From beginning to end, Wan Qian must have known everything.
She lured her boyfriend to his death in the dense forest through cunning means, leading to his death; once she entered the village, she went alone to the cemetery to find the rules—and then hid them; and when she sensed danger in the room, she was the one who proposed an exchange with Wan Qian, planning to ensnare her into a deadly trap.
Wan Qian must have been aware of it all. The only reason she went along with it and played along was to see what tricks she could possibly pull.
From the start, Wan Qian was the one in control—watching coldly from the sidelines as her acted like a clown, struggling and performing.
Because Wan Qian knew that no matter what moves were made, in the end she always had a way to resolve it.
What kind of person could she be—so powerful, so terrifying, and so utterly malicious?
Even Fang Minglan—the black widow who had killed several boyfriends to collect huge insurance payouts—could not help but tremble at the thought.
No… no way! How could anyone survive being caught between two ghosts or monsters? This must be a fake Wan Qian—some ghost or monster in disguise!
Wan Qian glanced at Fang Minglan with some confusion. Just yesterday, this girl had been warm and friendly toward her. But now? She didn't even respond to a greeting.
Then, seeing Fang Minglan's dazed expression and pale face, Wan Qian figured it out. Oh, she probably wasn't feeling well.
Out of concern, Wan Qian said something a stereotypical straight guy might say: "Drink more hot water."
After speaking, she couldn't suppress her exhaustion any longer and turned into her room, lying down on the bed and falling asleep almost instantly.
"Hot water..." Fang Minglan repeated the words under her breath, her face growing even more horrified. It was her. It was Wan Qian!
Even at this stage, Wan Qian was still playing with her, like a cat toying with a mouse—enjoying every second of it.
The words she said were clearly a reminder: the hot water Fang Minglan had used to get through the rule about soaking her feet last night had come from Wan Qian.
Fang Minglan was seized by a deep, paralyzing fear—even worse than facing a ghost or monster directly.
No, she had to find a way to save herself. Clenching her fists tightly, Fang Minglan told herself: Wan Qian is human, and as long as she's human, there must be a way to counter her!
Watching Wan Qian return to her room, Fang Minglan and Hao Shijun remained standing where they were, momentarily silent.
Fang Minglan glanced over at Hao Shijun, clearly weighing something in her mind. After a moment, she spoke.
"Mr. Hao, care to come to my room for a chat?"
Hao Shijun frowned slightly. He had disliked Fang Minglan from the very start—felt an instinctive aversion to her. So he remained where he was, watching her from a distance.
"What for?" he asked bluntly.
"I have a set of the rules," she replied simply. Stepping slightly to the side, she left just enough space at her door for one person to enter, raising an eyebrow at Hao Shijun—the meaning was clear.
Hao Shijun had no choice but to approach her.
Once they were inside, he got straight to the point. "What's the rule?"
Fang Minglan smiled gently, her voice soft and unhurried, "Why the rush? The rules are what I found. I'll hand them over when the time is right."
She paused, glancing off to the side with a hint of meaning in her eyes, and added, "Besides, there's something more important right now. Take a guess—do you think the Wan Qian who came back… is still Wan Qian?"
"What?" Hao Shijun was taken aback.
Fang Minglan said, "I once went through a haunted realm, there was ghosts or monsters that, after killing someone, could take on that person's guise and hide among us, slaughtering at will. In that encounter, I was the only one who survived."
As she spoke, a trace of sorrow flickered in her eyes, and her brow furrowed as if she were recalling that harrowing scene.
"What do you intend by telling me this?" Hao Shijun asked. Clearly, he wasn't going to be easily swayed by Fang Minglan; he had his own thoughts.
Fang Minglan gazed at him with her dewy, glistening eyes, a natural allure in her every glance.
"Mr. Hao, I'm telling you this out of genuine concern. After all, unlike me, you're not alone—you have two people with you. Surely you don't want all of you to die here?"
"I've said what I needed to say. Whether you believe me or not is up to you. But I strongly suggest—don't listen to a single word Wan Qian says. Don't trust anything from her."
Hao Shijun remained silent. Fang Minglan leaned against the desk, her posture graceful and poised.
From the very beginning, Fang Minglan hadn't expected Hao Shijun to fully believe her. All she needed was to plant a seed of doubt in his mind so that he wouldn't completely side with Wan Qian and pose a threat to her.
"Where's your rule, then?" Hao Shijun asked.
Fang Minglan couldn't help but let out a chuckle at his question. She had only used the rule as a pretext to lure Hao Shijun over—she had no intention of actually handing it over.
But then, Hao Shijun's next words froze the smile on her face.
"I've obtained a set of rules too," he said.
After a moment of hesitation, Fang Minglan asked, "What are the rules you've obtained about?"
Instead of answering, Hao Shijun stared intently at her and said, "Your rules are the second half of the 'Village Rules', aren't they?" Although it was phrased as a question, his tone was full of certainty.