The conversation between the two didn’t shy away from the audience. After that string of strange incidents, the viewers had already found the situation suspicious. Now, hearing Li Zhi’s analysis, they felt it made even more sense.
However, some of the audience who supported Qiao Junyuan felt that Li Zhi was making false accusations. How could a fifteen-year-old child be so malicious? The two factions of the audience started arguing in the chat. But since Li Zhi had more fans, the ones supporting her held the upper hand.
On screen, Li Zhi said to her brother, “Don’t share a room with him tonight.”
Li Feng frowned, “I have to keep an eye on him.”
From the first night they entered the game, Li Feng had felt that this child was off. While others thought that his request to team up with Qiao Junyuan was out of concern for a minor, in truth, it was his soldier’s intuition sensing something odd. He wanted to keep the boy under his watch.
Otherwise, when Qiao Junyuan asked Li Zhi to go upstairs to the second floor to check for clues earlier, Li Feng wouldn’t have followed.
He had been wary of Qiao Junyuan the whole time.
Now, the fox’s tail was finally showing.
Both Li Zhi and Li Feng had their suspicions—Qiao Junyuan was most likely connected to that cult that worshipped ghosts. But the two of them tacitly decided not to mention it in the game. Talking about that cult in front of an audience of hundreds of thousands, or even millions, would only spread its influence.
With such a large viewer base, there would always be someone curious enough to search for information on the cult, and they might end up brainwashed and joining them.
If Qiao Junyuan truly was a cult member, and his first attempt to harm Li Zhi had failed, he would surely make another move before the game ended. Even if he didn’t target Li Zhi again, he’d go after the other teammates.
These cult players always sacrificed their teammates’ lives to their [Ghost] before clearing the game. Some of them killed openly, not caring about the audience, using it as a way to spread the cult’s teachings. Others, like Qiao Junyuan, struck in secret. The teammate might not even realize how they died, let alone the audience watching the game.
“If he really wants to harm someone, keeping an eye on him won’t help,” Li Zhi said in a serious tone. “Soon, I’ll tell the others to be wary of Qiao Junyuan and try to avoid being alone with him. You should switch rooms.”
If it weren’t for Li Feng’s need to conceal their sibling relationship, Li Zhi would’ve asked him to stay with her tonight.
She understood Li Feng’s concerns. As an official player, being too closely associated with a high-profile player like her would hinder his investigation of the special mission. Plus, Li Feng probably didn’t want to use his sister to gain popularity, so he was distancing himself.
But at this point, safety had to take priority over all these reasons. Even if the audience figured out the truth, she didn’t care. Her brother’s safety was more important than anything else.
Seeing his sister’s insistence, Li Feng didn’t refuse. “Alright, I’ll stay with Yuan Cheng and the others tonight.”
Two people sharing one room wasn’t too much.
Standing off to the side, Qiao Junyuan watched them talk, but his expression didn’t change at all. There was no sign of panic from being exposed, nor any frustration from a failed attempt to harm someone. He still looked like a quiet and well-behaved child. When Li Zhi glanced over, he even gave her a sweet, innocent smile.
At Grandma Qiu’s stall, only Fu Huan, Xiang Ling, and Meng Yuhan, who had stayed behind to wait for her, were left. When Li Zhi walked over and voiced her suspicions about Qiao Junyuan, the mood immediately shifted.
They were all experienced players who had at least heard rumors of that cult, and their expressions changed as they looked at Qiao Junyuan.
Fu Huan gritted her teeth. “So young and already brainwashed!”
Xiang Ling suddenly spoke in a low voice, “I don’t think he’s really a child.”
Li Zhi had felt the same way, and hearing Xiang Ling bring it up now aligned with her thoughts.
“There are all sorts of bizarre items in this game,” Xiang Ling continued. “It wouldn’t be surprising if there’s something that can turn an adult into a child, right?”
The moment she said this, the audience members who had been supporting Qiao Junyuan felt like they had been struck down:
[No way! That’s actually possible!]
[I’ve seen so many underage players, but none as quiet and well-behaved as Qiao Junyuan.]
[Are you serious? Don’t joke around. I’ve supported this cute little kid for two whole games, and now you’re telling me he might be an adult in disguise?]
[I’m done!! I’m a “mom fan” of Qiao Junyuan! Damn it, he might be older than me!]
[Calm down, everyone! It’s just a guess!]
…
However, after Xiang Ling’s speculation, the voices supporting Qiao Junyuan in the chat noticeably dwindled.
Now that Qiao Junyuan had been put aside, Li Feng teamed up with Xiang Ling. Both of them were official players, and since their objectives aligned, it made sense for them to collaborate in investigating the clues in the game.
By evening, the number of people going in and out of the apartment had significantly increased. Chu Guangyan also returned from work, carrying a bag of groceries and a bouquet of pink lilies in his arms.
Li Zhi, standing by the security booth, greeted him with a smile. “Mr. Chu, just got off work?”
Chu Guangyan was momentarily stunned, as if recalling that he had seen her earlier at the breakfast stall. He gave Li Zhi a polite smile. “Yes, just got off work.”
Li Zhi glanced at the flowers in his arms. “Those flowers are beautiful. I didn’t expect you to be a flower enthusiast, Mr. Chu.”
A gentle look appeared on Chu Guangyan’s face. “They’re for my wife. She loves flowers.”
Li Zhi continued, “The vegetables look fresh today. Did you buy them from the grocery store at the corner?”
Chu Guangyan nodded. “Yes, the vegetables there are always fresh. But if you go late, they’ll be sold out. If you want to buy some, you’ll have to go earlier.”
As they spoke, Li Zhi kept observing his expression.
People who are prone to domestic violence usually lack patience. Someone like him, facing a stranger and a nosy neighbor asking endless questions, should’ve shown signs of annoyance by now. But throughout the conversation, Chu Guangyan remained composed, polite, and his mannerisms were entirely in line with his refined appearance.
If it weren’t for Grandma Qiu’s words, which didn’t seem fabricated, Li Zhi would’ve found it hard to associate him with someone who committed domestic abuse.
While they were talking, Qu Rong, now dressed in casual clothes, suddenly appeared from the apartment. Li Zhi hadn’t even noticed when she had returned. When Chu Guangyan saw her, a gentle smile immediately appeared on his face. He greeted her, “Going to buy groceries?”
Yawning, Qu Rong wrapped her shawl tighter around herself. “Yes, I was thinking of making some corn and pork rib soup today.”
“If you go now, there won’t be any ribs left,” Chu Guangyan said. “I’m making soup for Meiqian as well. Once it’s done, I’ll bring some down to you.”
Qu Rong smiled. “That’s so considerate of you.”
But her tone didn’t sound like she was rejecting the offer at all.
She noticed the flowers in Chu Guangyan’s arms and her eyes lit up. She plucked a single stem from the bouquet without even asking and brought it to her nose to sniff.
“Smells wonderful.”
Despite having a flower meant for his wife taken by another woman, Chu Guangyan didn’t seem upset. In fact, he looked pleased. “If you like them, I’ll bring you a bouquet tomorrow.”
Qu Rong waved her hand. “Nah, I’m too lazy to change the water. This one stem is enough.”
Chu Guangyan nodded at Li Zhi. “I’ll be heading up now. See you later.”
Li Zhi smiled. “See you.”
Qu Rong also waved at her before following Chu Guangyan back into the apartment building.
As Li Zhi watched their backs disappear into the hallway, a man in a floral shirt suddenly popped up out of nowhere, holding a takeout bag.
His sneaky tone was full of disdain. “Look at those two. Tell me they don’t have some shady business going on behind the scenes, and I’ll call you a liar.”
Li Zhi turned to glance at him. Though his words dripped with disdain, the jealousy in his eyes was unmistakable, just like the nosy gossiping auntie on the sixth floor.
“But it’s understandable.” The man in the floral shirt changed his tone, smacking his lips.
“His wife can’t have kids, and a man has to carry on the family line, right? So, he has to find someone else who can give birth. And look at this big-shot reporter Qu, her genes are obviously better than Chen Meiqian’s. The kid they have will definitely be smarter.”
In the minds of people like him, a wife’s inability to conceive seemed to become a justifiable reason for a man to cheat.
Li Zhi suddenly remembered a social survey she had once read online.
In a marriage, if the wife was unable to conceive, the majority of the time the marriage ended in divorce. However, if the husband was the one who couldn’t have children, the most common outcome was that the couple would adopt a child together.
The man in the floral shirt seemed ready to continue with his long-winded opinions, but Li Zhi interrupted him. “Where did you get the stir-fried rice noodles?”
“Huh? Oh, that.” He pointed behind him. “From the grocery store at the corner.”
“Thanks,” Li Zhi said.
She knocked on the security booth’s window, and Li Jianxi poked his head out. Seeing her, he smiled and asked, “Want some stir-fried rice noodles?”
Li Jianxi’s clear eyes reflected her smile, as if they were filled with gentle warmth. “Sure.”