[ Lord Host, wake up.]
[Lord Host, it’s nighttime!]
The faint voice echoed in Bai Lixin’s mind. He woke up in a daze, and found that the once vibrant sunlight outside had disappeared, replaced by darkness.
It felt as if he had just emerged from an immensely long dream, in which he was falling into a dark, sticky abyss.
Rubbing his temples, Bai Lixin still felt the lingering headache from the alcohol intoxication.
[Lord Host, you’re finally awake!] S419M’s voice had a hint of anxiety.
Bai Lixin frowned, got out of bed, and noticed a neatly folded white suit by the bedside.
Outside, the sounds of approaching cars and occasional headlights shining through his window indicated something was happening.
[What happened?] Bai Lixin got off the bed and walked to the window to look out. There were many expensive cars parked inside and outside the courtyard of the Fei residence. People kept getting out of the cars and walking in groups towards the house.
One second he remembered that he was still looking at the pastoral straw painting in Big Zhuang’s room, and the next second, he had returned to his room and it was already 7:30 in the evening.
Even from the third-floor bedroom, he could vaguely hear the lively sounds of the banquet below.
[What happened when I was in Big Zhuang’s room?] Bai Lixin tried to get some clues from S419m.
However, s419M was also clueless. [I don’t know either. I woke up a little earlier than you. Once I regained consciousness, we were already in this room. Maybe the game time was accelerated.]
Bai Lixin pursed his lips and stared at the Fei family gate. When a figure slowly appeared in his line of sight, he was stunned.
It was a tall man.
Even though he was bathed in darkness, even though he was surrounded by similarly dressed men and women, the man was like an imposing lone wolf in the jungle, and he instantly caught Bai Lixin’s eye.
‘Dijia is here too?’
As if sensing Bai Lixin’s gaze, the man suddenly raised his chin, locking eyes with Bai Lixin.
Bai Lixin froze on the spot. The man stared at him for two seconds, his beautiful jawline tracing a sharp and powerful arc.
Their eyes met for a moment, and the man nodded slightly before turning away and greeting those around him, then walked into the Fei family hall without looking back.
As guests continued to arrive, Bai Lixin closed the curtains and walked to the wardrobe. Instead of wearing the white suit prepared by the Fei family, he chose the white suit Dijia bought for him the previous night.
The suit styles were similar, with only subtle differences in detail. One can’t even notice them if they don’t look carefully.
After adjusting his clothes and hair in front of the mirror, he walked out of the room.
On opening the door, the bustling noise from the hall immediately reached Bai Lixin’s ears. He didn’t rush downstairs but walked straight to the end of the third-floor corridor, outside Big Zhuang’s room.
He knocked on the door, but no one answered. He tried pushing the door, only to find it unlocked.
The lights were on, and the room was empty.
Every corner of the room was spotless. There were only a few pairs of unused disposable slippers on the shoe rack, the mattress was brand new, and there were no clothes on the hangers.
It was as if no one had ever stayed there.
Bai Lixin just glanced at it and walked directly to the oil painting in the room.
There was such a painting hanging on the simple and pure white wall. If it weren’t for the overall pale golden color scheme of the painting, it would have looked out of place.
The last thing he remembered before waking up was standing in front of this painting.
At that time, he discovered it was signed “Zhai Tou,” and this painting, along with “Rose Boy” in Fei Yino’s secret room, came from the same artist.
Amidst the golden, ripe wheat fields, two straw figures, one black and one white, stood back-to-back. The white straw figure had a totem on its back. The general outline was circular with a faintly visible eye inside.
When he focused on the painting, he noticed that the two straw figures moved slightly.
He couldn’t recall what happened next.
At that time, Big Zhuang and the other two were present. He now didn’t know where they were, perhaps in the banquet hall on the first floor.
Bai Lixin stood in front of the painting again. When he looked at the wheat field painting, the two small figures that should have been in the field were gone.
Under the sun, only the golden wheat field remained.
Bai Lixin frowned slightly and stared at the painting.
S419M: [Lord Host, it seems this painting…is moving.]
Bai Lixin pursed his lips.
Just as s419M said, the painting was really moving.
As if being blown by an invisible wind, the wheat field that should have been stationary moved like a ppt, tilting in the same direction frame by frame.
As the wheat field swayed, a small dot appeared in the distance.
Bai Lixin narrowed his eyes and focused on the black spot.
The black spot was not really a black spot, it just looked like a black spot from a distance.
The spot wasn’t completely black; it was adorned with smaller, dim yellow dots.
As if to make it clearer for Bai Lixin, the painting in front of him started to zoom in on the black dot.
The surrounding wheat fields gradually swept backward frame by frame, and the distant black dot grew larger.
As it approached, the black dot gradually revealed its outline.
A familiar outline.
A familiar dark metallic gate.
Familiar exterior walls.
A familiar courtyard.
Familiar architecture.
The painting depicted the Fei residence.
The dim yellow dots earlier weren’t dots but rather lights.
As the image zoomed in, the surroundings changed from daytime to nighttime.
Under the flickering lights, cars stopped, and people walked in silently.
S419M: [Fuck! Isn’t this what is happening right now?]
Another red sports car stopped at the gate.
Bai Lixin silently walked to the window and looked towards the gate. A red sports car was also parked there: “…”
S419M’s voice sounded somewhat uncertain. [Lord Host, where are we exactly? Are we in reality or in the painting?]
[I don’t know.] Bai Lixin shook his head. [But it didn’t matter whether it’s reality or not. The main concern is not where we are, but where those two straw figures went.]
S419M: [What do you mean?]
Bai Lixin: [Is it possible that the scarecrows left the wheat field, and sneaked into this house?]
The young man’s words were like a magic spell, instantly making s419M shudder. [Lord Host, don’t scare me. Scaring me is bad, and scaring me to death is even worse.]
Bai Lixin smiled, closed the curtains, and walked to the wall. He lifted his hand to grab the frame of the oil painting.
S419M: [Lord Host, what are you doing?]
Bai Lixin: [We are already here. It would be a pity not to take away such an interesting painting.]
As he spoke, he exerted force on his hand, and the oil painting that was originally snug against the wall was taken down and magically disappeared into his backpack.
S419M: “???”
Oil painting: Are you polite?
After putting away the painting, Bai Lixin heard footsteps coming upstairs.
Not wanting to linger in this room, Bai Lixin quickly left, politely closing the door before he exited.
Just as he stepped out of Big Zhuang’s room, Aunt Zhang hurriedly approached. After glancing around, she spotted Bai Lixin walking towards her. “Young Master, it seems you’re awake. The banquet has started, and the master asked me to call you down. Please follow me.”
Bai Lixin replied with an “Oh” and followed Aunt Zhang downstairs.
While going downstairs, Aunt Zhang occasionally glanced at Bai Lixin. Her mouth opened and closed several times, as if she had something to say.
After struggling for awhile, when they were almost at the first floor, she couldn’t hold it anymore. “Young Master, after leaving through the backyard, turn left and keep walking. There’s a small door; that’s the back door of the Fei family. It’s usually open.”
Bai Lixin stopped. “Why are you telling me this, Aunt Zhang?”
Aunt Zhang hesitated, fidgeting with her dress. “If later…”
“How come you’re just coming down now? The guests are getting impatient.” Just as Aunt Zhang was about to say something, a voice abruptly interrupted her.
When Aunt Zhang heard this voice, her expression stiffened and she quickly stopped talking. She clasped her hands in front of her in a respectful manner, and looked towards the source of the voice. “Madam, I’m sorry for keeping you waiting.”
Today, Li Manyu wore a dark red strapless evening gown. Her hair was gently tied up, displaying a luxurious and lazy charm. The dress accentuated her graceful curves.
With black silk gloves on her hands, Li Manyu approached, holding two glasses of champagne, one in each hand. She handed one of the glasses to Bai Lixin, casually glancing at Aunt Zhang. “Alright, leave Xiao Xin to me. You go attend to your duties.”
Aunt Zhang stared at the wine glass hesitantly, but finally didn’t say anything under Li Manyu’s gaze and silently left the scene.
With Aunt Zhang gone, only Li Manyu and Bai Lixin remained on the stairs.
At this moment, people around them were at a distance, and if they wanted to speak privately, no one would overhear.
Li Manyu’s gaze fell on Bai Lixin. Her enchanting eyes assessed him from head to toe before she smiled contentedly. “Excellent.”
Bai Lixin asked, “What’s excellent?”
“At twenty, the same age as a flower, with skin as delicate as blown bubbles, and a vibrant and innocent expression. It’s wonderful.” Envy flashed in Li Manyu’s eyes. “I was also like that once upon a time.”
She touched her face, “But look at me now, I’m aged and yellowed. I can only rely on expensive cosmetics to conceal the vanishing youth.”
Bai Lixin: “You don’t look old at all. If we go out together, people would think you’re my sister.”
Li Manyu was amused and chuckled. “Xiao Xin, your mouth is really sweet today.”
Li Manyu seemed to be in an unusually good mood today. She looked at Bai Lixin with eyes not only full of envy but also a strange and unexplainable delight.
That kind of delight was like the refreshing feeling after taking revenge on an enemy. She pointed to the glass in Bai Lixin’s hand. “I know you get drunk with a sip, so I specially got you non-alcoholic drink. Let’s go, your father is waiting for you, he wants to introduce you to the guests.”
[ Lord Host, wake up.]
[Lord Host, it’s nighttime!]
The faint voice echoed in Bai Lixin’s mind. He woke up in a daze, and found that the once vibrant sunlight outside had disappeared, replaced by darkness.
It felt as if he had just emerged from an immensely long dream, in which he was falling into a dark, sticky abyss.
Rubbing his temples, Bai Lixin still felt the lingering headache from the alcohol intoxication.
[Lord Host, you’re finally awake!] S419M’s voice had a hint of anxiety.
Bai Lixin frowned, got out of bed, and noticed a neatly folded white suit by the bedside.
Outside, the sounds of approaching cars and occasional headlights shining through his window indicated something was happening.
[What happened?] Bai Lixin got off the bed and walked to the window to look out. There were many expensive cars parked inside and outside the courtyard of the Fei residence. People kept getting out of the cars and walking in groups towards the house.
One second he remembered that he was still looking at the pastoral straw painting in Big Zhuang’s room, and the next second, he had returned to his room and it was already 7:30 in the evening.
Even from the third-floor bedroom, he could vaguely hear the lively sounds of the banquet below.
[What happened when I was in Big Zhuang’s room?] Bai Lixin tried to get some clues from S419m.
However, s419M was also clueless. [I don’t know either. I woke up a little earlier than you. Once I regained consciousness, we were already in this room. Maybe the game time was accelerated.]
Bai Lixin pursed his lips and stared at the Fei family gate. When a figure slowly appeared in his line of sight, he was stunned.
It was a tall man.
Even though he was bathed in darkness, even though he was surrounded by similarly dressed men and women, the man was like an imposing lone wolf in the jungle, and he instantly caught Bai Lixin’s eye.
‘Dijia is here too?’
As if sensing Bai Lixin’s gaze, the man suddenly raised his chin, locking eyes with Bai Lixin.
Bai Lixin froze on the spot. The man stared at him for two seconds, his beautiful jawline tracing a sharp and powerful arc.
Their eyes met for a moment, and the man nodded slightly before turning away and greeting those around him, then walked into the Fei family hall without looking back.
As guests continued to arrive, Bai Lixin closed the curtains and walked to the wardrobe. Instead of wearing the white suit prepared by the Fei family, he chose the white suit Dijia bought for him the previous night.
The suit styles were similar, with only subtle differences in detail. One can’t even notice them if they don’t look carefully.
After adjusting his clothes and hair in front of the mirror, he walked out of the room.
On opening the door, the bustling noise from the hall immediately reached Bai Lixin’s ears. He didn’t rush downstairs but walked straight to the end of the third-floor corridor, outside Big Zhuang’s room.
He knocked on the door, but no one answered. He tried pushing the door, only to find it unlocked.
The lights were on, and the room was empty.
Every corner of the room was spotless. There were only a few pairs of unused disposable slippers on the shoe rack, the mattress was brand new, and there were no clothes on the hangers.
It was as if no one had ever stayed there.
Bai Lixin just glanced at it and walked directly to the oil painting in the room.
There was such a painting hanging on the simple and pure white wall. If it weren’t for the overall pale golden color scheme of the painting, it would have looked out of place.
The last thing he remembered before waking up was standing in front of this painting.
At that time, he discovered it was signed “Zhai Tou,” and this painting, along with “Rose Boy” in Fei Yino’s secret room, came from the same artist.
Amidst the golden, ripe wheat fields, two straw figures, one black and one white, stood back-to-back. The white straw figure had a totem on its back. The general outline was circular with a faintly visible eye inside.
When he focused on the painting, he noticed that the two straw figures moved slightly.
He couldn’t recall what happened next.
At that time, Big Zhuang and the other two were present. He now didn’t know where they were, perhaps in the banquet hall on the first floor.
Bai Lixin stood in front of the painting again. When he looked at the wheat field painting, the two small figures that should have been in the field were gone.
Under the sun, only the golden wheat field remained.
Bai Lixin frowned slightly and stared at the painting.
S419M: [Lord Host, it seems this painting…is moving.]
Bai Lixin pursed his lips.
Just as s419M said, the painting was really moving.
As if being blown by an invisible wind, the wheat field that should have been stationary moved like a ppt, tilting in the same direction frame by frame.
As the wheat field swayed, a small dot appeared in the distance.
Bai Lixin narrowed his eyes and focused on the black spot.
The black spot was not really a black spot, it just looked like a black spot from a distance.
The spot wasn’t completely black; it was adorned with smaller, dim yellow dots.
As if to make it clearer for Bai Lixin, the painting in front of him started to zoom in on the black dot.
The surrounding wheat fields gradually swept backward frame by frame, and the distant black dot grew larger.
As it approached, the black dot gradually revealed its outline.
A familiar outline.
A familiar dark metallic gate.
Familiar exterior walls.
A familiar courtyard.
Familiar architecture.
The painting depicted the Fei residence.
The dim yellow dots earlier weren’t dots but rather lights.
As the image zoomed in, the surroundings changed from daytime to nighttime.
Under the flickering lights, cars stopped, and people walked in silently.
S419M: [Fuck! Isn’t this what is happening right now?]
Another red sports car stopped at the gate.
Bai Lixin silently walked to the window and looked towards the gate. A red sports car was also parked there: “…”
S419M’s voice sounded somewhat uncertain. [Lord Host, where are we exactly? Are we in reality or in the painting?]
[I don’t know.] Bai Lixin shook his head. [But it didn’t matter whether it’s reality or not. The main concern is not where we are, but where those two straw figures went.]
S419M: [What do you mean?]
Bai Lixin: [Is it possible that the scarecrows left the wheat field, and sneaked into this house?]
The young man’s words were like a magic spell, instantly making s419M shudder. [Lord Host, don’t scare me. Scaring me is bad, and scaring me to death is even worse.]
Bai Lixin smiled, closed the curtains, and walked to the wall. He lifted his hand to grab the frame of the oil painting.
S419M: [Lord Host, what are you doing?]
Bai Lixin: [We are already here. It would be a pity not to take away such an interesting painting.]
As he spoke, he exerted force on his hand, and the oil painting that was originally snug against the wall was taken down and magically disappeared into his backpack.
S419M: “???”
Oil painting: Are you polite?
After putting away the painting, Bai Lixin heard footsteps coming upstairs.
Not wanting to linger in this room, Bai Lixin quickly left, politely closing the door before he exited.
Just as he stepped out of Big Zhuang’s room, Aunt Zhang hurriedly approached. After glancing around, she spotted Bai Lixin walking towards her. “Young Master, it seems you’re awake. The banquet has started, and the master asked me to call you down. Please follow me.”
Bai Lixin replied with an “Oh” and followed Aunt Zhang downstairs.
While going downstairs, Aunt Zhang occasionally glanced at Bai Lixin. Her mouth opened and closed several times, as if she had something to say.
After struggling for awhile, when they were almost at the first floor, she couldn’t hold it anymore. “Young Master, after leaving through the backyard, turn left and keep walking. There’s a small door; that’s the back door of the Fei family. It’s usually open.”
Bai Lixin stopped. “Why are you telling me this, Aunt Zhang?”
Aunt Zhang hesitated, fidgeting with her dress. “If later…”
“How come you’re just coming down now? The guests are getting impatient.” Just as Aunt Zhang was about to say something, a voice abruptly interrupted her.
When Aunt Zhang heard this voice, her expression stiffened and she quickly stopped talking. She clasped her hands in front of her in a respectful manner, and looked towards the source of the voice. “Madam, I’m sorry for keeping you waiting.”
Today, Li Manyu wore a dark red strapless evening gown. Her hair was gently tied up, displaying a luxurious and lazy charm. The dress accentuated her graceful curves.
With black silk gloves on her hands, Li Manyu approached, holding two glasses of champagne, one in each hand. She handed one of the glasses to Bai Lixin, casually glancing at Aunt Zhang. “Alright, leave Xiao Xin to me. You go attend to your duties.”
Aunt Zhang stared at the wine glass hesitantly, but finally didn’t say anything under Li Manyu’s gaze and silently left the scene.
With Aunt Zhang gone, only Li Manyu and Bai Lixin remained on the stairs.
At this moment, people around them were at a distance, and if they wanted to speak privately, no one would overhear.
Li Manyu’s gaze fell on Bai Lixin. Her enchanting eyes assessed him from head to toe before she smiled contentedly. “Excellent.”
Bai Lixin asked, “What’s excellent?”
“At twenty, the same age as a flower, with skin as delicate as blown bubbles, and a vibrant and innocent expression. It’s wonderful.” Envy flashed in Li Manyu’s eyes. “I was also like that once upon a time.”
She touched her face, “But look at me now, I’m aged and yellowed. I can only rely on expensive cosmetics to conceal the vanishing youth.”
Bai Lixin: “You don’t look old at all. If we go out together, people would think you’re my sister.”
Li Manyu was amused and chuckled. “Xiao Xin, your mouth is really sweet today.”
Li Manyu seemed to be in an unusually good mood today. She looked at Bai Lixin with eyes not only full of envy but also a strange and unexplainable delight.
That kind of delight was like the refreshing feeling after taking revenge on an enemy. She pointed to the glass in Bai Lixin’s hand. “I know you get drunk with a sip, so I specially got you non-alcoholic drink. Let’s go, your father is waiting for you, he wants to introduce you to the guests.”
