CHAPTER 655: PROMISE

The last traces of spring still clung to every corner of the city, carrying with them just the right balance of warmth and sweetness. Overhead, the sky was a pristine shade of blue with fluffy white clouds occasionally drifting by—a perfect day to enjoy a musical performance.

’Into the Woods’ was an annual production held by the musical theatre department, offering the undergraduate students a glimpse into their professional career. It was a musical show that intertwined several classic fairy tales, including Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel, which appealed to audiences of all ages.

On opening day, the theatre was nearly packed, filled with students who had come to cheer for their performing friends, family members, local teens from nearby middle and high schools, even children who had begged their parents to tag along.

Amidst the warm and harmonious atmosphere, the tall man with curly brown hair and emerald eyes appeared quite conspicuous, walking through the crowd with a cold face all by his lonesome.

Entering the theatre, he headed to his seat, which was right on the center of the fourth row, and settled down quietly.

Bit by bit, all the seats around him were occupied, save for three empty seats beside him, which had been reserved for Gu Luoxin’s uncle, Shen Nianzu and Jin Jiuchi.

Out of the four tickets Gu Luoxin had given out, only Noir had attended.

For today was also the day of the young man’s funeral.

It’s not like Noir intended to miss the funeral on purpose, but... he had made a promise, hadn’t he? He had promised Gu Luoxin that he would attend; the young man had even pestered him a few times before, telling him that he had to come no matter what, to the extent of forcing a pinky promise on him.

Gu Luoxin had been so insistent in making him present in the audience seat, and so, Noir decided that he would honor that promise.

—Even though the one person he had come here for would not be seen on stage.

"Hey, hey, did you know?"

"What?"

The hushed conversation between two young girls behind him flowed into Noir’s ears as he was lost in thought,

"I heard one of the students who was supposed to perform today got into an accident just a few days ago!"

"Oh, I think I have heard of this. Isn’t it the person who jumped from the dormitory rooftop—"

"No, no, it’s a different person this time!"

"No way... another? Why are there so many accidents happening on our campus recently?"

"I know, right? This one is no less tragic than the suicide case back then. He was hit by a speeding truck, and his body was literally crushed..."

So noisy, Noir frowned, trying to block out the voices to no avail.

Each word drilled into his ears with vivid clarity, bringing with it a clear image of the bloody accident. Noir pressed his lips tight, his arms tensing under the denim jacket he was wearing, but fortunately, before any accident could happen, the lights in the whole theatre dim and a voice announced that the show was going to start soon, interrupting the aggravating conversation halfway through.

Noir let out a harsh exhale, willing himself to relax once more.

Before long, the curtains were raised, and the musical performance began.

Laughter and cheers erupted from the audience seat every now and then as the performers put on their best efforts on stage. And throughout it all, Noir found himself waiting... waiting for a certain role to come on stage.

Until finally, Cinderella’s evil stepmother sauntered out, followed by a guy with a fake mustache taped above his mouth, a deliberate addition to provide a comical effect.

The guy was none other than her servant—the role which was supposed to belong to Gu Luoxin.

Noir unwittingly sat up straighter, his half-lidded eyelids opening a fraction wider, staring intently at the guy who was portraying a pompous, haughty character. Yet instead of annoying, his clumsy execution and exaggerated gestures only elicited hearty laughter from the audience.

No one realized that this role had belonged to another person up until a few days ago.

...He could have done better, Noir caught himself thinking. If it had been Xinxin right there, he would have definitely done better, delivering a smooth and perfect performance that left a deep impression on many, rather than this clown. He might not have watched any of Gu Luoxin’s practice sessions before, yet he instinctively knew... he knew that Gu Luoxin would have shined on that stage for sure. Alas.

The guy’s screen time wasn’t long. Altogether, his lines did not even add to five. After he exited the stage, Noir dropped his gaze again, the dim lights concealing the emotion brewing silently in those emerald pupils.

He wanted to leave directly. After all, there was no more reason for him to linger here. But for some inexplicable reason, Noir fought against the urge and remained seated until the curtains dropped, forcing himself to watch a show that did not stir a single ripple within him.

When it finally ended and the audience began to disperse, he rose and slipped into the crowd once more.

Despite all the hustle and bustle around him, the sight of his forlorn silhouette made it seem like he was walking through a desolate path alone.

***

Summer thunderstorms always came and went in a blink, and Qian Hui had long gotten used to them.

Which was why, when the first rumble of thunder rolled across the sky, she did not even react aside from calmly dimming her bedside lamp and snuggling under the blanket, ready to sleep. Her gaze wandered absently to the window when a sudden flash of lighting split the night, revealing the presence of another person standing right outside her balcony!

The sight was as terrifying as a horror movie, startling her into sitting upright with a gasp.

Alas, she was, after all, someone who had been through a lot in the Nightmare Cycle, so this kind of scare no longer fazed her in the slightest. She was just shocked because—where did this person come from and how did they get through the tight security around her household?! Was that a human or something else

entirely?!

Even though her eyes were covered, it did not mean that she could not see. On the contrary, this state enabled her to see things ordinary people could not. Therefore, she almost immediately detected that the intruder carried with himself an unusual aura.

"Who are you?" she asked in a tense voice, her hand ready to tug the bandages around her eyes loose.

Upon hearing the commotion, Xiao Wa immediately barged in through the door and rushed to her side in frantic. "Young Miss, Young Miss, are you okay? What is—ahhh!" The beautiful teenage girl in hanfu was so shocked by the faint silhouette outside the window that she vanished with a poof, returning to her original form which was three palm-sized paper dolls.

The paper dolls scurried forward in a frenzy, leapt onto the bed and stood in front of their Young Miss with their hands spread wide, confronting the intruder recklessly even though their bodies were trembling in horror, "W-W-Who are you? How did you get in here? Stay back—don’t come closer to the Young Miss!"

"It’s okay, Xiao Wa..." Qian Hui tried to calm her panicking paper dolls. By now she had regained her composure, having confirmed that the unexpected intruder meant no harm.

"Let’s talk?" he offered to the other person. "What brings you here? Are you a player? I would have remembered you if we had crossed paths before..." she muttered the last sentence in a small voice.

The light in the room switched on with a click, and the intruder stepped in through the floor-to-ceiling window, bringing with him the distinct scent of the rain and chill from outside.

Raindrops soaked his brown curls and slid down his expressionless face that was as beautiful as it was lifeless, just like a statue carved out of marble. A pair of emerald eyes were gently lowered to express that he was completely harmless. "I apologize for coming here at such a late hour without notice," he said in a slightly hoarse voice, like it had been quite some time since he had last spoken, though his tone seemed to hold no remorse at all.

"Young Miss, it’s a handsome guy with a nice body..." Xiao Wa began to describe the intruder’s appearance in a hushed voice, though with the silence of the room, she might as well be broadcasting it to the man directly.

Qian Hui cleared her throat in embarrassment, gesturing for her to remain quiet.

"Indeed, we have never crossed paths before, but I’ve heard of you," the man began, causing Qian Hui to arch a silent brow.

They have never met, and yet this person could accurately locate her in her own house, even singling out her balcony from the rest of the huge residence? Even XXX, the Divine Oracle, might not have been able to achieve such a feat!

Whoever this person might be, he was definitely not to be trifled with.

Qian Hui’s curiosity was successfully piqued once she came to this conclusion. How could she have never heard of such an extraordinary individual among the players in the leaderboard before?

Alas, the man didn’t seem to have any intention to introduce himself, much to her disappointment. "I’m only here to ask one thing." He glanced at the paper dolls, who had once again transformed into a beautiful girl in hanfu. "How did you acquire this thing? Or rather, how did you put her soul in it?"

"Y-You knew...?" Qian Hui’s voice was shaken, filled with shock and incredulity.

Perhaps not a single player in the entire Nightmare Cycle knew the truth about her paper dolls, Xiao Wa. In their eyes, she was no more than a divine prop. But the truth was, she was not just a prop but also a vessel, a medium—and inside this vessel housed the soul of her deceased mother, which she had painstakingly pieced together bit by bit.

How did this person come to know the secret she had never breathed to anyone?