The Hand of Confession – Chapter 115

Volume 4: Days of Making Mischief at School

The Puppet Card

Writing Blank Checks

Of course, Shen Maomao wasn’t an ungrateful person, after all, Lou Jingmo didn’t even know who Ren Yue was. The one who had a relationship with Ren Yue was her, Shen Maomao, and the one betrayed by Ren Yue was also her—Sister Lou was feeling indignant on her behalf!

Shen Maomao wiped away her tears, glaring with her crying-reddened eyes and said: “That turtle’s calf [王八犢子 | wáng bā dú zi | meaning: son of a b*tch] already has a card! And she lied to me saying it was her first time entering the game!”

Lou Jingmo said: “Just take it as a lesson learned.” However, Ren Yue better not enter the same game as them again, or she would ensure she’d never return.

Shen Maomao didn’t know that the protective Lou Jingmo had already thought of more than ten ways to kill Ren Yue. She was very curious about that card that even Lou Jingmo didn’t have, and asked: “What card does she have? What effect does it have?”

Before asking, she hadn’t considered the possibility that Lou Jingmo might not know the answer.

But Lou Jingmo was indeed omniscient as she had thought, never disappointing her.

She lounged against the sofa, like a graceful serpentine beauty, relaxed yet vigilant, ready to strike at enemies at any moment.

“It’s Simon Peter from the twelve cards, you don’t need to remember the name specifically, it’s more commonly known among players as the Puppet Card,” Lou Jingmo said.

“Puppet?”

“Mm.” Lou Jingmo nodded, “I haven’t seen its specific effects, but according to the function introduction of these twelve cards in the forum, the Puppet Card can raise a puppet, equivalent to a second life.”

She glanced at Shen Maomao, as if looking at something rare: “So this is how the puppet operation works.”

The puppet Shen Maomao consciously stood straight, accepting her scrutiny. However, Lou Jingmo only glanced at her once before withdrawing her gaze.

Shen Maomao nestled back into the sofa, seriously listening to Lou Jingmo’s analysis of the situation.

From Ren Yue’s behavior, Lou Jingmo roughly deduced these conclusions—

First, the Puppet Card requires finding someone with a very intimate relationship for substitution, otherwise Ren Yue could have casually pulled any stranger into the game, rather than choosing Shen Maomao.

Second, this card isn’t permanent. Otherwise, Ren Yue wouldn’t have entered the game again, coincidentally ending up in the same game as Shen Maomao. In an unbound state, the possibility of meeting an acquaintance in the game is practically zero, so Ren Yue and Shen Maomao’s encounter seemed like an inevitable result—she couldn’t believe there wasn’t some card manipulation involved.

Third, it seems that once the puppet dies, the card owner can permanently leave the game, otherwise Ren Yue wouldn’t be so eager to kill her own puppet—killing the puppet should have been all harm and no benefit to her.

After hearing her analysis, Shen Maomao wasn’t so sad anymore; correspondingly, she was now very, very, very angry.

Ren Yue’s heart was truly cruel…

As long as she could kill her in the game, after returning to reality her death would become just an accident, and Ren Yue herself could cleanly leave the game, return to normal life, without any future worries.

Moreover, just killing her wasn’t enough—she had to get a bank card from her before she died, treating her like an ATM machine!!

Thinking of this, Shen Maomao immediately couldn’t sit still.

She sprang up from the sofa, handing Mother Shen’s card to Lou Jingmo: “Sister Lou, I need to take care of something, please help me keep this safe. This card is somewhat special to me, so I can’t offer it up to you, but if I get any more cards in the future, I’ll definitely offer them all up honestly.”

Lou Jingmo was stunned for a moment, taking the Mother Shen card, and said: “Haven’t I told you? Collecting all twelve cards lets you leave the game? Has your brain stopped working? You want to give your cards to me?”

Shen Maomao smiled indifferently: “Without you, I definitely wouldn’t have survived until now. Besides, you have many cards, if we save up together, we can at least get one person out.”

Lou Jingmo looked at her smiling face, feeling somewhat complicated.

Because she knew that when Shen Maomao spoke this way, she was definitely counting herself as the one to leave last.

Seeing her unusual expression, Shen Maomao added: “Moreover, Sister Lou, I’m someone who will offer cards to you, so please protect me well in the future!”

Lou Jingmo had never seen someone request to hug a big leg so shamelessly yet gracefully.

However, she was quite susceptible to this approach.

She had been in the game for so long and met all kinds of people, but had never encountered someone like Shen Maomao who was wise yet appeared foolish.

If you say she’s clever, then she wouldn’t have nearly been personally dispatched by her most trusted best friend; if you say she’s stupid, she always shows her quick-witted side, like being very good at reading situations and knowing how to please her… *cough*.

Lou Jingmo looked at Mother Shen’s image on the Fei Li card, and couldn’t help thinking—perhaps because her initial expectations were so low, even slightly good performance from Shen Maomao could bring her surprises?

She was lost in thought for quite a while, and Shen Maomao thought she disagreed, so she tugged at her sleeve and acted coquettishly: “Sister Lou? Sister Lou, say something? Sister Lou?”

Lou Jingmo came back to her senses, withdrew her sleeve, and agreed: “Fine, I’ll keep them safe for now, I’m not even interested in those two cards of yours.”

This single “fine” not only meant agreeing to keep her cards but also implied she would protect Shen Maomao well.

“Sister Lou, you’re the best!” Shen Maomao excitedly went over and hugged her, even wanting to give her a kiss to express her joy.

Lou Jingmo, who saw through her intention, quickly pushed her face away: “We can talk it out, no need for lips, what are you going to do?”

Shen Maomao didn’t mind her rejection and answered: “I’m going to report my bank card as lost, that turtle egg Ren Yue swindled a card from me!!”

Lou Jingmo immediately showed an expression of hating iron for not becoming steel.

Shen Maomao: “I’m going to report it lost right now!” After saying this, she dashed out of the room like a wisp of smoke, thoughtfully closing the door before leaving.

Lou Jingmo watched her distant silhouette, belatedly realizing—had Shen Maomao just written her a blank check [空頭支票 | kōng tóu zhī piào | empty promise]? And she had actually agreed to it?!

??

Had she been bewitched?!

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Fortunately, Shen Maomao had the habit of carrying various IDs and bank cards with her, so she didn’t have to immediately return to the dormitory to face Ren Yue.

Ren Yue, who thought she was dead, must be very happy now thinking she’d never have to enter the game again?

Just imagining such a scene made Shen Maomao so angry smoke came from her seven orifices.

With these thoughts, she went to the bank, sitting at the window waiting for the staff to help her report the lost card.

The pretty staff sister reminded her: “Your bank card currently has a balance of exactly 80,000 yuan… The most recent transaction was one month ago, at XX Shopping Mall where you purchased…”

Shen Maomao was stunned for a moment.

A month ago she hadn’t given the card to Ren Yue yet…

Moreover, before giving it to her, due to her OCD, she had deliberately transferred away the extra few dozen yuan, so what she gave to Ren Yue was exactly 80,000 yuan.

Hadn’t Ren Yue spent even a single cent in this past month?

No, it must be that she hadn’t had the chance to spend it yet!

Now that she was “dead,” Ren Yue had no more worries and would definitely come to withdraw the money soon!!

“Miss? Miss? Is there any problem?”

Shen Maomao hurriedly came back to her senses and replied: “No, no… just proceed with reporting it lost and getting a replacement.”

“Alright, please tell me the mobile number you registered with the card.”

After completing the procedures, Shen Maomao held the fresh bank card, and after thinking it over, she couldn’t help but ask: “If… if the person who picked up my bank card comes to withdraw money, could you notify me?”

The staff member said: “Yes, ma’am, we can keep an eye out for you, if someone comes here with the old card to withdraw money, we’ll send you a text message notification.”

“Thank you…”

Shen Maomao stood up, pushed open the bank’s heavy doors, walked onto the bustling street, watching the flow of people passing before her, suddenly feeling lost in her heart.

She didn’t want to cry, didn’t want to laugh, only felt as if someone had forcibly dug out a piece of her heart—the pain was secondary, more prominent was a feeling of emptiness.

Shen Maomao’s heart was small, with very limited space for people to live inside, and Ren Yue was one of those limited few.

But now Ren Yue had dug herself out with her own hands, and not content with just leaving, she wanted to destroy this little house…

Was she really so hateable?

The warm breeze brushed across her face, hair strands messy all over her face. She reached up to tuck the stray hair behind her ear, only then realizing she had been staring at the bank card for quite a while.

“Ah…” Shen Maomao sighed, putting away the bank card, her heart filled with uncertainty about the future.

What should she do next? Return to the dormitory to scare Ren Yue by telling her “Surprise, I’m still alive”? Or first give her two slaps to teach her the meaning of cruelty?

“Ah…”

“Had enough of your melancholy [傷春悲秋 | shāng chūn bēi qiū | literally: grieving spring lamenting autumn, meaning: being sentimental]? It’s almost summer now.”

A familiar voice suddenly came from in front of her, and Shen Maomao abruptly looked up to see Lou Jingmo sitting face-to-face with her on a street bench ahead.

Lou Jingmo’s beautiful phoenix eyes held a hint of playfulness, the smile at her lips particularly alluring [勾人 | gōu rén | literally: hook people], causing passing men to involuntarily turn their heads in her direction.

Shen Maomao took three steps in two to reach her front, her previous dejection having flown who knows where: “Sister Lou?! Why are you here?!”

Lou Jingmo stood up, saying indifferently: “I followed you here, but you were lost in thought and never noticed me.”

Shen Maomao gave a dry laugh: “Wasn’t I just thinking about how to torture Ren Yue to death!”

Lou Jingmo pursed her lips: “Hope you won’t go soft-hearted when the time comes.”

Shen Maomao said gloomily: “What did I do to give you the wrong impression that I’m some kind of holy mother…”

Lou Jingmo didn’t speak, just curved her lips into a smile, put her hands in her jacket pockets, raised her arm, and nodded down at her: “Here.”

Shen Maomao finally smiled. She grabbed onto her wrist, walking shoulder to shoulder with her, heading towards the distant future they would continue to walk together.

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