Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 147: Intelligence

In front of a simple small desk in a standard hotel room, Wu Sheng was deep in thought over his “Teaching NPCs to Be Human Plan 3.0”.

Xu Wang swiped his card to enter from outside.

Wu Sheng stopped and looked up, asking, “Did you give it to him?”

“Mm.” Xu Wang’s gaze softened with a touch of satisfaction.

Wu Sheng noticed something. “Is there something else?”

Xu Wang said, “He also took number 5. He asked me for it proactively.”

Wu Sheng was surprised.

Xu Wang walked over to the bed closer to Wu Sheng and sat down. “He said he is number six and also number five.”

Wu Sheng nodded, not sure what to say, but at least Xiao Xue was no longer immersed in the silence and oppression of the past two days. He was happy for him.

“Actually…” Xu Wang’s smile faded, revealing a hint of melancholy. “I kind of miss Yan Wang.”

Wu Sheng pondered for a moment. “Xiao Xue said he can’t find Yan Wang anymore, but that doesn’t necessarily mean Yan Wang has left. Maybe he’s just asleep, or… completely merged with Xiao Xue.”

“Merged?” Xu Wang was puzzled.

“It means he is both Xiao Xue and Yan Wang,” Wu Sheng explained.

“Is that even possible?” Xu Wang asked cautiously, yet somewhat hopeful.

Wu Sheng nodded without hesitation. “The human brain is very complex, and there’s no definitive treatment or conclusion for dissociation to this day. Uncertainty means anything is possible.”

Xu Wang looked up at the ceiling and let out a gentle sigh.

He hoped Wu Sheng was right, hoping everything he said was the correct answer—such a feeling was strong.

Chi Yingxue’s father had been dead for many years, a fact discovered online after coming out from 9/23, during a search about Chi Zhuolin. It was an interview in a business magazine where he briefly mentioned his family and father.

The nightmare had passed. Hopefully, Xiao Xue and Yan Wang, who walked through the nightmare together, could forever remain in each other’s hearts.

“Stop thinking about it.” Wu Sheng reached out to pat his head. “Everything will be alright.”

“Mm,” Xu Wang responded, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over the small card on Wu Sheng’s desk, unsure whether to smile wryly or admire. “Still not giving up, huh?”

Wu Sheng tilted his head. “Is there a reason to give up?”

Xu Wang gave him a look. “You’ve sent out so many cards, yet there’s been no effect.”

“You’re too impatient,” Wu Sheng said earnestly. “It takes ten years to grow trees, but a hundred to cultivate people*.”

*(十年树木，百年树人) Idiom referring to cultivating talent isn’t easy.

“……” Xu Wang sighed and reached out his hand. “Keep cultivating people then. Lend me your phone.”

Wu Sheng was startled, clearly not understanding what he intended.

Xu Wang said, “Contacting Yue Shuai.”

“Oh right, we’ve been in 9/23 for three days; they should have come over by now.” Wu Sheng murmured while taking out his phone but hesitated to hand it over.

Xu Wang’s hand was getting tired. “Give it here.”

Wu Sheng looked up sincerely at his captain. “I’m worried about them too. Let’s contact them together.”

Xu Wang: “……”

……

“Missing me?” The video call was connected instantly. Captain Yue looked like he had just taken a shower, wearing a small bathrobe, looking fresh as a lotus.

On this end, Wu Sheng narrowed his eyes, and Xu Wang facepalmed.

“The atmosphere in the team is too depressing. We’re taking a short break, firstly to relax, and secondly to make some money.” Yue Shuai flicked his semi-dry hair, his eyes twinkling playfully.

Wu Sheng directly clicked on the screen, switching the size of the images to make Captain Yue a blurry small box in the top right corner, finally feeling relaxed.

“Making money is the main point, right?” Xu Wang hit the nail on the head.

“How about you guys? Passed 9/23?”

“We did.”

“……” Yue Shuai was just asking casually, and the casual answer hit him hard. “Can’t you leave some room for the slower students to answer!”

Xu Wang felt a bit guilty. “We didn’t mean to be so outstanding.”

Yue Shuai looked disheartened. “Can’t talk about this anymore…”

Xu Wang laughed, about to share more about 9/23, but Captain Yue became serious first, lowering his voice as if it was worth eavesdropping on. “I’ll tell you. I’ve got a shocking secret here.”

“How shocking?” Xu Wang tried to muster excitement but failed.

Yue Shuai leaned close to the screen, so close that only half his face could fit in the frame. “Worth a million.”

Xu Wang and Wu Sheng looked at each other, finally taking it seriously.

“What’s the secret?” Wu Sheng asked seriously. “If it’s really worth it, we can buy it with you.”

Yue Shuai pulled the screen back, showing his solemn face. “I haven’t gathered enough money to buy it yet.”

Xu Wang, Wu Sheng: “…Get some rest. Goodbye.”

“Hey, hey, I’m not playing with you.” Yue Shuai quickly explained the source of the intelligence.

It wasn’t complicated; they rescued a businessman from a group of “rivals” who wanted intelligence without paying. Such situations are common in the Endless Sea, where attacking each other is allowed and beating someone up isn’t illegal. So, some who don’t want to spend money resort to robbing for intelligence.

They were just in time to save the person; a moment later, he would have had to return to reality with injuries. After saving him, they even treated his wounds with stationery, not expecting anything in return. But the person insisted on repaying them, so he offered the intelligence, originally worth two million, at half price.

At this point, Captain Yue was quite indignant, thinking a seventy percent discount would have been more reasonable.

Anyway, at least in Yue Shuai’s view, the person was reliable. And frankly, if the person was a scammer, being in the “Owl”, catching them wouldn’t be a problem, and there would be a hundred ways to get the money back.

But now, Captain Yue faced a problem—

“I could sell everything I own, reduce three meals a day to one, and only gather six hundred thousand. If you trust me, we can partner up to buy it. We put in 60, you put in 40, and we’ll share the intelligence.”

“You’re ready to sell everything without even knowing what the intelligence is about?” Xu Wang was still skeptical, mainly worried for Yue Shuai, who seemed too naively optimistic.

“Of course, I asked.” Yue Shuai rolled his eyes. “Would he dare to ask for that price without giving me some solid info?”

Before getting a response, Yue Shuai became serious. “This intelligence might help us leave the Owl sooner.”

Xu Wang and Wu Sheng fell silent.

After a while.

Xu Wang said, “Stay in the Endless Sea and don’t move. Send us the hotel address; we’ll come over tomorrow.”

Yue Shuai didn’t expect such a quick agreement. “You agreed to partner up?”

“Agreed.” Xu Wang looked at him, annoyed. “And you better go back to three meals a day. We’ll split the cost of the intelligence 50/50. No one’s going to take advantage of your meal money.”

……

Just past eleven p.m., the friends began to wake up one after another. Xu Wang and Wu Sheng told everyone the news immediately.

Kuang Jinxin reacted with both shock and joy. “Really? Can we really leave early?”

Qian Ai was equally shocked and excited. “Really… Selling it for one million?! Then I’ll resell it to a few more people, and I’ll be a millionaire in minutes!”

Chi Yingxue’s reaction was relatively calm, similar to Xu Wang and Wu Sheng, with a hint of skepticism in his eyes, but he said, “I’ll pay for the intelligence fee.”

Xu Wang looked at the three friends, not knowing who to respond to first.

However, regarding the intelligence fee, Advisor Wu had already volunteered to pay it at the end of the video call with Yue Shuai. After all, he’s a man who wanted to throw millions into the public account upon selling his shares. Having been refused last time, this time he had to secure the role of the financier.

Xu Wang always thought their team was following a grassroots path until this night, when he realized their economy had taken off.

After setting the route for the next day, midnight arrived as scheduled.

The five didn’t go to the coordinate point but welcomed the purple vortex directly in the hotel room.

The hotel room was about a kilometer away from the coordinate point. They had decided to observe tonight.

“Hoot hoot—”

The familiar sound came from the cold night sky, almost like a class bell to the five friends.

Stepping into the vortex, the world changed.

“Thank heavens, someone finally came—”

The five friends were still seeing purple stars when they heard this exclamation.

It was very close, as if right beside them.

“Could you think before you speak? Are we not people?” Another voice, not very happy but somewhat familiar, replied.

Their vision finally began to clear.

What appeared before them was a lounge, with soft and warm fabric sofas, a retro and exquisite small table, a wall lined with shelves filled with various individually packaged drinks and snacks, and a long table in the corner with steaming coffee and cake.

But what surprised the friends even more was the presence of five acquaintances, though not with particularly fond memories, from their past encounters.

They had entered the vortex about a minute after it opened, clearly arriving earlier than Xu Wang and his group, now comfortably nestled in the sofas.

However, both groups were taken aback upon seeing each other.

Xu Wang and his team’s vision had just cleared, and likewise, Wang Duanran, Chen Guan, Jiang Dachuan, Gu Nian, and Kong Lizhe had just made out who appeared in the purple light.

The memory of competing for the ancient castle badge in 6/23 instantly flooded the minds of all ten friends.

Of course, it was mainly the actions of Xu Wang’s side that left a deep impression.

The relentless, revived, and devastated three-strike strategy of the stationery chain, the unforgettable entrance of the [Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea], and the acting on the [Balloon House]…

These past scenes, like needles, pricked at the hearts of Wang Duanran and his team.

Compared to the simple heartache of old acquaintances, Xu Wang’s side had more to think about, mainly, Advisor Wu’s brain was working overtime.

First, they didn’t go to the coordinates but ended up at the same location as the other party, indicating this was a specific battlefield stage—similar to the story relay in 7/23, where no matter where you entered from, you had to come to the table side.

Second, why did the other party say, “Thank heavens, someone finally came”? Couldn’t this stage be cleared alone?

Third, given the strength of this team, why did it take them so long to reach 10/23?

Two minutes passed, and the purple vortex closed.

Simultaneously, everyone received a “ding—”

[Cheat Sheet]: Team quantity meets the requirement, 10/23 officially starts.

The five on the sofa stood up, stretched their necks and shoulders, ready for action.

Xu Wang looked at the cheat sheet, somewhat confused. What does this mean? They’re starting the level directly? They hadn’t agreed yet!

In the midst of confusion, the lounge door slowly opened.

Xu Wang followed the sound, noticing out of the corner of his eye that the opposing five seemed calm. Obviously, this wasn’t their first time at this stage.

The world at the doorway quickly unfolded before them.

A square space about twenty meters in length and width, with the ground made of smooth, light gray large stone slabs, drawn with many markings like a magnified chessboard. The walls were also light gray, but with many semicircular painted glass windows and a painted glass dome at the ceiling about ten meters high.

It was unclear whether it was sunlight or some other light that slanted in through the windows and dome, illuminating the entire space brightly and colorfully, making one feel cheerful and comfortable, as if the air itself was dancing joyfully.

[Owl: Welcome to 10/23, Lucky Aeroplane Chess*! This stage is a bonus level. Oh, quickly draw your lucky starting point from the small flying box!]

*It’s a game similar to Ludo where players roll dices in order to move their planes from their hangers to the center of the board. The person who gets all their planes to the center wins.

Xu Wang and his team: “……”

A bonus level? Why don’t they believe it!

Ignoring the five complex faces, the winged small paper box fluttered in front of each person, insisting on drawing lots. If you don’t draw, it nudges you with its box body.

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 146: Good Night

When the last flame was extinguished, the entire east and west wings had been burned to the ground.

Countless ashes carrying sparks floated in the air, carried by the night wind to unknown distances.

Nothing was left.

The hidden compartments in the east wing, filled with nightmares, and the cabinets in the west wing, possibly holding people, all turned to ruins and scorched earth in the flames.

The courtyard remained unscathed.

The fire dragon, as if determined to burn only the rooms, moved from west to east with fierce momentum, ending abruptly.

A layer of black, snowflake-like ash fell on the cabinet in the courtyard.

Click.

The hanging lock opened on its own.

The four companions exchanged bewildered glances. After the cabinet was kicked out, they tried every method to open it, all in vain. Yet now, as the last glow of fire vanished, it opened itself.

Xu Wang reached out, removed the lock, and gently opened the cabinet door.

The moonlight finally penetrated the darkness inside the cabinet, illuminating the curled-up figure…

[Owl: Congratulations on passing the 9/23 test and handing in your papers! See you tomorrow~~]

One second, there was a desolate wasteland; the next, a bustling street corner.

Despite the disorienting sensation of weightlessness serving as a divider, the world switched so quickly that it left no time to adjust.

The sky was still dark.

But the streetlights were on.

Sanitation workers were already sweeping the streets, and cars occasionally passed by. The bone-deep gloom completely disappeared, replaced by open streets and the tangible presence of everyday life.

Xu Wang, Wu Sheng, Qian Ai, and Kuang Jinxin stood under a streetlamp, with Chi Yingxue, who had awakened, in their midst.

He sat leaning against the lamppost, slowly raising his head to look at each companion’s face, his eyes still carrying a hint of daze and bewilderment.

But Xu Wang felt that Chi Yingxue wasn’t entirely blank about what had happened. His bewilderment seemed more like a temporary inability to detach from a certain situation.

Almost simultaneously, the four companions crouched down, concernedly looking at Chi Yingxue. There was no prior eye contact; it was entirely spontaneous.

“Are you okay? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?” Xu Wang didn’t want to delve into what Chi Yingxue had experienced in the hidden compartment—whether he had passed through a near-death experience like them. He just hoped everything was fine with him.

Chi Yingxue looked worse than usual, paler, with a faint sweat on his forehead, and his lower lip was bright red as if he had bitten himself.

Yet he tilted his head, looked around at his four companions, and suddenly gave a light, lazy smile. “Just a little sleepy. What’s with your expressions?”

Wu Sheng and Qian Ai were stunned, unsure whether he was being genuine or evasive.

Kuang Jinxin frowned slightly, worriedly looking at him.

Xu Wang, however, was somewhat relieved. At least, the Chi Yingxue before them was still the same person they knew and were frustratedly fond of.

But the other half of his heart was still hanging…

“What about Yan Wang?” Xu Wang still asked.

He had actually never brought up Yan Wang in front of Chi Yingxue before, feeling like having two incompatible teammates. As the captain, if he couldn’t help them reconcile, he tried to avoid conflicts.

But now, he could only ask Chi Yingxue, even deciding to tell him everything Yan Wang had done for this level once Chi Yingxue had a chance to calm down.

Chi Yingxue didn’t answer immediately.

He lowered his gaze, as if pondering or searching for something.

The streetlamp cast a shadow through his lashes, leaving a dark patch in his eyes.

“I can’t find him anymore.”

It took a long while for the companions to hear him say this.

His voice was so soft that it was almost impossible to discern any emotion.

But Xu Wang was sure. There was no shock or surprise there, just a trace of perplexity and much more helplessness.

At that moment, he understood that Chi Yingxue was aware of the entire process. He was both the child hiding in the cabinet and the shadow with the scent of orange soda, as well as the omnipresent faint moon, clouds, and wind—he could sense everything in 9/23.

……

In the following two days, Chi Yingxue didn’t say a word.

During the day, he locked himself in his room, and at night, he sat in the 9/23 space capsule.

They had completed this level, and the hidden compartment would not open again, so they just sat in the space capsule through the long nights.

Chi Yingxue sat quietly in the corner, staring blankly at the ceiling, and they kept him company.

Yan Wang was gone.

He came into existence because of Chi Yingxue’s fear and disappeared with the fear’s eradication.

Although it wasn’t spoken aloud, they all knew it. Even Qian Ai, who was somewhat unclear about Chi Yingxue’s “I can’t find” statement at the time, realized this truth during these two days of gloom.

The healing of a split personality should be a good thing, but logic can’t replace emotions, nor can it erase the memories of fighting side by side.

If they felt this way, what about Chi Yingxue?

The child who set the last line of defense in his heart as Yan Wang’s birthday—did he ever think there would be a day of parting?

……

Xu Wang was prepared for a long haul and had even held a private meeting with his teammates. If Chi Yingxue needed three days to recover, they would wait for three days; if he needed ten, they would wait for ten.

Unexpectedly, after the second time sitting quietly in the Owl, Chi Yingxue said without warning, “Book the tickets.”

The coordinates for 10/23 were in Hunan.

Xu Wang didn’t know if Chi Yingxue had genuinely rallied or if he had buried even more emotions inside, but life is like that. Whether you like it or not, the calendar keeps turning its pages.

“Have you talked to your brother about this?” With such an important matter, Xu Wang felt it was something the family should know.

Chi Yingxue simply shook his head. “I’ll talk about it when I return to Beijing.”

It was a matter between brothers, so Xu Wang didn’t press further.

As the sky began to lighten, Xu Wang and Wu Sheng booked high-speed train tickets to Hunan.

On the hotel rooftop.

Located in the most bustling area of the city center, leaning on the rooftop railing offered a view over much of the city. At this moment, the city was waking up with street lights dimming one by one and buildings emerging from the darkness, giving rise to the hustle and bustle.

But Chi Yingxue wasn’t looking at any of this.

He sat on the only sofa in the corner of the rooftop, quietly looking at the sky.

The sofa, neither new nor old, seemed either deliberately placed for guests’ rest or forgotten by the hotel. Yet at this moment, he and the sofa harmonized like a painting.

Most of the sky was already bright. Today’s clouds were thick, but the sun persisted in piercing through the clouds, casting its light upon the earth.

When Kuang Jinxin arrived on the rooftop, he first saw the sunlight, then Chi Yingxue bathed in the morning light.

Feeling someone’s intrusion, Chi Yingxue turned his head.

“The train tickets are booked,” Kuang Jinxin approached the sofa, “for three o’clock in the afternoon.”

Chi Yingxue looked at him and said, “Oh.”

Expecting just a routine notification and then departure, Kuang Jinxin instead sat down, as naturally as if the other half of the sofa was specifically reserved for him.

“Beautiful,” Kuang Jinxin suddenly said out of the blue.

Chi Yingxue was puzzled. “Hm?”

Kuang Jinxin looked towards the sunrise, just peaking over the clouds, sincerely saying, “The sunrise is really beautiful.”

Chi Yingxue had no interest in discussing scenery, especially now when he preferred to be alone.

Without hesitation, Chi Yingxue stood up and headed towards the door without even a goodbye.

“No one will protect you anymore,” Kuang Jinxin suddenly said, looking at his retreating figure.

Chi Yingxue stopped and took a few seconds before slowly turning back, his eyes narrowing dangerously. “What did you say?”

“I said no one will protect you anymore,” Kuang Jinxin repeated, louder and more emphatically.

Chi Yingxue’s eyes narrowed further, and he said word by word, “I don’t need anyone’s protection.”

“Then it’s even better that Yan Wang is gone,” Kuang Jinxin said. “Since you don’t need his protection, and there’s no one else to fight over your body.”

Chi Yingxue was silent for a long while, then suddenly smiled faintly. “Yeah, it’s better that he’s gone.”

Kuang Jinxin stared at him. “Then why are you panicking these past two days?”

“Who told you I was panicking?” Chi Yingxue still smiled, but his voice turned cold.

Kuang Jinxin looked at him for a while before asking, “Do you know what dream I had in the hidden compartment?”

Chi Yingxue was taken aback. The topic change was too sudden for him to grasp.

“I dreamed of the moment my parents died in a car accident,” Kuang Jinxin said calmly and openly. “The captain, Sheng Ge, and Qian Ge all know, but you were always in the hidden compartment and didn’t come out, so I’m telling you again.”

Chi Yingxue frowned. “Maybe I don’t want to hear it.”

“You have no choice but to listen,” Kuang Jinxin insisted. “I went through your nightmare, so to be fair, you should go through mine again. Now, I don’t even require you to go through it; just listen. And you’re still bargaining?”

Chi Yingxue: “……”

It felt like a strange “fair exchange,” but Chi Yingxue couldn’t pinpoint the flaw at the moment.

“My parents died in a car accident when I was very young. I have no memory of it. The accident, all I know is from what my grandparents told me, then I just imagined…”

As if determined that Chi Yingxue wouldn’t leave, Kuang Jinxin looked at the increasingly blue sky, continuing on his own.

“The first real memory I have is of being beaten. Just kids playing together, not knowing anything, just running around and playing dumb, but they specifically bullied me and hit me because I had no parents…”

“I remember very clearly. Every time it rained, they would push me into a mud pit, then circle around and laugh…”

He chuckled bitterly, but the bitterness was fleeting, like a passing cloud shadow, gone when you look again, leaving only brightness.

“Then, a neighborhood big brother found out I was always being bullied and stood up for me. He was older than all of us, already in ninth grade, and could easily take on a group of kids by himself. From the moment he protected me, I was never beaten again…”

“How lucky.” Chi Yingxue finally offered a lukewarm response.

Standing two meters away from the sofa, he didn’t continue to leave, nor did he come closer. Instead, he just turned around, watching Kuang Jinxin from a distance, as if bored, so why not listen to a story.

“I thought I was very lucky too. I almost saw him as my own brother back then.” Kuang Jinxin looked at Chi Yingxue, smiling brightly. “Then, in less than a year, he got into a key high school and had to move closer to the school.”

Chi Yingxue frowned.

He really didn’t like where this story was going.

“When he was leaving, I clung to him, crying, not letting him go, no matter who tried to persuade me…”

Kuang Jinxin fell back into his memories, seemingly looking at Chi Yingxue, but his gaze fell somewhere unknown.

“I told him, once you’re gone, no one will protect me anymore. He said, in this world, the only person who can always protect you is yourself…”

“He still moved away. Once he left, those kids beat me again, but I fought back, like a maniac, fighting for my life, until I knocked them all down…”

His gaze met Chi Yingxue’s again, proud. “After that, no one dared to bully me again.”

Chi Yingxue shrugged. “So he was right. It’s better to rely on yourself.”

Kuang Jinxin lost his smile and shook his head solemnly. “No, he was wrong.”

Chi Yingxue: “Wrong?”

Kuang Jinxin said, “I could fight back because I remembered him—remembered the protection, encouragement, and warmth he gave me. They gave me strength.”

Chi Yingxue fell silent.

The warm sunlight outlined his beautiful profile, and for a moment, it seemed as if another shadow flickered across his expression.

“In this world, there are people who can always protect you.” Kuang Jinxin looked at him quietly, his gaze gentle yet firm. “As long as you keep them forever in your heart, they can always protect you.”

……

18:00 Beijing time, Hunan.

Since they hadn’t contacted in advance, the omnipotent President Chi Zhuolin hadn’t managed to arrange the presidential suite for the small team this time. They checked into a budget hotel with two twin rooms and one double room.

The double room was given to Chi Yingxue. After all, they had mooched off his presidential suite for so long.

But after checking in, Xu Wang regretted it a bit, thinking they should have booked a twin room and assigned either Lao Qian or Kuang Jinxin, or even himself, to stay with him for the night.

After discussing this idea privately with the other teammates, Kuang Jinxin said, “Captain, don’t worry. Chi Yingxue isn’t as fragile as you think.”

Xu Wang was half convinced, torn for two hours, but by eight o’clock in the evening, he still stealthily knocked on Chi Yingxue’s room door.

The door opened, but Chi Yingxue showed no intention of inviting him in. He just stood behind the door, looking at him blankly.

Xu Wang felt a bit awkward but seeing him looking stable without any signs of instability, he steeled his heart and pushed the item he had been holding for a long time through the door gap into the other’s hand.

Caught off guard, Chi Yingxue received it, only to see it was a small badge with the Arabic numeral “6” engraved on it. The badge was exquisitely made, but its meaning was unclear.

Raising his eyes, he looked at the captain in confusion.

“That, it’s a team member number,” Xu Wang said, his voice a bit shaky due to uncertainty. “I’ve already distributed theirs. This one’s yours.”

The badge was ordered by Xu Wang online the day they completed the level. No special customization was needed, as many shops had these Arabic numerals ready, and he chose a local store, receiving the delivery the next day.

Chi Yingxue flicked the badge with his thumb, frowning. “I’m number 6?”

“Yeah,” Xu Wang paused for a moment. “Yan Wang is number 5.”

Chi Yingxue fell silent, looking at him quietly, showing no emotions.

Xu Wang let him look, not avoiding his gaze.

Some things, if not addressed, remain knots; only when spoken can they let in the sunlight.

“Give it to me,” Chi Yingxue suddenly said.

Xu Wang was confused. “What?”

“The number 5 badge.” Chi Yingxue lifted the corner of his mouth. “I’m number 6, and also number 5.”

Realizing what he meant, Xu Wang immediately took out another badge from his pocket.

This time, before he could hand it over, Chi Yingxue reached out to take it himself.

“Thank you, captain.” Chi Yingxue smiled faintly, then closed the door with a snap.

Xu Wang: “……”

This teammate was as infuriating as ever!

Behind the closed door.

Chi Yingxue turned and walked back to the bed, eagerly pinning both badges onto his clothes as he walked.

The badges were small and delicate, fitting nicely on the collar, chest, or hem without affecting movement.

But lying in bed, Chi Yingxue spent three whole minutes not daring to toss and turn.

Eventually, he reluctantly took off the badges, wrapped them carefully in soft tissue, and placed them in the most hidden and secure part of his backpack before lying down again.

The curtains in the room were drawn. The thick curtains blocked out the lights from outside.

The room was as dark as a deep night, with only a bedside lamp diligently shining.

Chi Yingxue lay on his side, staring at the lamp for a long time.

Eventually, he reached out to turn it off.

When was the last time he turned off the lights before sleeping? Chi Yingxue couldn’t remember. Perhaps there never was such a time. His nights, no matter when or where, always needed a light on.

He hated the dark, or rather, feared it.

Like the current darkness of this room, devoid of any light.

But now, he felt secure.

“Goodnight.”

In the darkness, his gentle whisper sounded as if he were speaking to himself or perhaps to another person.

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 145: Flames

Yan Wang’s fist was fast, accurate, and ruthless.

Wu Sheng couldn’t react in time. His face violently turned to one side as he was hit, and his grip on Yan Wang’s hand weakened.

Seizing the opportunity, Yan Wang pulled back his arm and threw another punch!

Wu Sheng, still seeing stars, instinctively dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the blow.

But Yan Wang didn’t let up, taking advantage of Wu Sheng’s unsteadiness to pounce on him, pinning him to the ground and reaching for the lighter in his pocket!

Finally regaining his senses amidst the sharp pain, Wu Sheng’s first reaction was to try to flip Yan Wang over!

However, Yan Wang pressed down hard, making it impossible for Wu Sheng to exert any force!

Similarly, Yan Wang couldn’t reach the lighter, as his hand was again firmly grasped by Wu Sheng!

The two were locked in this stalemate, Yan Wang’s eyes red with rage. “I don’t want to kill you. Don’t force me!”

“I don’t want to hurt you either!” Wu Sheng gritted his teeth.

“Ha?” Yan Wang laughed as if hearing a joke, his voice changing. “You don’t want to hurt me? Do you know how I was beaten over those years? Do you know how Chi Zhuolin’s therapists tortured me? They all wanted me dead!”

Wu Sheng was momentarily stunned.

He had wondered why Yan Wang was so obsessed with control over his body and why he harbored such hostility towards Chi Yingxue, thinking it stemmed from just “bearing the pain” and resentment. But could mere resentment brew such intense murderous intent?

Now he understood that what truly drove Yan Wang to kill was the “threat to survival”.

Yan Wang, who had endured all the darkness for Chi Yingxue since childhood, saw only his brother, who cared for his younger sibling and saw Yan Wang as an intruder, and Chi Yingxue, who couldn’t even control his own consciousness…

The chain of events connected at that moment.

In a moment of distraction, Yan Wang managed to grab the lighter.

By the time Wu Sheng reacted and tried to stop him, Yan Wang had already lit the lighter and was about to throw it at the curtains!

Wu Sheng decisively knocked it out!

The next second, as Yan Wang swung his arm to throw, he was suddenly bound tightly by a rope falling from above, and the lighter fell to the ground, burning a black hole in the carpet!

Wu Sheng quickly picked up and extinguished the lighter.

“Xiao Xue knows all the suffering you’ve endured!” Wu Sheng didn’t like playing the role of a persuasive advisor, but facing Yan Wang, he couldn’t bring himself to really harm him because he understood his pain, knew his hatred, and most importantly, they were comrades who had fought side by side!

“Yes, he knows,” Yan Wang sneered, almost ferociously. “And then he continued to hide in the darkness comfortably, coming out when he wanted and pretending to sleep when he wanted. How carefree!”

“It’s not that hiding from beatings means no pain. You know that very well. We are now in Xiao Xue’s heart; have you ever seen a carefree person with such a world inside their heart?!”

Wu Sheng knew his efforts were in vain, as logic had already calculated that trying to dissolve years of accumulated hatred in Yan Wang with a few words was virtually impossible.

But he still didn’t want to give up. Before, he couldn’t understand why some people would never turn back even after hitting a wall, not shedding tears even at the sight of a coffin. Now he knew—there was no reason. They just couldn’t.

“The protection you gave Xiao Xue was the only support for his safe growth. He understands all this.”

“So what if he understands?” Yan Wang looked at Wu Sheng with a laugh, his voice piercing. “Now nobody will beat him. He doesn’t need me anymore, so he wants to erase me from this world!”

“He never wanted you dead,” Wu Sheng said firmly, his eyes stinging. “I’ve met Chi Zhuolin. A person like him would never do anything halfway. The fact that the treatment didn’t continue and Chi Yingxue is still allowed to ‘travel’ and idle away his days can only mean one thing—Xiao Xue doesn’t want to cooperate with the treatment! He never wanted you to disappear!”

Suddenly, Yan Wang stopped struggling, letting the rope bind him, his eyes mockingly sizing up Wu Sheng from top to bottom, as if seeing him for the first time. “I never realized before. You’re even more eloquent than Xu Wang.”

Wu Sheng completely ignored the provocation, wanting to pour out everything in his heart. He said whatever he saw and thought. If Xu Wang were here, he would surely find him inarticulate, but that was all he could do.

“Yan Wang, you live in Xiao Xue’s heart. He lies in the darkness now, but his consciousness is with us, overcoming challenges. Do you think he doesn’t know that you used my and Xu Wang’s strength to pass through the stone chambers, intending to find and kill him here?” Wu Sheng took a deep breath and continued, “He knows, but the last stone wall, he still used your birthday. That was him laying his heart bare to you… That stone chamber was a door left specifically for you.”

“Wow, you almost moved me.” Yan Wang blinked hard, finally squeezing out a tear that slid down his cheek, contrasting with his cynical expression and creating a sense of dissonance.

“You win.” Wu Sheng shrugged. “I’ve said all I can. There’s nothing left to say.”

Yan Wang looked regretful. “Pity, it was just a little bit short.”

Wu Sheng shook his head lightly. “Nobody can reach the deepest part of Chi Yingxue’s heart except for you. His most hidden thoughts are known only to you. If you don’t think it’s a pity, then it’s not.”

Yan Wang’s smile froze on his face.

In Wu Sheng’s peripheral vision, he suddenly noticed the rope on Yan Wang’s body, feeling as if it had slightly loosened from its initial binding…

His heart skipped a beat, instinctively trying to “communicate” with the stationery to strengthen the binding. But Yan Wang was quicker, and before Wu Sheng could see how he escaped, the rope had already fallen to the ground, and Yan Wang had jumped out of its reach!

Free, Yan Wang rubbed his wrists, as if seeing Wu Sheng’s confusion, and explained leisurely from two meters away. “Long illness makes the doctor*. If you were always tied up, you’d also be adept at untying. Oh, right…” He smiled slightly. “Even switching to plastic zip ties won’t work. I can untie those too.”

*(久病成医) Idiom referring to after a long illness, you become familiar with medical principles. It means one can become an expert in a certain area if one has more knowledge about it.

“Bang—”

The sound of a door being broken open echoed from the corridor.

Immediately following were the sounds of messy footsteps approaching rapidly. Xu Wang, Qian Ai, and Kuang Jinxin almost sprinted into the wide-open [West Chamber] [Bright].

Upon entering, the three of them were stunned.

“What are you two doing here?” Qian Ai, not perceiving the undercurrents, noticed the room’s nice decor but thought it wasn’t a reason to have a long conversation here, considering they had almost been trapped!

Xu Wang and Kuang Jinxin also felt something odd about the scene but couldn’t pinpoint what it was. Added to that, the dim night light and the carpet’s confusing pattern meant they didn’t notice the rope on the ground.

Just then, a sudden cold wind blew in, rattling the door violently.

This was followed by a stern, deep voice, as if exploding from the sky outside the house!

“This is my house. Who allowed you to come in—”

Xu Wang and Wu Sheng had heard this voice before, and for Kuang Jinxin, it was a voice too familiar to be mistaken—Chi Yingxue’s father!

Qian Ai, seeing his teammates’ knowing looks, was confused and anxiously asked, “Who is it?”

Xu Wang replied, “Chi Yingxue’s father.”

Qian Ai’s eyes widened, and he immediately rolled up his sleeves, striding towards the doorway, ready for a showdown. “Finally, we’ve been waiting for this old bastard!”

But halfway there, a shadow suddenly darted in from the doorway, and Qian Ai instinctively stepped aside, perfectly avoiding it. The shadow, moving unabatedly, hit Wu Sheng, who was standing not far behind him!

It all happened too fast. With Qian Ai blocking the door, Wu Sheng had no time to see what was happening. By the time he realized something was wrong, the shadow had already disappeared into his body.

In an instant, Wu Sheng felt a bone-chilling coldness sweep through his entire body, like countless steel needles piercing into his veins and traveling to every limb… including his brain!

In the moment his thoughts started to become chaotic, Wu Sheng finally realized. “He can possess…”

Before he could finish his sentence, he was violently pulled out of the room and thrown into the courtyard!

“Wu Sheng!” Xu Wang yelled in shock, immediately running into the courtyard.

Kuang Jinxin and Qian Ai quickly followed!

But just as they were about to reach Wu Sheng, who had been helped up by Xu Wang, Wu Sheng suddenly kicked Xu Wang’s abdomen fiercely!

Xu Wang, caught off guard, fell a meter away, writhing in pain for a long while before getting up!

“Captain!” Kuang Jinxin immediately turned to help Xu Wang stand up.

Qian Ai confronted Wu Sheng, restraining his impulse to punch. “What the hell are you doing? Do you even know what you’re doing?!”

Wu Sheng looked at him coldly, his eyes devoid of any emotion.

Qian Ai felt a strange sensation under that unfamiliar gaze, as if the person standing before him wasn’t Wu Sheng but an unknown creature wearing his skin.

“Lao Qian…” Xu Wang stood up with Kuang Jinxin’s help, holding his abdomen and gasping in pain, struggling to say, “It’s possession. Wu Sheng has been possessed by Chi Yingxue’s dad.”

Xu Wang fully understood the situation after that merciless kick.

Qian Ai looked at Xu Wang and then back at “Wu Sheng,” incredulously asking, “Are you kidding me? Is his dad a human or a ghost? And he can possess people?”

Kuang Jinxin added, “Qian Ge, in Xiao Xue’s heart, his dad is a ghost.”

Qian Ai fell silent, slowly approaching Xu Wang and Kuang Jinxin, keeping his distance from “Wu Sheng”—as bizarre as it was, what he had seen in the east wing and the current situation forced him to believe.

“Lao Qian, watch your step!” Xu Wang suddenly shouted to Qian Ai, who was walking over.

Qian Ai instinctively looked down and saw “Wu Sheng’s” shadow stretching out, entangling his feet!

It felt like an icy hand grabbing him and refusing to let go!

Qian Ai immediately threw a [Money Dart] at the shadow!

The sharp dart pierced the shadow and lodged into the ground!

As the shadow pulled him with force, Qian Ai’s body lifted off the ground and was dragged in front of “Wu Sheng” in the next second!

Wu Sheng, who had been waiting, immediately grabbed his throat!

Qian Ai felt his throat tighten, unable to breathe. His whole body was immobilized by “Wu Sheng” and his shadow!

The force on his throat grew increasingly violent. If a little more time passed, Qian Ai feared his throat would shatter before he could suffocate!

The lack of oxygen made his eyesight grow darker. As he was about to lose consciousness, the grip suddenly loosened.

Now was the time to escape!

Qian Ai leaned back forcefully, using his own weight to knock “Wu Sheng” over!

“Ouch—”

The one who cried out in pain at the moment of impact was… Xu Wang?

Qian Ai, in a combined lying and pressing position, quickly turned back to see that “Wu Sheng” was pinning down Xu Wang and Kuang Jinxin! It turned out that the weakening grip was due to the captain and Kuang Jinxin coming to help pull Wu Sheng’s arms!

He quickly got up, pulling Xu Wang and Kuang Jinxin out from under “Wu Sheng”!

As they were freed, “Wu Sheng” also came to his senses.

But he didn’t stand up. Instead, he sat there, slapping his own head violently while growling, as if two forces were struggling inside him!

Xu Wang suddenly realized. “Wu Sheng’s consciousness hasn’t disappeared!”

“What good does that do?” Qian Ai asked, “What do we do now?”

They couldn’t physically attack Wu Sheng. Whether a ghost could be killed by weapons was debatable, but Wu Sheng definitely had no chance of survival!

“Ha ha ha…” “Wu Sheng” suddenly let out a sinister laugh.

The three tensed up, ready to fight side by side, on guard.

“Wu Sheng” slowly stood up, the moonlight casting an eerie glow on his face.

Clearly, the force struggling with him had disappeared, and the evil spirit had regained control.

Xu Wang clenched his teeth in frustration and helplessness. Their current stationeries were either physical attacks or psychological stimuli, but using them would be equivalent to attacking Wu Sheng…

“Children who don’t listen need to be punished.” It spoke softly, its voice raspier and more weathered than Wu Sheng’s usual tone.

Suddenly, a large water-filled vat in the courtyard began to shake, and the next second, it flew into the air, hurtling directly towards Xu Wang and Kuang Jinxin!

The two immediately split up and ran as fast as they could!

The vat crashed to the ground between them, shattering instantly. The fragments, mixed with splashing water, flew through the air like sharp blades!

Xu Wang and Kuang Jinxin lay flat on the ground, burying their heads like they were avoiding a bomb, barely escaping unscathed!

Qian Ai seized the moment and tackled “Wu Sheng,” pinning him down again!

But the possessed Wu Sheng was incredibly strong, struggling fiercely, almost flipping Qian Ai over several times!

Xu Wang and Kuang Jinxin got up and rushed over to help hold him down!

The three of them, working together, could barely control Wu Sheng, but this was clearly not a sustainable solution.

“What do we do now?” Qian Ai was on the verge of breaking down. “We can’t hit him hard since it’s in Wu Sheng’s body, but we can’t keep this up either!”

Xu Wang, pressing down one of “Wu Sheng’s” arms, had been too preoccupied with escaping to think clearly. Now, he finally had a few seconds to contemplate.

But before he could come up with anything, Kuang Jinxin spoke up. “Captain, why do we have to fight him? The key to completing the task is to find Xiao Xue.”

This woke Xu Wang up, like a revelation.

If it weren’t for holding down “Wu Sheng”, he would have slapped his thigh in realization!

Looking up, he saw Yan Wang still standing inside the room and immediately yelled, “Don’t just stand there. Go check if Xiao Xue is in the cabinet. If not, look in the other two rooms!”

Yan Wang was stunned, having been in a daze for a long time. Since the shadow had possessed Wu Sheng and drawn everyone out of the room, he had been standing motionless, as if deep in thought or perhaps not thinking at all.

After a few seconds of waiting, Yan Wang remained still, causing Xu Wang to worry. “You’re not running out of battery, are you? Don’t fail us now…”

“I’m not a phone. I don’t run on batteries,” Yan Wang finally said.

Xu Wang sighed in relief and urged, “Hurry up then. We can’t hold him down for long!”

Yan Wang tilted his head, asking leisurely, “Why should I help you?”

Xu Wang was speechless. “We’re teammates!”

Yan Wang froze, a dark and unclear light flickering in his eyes.

Xu Wang suddenly realized. “Oh right, you haven’t reached that point yet.” He muttered to himself, not caring if the other understood. “Anyway, let me tell you, we’re teammates in the future. You and Chi Yingxue are the main forces of our team! You’re the muscle, he’s the face. You’re responsible for precision strikes, he’s responsible for looking good. In short, you two are simply the best additions to our team!”

Yan Wang watched him for a while, then laughed. “Such high praise.”

“Of course.” Xu Wang was earnest, not lying or flattering. “You have no idea how awesome you’ll be later on!”

Yan Wang fell silent again and stood there quietly. The wind dispersed the clouds, allowing the moonlight to shine brightly yet failing to reveal the emotions in his eyes.

Qian Ai, feeling a bit jealous, took advantage of the quiet moment to make a point. “If they’re the best teammates, what about me and Kuang Jinxin?”

Xu Wang glanced at him. “Xiao Kuang was automatically paired by Owl, and you came in the second round, plus you’re an old classmate. So strictly speaking, you two are our team’s ‘childhood friends’. In life, you can choose your friends and your lovers, but not your childhood friends. It’s destiny, you know?”

Kuang Jinxin: “……”

Qian Ai: “……”

Though not entirely satisfied, they strangely found it to make sense.

“Finding Chi Yingxue is useless…” Yan Wang suddenly walked out of the room, approaching the center of the battleground.

Xu Wang didn’t understand. “What do you mean?”

Yan Wang came to their side, crouching down to help hold down “Wu Sheng”.

“To truly make him come out of the cabinet,” he said, looking down at “Wu Sheng”, “we need to extinguish his inner demon.”

Xu Wang saw the murderous intent in his eyes and became alert. “What are you planning to do?”

Before he could finish, Yan Wang suddenly pulled out a dagger and stabbed fiercely towards Wu Sheng’s chest!

Xu Wang, Kuang Jinxin, and Qian Ai jolted; even “Wu Sheng” changed color.

Xu Wang knocked him aside, while Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin rolled “Wu Sheng” away!

Yan Wang wasn’t knocked down but missed his target as his body swayed, the dagger stabbing into the crack between floor tiles!

“Calm down. He might be possessed, but he’s still Wu Sheng!” Qian Ai, still holding “Wu Sheng”, wanted to shake some sense into Yan Wang.

“It can be interpreted the other way around.” Yan Wang remained unmoved, pulling out the dagger and turning around with a gentle smile. “Kill Wu Sheng, and you kill him too.”

Xu Wang: “……”

Kuang Jinxin: “……”

Qian Ai: “You’re crazy…”

Yan Wang happily accepted the evaluation, gripping the dagger tightly and attacking again!

He really intended to kill, not just bluff or anything else. Xu Wang saw it clearly!

“Wu Sheng”, too, clearly felt the intent to kill!

Just as Xu Wang hesitated whether to use restrictive stationery on Yan Wang, the black shadow suddenly left Wu Sheng’s body, floated into the air, and rushed at extreme speed towards Yan Wang, who was attacking!

Just two steps in front of Wu Sheng, Yan Wang suddenly stopped and froze.

The shadow plunged into his chest and vanished without a trace.

Yan Wang looked down, touching his chest as if he hadn’t quite grasped what had happened.

But Xu Wang already understood the shadow’s intention.

When the “possessed” could no longer serve as a shield, possession lost its purpose. So, it didn’t matter who he possessed; Yan Wang would not hesitate to kill them unless he possessed the one person who wasn’t afraid to kill.

Wu Sheng felt the chill inside him slowly fading, along with his body temperature and consciousness returning.

9/23, Chi Yingxue’s dream, Yan Wang’s lies… Everything became clear again in his thoughts.

Wu Sheng opened his eyes and sat up abruptly, seeing Xu Wang protecting him, with Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin standing beside, looking puzzledly forward.

Following their gaze, Wu Sheng saw [West Wing] [Bright]—Yan Wang had just walked into the room.

Wu Sheng frowned.

Confused, Qian Ai directly addressed Yan Wang’s back. “Are you Yan Wang or Chi Yingxue’s father right now?”

Yan Wang turned around; his eyes chaotic. He gripped the door frame tightly, his knuckles turning white and his body trembling uncontrollably from the struggle of two forces looking like he was in extreme pain.

But eventually, he calmed down and slowly raised his head. His eyes became clear again, and with a familiar and warm smile on his face covered with beads of sweat, he said, “Who do you think I am?”

Qian Ai was astonished. “It didn’t take control of you?”

“He got three things wrong. One, he’s alive now because of Chi Yingxue’s fear, but I’ve never been afraid of him. Two…” Yan Wang shrugged, still breathless but smugly arching an eyebrow. “Battling for a body, that’s my specialty…”

“Three, Chi Yingxue’s heart harbors darkness. Sorry, my entire heart is a black hole.” He gently tapped his chest, as if whispering to the trapped shadow inside. “Once you’re in here, don’t even think about getting out.”

Qian Ai’s brows were still knotted. It was good that Yan Wang wasn’t controlled, but why did he go back inside the room?

Yan Wang lightly flipped his hand, revealing a lighter in his fingertips.

Wu Sheng felt a jolt in his heart and immediately checked his pocket. As expected, the lighter was gone!

Obviously, Yan Wang had taken the opportunity to approach and steal the lighter while he was possessed!

The warm flame reignited.

Along with it, the velvet curtains also caught fire. Almost instantly, the window became a sea of flames.

This time, Wu Sheng couldn’t stop it in time.

Xu Wang, Kuang Jinxin, and Qian Ai were completely stunned, unable to comprehend what he was thinking or doing.

But they could only watch.

The team’s only remaining stationery, possibly capable of fighting the fire [Extreme Freeze], had already been used by Qian Ai.

The wind fueled the fire, and in a moment, the flames engulfed half the room, the firelight casting a red glow on the moon.

Yan Wang returned to the doorway and tossed the extinguished lighter back to Wu Sheng.

Wu Sheng reflexively caught it.

Yan Wang smiled at him, his gaze passing over the four of them. “This is the first time I’ve used my own identity to help you guys pass a level. It’s not a bad feeling.”

Finally, he looked at Xu Wang and unexpectedly called out, “Captain.”

Xu Wang froze, instinctively responding, “Huh?”

Yan Wang curled his lips. “Remember, I, Yan Wang, joined the team first.”

After saying that, he turned and walked into the blazing fire.

The flames instantly swallowed his figure, along with the black evil spirit trapped inside his body.

The next second, a cabinet was kicked out of the fire, rolling to the doorway and landing in the courtyard.

Flames roared into the sky.

Just two seconds after the cabinet was kicked out, the roof collapsed with a “boom”.

Tiles clattered into the sea of flames, along with broken beams, all devoured by the fire.

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 144: Murderous Intent

Under the cover of night, the inner courtyard was peaceful and tranquil. From a dried-up ancient well in the corner, three figures emerged, one after the other.

The first to come out was Xu Wang, followed by Yan Wang, and Wu Sheng was the last.

“Yan Wang, is Xiao Xue really here?” As soon as Xu Wang emerged, he scanned the surroundings.

This place indeed looked like an inner courtyard, with its vermilion corridors, carved window frames, and four rooms neatly arranged in a row.

However, on the east side of the courtyard stood a towering, long wall, as if cutting off a part of the courtyard, making the well-ordered courtyard seem as if it were built against a wall, looking quite abrupt.

Before Yan Wang could answer, Xu Wang had already walked into the corridor and came to the door of the first room. Looking up, he saw two small wooden plaques hanging on the door lintel—[West Wing] [Sun].

Now there was no need for Yan Wang; this was indeed Xiao Xue’s dwelling, the west wing.

Each of the four rooms had a small wooden plaque, together reading [Sun] [ Moon] [Star] [Bright].

Quite sophisticated, Xu Wang sneered sarcastically, looking up at the sky filled with dense clouds and the dim moonlight, where there was no sign of “Sun, Moon, Stars, Bright”.

Thinking that Xiao Xue was behind one of these four doors, Xu Wang suddenly felt an anxious unease, a complex emotion mixed with nervousness, heartache, excitement, and many indescribable feelings.

Wu Sheng noticed his hesitation and understood the turmoil in his heart, feeling the same way.

But now that they were here, the only thing to do was to continue forward and find Xiao Xue—if possible, to bring him out of this cold, dark place.

With this in mind, Wu Sheng decisively turned to Yan Wang, ready to ask him which room exactly housed Chi Yingxue. Unexpectedly, before he could speak, an unexpected alert sounded in his ear—

[Owl: Congratulations on finding the 9/23 Hell Badge!]

Wu Sheng raised an eyebrow, exchanging glances with Xu Wang, who also heard the alert.

Immediately after, a crisp “ding—” came from his arm.

Opening the hidden item bar, indeed, there was an additional badge.

After a journey that almost brought their spirits to the abyss, they finally encountered something to be happy about.

“Lao Qian or Xiao Kuang?” Xu Wang asked Wu Sheng.

Wu Sheng wasn’t really a fortune-teller. Hesitating for a few seconds, he gave a very standard answer. “If it’s not Lao Qian, it’s Xiao Kuang.”

Xu Wang: “……”

“Crack—”

Suddenly, a faint sound of rocks breaking came from the east.

The three turned their heads together.

It was the towering wall, starting to crack bit by bit, about to…

“Boom—”

Collapse.

Thick dust flew up instantly, obscuring the sky.

Just as Xu Wang was about to cover his nose to avoid inhaling dust, he saw a figure in the dusty mist behind the ruins of the high wall, so tall and so familiar…

“Lao Qian?!”

Amidst the lingering sound of the collapse, the call successfully reached the other side of the ruins, and soon came the response from Qian Ai. “Captain? Where are you? How can you see us with this visibility?!”

Xu Wang was stunned. “You—guys?”

Qian Ai: “Xiao Kuang and I!”

“……” Xu Wang stared for a long time but still couldn’t see Kuang Jinxin’s small figure. Obviously, in terms of “noticeability”, Xiao Kuang and Lao Qian had a vast difference.

Realizing this, Captain Xu decisively stopped fussing and got straight to the point. “How did you guys meet up—”

As he finished the question, the dust also settled, and the two on the opposite side finally saw Xu Wang clearly.

With eyes meeting, Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin were startled, especially Qian Ai, who immediately forgot what Xu Wang had just asked. “You guys… fell into a cesspit?”

Xu Wang, Wu Sheng, and Yan Wang looked at each other, speechless.

“It’s chocolate!”

After shouting, Xu Wang quickly urged, “Don’t just stand there. Hurry over. This is the west wing.”

Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin looked at each other and quickly ran over.

The small team finally reunited.

But before Xu Wang could feel relieved, he noticed that Kuang Jinxin’s face was badly swollen, with a clear handprint on his cheek. He immediately glared at Qian Ai. “Did you hit him?!”

Qian Ai was bewildered. “Why would I hit him?!”

Xu Wang: “Like being dominated by an illusion or possessed by something…”

Qian Ai was exasperated. “Captain, you’ve been watching way too many dramas…”

Kuang Jinxin didn’t care about the injury on his face but was more concerned about the third person beside Xu Wang and Wu Sheng. “Sheng Ge, who is this?”

“Yan Wang,” Wu Sheng answered simply.

Kuang Jinxin was stunned, and so was Qian Ai. They looked at Yan Wang up and down. His completely unfamiliar appearance, especially with the added chocolate sauce, made it impossible to connect him with the Yan Wang they knew.

“It’s a long story, so I won’t go into it,” Wu Sheng said decisively. “Let’s find Xiao Xue first.”

Xu Wang, Qian Ai, and Kuang Jinxin agreed.

To really start talking, there were too many things to clarify. How Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin met, how Kuang Jinxin got the injury on his face, why Yan Wang appeared, and why Yan Wang looked like this, as well as what Kuang Jinxin and Qian Ai experienced in the east wing and what Wu Sheng and Xu Wang experienced in the stone chambers. To thoroughly summarize the information, they feared it would take until 5 a.m. to finish.

Wu Sheng got straight to the point. “Yan Wang, which room does Xiao Xue reside in?”

Yan Wang hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. “I can’t say for sure.”

Xu Wang frowned. “Don’t you always come here to play with him? Don’t tell me his bedroom changes randomly too?”

Yan Wang seriously replied, “Indeed, it changes randomly, depending on his mood.”

“……” Xu Wang was resigned.

“That’s easy. Then we’ll just search one room each,” Qian Ai suggested. “After all, we have enough people.”

Yan Wang disagreed. “Better to search one room at a time. What if, like the stone chamber, there are traps inside, or something dangerous emerges? Handling four rooms at once would be too difficult.”

“Okay, let’s go one room at a time. Lao Qian, open the door!” Xu Wang decided quickly. Otherwise, they would have spent enough time debating to open all four doors.

Qian Ai, emboldened by the support of his 3.5 teammates—with the unfamiliar Yan Wang counting as half—pushed the door with both hands with great force!

“Bang!”

He used too much strength.

Startled, Qian Ai quickly stabilized the door.

The room was empty except for a waist-high wooden cabinet in the center. The cabinet looked old, but the wood grain on its surface was still beautiful, and it still had a reddish-brown color tinged with yellow, clearly a piece of high-quality old furniture.

Xu Wang and Wu Sheng, seeing the interior of the wing for the first time, were uncertain of the situation. Qian Ai, who had been there before, immediately said, “It was like this in the east wing. There’s basically no furniture in any of the rooms, just… some illusions.”

Qian Ai didn’t want to admit that those were Xiao Xue, even though he knew in his heart they were real. But he still didn’t want to admit it.

Xu Wang, unaware of their experience, asked in confusion, “Is this cabinet also an illusion?”

Qian Ai hesitated.

Kuang Jinxin looked at him, and in their exchange of glances, both, who had experienced the east wing, already had the answer.

“It’s possible, Xiao Xue might be inside.”

The night was eerily quiet.

A thin veil of pale moonlight draped over the ruins of the wall, the east and west wings, and the entire estate.

Xu Wang cautiously stepped over the threshold, softly reminding his companions behind him, “Everyone, be careful.”

He slowly approached the cabinet, and, upon reaching it, nothing happened.

Bending slightly, he placed his hand on the cabinet handle, held his breath, and slowly pulled the cabinet door open…

Empty.

Just as Xu Wang frowned, he heard the door close behind him with a “snap”!

He turned around sharply, seeing that the door was tightly shut!

At the same time, the floor tiles beneath their feet suddenly turned into a swamp-like mud, and his companions began to sink involuntarily!

“What the hell!” Qian Ai struggled, but the more he struggled, the faster he sank. Seeing Xu Wang and Kuang Jinxin suffering the same fate, he immediately took on the role of the team’s muscle. “Don’t worry, Captain. Leave it to me—”

Suddenly, Xu Wang felt something solid under his feet in the mud. He perked up and quickly shouted, “Lao Qian, wait—”

[Owl: Someone used [(Offense) Extreme Freeze] on you~~]

It was already too late.

The mud, reaching up to their thighs, instantly froze into hard soil, painfully pressing against everyone’s legs, cold to the point where it felt like not only the mud but also their flesh was frozen.

“Hurry and undo it.” Xu Wang couldn’t stand it for even a second.

Qian Ai was also in pain, but remarked, “If I undo it, we’ll continue sinking.”

Xu Wang panicked. “We can’t sink anymore. I’ve already hit the bottom!”

“Ah?” Qian Ai looked at Kuang Jinxin for confirmation.

The latter nodded. “Yeah, I’ve hit the bottom too.”

Qian Ai was baffled. “Then why haven’t I?”

Xu Wang: “That’s what you get for flailing around!”

Qian Ai: “……”

The effect of the stationery was undone.

With a tentative heart, Qian Ai sank another two centimeters, and indeed, he had hit the bottom.

The so-called terrifying swamp was only up to their thighs.

He tried to push forward, and while slow, it was still possible to move.

Compared to him, Xu Wang was inexplicably faster. Qian Ai had barely taken two steps when Xu Wang had already reached the door, trying to force it open.

But to no avail. The door wouldn’t budge.

In the dim moonlight, Kuang Jinxin’s question arose. “Captain, where are Sheng Ge and Yan Wang…”

Qian Ai then realized there were only the three of them in the room.

Xu Wang must have realized this earlier, as he was struggling with the door, his eyes filled with anxiety and concern.

Did the two of them manage to escape? Or did they fall into another trap? Or was there a more dangerous person outside, keeping them trapped? Numerous thoughts raced through Xu Wang’s mind, nearly overwhelming him.

……

[West Wing] [Bright].

Yan Wang didn’t even look at [Moon] [Star] but went straight to the fourth room and entered without hesitation.

This was a room completely different from [West Wing] [Sun]. It was warmly decorated, with complete furnishings. Velvet curtains, a fabric sofa, a simple and artistic chandelier, and a soft, fresh carpet.

The only similarity was an old cabinet, completely out of place with the rest of the room’s style, like an intruder, tucked away in a dark corner.

But this cabinet had a lock on it.

Yan Wang went straight to the corner without looking elsewhere. His firm steps indicated he knew his target was right there.

Standing in front of the cabinet, he placed his hands on top of it and took a deep breath, as if trying to calm the turmoil within. But when he spoke, his voice still trembled slightly—with excitement, with eagerness.

“I finally found this place.” He looked at the cabinet surface as if it were glass through which he could directly see the person inside. “You really thought it through, using the last layer of stone walls and my birthday, huh? If I had come alone, I really wouldn’t have been able to unlock it…”

“But none of that matters now. I came here today to fulfill your wish…”

As he spoke, he moved to the window, took out a lighter from his pocket, and lit it. The flame illuminated the fervor in his eyes, and beneath that fervor was a slowly gathering darkness.

“You like hiding, don’t you?” His voice was very soft, almost a whisper. “Then hide forever and never come out.”

The flame neared the curtains. In the faint heat of the firelight, one could almost foresee a blaze engulfing the entire wooden room, even the whole estate…

“I thought you would change your mind.” Wu Sheng’s voice came from behind.

Yan Wang was startled, instinctively turning around, but his hand was suddenly caught, and in a flash, the lighter was taken away.

Click.

Wu Sheng closed the lighter, looked at the exquisitely engraved metal body, and sighed regrettably. “Such a tasteful lighter is not meant for killing people.”

After speaking, he naturally pocketed it.

Yan Wang didn’t care about the lighter. He had made it this far and had countless ways to kill. But there was one thing he had to clarify. “When did you see through me?”

“Did you mean through your lies or your plan?” Wu Sheng needed to clarify the question.

“Is there a difference?” Yan Wang frowned, feeling a sense of irritation at being played.

Wu Sheng shrugged, leaving him to figure it out. “After we passed the slide stone chamber, I knew you were lying. You knew about the slide and the rat in the chamber, which means you’ve encountered it. But that rat was only repelled by the three of us together…”

“Of course, you also said that for some reason, the rat had become stronger, but the logic was weak. It’s like a firewall; sure, it can upgrade, but most upgrades are based on discovered vulnerabilities. For the rat to become strong enough to require three people to contend with, the prerequisite would be that three people had already passed through here, letting the rat learn from their increased combat power. However, this path was known only to you, and only you had been through it…”

“As for your plan, knowing you lied made it much simpler. You said the contents of the last two stone chambers were random, and you didn’t know what they would be. Since that was a lie, there’s only one explanation: you never made it to the last two chambers; you never defeated that rat…”

“So your plan was obvious.” Wu Sheng looked at him steadily, emphasizing each word as he spoke. “You needed our strength to reach Chi Yingxue.”

“And once here, I intended to do something bad, right?” Yan Wang smiled; his voice was cold yet resigned.

Wu Sheng smiled back at him. “Only thieves have guilty consciences. Have you ever seen anyone who does good deeds deceive people all the way?”

“Why only mention it now if you’ve known all along?” Yan Wang looked towards the still closed [West Chamber] [Sun]. “If you had exposed me earlier, they wouldn’t be trapped.”

“They won’t be trapped by your little tricks for long,” Wu Sheng said. “If you change your mind now, I can act as if none of this ever happened.”

Yan Wang was genuinely curious this time, tilting his head to study Wu Sheng for a long while. “We don’t have much of a relationship, do we? Why be so magnanimous and always give me a way out?”

Wu Sheng narrowed his eyes, half-smiling. “We don’t have a relationship?”

His gaze was piercing, as if was seeing through him.

Yan Wang felt uncomfortable under his stare and finally scoffed, laying his cards on the table. “Yes, I remember. I remember how I joined the team and how we went through the ancient castle love line together. Satisfied?”

Wu Sheng didn’t take the opportunity to mock him but seriously repeated, “Stop it.”

Yan Wang wasn’t swayed. “Impossible.”

Wu Sheng said, “It was me and Xu Wang who brought you here. If you kill Xiao Xue, it’s like we’re indirectly killing someone.”

Yan Wang scoffed carelessly. “So?”

Wu Sheng’s expression turned stern, and his demeanor was icy. “Xu Wang and I consider you a friend. I don’t mind, but I advise you not to let him be heartbroken.”

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 143: Birthday

Half an hour ago, underground stone chamber.

Xu Wang and Wu Sheng stared at the DNA report on the table, dumbfounded. Before opening the stone wall, they had imagined a thousand possible difficulties and obstacles, but this scenario was definitely not one of them.

A lone report lay there, bearing an unexpected secret.

Specimen 1 was not the father of Specimen 2. The conclusion couldn’t be clearer, but it was uncertain whether this result brought relief or sorrow to the person who had submitted the samples.

Who was Specimen 1?

And who was Specimen 2?

The answers seemed apparent.

But Xu Wang and Wu Sheng didn’t want to delve deeper, feeling uneasy.

“Tsk. It’s so unpleasant to look at.” Yan Wang’s tone was still light. He casually picked up the file bag, taking out the documents and browsing through them naturally under the faint light in the stone chamber.

“I wondered why Mr. Chi always hit me so hard,” he said, nodding his head as if he had a sudden realization. “So, this is where his heartache lies.”

His face wore a smile, but his tone was sarcastically cold.

Wu Sheng watched him, frowning thoughtfully.

Xu Wang was somewhat confused. “Mr. Chi? Hitting you?”

He understood every word Yan Wang said, but when put together, it was like a puzzle.

“My mistake. I should have been more explicit.” Yan Wang tossed the paper aside indifferently, shrugging. “Mr. Chi, that’s Chi Yingxue’s dad. When he hits me, strictly speaking, it’s not his intention. He wants to hit his stepson, but I, being full and idle, always step in to take the beatings for him…”

He frowned as if wronged, leaning close to Xu Wang and asking seriously, “Don’t you think Chi Yingxue should pay me for mental damages?”

“Chi Yingxue’s dad… hits him?” Xu Wang trembled slightly, unable to distinguish if it was shock or anger.

“He hits me,” Yan Wang corrected him, his gaze serious.

“Okay, he hits you.” Xu Wang followed along. “Is it always like that?”

“It depends on how busy he is. When he’s busy, he doesn’t come home for ten days to half a month, and I enjoy the peace; when he’s not, he comes back every few days, and I have to ‘start work’ frequently.”

Yan Wang was nonchalant again. If not for his serious moment earlier, Xu Wang would have thought he was talking about some tabloid news. Even “getting hit” in his words, seemed like a job not worthy of any emotional investment, even negative ones.

Xu Wang didn’t really want to ask more. His intuition was telling him that only more darkness lay beneath.

But Yan Wang seemed to have been aroused to continue. “Do you know how he hits? Slapping is just child’s play. He’ll kick you till your ribs break, grab your hair, and drag you into a closet or cupboard. If you resist, he’ll beat you even harder, then tie you up with binding straps and stuff you in there…”

“Every time, I wanted to kill him, every single time.” Yan Wang’s face showed a kind of longing, as if these “fantasies” he was talking about were happening in some space. “Stab a knife into his eyes, cut his throat, or just gouge out a piece of his flesh and let him taste the agony of rolling on the ground in pain…”

“Haa—” He sighed deeply, as if he had indulged himself enough with his words, but what he said still carried a sense of regret. “Unfortunately, Chi Yingxue’s arms and legs are too weak to achieve such grand goals.”

Finally noticing Xu Wang and Wu Sheng’s silence, Yan Wang apologized with a smile. “Sorry, I must sound crazy talking about all this.”

Xu Wang shook his head. “We understand.”

“Don’t comfort me.” Yan Wang waved dismissively. “If you want to thank me for leading the way, you don’t have to force yourselves to be ‘understanding’. You can give me some of your magical weapons… Oh right, you call them stationery.”

“You become Chi Yingxue to take beatings for him,” Xu Wang stated calmly.

Yan Wang froze, his face showing surprise.

Xu Wang continued, “And you do it unwillingly. Unwillingly, but you have to share his burden, right?”

Yan Wang pursed his lips. His silent gaze shifted back and forth between Xu Wang and Wu Sheng. “Who are you really?”

Xu Wang’s answer never changed. “Friends of Chi Yingxue.”

Yan Wang smiled bitterly and said helplessly, “If he even told you about this, it seems he really made friends.”

Xu Wang looked at Yan Wang, the youth in front of him, covered in chocolate sauce. Although his face was mostly wiped clean, the subtle expressions were still unclear.

Under such circumstances, the person in front of him overlapped with the Yan Wang in his memory.

The Yan Wang who wore Chi Yingxue’s body, the one who was incredibly engaged in battle, the one obsessed with his own identity yet chose to cover everything with a smile… was the youth before him.

“There’s nothing I can do about it, unwilling or not. Everyone has their own fate. Apart from accepting it, what else can I do?” Yan Wang consoled himself, moving towards the lever that opened the next stone chamber.

Xu Wang suddenly grabbed his arm. “Didn’t you ask us who we really are?”

Yan Wang was confused. “You’ve already answered that.”

Xu Wang shook his head. “I haven’t finished.”

Yan Wang looked at him blankly. “You are Chi Yingxue’s friends, what else?”

Xu Wang said, “We are also friends of Yan Wang.”

Yan Wang: “……”

“Tsk.” Yan Wang snorted, pulling his arm away from Xu Wang’s grasp. “You think it’s fun to play me?”

“We’re not playing you,” Wu Sheng, who hadn’t spoken for a while, answered. “To be precise, both you and Chi Yingxue are our friends. Chi Yingxue appeared earlier, but you joined the team first.”

Yan Wang frowned and stared at them for a while, finally concluding. “You’re insane.”

After saying that, he took two steps and pulled the lever without hesitation, clearly more concerned about the matter at hand than the obstacle-filled small talk.

The stone wall fell, revealing the entire last stone chamber.

It was empty, this time not even a table, completely barren except for a lever in the corner.

Yan Wang strode over, looking like he wanted to pull it immediately, but hesitated as he touched it.

Xu Wang and Wu Sheng followed.

Unlike the previous manual levers, this last one required an eight-digit password.

With no hints, guessing an eight-digit password out of thin air was simply impossible.

“Complete bullshit,” Yan Wang grumbled.

Wu Sheng glanced at him. “Is this your first time seeing this too?”

Yan Wang impatiently said, “Didn’t I tell you, the contents of the last two stone chambers always change.”

“Yan Wang.” Xu Wang asked seriously again, “After this stone chamber, can we find Xiao Xue?”

“Behind this chamber, straight to the inner courtyard, is Xiao Xue’s room in the west wing.” Yan Wang looked directly at him, his gaze unwavering. “If you don’t trust me, you can go back the way you came.”

Xu Wang said, “It’s not that I don’t trust you. I just need to be sure.”

Yan Wang frowned. “Sure of what?”

Xu Wang turned around, and behind him, wall after wall of stone had sunk down, forming a long corridor. The original path was no longer clear.

“These stone chambers are Xiao Xue’s defenses.” If there were doubts before, Xu Wang was now certain.

This hell in his mind was like Xiao Xue’s heart, filled with fierce demons, painful memories, debris everywhere, and layers of hidden darkness.

What he most wanted to hide was himself.

So he used room after room of stone chambers to block the path of those searching for him.

Wu Sheng understood his meaning. “The password must be related to Xiao Xue, but if he intended it as a defense, it must be something the intruders can’t guess or don’t know at all.”

Xu Wang nodded. “Think about it, if Xiao Xue’s father was standing here, in what direction would he guess the password?”

“His birthday,” Wu Sheng said without hesitation.

Xu Wang: “Mm. So Xiao Xue’s birthday, Chi Zhuolin’s birthday, or any kind of public anniversary, are all impossible.”

Wu Sheng: “……”

Xu Wang: “……”

Wu Sheng, Xu Wang: “The secret code letter!”

Both said almost simultaneously, but after speaking, Xu Wang became worried again, not about the secret code letter being taken by the giant crab, because his advisor would definitely remember it, but about: “The password is only eight digits.”

Before he could finish, Wu Sheng was already pondering aloud. “12077, 34036, 58009, 80024. Removing the meaningless zeros, 1277343658009, 80024, and then removing repeated numbers, 127346589…” He suddenly frowned, annoyed. “There’s still one extra digit.”

Xu Wang couldn’t keep up with the process, so he directly discussed the outcome with his advisor. “What should we do? Just remove a digit and try?”

Wu Sheng shook his head cautiously. “The odds of getting it right are too low.”

“Beep beep beep!”

A shrill warning sound suddenly came from the lever, startling Xu Wang and Wu Sheng, who were deep in thought. Looking down, Yan Wang had sneakily reached out and pressed a password!

Obviously, it was wrong.

“Can’t you do anything right—” Xu Wang almost wanted to kick him out of frustration but refrained, thinking of how pitiful he was when beaten.

“Alright, alright,” Yan Wang pointed to the 1/3 now showing on the top right of the password screen, “See, there are still two more chances.”

Xu Wang was frustrated. “What exactly did you press just now?”

“Chi Yingxue’s birthday,” Yan Wang confessed honestly.

Xu Wang held his forehead. “Didn’t we just finish saying it’s impossible to use such a password that even his dad knows!”

“Maybe.” Yan Wang shrugged. “You’re also guessing.”

Xu Wang gritted his teeth. “At ease and stand at attention!”

Yan Wang reflexively straightened his posture, surprisingly standard.

Xu Wang narrowed his eyes. “From now on, don’t move a muscle!”

Yan Wang reluctantly rolled his eyes. “Roger that.”

“Let’s take a gamble.” Xu Wang looked back at Wu Sheng. “We can’t keep dragging on like this.”

Indeed, apart from the secret code letter, they had no other information.

Wu Sheng closed his eyes, adjusted his breathing, and went over the sequence of numbers 127346589 in his mind countless times…

“Yan Wang.” He suddenly opened his eyes and asked, “Does Chi Yingxue have any numbers he particularly dislikes or likes?”

“I don’t know about his favorites, but the one he dislikes the most…” Yan Wang tilted his head and thought seriously. “Probably 9.”

Xu Wang was surprised. “Why?” In his impression, the numbers 8 and 9¹, especially as a suffix, were quite popular, especially evident when customers chose floors at real estate sales centers.

“9, as in ‘forever’¹,” Yan Wang said with a mischievous smile, tinged with mockery. “For someone who has attempted suicide several times at a young age, I guess he wouldn’t like this implication.”

¹The number 8 [ba] (八) is considered auspicious in Chinese culture because it sounds like the word for wealth or prosperity [fa] (发). Likewise, the number 9 [jiu] (九) is considered lucky as well, but because it sounds similar to the word “long lasting” [jiu] (久), which represents longevity, forever.

Xu Wang, Wu Sheng: “……”

Chi Yingxue, attempted suicide?

“Are you going to press it or not?” Yan Wang urged, seeing Wu Sheng hesitating, his face full of the eagerness of, “The finish line is right in front of you. Just cross it already.”

After pondering for a moment, Wu Sheng decided to take a gamble.

He rarely did things without certainty, especially when the crucial information was provided by others, not in his control.

With the situation so dire, he couldn’t think any longer. Settling his mind, he entered “12734658”.

“Beep beep beep!”

Wu Sheng: “……”

He knew the probability was too low!

Nine options for eight places. Even without considering the order, there were nine possible answers. Now, with one wrong answer eliminated, there were still eight left.

But the small number in the top right corner had changed to 2/3, leaving them only one more chance.

Wu Sheng’s frown deepened; his expression was troubled like a karst landscape. Apart from romance, he had never been so entangled in the face of a challenge.

Suddenly, his hand was gently and warmly held.

Wu Sheng turned his head, meeting Xu Wang’s eyes.

Their gazes met, and in Xu Wang’s eyes, Wu Sheng saw a different kind of light.

It was a clever, clear, and understanding light. Back in school days, when Xu Wang looked at him like this, there were only two possibilities: one, he had come up with a new scheme to trap him; two, he had solved a difficult problem before Wu Sheng, with a bit of showing off and pride.

But now, there was no showing off or pride in his eyes, replaced by the trust of standing shoulder to shoulder.

“This defense is set up by Xiao Xue,” Xu Wang said directly before Wu Sheng could ask. “It’s to guard against the people he fears and least wants to see, all intruders, but definitely not against the people he trusts and is close to.”

“Chi Zhuolin?” Wu Sheng said, then immediately negated. “No, using Chi Zhuolin’s information wouldn’t guard against their father.”

“Maybe, the person Xiao Xue trusts is not only Chi Zhuolin.” Xu Wang slowly turned his head, his gaze falling on the bewildered youth.

……

“Are you sure you want to use my birthday?” Yan Wang was anxiously urging. Although he had provided his birthday, he still found the idea bizarre, fearing they would waste their last chance. “Are you crazy? Why would he use my birthday as a password? We aren’t that close…”

Xu Wang said, “You always come to play with him and even take beatings for him. Isn’t that close?”

“No, it’s not.” Yan Wang was at a loss for words. “Being familiar, having a good relationship, being close, and the trust you’re talking about are all different things. They don’t necessarily connect!”

Xu Wang raised an eyebrow. “So everything you said before was a lie? You never considered Xiao Xue a friend?”

Yan Wang: “It’s not like that…”

While they were arguing, Wu Sheng had already entered the password.

If Xu Wang said so, he would execute it.

Fortunately, Yan Wang indeed remembered his birthday, which, when combined, formed exactly eight digits.

The so-called birthday was actually the day Yan Wang first appeared, which should be when Chi Yingxue was about seven or eight years old.

A child of seven or eight—what kind of pain must they have endured to so desperately wish for such a person to protect themselves?

Healthy, robust, vibrant, full of life—rather than saying Yan Wang was Chi Yingxue’s imagined protector, it was more like he was the greatest yearning of the young Chi Yingxue.

Growing up overnight, turning into a youth like Yan Wang, to fend off all harms of the world.

Wu Sheng wasn’t a sentimental person, but the journey so far had involuntarily made him think a lot, unable to remain calm.

“Ding~”

The password was correct.

The final stone wall slowly descended.

Xu Wang gave Yan Wang a triumphant look.

The latter was stunned, taking a long time to come back to his senses.

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 142: Candles

Kuang Jinxin and Qian Ai stood frozen at the doorway, their hearts feeling as if they had been crushed by a spiked wheel, shattered into pieces, bleeding profusely.

The one being slapped wasn’t them, yet they wished it was.

Slap.

Slap.

Slap…

The frequency of the slaps gradually slowed down. The figure seemed to be in acute pain, shaking more violently with each slap, hesitating longer than before with each hit.

The voice repeating “I was wrong” also started to weaken.

Finally, he stopped completely, trembling as he slowly raised his head, looking towards the empty space in front of him, as if there was an invisible watcher standing there.

Kuang Jinxin and Qian Ai also involuntarily looked toward that empty space.

At that moment, in the originally empty space, a shadow slowly began to form. The figure was clearly that of an adult man, tall and imposing.

The moonlight outlined the profile of his face, making Kuang Jinxin shiver involuntarily.

It was Chi Yingxue’s father. Even as just a silhouette, he recognized it!

The shadow glanced at the thin figure, then suddenly raised its hand.

The child’s figure trembled violently, slapping himself again fiercely. “I was wrong, I was wrong, I was wrong…”

The sound of the slaps became more rapid and forceful than before. His fear overcame his hesitation; each slap seemed less like self-reflection and more like a plea for the other not to take action, that he could do it himself. Really, he could.

Kuang Jinxin and Qian Ai could no longer bear it; the two figures in front of them weren’t illusions but real people! Everything in front of them was so vivid, so brutally real!

The two rushed into the room, Kuang Jinxin heading straight for the thin figure, while Qian Ai cursed at the tall man’s silhouette. “You’re nothing but a fucking beast—”

With that curse, the [Money Dart] flew sharply out, faster than Qian Ai’s words, striking towards the tall shadow like a sharp knife!

The shadow couldn’t dodge in time, and the money dart hit him squarely in the face!

At the moment of impact, the shadow dispersed silently, and the [Money Dart] pierced through the scattering dust, embedding in the floor tile with a “thwack”.

Beside him, Kuang Jinxin had already embraced the thin figure tightly in his arms.

Like in the previous room, he still couldn’t see the face of the little shadow and couldn’t even touch his body tangibly. He held him as if embracing a soft, cool mist; he knew he was there, but he couldn’t grasp firmly, or he would end up holding himself.

Gently embracing like this, the little shadow stopped slapping himself, but his mouth still muttered, “I was wrong, I was wrong…”

Kuang Jinxin interrupted him. “You’re not wrong. You’ve done nothing wrong…”

His eyes were sore, and his throat was bitter. He had to restrain himself to keep his voice steady.

“I’m wrong…”

“You’re not wrong.”

“I’m wrong…”

“You’re not wrong!”

The dialogue meaninglessly repeated itself, like a ball rolling at a constant speed on a frictionless path, never stopping, never-ending.

Qian Ai wanted to stop it, but seeing the rare stubbornness in Kuang Jinxin’s eyes, the words “Don’t waste your effort” that reached his lips were swallowed back.

After what felt like an eternity, the mechanical conversation that might have repeated hundreds of times finally ceased.

“I… I’m not wrong?”

The little shadow raised its head, hesitating, trembling in its voice. It was like a last spark of hope rising from the ashes.

“You’re not wrong.” Kuang Jinxin repeated for the thousandth and one time, just as firmly.

Qian Ai squatted down, declaring without hesitation, “The wrong one is that bastard! He doesn’t deserve to be a father! Peh, he doesn’t even deserve to be called a human!”

The familiar goose-yellow halo lit up inside the room.

The shadow in Kuang Jinxin’s arms dispersed, blending into the flickering candlelight and into the gradually warming air.

Qian Ai was confused. This was the second time this happened. As soon as the candle appeared, the little shadow disappeared. But he didn’t have the leisure to ponder the deeper meaning; no one knew when the candle would extinguish. While it was still bright, they needed to hurry and find the badge.

Seeing Kuang Jinxin still squatting on the ground, maintaining the embracing pose in a daze, Qian Ai patted his shoulder. “Don’t space out. As usual, you search the walls; I’ll check the ceiling and floor tiles.”

Kuang Jinxin silently stood up. He hadn’t recovered from the previous distress, but knowing the urgency, he quietly walked towards the wall, searching swiftly.

Qian Ai sighed, not trying to strike up a conversation anymore.

It wasn’t just Kuang Jinxin; his own heart was heavy. He wanted to curse—to beat that beast with a stick.

The silent search for the badge soon ended, just like the last room, without any findings.

Heaven, Earth, People, Harmony.

Now only the [Harmony] room was left.

Kuang Jinxin and Qian Ai stood in front of the last room, looking up at the wooden plaque carved with [Harmony], feeling the irony.

Harmony.

In this mansion, in these dark rooms, where was the “Harmony”?

They saw only pain, fear, coldness.

Lifting his hand to touch the door, Qian Ai hesitated unprecedentedly; he didn’t know what he would see inside. This uncertainty made him anxious.

Turning to look at Kuang Jinxin, he tried to lighten the mood with a joke. “I think I’m developing a phobia of opening doors…”

Kuang Jinxin didn’t hesitate. “Qian Ge, if opening the door reveals that big shadow again, just deal with him with the [Money Dart].”

Qian Ai hesitated at such a bold Kuang Jinxin. “What if the shadow turns out to be a good person this time?”

“Impossible.” Kuang Jinxin was adamant.

The repeated “I was wrong” echoed in his ears, and Qian Ai’s eyes darkened. “Alright, I’ll listen to you.”

“Creak—”

The door opened in response.

A rotten food smell assaulted their senses, instantly nauseating.

Both partners covered their noses and mouths, peering into the room.

This time, there was no one in the center of the room.

A thin, frail figure huddled in a corner, holding a bowl of indistinguishable food, shoveling it into his mouth as if it was a delicacy, as if any slower and it would be snatched away.

But Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin could only smell the sourness and stench of spoiled food, like the swill hauled away from the back doors of restaurants.

The figure was skin and bones, smaller and weaker than the shadows in the previous rooms, especially huddled in the corner. At a glance, it was hard to discern that it was a child; it more resembled a stray cat or dog in the darkness, starved and emaciated.

“I can’t take this. I can’t watch this.” Qian Ai turned away, taking a deep breath. “This is fake, right?” He seemed to be asking Kuang Jinxin, but also convincing himself. “It’s just a dream, an illusion…”

His mouth kept moving, but the more he spoke, the stronger the conviction in his heart became.

This was Chi Yingxue.

Childhood trauma, psychological shadows, split personalities—even he, who had only seen multiple personality cases in TV dramas, could easily trace a logical chain.

“Why…” He didn’t know how many times he had asked this question. With his limited understanding, he couldn’t fathom any reason that would justify such cruel treatment of a child.

“No matter why, he deserves to die.” Kuang Jinxin looked steadily at the dark figure in the corner. For the first time, coldness filled his heart and eyes.

There was no reason that justified the abuse of a child.

The instigator should be utterly destroyed.

This was the most extreme moment of Kuang Jinxin’s life. He couldn’t control his anger, and for a moment, a murderous intent flashed through his mind.

Fortunately, the adult shadow didn’t reappear in the room, so nothing further stimulated his emotions.

After several deep breaths, he finally suppressed those chaotic thoughts and raised his arm to open the [Stationery Box]…

[Owl: Someone used [(Offense) Romantic Afternoon Tea] on you~~]

Qian Ai didn’t hear the notification. He only saw a huge cake with an orange fragrance suddenly appearing on the ceiling of the room, and then the next second, it landed on the floor with a thud, surprisingly not breaking apart. Only the soft cake base trembled slightly under its cream and then steadied.

The cake was made with a cheesecake base, layered with orange jam and cream in the middle, and topped with a gingerbread man surrounded by a small mountain of orange soda candies.

Qian Ai didn’t intend to observe so closely; it was just professional instinct, but after he finished observing, he was drooling, suddenly realizing something more surprising—Kuang Jinxin could control the flavor of the cake?!

The last time Yan Wang used [Romantic Afternoon Tea], he was on the scene, and the scene could only be described as “chaotic”. He couldn’t predict what would fall from the sky or whether the next second he would be drowned in cream or scalded by coffee.

Just as he thought to ask, he suddenly heard the sound of a bowl falling to the ground and breaking into pieces.

Qian Ai looked in the direction of the sound, only to see the little shadow wobbling to its feet, no longer caring about the broken bowl, inching closer to the cake.

He walked with a limp, as if injured, but his direct path betrayed his desire.

Finally, he reached for the cake but didn’t reach out to take it. He just stood there, deeply inhaling, as if just the smell was enough to bring him happiness and fulfillment.

Kuang Jinxin stepped half into the threshold, and the little shadow suddenly shrank back.

He withdrew his foot and squatted down at the doorway, watching the little shadow. “I’m offering this to you.”

The little shadow hesitated, but eventually couldn’t resist the temptation, scooping up some orange jam with his finger and licking it.

His height was just right for the orange jam, but he had to jump to reach the cream.

“I’m offering this to you,” Kuang Jinxin repeated, encouragingly. “When you’re done, there’s more. As much as you want, whatever flavor you want.”

The little shadow turned to look at him.

In the dim night, nothing was clear, but Kuang Jinxin felt like he saw something.

He saw the small Chi Yingxue, delicate and beautiful, like a porcelain doll.

The little shadow turned back to the cake, and the next second, he suddenly jumped up, grabbing a large piece of cream-coated cake and stuffing it eagerly into his mouth.

Qian Ai squatted down next to Kuang Jinxin, maintaining a distance that would make the little shadow feel safe, quietly watching him devour the cake.

Despite wolfing it down, only the sweet scent of the cake remained in the room. The earlier smell of spoiled food, like a cowardly evader of light, fled and disappeared without a trace.

“Actually, these cakes were originally meant for Da Xue,” Kuang Jinxin said with a smile, talking to the little shadow in a gentle and innocent tone, as if coaxing a child. “Da Xue, you probably don’t know him. He’s a very awkward guy…”

He kept talking, not caring whether the little shadow listened or not, seemingly just wanting to speak and not necessarily needing someone to listen. “I promised him that next time I enter the Owl, I would use [Romantic Afternoon Tea] for him, but I didn’t keep my word…”

“I just wanted to see if he would ask me if I didn’t bring it up. I know he definitely remembers…”

“But he just wouldn’t ask, even though he was dying to…”

“Now it’s gone. He won’t get any even if he wants it…”

“If he can’t hold back and really asks about it, I’ll say I gave it to Xiao Xue, okay?”

Listening to this, Qian Ai became more and more intrigued. He never knew there was such a story between these two teammates. No, what surprised him more was that Kuang Jinxin could also be mischievous. He could even imagine how much Chi Yingxue would be inwardly hurt.

But he still unconditionally sided with Kuang Jinxin. Chi Yingxue’s awkward personality needed timely knocking. If indulged further, it might slide into a dangerous abyss…

“Burp—”

The little shadow suddenly burped.

Qian Ai snapped back to reality, only then realizing that nearly a third of the cake had been eaten. From the side, the little shadow’s belly was visibly rounder.

He hesitated about whether to stop him, as overeating and starving were both harmful to the body, just as bad as being famished.

Then the little shadow burped again.

And a candle lit up in the corner.

The candlelight brightened the room, and the shadow dispersed with it, leaving behind the cake while still emitting a rich orange fragrance.

Kuang Jinxin closed his eyes, deactivating the stationery effect.

The cake slowly disappeared, and the room returned to its empty state.

“What does this candle mean?” Qian Ai had wanted to ask for a while. “Why does the shadow disappear when the candle comes?”

Kuang Jinxin looked at the candlelight, his furrowed brows finally relaxing. “Where there is light, there is no fear of darkness.”

Behind the candle, at the joint between the wall and floor tiles, a light flickered like stars.

Kuang Jinxin and Qian Ai exchanged glances and immediately got up and rushed over!

The wind they stirred fluttered the candle flame, and in the flickering warmth, the notification finally arrived—

[Owl: Congratulations on finding the 9/23 Hell Badge!]

As the voice in their ears faded, they suddenly smelled an orange scent, different from Kuang Jinxin’s earlier cake, fresher and livelier, like a glass of iced… orange soda!

“Chi Yingxue!” Kuang Jinxin exclaimed, running out the door.

Qian Ai was half a step slower, following in confusion. “What Chi Yingxue?”

“This scent is Chi Yingxue. He loves drinking orange soda!” Kuang Jinxin was almost certain now that this elusive scent had led him here, whether intentionally or unconsciously, it was definitely Chi Yingxue guiding him!

Where did this orange soda come from? This scent was very similar to what he smelled when he woke up in the front yard. Was Chi Yingxue also beside him then, or did it mean something else?

Damn it!

Qian Ai gave up thinking. Falling behind in the story was his own fault. All he could do was follow those ahead.

Kuang Jinxin followed the scent through the [Harmony], [Person], [Ground], [Heaven] rooms. Just as he crossed the last room, he finally saw a shadow in the corridor, identical to the one he chased when he separated from Xu Wang and Wu Sheng!

Kuang Jinxin sprinted at full speed, grabbing the shadow’s shoulder without a word. “Xiao Xue…”

In an instant, the black shadow dissipated.

He caught nothing but the cold moonlight.

“Boom—”

A sound like moving boulders echoed beside him.

He and Qian Ai, who had just caught up, turned to see the high wall that enclosed the narrow area, stretching endlessly into the distance, collapsing.

The debris raised dust, obscuring the night sky.

“Lao Qian?!” Amidst the dust, a voice called out in surprise from the other side of the wall.

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>