C106 — Shouwang Residential Compound

As Mu Sichen expected, Ji Xian’an didn’t admit she was from out of town.

Her thinking was simple: once she admitted she was an outsider, it would be the same as revealing her identity, and it would surely attract a Dependent. Without Qin Zu’s totem protection, she might not be able to handle a Dependent.

So Ji Xian’an lied.

The two police officers exchanged glances, and the older one said:

“So you’re actually a homeless, impoverished local. Still, that’s no excuse for robbery—you should have come to the station for help. Tell you what, register here, and Mengdie Town will allocate housing for homeless people and give you a regular weekly allowance.”

Ji Xian’an had no choice but to register. She scribbled down some fake information and was given a key and 3,000 Mengdie coins.

The police even drove her to her assigned residence—Building 9, Unit 5, Room 401, in the Shouwang Residential Compound.

To her surprise, this free housing turned out to be a three-bedroom, two-living-room, two-bath apartment. She even got to live alone. The treatment was almost too good to be true.

When they arrived, the police reminded Ji Xian’an that because she now had a criminal record, the residential committee would observe her for one or two days. During this time, she should behave and avoid going out.

Of course, Ji Xian’an had no intention of following their advice—she was eager to find Mu Sichen and the others.

She waited until the police left, then quickly slipped out of the apartment. But at the front gate, she was stopped by the security chief, a middle-aged man wearing a purple armband.

The man told her she could not leave within 24 hours unless it was absolutely necessary. Ji Xian’an, naturally, ignored him—she dodged past and vaulted over the gate.

But the moment she landed, it was as if she’d run into some kind of looping ghost wall—despite clearly jumping outside, she found herself face-to-face with the security chief again, back inside the compound.

The man sighed and shook his head.

“So disobedient… How could Mengdie Town have someone like you who doesn’t know how to behave?”

He pulled out a small notebook and wrote:

 

“Resident of 9-5-401 must help three neighbors and receive their positive evaluations before leaving the compound. Otherwise, three days of confinement.”

Ji Xian’an absolutely couldn’t allow herself to be locked in for three days, but it was obvious she had no choice but to comply with the man’s orders.

She asked, “If I help three neighbors, I can leave the compound?”

The man replied, “Not quite—you’ll still need to be observed for 24 hours.”

Ji Xian’an pressed, “What if I help more people?”

The man thought for a moment. “That could work. Let’s say… five people. If you get five positive ratings—five Little Purple Stars—you can move freely in Mengdie Town.”

He handed her a magnetic card, with a chart printed on the front and the Shouwang Compound’s Mutual Assistance Rules on the back:

Rule 1: Residents must strictly abide by community virtues and not engage in illegal or disruptive acts. Violators will not be allowed to leave the compound.

Rule 2: Although no rent is charged, residents must be grateful and earn at least one Little Purple Star each day. Without one, they cannot leave the compound. These stars are consumable—one will be deducted at midnight daily—so residents should try to earn as much as possible.

Rule 3: The more Little Purple Stars you have, the higher your status. Ten or more allow you to join the neighborhood committee. The resident with the most stars can become the committee’s chairperson, holding great authority.

The card could be worn on the chest. Ji Xian’an noticed that the security chief had fifteen stars.

Having dealt with the “pillar” of Tongzhi Town, navigating between the dependents and Shen Jiyue, Ji Xian’an quickly realized—this Compound was very likely another Pillar.

Even if it wasn’t a “Pillar,” it was definitely related to one.

At this point, Ji Xian’an wasn’t in a rush to leave. Since she was trapped inside the “Pillar,” rather than wasting energy trying to escape, it would be better to gather as much information as possible.

She no longer had Qin Zu’s totem, meaning she had lost the power to destroy a “Pillar,” but she believed Mu Sichen would find a way to locate her.

Before that, she needed to prepare the groundwork for him.

The rules on the card were clearly incomplete, so Ji Xian’an asked,

“What kind of help do I need to give my neighbors? And if I’m the one who needs help, where would I get little purple stars to give them?”

The security director chuckled.

“Now that’s the attitude of a good resident. Don’t worry—whenever you run into trouble, a little purple star will appear in your hand. But you can’t stick that star onto your own badge—it can only be given to someone else.”

“How much trouble do I need to be in before I can ask someone for help?” Ji Xian’an asked.

“You can just go door to door and ask,” the security director said. “There’s always someone who needs help.”

After saying this, he glanced at his watch and muttered,

“It’s getting late—how come the supply truck still isn’t here? We need to deliver tomorrow’s rations to the residents. Plenty of households are already out of rice.”

It was clear he didn’t want to deal with Ji Xian’an anymore.

Ji Xian’an was a person of action. She decided to knock on doors one by one, asking everyone if they needed help—and using the opportunity to gather information.

The Shouwang Community had a total of ten buildings. Each building had eight floors and five units, but no elevators.

Ji Xian’an had been assigned to Building 9, which meant the earlier buildings were likely already full. The number of residents here was staggering.

She knocked on the door of Room 101, Unit 1, Building 1.

The one who answered was an elderly woman with a card hanging on her chest showing two little purple stars.

“I’m a new resident and need to collect purple stars,” Ji Xian’an said. “Do you have anything you need help with?”

“A newcomer?” The old lady’s face lit up with a warm smile. “I do have something I need help with. Wait here.”

She slowly pushed out a locked suitcase and handed it to Ji Xian’an.

“My daughter lives on the eighth floor of Building 3. I have some things I want to send her, but since our community has no elevators, this suitcase is too heavy for me to carry.”

“No problem,” Ji Xian’an said. With her strength, this was nothing.

“That’s wonderful—you’re such a kind girl.” The old lady handed her a key.

“This is my daughter’s house key. She’s at work now, so she’s probably not home. Just unlock the door, leave the suitcase and the key inside, and that’s all.”

Ji Xian’an took the key. There was a small paper label on it that read 3-4-802 Zhao—likely her daughter’s apartment number and surname.

“You’re trusting me with the key just like that? Aren’t you worried I might steal something from her?” Ji Xian’an asked.

“Everything in Shouwang Community is provided for,” the old lady said with a kindly smile. “Whatever we have, you have too—so why would you need to steal? You’re new here, so you don’t understand yet.”

As she spoke, she pressed something into Ji Xian’an’s hand—a little purple star.

Ji Xian’an’s eyes lit up.

“I thought you’d wait until I delivered the suitcase before giving me the star,” Ji Xian’an said.

“Of course not. You agreed to help me and already accepted the suitcase—the star is yours. Why would I make you run back again?” the old lady laughed.

After a brief exchange, the old lady closed the door.

She had no idea what was inside the suitcase, but it was extremely heavy. Fortunately, Ji Xian’an had great strength — whether it was one jin or a hundred jin, it felt the same to her.

She stuck the small purple star onto her chest card and sprinted all the way to Building 3, quickly reaching Unit 4 on the 8th floor. Using the key, she opened the door to apartment 802.

The moment the door opened, she saw a young man in the middle of putting on a pleated skirt.

He had delicate features, long hair, and a slender figure — if she hadn’t caught him while he was still in his underwear, Ji Xian’an might not have realized he was a man at all.

The scene instantly became very awkward.

“Who are you? You must have the wrong place,” the young man said.

Ji Xian’an set down the suitcase and asked, “Isn’t this the Zhao residence? I’m looking for Ms. Zhao — her mother asked me to bring her something.”

The young man replied, “My surname is Li, you’ve got the wrong place.”

Ji Xian’an wasn’t buying it. Holding up the key, she said, “Ms. Zhao’s mother even gave me the door key. Since I can open the lock, I’m definitely in the right place. Who exactly are you?”

The man surnamed Li froze, then looked down and admitted, “I’m her boyfriend. She’s not home today, so I secretly tried on her clothes. Could you… not tell anyone about this? I promise I only wear them at home.”

“Of course not, I’m just here to drop off the things and leave.” Ji Xian’an put the key and suitcase inside, adding reassuringly, “Everyone has their own hobbies. I’m not the kind to gossip.”

“Thank you so much, you’ve really helped me out!” Li took out a purple star and handed it to her.

Seriously? That worked too? Were purple stars this easy to get?

Blushing, Li said, “Could you… go now? I need to change. I really do like wearing my girlfriend’s clothes.”

Ji Xian’an: “…”

She had no interest in his personal preferences, so she closed the door and headed downstairs.

In such a short time, she had already earned two purple stars. Was it really this easy? She fiddled with her chest card, wondering.

Could it be that every door she knocked on would have someone who needed help? Which one should she try next — go back to Building 1 and continue in order, or knock on another door here in Building 3?

Logically, she knew she shouldn’t go far — she should just start with Unit 4, 1st floor, right in front of her. That would save time.

But Ji Xian’an had a bit of OCD — she liked doing things in order.

She hesitated in the stairwell for a while, realizing that the longer she stood there, the more time she wasted. Finally, she decided to follow her preference, heading back to Building 1, Unit 1, apartment 102 to knock.

Because of her OCD, she lingered a little longer in front of Unit 4’s entrance in Building 3.

Just as she was about to leave, a tall woman with long, flowing hair stepped out of the entrance, wearing a beautiful mermaid dress, heavy makeup, and sunglasses. When the woman saw Ji Xian’an, she instinctively adjusted her sunglasses, lowered her head, and tried to walk past.

Ji Xian’an grabbed her arm and said, “Mr. Li, you asked me to keep your secret and promised you only wore women’s clothes at home. So why are you going out dressed like this?”

Sure enough, it was the same cross-dressing Li she had met in 3-4-802.

The young man removed his sunglasses, gritting his teeth slightly. “My personal hobbies are none of your business! I like dressing up for dates, what’s wrong with that! I already gave you a purple star — you must keep quiet and never tell anyone about this!”

With that, he shoved Ji Xian’an aside and hurried away.

Ji Xian’an watched his back as he entered the neighboring Building 5, and quietly followed.

Her footsteps were silent, not making the slightest sound. She had professional training, so tailing someone was effortless.

From a distance below, she saw the cross-dressing young man knock on the door of Unit 5-5-302. A tall, broad-shouldered man opened it.

As soon as the door opened, the cross-dressing young man threw himself passionately into the man’s arms and kissed him. The door closed just like that.

Ji Xian’an: “…”

So Zhao’s boyfriend, Li, liked wearing Zhao’s clothes to have an affair with the man in 5-5-302?

The interpersonal relationships in the complex were a mess.

Ji Xian’an wasn’t a gossip, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something hidden in Li’s earlier words.

He had said that as long as she accepted the small purple star, she wouldn’t speak out—sounding very certain she couldn’t reveal his cross-dressing.

Holding the small purple star Li had given her, Ji Xian’an thought for a moment, then headed toward the complex’s main gate.

The security chief was beaming at a large truck. Around him was a pile of vegetables, meat, rice, toilet paper, toiletries, and other daily necessities. The supplies for the Complex were abundant, stacked like a small mountain in front of the gate.

Somehow, the security chief had acquired another small purple star, bringing his total to sixteen.

“Chief,” Ji Xian’an greeted.

The chief looked over at her with a grin. “It’s you. You’ve already helped two people so quickly? Be careful when helping others—don’t help just anyone, and don’t do anything for the sake of a purple star. You’ll get yourself into trouble.”

“Yes, I did get into trouble. Chief, do you know, actually…”

Ji Xian’an tried to tell him about Li’s cross-dressing and infidelity, but as soon as she started, the words caught in her throat—she couldn’t say them.

Only then did she realize that the small purple star had a binding power over her. Once she accepted it and agreed to something, she had to keep her promise, no matter what.

“Actually, what?” the chief asked, smiling.

Ji Xian’an changed her words. “Actually, I’m a very helpful person. Chief, isn’t it tiring to divide up so many supplies? Do you need my help?”

“No need. The neighborhood committee has people to handle this—it’s not my job, and it’s not yours either. You should go to the residential buildings and find people to help. That’s the kind of help you’re supposed to give,” the chief reminded her.

Sure enough, any task related to a purple star came with strings attached.

Thinking back on the two tasks she’d helped with, Ji Xian’an said, “Doesn’t moving things count as helping? I just…”

She meant to say, I just helped the old lady in Building 1 deliver a box, but what came out was: “I just secretly opened the door of 3-4-802 and put a box inside.”

What was going on? It was clearly the old lady’s box, but she couldn’t say that. It was as if the box had become hers, and she herself had turned into someone sneaking into another person’s home.

Ji Xian’an touched her throat, her face full of confusion.

“Heh, you’re still not familiar with this place,” the chief said meaningfully. “Small purple stars aren’t that easy to get.”

Ji Xian’an didn’t rush to get more purple stars. She stood where she was, thinking about the logic of the matter.

The small purple stars seemed to act as a kind of binding—once she agreed to help and accepted one, she had to follow the agreement with the person who gave it, and the task itself somehow became hers instead of theirs.

Now, the box had become something she delivered, and she could never speak of Li’s cross-dressing that day.

From these two incidents, Ji Xian’an felt a growing sense of danger.

There must still be some rule she hadn’t figured out!

So she began darting around the complex, searching for its rules.

But there were no rules posted anywhere inside. Luckily, the security chief spotted her and sighed.

“Why are you running around like a headless fly? If there’s something you don’t understand, go home and take a look—every room has a copy of the residents’ code.”

She’d been too anxious to escape the complex before, so she hadn’t paid any attention to the room itself. With the chief’s reminder, she hurried back home.

As soon as she entered, she saw a notice posted at the door, showing the Complex’s daily schedule.

It stated that every morning at 8:00 a.m., residents must hand in their small purple stars and undergo routine questioning by the neighborhood committee, and at 8:00 p.m., they would receive supplies.

After handing in the purple stars, residents could leave the complex, but they had to return before collecting supplies. If they wanted to stay outside overnight, they needed to hand in the corresponding number of stars in advance—otherwise, no matter where they were, they would be brought back to the Complex.

There were also two notes:

Residents were strictly forbidden from going to the “Ideal Restaurant” and “Dawn Gate.” Those who violated this rule would be captured by the committee and banned from ever leaving the complex again.

If, during the morning questioning, the committee discovered any incident of harming a neighbor, the perpetrator would, once convicted, have their soul taken and offered to the great “Dreamweaver.”

“Please live in the complex in an orderly, helpful, and clever manner,” was the last line of the notice.

Ji Xian’an finally understood what kind of trap she had fallen into.

She wasn’t stupid—she had plenty of experience—she had just been too distracted to notice at first.

She recalled the box the old lady in 1-1-101 had given her—it weighed about 110 jin (around 55 kg), a large box just big enough to fit someone about 1.7 meters tall and under 120 jin (60 kg).

And the Li she saw in 3-4-802 looked to be about 170 cm tall.

The second note in the schedule seemed written under the assumption that residents were very likely to harm each other.

If she took that as the main premise, then wasn’t it possible the old lady’s box contained a person—or even a corpse?

That would mean she had delivered a person to 3-4-802.

No one had seen her enter 3-4-802, but she didn’t know what methods the committee might use to investigate. Even without supernatural means, fingerprint evidence alone would implicate her.

She hadn’t taken any precautions while carrying the box. Not only would her fingerprints be on it—there might even be strands of her hair.

And she had run into Li in 3-4-802.

Wait! Li had been wearing Zhao’s clothes at the time—so maybe Li wasn’t actually Zhao’s boyfriend, but had taken advantage of Zhao’s absence to put on her clothes and disguise himself as her, to go meet the tall man in 5-5-302.

If she assumed harm to neighbors was the motive, Li dressing as someone else to visit 5-5-302 certainly wasn’t for anything good.

He must have planned to kill the tall man and frame Zhao of 3-4-802.

Ji Xian’an had seen what Li did, but after accepting his small purple star, she couldn’t reveal it.

When the time came, it would look like the only person who had been to 3-4-802 was her. And maybe they’d even say it was she who wore Zhao’s clothes to harm the tall man in Building 5.

 

Two little purple stars meant two murders, and now both of those murders were pinned on her. If she didn’t quickly find a way to deal with it, when the neighborhood committee carried out their routine questioning the next morning, she would be unable to defend herself, and her soul would be offered to the “Dreamweaver.”

But Ji Xian’an wasn’t hopeless — there was still time. As long as she found a way to handle both matters, she could walk away unscathed.

She remembered how, after the security director’s supply truck left, another little purple star appeared on his chest. She realized that the security director had very likely used the supply truck to send something out, and that’s how he got the purple star.

Which meant, if she could retrieve the box from 3-4-802 and, like the security director, send it out, then once Zhao Nushi disappeared, no one would know she had died.

Then, even if Li killed the tall man in 5-5-302, everyone would think Zhao Nüshi had done it. The two cases would simply fade away.

This was the real way to earn purple stars.

No wonder the last line of the schedule said, Please live “cleverly” in the community.

In this Community, “clever” was vital.

However, the door to 3-4-802 was now locked. Ji Xian’an could indeed smash through a wall with a single punch, but this was Shouwang Community — you needed cleverness and order. It wasn’t a place where you solved problems through brute force. Violence was not an option for opening 3-4-802’s door.

But Li had the key to 802. He could definitely open it.

And since he was wearing Zhao Nushi’s clothes — if he was framing her, then he would surely return those clothes!

So, to get Zhao Nüshi’s box out, she would first need to go to 5-5-302 and retrieve the key to 802.

Ji Xian’an was confident she could convince Li Xiaoge. After all, with Zhao Nushi dead, having the body disappear was good for everyone — Li Xiaoge’s crime could be pinned on Zhao Nushi, and they would both be safe.

Once she made up her mind, Ji Xian’an sprinted to 5-5-302 and knocked on the door.

The door opened, but there was no one standing there — it was as if it had opened by itself.

Cautiously, Ji Xian’an stepped inside, alert for any possible attack from behind.

She knew that if a murder had just occurred here and the killer was still inside, the best tactic would be to knock her out, put the corpse beside her, and frame her for it.

However, no one attacked her. Instead, she suddenly caught a whiff of a pleasant fragrance — and then fainted on the spot.

When she woke up, it was the very scene Mu Sichen later saw.

The corpse was lying beside her. She placed it in the freezer, cleaned up the blood in the room, and left.

Afterward, she was rescued by Mu Sichen and brought back to the Ideal Restaurant.

Even inside the Ideal Restaurant, Ji Xian’an was still trapped in the causal chain created by the little purple stars — she had to return to Shouwang Community to resolve it.

When Ji Xian’an calmly explained the whole situation, He Fei was so anxious he was scratching his head. As soon as she finished, he blurted out, “There were only two rules — don’t go to the Ideal Restaurant or the Dawn Gate, and don’t harm your neighbors. Sister Ji, you broke both of them!”

Ji Xian’an replied, “Not only that — when I hid the body, a little purple star appeared in my pocket. I think… it’s time I asked someone for help.”

“I’ll help you,” Chi Lian immediately said. “The body’s no problem. We hide it in the room, then paste the face of the corpse onto each of us, and when the neighborhood committee comes for inspection, they’ll think the person is still alive. No one will suspect a thing.”

Mu Sichen’s expression stayed grave. He shook his head. “I’m afraid it’s not that simple. Dream Butterfly Town isn’t a physical space — it’s a dreamscape. All the buildings can change location at any moment.

“I’d bet that even if we and Ji Xian’an walked out of the Ideal Restaurant together, we wouldn’t end up in the same place.

“We’d walk out the front door, and she…”

“…would be seamlessly transported straight back into Shouwang Community. We wouldn’t even be able to touch its gates.”

 

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