Eldritch Horror Theatre

"Hm?"

Madam Sissi's answer made Tan Ying frown slightly, though she didn't overthink it in the moment.

"Over a month... Just hearing about it makes me jealous!"

She let out a long sigh, her tone filled with genuine emotion.

"But you must have really been in high spirits to hang around one place for so long."

"Only on the first day."

Sissi shook her head again.

"After that, I was just waiting there."

'Just as I thought!'

Over a month... That timeframe aligned perfectly with when she had sent him that message.

"Waiting there? Waiting for what—"

Tan Ying asked without thinking, then abruptly whipped her head around to look at Fu Qian.

'It couldn't be... waiting for a chance to meet this consultant, right?'

'That would be way too absurd!'

Tan Ying felt her throat go dry.

This was no longer a question of playing hard to get.

Over a month. Waiting for an audience with the Emperor in the capital back in the old days wouldn't have taken that long.

"Yes."

Sissi actually confirmed her suspicion. She then gave Fu Qian a deep look, a smile touching the corners of her lips.

"Because my consultant never replied to my messages."

...

Had this happened a moment ago, Tan Ying might have interpreted the expression as affectionate. But combined with what the woman just said, hearing those words now made her scalp tingle with dread.

The three of them were currently standing in a hospital ward straight out of a typical horror movie.

A messy bed, torn and distorted restraint straps, walls covered in bloodstains and letters—one could even make out the drag marks of someone crawling across the floor.

Tan Ying had originally grown numb to these common horror tropes, but right now, she suddenly felt a chill.

Sissi, whose arm she was holding, seemed to notice her stiffness but said nothing, merely watching her with a smile.

Subconsciously wanting to avoid that scrutiny, Tan Ying cast her gaze around the room, only to unexpectedly trip over something.

"Ah!"

The scream that had previously echoed through the haunted house made its grand return.

Practically jumping in fright, Tan Ying scrambled back two steps, nearly stepping on Fu Qian's feet.

In her panic, she threw caution to the wind and grabbed directly onto Fu Qian's arm.

'Is this the legendary classic trope of visiting a haunted house with the opposite sex?'

Fu Qian observed this scene without batting an eye.

'What a pity. If classmate Tan Ying's hands were shaking as much as her voice, it would be absolutely perfect.'

"T-that, that is..."

Tan Ying was now pointing with great dedication at the spot where she had just been standing.

At some unknown point, a withered arm had stretched out from the shadows beneath the bed, its surface riddled with various IV needles.

That was what she had nearly tripped over just now.

Of course, while it was realistically made, a closer look quickly revealed it to be nothing more than a prop.

Tan Ying took two deep breaths, her emotions rapidly stabilizing.

"Sorry."

However, she still didn't let go of Fu Qian's arm, instead pressing even closer.

"It's fine. Should we change locations?"

Fu Qian shook his head, though he was looking at his client as he spoke.

"Alright."

Sissi didn't seem to have any objections. She followed behind them with an elegant gait.

"What on earth... is up with this woman?"

Pulling Fu Qian along in front, Tan Ying took in the sight of the woman in the long dress walking out of the bloody ward, finally finding a chance to whisper her question.

"Nice acting."

Fu Qian praised her in the same hushed tone.

It was obvious that this was the true purpose behind Tan Ying's little performance just now—to seamlessly detach herself from Sissi's side so she could rush over and ask this question.

"My client is a bit persistent."

Fu Qian then tapped his head.

"And my reputation is too good, so the queue was a little long."

'...Is this just a matter of being persistent?'

'And why do I remember that, aside from the few times you were MIA, you've spent quite a bit of time recently fooling around with Young Master Qin and the others?'

Tan Ying naturally didn't buy this nonsense. She couldn't help but grit her teeth and glare at the guy.

"What are you two chatting about?"

Right at that moment, however, Sissi caught up to them, her tone curious.

"We were just talking about how brave you are."

Tan Ying immediately clamped her mouth shut, leaving Fu Qian to answer with a smile.

"...I'm not that brave. On the contrary, Tan Ying has been much calmer than me the whole way."

Sissi glanced at Tan Ying.

"Are you making fun of me?"

Now forced to speak, Tan Ying tried her best to adjust her expression and fired back with a reproving tone.

"Not at all, I'm just telling the truth."

Sissi sighed, glancing at their surroundings.

By now, the three of them had arrived in a winding Corridor.

"People always have their limitations. Even knowing that everything is fake, there's still no way to completely control one's emotions."

'Why does it feel like there's a hidden meaning behind those words?'

Tan Ying frowned slightly as she listened. That strange feeling from the beginning had returned.

"I didn't scare you, did I?"

Just as she was pondering, she heard Sissi ask another question.

"Huh? Of course not."

After her subconscious denial, Tan Ying suddenly froze.

Connecting this question to the previous sentence made it feel incredibly bizarre!

Besides, what could she possibly have done to scare her?

Tan Ying's first reaction was to look up at Fu Qian.

"What about you, Consultant Fu?"

Unexpectedly, Sissi looked over at the same time.

"A little bit."

Facing their dual scrutiny, Fu Qian pondered for a moment and nodded.

"Your performance makes me feel like I might have to refund my consultation fee."

...

These words turned Tan Ying's brain into even more of a mushy paste, but after a brief moment of shock, Sissi actually let out a string of laughter.

The laughter was soft and gentle, entirely devoid of any lingering panic.

It was just a pity that in this setting, the vibe was a little off.

Fu Qian even noticed that a staff member who had been preparing to pop out and scare them was now moving with a bit of hesitation.

"How could that be?"

After a moment, Sissi finally stopped laughing and looked earnestly at Fu Qian.

"For a very long time now, only my interactions with you, Consultant Fu, have made me feel somewhat amused."

"So when you received my reply, was your mood ultimately good or bad?"

Facing her approval, Fu Qian merely nodded and then asked a strange question.

"...That is a good question."

Sissi unexpectedly fell silent for a moment, only speaking up after a long pause.

"Most of the time, I was in a good mood."

"At first, I thought I had finally discovered a loophole, presenting a difficult problem for you all. I was very happy watching the people around me scramble to patch it."

"Then, after so many days, when I finally received your message again, despite a brief moment of disappointment, an even greater expectation quickly rose up—and that was to meet you in person."

"I wanted to see what kind of actor would finally be pushed forward after so much time and effort, and how they would try to guide me. So, all things considered, I was mostly happy..."

Her voice betrayed no emotion, but as she calmly laid this all out, Tan Ying's expression grew uglier and uglier.

At some point, she turned her head at an angle to look at Fu Qian, her pink lips parting to silently mouth two syllables.

"Truman?"

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