Yes, it wasn’t over.

When summer ended and autumn arrived without their notice, the grass on the hillside had all withered, the trees at the foot of the hill had all turned yellow, and the autumn wind blew in through the doors and windows, making everyone still wearing wet clothes shiver with cold.

Fortunately, the house had been fully restored — the walls and floorboards were completely dry, including the firewood inside the hearth.

Shen Mo re-lit the hearth.

Everyone spread out: some went to take hot baths, some stayed by the hearth to warm themselves, and some searched the corners and edges of the room to see if any beads had been left behind.

The autumn guest had already arrived.

Standing just outside the door.

But everyone was too exhausted. Trapped in summer for nearly eighteen hours, each person was utterly drained in both body and spirit. All they wanted now was to rest and relax; no one had the energy to pay attention to the guest outside.

By the time everyone had bathed, changed their clothes, and gathered neatly in the living room, two hours had passed —

Cheng Weicai poured ten cups of hot tea and placed them on the coffee table.

Wisps of steam rose from the tea.

The firewood in the hearth crackled and popped.

Ten people dressed in elaborate doll costumes gathered in the living room. If you ignored the grave, troubled, or weary expressions on their faces, they might have looked like they were holding a tea party.

“There are 102 beads in total. I suggest we split them evenly,” Yan Qingwen said, looking at Shen Mo and Bai Youwei. “Technically, the two of you completed the objective and should receive more. But we still have the third round — the autumn season — ahead of us. Once the guest goes berserk, the injured, the elderly, the women, and the children will all need more items to sustain themselves.”

He paused, then continued: “This is just my personal view. If you feel it’s unfair, the distribution can be negotiated.”

As reward items, the beads were different from the fish.

The fish had been cooked in a pot and everyone had eaten their share — once consumed, that was that. But the beads existed in a fixed quantity.

And wherever there was a fixed quantity, there was the question of more or less.

Yan Qingwen was shrewd. Though he harbored his own private wishes — hoping to secure more beads for the injured Lu Ang and the fragile Zhu Shu — he didn’t say so directly. Instead, he pointed out the situations of Cheng Weicai and Pan Xiaoxin.

— If only the players who cleared the objective received beads, how would the previous round be accounted for? The idea had been Pan Xiaoxin’s, and the bow had been sewn by Zhu Shu, yet neither of them had gotten even one extra piece of fish for it.

Furthermore, if Cheng Weicai and Pan Xiaoxin received no beads, what would they do in the next round? If they ran into danger, Shen Mo would have to intervene on their behalf. It was better to give them a few extra beads now and let them have the means to protect themselves, which would also make things easier for Shen Mo.

Shen Mo had his own considerations as well.

The game grew harder with each round, and they had no idea yet how to deal with the autumn guest. For the players, the most important thing right now was cooperation. If grudges arose over the distribution of rewards, that would be counterproductive.

He thought it over and said, “Then let’s give ten beads to each person, and the two extra ones… go to Bai Youwei.”

Bai Youwei frowned. “Is that all my brains are worth? Two beads?”

Yan Qingwen couldn’t help but smile and ask, “How many beads do you want? Say the number and we’ll all discuss it.”

Bai Youwei had actually given it serious thought. She replied, “Let’s just go with what you suggested.”

Yan Qingwen was slightly taken aback. “You don’t have to force yourself… If you’re not satisfied, we can do a sixty-forty split, or seventy-thirty. We can accept either.”

Bai Youwei shook her head lightly. “Actually, what you said makes sense. There’s still a third round coming. Letting the elderly, women, and children have more protection means those of us with better combat ability will have fewer constraints. Besides, I believe the game’s final reward will be fair and just. I don’t need to worry about this.”

Yan Qingwen furrowed his brow. “The final reward?”

“That’s right.” Bai Youwei smiled faintly. “A few beads more or less — I genuinely don’t care. My target is the final reward.”