…Her consciousness was muddled.
A splitting headache, as if someone was hammering her skull.
Vaguely, she heard Shen Mo's voice, low and calm, each syllable imbued with a slightly husky, magnetic charm, like the plucking of a stringed instrument string in her ear.
Mmm…like the most beautiful G string on a cello.
Bai Youwei's mind was a jumble.
After another dizzy spell, she finally opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was a faded ceiling, then a pastoral wall lamp, floral wallpaper… and an old-fashioned fireplace.
The fire in the fireplace burned, slightly dispelling the chill from her body.
"Awake?" Shen Mo walked over with a glass of water and sat beside her.
The water in the glass was still hot, so he placed it on the coffee table to cool.
He helped her sit up a little and tucked a pillow behind her for comfort.
"…Where are we?" Bai Youwei asked, her voice raspy.
Shen Mo glanced around. "We're in a house on the mountaintop. I ran into Teacher Cheng and Xiaoxin first, then found you halfway up the mountain. We haven't found Tan Xiao yet… Yan Qingwen and Lü Ang went out to look for her."
He paused, looking at Bai Youwei. "You have a fever."
Bai Youwei weakly touched her forehead, unable to tell for sure, only feeling weak and dizzy.
"She should take a bath and change into dry clothes. Her hair needs to be dried too," Zhu Shu said from the side. "There's no medicine here. We need to find a way to get her fever down quickly."
Su Man said irritably, "Please, big star, we're in trouble now. Where are we going to get bathwater for her?! And this is the doll's territory. No one can guarantee this room is safe!"
Zhu Shu pursed her lips. "There's a bathroom upstairs, with hot water. There are clean clothes in the bedroom closet. If you're worried about safety… I can check it out first."
Su Man frowned. "Hey, don't tell me you want to wash up yourself?"
Zhu Shu looked helpless but didn't argue. "Being wet is really uncomfortable."
"No," Su Man refused flatly, her face cold. "I disagree. Before Brother Yan left, he told me to ensure everyone's safety. Besides, the clothes in the closet look strange, like they're for dolls. How can we wear them?"
Bai Youwei listened to them quietly, her eyes glancing around.
She was lying on a long sofa against the living room wall, dark blue with pink and white roses. There were several matching cushions on the sofa. Countless plush dolls were piled in the corners of the living room.
Teddy bears, plush rabbits, plush kittens, and puppies…
She closed her eyes, her groggy mind recalling Tan Xiao's words before entering the game—Welcome to the dollhouse.
Is this place the dollhouse?
Teacher Cheng came over with cups of hot tea, placing them one by one on the coffee table. "Everyone, have some hot tea to ward off the cold."
"Achoo!" Pan Xiaoxin suddenly sneezed.
Everyone looked over.
Xiaoxin rubbed his nose embarrassedly.
Teacher Cheng said worriedly, "The temperature here is very low. I don't know if it has anything to do with the rainstorm outside. It feels like spring or autumn. We're all soaked, and we don't have many clothes. It's easy to catch a cold like this."
Perhaps because she was facing an elderly person, Su Man's aggressive attitude softened slightly. She hesitated. "How about… you take the child upstairs to wash up, and I'll keep watch outside the door."
"No need," Pan Xiaoxin rubbed his nose and sat by the fireplace, whispering, "I'll just dry my clothes here…"