The Whole Family Are Villains, I’m the Group Pet 31

Chapter 31

Xing Nuo, looking up at the terrifying, contorted face of the male player, lowered his hand holding the rose.

He took a step back, his eyes wide with fear, glancing at the male player, then at the buzz-cut sister with the injured arm.

“Big sister…you no want flower?”

Xing Nuo clutched the rose, blinking, his face tilted up.

The buzz-cut player glared at her crazed teammate, her chest heaving, feeling like she was constantly on the verge of a breakdown.

Since yesterday, no, since they entered the castle, their mental states had been subtly affected.

Besides this male player, another female newbie was also acting strangely.

The player team was constantly arguing.

The buzz-cut player, thanks to a prop she had acquired, a sachet-like pendant that helped her maintain her sanity, was in the best condition among them.

But even so, she was often inexplicably irritable.

She took a deep breath, trying to stay calm, and was about to refuse the rose.

But Xing Nuo offered it again.

“Big sister, flower for you…make you happy~”

The buzz-cut player’s patience was wearing thin, an urge to yell bubbling inside her.

But just as she was about to speak, she realized something—

“Happy?”

She repeated the word, a sudden realization dawning on her.

Could it be…this rose has a special effect?!

Otherwise, why would the little master keep saying it would make her happy?

She forced a smile and asked:

“Does the rose really make people happy?”

Xing Nuo nodded confidently, his curls bouncing, his eyes bright.

“Yes!”

Daddy told him so, so it must be true!

The buzz-cut player, a veteran of many dungeons, might not be as powerful as the top players, but she was perceptive.

She thought about it carefully, then gritted her teeth.

She took a gamble and reached for the rose.

The moment she touched it, a system notification sounded:

[Congratulations! You have acquired a B-level prop – Rose from the Blood Rose Castle!]

[The rose is the castle master’s most prized possession. Its sweet fragrance keeps the user happy! All the servants in the castle love it, but Master forbids anyone from touching his flowers, so they can’t have one.]

[System hint: This prop has no side effects or cooldown time, and it might have unexpected uses in critical moments!]

The system notification made the player’s eyes widen in shock.

A B-level prop!

A B-level prop cost almost 10,000 points in the player market!

And they were often sold out the moment they were listed, snatched up by high-level players!

And this B-level prop had no side effects!

Her own sachet was only C-level and had a long cooldown time!

In that instant, the buzz-cut player understood why the rose was so valuable.

Planted by the castle master himself, guarded by countless monsters, even if the players knew it was a B-level prop, they wouldn’t dare touch it!

They would lose their heads before they could even pluck a single rose!

It was only because she had inadvertently gained Xing Nuo’s favor that she was gifted one.

Overjoyed, she placed the rose in her spatial backpack and hugged Xing Nuo, pinching his cheeks.

“Thank you, Little Master! I love the rose!”

Xing Nuo, seeing her bright smile, the darkness and anxiety gone from her eyes, smiled back.

“You welcome. Teacher said…we help each other!”

Having only attended kindergarten for two days, Xing Nuo loved showing off his newly acquired knowledge.

As if he knew so much and was already a grown-up!

Xing Nuo, pleased with himself, his cheeks flushed from being pinched, skipped back to the living room.

Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating the carpet fibers.

Shen Wen sat on the sofa, reading a gardening guide.

“You picked my flower and gave it away?”

He didn’t look up, his voice cold, the only sound the rustling of pages.

Xing Nuo, skipping and humming a cheerful kindergarten tune, stopped and clutched his bottom when he saw his dad.

He remembered his current persona: a child with a sore bottom.

“Daddy, bottom hurt.”

He walked over to Shen Wen, slumped onto the sofa, and whimpered softly.

Shen Wen chuckled, put his book aside, and looked down at the little one.

“Your bottom hurts, but it didn’t stop you from picking flowers?”

He reached out and smacked Xing Nuo’s bottom.

“Still hurt?”

Xing Nuo gasped, turned his head, his cheek squished against the sofa, and protested.

“Hurt!”

As if afraid his dad wouldn’t believe him, he rubbed his bottom.

He peeked up at his dad.

Caught, he smiled, revealing his little teeth, and snuggled against his dad’s leg.

“Daddy, Zaizai need rub.”

Shen Wen felt the unfamiliar warmth against his leg, the little one’s cheek soft as a cloud.

He frowned, feeling uncomfortable.

He wasn’t used to anyone being this close, this clingy.

This inexplicable trust and affection made him uneasy, as if he was suddenly burdened with a responsibility to protect this child.

Shen Wen didn’t want to be responsible for anyone.

He instinctively pushed the little one away and stood up, his eyes half-closed.

His lips pressed into a thin line, his expression cold, he walked towards the stairs without a word.

But just as he was about to go upstairs, he paused and turned back.

“Have the butler apply some medicine later.”

Not minding the stolen rose and even asking the butler to apply medicine, Shen Wen felt like a saint.

But Xing Nuo wasn’t appeased.

Usually, when he was sick, Daddy would kiss him, hug him, take him to soak in the pool, and coax him to eat and sleep!

Thinking this, Xing Nuo pouted, burying his face in the sofa, feeling aggrieved.

Daytime Daddy is so mean!

Zaizai only picked one little rose!

He sulked on the sofa until the butler came and carried him upstairs to apply medicine.

Xing Nuo’s bottom wasn’t even red anymore. If you didn’t look closely, you wouldn’t even be able to tell where he had fallen.

But the butler still fussed over him, applying medicine with a worried expression, then went to report to Shen Wen.

“The little master is still young. This fall might require ten days to half a month of rest and recuperation.”

Shen Wen: “…”

His light-colored eyes filled with speechless exasperation, he ignored the always-dramatic butler and rubbed his forehead.

“Don’t worry about him. He’ll probably forget about it after his nap.”

The butler thought this was unacceptable and was about to protest when Shen Wen interrupted him.

“Go downstairs and keep an eye on those strangers. They should be showing some unusual behavior soon. Don’t let them make too much noise.”

Both Shen Wen and the butler had noticed the players’ increasingly erratic and violent behavior.

It was only a matter of time before they perished in this castle.

The butler bowed obediently.

“What about the rose the little master gave away…?”

Shen Wen closed his eyes and sighed.

“It’s just a flower.”

He had an entire garden. One rose wouldn’t make a difference.

The butler nodded and left to instruct the servants to monitor the players.

Downstairs, in the players’ bedroom.

The male player stared at the buzz-cut player, who had accepted the rose, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets.

“No, you took the flower, but nothing happened?!”

His face was contorted, repeating the same sentence over and over, his mental state completely gone.

The buzz-cut player just glanced at him and knew he was beyond saving.

The other players were also irritable, but thanks to their props, they could maintain some semblance of calm.

“This isn’t working. We won’t last another day like this!”

A veteran player stood up, his face grim.

“We have to figure out what’s causing these mood swings, or we can’t guarantee our own safety.”

The buzz-cut player, the most stable among them, nodded in agreement.

“I think we can rule out the rose.”

Having acquired a B-level prop, she wasn’t stingy and shared the information with her teammates.

A veteran player looked at her, his head down, deep in thought.

So, the rose might not be as dangerous as they thought. It might even be useful?

They continued to discuss and analyze the unusual elements in the castle until their stomachs rumbled.

The female newbie, pinching herself to stay calm, rubbed her stomach, her expression dazed.

“I’m so hungry. It’s been two days, and all I’ve had is some bread.”

They didn’t dare eat the castle’s food. And the cook, haughty and disdainful, had refused to cook for them.