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"You agreed."
Hearing Jiang Xiuxiu's words, Ye Ming was slightly taken aback, showing a rare, somewhat surprised expression.
"Yeah, what's the problem?" Jiang Xiuxiu asked.
She didn't think she had considered it for very long. Why did Ye Ming seem to think she was hard to win over?
To be honest, Jiang Xiuxiu felt she wasn't a very complicated girl.
Sure, she liked money, but she wasn't heavily materialistic. She didn't need luxury cars or fancy products—a simple hotpot meal could make her very happy.
As for relationships, she was pretty laid-back and didn't have a lot of strict requirements.
Just like now, she thought that Ye Ming seemed nice enough, had a good personality, and they got along well. After the recent events, she felt a bit moved. So why not try it with him?
Although she wasn’t deeply in love with Ye Ming or felt he was the one and only, she believed that spending time together could develop feelings over time.
"No reason," Ye Ming said with a slight, casual smile. "I'm just happy."
His voice was normal, clear and clean, without any deliberate softness or deep tone. Even his smile was faint.
But seeing him like this, hearing his words, Jiang Xiuxiu blushed a bit and didn't know how to respond.
Honestly, she was a novice at relationships. Facing the now-boyfriend Ye Ming, she didn't know what to do next.
"Let's head inside," Jiang Xiuxiu suggested after a moment of thought. "It's getting late, and we need to rest to have energy for tomorrow."
Ye Ming nodded in agreement.
They didn't delay any longer and turned to enter the Wang family house.
That night, so much had happened.
After escaping danger, exhaustion gradually caught up with Jiang Xiuxiu and Ye Ming.
They found a hidden spot, laid down some straw, and fell asleep.
It was a dreamless night.
Jiang Xiuxiu slept until noon the next day.
She woke up groggily only when the noise outside got loud enough to disturb her.
The sunlight outside was intense, and when she opened her eyes, her eyelids seemed to glow a warm orange-red.
Sitting up, she realized Ye Ming had woken up before her.
He was quietly sitting by the window, his deep black eyes thoughtfully gazing outside.
Maybe it was the light or the angle, but looking at him in her drowsy state, Jiang Xiuxiu thought Ye Ming’s gaze seemed cold.
It wasn't a malicious coldness, but an indifferent one, like he was observing an inanimate object with a detached, superior air.
This kind of look didn’t seem right for a person.
As Jiang Xiuxiu was lost in thought, Ye Ming noticed her.
He turned his head slightly and asked, "You're awake?"
His expression returned to its usual gentle and polite look.
The cold gaze she had glimpsed seemed to be just a trick of her sleepy eyes.
Jiang Xiuxiu, seeing this, stopped dwelling on it.
She nodded and casually asked, "What's going on outside?"
"The villagers confronted the players," Ye Ming quickly replied. "They're having a standoff over there."
No surprise there, Jiang Xiuxiu thought.
After all, the players burned down the villagers' houses last night, which was much worse than just stealing food.
She got up slowly and looked through the broken window, seeing a large crowd gathered outside Wang Xiaoyue's grandfather’s house.
They were arguing loudly, the commotion reaching the Wang family house.
Probably thinking no one would dare return to the Wang family house, no villagers came to check.
Jiang Xiuxiu stayed hidden, quietly observing the situation.
She noticed the villagers were extremely agitated.
A few seemed to be victims, with anger almost visibly radiating from them. If not for some people holding them back, they might have hit the players.
Meanwhile, the players appeared rather fearless.
Jiang Xiuxiu listened closely and could hear them talking back to the villagers.
"So what? You all should know by now that we have a way to deal with the river god."
"If you dare to continue, we'll keep retaliating."
Jiang Xiuxiu was speechless.
Apparently, they knew about the situation with Wang Xiaoyue's family.
Since the language textbook was still in her possession, Jiang Xiuxiu guessed the players had no idea of the real way to deal with the river god.
They were bluffing the villagers.
After three nights, the number of players was dwindling.
Including her and Ye Ming, only eight players were left. But since she and Ye Ming had been hiding, only six were visible.
In this situation, they had to find a way to turn the tables on the villagers.
Burning houses seemed rash and anger-inducing, making them easy targets for the villagers. But it was the only effective move right now.
The villagers' willingness to throw them into the river was partly due to their belief in the river god and partly because harming the players brought no consequences, possibly even benefits.
Were they truly devout? Jiang Xiuxiu doubted it.
Wang Xiaoyue's grandfather’s diary made it clear that the river god worship had been dead for years, only mysteriously revived recently.
The villagers were doing it for potential rewards.
Once their interests were severely damaged, they would waver. The families whose houses were burned might already be regretting it despite their anger.
This was her chance to act.
With the villagers' resolve shaken, she could deal with the robed old man and then debunk the river god myth to the villagers.
Disbanding the "cult" would be a great victory.
This was the moment to turn the tables on Xu Bai.
Realizing this, Jiang Xiuxiu felt a surge of excitement.
She knew this opportunity wouldn’t come again.
She had to act now; a few hours’ delay could lead to the furious villagers, either out of desperation or under the old man’s influence, deciding to lock up all the players.
The imbalance in numbers and physical strength between villagers and players was always a threat.
Once the villagers turned hostile, the players would stand no chance.
"Ye Ming."
Determined, Jiang Xiuxiu grabbed Ye Ming's hand tightly and looked at him with intense eyes. "How are you feeling physically? Are you alright?"
"Physically?" Ye Ming was momentarily taken aback by her question.
Then, as if he understood something, he smiled gently and said, "Don't worry, I'm fully recovered."
"That's good."
Jiang Xiuxiu, excited, said, "I'm a bit tied up myself, so could you help me burn a couple of houses?"
Talking about this made her almost unable to stop. "I think now is a perfect chance. If we seize it, we might turn the tide. Remember the two game experiences I shared with you? It's time for the players to strike back. I know quite a bit, so I'll join the players to confront the villagers. Can you burn a house for me, Ye Ming? What's wrong?"
After a long monologue, she noticed Ye Ming hadn’t said much.
She couldn’t help but ask, "Did I say something wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong."
Ye Ming smiled his usual smile. "Keep talking, I'm listening."
Jiang Xiuxiu felt a bit puzzled. She suspected he might be upset.
But upon closer inspection, Ye Ming seemed to have thought things through.
"Alright then," Jiang Xiuxiu decided not to go on and on. "I'll keep it short."
Several minutes had already passed. They couldn’t afford more delays.
She outlined part of her plan to Ye Ming, instructing him on where to set fires.
Initially, she planned to target a house far from the Wang family, but reconsidered and thought burning a house near the robed shaman’s place would be more effective.
The shaman's house would be guarded, and he probably had some mystical protections.
But the surrounding houses wouldn’t be as well-defended.
She doubted the neighbors wouldn’t blame the old man when they saw their homes destroyed.
Jiang Xiuxiu understood human nature's darker sides.
"Remember, prioritize your safety," she urged. "Avoid using special abilities unless necessary. If you're spotted, just run. Staying alive is more important than anything."
Ye Ming listened and obediently nodded. "Got it."
Jiang Xiuxiu sensed that his mood had improved.
Men are such strange creatures.
She sighed internally, unable to pinpoint what had been off.
Then, they quickly packed up and split up at the Wang family house.
Ye Ming sneaked into the village while Jiang Xiuxiu took another route to join the players.
By this time, the standoff between players and villagers had escalated.
Even from a distance, Jiang Xiuxiu could hear a young villager shouting at the players, "You're all immoral! The river god will punish you!"
"And how do you know the river god you speak of even exists?" Jiang Xiuxiu calmly interjected.