Chapter 8:Castle Stories 8 Utilization

Zhang Zhuanghao scratched his head. “Why’re you staring? I’m warning you, the gold bars are mine.”

He’d placed the gold bars from the box on the table, confident no one would challenge him. The other players—either frail women or scrawny men—posed no threat in his eyes.

Cheng Li, silent until now, spoke up. “If this is really the butler’s room, is he that rich?”

Li Hua tapped the ornate walnut nightstand. “Looks like it.”

Like the Duchess’s room, the butler’s was dusty, with cobwebs in corners, untouched for years.

Xu Nian scanned the room and headed straight for the cabinet.

Creak—

Dust billowed from the sealed cabinet. Xu Nian stepped aside, frowning, waiting for it to settle.

Fu Ruxue, pinching her nose, peered inside. “The clothes match the butler’s, including an identical set.”

So, the diary was likely the butler’s.

Zhang Zhuanghao, leaning on the doorframe, urged impatiently, “Done sightseeing? Can you leave now?”

Hustled out, Zhang Zhuanghao locked the door behind them, sealing it shut.

Cheng Li scoffed. “Grabbing some loot and acting like a tycoon. Wonder if he’ll even make it out alive.”

“Look at this—what does it look like?” Li Hua held up a white lace-trimmed cloth.

Cheng Li glanced, then turned away in disgust. “The butler’s weird fetish? Quite the girly taste.”

“It’s a maid’s collar,” Xu Nian said flatly.

Every maid’s uniform had one.

“Heavy taste,” Cheng Li muttered, picturing the headless maid, feeling bile rise from days without food—maybe just stomach acid now.

Li Hua mused, “What’s the relationship between the butler and the maid?”

Cheng Li answered quickly, “The maid wanted to climb the ladder.”

He figured the handsome, wealthy butler and the plain maid meant she was the one chasing him.

Fu Ruxue frowned. “The butler’s diary and behavior don’t match. He wrote about ‘almost succeeding.’ Maybe he tried something bad with the maid.”

Cheng Li smirked mockingly. “Sounds like you’re into the butler. Jealous of the maid?”

“You!” Fu Ruxue stepped forward, anger flaring, but a tug on her wrist stopped her.

Xu Nian shook her head.

Cheng Li tsked.

In a nearby room, the Young Lady frowned, sensing something.

Leaning against the door, she traced a finger through the air, hitting an invisible barrier blocking her exit.

Anger flashed in her eyes, red light flickering at her fingertips, but the barrier held.

The light faded. She rested her hand on the door, letting it slide down.

A helpless sigh echoed in the room.

In the corridor, the group reached Xu Nian’s room.

Li Hua glanced meaningfully between Fu Ruxue and Xu Nian, settling on Fu Ruxue. “How’d you know whose rooms they’re staying in?”

The diary made Zhang Zhuanghao’s room logical, but Xu Nian never mentioned staying in the Duchess’s room. Had she and Fu Ruxue talked privately?

Fu Ruxue’s lips moved hesitantly. “Guessed.”

Li Hua eyed her skeptically, unconvinced.

He pushed open the door.

The room’s simple furnishings stood out, the painting on the wall showing a woman holding a girl, her lips downturned, visibly displeased.

“Is this… the Duchess’s portrait?” Li Hua stepped closer, studying it.

The blonde girl in the painting blinked, smirking maliciously.

The floor vanished beneath him, a loss of control hitting. Before he could react, the world spun, and he crashed to the ground.

Pain seared his back.

“Hiss—”

“What happened?”

“I’m fine.”

Propping himself up, Li Hua gritted his teeth against the pain, standing shakily.

He glared at the painting, eyes flashing with malice.

Fu Ruxue opened the wardrobe, revealing ornate dresses, confirming it as the Duchess’s room.

Still, no clues confirmed if the Duchess was alive.

“Nothing else in here?” Fu Ruxue asked.

After checking, they left.

“Barely anything,” Li Hua said, turning to Xu Nian. “Can I see that medicine from lunch?”

Xu Nian handed it over.

He examined the bottle, finding no clues. “Sorry, I don’t know much about medicine.”

He returned it.

“Let’s assume the Young Lady is the ‘motherless brat’ for now.”

The four parted, returning to their rooms.

Xu Nian headed to hers.

“Xu Nian.”

She turned, meeting Fu Ruxue’s tearful eyes, her delicate face unusually vulnerable. She’d just returned to her room, hiding behind the door until the men left.

“I’m a bit scared.”

Xu Nian opened her door, gesturing. “Come in.”

“Great!”

Fu Ruxue beamed, darting inside before Xu Nian.

Watching her eager back, Xu Nian felt duped.

But wasn’t she also deceiving Fu Ruxue?

“Xu Nian?”

A faint, emotionless smile curved her lips.

Click.

She locked the door.

Turning, she said coolly, “Coming.”

Xu Nian pulled a blanket from the wardrobe, folding it on the floor beside the bed.

Fu Ruxue sat on the bed, legs swinging playfully. “What’s that for?”

“Floor bed.”

Fu Ruxue’s eyes lit up, flattered. “You don’t need to sleep on the floor. It’s cold. We can share—”

Xu Nian gave her a strange look. “You’re overthinking. You’re sleeping on the floor.”

Fu Ruxue: “…”

At night, the blood-red moon seemed redder, unsettling.

A sneaky figure climbed onto the bed, only to be kicked off.

“Ouch!”

Fu Ruxue rubbed the kicked spot, whining, “Xu Nian, why so cold?”

Silence. Then, from the figure facing away, “Am I?”

“No offense, but I heard girls who like girls keep their distance, hard to approach.”

“So what if I do?”

“…”

Fu Ruxue fell silent, embarrassed, and changed the subject. “So, I’ve played this game a few times, always five players. This time, six is weird.

By the way, Xu Nian, what’s your ranking on the app?”

“What app?”

Fu Ruxue’s eyes flickered oddly, but she stayed calm, explaining, “The Strange Tales app. Don’t you know? Every player in a Rule-Based Strange World scenario gets it installed on their phone.”

“Here, look.”

She sat up, showing Xu Nian her phone.

Xu Nian turned, facing her, the glowing screen reflected in her pupils.

The app had a plain white icon labeled “Strange Tales,” looking like a pirated app.

“Why tell me this?”

The white light illuminated Xu Nian’s sweet, beautiful face, captivating Fu Ruxue.

“Because you protected that player. You didn’t know him but stood up for him. I think you’re kind,” Fu Ruxue said, eyes sincere. “So, I trust you.”

Xu Nian wanted to ask, Do you believe your own words?

“I don’t care if you believe me, but I’m just a first-timer here,” Xu Nian said, not expecting trust, turning away. “Sleep.”

Fu Ruxue pouted at her back.

She didn’t buy Xu Nian’s claim.

A game meant for five had six players, and Xu Nian, seemingly knowledgeable, didn’t know the app.

Her earlier trust was a ploy to gain Xu Nian’s confidence. She had a strong hunch Xu Nian was key to finding the “key.”

In the quiet room, both harbored their own schemes, resting while warily watching each other.

A strange fragrance drifted in, pulling their consciousness into a dream world.

Xu Nian barely opened her eyes when soft lips pressed against hers, carrying a familiar scent.

This time, she saw the face clearly but turned away, unwilling to face it.

It was still the Duchess’s room, the dream so vivid even the corner dust was clear.

The only difference: Fu Ruxue wasn’t there.

This confirmed it was a dream.

Seeing Xu Nian turn away, the Young Lady’s long lashes trembled. “You don’t want to see me?”

She reached for Xu Nian’s hand, but it was dodged.

“You used to love doing this.”

Used to? Again with the past!

Xu Nian finally looked at her, stating coldly, “I told you, I don’t know you.”

The Young Lady stepped back, eyes swirling with pain and conflict.