Entering the Macabre Mother-in-Law and Daughter-in-Law Rules Nightmare, I struggle to survive. “Welcome to the Mother-in-Law and Daughter-in-Law Rules World. Please remember and abide by the following rules.” A mechanical voice coldly repeated the same few sentences in my ear. “To become the perfect daughter-in-law, you must strictly follow the daughter-in-law’s guidelines.” “Remember, no matter how outrageous your Mother-in-law’s demands, you must obey.” “Do not trust anyone who looks like your family. Do not eat anything they offer you. This will only kill you.” “Do not let anyone know you are a player. Danger! Danger!” I barely survived on instinct. But on the third day, in the early hours, my Mother-in-law appeared at my window, a fruit knife in her hand. “You’ve broken the rules ten times. Now, I announce your punishment: death.” Before I could even speak, the knife in Evelyn’s hand plunged into my body. I don’t know how long it was before I jolted awake again. Evelyn, standing before me, handed me a list of rules. It was all too familiar. I realized I was back. This time, I had to escape this twisted house.
The instant I understood my current situation, I wanted to get up and leave immediately. But my boyfriend, Leo, sitting beside me, gripped my hand like a vise. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t break free. The three people opposite us noticed my odd behavior. Evelyn’s eyes, full of malice, bore into me. “Jade, darling, what’s wrong? You look like you’d rather be anywhere but here.” Perhaps it was just my imagination, but Evelyn’s face seemed to twist and distort, like a swirling vortex, threatening to drag me into its depths. I shivered, realizing it wasn’t the time to openly defy them. I forced a strained smile. “Nothing’s wrong, I just suddenly need to use the restroom. May I go?” The instant the words left my lips, Evelyn snapped back to normal, her expression stern as she spoke. “No. This is rule-setting time; it cannot be interrupted by such trivialities.” Hearing that, I lowered my gaze to the so-called rule sheet in my hand. In my previous loop, I hadn’t examined it closely, dismissing it as just a warning from Evelyn. I remembered Evelyn saying I’d broken the rules ten times just before she plunged the knife into me. So, to survive, I had to follow this rule sheet first. I began to scrutinize the rules in my hand. Three rules were written there. “First, always answer calls from your Mother-in-law, Father-in-law, and husband, no matter when or where.” “Second, once you marry into the Hayes family, you must sever all ties with your own relatives. You are forbidden from using any *our* resources or wealth to assist them.” “Third, after 8 PM, you are not permitted to leave Leo’s bedroom. Lights out promptly at 8:30 PM.” After reading these three rules, I couldn’t help but curse inwardly. This wasn’t a list of rules; it was a one-sided contract, a complete power play. I felt their intense gazes burning holes into me, and when I dared to look up, all three of them stared like predators eyeing their next meal. I swallowed my rising questions and spoke with a smile. “I will definitely follow these rules.” Turning to Leo Hayes, my boyfriend, I added, “As long as I can be with Leo, I’ll do anything.” My answer seemed to satisfy the three Hayes family members. The oppressive atmosphere seemed to lighten. The sternness on Evelyn’s face was replaced by a doting smile. “Good girl. As long as you wholeheartedly join our Hayes family, you’ll be the most合格的 daughter-in-law.”
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Leo took me back to the bedroom. Looking at the familiar bedroom, a wave of unfamiliarity washed over me. Perhaps sensing my unease, Leo embraced me from behind. He leaned close to my ear and whispered, “Darling, I hope you don’t disappoint me. The previous women were all so foolish.” “None of them were good daughter-in-laws, but you’re different, aren’t you?” My body stiffened. Leo hadn’t said these things to me in the last loop. Leo didn’t seem to notice my stiffness and led me to the window, still holding me. Looking out the window, I saw only a sparsely populated road. The residential buildings across the street glowed with lights on every floor, but there was an unsettling, unexplainable creepiness about them. I stared at the buildings for a long time and suddenly noticed that the light colors on each floor seemed different. If I looked at the same color blocks, it seemed to spell out a word. I widened my eyes, not daring to blink even as they grew dry and watering. I was afraid that if I blinked, this clue would vanish. Finally, I saw it: it was the word “KITCHEN.” A surge of excitement bubbled inside me. Leo had, at some point, lain down on the bed behind me. I glanced at my watch: 7:45 PM. There was still time. As long as I found the clue before 8 PM, I wouldn’t break a rule. With that thought, I hurried to the kitchen. Evelyn kept the kitchen meticulously clean; the frying pan on the stove gleamed so brightly it reflected the light. I quickly checked everything displayed on the counters but found no clues. I walked to the tall, freestanding refrigerator. The silver-gray fridge was covered with many cute, cartoon-shaped fridge magnets. Without hesitation, I reached out and pulled open the refrigerator door. The moment it opened, a scream almost tore through my throat. Because on the top shelf of the fridge, there was a human head. Her eyes stared straight at me, her face contorted in agony. I forced down my fear and whispered, “Who are you?” The head heard my voice, and her eyeballs rapidly swiveled a few times. She spoke, her voice raspy. “Who am I? I’ve forgotten who I am.” “I was an unqualified daughter-in-law of the Hayes family. I didn’t finish all the food Evelyn made. I was a failure.” I realized that this head might be one of “them” Leo had mentioned. Now, I knew a new rule. If I didn’t finish Evelyn’s food, I’d end up in the fridge. It seemed the rules on the sheet were cumulative, but the rules I found in the kitchen were absolute, deadly ones.
Just as I was trying to sort through my chaotic thoughts, a blinding beam of light suddenly shot into the kitchen doorway. The next second, Evelyn’s voice rang out. “Jade, why aren’t you back in your bedroom yet?” I instinctively glanced at my watch: 7:58 PM. I quickly walked to the kitchen doorway, a fawning smile plastered on my face. “I suddenly got a little thirsty.” Evelyn’s expression was still severe. She spoke dryly. “A Hayes daughter-in-law doesn’t belong in the kitchen. Considering it’s your first offense, I’ll let it slide.” I breathed a sigh of relief, eager to return to the bedroom. Just as I passed Evelyn, she reached out and grabbed my shoulder. A sharp pain shot through my shoulder. I turned my head to see Evelyn’s hand had transformed into razor-sharp claws. The claws had pierced deeply into my shoulder. A wave of belated terror washed over me. Evelyn’s face grew more and more distorted, eventually transforming into a monstrous, green-faced fiend with fangs. “Didn’t I tell you to be in bed promptly at 8:30 PM?” “It’s already 8:40 PM. Why are you still wandering around?” Immediately after, Evelyn’s sharp claws plunged into my stomach until my entire body was a bloody mess. As I collapsed to the ground, my head was directly facing the living room clock. Its hands pointed to 8:40. Once I regained consciousness, I was back in the familiar living room. But I felt that Evelyn’s smile was even wider this time, her lips almost splitting to her ears. Every inch of my skin still throbbed with phantom pain. The moment Evelyn spoke, I involuntarily trembled. “To become a Hayes daughter-in-law, you must show absolute obedience to me.” “As a test for you, starting today, you will be responsible for taking care of Leo’s father.” “Remember, if I find anything wrong with my husband, I will expel you from the Hayes family.” I understood that her “expulsion” wasn’t simply telling me to leave. It meant death. This so-called Mother-in-Law and Daughter-in-Law Rules World – if I didn’t find a way to successfully escape, I would cycle through it endlessly. I didn’t want to experience those terrifying moments of death again. Forcing myself to pull it together, I managed a smile. “Okay, Evelyn, I understand.” Evelyn left contentedly, and Leo also exited the living room, moving like a soulless NPC. Suddenly, only Arthur and I remained in the living room. Arthur appeared kind and benevolent, without the same inhuman aura as Evelyn. Seeing me staring at him, he smiled and waved me over. “Good daughter-in-law, come sit here. I have something to tell you.” My body instinctively screamed to refuse, but I couldn’t. The rules told me I had to obey. I reluctantly walked over and sat beside Arthur. Almost the instant I sat down, he clasped my hand. I tried to pull my hand away, but Arthur held on tightly. His hand was icy cold, gripping me like a giant octopus. “Daughter-in-law, do you know? You remind me so much of Evelyn when she first married me.” “She was just like you back then, knew nothing. It makes me nostalgic.” I shivered. Could Evelyn have been a player once, too? If so, had she succeeded or failed to become an NPC now? I dared not think further, shaking my head to clear the distracting thoughts. Arthur’s words continued. “Don’t worry, I’m not a harsh father-in-law.” “As long as you meekly satisfy all my requests, I’ll let you stay in the Hayes family.” “Now, I want watermelon. Go get it from the fridge.” “Remember, I only eat watermelon cut into small pieces.” Hearing Arthur mention the fridge, I instantly recalled the human head I’d seen in the previous loop. Even though my heart was pounding, I still got up and headed to the kitchen. Evelyn was in the kitchen, preparing dinner. I subserviently looked at her and said, “Arthur said he wanted watermelon and asked me to get it.” Evelyn didn’t react with anger as I’d expected. She simply nodded, indicating I should get it myself. The moment I opened the fridge, I squinted. But the human head I’d imagined didn’t appear. Instead, there was a perfectly round watermelon. I didn’t dare think too much. I took out the watermelon and quickly started cutting it into pieces. But as I cut, I kept feeling like this watermelon was unusually difficult to slice. It felt like I was hacking through bone. I dared not dwell on it and served it to Arthur, who was waiting in the living room. Seeing the glistening watermelon on the plate, Arthur’s face lit up with a happy smile. He took the plate and devoured it, as if he were tasting the most delicious thing in the world. A strange gust of wind inexplicably swept through the room. When I looked at Arthur again, I let out a low gasp. That wasn’t watermelon on the plate at all! It was chunks of a human head, glistening with brain matter and gray pulp!
Arthur’s face was covered in crimson streaks, a truly horrifying sight. I involuntarily gagged a few times. Arthur looked up at me when he heard me. He extended the plate in his hand towards me. As he spoke, bits of brain matter, like tofu, kept falling from his mouth. “Daughter-in-law, you’ve worked hard. Have some watermelon.” I instinctively wanted to refuse, but then I remembered what Chloe, the head, had said to me in the previous loop. I couldn’t refuse any request from the Hayes family, and I couldn’t waste food. But to eat those disgusting human head fragments without any psychological barrier was impossible for me. Seeing my delayed reaction, Arthur’s usually smiling face began to contort. His face started to decay before my eyes, crimson human tissue sloughing off and plopping onto the plate. I could even make out the twitching nerves beneath his dissolving skin. I squeezed my eyes shut, then, as if ready to die, I reached out my hand towards the plate. The instant my fingers touched the contents of the plate, it felt like the cold, firm flesh of watermelon. I opened my eyes, and everything before me had returned to normal. I seized the opportunity, picked up a piece of watermelon, and popped it into my mouth. Thank goodness, it tasted like watermelon. Seeing me eat the watermelon, Arthur’s face also returned to normal. “Delicious, isn’t it? But you can only have one piece. That’s my reward to you.” “In our Hayes family, we always believe in balanced rewards and punishments.” I forced a fawning smile, just nodding in agreement. Arthur quickly finished the watermelon on the plate and extended his hand to me. “I’m full. Help me back to my room to sleep.” Without hesitation, I helped Arthur back to his room. Arthur and Evelyn’s bedroom was surprisingly cozy, with gentle sunlight streaming onto the bed. I helped Arthur lie down. Just as I was about to leave, he suddenly grabbed me. He leaned close to my ear and whispered softly, “Jade, do you also know that this is just a twisted world?” Hearing that, a surge of excitement initially rushed through me. Could it be that Arthur, like me, was trapped in this world? The word “yes” almost escaped my lips, but the next second, I felt like my throat was being choked. Because I remembered the rules: I couldn’t let anyone know I was a player. Cold sweat dripped from my forehead. Was this another test from the rules world? And I had almost let my guard down, potentially rendering all my previous efforts useless. I immediately adopted a confused expression, asking innocently, “Arthur, what are you talking about? What twisted world?” “All I know is that my only job right now is to take good care of you.” Arthur heard my answer, and his eyes held a complex look, but he still smiled and said, “It’s good that you have that mindset. I’m tired and need to rest.” With that, he pulled up the covers, closed his eyes, and seemed to fall asleep. After leaving the bedroom, I breathed a sigh of relief. That hurdle was cleared. The thought drained all strength from my body, and my vision went black as I lost consciousness. During that time, I saw countless young women just like me. They all died in various gruesome ways, revived, and eventually were completely consumed by the twisted world. Suddenly, a familiar face pressed close to my eyes—it was the head from the fridge. Bloody tears streamed from her eyes, and she repeatedly whispered the same phrase. “Come join me, come join me.” “Let me fully merge into your body, completely fuse with you.” I shot upright, realizing I was lying on the living room sofa. The surroundings had completely changed, yet they felt familiar. Because the space I was in was my actual home in the real world. Seeing me awake, my mother, Sarah, smiled and handed me a glass of honey water. “I just made you some honey water. Had a bad dream?” “You were mumbling something about rules in your sleep, honey. I couldn’t understand a word.” My father, Robert, poked his head out of the kitchen, waving a spatula. “You finally decided to wake up, sleepyhead! Just in time, dinner’s almost ready. All your favorites!” I stared blankly at everything, my mother pulling me to sit at the dining table. My father brought out several dishes, all my favorites, indeed. So, the terrifying world I had just experienced was all just a dream? I couldn’t help but let out a self-deprecating laugh. There was no such thing as a rules world; it was just a dream. I smiled, picked up a piece of stir-fried meat, and put it in my mouth. The next second, my eyes fell on the bell peppers on the plate. My hand froze. I hated bell peppers; my dad always made sure to pick them out whenever he cooked. Almost the instant I put the meat into my mouth. My seemingly kind parents transformed into green-faced, fanged monsters, lunging viciously at me. I’d been tricked. I had violated a death rule.
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