Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

Chapter 141: The East Wing

Dad has come back.

When the code isn’t cracked, it’s just a piece of paper with random numbers, but once it’s deciphered, it takes on endless meanings, and at the end of that extension, there lies a gloomy darkness.

My brother and I always played like this when we were kids.

Kuang Jinxin and Qian Ai both clearly remembered what Chi Yingxue said.

At that time, they really thought it was just “playing”, because Chi Yingxue said this with a natural expression, no different from usual.

But now they knew, this wasn’t a game. Even if Chi Yingxue wanted to cloak this memory in a veil of “play”, deep down, it was still a childhood hell.

Every time their father returned to the house, every message was the reopening of the gates of hell for the young Chi Yingxue.

Kuang Jinxin and Qian Ai remained silent for a long time.

They didn’t know what to say. What could they say? The tumultuous emotions inside them churned like boiling water, yet when it came to their lips, only silence remained.

A cold wind blew through the door cracks, making the coded letter tremble lightly.

Kuang Jinxin took a deep breath, putting the letter and the nursery rhyme book into his backpack. Once ready, he stood up and said to Qian Ai, “Let’s go.”

Qian Ai, still not fully recovered from the shock, asked blankly, “Go where?”

Kuang Jinxin said, “Find a way to the west wing.”

“The west wing? Isn’t the badge in the east wing?” Qian Ai thought he remembered wrong, and while speaking, he lifted his arm to recheck the badge manual, then realized his memory was correct.

“The badge is in the east wing, but Xiao Xue is in the west wing,” Kuang Jinxin said, noticing Qian Ai’s bewildered look. He quickly added, “Chi Zhuolin said so.”

“What else did he say? Can you share everything at once?” Qian Ai held his forehead, feeling like he was missing out on an entire world. Not entering the flower-pendant gate, he missed the secret code message and Chi Yingxue’s location.

Kuang Jinxin: “That’s all, I promise.”

“Alright.” Seeing Kuang Jinxin’s sincere eyes, Qian Ai chose to believe. Considering the situation, it was indeed difficult to look for both the badge and Chi Yingxue at the same time. Focusing on finding Chi Yingxue might even lead to meeting the captain and advisor in the west wing…

Wait a minute.

Qian Ai realized he had overlooked a problem. The east and west wings of the courtyard… shouldn’t they be together?

He shared this thought with Kuang Jinxin, who apparently had never considered it. “Together?”

“Of course.” Qian Ai, who had never lived in a courtyard house but had seen plenty on TV, immediately gestured with his hands. “For example, this is a courtyard. The main house faces south at the top. The left row is the west wing, and the right row is the east wing, facing each other across the air. If you throw foot washing water from this side, it could even splash on the curtain on the other side!”

Without delay and with a clear goal, the two immediately left the room to explore the surroundings and try to identify the inner courtyard’s direction to find the right path.

As soon as they left the room, Qian Ai was about to use his phone for light, but Kuang Jinxin stopped him. “There’s the moon. No need to waste batteries.”

“No worries.” Qian Ai wasn’t fussy. “When my phone’s dead, you can take over.”

Kuang Jinxin: “Mine’s already dead.”

“……” Qian Ai obediently turned off the flashlight and switched to low battery mode before pocketing it.

Kuang Jinxin turned around and gently closed the door.

Qian Ai stood at the door, his eyes slowly adjusting to the moonlight, and he saw the surroundings clearly.

It was a narrow courtyard, hardly deserving the name, for from the row of rooms behind him and down the steps, there was a wall soaring to the sky. A row of rooms and a wall, like the two long sides of a rectangle, while the short sides extended into a mass of darkness, making it impossible to see the end.

There was no need to search for a path. Either left or right, they had one of two choices.

As Qian Ai was pondering, he heard Kuang Jinxin calling him. “Qian Ge, look.”

Turning around, Qian Ai saw Kuang Jinxin staring at the door they just closed, looking up at a certain point on the doorframe.

He curiously followed the gaze and saw two small wooden plaques hanging in the center of the doorframe, one carved with [East Wing], the other with [Heaven].

“Is this the east wing?” Happiness came too suddenly for Qian Ai, unprepared for such a fortunate event of “thinking about finding a path, and the destination falls from the sky” in his life.

Kuang Jinxin wasn’t sure either.

The two looked along the row of rooms. There were four in total, excluding the one they just exited. The remaining ones were all closed, with frosted glass in latticed windows, obscuring any view inside. But without exception, two plaques hung above each door, one reading [East Wing], the other combining to read [Heaven] [Earth] [Man] [Harmony]*.

*The text combines into (天地人和) which is a Chinese philosophy that suggests the ideal of harmony between heaven, earth, and humanity, emphasizing the importance of living in harmony with nature and adhering to natural law and moral principles.

Kuang Jinxin: “It should be, right?”

Qian Ai: “Should be.”

One came through a tunnel, the other followed Chi Yingxue’s father, neither having paid attention to their surroundings. The two friends returned uncertainly to the [Heaven] room’s door, concluding tentatively.

“Anyway, there are just four rooms.” Qian Ai opened the door they had just closed. “Search for it!”

They knew this room well, from the floor tiles to the sofa, from the tunnel to the closet. In a short time, they had searched everything, even carefully inspecting the ceiling while standing on stools, but found nothing.

Throughout, there was no glimmer of the badge.

They were prepared for this result, having stayed in the room so long in the dark; if there had been any glimmer, they would have noticed earlier. The reason for searching again was just to be absolutely sure.

The two left the room, closing the door for the second time.

Qian Ai moved to the second room, [Earth], but at the door, he realized Kuang Jinxin hadn’t followed. Turning back, he saw his teammate staring at the towering wall below the steps.

“What’s up?” Qian Ai asked.

Kuang Jinxin was pondering. “Qian Ge, you said the east and west wings must face each other, right? If this side is the east wing, then behind that wall…”

“Is the west wing!” Qian Ai understood what he was thinking. If the other side was indeed the west wing, it meant Xiao Xue was behind the wall!

“So what now? Continue searching for the badge, or push the wall?” Qian Ai, eager and ready for physical effort, looked as if he was about to undertake a major task.

This startled Kuang Jinxin, who quickly said, “Find the badge first. If we’re wrong and Chi Yingxue isn’t on the other side, we’ll end up empty-handed.”

“Alright.” Qian Ai dropped his fists, reluctantly taking one last look at the wall.

Kuang Jinxin hurriedly walked a few steps to join Qian Ai, facing the door of the [Earth] room together, returning to “badge searching mode”.

The door was tightly shut, with no sound from inside.

Moonlight passed through the carved latticework, casting a mysterious chill on the frosted glass.

“I’ll push.” Qian Ai gave Kuang Jinxin a look.

Kuang Jinxin nodded. There might be danger inside, or maybe nothing, but either way, he was ready.

Qian Ai gently pushed, and the door opened.

Qian Ai was startled himself, as if the door wasn’t tightly closed but rather slightly ajar.

As soon as the door opened, a voice floated through the crack. It was the singing of a child, clear and youthful, half humming, half singing.

“Throw, throw, throw the handkerchief quietly behind the child~~ Don’t tell him~~*”

*Lyrics from a classic children’s song that later became a game called Drop Handkerchief (Duck, duck, goose).

The door kept opening with inertia, and the crack widened, making the singing clearer.

“Hurry, hurry, catch him~~ Hurry, hurry, catch him~~”

Moonlight streamed through the wide-open door, casting the shadow of a small, crouching figure in the center of the room.

The room was empty, like a cold box, with the figure squatting on the ground, hugging its knees, and softly humming the game song.

Kuang Jinxin and Qian Ai couldn’t see his face clearly. It was odd, as if the moonlight deliberately avoided his face, not even sparing a glimpse of his facial features. All they could make out was that he was a child, and then nothing more.

“Throw, throw, throw the handkerchief…” The child mechanically repeated the game song, then suddenly looked to the side. There was nothing there, but he looked intently, and the song abruptly jumped to the next part, urgent and cheerful. “Hurry, hurry, catch him~~ Hurry, hurry, catch him~~”

He sang earnestly, watching intently, even turning his gaze as if there was really another child next to him, picking up the handkerchief, and happily chasing someone else.

Drop handkerchief is a game that requires at least three or more children.

In the center of the room, there was only him.

Kuang Jinxin and Qian Ai stood at the doorway, torn by two completely unrelated emotions—one was eerie, the other suffocating. They couldn’t tell which was more overwhelming.

“Are you Chi Yingxue?” Kuang Jinxin asked softly.

The singing in the room stopped.

The child slowly raised his head and looked over. His face was still blurry.

Kuang Jinxin and Qian Ai couldn’t see his appearance, his expression, or even meet his gaze.

The clouds and fog had already dimmed the moonlight, but the child was even darker.

“Pat, pat.”

He suddenly patted the ground next to him twice.

Qian Ai almost stopped breathing, clutching his wildly beating chest and looking at Kuang Jinxin with sorrowful eyes.

Kuang Jinxin looked at the figure in the room and the ground he patted, and probably understood.

Two minutes later.

“Throw, throw, throw the handkerchief…” Qian Ai sang the song, feeling embarrassed. Why did he end up playing drop handkerchief with a ghostly shadow in a nightmare? He still didn’t understand.

Now, Kuang Jinxin and the little shadow—let’s call it that, for even face-to-face, his face was still hidden in darkness, Qian Ai couldn’t look closely as looking too long made him uneasy—were squatting face to face, with Qian Ai holding the handkerchief, happily hopping around the outside, humming and circling, and also considering whom to give the handkerchief to.

From beginning to end, the little shadow didn’t say a word.

This made Qian Ai even more uneasy, always feeling that the other might have some trick up his sleeve, and if he really gave him the handkerchief, the consequences of being caught were too terrifying to think about…

Thinking this, Qian Ai decisively put the handkerchief behind Kuang Jinxin.

The moment the handkerchief was placed down, the little shadow’s body stiffened for half a second, then switched the lyrics, singing “hurry, catch him.”

Kuang Jinxin felt it when Qian Ai bent down. A gust of wind unavoidably blew behind him, making it hard not to notice.

Likewise, he noticed the child’s moment of stiffness.

Somehow, his heart inexplicably soured a bit.

Picking up the handkerchief, he immediately chased after Qian Ai, who was quite engaged. He ran fast, eventually squatting down in place with a face of pride, saying, “I’m good, right?”

The game song started again.

Kuang Jinxin walked leisurely, circling twice, ignoring Qian Ai’s frequent glances, and put the handkerchief behind the child.

After half a circle, the child finally noticed. He turned around in disbelief, then immediately picked up the handkerchief and excitedly chased Kuang Jinxin.

Even though his face was unclear, let alone his expressions—the child’s astonishment and joy—all his emotional changes seemed to permeate the air, easily felt with each breath.

“Don’t let him catch you—” Seeing the child’s hand about to touch Kuang Jinxin’s clothes, Qian Ai got anxious, no longer singing the game song, genuinely worried for his teammate.

Kuang Jinxin was also very engaged, running for real, not holding back, and finally squatting down before the child could catch him.

The child wasn’t annoyed, humming the song again, and soon put the handkerchief back behind Kuang Jinxin.

Qian Ai watched, feeling a complex sense of isolation.

Kuang Jinxin picked up the handkerchief; this time it was his turn to chase the child. He was tall and took long strides, catching the child’s arm with one step!

It was cool to the touch.

Kuang Jinxin only had time to register this sensation before the figure dispersed without warning, like a puff of sand, turning into tiny particles floating in the air.

They basked in the moonlight, floating in mid-air, like tiny fireflies.

Suddenly, a warm glow arose in the room.

Kuang Jinxin and Qian Ai were stunned, looking towards the light source.

In a corner of the wall, a candle had been lit at some unknown time.

This was the first time they had seen a light other than the moon or a phone since entering this house. The yellow-red candle flame couldn’t brighten the room like daylight, but it was a long-missed warmth.

……

“There’s still nothing.” Qian Ai sighed dejectedly and turned to close the door of the [East Wing] [Ground] room.

This empty room, apart from the floor tiles, didn’t need to be searched anywhere else. Especially with the candlelight, everything was clearly visible.

“Don’t lose heart, Qian Ge. Look at it from another angle. Luckily, there are only four rooms. Haven’t we just eliminated 50% of them in a short while?” Kuang Jinxin looked towards the remaining [Person] and [Harmony]. “Imagine if there were forty rooms…”

“Don’t,” Qian Ai quickly interrupted. “This is a world of consciousness. What if Xiao Xue hears your creative ideas and adds more drama for us? Then we really would have no way out.”

“……” Kuang Jinxin was convinced by his peculiar way of thinking.

“Do you think,” Qian Ai looked at the door that had been closed and asked faintly, “Was that Xiao Xue just now?”

Kuang Jinxin shook his head. “I don’t know.”

The candlelight was still burning, casting a goose-yellow halo on the frosted glass from the inside.

“I hope it wasn’t,” he said quietly.

In front of the [East Wing] [Person] room.

Qian Ai touched the door panel, once hesitant, now more familiar, pushing it forward with just the right amount of force.

Like the [Ground] room, the door opened easily without any obstruction.

Another empty room.

Another thin figure with an unclear face.

The only difference this time was that he was kneeling in the center of the room, with no cheerful ballads. There was only the sound of him slapping himself.

Over and over.

He slapped fiercely, as if he wasn’t hitting himself.

While slapping, he repeated over and over with a crying voice, “I was wrong, I was wrong, I was wrong…”

His back was straight, but his whole body was trembling.

It wasn’t stubbornness, but fear.

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

Chapter 140: Decoding

Underground stone chamber.

[Owl: Someone has used [(Illusory) Turning Weapons Into Jade and Silk*] on you~~]

*(化干戈为玉帛) Idiom referring to turning war into peace (in ancient times) now metaphorically means to turn hostility into friendship (AKA bury the hatchet).

Whether the sharp knives on the ground heard this hint or not was unclear, but the moment the stationery took effect, the cold, gleaming knives indeed transformed: half into jade, losing their sharpness and only retaining a smooth warmth, and the other half into soft silk, softly collapsing to form a luxurious path leading to the lever.

Wu Sheng lowered his arm and sighed inwardly. He had been reluctant to use this stationery in the front courtyard conflict with the Zhang and Peng duo, wanting to save it for tougher enemies later on, but fate had other plans, and he ended up using it here.

If it were only him and Xu Wang, they might consider some unorthodox strategies to fight, but with Yan Wang, who didn’t remember him or Xu Wang and was likely an “early stage” Yan Wang like Chi Zhuolin, the variables were too great. He had to stay within a controllable range and seek stability.

This was only the first challenge, and there were four more stone chambers ahead.

While Wu Sheng’s thoughts raced, Yan Wang, facing the jade and silk on the ground, was stunned. “Impressive. You two are more capable than I expected.”

Xu Wang glanced at him sideways. “Can you elaborate on your ‘expectations’?”

“I was wrong.” Yan Wang quickly admitted defeat, his smile earnest. “I failed to recognize the true value in front of me.”

Xu Wang smiled; this way of speaking reminded him somewhat of the Yan Wang he knew.

In just a few words, the group had reached the lever. Wu Sheng placed his hand on it but hesitated to pull it down, instead turning to ask Yan Wang. “What’s in the next room?”

Yan Wang, being the guide, was naturally the most familiar with the route.

Yet this question made Yan Wang’s face scrunch up, as if he had eaten a bad melon or an extremely sour orange. “I really don’t want to remember…”

“This is no time for sentiment,” Xu Wang interrupted. “Focus on the matter at hand.”

“Chocolate sauce flood,” Yan Wang replied grudgingly.

Xu Wang: “……”

Wu Sheng: “……”

“It’s better than a mountain of knives.” Yan Wang shrugged. “Just hold your breath and swim up.”

As Wu Sheng slowly pulled down the lever, the stone wall began to descend.

Just a foot down, chocolate sauce overflowed from the top edge of the wall.

It slid down the wall, flowed to the ground, and reached their feet.

The stone chamber was filled with the rich, fragrant aroma of chocolate.

As they braced themselves, the slowly sinking stone wall cracked loudly.

The next second, under a violent impact, the wall collapsed, and a tidal wave of chocolate sauce rushed towards them!

They immediately held their breath!

The chocolate sauce instantly filled the chamber, completely engulfing them!

Once submerged, Xu Wang began to swim upwards, only to realize that the viscosity of the chocolate flood was much thicker than he expected, offering far more resistance. He struggled to push upwards, but his ascent was painfully slow.

Xu Wang didn’t know how long he swam upwards, only aware that his lungs were running out of oxygen and his chest felt tight and heavy.

Just at the critical moment, a hand suddenly grabbed his arm and forcefully pulled him upwards.

Xu Wang’s head finally broke the “surface”. He gasped for air, but each breath was filled with the sticky, rich taste of chocolate, making breathing difficult and blinding his eyes with chocolate sauce.

The “life-saving hand” wiped his face.

Xu Wang could finally see the light. Though the chamber was still dim and unclear, at least he could see the concerned gaze of his advisor.

“Are you okay?” Wu Sheng asked worriedly, wiping Xu Wang’s face again.

Xu Wang grabbed his hand and licked it, confirming, “Milk chocolate sauce. I knew Xiao Xue doesn’t like dark chocolate.”

Wu Sheng froze, not because of the type of chocolate sauce, but because he was licked.

Yan Wang, also emerging from the chocolate sauce, reminded Wu Sheng, “You’re sinking.”

After regaining consciousness, Advisor Wu quickly kicked his legs to maintain his height.

Xu Wang turned away, chuckling, then resumed his serious captain demeanor. “Luckily, Xiao Xue likes sweets. If he preferred hot pot, we would have been in real trouble.”

The three slowly and laboriously swam through the chocolate sauce towards the lever in the next stone chamber.

Xu Wang turned to Yan Wang.

Yan Wang stood there, looking bewildered and innocent.

Xu Wang rolled his eyes. “Are you made of toothpaste, only speaking when squeezed? Just tell us. What’s in the remaining three stone chambers?”

“Oh.” Yan Wang suddenly realized and quickly said, “Next is a slide and mice, but the last two chambers are unpredictable.”

Wu Sheng: “What do you mean by unpredictable?”

Yan Wang scratched his head. “It changes every time. I don’t know what it will be this time.”

“Then tell us about the slide and mice,” Xu Wang urged.

Yan Wang: “Okay.”

Xu Wang: “What kind of slide?”

Yan Wang: “Big.”

Xu Wang: “What kind of mice?”

Yan Wang: “Big.”

Xu Wang: “Can’t you come up with a second adjective…”

……

In a certain room, hidden compartment.

Kuang Jinxin didn’t know how long he had been trapped here. His body no longer felt pain. There was only a dull numbness that remained in his twisted joints.

This was a place that could drive a person insane.

Cramped, dark, painful, suffocating.

He could feel his consciousness becoming increasingly scattered, occasionally thinking, ‘It might be better to just pass out,’ as losing consciousness would be a blissful release from his current agony.

But he immediately suppressed such thoughts.

What he was experiencing now, Xiao Xue had endured countless times throughout his long childhood, and now, that person was suffering the nightmare of the secret chamber again. He couldn’t ease Xiao Xue’s pain, but he could do his part to find the badge, find Chi Yingxue here, and end this ordeal even a minute sooner.

Taking a deep breath, Kuang Jinxin again rammed his head against the secret chamber wall!

“Thud!”

The solid sound of impact was accompanied by dizziness and dull pain.

The wall of the secret chamber was thin but incredibly tough.

Kuang Jinxin couldn’t remember how many times he had rammed it. The first time took him more than ten minutes to recover, but now he only needed a few seconds.

The wall didn’t break, but he could feel it loosening slightly, which was all the motivation he needed to continue.

After a few seconds, he gritted his teeth to ram it a second time, but a louder noise came from outside first—

“Bang!”

It sounded like a large tile being lifted and then smashed down.

Kuang Jinxin was startled, instinctively holding his breath, not daring to move.

Soon, a very familiar voice came from outside the secret chamber—

“Damn, where is this place?!”

Kuang Jinxin’s eyes widened, almost crying with joy, as he shouted, “Qian Ge! Brother Ge—”

In the room, Qian Ai, covered in dust and holding a steel dustpan, was gloomily surveying the unfamiliar room when he heard a loud call from within the walls, shouting his name, almost scaring him to death!

It wasn’t until the second shout that he realized something was wrong; he knew this voice!

“Xiao Kuang?!” Qian Ai dashed to the wall where the voice was coming from, knocked on it, and it echoed hollowly.

“Step back. I’m going to smash the wall!” Qian Ai announced loudly.

“Don’t smash, Qian Ge! I can’t move!” Kuang Jinxin hurriedly shouted, fearing he would be crushed along with the wall.

Qian Ai had already raised his dustpan, stopping just a centimeter from the wall. “God, a half-second later, and I would have smashed it!”

“……” Kuang Jinxin broke out in a cold sweat. Being beaten, abused, and stuffed into a wall hadn’t broken him, but he nearly died at the hands of his own teammate.

“Qian Ge, look for it. I’ve been ramming it for a while now. There must be a crack. If there’s a crack, we can pry it open!” Kuang Jinxin advised from inside the wall.

Qian Ai lit up his phone’s screen and, centering on Kuang Jinxin’s voice, looked around until he finally found a thin crack. Without a word, he started prying with the dustpan.

Qian Ai had mastered the use of the dustpan, able to move mountains and dig holes with just a gap.

“Crack!”

With brute force from the steel dustpan, the secret chamber’s wall broke open.

Qian Ai immediately pulled out the curled-up Kuang Jinxin. It was too dark to see his condition clearly, but he pulled him out as usual, which caused Kuang Jinxin to cry out in pain due to the rough movement.

Kuang Jinxin rarely cried out in pain, startling Qian Ai, who immediately slowed down and stopped pulling. Instead, he extended his arm fully inside, embracing and half-carrying Kuang Jinxin out.

Once out, Qian Ai saw, in the light of the phone flashlight placed on the ground, Kuang Jinxin’s broken mouth corner, swollen eyes, and his hands bound behind his back.

“Who the hell did this?” Qian Ai angrily cut the plastic ties with his dart, struggling to contain his murderous rage, and asked through gritted teeth.

Kuang Jinxin slowly moved his arms and wrists, feeling the blood flow returning.

Qian Ai was anxious. “Tell me.”

Kuang Jinxin looked up, his eyes filled with complex emotions. “Chi Yingxue’s father.”

Qian Ai was momentarily stunned.

“Why would he…?”

His voice, filled with disbelief, lost its previous fierceness.

“Does he dislike us intruding? Or is it because we fought with Lao Zhang and Lao Peng…”

Qian Ai’s limited intellect could only come up with these reasons, but even he felt they were far-fetched. Kuang Jinxin’s face was swollen, his cheeks bearing clear handprints, and being bound and shoved into a wall—this clearly was a fucking a crime. It couldn’t be just because they fought with people in the house, could the homeowner retaliate so crazily?

“He mistook me for Xiao Xue…” Kuang Jinxin spoke softly, feeling choked up. “Qian Ge, he wasn’t beating me. He was beating Xiao Xue.”

Qian Ai knew this was a world of consciousness, with many absurd and illogical elements, but Kuang Jinxin’s answer still stunned him.

It wasn’t the simple and brutal shock of blood and monsters attacking, but rather a creeping coldness in the heart, like a snake slithering inside, bringing an unshakable chill.

“I didn’t sit still as he told me to, so he said I was running around, being disobedient. If I’m disobedient, I must be punished…” Kuang Jinxin’s eyes reddened, and his voice choked not with self-pity but for the injustice done to Xiao Xue.

Qian Ai felt distressed listening and instinctively reached out to comfort Kuang Jinxin by patting his head. But when he did, several hairs came off in his hand—not just one or two, but seven or eight!

Qian Ai was stunned, looking at his palm, and Kuang Jinxin immediately understood. “He grabbed my hair earlier.”

“…He’s sick!” Qian Ai was furious, feeling that each new piece of information was pushing his limits.

No wonder Chi Yingxue feared pain and darkness and developed a split personality. Having such a father, it was a miracle he grew up at all!

“But why?” Qian Ai asked. “Or is there no reason, and his dad is just an abuser?”

Kuang Jinxin couldn’t answer this question for Qian Ai. Although he had talked with Chi Yingxue’s father, there was almost no useful information.

As the numbness in his body faded and the pain returned, Kuang Jinxin noticed Qian Ai’s disheveled state, the discarded dustpan, the lifted floor tiles, and the large hole exposed.

“Qian Ge, did you… dig your way here?” Kuang Jinxin couldn’t think of any other explanation for the scene before him.

“The door wouldn’t open. What else could I do? So, I dug.” Qian Ai rubbed his shoulder and swung his arms. “Wasn’t easy to reunite with you guys… Huh? Where are Xu Wang and Wu Sheng?”

Qian Ai had been focused on rescuing Kuang Jinxin and only now remembered his captain and advisor.

Kuang Jinxin briefly explained their strategy of splitting up, one group following the child and the other tracking the man in black.

Qian Ai, after hearing it, slapped his forehead. “Great, we still need to reunite.”

Kuang Jinxin forced a smile. “At least we’re split in two groups, not three or four.”

“Stop smiling with a swollen face; just be stoic.” Qian Ai looked at him, wanting to throw a [Money Dart] at that Old Man Chi. “By the way, the kid you mentioned, is that Xiao Xue?”

Kuang Jinxin thought for a moment and shook his head. “Can’t be sure. But considering Chi Zhuolin’s age, it’s not strange that Chi Yingxue here is a child.”

“Chi Zhuolin?” Qian Ai was confused. “He’s here too?

Kuang Jinxin realized he had only talked about splitting up and had left out the part about encountering Chi Yingxue twice before.

He quickly organized his thoughts and updated Qian Ai as fast as possible. After finishing, he pulled out “Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes” from his backpack—

“Qian Ge, this is probably the original book. I found it in a secret study nearby… But I forgot the four sets of numbers in the letter!”

His excitement at nearing the solution was mixed with frustration at forgetting the puzzle.

Qian Ai quietly looked at the nursery rhyme book for a long time before silently pulling out a piece of paper from his pocket. “Is this the letter you were talking about?”

Kuang Jinxin’s eyes widened in disbelief. What Qian Ai took out was Chi Zhuolin’s letter!

“Qian Ge, where did you get this? Did you meet the captain and Sheng Ge? No, wait, didn’t you say you were digging underground the whole time…?” Kuang Jinxin snatched the letter, flipping through it back and forth, shocked and ecstatic, not knowing what to say.

“It’s a long story,” Qian Ai said with a bitter swallow. “Your Qian Ge was really focused on digging, thinking I’d dig from this side of the door to the other side and be done with it. But it was weird; I dug down on this side but couldn’t dig up on the other side, like hitting a ghost wall. I was about to give up when I broke through to a tunnel! It was a proper tunnel, very neatly dug, so I thought, since it’s come to this, let’s see where the tunnel leads. Halfway through, I met a giant crab, and it had this piece of paper stuck to its claw. I thought it was a clue, so I fought a deadly battle with the crab… Hey, are you listening to me?”

Qian Ai was speaking passionately, spit flying everywhere, but when he looked up, he found that Kuang Jinxin was already on the floor, buried in the book and the letter, flipping and reading, flipping and reading, as if possessed by Wu Sheng.

Realizing that he was deciphering, Qian Ai wisely shut up and waited quietly.

Finally, the “Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes” was closed.

Qian Ai asked eagerly, “What did Chi Zhuolin write to Xiao Xue in the end?”

Kuang Jinxin sat up, staring at the thick hardcover book cover for a long time before spitting out four words: “Dad, has, come, back.”

……

In front of the lever of the slide stone chamber.

Xu Wang, Wu Sheng, and Yan Wang, covered in chocolate sauce and countless mouse hairs, looked like three ape-men.

Beside them was a towering, bright yellow spiral slide. Under the slide was a thick, python-like mouse tail, but the owner of the tail had already fled.

“I can’t imagine how you managed to get through here alone before.” Xu Wang looked at Yan Wang, gasping for breath. “It was tough for all three of us to fight it.”

Yan Wang plucked the mouse hair off his head. “It was especially strong today, probably excited to see you guys.”

Xu Wang was incredulous at this absurd theory.

Wu Sheng approached the lever and turned back to remind Xu Wang again. “Ready?”

Xu Wang nodded seriously.

According to Yan Wang, the contents of these last two stone chambers were random, so they could only prepare mentally and choose tactics as they saw fit.

Wu Sheng turned serious, looking at the stone wall, and firmly pulled down the lever!

“Click—”

The stone wall descended smoothly.

When it was fully down, nothing happened.

The stone chamber in front of them was empty and quiet, with nothing but a stone table in the center, on which lay a file folder.

Wu Sheng held his cell phone flashlight and approached the stone table cautiously and quietly.

Xu Wang and Yan Wang looked at each other and followed.

Finally, the three stood by the stone table, the phone light falling on the transparent folder. Inside was just one page, torn unevenly at the top as if ripped from a bound document.

From the page number and signature, it could be seen that it was the last page of a DNA test report. The final item of the report clearly stated—

[Test Results]: Based on the above DNA genetic marker typing results, specimen 1 is excluded as the biological father of specimen 2.

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

Chapter 139: Violence

“I-I need to use the restroom.” Kuang Jinxin lied for the first time, facing the “concerned” look of Chi Yingxue’s father.

A voice, both familiar and strange, gathered slowly in his heart, constantly telling him—run, Xiao Sijin. Run quickly!

The sweet scent of oranges returned.

“The restroom? Of course.” Chi Yingxue’s father turned back and took Kuang Jinxin’s hand. His eyes were gentle, with kindly wrinkles at the corners. “There’s one in the room ahead. You sit there, and I’ll go call Chi Yingxue for you.”

Without waiting for Kuang Jinxin to speak again, he strode forward, firmly leading him towards a room around the corner.

His hands were large and powerful, firmly holding Kuang Jinxin’s hands. At first glance, it was like what was sung in a family animation: big hands leading small hands, conveying a kind of familial warmth.

But only Kuang Jinxin could feel the oppressive force in that grip, almost forcibly guiding him to the room. When he tried to subtly pull his hand away, the grip only tightened.

“Uncle Chi… Uncle Chi, you don’t need to do this. I can just follow you…” Kuang Jinxin hinted politely for the man to let go, but the man, looking straight ahead, seemed to ignore his words.

The dim moonlight cast a shadow over his face, giving him an unavoidably gloomy appearance, even without a frown.

Kuang Jinxin thought of his primary school second-grade teacher.

She was a woman with a short fuse, unable to control her emotions, which would often explode over trivial matters. The students, who didn’t understand these nuances, simply knew that anything could trigger her rage, and so they nicknamed her “Explosive Barrel”.

When “Explosive Barrel” exploded, some students would inevitably suffer—either standing in the corridor as punishment, being slapped with a notebook, or even being hit with a ruler or cane.

Kuang Jinxin, always obedient and mistake-free, never suffered punishment and hence wasn’t afraid of her. Back then, they didn’t understand concepts like corporal punishment, believing that teachers were absolute authorities and that those who erred deserved punishment.

Until once, he brought a small pack of tea leaves to school. He had helped his grandparents roast the tea and brought some to school. One day, caught by “Explosive Barrel” for being distracted, she dragged him to the corridor, threw the tea leaves at his face, and screamed at him when he tried to pick them up. She then slapped him several times, pinching him wherever it hurt.

That was the first time Kuang Jinxin felt real fear—more terrifying than any childhood monster. He still remembered her red nail polish.

There were so many beautiful reds in his childhood—flowers, maple leaves, colored pencils, hawthorn cakes… but the one that truly left an imprint was this shade.

The sound of the door being pushed open brought Kuang Jinxin back to the present.

Chi Yingxue’s father had brought him into a room that resembled the front courtyard’s reception room. The room had a sofa and coffee table in the center, some green plants in the corner, a bookshelf, and a cabinet against the wall.

The dim light made every piece of furniture look like mere outlines. But upon closer inspection, Kuang Jinxin noticed the black leather sofa, the modern stone coffee table, and the traditional Chinese rosewood bookshelf and cabinet, creating an eerie and disjointed atmosphere.

“Sit.” Chi Yingxue’s father finally let go of his hand, politely asking Kuang Jinxin to sit.

Kuang Jinxin stood by the door, not moving. He looked at the other party blankly and asked, “Where is the restroom?”

Chi Yingxue’s father had mentioned there was a restroom in the room, but Kuang Jinxin couldn’t see any door that might lead to a restroom.

The man, as if not hearing his question, repeated, “Sit.”

This time, his tone had shifted from polite to a subtle command.

Kuang Jinxin felt a tightness in his throat, and panic was setting in. The overwhelming pressure made him almost afraid to meet the man’s gaze again.

He couldn’t describe the feeling—it was like being under a high-voltage electric net, intimidating and coercing him to follow a set path.

Swallowing hard, he steeled himself to walk over to the sofa and slowly sat down.

“That’s right.” The man smiled satisfactorily. “Good children should listen to adults.”

“I’ll go find Chi Yingxue.” The man turned and walked to the door. Before closing it, he reminded in a low voice, “Stay here and don’t wander off.”

The door slowly closed.

There was no sound of footsteps outside.

Kuang Jinxin sat on the sofa, breathing shallowly. His palms were sweaty, and his back was stiff. He dared not move.

After a while, footsteps finally sounded, gradually fading until they disappeared.

Kuang Jinxin relaxed, feeling as if he had just run a marathon, completely drained.

But soon, he gathered his energy again, listening carefully to ensure there was no sound outside before quietly getting up and tiptoeing to the door.

He had to run. Why? He didn’t know. He just knew that if there were a hundred ways to find Chi Yingxue, going through his father was definitely not a good one.

Without clear reasons but willing to trust his sixth sense, he cautiously peeked through the door crack. The corridor was empty.

The clouds seemed to have thinned, and the moonlight shone brighter on the columns.

Kuang Jinxin touched the door, gently and carefully pushing it open so quietly that the hinges made no sound.

He carefully controlled the speed until the door was open about 30 degrees, wide enough for a person to pass through. Then, holding his breath, he sidestepped through the threshold.

He didn’t dare to move too fast or too large, moving in slow motion as if in a movie, until he was completely outside. Then he gently closed the door.

Exhaling a long, silent breath against the door, he gathered his strength, turned around, and was about to run when…

“Where are you going?”

The gentle, almost doting question froze Kuang Jinxin in his tracks, halting his movement.

Chi Yingxue’s father stood right in front of him, appearing out of nowhere. He wasn’t there when the door was opened, but in the brief moment of turning around to close it, he appeared, silent and ghostlike. Against the moonlight, his face was shrouded in shadows, with only a faint smile at the corners of his mouth, chillingly real.

“I told you to wait here and not to wander off.” The man lowered his head slightly and stared at Kuang Jinxin. The warmth in his voice didn’t reach his cold eyes.

“I came out… out to find the restroom.” Kuang Jinxin couldn’t think of anything else to say. His mind was in turmoil—panic and fear mingling with an indescribable sense of oppression, causing his thoughts to short-circuit.

“Shh.” Chi Yingxue’s father gently shook his head. “Don’t make excuses for your mistake.”

“Wait, Uncle Chi… This-this is too strange,” Kuang Jinxin forced a stiff smile. “I am a guest in your house, aren’t I? Since when do you punish guests…”

Chi Ying Xue’s father’s smile gradually faded, and soon, even the slight pretense of gentleness dissipated.

“Mistakes must be punished,” he stated firmly, as if announcing an unchallengeable edict. “Talking back to adults or making excuses adds to the offense.”

Kuang Jinxin looked at his face turning sinister in the moonlight and finally understood that further words were futile.

He suddenly pushed the middle-aged man with all his might!

Taking advantage of the man’s momentary unpreparedness, Kuang Jinxin turned and ran to the left!

He didn’t know where the corridor on the left led; only that, it seemed endless, surely far enough for him to escape the danger zone!

But after just two steps, he felt a sharp pain on his scalp—someone had grabbed his hair tightly, brutally and fiercely!

The next second, he was yanked back by an immense force!

Chi Yingxue’s father, still holding his hair, forced him to raise his face, and with his other hand, he slapped Kuang Jinxin hard across the face!

Kuang Jinxin’s head buzzed, and his vision blurred.

This sudden violence seemed without reason, yet not unexpected. At that moment, he felt as if he were back in the corridor of his second-grade primary school.

His teacher slapped him while he cried and admitted his mistake, not daring to move.

The man slapped him a second time.

The force was unreserved, as if intending to kill him with the blows.

However, paradoxically, this slap woke Kuang Jinxin up.

He was grateful that he was no longer a child; he had grown up. He was no longer frail and would never cry and admit fault while forgetting to resist!

As the third slap came with a fierce wind, Kuang Jinxin suddenly grabbed the man’s hand and bit hard into the base of his thumb!

In such a situation, he couldn’t even think about using stationery; it was a desperate struggle!

“Ah!” The man inhaled sharply in pain, pulling back his hand, and as he did, his other hand holding Kuang Jinxin’s hair loosened.

Kuang Jinxin seized the opportunity, ducking and using his head to forcefully hit the man’s chest!

The man’s face changed color for a moment, and his body was uncontrollably staggering backward.

Kuang Jinxin took the chance to run toward the left corridor, into the depths!

This time, he succeeded, running dozens of meters without being stopped!

He didn’t dare to look back; he just ran as fast as he could, almost out of breath with a metallic taste still in his mouth!

But he didn’t slow down, even picking up speed!

Ahead, a new room appeared, its door slightly ajar, leaving about an inch of dark gap.

In a split second, Kuang Jinxin had to choose between “simply passing by” and “hiding in the room”—he refused any static space, feeling safe only while running!

As he passed by the door, unexpectedly, something white, like a line, shot out from the gap, wrapping tightly around his neck in a flash!

Kuang Jinxin felt a sharp pain in his neck, as if strangled by a steel wire. Continuing to run would surely decapitate him!

He braked urgently, nearly losing balance. Just as he steadied himself, he immediately reached for the white line in the door gap!

It wasn’t wire or rope, but plastic, like the strapping bands used in stores or factories. Unlike rope, once the sharp end of these bands passed through the small square slot, it was irrevocably locked, only tightening further—impossible to loosen!

Kuang Jinxin, gritting his teeth, struggled against the force pulling from inside the room, desperately searching for stationery to cut it. But before he could find one, a strong pull from inside sent him crashing through the door!

Before he could get up and see the pitch-black room, his arm was grabbed and twisted behind his back!

Kuang Jinxin felt excruciating pain in his shoulder, and the next moment, he heard the tightening sound of the strapping band—his hands were bound behind his back.

Then his feet were bound too.

The plastic bands were tightly wrapped around his ankles, almost cutting into his flesh.

Once he was completely immobilized, the person behind him finally stopped.

Kuang Jinxin struggled to look back and saw Chi Yingxue’s father.

The man’s face was no longer masked by a pretense of kindness; it was cold as ice, a stark contrast to his violent actions.

His voice was calm, and it was quite chilling. “I won’t criticize you, because criticism is useless.” His gaze suddenly softened to a cruel tenderness. “Mistakes must be reflected upon by oneself.”

After speaking, he grabbed Kuang Jinxin’s hair and dragged him to the wall. With a forceful push, a small section of the wall slid open to reveal a tiny space, like a secret cupboard too small for even two blankets, resembling a hidden nook.

Kuang Jinxin didn’t know what he intended; he only sensed imminent danger. “You can’t do this. It’s illegal!”

The man laughed, genuinely this time, as if hearing the funniest joke in the world.

“How is educating my son illegal?” His retort was innocent yet self-evident.

Kuang Jinxin froze, then realized. “You’ve mistaken me for someone else. I’m not your son…”

Before he could finish, he was forcefully stuffed into the nook!

The space was so small that Kuang Jinxin was contorted, while the man was still pushing his legs inside, causing excruciating pain.

Finally, he was completely inside, like a helpless pig crammed into a slaughter pen.

The man dusted off his suit, straightened the wrinkles, and adjusted his expensive cufflinks before turning back to Kuang Jinxin, casually announcing the rules. “You can come out once you’ve reflected enough.”

“I know I was wrong!” Kuang Jinxin immediately conceded, resisting when necessary but knowing confrontation wasn’t wise in this situation. “I know I was wrong. I am deeply reflecting, really!”

The man remained unmoved, his voice carrying an unquestionable authority. “I will decide when you have reflected enough.”

“Click!”

The nook was mercilessly closed.

Kuang Jinxin, with keen ears, caught the tiny “click” of the lock engaging.

The world went completely dark.

The suffocating darkness in this tiny space with barely a crack engulfed Kuang Jinxin like a flood.

He wasn’t afraid of the dark.

But having experienced fear, violence, and pain, this enclosed darkness could easily be the last straw to break him.

Of course, he wouldn’t break. He had companions, friends, family, and classmates; he knew it was just a challenge and that all the darkness and pain would eventually pass with time.

But what about Chi Yingxue?

What about the young, helpless Chi Yingxue, who had only his family to rely on?

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

Chapter 138: Nursery Rhyme

In the abandoned garden, under a light drizzle, the misty water vapor blurred the line between reality and illusion.

“Your name is… Yan Wang?” Xu Wang asked again.

“Is there a problem?” The young man tilted his head, puzzled at why the two were staring blankly.

Yes, there’s a problem. Meeting Yan Wang in Chi Yingxue’s world wasn’t surprising, but for Xu Wang and Wu Sheng, who had actually spent time with the real Yan Wang, this “Yan Wang” before them was unexpectedly unfamiliar.

It wasn’t just his appearance that was unfamiliar, but also his inner changes. It was like Chi Zhuolin transforming from a domineering CEO to a simple and sweet character, and Yan Wang, from a worldly, mature, and slightly sinister man, had become a vibrant young man.

Simple and straightforward, full of vitality and health, exuding a wild charm—this was very different from the Yan Wang they knew, almost the exact opposite of the Chi Yingxue they knew.

Xu Wang blinked hard, clearing the film of water on his eyelashes, making the “Yan Wang” in his sight clearer and allowing him to organize his chaotic thoughts.

“No problem. It’s just that…” He smiled, pointing to himself and Wu Sheng. “We know a friend who is also called Yan Wang.”

“Oh?” Yan Wang looked curious as he put on his black mask again, asking, “What kind of person is he?”

“A bit more mature, worldly, and obsessive than you.” Xu Wang watched his features disappear back behind the mask, leaving only a pair of eyes shining with a wild alertness.

“Why compare me to him?” Yan Wang chuckled. “We just happen to share the same name; we’re not really related. It would be weird if our personalities were the same.”

“There is one thing that’s exactly the same between you two,” Wu Sheng said leisurely. “Neither of you know pain.”

Yan Wang followed his gaze down to his own bloody and scarred arms and legs and smiled indifferently. “You get used to the pain, and then it doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“You get injured often?” Xu Wang caught a fleeting bitterness in his eyes and felt a tug at his heart, causing him to blurt out the question.

Yan Wang paused, seemingly unprepared for this question, and finally waved his hand dismissively. “Hey, let’s not talk about me. Aren’t you in a hurry to find Chi Yingxue? Then let’s go.”

With that, he turned and walked forward, heading towards a patch of withered trees with no visible path or building in sight.

Xu Wang and Wu Sheng exchanged glances and hurriedly followed, but Xu Wang couldn’t help asking, “Which way are you taking us?”

Perhaps because the real Yan Wang always held some hostility towards Chi Yingxue, Xu Wang and Wu Sheng couldn’t fully trust this amiable “Yan Wang”.

“Of course, it’s my—Yan Wang’s—special route.” Yan Wang glanced back at them, exuding an air of invincibility.

As they spoke, the three arrived at a large, dead tree with wide, yellow leaves hanging from its dry branches. Beneath the tree was an old well with its mouth covered by a stone slab.

Yan Wang bent over, took a deep breath, and pushed the large stone slab aside, revealing the weathered well mouth.

The well was dry, its bottom visible at a glance.

“You’re not telling me you’re planning to jump…” Before Xu Wang could finish, a gust of wind brushed past him.

With a “plop”, Yan Wang jumped down the well and then looked up, calling to them. “Come down quickly.”

Xu Wang looked at the well that was about four or five meters deep, and his head hurt. “This is your special route?”

“Don’t be afraid,” Yan Wang reassured them, spreading his arms. “I’ll catch you.”

“No need.” Wu Sheng refused on behalf of his captain. “He has someone to catch him.”

As Xu Wang landed safely in Wu Sheng’s arms, the small bottom of the well was nearly filled by the three of them. At knee height on the well wall, there was a circular hole wide enough for one person, leading to an unknown destination, with a whistling wind blowing through, chilling their already wet pants.

Yan Wang bent awkwardly and crawled into the hole.

Xu Wang and Wu Sheng looked on speechlessly, feeling as if they had inadvertently strayed off the path.

In the pitch-black tunnel, where the rain sound from the surface was no longer audible, only the occasional “drip-drop” could be heard, amplifying the silence of the darkness.

Yan Wang, Xu Wang, and Wu Sheng, one after the other, crawled forward slowly. The uneven tunnel was painful to navigate, causing aching backs and knees. Xu Wang had to say something to break the silence.

Xu Wang: “Don’t tell me Chi Yingxue lives in a basement.”

Yan Wang: “Of course not. He’s in a proper west wing room.”

Xu Wang: “…Then why are we going underground!”

Yan Wang: “There are guards above.”

Xu Wang: “The gardener and driver have already been driven away by us.”

Yan Wang: “Those two only guard the garden. There are more guards in the inner courtyard. Without Mr. Chi’s permission, you can’t just barge in. Even ten lives wouldn’t be enough.”

Xu Wang: “Mr. Chi? Chi Yingxue’s father?”

Yan Wang: “Who else could it be?”

Xu Wang: “Then that’s it. He’s Chi Yingxue’s father, and we are Chi Yingxue’s friends. With proper communication, there’s no reason he wouldn’t let us meet.”

Yan Wang: “Tsk, that man, you can’t communicate with him.”

Xu Wang: “Have you tried?”

Yan Wang: “No need to try. He’s the one who locked Chi Yingxue in the west wing room and doesn’t let him out. What’s there to communicate?”

Xu Wang paused, and Wu Sheng, in the darkness, also hesitated slightly.

When the veranda shook and a voice declared “Chi Zhuolin”, they had foreseen that this “Elder Mr. Chi” wasn’t to be trifled with.

But at that time, they only thought of him as a stern, unsmiling father who exuded an oppressive aura. They hadn’t thought deeply about the problems in the father-son relationship between him and Chi Yingxue.

Xu Wang: “Why does he keep Xiao Xue locked up?”

Yan Wang: “Xiao Xue?”

Xu Wang: “Oh, that’s what we call him.”

Yan Wang: “Seems like you really are close.”

Xu Wang: “Now we are friends with you, too.”

Yan Wang laughed. “I never thought I’d one day bask in Chi Yingxue’s glory.”

“Back to the previous question,” Wu Sheng reminded gently. “Why does Mr. Chi keep Xiao Xue locked up?”

“I really don’t know.” Yan Wang sighed. “Anyway, whenever I visit Chi Yingxue, I always use this underground route. Follow me, and you won’t go wrong, but…”

Xu Wang, Wu Sheng: “But?”

“This route might be, well, a bit rough,” Yan Wang said slowly, with an innocent tone.

After a long crawl, the three finally emerged from the tunnel into a spacious area of unknown location.

Wu Sheng turned on his phone’s flashlight, revealing that they were in a stone chamber with walls made of smooth bricks on all sides, including the ceiling.

Just as Xu Wang was about to ask where they were, he saw Yan Wang fumbling around a corner of the wall, searching for something.

Soon, a “click” of a lever being pulled came from Yan Wang’s direction.

Then, the wall in front of them fell, revealing another stone chamber.

The new chamber was identical in size to the one they were in, also enclosed on all sides, with a small, inconspicuous red lever in the same corner where Yan Wang stood.

The only difference was that their current chamber had a hole in the wall—the tunnel they had crawled through—while the new chamber had intact walls, but its floor was densely covered with sharp blades pointing upwards, arranged neatly like a deadly formation.

“Counting the one we’re in, there are a total of six chambers,” Yan Wang explained enthusiastically. “We just have to pull the levers, open the stone doors, and get through them one by one, and we’ll quickly reach the west wing room.”

Xu Wang turned to him, struggling to muster a smile. “Are all the upcoming chambers like the one in front of us?”

“Of course not.” Yan Wang immediately shook his head.

Xu Wang sighed in relief. “That’s good.”

Yan Wang added, “The further we go, the more dangerous it gets.”

Xu Wang: “……”

Yan Wang: “?”

Xu Wang: “This is what you meant by… ‘might be a bit rough’?!”

……

In the secret study.

Unaware that his captain and advisor had embarked on a challenging path, Kuang Jinxin finally gave up searching his memory. He was afraid that if he continued, not only would he fail to retrieve the code, but he might also disrupt his normal memories.

Unable to remember, he decided to take the book with him.

After quickly checking the remaining part of the bookshelf and confirming that this was the only real book, Kuang Jinxin, feeling slightly guilty as if he was stealing, packed the book into his backpack.

Just before putting it away, whether out of curiosity or an inexplicable impulse, Kuang Jinxin opened the book again.

When he first found the book, he had already looked through it. Although he couldn’t remember the code, he at least wanted to see what the original book was like. The title “Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes” was completely unfamiliar to him. Intuitively, he thought it would be similar to “Grimm’s Fairy Tales”. Flipping through a few pages, he found simple and fun nursery rhymes about chasing cats, climbing woodpiles, eating Christmas pies, and the like.

But as he was about to put the book halfway into his bag, his hand froze. He took out the book and opened it for the second time.

For no particular reason, he just felt he should take another look.

This time, he came across a nursery rhyme with only five lines—

My mother has killed me.
My father is eating me.
My brothers and sisters sit under the table.
Picking up my bones.
And they bury them under the cold marble stones.

His phone battery completely drained and shut down, extinguishing the last bit of light.

Kuang Jinxin stood in the darkness, his hands and feet ice cold.

He kept telling himself that it was just a book, and besides, there were innocent nursery rhymes in it. It might not be related to reality, let alone Chi Yingxue’s mental world. Maybe it was just a random original chosen for their code game with his brother…

By the end, he couldn’t even convince himself.

He was in Chi Yingxue’s mental world, possibly even in the deepest recesses of his mind. Here, not just a book, but every blade of grass, every leaf, was an imprint of Chi Yingxue’s inner world.

Suddenly, footsteps approached from outside the door, steady and firm, getting closer.

Kuang Jinxin froze, not daring to move.

The footsteps stopped in front of the door.

Then, someone pushed the door of the secret study.

It didn’t open.

Kuang Jinxin had locked it when he entered.

The person outside, apparently not expecting this, fell silent for a moment before knocking twice on the door, politely asking, “Is anyone in there?”

Kuang Jinxin held his breath, his hand holding the book slightly sweating.

The person only asked once and didn’t knock again.

Kuang Jinxin strained his ears, hoping to hear footsteps leaving.

But instead, he heard the sound of a key unlocking the door.

“Creak—”

The door opened, and outside the half-height door, someone was squatting.

Kuang Jinxin quickly stuffed the book into his backpack, then squatted down, cautiously meeting the eyes of the person outside.

Outside the door was a middle-aged man, around 45 or 56 years old, dressed in a suit and exuding an air of authority. Even squatting as he was, he didn’t seem to lose any dignity. The moonlight cast deep contours on his face, highlighting the slight wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, but his gaze was firm and penetrating, as if he could see right through one’s soul.

“I heard noises here and thought it was a rat.” As their eyes met, the middle-aged man smiled, attempting to appear approachable, but the seriousness in his expression remained.

“I-I came here looking for a friend and then got lost,” Kuang Jinxin responded, not sure of the man’s identity, so he chose to be cautious with his information exchange, hoping to create a good impression.

“Looking for a friend?” the man asked gently. “Tell me his name. Maybe I can help you find him.”

Kuang Jinxin hesitated.

The man patiently watched him, neither urging him to speak nor inviting him out, maintaining the awkward posture of squatting on either side of the door.

After a long stare, Kuang Jinxin suddenly felt a sense of familiarity in the man’s features, especially around the eyes and brows.

Chi Zhuolin!

Kuang Jinxin’s eyes widened as he scrutinized the face outside the door more carefully, confirming without a doubt that the facial contours were indeed those of Chi Zhuolin, just years later. He remembered a conversation in Beijing when Chi Zhuolin mentioned that he resembled his father and Chi Yingxue took after their mother, which made Chi Zhuolin decently handsome while his brother was extremely beautiful. It was then that Kuang Jinxin realized Chi Zhuolin could use every positive word in the world when talking about his brother.

“I’m looking for… Chi Yingxue.” Kuang Jinxin cautiously revealed his teammate’s name, hoping his guess wasn’t wrong.

The man outside was surprised, but quickly his surprise turned into warm hospitality. “I am Chi Yingxue’s father. Come out. It must be uncomfortable in there.”

Kuang Jinxin breathed a sigh of relief. His guess was correct.

He also felt fortunate for his luck, encountering the head of the household straight away, no longer having to worry about being sent away by guards like Zhang Ge or Peng Ge.

“Hello, Uncle Chi,” he greeted politely, then, without further hesitation, quickly crawled out through the small door.

“You’re polite; a good kid.” The man patted Kuang Jinxin’s head approvingly, like a generous elder. “Come with me.”

“I heard that Chi Yingxue is sick?” Kuang Jinxin recalled the information he received when he was turned away at the front courtyard.

“Yes,” the man replied lightly. “But he’s taken medicine and took a nap, so he’s much better now.”

Then, why when they were in the front courtyard, were those two so adamant about Chi Yingxue not seeing guests and were vehement in driving them away?

Kuang Jinxin was puzzled but chose not to ask further, fearing to stir up unwanted topics, especially since the encounter in the front courtyard had been quite unpleasant.

For a long time after, Chi Yingxue’s father led the way, with Kuang Jinxin following.

The moonlight stretched the middle-aged man’s shadow long.

Kuang Jinxin watched the tall and broad figure, feeling a complex mix of emotions. Growing up without a father, he always felt warmth and envy when seeing others with their fathers.

[My mother has killed me. My father is eating me…]

The nursery rhyme he had read earlier unexpectedly popped into his mind, and he could even hear the eerie sound of children chanting in his ears.

The clear, innocent voices singing the most gruesome of rhymes…

Kuang Jinxin suddenly stopped walking.

Chi Yingxue’s father, as if he had eyes in the back of his head, stopped almost immediately and turned around. “What’s wrong?”

Kuang Jinxin couldn’t answer.

He didn’t know what was wrong, but he suddenly felt scared. It was an inexplicable uneasiness that overwhelmed his heart.

Kinky Thoughts:

The nursery rhyme is referencing a German folktale known as “The Juniper Tree”. This is actually part of The Grimm’s Fairy Tales and not a Mother Goose nursery rhyme.

The TLDR is stepmother kills her stepson and feeds it to his father. Half-sister buries her brother under the Juniper Tree, and he becomes a bird that sings the nursery rhyme (song) to the townsfolk and eventually takes revenge on the stepmother.

The song the bird sings is:

My mother she killed me,
My father he ate me,
My sister, little Marlinchen,
Gathered together all my bones,
Tied them in a silken handkerchief,
Laid them beneath the juniper-tree,
Tweet, tweet, what a beautiful bird am I!

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

Chapter 137: Fake Books

Chi Zhuolin stood behind a withered tree, hidden among the yellow grass and plants. He said he had to return to school, but ultimately, he got lost in this abandoned garden, like a toy whose battery had run out.

Xu Wang kept telling himself it was fake, just a chaotic projection from a disturbed companion’s subconscious. But the eerie, thrilling sensation that spread from the bottom of his heart to his limbs still eroded him.

Feeling Xu Wang’s shivers, Wu Sheng gently put his arm around his shoulder.

“Why…” He couldn’t understand why such a brother, who doted on his younger brother, existed in Chi Yingxue’s mind like this.

Wu Sheng pondered for a moment and said, “Everyone has flaws, but a machine can perhaps achieve perfection…”

“Do you mean, in Xiao Xue’s heart, Chi Zhuolin… is perfect?”

Xu Wang looked at the motionless Chi Zhuolin—at his sunny eyebrows, his dashing equestrian attire. Even in such a bizarre moment, if one ignored the screen on his chest, he still appeared to be a well-mannered, exceptional youth.

No. Xu Wang shook his head. That’s not right.

“Wu Sheng,” he almost whispered. “If I had such a perfect person in my heart, I would imagine him as the embodiment of all that is good in the world, but definitely not… like this.”

“I wasn’t finished just now,” Wu Sheng interrupted softly. “A machine indeed can be perfect, but it has one fatal flaw…”

He turned his head slightly.

Xu Wang followed his gaze, looking at the screen on Chi Zhuolin’s chest.

Low battery.

Those red warning letters were strikingly intense.

What kind of brother is perfect for a child? Xu Wang thought. Besides being academically excellent, athletically outstanding, and well-rounded in moral, intellectual, and physical development, what else?

Perhaps.

Wouldn’t everyone want a brother who could stand up for them, shield them from the rain and wind?

So the brother should always be there to play with him, always there to protect him.

Always, would be best.

The night wind blew through the abandoned garden, rustling the dry grass without a single insect sound.

Xu Wang sniffed, noticing moisture in the wind.

A chill touched the tip of his nose.

Looking up, another cool drop fell on his eyelid.

It started to rain.

Wu Sheng also sensed the change in weather and was about to look up when suddenly, a frenzied, ferocious barking of dogs came from afar!

The barking was mad and menacing, as if it would tear apart and devour whatever it was facing at any second!

The two exchanged glances. Without a word, Wu Sheng picked up Xu Wang again, moving swiftly towards the sound!

Xu Wang hadn’t gotten over the aftereffects of being carried last time, and here it was happening again. Dangling from Wu Sheng’s shoulder, he felt nauseous. He didn’t get seasick, airsick, or carsick, but who the hell would have thought he’d be shoulder-sick one day!

But there was no time to complain. To maximize efficiency, he had to cooperate with Wu Sheng’s lightning speed!

The only comfort for Captain Xu was the speed. In the blink of an eye, they arrived. The dog’s bark, which had seemed far away just a second ago, now pierced his ears painfully.

He was set down.

They were in a secluded courtyard, not very large, with two or three rooms and moon gates on the north and south sides. The south gate led to the abandoned garden they had just come from. Where the north gate led was unknown.

There were large water-filled jars at each corner of the courtyard. In the center, a fierce battle was taking place.

A man in black clothes, black pants, and a black mask was struggling against a dog that was bigger than a wolf. It was biting his arm. If it weren’t for the dog’s bark just now, they would have really thought it was a wolf. His legs were also being clamped by a giant crab that was half the height of a person. The crab’s shell was shiny and green, and when it spread its legs out, it was about two meters wide!

There was no doubt, this person was the same person in black who was tracking and spying on them earlier. They had lost him in the depths of the abandoned garden, but now they encountered him again in this form!

The man in black was struggling to shake his arm, but the wolf dog’s bite was extremely fierce. After struggling for a long time, the only result was that the vicious dog’s fangs sank deeper, tearing the black sleeve on his arm to shreds. The area bitten by the dog was now a bloody mess!

The spider crab on his leg was no less relentless. With its pincers, it clamped, stung, and tore, mercilessly turning the man’s leg into a bloodied state!

“What are you dawdling for? Save me—!” The black-clothed man yelled at Xu Wang and Wu Sheng, who were frozen at the moon gate.

Xu Wang and Wu Sheng hesitated. In this unpredictable world, it was impossible to tell what to do, what not to do, who was good, who was evil!

Seeing their hesitation, the man grew desperate, shouting as if he was giving it his all. “Don’t you want to find Chi Yingxue? I’ll take you to him!”

The rain in the courtyard suddenly intensified. As he shouted Chi Yingxue’s name, raindrops splashed into the jars, creating dense ripples!

Wu Sheng made a split-second decision and acted!

Xu Wang didn’t move but kept his eyes on the battlefield, ready to adapt their plan for combat!

A large net fell from the sky, first landing on the black-clothed man’s head. But the net seemed not to feel him, passing right through, continuing downward, and finally covering only the vicious dog still biting him and the crab still clamping his leg!

The inescapable net of heaven, indiscriminate, releasing what must be released, catching what must be caught!

Wu Sheng stepped forward swiftly, gathering the edges of the net, and with a strong pull to the side, the dog and crab were forcibly torn from the black-clothed man!

The ferocious teeth of the wolf dog nearly ripped off a piece of flesh from the arm of the man in black, and the crab’s pincers, in the final moment before being forced to let go, sliced another deep, bone-visible wound on the man’s leg!

Yet, the man in black didn’t make a sound, as if he wasn’t the one who was injured.

Wu Sheng, using the momentum of pulling apart the two beasts, threw the net fiercely to the ground and quickly tied the opening with a dead knot!

The wolf dog let out a low growl, leaped up from the ground, and fiercely tore at the net with its sharp claws and teeth. Its eyes were like those of a starving wolf, viciously glowing green. However, no matter how wildly it struggled, the net remained immovable.

The crab inside the net, struggling with its clumsy body, slowly stood up, standing on its six legs. The two large pincers in front stretched slowly towards the net, and with force, they snapped shut.

“Snap!”

The net was cut at the sound.

Wu Sheng was caught off guard. The crab’s pincers had serrated edges, not knife blades. Even if it wanted to cut, it shouldn’t have been so clean and precise! The sound was more like scissors than crab pincers!

Scissors?

Wu Sheng steadied his mind and took a closer look at the large crab pincers. By this time, the crab had already confidently crawled out of the cut net. The thing’s pincers that were in front of it were green and shiny like its body, but they weren’t crab pincers at all, but a pair of pruning shears!

Even Wu Sheng, upon seeing this scene, felt goosebumps rise on his skin.

Xu Wang saw it too. From the outskirts of the battlefield, not only did he see the crab pincers turn into pruning shears, but he also noticed the dog tag hanging on the neck of the ferocious dog. It wasn’t a dog tag at all, but car keys!

The dense raindrops had made their clothes almost completely soaked, but they were oblivious to it.

Suddenly, the giant crab charged towards Wu Sheng, moving as fast as a centipede!

Wu Sheng dodged backward, but unexpectedly, the ferocious dog also crawled out of the hole in the net and leaped towards his face!

Wu Sheng dodged to the side, avoiding the dog and jumping away from the crab, but his clothes were still hooked by the crab’s pincer. With a forceful pull, a ripping sound followed. The pocket of his clothes tore, and the letter that Chi Zhuolin had entrusted to him was pierced and hung on the pincer’s tip!

Wu Sheng reached out to snatch it back, but the crab sidestepped and ran away!

He could have chased it with his speed, but Xu Wang, who was blocking the retaliating dog for him, was already struggling.

“Forget about me. Get the letter!” Xu Wang shouted.

“It doesn’t matter.” Wu Sheng grabbed the back of the dog’s neck and yanked it off Xu Wang, throwing it far away. “It’s just numbers. I can write another one.”

The dog fell into a pile of dry grass, whimpered, and ran away dejectedly.

The man in black, who had been quietly retreating under the cover of the rain, was now being cleansed of blood from his wounds by the rain. However, as soon as it was washed away, new blood seeped out again. Diluted by the rain, the fresh red blood seemed to turn a pale pink.

He reached the moon gate to the north and decisively turned and ran!

As soon as he stepped out of the moon gate, a voice rang in the man’s ear—

[Owl: Someone has used [(Offense) Voodoo Doll] on you~~]

With the elongated sound, the man in black felt a sudden piercing pain in his chest, like being stabbed with a needle!

He gasped for breath, stopped in his tracks, and instinctively clutched his chest.

This pain was different from external injuries. It was a nerve pain, almost unbearable.

“Try taking one more step forward!” Behind him, Xu Wang held a small straw doll in one hand and a small steel needle in the other, standing tall and proud in a handsome posture.

He had anticipated the need for a tactical patch! If not for being distracted by the pruning shears and car keys, he wouldn’t have let the man in black escape to the moon gate!

Wu Sheng cast an approving glance at him.

Xu Wang, full of pride, said, “Take this—” and gave the little straw doll another needle in the elbow. It wasn’t deep, but it was somewhat painful.

The man in black sucked in a breath of cold air in anger. “I didn’t fucking move, and you’re still stabbing me!”

“Cough, just reinforcing the warning,” Captain Xu replied with a valid reason.

The man in black felt like choking on his blood. Seeing that Xu Wang had no intention of “reinforcing” further, he still dared not take them lightly. While keeping an eye on them, he also glanced around on the ground.

“Don’t bother looking. They’ve run off.” Xu Wang knew he was searching for the two creatures.

The man in black finally relaxed, seemingly more wary of the creatures than of Xu Wang and Wu Sheng.

“Why did they attack you?” Xu Wang asked.

“This isn’t where I belong. They are loyal guardians of this place. Naturally, they would bite me upon seeing me.” The man in black chuckled with a hint of disdain.

“They… What exactly…” Xu Wang wanted to ask what exactly they were, but it was too absurd. He couldn’t bring himself to ask.

The man in black answered without hesitation. “A driver and a gardener.”

“Why is this place not where you should be?” Wu Sheng suddenly asked.

The man in black raised an eyebrow and gave them a cryptic smile. “You ask too many questions.”

Wu Sheng wiped the rain off his face and took two steps forward.

This startled the man in black, who stepped back warily. “What are you doing?”

Wu Sheng shrugged. “Helping you take off your mask.”

“No need.” The man in black refused decisively.

Xu Wang raised the steel needle, threatening to prick.

The man in black: “…I’ll do it myself.”

He gritted his teeth as he spoke, but he actually did it with no hesitation in his movements.

“Satisfied?” With his face exposed, the man in black looked up defiantly at the two men.

It was the face of a young man with healthy, wheat-colored skin, full of vitality and energy. His features weren’t as sharply handsome as Chi Zhuolin’s, but he had a certain charm. There was a hint of defiance in his brow and a determined look in his eyes. He exuded a vibrant, wild strength.

Xu Wang and Wu Sheng stared at him for several seconds, unable to match this face with anyone in their memory.

“Had enough?” The young man clearly lacked patience.

Xu Wang stepped beside Wu Sheng, negotiating calmly. “We saved you. Now it’s your turn to keep your promise.”

“You want to find Chi Yingxue, right? I’ll take you to him!” The young man obviously remembered his promise. But times had changed, and he sized up Xu Wang and Wu Sheng. “You have to tell me who you really are and why you’re so determined to find that guy.”

“We didn’t suspect you, but you’re being defensive first?” Xu Wang was speechless.

“Don’t trust anyone.” The young man laughed, his voice gentle and slow. “In this world, you can’t even trust yourself.”

Xu Wang narrowed his eyes slightly. Just now, for a moment, a familiar feeling flashed by, but it was too fleeting to grasp.

Regaining his composure, he stood his ground. “You want to know our identities, fine, but you’ll have to exchange with yours.”

He never made a losing deal. The other party wanted to probe their background, and they wanted to probe his as well.

“My identity?” The young man laughed as if he was hearing a joke. “Then you’re going to be disappointed. I have no household registration, no ID card, no temporary residence permit—I’m just an undocumented person here.”

Wu Sheng silently pursed his lips.

Xu Wang was even more confused but asked the most direct question. “Name. You must have a name.”

“Oh, that I have.” The young man grabbed his drenched black shirt, flicking it. “My name is Yan Wang.”

Xu Wang and Wu Sheng were stunned, facing the stranger’s face, they momentarily forgot to speak.

The rain eased, but the courtyard was enveloped in a misty fog, like a dream scene in a play. In the faint mist, everything seemed both real and illusory, both dream and reality.

……

Kuang Jinxin chased the child to the end of the corridor, where a wall suddenly appeared with a small door on it. The door was extremely low, reaching only up to his waist.

The wall and door seemed abruptly placed, as if someone had inserted the wall into the continuous corridor, cutting it off and blocking the path of passersby.

Kuang Jinxin smelled the scent of orange soda again.

The scent was faint, like an invisible force drawing him towards the unknown.

Holding his breath, Kuang Jinxin pushed the small door.

The door creaked open, revealing no light inside.

He bent down, turned on his phone, and shone the light inside. The light occasionally swept across some book spines, but they were too far away to see clearly.

After thinking about it, he crawled in.

The space inside was much larger than it appeared from outside. Kuang Jinxin straightened up and looked around with his phone’s flashlight. It was a study.

The room, about twenty square meters, was surrounded by bookshelves filled with thick hardcover books, their spines embossed with gold lettering.

Aside from the books and shelves, there was nothing else, not even decorations. The walls and floor were dusty.

Kuang Jinxin approached a bookshelf and randomly picked a book. As soon as he lifted it, he froze; the book was extremely light, like an empty shell.

He hastily pulled out the book, confirming it was indeed a fake, used for decoration.

Many cafes and restaurants, as well as private homes, use such fake books for decoration to spruce up the appearance. But why were these fake books placed here in this simple and secluded study not meant for entertaining guests?

If these fake books weren’t for show, what purpose did they serve?

Had they encountered anything book-related on their journey?

Kuang Jinxin racked his brains, wishing he had the mind of their advisor…

Wait a minute!

Books?

A coded message!

The original source!

Kuang Jinxin was startled by his own wild thoughts. Reason told him it couldn’t be such a coincidence, but his intuition told him, in this world, not to believe what should be believed nor doubt what should be doubted.

No longer wasting time in thought, Kuang Jinxin began pulling out the fake books from the shelves, examining each one.

After checking each book, he placed it on the ground beside him. After emptying a shelf, he thoroughly searched it.

Continuing in this manner, soon the floor was covered with fake books, leaving hardly any space to step.

The battery of his phone was also rapidly draining from the constant use of the flashlight.

Only one shelf remained. Kuang Jinxin, standing on the fake books, continued his search.

Finally, when he touched a dark red book, he paused.

The book had weight.

Kuang Jinxin eagerly pulled out the book. The cold light of the phone illuminated the words on the cover—”Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes”.

He knew it. He just knew it!

Kuang Jinxin was ecstatic, wanting to announce to the world that his deduction was correct!

But then he thought better of it. It wasn’t confirmed yet. Only if the coded message matched, would it prove he was right.

The code, the code… What were those four sets of numbers again?

Kuang Jinxin, holding the “suspected original source”, belatedly found himself lost in a desert of memory.

The coded message was with their advisor, and he had only glanced at the letter a few times.

120… 36… 8…

Kuang Jinxin racked his brain, nearly pulling his hair out, but could only remember a few vague numbers.

Even if just for a second, he wished he could borrow Sheng Ge’s memory!

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

Chapter 136: The Black Shadow

“What did you say?” Chi Zhuolin stopped in his tracks and turned to ask.

Kuang Jinxin was startled and hurriedly replied honestly, “I smell the scent of oranges.”

Chi Zhuolin was stunned, then smiled. “Your nose is really sharp.”

Kuang Jinxin didn’t understand. “Huh?”

Wu Sheng and Xu Wang were also confused.

Chi Zhuolin lowered his eyes and said with affection and teasing, “My younger brother loves drinking orange soda. He doesn’t just drink it himself; he also shares it with his friends and ends up harming all his friends.”

The three companions: “……”

Didn’t he say his brother had no friends? Where did these good friends come from? And they must be quite fragile friends if they can’t even drink soda…

“It’s all the flowers and plants in this courtyard.” Chi Zhuolin turned his head, looking at the withered garden, holding back laughter. “He insisted on watering them with soda—even using his cherished soda that he was reluctant to drink—to water the garden, and you see the result now…”

The three listened, not sure whether to believe it or not.

How much soda would need to be stored to kill all the flowers in an entire courtyard?

But if this story is true, how sad must the young Chi Yingxue, who treated these plants as friends, have been?

“He’s just that kind of stubborn person, extremely obstinate, and no one can persuade him. When it’s too late to fix, he hides and cries by himself…”

Chi Zhuolin was still muttering, complaining about his younger brother, seeming quite adept at it.

But at this moment, his foolish sweetness finally included a bit of the down-to-earth nature typical of older brothers—spoiling and bullying his younger brother at the same time—that’s the main theme of brothers around the world.

Suddenly, dark clouds covered the last sliver of moonlight.

In an instant, the entire garden along with the veranda darkened, as if suddenly covered by a thick black cloth!

The three companions gasped for breath. Before they had time to prepare, they felt their bodies sway and lean to the side!

Staggering a few steps, Xu Wang bumped into the railing of the veranda. He immediately grabbed the railing tightly, only to find that the entire veranda was shaking!

The veranda beneath their feet was like a small boat in raging waves!

At this moment, a low, almost chilling voice came from somewhere—

“Chi—Zhuo—Lin—”

The voice was slow and authoritative, oppressively heavy, making it hard to breathe.

However, aside from calling out a name, no second sound was made.

As the last echo faded away, the moon reappeared slightly, and the outline of the veranda and garden slowly reemerged in the three’s view.

The veranda was tilted, as if the foundation had suddenly sunk. The originally level ground became uneven, causing their bodies to lean to one side.

But they were too preoccupied to care about this, as Chi Zhuolin looked apologetic, his eyes showing anxiety.

“Sorry, I can’t lead you anymore. My brother lives in the west wing. Go through the garden and into the inner courtyard, and you’ll see it.” He spoke very fast, as if in a hurry. “I have to go back to school now!”

Xu Wang: “Back to school?”

“I actually snuck back,” he said somewhat sheepishly, fixing his hair and putting his helmet back on. “My dad has found out, so I have to get back before he catches me, or I’ll get a beating again…”

Dad?

The three companions exchanged looks. Was the oppressive voice in the darkness just now the father of the Chi brothers?

“Oh right.” He suddenly paused, magically producing a pen and a piece of paper. “Please help me deliver this letter to my brother.”

He quickly wrote a few strokes. Before the three could see clearly, he finished the letter and handed it over.

Wu Sheng took it, and Xu Wang and Kuang Jinxin leaned over to look, finally realizing why he wrote so quickly.

There wasn’t a single word on the paper. It was just four sets of numbers—12077-34036-58009-80024

The moment Xu Wang saw the numbers, he almost reflexively grabbed Chi Zhuolin’s wrist. “Where’s the source copy?”

Chi Zhuolin, who was about to leave, was taken aback by this pull and question, looking surprised. “You know this is a code? My brother told you about this?!”

Xu Wang: “No, not all from Xiao Xue…”

Chi Yingxue did mention during the code-breaking that he and his brother used to play like this when they were kids, but the real reason for Xu Wang’s “seeing the code and immediately having to find the source copy” mental shadow…

Xu Wang narrowed his eyes at Wu Sheng.

Wu Sheng silently looked up at the moonlight—although it was barely visible.

“My brother memorized the source copy long ago. Just bring this letter to him, and he’ll understand.” After explaining quickly, Chi Zhuolin dared not delay any longer, leaped over the railing, and disappeared into the depths of the garden.

“Hey, wait a minute…”

Xu Wang wanted to chase, feeling a bit unwilling to let the clue break off like this. Although Chi Zhuolin said Chi Yingxue was in the west wing, in such a large house and long veranda, who knows where they might end up.

But before he could move, that feeling of being watched appeared again, right behind him, like a thin needle, pricking occasionally, not painful, but impossible to ignore.

He turned around again, only to find Wu Sheng also looking back.

Kuang Jinxin was clueless, also blankly turning back. Behind them, the long veranda they had just walked through was shrouded in mist, obscuring the way they came.

In this mix of night and fog, the three’s gaze slowly settled on a pillar.

The pillar was about ten meters away from them. It was bright red, and despite being shrouded in night and fog, it was intensely striking. And behind that pillar, a thin, small shadow was vaguely visible.

It seemed like a child hiding behind the pillar. Because the veranda had tilted, the faint moonlight finally outlined his slender side profile, but his whole body was still hidden by the pillar, like a ghost lurking in the shadows.

The scent of oranges came again, this time even Xu Wang and Wu Sheng smelled it.

It was cooler and sweeter than the ordinary scent of oranges.

Chi Zhuolin said that Chi Yingxue liked to drink orange soda.

If the scent they were smelling now wasn’t the remnant of the soil watered with soda but meant something else…

In an instant, the three companions’ hearts lifted, hoping the person behind the pillar was who they were looking for, yet afraid to approach recklessly and scare him away.

“Chi Yingxue?” Xu Wang called out gently, with unprecedented tenderness.

The shadow behind the pillar didn’t move.

Xu Wang tried to take a small step forward, very lightly.

The shadow suddenly shrank back.

“We won’t move anymore.” Kuang Jinxin held Xu Wang back, promising calmly and gently, coaxing, “Xiao Xue, we won’t move. We won’t hurt you…”

The shadow slightly shook, seemingly hesitant.

The veranda suddenly became very quiet. The three companions unconsciously held their breath, silently and attentively watching.

The shadow cautiously moved a small step to the side, revealing a shoulder and an arm. The light was too dim to see what clothes he was wearing, but it was clear that it was a child’s figure that looked very thin.

The three remained still, as if frozen in place.

The black shadow seemed to gain a bit of trust and tentatively moved another small step to the side, about to reveal half of his body, when suddenly, a very faint sound came from the withered bushes outside the railing, like someone lurking in the dark accidentally breaking a dry branch.

The three instinctively turned their heads, then widened their eyes.

There was another person in the bushes! Not a child, but an adult dressed in black, wearing a black mask, almost blending into the night!

This startled the shadow behind the pillar, who suddenly turned and ran away!

The person in the bushes, realizing they had been exposed, also fled into the depths of the garden!

“Split up!” Wu Sheng immediately said. Either could be a clue to the puzzle, so they couldn’t afford to miss it!

“I’ll chase the child.” Kuang Jinxin volunteered.

“Okay!” There was no time for hesitation; Wu Sheng made a quick decision.

In an instant, the three companions dispersed, with Wu Sheng and Xu Wang leaping over the railing into the garden, while Kuang Jinxin chased the shadow along the veranda!

……

In the depths of the garden.

Xu Wang and Wu Sheng were lost. They chased the black-clothed person, plunging into the garden of wild grass and dead branches, and then, they lost direction.

It was as if the moment the garden enveloped them, it started to grow wildly, boundlessly, blocking out the sun and sky.

They pushed aside one dry branch after another, passed through cluster after cluster of withered flowers, but never saw the end. The road seemed never-ending.

Snap.

Another flower stem broke under Xu Wang’s foot. He knew they were already dead, regardless of whether he stepped on them. But at the moment of the breaking sound, an incredible scene appeared before his eyes—the sea of withered yellow gained color, flowers became red, grass turned green, trees were as colorful and splendid as rainbows, like a fantasy forest from a fairy tale.

He blinked hard in disbelief.

The illusion disappeared.

The withered garden remained, with only lifeless yellow prevailing.

Snap.

The same sound of crushing plants came from the left side of Xu Wang.

But Wu Sheng was on the right.

Almost simultaneously, both turned their heads to the left, alert and swift!

There was a figure hidden behind a withered tree not far away.

They rushed over in a flash. With his [Light as a Feather] Wu Sheng reached the tree in an instant!

The person behind the tree didn’t even have a chance to move.

Without a word, Wu Sheng grabbed the person’s arm!

The expected resistance didn’t come. The person just stood there, motionless, allowing Wu Sheng to hold them.

Xu Wang, following up, first saw Wu Sheng’s astonished face, then the person he was holding…

It wasn’t the masked man in black.

Standing behind the tree… was Chi Zhuolin.

Xu Wang was so surprised that he opened his mouth wide, momentarily at a loss for words.

It was Wu Sheng who spoke first. “Are you following us?”

Chi Zhuolin didn’t respond.

There was no response, not in words, nor in gaze or expression.

Xu Wang and Wu Sheng finally sensed something was off.

Chi Zhuolin stood rigid, his gaze fixed on the void, as if under a paralysis spell.

Wu Sheng let go of his hand.

Chi Zhuolin’s arm dropped limply.

He was still wearing his equestrian clothes from before. His skin was soft, and his body was warm. Even when Xu Wang brought his hand close to Chi Zhuolin’s nose, he could feel his breath.

But he had no reaction to the outside world.

Xu Wang felt a chill seeping into every pore.

Suddenly, a cold light shone from Chi Zhuolin’s collar.

Xu Wang and Wu Sheng’s eyes had become accustomed to the dark, so when they suddenly saw light, they were very sensitive.

Wu Sheng gave Xu Wang a look that meant “adapt as needed”, and then slowly raised his hand to cautiously unbutton Chi Zhuolin’s shirt.

One button.

Two buttons.

Three buttons…

Until the top buttons of the outer garment and shirt were undone, revealing the boy’s not-so-broad chest.

Xu Wang widened his eyes and covered his mouth to stifle a scream.

On Young Chi Zhuolin’s chest, there was a cold light screen embedded in his flesh as if it were a part of his body.

And now, the screen was flashing with red warning letters—low battery.

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

Chapter 135: Veranda

Qian Ai woke up to a faint smell of oranges.

As soon as he woke up, the scent disappeared, leaving only the murky night breeze tickling his nose.

He sat up and sneezed. When he managed to see his surroundings clearly, he was stunned.

He was still in the front courtyard, facing the closed, floral-pendant gate within arm’s reach. Obviously, from the time he fainted to when he woke up, nobody had moved him.

But the courtyard behind him was clean and orderly.

Lao Zhang, Lao Peng, and the mess from their fight were all gone. The entire outer courtyard looked as if nothing had ever happened. The chessboard was still placed at the entrance, but no one was playing.

He looked down at his leg. The pant leg was still rolled up to his knee, but the bizarre young frog was nowhere to be seen, and there were no signs of injury on his calf.

He couldn’t say whether the situation was good or bad, but Qian Ai felt a chill running through his heart.

His gaze returned to the floral-pendant gate. Qian Ai tried knocking on the door panel and called out the names of his teammates in a loud enough voice to be heard on the other side. “Xu Wang, Wu Sheng, Xiao Kuang…”

His voice dispersed in the night wind, and there was no response from the other side of the door.

Qian Ai’s hand, which was knocking on the door panel, slid down in defeat, and he sat there dazedly for a couple of minutes. The last firm promise he made before fainting slowly came back to him—

“Don’t worry. I’ll find a way to rejoin you.”

These words, like a transport plane, injected new strength into Qian Ai’s bewildered mind.

He rarely had such a manly moment. He didn’t remember why he was so sure at that moment, but since he had said it, he was determined to do it!

Qian Ai suddenly stood up and quickly surveyed the entire front courtyard.

The situation in the living room was the same as in the courtyard. Except for the missing fish tank in the corner and the four cups of tea still on the table, everything else was as it was. The sofa wasn’t moved, the floor wasn’t broken, and there was no water or young frogs on the ground.

He couldn’t explain the bizarre situation, but at least those who might attack him were really gone.

After confirming there was no risk of being ambushed, Qian Ai returned to the floral-pendant gate and focused on breaking through it!

He tried everything he could think of: body slamming, using stationery, climbing the wall. The door remained unmoved, and the wall was blocked by an invisible barrier that couldn’t be penetrated.

Qian Ai was sweating profusely and gasping for breath, but he never thought of giving up.

The owl said there was only one chance.

He didn’t believe in bad luck.

Even hundred-dollar bills could be thrown as hidden weapons; he was no longer the old Qian Ai!

Wait, hold on.

Taking advantage of a pause to catch his breath, Qian Ai suddenly swung his arm towards the ground nearby. “Ha!”

The [Money Dart] flew out, its sharp corner embedding itself in the crevice between the courtyard tiles, then fell limply to the ground.

Qian Ai’s face lit up, and he ran over, pulling the bill from the crevice and happily stuffing it into his pocket.

As soon as he did, the bill turned into a wisp of smoke.

Qian Ai: “……”

Well, he was just conducting an experiment. It really didn’t work.

After failing to “strike it rich overnight”, Qian Ai continued to ponder the “path to rejoining”.

Suddenly, the image of the [Money Dart] embedding into the tile crevice flashed through his mind.

If breaking through the door and climbing the wall didn’t work, meaning he couldn’t go through the ground or the air, then why not try… underground?

Yes, underground!

Qian Ai immediately set out, searching the entire courtyard and house for tools that could dig three feet into the ground. The [Money Dart] was useless as soon as it hit the ground, so he needed real, hardcore digging tools!

Surprisingly, after searching for a long time, he couldn’t find a shovel or spade in the large front courtyard—not even a frying spatula. Finally, he found a broom and a plastic dustpan.

Qian Ai looked at the dustpan, which resembled a shovel, and decided to give it a try. He shoveled at the bottom of the floral-pendant gate with the dustpan.

With one scoop, the tile didn’t budge, and the plastic dustpan almost broke.

“You embroidered pillow*!”

*(绣花枕头) Idiom referring to a person who only has the appearance but no knowledge or talent.

After scolding the innocent tool in his heart, Qian Ai stood up, bathed in the sparse light, and looked down at the dustpan, lost in thought.

Two minutes later.

The dustpan received a notification—if it could hear.

[Owl: Someone used [(Illusory) Iron Will] on you~~]

Qian Ai squatted down again, picked up the transformed dustpan, and started prying and shoveling at the tiles under the door. Crack, a tile lifted, revealing the dark black soil underneath!

Qian Ai was overjoyed and didn’t hesitate to start digging vigorously with the dustpan.

……

In the inner house, in a garden veranda filled with withered flowers, a young man appeared.

At that moment, Xu Wang, Wu Sheng, and Kuang Jinxin, leaning on the door and catching their breath, were undecided about whether to continue forward or find a way to bring Qian Ai, separated by a door, back to them. They didn’t even know if Qian Ai was still in the front courtyard.

In their confused minds, the young man appeared, walking along the veranda towards the deeper part of the house, allowing them only to catch a glimpse of his elusive back.

The three companions noticed him at the same time. As if guided by an inexplicable intuition, they all looked in that direction.

Wu Sheng was the first to stand up, followed by Xu Wang and Kuang Jinxin. They quickly pushed through the withered plants, jumped over the railing into the veranda, and chased after him.

Wu Sheng, with the fastest speed, called out first. “Please wait—”

They were prepared for the figure to run away, but to their surprise, he stopped when he heard them and turned around naturally, looking at them with curiosity.

The three companions were stunned.

He was a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old boy, tall and handsome, dressed in a dashing equestrian outfit, as if he had just returned from an exclusive riding club. His eyes still carried the spirit of horse riding. Although he wasn’t fully grown and looked slightly thin, his eyes already showed a hint of determination, leaving no doubt that he would achieve great things in the future.

“Do you need something?” The boy took off his riding helmet and stared at them with his bright eyes.

Although he looked much younger, about a decade or so, and his voice was less magnetic and clearer, his facial features were immediately recognized by his companions…

“Chi Zhuolin?” When Xu Wang called out the name, he himself felt it was absurd, but the person was right in front of them, impossible to deny. Unless Chi Zhuolin had a twin brother who was over a decade younger or had a cloned private child when he was a teenager.

The young man smiled curiously. “Do you know me?”

“We do…” Xu Wang began, then shook his head in confusion. “But not this version of you…”

The young Chi Zhuolin’s eyes were filled with confusion, clearly not understanding at all.

“We know Chi Yingxue,” Kuang Jinxin said. “We came here to find him.”

“You know my brother?” Young Chi Zhuolin first showed surprise, then genuine joy spread across his face. “My brother mentioned me to you?!”

Kuang Jinxin was startled by this reaction.

Xu Wang was also surprised. This person didn’t question their identity but was overjoyed simply because “his brother mentioned him”?

“Yeah, he did.” Kuang Jinxin had to go along with it.

Young Chi Zhuolin immediately asked, “What did he say? What exactly did he mention?”

Kuang Jinxin was at a loss for words and glanced at his captain for help.

Xu Wang quickly intervened. “He just said he has a brother named Chi Zhuolin, who is, um… very outstanding!”

Chi Zhuolin chuckled. “You don’t have to cover for him; he definitely didn’t say anything good about me.”

“……” Xu Wang felt a bit sympathetic towards this brother, realizing that even Chi Zhuolin knew his brother didn’t think highly of him.

But… Why, in Chi Yingxue’s world, is his brother only a teenager?

How old is Chi Yingxue then?

To match the current Chi Zhuolin, Chi Yingxue must be no more than ten years old, but the photo they showed Mrs. Chen was of an adult Chi Yingxue, and she didn’t express any doubts…

A flurry of question marks swirled in the companions’ heads as Chi Zhuolin spoke again. “You just said you’re here to find my brother?”

“Yes.” Xu Wang immediately nodded.

Chi Zhuolin tucked his helmet under his arm, smiling innocently and unguardedly. “I’m also going to find him. I’ll lead the way for you.”

Xu Wang, Wu Sheng, and Kuang Jinxin exchanged glances, all feeling uncertain, suspecting that things wouldn’t be so straightforward.

Moreover, the Chi Zhuolin they knew, a mature man who handled matters appropriately, had suddenly turned into a sweet, innocent boy, which was quite unsettling.

He and this wilted garden seemed to share a blurry, eerie quality.

Before the companions could respond, Chi Zhuolin had already walked ahead.

The three hesitated—to follow or not? If they didn’t, this might be their only chance to find Chi Yingxue. But Qian Ai was still outside the door!

As Chi Zhuolin moved further away, the three made a decision and followed him. Their mission was to find Chi Yingxue, not necessarily all together. As long as each team member was within the level, even if only one of them found Chi Yingxue, the whole team would succeed.

Lao Qian, hang in there!

Thinking their teammate was still fighting outside, the three mentally cheered for Classmate Qian and quickly followed Chi Zhuolin’s steps.

“No friends have ever come to look for him before. Hmph, he secretly made friends and didn’t tell me…”

It was apparent that Chi Zhuolin was in a good mood, walking ahead of the three, heading deeper into the veranda. His steps were light as he constantly talked about his brother in a tone that, despite sounding like teasing, was full of affection.

“But it’s good that he made friends.” He suddenly turned back and smiled gratefully at the three. “I usually live at school and rarely come home. When I do, I have to study this and that, attend social engagements, and participate in various activities. I hardly have any time to play with him…”

In just a few sentences, a life shaped from a young age to be a successor was outlined.

Xu Wang knew that in such families, children are often sent to private elite schools, and full boarding is common. But if the older brother was raised this way, shouldn’t the younger brother be as well? Even if not groomed as a successor, it couldn’t be that one gets an elite education while the other is left to play.

Yet, from Chi Zhuolin’s tone, “playing” seemed to be his younger brother’s main occupation…

“He’s been sickly and hasn’t gone to school. We always have tutors come home to teach him.” Chi Zhuolin looked at Xu Wang, smiling.

Xu Wang was startled. Could Chi Zhuolin hear his thoughts?

Wu Sheng and Kuang Jinxin, unaware of the context, found Chi Zhuolin’s sudden statement quite abrupt.

But if they disregarded the strange context and focused on the statement itself, Chi Yingxue was sickly and hadn’t been to school? So how old is he here…

“Ten years old,” Chi Zhuolin said naturally.

Wu Sheng: “……”

Kuang Jinxin: “……”

Now they understood the shock in Xu Wang’s eyes just now—Chi Zhuolin could hear their thoughts.

And just then, Chi Zhuolin revealed a second piece of information—Chi Yingxue was only ten years old.

How messy.

If Chi Zhuolin could indeed hear their thoughts, he should know that they were on a mission, so why was there no reaction? And if Chi Yingxue was really just ten years old, then how could Mrs. Chen recognize him from the photo…

Wu Sheng rubbed his temples, exhaling deeply with difficulty.

This world was without order. Any attempt to make sense of it was shattered in the next moment without warning.

The veranda seemed endlessly long, as if one could never reach its end. At some point, fog appeared, making the already dim manor even more blurred.

Walking along, Xu Wang suddenly turned back, startling Kuang Jinxin behind him. “What’s wrong?”

“Oh, nothing,” Xu Wang said, looking around and shaking his head before turning back.

He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt like someone was watching them from some unseen place behind them.

A gust of cool air passed through the veranda, and Kuang Jinxin suddenly smelled a faint sweet scent, murmuring subconsciously, “Oranges?”

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