Chapter 53: Last Two Hours

    Left with no other choice, the four of them could only return to their own rooms with a heavy heart. It was better to save their energy for tonight instead of panicking meaninglessly.

    Under this tense atmosphere, every tick of the clock felt like a weighty burden and at long last, gloomy darkness descended again in the Cycle, signaling the start of yet another dangerous night – this time, perhaps even more than the others.

    As soon as the hour hand pointed at ten, the light bulbs outside died out one after another, and the entire apartment came alive along with the ghostly celebration music. The paper dolls awoke from their slumber and slithered out from their hiding place to make their rounds. And different from the previous nights, the music was booming loud now; gongs and trumpets echoed along with the eerie singing and cheers. It was as if they could see the liveliness outside as soon as they opened the door.

    Nian glanced at the clock. 10.01 PM. They still had two hours until they had to board the bus.

    He brushed the curtain aside to take a peek, then sat down on the floor and glanced at the man beside him.

    With his eyes closed and long legs stretched in front of him, Jin Jiuchi was sleeping soundly, his chest rising and falling with each breath he took. He claimed that he would be taking a nap to save his energy, yet Nian noticed how his complexion became more and more horrible as time crawled by.

    To see such a loud and chaotic man turn so quiet and still, it was quite... disconcerting. Was this really due to hunger, or was there another reason he was not privy to?

    With a slight frown, Nian reached out to shake the man’s shoulders. "Hey, Yang Rouchuan," he whispered in a low voice. "Wake up. We have to move soon."

    A muffled groan of protest escaped Jin Jiuchi’s lips and his eyelids slowly fluttered open, revealing a pair of dazed silver orbs that glowed akin to pearls under the deep sea. No matter how many times Nian saw those eyes, they always managed to seize his breath away.

    Jin Jiuchi’s hazy gaze gradually focused on him, "Nian’er...?" he murmured groggily.

    Nian swallowed his saliva and asked in concern, "Are you okay? You look pale." He intended to help the man sit up straight, but instead, Jin Jiuchi’s head dropped to the crook of his neck and a pair of muscular arms wrapped around him, pulling him closer.

    "Nian’er..."

    Nian’s heart skipped two beats. This was not the first time Jin Jiuchi had acted touchy-feely, he was akin to a husky who always demanded affection and attention, rubbing his head here and there. But unexpectedly, Nian could not bring himself to get angry like he always did before. Was it because of this show of vulnerability that caused his heart to soften?

    "Do you—" he almost asked if Jin Jiuchi would like to have another bite to appease his hunger for the time being, only to be stopped mid-sentence by the paper dolls which had ascended to the floor they were on.

    Nian’s eyes widened in shock once he realized what he almost blurted out. Oh God, did he just— what the hell was he thinking?! How could he... How could he offer himself just like that?! Water must have seeped into his brain for him to entertain such a ridiculous idea for a split second!

    Hardening his expression, he pushed Jin Jiuchi away and rose to his feet. "Let’s go. Time is tight. We have to find the ticket as soon as possible."

    Not realizing what kind of golden opportunity he had just missed, Jin Jiuchi shook his head to clear the lingering drowsiness from his mind and forcefully lifted his spirits. "Okay!" he remarked with clenched fists. "The sooner we get out of this place, the quicker we can find something to eat!" He had taken this trip as a little vacation at first, but who could have guessed that he would be starved here too? If this was the case, then it’d be better to leave and return to the world where he could eat as much food as he pleased!

    Nian rolled his eyes and went to peek outside the window again to make sure that the paper dolls had already walked past their door. Jin Jiuchi stared at the beautiful jade doll from behind, then he suddenly asked, "Nian’er, where do you live? After this, can I go and find you?"

    Without turning around, Nian merely gave a vague reply, "We will see..."

    What did he even mean by that? Jin Jiuchi sulked a little, but before he could press for an answer, Nian stated, "The paper dolls are gone now. Let’s go." He took a deep breath, grabbed the knob and pulled open the door.

    Almost in an instant, they felt a gust of wind pass by, carrying with it the thick stench of blood and the light giggle of a young woman.

    The third nightmare creature – Miss Zhao – was finally set free.

    Looking left and right and making sure that the corridor was empty, Nian gave a signal and together, they took a step outside. This was the first time they had ever come out of the room past curfew and as expected, the atmosphere was totally different compared to daylight. The darkness seemed like a tangible thing as it filled the air around them, making their chest feel heavy with tension and dread.

    Two doors down, Xinxin cautiously poked his head out of the room and he gave a little nervous smile when his gaze met with Jin Jiuchi and Nian. "Kitchen?" he mouthed.

    Nian shook his head, earning him a little look of surprise from the other. While keeping an eye on the paper dolls, Nian whispered to him. "You go first. We need to check something on the fourth floor. Also..." he hesitated for a while before deciding to warn the timid boy. "Be careful of Tang Ye. He might have some hidden agenda up his sleeves."

    He could not save anyone’s life when he was busy keeping his own. The best he could do was to give a warning, and whether Xinxin chose to heed it or not, it would depend on him.

    Not giving Xinxin any chance to respond, Nian proceeded toward the stairs with Jin Jiuchi hot behind his trail.

    There was only one staircase on each floor where people could go up and down, and it meant they needed to be cautious so as to not bump into the paper dolls when they finished making a round on the fourth floor. This was where Jin Jiuchi’s excellent eyesight came in. They crouched down on the edge of the staircase as Jin Jiuchi craned his neck up to observe the situation. "They’re in front of room 402 now... 403... 404..." he halted for a second before shooting up to his feet, "Now!"

    They sprung up and rushed down the corridor, their light footsteps were muffled by the loud music. Nian pressed himself to the wall and carefully opened the door to room 404, then the two of them slipped in.

    Almost in an instant, Nian sensed something off as soon as the door closed behind them.

    The floor beneath his feet was slippery and sticky, and a squelching sound rang out with every step he took. The putrid stench of decay, burnt meat mixed with the acrid tang of rodent urine assaulted his nose, creating a nauseating blend that made his eyes water and his stomach churn. It was a thousand times worse than it was earlier in the day!

    Nian pinched his nose and resisted the urge to retch, but then he suddenly recalled that Jin Jiuchi ought to have it worse than him with how sharp his nose was.

    Alas, instead of a sickly and nauseous Jin Jiuchi, he turned to find the man standing motionlessly with his gaze fixed on the inner corner of the room, where it was too dark for Nian to see anything.

    Nian swallowed the bile that rose to his throat and asked in a muffled tone, "What is it."

    "Nian’er," Jin Jiuchi’s tone was terrifyingly flat, and the next sentence he said managed to send chills down Nian’s spine. "It seems like we have found Brother Zhi. And... he is still alive."