With Yan Qingwen’s intelligence, Bai Youwei was sure he had already pieced together seven or eight tenths of the picture. As for Li Li and Zhu Shu — though each had their own blind spots — when it came to what the final reward might be, they probably each had their own answer.

Let them guess whatever they liked. That was their business.

Whether she chose to speak or not — that was hers.

If she were to lay out her reward in every detail for everyone to hear, Bai Youwei thought that would be something only a fool would do. Who could guarantee that no one present would “sell her out” someday in the future?

Of course, as long as that kind of thing never happened, they could be friends.

In a world like this one, having one more friend — especially one more clever friend — was worth more than having one more item.

…

In the time that followed, everyone chatted about their plans for the future, all of them consciously or unconsciously steering away from the subject of rewards.

Children get sleepy early. While they talked, Pan Xiaoxin kept nodding off against Cheng Weicai, his head bobbing like a little woodpecker.

Tan Xiao lay unconscious in the tent. Originally three people had squeezed in together to sleep, but that was no longer convenient now.

Zhu Shu gave up her tent for the others. She would sleep in Su Man’s tent that night. Su Man didn’t object.

Once the child and the elderly had been settled, everyone else washed up and rested.

The night deepened, dark and tranquil.

Bai Youwei lay in the tent clutching the golden key, turning from side to side, unable to sleep.

When Shen Mo came back, she sat up and asked: “What were you talking about with them all this time? You were so long.”

“Going over tomorrow’s route with Yan Qingwen.”

Shen Mo sat down beside her and casually produced several puzzle pieces, setting them by her side: “Yan Qingwen asked me to give these to you. Five puzzle pieces.”

“He keeps his word,” Bai Youwei said, pocketing the puzzle pieces. She leaned a little closer and asked: “We’re still heading to Shanghai?”

Shen Mo: “Mm. I’d like to meet that Professor Song. Asked Cheng Weicai and Xiaoxin — neither of them have any objections.”

“They’re not without objections — they’re without opinions,” Bai Youwei couldn’t help saying.

— In a world turned into such a state, what difference did it make which city they went to?

Shen Mo laughed at that and asked her: “And you?”

Bai Youwei’s eyes darted around, and she said: “I have no objections either.”

Shen Mo gave a crooked smile, reached over and knocked her lightly on the forehead: “Go to sleep now.”

Bai Youwei: “Wait a little longer~”

She suddenly put on a wheedling tone, catching Shen Mo’s attention. He smiled and asked: “What is it now?”

Bai Youwei held the golden key in one hand and gripped his hand with the other. In the dim tent, her eyes were bright and shining.

“Let’s go take a look at the doll house?” she said.

“…Right now?” Shen Mo raised an eyebrow slightly.

Bai Youwei blinked. “What if… we wait half an hour? Let everyone fall asleep first, and then we…”

The more she said, the more intriguing it became. Shen Mo laughed and covered her hand with his. “Let’s go now.”

Bai Youwei opened her palm. The golden key was brilliant even in darkness, radiant beyond the surrounding night — just as that gold coin had once drawn them in with its allure.

“Hold the key… turn it half a rotation clockwise to open the doll house in any space.”

Bai Youwei held the key and looked around at the tent walls.

“There’s no condition on location — in theory, it should work here as well…”

She was a little nervous, and a little excited. She pressed the key against one panel of the tent fabric, and turned it half a rotation like opening a door —

Click.

A familiar sound.

The very same sound the door had made every time they invited a guest inside while trapped in the doll house!

“It opened,” Bai Youwei said, looking at Shen Mo.

Shen Mo reached out to touch it. The tent fabric still looked like fabric, but his hand could clearly feel the cold metal texture of a door handle.

He gripped it.

Then pushed it open.

The living room of the doll house appeared before them!

The same house, and yet — this time there was not a single trace of eeriness. Every piece of furniture and household furnishing before their eyes was perfectly ordinary, perfectly still. Quiet as any home could be.