Chapter 555: On Fire

    As expected, the three of them collapsed as soon as they returned to the real world.

    Jin Jiuchi and Shen Nianzu returned to the villa. As for Gu Luoxin, because he had boarded the bus on his campus, he ended up getting off at the exact same spot, separated from his two teammates.

    Shen Nianzu resisted the weakness on his limbs and only had time to call his assistant, Qin Mo, asking him to send them to the hospital and check on Gu Luoxin along the way before he passed out on the spot.

    "Hello, Young Master? Hello???" The call had yet to be disconnected, but there was no longer a sound coming from the other side. Assistant Qin was so frightened that his face turned pale. He did not even finish his breakfast before rushing to Shen Nianzu’s villa at the fastest speed.

    And that was how the SJG trio ended up being hospitalized— on the beautiful Christmas day, no less!

    According to the doctor’s preliminary examination, the three of them had suffered from high fever, severe anemia and slight malnutrition.

    Lying on the hospital bed, their pale and listless visage made it seem like they had just survived a perilous ordeal.

    "Young people shouldn’t assume that they can rely on their age to play to their heart’s content!" the doctor couldn’t resist nagging. As it was impossible to lecture the three unconscious patients, he could only target Qin Mo, this innocent bystander. "It’s just as important to take care of your health when you’re young! Otherwise, by the time you hit your thirties or forties, you will suffer from all sorts of minor ailments! Just how did they end up in this state? Were they playing some reckless survival game deep in the mountains or something?!"

    Under the doctor’s pointed glare, Qin Mo wanted to cry a river of tears inside.

    Help, how was he supposed to know what his Young Master was up to?

    He was just a life assistant hired by the Master and Madam to help their beloved sicky son with his daily tasks, but Shen Nianzu was generally a proud and independent person who wouldn’t reach out for help unless it’s a life-threatening matter. Ever since his young master’s health improved in recent years, he needed Qin Mo even less, to the extent where Qin Mo felt a little guilty for receiving such a handsome salary each month with the bare minimum effort.

    However, it all changed this year.

    The amount of work he needed to complete in the last six months alone exceeded what he had done in a few years combined— each was more bizarre than the last!

    Searching for a person whose data did not exist, doing background checks on random strangers, lining up at a famous store for hours just to purchase their specialty which had been featured on TV, redecorating the villa, making plans for travel, and so on...

    He was no longer a life assistant but a private investigator slash nanny!

    "I’m sorry, Doctor. I’m so sorry..." at a loss of how to respond, he could only bow and apologize profusely. "I will pay more attention next time."

    "There had better be no next time!" the grumpy doctor harrumphed before turning away, leaving Qin Mo on the quiet corridor secretly wiping off the sweat on his forehead.

    He threw his gaze outside the window, watching as delicate snowflakes drifted down the sky akin to an exquisite ivory curtain. A poignant sigh slipped out of his lips. This was the first snow in the last two years, and it just happened to descend on the night of Christmas Eve, adding on to the merry and jubilant atmosphere. Such a pity that his Young Master had to be bound to the hospital bed and couldn’t enjoy the beautiful scenery.

    Speaking of which, what had the three of them been doing? How could they always manage to fall sick at the same time?

    Even if they had a good relationship, such a magical thing was still not possible... right?

    Feeling puzzled and uneasy, Qin Mo scratched his head and resolved to get to the bottom of things once Shen Nianzu woke up.

    ***

    It was unknown whether they had been too exhausted both mentally and physically in the Cycle, but the trio slept like dead for a whole day, unaware that the forum was currently on fire.

    [Damn, my eyes are not playing a trick on me, right? Look at the top 10 ranking on the leaderboard! Where’s my Sister Spider, Claw, Breath of Poison, and Mr. Baldy?!!! *shock* *panic intensifies* *crying*]

    [...]

    [...]

    [...]

    After this thread popped up on the front page, there was heavy silence for a few minutes before someone tentatively jested,

    [OP1, you are so behind on the news.]

    [OP, really? Please tell me you’re just being sarcastic.]

    [What? What have I missed? Did something happen to the four of them??? *confused*]

    [*sigh* *lit up a cigarette* it’s not a long story but... I dare not make it public.]

    [Upstairs commenter +1]

    [+2]

    [+3]

    [Upstairs, are you there on the scene as well?]

    [Everytime I recall it, I... *shiver* *hiding under the blanket*]

    [What’s happening? I run here because I don’t know either, but why are you all talking in such a mysterious manner? Someone tell me please! I’m dying of curiosity!]

    [Oh my God, did they die? In this annual Christmas Cycle? How???]

    [Noooo, I don’t believe my goddess is gone!]

    [My unbeatable idols QAQ]

    [Fuck!! *shock* *shock* *jaw drops* Who dares to mess with the four of them? They’re top 10 AND the members of Imhotep! Do they have a death wish or something?!]

    More and more players joined the thread and expressed their confusion, demanding to know all the ins and outs. The number of comments rapidly climbed to a hundred. Some players, who were afraid that this would become a hot topic and drew the attention of a certain lunatic, hurriedly typed on their keyboard.

    [I will tell you, I will tell you, okay?! Whoever wants to know can knock on my DM. But let’s agree not to bring this up again here!]

    [Geez, why are you being so secretive?]

    [Upstairs, DM-ed you.]

    [DM-ed +1]

    [Running to your DM +2]

    [Me too! Me too! +3]

    After this, the thread was quiet for a while and no one added a new comment, presumably passing and receiving news privately. Yet this silence lasted for so long that it was getting a little suspicious.

    Finally, around half an hour later, a weak comment floated by:

    [I agree. Let’s not make it public.]

    [...yeah *sigh* *lit up a cigarette*]

    [...damn, I’m speechless. Never thought he could be so savage.]

    [Imagine witnessing all that with your own eyes *shudder*]

    [...]

    [...]

    [...]

    A string of ellipses followed, tinged with a heavy flavor of disbelief, incredulity and a smidgen of fear. In the end, however, there was always a rebellious bunch who couldn’t care less about the unspoken rule and continued spamming the thread with derisive curses— mainly die-hard fans of the deceased four.

    [I’m laughing to death. Just think about it and tell me whether it’s possible or not. That bastard is merely ranked 15th but he killed four of the top ten? Are you guys fucking sick???]

    [UPSTAIRS, SPEAK LOUDER!]

    [Lolol I don’t believe it. JJ must be cheating!]

    [Second that! +1]

    [+2]

    [+3]

    [In the first place, don’t you think he is sus? How long has he been in the Nightmare Cycle again? Less than a year! Unless he’s a monster, how could it be possible for someone to rise to rank 15th in such a short time??]

    [Maybe Nian helps him a lot?]

    [Actually... *raise hand* *trembling in fear* I think he is a monster.]

    [Lol, upstairs commenter, why don’t you say he’s a nightmare creature or even the Nightmare itself? Are you guys JJ’s fanatic fans? Even if you want to spread and worship his name, there’s no need to come up with such a ridiculous story, alright???]

    [*sigh* I knew people wouldn’t believe it...]

    [Ignorance is bliss. Now I’m no longer innocent *sob*]

    [You guys... *sigh* I have nothing more to say. If you don’t believe it, then you don’t. Such a pity that we were not allowed to bring our phones or I would have recorded everything...]

    [Lolol, you are still insisting? Okay, fine, let’s say that JJ is the one who did it. I can’t wait to see how God Shang and Imhotep will deal with him! They won’t take this lying down for sure!]

    Original Posters, the person who starts the whole thread