The next morning at dawn, the travelers confirmed that the deceased was the woman nicknamed "Little Chili."
Her death was gruesome—her organs were missing, and her body lay splayed on the blood-soaked bed, eyes wide open, her expression frozen in terror, sending chills down the spines of those who saw her.
Little Chili wasn’t foolish; the lights in her room had been turned off.
So how had she died?
After inspecting the scene, Gu Moleng noticed the phone on the bed. He pressed it, and the screen lit up, displaying a notification for a new message.
Gu Moleng used Little Chili’s finger to unlock the phone, revealing the full message interface.
It was a single "smiling" emoji, with no accompanying text. The timestamp showed it had been sent at 10:01 p.m. the previous night.
Gu Moleng said, "The rule states that no lights should be on after 10 p.m. What if her phone screen lit up when she received this message?"
The others shuddered.
Bald Man asked, "Are you saying someone deliberately killed her?"
Skinny Pole trembled. "N-no way… right?"
Jiang Du inquired, "Can we see who sent it?"
Gu Moleng shook his head. "It’s an unfamiliar account, likely newly registered."
Wen Yaoyao, too timid to enter the bloody scene, stayed outside the room. She glanced at Wen Sisi, who also refused to go in, and whispered, "Sisi, did you not sleep well last night? Your dark circles are really bad."
Wen Sisi looked haggard and didn’t respond.
She was haunted by the thought—if she had opened that red door in her dream, breaking the rules, would she have ended up like Little Chili, dying a horrific death?
Meanwhile, Xia Miao noticed that the unruly children in her class were unusually well-behaved today. They listened attentively, did their homework diligently, and even looked at her with an odd reverence.
Feeling pleased, Xia Miao sat in the office grading papers when Director Lin approached.
"Teacher Xia, the principal mentioned you’ve been working hard lately. He asked me to check if you’re facing any difficulties." Director Lin placed a basket of fruit on the desk and smiled warmly. "Our town is remote, and life here isn’t as convenient as in the city. If you need anything, just let me know."
"Thank you, Principal and Director Lin. I’m quite satisfied with life here—no difficulties at all."
Xia Miao discreetly took an apple and lowered it under the desk, where a crimson tongue swiftly snatched it away.
Her hand rested on a furry head, stroking it like a cat. The curled-up figure, eyes narrowed in pleasure, nuzzled into her palm like an affectionate—if slightly deranged—creature.
Director Lin sat across from her, clearing his throat nervously before speaking carefully. "Teacher Xia, are you seeing anyone?"
Xia Miao nodded. "Yes."
Director Lin coughed again. "Your relationship must be very strong."
Xia Miao smiled. "It is."
"Well, the school welcomes faculty to bring their families. We even have a policy to help spouses find employment."
Xia Miao perked up.
Director Lin forced a friendly grin. "Fang Min has mentioned several times that he’s the only repairman in town and is overwhelmed. He really needs a partner—er, colleague. The pay here isn’t bad. Would your boyfriend consider it?"
Xia Miao’s interest soared. "I’ll discuss it with him and let you know."
"Great, great." Director Lin left the office, shoulders slumped. Outside, he pressed a hand to his neck, where a faint, unhealed seam remained.
The townsfolk hadn’t experienced the horror of their bodies being torn apart in a long time. They never imagined the calamity they’d once banished would return.
He was the same as ever—boredom drove him to wreak havoc. Last night, many residents had suffered.
If they could keep him occupied, maybe he wouldn’t have time to go around dismembering people?
Director Lin wiped away invisible tears. They’d thought they were hiring an ordinary human teacher—instead, they’d brought in some unfathomable deity who could actually date that lunatic. She must be insane too!
Once alone, Xia Miao pushed her chair back and crouched down, eyes sparkling as she gazed at the figure curled beneath the desk. "E Gui, there’s a job offer for you!"
Despite his tall frame, E Gui possessed a bizarre ability to squeeze into the tightest spaces.
Xia Miao found this perfectly reasonable. After all, she had crossed worlds—her soulmate having peculiar talents was only natural.
His disheveled long hair draped over his face as he crouched under the desk, unfazed by the cramped space. He held the half-eaten apple in his black-and-white hands, red tongue darting out to lick juice from his lips.
Xia Miao leaned in, and he instinctively brushed his hair aside, exposing his cool lips. When she kissed him, a contented purr rumbled in his throat.
Her heart melted. After the kiss, she asked, "Would you like to work?"
E Gui offered her the apple, letting her take a bite before pressing close, clinging like a possessive spirit. "Work… tiring."
"But you have to learn to be a responsible adult!" Xia Miao steadied his shoulders, forcing his slouched posture upright. "E Gui, we agreed—once my job is stable, we’ll get married."
E Gui jolted to attention, his limp body straightening, his hair fluffing up like an alarmed cat’s.
His trembling eyes locked onto her as he stuttered, "Marry… marry… marry…"
"Exactly! You want to marry me too!"
He nuzzled her, still chanting, "Marry… marry…"
Xia Miao pushed his face away. "But before that, we need to buy a house. If we use my parents’ money, you’ll never hold your head high. We have to save up!"
He tilted his head. "House."
Xia Miao nodded firmly. "Yes, a house!"
E Gui’s eyes darted around before he crawled out from under the desk. With an "awoo," he reached into his mouth and pulled out a large cardboard box.
Then, he crawled into the tattered, timeworn cardboard box on all fours, curling up inside. Resting his hands on the edge, he peeked out with half his face—long hair obscuring his features, though the curve of his eyes was visible through the strands.
"I have... a house."
The eerie, grown man resembled a discarded little animal in that box. Yet he didn’t seem to carry the awareness of abandonment. Instead, his pale lips curled upward in bliss.
"Mom... gave me... this house... to live in."
Xia Miao stared at him, momentarily stunned.
