Valerius's hand froze halfway through swinging the rope.
He looked rather annoyed.
He hadn't expected Hu Tao to pull off such a perfect hiding in plain sight trick.
"Hehe, hand over my reward!"
Hu Tao bounced off the trampoline and landed in front of him, holding out her hand proudly.
"We're doing the punishment draw first."
"Why?"
"Because I don't feel like giving you your reward right now. Got a problem with that?"
Valerius shot her a glare.
"You actually hid with the kids… You've got some nerve."
Truth be told…
After leaving the basketball court, Valerius had come back to the trampoline hall once.
He'd glanced at the children happily playing…
Then left without paying any attention.
It had never crossed his mind that Hu Tao would dare openly join the children's group.
"Whatever."
"You still owe me an eight-point reward."
"Oh?"
Valerius looked surprised.
"You had eight points?"
"What did you buy earlier?"
"A Speed Card."
"Otherwise, how do you think I managed to run all the way to the trampoline hall?"
"…Fair enough."
"Nicely played."
After tapping a few buttons on the interface…
All the previously eliminated players returned to the arena.
Looking at Sparkle, whose eyes were practically crescent moons from smiling…
Valerius really wanted to ask where she'd hidden the entire game.
But…
He quickly gave up.
He doubted she'd tell him the truth anyway.
Taking out the punishment machine and setting it down…
He looked toward Lisa and the others.
"Go ahead."
Although two players had escaped…
At least he still got to enjoy the punishments.
"…"
"Bailu, you're the oldest."
"Why don't you draw?"
Lisa really didn't want to be the one pulling the punishment.
So she immediately pushed Bailu forward.
Sure…
Bailu still looked like a little kid.
But she'd lived for quite a long time.
Maybe…
The punishment would go easy on children?
"Me?"
Bailu looked at Lisa…
Then at Sigewinne.
Wasn't Sigewinne pretty old too?
Why am I suddenly the oldest?
Still…
She wasn't particularly afraid of the punishment.
If she had to draw…
Then she'd draw.
Without the slightest hesitation…
She skipped over to the machine…
And pulled the lever.
A card dropped out.
[Punishment: The Old Lady from the East End of the Village]
[The Old Lady from the East End of the Village: The player adopts the mentality and behavior of an elderly village woman for one week.]
"…An old lady's mentality and behavior?"
Lisa's eyes widened.
"I-I'm not actually going to become old, am I?!"
She was still young!
She didn't want to become an old grandmother already!
Before she could react…
The card dissolved into countless specks of light…
Which flew into the bodies of the three punished players.
All three shuddered.
Then…
In perfect synchronization…
They walked over to a nearby bench.
Sat down.
Cross-legged.
"…An old lady?"
Hu Tao watched curiously.
"So this is the punishment?"
"I'm going over."
She immediately walked toward the trio.
Before she could even speak…
Lisa, sitting in the middle, smiled warmly.
"Oh my…"
"Isn't this Hu Tao?"
"Keeping busy lately?"
"…Yeah."
"A little."
"Busy is good!"
Lisa nodded approvingly.
"I heard you're the director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor."
"So…"
"Got yourself a boyfriend yet?"
"…No."
"Oh dear…"
"You really should hurry."
"Otherwise all the good young men will get taken."
"How about I introduce you to one?"
Hu Tao blinked.
Her expression turned increasingly strange.
So…
This was the Old Lady from the East End?
It was surprisingly powerful.
"…No thanks."
She quickly shook her head.
Introducing boyfriends?
Are you an old lady… or a matchmaker?
"I'll go claim my reward."
"You three have fun chatting."
"Go on, go on."
"Come visit sometime!"
The livestream burst into laughter.
[Zhongli: Hmm… so this is what an elderly mindset looks like?]
[Jing Yuan: It seems I'm still quite young after all.]
[Jean: Pfft… Lisa really became an old lady?]
Jean nearly lost it.
She herself was still single…
Yet Lisa was already trying to set Hu Tao up with a boyfriend.
The moment Hu Tao left…
Lisa's cheerful smile instantly vanished.
"Tch."
"Look at her pretending she's so busy."
"Busy doing what?"
"Figuring out how to cremate people."
"How unlucky."
Sigewinne immediately chimed in.
"Exactly."
"That girl's obviously no good."
"What kind of decent person spends every day around dead people?"
"At this rate she'll never get married."
"That's right."
Bailu nodded in agreement.
"And look how she's dressed."
"Showing off her legs…"
"Goodness…"
"Doesn't look respectable at all."
"Mhm."
Lisa nodded.
"Not nearly as proper as what you're wearing."
"My clothes may not be fancy…"
"But at least they're neat and respectable."
"Unlike young people nowadays."
"They wear less and less…"
"Oh my…"
"I get embarrassed just looking at them."
"Exactly."
"The younger generation has no standards anymore."
The three nodded together.
It was as if they'd finally found kindred spirits.
The livestream was in hysterics.
[Sampo: Holy crap… they're really gossiping nonstop.]
[Kaeya: Pfft… they're even chattier than Bennett.]
[Bennett: Hey… mine was a punishment too!]
"You can talk about them all you want…"
"But why drag me into this?"
"I'm not gossiping…"
"I'm just… curious."
"My punishment is much classier than this."
After chatting for a while…
Sigewinne stood up.
"I won't keep talking."
"I need to head back."
"I'm worried about Wriothesley being alone in the Fortress of Meropide."
"Alright."
"We'll chat next time."
"You really have to keep an eye on young people."
"They're all so restless."
[Wriothesley: The hell…? How am I restless?]
[Navia: I can already imagine what Meropide will look like over the next week.]
[Lyney: Honestly… I kind of want to commit a crime just to visit. Neuvillette, is there a sentence that only lasts one week?]
[Neuvillette: Mr. Lyney, please refrain from increasing the burden on our judicial system. Wriothesley… I have something important to discuss with you. Are you available sometime within the next week?]
[Wriothesley: Just admit you want to come watch.]
[Furina: Neuvillette… when did you become like this?]
Furina suddenly felt like Fontaine was doomed.
Its greatest pillar…
Had somehow become a professional spectator.
Back in the arena…
Sigewinne tapped the Return button.
As her figure disappeared…
Lisa and Bailu immediately changed expressions.
"Oh please…"
"And she was lecturing young people."
"Look at her."
"She's not any better."
"Exactly."
"The way she dresses…"
"And she still has the nerve to criticize others."
"I think your clothes are much more decent, Lisa."
"Sigh…"
"What can I do?"
"My family raised me properly."
"If I dressed like she does…"
"I'd be too embarrassed to leave the house."
The livestream was speechless.
[Zhongli: ???]
[Venti: !!!!!]
[Raiden Ei: …What exactly are they doing?]
Nobody understood.
How could they be all smiles to someone's face…
Then immediately start talking behind their back the second they left?
"Brilliant."
Valerius had retreated to the side…
Laughing so hard he nearly collapsed.
This punishment was just too familiar.
The moment he spoke…
Both Lisa and Bailu immediately turned toward him.
"Oh my…"
"Isn't that Valerius?"
"How have you been lately?"
Valerius: "…"
He decided…
It was probably safer not to answer.
Who knew what they'd start saying next…
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