The group slowly walked toward the opposite side. The skulls in the bloody water naturally swarmed around them, but the hands clinging to the players’ bodies hardly used any force. A supervisor-like big boss was right there; if anyone dared to struggle, they’d probably end up with their bones falling apart.

Yi Xinming felt puzzled: these skeletons looked terrifying, yet when they grabbed them it was as if they hadn’t eaten.

He glanced at a skull that was nothing but bone with no flesh—maybe they really hadn’t eaten.

Were the six people who pushed their companions into the water doing it on purpose? Yi Xinming suddenly thought this might be possible.

Because the skulls in the pool were deliberately going easy, the group reached the other side very smoothly. Qi Yang stepped off the life ring without a drop of blood on him; he was the first to grab the card in the glass bottle, slipped it into his pocket, and the others followed, completing the checkpoint.

There were no more planks, and several life rings had already been used; only a few remained. Players who had not yet crossed saw Qi Yang and the others reach the opposite bank unscathed, and no drowning accident happened to the seven-person group either. The skeletons looked terrifying, but only visually — Qi Yang and the others were completely unharmed. This made the subsequent players immediately think they would have no trouble crossing either. After a quick discussion, everyone formed two lines, each person holding the shoulders of the one in front and wading through the blood pool.

After checking in, Qi Yang wasn’t too concerned about what would happen next, because the outcome was already decided: either nobody would get into trouble, or someone would die. Qi Yang had observed carefully; the skeletons were extremely cautious and clearly weren’t grabbing or pulling them hard — they were deliberately taking it easy.

Yi Xinming walked up to Qi Yang and quietly described how he felt in the water, and his guess about the player who sank ahead of them. He suspected there had been infighting, that someone had deliberately pushed another into the water. The rule in the blood pool might be that standing is safe, but once you fall, the skeletons at the bottom can harm the player.

Qi Yang didn’t contradict Yi Xinming; he wasn’t about to reveal that the reason the skeletons hadn’t interfered much with them was because they were afraid.

The seven people—now a group of six—saw Qi Yang and the others walking over safely and were very curious. No matter how they looked at them, none of them seemed to have made a move. It was more likely that the person who had originally been on their team in the water had violated some rule, which is why the skeletons at the bottom had grabbed his legs.

Originally wanting to watch Qi Yang and the others fall into chaos, despair, and pain—seeing that scene ruined—Qiao Ran licked his lips

Lips, at that moment, lost a bit of interest.

The supervisor stepped back to the side, silently watching the players who had finished clocking in. When his gaze shifted to Qi Yang, it softened instantly. Qi Yang glanced at the supervisor but didn’t go up to exchange words.

After clocking in, Qi Yang walked to a door beside the blackboard, pushed it open and stepped out. Nan Sheng’s gaze seemed fixed on Qi Yang; when Qi Yang left, he followed. Yi Xinming wanted to leave immediately too, but when he saw the players across the way beginning to enter the water, he paused. He wanted to see whether these players would, like them, come out unscathed—he wanted to see the outcome.

Kang Lian turned and took two steps, but stopped immediately because the man behind Qi Yang glanced back without a sound. His expression looked ordinary, but his eyes fixed on Kang Lian were cold and devoid of warmth, as if, should she continue to follow, he would make her disappear from this game. Kang Lian felt a sharp pang in her throat; only after the man and Qi Yang vanished behind the door did she finally exhale. She didn’t know the other players; fortunately Yi Xinming was still there. Yi Xinming noticed Kang Lian approach from the corner of his eye, but didn’t see the fear in her look and continued to focus on the condition of the pool water.

The Supervisor heard the door open and close; the fingers at his side twitched. Two scenes filled his vision: one was a pool of blood, the other was the striking, alluring figure ahead. The Supervisor pressed the tip of his tongue against his teeth, his gaze full of pleasure.

Qi Yang knew Nan Sheng was following behind, and that it was only him—no one else had come along. Whether they chose not to follow or because of Nan Sheng, Qi Yang only wondered briefly and didn’t pursue the reason.

At the intersection ahead stood the employee; he seemed to have been waiting there the whole time. Seeing Qi Yang emerge, he naturally also noticed Nan Sheng beside him. The employee kept his eyes lowered, completely avoiding meeting Nan Sheng’s gaze.

An employee led Qi Yang ahead, guiding him into another small courtyard. In that courtyard there was a real hot spring, not a pool of blood, with pavilions and towers; the warm water’s surface drifted with misty white vapor, and the whole little yard was suffused with an otherworldly, ethereal aura.

Qi Yang walked into the small pavilion and sat on the wooden bench by the stone table. Many delicate pastries and snacks had already been arranged on the stone table. Qi Yang reached for the cup; the water was warm. Not worried that anything might have been put into it, he lifted it and took two sips.

The staff left silently; in the blink of an eye, only Qi Yang and Nan Sheng remained in the small courtyard. Nan Sheng had stepped away for a moment and returned shortly, having changed out of the bloodstained clothes and into a set of casual wear

Wearing idle loungewear, he sat opposite Qi Yang, his eyes quietly fixed on him. Watching Qi Yang fetch a drink, watching him take out the little snacks he had specially bought from the mortal world, Nan Sheng was in a remarkably good mood—a strange sense of satisfaction, the satisfaction of feeding his pregnant husband.

But it would be even better if I could hold Qi Yang and kiss him.

“You can when you’re dreaming.” Qi Yang popped a cloyingly sweet jujube into his mouth; he hadn’t used to eat those voluntarily, but since getting pregnant his fondness for little snacks had increased severalfold.

Nan Sheng raised an eyebrow slightly; it was clear he didn’t understand what Qi Yang meant.

“I mean those things on your mind—you can think about them as much as you want when you’re dreaming.” Qi Yang curled the left corner of his mouth, looking at Nan Sheng with a hint of mischief.

“What was I thinking? What did I think?” Nan Sheng also laughed. He picked up a jujube, saw Qi Yang eating it quite happily, and ate one himself. It was too sweet—sickeningly so.

Qi Yang let out a soft snort. He said, “You want to get close to me, want to hold me, isn’t that so?”

Nan Sheng stared into Qi Yang’s smiling eyes. Was his desire really that obvious? Being directly called out by Qi Yang didn’t make Nan Sheng feel guilty—guilt was a word that had never applied to him.

“Yes, but not in dreams—I prefer the feel of something real.” Nan Sheng’s gaze was like a spear, fixed on Qi Yang, whose eyes at that moment seemed to blend the clarity of spring water.

Qi Yang leaned back in his chair, resting against the backrest. He just smiled and didn’t respond to Nan Sheng.

He turned his head to look at the steaming hot spring, the one just now with the blood pool having left a queasy feeling in his stomach. The air here was clear; there wasn’t a hint of metallic tang.

A pregnant husband should be able to soak for a bit—soaking for a little while shouldn’t be a problem.

Qi Yang got up and went to the changing room to put on clothes. He wasn’t wearing anything on top, only a pair of pants on the bottom. Walking out bare-chested, a scorching gaze stuck to him. Qi Yang turned away and ignored that look, then stepped into the hot spring and found a spot to sit against the edge. Although he hadn’t exerted himself while passing the blood pool just now—Nan Sheng and the others had been the ones helping—pregnant Qi Yang still tended to get sleepy easily. Soaking in the hot spring, he closed his eyes.

Nan Sheng in the pavilion was still seated; he hadn’t gone into the water, quietly admiring that beautiful, enchanting face reflected not far away in the water.

When Qi Yang came out after changing clothes, Nan Sheng glanced at Qi Yang’s belly. The pregnancy hadn’t been long—just over two months—and Qi Yang’s abdomen was flat so nothing unusual could be seen. They didn’t know whether Qi Yang was carrying a boy or a girl. Suddenly Nan Sheng wished time would pass more quickly and the child would be born. In all his years he’d never been a father before; although he had no prior experience.

That didn’t stop Nan Sheng from thinking he’d be a good father someday.

Before coming to the hot springs, Nan Sheng had his subordinate spirits investigate thoroughly. Human pregnant women shouldn’t soak in hot springs, especially in the first three months, which could harm the child. But the one in Qi Yang’s belly wasn’t strictly fully human—this little thing was much hardier than a human. Besides, this pool had been completely cleared and no one had used it before Qi Yang. Nan Sheng sat in a chair, watching the time carefully; when it was about time, he’d go call Qi Yang out.

Nan Sheng worried that if Qi Yang soaked too long, this expectant husband might faint.

At the hot spring blood pool checkpoint, the third group entering the water started off fairly smoothly; halfway through nothing had gone wrong. But just as everyone thought victory was imminent, an unexpected sight appeared: three people’s feet were being gripped by the skulls at the bottom of the water. The crowd instantly erupted into chaos—panicked, screaming—blood sprayed everywhere, and crimson splatters stained the players as they lost control.

The team that had been walking forward with arms over each other’s shoulders disintegrated in an instant. Those whose feet weren’t caught bolted madly for the opposite bank—if they made it across they’d be safe. As for the others, how could anyone possibly value their lives more than their own?

Everyone clung to the single thought: to survive, I must survive. Some even deliberately grabbed the person in front and shoved them aside so they could run ahead.

Yi Xinming watched coldly. His surprise lasted only a moment; he’d encountered similar situations when he cleared this area before. Most people are ordinary—ordinarily selfish—and when it comes down to someone else’s life versus their own, they will inevitably choose the latter. That was unsurprising. Still, the chaotic scene made Yi Xinming shake his head, as if everyone had gone mad. Someone toppled with a splash into the water, and thick fresh blood immediately engulfed his body from all sides.

Players flailed their arms wildly, letting out piercing screams. One player cried out for help to those nearby, “Help me, pull me, save me,” but no one paid attention. Everyone wanted to survive; seeing someone fall, afraid of being affected, they immediately stayed far away.

Players in the blood pool scrambled for the opposite bank, terrified of being last; the viscous blood made movement harder than ordinary water, and though they panted, it felt as if they hadn’t taken more than a couple of steps.

One after another people sank beneath the water. At first only three had their feet caught, but by the time it was over four or five had fallen. Some began to reach the far bank, but after running through the water they had used up most of their strength; a person raised a hand stained red with blood, eyes full of anxiety

and terror.

“Pull me up, pull me up! Hurry!” What would have been a plea coming from the curly-haired player sounded like a command when it came from his mouth. Yi Xinming saw it clearly: this player had pushed two people over, and after those two bodies fell into the bloody water they never got up again. To some extent Yi Xinming knew those two were probably beyond saving.

Seeing the curly-haired player order them to pull him up, Yi Xinming didn’t move. Kang Lian, kindhearted, wanted to help, but Yi Xinming grabbed her hand and shook his head slightly.

The curly-haired player in the water immediately grew furious, glaring at Yi Xinming with malice. Yi Xinming’s face was icy and indifferent. None of the others on the shore moved to help the curly-haired player either. He struggled to climb up on his own, fists clenched, and strode over to Yi Xinming as if he intended to start a fight. Yi Xinming remained expressionless, and other players gathered on either side of him—clearly they were taking his side.

Juanfa felt a little wary and silently held a grudge against Yi Xinming.

Because of the recent chaos, four of the six people in the third group had sunk beneath the water and never resurfaced; only two managed to crawl ashore, plus one from the seven-person group. This time at the hot spring, five people died. Twenty-one minus five, sixteen players remain alive.

Today was only the first day; there are six more days to go. In those six days the check-in locations won’t be just one—on some days they’ll have to check in two or even three times.

The six-person group who stayed finally witnessed an exciting scene. Seeing someone die, watching them struggle on the brink of death, each of them wore expressions of amused pleasure — the more of these situations, the better.

After the six had enjoyed the spectacle, they left through the exit. The hot spring resort was very spacious; there was only that one blood pool—everywhere else were ordinary hot springs just like in the living world. The six of them took the resort’s most luxurious large hot spring, washed the blood from their bodies, changed clothes, and soaked in the water.

Yi Xinming and the others left soon after. Outside they saw an employee, and Yi Xinming asked where Qi Yang had gone. The employee led them to a small courtyard. Yi Xinming stepped forward to push the door, but it did not budge.

The employee explained that Qi Yang wanted to relax and take a bath in peace and did not want to be disturbed. Yi Xinming guessed that Qi Yang probably wouldn’t be in any trouble, so he asked for the small hot spring next to the courtyard.

The Overseer remained in the blood pool; all the skeletal bones in the water rose to the surface. As for those who had collapsed, they had just been eaten alive by the skeletons. The Overseer looked over the pool of fresh blood and smiled coldly. In the next second, his figure vanished into thin air.

Qi Yang didn’t stay in the bath for long; he opened his eyes when his head felt a little dizzy, and that

At that moment Nan Sheng happened to get up and walk this way; when Qi Yang opened his eyes he met Nan Sheng’s deep, dark gaze.

Nan Sheng’s steps halted. For a moment neither of them spoke. After several seconds Qi Yang climbed out of the water and Nan Sheng stepped forward to drape the towel he was holding over Qi Yang — a movement so natural. Qi Yang didn’t refuse; he used the towel to wipe the water from his body.

In this courtyard it was just the two of them; the surroundings were quiet and peaceful. If one only looked at this place, it was hard to imagine it wasn’t the real world but an unknown game space.

Qi Yang changed back into his own clothes, wondering how Yi Xinming and the others were doing now. Since they didn’t see him right away, they might be a little worried.

He opened the door and started to walk out. After taking two steps, the footsteps behind him didn’t follow. He turned and glanced at Nan Sheng, who was standing motionless at the entrance of the hot spring courtyard, his expression suggesting he had something else to do.

“You go on ahead, I suddenly feel like soaking for a bit.” Nan Sheng didn’t even believe that excuse himself.

Qi Yang didn’t believe it. As for what the man intended to do, Qi Yang didn’t inquire. He could tell the man bore him no hostility; although there was a peculiar sense of danger, Qi Yang had a confidence he couldn’t explain, feeling the man wouldn’t hurt him.

If someday in the future the other party wanted to harm him, then in this game perhaps Qi Yang would proactively tell the man that he was carrying his child. If someone would even harm their own child, then such a person might no longer deserve to be called human.

Qi Yang nodded slightly, turned and left. Seeing an employee NPC, he called out, asked where Yi Xinming and the others were — they were right next to the hot spring pool he had been at — and Qi Yang walked over.

The door there wasn’t closed. Qi Yang stood in the doorway and looked in; he saw several people soaking in the hot spring.

Besides Kang Lian there were two other young women: one looked like a high school student, the other had a neat, professional short haircut. The three women were soaking in the hot spring; this place allowed mixed bathing.

Qi Yang walked to the hot spring. Yi Xinming immediately noticed him and stood up from the water, moving closer to Qi Yang.

“Are you all right?” Yi Xinming remembered Qi Yang had left earlier with Nan Sheng, and that man had designs on Qi Yang. Yi Xinming was worried Qi Yang might get hurt.

“I’m fine. How much longer will you guys stay?” Qi Yang asked.

“About done. By the way, Nan Sheng…” Yi Xinming glanced behind Qi Yang, surprised not to see him.

Approaching the hot spring, Qi Yang felt the steam rising from the water; he unbuttoned his collar

A single button undone, his delicate, beautiful collarbone exposed—Qi Yang’s face was even more handsome and striking than the three girls in the hot spring. His looks were about equally attractive to both men and women.

“He’s taking a bath next door, don’t worry about him. It’s almost noon — find somewhere to have lunch.” Qi Yang ate his three meals on time every day; even in a horror escape game he kept that habit.

“If you hadn’t said anything I wouldn’t have noticed, but now that you mention it I’m suddenly hungry.” Yi Xinming stepped ashore. The others saw Qi Yang arrive and, overhearing their exchange, also came ashore to change.

Yi Xinming was quick; after changing he sat in an empty spot next to Qi Yang, and the two of them waited for the others to finish.

Yi Xinming had soaked in hot springs before, though not here. These leisure spots usually provide meals.

“Eat here or go back?” Yi Xinming asked what Qi Yang preferred. If no one had died at the spring, Yi Xinming might have preferred to stay, but several people had died in a row and their bodies were still in that blood-stained pool used for check-ins. He was leaning toward changing locations.

“Let’s go back.” If they went back to eat they wouldn’t have to take the bus again and could rest immediately in the hotel room; Qi Yang, this pregnant husband, loved to sleep.

“Okay, I’ll tell them.” Yi Xinming got up to speak with the other players.

Qi Yang sat for a while; once everyone had changed, the group headed outside.

They met an employee on the way, who said lunch was ready and offered to take them to eat.

“No need, we’ll go back to eat,” Yi Xinming refused outright.

The NPC was stunned for a moment, a bit uneasy in his expression; but seeing Qi Yang had already walked away, the staff dared not linger.

After watching the group leave the villa, the staff, seeing no one else around, turned and quickly ran to a spot — the hot-spring blood pool where Qi Yang and the other players had previously checked in.

Pushing the door open, a metallic scent of blood hit him. The blood that made human players’ faces drain of color only made the ghostly employee keep swallowing several times.

He had been rushing along just moments before, but the moment he entered the room the spirit’s expression instantly turned respectful and cautious. Standing by the edge of the blood pool was a person, and the spirit lowered its head and drew near.

“They’ve already left, they’re not eating over here—said they’d go back to eat.” The ghost stared at the pool of blood before him, not daring to move a muscle.

“Everyone’s gone?” At this moment, wearing the identity of the Overseer rather than a player, Nan Sheng’s face—once gentle toward Qi Yang—was now filled with cruelty, a cold so fierce it would make even spirits and monsters tremble and dread.

“Not all of them — Qi Yang and the others, there are two more people.” The ghost reported everything in detail. He suddenly thought that there really were two supervisors; could something have happened? The ghost planned to leave for a while and contact everyone, so the other colleagues could be on alert.

As soon as he heard Qi Yang’s name, Nan Sheng—also Fu Mingnan—softened noticeably around the brow, and a hint of a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

“Tell the people on the road to be careful and keep watch.” If anything happened to Qi Yang and the others, those road ghosts would be held accountable. In this game space, Nan Sheng was the one who set the rules; in this world, black and white were determined solely by him.

“Yes.” The ghost wiped an imaginary cold sweat from his brow; though as a ghost he didn’t actually sweat, being near Fu Mingnan still frightened him. He turned and fled, and only when he was far away did his face relax as if absolved. The other ghosts had all heard what happened in Qi Yang and the others’ last game—apparently someone had tried to lay a hand on Qi Yang, but before even a single hair was touched, Fu Mingnan swallowed the person’s very soul.

All the ghosts now, at the sight of Qi Yang, wished he would stay as far away from them as possible. Even when Qi Yang walked on the road by himself, everyone feared he might trip; if he hurt himself, it would truly be an unexpected disaster for them.

The coach stopped outside the hot springs, and the ignition key had been removed before anyone got off. When Qi Yang and the others reached the bus, they saw several people already seated inside before they even boarded. Those people were wearing identical hot-spring staff uniforms. At first Qi Yang couldn’t make them out clearly and thought they were the ghost NPCs. The players inside of course saw Qi Yang and his group; several of them stood up, looking as if they’d been waiting on the bus for a long time.

Yi Xinming got into the car first. One of the players immediately put on a flattering smile and said, “We changed our clothes and came straight to the car, thinking you’d come right away too. Were you soaking in the hot springs inside?”

“I soaked for a while.” Yi Xinming didn’t have any feelings for the two players in the car. Although they were all in the same game now, the earlier check-in at the Blood Pool had already shown that these two had few strengths and many flaws—pure dead weight.

So the others smiled broadly, while Yi Xinming remained icy cold.

“Have you eaten?” The player wasn’t blind; he knew Yi Xinming didn’t like them, but he still wanted to patch things up with him.

The players had split into three groups to check in at the Blood Pool, and not a single person in Yi Xinming’s row had anything happen to them. What could that mean? It could only mean…

Ming Yixin and Ming were extremely capable.

“Let’s go back and eat.” Yi Xinming turned away, looking as if he didn’t want to talk further; when Qi Yang climbed into the car behind him, the coldness in Yi Xinming’s eyes dissolved as he faced him.

“Nan Sheng still hasn’t arrived. Should we wait for him?” Yi Xinming mentioned his name; they had once tested blood together, so Yi Xinming’s impression of Nan Sheng had improved a little.

“Wait twenty minutes.” Qi Yang glanced toward the hot springs; the gate area was empty, not a single person in sight.

Some players had been waiting a long time. They had thought that once Qi Yang and the others arrived they’d leave immediately, but when Qi Yang said they’d wait a little longer, the curly-haired player—whose whole face screamed selfishness and nastiness—stared at Qi Yang. He admitted Qi Yang was a bit clever, but what other virtues or abilities did Qi Yang have? The people around him treated him like a treasure, and the player simply couldn’t understand it.

His dark gaze silently appraised Qi Yang’s face, and suddenly he understood what was going on. If someone had a face like that, it was indeed seductive—appealing to both men and women. The curly-haired man curled his lips into a nasty, wicked smile; those who doted on Qi Yang had probably all fallen at the feet of his leisure pants.

The curly-haired man turned his eyes away, contempt and disdain written in his pupils.

That malicious, appraising stare didn’t subside much. Qi Yang noticed; he glanced at the player with the sharp, mean face. He didn’t know what the other was thinking, but it was certainly nothing good.

How is it that people like this seem to be everywhere? Clearly it’s their own lack of ability, yet they refuse to reflect and instead direct malice at others.

What happened to the last person in the game who was most hostile toward Qi Yang? Qi Yang thought for a moment—it seemed they were impaled directly through the chest by falling shards of glass and died in the game.

Someone was wearing a watch; every twenty minutes when it chimed they announced that time was up. The player in the driver’s seat turned to look at Yi Xinming, who in turn asked Qi Yang what he meant.

Qi Yang nodded slightly. The coach started moving slowly, leaving the hot spring villa behind as it headed for the inn where they were staying.

Yi Xinming sat down beside Qi Yang. The villa had long been left behind, and when Yi Xinming craned his neck he still couldn’t see Nan Sheng. There was too much mystery surrounding that man. Whenever another man was present, Yi Xinming felt as if, should he get too close to Qi Yang, some faint, lingering danger might be there.

“Be careful with that person, I just have a feeling he’s not ordinary.” Yi Xinming felt his sixth sense was rarely wrong.

Qi Yang would have paid attention even if Yi Xinming hadn’t said anything. What Yi Xinming didn’t know was that the ghosts here wouldn’t dare harm Qi Yang; let alone a human player. No matter what identity Nan Sheng had, could he be more terrifying than the ghosts? Qi Yang wasn’t afraid of the ghosts, so human players were out of the question.

“I’ll be careful.” Qi Yang accepted Yi Xinming’s good intentions.

Yi Xinming leaned back in his seat. The coach was speeding along the road. There had been more than ten people in the car when they came; now about a third were gone, and it was only the first day.

“There are six days left. I just hope the remaining check-ins won’t be too hard.” It seemed all Yi Xinming could do was pray.

Qi Yang turned his gaze to the car window; the glass reflected his faintly smiling face.

They went back to the restaurant next to the inn to eat. The staff there had assumed the players wouldn’t return—after all, those who went to check in at the hot springs would surely eat over there. But half the bus came back at noon and all the players showed up. They couldn’t let them go hungry; if they did, it would be negligence on their part. Even though they weren’t human but ghosts, many of their actions were constrained within the game space.

There was food in the kitchen, so the staff planned to ask the cook to quickly stir-fry some dishes. They had taken only two steps when a player called out to them.

The one who called out to the staff was Yi Xinming; he held a menu in his hand. This was indeed a world of ghosts and monsters, but constantly being afraid or worried did no good—better to let go. As the saying goes, since you’re here, make peace with it.

Besides, Yi Xinming now understood some things: these monsters in human skins were terrifying, yes, but they couldn’t do whatever they pleased without restraint.

“Anyway, you haven’t started cooking yet. Can I order something else?” Yesterday’s dishes didn’t include much Yi Xinming particularly liked, so he wanted to see if he could reorder.

The staff member showed a slightly surprised expression. He walked over to Yi Xinming’s side and replied, “You can order.”

“Is it okay now, or any time?”

“Any time.” the waiter said.

A smile brightened Yi Xinming’s face, and he began ordering dishes. While ordering he asked Qi Yang and Kang Lian what they liked to eat; he didn’t ask the others. After ordering, he handed the menu to them and told them to add whatever they wanted themselves.

The players at the same table didn’t look as relaxed as Yi Xinming and the others. Even though they’d showered and changed clothes, the outfits were similar—these were the clothes Yi Xinming had asked the staff there to fetch for them. And, to be honest, the sizes fit perfectly, making one suspect they’d prepared each player’s clothing in advance.

The players sat at two tables; although one table could seat more than ten people, the others voluntarily took seats at the other table.

When they saw Yi Xinming and the others order, the few at the other table looked surprised — so you could order? They had thought you couldn’t, that the restaurant would just give you whatever to eat.

There were only the two tables, and the dishes came quickly. Naturally, Yi Yang’s table was served first, and only after they finished did the other table get theirs. Someone at that table harbored a grudge, and their furtive, hostile stares at Yi Yang and the others were unmistakable.

After lunch, Nan Sheng and the six others still hadn’t returned, and no one volunteered to ask about them. After leaving the dining hall, Qi Yang and the others went back to the inn. Yi Xinming saw that Qi Yang looked a little tired, paused to watch him enter his room, then went back to his own.

Most of the players were in the downstairs hall; if he went up to the room he’d be the only one there. Being alone made his heart feel fearful and unsteady—better to stay where everyone was together, where the presence of living people was stronger.

Qi Yang took a nap alone in the room; among the players he was the only one with a calm mindset, and he fell asleep shortly after collapsing. He had no idea when Nan Sheng and the other six returned. He slept well this time. When he woke, Qi Yang washed his face with cold water. Lifting his eyes, he looked at himself in the mirror. He curled his lips slightly; the person in the mirror smiled back, but that smile held little warmth, hinting at a certain coldness.

It seemed that as the game progressed his personality grew more rational, even callous. Although he had been somewhat like this before, back then he wouldn’t have watched someone die right in front of him without even blinking.

Now he was basically indifferent. He didn’t know whether by the end of the game he’d become completely cold-blooded; that kind of self probably wouldn’t be much different from these ghosts and monsters.

Qi Yang turned and left the bathroom. The bottled water in the room was always available; he unscrewed the cap and drank about half a bottle. Standing by the window, he looked outside for a moment and planned to go out. Just as he opened the door, someone was standing there. Seeing the man return unscathed, Qi Yang felt a small pang of regret. When Nan Sheng hadn’t gotten into the car, Qi Yang had actually thought it would be fine if Nan Sheng had just stayed at the hot spring and never come back.

“You seem a little disappointed!” The words sounded like a question, but Nan Sheng’s tone was very certain. Qi Yang saw that he showed no pleasure at all; on the contrary, even his hair seemed to be expressing that it didn’t want to see him.

“How did you get back?” The bus and the others had driven off. If Nan Sheng came back, it was unlikely he walked; either he found another vehicle or he returned with the group of six. Those six were by no means altruistic good Samaritans—there was no way they’d have given Nan Sheng a ride.

“I found a bicycle by the roadside and rode it back,” Nan Sheng lied.

This lie was too clumsy; Qi Yang could tell it was false the moment he heard it. He couldn’t be bothered to call it out. If Nan Sheng wanted to tell the truth, fine; if he didn’t, then he didn’t—there was no relationship between them that required Nan Sheng to be honest with him.

Qi Yang stepped out of the room and brushed past Nan Sheng. After taking two steps, his left hand was suddenly grabbed by Nan Sheng.

Nan Sheng’s hand was a little cold, seeming to have little warmth. That sensation instantly pulled Qi Yang’s thoughts back to a few months earlier. His eyes flickered slightly, and before Nan Sheng noticed, Qi Yang twisted his wrist and broke free.

“Where are we going?” Nan Sheng asked.

“Go downstairs.” Qi Yang spoke little.

Nan Sheng smiled. He watched Qi Yang walk toward the stairwell, his fingers at his side lightly rubbing together — he really wanted to pull Qi Yang into his arms and kiss him hard. The words from that mouth always sounded so cold, nothing like the passion they had when they first met. Nan Sheng missed that version of Qi Yang. If Qi Yang weren’t pregnant, he might find an opportunity to get him drunk again, but now that Qi Yang was carrying his child, an expectant husband shouldn’t be drinking.

Nan Sheng’s lips curved into a faint smile, met with Qi Yang’s cool response, which didn’t displease him; that man carried his child, and he could indulge him without limit.

When he went downstairs Qi Yang found Yi Xinming and the others sitting in the hall, a group of people chatting about something.

“Awake?” Yi Xinming turned and saw Qi Yang coming down the stairs; his smile deepened by two degrees. Yi Xinming was actually about the same age as Qi Yang, but he looked far more mature and composed, while Qi Yang usually preferred simple casual clothes, which made his face appear younger—he even looked younger than Du Yong they’d met in the game, at most about twenty.

Qi Yang walked over, and Yi Xinming moved aside, making room.

“Let’s go for a walk outside in a bit,” Yi Xinming said after Qi Yang sat down— not a question, but a directive.

Qi Yang caught that; he raised an eyebrow slightly, his eyes asking why.

“The innkeeper’s suggestion—he said the neighboring village had nice scenery, and tourists who come here usually take a stroll there. He told us to go have a look too, since our afternoon was free anyway.” The innkeeper was also a ghost NPC and wouldn’t normally mention things to them casually. Since the innkeeper had said it outright, Yi Xinming thought that visiting the neighboring village might be a potential quest, not a clearly defined one like a check-in task.

For example, someone didn’t go to the dining hall last night, breaking an implicit rule, and ended up dying suddenly in the night.

Coincidentally, Qi Yang also wanted to go out for a walk, so he nodded.

“Leave now?” a player nearby asked.

“It’ll be dark soon.” Yi Xinming smiled.

Nan Sheng came down the stairs. He didn’t go to Qi Yang; he stood at the inn’s doorway and overheard their conversation, though even without listening he knew Qi Yang would go out.

The group left the inn again. This time they weren’t going to check in at another spot but, following the innkeeper’s suggestion, to take a walk in the neighboring village.

“We’ll just take a look, right? Nothing else will happen?” One player said nervously. At the hot spring check-in earlier, everyone had thought it was just an ordinary checkpoint—until they found the pool full of blood.

“I don’t know.” Yi Xinming spoke honestly; there were no leads right now, so they could only go and see.

Nan Sheng followed beside Qi Yang. He was undeniably a very handsome man, yet his presence was oddly low-key. Qi Yang glanced at him; Nan Sheng stared deeply into his eyes with an intensity that felt as if the other truly liked him, as if he loved him.

Love? Qi Yang didn’t believe that someone he’d slept with once would fall in love with him in such a short time — that wasn’t possible. If he really liked him, why wouldn’t he contact him in the real world instead of in this game? When he first saw the man, the expression he showed was clearly one of waiting for him.

No matter how devoted Nan Sheng’s gaze was, it didn’t stir anything in Qi Yang.

The small village wasn’t far away — about a ten-minute walk. They didn’t meet anyone else on the road; only players were traveling along the way.

As they reached the outskirts of the village, they could see people walking back and forth from a distance.

This village counted as a tourist spot, so unlike other villages, there were goods on display for sale.

There were actually quite a few people in the village, and they were clearly different from the players. When the players entered the village, the villagers’ gazes turned one after another; those pairs of eyes stared at Qi Yang and the others without blinking.

Qi Yang and the others took a step, and the villagers’ eyes shifted.

Countless gazes poured in from all directions; some players felt a chill run through them, shrinking back in their seats.

“They’re not going to mob us, are they?” a player asked fearfully.

“If they were going to, they’d have done it already,” Yi Xinming snorted with a laugh.

The items on display all seemed finely made. Qi Yang stood at a small stall and picked up a hand-braided red cord.