Eldritch Horror Theatre

A bountiful harvest. Just as he’d figured, Old Senior Ji’s working conditions were rather nice.

Even though it was only a fleeting glimpse, Fu Qian was already quite satisfied.

Was this what they meant by the saying that history makes a man wise? Seeing something with his own eyes was a completely different experience.

Was this how the Old Man had traveled through the past and present of the Bookstore World back then?

Seeking out certain answers this way would be infinitely more satisfying, no matter how he looked at it.

In comparison, his own tasks seemed trapped by the curse of nineteen years and three months, feeling like scratching an itch through a boot.

It was a pity the Old Man Ji he’d met had severely lacked communication skills. Otherwise, there would have been so much they could have discussed.

Shaking his head internally, Fu Qian didn’t blame the platform’s decline.

He had to look on the bright side. The window of time regression might be shorter, but the task difficulty seemed to have gone up. Where would the fun be otherwise? So, where was he now?

Amid his optimism, the scene before him sharpened once more. He had clearly arrived at camera position five.Fu Qian immediately tried to immerse himself in this new perspective—wait, wasn’t this angle way too strange?

It was easy for Fu Qian to realize exactly what was in front of him.

But precisely because of this, the viewing experience was especially bizarre.

First, he had just mentioned how excellent the weather was, yet everything before him was pitch black.

Second, this pitch-black darkness was pierced by a sharp line of light.

And right now, his perspective was pressed directly against this sliver of light, staring at the scene outside.

That was right. Camera position five seemed to be hidden inside a cabinet.

Having had similar experiences, Fu Qian instantly understood his situation.

...

Did a casual remark really prove prophetic? Did this Director have social anxiety?

On such a lively day, why was everything shot from a mouse’s perspective?

Couldn’t he just go to the hall to eat, drink, and casually admire the Madams competing in beauty?

Understanding didn’t equal agreement. After realizing where camera position five was placed, Fu Qian found it hard to hold back the urge to complain.

The main issue was how this camera cut; the scope was truly getting smaller and smaller.

Although the previous location had been a bit remote, at least it was somewhere a normal person might go. Now he was just holed up directly inside a piece of furniture?

What kind of thematic idea was such sneaky behavior trying to convey—wait, it seemed even sneakier than he’d imagined.

Hmm...

Although it couldn’t compare to the Small Prayer Room from earlier, he could still tell the space outside was quite private, and its decor was extraordinary.

And though he hadn’t seen a single figure yet, right at that moment, strange noises unexpectedly emerged from just outside his field of vision.

What was even stranger was that the noises were very similar to what he’d heard in the Small Prayer Room earlier, sounding as if a young woman’s mouth was being covered.

”You...”

The difference, however, was that she was released much faster this time. In the span of a single breath, a new voice spoke up.

”Why did you call me here?”

...

Now that was what he called efficiency. Moreover, it really was a young woman.

The twist came so quickly that even Fu Qian clicked his tongue in wonder.

At the same time, marveling at the situation didn’t delay him in confirming certain judgments.

Perhaps she was noticeably different from the young stepmother, but the voice, still panting as it spoke, was shockingly young as well.

Additionally, there was another similarity. Although the questioning tone forced a facade of calm, he could still sense a hint of intense emotion behind it.

Combined with the earlier noises, he could easily imagine what had just covered her mouth.

Was it really another two-person show?

As expected of a wedding day—the romance in the air was truly thick.

”I missed you. Is that so wrong?”

Amid his thoughts, another voice answered her.

Not only was it a man, he sounded much gentler than His Excellency Jose. It carried the exact tone of a man wearing a charming, winning smile.

Actually, this wasn’t surprising. From the previous conversations, it was obvious that Don Juan was much more popular with women than his old father.

That was right. The man’s voice was exceedingly familiar to Fu Qian.

It was the very same voice he had heard at the first camera position—the voice that had apologized to him.

...

Did Old Man Ji eat this well when he was on missions?

He had disguised himself as the groom, even swiping his cloak. There was no reason for him not to change his voice as well.

Not to mention that the people outside the room at the time hadn’t noticed anything unusual at all.

No matter how he looked at it, the commotion before him pointed to one possibility—he seemed to have finally caught up with Old Man Ji’s footsteps.

And if this assumption was true, he had to admit that the Old Man’s mission was quite sensual.

Given that he’d heard the Punished Consort speak earlier, Fu Qian was absolutely certain the voice outside did not belong to her.

So not only had he impersonated the groom on his wedding day, but he was also sharing a secret room with another young woman who wasn’t the bride—and acting intimately with her to boot.

All in all, ”philandering” didn’t even begin to cover it.

From this angle, it even seemed understandable why Old Man Ji had conducted so much research on bloodlines.

Furthermore, finding a quiet corner amidst the wedding day festivities, the Old Man’s roleplay truly captured the spirit of the groom’s father.

”Heh... Do you think it’s appropriate to say something like that on a day like today?”

However, it sounded like the Old Man had encountered a tricky situation.

The young woman wasn’t buying his sweet talk. In fact, her mood only seemed to sour further. The dissatisfaction in her cold sneer was palpable.

”It’s precisely because it’s today that I had to say it.”

The Old Man wasn’t discouraged in the slightest. He even let out a soft sigh and offered an unconventional explanation.

...

He had to admit, the Old Man’s acting skills weren’t half bad.

His voice was calm and firm, making it incredibly difficult to question his sincerity.

That sigh was especially moving. One could find all the helplessness, sweetness, and sorrow of life contained within it.

”I don’t know what you mean... Are you saying this today just to humiliate me?”

It was clear that the young woman was quite shaken in that moment, though she was still trying to act strong.

”Do you really not understand? Do you honestly think I was looking forward to walking up to that altar?”

As seasoned as Old Man Ji was, how could he miss this vulnerability? He immediately pressed his advantage and threw a question right back at her.

...

”To me, as long as the person standing up there isn’t you, that altar is no different from anywhere else...

”Have you really forgotten this place? The happy times we spent together here.”

The young woman fell silent for a moment. Old Man Ji sounded as if he couldn’t hold back the urge to express his feelings, continuing to pour his heart out.

”Of course I remember... Your only private corner in the entirety of Ehm Palace. The one place where your father wouldn’t find out about what you were doing.”

Under this barrage of affection, the lady finally seemed unable to bear it, letting out a bitter sigh.

”But did you really think I would forget what you and Anna did here?”