Jian Yue was practically trembling with excitement when he received the “special pardon order” from the president.
Truly, it had come so easily, like a gift dropped right into his lap!
Early that morning, Shen Yushu had gone to visit the elderly matriarch, and Jian Yue had tagged along. When they returned, Shen Yushu still had meetings and paperwork waiting for him, so he went straight to his study. Naturally, Jian Yue took that opportunity to find Aunt Zhang and ask for the warehouse key.
But on his way there, he unexpectedly ran into Tiantian.
Her eyes were ringed with bruised purple shadows, and her steps were so unsteady that she looked ready to collapse at any moment.
Seeing her sway on her feet, Jian Yue hurried over to steady her arm. “What happened to you?” he asked.
The moment Tiantian saw him, her expression changed, she looked almost relieved to the point of tears. “Butler Wang!”
She grabbed his hand tightly, her voice trembling. “I finally found you!”
Jian Yue frowned. “What’s going on?”
“No.. nothing serious,” Tiantian stammered, glancing around before lowering her voice.
“After I went back yesterday, I told my boyfriend everything you said to me. Usually, we light our lanterns at night, but last night, we didn’t. It was risky, but since we’ve exchanged a lot of points at the system store, we managed to stay safe. But… we found something strange.”
“What did you find?” Jian Yue asked, curiosity piqued.
Tiantian’s voice shook. “You know how yesterday we took lanterns from the villagers’ houses? Last night, the ones crawling and wandering outside our room, they were those villagers!”
She shuddered as she spoke, unable to suppress the terror that memory brought.
She would never forget what she saw.
Her neighbor, an older sister from next door, had borrowed a lantern from Widow Li’s house. Normally, when her lantern was lit, she would fall asleep peacefully. But since the lantern wasn’t burning that night, she couldn’t sleep and decided to peek out through a crack in her window.
What she saw nearly stopped her heart.
Outside the opposite door, a twisted figure was crouched low, its warped face pressed near the crack, staring fixedly at the sleeping woman on the bed.
Tiantian had gasped before she could stop herself.
At that sound, the creature’s head twisted, an impossible, bone-snapping one hundred eighty degrees, its tangled hair falling over a face whose hollow eyes locked onto hers.
Their gazes met.
The corners of the thing’s mouth stretched into a chilling grin. Then, with a jolt, it turned its body and scuttled toward her, its limbs bending the wrong way as it crawled!
Tiantian’s eyes were red as she recounted the scene to Jian Yue. “And then… and then I used one of the marketplace’s protective items. You don’t know how horrifying it was…”
Jian Yue listened in silence, thoughtful. “So, the lanterns really are the problem,” he murmured.
In the livestream, the viewers couldn’t help laughing.
“You’re treating her like a lab rat, huh?”
“I knew it, he wasn’t being kind yesterday; he was running an experiment!”
“She’s terrified, and that’s what you’re thinking about?”
“Hopeless. This man is hopelessly straight!”
Tiantian sniffled. “Butler Wang, what should I do? I can’t even sleep at night anymore.”
Jian Yue nodded seriously. “Don’t be afraid. There’s a simple solution.”
Her eyes lit up with hope. “Really? What should I do?”
With all the gravity of a man revealing a secret, Jian Yue said, “Sleep during the day.”
Tiantian stared at him, speechless. “…”
“I’m a bit busy right now,” Jian Yue added. “Keep an eye out tonight, alright? I need to find Aunt Zhang.”
By now, Tiantian had become something of his little follower. When they were in the courtyard earlier, Jian Yue had said that Dao ge and his group might be suspicious, which had frightened her but her boyfriend had insisted they were fine, and early this morning, he’d gone up the mountain with them again.
Normally, she would have joined, but after the sleepless, terrifying night, he’d told her to rest at home.
She had tried, but the image of Widow Li’s twisted face kept flashing in her mind, and she eventually fled outside in panic.
“Butler Wang, are you going to look for clues?” she asked, summoning her courage. “Can I come with you?”
Jian Yue gave her a grave look. “This is work. If I bring along members of the archaeology team while I’m working, what will my boss think? It’ll make him doubt my professional competence.”
Tiantian was quick to respond. “My skill card cooldown is almost over, I can let you use it for free!”
Jian Yue hesitated. “Well… people with real skills aren’t afraid of being doubted. If you want to come, then come.”
Tiantian blinked. “…”
The livestream audience burst into laughter.
But not everyone was amused.
“She’s too timid to be of any help.”
“She’s going to drag him down again.”
“Exactly, and her teleportation skill won’t even work in the warehouse instance.”
Jian Yue couldn’t see their comments, of course.
He found Aunt Zhang behind the kitchen, tending a pot of medicine for the old lady. Approaching her respectfully, he said, “The carpenters are coming to repair parts of the mansion. President Shen asked me to take some people to tidy up the storage rooms as well. Could I please have the key?”
He was a little nervous, worried that she might refuse, but Aunt Zhang didn’t even turn her head. Without hesitation, she passed him a key and said slowly, her voice creaking with age, “Go ahead.”
Jian Yue’s hand trembled slightly as he received it. The real key, finally!
He exchanged a quick glance with Tiantian, and the two headed toward the back courtyard.
Tiantian spoke as they walked. “Dao ge’s team tried to get in before, but the door was locked. We even wanted to use skill cards to break it, but the system must have put up protection, nothing worked. I never thought the key would actually be with Aunt Zhang.”
Hearing that, Jian Yue grew more certain that this warehouse held an important clue, something that would push the story forward.
The warehouse turned out to be part of a large, windowless building. Only one heavy wooden door stood there, sealed with an old bronze lock.
Jian Yue fitted the key into the lock and turned it. With a soft click, it opened.
Tiantian held her breath as the door creaked slowly inward.
The room inside was dim, there were no windows, only a single flickering bulb that cast a faint yellow glow. Rows of wooden shelves lined the walls, filled with old furniture and relics: porcelain vases, chairs, pots, pans, and boxes of tarnished jewelry and ornaments.
It was clear that the Shen family had once been very wealthy.
They searched the entire warehouse but found nothing of note.
When they’d entered the archives before, the system had immediately displayed a progress notification, but this time, there was nothing.
Something was wrong.
Jian Yue frowned, feeling an odd tension in the air.
Tiantian looked around. “Butler Wang, I think this is just an ordinary warehouse. There doesn’t seem to be anything strange.”
Jian Yue’s eyes swept the room, calm and sharp. “When nothing seems wrong,” he said softly, “that’s when it’s most wrong.”
He leaned against the door, deep in thought. Then, watching Tiantian move around searching, he narrowed his eyes and opened his system interface.
The quest log showed no completion notice for [Aunt Zhang’s Secret].
Even though he had the key and had entered the warehouse, the task remained unfinished. Which could only mean one thing: this wasn’t the real key, and this wasn’t the real warehouse.
Jian Yue crouched and began inspecting the floor.
Back when he’d worked as a forensic investigator, he had examined countless crime scenes. Apart from checking the victims, the first rule was always to survey the environment carefully.
The wooden floorboards were aged, some warped and splintered.
He walked around a few times, then said quietly, “Don’t move.”
Tiantian froze immediately, nerves fraying. “What’s wrong? What is it?”
He rapped lightly on the floorboards and gestured for her to come closer. “Listen.”
She knelt beside him, pressed her ear down, and after a few taps, her eyes widened. “There’s a hollow sound underneath!” she whispered. “Butler Wang, I studied architecture in college, I’m sure there’s another level below this one!”
Jian Yue raised an eyebrow. “Can you find the entrance?”
She thought for a moment. “If I can figure out the layout of the room, I might be able to.”
He smiled faintly. “Then go ahead.”
The livestream chat lit up again.
“Where are all the people who said she was useless now?”
“That’s why I like this streamer, he never looks down on anyone.”
“Still… in horror games, teammates can turn on you anytime.”
“Let’s just hope the girl stays safe.”
Inside the warehouse, Tiantian searched for a while before finally stopping by one of the corners. “Butler Wang,” she said excitedly, “help me move this table.”
Together, they heaved the heavy wooden table aside. Beneath it, half-buried in the dust, was a sealed wooden trapdoor, completely hidden from plain sight.
“We found it!” Tiantian cheered.
But Jian Yue didn’t look as happy. He glanced at his task log, still no update. Which meant… the key was wrong.
Sure enough, when he tried the key in the trapdoor’s lock, it didn’t fit.
Tiantian’s smile faltered. “What’s going on?”
“I’ll ask Aunt Zhang again,” Jian Yue said calmly.
He had known the mission wouldn’t be that easy. The system never handed out progress that simple, it was his own carelessness to think otherwise.
Crossing the courtyard again, he found Aunt Zhang still tending the medicine pot.
Bowing slightly, he said, “We’ve finished sorting the first floor of the warehouse, but the door to the second level won’t open. Could you please give me the key to that one as well?”
Aunt Zhang froze mid-motion, clearly surprised. Slowly, she lifted her head to look at him. “There is no second key,” she said.
Jian Yue didn’t flinch. “President Shen approved this personally. I’m only doing my job and assisting my employer. Please don’t make things difficult for me, I’m just following orders.”
Her tone hardened, her dark eyes turning faintly red as her voice sharpened to a near hiss. “The second floor must never be opened. That’s an ancestral rule! Even your President Shen can’t go against it!”
Jian Yue frowned slightly.
The viewers began to worry.
“This old woman’s tough as nails.”
“Yeah, our team once tried stealing the key, someone actually died doing it.”
“Her trigger condition for killing players is stealing her belongings.”
“Streamer, don’t you dare try that, you don’t even have a defensive skill!”
“This looks bad…”
“It’s impossible without stealing. There’s no other way.”
“The further this game goes, the deadlier every step becomes.”
Jian Yue, however, stayed calm. “Aunt Zhang,” he said gently, “we’re not trying to move anything. It’s just that the warehouse is old and might collapse. We only want to reinforce it, nothing more.”
Her expression didn’t soften. “No means no! Those are the old ancestors’ rules!”
Just as she was about to stand and send him away,
A golden card suddenly shimmered in the air, spinning once before glowing with text:
[Gossip Skill Activated]
[Rumor Discovered: Aunt Zhang secretly harbors feelings for Old Liu from the west side of the village. She often pawns off mansion items to support him financially.]
[Skill Cooldown: 12 hours]
The air went utterly still.
Aunt Zhang’s face darkened, but she sneered. “You have no proof! Even if you told the old madam, she wouldn’t believe you!”
The audience watching the stream erupted.
“Oh crap, she can hear the skill effect!”
“And she’s not even scared!”
“He’s doomed!”
“He can’t threaten the NPC now, the quest’s going to fail!”
Just as the crowd despaired, Jian Yue remained composed.
He and Aunt Zhang locked eyes for a long moment.
Then, just as she opened her mouth to chase him away, Jian Yue stepped forward, smiling kindly.
“Please don’t misunderstand,” he said softly. “The first time I saw you, I thought you looked a little like my grandmother. Sadly, she’s not around anymore, so from now on, I’ll think of you as my only grandma. You’ve worked so hard in this household for so many years, it’s only right for you to keep a few things for yourself. I’d never go tattling on you. In fact…”
He slipped a small pouch into her hand.
When Aunt Zhang looked down, she saw the glint of real silver inside.
Their eyes met.
For a long moment, silence hung between them.
Then, slowly, her wrinkled face softened, the corners of her mouth twitching in reluctant satisfaction. With a sigh, she reached to her waist and drew out a small silver key.
“You child,” she muttered. “Coming all this way and still bringing gifts, honestly. Go on, go on. Young people like you have important work to do. I’ve got to finish this medicine for the old lady anyway.”
The silver key dropped into Jian Yue’s hand.
At the same moment, a system message appeared before him:
Side Quest: [Aunt Zhang’s Secret]
Reward: Warehouse Key
Status: Completed!
The livestream went dead silent for a heartbeat, then exploded.
“WHAT?! You could bribe her?!”
“All that time we spent dying trying to steal that key, for nothing?!”
Others burst out laughing.
“Guess your only skill was endurance!”
“He even adopted a grandma along the way, I can’t stop laughing!”
“From now on, if the Wanfucun village guide isn’t written by this guy, I’m not reading it!”
✦ ✧ ✦
Cresvynia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
The Realm is pleased. The translator would be even more pleased with coffee.
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
← PreviousNext →
ChaptersChapter 1 · Master, Calm DownChapter 2 · This Damn ValleyChapter 3 · The Old slave Is here!Chapter 4 · Shocked my Friend?Chapter 5 · Life Doesn’t have that many viewers but Live doesChapter 6 · Science is Primary productive ForceChapter 7 · A one million in a card!Chapter 8 · You’re First Person to reject Young MasterChapter 9 · He saved meChapter 10 · Your Life is mineChapter 11 · This village is such a Mess!Chapter 12 · Little GoblinChapter 13 · Who should be afraid of whom?Chapter 14 · I, an honest person, don’t understand these thingsChapter 15 · The world is finally upside downChapter 16 · Made a decision that went against our ancestorsChapter 17 · Young Master hasn’t laughed so happily in a long timeChapter 18 · Brother, you smell so good!Chapter 19 · Licking everything to the endChapter 20 · This mental state is too advancedChapter 21 · Enough, let’s stop this farce!Chapter 22 · Young master, please let me explain!Chapter 23 Part 2 · You’re playing with fire!Chapter 23 Part 2 · You’re playing with fire!Chapter 24 Part 1 · The light of righteousness shines upon the earthChapter 24 Part 2 · The light of righteousness shines upon the earthChapter 25 Part 1 · You two-faced man!Chapter 25 Part 2 · You two-faced man!Chapter 26 Part 1 · Butler Wang, I see you still retain your charmChapter 26 Part 2 · Butler Wang, I see you still retain your charmChapter 27 Part 1 · I’m straight, bro!Chapter 27 Part 2 · I’m straight, bro!Chapter 28 Part 1 · This is a blatant violation of citizens’ portrait rights!Chapter 28 Part 2 · This is a blatant violation of citizens’ portrait rights!Chapter 29 Part 1 · The domineering CEO falls in love with me!Chapter 29 Part 2 · The domineering CEO falls in love with me!Chapter 30 Part 1 · Take this Five million and leave my son!Chapter 30 Part 2 · Take this Five million and leave my SonChapter 31 Part 1 · Biting me means you’re arrogantChapter 31 Part 2 · Biting me means you’re arrogantChapter 32 Part 1 · Has butler realise his mistake?Chapter 32 Part 2 · Has butler realise his mistake?Chapter 33 Part 1 · The simple master-servant relationship has soured!Chapter 33 Part 2 · The simple master-servant relationship has soured!Chapter 34 Part 1 · A one-night stand by the domineering CEO leads him to fall in love with meChapter 34 Part 2 · A one-night stand by the domineering CEO leads him to fall in love with meChapter 35 Part 1 · This tastes damn sweet!Chapter 35 Part 2 · This tastes damn sweet!Chapter 36 Part 1 · I will take responsibility for youChapter 36 Part 2 · I will take responsibility for youChapter 37 Part 1 · He will never drink again!Chapter 37 Part 2 · He will never drink again!Chapter 38 Part 1 · He said he didn’t want itChapter 38 Part 2 · He said he didn’t want itChapter 39 · Now is not the time to ask for a title!Chapter 40 Part 1 · Brother Dao, how can I live without you!Chapter 40 Part 2 · Brother Dao, how can I live without you!Chapter 41 · What a human-like beastChapter 42 Part 1 · This damned ancestral hall has successfully caught my attention!Chapter 42 Part 2 · This damned ancestral hall has successfully caught my attention!Chapter 43 · After the overall situation is fully opened upChapter 44 · Village chief, are you really that vigorous for your age?Chapter 45 · Butler Wang, I love you!Chapter 46 · What exactly do you see in me?Chapter 47 · I swear to GodChapter 48 · All I want to do is die with himChapter 49 · I’m going to kill themChapter 50 · Who would like Shen YushuChapter 51 · Young master, I want to cling to you tightly!Chapter 52 · They’ve run away together! They’ve run away together!Chapter 53 · Sworn BrothersChapter 54 · My boss is the best in the world to meChapter 55 · I want you all to be buried with him.Chapter 56 · It’s a beautiful day outside Wanfu VillageChapter 57 · You don’t have anyone you want to seeChapter 58 · I’m married! Married!Chapter 59 · The Cold Prince’s SweetheartChapter 60 · Young master, this old servant has arrived! ~Chapter 61 · Who else could do something so outrageous?Chapter 62 · Boy, I got my eyes on youChapter 63 · Does Butler Wang really want to see him that much?Chapter 64 · Come on, call me Dad!Chapter 65 · Other men might have it too!!Chapter 66 · Being obsessed with love is indeed a major problemChapter 67 · He’s playing the devoted second male lead!Chapter 68 · The number one person to wash underwear with a cold face!Chapter 69 · Young master, will you be back for dinner tonight?Chapter 70 · Others ask for money to save peopleChapter 71 · Wang, please don’t die!Chapter 72 · My current identity is that of a father!Chapter 73 · Here’s your chance to confess!Chapter 74 · That’s definitely someone with connections!Chapter 75 · This is my personChapter 76 · How come you’re already married?Chapter 77 · I’m going to pester you, young master!Chapter 78 · How do you turn a straight man gay?!Chapter 79 · Am I Butler Wang’s mistress?!Chapter 80 · He really does have a fiancé!Chapter 81 · Don’t stay with himChapter 82 · Man, you asked for this!Chapter 83 · Was he just acting like this?Chapter 84 · The second male lead is about to turn the tables and become the master!!Chapter 85 · This trick is cheapChapter 86 · How dare you cheat on me!Chapter 87 · Are you an undercover agent sent by Butler Wang?Chapter 88 · I think of my master day and nightChapter 89 · These wealthy families really know how to have funChapter 90 · You possess such advanced talent that you can enter Hope IslandChapter 91 · Be my Consort!Chapter 92 · Young Master, are you really angry?!Chapter 93 · I swear I will only love you!Chapter 94 · Who bullied you?Chapter 95 · Just a quick favor!Chapter 96 · This is no challenge for him at all!!Chapter 97 · He’s no match for them!Chapter 98 · Xiaoyu, I only love youChapter 99 · This is Butler Wang’s territory!Chapter 100 · Is this how you treat your savior?Chapter 101 · You two are definitely a family!Chapter 102 · Who is your mother-in-law?Chapter 103 · Are we really going to send him to his death?Chapter 104 · He married him againChapter 105 · How can someone be so carefree?Chapter 106 · Butler Wang has done immeasurable good deeds!Chapter 107 · Only those who survive can be considered heroes!Chapter 108 · Since we’re going toChapter 109 · I love youChapter 110 · I will never leave you again.Chapter 111 · The Overbearing King’s Gentle PamperingChapter 112 · Mainly, I kind of want to be your auntChapter 113 · Don’t easily test my limitsChapter 114 · He’s seducing me!Chapter 115 · Uncle opened the doorChapter 116 · The world of the wealthy is such a mess!Chapter 117 · Your old servant is here!Chapter 118 · Xiaoyu, you’ve gone astray!!!Chapter 119 · Uncle, you have to keep this a secret!Chapter 120 · Who’s child is this?Chapter 121 · Butler Wang really has a crush on me!Chapter 122 · One person has surrounded everyone!Chapter 123 · Are you guys playing this fancy?!Chapter 124 · Even gamers are working for him!Chapter 125 · If you fall into the river, I’ll save you first!Chapter 126 · What a troublesome little devilChapter 127 · Does the Puppet Master app have anti-fraud features?Chapter 128 · You’re a scorpion demon incarnate!Chapter 129 · How about we give it a try?Chapter 130 · The dog shit will arrive faster than your knife!Chapter 131 · Is he hungry too?Chapter 132 · We even stayed a few days less than them!Chapter 133 · How about I marry you so you can take my place?Chapter 134 · This is truly a team full of villains!Chapter 135 · It’s clearly an auspicious omen!Chapter 136 · Is it normal to think my brother smells good?Chapter 137 · You’re the biggest capitalist here!Chapter 138 · What happened to true love?Chapter 139 · Romantic types are strictly prohibited from participating in horror dungeons!!!Chapter 140 · What should I do with Butler Wang!?Chapter 141 · Butler Wang! The most courageous man ever!Chapter 142 · What are you doing?!Chapter 143 · Man, you’re playing with fire!Chapter 144 · I heard a heartbeatChapter 145 · Can puppets also have superb kissing skills?Chapter 146 · What else is real then?!Chapter 147 · Seduction? That won’t work on me!Chapter 148 · What is my uncle doing?!Chapter 149 · Uncle, you don’t treat others like this!Chapter 150 · I’ll give you five million!!Chapter 151 · We’re true love!Chapter 152 · Sister-in-law, I genuinely want to help you!Chapter 153 · They can even find an excuse to sleep together!Chapter 154 · Butler Wang iis popular among young people.Chapter 155 · Who says Butler Wang’s strategy guide is bad?Chapter 156 · I’ll remarry the moment you’re in your coffin!Chapter 157 · Now it’s your turn to beg me or not