章 8: Differences in Medication
The experts had yet to reach a conclusion. Great Xia was the only country that hadn't used any hint opportunities. Given the dangerous choices Zhou Bai faced, the experts decided to use one of their hints. They sent Zhou Bai their conclusion that the pills must be taken and their speculations about the color differences.
In the study, Zhou Bai heard the mechanical voice in his mind, followed by a series of voice messages from the Great Xia analysis team. He got up, opened the study door, and walked to greet his wife while processing the new information. His father, who had been sitting on the sofa, was no longer there—perhaps he had gone to his room.
His wife, dressed in professional attire, was standing by the door, one hand on the door frame, the other removing her high heels. Her eyes looked lifeless, and her face was paler than the night before. Zhou Bai poured her a glass of water and opened the drawer. Hesitating between the two bottles of pills, he finally picked up the bottle of white pills.
The experts held their breath, watching his every move. Zhou Bai handed the white pill to his wife, who took it with the water he offered. She smiled.
"Thank you, honey."
Zhou Bai took the empty glass to the kitchen, washed it, and put it back. After waiting a while with no adverse effects, the experts finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Looks like we guessed right."
"Zhou Bai has some luck on his side."
"He's truly the Chosen One of Great Xia."
Due to Zhou Bai's excellent performance in the horror world, Great Xia's live stream had become a focal point for other countries. Seeing Zhou Bai successfully navigate another crisis, spies in the Great Xia stream quickly copied his actions and reported back. Consequently, most of the remaining countries had used up all their hint opportunities.
In the Great Xia live stream, Zhou Bai's wife changed into casual clothes and took some dishes from the fridge to reheat in the kitchen. Zhou Bai stood by, ensuring none of the dishes contained pork before feeling at ease. Zhou Bai and his wife ate dinner together, with Zhou Bai first serving a portion to the black dog, which eagerly ate the food.
After dinner, Zhou Bai and his wife watched TV for a while. His father remained in his room. His mother returned home around 11 PM. The viewers were shocked to see her with a pair of pig ears on her head.
"Mom, you're back," his wife said, showing no unusual reaction as if it were normal.
Zhou Bai was initially startled by his mother's appearance but was even more unnerved by his wife's nonchalant response. He wondered if anyone in his family was still normal. His mother looked exhausted and expressionless. His wife took her handbag from her, and Zhou Bai forced himself to stay calm, mimicking his wife's natural demeanor.
Following his wife, Zhou Bai stood up from the sofa and opened the drawer containing the pills. The experts watched anxiously. This time, Zhou Bai didn't hesitate and took out the bottle of gray pills. Different colored pills seemed to correspond to different levels of contamination. The darker the color, the more severe the contamination. Thus, his wife had the mildest contamination, his mother the second, and the black dog the most severe.
After swallowing the gray pill, his mother's expression became less dazed, but the pig ears remained. She went about her usual routine, tidying up before heading to the bathroom. Even when looking in the mirror, she showed no surprise at her appearance. Zhou Bai watched her, feeling a chill down his spine.
At 11:35 PM, after showering, Zhou Bai stayed in the study. At the same time as the previous night, his wife knocked on the study door, bringing a bowl of sweet soup.
"Honey, drink the soup."
Remembering the rule to maintain a good relationship with his wife, Zhou Bai drank the soup without hesitation and handed the bowl back. His wife smiled and left the study. Zhou Bai turned around to see the woman in the red dress outside the window again. This time, he wasn't as frightened. Knowing "it" would be there reduced the fear. Understanding that "it" couldn't harm him if he followed the rules made "it" less terrifying.
Zhou Bai even dared to scrutinize "it." Was the red-dressed woman the same one the security guard mentioned? The miscarriage, the couple sleeping in separate rooms, the black dog's odd behavior, and the red-dressed woman causing trouble—all these events happened a week ago. What was the connection?
Rule A, the seventh rule: [Remember, you cannot share a room with your wife]. If his wife wasn't the danger, what was the source of danger in sharing a room with her?
Zhou Bai reviewed all the information and questions in his mind. Unbeknownst to him, it was already midnight. He locked the study door and lay down to sleep, ignoring the baby's cries and knocking outside. The viewers felt a shiver down their spines.
Zhou Bai slept with the light on. The next morning, he woke to intense knocking. Checking the clock, it was 9:35 AM. He realized the knocking wasn't coming from the study door. Opening the door, he found the house unusually quiet. His wife had gone to work, and his parents were nowhere to be found. The black dog was trembling in the corner, looking terrified.
Following the sound of the knocking, Zhou Bai stopped in front of the locked storage room.
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