"Are you okay?" Tang Xin asked.

Xu Xiaoyou looked up, the girl on the hillside was casting a concerned gaze at her, she shook her head.

"You came just in time."

Tang Xin also jumped down the slope, her body light and agile like a small blue bird, she soon arrived by Xu Xiaoyou's side, watching her bend down, using a short knife to separate the skin and flesh of the brown bear, her movements skillful like an experienced hunter.

After detaching a large piece of bear skin along the dark red texture from the flesh and fat, Xu Xiaoyou stored them in her tool card, these bear skins were worth quite a lot of money.

Having done all this, Xu Xiaoyou looked towards the deeper part of the forest, slung her hunting rifle on her back, and walked forward.

"Let's go."

Tang Xin quickly followed, as they continued deeper, the surrounding pine forest gradually became sparse, and the field of view grew increasingly broad.

In the deepest part of the tranquil forest, there was a lake, the lake was covered with a thick layer of ice, clear as crystal.

The entire lake surrounded a small central island, more like a small piece of lake-exposed land, a lone wooden cabin stood in the center of the island, as if forgotten by the world, its outline barely visible in the gradually darkening night.

The wooden door was pushed open, making a creaking sound, dust was stirred up, swirling in the air.

The musty smell from years past hit them, the space inside wasn't big, like a hunter's cabin, a patched-up animal skin sofa faced the fireplace, many animal heads were mounted on the walls, trophies of the cabin's owner.

Green spots of mold were scattered on the surface of the roughly crafted wardrobe, the surrounding environment was harshly cold, but the air inside was still somewhat damp, indicating that not long ago, someone had been living here.

"Someone was here a few days ago," Xu Xiaoyou said.

"Hm?" Tang Xin pondered, "But it's so far from the city."

Xu Xiaoyou didn't answer the girl's question, she bent down, reaching out to pick at the ashes from the firewood and charcoal. Then she stood up, opened the wardrobe, and upon seeing a men's insulated snow jacket inside, she became even more convinced of her suspicion.

An eerie feeling rose in her heart, why would a brand-new city jacket appear in a snowfield cabin dozens of kilometers from the city?

If it were refugees fleeing from the city to the snowfield, for them, having something to eat would be lucky enough, clothes were mostly made by directly sewing animal skins through hunting, and occasionally, with some luck, they might find materials left by exploration teams or aristocratic offspring during winter hunts.

Most of them were disconnected from the times, living the most primitive, savage lives.

Xu Xiaoyou went up to the attic, the attic had two rooms, one was large enough to fit a double bed along with various wooden furniture, while the other was very narrow, formed by the sloping roof and ceiling, filled with miscellaneous items. If not for the hunter's bed in a corner, Xu Xiaoyou would have thought it was a storage room.

She lit an oil lamp, dust swirling in the air, the silence was so profound it felt as if a pin drop could be heard.

The bedding on the small bed was also shabby, like a large pile of cotton wrapped in thick string, with mottled yellow stains covering it.

She noticed a photo frame on the bedside table, the photo inside looked very new, the little girl in the photo smiled brightly, on the left was her mother, the woman's face kind and gentle, the man's expression warm, his smile looking a bit fatigued, with wide strong arms holding the mother and daughter in an affectionate embrace, seeming like an ordinary warm family.

Did a family live in this small cabin not long ago?

Was the background of the photo taken at the Star of Art?

The Rose Eye Ferris Wheel is a famous attraction of the Star of Art, a must-visit for couples, nearly two hundred meters tall, offering a bird's-eye view of the entire city. In a romantic atmosphere, many couples would decide on lifetime commitments atop, becoming each other's life partners.

Xu Xiaoyou picked up the photo, the flickering dim light cast on the faces of the three in the photo, and suddenly the image changed, only the man's expression remained warm while the mother and daughter's faces were deathly pale, black blood flowed from the blackened eye sockets, the corners of their mouths twisted into sinister smiles.

Xu Xiaoyou suddenly shook her head, the three in the photo returned to normal, as if what just happened was merely an illusion.

Just then, a pair of hands patted her shoulder.

She turned and found Tang Xin looking at her with a slight confusion:

"What's wrong with you, you don't look well."

The blue-haired girl shook a small stuffed bear doll in front of her, its body plush, glass bead eyes with one fallen out, tangled cotton threads poking out of a hole.

"Nothing." Xu Xiaoyou shook her head. "Is there anything in the other room?"

She set the photo down and followed Tang Xin to the other room, which was the room of the man and his wife. Gazing at the central hunter's bed, Tang Xin posed her confusion:

"Weren't they locals of the Star of Art?"

"Since the foster home's system was implemented, the family concept faded for ordinary people, and they don't quite seem like refugees from the snowfield either."

Tang Xin picked up a camera hanging on the antler coat rack, addressing Xu Xiaoyou:

"This brand of camera is very expensive, everyone uses screens, only a few aristocratic offspring would use such a camera, indeed this brand is custom-made for them."

"Could they be tourists from outside, coming to the snowfield for a life experience?"

"Perhaps they aren't even a real family." Xu Xiaoyou remarked coolly.

The eerie feeling from the photo was overwhelming, the mother's and daughter's stiff expressions, and the daughter bore no resemblance to her parents, genetically that's impossible, not even slight features like eye spacing seemed similar.

Not just distinctive from the man, but also the woman.

A family composed of three unrelated individuals with no blood ties.

Tang Xin was puzzled, while Xu Xiaoyou looked up at the wedding photo hanging above the bed, as if realizing something, she quickly moved forward, took it down, and examined it closely.

The woman in the wedding photo wore a flowing bridal gown, smiling blissfully, the man in a neat suit, at first glance a perfect moment yet hiding a secret.

She noticed the woman's hand gesture, the middle and forefinger crossed, known in the religious community as a sign made when lying, seeking absolution from God for their sins.

Moreover, the woman's eyes seemed uncertain as if seeking help from the photographer.

Suddenly, Xu Xiaoyou sensed something, promptly lifting the mattress of the hunter's bed, revealing a sight that sent chills down the spines of the two girls in the room.

They were lifeless, one large and one small, dolls.

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