There's definitely something wrong with this murder mystery game

In the alley flashing with neon lights, a cloaked figure was flung out into the darkness and crashed into a puddle on the ground, instantly soaking wet through.

He got up, spat out the rainwater he accidentally swallowed, looked around, and then saw a petite figure ahead.

The girl, like a wraith in a long white dress, had pale, bloodless skin and a faint smile on her face; but even her delicate and cute facial features couldn't conceal the eerie and ominous aura that surrounded her.

Especially those pitch-black eyes, swirling with silent and dark depths.

"Qiuzi?" the man on the ground got up, his tone tinged with slight surprise and doubt.

"Xuena, you didn't show up for the meeting, so I came looking for you," the girl said, tilting her head oddly and stretching her mouth into a smile.

The eavesdropper upon hearing this voluntarily removed the hood of the cloak, revealing her face to be Xuena's.

She glanced at the girl standing in the shadows, then diverted her eyes, hanging her head low as she asked quietly, "Qiuzi, are you with those people?"

Xu Shuo smiled normally, "Then I wouldn't have saved you."

Although he wished he could be normal, he just couldn't manage it.

Having experienced the feeling of bewitchment before, Xuena now carefully avoided looking at him as she asked, "What do you want me to do?"

But Xu Shuo countered with his own question, "What were you doing there?"

Xuena quickly glanced at the ghostly girl, pondered for a moment, and then said, "You said before that despite favoring you more, Changying agreed to let me compete. I thought there might be something hidden behind it, so I followed to see, but I didn't expect..."

Her words were a mix of truth and lies. Although that was part of the reason, more so, it was for her mission.

She just hadn't expected those people to be so terrifying; she was nearly forced to reveal her trump card.

Xu Shuo nodded, his expression unreadable as to whether he believed her or not.

Then, Xuena asked again, "What about you?"

"Do you know what happened to Lanruo tonight?"

Xu Shuo suddenly leaned in close to her, his ghostly figure unexpectedly right in front of her; the pallid face and chilling breath startled Xuena, causing her to stumble.

Thump!

She lost her balance and fell backward into the puddle, staring dazedly at the girl who had approached her.

Seeing this, Xu Shuo managed to suppress a laugh, "Sorry, it's my first time playing a dead person, I lack experience."

Xuena snapped back to reality, her expression suddenly serious, "Are you a Necrophage?!"

No wonder this guy's aura was always so strange -- ethereal and cold, marked by an undertone of death. Perhaps the female officer who came to the dance studio wasn't eyeing Changying but was drawn because of her!

"That's such an unpleasant label to put on someone," Xu Shuo said with a smile.

"Forget it, what do you really want from me?" Xuena stood up again, this time cautiously keeping several meters of distance.

"In the ballet performance in a few days, do you plan to defeat me and take the stage?" Xu Shuo asked.

Xuena: "??"

She looked bewildered for a moment, then quickly caught on, looking meaningfully at him, "You just said Lanruo was in trouble, and now that you're a Necrophage, you'll definitely fail in the ritual sacrifice, so you want me to take your place on stage?"

So, where exactly did Qiuzi get the confidence to think she would willingly act as bait?

Xu Shuo raised an eyebrow, grunting affirmatively.

Xuena let out a cold laugh abruptly, "You really are with those people. Who knows what those cultists plan to summon? Why should I offer myself up?"

Xu Shuo simply watched her, then took a step closer.

But Xuena reacted quickly, stepping back several paces until she was at the mouth of the alley, standing against the backdrop of neon lights falling from the street above.

"Xuena, your competitive spirit is strong," he said.

At that moment, the girl slowly began to speak.

Her deep, dark eyes fixed on her, and a devilish whisper sounded, "Even though you know you can't make intense movements with your injured foot and will surely lose to us in the end, you still go to the dance studio every day to train with us."

"Because you harbor hope in your heart, you think you might just be lucky enough to win." Xu Shuo chuckled softly, "Xuena, you really want to win this election and be the one to perform on stage."

Xuena didn't speak, but her heart clenched tightly, nearly losing control of her composed facial expression.

She knew she had to win the election, but she also wanted to know what she would face after her victory in order to prepare, which is why she followed that shadow to investigate the situation this time.

Now that she understood the situation, Xuena knew she could just skedaddle once she got the lead role, without participating in the rest of the plot.

Anyone who participated was courting death!

Only fools would go!

But Xu Shuo had approached her at some point, his hollow black pupils staring at the girl, speaking eerily, "If you cooperate with me, I'll drop out of the competition when the time comes, but if you don't cooperate... I'll make sure you don't even get the chance to perform!"

Xuena looked up, her eyelashes quivering, and said softly, "You can't do that."

"I'm not threatening your life." Xu Shuo cocked his head, looking at her with mockery, "I can just talk to Teacher Changying directly."

Xuena: "..."

This guy, if he simply bypassed the whole competitive process, indeed she would have no way to deal with that!

After all, in Teacher Changying's plan, the person he was looking for was one who could bring out their dark desires, the most suitable to be a vessel.

With Qiuzi's current eerie state, she certainly couldn't compete!

At this thought, a fierce light flashed in Xuena's eyes, and she gritted her teeth, "Then I'll reveal your identity as a Necrophage!"

Xu Shuo raised his eyebrows in surprise at her struggle, then his expression filled with even more disdain, "Are you dumb or am I dumb? If you blurt it out, will Teacher Changying still trust you?"

Xuena: "..." Read new chapters at m_v-l'e|m,p| y- r

The heavy rain poured down relentlessly, hitting the ground, and Xuena felt very cold as the chill of the rainy night struck her face.

Wait, how could she almost forget?

Her mission seemed to be just to win!

With this in mind, she could now pretend to cooperate and directly leave this place after the competition ended in three days!

In the blink of an eye, after settling on these thoughts, Xuena raised her head, pretending to be threatened, nodded vehemently, and said through clenched teeth, "Fine! I agree to cooperate with you!"

Xu Shuo gave her a very gentle smile.

But that smile, on Qiuzi's chilling face, brought nothing but a creepy, unsettling feeling instead of any positive impression.

"Don't worry, as long as you're willing to cooperate, I won't let anything happen to you," Xu Shuo said with a smile.

Xuena didn't speak, giving him a covert glance, took a few steps back, then turned and ran quickly out of the alley, disappearing soon into the curtain of rain.

...

The puddles on the ground were heavily trodden upon, and Xuena, with a gloomy expression, walked under the neon lights; away from the girl, her thoughts became clear again, and she had just remembered another thing.

She knew how to pretend and cajole, but what about Qiuzi?

Was Qiuzi not afraid that she would go back on her word when the time came?

Perhaps... Qiuzi actually didn't know that her mission was complete just by winning?

Furrowing her brows in thought, Xuena's mind involuntarily conjured up an image of the girl with a pitiful, pleading face.

Wait, where was the pity?

Wasn't that just ghostly and eerie?!