"You... weren't you dead?" Xiao Liu stared at Yanan in shock.

"It was just a little paper figure that died in my place."

"Those are my meticulously crafted little toys."

Atu flicked his right hand, producing a paper figure. With a gentle pinch between his fingers, the paper figure turned to ashes, its piercing scream abruptly silenced.

"These souls are toys in your eyes, but in reality, they're all vibrant lives, people you've interacted with, your friends, your classmates..."

Qin Nuo's words were suddenly interrupted by Atu: "You're wrong. I have no friends, whether in class or in the Performing Arts Department. I'm like a roadside stone, with no presence whatsoever."

"Turning them into this, do you think I'd feel burdened? Human condemnation? Don't be naive. I enjoy this feeling; this is my paradise."

"Those who insulted and mocked me, who thought they were superior, are now just toys in my hands."

"I can grant them a bit of the freedom they desire, or, with a gentle pinch, turn them to ashes."

As he spoke, Atu took out another paper figure. It struggled frantically between his fingers, but with a gentle pinch, it shattered and was consumed by sparks. The soul, imprisoned for who knows how long, was reduced to ashes just because he wanted to make an example.

Li Qianqian furrowed her brows, staring coldly at Atu.

Yanan, no longer resembling a human and stained red by a blood mist, glared at Atu with eyes filled with rage: "You damn bastard, I should have killed you..."

Atu looked at Yanan and laughed, "It's been a while since I heard your voice, Yanan. How did someone as spirited as you become this ghostly figure?"

"In terms of acting, you're no match for me. In terms of scriptwriting, you're even worse, yet Tang Rou accepted you. Why?"

"Just because I'm an orphan, am I destined to be rejected, a bastard to be despised?"

"They clearly saw my talent and ability, yet chose to ignore it, mocking me behind my back, choosing you, the eccentric misfit."

"Yanan, when it comes to being a bastard, you have no right to accuse me. Shall I help you recall some things?"

"Do you remember the day of the second scriptwriting session? You said my talent shouldn't be buried, that I should write the script for the second act and submit it to Tang Rou, that there should be a place for me in the guild."

"Back then, I was indeed quite naive. After writing it, I eagerly gave it to you, only to later see you submit a nearly identical script to the guild under your own name."

"You basked in the praise of others while I stood dumbfounded from afar. When I angrily tried to reclaim my work, I was seen as a madman and thrown out of the rehearsal room."

"I'm just a roadside stone, but you shouldn't have gone out of your way to trample on me. Yanan, you brought this upon yourself."

Atu stared intently at Yanan, his once-clear eyes devoid of innocence, consumed by reality.

"By the way, there's something interesting about this."

"My work was praised by only one person, and that was your sister."

"Isn't it funny? A pair of siblings, yet they see the world completely differently."

"I threw the script on the ground and stomped on it. Your sister picked it up, read it seriously, and asked why I would do such a thing when it was so well-written. She even said her brother was in the Performing Arts Department and that we might become friends."

"But she didn't know that the one who dirtied my script was her dear brother!"

Atu looked at Li Qianqian, his gaze not softening.

"So, your sister is lucky. I didn't turn her into a toy; I just erased her memory of her brother. A life without such a filthy, ugly brother is perfect, isn't it?"

Blood seeped into Yanan's eye, flowing from the corner: "I admit, I'm a sinner."

"You can do whatever you want with me, just let my sister go."

Atu raised his hand, and countless paper figures flew up. Tang Rou, Dafu, and Agai landed in his palm, three paper figures with twisted faces.

They spun in Qin Nuo's palm, their lives and deaths at Atu's whim.

Memories in Atu's mind drifted back to that night.

Because of the script, the eccentric Yanan had another conflict with the guild members. Though talented, he exhausted his nerves on the third act's script, his head throbbing with pain.

He thought of Atu, the solitary, almost invisible figure, and sought him out again, trying to coax him into writing the third act's script. With sweet words, the other party believed him once more.

What Yanan didn't expect was that Atu promised to give him the script that night. When the time came, at the agreed place, he eagerly awaited the script, yearning to secure his position in the guild. But in the darkness, there was no warm script to greet him, only a cold hammer...

Pushing Yanan's body aside, Atu's eyes showed no fear, no regret. He cut out a paper figure with scissors and stuffed it into the corpse's mouth...

Yanan, who disappeared for a night, returned to the guild, his personality more amiable, continuing to write scripts for everyone. But no one knew that the Yanan before them was just a marionette.

Yanan's body was preserved by Atu. When he controlled the entire guild with paper figures, on the night of the Children's Day gala, he finally stepped onto the long-desired stage.

He brought Yanan's body onto the stage, blood dripping onto the dazzling lights. The students thought it was a realistic prop and makeup, causing quite a stir. Atu ignored it, losing himself in the performance, while parents and teachers rose to curse and condemn him, which in Atu's ears became applause and cheers.

The performance ended smoothly. Before the curtain fell, Atu stood before the entire school, welcoming their enthusiasm, bowing deeply, then scattering the paper figures in his hand...

The paper figures danced, and everyone fell silent, marking the official start of Atu's plan to create his own paradise.

"You know, Yanan, the most convincing role you've ever played was that of a corpse, a cold and pale corpse lying motionless. That was your unparalleled acting!"

Atu looked at Yanan, a manic smile on his face.

"Everyone else, I just turned into simple toys, but you, my special one, I made into a vessel, a vessel for all the souls' pain and torment."

"You should thank me. I made you so vibrant and colorful. You're my most perfect and beautiful toy, you know?"

Blood continued to flow from Yanan's eyes, as if he were crying, yet he repeated the same words: "Let my sister go."

Atu's smile faded, and he made a shushing gesture, asking, "Are you begging me?"

"Honestly, your sister was the only person who brought a bit of light into my life, but unfortunately..."

"Don't you want release? Tonight, I'll grant your wish, but only after you kill your sister with your own hands!"

Atu stared at Yanan, his eyes filled with madness and hatred.

"Hey, are you ignoring us?" Qin Nuo spoke up.

Xiao Liu added from behind, "Can you leave me out of this? I'm just a bystander!"

Atu's gaze returned to Qin Nuo, asking, "By the way, when did you start suspecting me?"

"Probably from the first time I saw you."

"You should remember, it was the first act, my first instance performance."

"When you played Li Xiaodie, I noticed something. I like to pay attention to details around me. Li Xiaodie is quirky and likes to make small gestures, like scrunching her nose or raising her eyebrows when she talks. Dafu and Tang Rou couldn't quite capture these nuances, but you did."

"Do I have reason to believe that Li Xiaodie is actually you?"

Atu's expression remained calm: "Is that all?"

"Of course not."

"In Qin Feng's guild photo, I noticed everyone was there except you. Why? Absent? Doesn't seem like it. Or perhaps you were never recognized by everyone, never truly a member of the guild."

"Of course, these discoveries were just my personal speculations."

"What confirmed my suspicions was your subsequent self-directed drama."

"You altered Mo Ting's memory, hoping I'd suspect Li Qianqian."

"In the restroom, you added more drama, trying hard to point the finger of suspicion at Li Qianqian, disguising yourself as a victim."

"You even used a substitute paper figure to enhance your disguise."

Qin Nuo looked at Atu's face: "But think about it, in this ****, why are Tang Rou and the others still lost in their memories of a certain day, yet you recall these fabricated memories?"

"You repeatedly tried to point suspicion at Li Qianqian because her character had a high presence and a mysterious background."

"What was the purpose? To trick me into revealing my hidden cards, then slowly deal with me."

"Am I right, Atu?"

Qin Nuo smiled at Atu.

Atu blinked, covering his mouth with his hand, showing a look of shock: "Amazing, you guessed it all."

Then, his expression turned cold: "So, do you really have many cards to play against me?"

Qin Nuo spread his hands: "Just a few."

"Actually, I'm also taking a gamble."

"But I usually have good luck."

Atu clasped his hands, holding Tang Rou and the others' paper figures, looking at Qin Nuo: "I don't know how many cards you have."

"But that ghost in your right hand is indeed a threat."

"Atu!" Yanan shouted.

Atu made a silencing gesture towards him: "Toys shouldn't make noise. Next is your performance time, so perform well, okay?"

As he spoke, Atu waved his right hand, sending Tang Rou, Dafu, and Agai's paper figures flying. A rainbow of colors flowed over them as they swiftly headed towards Yanan...