Chapter 186: Hide-and-Seek Challenge 8

Perry Yates’s social anxiety flared up. She really didn’t want to face the enthusiasm of two strangers, especially when one of them was her "boyfriend."

’No, I have to think of a way to get rid of these two and get through the day in peace.’

According to the records from the past two days, she learned that her current identity was that of a rich heiress. The boy downstairs was her boyfriend, and the girl was her best friend. Her best friend and boyfriend were childhood sweethearts, and both were students from poor families. To put it simply, he had the classic sob story: a gambling father, a terminally ill mother, a poverty-stricken family, and a broken spirit.

The boy had only become her boyfriend because the other girl had played matchmaker.

The more she thought about it, the more something felt off.

For this reason, Perry Yates was actually the dominant one in their three-way relationship, though she was easily swayed.

Just as Perry Yates was pondering the matter, the doorbell downstairs rang.

By now, Perry Yates had already come up with a plan.

She summoned one of her Clones, then casually grabbed a piece of paper and wrote a note on it.

To avoid anyone noticing the difference in handwriting, Perry Yates deliberately wrote in block letters. She then handed the finished note to the Clone.

The Clone understood what Perry Yates wanted, turned, and headed out.

In the time it took for the Clone to leave, Perry Yates transformed into a diamond again, leaped from the window, and landed in the flowerbed in the yard. She found a comfortable spot and cozily hid herself away.

The note she had sent with the Clone explained the rules for a game of hide-and-seek. It also promised that if they found her, she would reward them with a trip abroad.

She had gotten this idea from their chat history, too.

In the chat logs from the last few days, the two had been constantly talking about how they had never been abroad, how they envied people who could travel internationally, and what the scenery was like in other countries—all heavy-handed hints for Perry Yates to take them on a trip.

For some reason, though, her original self had never agreed. Their visit today was for this very purpose.

’I wonder if those two are also other players in disguise. If so, this is going to be fun.’

Perry Yates had no idea she had just spoken it into existence.

At that moment, the two people outside the door saw the Clone open it. The girl immediately pounced forward happily, exclaiming, "My dearest bestie, I missed you like crazy!"

The boy to the side didn’t lunge forward, but the tenderness in his eyes was almost sickeningly sweet.

The Clone calmly pushed the girl off, a perfectly measured smile on her face. "I’m the temporary housekeeper here."

The moment she spoke, a look of awkwardness, nervousness, and guilt flashed across the face of the girl who had just pounced on her.

The boy beside her gave a light cough and awkwardly looked past the Clone.

Perry Yates took all of this in, her earlier suspicions growing stronger.

By now, the girl had composed herself. "Oh, miss, I’m so sorry! I didn’t get a good look at you. You said you’re a temporary housekeeper? Then where’s Perry? We’re her classmates; we made plans to come see her today."

The Clone, still wearing that same smile, handed the note to them. "The young miss asked me to give this to you. She said she wants to play a game of hide-and-seek. If you can find her within the day, she will agree to your request."

At this, the girl’s eyes nearly popped out of her head.

She’d played this kind of role-playing game eighty, if not a hundred, times before.

Normally, these games were all about the players trying to out-act one another to find the "ghost." When had something like this ever happened?

’Is she... laying her cards on the table?’

The two at the door exchanged a look. One glance was all it took to confirm it: *not an ally*.

As the two stepped inside the house, they saw the Clone turning to leave. The girl quickly asked, "You’re leaving?"

The Clone nodded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "I’m just the temporary housekeeper. My job is done, so of course I have to leave."

The moment she finished speaking, a Wind Blade materialized from nowhere and shot toward the Clone.

In the blink of an eye, the Wind Blade passed through the Clone’s body. The next second, the Clone vanished.

Seeing this, the girl shot the man beside her a surprised look, her eyes clearly asking, ’Did you do that?’

The boy, however, had a look of pure innocence on his face, indicating it wasn’t him. He, in turn, shot a suspicious glare at the girl, clearly thinking she was the culprit.

The girl denied it as well.

Clearly, neither of them believed the other’s explanation. In reality, the Wind Blade had been cast by Perry Yates herself. Her goal, of course, was to sow discord between the two. And it looked like her plan was a resounding success.

Even though Perry Yates’s shenanigans had twisted the game beyond recognition, the two had no choice but to follow her instructions. The reason was simple: they both had quests that revolved around Perry Yates. If she didn’t show up, they couldn’t complete their quests.

The quest was a hidden one, and completing it would earn them an Advanced Card—something every player dreamed of obtaining.

It was a pity. They had arrived full of confidence, only for their mission to be over before it even began. They hadn’t even found the quest’s key character, let alone completed the quest itself.

The two looked at each other again, and both saw the same two words reflected in the other’s eyes: bitter fate.

"Let’s start looking."

The house was large, but neither of them was an ordinary person. Finding a single living, breathing human should have been simple. They didn’t actually think they would lose. Their earlier predicament was born from a fear of exposing their true nature.

After all, the roles they were playing weren’t exactly good people—to put it bluntly, a scumbag and a bitch.

As for the hidden quest, it was to make their girlfriend/best friend feel genuinely happy.

The quest sounded abstract, but it was far from simple. First of all, what was happiness? Everyone’s definition was different. Furthermore, they couldn’t just make Perry Yates feel happy; it had to be a genuine, heartfelt happiness.

To be honest, if the reward wasn’t likely an Advanced Card, possibly even a four-star one, probably no one would have accepted this quest.

The two quickly began their search. However, after combing through the entire house, inside and out, they couldn’t find a single trace of her—not even a shadow, let alone a person.

Several hours later, the two reconvened in the living room.

"Any luck on your end?" the girl asked.

"Found nothing. You?"

"Same here. Not a thing."

After they spoke, they looked at each other and couldn’t help but shudder.