Snuggling for Survival: A Quick Transmigration Tale - Chapter 8

Yu Yu thought to herself: If I actually knew everything that clearly, I wouldn’t be a marginal cannon fodder character.

She shook her head and, after a moment’s thought, replied, “I’ve only been here for a few days. I was actually kicked out, but I didn’t want to leave.”

“No wonder the ghostly aura on you is so heavy.” A-Yuan scrutinized her. Having stayed in this place for several days, it was only natural for her to be tainted by some of its energy.

But after finally managing to escape this place, why on earth would she come back? A-Yuan stared at her, feeling that this girl still held many secrets.

“Did you come back for the 5 million prize too?” Fatty pulled out his phone. Being a fellow human, his guard against Yu Yu wasn’t very high—moreover, she looked completely harmless. “I didn’t see your profile on the website. Only the four of us passed the screening. How did you get in without an invitation?”

They were using terms Yu Yu didn’t quite understand, but to gather more information, she listened intently as they shared what they knew.

They had seen an “exploration game” on a certain website. The winner would receive a 5 million prize, but the danger level was extreme. Yu Yu was curious; her last world had been ancient, and she had finished her tasks there in a daze, leaving her with only fragmented memories. While the System’s database contained information about “cell phones,” she had never actually touched one.

She had thought that coming to this modern world would allow her to interact with some electronics, but reflecting on her days here, she realized she had done nothing except cling to Li Yuan.

Now, seeing the large, blood-red characters on the phone screen, Yu Yu swallowed hard. As she read through the entries one by one, she felt a sense of bewilderment. Everything was different from what she had imagined.

The website provided a lot of information, including the fact that this was a haunted house—it was written there quite bluntly. Although the exact address wasn’t disclosed, it clearly stated where the “guide” could be found. The game seemed to have been running for many years, but there was no record of players succeeding or failing. The website’s traffic wasn’t particularly high; it was unclear how these people had been selected.

The fragmented information was vaguely written. However, there was absolutely no mention of “recruiting a husband.”

Then what was all that talk about ‘hundreds of grooms’ I heard in the bridal sedan? It seemed the information the protagonist group had wasn’t entirely complete either.

Seeing her standing there dazed and looking confused, Lin Yu explained to her: “The website makes it very clear. There isn’t a single living soul in the Li Family Mansion. The rules are simple: find the hidden secret of the mansion. If you succeed, you get the prize. If you fail, you’re at the mercy of fate. The best part is there’s no time limit. You can use anything you find in the mansion. Just be brave and don’t get scared.”

Yu Yu fidgeted with her hands, feeling apprehensive. “Aren’t you afraid? You said it yourself… it’s all ghosts.”

“We naturally came prepared.” For the sake of a fellow human, A-Yuan pulled a yellow talisman from his robe. “I don’t know what kind of skill you have to have stayed here so long, but once the game starts, the spirits in this mansion will be unleashed. This talisman will prevent them from approaching you. We need to focus all our energy on finding the secret, so we won’t be able to look after you.”

Dumbfounded, Yu Yu took the talisman and asked dryly, “Will this talisman… cause harm to the ghosts?”

As the world’s protagonists, they certainly had their “protagonist halos,” but the fact that they could pull out real talismans was beyond Yu Yu’s expectations. Are they all Taoists? Or ghost hunters? She scanned them with a measuring gaze but didn’t ask.

Lin Yu shook her head and said after a thought, “It depends on the severity. If it’s a very powerful spirit, the talisman won’t help much, but for the average ghosts in this courtyard, it should suffice.”

“Then I don’t want it.” Yu Yu handed the talisman back to A-Yuan. Her heart was still fluttering; she wanted to get close to Li Yuan, and carrying this thing would be inconvenient. “Thank you for telling me so much.”

Based on their description, Li Yuan was likely one of the “powerful spirits” here. Now that she understood why they had kicked her out, Yu Yu actually felt a bit happy. The fact that Li Yuan didn’t want her trapped in this game proved that she had feelings for her, even if they had only known each other a short time.

She likely didn’t want Yu Yu to discover their true identities, which is why she was so desperate to send her away. The paper effigy must have been a stand-in for her role. A warm feeling filled Yu Yu’s heart, and she could barely control her expression.

Her desire to find Li Yuan grew even stronger.

Seeing her about to walk off on her own, Lin Yu called out, “Aren’t you going to move with us? You know how dangerous this place is. One slip and you’ll lose your life. It’s safer if you stay with us.”

Yu Yu shook her head. Although the protagonists meant well, she didn’t plan on being a participant in this game. She had her own goals.

Yu Yu spoke softly: “Thank you for bringing me in, but I have my own things to do. I don’t want to hold you back. If there’s a chance, perhaps we’ll meet again.”

Seeing her resolve, Lin Yu didn’t insist. However, after she left, A-Yuan made a bold guess.

“Perhaps she really has nothing to fear here. I noticed the housekeeper looked at her with a sense of helplessness. I don’t know what happened to her here, but I think she’s safer than we are.”

“Mhm.” Lin Yu nodded and sighed. “I noticed that too. I thought having her with us would make finding clues faster, but since she refused, there’s nothing we can do.”

“No way, she looked so ordinary…” the red-haired girl scratched her head. The arrogance she had earlier had significantly dampened after entering the house.

It wasn’t daytime anymore. Night had long since claimed the sky. There was a moon, but it was mostly obscured by heavy clouds. The surroundings were pitch black, save for a few scattered lanterns. The vastness of the estate seemed endless.

“Eldest Miss, the Groom seems to have discovered that we aren’t human.” The housekeeper hovered in the air, his voice cautious.

“Mhm.” Li Yuan turned over, her expression none too pleased. Even she didn’t understand the point of the little liar staying here. She was just someone she had bought for amusement…

Initially, she just found the girl interesting. After keeping her for a few days, she figured sending her out safely was doing right by her. But Yu Yu’s sudden “return to the fold” had caught her completely off guard. What on earth is this person thinking?

Having split from the protagonist group, Yu Yu traversed the long corridors, relying on her memory to find the room where she had stayed. Along the way, she felt eyes on her, but whenever she turned around, no one was there. Thinking it was just the ghosts of the courtyard, she didn’t feel a trace of fear.

In just one night, the scenery seemed different from when she first arrived. It looked much more dilapidated, yet the floors she walked on remained relatively clean.

Since the System was upgrading, Yu Yu had no one to talk to, yet the lack of fear was a strange sensation. She felt that because she had gained so much from Li Yuan, she simply couldn’t be afraid of her.

Hearing Yu Yu’s footsteps from afar, Li Yuan pursed her lips and rose from the bed. She glanced at the “marriage bed” behind her and, without a second thought, transformed it into a coffin. She lifted the lid, climbed in, and lay down.

Even though her heart didn’t beat, she felt a surge of nerves as she lay there. What will Yu Yu’s expression be when she sees me? A normal person would be terrified by a giant coffin. She’ll be scared away, won’t she?

Seeing that the Eldest Miss didn’t want to be disturbed, the housekeeper thoughtfully stayed away. He still had to “play” with the four young people who had entered the game. As for the Eldest Miss’s personal affairs, that wasn’t for them to interfere with.

Floating outside the door, he grabbed Lai Fu by the collar. “Don’t loiter at the Eldest Miss’s door. We have people to scare.”

“But I saw—”

“Shut up and get to work.” The housekeeper muffled Lai Fu’s mouth and led the ghosts away, leaving the Eldest Miss her space.

The door was pushed open. Yu Yu looked at the room she had called home for days and turned to close the door behind her. Everything else was the same, except where the marriage bed had been—there now sat a black coffin.

There were no lights in the room, only two red candles burning. The wax didn’t run, and the flames remained steady, untouched by the wind.

Walking forward, she strained to lift the lid. Yu Yu looked at the person inside and blinked. “Hi~”

“It is very impolite to open someone’s coffin without permission. Don’t you know that?” Li Yuan lay there perfectly stiff, but a feeling of joy was slowly rising in her heart.

“You’re my Lady,” Yu Yu said, reaching out to nudge her with a giggle. “Make some room. I want to lie down too.”

Li Yuan looked at her, pretending to reluctantly scoot over. “It’s so small. There’s no room.”

“Nonsense.” While speaking, Yu Yu had already climbed in. Li Yuan was clearly happy, yet she maintained her “stony” face.

The space was indeed cramped, but because of that, they were pressed tightly together. The familiar sensation made Yu Yu feel safe. Nestled in Li Yuan’s arms, she started to settle the scores.

Closing her eyes, she let out a long sigh and nuzzled the woman. Her voice became soft. “You’re a liar. You said you’d never leave me, but then you tossed me out. Don’t you know? I have nowhere else to go.”