"Big Shot..." Wen Xirou looked at Wan Qian with gratitude.
Perhaps the reason Wan Qian became such an outstanding Secrets Unraveler was because she had also learned step by step along the way.
That must be why she was so understanding toward a newbie like her.
However, Wan Qian shook her head slightly, her tone gentle. "You don't need to call me 'Big Shot.' Just call me Wan Qian."
Wen Xirou was silent for a moment before finally speaking Wan Qian's name, her voice solemn. "Wan Qian."
At that moment, Wen Xirou knew that she had truly become Wan Qian's teammate.
All of Wan Qian's previous care for her was merely due to Wan Qian's noble qualities as a Secrets Unraveler—one who sacrifices herself to illuminate others—rather than a genuine act of mutual support between teammates.
But now, everything was different.
Wen Xirou thought that if she had never met Wan Qian, she might have spent her entire life just scraping by.
Even after entering this haunted realm, she wouldn't have thought about uncovering the truth—she would have just curled up in a corner, trying to survive as long as possible.
But now, at this moment, she wanted to fight alongside Wan Qian.
She was well aware of her own abilities—she could never be a Secrets Unraveler. But since Wan Qian trusted her enough to assign her the task of exploring the office, she would do her best.
She would not let Wan Qian down! With these determined thoughts, even eating her lunchbox felt energizing.
After finishing her meal, she prepared to head back to the office.
Wan Qian called out to her. Glancing at the time, there was still some free time before the afternoon shift. Wan Qian said, "I'll go with you to the office."
She planned to use this break to help Wen Xirou get her leave request signed. Leave requests had to be signed a day in advance, and each request could only cover a single day.
Wan Qian took Wen Xirou along as they made their way toward the two-story building.
The farm was vast. Most of the land was abandoned, and the two of them strolled slowly along the main road.
Occasionally, they passed a few signs planted in the ground, labeled with words like "Onions," "Mushrooms," "Corn," and "Broccoli."
It was likely the old plantation base, left idle due to the farm being abandoned for a long time.
Fortunately, the land was still usable. Wan Qian thought that once more interns were recruited in the future, they could revitalize and manage it again.
Before they knew it, they had been walking for over ten minutes.
Suddenly, Wan Qian stopped and looked into the distance.
Logically, they should have been able to see the eaves of the two-story building peeking through the leaves by now.
However, the space was completely empty—there was nothing there.
"Are we… lost?" Wan Qian examined her surroundings.
She hadn't been on the farm much longer than the other interns and had only walked between the employee dorms, the two-story building, and a few plantation base.
The scenery here didn't look much different from the rest of the farm.
The lawns on both sides were overgrown with wild grass reaching nearly waist-high, unkempt and untamed. This made the road feel unnervingly dim lit and claustrophobic.
It made one instinctively want to quicken their pace and leave this place.
Wen Xirou had clearly realized that something was off. Compared to Wan Qian, she felt an increasing sense of chest tightness and fatigue.
The sensation of those books from the morning lingered in her mind, circling endlessly. A wave of nausea rose in her again.
"Big—Wan Qian." She nearly called out "Big Shot" but quickly corrected herself, remembering Wan Qian's words.
Wan Qian turned to her. "Hmm?"
Seeing Wan Qian's calm expression, Wen Xirou instantly felt much more at ease. The physical discomfort faded somewhat.
"Which way should we go?" Wen Xirou steadied herself and asked.
Wan Qian didn't hesitate for even a second before replying firmly, "No need. We'll stay put."
She had plenty of experience handling situations like this. When lost, running around aimlessly only made things worse. And if things got really bad, she could always call for the butler.
Wen Xirou chose to trust Wan Qian. They stood still together.
However, the sky gradually darkened.
Light gray clouds piled up in the sky, so thick it seemed like they could collapse at any moment. The sunlight was nearly completely blocked. It was clearly a sign of an impending rainstorm.
Just then, a small black speck appeared on the distant road.
The black speck moved closer. And closer. It grew larger.
It was a man, dressed entirely in black. He walked with a slight hunch, clad from head to toe in darkness.
A black gentleman's hat covered most of his face, and his gloved hands held a pitch-black, long-handled umbrella.
"Are you two lost?"
The man stopped in front of Wan Qian and Wen Xirou, his voice low and hoarse—like the wheezing of a broken bellows.
Wan Qian narrowed her eyes slightly, studying him with caution.
"Mm." She nodded lightly.
Hearing her response, the man seemed pleased. His tone grew warmer.
"Where would you like to go? I know this place well and can take you there."
"Oh?" Wan Qian's gaze deepened. "And who are you?"
"I'm the butler of this farm. If you ever run into trouble, you can always come to me for help," the man replied cheerfully.
Farm Employee Code of Conduct, Rule 4: All permanent employees on the farm wear blue uniforms, while interns wear white uniforms. There are no employees wearing green uniforms. If you encounter anyone in black attire, do not worry; he is the farm butler. You can seek assistance from the farm butler for any difficulties.
Wen Xirou eyed him skeptically. "Are you really the butler?"
They had all seen the farm's butler before, and he definitely didn't look like this.