Deceitful Game

Chapter 173 Tsuruko

Chapter 173 Chiheko

At that moment, the piano music upstairs gradually stopped.

The sound of the zither echoed in the withered air.

It even created a certain illusion—

Even when it completely dissipates, it still seems to exist as if it is still barely visible.

It exists in this unvisited annex.

Or perhaps it lingers in Chizuko's nightmares.

"You're a good girl, Chizuko."

Mingbo smiled, his voice deep and magnetic.

He lowered his gaze and slowly sat down at the piano.

Mingpo pulled out the photo hidden under the piano keys and placed it in front of her like a musical score. Then she put the keys that she had lifted back into place.

"I know you don't want to kill me—"

"You don't even want to hurt anyone."

"You just want me to get out of here as soon as possible."

"You've exploited the system," trapping yourself on the absolutely safe second floor. Without the intervention of any force, that door is indestructible—"

With each word Mingpo spoke, he would slowly tap a key on the piano.

Unbeknownst to them, the roles of "performers" in this game have been reversed.

He had already struck the second measure of the piano.

His right hand struck the blood-stained C key.

Decrease A—C—Decrease E.

That's a classic piece—Chopin's Nocturne in E-flat major.

However, this time, Mingbo, who had already violated the "taboo," was not sent back to the dungeon entrance.

This means that Mingpo's test was successful.

The cycle mechanism of the instance is not fixed—or rather, as the master of this nightmare, Chizuko can influence the composition and rules of this dream to a certain extent.

It's also possible that Mingpo kept looping the photo because it hadn't been taken out yet.

Chizuko didn't want to see her mother's photo "cut off" by the piano playing—even though it was probably something she herself had put there.

But once Mingpo retrieves the photo, her "test" will be over.

Mingpo's playing became increasingly fluent.

He sat gracefully at the piano in the lobby on the first floor, playing a soothing and lyrical nocturne.

He didn't speak.

For Chizuko, music is a better language.

Mingpo hasn't played the piano in a long time.

He was also surprised that he could play the piece so well. He had only intended to play a few bars. But when his hands touched the piano, they moved on their own.

Of course, in Mingpo's memory, he could indeed play the piano. But now, almost a decade or so has passed—he doesn't even know that he can still remember the complete score and still have the feel for playing the piano.

unless----

Thinking of this, Mingpo's heart stirred.

It wasn't him playing the piano; it was the piano singing on its own.

Could this be—a treasure?

After the music ended, even Mingpo's own heart seemed to become a little calmer.

He then opened his mouth and said calmly in a soft voice, "You are not wrong, Chizuko. You were not wrong from the very beginning."

At first, you just wanted your parents to stop arguing.

"Once, all you wanted was for them to be able to live happily together."

"And now, all you want is to protect your assets."

Mingpo's voice was deep and rhythmic, with a strange and alluring quality that made people feel relaxed.

"Of course you're not wrong."

He said quietly, as if whispering, "You are a good child, Chizuko."

"Of course you know how difficult and dangerous the game of deception is. Every chip is stained with blood; not a single chip is without sin."

"When you choose to change the past, correct history, and resurrect the you who did not become a deceiver—you are destined to stay here forever."

"The deceiver is like that saying—I, in my happiness, unknowingly ascend to heaven, while I, in my suffering, am consciously imprisoned in hell."

"She got everything you wanted. Your parents lived together in love, and although they weren't very wealthy, there was no pain, misunderstanding, or quarrels. Your father wasn't busy, and your mother wasn't jealous. Your life was still quite comfortable—and you didn't have that much pressure."

"The price is—you will be trapped here, almost forever. But when you leave this prison, it means your long-cherished dream has been shattered. She has once again become the deceiver and needs to activate the treasure you have painstakingly protected."

Are you jealous of her? Are you jealous of yourself?

Are you jealous of the version of yourself that abandoned you but is now living the life you've always dreamed of—a version of yourself who knows nothing about it?

""

"----Won't."

A young yet clear voice rang out: "She is me too. Her happiness is my happiness."

It seems that she was finally persuaded by Mingpo.

A girl slowly walked over from the path that Mingpo had just come from.

She had a delicate and youthful face, and long, straight black hair that reached her waist. She wore the same white dress as the girl in the photo. She stood tall and straight, as if she had practiced dance. Her graceful posture was reminiscent of a gardenia.

The only problem is that there is no shadow under Chizuru's feet.

The light shone through her body onto the ground, and she walked without making a sound.

ghost.

This is not Chizuko's true nature—paradoxes are also real things, not ghosts.

Chizuko believed that her way of being was closer to that of a ghost, so in this space constructed by her own obsession, she became a ghost that no one could touch, just as she wished.

Chizuko looked so small.

If Akashi had gotten married right after graduating from university, his daughter would probably be no younger than Chizuko.

At such a young age, she was already engaged in life-and-death battles with others in a game of deception.

Mingpo looked at her with affection.

He gestured for Chizuko to sit next to him.

The chair next to the piano in the lobby on the first floor is a bench, which is large enough for two people to sit at the piano and play together.

Chizuko hesitated slightly, then followed Amber's instructions and walked over slowly and silently.

She sat down carefully next to Mingpo.

There were at least two body lengths between them.

Clearly, there is still some wariness towards Mingpa—though not much.

Mingpo simply smiled and shook her head, then lowered her head gently like a teacher and said in a soft voice, "If that's the case, why do you call that child 'her'?"

Upon hearing this, Chizuko's eyes widened slightly.

She was speechless for a moment, unsure how to explain herself.

"Don't feel guilty, and don't be in pain. It wasn't your fault."

Mingpo spoke slowly, reaching out to press two keys: "This—is it."

Chizuko looked at the piano, her mood low: "I know."

"Taking your anger out on others, is that it?"

Mingpo smiled slightly and said something incredibly cold: "After all, no matter how much you torment this piano, your father will never come back."

when!

As Mingpo finished speaking, a violent bang rang out, and the piano lid suddenly slammed shut on its own!

With a dangerous, guillotine-like aura, it nearly snapped Mingpo's fingers off!