The villa was still filled with the aroma of steak and wine when the night air was pierced by a scream. It was Henry’s voice, followed by more cries from his companions.

    “Help!”

    Ma Shan snorted and exchanged a smug look with Tan Qiao Yin. “That was fast. They barely left an hour ago.”

    Tan Qiao Yin raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t I tell you they’d come crawling back? They should have listened to us.”

    Zhou Xiao Zhen, who had a penchant for drama, pushed away her half-eaten plate and jumped to her feet. “I’m going to check it out.” She wiped her mouth with a napkin and ran out of the door, eager to witness the spectacle.

    Ma Shan and the others shrugged and followed her, leaving their half eaten food.

    They reached the edge of the cliff and peered into the darkness. Across the chasm, they could see Henry and his group waving their arms and shouting, their faces twisted with fear and pain. “Help us!!”

    “Save us!”

    “Something’s following us!”

    Yue Yue, clutched by Zhang Shu, sobbed uncontrollably. “Waaah…”

    Ma Shan and his crew felt a surge of satisfaction. Serves you right, they thought. We warned you not to go, but you were too stubborn.

    Only Zhao Lan felt no joy in their misfortune. She knew that they needed these people to complete the mission of waking up Dr. Qu. She hurried back to the villa and grabbed a climbing rope. She threw one end of the rope over the cliff and yelled, “Hold on tight, I’ll pull you over!”

    Brother Nan and Henry hesitated. A woman pulling them over? How strong could she be?

    Zhang Shu, however, wasted no time. She was already experienced . She quickly wrapped several loops of the rope around herself and Yue Yue, then secured the rope with a firm grip.

    “We’re good!” Zhang Shu announced confidently.

    With a silent gesture, Zhao Lan stepped back and pulled. A surge of force yanked Zhang Shu and Yu Yue off the ground and flung them across the chasm. They had made this perilous journey before, but now they were retracing their steps in reverse.

    Zhao Lan caught them with ease before they could crash into the rocky floor. She set them down gently and smiled.

    Zhang Shu gasped for air, her heart pounding. “Thank you, thank you so much.”

    Henry and Brother Nan stared in disbelief. They had finally witnessed the secret behind Zhang Shu’s getting over to the other side.

    Henry waved frantically at Zhao Lan. “Hey, what about us? Don’t leave us here! Throw us the rope, hurry up…”

    They had spent a whole day evading danger and death, but now they were back at the villa. The place that had once terrified them now felt strangely familiar and comforting. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    They rushed inside and searched for water. They drank until their thirst was quenched, then Henry spotted the leftover steak on the table. He licked his lips and turned to Ripley. “Hey, you. Go make us some steak.”

    Ripley nodded and walked towards the kitchen.

    Yu Xiao grabbed his arm and pulled him back. “Don’t listen to him. He can’t boss you around like that. Don’t you have any self-respect?”

    Ripley looked at her with a blank expression, then shook his head. “It’s fine.”

    Henry snorted. “See? He doesn’t mind. He should be grateful to me. This loser, if it wasn’t for my parents hiring him and letting him tag along with me, he would never get to live in a fancy villa and eat high-quality steak in his life.”

    Henry had a talent for making everyone hate him, which was quite impressive, considering he had nothing else going for him. He was ugly, rude, and spoiled, and no one could stand him except Brother Nan.

    Zhou Xiao Zhen strode over and grabbed him by the shoulder. With a swift motion, she hoisted him up in the air, making him dangle like a puppet.

    Henry gasped, feeling his heart pounding in his chest. He looked down at her with wide eyes, and cried out, “What are you doing? Put me down!”

    Yu Xiao, on the other hand, was the picture of calmness. She leaned against the wall, holding a plate of food in her hand. She said, “If you’re hungry, go make your own food. From now on, Ripley is mine. I won’t tolerate anyone harassing him anymore.” She glared at Henry, who was still in Zhou Xiao Zhen’s grip.

    “Did you get that?” Zhou Xiao Zhen said, shaking him violently. “Or do you want me to say it too?”

    “No, no, please…”

    **

    Henry had no clue how to cook, so Zhang Shu ended up making dinner for the four of them.

    As they ate, Yu Xiao and the others discussed their next move.

    “Why don’t we try my way? We’ll ‘interrogate’ them one by one. There has to be one correct answer.”

    Tan Qiao Yin frowned. “Isn’t that too brutal?”

    “Then why don’t you come up with something less brutal,” Yu Xiao snapped. “You said you wanted to test Yuan Yuan earlier. How did that work out for you?”

    Tan Qiao Yin let out a heavy sigh, and her face showed a trace of despair. “I don’t have a relationship with Dr. Qu. How can I possibly figure her out?”

    “Then we’ll stick to my plan,” Yu Xiao said, a wicked smile playing on her lips. She scanned Henry and the others with a predatory gaze. “Let them enjoy their meal, since it might be their last one.”

    Henry and the others felt a cold shiver run down their spines.

    After they finished eating, Ma Shan and Kang Jun escorted Henry and the others to the sofa, and made them sit in a row. Yu Xiao stood up and walked behind them, rolling up her sleeves.

    The scene was a spectacle, and Tan Qiao Yin and their crew couldn’t tear their eyes away from it. They had seen many things in their instances, but nothing like this.

    Yu Xiao was ready for action. She rolled up her sleeves, twisted her wrist, and flexed her fingers. She looked like a pianist preparing for a concert, except her instrument was Brother Nan’s neck.

    Brother Nan felt a chill run down his spine, while Henry felt his stomach churn. They watched helplessly as Yu Xiao approached them.

    Yu Xiao didn’t hesitate. She aimed for the sweet spot, and with a quick flick of her wrist, she hit Brother Nan’s neck. He barely made a sound before he slumped to the ground.

    They waited for something to happen, but nothing did. The world didn’t change; Brother Nan wasn’t Dr. Qu.

    Ripley frowned in confusion. “Why do this?” he whispered.

    Zhou Xiao Zhen sighed and gave the little NPC a sympathetic look. “How else do we leave this cursed place?”

    “Leave…” Ripley’s voice trailed off as he looked at Yu Xiao. If she had met his eyes, she would have seen the most heartbreaking expression she had ever seen. “Is that all… you want? To leave…?”

    Yu Xiao ignored him and moved on to Henry.

    Henry was soaked in sweat, on the brink of fainting. He closed his eyes tightly, hoping for a quick and painless end like Brother Nan’s.

    Yu Xiao swung her hand down, and Henry screamed, “Ah!!!”

    “Oops,” Yu Xiao said, looking at her hand with disappointment. “Missed the mark.”

    Henry, in agony, was shivering and panting, “Ugh… ugh…”

    “I won’t miss next time,” Yu Xiao promised before striking again. Henry was lucky in one way; he finally blacked out.

    Zhang Shu clutched Yue Yue, shaking. “Why? Why do this to us?”

    Some things were hard to explain. They couldn’t just tell them, “You’re all NPCs, and we’re the real ones here to complete a mission.” Even if they did, they wouldn’t understand, not to mention that it was completely unnecessary.

    With a swift and decisive motion, Yu Xiao slashed at her neck, sending Zhang Shu sprawling on the sofa.

    Nothing changed. The world remained the same.

    “Ha! I knew it!” Tan Qiao Yin shouted, smacking her leg. “It had to be Yue Yue all along!”

    Yu Xiao rolled her eyes inwardly. Sure, now you’re so confident, but where was your certainty before?

    Yue Yue, the little girl with the doe-like eyes, looked at Yu Xiao with a mix of fear and curiosity. Yu Xiao met her stare, feeling nothing but cold detachment. She had done worse things than this, like lying, bullying, and blackmailing a child. This was easy.

    She reached for Yue Yue’s neck and pushed lightly, watching her crumple to the floor.

    Everyone held their breath, their eyes wide with anticipation, waiting.

    One second ticked by.

    Then five.

    Then a minute.

    Then five more…

    “Why is nothing happening?” the crowd murmured, their voices tinged with frustration and anxiety. “Why are we still here?”

    Yu Xiao felt a surge of confusion; she rubbed her head, at a loss for the first time.

    This made no sense. It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

    Ma Shan scanned the room, his gaze settling on the last person. “What about him?” he asked, pointing at Ripley. “He hasn’t tried yet.”

    Yu Xiao frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. “He was the first one I tested it on,” she said, sounding annoyed. “It was also a bust with him.”

    “Then what are we missing?” Ma Shan wondered aloud.

    Zhao Lan shrugged, her expression doubtful. “Maybe this is not the right way to wake her up,” she suggested.

    That seemed to be the only explanation they could come up with. After their most recent flop, they were fresh out of ideas. It was getting late, and they decided to call it a day and talk more in the morning.

    Yu Xiao tossed and turned in her bed, feeling frustrated.

    She had hoped to solve this mystery today, but instead they were running around like headless chickens. Did they really have to find Dr. Qu before they could wake her up?

    Yu Xiao had no memory of Dr. Qu’s face or voice. How were they supposed to track her down?

    As she mulled over these questions, she fell asleep, and found herself in a strange dream.

    In the dream, she was an observer, still in the spooky room she was familiar with. On the bed, there was a figure, a man, with light hair that covered the pillow, concealing his face.

    Suddenly, a dark shadow appeared in the room, squatting on the floor, making a loud scraping noise with a knife.

    The noise woke up the person on the bed, who lifted his head slowly.

    It was Ripley!

    Ripley’s eyes widened in terror as he saw the shadow with the knife. The shadow rose to its feet, holding the knife in its hand, and walked towards the bed. Ripley was frozen, unable to move. The shadow lifted the knife above its head and then swung it down.

    **

    Zhang Shu and Yu Yue were snuggled up on the same bed, their breathing in sync. Zhao Lan had arranged it that way, hoping to ease their anxiety when they woke up in this place.

    A voice pierced through Zhang Shu’s hazy dreams, calling her name. She blinked her eyes open, squinting at the faint light that filtered through the curtains. She could barely make out the shapes of the furniture in the room.

    “Zhang Shu.”

    “Zhang Shu…”

    She frowned, wondering who was trying to get her attention. She scanned the room, but saw no one else.

    “Who is it?” the woman asked, her voice hoarse. “Who’s there?”

    The voice didn’t reply, but kept repeating her name.

    She slid off the bed, careful not to disturb Yu Yue, and walked around the room, following the sound. She checked the closet, the bathroom, the window, but found nothing. Then she realised the voice was coming from underneath the bed, and a chill ran down her spine.

    She recognized the voice—it belonged to her husband, Qin Lei.

    “I’m so cold…” the voice whimpered. “Come join me.”

    Zhang Shu gasped, dropping to her knees and looking under the bed.

    She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the space under the bed, where the voice beckoned her. A sob escaped her lips as she felt an irresistible urge to crawl in, to disappear.

    “No…,” Zhang Shu whispered, clutching her pyjamas. “I still have Yuan Yuan, I still have Yuan Yuan…”

    She jolted awake, blinking at the sun rays that pierced through the window. She reached for her face, feeling the wetness of her tears. Yuan Yuan was snoring next to her, oblivious to her nightmare.

    She slid out of bed and knelt down to look under the bed.

    There was nothing there but dust. She felt a fresh wave of tears sting her eyes.

    **

    A knock on the door startled Yu Xiao.

    Zhou Xiao Zhen’s voice came from outside, “Wake up, sleepyhead, breakfast is ready!”

    She lay on the bed, gazing at the old-fashioned patterns on the walls, trying to shake off the confusion. The dream was still vivid in her mind, a dark cloud of hopelessness looming over her.

    She saw Ripley on the bed, being hacked to pieces by the shadow, who wielded a sharp knife.

    Blood splattered the sheets, forming crimson pools on the floor.

    The only thing she could hear was the sickening sound of metal cutting through flesh…

    She let out a long breath, running her hands through her hair, wondering what had triggered such a horrific dream.

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