Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

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Chapter 101: Nightfall

When the taxi arrived, it was already completely dark.

Xu Wang lived in an old residential area with low-rise buildings, so there were only stairs and no elevator.

Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin were familiar with the place, but it was Chi Yingxue’s first time there. While the three companions entered the building, Chi Yingxue stood under the dim streetlight, looking up at the entire building, pondering if he should suggest staying in a hotel the next day if they remained in Beijing.

He didn’t mind a shabby place, but the thought of such a small, crowded living space instinctively repelled him.

It was too late to mention it today without seeming unsociable, so he sighed helplessly and entered the building.

The sensor light in the staircase seemed newly installed, glaringly bright, and out of place with the rest of the building. As soon as Chi Yingxue entered, he was dazzled and had to lower his eyes, focusing only on the stairs and his feet.

But staring too long at the steps made his eyes blur.

Halfway up to the second floor, Chi Yingxue’s dizziness peaked. He grabbed the stair railing, not caring about the thick dust, and held on tightly to stabilize his swaying body.

Kuang Jinxin, walking ahead, sensed something was wrong and turned back to see Chi Yingxue standing a few steps below, his face pained and his knuckles white from gripping the railing.

“Chi Yingxue?” Kuang Jinxin called out tentatively.

But there was no response.

He walked down a few steps, directly to Chi Yingxue, and lightly touched his arm. “Are you okay…”

“Don’t touch me!” Chi Yingxue yelled before he could finish, pushing him away forcefully.

He didn’t control his strength, and Kuang Jinxin fell backward!

Fortunately, Qian Ai reacted quickly and caught him before he hit the steps, but he was already angry and pushed Chi Yingxue back. “What the hell is wrong with you?!”

Qian Ai cursed in anger, but as a teammate, his push wasn’t forceful, more of a warning.

But Chi Yingxue still fell down.

Although the steps weren’t high, he fell hard onto the flat ground between the first and second floors with a loud thud.

Qian Ai, shocked, looked at his own hand that had pushed Chi Yingxue and was scared.

It’s not like he was fucking using qigong!

The first to react was Xu Wang, who ran over and helped Chi Yingxue up to check for injuries under the light of the stairway. Thankfully, there were no external injuries, but Chi Yingxue was incoherent.

Kuang Jinxin and Qian Ai also rushed over, and together they carried Chi Yingxue into Xu Wang’s apartment.

No sooner had they laid him on the bed in Xu Wang’s bedroom than Chi Yingxue suddenly opened his eyes, got up, and began searching the room.

Qian Ai swallowed nervously, holding onto his team captain with one hand and Kuang Jinxin with the other, in case Chi Yingxue lashed out.

But Chi Yingxue ignored him and quickly targeted Xu Wang’s wardrobe, strode over, opened it, and started throwing things out one by one, indifferent to whether they were his own clothes or not.

Xu Wang was stunned, witnessing a robbery in his own home for the first time.

Kuang Jinxin and Qian Ai understood the situation.

After all, they had seen it once before when they were waiting in Cornina’s cabin, watching the mushroom soup, although at that time Cornina’s wardrobe was already empty.

“Don’t worry, captain. He’ll stabilize after staying in a closed, dark space for a while.” Kuang Jinxin reassured Xu Wang, based on his own experience.

Xu Wang guessed it might be related to Chi Yingxue’s unstable split personality but was more surprised by his teammates’ calmness. “You’ve seen this before?”

Kuang Jinxin nodded. “In 6/23, when you and Sheng Ge went to the village for clues, we were waiting in Cornina’s cabin. He had this condition once.”

Bang!

Chi Yingxue climbed into the nearly empty wardrobe and forcefully shut the door from inside.

Xu Wang felt a chill, realizing that knowing about a teammate’s split personality and witnessing it were vastly different experiences.

“Is… Yan Wang trying to come out?”

“To be precise,” Qian Ai said seriously, “one wants to transform, the other doesn’t; one is eager to emerge, the other fiercely resists.”

After a few minutes, there was no more movement in the wardrobe.

The bedroom quieted down, but beneath that silence lay three worried, anxious hearts.

None dared to leave, so they all sat by the bed, watching the wardrobe, wondering what to do if a completely different person emerged.

As time ticked by, the wardrobe remained silent, making them wonder if Chi Yingxue had fallen asleep inside.

But no news was better than erratic behavior, which was unnerving.

Their tense heartstrings gradually relaxed with the prolonged calm.

Qian Ai looked down at the hand he had pushed Chi Yingxue with, regretting it in his mind. Why did you have to be so impulsive and reckless, not thinking of the consequences? That’s your teammate. Even if he’s difficult, has a foul temper, and had pushed Xiao Kuang, couldn’t you have found a safer, gentler way to handle it?

Sure, the push felt good at the moment, but it almost ended in disaster!

Xu Wang, looking at the mess of clothes on the floor, remembered the secret box still in the wardrobe. He had planned to check the box first thing upon returning, but now he just hoped Chi Yingxue would stabilize safely.

Half an hour later, Qian Ai started dozing off, his head nodding.

An hour later, Xu Wang’s eyelids also began to fight sleep. They hadn’t slept since last night, and while they could keep going on adrenaline, once relaxed, fatigue was overwhelming.

An hour and a half later, both men, one at the head and the other at the foot of the bed, fell asleep.

In the wardrobe.

In the abyss-like darkness, Chi Yingxue was engulfed, or rather, he and the darkness had become one.

If there were a light to see through, one could see him scratching his arm with a key, repeating the action mechanically and determinedly until the serrated key tore through skin and flesh.

The knife he usually carried was confiscated by airport security.

Otherwise, his “pain therapy” would have been more efficient.

He stared at his arm as if his eyes had adapted to the darkness, seeing the blurred blood and flesh. And it pleased him; the gleam in his eyes was more intense than during battle.

Outside the wardrobe, there were no sounds except for the even breathing of the sleeping. But he didn’t know that.

He had completely entered his own world, slightly trembling under prolonged extreme repression, unable to contain himself.

His beautiful lips parted slightly, uttering chilling words.

“You want to come out, don’t you? Then come out. I’m not stopping you,” he whispered softly, unprecedentedly gentle and cruel. “It’s dark outside, stuffy, and painful. You’ll like it…”

His voice also trembled.

But it wasn’t from nervousness, fear, hatred, or anger, but from pleasure, a kind of supreme delight in controlling the situation.

A wardrobe apart.

Kuang Jinxin, sitting between the two sleeping men, quietly watched the wardrobe, hearing every word and sentence from inside, his eyes clear.

“Heh, it seems it’s still not painful enough…”

“…Fuck off…”

“I’m leaving, but who will protect you…”

“…Get out…”

“Can’t you say something else? Your brother knows another way to kill me without dying, so he can just switch to the second one…”

“……”

Thud!

Suddenly, a thumping sound came from the wardrobe. It wasn’t loud, but it was like the lighting of a fuse.

Following that, a rapid succession of “thud, thud, thud” sounds erupted, fast and dense, each louder and more forceful than the last, as if someone were desperately banging their head against the wardrobe walls!

The quiet bedroom felt like it had a string of firecrackers thrown into it. Xu Wang and Qian Ai woke up instantly, still confused about what was happening, when the wardrobe door was slammed open by Chi Yingxue.

He rushed out with such speed that it was hard to see clearly. He stood under the bright light of the bedroom, bending over with his hands on his knees, gasping for air like someone who had just been rescued from drowning.

His hair tips, soaked in sweat, stuck to his delicate cheeks, making his skin appear even whiter.

His slightly damp eyelashes cast faint shadows under his eyes in the bright room, hiding all his emotions deep within.

The three friends, motionless and silent, waited with a tinge of apprehension and uncertainty for him to recover.

After a while, his breathing finally slowed down. Still supporting himself on his knees, he slightly turned his head towards the bed and smiled brightly. His voice was weak from exhaustion, but his eyes shone like stars. “Sorry to worry you. I’m fine now.”

Qian Ai and Xu Wang let out a sigh of relief, but only half.

Their teammate was still the same polite and courteous Chi Yingxue they had known for days. This was a not-so-bad outcome, as getting familiar with an old acquaintance is easier than getting used to a new stranger. However, the cost of the physical struggle was evident in the red bruises on his forehead, the crisscrossing bloodstains on the inside of his left arm, and some deeper wounds oozing blood, hanging at the fingertips and shimmering under the light.

“Don’t you feel pain?” Qian Ai complained verbally but felt pain for Chi Yingxue in his heart. He used to think he was the most injury-prone in the team, until these past few days with this new teammate made him realize his life was full of love and sunshine.

When they parted at the airport, Wu Sheng insisted on leaving the first aid kit behind because he had to visit a major client in Hebei at night and then enter the “Owl” at midnight, which would not be 1/23 but the Endless Sea. Although Xu Wang repeatedly assured that the danger level of 1/23 was zero, Wu Sheng still insisted on leaving the medical kit to take care of the whole team.

Little did they know that they would need the first aid kit even before entering the “Owl”.

Xu Wang had to admire his advisor’s foresight.

In the living room, Chi Yingxue skillfully bandaged himself, supervised by his three companions.

Xu Wang accidentally noticed the gauze edge showing at his ankle and belatedly remembered that this teammate had also been injured in the fight. Suddenly feeling the responsibility of the team captain, he advised earnestly, “Don’t you have another way… to stabilize?” Struggling to find the right words and not wanting to say, “stop the other you,” he chose a vague phrase. “You get hurt during the levels and hurt yourself in reality. You can bear the pain, but your body can’t.”

“There is another way…” Chi Yingxue tied the bandage while pondering. Once done, he looked up at Xu Wang and winked with a half-smile. “You don’t want to know.”

Xu Wang fell silent.

In his eyes, he saw endless pain and darkness.

The night was deep, and there were two and a half hours left until the Owl reopened.

Xu Wang let his three friends rest in the living room while he retreated to the bedroom.

Fortunately, his friends didn’t ask to share the bedroom; otherwise, he wouldn’t know how to refuse them.

He couldn’t say he needed private space to decode a secret from ten years ago.

Closing the bedroom door, he took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled before approaching the wardrobe.

The inside of the open cabinet door had a bloodstain, probably from Chi Yingxue pushing it open.

Xu Wang bent over and reached into the cabinet, searching for a while until he finally found the box.

It was still there.

Carefully tucked in the deepest part of the cabinet, just like this relationship, if it could even be called that.

With a pounding heart, Xu Wang tried several times before successfully retrieving the box.

Holding it in his hands, he walked back to the bed, each step careful, as if holding a treasure that could shatter at any moment.

Finally, he placed the box on the soft bed.

Opening the lid, he took out the letters and unfolded the five sheets of paper. He laid them out neatly side by side, as orderly as a formation.

He first stacked the first and second sheets of letter paper, holding them up to the light, just like Wu Sheng did in the 6/23 castle, deciphering the love letter code.

He held his breath involuntarily.

In the entire world, there seemed to be nothing, but those two sheets of paper stacked together.

Wu Sheng’s letters weren’t long—half a page at most, a third of a page at least—with brief greetings and small talk.

Xu Wang scrutinized every word for a long time, almost burning holes in the paper with his gaze.

The only overlap between the two sheets of paper was a period and a comma.

Unconvinced, Xu Wang tried with another two letters, this time not even finding overlapping punctuation.

Out of ten possible combinations with five letters, Xu Wang tried them all. A period, a comma, two “of” characters—that was all he got.

As his hope diminished with each disappointment, Xu Wang finally gave up.

Exhausted, he lay down, covering his sore eyes with his arm, feeling not just pain but also a burning sensation.

When filled with hope, one can imagine a thousand possibilities, only to realize when hope is shattered that these imaginations were supported by nothing but an insubstantial “clue” that couldn’t even be considered evidence.

Did Wu Sheng really use the love letter stacking method to crack the code, or was it just an assumption?

A cooler head would realize how presumptuous this “deduction” was.

……

Outside the bedroom, the three friends weren’t asleep.

Qian Ai, feeling hungry, found a pack of instant noodles and went to the kitchen to cook them.

In the living room, Kuang Jinxin sat in a corner of the sofa, facing Chi Yingxue, who was sitting in a chair.

Chi Yingxue sat in a relaxed posture, leaning against the chair back, casually watching Kuang Jinxin with a languid gaze, tinged with a bit of playfulness.

Kuang Jinxin wasn’t bothered by his gaze. In fact, he was also observing Chi Yingxue—his person, his demeanor, his eyes.

“Aren’t you tired?” Chi Yingxue asked indifferently, his expression calm and relaxed, but without a smile.

Kuang Jinxin replied, “Not tired.”

Chi Yingxue tilted his head. “Afraid I’ll do something bad?”

His tone suggested he wasn’t particularly concerned about the answer, just making casual conversation.

But Kuang Jinxin answered seriously. “I’m afraid you’ll keep deceiving people.”

Chi Yingxue paused, a flicker of something passing quickly in his eyes. Before Kuang Jinxin could discern it, Chi Yingxue suddenly stood up, stepped over the coffee table, and trapped Kuang Jinxin between his arms, one hand on the sofa armrest, the other on the backrest.

“Xiao Sijin.” Chi Yingxue leaned down, his breath on the other’s face, sighing sentimentally. “You really aren’t very likable.”

Kuang Jinxin tried to speak, but in the next second, he was kissed.

Chi Yingxue’s lips were soft and cool, like mint candy.

Stunned, Kuang Jinxin’s eyes widened, unsure how to react.

To Chi Yingxue, this was compliance, inviting enough to tempt one to take advantage.

Chi Yingxue deepened the kiss, indulging longer than he had planned, before finally pulling away.

When it ended, he realized Kuang Jinxin had been watching him the whole time, unblinkingly. The initial confusion and shock had turned into a calm acceptance, with the only constant being the clear and bright eyes.

Chi Yingxue felt a twinge of incomprehension, but he suppressed it and cheerfully announced, “Seal of approval. From now on, you’re mine.”

Kuang Jinxin finally got a chance to speak, his voice slightly hoarse. “Are you trying to upset him?”

Chi Yingxue was taken aback.

“Because he said he’s the one who joined the team, and the teammate is him,” Kuang Jinxin said. “You heard it too, right?”

The last semblance of joy on Chi Yingxue’s face faded.

He stared silently at Kuang Jinxin, suddenly seeming aloof, but spoke like a child. “He scratched me with a key.”

Kuang Jinxin focused on his bruised forehead. “You already made him hit the cabinet.”

“He also locked me in the wardrobe,” Chi Yingxue said slowly, his voice sinking. “I hate dark, enclosed places the most.”

Kuang Jinxin raised his hand to touch his head, like a kindergarten teacher comforting a child. “Next time, buy a portable flashlight.”

Chi Yingxue frowned, brushing off the hand on his head. He stood up straight, looking down at the figure on the sofa, and after a long time, confirmed his initial feeling. “You’re still the same as you were on 3/23.”

Kuang Jinxin rarely encountered such obvious dislike but didn’t feel angry, only intrigued.

He wasn’t afraid of Chi Yingxue disliking him; after all, this new teammate, regardless of which personality, didn’t really seem to favor anyone.

“You’re different from how you were on 3/23.” Kuang Jinxin looked up, his face illuminated by the light, vibrant and lively. “Back then, you were our opponent; now you’re our teammate.”

A strange feeling passed through Chi Yingxue. He was unsure of what it was.

“So you don’t have to pretend to be him. When we recruited him, we recruited you too.” Kuang Jinxin stood up encouragingly. “Don’t worry, I’ll take you to the captain and tell him you’re not Chi Yingxue anymore. You’re Yan Wang.”

Chi Yingxue stood still.

“I am Chi Yingxue. He’s Yan Wang.”

Kuang Jinxin was stunned, looked at him for a while, then nodded vaguely. “Oh.”

“Oh?” Chi Yingxue raised an eyebrow, a storm brewing in his eyes.

Kuang Jinxin found it awkward, so he tried to appease. “The name doesn’t matter, as long as we can tell you two apart.”

Chi Yingxue stared at him. “The name is very important.”

Kuang Jinxin sighed, saying frankly, “He says he’s Chi Yingxue, the main personality, and you say you are. Neither of you has proof. Who should I believe?”

Chi Yingxue asserted, “Me.”

Kuang Jinxin pondered seriously. “Okay, when you’re here, I’ll believe you.”

Chi Yingxue: “……”

Kuang Jinxin couldn’t be sure who the main personality was, but the previous Chi Yingxue said, “This Chi Yingxue can hear and sense what’s happening outside,” which was undeniable.

Perhaps even this Chi Yingxue hadn’t realized that when he was talking to himself, he was no longer the stranger of last time, but rather, there was a familiarity and ease that came with spending time together.

Kuang Jinxin still had many questions, especially curious about why he jumped off the Ferris wheel with him.

But there was time for that.

“When did you realize I was me?” Chi Yingxue suddenly asked before heading to the bedroom.

Kuang Jinxin replied, “I knew it the moment you came out of the wardrobe.”

Chi Yingxue looked at him skeptically.

Kuang Jinxin explained, “His face is warm, but his eyes are cold. Your face is cold, but your eyes are warm.”

When Qian Ai came out of the kitchen with the noodles, he saw Kuang Jinxin and Chi Yingxue knocking on the bedroom door.

“What are you doing?” he asked, puzzled.

Chi Yingxue was silent.

Kuang Jinxin answered for him. “Turning ourselves in.”

Qian Ai: “……”

The bowl was too hot, and Qian Ai couldn’t hold it for long. Full of curiosity, he hurried back to the living room.

After setting down the noodles, he couldn’t settle down. Determined, he left the noodles and rushed to the bedroom.

Upon entering, he saw Kuang Jinxin looking at Xu Wang, Xu Wang looking at Chi Yingxue, and Chi Yingxue looking at the letters on the bed.

Letters?

Qian Ai quietly approached the bed, glancing sideways at the letters. The five sheets of letter paper didn’t have much content, the handwriting was beautiful, and the paper itself was elegant and simple. On closer inspection, there seemed to be embossed lace patterns around the edges, barely visible under the light.

“So you mean he’s now Yan Wang?” Xu Wang appraised the new teammate, unable to discern as clearly as Kuang Jinxin.

“Not exactly. Well, still Chi Yingxue.” Kuang Jinxin remembered his classmate’s request. “But not the previous Chi Yingxue.”

Xu Wang rubbed his forehead, overwhelmed by the night’s events.

Chi Yingxue, captivated by the letters, didn’t pay attention to their conversation. He picked up a letter, tilted his head, and, looking intrigued, asked Xu Wang, “Where’s the mother source?”

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The author has a message to say:

Owl: Your assist has gone online.

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Kinky Thoughts:

I didn’t realize there’s a side CP… I was rooting for the Chi Yingxue x Kuang Jinxin pairing, though. And they move even faster than the main CP… Common Wu Sheng, take a note out of Chi Yingxue’s book.

Note: Chi Yingxue calls his other half “Yan Wang” which refers to King Yan of hell, who is considered to be the ruler of hell. He passes judgment on all the dead.

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

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Chapter 100: Guessing Each Other

After giving the first-aid kit to Kuang Jinxin and closing the door, only Xu Wang and Wu Sheng were left in the room.

The window wasn’t open, and the lack of circulating air in the somewhat cramped standard room made the already quiet atmosphere even more silent.

Silence was bearable, but the stillness was unbearable.

Facing the door, Xu Wang turned around before the awkwardness reached its peak and slapped Wu Sheng’s backpack, which had just been put down, trying to be natural and joking. “Still carrying it. Aren’t you tired?”

After saying this, he walked past the other person, went to the table, put down his own backpack, and started searching through it.

Wu Sheng, holding his backpack at the entrance, stood for a while longer, watching Xu Wang busily rummaging with a flickering, unsettled emotion in his eyes.

“Chi Yingxue should be fine, right?” Unable to wait for a response, Xu Wang had to bite the bullet and carry on the monologue alone.

If Wu Sheng didn’t speak again, he really wouldn’t know what to do.

Fortunately, there was finally a sound from the other side.

“He’s still able to walk, so it shouldn’t have damaged the muscles or bones,” Wu Sheng said, walking over to Xu Wang, placing his backpack next to the other’s. “If you’re worried, you can go check it out.”

The backpacks were placed close together, and so were the two of them. Their arms occasionally touched each other while rummaging, but neither moved away.

“No need. If it were really serious, Xiao Kuang would have come over already.” Xu Wang finally charged his phone. Logically, he should have left the table by now, taken off his jacket, or gone to the washroom to wash his face. But he didn’t move, still pretending to search his backpack, feeling the closeness of their shoulders and bodies.

He also felt silly doing this, but who made Wu Sheng tell such a ghostly story. The feelings from ten years ago had long been dormant. Even upon reuniting, he had kept it well, but this person had to come and stir things up.

Stirred up, but with no follow-up.

C regretted and wanted to hug B tightly. Did Wu Sheng also regret it? Then why didn’t he say it to his face?

As he was thinking about it, Wu Sheng, who had finished taking his daily necessities, turned and went to the bathroom first.

The surroundings suddenly felt empty and a bit cold.

“Shall I take a shower first?” In the bathroom, Wu Sheng asked about the use of the shower.

Go ahead and shower and wash away all your thoughts!

Xu Wang mentally scolded the person a hundred times but said out loud, “Mm.”

The bathroom door closed with a not-so-loud sound, but it was clearly heard.

Xu Wang threw himself into bed, feeling a surge of old blood stuck in his throat, wanting to spit it out but couldn’t, wanting to swallow it but unwilling.

The words “inexplicable” burned like a fire in his heart.

You told the story. Shouldn’t you give some indication whether it’s alive or dead?

In the bathroom, Wu Sheng leaned against the door, looking at the dim light above, adjusting his breathing bit by bit.

But his heart was still in chaos, like another self inside him, crazily typing code making constant tap tap tap, tap tap tap sounds. But what he was typing, what kind of program he wanted to compile, and what problem he wanted to solve were all unclear.

Some words could be conveyed in a letter or a story, but face-to-face, they seem to grow legs and run away.

It was true ten years ago, and still true ten years later.

But then again, he had told the story, so shouldn’t Xu Wang have some reaction?

Even if it was to blame him for bringing up things that had been turned over, getting angry would be better than pretending now as if nothing had happened.

Pretending nothing happened seemed to be Xu Wang’s default defense stationery.

After that rainy night ten years ago, he never mentioned being pushed away, and at their reunion ten years later, he never mentioned the confession. It was he who started it, and it was he who cut it off. Now that he wanted to bring up the past again, Xu Wang acted as if he didn’t see it.

Wu Sheng sat down, leaning against the door. He touched his lips with his hand, his eyes gradually clouding over.

If time could turn back, when they first met in the Owl, he wouldn’t let Xu Wang, who tried to kiss him, leave unscathed.

At that time, he was truly overjoyed, but his other thoughts said it was just a prank.

His retaliation was just a snowball—too light. He should have pinned the person down in the snow, pressed hard, and made him understand that some things are not to be joked about.

When the bathroom was filled with steam, Wu Sheng stood under the shower, thinking that after he got out, he would go along with Xu Wang as if nothing had happened. After all, from beginning to end, Xu Wang only did one thing, which was at the moment of his utmost emotional breakdown, a moment of daze and confusion, on that rainy night. The rest was all his own imagination and the self-righteous feelings based on these imaginations.

But when he finished the shower and returned to the room, seeing Xu Wang sleeping soundly on the bed, the thought of “it’s all my fault” immediately flew to the Endless Sea, leaving only the indignation of “can you be more heartless?”

Wu Sheng roughly and perfunctorily wiped his hair twice, then threw the towel aside, and then quietly walked to the bedside of Xu Wang, squatting down, and very childishly blew air on Xu Wang’s face.

“Hoo—”

Xu Wang’s eyelashes trembled slightly due to the sudden breath, but he didn’t wake up.

Wu Sheng mischievously got closer—so close that the water dripping from his hair wetted the other’s pillow.

“Hoo.”

This time it was lighter, not like a prank, but with a touch of tenderness.

Xu Wang still didn’t move.

Wu Sheng unconsciously raised his hand, but just as his fingertips were about to touch the other’s cheek, he stopped.

A centimeter away, his hand traced the other’s hair, eyes, nose, cheek, and mouth, gently caressing down, immersed in it, joyously as if he really touched it, happy like an IT mogul who advanced human life with technology.

“Buzz buzz buzz—”

The phone vibrated on the table with a noise not unlike a ringtone.

Wu Sheng quickly retracted his hand, stood up, and went to the table to pick up the phone, subconsciously not wanting the vibration to last too long and wake up the sleeping person. But with the lingering guilt of a thief, he moved too quickly, and just as he was about to reach the table, he kicked the leg of a chair, which let out a wailing sound. Wu Sheng inhaled sharply from the pain, then limped to the door while picking up the phone, saying “Hello” in a low voice, sounding pitiful.

“Sleeping” Xu Wang opened his eyes, feeling lost and disheartened.

He only pulled the blanket over his head and shrank into the darkness after confirming that there was no one in sight near the entrance.

He couldn’t bear it anymore.

He had only one heart, which couldn’t withstand such ups and downs; it would fall apart.

“Alright, I’ll head back now.” Outside the ajar door, Wu Sheng’s voice came through.

Xu Wang hadn’t really heard what Wu Sheng was discussing on the phone, as it seemed he had gone out to the corridor. But this particular sentence, due to Wu Sheng’s sudden seriousness, came clearly to Xu Wang under the blanket.

Xu Wang frowned. This tone didn’t sound like it was about a “small matter”.

After hanging up, Wu Sheng returned to the room to see Xu Wang, who had already sat up and thrown off the blanket.

“What happened?” Putting aside those tangled and messy feelings, Xu Wang was now full of concern.

“There’s a bit of a situation at the company. It’s nothing serious,” Wu Sheng said nonchalantly. “But I need to go back personally to handle it, so the round trip might take a few days.”

Xu Wang knew Wu Sheng too well. If it really wasn’t serious, he wouldn’t have emphasized it like that.

But he didn’t intend to probe further, merely saying, “I’ll go back to Beijing with you.”

Wu Sheng was startled for a moment, then shook his head. “No need. It’s too much trouble. Wait for the new coordinates tonight, and we’ll meet at the next level.”

Xu Wang pondered for a moment, then found a legitimate reason. “I want to go back and cancel the lease on my rented apartment.”

“Cancel the lease?” Wu Sheng was surprised.

Xu Wang nodded. This was something he had actually been considering for a while and wasn’t just a spur-of-the-moment decision. “We don’t know how long we’ll need to tackle levels in the ‘Owl’, and with the apartment empty, it’s a waste of rent.”

Wu Sheng smiled. “Even without the rent, you’d only save a few thousand a month, which isn’t even enough to buy a page of the badge manual.”

“A few thousand a month adds up to tens of thousands in ten months. Every little bit counts, don’t you understand?” Xu Wang looked at him unamused, suddenly wishing the whole team could have the thrifty spirit of their Classmate Ai Qian. “A manual costs two hundred thousand, and if you count secret manuals, Easter eggs, strategy notes, and so on, we could go bankrupt in minutes.”

Xu Wang spoke lightly, but Wu Sheng caught a hint of reluctance in his eyes.

It wasn’t about giving up the apartment, but once the lease was canceled, it meant completely cutting off his past life. Those busy yet solid, hard yet stable days, even a place to look back on, would cease to exist.

“Think it over.” Wu Sheng didn’t object, only hoping Xu Wang understood. “Once you cancel the lease, you’ll be completely adrift.”

Both person and heart could only stubbornly move forward in the “Owl,” with no way back.

Xu Wang looked at him, and after a long while, his lips curled up with a hint of pride. “I have you guys. I’m not afraid.”

……

Wu Sheng originally planned to go back to Beijing alone, but after telling Xu Wang, it turned into a trip for two; Xu Wang initially wanted to accompany Wu Sheng back to Beijing, but after telling their three teammates, it became a journey of five.

Moreover, their friends had very convincing reasons—since they were originally going to take a green train and rest for a few days before entering the next level, they might as well go back to Beijing to recuperate and enjoy some lamb spine hotpot, Peking duck, soybean juice, and fried dough rings.

Well, this particular reason mainly came from Classmate Qian.

Kuang Jinxin agreed, and Chi Yingxue was indifferent.

The four friends accompanied their advisors and bought the nearest flight. That evening, they arrived in Beijing.

As soon as they left the airport, Wu Sheng was picked up by his partner in such a rush that everyone could see the urgency of the situation.

But since even the team captain was unclear about the details, Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin didn’t speculate wildly, only hoping everything went smoothly for their advisor.

The four took a taxi, planning to go to Xu Wang’s home, but on the way, Xu Wang suddenly remembered the address on Chi Yingxue’s ID was in Beijing. After pondering for a moment, he cautiously asked, “Xiao Xue, your home is in Beijing, right?”

“……” Chi Yingxue didn’t know how his nickname had become fixed but was too lazy to protest, simply responding briefly to Xu Wang’s question, “Mm.”

This was a very minimal yet subtly telling reaction.

Xu Wang could sense that Chi Yingxue wasn’t very enthusiastic about this topic.

He didn’t know the family situation of his teammate, but as the team captain, worrying seemed to have become an instinct. So after thinking it over, he swallowed the question of “do you want to go home?” and instead said gently, “Your brother sounded quite worried when he called last time.”

Chi Yingxue tugged at the corner of his mouth in a way that seemed like a smile but also like mockery. “He’s just doing his routine duty to check if I’m still alive and kicking.”

Xu Wang: “……”

This was a “minefield”, so Xu Wang decided to end the topic there.

This wasn’t about a lack of brotherly love, but rather Chi Yingxue’s words clearly carried “hostility”. If Chi Yingxue wasn’t hiding it, perhaps one could even hear… hatred.

Was it a struggle over family inheritance?

Or was it the brother couldn’t accept having a sibling with split personalities?

Or was there some unknown family secret?

While his head ached with these thoughts, Xu Wang realized how nosy he was. He hadn’t sorted out his own issues yet, worrying about others’ brotherly drama. It was no wonder no one loved or cherished him.

---

The author has a message to say:

It’s already 100 chapters, and still no sugar has been delivered. How about, for now, we just enjoy a sweet teaser? (Run away!)

Also, the secret box lying in the closet, hugging its knees in the corner, whimpering in loneliness and coldness _(:з」∠)

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

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Chapter 99: It’s Me

[Owl: Congratulations on passing the 7/23 test and handing in your papers! See you tomorrow~~]

As the world spun dizzyingly around him, Xu Wang was still reeling from the impact of the story’s conclusion. The half-truths and fabrications in their advisor’s tale had left him unable to discern what was fiction and what was truth. He wanted to believe yet feared being wrong, hopeful yet dreading a harder fall.

Wu Sheng wasn’t faring much better. Ever since he decided to narrate such a story, his heart had been unsettled. Whether right or wrong, apologies or regrets, everything between him and Xu Wang was a decade-old story; even the full stop was drawn ten years ago. Bringing up the past under the guise of the challenge seemed pointless, but he couldn’t help himself.

Wu Sheng rarely lost control, but on the few occasions he did, it always involved Xu Wang.

The Owl didn’t give them much time to hesitate. After a brief dizzy spell, reality snapped back into focus.

Two teams, ten people, stood at a subway station entrance in a bustling area of Chongqing.

It was 5 a.m., so the subway hadn’t started running yet, and only a few sanitation workers were cleaning the streets. They occasionally cast wary glances at the eleven young men gathered at the subway entrance.

Yes, eleven.

Elegant Gray, with hands in pockets, stood at the entrance, his face expressing relief as if to say, “I’ve been waiting for you guys to finally appear.”

“Who won?” Elegant Gray didn’t bother with pleasantries after a night of staring blankly at each other.

Wu Sheng didn’t answer right away but looked at Xu Wang first.

Xu Wang was startled by the gaze, his heart pounding like a drum. To hide his discomfort, he quickly looked away, towards the roadside.

Wu Sheng had told himself not to have expectations, yet Xu Wang’s avoidance still made his heart sink. He looked at Elegant Gray, disheartened. “We won.”

Elegant Gray had never seen such a dispirited victor.

He thought they must have gone through a tough battle.

“This is only the seventh level,” Zhao Yukun remarked, pulling up his zipper. “The journey ahead is still long.”

Wu Sheng, already feeling heavy-hearted, glanced coldly at him. “If I were you, I’d pray we never meet again.”

Zhao Yukun expected a follow-up, something like “you’d lose even worse next time” or “I won’t hold back next time”. But he had to maintain his composure and wait for Wu Sheng’s next words with a slight smile.

Wu Sheng, thinking he had said enough, waited for Zhao Yukun to back down or challenge him again.

In the morning breeze of Chongqing, they waited for each other.

The air suddenly went quiet.

The other nine people: “……”

Elegant Gray finally understood why the battle took so long to finish after his departure. With these two’s way of communicating, a story could stall indefinitely.

Xu Wang and Le Xing couldn’t take it anymore. One was eager to go home to reminisce about youth and first love, and the other to gather experiences for future battles.

Xu Wang stepped forward, completing Wu Sheng’s thought. “If I were you, I’d pray we never meet again. Losing once might be bad luck, but twice leaves no excuses.”

Le Xing pulled Zhao Yukun back and stepped forward. “Words are meaningless. Let’s see who has the last laugh.”

With the “threats” exchanged, Le Xing decisively turned and led his team away.

Xu Wang turned around, not addressing the suddenly downcast Wu Sheng but instead focusing on the perplexed Elegant Gray. “What exactly are you waiting for here?”

“Waiting for what?” Elegant Gray was struck by the question, feeling a sense of loss. “I’m waiting for the conclusion!”

Not only Xu Wang, but also Kuang Jinxin, Chi Yingxue, and Qian Ai were stunned. They thought the story relay wasn’t the main point.

Elegant Gray asked Wu Sheng directly, “What happened to B and C in the end?”

Wu Sheng quietly answered truthfully after a pause, “They both died.”

Elegant Gray: “……”

Kuang Jinxin, sensing Elegant Gray’s genuine interest in the plot, sympathetically added, “But C left behind a strand of hair.”

Elegant Gray: “A… hair?”

Elegant Gray was baffled, wondering what magical twists the story had taken after his departure.

“And then?” he inquired.

Kuang Jinxin explained, “The hair and the diary’s ashes were blown away by the wind.”

Elegant Gray: “……”

He thought he would see sunny days but was then struck by thunderbolts.

Getting emotionally invested in a story could be risky. Elegant Gray’s expression had turned as gray as his clothes.

Xu Wang, feeling a bit guilty as if he had contributed to the torment, quickly changed the subject. “By the way, why are you alone? What about Wine Red, Sky Blue, Deep Purple, and Bright Orange?”

After a moment of confusion, Elegant Gray realized he was asking about his teammates.

Pointing towards a 24-hour McDonald’s across the street, he said, “They’re sitting there.”

Xu Wang was quite touched. “After a whole night of struggle, they still waited for the team captain to get his conclusion. That’s dedication.”

“It’s not just for that,” Elegant Gray said earnestly, pulling out his phone. He looked at Xu Wang and then at Wu Sheng. “Let’s add each other on WeChat. We can share any new information in the future.”

Wu Sheng and Xu Wang remained silent.

“In the same challenge, we are opponents, but for the most part, we’re brothers in adversity,” Elegant Gray said with a self-deprecating laugh. “Who would believe me if I told them we were summoned by an owl’s call into real-life challenges? Even if they did, they’d forget it the next day.”

“It’s hard to build trust in a competitive environment,” Xu Wang commented, pulling out his phone to open WeChat.

In a competitive environment, trust is difficult but always more desirable than caution.

“You don’t even get a chance to speak,” Elegant Gray remarked, scanning the QR code to add Xu Wang.

“Right, just thinking about it gives me a headache, and then it clears out your [Stationery Box],” Xu Wang said, accepting the friend request. A new friend appeared on his list.

Elegant Gray pocketed his phone and looked at Xu Wang. “That Owl is no good.”

Xu Wang nodded vigorously. “Utterly heartless.”

Quick friendships are formed not only through “mutual affinity” but also through “common complaints”.

Watching Elegant Gray’s figure disappear into the McDonald’s, the five companions hailed two cabs to a nearby hotel.

Five people, three standard rooms.

When distributing room cards, Qian Ai took one with Kuang Jinxin. “We’re not changing the lineup.”

Chi Yingxue glanced at them and stretched his hand towards Xu Wang, who was distributing the cards, with a light smile. “I count as two, perfect for a single room.”

With everyone sorted, Xu Wang had no objections.

After receiving their room cards, each headed to their room. As Xu Wang and Wu Sheng were about to close their door, Kuang Jinxin came over from next door.

At that moment, Qian Ai and Chi Yingxue had already entered their rooms, and the corridor was eerily quiet. Kuang Jinxin stood at the door, asking to borrow a first-aid kit.

Xu Wang looked at him with concern. “Are you hurt?”

“It’s Chi Yingxue,” Kuang Jinxin replied. “On the taxi ride back, I noticed blood on his shoes.”

“Is it serious?”

“I don’t know.”

“If it’s serious, you must tell me. Some injuries can’t be dealt with alone and need to go to a hospital.”

Chi Yingxue’s demeanor had been normal throughout the journey. If it were anyone else, Xu Wang would have assumed it was a minor injury, but he couldn’t be so sure with Chi Yingxue.

This new teammate’s tolerance for pain was even more terrifying than his combat skills.

“Don’t worry, Captain,” Kuang Jinxin assured, nodding vigorously. “If he doesn’t listen, I’ll call you for help.”

Xu Wang chuckled, finding the description “doesn’t listen” surprisingly fitting for Chi Yingxue.

……

“Knock, knock.”

The hotel’s door was thick, making the knocking sound deep.

Kuang Jinxin waited for a moment with no response. Just as he raised his head to knock again, the door opened without warning.

Chi Yingxue was still in the same clothes as when he entered the level, having only removed his jacket. Now he was in a dark T-shirt, but because the T-shirt and jacket were almost the same deep shade, looking indistinguishable at first glance.

“Something wrong?” Chi Yingxue asked, seeing the first-aid kit in Kuang Jinxin’s arms.

Kuang Jinxin lowered his eyes, pointing out. “Your pant leg is wet.”

Chi Yingxue looked down. Indeed, the pant leg was darker than the rest. It wasn’t just wet—it was blood, but the dark color of the pants made it hard to see the bloodstain.

However, on the light-colored shoes, whether it was water or blood was obvious.

“You’ve learned to beat around the bush,” Chi Yingxue commented, taking the first-aid kit and letting Kuang Jinxin in.

He wasn’t concerned about such a wound, but with a medic at the door, he had no reason to turn him away.

“It’s not beating around the bush. It’s being upset,” Kuang Jinxin candidly assessed his own approach.

Chi Yingxue placed his injured foot on a chair, pulled up his pant leg, and revealed a ring of coagulated blood around his ankle. The wound was obscured.

He cleaned the wound with alcohol swabs; his movements were quick and adept, showing no sign of pain. He even had the leisure to ask Kuang Jinxin curiously, “What are you upset about?”

Kuang Jinxin frowned deeply. “You’re reckless in fights.”

Chi Yingxue chuckled, half-jokingly, half-seriously asking, “To survive, one must fight hard, right? How else can you win?”

Kuang Jinxin was immune to his smile. “You don’t just want to win. You enjoy taking risks.”

Chi Yingxue laughed out loud, not arguing, just enjoying the discovery that a grumpy Kuang Jinxin was much more interesting than usual.

As the blood was cleaned off, he threw the swab in the trash, then applied medicine and bandaged the wound.

Kuang Jinxin finally saw it was a jagged wound, like a bite, but not as deep after cleaning the blood.

“You said he’s afraid of pain,” Kuang Jinxin suddenly said.

Chi Yingxue paused, holding the gauze, and looked up.

Kuang Jinxin asked quietly, “Does he call you out to bear it every time it hurts?”

Chi Yingxue’s eyes, calm as water, revealed no emotion. “What if he does?”

Kuang Jinxin didn’t hesitate. “He shouldn’t treat you that way.”

“Maybe,” Chi Yingxue mused. “It’s me getting hurt on purpose, using pain to keep him from coming out.”

Kuang Jinxin frowned slightly. “You shouldn’t do that to him either.”

Chi Yingxue smiled, the warmth reaching his eyes yet tinged with a cool detachment. “Your loyalty doesn’t come cheap.”

“You always want me to take your side,” Kuang Jinxin was astute, “but it’s always you speaking—he never gets to.”

“Want to talk to him?” Chi Yingxue lowered his head and focused on wrapping the gauze. His voice was light but cold.

“I want you both to avoid getting hurt,” Kuang Jinxin said.

The word “both” sounded grating to Chi Yingxue. He finished the bandaging in silence and looked up, suddenly gripping Kuang Jinxin’s wrist tightly and pulling him close.

Nose to nose, eye to eye, in close proximity, he solemnly declared ownership for the first time. “I applied to join the team, so it’s me who is your teammate.”

---

The author has something to say:

You’ve caught my wrist twice! (╰_╯)

---

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

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Chapter 98: Ending Card

Having finished speaking, Wu Sheng turned his attention back to his ending card, preparing to put his own final touch on this tumultuous story.

However, before he could speak, the ending card opened by itself.

Wu Sheng: Ending Card — [This is His Last Word Left Behind]

Simultaneously, Zhao Yukan’s ending card also revealed itself — [A Heavy Rain Washed Away All the Evil]

Both competitors raised their eyes warily, meeting each other’s gaze, catching a similar surprise in each other’s eyes.

Above the game room and the storyline, a voice sounded simultaneously—

[Before any narrator recounts their ending card, they must go through a team battle with the spectators. Winning allows the narration of the ending card; losing hands over the storytelling to the winning spectator team. For fairness, all narrators’ ending cards will be revealed immediately.]

Spectators?

Team battle?

Wu Sheng frowned unconsciously, while Zhao Yukan’s displeased expression relaxed.

“You should have given your victory speech after the ending card is played.” He chuckled lightly. “Otherwise, it’s easy to end up in an awkward situation like now.”

Wu Sheng’s frown deepened, and after a long sigh, he said with a heavy heart, “I only prepared one victory speech. What should I say if I win again?”

Zhao Yukan: “……”

In the game room, Advisor Wu was worried about his upcoming “second victory speech”.

In the storyline, Captain Xu’s optimism was more concrete. First, he had confidence in his three teammates; second, since a team battle was required to narrate the ending, it meant that even if they lost this battle, when it was Zhao Yukan’s turn to finish his story cards and narrate his ending card, another team battle would ensue, giving them another chance to seize back control.

Having thought this through, Xu Wang, in his heart, silently conveyed a captain’s reminder to his teammates in the spectator room—Relax. You can do it.

The spectator room.

There was none of the relaxation that Captain Xu hoped for.

Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin, who had been watching through the live broadcast wall, were aware of their advisor’s victory and had already celebrated when they were suddenly cued, one stunned on the spot, the other frantically flipping through something.

Chi Yingxue, who was almost asleep in the corner, initially didn’t listen to what was said from the ceiling until Kuang Jinxin checked his arm and waved his hand in front of him, saying, “Hey, there’s a team battle now…”

Chi Yingxue was momentarily stunned. When he finally understood, the lethargy in his eyes disappeared instantly.

Is this what it means to be possessed in an instant?

Is this what it means to be fully ignited with fighting spirit?

There was no need to imagine, since he could tell just by looking at Chi Yingxue at this moment.

By contrast, Zhao Yukan’s team in the other corner of the spectator room had a much simpler mindset.

With a sudden chance to turn the tables in a seemingly hopeless situation, they naturally wanted to seize it. Whether they could return the humiliation their narrator received, with interest, depended on this battle.

[Team battle duration: 10 minutes. The team with the most remaining spectators on the battlefield wins; if the number is the same, the right to narrate remains unchanged.]

[Narrator 2’s team, you have the right to choose the battlefield. Please enter your chosen battlefield within 2 minutes.]

As the prompt sounded, three doors of light and shadow fell in front of Qian, Kuang, and Chi, each showing a different landscape.

Door 1: School Basement

Door 2: School Back Mountain with a Dry Well

Door 3: Detective C’s Bedroom

Chi Yingxue had no preference for the battlefield, as long as he could fight, so he naturally waited for the other two to make a choice, ready to follow them through the door.

But his two companions, after whispering for a long time, couldn’t come to a conclusion.

Chi Yingxue was getting impatient, but he didn’t show it on his face. When he turned to look at his teammates, he still had a gentle smile.

The two, feeling his gaze, looked up at him simultaneously.

Chi Yingxue raised an eyebrow—?

Kuang Jinxin and Qian Ai stared wide-eyed—!

Chi Yingxue: “……”

A hopeless Qian Ai rolled his eyes, while Kuang Jinxin decisively gave up on eye contact and reached out to pull him over.

This sudden movement caught Chi Yingxue off guard, and instinctively, he grabbed Kuang Jinxin’s wrist fiercely!

Kuang Jinxin flinched in pain, enduring without making a sound, just staring at Chi Yingxue with big, puzzled eyes.

“Sorry.” Chi Yingxue immediately let go, apologizing with a smile. “It was a reflex.”

Qian Ai was dumbfounded and couldn’t help but say, “You really are always battle-ready.”

Kuang Jinxin glanced at the countdown for choosing the battlefield. There were only 40 seconds left, and without wasting more time, leaned closer to his two companions, using the cover of their bodies to quietly lift his arm, the one grabbed by Chi Yingxue, and open the badge handbook.

The badge hint for 7/23 was — Road.

Even in the enclosed spectator room, soft sounds could be heard clearly by the other team, so Kuang Jinxin didn’t speak but just pointed at the badge hint, then at himself, and then looked at them with questioning eyes—Do you understand?

Qian Ai immediately nodded, understanding that Kuang Jinxin was responsible for solving the badge, while he and Chi Yingxue were responsible for the battle. It was obvious, and if they didn’t understand that, they might as well say goodbye to progressing.

Chi Yingxue also realized what was happening but found this way of communicating with glances a bit silly…

Still don’t understand?—Kuang Jinxin, not receiving a response from Teammate Chi, frowned in worry.

Give up. Not everyone is as smart as your Qian Ge here.—Qian Ai patted Kuang Jinxin’s shoulder, slowly shaking his head.

Chi Yingxue: “…I understand.”

Jing Jinglin, Fu Zai, and Dong Xi, who were watching the whole process: “……”

They couldn’t understand what the other team was discussing, but they could see the disjointed rapport between them.

The three teammates finally chose the School Back Mountain. The badge hint was “Road”, and the classroom and bedroom felt somewhat distant from this hint.

As they walked through Door 2, Kuang Jinxin finally had a chance to whisper to Chi Yingxue. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have touched you without warning. I’ll be careful in the future.”

It wasn’t sarcastic or a disguised complaint, but a sincere acknowledgment of his own recklessness.

Chi Yingxue was momentarily taken aback.

Until the cool breeze of the School Back Mountain hit his face.

Kuang Jinxin’s wrist was already red. Chi Yingxue knew his own strength. By tomorrow, the red would turn into a bruise.

[Owl: Someone has used [(Illusory) Death Choir] on you~~]

The sudden prompt in his ear finally brought Chi Yingxue back to reality.

Only Qian Ai remained by his side, as Kuang Jinxin had already run towards the “mountain path” behind them, and on the opposite side were three opponents who had already made their move without uttering a word.

“Launching a sneak attack right away, how despicable!” Qian Ai protested while searching his [Stationary Box], only to remember after a few seconds. “Oh shit, [(Defense) Ignorance of Worldly Affairs*] is Wu Sheng’s!”

*Don’t hear what’s outside the window (两耳不闻窗外事) Proverb referring to not caring about social matters or worldly affairs.

Blaming his memorization of tactics for going too far, Qian Ai now had all his team’s stationery jumbled in his mind.

“I’m using stationery openly and honestly. How is that a sneak attack?” The user of the illusory stationery, the tall and burly Fu Zai, looked exasperated.

“Instead of talking, you should focus on controlling the stationery.” Jing Jinglin’s calm voice carried a hint of dissatisfaction.

Fu Zai shrugged and fell silent, concentrating intently.

Soon, Chi Yingxue, Qian Ai, and even Kuang Jinxin, who had run far away, simultaneously heard an extremely fine, nerve-wracking ringing in their ears, followed by the sound of children singing hymns.

Amidst the holy choir, everything in the three’s vision began to fade and turn white…

These guys were trying to end the battle with just one stationery!

Qian Ai gritted his teeth, tensing his nerves, and shouted to Kuang Jinxin, who had already stopped in the distance. “Don’t listen—”

Kuang Jinxin immediately covered his ears.

At the same time, Chi Yingxue had already locked onto Fu Zai, the user of the illusion stationery, and, with a dangerous squint, charged at him unexpectedly!

Fu Zai was startled and reflexively stepped back, almost stumbling!

The children’s hymn paused for a moment due to this interruption.

However, Chi Yingxue ultimately didn’t reach Fu Zai.

His body slammed hard against an invisible, transparent barrier right in front of Fu Zai.

“Bang—” the sound was so loud that even Qian Ai felt the pain.

[Owl: Someone used [(Defense) A Step Away] on you~~]

The notification for the defense stationery came too late.

It wasn’t used by Fu Zai.

Chi Yingxue turned to look at the other two opponents.

Jing Jinglin lowered his arm, his eyes carrying a mix of confusion and amusement. “This is a stationery battle. You didn’t think it was like a street fight where bravery and ferocity would suffice, did you?”

Chi Yingxue stared at him, his expression and gaze calming down.

But this calmness somehow felt even more oppressive.

[Owl: Someone used [(Illusion) Death Melody] on you~~]

Jing Jinglin, Dong Xi, and Fu Zai all heard a voice at the same time.

Chi Yingxue couldn’t hear it but clearly saw the change in their expressions.

“Xiao Xue,” Qian Ai called from behind, offering strong support. “They have [Death Choir], and I have [Death Melody]. Let’s see who can’t hold out first. You just go for it—”

Chi Yingxue: “……”

This [Death Melody] was supposed to complement Plan V in the advisor’s tactical playbook, but the team battle came so suddenly that Qian Ai had no choice but to use it as a desperate countermeasure.

However, even though the illusory stationery was used, and the opponents heard the notification, no sound other than the mountain wind echoed in the air.

Chi Yingxue, Kuang Jinxin: “……”

Jing Jinglin, Fu Zai, Dong Xi: “……”

[Death Melody]… Where’s the melody?!

Fu Zai was the first to regain his composure and quickly focused his attention!

The [Death Choir] started again.

Qian Ai was sweating, having already established a connection with his stationery. Why couldn’t he activate it?

Chi Yingxue watched him silently, experiencing mixed feelings for the first time about relying on someone else’s assistance.

Finally, Qian Ai broke through the last barrier in communicating with his stationery, grasping its full essence…

“Fuck me—”

Qian Ai let out a near-breakdown shout, then resignedly took a breath and began to sing, his melody rich in fragrance spreading across the entire back mountain of the school.

“Oily noodles in a bite, trembling with flavor~~ Spinach noodles, full of nutrition, absolutely beefy~~ Belt noodles, thick and challenging, test your throat~~ Biangbiang noodles with meat, truly acrobatic~~ Soup noodles, remember to wipe your mouth~~ Qishan noodles with many whistles, historically rich~~ Garlic dipped noodles, a bit spicy, watch your tongue~~ Fried sauce noodles, just a bit, can’t eat them, we’ll take them home…*”

*These lyrics are from the rap song “Shaanxi Food” by Black Head. 

Each note, following his roaring singing style, assailed Jing Jinglin and the others.

Unlike the “painless death” of [Death Choir], the pain brought by [Death Melody] was direct and intense.

In this pain, there was also disbelief: “They can use stationery like this?!” The anti-human shock of this approach perhaps was even more tormenting than the [Death Melody] itself.

No, even Chi Yingxue, who was unaffected, was taking deep breaths under Qian Ai’s “singing” to calm his emotions.

Only Kuang Jinxin was immune, having heard the song on 2/23 when Qian Ai learned it for a live broadcast of Shaanxi cuisine. He, the captain and advisor, had already experienced the live concert that day; a replay today was basically harmless.

But while his teammate was bearing the brunt of the battle, he, on his part, had gained nothing, which was the most distressing thing.

The mountain path was the only way, and looking down, he could see halfway up the mountain, but since entering, where was the promised glimmer? All he saw were weeds over a foot tall, swaying with the wind.

On the other side, [Death Choir] and [Death Melody] were in a deadlock, one with strong penetrating power and the other with astonishing explosive power, interfering with each other, neither able to get the upper hand.

In the midst of the standoff, the sky suddenly darkened.

Countless huge, colorful cakes and desserts densely filled the entire sky!

Qian Ai looked hungry… Uh, no, he was stunned.

Jing Jinglin and the others were also dumbfounded and still bewildered when they heard the notification in their ears—

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

Before the voice faded, a rich chocolate cake was falling straight towards the three of them!

Jing Jinglin, Dong Xi, and Fu Zai scattered, and as the chocolate cake hit the ground, the chocolate sauce splattered, filling the air with its rich aroma!

Qian Ai used the greatest willpower of his life to resist the sweet temptation and seized the opportunity to dash forward, reaching Fu Zai, firmly grabbing the collar of this “[Death Choir] initiator” hanging over the team’s heads!

Fu Zai’s breath hitched, not yet reacting, only to hear Qian Ai sigh. “Let’s do this.”

…Do what?!

Before he could voice his question, his body suddenly shot upwards like a rocket, soaring at high speed!

Soaring along with him was Qian Ai, who was holding onto his collar!

The immense pressure of the rapid ascent made Fu Zai’s heart uncomfortably tight. Just as he was getting used to it, their bodies, having ascended high, abruptly stopped and then, without any warning, started plummeting down!

Falling along with him was still Qian Ai, who clung to his collar.

His heart, which had just felt the pressure, now shattered into pieces with the sudden sensation of weightlessness.

Just as they were about to hit the ground, they ascended again for the second time. Fu Zai finally heard the delayed notification—

[Owl: Someone used [(Offense) Gemini Jumping Machine] on you~~]

If he wanted to use a melody to send his opponent home, he had to sing it himself.

If he wanted to use a [Jumping Machine] to subdue his opponent, he had to “enjoy” it together.

“Do you fucking have any stationery that won’t hurt yourself?!” Fu Zai, who had soared up high for who knows how many times, finally exploded.

Qian Ai, who was fiercely gripping Fu Zia, had already adapted to the up-and-down battle style. When he heard these words, he felt a warmth in his heart. “Even now, you sympathize with me?”

Before Fu Zai could say more, he choked on a mouthful of wind, coughing as if he wanted to die.

There was no more chance to scream his heart out to make the opponent understand—he was afraid that using such stationery for too long would bring bad luck!

While the Gemini stars “ascended to heaven and descended to earth”, on the other side, Chi Yingxue had turned the school back mountain into a tray for afternoon tea.

Chocolate cakes smashed on the ground, cream cakes hit the bushes, doughnuts hung on tree branches, macarons clogged the well, Danish pastries and sandwiches suffocated Dong Xi, and coffee and tea were chasing Jing Jinglin.

Chi Yingxue closed his eyes and then opened them again. Just as Dong Xi was pulling apart a sandwich above his head, a huge sugar cube appeared above him.

Dong Xi, shrouded in shadow, tried to run, but it was too late.

The sugar cube smashed down, shattering and scattering sugar grains!

Chi Yingxue turned to look at Jing Jinglin, who had run away. Somehow, he had managed to turn the two giant cups chasing him into a pile of fragments. Now, he was approaching Kuang Jinxin, who was still focused on searching!

Chi Yingxue, without hesitation, turned to go towards Kuang Jinxin.

After just one step, he heard a “click” of metal clasping together.

Pain shot through his ankle and spread through his entire body.

Chi Yingxue looked down to see a bear trap.

“[(Defense) Hidden Bear Trap].” Dong Xi, whose head emerged from the hollowed-out sugar cube, explained seriously. “You move too fast. While you have the advantage of strong combat ability, you lack good defense. Because of your speed, you don’t have time to think too much and are more likely to fall into traps.”

As Dong Xi finished speaking, he felt warmth above his head, like something hot had landed on it.

He looked up to see a half-warm syrup pouring down!

How can this be? The opponent, instead of freeing himself from the bear trap, attacked him first?!

Before Dong Xi could understand, he was completely drenched in the thick syrup, encased within the sugar cube.

On the verge of suffocation, he was forcibly removed from the battlefield and sent back to the spectator room.

At the moment the syrup poured down, Chi Yingxue bent over and forcibly pried open the [Bear Trap].

As if certain that the opponent had no more ability to counterattack, he discarded the [Bear Trap] and didn’t even glance at the sugar cube, immediately heading towards Kuang Jinxin.

His speed showed no signs of the deep bite marks the metal teeth had left on his ankle just moments ago.

[“I’ll handle that burly guy. Can you take care of the other two?”]

This was what Qian Ai had asked Chi Yingxue before “taking the opponent to heaven”.

Chi Yingxue’s answer was, “I can.”

When Kuang Jinxin heard the sound of footsteps crushing the grass behind him, he knew the situation was bad. He turned around while simultaneously activating [(Defense) Slippery Feet*] that he had prepared earlier.

*To apply oil to the soles of one’s feet (脚底抹油) Idiom referring to quickly removing oneself from an undesirable situation (AKA cut and run).

Jing Jinglin was only a few steps away from him, yet he unexpectedly slipped and fell hard.

He could have attacked from a distance with his stationery, but he wanted to see what this guy, who had been hands-off since the start of the battle, was actually looking for!

Kuang Jinxin stepped back a few paces to regain distance and observed the battlefield for the first time.

To the front left, Qian Ai was grappling with a classmate, flying through the air and diving into the ground. To the front right, Chi Yingxue was confronting… a sugar cube?

Jing Jinglin steadied himself, pondered for a moment, and sincerely advised, “There’s nothing here for you. Don’t waste your effort.”

Kuang Jinxin stared into his eyes and, after a pause, said, “You’re trying to trick me.”

Jing Jinglin was taken aback by his astuteness.

Kuang Jinxin remained silent, just standing there, staring at him.

Jing Jinglin felt uncomfortably scrutinized, as if under direct sunlight, and frowned. “What exactly are you looking for?”

After hesitating for a while, just as Jing Jinglin was growing impatient, Kuang Jinxin finally breathed a sigh of relief, his tense body easing.

“I’m waiting to see when my teammates will arrive.”

Jing Jinglin’s heart sank, and he quickly turned around, but it was already too late.

Chi Yingxue leaped at him, pinning him down with one hand on his wrist and the other on his shoulder, then exerted force!

Jing Jinglin felt intense pain as his arm with the owl tattoo was forcibly dislocated. Cold sweat immediately drenched his forehead!

He raised his other arm, attempting to counterattack, but as soon as he moved, it was also seized, giving him no chance to negotiate. With a soft “click”, that arm was rendered useless as well.

“If you can’t behave, I’ll make you.” Chi Yingxue said with a smile, adding regretfully, “Actually, you should be thankful this isn’t a street fight,” and gestured towards Jing Jinglin’s abdomen, “or else I wouldn’t just dislocate your arm. I’d stab you with a spring knife.”

Jing Jinglin felt a chill watching his smile and felt a coldness seeping into his bones.

Kuang Jinxin didn’t hear their conversation and focused entirely on the badge.

His task was to find the badge, so he didn’t engage with Jing Jinglin, just waiting for his teammate’s support.

But even as his teammate arrived, he still had no leads on the badge!

Time was running out, and he needed a new strategy quickly!

Opening his [Stationery Box], he pressed on an icon—[(Offense) Wind Sweeps the Grass]

Instantly, a fierce wind blew, making it nearly impossible to open one’s eyes!

In the wind, all the weeds fell, and the remnants of [Afternoon Tea] were blown away, leaving the hill in a state of wind-swept bareness.

With the weeds down, everything hidden became more apparent.

Aside from the stepped mountain path, there was an extremely narrow, hidden dirt path, just wide enough for one foot, surrounded by dense weeds, invisible without the wind.

The moment the path was revealed, a glint of light flashed.

Kuang Jinxin dashed down the path, not daring to even blink. He rushed to where the light vanished and waited with bated breath.

A few seconds later, the light reappeared.

Kuang Jinxin, quick as lightning, grabbed it!

[Owl: Congratulations on finding the 7/23 Story Badge!]

In both the game room and the plot room, a “ding” sounded, unaware of the happenings on the battlefield.

Zhao Yukun and Le Xing’s first thought was that the battle had concluded, but they soon realized that the prompt was only for the opponent, not for themselves.

After reading the message, Wu Sheng smiled wryly.

Zhao Yukun fell silent.

After reading the message, Xu Wang, overwhelmed by this unexpected joy, praised from afar. “Well done! Captain loves you! Mwah—”

“……” Le Xing shuddered, suddenly realizing the long road ahead in his leadership role.

On the team battlefield, Kuang Jinxin, Chi Yingxue, and even Qian Ai, who was still in the [Jumping Machine], felt an inexplicable chill behind their ears.

The 10-minute battle time ended.

The five remaining participants were simultaneously transported back to the observation room.

Fu Zai, gasping for air, lay down immediately upon landing.

Qian Ai was also exhausted, panting heavily.

Dong Xi, who returned earlier, rushed to Jing Jinglin’s side, concernedly asking, “What happened?”

Jing Jinglin looked pale and sweaty.

Kuang Jinxin looked at Chi Yingxue.

Chi Yingxue looked back innocently.

Kuang Jinxin frowned.

Chi Yingxue feigned confusion.

Kuang Jinxin sighed. “It looks painful.”

Chi Yingxue “……”

Shrugging, he turned to help Jing Jinglin fix his arm that had been dislocated, as his teammate suggested.

But as soon as he reached out, Dong Xi swatted his hand away. “No need!”

Chi Yingxue happily retreated.

Kuang Jinxin, feeling somewhat embarrassed, smiled sheepishly at Chi Yingxue, as if realizing he was being meddlesome.

Meanwhile, Dong Xi used an illusory stationery to heal Jing Jinglin’s arm.

On the other hand, Chi Yingxue curiously asked, “Aren’t you angry?”

Kuang Jinxin was puzzled. “Angry about what?”

Chi Yingxue chuckled. “You rallied me for so long, but when I went, he didn’t appreciate it.”

Kuang Jinxin laughed, genuinely unconcerned. “I wanted you to help him with his arm. Now that it’s fixed, it’s all good.”

Fu Zai, recovering from the aftereffects of the [Jumping Machine], grumbled, “If it were five against five, you wouldn’t stand a chance.”

Qian Ai retorted, “Five on five? Our captain and advisor will show you the sky is red, and the flowers are blue in three minutes!”

“……” Wait a minute. Fu Zai was confused. What colors are the sky and the flowers?

[Observer Team Battle, Team 2 wins. Narrator 2, please conclude your story.]

The announcement in the three spaces marked the end of the tabletop battle.

Xu Wang on the playground unconsciously held his breath, not affecting the sound from above.

In the game room, Wu Sheng sighed to Zhao Yukun. “You think too highly of yourself and too little of others.”

Zhao Yukun replied, “…If you have no new victory speech, you could choose to stay silent.”

Repeating the old, what a move!

Wu Sheng looked at his ending card [These are his last words] and, after a moment, spoke quietly—

“The diary was destroyed, and all involved, A, B, C, D, vanished with it. Everything turned into a small pile of ashes under the second tree on the campus, unknown to anyone. Even the last hair of C was in the ashes. When the wind blew, the ashes scattered, and the hair disappeared…”

“If there’s another fool like me on this campus, remember, before you push someone away, don’t rush. Think for one more second, and you might realize that what you really want to do is not to push away but to hold tight. These are his last words.”

---

Kinky Thoughts:

Honestly, this is probably my favorite instance of this novel. Such a unique way to confess! I’m rooting for your Wu Sheng!

Just a note: While some stationeries are idioms and their meaning is explained, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the effect reflects the meaning of the idiom. Like in the case of [Slippery Feet], the actual literal text was the effect.

This is probably why many of the teams they encounter don’t like using idiomatic stationery (as their meaning and effects vary greatly—they don’t know whether it’s the literal text or metaphorical meaning that will take effect).

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

---

Chapter 97: Comeback

Wu Sheng only had one interruption card left, and after this interruption, Zhao Yukan was also left with just one. However, the right to narrate was currently with Zhao Yukan, putting Wu Sheng in a clearly passive position…

Xu Wang was calculating the situation in the game room, worried for his advisor, when he heard from above—

“To burn the tree, ordinary fire won’t work. It must be the Returning to the West candle…”

Xu Wang felt a chill down his neck and looked at Le Xing somewhat speechlessly. “As soon as your team starts, the atmosphere immediately turns creepy.”

“Your team’s storyline is the scary one…” Le Xing couldn’t help but recall those “tender feelings”, which made it hard to describe his mood. He really preferred ghost stories.

“The ‘Returning to the West’ candle is in a dry well behind the school…”

Zhao Yukan: Story Card 9 — [Dry Well]

As soon as he finished speaking, the playground where Xu Wang and Le Xing were turned into a desolate wilderness.

A dry well appeared right in front of them.

Chilling winds blew intermittently from the well.

Xu Wang: “……”

Damn, it’s like a scene out of “The Ring”.

“Optimistic Classmate B approached the well, looked down into it, and was suddenly pushed in by Melancholic Boy A. It turned out A’s ghost was being controlled by Xiao Wang…”

Zhao Yukan: Story Card 10 — [Control]

Xu Wang: “……”

Le Xing: “Sorry about this.”

Xu Wang: “No need for you to push. I’ll jump myself!”

Le Xing: “That wouldn’t fit the plot.”

Xu Wang: “Then just give a symbolic push, and I’ll cooperate, okay…”

Perhaps feeling that the plot was too tragic for Optimistic Classmate B, Le Xing did give a symbolic push.

Xu Wang immediately let out an “Ahhh—” and very cooperatively… jumped into the well.

Of course, he jumped feet first. Fortunately, the well wasn’t too deep, and the soil at the bottom was soft enough. Xu Wang landed without much harm, except for a slight numbness in his legs.

Wait a second.

Xu Wang looked around in the dark well and suddenly realized something was off.

They came to the dry well to find the ‘Returning to the West’ candle. If Xiao Wang didn’t want him to find it, why push him into the well? Wasn’t this bringing him closer to the candle…

“Boy A, possessed, threw a huge rock into the well, attempting to crush Optimistic Classmate B to death…”

Zhao Yukan: Story Card 11 — [Crushed to Death]

Xu Wang: “……”

Great, now he knew why he was pushed in.

The only light source from above was blocked by the giant rock. Xu Wang looked up, and the dust brought by the rock fell on his face.

He spat out the dust twice, waiting for the plot to unfold.

The worst outcome would be getting crushed to death and then returning to the dark room. Thinking about it, it didn’t seem too bad.

“The moment the rock was about to hit, Optimistic Classmate B blew away the second strand of hair, and the rock suddenly turned into powder, which flew back out of the well, trapping A’s ghost. B quickly dug out the Returning to the West candle from the mud, and while A was trapped, climbed out of the dry well and escaped back to the school…”

Zhao Yukan: Story Card 12 — [Mud]

Xu Wang climbed out of the well; his face covered in dirt. The wilderness and Boy A vanished, replaced by the school playground.

He returned, holding the Returning to the West candle.

Regardless of how the plot progressed, his situation was manageable. The worst outcome was just putting up a tough fight.

The real battle, however, was happening on Wu Sheng’s side—a war without smoke.

Zhao Yukan was left with only 3 story cards, holding 1 interrupt card, 1 exchange card, and 1 ending card.

Wu Sheng had 4 story cards remaining: 1 interrupt card, 1 exchange card, and 1 ending card.

And now, with the narration still in Zhao Yukan’s hands, Xu Wang couldn’t help but feel that the situation was very, very unfavorable for his advisor!

“Interrupt.” Wu Sheng spoke calmly, but beneath the calmness, there was a hint of seriousness.

Xu Wang’s heart skipped a beat.

Wu Sheng is conceited and proud, always effortless and composed in the face of any difficulty. Seeing Wu Sheng under such pressure was rare and inexplicably heart-wrenching.

After using his interrupt card, Wu Sheng didn’t immediately continue the story but instead said to Zhao Yukan, “There must be countless ways for you to stop the stone from falling, not necessarily by using the second strand of hair.”

Zhao Yukan replied, “You’re so sentimental. Even when everything is lost, you still leave three ways to escape, three ‘possible extensions of the storyline.’ Of course, the sooner they are used, the more peace of mind.”

Wu Sheng said, “Then you might as well blow away the remaining two strands of hair at once. Wouldn’t that be better?”

Zhao Yukan was nonchalant. “Haste makes waste. One must consider the logic of the story.”

After a brief silence.

Zhao Yukan’s voice came from above the playground again. “This is your last interrupt card.” He sighed lightly, as if regretting. “From the moment you used this card, no, from the moment you used your second interrupt card before me, you had already lost.”

Xu Wang didn’t like Zhao Yukan’s show-off attitude.

But he had to admit, it was the truth.

Wu Sheng, with his last interrupt card, gained the right to narrate. But could he play all four of his remaining story cards in this round? Even if he could, Zhao Yukan wouldn’t let him.

He would surely use his last interrupt card to take back the right to narrate.

By then, Wu Sheng, without any interrupt cards, willing or not, would have to quietly listen to Zhao Yukan finish the story.

The only chance for a turnaround was “if Zhao Yukan’s ending card doesn’t match or make sense with the previous story.”

But Xu Wang didn’t believe Zhao Yukan would give him that opportunity.

Above, Zhao Yukan was still “kindly” advising Wu Sheng. “Of course, you still have your last exchange card, feel free to use it. But whatever you swap with me, I can handle it.”

Wu Sheng laughed, seemingly forcing a smile, but his words were not conceding. “My love story is going well, holding a perfect happy ending card. I wouldn’t exchange it for all the gold and silver in the world, let alone for your ghost card?”

“Alright, continue. I’m all ears.” Zhao Yukan’s voice carried the magnanimity of certain victory.

Xu Wang clenched his fists, wishing he could overturn the table.

The usually competitive Wu Sheng, however, seemed completely unaffected by the provocation. When he spoke again, it was to continue the story line—

“Optimistic Classmate B returned to the tree, about to light the ‘Returning to the West’ candle, when the six ghost boys ran over to stop him. It turned out they had just found out that those cursed by the diary have their souls bound to it. Burning the diary would also annihilate them…”

“They pleaded with Classmate B not to burn the tree, to persuade and convince Xiao Wang to let go of his hatred, like many TV drama endings, where the villain repents, and the curse is directly lifted. The souls trapped by resentment would also be freed, and everyone would be happy…”

Wu Sheng: Story Card 12 — [TV Drama]

“B refused. He told the six ghosts that not everything can be forgiven with an apology. A killed D; can D accept just an apology from A? C hurt B; can B forgive C with just an apology?”

Wu Sheng: Story Card 13 — [Apology]

“Yes, you didn’t kill Xiao Wang, only roughed him up a bit. A passed the letter to D, seeking peace of mind. C pushed away B, which was just instinct. But the more ‘unaware of their wrongdoing’ people are, the crueler their actions. They don’t realize they’re doing wrong, so their evil is weightless and more hurtful. This is innocent cruelty. But innocence is not an umbrella for cruelty. Xiao Wang doesn’t have to forgive you, D doesn’t have to forgive A, and B doesn’t have to forgive C. Those who do wrong should be remembered for their deeds…”

Wu Sheng: Story Card 14 — [Innocent Cruelty]

Under the big tree on the playground, Le Xing frowned at Xu Wang. “Did your narrator… do something against his conscience?”

Otherwise, he couldn’t explain the heavy sense of remorse in his tone!

Xu Wang swallowed hard, his mind in turmoil, with no time to pay attention to Le Xing.

Was this a way of apologizing to him through the story? From the initial regret to now not needing forgiveness, were all these messages for him?

If so… could he not speak on behalf of those involved? Who would hold a grudge for a push after ten years? With that kind of persistence, he would have reached the pinnacle of life long ago!

“Interrupt.” Zhao Yukan’s voice timely intervened.

Xu Wang saw it coming.

Interrupt cards can’t be used against someone who has already played 15 story cards. Wu Sheng still had one story card and one ending card left. If Zhao Yukan didn’t interrupt now, once Wu Sheng played his last story card, there would be no more chances.

“You’ve lost.” Le Xing sat under the tree, leisurely playing with the grass on the ground.

Xu Wang looked up at the sky. “It’s not over yet.”

Le Xing shook his head. “Without interrupt cards, how can you win back the right to narrate?”

“Don’t forget,” Xu Wang said, “touching the opponent’s story card also means handing over the right to narrate.”

“You don’t understand Kankan. Being led into saying [Parents] by Narrator 4 and losing the right to narrate was his only mistake in this game. The more it happens, the more he remembers. He won’t make the same mistake twice.” Le Xing stood up, patting the dirt off his backside, smiling. “With your narrator playing the emotional card, I bet Kankan will even avoid friendship themes.”

Above, the new narrator’s voice came, lightly mocking. “Your story is touching, but sorry, the ending is mine, and it’s probably going to follow a horror theme.”

There was no response from Wu Sheng.

Xu Wang’s heart was racing. In front of Le Xing, he had to maintain a calm façade, but inside, he was in turmoil. He wished there was a live broadcast wall above the playground so he could see his advisor—even just an expression or a glance—to at least know Wu Sheng’s state. This kind of restless worry was driving him crazy.

“B rejected the request of the six ghosts and lit the ‘Returning to the West’ candle, but at the moment he was about to burn the tree, he realized that there were not six but seven ghosts. Unbeknownst to them, one more had joined…”

Zhao Yukan: Story Card 13 — [One More]

“It turned out to be A, controlled by Xiao Wang, disguised as one of the boys, blending in with them…”

Zhao Yukan: Story Card 14 — [Disguise]

He had only one story card left. Wu Sheng… Xu Wang stared intensely at the sky, as if by doing so, he could transmit his thoughts to the game room.

However, the one who continued the story was still Zhao Yukan.

“B realized too late. A had already made his move, killing B. B died wrongfully and became a ghost, but still used his ghostly power to light the ‘Returning to the West’ candle, burned the tree, and all the ghosts, along with the diary, were destroyed…”

Zhao Yukan: Story Card 15 — [Wrongful Death]

Le Xing looked at Xu Wang and shrugged with an “I told you so” expression on his face.

“The moment to witness the ending has finally arrived.” Zhao Yukan’s voice came from above, feigning regret. “Ah, though I’m about to reveal the ending, it doesn’t feel as exciting as I imagined.”

“Then don’t.” Wu Sheng, who had been quiet for a while, finally spoke.

Zhao Yukan’s voice halted, and even though Xu Wang couldn’t see the game room, he could sense Zhao Yukan’s surprise.

Le Xing, who had been eagerly awaiting his team’s ending, lost his relaxed demeanor and, like Xu Wang, looked up at the sky, eyes slightly narrowed, his entire body tensely wound.

“What did you say last?” Wu Sheng suddenly asked.

“……” Zhao Yukan didn’t answer. Though words spoken and water spilled couldn’t be taken back, instinctively, he didn’t want to cooperate with his opponent.

Wu Sheng didn’t expect him to cooperate and repeated himself. “All the ghosts, along with the diary, were destroyed, right?”

“Sorry, you touched on my keyword.”

With those last words, almost whispered, Wu Sheng played his final story card.

Wu Sheng: Story Card 15 — [Diary]

Interrupt cards can’t be used on someone who has already played 15 story cards, but the triggering of keywords has no restrictions. As long as the person with the keyword story card wants to turn it over, the right to narrate undoubtedly must shift.

Both the game room and the storyline fell into sudden silence.

Even though Xu Wang hoped Wu Sheng could make a stunning comeback, and even though Le Xing and Zhao Yukan were prepared for the worst-case scenario of being overturned, none of them expected that Wu Sheng’s card would be [Diary].

Using his own [Metal Box], he dug out the diary and oriented the storyline around the diary from the start. To play this card, almost every sentence from everyone’s narration was an opportunity. Yet, he saved this key element, almost spanning the entire story, for last.

Zhao Yukan finally spoke, his pride still intact but slightly cracked. “From the moment you brought out the diary from the metal box, you planned to save it for last as an interrupt card, didn’t you?”

“No.” Wu Sheng’s tone was free of any heaviness, filled with ease. “I decided to use ‘Diary’ as the ultimate interrupt card as soon as I got my story cards, and then I led you to dig out the metal box. If another story card had caught my fancy, the course of this story chain might have been entirely different.”

Whether Zhao Yukan understood or not, Xu Wang wasn’t sure, but he did.

Translated, Wu Sheng’s words meant—From the start of this battle, everything was under my control, you foolish mortals. Now tremble.

Xu Wang clutched his chest, feeling a throbbing pain.

What about his “heavy voice” and “sounding like he’s under pressure”? He had been worried about Drama King Wu for the entire second half!

“You should have used the exchange card, swapped out my last card, and you would have won.” In the game room, Wu Sheng toned down his laughter and looked at Zhao Yukan. “But you didn’t believe my last card could turn the tables. Instead, you were worried that I was saving it for you to swap, setting a trap for you, right?”

Zhao Yukan remained silent, his chest rising and falling slightly, losing for the first time in such an embarrassing manner.

“That’s why you failed,” Wu Sheng said calmly, without any mockery, word by word. “You think too highly of yourself and too little of others.”

---

The author has something to say:

Gaining weight at first is not considered being overweight, but gaining weight later can collapse the bed*. The same logic applies to showing off. Advisor Wu, who has finally learned to control the situation before showing off, has elevated his power! ~(～￣▽￣)～

*Referring to a kang.

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

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Chapter 96: Change of Situation

The ghost army arrived in an instant. Although Zhao Yukan clarified under Wu Sheng’s questioning that “ghosts are not fierce spirits and are very weak,” when their numbers were overwhelming, even if their combat power was as weak as ants, they could still sweep through everything, leaving nothing behind!

Fair Face and Red Wine immediately donned their protective stationery. Xu Wang didn’t put on any protective stationery but instead activated the reward weapon he received on 4/23 from the Moonlight Maze!

When he got this weapon, he knew that there was a successor to [Approaching Science]. He hadn’t used it even when facing the evil spirit on 6/23, waiting for a moment like this to “sweep through thousands of troops!”

[Owl: Someone used [(Offense) Vajra Exorcism Staff] on you~~]

As expected, the notification sound arrived, and a Vajra Exorcism Staff appeared in Xu Wang’s hand.

Xu Wang thrust the staff into the ground with a clang, causing the sound of iron rings to jingle!

The oncoming ghost army suddenly shuddered as if intimidated by the aura of the [Exorcism Staff].

Xu Wang immediately gained confidence and shouted, “Leave it to me—”

As soon as he finished speaking, he rushed forward with the staff, sweeping it around, living up to the saying “one sweep clears a large area”. Where he passed, ghosts were annihilated!

In the blink of an eye, he had already rushed past Fair Face and Wine Red and reached the front.

The latter two hadn’t pinned their hopes on this opponent, but seeing is believing. Xu Wang, wielding the [Exorcism Staff], had the aura of “not entering Nirvana until hell is empty”!

Xu Wang rushed to the end of the corridor, swinging the staff, and the ghosts almost completely dissipated.

When he stopped and turned around, he found four ghosts that had slipped through the net, surrounding Fair Face and Wine Red!

Among these four ghosts, two had parts of their heads missing. They must have been hit by the [Exorcism Staff], yet they somehow survived!

Fair Face, not knowing what protective stationery he used, had already wrapped himself in Buddhist scriptures, fearless in the face of the four ghosts. But Wine Red’s physical defense stationery, which could break through feudal superstitions, had already been used up during the “Ghost Oppression Battle”!

The four ghosts could distinguish strength and weakness, and they all rushed fiercely towards Wine Red!

It was too late for Xu Wang to rush over again.

Wine Red was on the verge of tears. “Wasn’t it you who said ‘leave it to me’—”

He wasn’t really accusing his Optimistic Classmate B. They were opponents, and no one was obliged to block trouble for others. He was about to be sent home. People about to die always shout out, leaving evidence of “I came, I went, I loved.”

The four ghosts were almost upon Wine Red!

At this critical moment, a warm, goose-yellow light suddenly fell from the sky, inexplicably filled with a kind of “compassion”, instantly enveloping the four ghosts!

The four ghostly figures suddenly staggered, splitting to either side in front of Wine Red, two rushing towards the wall on his left and two towards the trash can on his right, perfectly missing Wine Red himself!

Wine Red was stunned. Could it really be his “Passionate Athlete D”, with an innate “righteousness exorcism” trait? Why didn’t it trigger during the ghost oppression…

“What are you dazed for? Run—” Xu Wang was amazed, having never seen someone who hadn’t completely escaped from death yet stay to savor the moment.

Wine Red looked in the direction of the voice and saw Xu Wang rushing over with the Exorcism Staff.

Even he knew he had been saved. As he ran to the other end of the corridor, he envied and hated. “Why do you have so much exorcism stationery—”

“Exorcism my ass!  [(Defense) Presbyopia]!” After announcing the defense stationery on the four ghosts, Xu Wang had already arrived where Wine Red was standing, sweeping and hammering wildly with the staff, and finished the job.

Xu Wang breathed a sigh of relief, stomped the [Exorcism Staff] on the ground, turned to Wine Red, and smiled handsomely. “Don’t fall for me.”

“……” Wine Red’s bellyful of gratitude was dead in the womb.

How could he fall in love with a man who would use [Presbyopia] on ghosts on a whim!!!

“You’re much more formidable than you were on 2/23.” Fair Face emerged from a safe corner and rejoined the group, but for safety, the Buddhist scriptures around him remained.

Xu Wang frowned. “The way you say it, people who don’t know would think you were the one who passed on 2/23…”

He and his Detective C (Fair Face) had become familiar with each other through numerous scenes together.

So when they talked, they didn’t bother with insincere pleasantries.

Optimistic Classmate B and Detective C “hurt each other” in just a few words, and the five-minute countdown ended.

Wu Sheng’s voice came from the corridor above—

“Interrupt.”

The current narrator was Zhao Yukan, who had already played 7 cards, tying with Wu Sheng and Elegant Gray, while Long Legs had played 8 cards. Wu Sheng’s interruption meant seizing the right to narrate from Zhao Yukan.

It was his advisor’s turn to narrate. Xu Wang should have been relieved but thinking that this was Wu Sheng’s second interruption card used, he became a bit worried. Zhao Yukan had only used one interruption card, and if, towards the end of the battle, Zhao Yukan still had one more interruption card than Wu Sheng, then the initiative of the battle would be in Zhao Yukan’s hands!

“Boy A’s ghost finally remembered that it was in the sports equipment storage room under the main stand of the playground where he saw this blood-stained wrist guard…”

After using the interrupt card, Advisor Wu quickly continued the story. His voice remained calm, showing no sign of receiving his team captain’s concern.

“A, B, C, and D left the teaching building and came to the storage room under the grandstand on the playground. The door was ajar, and inside came sounds of pain. A, B, C, and D peeked in and saw six students bullying one. Through the laughter of the six students, A, B, C, and D realized that the one being bullied was the same… Xiao Wang from back then.”

A barely audible sigh.

Clearly, the naming of this final boss caused some mental harm to every narrator.

“Optimistic Classmate B, whether this was a reliving of the past or something really happening, insisted on saving the person. Detective C said, ‘You wait outside, and I’ll go in with A and D to save him.’ So B waited outside, and A, C, and D joined forces to drive away the six and rescue Xiao Wang…”

Wine Red and Fair Face really wanted to rush up and wake their narrator. Couldn’t they see the situation and stop involving their team members’ names in every battle!

Le Xing, who had rejoined the team, looked up and appealed to his narrator with a heartbroken expression. “Why are you and him sabotaging each other? First, get those two who still don’t understand the game out of here—”

Fair Face: “……”

Wine Red: “We’re still here…”

“Hold on.” Finally, Zhao Yukan’s voice came from above, not because of Le Xing but because he also had something to say about Wu Sheng’s plot. “If A, B, C, and D all rushed in to save the person, their chances of winning would be higher. In such a dangerous place, choosing to weaken their own fighting power is unscientific. Besides, you’ve talked so much and haven’t played a single card.”

The four who had reached the storage room door stopped and listened quietly to the “confrontation” in the game room above. After all, every sentence could change the plot and the battle situation.

“Why, at this point, does C still need to protect B?” Wu Sheng repeated Zhao Yukan’s question, his voice tinged with a gentle smile. “Your question, A and D just asked too. C’s answer is, ‘I have to protect him.’ As for why…”

The voice above stopped and waited for a moment before sighing deeply.

“It’s love…”

Wu Sheng: Story Card 8 — [It’s Love]

Fair Face, Wine Red, and Le Xing slowly turned their heads towards Xu Wang with complex expressions.

Xu Wang: “……”

The card played by their advisor was literally life-threatening.

Xu Wang, protected by the god of love, stayed outside to keep watch. Le Xing, Fair Face, and Wine Red entered through the slightly open door, one after another.

Soon, the original laughter and crying inside were replaced by the sound of fighting.

Bored, Xu Wang started listening to the battle situation by sound. It was actually quite easy; a crisp “clang” meant the vault equipment fell down; a dull thud with a hint of dust meant someone had fallen on the sit-up mat…

“Ding—”

The five minutes of “executing the plot” time flew by in an instant.

The storage room returned to tranquility.

Soon, the door opened, and Le Xing came out with a boy covered in injuries, with no one else behind.

“Xiao Wang?” Xu Wang guessed.

Le Xing nodded and half-jokingly blinked. “Be careful. He might transform at any moment. After all, he’s a candidate for the ultimate boss.”

Xu Wang looked back into the storage room. It was pitch dark, seemingly empty.

The six bullies could appear here, so they must have already turned into ghosts. It was normal for them to flee silently, but… “What about Detective C and Athlete D?”

“Oh.” Le Xing shrugged, his smile fading but his expression calm. “Those six sent them home.”

Xu Wang was stunned, unprepared for this sudden turn of events.

As part of the plot, their task was to “defeat the six boys and rescue Xiao Wang.” Le Xing had completed it, no problem.

He indeed had no obligation to save Fair Face and Wine Red…

[Notice—]

A calm voice came from above.

[Due to the failure of Narrators 3 and 4 to turn in their papers, in the following story, High School Detective C and Passionate Athlete D will no longer appear. Please adjust the continuation of the content accordingly for Narrators 1 and 2.]

In the game room, Long Legs and Elegant Gray were baffled.

As the calm voice faded, Long Legs suddenly had a realization. He looked sharply at Wu Sheng and Zhao Yukan, the former emotionless, the latter seemingly bidding farewell.

“The plot… it’s all real.” He said those last words through almost gritted his teeth.

Zhao Yukan was calm and collected. “Next time you come, you’ll be the senior, able to bully the newbies.”

Outplayed, Long Legs had no choice but to accept his loss.

Although his face was painfully beaten, there would be future encounters.

With this thought, he suddenly smiled. He didn’t say any typical villain lines like “I’ll get you for this,” but he made a serious note of Zhao Yukan’s face.

In a fair competition, it’s okay to lose, but those who step on you after winning must be remembered clearly.

[Owl: Dear~ I’m giving you an early holiday. Sending you home.]

Stepping onto the return train, Long Legs had already calmed his heart.

But Elegant Gray hadn’t. First, he still didn’t understand what Long Legs meant by “the plot is real”, and why he himself had failed his submission; second, having heard only half the story and being forced to leave was inhumane! At least give a bad ending!

Zhao Yukan watched quietly as the two seats emptied, then his gaze shifted to Wu Sheng.

“Actually, during the last round with the hallway ghosts, you could have sent them home early.” He shook his head gently at Wu Sheng, seemingly regretful. “Your plot character wasted a good opportunity.”

“The strategy I use to win is my business.” Wu Sheng lowered his eyes, looking at his remaining cards. “My plot character just needs to have fun.”

The idle talk ended, and the story continued.

With the departure of the two teams, Wu Sheng’s main storyline wasn’t affected.

“The six ghost boys were driven away, but Detective C and Athlete D, one human and one ghost, both died. But Detective C left three strands of his hair for Optimistic Classmate B. Whenever B was in danger, blowing away one strand of hair would solve the crisis…”

Wu Sheng: Story Card 9 — [Hair Strand]

On the playground, Captain Xu holding three strands of hair: “……”

He was just moved by the phrase “have fun” a second ago, and the next second he received “three strands of hair”. Now looking at the hair strands fluttering in the wind, his feelings were too complex to describe in words.

“Xiao Wang, now a fierce ghost, accuses B, ‘Why didn’t anyone save me back then? Now it’s too late to come to my rescue. C and D are gone, A is also a ghost, and since you’re close to C, you should die for love…”

Wu Sheng: Story Card 10 — [Die For Love]

“As Xiao Wang lunged, B blew away a strand of hair, and a strong wind blew, taking A and B to the second tree on the playground, temporarily out of danger. The six ghost boys, also under the tree, cried upon seeing them, saying their bullying of Xiao Wang back then was just for fun, not realizing the deep hurt it caused. Xiao Wang hung himself on this tree after burying his diary. The tree’s rings absorbed his resentment. Burning the tree would destroy the diary…”

Wu Sheng: Story Card 11 — [Tree Rings]

“Interrupt.”

Zhao Yukan finally got the chance to play his card, or rather, the opportunity was smoother and more comfortable than he expected.

“To burn the tree, ordinary fire won’t work. It must be the Returning to the West* candle…”

*(归西) In Buddhism, it refers to someone’s death (similar to how you can say “returned to heaven”, or like “he’s with God now” ect.).

Zhao Yu Kan: Story Card 8 — [Returning to the West Candle]

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The author has something to say:

Advisor Wu says that he also wanted to leave some cool and wonderful things for his team captain, like encrypted brocade bags, secret code origami cranes, and so on. But the story card he was dealt with was [Hair Strand]. What could he do? He’s also quite desperate!

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