Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

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Chapter 145: Flames

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wu Sheng was momentarily stunned.

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

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

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

The chain of events connected at that moment.

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

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

Wu Sheng decisively knocked it out!

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

Wu Sheng quickly picked up and extinguished the lighter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yan Wang’s smile froze on his face.

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

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

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

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

“Bang—”

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

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

Upon entering, the three of them were stunned.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kuang Jinxin and Qian Ai quickly followed!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Xu Wang fully understood the situation after that merciless kick.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now was the time to escape!

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

“Ouch—”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This woke Xu Wang up, like a revelation.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kuang Jinxin: “……”

Qian Ai: “……”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Xu Wang: “……”

Kuang Jinxin: “……”

Qian Ai: “You’re crazy…”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

But Xu Wang already understood the shadow’s intention.

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

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

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

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

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

Wu Sheng frowned.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The warm flame reignited.

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

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

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

But they could only watch.

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

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

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

Wu Sheng reflexively caught it.

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

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

Xu Wang froze, instinctively responding, “Huh?”

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

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

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

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

Flames roared into the sky.

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

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

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

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Chapter 144: Murderous Intent

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Xu Wang: “……”

“Crack—”

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

The three turned their heads together.

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

“Boom—”

Collapse.

Thick dust flew up instantly, obscuring the sky.

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

“Lao Qian?!”

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

Xu Wang was stunned. “You—guys?”

Qian Ai: “Xiao Kuang and I!”

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

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

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

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

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

“It’s chocolate!”

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

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

The small team finally reunited.

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

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

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

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

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

“Yan Wang,” Wu Sheng answered simply.

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

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

Xu Wang, Qian Ai, and Kuang Jinxin agreed.

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

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

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

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

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

“……” Xu Wang was resigned.

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

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

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

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

“Bang!”

He used too much strength.

Startled, Qian Ai quickly stabilized the door.

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

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

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

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

Qian Ai hesitated.

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

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

The night was eerily quiet.

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

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

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

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

Empty.

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

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

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

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

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

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

It was already too late.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Qian Ai: “……”

The effect of the stationery was undone.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

……

[West Wing] [Bright].

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

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

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

But this cabinet had a lock on it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Click.

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

After speaking, he naturally pocketed it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yan Wang wasn’t swayed. “Impossible.”

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

Yan Wang scoffed carelessly. “So?”

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

---

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

---

Chapter 143: Birthday

Half an hour ago, underground stone chamber.

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

A lone report lay there, bearing an unexpected secret.

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

Who was Specimen 1?

And who was Specimen 2?

The answers seemed apparent.

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

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

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

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

Wu Sheng watched him, frowning thoughtfully.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Xu Wang shook his head. “We understand.”

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

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

Yan Wang froze, his face showing surprise.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yan Wang: “……”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Xu Wang and Wu Sheng followed.

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

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

“Complete bullshit,” Yan Wang grumbled.

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

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

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

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

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

Yan Wang frowned. “Sure of what?”

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

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

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

What he most wanted to hide was himself.

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

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

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

“His birthday,” Wu Sheng said without hesitation.

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

Wu Sheng: “……”

Xu Wang: “……”

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

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

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

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

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

“Beep beep beep!”

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

Obviously, it was wrong.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yan Wang reflexively straightened his posture, surprisingly standard.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Xu Wang, Wu Sheng: “……”

Chi Yingxue, attempted suicide?

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

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

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

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

“Beep beep beep!”

Wu Sheng: “……”

He knew the probability was too low!

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

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

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

Suddenly, his hand was gently and warmly held.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

……

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

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

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

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

Yan Wang: “It’s not like that…”

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

If Xu Wang said so, he would execute it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Ding~”

The password was correct.

The final stone wall slowly descended.

Xu Wang gave Yan Wang a triumphant look.

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

---

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

---

Chapter 142: Candles

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

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

Slap.

Slap.

Slap…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“I’m wrong…”

“You’re not wrong.”

“I’m wrong…”

“You’re not wrong!”

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

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

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

“I… I’m not wrong?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Heaven, Earth, People, Harmony.

Now only the [Harmony] room was left.

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

Harmony.

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

They saw only pain, fear, coldness.

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

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

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

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

“Impossible.” Kuang Jinxin was adamant.

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

“Creak—”

The door opened in response.

A rotten food smell assaulted their senses, instantly nauseating.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This was Chi Yingxue.

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

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

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

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

The instigator should be utterly destroyed.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The little shadow turned to look at him.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Burp—”

The little shadow suddenly burped.

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

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

Then the little shadow burped again.

And a candle lit up in the corner.

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

Kuang Jinxin closed his eyes, deactivating the stationery effect.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Damn it!

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

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

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

In an instant, the black shadow dissipated.

He caught nothing but the cold moonlight.

“Boom—”

A sound like moving boulders echoed beside him.

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

The debris raised dust, obscuring the night sky.

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

---

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

---

Chapter 141: The East Wing

Dad has come back.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wait a minute.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kuang Jinxin: “Mine’s already dead.”

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

Kuang Jinxin turned around and gently closed the door.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kuang Jinxin wasn’t sure either.

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

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

Kuang Jinxin: “It should be, right?”

Qian Ai: “Should be.”

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

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

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

Throughout, there was no glimmer of the badge.

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

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

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

“What’s up?” Qian Ai asked.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Qian Ai gently pushed, and the door opened.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The singing in the room stopped.

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

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

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

“Pat, pat.”

He suddenly patted the ground next to him twice.

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

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

Two minutes later.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Somehow, his heart inexplicably soured a bit.

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

The game song started again.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Qian Ai watched, feeling a complex sense of isolation.

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

It was cool to the touch.

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

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

Suddenly, a warm glow arose in the room.

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

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

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

……

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“I hope it wasn’t,” he said quietly.

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

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

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

Another empty room.

Another thin figure with an unclear face.

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

Over and over.

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

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

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

It wasn’t stubbornness, but fear.

---

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

---

Chapter 140: Decoding

Underground stone chamber.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Chocolate sauce flood,” Yan Wang replied grudgingly.

Xu Wang: “……”

Wu Sheng: “……”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

They immediately held their breath!

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

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

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

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

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

The “life-saving hand” wiped his face.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Xu Wang turned to Yan Wang.

Yan Wang stood there, looking bewildered and innocent.

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

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

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

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

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

Yan Wang: “Okay.”

Xu Wang: “What kind of slide?”

Yan Wang: “Big.”

Xu Wang: “What kind of mice?”

Yan Wang: “Big.”

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

……

In a certain room, hidden compartment.

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

This was a place that could drive a person insane.

Cramped, dark, painful, suffocating.

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

But he immediately suppressed such thoughts.

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

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

“Thud!”

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

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

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

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

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

“Bang!”

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

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

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

“Damn, where is this place?!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Crack!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

Qian Ai was anxious. “Tell me.”

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

Qian Ai was momentarily stunned.

“Why would he…?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

……

In front of the lever of the slide stone chamber.

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

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

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

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

Xu Wang was incredulous at this absurd theory.

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

Xu Wang nodded seriously.

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

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

“Click—”

The stone wall descended smoothly.

When it was fully down, nothing happened.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

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

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Chapter 139: Violence

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

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

The sweet scent of oranges returned.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The door slowly closed.

There was no sound of footsteps outside.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Where are you going?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The man slapped him a second time.

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

However, paradoxically, this slap woke Kuang Jinxin up.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Then his feet were bound too.

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

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

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

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

His voice was calm, and it was quite chilling. “I won’t criticize you, because criticism is useless.” His gaze suddenly softened to a cruel tenderness. “Mistakes must be reflected upon by oneself.”

After speaking, he grabbed Kuang Jinxin’s hair and dragged him to the wall. With a forceful push, a small section of the wall slid open to reveal a tiny space, like a secret cupboard too small for even two blankets, resembling a hidden nook.

Kuang Jinxin didn’t know what he intended; he only sensed imminent danger. “You can’t do this. It’s illegal!”

The man laughed, genuinely this time, as if hearing the funniest joke in the world.

“How is educating my son illegal?” His retort was innocent yet self-evident.

Kuang Jinxin froze, then realized. “You’ve mistaken me for someone else. I’m not your son…”

Before he could finish, he was forcefully stuffed into the nook!

The space was so small that Kuang Jinxin was contorted, while the man was still pushing his legs inside, causing excruciating pain.

Finally, he was completely inside, like a helpless pig crammed into a slaughter pen.

The man dusted off his suit, straightened the wrinkles, and adjusted his expensive cufflinks before turning back to Kuang Jinxin, casually announcing the rules. “You can come out once you’ve reflected enough.”

“I know I was wrong!” Kuang Jinxin immediately conceded, resisting when necessary but knowing confrontation wasn’t wise in this situation. “I know I was wrong. I am deeply reflecting, really!”

The man remained unmoved, his voice carrying an unquestionable authority. “I will decide when you have reflected enough.”

“Click!”

The nook was mercilessly closed.

Kuang Jinxin, with keen ears, caught the tiny “click” of the lock engaging.

The world went completely dark.

The suffocating darkness in this tiny space with barely a crack engulfed Kuang Jinxin like a flood.

He wasn’t afraid of the dark.

But having experienced fear, violence, and pain, this enclosed darkness could easily be the last straw to break him.

Of course, he wouldn’t break. He had companions, friends, family, and classmates; he knew it was just a challenge and that all the darkness and pain would eventually pass with time.

But what about Chi Yingxue?

What about the young, helpless Chi Yingxue, who had only his family to rely on?

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