Scenario One: Painted Skin — 10

Since the game began, the Lin couple imprisoned on the second floor had made a commotion three times in all.

The first had been right at the start. The couple knocked something over upstairs and drew Lin Eight away to investigate, giving Bu Jianhan the opening he needed to slip out of the villa—the correct opening move.

The second had been during the blackout. Bu Jianhan and Lin Seven were alone in the living room when the couple made a noise upstairs and lured Lin Seven away, creating another chance for Bu Jianhan to escape.

The third had been when Bu Jianhan passed the door to the Horse Room. They had thrown themselves against it, trying to call for his help.

The fuse-repair objective had kept Bu Jianhan from escaping the villa, but he had not forgotten what he owed them.

Even in mortal danger, Father Lin had asked Bu Jianhan to save his wife first. Later, he had done everything he could to lead the Skinner in circles and had refused to reveal Bu Jianhan's true location even under threat. As far as Bu Jianhan was concerned, the man had real guts.

Though the Lin couple had not been able to tell him the Skinner's exact identity, Bu Jianhan was now certain that the killer was one of the eight Lin brothers.

And yet his Current Objective still had not updated. Apparently, he needed more clues.

He already had the key to the Goat Room. It was time to search the next room.

When he stepped back into the hallway, the Skinner was nowhere to be seen. Bu Jianhan made his way through the corridor's chaotic jumble to the Goat Room and unlocked the door.

Compared with the clearly abnormal Snake and Horse Rooms, not to mention the Dragon Room that had been converted into an art studio, the Goat Room looked so ordinary it was downright strange: just a normal bedroom.

Bu Jianhan went straight for the desk drawer and pulled.

[Friendly Reminder: You need the key to the desk drawer.]

Bu Jianhan: "...?"

Was this gag ever going to end?

Fortunately, after rummaging through every box and cabinet, he finally found the damned key in the pocket of a coat in the wardrobe and used it to open the desk drawer.

There was only one thing inside.

[Item obtained: Lin Seven's notebook ×1.]

So this was Lin Seven's room... Bu Jianhan opened the notebook and began reading for clues.

"If anyone is reading this notebook, it means my death has now been confirmed... I hid my most important secret in the study. Bookcase Three, top shelf, the book in the center. The spare key to the study is in the safe on top of the wardrobe. If you're my friend, you'll know how to open it."

Bu Jianhan dragged a chair over to the wardrobe and climbed up. Sure enough, he found a safe tucked away at the very back of its top.

But what was the combination?

Bu Jianhan sank into deep thought.

The words "If you're my friend" suddenly gave him a flash of inspiration. He entered the four digits "1592" into the keypad.

The safe's green light came on. Just like that, it opened.

Bu Jianhan: "..."

Why would you use the exact amount of your money I've spent as your safe combination? No, wait—as rich as you are, why would you remember exactly how much you've donated to me?

Was there some sordid little arrangement between us, so we'd know how to settle the accounts when we broke up someday?

Like Watson stumbling upon the glaringly obvious clue, Bu Jianhan gave a mighty shudder.

Without another second to lose, he pulled the spare key to the study out of the safe.

[Item obtained: Zodiac Monkey Key ×1.]

The study was right next to Lin Seven's bedroom. Bu Jianhan stepped out, turned left, unlocked the study door, and quickly slipped inside.

Compared with the other rooms, the study was exceptionally spacious. Bookcases lined all four walls, nearly every one packed with books of all kinds. Bu Jianhan gave the titles a cursory glance. They were mostly things like The Education of Mark Twain, 100 Clever Child-Rearing Tricks, 18 Folk Remedies for Having a Daughter, and The Complete Guide to Knitted Flowers... The irony was hard to miss.

He quickly found Bookcase Three. The top shelf was high, but fortunately, a folding wooden ladder stood in a corner of the study. Once unfolded, it let him climb up and retrieve the book.

He counted roughly along the row and pulled out the book at the very center of the top shelf.

It was a massive Complete Dictionary of Chinese Idioms, its spine nearly three inches thick. But someone had torn out the middle third of the pages to make room for another diary.

Bu Jianhan pulled out the diary and flipped through it. There was even a key tucked inside.

[Item obtained: Lin Eight's diary ×1.]

[Item obtained: Zodiac Rooster Key ×1.]

He climbed down from the ladder and, filled with anticipation at finally uncovering the truth, began reading the diary that supposedly contained the "most important secret."

"...Today was the first day of school. Dad wouldn't let me wear a dress. Seventh Brother took me to school. When I wear my uniform, he doesn't stand as far away from me. I asked him why, and he said his classmates told him boys don't wear dresses, and that boys who do are perverts. He doesn't want a pervert for a little brother. What does 'pervert' mean?"

"Mom likes me better in dresses. When I wear my uniform, she ignores me and looks at me like she can't stand me."

"My brothers like it when I don't wear dresses, and Mom likes it when I do. Mom doesn't like me in my uniform, but my brothers do. So people don't really like other people. They like clothes. If you wear different clothes, different people will like you."

"Then I want an outfit everyone will like."

So this was the tragic childhood of a master cross-dresser?

Bu Jianhan turned several pages and continued reading from Lin Eight's adolescence onward.

"...I finally understand. There is no outfit in this world that everyone likes. I don't expect everyone to like me, but my family—my dearest brothers, and my mom and dad—I want their love."

"Mom seems to like me only when I wear dresses. Dad says she always wanted a daughter, so when I look like a girl, she loves me a little more. Whenever I'm at home, I wear a dress and try to talk and walk as sweetly as a girl. Sure enough, it makes Mom very happy. My brothers often look at me and laugh too, but I don't think they're laughing because they're happy."

"None of them likes taking me along when they play. They say girls can't play games with boys. But I'm a boy. If I wear girls' clothes and learn to talk and walk like a girl, does that mean I'm not a boy anymore?"

"If I put on girls' clothes, will I really turn into a girl?"

At this point, Bu Jianhan had the distinct feeling that something strange had Awakened in Lin Eight's soul.

He flipped ahead a few more pages.

"I'm too tall now to fit into my old dresses... My Adam's apple has grown in, and my legs are starting to get hairy. Mom hasn't wanted anything to do with me lately. I often hear her whispering with Dad about having another child... Did I do something wrong? Doesn't she love me anymore?"

"We went to Grandpa's house for dinner last night, and I made a point of wearing Mom's favorite pink dress. Everyone laughed at me. I was embarrassed and scared, but I wanted Mom to like me."

"Mom slapped me. She said I had humiliated her in front of Dad's entire family. She said all seven of my brothers were outstanding. Eldest Brother studied all the way through a doctorate. Second Brother teaches at a school. Third Brother started a company. Fourth Brother is a great artist. Fifth Brother is famous at his research institute. Sixth Brother was discovered by a talent scout and will be filming a movie soon. Even Seventh Brother spends his days traveling around, eating, and uploading videos online, and he still makes enough to support himself. I'm the only one who's accomplished nothing, can't do anything, and always makes a fool of myself."

"I understand now. It isn't that Mom doesn't love me. She just loves my brothers so much that she has none left over for me."

"If I put on my brothers' clothes, can I have all that love to myself?"

So that was why he'd turned his brothers into clothes?

Bu Jianhan thought back and remembered the skin of Lin Eight draped inside Princess Bunny's room.

He had taken off his own clothes so he could wear his brothers'. This little brother was a stone-cold savage.

He continued turning the pages.

"I've decided to start with Eldest Brother. He's usually meek and timid, and everyone always gives way to him. This is my first time making an outfit, so I'm not very skilled. The zipper came out a little ugly, and I accidentally ruined a few places while cutting."

"When I put on Eldest Brother's clothes, I suddenly felt as if I really had become 'Lin Xiao Ming.' When I looked in the mirror and said, 'Your brother loves you,' it felt as though I was receiving twice the love... It was wonderful. Second Brother didn't notice that I was wearing Eldest Brother's clothes. He even invited me to sing karaoke at his class reunion."

"This was the first time I ever went out with my brothers' friends. I was so happy. My brother's friends love me too. They're so nice."

No, your Seventh Brother's friend did not love you. In fact, he was sorely tempted to let out a derisive laugh.

Expressionless, Bu Jianhan skipped over the bloody, decidedly unsuitable-for-children details of Lin Eight's brutal murders of his brothers and went straight to the final entries.

"Mom and Dad finally found out that I've been secretly wearing my brothers' clothes. They're very angry. But it doesn't matter. I already have the love of six brothers, so I don't care about the tiny bit they could give me anymore."

"Seventh Brother is the last one. He's always traveling around and eating. His clothes are a little bigger than my other brothers', and I don't think I can fill them out... I came up with a brilliant idea. I tied him up in Eldest Brother's room and starved him for a few days. Sure enough, the clothes fit after that. But he tried to escape. He even tried to talk Mom and Dad into leaving me... Not a chance. Every one of you has to love me."

"I got a little angry and accidentally smashed his head. Seventh Brother doesn't have any hair now... That's all right. I'll take the hair off Eldest Brother's outfit and use that for now, then find a better wig to go with Seventh Brother's clothes later... His friend's hair looks very nice."

"Today, I finally finished Seventh Brother's new outfit. It fits perfectly. If I get the chance, I have to wear it for his friend. I'm sure his friend will love it."

"Now, at last, I can love all of you and be loved by you forever. My dear brothers."

Bu Jianhan: "..."

The bastard actually coveted the lustrous locks of a man who did not even have a head.

Utterly deranged.

In short, Lin Eight's diary told the tragic story of a master cross-dresser whose longing for love drove him insane. In the end, he murdered all seven of his brothers, turned them into clothes, and wore a different one each day so he could play happy families.

At this point, the backstory of the instance was completely clear. All seven Lin brothers except Lin Eight were dead, and Lin Eight had just murdered his parents with his own hands.

Therefore, the ghosts in the Lin Family Villa were the Lin couple, Lin Seven, Lin Six, Lin Five, Lin Four, Lin Three, Lin Two, and Lin Xiao Ming.

[Current Objective: Determine who in the Lin Family Villa is actually a ghost. (Complete)]

[Current Objective: Escape the Lin Family Villa.]