The man in the portrait had an unfamiliar face. He looked at Yin Xiu, who was standing quietly against the wall with his eyes closed, and said in a low voice, "You can't believe everything that woman says."
Yin Xiu opened his eyes, looked up and met the portrait's gaze, then silently closed them again. "Indeed, you can't believe everything, but I think the mayor's part is pretty much accurate."
The man leaned over the picture frame, staring intently at Yin Xiu. "The mayor manages the entire town, and everything he does is for the benefit of the townspeople. That woman is completely slandering the mayor."
"Aren't you the one who was killed by the mayor and then locked in his portrait? And you're still speaking up for him?"
The person in the portrait immediately retorted, "Of course not. The people in the portrait are all people protected by the mayor. She chose us as sacrifices, devouring us as her flesh. This is the only way the mayor can preserve our souls."
Yin Xiu lowered his eyes and chuckled, "Your way of putting it is a little different."
"You have to believe me. Being killed by that woman is the only hopeless situation. Go to the mayor; he's the only one who can truly spare your life. The mayor is a kind-hearted man," the man in the portrait pleaded earnestly.
Yin Xiu looked up at the portrait again, then looked away and casually mentioned, "I saw another man talking to me in the corridor before. He was very handsome, just like the paintings that were hanging in the corridor during the day, with a unique and exquisite quality."
"So what?"
"But you're not that good-looking, so you obviously don't fit the mayor's aesthetic."
"...I already said the mayor is a kind-hearted person! He helps people without looking at their appearance!" The man in the portrait, suddenly attacked by the image, was inexplicably annoyed.
"He might not care about people's appearance when helping them, but he'll definitely look at them when he wants to turn them into a work of art." Yin Xiu smiled. "Judging from your words, you must be the kind of person he helps out of kindness, right?"
"You!" The man was even more annoyed. "Why do you keep bringing up looks!"
"I'm just reminding you." Yin Xiu raised his eyes and stared coldly at the man. "You, who were sacrificed by a woman's revenge and then kept in the portrait by the mayor as an accomplice, shouldn't speak for those victims."
"If he were truly kind-hearted, the portraits he makes during the day shouldn't all be of good-looking people; he should at least include some like you."
The man in the portrait turned cold. Realizing that Yin Xiu had seen through his act, he simply stopped pretending. "You've been chosen by that woman. I advise you not to be ungrateful. If you want to live, you can only choose the town mayor!"
"Did the mayor send you to persuade me?" Yin Xiu glanced at him coldly. "Go back and tell him not to bother. I'd rather die in the dungeon than enter the portrait."
The man's eyes flashed with a fierce light. "That's not up to you!"
He made a move as if he wanted to leap out of the portrait, but after only halfway through, he suddenly seemed to sense something and abruptly withdrew.
Yin Xiuzheng was puzzled when he suddenly felt a chill beside him. He turned his head and saw that Li Mo had come out silently again, without making a sound.
"You're scarier than a monster…" Yin Xiu would occasionally lose sight of Li Mo's movements if he relaxed even slightly, which was quite dangerous for someone like him who was always on guard.
Li Mo smiled calmly, showing no remorse for startling Yin Xiu. He glanced up at the portrait, then casually turned back to Yin Xiu, mentioning the little girl, "Hasn't she come out yet?"
"Not yet..." Yin Xiu turned to look in the direction of the women's restroom, frowned slightly, and turned back into the women's restroom with some concern. "Why is there no sound at all? I'll go in and take a look."
Li Mo smiled and watched Yin Xiu leave. As soon as Yin Xiu was gone, Li Mo turned his head and stared intently at the portrait where Yin Xiu had just spoken.
The man in the portrait, with his eyes closed, felt a pang of guilt and tried to quietly slip away from the painting. Before he could even move, a hand suddenly reached out, shattering the glass of the frame and grabbing his neck.
The man opened his eyes in alarm and saw Li Mo standing in front of the portrait, smiling at him.
"Did that old man send you?" he said, grabbing the man's neck and dragging him outside.
The man looked terrified.
Impossible! Only the town mayor could retrieve their portraits! How could this man in front of me do it too!
"Let go of me!" The man tried to stay in the picture frame in a panic, but Li Mo grabbed his neck and easily pulled him out of the picture frame.
Then, the man saw Li Mo slowly open his mouth, revealing a row of terrifying teeth waiting for him, and his mind was instantly filled with horror.
"Help! Mayor! Save me!!" The man's terrified voice echoed throughout the corridor, and all the portraits began to tremble and tremble with fear.
They watched as Li Mo pulled the man out of the portrait, coiled his spirit into a ball, and then shoved it into his mouth without even chewing, swallowing it down with a gulp.
The other portraits in the corridor began to tremble, afraid to make any big noise, lest Li Mo notice them and it be their turn.
After finishing his meal, Li Mo licked his lips, still somewhat unsatisfied, and slowly turned his gaze to the other portraits in the corridor.
The portraits trembled even more violently, and the layers of fear instantly transmitted through the frames to the mayor in the basement.
He hadn't felt this chilling sensation in a long time, and the threatening beam of light shooting straight up into the sky sent a shiver down his spine.
"Are you trying to tell me that even if I put him in a frame, you can still take him out?" The mayor suppressed his displeasure, coldly stroking the beautiful frame that had been meticulously crafted for Yin Xiu. His eyes turned icy in the dim light as he muttered to himself, "Don't worry, I'll hide him, hide him somewhere you'll never find him."
"No one can take him away from this instance."
After Li Mo finished eating, he was about to walk to the next picture frame when he suddenly heard footsteps coming from the restroom behind him.
Yin Xiu came out carrying the little girl. As soon as he appeared, Li Mo turned around and went back, which made the portraits breathe a sigh of relief.
"I didn't expect her to fall asleep on the table after eating." Yin Xiu took a deep breath, picked up the little girl in his arms and walked out. As soon as he stepped out, he noticed the broken glass in front of the portrait and the empty portrait, without the man's shadow.
He had heard the commotion outside, so he knew exactly what had happened.
He looked at the portrait, then at Li Mo.
Li Mo pursed her lips and remained silent.
The comments section flew by quickly, filled with anticipation: "Finally, Yin Xiu got to see the crime scene! Yin Xiu is so smart, he must know what just happened!"
How will he feel about his roommate being weird?
"I bet Yin Xiu will kick him out! After all, that's a dangerous monster!"
"Hey you up there, look at the little girl in Yin Xiu's arms before you speak. I bet he won't."
"The little girl is a monster from the instance, and Yin Xiu knows her identity perfectly well. But this roommate's identity is unclear. I still bet he will kick his roommate out!"
I bet you won't!
Amidst the lively chatter of betting on the left and right in the live chat, Yin Xiu finally spoke up.