Chapter 197: Extra — The Disappearance of Xiao Sijin (4)
“Is that all?” The more he heard, the more Xu Wang wanted to punch Chi Yingxue, having little confidence in his teammate. “Are you sure that’s everything?”
Chi Yingxue hesitated. Although he still didn’t think he did anything wrong, the increasingly dark expression on the other’s face forced him to be cautious.
Finally, the last piece, forgotten in a corner, reflected the light.
“Before going to sleep, he asked me if I knew where he was from.”
Xu Wang asked, “What did you answer?”
Chi Yingxue said, “I only remembered that his family grows tea, so I guessed it must be the South, maybe Zhejiang.”
Xu Wang: “You were that sure?”
Chi Yingxue: “Just a random guess.”
Xu Wang: “And?”
Chi Yingxue: “I was wrong.”
Xu Wang: “……”
Chi Yingxue: “……”
Xu Wang: “Then what?”
Chi Yingxue: “We just went to sleep.”
“Speaking of which,” Chi Yingxue seemed to come back to his senses, curiously tilting his head, “where is Xiao Si Jin actually from?”
“Why didn’t you ask him that yesterday!” Xu Wang felt like throwing cold water on him to wake him up.
Wu Sheng silently looked out the window, feeling relieved that there were people even lower than him on the “romantic IQ” food chain.
Xu Wang firmly believed that, with Kuang Jinxin’s character, he wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye and worrying his friends. Even if he wanted to end things with Chi Yingxue, he would have left an explanation rather than letting Chi Yingxue guess blindly.
Taking care of others’ feelings was a gentleness unique to Xiao Kuang.
“Let’s go back to the hotel.” Xu Wang made a decisive decision.
As soon as Chi Yingxue realized Xiao Kuang was missing, he called his brother and launched a sea, land, and air search before rushing over to consult with them. Xu Wang knew without asking that he must not have stayed in the hotel room for even a minute longer than necessary. Even if Xiao Kuang did leave something behind, that guy probably wouldn’t have noticed.
Half an hour later, Xu Wang’s deduction was confirmed.
In the tidied hotel suite, a light-colored envelope with the hotel’s logo lay quietly on the dark bedside table, as conspicuous as a sun hanging in the night sky.
Xu Wang walked over, grabbed the corner of the envelope, and shook it at Chi Yingxue, despairing, “How could you not notice this?!”
When he woke up, the room hadn’t been cleaned by the staff yet. It was a mess, and he was frantic, wishing he could rush out to search immediately—who would remember to check the tables and chairs?
But now, Chi Yingxue couldn’t care about defending himself and snatched the envelope.
The envelope wasn’t sealed, just symbolically folded.
Inside was a single piece of letter paper, neatly unfolded, with Kuang Jinxin’s neat and handsome handwriting—
Xiao Xue:
I’ve decided to go home.
Ever since graduation, my family has been urging me to return. During my university years, the tea garden was managed by my second uncle and aunt. It’s time for me to take on my own responsibilities.
Yesterday, when I asked you what you wanted to do in the future, I was hoping you would ask me the same question. If you had, I would have told you about my family’s situation and my plans for the future, including parts you might not agree with. Then we could have argued, maybe I would convince you, maybe you would convince me, or maybe we could compromise and make new plans together.
But you didn’t ask.
You said keeping things as they are is good enough.
This is the first time I’ve said goodbye to a friend in this way, because there are some things I don’t know how to say face-to-face.
Xiao Xue, I know you are happy now, and I hope you can continue to be happy. But living leisurely, as comfortable as it is, can make life feel empty over time. Find something you care about. It doesn’t have to be a struggle, just a hobby—cars, games, plants, animals, insects, and fish. When you have something you like, life has flavor.
I had a great time this month. Thank you.
After reading the letter, Chi Yingxue was even more perplexed than before.
Xu Wang and Wu Sheng, one on each side, also took in the contents of the letter.
“What do you think now?” Xu Wang asked.
Chi Yingxue stared blankly at the letter. “I don’t understand.”
Xu Wang, suppressing the complex feelings swirling inside, asked patiently, “Don’t understand why he went home? Or don’t understand why he left suddenly without a word?”
Chi Yingxue didn’t speak, as if unsure which to choose, or perhaps stubbornly not wanting to say.
Xu Wang’s patience ran out, cutting to the chase. “Going home, because there’s a tea garden that needs care—this is something Xiao Kuang has probably considered since graduation. He left suddenly without saying a word because he finally realized that these were his own matters. He just needed to decide and act on them.”
“He told me to find something I care about.” Chi Yingxue finally spoke, his focus completely unrelated to what Xu Wang said. “But I’ve already found it.” His beautiful eyes turned to Xu Wang, clear and determined. “It’s Xiao Sijin.”
“You care about him?” Xu Wang chuckled, shaking his head. “No, Xiao Xue, you only care about yourself…”
“You want Xiao Kuang by your side because you enjoy being with him; you share your past with him and open up everything to him because such release makes you feel relaxed. Your relationship always revolves around your ‘comfort level’. Do you know what Xiao Kuang wants? Or to put it another way…”
Xu Wang looked deep into his eyes, asking seriously, word by word. “Have you ever thought about stepping into his heart to have a look?”
Chapter 196: Extra — The Disappearance of Xiao Sijin (3)
The human heart, much like the front camera of a mobile phone, often comes with a filter. These filters are named “I think”, “I feel”, “I hope”, “I believe”. Any neutral and objective matter, seen through these filters, becomes tinted with the desires of that heart, and then firmly remembered by its owner.
The coded love letter made Xu Wang realize this truth for the first time. He believed that Wu Sheng truly felt the codes were obvious, and that he could decipher them instantly upon opening the letter. Yet, this delay lasted ten years.
Wu Sheng’s filter was derived from unfounded confidence and presumptions.
Chi Yingxue’s filter came from willful recklessness and presumptions.
The night before Xiao Sijin disappeared without a word, there was a mountaintop view of the night sky, orange soda, kisses with the taste of orange, and speeding down the mountain. However, it was only after removing Chi Yingxue’s emotional filter that these moments finally revealed their true essence hidden in the night…
“This is the highest point in the city, and also where the night view is best.” Sitting on the car roof, enjoying the mountain breeze, and overlooking the lights of thousands of homes, Chi Yingxue squinted in comfort.
Kuang Jinxin sat beside him, his posture proper and demure, not like someone lazily enjoying the breeze, but rather like a student attentive in class.
Chi Yingxue smiled, stretching his arm to pull him into an embrace.
Perhaps it was time for some sweet nothings? But he didn’t want to. He didn’t want to speak or move. He just wanted to hold this person until the end of time.
Kuang Jinxin let him, looking down at the mountains below, eerily quiet.
After holding him for a while, Chi Yingxue finally sensed something off and asked curiously, “What are you thinking?”
“I’ve been staying in the hotel for a month now,” Kuang Jinxin slowly said, a topic seemingly unrelated to the mountain breeze or the night view.
Chi Yingxue didn’t think much of it, carelessly responding, “Just stay at ease. My brother will take care of the bill.”
Kuang Jinxin uttered a barely audible “oh”, then fell silent again.
Though Chi Yingxue couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was wrong, he intuitively felt that Xiao Sijin wasn’t happy. Thinking it over, he decisively got out of the car, grabbed a can of soda from the mini fridge in the trunk, climbed back onto the roof, and pressed the cold can against the other’s face unexpectedly.
The chill made Kuang Jinxin shiver.
Chi Yingxue’s lips curled up, like a child successful in their prank.
Kuang Jinxin looked at him, annoyed yet amused, then lowered his head and opened the soda can with a pop, only to see it was orange-flavored again. His gaze paused for a moment, but quickly returned to normal as he took a big gulp and naturally passed it to Chi Yingxue.
After living together for a month, they had developed many unspoken understandings, sharing a can of orange soda being one of them.
But this time, Chi Yingxue didn’t take it, instead staring at him for two seconds before suddenly pouncing, pinning him down.
Caught off guard, the soda can slipped from Kuang Jinxin’s hand, rolling off the car roof to the ground. The soda spilled out its sweet, fizzy bubbles, wetting the grass.
Chi Yingxue, breathing heavily, kissed him.
Kuang Jinxin closed his eyes, feeling nervous yet moved.
Chi Yingxue’s kisses were no longer tentative but filled with a dominating desire and invasion, as fervent as if wanting to devour the other whole.
Kuang Jinxin couldn’t help but tremble uncontrollably, as if caught in a storm, but he didn’t want to escape, instead reaching out his arms to embrace the source of the tempest.
The kiss ended, but Chi Yingxue wanted more.
He still pressed down on Kuang Jinxin, looking closely at him, wanting him to belong completely to himself, not just physically, but even wanting to lock the other’s soul in a box of his own.
Kuang Jinxin, seeing those suddenly darkened eyes, felt an inexplicable panic.
Chi Yingxue, oblivious, kissed again, this time not as fiercely but gently, licking Kuang Jinxin’s lips, murmuring affectionately, “Xiao Sijin, sweet…”
He kissed from the lips to the ears, then from the ears to the neck, tenderly and intricately.
Kuang Jinxin raised his hand, gently touching his hair. His eyes stared at the moonlight, with a hint of helplessness and loneliness. “I’m not orange soda.”
On the way down the mountain, Kuang Jinxin suddenly asked, “Xiao Xue, have you thought about what you want to do in the future?”
“The future?” At that moment, Chi Yingxue was driving, only half listening to the question, but it was enough, as he felt there was nothing worth pondering. “Just to keep things as they are would be good.”
An expected answer.
Kuang Jinxin fell silent for a moment, then said, “Actually, there are quite a few things I still want to do…”
Chi Yingxue raised an eyebrow, his curiosity finally piqued. He was just about to inquire further when suddenly a silver Ferrari swerved towards them!
He urgently turned the steering wheel, narrowly avoiding a collision, as the Ferrari sped past, triumphantly accelerating again.
On such a narrow mountain road, the Ferrari’s actions were clearly deliberate. Chi Yingxue’s eyes darkened. “Xiao Sijin, fasten your seatbelt.”
Kuang Jinxin opened his mouth but, in the end, said nothing more.
The mountain road became the scene of a high-speed chase. Kuang Jinxin watched the night pass by the window, feeling an unprecedented sense of confusion.
Chapter 195: Extra — The Disappearance of Xiao Sijin (2)
People make their own way, but the reasons why they do so are intriguing.
Xu Wang and Wu Sheng both lifted their chins, glancing sideways at the “suspect”.
The anxiety and irritation surrounding Chi Yingxue dissipated as Kuang Jinxin’s whereabouts became clear, leaving only innocent confusion. “If he left on his own, why can’t I reach his phone?”
Wu Sheng leaned back into the sofa, ceding the spotlight—emotional analysis wasn’t his strong suit.
“That’s what you need to explain.” Xu Wang leaned forward, getting close to his friend. “What exactly did you do last night?”
“I didn’t…”
“No denials. Think harder!”
Chi Yingxue fell silent, clearly reluctant, but once again delved back into his memories.
As he was retrieving fragments of his memory, three phones in the living room chimed simultaneously.
It was Qian Ai creating a new group chat on WeChat without Kuang Jinxin, sending two messages:
Ai Qian: @Beautiful Chi Yingxue, what’s going on with you and Xiao Kuang? How come he has gone back to his hometown?
Ai Qian: @WangWang @ShengSheng, Xiao Kuang asked me to tell you both that his phone was stolen on the train, but he has safely arrived home. Don’t worry if you can’t get through to him.
Just as Xu Wang and Wu Sheng finished reading the messages, Chi Yingxue’s reply zipped over—a voice message. “His phone was stolen. How did he contact you?”
Qian Ai quickly responded with a voice message. “It seems like he borrowed a family member’s phone to enter my live stream.”
Then, adding another, “Hey, what’s with that tone? Are you jealous because he contacted me first? It’s not my fault you don’t have a live stream, hahaha…”
Xu Wang silently looked out the window. Adding fuel to the fire, that’s Lao Qian for you.
Chi Yingxue pressed the talk button, and his eyebrows knitted tighter without squeezing out a word, eventually releasing a long silence.
After a long while, ensuring Qian Ai had listened to the entire silence, the reply finally came, “Are you, are you threatening me…?”
The once formidable Anchor Qian’s tone suddenly weakened.
Xu Wang sighed and took over, trying to smooth things over. “Lao Qian, Xiao Xue is with us. He couldn’t get through to Xiao Kuang and was worried something had happened. It’s good he’s safe at home.”
“Ah? He doesn’t know why Xiao Kuang went back to his hometown?” Qian Ai’s curiosity was piqued.
“Right, he doesn’t know,” Xu Wang replied, quickly taking control of the conversation. “Besides being safe at home, did Xiao Kuang mention anything else to you?”
“Nothing else…” Qian Ai initially said uncertainly, then quickly added, “Oh right, he said he’s going to buy a new phone and get a replacement SIM card and will contact us as soon as it’s done.”
Xu Wang: “Okay, Lao Qian, you go ahead. We’ll talk in the group chat when we get in touch.”
“So why did Xiao Kuang suddenly go back home?” Qian Ai persisted with the fundamental question.
Xu Wang glanced at the still perplexed Chi Yingxue, his tone turning determined. “I’ll find out.”
After ending the group chat, Wu Sheng seriously continued the analysis. “Looking at this, it’s very likely something happened at Xiao Kuang’s home. He didn’t have time to explain and had to go back immediately.”
Xu Wang was speechless.
Didn’t have time to tell them, and not even time to tell Xiao Xue? They shared a bed; wouldn’t saying goodbye be as simple as a kick?
Sighing, Xu Wang patted Wu Sheng on the shoulder. “From now on, just be a quiet pretty boy.”
His gaze returned to Chi Yingxue, taking the no longer cold ice water from his hand, and placing it on the side table. The glass made a crisp sound when it collided with the table.
“Tell me again what happened last night.”
Chi Yingxue frowned, disliking being questioned. “I’ve already said what I thought was important.”
Xu Wang narrowed his eyes. Intuition was telling him that the signpost to the truth had already appeared. “I want to hear about those ‘unimportant’ things’.”
Chapter 194: Extra — The Disappearance of Xiao Sijin (1)
Xiao Sijin had disappeared. There was no sign of him, and his phone was unreachable.
Chi Yingxue came to seek help on a weekend afternoon in August. Xu Wang was watering the plants on the balcony, and Wu Sheng was pondering over a new company name in the study, when Chi Yingxue arrived unexpectedly, with an anxiety more intense than the scorching summer sun.
“What do you mean by ‘disappeared’?” Xu Wang settled his friend in the living room and offered a cup of iced water. “Did he vanish right before your eyes, or did he disappear behind your back?”
If it was the former, it must be related to the Owl; if it was the latter, the possibilities were numerous, but the most unwilling yet easily conceivable was kidnapping. The Chi family is wealthy and has many coveters. Lately, Kuang Jinxin has been inseparable from Chi Yingxue. Perhaps those targeting Chi Yingxue kidnapped the wrong person.
Chi Yingxue held the ice water but didn’t drink it. His beautiful eyes drifted further away in thought upon hearing Xu Wang’s question.
From the moment he entered, Xu Wang noticed that Chi Yingxue was in a state of disarray, even doubting whether Chi Yingxue realized he had just taken a cup of iced water.
After a long silence, Chi Yingxue finally blinked lightly, focusing on Xu Wang with serious inquiry. “I was right beside him, but I didn’t see anything. Does that count as a whoosh or a snap?”
Xu Wang was stumped. His previously clear train of thought was now becoming as erratic as the other’s.
Wu Sheng, who was sitting next to him, wasn’t easily led astray and calmly got straight to the point. “Xiao Xue, describe in detail how Xiao Kuang disappeared.”
Chi Yingxue frowned, clearly reluctant to dredge up those unpleasant memories, but forced himself to “reload” them for the sake of finding the person.
“Last night, I took him for a drive. Then we went to the mountaintop to view the night scene. After that, we returned to the hotel together. When I woke up in the morning, he was gone.”
Driving, night view, hotel, early morning.
Xu Wang glared at Chi Yingxue, finding it impossible to think innocently. “What exactly did you do to Xiao Kuang? Did you force him when he was unwilling…”
“He was willing,” Chi Yingxue interrupted, defending himself. “I like to sleep holding him, and he likes being held by me.”
“Holding, sleeping?” If it were anyone else, Xu Wang could imagine a thousand-word erotica, but coming from Chi Yingxue, it likely meant just that. “Nothing else?”
Chi Yingxue thought for a moment, then honestly confessed. “I kissed him, then we fell asleep.”
Xu Wang silently looked toward Wu Sheng.
The latter nodded understandingly—this is how pure adolescent love is.
Since graduating and leaving school a month ago, Chi Yingxue brought Kuang Jinxin to the hotel, and the two of them have been inseparably together every day, with nothing much to do but eat, drink, have fun, and enjoy their time as if on a honeymoon. The hotel expenses were signed off by President Chi, who naturally knows these matters like the back of his hand. As for whether he has investigated the matter of his younger brother possibly being in a relationship, or whether he’s worried about it, no one is clear. But on the surface, he appears to have given his tacit approval.
“Did you check the hotel surveillance?” Wu Sheng suddenly asked, breaking the silence.
Chi Yingxue replied, “My brother is looking into it.”
Xu Wang understood immediately; their friend couldn’t wait and, after delegating the task to President Chi, came to them straight away.
Driving, viewing the night scene, and sleeping together in the hotel.
The main facts seemed fine at first glance, but Wu Sheng believed the devil is in the details. “Xiao Xue, your recollection is too vague. If you want to find him, you need to give us more details.”
“Details?” Chi Yingxue pondered the word, then fell into deep thought, like a student questioned by a teacher.
Wu Sheng and Xu Wang exchanged glances, waiting patiently.
Something came to Chi Yingxue’s mind, and he suddenly smiled, like ice melting under the early spring sun—clear, sparkling, and dazzling. “When we were at the mountaintop viewing the night scene, Xiao Sijin drank orange soda. I kissed him, and his lips were sweet.”
Xu Wang facepalmed.
Wu Sheng felt complicated.
They fully sensed Chi Yingxue’s happiness, but… why were they, clearly not single, still being fed dog food!
“Anything else?” Wu Sheng asked, suppressing the sourness.
“Uh…” Chi Yingxue tilted his head, continuing to fish through his memories. “Right, when we were coming down the mountain, a car deliberately overtook me on a bend. Then I overtook it, and it overtook me again, and I overtook it…”
“In short, you were drag racing.” Xu Wang summarized succinctly.
Chi Yingxue shrugged, admitting, “But I won in the end.”
Wu Sheng asked, “Did the other party cause you trouble?”
Chi Yingxue shook his head and said glumly, “It was Xiao Sijin who was unhappy. He said I shouldn’t be reckless, and that driving like that was dangerous.”
“How did you respond?” Xu Wang had a bad feeling.
“I said not to worry. They couldn’t beat me.” Chi Yingxue returned to his confident self from the previous night.
Xu Wang rolled his eyes speechlessly. He knew it.
But Xu Wang didn’t believe that Xiao Kuang was such a person because he was angry with Chi Yingxue for driving too fast that he would disappear in a huff. Despite his young age, perhaps due to family background, Kuang Jinxin had always been more mature and sensible than his peers. Running off over a disagreement seemed more like something the childish Chi Yingxue might do.
Wu Sheng asked, “Did you remember the model and license plate of that car?”
Losing a drag race and seeking revenge made sense.
Chi Yingxue replied, “Silver Ferrari, license plate XXXXXXX. My brother is looking into it too.”
Xu Wang raised an eyebrow, surprised that he remembered the license plate.
Wu Sheng wasn’t surprised; he had noticed during their time in the Owl that Chi Yingxue had a good memory, just often too lazy to use it.
The call from Chi Zhuolin came at that moment.
Chi Yingxue answered immediately, and after a brief exchange, his face turned from anxious to mildly puzzled. “Are you sure?”
The other side must have confirmed, as Chi Yingxue didn’t ask further, instead hanging up in a daze.
“What’s the situation?” Xu Wang asked worriedly.
Chi Yingxue slowly raised his head. “My brother said the hotel surveillance captured Xiao Sijin leaving with his luggage by himself.”
Qian Ai signed with a company, transforming from an unknown streamer to a reserve Internet celebrity broadcaster with backing and publicity. Actually, it might not even be appropriate to call him “reserve” anymore. Right after signing the contract, the company launched a marketing campaign for him, allowing him to taste a bit of fame after years in the industry. He is now working even harder to turn this small flame of success into a roaring fire.
The latter two events are relatively straightforward: Kuang Jinxin graduated, and Chi Yingxue got his driver’s license.
“Brother, the car keys.” On a rare leisurely weekend without social obligations, President Chi was enjoying some downtime in his home’s second-floor study when his younger brother came looking for him.
Chi Zhuolin was initially surprised. It was only ten in the morning, and Chi Yingxue, who usually wakes up in the afternoon, appeared refreshed and obviously ready to go out. Upon hearing his brother’s request, his brow furrowed. “You just got your driver’s license yesterday, and you want to drive today?”
Chi Yingxue looked at him incredulously. “Isn’t that the whole point of getting a license?”
Chi Zhuolin placed his iPad on the desk, took off his Bluetooth headset, and said earnestly, “What I mean is, you’ve just got your license. It’s best to choose a car you’d like to drive and get familiar with it over a few days before hitting the road for real. The stuff you learn for the driving test and actual road conditions are quite different.”
“Never mind, I’ll just rent a car.” Renting a car seemed less hassle than taking one from their home garage.
As Chi Yingxue was about to leave, Chi Zhuolin, having no other choice, quickly changed his tone. “Alright, which one do you want to drive?”
Chi Yingxue stretched out his hand. “The G500.”
Not a sports car, but a Mercedes G-Class convertible SUV, which was a bit unexpected for Chi Zhuolin, who thought his brother was itching for a speed thrill.
Suppressing his surprise, he called the driver to bring the car out.
Soon after, the driver came upstairs to knock on the study door, delivering the keys.
Chi Yingxue took the keys, casually thanked him, and then naturally headed out.
These days, Chi Zhuolin occasionally hears a word of thanks, which has somewhat boosted his immunity, but not enough to prevent a burst of happiness at this moment. Just as this bloom of joy blossomed, his brother was about to vanish from the doorway. President Chi hurriedly asked, “Where exactly are you going?”
Without turning back, Chi Yingxue waved his hand and cheerfully replied, “For a drive.”
After sitting in the SUV, Chi Yingxue belatedly realized that the iPad Chi Zhuolin had placed on the desk had its screen on, playing something. He had been too focused on getting the keys to notice. Now, thinking back, the interface seemed familiar and flashy, and the silhouette on the screen was vaguely recognizable.
But that was as far as the recognition went. With limited peripheral vision and attention elsewhere, remembering even this much was good.
“Still wearing headphones in your own study,” Chi Yingxue muttered as he started the car, attributing his failure to recognize to Chi Zhuolin not playing the sound out loud.
From a second-floor window, Chi Zhuolin watched the SUV drive off, followed by an inconspicuous Toyota, which reassured him. He returned to his chair, put the Bluetooth headset back on, picked up the iPad, and fell into serious contemplation about what to have for lunch.
When Chi Yingxue arrived at Kuang Jinxin’s school, it was just past eleven. External vehicles weren’t allowed on campus, so he parked and strolled leisurely into the campus.
The sun was scorching, but the campus was shaded by lush trees. Walking under the shade, Chi Yingxue passed by students without realizing the attention he was drawing, only focused on what Kuang Jinxin’s expression would be upon seeing him.
Crossing the shaded path to a grassy square, he saw people in graduation gowns posing for photos in various formations, enthusiastically taking photos.
Oh, it’s graduation season.
Chi Yingxue was unfazed and continued forward, stopping abruptly after taking a step.
Xiao Sijin was also a senior.
He looked back at the wide lawn, his gaze scanning the crowd in graduation gowns like a facial recognition system, finally resting on a group near a sculpture.
The sculpture was abstract and incomprehensible to Chi Yingxue, who found the scene under it of several young men in gowns, each holding a cup of tea, creating quite a Buddhist-esque scene.
“One, two, three.” The photographer clicked the shutter.
The group, dignified a moment before, burst into laughter, lively and vibrant like the bright summer.
A boy jumped onto Xiao Sijin’s back, only to be playfully tossed off, leading to a retaliatory scuffle. The others joined in, turning the scene into a playful mess, with gowns getting tangled together.
Chi Yingxue approached the nearest tree, squinting against the bright sunlight.
Kuang Jinxin didn’t discover Chi Yingxue until much later. By that time, they had almost finished shooting and were quite tired, preparing to go to the cafeteria together. When he looked up, he saw someone under the tree at first glance.
He was stunned and hurriedly asked his classmates to go ahead without him, and he rushed over in one breath. The joy was still on his face, but there was an additional kind of happiness in his eyes.
“When did you get here?” His face was flushed and running too fast made him a bit out of breath. “Why didn’t you say something in advance?”
Not long after leaving the Owl, he had taken his friends around his school and enjoyed a meal at the cafeteria. Kuang Jinxin hadn’t expected Chi Yingxue to visit again.
“Do I need to announce my visit in advance?” Chi Yingxue leaned against the tree, showing no intention of moving.
“Why are you making such fuss?” Kuang Jinxin, in high spirits, spoke his mind. “I was just worried you’d miss me if I wasn’t at school today. Besides, you saw me, why didn’t you call out?”
“I thought you’d see me soon enough,” Chi Yingxue replied confidently.
Kuang Jinxin couldn’t help but laugh and reached out to pull his arms. “Come on, let’s go for some sweet and sour pork ribs.”
Last time, Chi Yingxue ate two portions in a row and seriously considered poaching the cafeteria auntie.
Chi Yingxue looked down at his arm being grabbed by Kuang Jinxin, gave up resisting, and followed him.
Near the end of their meal, Chi Yingxue mentioned, “I got my driver’s license. I’ll take you for a drive.”
Kuang Jinxin was stunned. His chopsticks paused in mid-air as he said, “Ah?”
Chi Yingxue frowned, feeling slighted. “What’s with that reaction?”
“It’s not that,” Kuang Jinxin hurried to clarify, misunderstanding the concern. “I’m not against going for a drive with you, but we have a class gathering this afternoon for a farewell meal.”
“Why have a gathering if you’re already parting ways?” Chi Yingxue glanced at their empty plates, reminding, “You just finished eating.”
“We’re meeting in the afternoon for some singing and board games, then dinner in the evening,” Kuang Jinxin patiently explained the schedule. As for why the group had to have a farewell gathering, Kuang Jinxin doubted whether Chi Yingxue would understand.
As more people gathered in the cafeteria, the noise grew louder.
Chi Yingxue said, “Then go to your gathering,” then walked away.
On his plate, there were still two pieces of ribs left—the two largest pieces of the portion. He liked to save the best for last, something Kuang Jinxin remembered well.
Throughout the afternoon, Kuang Jinxin was somewhat distracted, until the evening when the whole class gathered for a meal and the atmosphere of parting became real. It was then that he snapped back to reality, feeling a surge of reluctance as memories of the past four years welled up in his heart.
The dinner lasted until after ten o’clock, when the male class monitor got so drunk that he ended up crying and hugging anyone he saw. The other boys quickly protected the girls, dragging the class monitor into a taxi.
Once the class monitor left, the gathering dispersed. Everyone gathered in twos and threes at the roadside to hail cabs. A black Mercedes G500 stopped across the street, honking a long, deliberately drawn-out honk.
“Wow, that car is cool,” a male classmate beside him said, eyes gleaming. “Hey, he seems to be looking at us.”
The convertible’s top was down, and the driver, with one hand on the steering wheel, turned and looked steadily their way. His features weren’t clear in the night, but his gaze pierced the darkness, coming straight at them.
Kuang Jinxin swallowed unconsciously.
He made an excuse that he still had things to do, intentionally waiting until all his classmates had left before turning back to the restaurant.
Chi Yingxue narrowed his eyes, his irritation building to its peak after simmering all evening.
Kuang Jinxin came out again, holding something in his hand. Only when there were no cars passing by did he dash across the street to the car. “You didn’t wait here all evening, did you?”
“And all afternoon.” Chi Yingxue has never been one for “modesty”.
“You couldn’t have sent me a message?”
“Weren’t you going to have what’s it called,” Chi Yingxue paused, thinking, “Oh, right, the farewell dinner.”
So, he waited in silence, from outside the KTV to outside the restaurant.
“Are you stupid?” Kuang Jinxin was both angry and sympathetic, shoving something into his hand.
A bottle of orange-flavored soda, just taken out of the fridge, cold and refreshing, instantly dispelling the sultry heat and irritation of a summer night.
Chi Yingxue rolled the soda bottle across his face, soaking up the coolness. “Get in.”
Saying it was a drive, they really went for a drive. The car never stopped once they started, driving all the way past the Sixth Ring Road. Eventually, Kuang Jinxin no longer recognized the area. Eventually, it wasn’t even a road, but a dirt track surrounded by wasteland. The desolation made Kuang Jinxin anxious, fearing Chi Yingxue was truly angry and planning to leave him in a deserted place, unable to return to school.
At half-past midnight, thankfully, the car stopped.
Kuang Jinxin’s face was numb from the wind. He thought he’d never want to go for a drive again for the rest of his life.
The car stopped in a vast field, which had unknown grasses growing, emitting a special plant smell that was light and simple yet pleasant.
Chi Yingxue turned off the car.
The night sky in the suburbs was clear, with each star visible.
“How is it here?” Leaning back in the seat, Chi Yingxue glanced over, moonlight highlighting his beautiful profile.
“Open, vast,” and somewhat lonely. Kuang Jinxin didn’t say the last part out loud. Looking around, he made a new discovery. “There are no mosquitoes here.”
In the summer wilderness, it was practically a base for mosquitoes, but here there was only the distant sound of cicadas and close-up tranquility.
“Yan Wang says it’s because the grass here repels mosquitoes.” Chi Yingxue placed his hands behind his head, gazing at the night sky.
Kuang Jinxin stared at him blankly. “Yan Wang?”
The wind blew across the field, rustling the grass.
“Yan Wang likes to come here.”
Kuang Jinxin’s seat was reclined to the same angle, and he lay back, feeling somewhat uneasy. Finally, he turned to face Chi Yingxue, leaning against the back of the seat.
Chi Yingxue was still looking at the sky. “I used to wake up and find myself lying here.”
Kuang Jinxin was puzzled. “Aren’t you supposed to know everything Yan Wang does? It shouldn’t be a surprise.”
“I would know if I wanted to, but most of the time, I’m not really interested in his affairs.”
“But this, I’ve always been curious about.”
“What?”
“Why he likes coming here.”
Kuang Jinxin paused before asking, “Do you like it here?”
“I don’t.” Chi Yingxue answered quickly and with certainty.
His nose and jawline created a beautiful profile, which looked good no matter whether he was being unreasonable or petulant.
“You’re not telling the truth.” Kuang Jinxin bluntly pointed out.
Chi Yingxue turned and raised his eyebrows.
Kuang Jinxin raised his eyebrows too, deliberately meeting his gaze. “If I had just gotten my driver’s license, I’d definitely go to my favorite place first.”
Their eyes locked, and suddenly the air was still. Even the sound of the cicadas seemed to disappear.
Chi Yingxue leaned in, completely flattening the backrest, pressing down on him, and kissed him. He pinned him down firmly yet kissed with extreme caution, as if testing the boundaries of what wouldn’t be rejected.
Kuang Jinxin was a bit disoriented by the kiss, vaguely recalling the first time Chi Yingxue kissed him, which could hardly be considered a kiss but more like a unilateral stamp of possession, flaunted before competitors.
It was a slight sting.
Kuang Jinxin suddenly came back to reality, the one who bit his lip came back for more, gently licking the bitten spot. A slap followed by a sweet date.
Suddenly, that person stopped, propped up his upper body, and looked down at him with a hint of confusion and unease. “Why are you being so good today?”
Kuang Jinxin didn’t speak; he just looked at him, his eyes bright.
The simple plant smell filled the night air, as if the moonlight itself was tinged with it.
This was a place hidden deep within Chi Yingxue’s heart.
This was the first time he had opened that door, inviting him in, saying, “Please come in.”
At this moment, Kuang Jinxin thought, if Chi Yingxue was also willing to look into his heart, he would continue to be good.
That day, when they returned to the hotel, Xu Wang went straight to bed. When he woke up, he ordered room service, ate, and then continued to sit in the room, doing nothing all day, completely zoning out until night came again.
Wu Sheng’s activities weren’t as empty. He read books all day.
At midnight, Wu Sheng lay on the bed, with Xu Wang resting his head on his legs, the two of them occupying the large bed of the presidential suite, lying in different directions, quietly staring at the ceiling.
0:00:01, 0:00:02, 0:00:03…
The second hand made another round; it was a minute past midnight.
No owl hooting, no purple vortex—nothing happened.
“It’s really over…” Xu Wang muttered to himself, clearly feeling the last string in his heart loosen.
Wu Sheng quietly sat up and looked down at his face.
His shadow enveloped him, as if two souls quietly merged together. Wu Sheng wanted to see him clearly but didn’t want to move away.
Xu Wang waited for a while but didn’t hear any words or actions. He blinked, then chuckled. “Are you mesmerized by looking at me?”
Wu Sheng didn’t catch what he said. His attention was taken by the slightly parted lips.
The antique clock ticked away, and the fresh lilies in the glass vase gave off a faint fragrance.
Wu Sheng leaned down for a kiss.
These lips robbed him of his attention, so he robbed it.
Xu Wang was caught off guard by the kiss and forgot to close his eyes.
After the kiss ended, Wu Sheng released the lips he bullied into redness and kissed his eyes tenderly.
Xu Wang suddenly closed his eyes, his eyelashes trembling slightly, but his hand was still on Wu Sheng’s neck, responding to him awkwardly.
The scent of the lilies seemed even more intense…
“Ding!”
The sudden notification sound made both of them stiffen for a moment.
After a few seconds, Xu Wang reluctantly sat up, reached for the mobile phone on the nightstand, unlocked it, and saw, indeed, it was the WeChat group. “How idle are these guys!”
“Didn’t you set it to Do Not Disturb?” Wu Sheng had set it at noon, not because he didn’t care for his friends, but because there were dozens of messages a minute. When one chat ended, and another started. Both he and his phone were a bit overwhelmed.
“I did,” Xu Wang sighed. “But I can’t help it when I’m @mentioned.”
Wu Sheng leaned in from behind, feeling his warmth, and rested his chin on his shoulder. “Who @mentioned you?”
He asked, but without waiting for Xu Wang to answer, Wu Sheng already saw—
Marshal Yue: @Wangwang you’ve been diving all day. Time to surface!
Xu Wang was typing when his phone was suddenly taken away.
He looked puzzled at Wu Sheng. “Hm?”
“We can’t always stay in a hotel like this.” Wu Sheng moved closer to lick his lips. He rubbed the tip of his nose against Xu Wang’s, and his warm breath fell on his face. His voice was sexy and husky.
Forget the mobile phone; forget Marshal Yue—Xu Wang forgot everything at that moment. He was just dumbly following Wu Sheng’s words. “Yeah, after all, it’s Xiao Xue’s brother who’s paying…”
“Let’s look for a house tomorrow.”
“Okay…”
When he was kissed again, Xu Wang struggled with the last bit of his rationality, thinking, what were they just about to do?
……
Saturday, suitable for moving, suitable for settling in.
“Are you here for camping?” Xu Wang looked at Qian Ai carrying an induction cooker in one hand, an electric fan in the other, and a bulging backpack, suddenly a bit scared to let him into the new house.
“Ah, I knew you couldn’t do without me.” Qian Ai confidently walked in, naturally changing shoes, passing the entryway, and entered the living room. After scanning around, he chose a spot next to the dining table for the induction cooker, then plugged it into an extension board.
Chi Yingxue and Kuang Jinxin, who arrived earlier, had already toured the new house of their captain and advisor. Before Qian Ai arrived, they were watching TV on the sofa, but now they just watched Qian Ai busy himself.
After setting up the power, Qian Ai took the empty pot to the kitchen to fill it with water.
The three-bedroom apartment had an open kitchen. Wu Sheng, who was washing fruits, watched his teammate’s “enthusiasm” the whole time and immediately made way at the sink.
Qian Ai nodded at him appreciatively. “I knew you’d understand.”
“……” Wu Sheng didn’t quite understand, but it didn’t stop him from pretending.
The pot was placed on the induction cooker to boil.
Qian Ai sat on the floor waiting.
Xu Wang stood by him, while Xiao Kuang and Xiao Xue sat on the sofa, and Wu Sheng stood in the kitchen, waiting with him.
When the water boiled, Qian Ai connected the electric fan and started blowing it around the room while directing Xu Wang, “Open the windows—”
Xu Wang immediately complied, fearing any delay would lead Qian Ai to conjure some other trick.
The boiling water bubbled, steam rose, and the fan joyfully spun, circulating comfort in the cool breeze.
“For a housewarming, it must be lively with rising wind and water*!” Qian Ai stood in the center of the room, making a grand statement.
*(风生水起) Metaphor referring to if something is done well, it’ll develop quickly within a certain period of time and can grow rapidly. It’s also used as an explanation for Feng Shui (which is what it’s applying to in this case).
Xu Wang looked at him for two seconds, then suddenly squatted down and turned the induction cooker to its highest setting, making the boiling water livelier.
For the housewarming meal, they had hot pot. Given that Qian Ai brought an extra induction cooker, the five of them, using two pots, were quite imposing.
“Qian Ge, why didn’t you live stream today?” Kuang Jinxin suddenly asked mid-meal.
Xu Wang then realized that no wonder the meal felt strange, lacking the background music of “brothers, double-click 666”.
“Stopped.” Qian Ai precisely picked up a piece of tofu from the pot. “Taking a break for a while.”
Xu Wang was surprised. “Thinking of changing careers?”
“That’s not it. I’m just rethinking the positioning and direction of the live broadcast.” While Qian Ai spoke, his movements didn’t stop. The tofu on his chopsticks trembled as if ready to fall at any moment but ultimately landed intact in his oil dish, showcasing his superb skills.
Xu Wang was amazed. “Don’t change it. Just do food broadcasts. You’re the man chosen by the God of Food.”
After swallowing a piece of hot tofu, Qian Ai was invigorated. “Really?”
Xu Wang nodded emphatically, very sincerely. “Absolutely true.”
“Okay, enough about me,” Qian Ai said, though his smile stretched ear to ear. “What are your plans for the future?”
“I’ll look for a job,” Xu Wang pointed at Wu Sheng, “and he’ll start over with a new business.”
Qian Ai asked, “What about the previous company? After partnering for so long, can’t you go back?”
“He could, but he doesn’t want to.” Xu Wang sharply spotted another piece of tofu, made a move with his chopsticks, and it broke.
Wu Sheng took the ladle, catching the last intact piece of tofu in the pot, and placed it in Xu Wang’s oil dish, then said to Qian Ai, “I have a new research direction now, which no longer aligns with the old company.”
Qian Ai was curious. “What are you researching?”
Chi Yingxue and Kuang Jinxin also looked interested.
Wu Sheng had a determined look. “Artificial intelligence.”
The three friends: “…”
With no chance to teach NPCs to behave, he finally turned to his own products…
After dinner, the five continued chatting in the living room until it started to get dark. Then Kuang Jinxin and the other two friends left.
After seeing off the friends, Xu Wang washed the dishes in the kitchen, occasionally looking back at Wu Sheng tidying up the living room, feeling indescribably satisfied.
“If you keep sneaking looks at me, there will be a charge.” Wu Sheng teased with a raised eyebrow.
Xu Wang scoffed. “I’m afraid if I stop looking, you’d have to pay me to look.”
Wu Sheng was shamefully silent.
Xu Wang placed the sparkling, clean dishes on the rack, one by one, in perfect order. The bone china shone under the light, extremely beautiful.
Somehow, a surge of impulse came over him, and he blurted out, “I often thought in high school, what it would be like if we dated?”
Wu Sheng stopped, feeling an inexplicable tension, as Xu Wang brought up their high school days for the first time. “What would it be like?”
Xu Wang was silent for a long while, then turned around, his eyes and brows tinted with childishness, as if he had returned to that teenage boy. “I wanted to be on duty with you, run laps on the playground together, watch movies, play games together.”
Wearing an apron, standing in front of the sink, and looking back, it was the first time Wu Sheng saw this scene, yet it felt like he had replayed it many times in his mind.
If happiness had a form, it would be this moment.
“As far as I know, we didn’t miss out on any of these.” They hadn’t dated at the time, but they did everything mentioned above.
“Yeah.” Xu Wang chuckled slyly, as if his cunning plan had succeeded. “So I hypnotized myself into thinking we were already in puppy love.”
Wu Sheng stared at him for a long while. Then, without warning, he walked over, first dried Xu Wang’s hands, then neatly untied his apron, and led him towards the bedroom.
Xu Wang realized something and suddenly became hesitant. “The dishes aren’t finished yet…”
After returning home, Qian Ai remembered that during his house visit, the two bedrooms and a study were all tidied up and had some personal items, making it look as if both rooms were occupied.
Could it be… these two were still living separately?!
Qian Ai was startled by his conclusion, thinking it couldn’t be. After being so affectionate in the Owl, they must be passionately involved after coming out. But then again, the advisor always seemed to prioritize theory over practice and was now treating the captain like a treasure. Perhaps he would be too hesitant to make a move…
In the end, Qian Ai realized, damn, he left his electric fan and induction cooker at their new place.
He immediately called Xu Wang, intending to pick them up the next day. Just as they started their beautiful new life, an electric fan in the living room would be quite an eyesore.
The phone rang for a long time before being picked up. “Qian Ai…”
The voice sounded normal at first, but upon closer listening, there seemed to be slight panting and some rustling background noise?
“The fan and induction cooker—I forgot them. If you two are home tomorrow, I’ll come by to pick them up.”
“……”
No response. There were only rustling sounds, as if something was rubbing against something.
Qian Ai swallowed nervously. “Captain?”
“Don’t… Don’t do that first…” A very soft reprimand from the other end, with urgency and a bit of annoyance.
Qian Ai was dumbfounded.
“I told you to stop for a moment—” Anger mixed with embarrassment and awkwardness from the other end. Then, a “clang” sounded, like someone falling from a sofa or bed.
“Uh, you’re busy. Send my regards to Wu Sheng, bye!” Hanging up in a hurry, Qian Ai was unprecedentedly panicked.
Should he still go to pick up the fan and induction cooker tomorrow?
No, he couldn’t go. If he did, the advisor would surely target him for elimination…
The author has something to say:
Although we hit a red light along the way, the captain and advisor’s car still made it to the end, driving triumphantly* (～￣▽￣)～
*Clarity: Basically saying they finally did it (car), though they hit a bit of a snag reaching there (text/call interruptions… and also censorship, so we can’t read all the details).
Five people popped out from the Owl, and only Qi Shan ended up hanging from a tree.
“Stop gawking. Hurry up and save me!” Hanging from a branch four meters high, he dared not even move his fingertips, fearing he’d upset the balance.
“Hold on, I’ll find some stationery to catch you.” Li Xia, pretending to be serious, lifted his arm and started scribbling on his empty hand.
“……” Qi Shan considered jumping down to take him down with him.
“Is it done?” Li Zijin asked Han Buting, his confusion mixed with uncertain trepidation.
Han Buting opened the WeChat group on his phone. The first message was also from a cautious teammate, asking—Did we succeed?
Followed by Captain Xu’s immediate response—Before 5:00, all thirteen Owl Jades were destroyed. What do you think?
There was also an attached smirking emoji.
From there, the newly established Beijing Owl Travel Group WeChat group was flooded with messages. It had been less than half a minute since they came out, and the screen was filled with “hahaha” and various “laughing out loud emojis” of various styles, genders, and species, turning into an ocean of emoticons.
Li Zijin, relieved and laughing, finally dared to ask. “What exactly did I dream about?”
He hadn’t expected to be the one left in the dark compartment, clueless about the nightmare he had. When he woke up, he only felt his head was a mess and even more uneasy.
Thankfully, his teammates succeeded. Otherwise, he would have been the sinner.
“What did you dream about?” Li Xia said with a meaningful tone. “You should ask Qi Shan.”
Li Zijin looked up. The moon was half-visible, shining on Qi Shan, hanging by the tree.
“Your Millennium Falcon!” Qi Shan eagerly claimed credit, but at the crucial moment, he became a bit shy, lowering his voice for the latter half. “And my Tetris.”
Li Zijin widened his eyes. “Your Tetris?”
If Qi Shan had been closer, he would have caught the dangerous rise in tone, but alas, he was hanging too high.
“Surprised, huh? Let me tell you, I was too. It took half the battle to realize the operating system was too damn familiar! Once we removed the metal plate, we were in your Millennium Falcon! Guess who was the source of fear?”
“You,” Li Zijin said expressionlessly.
Qi Shan compensated for his lack of emotion with his own mixture of shyness and excitement. “How could we be so fated to bump into each other in such a niche game! If I had known the Millennium Falcon was yours back then, I wouldn’t have destroyed you every time. I would have carried you to the top on a palanquin!”
Li Zijin: “……”
Qi Shan: “Too bad we couldn’t record it. The battle just now was beautifully fought. I’m so familiar with Tetris’ tactics, it was like playing for fun to me. I indirectly avenged you, right?”
Li Zijin walked to the tree, opening his arms. “Come down.”
His figure was still slender like a young man’s, seeming like a younger brother ready to catch his elder brother. Qi Shan, fearing he might harm his idol, said, “Let Yan Ge come over.”
Li Zijin didn’t move, looking up at him. “It’s okay, come down. I have something to say to you.”
Qi Shan’s heart raced as he reached behind the hooked piece of clothing. Without hesitation, he tugged down, letting himself fall freely.
Li Zijin was ultimately knocked off balance, falling to the ground, but the moment Qi Shan pounced on him, he wrapped his arms around him, firmly protecting him.
The two fell together, unharmed.
Qi Shan, allowing himself to lie on top of his idol, was blissfully content. “What do you want to tell me?”
Li Zijin, as calm as an emotionless assassin. “You’re expelled from the fan club.”
Meanwhile, Zhu Mo in Guizhou received a message from HBT: Did we succeed?
The WeChat group was ecstatic, and this person was asking him alone…
If it weren’t for the status of “being awkwardly flirted with”, Zhu Mo might have taught Han Buting how to flirt hand in hand.
Zou Jun saw him staring at the phone with a complex expression and glanced at the screen casually. “Very… weird? Who is this person?”
Zhu Mo was startled. Usually, he would change the remark of someone he wasn’t very familiar with to their real name for easy recognition. When remarking on this person, to avoid any misunderstanding from anything inappropriate sent impulsively, he took a detour and changed the remark to initials.
Now, he felt guilty.
Zou Jun merely asked casually, then turned back to join the emoji battle with his own phone.
Zhu Mo changed Han Buting’s remark back, hesitated, and replied: Yeah.
Normally, seeing such a one-word reply, anyone should understand the meaning.
But Captain Han wasn’t just anyone.
Han Buting: Sent the wrong message?
Zhu Mo, tired, more so than from any challenge: No.
Han Buting: I’m very happy.
“……” Zhu Mo felt a subtle pressure, like being reviewed by an old professor.
Han Buting: Wait for me.
A few minutes later.
Han Buting: Okay, let’s continue.
Zhu Mo was curious: What did you do?
Han Buting: Logged out.
Zhu Mo: ???
Zhu Mo: Aren’t you talking to me right now?
Han Buting: The one talking to you now is the main account.I logged out of the secondary account.
Zhu Mo: Why log out?
It’s not strange to have multiple WeChat accounts, but Zhu Mo couldn’t understand why, in the middle of a conversation, the idea to log out of the secondary account suddenly came up.
Han Buting: Since you’re willing to chat with my main account, there’s no need for the secondary one.
“……” Now he understood.
Han Buting: When I get back, I’ll send you my resume. If you think it’s okay, we can move on to the next step.
Resume? The next step? Zhu Mo recognized every word, but when combined, they baffled him, and he dared not ponder too deeply, fearing the sight of a huge pit with a chilling breeze blowing from its bottom.
Han Buting: You understand what I mean, right?
Zhu Mo took a deep breath. The air of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau finally calmed him down: Actually, I don’t quite understand.
He didn’t want to know his height, place of origin, hobbies, career history, and all the potentially bizarre information!
Han Buting: No problem. You go back to the hotel and have a good sleep. There’s plenty of time ahead.
Sitting in the back of a taxi together, Zou Jun saw Zhu Mo earnestly tapping on his phone. On the screen was the WeChat page for changing remark names. The original remark had been deleted, and Zhu Mo was entering new characters—Very Weird.
“See, changing to a straightforward description.” Zou Jun had seen “HBT” last time and “Very Weird” this time, completely unaware that there had been another change in between.
Far away in Guangdong, Han Buting didn’t know that before becoming “Very Weird”, he briefly had a real name.
If any team was seriously navigating levels that night, it was the Colorful Assault Gray Man’s Team. At 4:37, their storyline was at the point where Handsome Senior B’s mother came to school to report Delinquent Boy D for leading her son astray, resulting in Delinquent Boy D being suspended. Throughout, Handsome Senior B didn’t dare speak a word in his defense.
After popping out, the first thing the captain of the Colorful Assault Team did was scold him, genuinely and fervently. “Scumbag!”
The actor playing Handsome Senior B, part of the unsuspecting team, endured a night of madness from their opponents, especially since he, forced by the script, repeatedly ended up in the mini-KTV with Delinquent Boy D, working hard like a laborer, only to end up with such a reputation?
Moreover…
“This is the storyline you guys picked up!” The screenwriter blamed the actors—what kind of logic is this?!
But their two opponents didn’t care about them anymore, hugging and jumping together in celebration, joyful as if they were at a wedding party.
Handsome Senior B, unable to suppress his curiosity, had to ask, “What are you guys laughing about? What succeeded?”
“Senior,” Delinquent Boy D, Red Wine, still used the familiar address. “From now on, you, us, everyone from the first thirteen levels, don’t have to enter the Owl anymore!”
Handsome Senior B and his teammates, all five of them, stepped back in unison and turned to hail a taxi.
Madness, absolute madness.
In Henan, but in different cities, Yue Shuai’s team and the Broom Team were on a call.
Yue Shuai: “How do you plan to celebrate?”
Broom Team Captain: “Wait for the breakfast stall to open. Then have a bowl of spicy soup.”
Yue Shuai: “What lofty ambition, always thinking about eating. Can’t you think of something healthier and slimming?”
Broom Team Captain: “Like?”
Yue Shuai: “Like, travel. Finally, we have the time and mood. No need to run around blindly. Take this opportunity to explore Henan.”
Broom Team Captain: “I’ve been here so many times but never really explored. Do you want to see the peonies in Luoyang or seek out Justice Bao in Kaifeng? We’re all for it.”
Yue Shuai: “Shaolin Temple on Mount Song.”
Broom Team Captain: “……”
Fu Wenqing and Wang Duanran, the two captains in Hunan and Jiangxi, respectively, had identical reactions after popping out—calmly looking up at the sky, like philosophers.
Their teammates had to suppress their celebratory urges, carefully asking, “Captain, what are you thinking about?”
Fu Wenqing, staring up, motionless, had thought about a lot, but in the end, he uttered only one sentence, with a profound calmness. “In this lifetime, I mean this lifetime, don’t ever let me see Aeroplane Chess again.”
Wang Duanran held his curly hair, reminiscing about sitting on a giant pumpkin all night with longing eyes. “I want to eat pumpkin porridge.”
They harbored joy for their success, but this joy was covered by a greater peace, gently enveloped. That peace came from the end of the nightmare, from returning to normal life, from the mundane yet precious moments of everyday life.
At 4:37 Beijing time, in two more hours, the city would awaken.
Mao Qiping would bring back his wife’s favorite breakfast and soon find out he needed to look for another job. President Chi would start a busy day and, in the near future, receive a notice of the dissolution of the Beijing Owl Travel Group.
Prophet Lilith leaned against the rough walls, squinting in the sunlight.
Dorothy said she was going to attend a dragon conference, leaving Lilith alone in the room again. Truth be told, she had spent most of her time alone since arriving in this world—first in a dark cage, then in a sealed tent.
She was surprised to find that she wasn’t even accustomed to the morning breeze blowing in her face.
Regarding “going to Paradise”, she still felt uneasy. Maybe after this conference, they could get an explanation of Paradise… Maybe, though she wasn’t very hopeful about it.
The feeling of being controlled and losing her memory was too terrifying. She didn’t remember anything, only the crushing discomfort upon waking. Just when she thought she could live normally again, waves of terrifying unknowns hit her.
When alone, the terror of the unknown felt like lead water. Lilith breathed in the fresh air, trying to calm her nerves.
It’s funny, she thought. This time last year, she was worried about her exam results, upset because she had a fallout with her desk mate, and her biggest wish was for her family to get a better phone. Now, all she wanted was to survive, and if she could suffer less, that would be even better.
Such a significant downgrade in wishes.
Lilith’s fingertips glided over her cold scales, smooth and hard, yet they conveyed a subtle warmth. Did she even remember how to walk on two legs normally?
A shaft of golden-red sunlight filtered through a crack, illuminating the yellow-brown rocks.
Lilith stared at it wordlessly, suddenly feeling a very strange impulse—if back on Earth, given her recent streak of bad luck, she’d visit a temple to pray. In this world, should she pray?
The system quests only mentioned “God”, not specifying which one. She was unclear about the true names of the Goddess of Life and the Eternal Son. She only knew of one god.
The ancient god worshiped by the Priest Serpent Clan, the God of Fate, Perradat.
It seemed she was nearly fully influenced by this world, Lilith mused with a bitter smile. She rummaged through her pack, taking out a piece of cheese she hadn’t finished eating and placing it ceremoniously in the light.
As if seeking some luck, she suddenly understood those with deep-rooted customs of worship.
“Perradat, I call upon you.”
She prayed formally. “Please protect me and my family, keep us healthy and safe, and allow us to reunite soon…”
A discordant sound of spatial distortion rang out, as if something was struggling inside a leather bag. Seconds later, the egg-sized piece of cheese began to emit bursts of black light.
[My prophet.] A cold, ethereal voice of a young girl spoke. [Why do you call upon me now?]
Whoa!
Lilith was dumbfounded. In a way, she indeed managed to cast aside her troubles and fears. What’s going on? Is calling upon a god this easy? Even a mouse trap doesn’t work this fast!
“Are you Perradat?” Lilith asked in shock.
God of Fate: [What you ask for…]
“Do you only need a piece of cheese?” Lilith hadn’t quite recovered. “Uh, should I offer more sacrifices. You’re not going to take my soul, right…”
God of Destiny: [Listen to me first…]
However, as an atheist high school student, she didn’t have much faith to begin with. Lilith felt like she had accidentally bumped into the principal while running in the hallway. “I didn’t do it on purpose. I’ll prepare better next time. Are you really Perradat? I’ve heard demons might disguise themselves—”
[Can you be quiet for a moment? I am Perradat!]
The girl’s voice couldn’t stay cold. She sounded like she wanted to hit someone. [This is the Dragon’s Lair. Even if you are my high priest and have called upon me willingly, I… haa, can’t hold on for too long…]
Lilith immediately clamped her mouth shut.
[I can reunite you with your family,] Perradat said weakly. [In exchange, I need you to do something for me.]
“Anything!” Upon hearing she could see her family, Lilith’s heart felt like it had been hammered, almost leaping out of her chest.
[My kin. I want you to become my Chosen One, my voice.]
The girl’s voice tensed up again. [I will guide you to a nearby battlefield, where a fragment of my divine body lies. Swallow it, and I can communicate with you.]
Lilith was silent for a few seconds. “You mean the battlefield where I lost my memory before?”
This “communication” made her wary. If reuniting meant losing herself, the deal seemed too sinister.
[That was the vile one using your spirit, descending forcefully through magic.]
The girl’s voice turned disdainful. [The serpentmen is a race I created. I wouldn’t do such a disrespectful thing to my own kin—you will automatically acquire the skill “Invoke God”, and I can only use your voice with your permission. When necessary, I will whisper in your ear. That’s all.]
There was no guarantee though. Lilith stared at the glowing piece of cheese.
She knew little about this world. Establishing a vow or contract with a god was like an electronics novice stepping into a computer mall—whether she’d get cheated depended on the other party’s conscience.
But a god who could communicate through cheese seemed a bit less malicious.
Should she discuss it with Paradise? What if Paradise disagreed?
Would Dorothy agree? If Dorothy disagreed, could she really give up this chance?
According to the Priest Serpent Clan’s internal mythology, Perradat seemed more like a neutral god. Not an evil god, so it shouldn’t be too bad, right…?
“Tell me the location,” Lilith said, biting her lip.
[Very well.] The girl sounded pleased.
Using wind magic, Lilith soon arrived at the remnants of the battlefield. Though called a battlefield, the situation was actually not too bad. There was only one, uh, undead dragon napping under the sun. The strong sunlight seemed to sap its energy.
Telistam, supposedly, wasn’t an enemy.
Lilith tiptoed around the skeletal giant dragon. The further she got from the Dragon’s Lair, the more restless the cheese in her pocket became. Initially, the voice was full of abundant and ethereal divinity, but later, she sounded like Lilith’s cousin screaming at a game console.
[Left! Right! Three steps forward! Ah, how can you even walk off course like this!]
[Turn left again… No, no, you turned your head to the right. Yes, yes, just like that, keep going forward!]
[Off course again. God, it’s so hard to describe distance to a serpentman—]
Such a noisy guy.
Lilith had a headache from the noise and couldn’t help but interrupt. “You said we need to find your divine remains, so you’re dead?”
[Half-dead,] the God of Fate murmured miserably. [In your terms, it’s like being paraplegic and also missing a heart.]
“In our case, that usually means certain death. Without a heart, how are you still alive?” Lilith spoke irreverently.
Perradat: [My old nemesis thought they took all my power, but I kept a bit. It’s that simple. Unfortunately, this little power is very limited, basically only enough to speak.]
Lilith: “I can tell.”
[Mind your manners, little girl. Your prophetic power comes from me. Be careful or I might turn it off.] The cheese god complained in Lilith’s pocket.
“Actually, up until now, I was quite worried about this deal. Now, I’m not worried anymore,” Lilith said.
[That’s good you understand my leniency.]
[……]
[Are you scolding me?]
Amidst the quarrel between a serpent and a piece of cheese, Lilith finally arrived at the indicated location.
She saw several drops of strangely colored blood. Oddly, they were right there, emanating an eerie power. But she needed the God of Fate to point them out before she could notice their presence.
[That brat brought out my body. At least he did something humane.]
Perradat sighed at the drops of blood, which rose from the soil and formed into a pearl-like small orb.
[Swallow them. They will grant you strength.] The God of Fate Perradat became serious. [I promise, by today, you will be reunited with your loved ones.]
Lilith took a deep breath, caught the drops of blood with her fingertips, and swallowed them with her eyes closed.
The black glow on the cheese suddenly disappeared. A few seconds later, Lilith opened her four eyes, revealing eyes that had turned dark.
She felt power and joy filling her body, the cheers from her Priest Serpent Clan lineage. There seemed to be a rumor among her clan that over two hundred years ago, their clan had a descendant of the God of Fate. They were powerful, majestic, and invincible.
Although she really couldn’t understand how a cheese god could be majestic.
The system turned her newly acquired power into a skill named [Whisper of Fate] which she could toggle between active and passive modes. In active mode, she allows the “God of Fate” to temporarily control her body. In passive mode, she can hear the God of Fate’s whispers in her mind.
‘Unfortunately, there’s no off switch,’ Lilith thought. ‘That’s probably the cost.’
“You… okay, you didn’t lie to me.” Lilith looked at her hands. “What do I do now?”
[Wait here. Fate has its plans.]
This time, Perradat’s voice came directly into her mind, light and clear.
[The decision you’ve made is more important than you think, child.]
……
In the Dragon’s Lair, the leader’s cave.
“So, your request is for me to stabilize Nolerwin’s power so you can invade his mind.” The voice of White Dragon Subelbot carried a hint of mockery. “What does this have to do with our God?”
“This is the Dragon’s Lair. I wouldn’t be foolish enough to renege here.” Teest waved his hand, his gaze stuck on Nol. “Explaining isn’t my style. I could offer our Lord Painter as collateral. If I’m lying, you can kill him.”
Painter grimaced and raised his hands. “Fine. In this matter, I don’t doubt your honesty. But you have better options.”
“This is the choice that makes me happiest,” Teest said.
Nol was just watching Subelbot up close, and despite the inappropriate context, he was still amazed by his beauty. The white dragon noticed his gaze and turned his head away, somewhat displeased. Upon seeing Nol’s gaze, a hint of surprise and hesitation appeared in his large dragon eyes.
It was a very strange look, distant yet affectionate.
A Dracolich, a corrupted being, shouldn’t have such a gaze. It made Subelbot slightly uneasy yet also felt a subtle impulse to get closer, as if encountering a long-lost relative.
“I promise,” he heard Nol say.
It was hard to tell whether that was a promise or a command, Subelbot thought. He could sense something very special, but as he tried to discern it, the feeling gradually faded.
But he didn’t smell of corruption.
It seemed he had underestimated Paradise. The White Dragon silently turned his head, narrowing his eyes, and after half a minute of deep thought, said, “I will lend my power, come with me.”
He led them to his nest.
Nol secretly breathed a sigh of relief and telepathically messaged Teest, [The defensive magic here is very comprehensive, and there are many items that resist strong magical bursts. I’ll point them out to you later.]
“Why did you follow?” Teest turned to Painter with dissatisfaction.
Painter: “In case Lord Subelbot needs to bite me and I’m not around, that would be impolite.”
After saying that, he paused meaningfully. “And now, someone isn’t absolutely rational. Considering the relationship between Paradise and the Dragon’s Lair, I feel it’s necessary for me to be here.”
Teest clicked his tongue lightly and said no more.
“Let’s start.”
Nol found a piece of adamantite slate and lay down on it cautiously.
Before closing his eyes, he cast hundreds of isolation and binding spells on his limbs, akin to a magical straitjacket. Just a few seconds after lying down, he suddenly sat up like a measuring worm and cast a spell on everyone present to immunize them against mental disturbances.
This time, Subelbot took over Painter’s role. Just as he found his position—
Mr. Nol struggled to get up and threw a terrifyingly powerful magical shield on everyone present, then lay down again with difficulty.
“That’s enough, Sir,” Painter said subtly. “If you make another move, we’ll all be sealed here.”
Nol chuckled dryly. Looking at the top of Subelbot’s nest, he suddenly had a strange illusion. It was like a life-and-death operation, and he didn’t know if he would wake up once his eyes were closed. Even if he did wake up, he was unsure if he could remain the same.
Luckily, he didn’t have to face this alone.
Unfortunately, they had to face this together.
He hoped the past events he remembered wouldn’t drastically change his personality. He somewhat wanted to pray to someone. Funnily enough, he was theoretically the supreme god of this land.
Throughout the process, the system remained silent.
“Let’s start,” Nol said again.
The magic aura of the White Dragon was cold and heavy, like an avalanche. Painter’s expression stiffened, and his eyes were filled with a trace of melancholy. Teest, unusually, took several deep breaths before diving into Nol’s consciousness again.
The familiar pure white space, the familiar faint stench of decay.
And that familiar figure.
The deformed Nol, with black hair and eyes, was still sitting on that strange swivel chair. Different from last time, there were several thin, semi-transparent chains around his wrists and ankles.
He lifted his head towards Teest, his features flickering, misaligned, and moving. Even for someone as skilled as Teest, it was hard to discern any emotions. Behind “Nol”, that weird machine box with its screen still pitch black.
It perfectly backed the black-eyed Nol’s head, like a rectangular piece of black divine light.
Referencing Kando’s memories, that was probably Nol’s sealed memory—not scattered like Kando’s memories, but closely pressed together, guarded by this bizarre “Nol”.
“It’s you again,” the strange Nol said, his voice weirdly stuttering. “And the power of a dragon.”
He raised his hand, his flowing features gathering at the wrist chains.
“And you, honey.”
Teest bowed. “You are the embodiment of the knowledge seal, I guess?”
“You do not have—”
“I don’t have the permission, I know.” Teest interrupted directly. “If you didn’t keep unsettling Nol every now and then, I wouldn’t want to disturb your peace. Now, for his safety, I have to verify this knowledge.”
He stepped forward, moving towards that strange figure.
The stench of decay grew stronger, containing odors that shouldn’t belong to humans, as well as a damp, rotten smell more akin to decaying vegetation.
Nol tilted his head stiffly—not in a charming way, more like the head of a car crash victim being straightened—and opened his mouth, which contained nothing but teeth and hollow blackness.
“Do not approach. Do not approach,” he murmured. “Forbidden, forbidden, forbidden.”
“I wouldn’t want to approach either. If you could chat with me more cordially, I’d rather never come here again. We both have no choice. What a pity.”
The strange Nol fell silent.
After a long time, as if he thought of something, he began to unbutton his shirt.
Teest immediately jumped back two steps. “Wait, wait, honey. I didn’t mean that…”
His words were cut off, suddenly stuck in his throat.
The clothes of the black-eyed Nol were as bizarre as he was. Taking them off was like peeling off a layer of skin. Now, the strange Nol stood naked in front of Test, quietly observing him.
Behind him, the screen remained pitch black, looking like an even larger, hollower eye socket.
“You know, this is the first time I’m proud of my profession.” Teest murmured to the figure in front of him. “It ensures that I remain conscious, so I don’t faint on the spot.”
While at the Eternal Church, he received similar education—to understand human anatomy, their instructors would have them chop up corpses, sew them together, chop them finer, sew them tighter.
During this time, naturally, some had a perverse interest in creating something new. For instance, sewing different species together or creating a “new species” with an excessive number of limbs. Teest didn’t need to develop any gruesome imaginations. He just had to look around.
However, the most exaggerated “creation” he saw was nothing compared to the existence before him.
Beneath the clothes, countless dizzying chunks of flesh were visible. They were of various colors, protruding strange limbs beyond human comprehension, entwined and adhered to each other, barely forming a human shape.
Semi-transparent, fruit-like tissues, hard shells with dense compound eyes, and tumor-like growths glowing blue-green… At the position of Nol’s heart, a piece of white scale lay quietly.
Looking at each part, Teest could feel the discomfort of staring directly at a “God”. What was more, each chunk of flesh responded differently.
They came from different individuals.
They came from hundreds and thousands of different gods.
The author has something to say:
Nol: Bad news, I’ve been working overtime alone.
Nol: Good news, it seems I’m not working overtime alone anymore.
…sorry for the hell (.
Honestly, they are a perfect match… Normal people probably couldn’t handle this wave of sc*…
*Sensitive/shocking content.
Kinky Thoughts:
Wouldn’t be a Nian Zhong novel without a little horror and gore.
The wind was blowing—not too strong, but with a biting chill.
Yun Xiangrong’s hair had been cut short, just reaching her shoulders. The wind lifted her hair, making her figure appear even more slender and gaunt. At the moment of eye contact with her, Zhou Qian felt the knapsack move on its own.
He guessed that it was Gao Shan inside the Rib of God sensing something.
Zhou Qian patted the knapsack, barely soothing the Bone Spirit, and then, without saying anything for the moment, turned and led the way to the inn.
As Zhou Qian walked, Bai Zhou naturally followed closely behind.
Shortly after, all eight players, under the system’s guidance, entered the Tatat Inn together.
The innkeeper was a middle-aged woman wearing a white long dress draped with a woolen plaid shirt, currently sitting in front of the fireplace knitting a sweater.
Upon seeing the eight guests walk in, she looked up, smiled at them, and said, “You can choose your rooms. It’s almost festival time. I’m very busy, so please make your choice within ten minutes. I advise each of you to choose a room; it’s best not to crowd together, as there’s only one bed per room.”
Festival?
The fields had already been harvested, and the foliage was showing signs of withering yellow, indicating that it was deep autumn.
What festival could the people in this instance, in this season, be celebrating?
Zhou Qian looked carefully around the inn’s lobby, noticing dried meat, corn, and chili hanging near the door.
Particularly unusual was the seven large pots placed near the entrance, all simmering with meat, the aroma filling the entire lobby.
In fact, the players had already smelled the meat before even entering the inn.
However, the combination of meat and the inn inevitably led to associations with rumors of cannibalistic eateries, and thus, no one dared entertain the thought of coveting that meat.
Turning back to the innkeeper, Zhou Qian asked, “What festival is it? Is this meat prepared for the festival?”
“Yes. There will be banquets these next few nights. Everyone can eat as much meat as they want.” The innkeeper smiled at Zhou Qian. “Eat as much as you like.”
He Xiaowei, beside Zhou Qian, obviously swallowed. “That meat smells so good. But I dare not eat it. How can you eat meat randomly in such instances?”
“That’s not necessarily the case. Don’t the game designers like to play with people? The more it seems you can’t eat, the more likely you can.” Zhou Qian laughed and walked towards the second floor. “Anyway, let’s find rooms first.”
He Xiaowei sighed. “Qian’er, although I’ve been playing games with you for so long, many times I still can’t tell if you’re joking or serious.”
“Really? Then can Zhou Ge tell?” While walking upstairs, Zhou Qian nudged Bai Zhou with his elbow, asking very pointedly.
Bai Zhou glanced at Zhou Qian, grabbed his hand, and before he could reply, He Xiaowei, following behind, added, “Don’t always ask others. Reflect on yourself!”
“Hey, He Xiaowei—”
He Xiaowei couldn’t continue, as he was knocked on the head by Hidden Blade.
“Master, why did you hit me?”
“Trouble comes from the mouth. Focus on choosing a room.”
“Does it matter which room we choose?” He Xiaowei asked.
Hidden Blade: “You forgot that—”
“Oh right, I remember now…”
He Xiaowei didn’t finish his sentence as Zhou Qian’s hand covered his mouth from behind.
Then he heard Zhou Qian tell the two girls. “Ladies first. You choose.”
By this time, all eight people had already made their way up the stairs to the second floor.
Realizing something, He Xiaowei paused, a bit unclear about Zhou Qian’s intentions.
What is he doing? He surely doesn’t mean harm to the two girls, right?
This Yin Jiujiu had a falling out with everyone last time, and she is somewhat naive and impulsive, but her enemy is Situ Qing. She hasn’t intentionally caused trouble for others. She doesn’t really have a grudge against us. At the beginning of the game, would they really just eliminate her so simply and crudely?
As for Yun Xiangrong, she’s even more of a pitiable girl. Zhou Qian shouldn’t be harming her, right?
What is he trying to do?
Noticing He Xiaowei’s gaze, Zhou Qian roughly guessed what he was thinking but didn’t explain much. When he looked at the two girls, his gaze even carried intentional mockery.
When their eyes met, Yun Xiangrong seemed to understand the provocation and mockery in Zhou Qian’s eyes. She immediately turned colder and said with a mocking tone, “I received that prohibition too—’one must not stay overnight in a house where one can still see the firelight from the window after sunset’. You don’t need to try using the asymmetry of information against me.”
Hearing this, Yin Jiujiu’s gaze shifted back and forth between Yun Xiangrong and Zhou Qian. “Do you two have a grudge?”
She then looked at Zhou Qian and asked, “But Zhou Qian… you won’t trick me, right?”
“You misunderstood. Of course, I’m not tricking you,” Zhou Qian said with a smile to Yin Jiujiu, then walked a few steps closer to Yun Xiangrong, staring into her eyes. “I really thought you didn’t know this information, which is why I let you two choose first.”
“But what I’m doing is not to harm you. I just wanted to play the hero who saves you after you trigger a crisis due to lack of information.”
Yun Xiangrong nodded and continued mockingly, “Oh. A familiar tactic. In the instance where Shan Ge died, didn’t you do the same to Situ Qing? How is it, you played a tactic and won her heart at that time… But after you used her and left the instance… You seemed not to care about her?”
“You two are, of course, different. She was indeed an enemy trying to kill me at that time. But at least you were once a teammate I could trust. This time, it’s just a little trick I played to express my goodwill towards you. Now that you know the prohibition… fine, I can’t play this trick anymore. There’s nothing more to say. But…”
Zhou Qian said seriously, “I want to tell you that Shan Ge has become my Bone Spirit now. He has the chance to be revived. And only I can truly revive him.”
“So, what you should do now is immediately leave the Peach Blossom Legion and come join me. You’ve seen it. My team is growing stronger. My people and I can completely protect you.”
“Is that so? Would you give me your weapon then?”
Yun Xiangrong coldly curled her lip, extending her hand towards him. “Give me your weapon, then I’ll believe you.”
“Rong Mei, that’s not fair. What if I give you my weapon and you turn to kill me?” Zhou Qian narrowed his eyes. “I haven’t forgotten. You said I was your first target for revenge.”
“Besides, without the Rib of God, I have no skills. All my skills depend on it.”
“So you see… you dare not give me your weapon.”
Yun Xiangrong turned back, walked into the corridor, randomly opened a room, and walked to the bed, looking through the window at the village outside. “I knew you weren’t sincere.”
“You’re being unfair now.”
Zhou Qian said, “The real insincere one is the Peach Blossom Legion. Can’t you see they’re testing you? If they really wanted to help you kill me, they wouldn’t let you face so many of us alone.
“They’re testing the real relationship between you and me. They want to see if I would harm you in this instance, to eliminate you as a future threat. After all, I have never spared my enemies. So Yun Xiangrong—”
“If I let you go this time, those who want to kill you after we leave this instance might be them.”
Zhou Qian said this was partly a performance for the “traitorous gambler” to watch and for the Peach Blossom Legion to see.
On the other hand, he was genuinely persuading Yun Xiangrong, wanting her to completely abandon the path of being a traitor. After all, the Peach Blossom Legion clearly didn’t trust her, and sending her this time had sinister intentions—
It wasn’t a good opportunity to kill Zhou Qian in this instance. There were eight players, with six on Zhou Qian’s side, and two of them were Rank God players.
The Peach Blossom Legion sending her was obviously testing Zhou Qian’s attitude towards her.
Under such circumstances, she would either die at Zhou Qian’s hand or, due to the fact that Zhou Qian let her go, the Peach Blossom Legion might consider her to be pretending to defect but actually still standing with Zhou Qian and thus choose to kill her.
Thus, no matter the path, Yun Xiangrong seemed to have only one way out—death. Unless—
Unless there were two other possibilities.
The first possibility was that, for some reason, Yun Xiangrong had indeed defected to the Peach Blossom Legion.
In that case, her daring to come here or the Peach Blossom Legion daring to send her here might just be because they calculated that Zhou Qian would let her go. Perhaps Yun Xiangrong’s purpose in coming here was only to get some important special reward from the instance, and she and the legion didn’t plan to kill Zhou Qian in this instance.
The second possibility was that the Peach Blossom Legion still wanted to kill Zhou Qian, but they had other pieces in play, such as Yin Jiujiu, or among the five people with Zhou Qian, there might be problems.
In Zhou Qian’s view, except for Bai Zhou, he trusted no one else.
It wasn’t that he easily doubted his teammates’ character. But someone like He Xiaowei, who was usually less guarded, could be controlled without knowing, which wasn’t impossible.
Zhou Qian was aware that the direct methods of the Peach Blossom Legion had failed, and of course, they would turn to the people close to him that he trusted.
Numerous thoughts flashed through Zhou Qian’s mind when he heard Yun Xiangrong say, “What exactly does your Rib of God do, and what exactly are the souls it produces? It’s still unclear. Maybe you can’t revive Shan Ge at all; you might just create a monster.”
“Shan Ge is a living, thinking, and perceptive soul, but now he’s trapped in that bone day and night. If it were me, I can hardly imagine what that feels like…”
At this point, a brief poignancy appeared in Yun Xiangrong’s words, followed by a sudden icy look in her eyes.
After a while, her gaze continued out the window, showing a bit of yearning as she continued, “But in the Peach Blossom Legion, I’ve seen it with my own eyes… That’s the real power of resurrection. Don’t you have two Rank God players by your side?”
She glanced back at Bai Zhou and Hidden Blade, her eyes shimmering with a certain brilliance. “You’ve heard of the Peach Blossom God, Xie Huaying, right?”
He Xiaowei, standing behind the group, quietly asked Hidden Blade, “Master, who is the Peach Blossom God?”
Hidden Blade replied, “It’s said she was one of the first players to enter this game and achieve godhood. I have indeed heard… she could resurrect people. Not just in the game, but in real life as well.”
“But she hasn’t appeared for a long time. Some say she never existed, and the legend is just a ploy to lure us into training. Others say… she has long been dead.”
“Ah? Did they say when she died?” He Xiaowei asked.
“She disappeared about six years ago,” Hidden Blade replied. “I don’t know the specifics.”
Six years ago?
Wasn’t that a year after Bai Zhou entered this game?
Does he have anything to do with this?
Hearing this, Zhou Qian inevitably linked the matter to Bai Zhou.
From the moment they entered the instance, he and Bai Zhou were equipped with props that allowed them to chat privately without being heard by other players or even the gamblers.
With doubts in his mind, Zhou Qian turned to look at Bai Zhou.
Catching Zhou Qian’s gaze, Bai Zhou guessed what he wanted to ask.
Without waiting for him to speak, Bai Zhou immediately said in the private chat, “I’m not involved in this matter. But I heard from Shao Chuan that he killed Xie Huaying and another Rank God player I don’t recognize years ago. It was also because of that incident he suffered severe injuries.”
This news was somewhat surprising to Zhou Qian.
However, with only ten minutes at his disposal, he had to first solve the first puzzle—”choosing a room” before considering anything else.
The inn was a square building, with the second floor built around a corridor precisely aligned with four directions.
There were four doors on each side, making a total of sixteen rooms.
Four of the rooms were at the corners, slightly larger, each with two windows facing different directions. The remaining twelve rooms each had only one window.
As per the innkeeper’s instruction, now the players had to choose eight rooms to stay in.
Zhou Qian first asked his teammates to quickly open every room door. After taking a glance in each to get a rough idea of the structure, he began to enter the rooms for a detailed inspection.
One thing was clear: all sixteen rooms contained a fireplace, plenty of firewood, and candles. The village had no electricity. If lighting was needed at night, candles would have to be used.
After checking several rooms, He Xiaowei was the first to say, “I have an idea… This puzzle might not be related to which room we choose. We just don’t light any lights!”
Right then, Zhou Qian pulled open the simple wooden wardrobe in one of the rooms, then patted He Xiaowei’s shoulder.
“What’s up?”
He Xiaowei turned his head and saw many odd costumes in the wardrobe, each more bizarre than the last—some with skull and ghost patterns, others with red blood stains.
Suddenly, Zhou Qian picked something from the wardrobe and threw it to He Xiaowei, who caught it only to be startled by what it was—a pristine white skull!
“Don’t panic, Xiaowei Ge.” Zhou Qian stepped forward and picked it up. He tied a plastic rope on the back around his head, donning it, and then, with hands outstretched like grabbing something, he stepped closer to He Xiaowei.
Only then did He Xiaowei realize it wasn’t a real skull but just a skull mask.
Still, He Xiaowei retreated step by step until Zhou Qian had him cornered against the wall.
He Xiaowei, trying to invoke some intervention, said to Bai Zhou, who was rummaging through something on the large bed, “Hey… aren’t you going to do something? Let me tell you, I’ve been in love before, so I have experience. If you don’t intervene now, later he’s going to walk all over you! When it comes to love, whoever lowers their stance first will have a harder time raising their status later on!”
Before he could finish, He Xiaowei saw Bai Zhou also take out a yellow head from under the covers, then looked down at it silently, as if measuring something. Then he turned to look at He Xiaowei. “You want to play with this?”
He Xiaowei: “…………”
Deciding to no longer follow Zhou Qian and giving up on seeking help from Bai Zhou, He Xiaowei turned to find his master in another room.
Just as he reached the door, a chill ran down his back as if someone had blown on him, causing his heart to race.
With a surge of courage, he turned back, only to find a yellow ghoulish face right in front of him.
Unable to hold back, He Xiaowei screamed, “Ahhh, a g-ghost—!”
Then, the yellow head lowered, revealing a white skull mask behind it, which was then removed to reveal… Zhou Qian’s face.
It turns out both ghosts were Zhou Qian.
Somewhat frustrated and feeling wronged, He Xiaowei complained, “Qian’er, you know I’m scared of this!”
“Take a closer look at what this is. You can smell it.”
Picking up the skull again, Zhou Qian didn’t wear it this time but set it aside.
Then he raised something else in front of He Xiaowei, who cautiously sniffed it and recognized it was a hollowed-out pumpkin.
Carved with facial features, it looked somewhat ghostly. But at its core, it was still just a pumpkin.
Pumpkin heads, skull masks, odd costumes…
He Xiaowei suddenly went to the window and looked out.
The sun hadn’t set yet. In the light of the setting sun, he could see many grains, pigs, and sheep, as well as many bones that seemed to be from animals, arranged in circles as if for some ritual.
“This, this…” He Xiaowei suddenly found himself at a loss for words.
Zhou Qian said, “Actually, you should be able to easily associate this with a Western festival.”
“Halloween!” He Xiaowei said. “Odd costumes, skull masks…these are for a costume party, right?! And there are also pumpkin lanterns! Do we need to prepare candy? Will kids come knocking on the door at night to ‘trick or treat’?”
“Halloween, November 1st, the timing does indeed fit. However, the costume party of Halloween can be traced back to an even older festival—Samhain*.”
*A Gaelic festival on November 1st marks the end of the harvest season and beginning of winter or “darker half” of the year. Often associated with Irish mythology, early literature says great gatherings and feasts marked Samhain when the ancient burial mounds were open, which were seen as portals to the Otherworld. Some of the literature also associates Samhain with bonfires and sacrifices.
Zhou Qian continued, “Some believe November 1st is the beginning of the new year, and on the night of October 31st, before November 1st arrives, there is a period of transition between the old and new—a time that doesn’t exist. During this time, the gates between the worlds of the living and the dead open, and Death and ghosts return to the mortal world to find replacements.”
“To avoid being recognized by Death, people would dress up as ghosts and ghouls. Besides that—”
“People welcoming Samhain would light various offerings at sunset, including burning animal bones to appease the spirits. This is what’s displayed in the square.”
“Not only in public areas would offerings and bonfires be burned, but every household must also keep their fire burning. On the night of Samhain, one must light the fireplace at home to prevent ghostly disturbances. So Xiaowei Ge, do you see the contradiction in the solution you just proposed?”
He Xiaowei realized it.
The prohibition related to the players was that they couldn’t stay overnight in a room where firelight can be seen from outside.
He initially thought that not lighting a fire would suffice.
But now it seemed this plan wouldn’t work. If they didn’t light the fireplace at night, they might very well die from ghosts returning from the other world.
“Damn it.” He Xiaowei couldn’t help saying, “So I’ve come to the instance I fear the most… This time, there really are ghosts.”
“We can’t say that for sure. It’s just one possibility,” Zhou Qian said.
“How should we choose the rooms then?” He Xiaowei pondered and suggested another idea. “Why not just completely block up all the windows with bricks and cement!”
“That would indeed be quite a drastic solution. But what if something unusual happens outside the house? Then you won’t be able to see it at all,” Zhou Qian said.
He Xiaowei was at a loss. “Yes. If we can’t see the information, we might miss a lot of it. So what should we do?”
But he heard Zhou Qian say, “Let’s just choose randomly for now.”
He Xiaowei: “?”
“There’s not enough information at the moment, so just choose randomly.”
He Xiaowei saw Zhou Qian smiling and saying, “The prohibition mentioned ‘overnight’, which means as long as the night isn’t truly over, not until the last moment, we’re not considered to have broken the prohibition. So the consequences of breaking the prohibition can’t take effect.”
“Wow… right. Then we can just keep moving!” He Xiaowei said.
“Right. Although the proprietress reminded us, it’s best for each person to have a room and not to stay together. There’s probably some reason behind it. But there’s no specific prohibition saying we must stay alone. So…”
Zhou Qian walked out of the room, just in time to see the two girls coming out of their rooms. They both seemed serious, probably also thinking about how to avoid the prohibition.
Zhou Qian then said to them, “At the beginning of the game, follow my lead. There are eight of us, so every two people will choose a room in one direction. We can adjust as the situation changes later. You two ladies can choose rooms in two different directions for easy support.”
Everyone agreed to Zhou Qian’s arrangement and chose their rooms. With a few minutes left of the innkeeper’s time requirement, they didn’t immediately go downstairs to report but continued to search the second floor.
After a while, Qi Liuxing found a room with a problem with the ceiling. After testing it, he found that several bricks were loose and could be removed.
After removing some bricks, a large hole appeared in the ceiling—large enough for someone to climb onto the roof.
After finding out, Zhou Qian was the first to follow Qi Liuxing. Bai Zhou and Ke Yuxiao followed behind, and the four of them climbed onto the roof together for a better view of the entire village.
After a round of observation, Zhou Qian could clearly see a rather tall stele in the west.
Being so far away, the words on the stele couldn’t be read, so Zhou Qian took out binoculars.
Beside him, Qi Liuxing glanced at him and couldn’t help saying, “Did you use this binocular back when you were like the ‘waiting for your husband stone’?”
Zhou Qian: “……”
Qi Liuxing rarely got a chance to tease Zhou Qian. Seeing him not responding, he mimicked Zhou Qian’s pleased smile.
But soon, he felt that deliberately smiling like that made him feel awkward, almost as if his facial muscles were twitching, so he stopped and just looked up at the stele.
At that moment, he felt a gaze that one couldn’t ignore—a spine-chilling gaze.
Turning his head, Qi Liuxing met Bai Zhou’s eyes.
In that instant, as if enlightened, Qi Liuxing responded, “The person he’s waiting for is probably you.”
“Brother Sword God, have you been hanging out with Xiaowei Ge too much? If you talk too much, you’ll lose your coolness, and your Sword God persona will collapse,” Zhou Qian immediately cautioned him.
Qi Liuxing calmly replied, “Doesn’t matter. My persona has already collapsed a million times in front of you.”
Zhou Qian: “…………”
Then Zhou Qian saw Bai Zhou walk up beside him, seemingly with a smile in his eyes, looking at him.
Zhou Qian didn’t look at him. His ears were tinged red by the setting sun.
Then he cleared his throat and said, “The stele is inscribed with the third prohibition: Do not circumnavigate Brega clockwise.”
……
The ten minutes for choosing rooms ended.
The eight players went to the first-floor lobby to inform the innkeeper of their decision.
The innkeeper put down the sweater in her hands and smiled at them. “Good. Now please come with me to the square. The evening’s festival activities are about to start. I’ll take you to the first one.”
He Xiaowei couldn’t help asking, “Do we need to prepare candy?”
He was still thinking about the “trick or treating” of Halloween.
“No need.” The innkeeper smiled. “Do you like sweets?”
He Xiaowei seemed to realize—so, tonight’s festival is indeed the ancient Samhain?
After a while, Yun Xiangrong asked the innkeeper, “May I ask what the first activity tonight is?”
“A little game. Similar to Drop the Handkerchief*. It’s very fun.”
*It’s a children’s game that’s similar to Duck, Duck, Goose. It involves a group of children sitting in a circle, facing inward. One child is designated as “it” and walks around the circle holding a small handkerchief. As they walk, they drop the handkerchief behind one of the seated children without them noticing. Once the handkerchief is dropped, “it” continues to walk or run around the circle. The child who discovers the handkerchief behind them picks it up and chases “it” around the circle. The goal is to tag “it” before they can sit down in the vacated spot. If “it” is caught, they must perform a task, a penalty, or continue to be “it.” If not, the child with the handkerchief becomes the new “it.”
The innkeeper said, “There are rewards for the winners of the game and penalties for the losers.”
Drop the Handkerchief?
The kind where a group of people play in a circle?
Zhou Qian immediately caught on to something.
Without waiting for him to ask, Yun Xiangrong seemed to realize too and immediately asked, “So… how many people will participate? Also, what is your name?”
The author has something to say:
Do not walk counterclockwise around Tara
Nor circumnavigate Brega clockwise
Do not stay overnight in a room where firelight can still be seen from outside after sunset
All three prohibitions come from: Instructions from Nimueh to King Conall of Cornwall. The story behind seems interesting, but I haven’t found it. I’ll organize the information and tell everyone later~
The map showed that the location of the Owl Jade in 11/23 was in the Marshal’s Mansion. It wasn’t until Teacher Wei and his companions arrived that they realized the information wasn’t specific enough. To be precise, it was under the bed in the Marshal’s bedroom.
As they sneaked in using invisible stationery, the Marshal was being flipped by the red waves of the mandarin duck*.
*It’s a euphemism for basically saying he’s having sex that comes from classical poetry.
Flying thief Wei Menghan, famous actor Zhu Mo, second-generation heir Zou Jun, pawnshop owner Ji Yunlei, and amateur detective Feng Rang were all stunned by the Marshal’s variety and stamina. Absorbed in their observation, they were distracted, and their invisible stationery malfunctioned.
The Marshal was having a great time until suddenly five uninvited guests appeared at the bedside. With a shout, he could no longer regain his composure. Seeing the situation turn sour, they fled using the [(Defense) Yunhai* Imperial Sword].
*Sea of Clouds. It’s a poetic term in Chinese referring to the surroundings of a mountain’s summit.
It wasn’t that they couldn’t fight, but the Owl Jade was their top priority. If the Marshal were to summon all his soldiers, breaking through would be hard and would affect their efficiency.
So, at this moment, the Marshal was in his bedroom, staring blankly at the lingering clouds, wondering if he just had a nightmare about an immortal descending from the heavens on a sword to view an erotic scene; meanwhile, the five were crouched at the northwest corner of the outer wall of the Marshall’s mansion, contemplating how to infiltrate a second time. They no longer had invisible stationery, and the mansion was now on high alert.
“Shall we lead the tiger away from the mountain?” Teacher Wei pondered.
“How?” Ji Yunlei raised his eyebrows.
Zhu Mo, Zou Jun, and Feng Rang looked at each other and smiled. “Just find something to keep them busy.”
At the same, in 4/23 Moonlight Maze.
“Don’t go. You have to play with Xiao Bai!” A girl in a white lace princess dress sitting on a vine wall demanded petulantly.
The vine wall grew out of nowhere, blocking the path through the maze.
The camouflaged team captain patiently tried to reason with her. “Miss, we really have urgent matters to attend to. We’ll come back and play with you after, okay?”
“No!” The girl in the white dress swung her parasol, and a thorny vine shot out towards the camouflaged team, who narrowly avoided it, feeling utterly frustrated.
They had been lost for three hours and were finally close to the Owl Jade’s location, only to encounter this lady. Their past encounters with her had a win rate of three out of five—losing three times out of five challenges.
Under normal circumstances, they could have taken a chance, but not today. With so many teams competing, they couldn’t afford to be stuck here!
“Plan D!” Camouflaged Muscles shouted, rallying his team.
“Received—” his companions responded in unison and immediately turned to run in the opposite direction.
Xiao Bai was momentarily stunned but soon seemed unconcerned, leisurely swinging her feet. The next moment, the vine wall turned into a single vine, rapidly chasing after the three and quickly catching up, calmly rebuilding the green barrier in front of them. Xiao Bai was lifted back to the top of the wall by a leaf, yawning out of boredom. “You guys are so weak.”
The camouflaged team’s members breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s okay. We have the captain.”
Xiao Bai paused, then looked behind them, only to see the large man already turning the corner, disappearing in a flash.
Sacrificing a pawn to save the chariot, in short, Plan D*.
*Clarity: The D is referring to [diu] (丢), which in this context means to sacrifice/lose (a pawn).
9/23 Inner Hell.
“Boom—”
A laser cannon precisely hit a distant, arrogantly lingering enemy ship, illuminating Qi Shan’s excited eyes. He snapped his fingers. “Got another one.”
“Are you calling this game trash?” Li Xia, following Qi Shan’s orders, was monitoring the battleship’s defense system, struggling just with defense. Qi Shan was commanding the whole operation and sniping remotely, managing everything smoothly, as if it were just a game.
Li Xia’s remark made Xu Yan also feel puzzled. “Didn’t you say you weren’t good enough to be a professional player and can only be a fan of professional players, which is why you became a fan of Li Zijin?”
“That was a different game.” Qi Shan adjusted the laser cannon, aiming at the next target. “I’m not good at the games played in domestic clubs. I suspect the developers specifically targeted me, making me handicapped no matter how I play.”
“Boom—”
Another enemy ship was destroyed.
Qi Shan grinned, his white teeth shining in the interstellar gunfire. “But for simulations like this, to put it modestly, if all the top players from both domestic and international scenes came at me, I’d take them down one by one, two by a pair.”
Li Xia: “Captain, you seem to have mixed up modesty with boasting.”
“Tsk, don’t believe me? When I played that game, there wasn’t a separate server. All players worldwide were on the same leaderboard, using their battleship names as IDs. My ‘Tetris’ was at the top of the list,” Qi Shan proudly held up a finger, “for a year.”
Li Xia was speechless, wondering about such a bizarre name. “And after a year, someone took you down?”
“That’s because I stopped playing.” Qi Shan shrugged. “Being undefeated is boring.”
“……” Li Xia wanted to hit him with a laser cannon.
Han Buting had switched from the captain’s position to the deputy’s, responsible for radar monitoring. Usually diligent, he finally couldn’t help but return to his captain’s demeanor. “Stop joking around. Think about what the source of fear really is.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the spaceship was hit again, this time more severely than before. Amid the shrill alarm, an emotionless voice repeated—
[Spaceship is under attack. Currently 46% damaged.]
“Li Xia.” Qi Shan became serious. “Activate the super defense.”
“We can’t sustain the energy for too long.” Li Xia quickly got into action.
“I know. Just start it for five minutes.” After Qi Shan said this, he asked Han Buting, “Location of the enemy ship.”
Han Buting was silent for a second. “Unknown.”
Qi Shan looked at him in astonishment. “What?”
Han Buting shook his head. “It’s not showing up on the radar.”
“That’s impossible.” Qi Shan got up and quickly went over to check closely. Indeed, there was no trace of any enemy ship on the radar.
Qi Shan stared at the radar screen, lost in thought for a moment, then suddenly raised his hand and performed a series of frantic operations.
Han Buting was dumbfounded. It all seemed completely random to him.
Qi Shan pressed the final button and stopped.
A new voice filled the cockpit—
[The anti-stealth device activated.]
An enemy ship immediately appeared on the radar. Han Buting was surprised and couldn’t hide his admiration. “You really did it!”
But Qi Shan’s face showed no joy—only disbelief. “How is this possible…”
Han Buting picked up on his tone. “Is there a problem?”
Qi Shan raised his head, saying, “This is a hidden skill, only available in the game I played.”
3/23 Doomsday City.
“That’s the situation. As long as the Owl Jade is destroyed, no outsiders will come here, and maybe even the zombie vaccine will start to work!” Ding Xiaoche squatted behind the wall of the Three Religions Hall, brainwashing his immortal boyfriend. “Just help them out.”
The more Meng Zhang listened, the more convinced he became that the outsiders were swindlers. After cheating him out of a vehicle, they now aimed to deceive Ding Xiaoche.
“But there’s no loss. At worst, things stay the same. But what if it works?” Ding Xiaoche looked at him hopefully. “I could find a job closer to here, and I wouldn’t have to resign every day.”
Hearing this, Meng Zhang finally felt a tug at his heartstrings.
The wall flipped, and the Azure Dragon, carrying Ding Xiaoche, landed gracefully. He approached Yue’s Second Circle Team and simply said, “Dare to deceive him, and I’ll show you what ascending to heaven really is.”
Three minutes later, a group of five men and one god landed by the moat.
Meng Zhang dove into the water, transforming into the Azure Dragon. In a blink of an eye, he emerged, holding a piece of purple jade in his claw, which he casually dropped.
The purple jade landed on the riverside railing, shattering crisply.
The Azure Dragon carried Ding Xiaoche into the sky, looking down with a sense of superiority.
[Is that all?]
The Azure Dragon didn’t speak, but Meng Zhang’s voice directly entered the minds of the Yue’s Second Circle Team, just like how Xu Wang communicated with them!
13/23 Amnesia Building, Finance Office.
“Brilliant!” After a long wait, Xu Wang finally received good news again. “Now find a place to hide, stay safe, and avoid getting hurt by zombies. There are only three levels left. It won’t take long.”
“Don’t worry, the Azure Dragon God is with us. He said he’d stay with us until the end.” The voice of the captain of Yue’s Second Circle Team didn’t sound very happy.
Xu Wang was puzzled. “Isn’t that good?”
The team captain: “If it turns out we’ve deceived Ding Xiaoche, he’ll eat us whole, without spitting out the bones.”
Xu Wang: “……”
[Huff… Xu Wang… Huff… Xu Wang…]
“Xiao Mi?” Captain Xu immediately switched lines and accurately identified the other’s identity.
[I’m here… Huff… Might be in a bit of trouble…]
Xu Wang became serious. “Don’t panic. Take your time.”
[I can’t not panic… Huff… I’m afraid if it’s any later… this girl in black won’t give me a chance… to leave a last message…]
“Black?” Xu Wang was startled. “You’ve encountered Hei Momo?”
[Yellow, White… Black… I’ve encountered them all… I left them all to Xiao Bai… Huff… Now it’s just me…]
Wu Sheng grabbed Xu Wang’s arm.
Xu Wang covered his hand, giving his own advisor a “don’t worry, I understand” look.
“Xiao Mi, throw the card at her!”
[……]
Camouflaged Muscles suspected that Xu Wang was playing him.
But at this life-and-death moment, he might as well try anything—reaching into his pocket, he threw the card. The card beautifully shot out like a goddess dispersing flowers.
Just as Hei Momo was about to strike the final blow, her movements halted amidst the scattered cards, and her brow slightly furrowed.
Reaching out, a card fell into her palm.
Holding the card against the moonlight, she saw dense text. She pulled out a half card from her pocket, comparing the two.
The content of the words was different, but the font, as well as the paper and pattern of the card, were exactly the same.
“Who are you?” Hei Momo looked towards Camouflaged Muscles, with confusion and inquiry. “Where did you get this card?”
At this moment, Camouflaged Muscles’ intelligence took the high ground. “The answer is right under your feet. Dig it out, and you’ll know.”
Five minutes later.
[Damn, what kind of magic card is this…]
“Useful?” Xu Wang was surprised. He had already given up hope, letting Camouflaged Muscles throw the card was merely a console to the advisor.
[It’s not just useful, it’s miraculous. The Owl Jade is destroyed.]
“Did Hei Momo help you?” Xu Wang was overjoyed, but soon, he noticed the other side wasn’t very excited. “Xiao Mi, you seem a bit down…”
Camouflaged Muscles: “I tricked a young girl and am currently in a state of ashamed reflection.”
Switching back to 11/23, Xu Wang sent a message of comfort to Wei Menghan. “Everything going smoothly?”
Wei Menghan: “That depends on what you consider ‘smoothly’…”
Xu Wang: “Teacher Wei.”
Wei Menghan: “Alright, we set a fire, successfully drew everyone in the mansion to the fire, smoothly entered the Marshall’s bedroom, moved the bed, dug the ground, and then…”
Xu Wang: “Is there a twist?”
Wei Menghan: “There’s a secret passage under the bed.”
Xu Wang: “Where does it lead?”
Wei Menghan: “Still crawling.”
Xu Wang: “Vertically downwards?”
Wei Menghan: “How could that be? It would become a well then.”
Xu Wang: “Crawling sideways, wouldn’t that deviate from the mark?”
Wei Menghan: “……”
Xu Wang: “……”
Wei Menghan: “Brothers, crawl back the way we came!”
At 4:15 Beijing time, Teacher Wei’s good news also arrived. The Owl Jade was in the earthen wall at the entrance of the tunnel.
Xu Wang took a deep breath and reported to the waiting friends. “3/23, 4/23, 11/23 success…”
The word “success” was swallowed back into his throat.
In the cramped finance room, a very tall man appeared out of thin air, even taller than Qian Ai by a head.
He was like some kind of high-tech projection, projected in the middle of the room. At first, the edges were pieced together bit by bit, and even at the beginning, it was possible to see uneven, jagged edges, but slowly, as his image became clearer, that electronic feeling also vanished.
That was a real person, appearing in front of them like a ghost.
[Xu Wang?]
[What’s wrong? Why aren’t you speaking?]
[Shit, don’t tell me there’s a problem with level 13 again?]
[Xu Wang—]
The concerns of friends at various levels intertwined into a mess in Xu Wang’s mind, but he had no time to care.
Wu Sheng and Chi Yingxue almost simultaneously stood up; the former turned off the [(Defense) Safety Isolation Barrier], the latter used the [(Defense) Flashing Diamond Shield].
Xu Wang, Kuang Jinxin, and Qian Ai quickly stood up, and the five formed a defensive formation.
The raised [Isolation Barrier] and [Diamond Shield] stood between them and the unwelcome guest.
The tall man in a white suit, like a groom going to church, had no expression on his face, giving him a non-human mechanical feel.
[Owl: Targeted elimination, begin.]
The sudden prompt in their ears made everyone’s breath hitch.
The next moment, the man pulled out a gun and fired at the five without hesitation.
The bullet left the barrel, passed through the [Isolation Barrier], and hit the [Diamond shield].
The shield cracked with a snap and shattered.
The bullet didn’t stop, continued forward, and hit Xu Wang in the abdomen.
Xu Wang fell to the ground in severe pain, his head hitting the floor hard, but he no longer felt it. The world seemed to have only that bullet left, burning him with pain.
“Xu Wang—”
He couldn’t hear who was shouting.
His arm was lifted, as if someone was searching his stationery…
[Owl: Someone used [(Illusory) Kong Rong Giving Up Pears] on you~]
[Owl: Someone used [(Illusory) Time Reversal on you~~]
In the last moment before losing consciousness, Xu Wang finally remembered. [Kong Rong Gives Up Pears] was Wu Sheng’s and [Time Reversal] was his own. Wu Sheng had stolen the latter and then used it on him.
Consciousness snapped back.
Xu Wang blinked. He didn’t know when he had stood up again. The bloodstain on his abdomen disappeared. It didn’t hurt to touch it, and there was no sign of being shot at all.
Before he had time to think, suddenly a gust of wind swept him away, and when he opened his eyes again, he was in the stairwell. Fortunately, his friends were all there.
“It’s the Owl’s healing power.” Wu Sheng slapped the stair railing in frustration. He spoke quickly and urgently. “I should have thought of it. It wanted to modify the position of the Owl Jade, naturally, it had to clear all unstable factors.”
Kuang Jinxin deactivated the [(Defense) Concealing Wind] used for escaping. “Sheng Ge, you mean the Owl has now locked onto us, wanting to eliminate us?”
Wu Sheng nodded. “We neither entered the last ten levels nor left. This doesn’t conform to the Owl’s pattern. In other words, our existence is now a bug in the Owl.”
“But we’ve already destroyed the Owl Jade of this level.” Qian Ai was puzzled. “Even if it forces us out, it’s useless.”
Chi Yingxue leaned against the wall. “The executor just appeared in front of us, but the order of elimination might not have been issued just now.”
Qian Ai thought for a moment, then understood. Since the Owl could prepare to change the position of the Owl Jade so many days in advance, it indicated that it had already detected the presence of unstable elements in the Owl, probably initiating the repair and elimination back then, only now truly locking onto them.
“And it’s not about being forcefully ejected.” Wu Sheng touched the spot where Xu Wang was just shot, his eyes darkening. “I’m afraid it’s real death.”
If a single shot didn’t eject you back to reality, it meant they didn’t want to let you leave.
9/23 Inner Hell.
“What’s happening on Xu Wang’s side?” Qi Shan commanded Xu Yange to change the flight path, playing hide and seek in space with that invisible enemy ship. Seeing Han Buting’s brows furrow tighter, he couldn’t help but ask.
Han Buting remained silent for a long time.
The moment the connection with Xu Wang was cut off, he had a bad feeling, and now that the connection was restored, his premonition had come true.
“Captain?” Xu Yange and Li Xia also became anxious.
Finally, Han Buting spoke up without any preamble, succinctly stating, “They encountered a powerful NPC responsible for targeted elimination.”
Xu Yange didn’t understand. “Eliminate what?”
Han Buting said gravely, “Eliminate the five of them.”
“Does eliminate mean… forcefully eject?” Li Xia guessed.
Han Buting shook his head.
Qi Shan’s face changed. “They won’t actually die, right?”
“Xu Wang was shot and is still in the level.”
Qi Shan’s hands, holding the control console, trembled slightly. “Can they defeat it?”
“They can’t.” Han Buting didn’t give him any hope. “Their defense stationery can’t defend; their offense stationery can’t hit. Now they can only flee within the building.”
Qi Shan no longer spoke. His gaze fell on the control console, where each button and switch suddenly seemed menacing, bearing life and death, and a wrong choice meant no more chances.
“He said they would hold out until we destroy the Owl Jade.” Han Buting gently patted Qi Shan’s shoulder from behind. “Do you think we can do it?”
Qi Shan was silent for a moment, then took a deep breath. “Xu Yange, readjust the trajectory. Let’s face it head-on! Li Xia, activate the super defense again—”
12/23, Wang Duanran sat on a giant jack-o-lantern in Halloween Town, leisurely lighting a cigarette. As one of the first teams to finish, they had been waiting for nearly four hours. “Do you think we can make it?”
Gu Nian looked up at the starry sky. “That’s a question for Dachuan.”
Chen Guan nudged Jiang Dachuan, who was silent next to him.
Jiang Dachuan jolted, then sighed. “I think it’s going to be tough.”
Kong Lizhe breathed a sigh of relief. “Okay, if Dachuan says it’s tough, then it’s definitely going to work.”
Wang Duanran, Gu Nian, Chen Guan: “Yeah.”
Jiang Dachuan: “… Damn!”
5/23, Yue Shuai lay under a peach tree, blowing the cold wind, watching the will-o’-the-wisps, silently spitting out words of encouragement towards the cloud-covered sky: You can do it.
At this moment, brothers in every level were thinking this phrase.
13/23, Amnesia Building.
“Xiao Xue, lure him into the elevator!”
“Lao Qian, cut the power!”
“Sheng Ge, we’ve trapped him in the elevator car!”
“It won’t hold him for long, but it’ll buy us some time. Head to the rooftop!”
9/23 Inner Hell.
“It’s catching up from behind.” Han Buting closely monitored the radar.
“Boost defense on the stern?” Li Xia asked Qi Shan.
Qi Shan narrowed his eyes, slowly shaking his head. “No, this is a feint. It really wants to hit the belly of the ship.” He looked at Xu Yange and said slowly but firmly, “Adjust the trajectory. We fire first.”
“If it fires at the same time, we’re done for.” Xu Yange hesitated.
“It won’t.” Qi Shan was almost certain. “It’s charging its laser cannon.”
Boom—
Everything went as Qi Shan predicted. The enemy didn’t fire and got hit squarely. Although it also had its super defense activated, it wasn’t fatally wounded, but was definitely severely damaged.
But what concerned the team more was Qi Shan’s uncanny prediction, as if the battle was following his script.
Before his teammates could ask, Qi Shan spoke first. “Li Xia, do me a favor.”
Li Xia pressed down his confusion. “Say it.”
Qi Shan adjusted the targeting point, relocking on that battered warship. “There’s a metal piece on the cockpit door. Take it down for me.”
The defense system Li Xia was responsible for was in a stable state and didn’t require his operation. This was why Qi Shan specifically asked him.
Without saying another word, Li Xia took tools to the door and quickly removed the metal piece. He turned it over and over, and seeing nothing special, was puzzled. He raised it towards Qi Shan. “There’s nothing…”
“It’s not about looking at the metal plate—look at the door.” Qi Shan couldn’t help but laugh. “Is ‘Millennium Falcon’ engraved on the door?”
Li Xia hadn’t even heard clearly, but when he lifted his head, the door panel that was blocked by the metal plate indeed had a string of English engraved: “M-I-L-L…”
Qi Shan: “No, this is the second ranked spot that was clinging onto me in the game rankings at the time.”
Han Buting, Xu Yange, Li Xia: “……”
First place was called Tetris. If they were in second, they’d also want to knock out number one!
Wait.
Han Buting suddenly realized something. This was Li Zijin’s nightmare, and if the Millennium Falcon was his home field, then the source of his fear…
“Qi Shan.” He looked steadily at his fellow captain. “Now that we’re piloting the second-place ship in the game, where is the first-place ship, your spaceship?”
Qi Shan raised an eyebrow at him, blinking innocently.
Han Buting, looking at the radar where the battleship they had been fighting for half a day was displayed, had a bad premonition. “Don’t tell me…”
“Turn left by 20 degrees. It will definitely target our fuel storage next.” After deploying with Xu Yange, Qi Shan turned back to Han Buting, sighing. “How was I supposed to know that my idol’s nightmare was me!”
The attack came as expected, indeed targeting the fuel storage.
The battleship moved in time, avoiding a fatal hit but still causing the damage index of the spaceship to rise further.
[Spaceship is under attack. Currently 77% damaged.]
The damage to Tetris should be around 60%. Qi Shan didn’t need to guess; he just remembered from all those games played in the past.
However, this time, the outcome might be reversed.
“Yange, turn right by 45 degrees!”
“Li Xia, turn off the defense. Transfer all energy to the laser cannon!”
This time, it was his turn to target the fuel storage.
Qi Shan held his breath, aimed, locked on, and fired.
The blinding laser cannon hit the Tetris’ fuel storage precisely!
The battleship turned into a ball of fire under the laser cannon, its bright light illuminating a large area of the universe.
Li Zijin’s Millennium Falcon finally took down Tetris.
Qi Shan thought, with such a big sacrifice as blowing up his own spaceship, he must claim credit from his idol upon returning.
As the flames gradually died down, a point of purple light flickered in and out of visibility among the wreckage.
“Forward—”
The battleship moved closer to the wreckage, close enough to see the outline of the Owl Jade. Qi Shan aimed and locked on, using the weakest-level laser cannon.
The Owl Jade shattered into countless pieces, like microlights in the universe.
13/23 Amnesia Building, rooftop.
Xu Wang, Wu Sheng, Qian Ai, Kuang Jinxin, and Chi Yingxue, lined up, retreated to the edge of the rooftop.
Though White Suit’s gun was destroyed by them, he still had countless weapons, and his defense was invincible. Now, he stood in front of them, unharmed, still with an expressionless face.
In just twenty minutes, they had almost exhausted all the stationery they could use, and now they were at a dead end.
Jumping off the building or being shot to death was a difficult choice.
“Do you regret it?” With half a foot already outside the rooftop, Xu Wang asked his companions.
Qian Ai: “Regret is useless.”
Kuang Jinxin: “We’re not dead yet.”
Chi Yingxue: “I need time to regret…”
Wu Sheng: “Might as well punch him a few more times.”
Chi Yingxue was the first to move, almost hugging and pouncing on White Suit. Wu Sheng and Qian Ai were a step late, each grabbing an arm. Kuang Jinxin dove to hug the legs, and Xu Wang was the last to spring forward, using all his strength in this life to punch White Suit hard in the face!
It was 4:37 Beijing time when the last Owl Jade in 9/23 shattered.
“Thud!”
“Thud!”
“Thud!”
“Thud!”
“Snap—”
“Damn, why do I always land face-first!” Qian Ai grumbled, rubbing his cheek as he got up.
Xu Wang sat on the ground, under the pitch-black night sky, bathed in the warm streetlight.
“Did we… get out?” Kuang Jinxin was a bit incredulous. He almost died just a moment ago.
Chi Yingxue smiled and pulled him into an embrace, messing up his hair. “Not just out, but left.”
Wu Sheng showed the time on his phone, shaking it at Xu Wang. “It’s not even five yet. We made it.”
Xu Wang lunged forward, hugging him tightly, as if wanting to hold him in his life forever.
Qian Ai looked left and right, realizing no one cared for him, so he had no choice but to rub his own cheeks.
In the distant night, there were no more owl hoots.
The Owl, had flown away.
The author has something to say:
This marks the end of the main story. Starting tomorrow, I’ll be posting extras about the daily lives of our little group. The Owl saga is over, but life goes on, right? Can’t just flirt without giving some sweetness~~
When I first envisioned this story, I wanted to separate the first thirteen levels from the last ten. Writing twenty-three levels in the same mode could easily become repetitive, and it might lose its fun for you guys. In “Midnight Ten”, the last ten levels will introduce a new mode, keeping some elements of the Owl while changing the format, content, and items of the challenges, hoping to bring you a fresher experience. The synopsis for “Midnight Ten” is ready, and I welcome you to subscribe.
Finally, thank you to my friends for sticking with me all this way. Whenever I felt tired, seeing your comments and support reenergized me. Seeing you guys feel sorry for Lao Qian, well, I can’t help but laugh. Locking the CPs and throwing away the key. Every one of you is a little angel. Love you all.
Kinky Thoughts:
This marks the end of the main story for Midnight Owl. I was quite interested in the novel before, and when I read Suddenly Trending (by the same author) it convinced me to pick up this project since that novel is quite good. I highly recommend you read it, especially if you like entertainment circle novels.
Unlike other unlimited flow novels I’ve read, this one is a bit different. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, which adds a lot of comedic effect. Unfortunately, since there are no real stakes (no one can actually die—well, except in this last chapter), there’s less solemnity in the storyline, which makes getting invested in the plot a bit more difficult (for me personally).
The romance is cute, but there’s not enough of it. Hopefully the extras will give more sugar.
For those wondering, there is a sequel called Midnight Ten which is around the last 10 levels of the Owl. It follows Fan Peiyang and Tang Lin, who had a minor appearance in this novel.
If you did enjoy it, please consider supporting the author by buying the raws. You can use Google Chrome with their auto translate and this guide on how to buy novels on jjwxc. Remember, only with your (financial) support can artists continue to produce more great works.
Finally, I would like to thank everyone for your comments, encouragement, help with my translations, and ko-fi donations. It in part fuels my motivation to release so frequently and try to finish this novel as soon as possible.
