The three of them stepped quietly into the banquet hall. The high-ponytail girl went straight to the long table to pull off the tablecloth, while Bai Ci and Fu Liu observed their surroundings.
Fu Liu looked at the delicious food on the table, sniffed again, and couldn't help but sigh. “It smells so good. If only I could have a bite.”
Bai Ci nudged him with her elbow. “This food is of unknown origin. Who knows if it's poisoned, or what might happen if you eat it?”
Fu Liu paused for a moment, then flashed a brilliant smile. He reached out to ruffle Bai Ci's hair. “I know, baby. Don't worry, I'm not stupid. I definitely won't eat anything of unknown origin. But it feels so good to have you worry about me, baby.”
Bai Ci was a bit uncomfortable with this physical contact. Fortunately, at that moment, the high-ponytail girl let out a sudden gasp, completely breaking the awkwardness.
She immediately turned to look. The high-ponytail girl was standing stiffly to the side with her hands raised. Her body was rigid, and her eyes were filled with terror as she stared fixedly at the tablecloth she had just tried to pull off.
Underneath the tablecloth, which was only halfway pulled off, there was no dining table at all. Instead, it was an instrument of torture, covered in razor-sharp blades and several thick restraint chains.
The blades were brand new, gleaming with a cold, metallic light under the lamps. One could easily imagine how sharp they were.
Bai Ci understood in an instant. Though the Magnolia Theater seemed to have restored its former glory, in reality, danger lurked everywhere. Even a luxurious banquet scene like this hid such an instrument of torture.
It was clearly encouraging them to act. Even the weapons and tools for murder had been prepared, waiting for them to slaughter one another and plunge into the abyss.
Bai Ci stepped forward and put an arm around the high-ponytail girl. “Don't be afraid, Weiwei. It's fine. It's just a trap. Let's grab the tablecloth and get out of here.”
Fu Liu's smile vanished as well, replaced by a serious expression. He quickly walked over to Bai Ci's side, guarding her.
Leaning against Bai Ci, the high-ponytail girl rested some of her weight on her. It wasn't intentional; she was simply seeking a sense of security.
“T-That's terrifying... I didn't expect that kind of thing to be under the tablecloth. Thank goodness you told me to be careful, or I would have touched the blades just now.”
Bai Ci patted her shoulder, her tone gentle yet firm. “It's fine now. Baby, grab the tablecloth, and let's get out of here.”
With that, she gave Fu Liu a look. He understood, carefully avoiding the sharp blades to pull the tablecloth off, folding it up before handing it to the high-ponytail girl.
Not daring to linger, the three of them quickly left the banquet hall and returned to the corridor.
By now, Liu Shanxi and Wu Tong had also returned. While the three of them had been inside the banquet hall, the other two had gone to inspect the layouts of the remaining rooms.
Seeing Bai Ci coming out with her arm around the high-ponytail girl, the boy with the flashlight immediately stepped forward and asked, “What's wrong, Siwei? Was there danger inside?”
Bai Ci nodded. “There was a trap. An instrument of torture was hidden under the tablecloth, covered in blades and restraint chains. Luckily, we didn't touch it. What about you guys? What was behind the remaining doors?”
Filament's tone carried a hint of solemnity. “We checked the remaining three doors. They all lead to various scenes. Just like the garden, bedroom, and banquet hall earlier, they're all very bizarre.”
“One is a study scene. There are bookshelves, a desk, and a lot of books. There are even open books on the desk, making it look as though someone was reading and suddenly left.”
“Another is a cave scene. It's pitch black inside, with rocks, vines, and a burning campfire, as if someone had been staying there not long ago.”
“And the last one is the base of a high tower. There are stone steps, railings, and the tower door is tightly shut. Some tools are scattered around, also making it look like someone just left and might return at any moment.”
The boy with the flashlight added, “Plus, there's no one in those scenes. There are only half-finished tasks left behind. We didn't dare to go in blindly, so we came back first to wait for you guys so we can check them out together.”
Hearing this, Bai Ci fell into deep thought.
“I suddenly have a guess,” she said a moment later, raising her hand. Then, realizing she had raised her hand, she sheepishly tucked it behind her back.
“Could the scenes in these rooms be from plays that were once performed here at the Magnolia Theater?”
“Think about it. This theater used to put on plays. The banquet hall, bedroom, garden, cave, and tower we saw are all common theatrical settings.”
“And all of these scenes have half-finished things in them, as if a play was cut short and the actors suddenly vanished, leaving these traces behind.”
“On top of that, the oil paintings on the corridor walls also depict theatrical scenes. This shouldn't be a coincidence. If someone here knows about theater, they might even be able to spot a connection.”
Having finished her deduction, Bai Ci waited to see if anyone had anything to add, only to find Fu Liu staring intently at her hand hidden behind her back.
“Baby, you keep staring at my hand. Did you find something to add?” Bai Ci asked directly.
Hearing this, Fu Liu quickly averted his gaze. “Nothing to add. My baby is just amazing, figuring out so much all at once.”
He paused, his tone slightly awkward yet stubborn. “Baby, you should be more confident. Just do whatever you want to do. Don't worry about what anyone else says.”
Bai Ci shook her head, seemingly not realizing where this sudden remark had come from. “I'm not lacking confidence, baby.”
Even so, she knew in her heart that his words were likely a reaction to her deliberate gesture just now.
Previously, the capped man had told her that this wasn't a classroom and she didn't need to raise her hand. However, she had only raised her hand to fit her persona and establish a signature gesture. Since the capped man had made that comment, she had simply adapted her action accordingly.
Having a signature gesture helped to solidify a character's persona.
It was just that she couldn't easily explain this reasoning, so she had to pretend to be completely oblivious.
Seeing her slow response, Fu Liu couldn't help but sigh softly. “What am I going to do... Baby, I'm about to drown.”
Bai Ci actually frowned, looking around as she asked with concern, “There's no water here. No water-related elements either. Is it hard to breathe? Or did you accidentally trigger a trap?”
Her serious, worried expression made Fu Liu both laugh and cry. Helplessly, he leaned in closer and whispered in a breathy voice, “...I'm drowning in jealousy.”
Beside them, the high-ponytail girl, who had been listening quietly, couldn't help but cover her mouth and giggle.
“I don't—” Only then did Bai Ci pretend to realize what he meant. She cleared her throat, trying to steer the derailed topic back on track. “Alright, alright, now is not the time for this. Let's talk business first, business.”
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