After Transmigrating into a Novel with My Boyfriend, He Turned Out to Be a Native Villain

Before long, an elderly woman emerged from the orphanage.

Her gaze swept across the group before lingering on Limu and Yu Li's faces, her expression freezing momentarily as she scrutinized them repeatedly.

After a long pause, she finally withdrew her gaze and spoke slowly, "Are you all the volunteers here to help?"

There were actually two of them...

"Follow me inside."

Having said this without waiting for a response, she turned and walked away.

The group followed her inside, intending to carefully observe for anything unusual, only to suddenly meet dozens of pitch-black eyes upon turning their heads.

The children playing on the nearby lawn had abruptly stopped their activities, their gazes uniformly fixed on the newcomers.

Their eyes were eerily dark, expressions numb and lifeless, carrying an oppressive aura of death.

Hao Lan instinctively shrank back, muttering under his breath, "These kids are kinda creepy..."

Despite how softly he'd spoken, the woman leading them instantly halted in her tracks.

She whirled around, her gaze unerringly locking onto Hao Lan.

Startled, Hao Lan stumbled backward several steps, an inexplicable sense of foreboding rising within him.

The next second, the woman marched up to him.

Her brows furrowed into a deep frown, her expression far from pleasant.

"Sir, I must ask you to retract that statement! The children here are very sensitive—if they hear such things, it would deeply upset them!"

Hao Lan leaned back to avoid her spittle as he stammered, "O-okay, I g-get it."

Had she really heard him when he'd spoken that quietly?

As if reading his mind, the woman glared at him intensely and enunciated each word clearly, "Nothing escapes their notice. They hear everything."

Her gaze shifted from Hao Lan to the others present.

"Since we're on the subject, there are some rules in our orphanage that you must strictly follow."

"Rule one—the most important one—never use derogatory terms in front of the children. This includes but isn't limited to words like monster, freak, or abnormal..."

"Rule two: Focus on your assigned tasks. If a child asks for your help, you may refuse."

"Rule three: No unauthorized outings. The orphanage is hours away from the city with no other buildings nearby. If anyone is discovered trying to esca—"

Here she paused briefly before continuing,

"If anyone is found violating these rules, you'll bear the consequences alone. The orphanage takes no responsibility for what happens."

Having said this, she raised her voice slightly.

"Therefore, until your volunteer service concludes, you will all remain here peacefully. I'll now take you to your assigned dormitories—your specific tasks will be announced shortly."

Yu Li, walking at the back of the group, froze momentarily upon hearing the first rule. She lifted her gaze and suddenly turned to look in a specific direction.

Bo Jingmo, standing beside her, gently took her hand, his warm fingers tenderly stroking her knuckles.

Yu Li withdrew her gaze and tightened her grip on his hand. "Bo Jingmo, you recognized it too, didn't you..."

The man responded with a quiet "Mm," adding, "I did."

A faint smile curved Yu Li's lips as she murmured,

"It's been so long since I last came back."

To this place that had imprisoned her for ten years.

...

The woman led them to the westernmost dormitories where male and female accommodations were separated, with two people assigned per room.

Jiang Xi naturally assumed she'd be rooming with Limu and was about to enter when a woman's amused voice suddenly rang out from behind.

"Limu, would you like to share a room with me?"

Not only Jiang Xi, but even Huang Ya—Yu Li's actual teammate—was stunned speechless.

Wait, are you ditching me, sis?

Limu turned at the question, neither accepting nor refusing, instead asking coolly, "Why should I room with you?"

Yu Li ignored the question and countered, "Then why shouldn't you room with me?"

"......"

Limu pointed toward Jiang Xi. "Because she's my teammate."

Yu Li immediately feigned sudden understanding. "Ohhh, so we can only room with our own team members in this instance."

Sensing a trap, Jiang Xi quickly interjected, "Of course not! Limu just prefers not rooming with strangers. She's more comfortable with me since we're familiar."

"...You're familiar with her, huh."

Yu Li rubbed her chin, the corners of her eyes lifting slightly.

"Well then, I won't force the issue."

Seeing Yu Li finally retreat to her own room, Jiang Xi exhaled in relief.

This Yu Li—you had to be on guard every second around her. Who knew when she'd spring some hidden trap?

Noticing Limu sitting on the bed, Jiang Xi hesitated before approaching. "Found anything noteworthy?"

Given that Limu was ranked first, this instance shouldn't pose much difficulty for her. This time, Jiang Xi decided she'd follow Limu's lead.

The woman turned her head at the question, tilting it slightly as her fox-like eyes blinked slowly. When she spoke, her words came rapid-fire yet crystal clear:

"When we entered earlier, those children never stopped staring at us. Their expressions held both fear and excitement, making it difficult to determine their intentions immediately."

"Based on the instance description and that woman's rules, we can deduce these children may pose some threat—though the elderly women might be dangerous too. Maintaining distance would be prudent."

"Additionally, our mission requires finding our younger selves. I scanned the area earlier but found nothing yet. This transformation might require time—if we locate our younger selves early, we might uncover the truth behind everything."

Jiang Xi: "......" Huh?

What kind of word vomit was that?

This rapid-fire analysis left not just Jiang Xi dumbfounded—even the live-stream comments exploded in confusion.

[Is she...asking an AI or something?]

[Holy shit, why does Limu sound like a robot?!]

[Lmao that was such a corporate-speak answer! Is this really Limu?]

[She said so much yet so little—is this our judgment goddess?]

[Hey don't be so harsh! The instance just started—who could figure everything out immediately?]

Back in the instance, Jiang Xi quickly processed Limu's words before asking hesitantly, "So...our top priority is finding our younger selves?"

The woman nodded. "That would be the optimal approach."

"Oh...okay."

But how exactly does one find their younger self?

Most people don't clearly remember their childhood appearances.

Studying the woman's distinctive fox-like eyes, Jiang Xi thought Limu's younger version should be easier to identify—those unique eyes would have been present since childhood. Just look for those and...

Mid-thought, Jiang Xi's expression suddenly stiffened.

Wait a minute.

That person in the next room...she had fox eyes too.

...

Meanwhile, in a distant corner of the orphanage grounds stood a towering spire.

Sunlight streamed through its glass panels, illuminating the entire attic with a comforting warmth.

Lowering one's gaze would reveal a small girl lying on the wooden floorboards.

Her skin was porcelain pale, features delicate with rosy lips, and long lashes like butterfly wings. Raven-black hair cascaded around her, each strand seemingly edged with golden light.

As her eyelashes fluttered slightly, the girl slowly opened her eyes—

A pair of fox eyes brimming with unsettling calmness far beyond her years.

The child leisurely pushed herself up, then suddenly froze seconds later, turning sharply toward a particular direction.

Tilting her head in confusion, a faint red glint flashed through her eyes.

That familiar scent...?