I Raise My Wife in a Supernatural Story (Infinite) - Chapter 59

The “rough and unrefined” description Jiang Miao used did not refer to Hong Jing’s appearance, but rather to her personality and substance. In her eyes, Hong Jing was intentionally acting the part of an uneducated, simple-minded person with more brawn than brains.

“A person who truly has more brawn than brains would never have achieved what she has today,” Jiang Miao said. “She started from scratch, cooking for workers on construction sites. She even spent time in a detention center for fighting. While she was locked up, she managed to win over several cellmates who sought her out for work once they were released. She now commands a massive team of workers who follow her with absolute loyalty. We can set aside the lack of education for a moment, but calling her simple-minded is definitely a mistake.”

After hearing Jiang Miao’s analysis, Qi Yan became interested in Hong Jing. “Do you think she is acting this way because she is a player?”

Jiang Miao nodded. “It is possible. Perhaps a player is following the character setting provided by the script and is simply trying too hard.”

It was indeed a strong possibility.

Since it was only the first day, they had not had enough contact with the others, and the clues were sparse. Qi Yan did not want to jump to conclusions, but she felt certain that Zhao Ruibin and Meng Jiumo were NPCs. As for the other women, she remained unsure.

“Let us leave it at that for now, Sister San Shui. Get some rest tonight. Tomorrow, oh, what is the schedule for tomorrow?” Qi Yan scratched her hair. She remembered Zhao Ruibin mentioning it at the dinner table, but she had been a bit lightheaded from the alcohol and forgot the details.

“We are moving hotels. We are going to stay in yurts on the grasslands. Zhao Ruibin said he wanted us to experience the scenery. He arranged activities like horse riding, archery, and a bonfire.”

Qi Yan slumped onto the sofa and let out a soft “oh.” “This storybook feels like a vacation. I have not felt any sense of pressure yet, unlike the previous trials.”

Jiang Miao and Tang Shanshan exchanged looks. They felt the same way. So far, this world had been far too peaceful. Aside from playing their roles, it felt like a normal world, as if they were not in a storybook filled with hidden dangers.

“An environment that is too comfortable makes people complacent. We must stay alert,” Qi Yan warned Jiang Miao and Tang Shanshan. “I have my wife with me, so I will be fine. Sister San Shui and Shanshan, you two must be extra careful at night. If necessary, stay in the same room. Shanshan is your assistant and student, so it will not look suspicious for you to share a room.”

Jiang Miao nodded. “I was thinking the same thing. Our rooms are standard doubles anyway, so it will not be a problem.”

Tang Shanshan nodded along with Jiang Miao, though her eyes kept darting between Qi Yan and Bai Qing, occasionally flashing a look that was hard to decipher.

Bai Qing noticed her gaze and looked back in confusion. The young girl’s eyes were sparkling as if they were full of stars.

This little sister in the kid’s team is a bit strange, Bai Qing thought to herself.

Qi Yan heard the thought and looked at Tang Shanshan in surprise. She caught the girl looking back and forth between her and Bai Qing with what could only be described as “starry eyes” in a comic book.

It was indeed strange.

Once their business was concluded and Qi Yan’s dizziness had subsided, she walked Jiang Miao and Tang Shanshan to the door. They reminded each other to rest well and stay vigilant during the night.

As the door closed behind them, Jiang Miao asked curiously, “Why do you keep looking at Xiao Qi and Miss Bai?”

Tang Shanshan’s starry-eyed gaze had been too obvious. Not only the two subjects but even an outsider like Jiang Miao had seen it clearly.

Being called out made Tang Shanshan blush. She giggled and said, “Because I think Sister Qi and the Immortal Sister are so, so good together. I cannot help but ship them.”

Jiang Miao was confused. “Ship what?”

Tang Shanshan was an experienced fan of romance and “shipping.” Given the faces of Qi Yan and Bai Qing, she could imagine a grand drama just by seeing them stand still. Two such beautiful women did not even need a connection for a fan to pair them up, let alone the fact that they actually called each other “wife.”

How could she not ship them? It was practically a requirement.

As a fan, who could refuse the chance to see their favorite pair up close?

Tang Shanshan whispered an explanation of what “shipping” meant to Jiang Miao. “I think they are a perfect match.”

After understanding the concept, Jiang Miao nodded and agreed, “They are indeed a good match.”

“Right!” Gaining Jiang Miao’s approval made Tang Shanshan even more excited. It was as if she had found a fellow enthusiast. She began to share her shipping philosophies with Jiang Miao. “They already call each other wife. As long as I am in this team, I will support this relationship until the end.”

Jiang Miao patted the girl’s head affectionately, thinking that it was good for the child to be happy. To maintain such a positive attitude in a place like this meant the girl had a bright future.

The next morning, Zhao Ruibin’s convoy pulled up outside the hotel right on time. After breakfast, everyone loaded their luggage and prepared to head to the grasslands.

Qi Yan, Jiang Miao, and Tang Shanshan shared a car. Zhao Ruibin had originally wanted Qi Yan to sit in the lead car with him, but she claimed she wanted to discuss history with Professor Jiang. Zhao Ruibin did not want to spoil her mood and immediately agreed.

Only the team members were in the car. In a luxury vehicle like this, once the partition was raised, the driver could not hear their conversation.

“It has been nearly twenty-four hours since we entered the trial, and we still cannot reach Sister Xin. I do not know what her situation is.” Qi Yan was still worried. This was their first time entering a trial as a team, and having one teammate completely unreachable was unsettling.

Tang Shanshan said, “I have been leaving messages for her in the team system, but she has not replied once. Her icon is not even lit up.”

The three of them were deeply concerned about Yin Xin.

“The story has just begun, and there has not been any danger yet. She is likely safe but simply unable to contact us,” Jiang Miao analyzed. “We will probably have to wait for the plot to progress before we can reach her. Let us wait and see. It is already the second day, so there should be a new development by today at the latest.”

The story was set for seven days. After such a calm first day, something was bound to happen on the second.

The schedule for the day was entirely for leisure. Zhao Ruibin had spent a lot of money and was clearly doing his best to please these important guests.

In the evening, they had a whole roasted lamb and a bonfire, keeping everyone entertained throughout the night.

As expected, Zhao Ruibin drank too much again. Once drunk, he started boasting, repeating the same stories he had told before over and over again.

Qi Yan watched coldly as he eventually passed out and was dragged back to his yurt by his assistant and Meng Jiumo.

This time, they were staying in yurts deep within the grasslands. This specific grazing area had been developed for deep-tourism travelers. It was divided into two sections: a larger area where the locals lived and a smaller section for tourists.

The grasslands were pitch black at night, with very few lights. There was a significant distance between each yurt. Because Zhao Ruibin’s guests were VIPs, everyone had their own tent. Zhao Ruibin, being drunk, needed his assistant to look after him, so the assistant slept on the sofa in his tent.

Meng Jiumo helped the assistant lift Zhao Ruibin onto the bed. “I will be going now. Will you be okay on your own?”

The assistant was a tall, sturdy young man who looked like a fresh graduate. “Do not worry, Teacher Meng. I can handle it.”

“All right then. Goodnight.”

Meng Jiumo’s offer was just a formality. He knew the assistant would not actually ask him to stay and help take care of the drunk, heavy boss.

After seeing Meng Jiumo out, the assistant looked at his snoring boss with disgust. He wished he could pour a bucket of water over the man’s face. If the pay were not so high, he would have quit long ago. Who wanted to serve this man?

Complaining silently, the assistant washed up quickly, locked the tent door, and checked the room before lying down on the sofa.

The locals were quite wealthy. The yurt was large and the heating facilities were excellent. Although the temperature on the autumn grasslands dropped significantly at night, it was not cold at all inside the tent. In fact, it was warm enough to cause a light sweat.

The interior decor was also very sophisticated. The tent Zhao Ruibin occupied was clearly one of the main tents in the area. A full set of black iron armor stood by the door. The dark, cold metal standing there gave off a strangely sacred vibe.

The assistant glanced at the door before lying down. The armor stood perfectly still, like a guardian deity, which made him feel at ease. He turned off the last light and fell asleep.

The night was dark and silent.

The wind howled across the plains. Qi Yan tossed and turned in her bed. The snow fox sleeping beside her suddenly opened its eyes, its ears twitching sharply.

In her fox form, Bai Qing raised her head and looked toward the outside, her narrow eyes squinting. The person curled up in her arms was sleeping soundly. Qi Yan had been afraid of the cold and insisted that Bai Qing turn into a fox to keep her warm. Bai Qing had acted annoyed but complied, serving as a fluffy blanket.

In the yurt closest to them, Dai Qi was still awake. Her lights did not go out until very late. Inside, she leaned against her bed with a tablet on her lap, sketching rough designs.

Hong Jing and Meng Jiumo had neighboring yurts. Neither was sleepy, and finding they had similar interests, they sat together to drink more and discuss the resort’s architectural plans.

He Xueyan, the promotion manager who always seemed distracted, had gone to bed early. She seemed to be hiding many secrets and kept to herself, appearing suspicious and tense. Qi Yan had once suspected she was a player who lacked the experience or mental fortitude for the trial.

Jiang Miao and Tang Shanshan were still sharing a room. They had chosen a yurt with two beds, which was the furthest from everyone else. At night, they could not even see the shadows of the other yurts.

In the middle of the night, Tang Shanshan woke up needing to use the bathroom. She rubbed her eyes and looked out the window. What is that? Is it snowing?

It appeared to be snowing outside. Large snowflakes drifted through the silent, black night.

Autumn had only just begun, yet it was already snowing heavily deep in the grasslands. For no reason at all, Tang Shanshan felt a chill.

Just as she was about to look away, she caught a glimpse of a dark shadow flashing past outside. Her eyes widened. Her first instinct was to crouch down, hiding her silhouette while pressing against the window to observe.

However, the shadow had vanished instantly, as if it were merely a hallucination caused by her sleepiness.

Tang Shanshan stared outside for a long time, but aside from the falling snow, there was no other movement.

Though she was still suspicious, there were no further anomalies. She finished her business and returned to bed after confirming the room was secure.

She checked her phone. The time was three o’clock in the morning. There was a long time left until dawn, so she lay in bed staring at the ceiling.

Jiang Miao was sleeping deeply beside her. Tang Shanshan did not want to wake her, but she could not stop thinking about the shadow. She decided to keep watch for the rest of the night.

In this high-pressure environment, Tang Shanshan maintained the necessary vigilance. Despite her young age, she was responsible. By staying awake, she ensured that if danger struck, they would not be caught completely off guard.

The heavy darkness finally began to lift at sunrise. After staying awake for most of the night, Tang Shanshan finally succumbed to sleep just as Jiang Miao was waking up. She did not have the chance to tell Jiang Miao about the night’s events.

That was until the young assistant in the main tent let out a terrified scream. He stumbled out of the yurt he shared with Zhao Ruibin, collapsing onto the grass in a frantic heap.

“Help! Someone! Help!” he shrieked. “There is a body! Someone is dead! Director Zhao, he is…”

Qi Yan, who had just stepped out of her tent upon hearing the commotion, heard the next words clearly.

“Director Zhao is dead!”

Support I Raise My Wife in a Supernatural Story (Infinite)