handle it.”

Yu Deng was about to thank her when a conversation drifted from nearby.

“You two as well, why do you have to do such things at home before the wedding?” The woman scolded angrily. “Now look, all the concubines know you’re out of line! Ziyue too—usually so dependable, why is she messing around with him today?”

Yu Deng stood at the top of the stairs, looking up to see the eldest Miss Cheng and her son’s fiancée approaching.

The young Miss Lin was so ashamed she couldn’t raise her head, almost on the verge of tears.

Meeting her embarrassed glance, Yu Deng politely averted his eyes.

The mansion housed the legitimate descendants of the Cheng family; it wasn’t unusual for them to meet—but this scolding felt awkward.

Cheng Chaoxia cleared her throat awkwardly and said stiffly, “Xiao Yu, you and Xiao Xiao will keep watch for the old master tonight. Wenling is still on her way back. I’ll take over the watch tomorrow night.”

Yu Deng: “?”

Watch what? The spirit? Could he refuse?

[ Ding! Player Yu Deng has triggered a side quest: Spirit Watch. ]

[ If the side quest is not completed, the player will face certain penalties. ]

Yu Deng frowned.

There was a side quest after all.

“Remember to come after ten tonight,” Cheng Chaoxia said before hurrying away.

Leaving Yu Deng with the young couple, who were probably older than him, all three exchanged glances.

Miss Lin looked at Yu Deng, seemingly wanting to break the ice, and asked her fiancé, “Wenhao, do your classmates know how to solve cases?”

“Yes, some studied abroad. I heard they learned some kind of forensic investigation.”

Lin Ziyue lowered her head and spoke softly, “I hope they can help us find the culprit quickly.”

Yu Deng nodded in agreement.

……

After bidding farewell to the two, Yu Deng returned to his room. Though the side quest worried him, he thought it over and took a towel and bathrobe into the bathroom.

The shower here was naturally no match for modern facilities, but at least he could take a hot shower.

Nothing unexpected happened during the process. Yu Deng quickly cleaned himself, wrapped in the bathrobe, and came out to change clothes.

Alas, this was the only inconvenience—the bathroom had no place to put clothes, so he had to change outside.