"Why are you looking at me like that?"
Jiang You felt uneasy under Wen Xirou's gaze, the hairs on her back standing up one by one, and a strange chill creeping down her spine.
Wen Xirou withdrew her gaze and lowered her eyelids. Her eyes swept over the untouched instant noodles on the table before she stood up, her tone as calm as ever.
"It's nothing. Let's get to work."
Today's tasks were even more demanding than yesterday's. They barely managed to finish before the end of the workday, and both Tian Fang and Liu Wen were so tired they were almost drained.
The two of them took a quick shower and were about to head to the old house to search for the keys. Wen Xirou, still concerned about Wan Qian, followed them to the old house.
Following the same path they had taken the day before, they reached the old house without any trouble. It was a mess inside. The room had been dismantled into pieces, with various torn items scattered across the floor.
Liu Wen and Tian Fang searched for a long time before they finally found the keys. They were thrilled. With the keys, they could leave the place.
"Do you want to come with us?" Liu Wen looked up at Wen Xirou and asked softly.
Wen Xirou stood at the staircase, looking up at the second floor. It was still pitch black, with no end in sight.
Hearing Liu Wen's question, she gently shook her head. "No, I want to stay. You can take Xiao Lin and leave."
The old house no longer had any trace of Wan Qian or the dog. No one knew who had won or lost in the fierce battle the previous night.
If Wan Qian won, she might be injured and need help. If she lost...
Wen Xirou placed her hand over her chest. A thick stack of bondage contracts was hidden there, having already absorbed her body warmth.
Then, she would carry on Wan Qian's will. Become the "Secrets Unraveler," and uncover the deepest truth hidden by the haunted realm. Now, only one puzzle piece was missing before all the truths could be revealed.
Wen Xirou didn't go upstairs. She followed Liu Wen and Tian Fang back to the staff dormitory.
Tian Fang knocked on doors, informing everyone that she had found a way to leave the farm and that they could leave now.
Some believed her. Others did not.
"Are you really this kind-hearted?"
"Could it be that you wants to use us as bait to test the path?"
Liu Wen didn't waste time and immediately said, "Believe it or not, if you want to leave, follow me."
Though still filled with doubt, one by one, they followed her. After all, with so many people, even if something went wrong, they figured they might not be the ones to die.
Wen Xirou also took Xiao Lin along.
But Jiang You and the others were nowhere to be seen; no one knew where they had gone.
Tian Fang already knew they were contaminated, so it was just as well they weren't around.
Since they had a map, they didn't take any detours. It didn't take long for Liu Wen and Tian Fang to find the target iron gate.
The gate was old. But fortunately, the lock could still be opened with the key.
"Who will go first?"
No one spoke. They just stood in place, observing the reactions of the others. No one knew what lay beyond the gate, or if it was the right way to leave the farm.
"We've come this far, and the path has already been laid out for us—are we really going to waste time in this damn haunted realm?"
A middle-aged man stepped out of the crowd and walked towards the gate.
"I'll go first. Even if something really goes wrong, I'll accept it." With that, he walked through the gate.
A flash of white light suddenly descended from the sky, enveloping him. In the next moment, he vanished without a trace.
"Did he... leave?" The crowd remained silent for a long time, before someone murmured.
"Did he really leave?"
Immediately, several people rushed toward the gate.
"I want to go!"
"Let me go first!"
Liu Wen kicked the door sharply. The sharp sound of the metal made the crowd stop in their tracks.
"Go one by one," Liu Wen said coldly.
No one dared to provoke her at that moment. Everyone quickly lined up, ready to leave.
Finally, one by one, the others were sent away.
Wen Xirou gently pushed Xiao Lin toward the door, her voice soft, "You can go now."
Xiao Lin turned back in surprise. "Sisther Xirou, aren't you coming?"
Wen Xirou shook her head and whispered, "There's one last thing I need to do. Once it's done, I'll leave."
"Huh?"
"Go, now. I promised to give you a raise, didn't I? I'll do it once I get out."
Xiao Lin disappeared into the white light.
Tian Fang and Liu Wen turned to look at Wen Xirou, their eyes full of concern. "You're really not leaving?"
Wen Xirou whispered, "I still have one last thing to do."
"Alright." Tian Fang agreed and gave an address. "Once you're out, you can come find me here."
Wen Xirou nodded lightly. She watched Tian Fang and Liu Wen leave, then closed the iron gate behind her.
She stood still for a moment before walking in the direction of the farm owner's office.
The night was dark, and there was no moonlight that evening. The streetlights along the main road flickered, one shining, one broken, light and darkness intertwining.
Wen Xirou walked slowly. Finally, she arrived outside the two-story building.
"Clack, clack, clack..." The familiar sound of high heels echoed on the ground. The woman in the red dress stepped out from the shadows.
"Hehe, it seems you've found it. Hand it over to me." The woman stood not far away, extending her hand toward Wen Xirou.
"I've been thinking about something, why do you always appear when the housekeeper is gone? And, why did you purposely approach me to have me help you get the Farm Employee Code of Conduct (Volume 2)?"
Wen Xirou looked up at the woman in the red dress—or rather, the man wearing the red dress. She softly called out his name, "Mr. Sun Jiawang."