My Sister Never Said She Was a Creepy Tale - Chapter 68

“I don’t know much more,” Gu Nanqiu focused her gaze on the building not far away. It was an ornate marble doorway, mimicking Western style.

Lifelike animals were carved onto the door. Strangely, a red string was tied across the eyes of all these creatures, making them look somewhat comical.

Gu Nanqiu took Yue Yiyao’s hand: “That looks like the Sculpture Museum we’re looking for. Yiyao, shall we go take a look together?”

Following the direction Gu Nanqiu pointed, Yue Yiyao saw a small fountain at the entrance, topped with a Merfolk King holding a large water bottle. Yue Yiyao looked up at the Merfolk King, finding its appearance somewhat familiar, especially the carved freckles.

Yue Yiyao’s hand went to her own face: “That face also has freckles. Interesting.”

“Yes, this sculpture was made by the owner here for her lover.” Gu Nanqiu looked tenderly at the sculpture: “It’s a very great work of art.”

“I lingered here when I visited this place before.”

Meeting Yue Yiyao’s confused gaze, Gu Nanqiu suddenly snapped back to the present. She looked apologetically at Yue Yiyao and explained: “I’m sorry. I just remembered that I’ve been here before when I saw this sculpture.”

“It’s just that I was much younger then.” Gu Nanqiu turned around. The soft breeze blew through her hair, making it dance in the air. Her eyes held a trace of nostalgia: “When I first saw Yiyao, I was reminded of this sculpture, only you are much more vivid and dazzling than this.”

“I think if this sculpture had a prototype, it might have been modeled after you, though it only captured a fraction of your beauty.”

Listening to Gu Nanqiu’s words, Yue Yiyao looked up at the sculpture: “…”

Fine, Gu Nanqiu is a very kind person. She just needs to silently accept the compliment.

“Let’s go inside first.” Yue Yiyao walked to the door. The heavy door sensed their arrival and made a soft drip sound, then swung open.

A rush of heat greeted them, but it wasn’t stuffy. The floor was covered with a beautiful warm-toned printed carpet. Many photos hung on the white walls. Yue Yiyao glanced at them, noting they seemed to be about the owner’s life.

A receptionist in a casual work uniform smiled as she saw the two guests at the door: “Hello, do you have a reservation?”

When her gaze swept over Gu Nanqiu, she paused for a moment, then quickly returned to her usual demeanor: “Ah, you’re hotel guests, so you are exempt from reservations. Hello, the Sculpture Museum is to the left. Would you like an accompanying guide?”

“No, thank you.” Yue Yiyao spoke before Gu Nanqiu could: “Thank you. We’ll look around on our own. Are there any precautions we should be aware of?”

The receptionist handed over a pamphlet: “This sculpture museum does not have red doors. If you see one, please notify us via the intercom, and a professional staff member will handle it.”

“Staff members only wear standard casual work uniforms, never inappropriate attire like skirts or high heels while working. If you see such a person, please be wary of deception.”

“All sculptures in this museum are intact. If you find a sculpture with damaged eyes, please also contact a staff member.”

The receptionist emphasized the three most important points: “The remaining points usually don’t come up.”

“Oh, and occasionally, when the owner is in a bad mood, she comes here to look around. The exhibition hall at the very end contains her self-carved ‘Lover.’ Please do not disturb the owner unless absolutely necessary.”

Yue Yiyao carefully noted every word: “Thank you.”

The temperature in the room was quite high. Yue Yiyao took off her jacket, and the receptionist immediately took out a garment bag: “Please leave it here. You can collect it when you leave.”

Gu Nanqiu spoke less after entering the room. She stood in front of a piece named “Eve,” looking up and seriously admiring the muscular curves of the sculpture.

Her dark hair was like silk, and her white sweater softened the contours of her face. Although she looked composed, the eyes filled with emotion focused intently on “Eve,” as if looking at a deeply loved partner.

In that instant, a familiar feeling swelled in Yue Yiyao’s chest, one she often felt when reading books: envy.

To be gazed upon like that by Gu Nanqiu.

She was truly too envious.

At this moment, they didn’t look like they were here to search for clues, but rather like two ordinary tourists simply admiring the art.

Yue Yiyao stood still, watching Gu Nanqiu intently.

She thought that the person was right; she was indeed selfish. At this very moment, she was secretly happy that this place was reservation-only, so there weren’t many people.

And thankfully, Gu Nanqiu wore a mask when she came out. If others saw her like this, more people would flock to her…

She wouldn’t allow it. This was their private trip.

“Yiyao, this piece also has freckles. I guess it was sculpted by the owner here,” Gu Nanqiu’s voice interrupted Yue Yiyao’s thoughts.

Hearing Gu Nanqiu’s words, she rubbed her face, tossing the messy thoughts out of her mind. Following the direction Gu Nanqiu pointed, she saw a line carved underneath: When I forget you, I always fall into madness—

“If that’s true, then the story between the owner and her lover here must be very agonizing.”

“But they must be deeply in love.”

After all, only through love can one pour emotion into cold plaster. Using one’s own hands to meticulously shape the image of a lover, and finally building an exhibition hall to share a part of their love.

Gu Nanqiu didn’t reply. She simply walked toward the interior of the exhibition hall.

Yue Yiyao looked around, making sure she hadn’t missed any clues, and then followed her.

She saw many other artworks by other sculptors. Yue Yiyao’s favorite was a statue of a War God. The War God was wearing armor. The armor had many scratches, presumably to give it an antique appearance. She gazed steadfastly ahead, her sword pointing towards the window opposite. Behind her were her generals, each looking solemn, strong, and reassuring.

Yue Yiyao curiously leaned in for a closer look and saw the ill-fated Keyu Center building. Turning back to the War God statue, Yue Yiyao felt as if something was connecting. The CEO of Keyu Center also dabbled in sculpting, but his craftsmanship seemed poor. After all, the sculptures in that image looked crudely made and couldn’t compare to those here.

In the back of her mind, Yue Yiyao sensed she was close to grasping something. She was just a moment away from linking the clues. She saw a red light flash somewhere on the opposite building. Rubbing her eyes, Yue Yiyao looked again, but saw nothing. It was as if Yue Yiyao had imagined it.

In that moment of distraction, Yue Yiyao turned her head and found that Gu Nanqiu, who had been walking ahead, was gone.

She quickened her pace and walked forward. A red door appeared before Yue Yiyao. Seeing this door, Yue Yiyao recalled her visit to the forensic doctor, where the door had nearly driven her into a minor frenzy.

“Hello, I’m a visitor. I see a red door near the War God statue. Could you please come and deal with it?”

The intercom buzzed, and soon the staff member’s voice replied: “Okay, sorry, please sit on the chair next to the War God statue to rest. The fire… a moment… the staff… the fire… will come… the fire… will come—”

The static eventually turned into a sharp sound wave. Yue Yiyao instinctively pulled the intercom away. The voice changed, stretched, and finally returned to calm. A cheerful female voice came through: “I apologize, one of the temporary employees had a small issue just now. It’s in the War God area, right? Please stand by and wait.”

“Remember, there are no chairs next to the War God. If you see a chair, it’s just due to temporary employee oversight. Definitely do not sit down.”

“Okay, got it.”

Seeing her situation, Yue Yiyao couldn’t go find Gu Nanqiu immediately. She went back to the original spot. She saw a small stool, which had been empty moments ago, now next to the War God, with a pastry placed on it. Yue Yiyao ignored it and stood beneath the War God sculpture.

She stood there and sent a message to Gu Nanqiu, saying she would come find her soon and asking her to wait. Then, she stood in place, looking up at the War God.

As she looked, Yue Yiyao noticed something was wrong. The War God’s expression seemed even more stern? It was as if she had perceived the arrival of something.

As if hearing Yue Yiyao’s thoughts, the window across the room made a faint sound the next moment. A soft, extremely subtle sound. If the exhibition hall hadn’t been so quiet, no one would have heard it.

Yue Yiyao immediately became alert.

A pat-pat sound rang out, and then the glass shattered into pieces, changing direction and shooting towards Yue Yiyao. The War God acted first, blocking in front of Yue Yiyao. The glass sliced through the white plaster armor on her body, and white liquid oozed from the armor, like human blood.

Different clatter-clatter sounds echoed around. Yue Yiyao turned her head, and the surrounding sculptures… were alive?

They were clearly assigned tasks. Some sculptures kicked the chair over and pierced it. Others faced the window, batting back an unidentified spherical object that was trying to rush in.

The War God looked down to confirm that the human beneath her was safe. She pointed her hand towards the red room. They were ready for the enemy behind the door.

Click. The door opened. Countless computer heads rushed in. The screens displayed only one command: CLEAR.

Soon, the room erupted into a battle. Yue Yiyao didn’t stay idle. She flipped her wrist, pulled out her dagger, and joined the fray.

As she made contact with the enemy, Yue Yiyao felt an inexplicable tingle, but her mind became increasingly excited. It was as if she had been infused with an overdose of wine. Her steps became lighter, and her movements faster.

She crushed the screen head in front of her, then ran to the War God’s side, kicking over a sneak-attacking computer head. She conveniently slapped it twice to confirm that it was truly not human and had no possibility of turning into one, then crushed another one.

Yue Yiyao moved deftly through the room, repeatedly kicking away computer heads attempting to ambush. She occasionally helped the plaster generals at the window who were close to being pushed out.

This kind of combat ignited Yue Yiyao’s most primal wildness. She grew increasingly excited, and her movements became faster and faster.

Space twisted for a moment. There was a computer head at the red doorway. It stood there, looking at Yue Yiyao with some confusion. Even the “CLEAR” displayed on its screen changed to a “?”.

Yue Yiyao barely managed to regain a sliver of rationality. She forced herself to calmly read the words on the computer head.

“Why don’t you? Get tired? Want to slack off? Want to give up living?”

“Do you have a way to break this state? I… still want… to live.”

Just at that moment, a computer head suddenly rushed out from the corner. The blade in its hand stabbed towards Yue Yiyao—