Chapter 1203: The Old Home

Qi Xia, Chen Jun Nan, Qiao Jia Jin, and Zhang Lv Shi, along with Tian Tian, Yun Yao, and the others, entered the portal of “Ji Le Qian Zhuang.”

When they emerged from the other side, they found themselves in a room with a faint fragrance.

The room was quite spacious, featuring not only a bed but also a dining table. It appeared as though someone of significant status had once lived there.

However, the decor and furniture were surprisingly simple, with only the room’s size suggesting it belonged to a prominent figure.

Looking back, they realized they had stepped out of a strange wardrobe, which stood quietly in the corner of the room. Without opening its doors, no one would suspect it held such a secret.

“This has sent us where exactly?” Chen Jun Nan confirmed the room was empty before striding forward confidently. “Shouldn’t it have transported us to the corridor?”

“I see…,” Qi Xia nodded. “How thoughtful.”

Chen Jun Nan walked over to the desk and noticed it was impeccably tidy, without even a single hair out of place.

The next moment, a peculiar group photo on the desk caught his attention.

It was an old Polaroid-style picture where a man was holding the camera up to himself, looking directly at the lens. Not far behind him stood a woman in a convenience store uniform, seemingly discussing something with others. No one had noticed the man taking the photo, resulting in a strangely warm yet odd group shot with everyone facing different directions.

However, the faces of all the people in the photo had been rubbed out, making them unrecognizable. The photo looked quite aged, covered in specks of dust, and seemed to have been there for a long time.

“These two people’s clothes look so familiar…,” Chen Jun Nan scratched his head and turned to Qi Xia. “Old Qi, who used to live here?”

“A golden snub-nosed monkey,” Qi Xia replied.

“Golden snub-nosed monkey…?” Chen Jun Nan scratched his head again. “Almost forgot this is like a zoo.”

The group entered the room, which felt both vast and cozy. Although it lacked much furniture, it gave off a vague sense of security.

“So, where did that golden snub-nosed monkey go?” Yun Yao glanced around the room and asked. “Was it your friend?”

“Not really a friend,” Qi Xia said. “More like a comrade working toward the same goal. She’s gone now.”

Qi Xia walked to the center of the room, realizing this was the first time in his memory that he had entered it.

“What a clever ‘storage’… You’ve even had the ‘gate’ stolen right into your home,” Qi Xia said with a smile.

Outside the room, things were getting a bit noisy, suggesting some disturbance had begun.

The group knew they couldn’t leave the room no matter what, or they might get caught up in it.

Even if chaos was unfolding outside, it was likely just scattered “Sheng Xiao” and “participants” clashing, with no clear leaders on either side—the outcome would depend on sheer luck.

“Shouldn’t we help out? You tricky one.” Qiao Jia Jin walked over to Qi Xia and asked.

“Yes,” Qi Xia nodded. “Everyone has their own fate. We can’t save those destined to die, and we can’t kill those meant to survive.”

Qiao Jia Jin went to the door and noticed an arrow pointing right drawn on the doorframe.

He pressed his ear against the door and heard a lot of footsteps, unsure if it was the “Sheng Xiao” wrapping up or the “participants” rebelling.

Driven by curiosity, he quietly opened the door a crack, just in time to see several “participants” dash by.

“Oh… well, I’ll be… our own people?” Qiao Jia Jin casually opened the door a bit wider.

Qi Xia and Chen Jun Nan peered out through the gap and saw Xiao Ran’s face flash by from right to left in the next second.

The three of them spotted it almost simultaneously, and Chen Jun Nan and Qiao Jia Jin’s expressions turned uneasy.

“Wait… buddy, I think I just saw some ghost flash past.” Chen Jun Nan said. “I hope I was seeing things.”

“You’re not seeing things, Jun Nan.” Qiao Jia Jin blinked and said. “I must be the one who’s blind.”

“Ha…,” Qi Xia smirked slightly. “Came earlier than I expected…”

“What the heck?!” Chen Jun Nan was stunned. “Old Qi, did you call that ghost here? Are you some kind of Zhong Kui?”

“I wouldn’t dare claim to be Zhong Kui,” Qi Xia said. “Let’s just say I know how to use people wisely. A move like ‘diverting trouble’ might make Qing Long suffer a loss, but only if she has the luck to strut right in there.”

“‘Diverting trouble’…?”

“‘Regaining favor after falling out of grace’—that kind of weird ‘trigger’—I can only help you halfway. The rest is up to you,” Qi Xia said, then turned to the group. “From now on, let’s just wait quietly here.”

“Wait for what?” Qiao Jia Jin asked, turning back.

“Wait for the ‘rebellion’ signal,” Qi Xia said. “Once the ‘rebellion’ starts, you can all move freely. As I said before, follow your hearts—do whatever you want.”

Hearing this, Chen Jun Nan sat down idly by the desk, intending to look through the items there. But the room’s owner seemed to have some kind of obsession, leaving nothing behind.

Chen Jun Nan restlessly felt around under the desk, and after a few seconds, he frowned.

Behind the desk’s surface, there was something like a book hidden.

“Oh, man…,” Chen Jun Nan slowly bent down and glanced under the desk. “Turning a rebellion into a treasure hunt for me.”

“What’s up, Jun Nan?” Qiao Jia Jin perked up at the mention of “treasure.”

“Old Qiao… quick… there’s a notebook under here. We’re just killing time anyway, so let’s figure out how to pry it loose and see what it is.”

…

Xiao Ran kept walking forward, quickly distancing herself from the crowd while scanning for any “Sheng Xiao” in sight.

After walking for so long, she hadn’t seen a single one. Why couldn’t one just appear?

Why couldn’t a really intimidating “Sheng Xiao” show up so she could share her tip?

Such important information would surely get them promoted if reported, right?

“You’re all given chances and don’t even know how to seize them…,”

As she spoke, a tall, thin “Sheng Xiao” appeared not far ahead, standing with his back to her, as if waiting for someone.

Just from his presence, Xiao Ran knew he was a formidable character—someone she could align with and the perfect person to confide in.

With that thought, she excitedly hurried over and tapped him on the back.

“Bro!”

The “Sheng Xiao” turned around.

It was a stern-faced black sheep.

“Bro! I hate to bother you, but I have something really important to tell you.” Xiao Ran flashed a sweet smile at him.

The black sheep looked down expressionlessly at the woman in front of him.