Rules of the Strange: I Can See Through All the Weird

[Ding—The Midnight Library instance is now open.]

Players must unravel the library's secrets within three days (72 hours) to complete the game.

Qi Tong observed her surroundings and saw that many people were also observing, just like her.

A large table can seat many people; there are eight large tables here, and many empty seats around them.

Eight players, four men and four women, each with their own large table.

Qi Tong didn't know at first that they were also players, but she saw that most of them were looking around nervously and scared.

Qi Tong turned her head to the side, her eyes lit up, and she unconsciously raised her eyebrows slightly.

Isn't that player named Xu Ning? She's sitting at the table next to her.

At that moment, Xu Ning also happened to turn her head and look over. Seeing Qi Tong looking at her, she expressionlessly shifted her gaze elsewhere, observing the others.

The library is large and divided into two parts: a reading area and a book area, both lined with tall bookshelves filled with books. Each bookshelf has a ladder next to it for easy access to books on higher shelves.

The library at this moment is just like a real library, except that there is no one else besides the eight players, not even at the cashier's table at the library entrance.

Qi Tong looked carefully into the book area. Perhaps because there were so many books, each bookshelf was a long row, making it difficult to see things in the distance. All she could feel was that it got darker the further she went in.

Sunlight streamed in through the window and fell onto the table, causing Qi Tong to turn her gaze away.

The conditions for passing this level sound simple: just survive. There's nothing that threatens your life right now.

Just as Qi Tong was pondering, a female voice suddenly attracted everyone's attention.

The owner of the voice swayed as she walked up to a tense-looking man, lifting his chin: "Oh, Zhao Haiyang, you actually came in too."

The man named Zhao Haiyang looked away, and just as he was about to dodge the woman's touch, she released his chin, then crossed her arms and looked down at him.

"Judging from your appearance, you must have just finished the newbie dungeon. I'll give you another chance. As long as you follow me, I guarantee you can clear it. This is not the same as the consequences of you rejecting me in the real world. Without an experienced player to guide you, the survival rate of newbies is very low."

After saying that, she wiggled her hips and prepared to leave. In the instant she turned around, she saw a very handsome man looking in her direction. She straightened her hair, then walked forward with a confident smile on her face.

Just as she was about to bring up her previous explanation, she saw the man frown and look away: "Get lost."

Liu Weiyi was immediately embarrassed. This wasn't the first man to reject her, but it was the first to reject her so clearly. It was no different from slapping her in the face.

Even when Zhao Haiyang refused her, he only said it verbally, but every time he asked her out, she would go out with him.

What gives this man the right to do this?

Liu Weiyi's eyes immediately flashed with anger. In all the years she had been in the workforce, no one had ever dared to disrespect her like this!

Just as Liu Weiyi was about to take another step to regain face, Qin Yu lifted his gaze from the pages of the book and landed on her face.

It wasn't anger, nor was it annoyance; it was that kind of gaze cast from above the books when you see someone making a lot of noise in a library, a gaze that makes you instinctively shut up.

But at this moment, there was something else in that gaze—like looking at a book that had been turned to the last page and confirmed that there was no sequel.

She immediately took a few steps back, quickly returned to her seat, and felt uneasy and fearful.

Qin Yu withdrew his gaze and casually looked at the book in his hand—The Analects.

[They're here, brothers, hurry up and get some people on board!]

[Is the live stream already this exciting?!]

[Isn't that Liu Weiyi?! Spicy Rose!]

[If you don't understand, just ask: What is spicy rose?]

This streamer is very popular. Every time she enters a dungeon, she takes in a male concubine. Although her face is average, she has a great figure, and few can resist her. That's why her fans call her Spicy Rose.

The guy who rejected her was kind of handsome, but his eyes were a little scary; I was even startled watching it on screen.

[Replying to the comment above, this is our cool and aloof streamer Qin Yu! Known in the community as Iceberg Bro! He's brave, resourceful, and very intelligent. Welcome everyone to join the fandom!]

[Thanks for the recommendation, but it's a bit of a cold reception, so I'll decline!]

……

The girl sitting next to Zhao Haiyang hesitated for a while before cautiously asking, "Brother Haiyang, who is she?"

Zhao Haiyang's lips were pressed tightly together, as if he was thinking about something. He only came to his senses when he heard the girl's question: "She...she's a friend of a friend of mine."

"Then what does she mean by rejecting her in real life?" Tan Xue continued to press.

Zhao Haiyang is her boyfriend. The two have only been together for two months and are deeply in love.

An accident brought them here, to this damn dungeon. Before this, apart from solo newbie dungeons, she and Zhao Haiyang had only completed one dungeon together, and that was carried by an experienced player. They didn't do anything the whole time.

Therefore, she knew very well how important the older generation was to the newcomers, and how tempting the conditions of that girl were.

Zhao Haiyang pursued her for a whole year. Everyone around her told her that such a devoted man was rare in this day and age, so she decided to make the most of this opportunity and agreed to be with him.

Thinking about it, Tan Xue's eyes involuntarily reddened. Realizing this, she immediately wiped them away with her sleeve. It wasn't that she wanted to cry; she would cry whenever she was even slightly emotional, tears streaming down her face automatically, which made her seem weak-willed.

When she was bullied, she cried and argued with the bullies, but the physical reaction of crying made her unable to say a word. She will always remember that Zhao Haiyang rushed over and angrily scolded the group of girls, and then held her hand and comforted her.

Seeing Tan Xue wiping away tears, Zhao Haiyang hurriedly comforted her, "She used to like me, but I've already clearly rejected her. There's nothing between us, don't cry..."

Qi Tong watched the whole thing with great interest.

Xu Ning was also sitting at the next table, staring intently. Although Xu Ning didn't show much expression, Qi Tong could tell that Xu Ning loved watching this part and, like her, was someone who loved gossip.

The reason was simple: Xu Ning's legs under the table began to tremble slightly, clearly indicating relaxation.

At this moment, Xu Ning's face remained calm, but her heart was screaming wildly: More, more, I haven't seen enough.

Yes, just like Qi Tong thought, she really loved watching these melodramatic things. Before coming to this strange world, her only hobby was watching short dramas.

She's not good with words and doesn't have many friends in real life, so she stays at home all day. At first, she reads comics, anime, and novels, but with the rise of short dramas, she's now obsessed with them. Although the plots are pretty much the same and they're very mindless, they're just so enjoyable to watch without thinking!

Noticing that Qi Tong was looking at her again, her body involuntarily tensed up once more.

She sighed only after Qi Tong looked away.

I picked up the book in front of me and flipped through it.