NABC Chapter 910 Similar
Chapter 910 Similar
"..."
The mole stared at him for several seconds with its glowing red eyes, then looked at his left arm wrapped in bandages, and finally said nothing more, continuing to walk forward.
But in the instant it turned around, Yu Shijiu clearly heard a very low, almost inaudible murmur coming from its broad back:
"...It's a bit like...the taste of our kind..."
Yu Shijiu wasn't the only one who heard it.
This includes Fang Youhua and Yang Hua, who were following behind the old field mouse.
Yang Hua was a little curious and subconsciously glanced at Yu Shijiu next to him.
Yu Shijiu noticed her gaze, glanced at her sideways with a smile, and looked very friendly.
Yang Hua felt a chill run down her spine from his gaze and instinctively took a step back—but Fang Youhua grabbed her arm.
Watch your step.
Fang Youhua said gently, "There are quite a few stones on the ground."
Yang Hua kept her head down and didn't dare to look up, only nodding haphazardly, "Yes, yes, I understand, I'll be careful."
The two walked past Yu Shijiu, talking to each other as they went. Fang Youhua even looked up and met Yu Shijiu's gaze, then smiled and nodded.
Yu Shijiu: "?"
He returned the same smile.
Why is Fang Youhua laughing at me? It's just that the mole said something.
Yu Shijiu didn't think Fang Youhua hadn't heard what the mole said—she wasn't deaf.
So… Yu Shijiu glanced down at her messy left arm and raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Shi Jiu".
Anjie and the other three walked over. Xu Han looked at Yu Shijiu's left arm with some concern and lowered his voice to say:
Why does it seem like the area wrapped around your arm has gotten bigger?
Upon hearing this, An Jie and Chen Yi's gazes immediately changed, quickly landing on Yu Shijiu's left arm.
He Lingling's gaze didn't change much—or rather, she had already figured it out.
“…Ah,” Yu Shijiu pinched her palm guiltily and hesitated, “Perhaps my wrapping technique was wrong?”
"..."
Anjie frowned. "Who do you think we can trust?"
Chen Yi sighed with amusement: "Shi Jiu, lying is not the way of a good child."
He Lingling: "...Ahem, um—"
Yu Shijiu: "Look, Brother Han believed it."
Xu Han: "?"
Before the "I see" expression on his face had even faded, he was stunned for several seconds by Yu Shijiu's sudden prompting.
A few seconds later, Xu Han's lips twitched. "Shi Jiu, don't use me as a shield."
He's not really stupid; he was just casually agreeing with Yu Shijiu's words.
“Okay…” Yu Shijiu sighed again at the opportune moment, “We’ve been found out, how embarrassing.”
Four people: "..."
He Lingling coughed again, steer the conversation back on track:
"So what the mole meant by 'the same kind' earlier was... that the scent on you, Shi Jiu, smells a lot like... a rodent to it?"
He Lingling hesitated before uttering the last two words.
"...rodents."
Xu Han complained, "It sounds a bit like an old-fashioned insult from a novel."
Yu Shijiu didn't pay attention to his words, but after hearing them, she really thought about it seriously and nodded, saying, "I agree with what Sister Lingling said."
The rest: "..."
So if Yu Shijiu continues to be "polluted," he will really turn into a rat—no, into a field mouse?
Upon realizing this possibility, the group instinctively looked at Yu Shijiu ahead.
When transforming into a field mouse, should you change the tail or the ears first? The tail seems a bit hard to look at directly, but the ears are something I can consider…
Yu Shijiu, who suddenly felt a chill run through her body: "..."
He frowned as he looked at his right arm, which was covered in goosebumps, somewhat puzzled.
Was it because it was cold?
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.
The welcome dinner for the mole began in an eerily lively atmosphere.
On the long table in the main room, there was a variety of "sumptuous" foods - in addition to the usual mushroom soup and root vegetables, there were several plates of meat chunks that were hard to identify (the same ones that appeared last night), as well as some suspiciously colored, sticky stewed vegetable roots.
The old field mouse even somehow acquired a small jar of cloudy, sour liquid, claiming it was its "treasured premium fruit wine."
The distinguished guest, the mole, was seated in the main seat, with the old field mouse sitting beside him.
Fang Youhua and Yang Hua stood respectfully behind the old field mouse and the mole, just like real maids.
Yu Shijiu and his group of five sat at the lower end of the long table, while Thumbelina was specially arranged by Old Field Mouse to sit directly opposite Mole—Old Field Mouse said that this would make it easier for the two "young friends" to get to know each other.
"Here, try this!"
The old field mouse enthusiastically placed a large, dark piece of meat on the mole's plate, saying, "This is something I prepared especially for you; it took a lot of effort!"
The mole didn't stand on ceremony; it grabbed the piece of meat with its paws and stuffed it into its mouth, making a loud "smack" sound as it chewed, with greasy juices dripping down its chin.
"Not bad, it's very chewy."
The mole ate while making vague comments.
"If you like it, that's good! If you like it, that's good!"
The old field mouse laughed even harder. It picked up the jar of "fruit wine," poured a bowl for the mole and itself, and said with a smile:
"Come on, let's have a drink to celebrate our friendship that we've maintained all these years!"
"it is good."
The mole didn't refuse; it stuck out its tongue to lick the greasy juice off its mouth and picked up the wooden bowl beside it.
The two rodents bumped bowls together and tilted their heads back to gulp down the murky liquid inside.
The other players nearby: "..."
Ange frowned and glanced at Thumbelina, who had been looking uneasy and desperate, and unconsciously rubbed her fingertips together.
The mole doesn't seem to be a first-timer... so their guess was actually right?
After a few rounds of drinks (if that sour liquid could really be considered alcohol), the old field mouse, whose mouth was never really shut, opened up completely.
“My mole friend, as you can see, although my burrow is simple, it’s still a cozy home.”
The old field mouse chuckled and pointed at Thumbelina, saying with a smile, "I won't say much else, but Thumbelina, since she came to live with me, has been incredibly well-behaved, sensible, hardworking, and capable—a true master of household management! And most importantly, she's beautiful too!"
It took another sip of the fruit wine in the bowl, chuckled, and said as if making a promise:
"If you marry her, I guarantee that a good girl like her will be able to manage your mansion perfectly and keep it spotless!"
"is it?"
As the mole gnawed on a bone, it peered with its small eyes at Thumbelina, who had lowered her head in fright at the old field mouse's words.
"She looks quite well-behaved."
The mole said slowly, "However... I've heard that quite a few of the 'good girls' here have run away?"
Upon hearing this, all the players who had been pretending not to hear paused simultaneously.
He Lingling looked down at the old marks on the table, and the chaotic plot of the dungeon in her mind began to take shape.
Her guess was indeed correct.
Xu Han tugged at Yu Shijiu's arm in surprise—Yu Shijiu looked at him instinctively.
Xu Han winked at him for a while, his eyes practically bulging with shock.
Yu Shijiu: "..."
He was actually quite "shocked"... but not much, probably because he had already guessed it pretty much?
As for Chen Yi—Chen Yi glanced discreetly at Fang Youhua and Yang Hua, who were standing behind the old field mouse and the mole.
Fang Youhua's expression remained unchanged, still with that downcast smile. Yang Hua, on the other hand, seemed somewhat surprised, even subconsciously turning his head to look at Fang Youhua beside him, whose expression hadn't changed. His expression clearly showed that he wanted to ask Fang Youhua something but held back.
Chen Yi gripped the wooden spoon in his hand, feeling that Fang Youhua's condition seemed very strange.
Didn't Lingling and Shijiu say that the current storyline is adapted from Fang Youhua's memories?
Why does Fang Youhua, the protagonist, show absolutely no signs of being emotionally agitated, or even...?
Chen Yi pursed his lips.
—It even looks quieter now.
"..." The mole's words made the old field mouse's face stiffen instantly, but it quickly put on a smile again and hurriedly explained:
"Oh dear, those were just kids who were ignorant and playing around! Thumbelina isn't like those kids. I talked to her nicely and reasoned with her, and now she's very obedient and willing. Don't you think so, Thumbelina?"
After the old field mouse finished speaking, he looked at Thumbelina, his small eyes behind his glasses carrying an undeniable threat.
Thumbelina shuddered at its gaze, looked up, and forced a smile that looked more like a grimace.
"Yes...yes...I...I will be good...Grandma, Grandma is right."
"look!"
The old field mouse was very satisfied with Thumbelina's response, turned his gaze to the mole, and spoke with certainty in his voice.
"They'll listen to whatever their elders say. Besides, it's normal for girls to have a little temper before marriage. Once they're married and have a husband to discipline them, they'll naturally become sensible."
The mole grunted in response and lowered its head, neither confirming nor denying.
It continued to eat all the ingredients laid out on the table, especially enjoying the greasy chunks of meat that looked like they came from unknown sources.
However, while it was discussing Thumbelina with the old field mouse, its gaze would occasionally drift towards Yu Shijiu's direction.
Yu Shijiu could sense the probing and... subtle wariness in the mole's gaze.
Inquiring about him is understandable, after all, he himself is being contaminated... but what does it mean to be wary?
Could it be that the mole has discovered something that none of them know about?
Yu Shijiu was somewhat puzzled, but didn't show it much. He just kept his head down, stirring the watery soup in the bowl, and didn't respond to the mole's gaze.
"correct."
The mole withdrew its gaze and suddenly spoke, its voice still slow and deliberate, "Besides catching up and going on a blind date, I have something else I'd like to ask you this time."
"What is it? Just tell me!"
The old field mouse patted its chest.
"Some time ago, something went missing from our area."
The mole put down the bone in its hand and wiped its mouth with its large paws.
“A piece of claw, it was accidentally cut off by a piece of rock when a distant relative of mine was digging a hole nearby. I heard that the last place it was found was near your hole.”
The old field mouse's smile froze instantly.
The expressions of everyone present, except for Fang Youhua and Yang Hua, changed.
Yu Shijiu's heart skipped a beat.
The severed claw in his pocket, which had long since become unresponsive, suddenly became scalding hot at that moment.
Wait a minute? This claw looks more like an old field mouse's claw—fuzzy and covered in yellowish-black fur…
"Claws...claws?"
The old field mouse chuckled awkwardly when asked, "What claws? I...I've never seen them before."
"is it?"
The mole narrowed its red-glowing eyes, the two points of red light appearing particularly eerie in the dim candlelight.
"But I've heard that things haven't been peaceful here lately. There have been strange noises at night, and something seems to be crawling in the walls?"
As he spoke, the mole's gaze swept across the earthen walls of the main room.
In that instant, Yu Shijiu clearly "heard" that the claws deep within the wall, which had been excited, suddenly fell into a deathly silence.
An instinctive, deep-seated, and completely uncontrollable fear of moles is being transmitted through the soil.
Even the old field mouse broke out in a cold sweat, and it stammered as it began to explain:
"That...that's just normal noise from the burrow, rats, bugs and stuff...you know, there are always little things in burrows...besides, some of my relatives come over for a visit every now and then..."
"is it?"
The mole drew out its voice and slowly stood up.
Its massive body almost reached the ceiling of the main room, casting a shadow that covered half of the table.
"But my relative said..."
The mole approached the old field mouse step by step, its voice growing softer and softer, yet carrying a suffocating sense of oppression.
"It says that its claw was cut off by an 'outsider,' and that outsider... seems to be in your burrow right now."
Dead silence.
Only the occasional crackling of the candle flame remained in the main room.
He Lingling's breathing quickened, and she subconsciously gripped the wooden spoon in her hand, trying her best to avoid looking at Yu Shijiu.
It shouldn't be... it shouldn't be a mole's "claws," she'd read the book; mole claws don't look like that at all, they clearly resemble field mouse claws...
So what exactly is the mole saying now?
Ange couldn't help but want to get up. Her eyes were fixed warily on the mole, who stood up and was taller and stronger than everyone else present. A chill ran down her spine.
The mole... knows who took that "claw"... right?
Anjie's thoughts were somewhat confused.
The old field mouse didn't look too good either. It opened its mouth, but no sound came out.
"paw"?
What kind of "claws" are they? Its burrows only contain its own relatives hidden in the soil... how could there be any distant relatives of the mole? That's simply impossible...
The mole's gaze slowly began to shift towards Yu Shijiu.
"Is that you, little friend?"
The mole's deep voice echoed in the quiet hall, asking with a hint of eeriness.
"I smell a scent on you that's similar to that of my relatives."