CH 3

Chapter 3 – матрёшка 3

The two walked over to the cabin and knocked on the door. Soon, a thin middle-aged man opened it. His cheeks were deeply sunken and his face was yellowish and thin. The middle-aged man looked behind them and asked, “Is there anyone else with you?”

This seems to be the hut where hunters live during winter. The house was decorated with some animal fur. The fireplace is burning and making crackling noises.

There were more than a dozen people crowded inside the house, both men and women. At this time, they all raised their heads to look at Xu RenDong and Lian Qiao. Xu RenDong said: “No, it’s just the two of us. Sorry for the intrusion…”

The excessive tension of his nerves made his observation skills keen. He noticed that the two young girls suddenly changed their expressions after seeing his face and then immediately lowered their heads, not daring to look at him. Another young man showed a very subtle expression when he saw the girls’ reaction.

… How come all these people seemed so suspicious?

The middle-aged man smiled kindly: “Come in first.”

Xu RenDong and Lian Qiao looked at each other and walked into the warm cabin.

The dozen or so people sat around the dining table without saying a word. The middle-aged man who had just opened the door greeted him and said, “Hello, my name is Yuan XueMing. You can sit here.”

Xu RenDong and Lian Qiao also reported their names. Yuan XueMing nodded in greeting but the others didn’t respond. They had complicated expressions on their faces. The atmosphere in this room was very strange. Xu RenDong was about to speak when Yuan XueMing said: “Is it your first time in the elevator?”

Them too?

So did all these people come through that unreasonable elevator? Also, what did the “first time” mean?

Xu RenDong didn’t know whether he counted as the “first time” or the “third time”, so he remained silent. Lian Qiao nodded, his entire face filled with question marks.

The other people also nodded. Yuan XueMing said: “So it seems that everyone here is a newcomer but I’m an old player. This should be all of us so let me explain what’s going on. You probably already figured out that this is not our world and want to leave. But before we can do that, we have to find the elevator and the button.”

“But the elevator has disappeared.” Someone spoke up.

Yuan XueMing said: “That’s the entry elevator. There will also be an exit elevator somewhere around here, but the elevator has no button. We need to find the button and install it on the elevator and only then can we leave.”

As soon as we heard the word ‘leave’, everyone’s mood seemed to improve at last. Someone yelled: “Then let’s find it now! I don’t want to stay in this ghost world for a minute longer!”

At the same time, a woman said suspiciously, “Isn’t this a reality TV show?” She looked around, probably looking for hidden cameras. “I warn you, I was brought here without my consent. This is kidnapping! It’s illegal!”

A man said, “Are you serious? Didn’t you see the elevator disappear before your eyes?”

The woman snorted coldly, “It may be an illusion trick or some type of mechanism. I just got kidnapped and I don’t know the situation. It’s easy to get tricked.”

Lian Qiao also suspected this earlier. At this point, everyone’s hearts began to waver. After all, it’s much easier to accept being cheated and kidnapped than suddenly travelling to another world. Thinking about it this way was also an escape mentality.

Yuan XueMing sighed helplessly.

As a person who has died tragically twice, Xu RenDong has no doubt about the horror of this world so he understands Yuan XueMing’s feelings at this time very well. So he said: “This is really not the real world.”

Everyone looked at him in unison.

Xu RenDong said: “Because I have already…”

The word “died” had not yet been spoken when he suddenly felt a pain in his mouth. His tongue was pinned and he couldn’t move it. His expression changed drastically but he found that not only could he not make a sound, he couldn’t even open his mouth.

However, in the eyes of others, it was as if he had suddenly remembered something and suddenly choked back his words.

The woman sneered and said: “What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue? Keep talking.”

Xu RenDong tried a few more times but his mouth became immobile like it was filled with paste. But apart from being unable to speak, there is nothing unusual about his body. Could it be that some mysterious force was stopping him?

What does this mean?

Seeing Xu RenDong wanted to say something but hesitated, everyone believed the woman’s words even more. The irritable man from before was even more upset and said violently: “Fuck your mother! Can’t continue acting is it! I think you’re a spy on the inside!”

Xu RenDong frowned. He could not defend himself but fortunately, the impatient man did not keep staring at him. Instead, he looked around and shouted angrily: “What about the other staff! Get out and show yourselves! What kind of dog show is this! I’m going to take you all to court!”

Suddenly Lian Qiao, who had been silent, laughed out loud. Xu RenDong glanced at him and Lian Qiao leaned into his ear. He suppressed a smile and whispered: “If the staff really come out, I’m afraid they will smash this dog’s head with a sledgehammer.”

This image immediately appeared in Xu RenDong’s mind. After seeing the huge figure of the butcher, he couldn’t help but feel a headache.

“What are you two whispering about!” The impatient man jumped up. His face was black and he looked really angry.

Xu RenDong frowned but just as he was about to explain, someone suddenly knocked loudly on the wooden door.

Xu RenDong and Lian Qiao were shocked and looked at each other at the same time.

“Fuck!” Lian Qiao cursed in a low voice, “He couldn’t really have chased us here, right?!”

Xu RenDong shook his head. At the same time Yuan XueMing had already reached the door. Xu RenDong had no time to stop him before he had already opened the door.

As soon as the door opened, everyone was stunned. Because it was not a person standing outside the door but instead a rabbit.

A gray rabbit with fluffy fur, about half the height of a person.

The rabbit was standing on his hind legs in a human-like pose and he was also wearing a shiny, golden tuxedo. It looked like he was going to a party. He glanced at Yuan XueMing with sly eyes and then scanned the people in the house. Then, the pink three-petaled mouth suddenly moved.

“You must help me!”

The rabbit could actually talk?

Everyone in the house was shocked.

Lian Qiao: “Fuck! Rabbits can actually speak human words!…Well, it must be common settings, common settings.” {Gamer term again.}

Xu RenDong couldn’t help but glance at Lian Qiao and wonder again how come this young man talks so much.

At this time, Yuan XueMing clearly showed a distinctive calm. He ignored Lian Qiao’s interruption and asked the rabbit: “What do you want us to help you with?”

The gray rabbit sucked in his little pink nose, seeming to have turbulent emotions. He cried, “The holiday is coming but the gift I prepared for everyone is gone! You guys have to help me find it! Otherwise, I won’t be able to celebrate the holiday festival!”

Lian Qiao was a little excited, and whispered: “Here it is, I knew who would get sent on a mission!”

Yuan XueMing asked, “When is the festival?”

The rabbit replied: “In seven days.”

Yuan XueMing asked again: “What is the gift? How many are there?”

The rabbit stared at him with round eyes and confidently said: “The gift is a surprise! So of course I can’t tell you!”

Yuan XueMing was helpless: “If you don’t tell us, how can we help you find it?”

At this time, Lian Qiao suddenly took out the wooden doll with an eager smile and asked, “Is this it?”

When the rabbit saw the doll, his eyes brightened. His hairy lips suddenly grinned, revealing a weird smile that was similar to the wooden doll: “So you already found a gift huh? Since you promised to help, you must work hard! You can’t slack off! The holiday festival is almost here!”

After saying this, the rabbit turned around and crouched down on the ground. He kicked his hind leg and jumped away.

Everyone: “…”

Lian Qiao complained in a low voice: “Obviously he can speak human words and stand up like a person. So why in the end, does he still have to jump around on all fours? Yes, it truly is a rabbit.”

Xu RenDong: “…”

He couldn’t help but look at Lian Qiao again. Lian Qiao’s real-time commentary really gave the situation the atmosphere of a horror game. If he had not tragically died twice already, he would have been inclined to believe that this really was a crappy, large-scale, live-action, horror game.

Yuan XueMing turned around and said to everyone: “You should all understand what to do, right?”

The previous doubtful woman was still unwilling to accept the facts in front of her and sneered: “Do you want to trick me? This rabbit is either a kid in a suit or a robot! Let me tell you, I…”

Yuan XueMing looked at her. The expression on his face was a bit complicated: “If you still don’t want to believe it, please feel free to think whatever on your own. You can do what you want or go where you want to go. I won’t stop you.”

Although his voice was gentle, there was something else in his eyes. A subtle look.

Lian Qiao whispered: “His eyes seem to be looking at a dead person…”

Xu RenDong suddenly understood why Yuan XueMing’s eyes looked so uncomfortable.

The woman glared at him harshly, turned her head and went upstairs. The high-heeled shoes creaked on the old stairs, grating on everyone’s nerves.

Yuan XueMing said, “It’s too late today. Let’s each pick a room and rest early.”

The irritable man was so annoyed he was practically climbing the wall by this time: “Didn’t that rabbit want us to hurry up and find some gifts? It’s just wooden dolls that look like that, right? Let’s hurry to find them all so we can go back!”

Yuan XueMing sighed: “The time limit is seven days so don’t rush right now. And it’ s also dangerous at night. I don’t recommend going out.” After a pause, he changed his tone and said in a deep voice, “After all, this place is haunted.”

Everyone’s expressions changed as soon as these words came out. Everyone wanted to ask more questions but Yuan XueMing was reluctant to say any more. He just told everyone to rest earlier so they had no choice but to go upstairs.

Xu RenDong and Lian Qiao came together and were naturally divided into the same room. The hunter’s cabin looks dilapidated but it was fairly clean. As soon as Lian Qiao entered the room, he turned the cabinets inside out and found winter clothes and thick quilts inside.

Xu RenDong wanted to remind Lian Qiao not to touch things randomly but he was only wearing a thin shirt and suit and by this time he was shivering. Reluctantly he took the clothes Lian Qiao handed over and then made the bed with him. Soon after, the two got into their bed.

This bed was very spacious, more than large enough to sleep two adult men. Xu RenDong felt cold under the bed but his sleepiness still surged. He had worked overtime until midnight and had experienced so many things in a short period of time. At this time, it can be said that he was exhausted physically and mentally and nearly fell asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow.

Lian Qiao lay beside Xu RenDong and continued his self-commentary: “This should be the smallest one of the matryoshka dolls, since there’s no seam in the middle. But as for how many matryoshka dolls there are, it’s still unknown.”

Matryoshka? {Also known as Babushka dolls.}

Xu RenDong looked around in a daze and found that Lian Xi was holding the wooden doll picked from the stone tablet in his hand. He couldn’t help but wonder: “This is a matryoshka?”

“Isn’t it? Wasn’t it written in the elevator?” Lian Qiao murmured and Xu RenDong was stunned.

“What are you talking about?”

Lian Qiao repeated: “матрёшка, it means matryoshka doll.”

Xu RenDong asked: “You speak Russian?”

“No but I know this word.” Lian Qiao seemed to want to take the wooden doll apart but couldn’t. After playing with it for a while, he finally gave up.

Xu RenDong watched him study the matryoshka and his sleepiness came again. Just when he was about to fall asleep, Lian Qiao suddenly said pitifully, “Brother, I can’t sleep…”

Xu RenDong felt very tired but he still patiently suggested, “Count sheep.”

Lian Qiao: “Sheep are useless. Do you know why there is a saying that if one cannot sleep, one should count sheep? Because sheep and sleep are pronounced similarly in English, so foreigners count sheep if they can’t sleep… That means Chinese people should count ‘dumplings’.” {Shui jiao which sounds like the Chinese word for sleep.}

Xu RenDong easily agreed: “Then count dumplings.”

Lian Qiao said, “It’s useless… I haven’t reached the right point on my body clock. I should still be running at this point.”

Xu RenDong: “Running in the middle of the night?”

Lian Qiao said, “Yes. I do my live broadcast at 11 o’clock every day, then I go for a run. Then I come back to take a shower…”

Xu RenDong: “Broadcast?” Excessive fatigue made him lose his thinking ability. He only felt that he had become a parrot, repeating the key words in Lian Qiao’s sentences foolishly.

Lian Qiao: “Ah, I forgot to say, I am a live streaming game host and my daily job is to play games online. By the way, I think this world is also like a game. You see, the rabbit is an NPC and it released a gift collection main line mission for us. That Brother Sledgehammer is the first miniboss…”

Brother Sledgehammer… refers to the butcher who killed him with a hammer, right?

Xu RenDong felt that the name was quite vivid and also a bit comical. The shadow of his face being hit by a sledgehammer was alleviated a little.

At this point, Xu RenDong remembered another important thing. His person was immediately energetic.

“Lian Qiao.” He interrupted, “Actually I have already…”

This time, before the word “died” reached his lips, his tongue had frozen.

Sure enough, it’s still the case.

“Huh?” Lian Qiao turned his head, only to see his hesitant expression.

Xu RenDong only felt numb in his mouth and it took a while to regain the ability to speak. Lian Qiao misunderstood and even apologized: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, you’re sleepy, right? I’m too noisy… I’m sorry, don’t mind me. Actually, I’m still a little scared but I feel better when I talk to you. Oh. Hey, you have a bit of an “imprinting” effect on me. After all, you are the first person I met in this world…

Xu RenDong: “Imprinting effect? “He suddenly realized that in front of Lian Qiao, he could not get rid of the fate of being a parrot.

On the contrary, Lian Qiao was a little embarrassed: “Uh, it’s the nestling complex, do you know it? After a bird is born, he will take the first thing he sees as his parent and become very dependent on it and want to keep following behind it.”

Xu RenDong immediately understood and calmly interrupted him: “Isn’t the first person you met Brother Sledgehammer? “

Lian Qiao was silent for a moment: “…You’re right. But Brother Sledgehammer is so ugly, I don’t want to recognize him as my father. “

Xu RenDong also fell into a confused silence. Based on the context, he judged that Lian Qiao was praising him for being better-looking than Brother Sledgehammer and that he was more suitable to be his father… but he couldn’t feel happy because of this.

“How old are you?” Xu RenDong finally thought of a question to ask.

Lian Qiao said: “25. How about you?”

“28.” Xu RenDong said seriously, “I’m only 3 years older than you. I’m not appropriate to be your father.”

Lian Qiao: “…” After a while, he added, “You make a lot of sense.”

“Yeah.” Xu RenDong said, “So go to sleep.”

Lian Qiao turned his head and saw Xu RenDong close his eyes, his thick eyelashes black as crow feathers. He fell asleep soon and the distant expression that always seemed to keep others thousands of miles away finally relaxed and his thin lips also softened.

This unguarded handsome sleeping face struck Lian Qiao like a bolt of lightning, leaving only a word in his head.

Ahhhhhhhhhh so beautiful!

***

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