Chapter 74 Part 1

Zhong Nian was a bit stunned by Jin Yi’s reaction and stood there dumbfounded for a moment.

The others also snapped back to their senses one after another.

Yu Jingshan smiled and said, “Little Nian is so impressive. All the information we gathered after fumbling around for a whole day wasn’t as much as yours.”

Ruan Zhuqing said in surprise, “I didn’t expect that Security Guard to be so easygoing. I brought some fruit to visit him yesterday. Although he didn’t curse at me, his attitude wasn’t good either. He confiscated the items and chased me away directly without telling me anything.”

Zhong Nian wondered if it might not have been the same person, but after comparing physical features, he confirmed it was indeed the same one.

“That Security Guard isn’t simple. You can tell just from his ripped muscles and the calluses on his hands. I didn’t dare to provoke him either.” Jin Yi chuckled again. “But my little sister is super agile. She slipped in while he wasn’t paying attention and stole a peek at their shift schedule for duty and patrols. It was useful to some extent.”

To avoid causing trouble, Jin Yi hadn’t dared to take the schedule directly, but her brother Shuang Ye had superhuman memory. He memorized it all with one glance, and San Qiu promptly put the duty roster back without arousing the Security Guard’s suspicion.

Shuang Ye immediately wrote out a copy and gave it to Zhong Nian on the spot.

Meanwhile, the clue Ruan Zhuqing had gotten from other NPCs was that new residents occasionally moved into the Apartment, but always as family members of the original inhabitants. The turnover was high; people often moved out again after not living there long.

“Maybe there’s more to these moves than meets the eye.” Ruan Zhuqing spoke in a gentle, soft voice, but for some reason, it carried weight that made people involuntarily focus and listen carefully, pondering the meaning behind her words.

“It’s possible. This Instance isn’t a typical turn-based one where the plot and setup reset. It might be continuously ongoing, so…”

Yu Jingshan picked up from Ruan Zhuqing’s words: “So one possibility is that those ‘transients’ are all game Players, or at least include Players.”

Compared to the others, Zhong Nian had far less experience clearing Instances. Only then did he realize that not all Instances reset after a batch of Players finished, returning everything to the starting point for the next group of challengers. There were other types as well.

He listened silently and committed everything to memory.

“Another thing: I discovered that many households in the Apartment have really poor family relationships.”

Ruan Zhuqing furrowed her brows, her expression puzzled. “They’re polite and smiling to an outsider like me, but they hit and scold their own family members at the drop of a hat. If something doesn’t go their way, they explode—even hitting them right in front of me.”

At the time, Ruan Zhuqing couldn’t stand by and intervened with a word.

Unexpectedly, the person waved it off nonchalantly: “It’s fine. That’s just his status in our home. Our family isn’t the only one like this! But you’re pretty lucky—just one elderly mother to care for, no hassle.

“You’re a good person, so I’ll remind you: it’s best not to meddle in other families’ affairs. Don’t get involved if you see it in the future.”

Hearing this, Zhong Nian recalled the sounds of arguing, scolding, and crying from a certain household as he and Mo Heng walked home from the store the night before.

He hadn’t realized such situations were so common. Whether it was a special game mechanic was hard to say.

“My assigned role is decent. My ‘mother’ had a lame leg, probably due to her physical inconvenience, so her temper was a bit bad and her emotions sensitive. She said a few harsh words to me, but nothing excessive.” Ruan Zhuqing asked the others, “What about you all? Have you been bullied?”

Jin Yi said, “The couple we were assigned to is pretty good. They seem to run a restaurant outside and are very busy. Their only demands are that we stay quiet and obedient, do the housework and three meals while they’re at work. So we had plenty of time during the day for tasks.”

She couldn’t help but vent a bit more: “It’s just that these two are probably old, with suffocatingly outdated views. They always drone on at the dinner table about great filial piety respecting kin, all virtues start with filial piety first… telling us to serve them well.”

Then it was Zhong Nian and Yu Jingshan’s turn.

Zhong Nian felt there wasn’t much to say about his situation. His Husband had already shown his face in front of the other Players yesterday, and besides… he didn’t even know how to bring it up.

If he said it was good, based on his Husband’s behavior last night, he really wanted to curse him out—but it was too embarrassing to mention.

If he said it was bad… Mo Heng hadn’t done anything blameworthy in other aspects so far.

“I’m doing fine.” Just those four words, then he turned the topic to Yu Jingshan. “What about you?”

Yu Jingshan raised an eyebrow: “Me? …I was a bit unlucky. My Maternal Grandmother fed me just two Steamed Buns the whole day. Fine, whatever—but she wouldn’t let me sleep in the guest room and made me sleep on the balcony with her old dog.”

Everyone was shocked at these words.

But before they could express concern or sympathy, Yu Jingshan shrugged nonchalantly: “Then last night, I locked her out the door.”

“…Huh?”

Before the group could react, Yu Jingshan dropped an even more shocking bombshell: “It turned out to be a lucky accident because of that, I discovered a new Apartment Rules—prohibiting sheltering outsiders overnight.”

Yu Jingshan’s words jumped too quickly. The group hadn’t fully processed the previous shock when they heard this crucial information, unsure which to respond to first.

Yu Jingshan helpfully elaborated: “I probably dragged her off the bed and tossed her out around 11:50 PM. She yelled and pounded on the door like crazy for ten minutes. A neighbor came out to ask, thinking she’d forgotten her keys, but once they knew I’d done it, they ignored it.”

Yu Jingshan sneered: “I guess because it’s ‘family business’?

“The closer it got to midnight, the more frantic she became. Later, she went knocking on other doors, but no one took her in.

“Soon after, she went quiet.”

Yu Jingshan stopped there. Jin Yi hurriedly asked, “And then? Did she just vanish?”

Yu Jingshan nodded, his tone flat: “She didn’t come back.”

“Hiss—”

The Players speculated wildly about where she’d gone, but Yu Jingshan hadn’t paid attention after tossing her out and had just gone back inside to sleep.

No one knew if the “Maternal Grandmother” had been taken away by someone or left on her own.

This follow-up left everyone speechless, unsure whether to call Yu Jingshan bold or just carefree.

“I’ve finished my story. Won’t you share yours now?” Yu Jingshan suddenly turned to Zhong Nian.

Zhong Nian was baffled: “Didn’t I already? I have no other information.”

Yu Jingshan smiled ambiguously: “When we asked about your situation with your family member earlier, you didn’t explain clearly.”

“Ah…” Zhong Nian hadn’t expected the topic to circle back. His expression turned uncomfortable. “My situation is nothing special. Very ordinary.”

Yu Jingshan nodded slightly, his smile meaningful: “It sounds like you and your spouse have a good relationship.”

His tone was normal, but he emphasized “spouse” a bit.