"Hey, Luo Yu, you'll be late if you don't get up," someone called out.
Luo Yu's head was pounding. Through the haze, she heard someone calling her.
"That's it then. I gave you fair warning," the voice replied — the same voice, or perhaps another. The voice mumbled something else, followed by the clatter of footsteps. Then the room went quiet.
Luo Yu rolled over in bed.
So tired. Just a few more minutes... Just a few more...
The rising sun cast orange-gold light through the window, landing squarely on Luo Yu's eyelids.
Stinging pain.
She woke with a jolt, curling up and sitting bolt upright in bed.
Oh, right. She remembered. She was in an Escape Game right now.
Just now, the sun on her face had been so hot it felt like it was burning her. It suddenly made her think of the crimson eyes she'd seen in the night sky - and that, in turn, made her realize where she actually was.
But...
Her memories of yesterday stopped dead at those red eyes. Just... stopped.
How she'd left the classroom after evening self-study, how she'd made it back to the dorm, how she'd gotten ready for bed - all of it was just a blank in her mind.
Something had definitely happened.
But morning class would start soon. The school rules strictly forbade tardiness, and Luo Yu simply didn't have time to think it through right now.
She scrambled out of bed, washed up quickly, and hurried toward the classroom building.
On her way past the dormitory, Luo Yu ran into the dorm auntie - the formidable manager of the building. She was about to ask how she'd gotten back to her room last night, but before she could speak, the old woman, her face a mass of wrinkles and the kind of expression that said "don't mess with me," shot Luo Yu a fearful glance and deliberately steered clear.
...Like Luo Yu was some kind of monster.
What the hell?
I mean, if anyone's a threat around here, it's the dorm auntie, right?
Confused but unable to dwell on it, Luo Yu just headed to class.
Qinggang High School only had one morning class: a one-hour self-study period where students were supposed to review Chinese or English materials on their own. Breakfast came after.
Luo Yu spent the period flipping through the School Rules and Student Handbook several times. When the bell rang, she made her way to the cafeteria to meet up with the other players.
She'd tried to recover her lost memories during class, too. But it was as if someone had taken an eraser and deliberately wiped them clean. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find a single thread to pull on.
The cafeteria was as crowded as ever. In the mornings, fewer windows were open, so each line was longer. Luo Yu hesitated for a moment, then took her place at the back of the bun window's queue.
The cute guy from yesterday was probably working today, right?
Despite the long line of students, there was almost no chatter. Everyone had their nose in a book - the cafeteria felt like an extension of morning self-study. No normal conversation, just the distant murmur of students reciting to themselves.
Luo Yu frowned at the sight. She had a vague feeling that today's students were even more possessed than yesterday's.
The line was long but moved quickly. After three or four minutes, she was at the front. She got her wish: the handsome cashier was there.
The guy glanced at her, bland and unimpressed. "What can I get for you?" he asked.
Luo Yu ordered her usual: two meat buns.
As he handed them over, the handsome cashier leaned forward. Somehow, Luo Yu caught a whiff of something damp on him - like morning dew clinging to a forest before the sun burns it away.
She blinked, startled.
A strange feeling of familiarity rose up in her chest. For no apparent reason, the man before her suddenly seemed closer to her - almost intimate.
On a surge of boldness from that unfamiliar closeness, she took the buns - and, with a quick motion, swiped her fingers across the back of his hand.
...So soft.
The hand, with its sharp knuckles and long fingers, went rigid. Then it jerked back as if shocked.
The Evil God gave her a strange look, his expression complicated.
His mind flickered to the final scene from the night before, in the swamp...
That slender, innocent-looking girl had stared up at Him with longing in her eyes. Half her body had already sunk into the marsh, yet her face still held that radiant smile. She'd reached out to touch Him - then, as if afraid of dirtying something sacred, she'd hesitated and pulled back.
She had said, her voice barely a whisper: "Because I really, really like you."
No one could lie in front of a god.
So, even though He found it hard to understand where such devotion came from, He had accepted a new believer.
After that, the girl had passed out, tears streaking her face. The Evil God caught her, erased her memory, and carried her back to her dorm room.
The old monster who ran the dormitory had wanted to raise a fuss - until she saw Him. Then she'd scurried under her desk, shaking like a leaf.
With that one threat delivered, Luo Yu would be safe in the dorm. For now.
The Evil God had only intended to intervene that once. He didn't want to be tangled up with troublesome humans - which is why He'd erased her memory in the first place.
But what He hadn't expected...
That reckless little human brat didn't back down. If anything, she pushed her luck even harder.
The sensation of soft fingertips brushing across His hand still lingered. Just now - she had touched Him on purpose, hadn't she?
The Evil God glared at her, dark and brooding.
The girl stared back, dumbstruck, clutching her buns. And then - she actually smiled at Him. A shy little smile.
Her brain's broken.
* * *
Luo Yu felt like she'd just gotten away with the boldest move of her life. The exhaustion from the past few days seemed to wash away, leaving nothing but pure, giddy joy.
Seriously - this world wouldn't be worth living in without pretty people!
After breakfast, the other students in the cafeteria had mostly cleared out.
The players gathered together to talk.
Sun Heng counted heads. "Not a single person missing. Looks like no one ran into any danger last night. But starting today, we need to be careful," he said.
"Alright, let's go around. What happened to everyone last night?" Sun Heng continued, his voice cutting through the table.
Yang Tian spoke first. "Bro Sun and I are in the same class. Nothing special happened during evening self-study, and we both made it back to the dorm without any issues," she said.
"Same here," another player chimed in. "I'm in a four-person room. The other three are NPCs. I tried to get information out of them, but they wouldn't even look at me," another added.
"I... I might've run into some trouble," a thin woman with freckles said, her face pale. "During self-study yesterday, I wasn't feeling great, so I snuck a little nap. But I got caught. They only yelled at me, but... I just feel like..."
"In this school, it's like if you don't take studying seriously, everyone turns against you," Luo Yu cut in. "That might have something to do with the secret we're trying to uncover."
She said a few words to comfort the freckled woman, then went on to describe her own run-in with the female teacher. But she kept one thing to herself - the red eyes and the missing time.
After a few more rounds of discussion, the players basically agreed that the secret of Qinggang High School had something to do with the oppressive atmosphere. They made plans to explore together during lunch break.
Before they split up, Sun Heng praised Luo Yu a few times. Yang Tian shot her a few sour looks.
But what really caught Luo Yu's attention was Mr. Fatty in the player group.
Yesterday, he'd been timid and jumpy - the kind of guy who was scared of his own shadow.
But today, he was different. The nervous, shrinking man from yesterday was gone. Now he spoke with easy confidence, breaking down clues like a seasoned detective.
It was almost like... he'd become someone else entirely.
Summary:
Luo Yu wakes disoriented with a gap in her memory, barely making it to class and then to the cafeteria. She flirts with the handsome cashier, who is revealed to be the Evil God that saved and erased her memory the night before. As the players discuss their experiences, Luo Yu notices one of the other players has undergone a suspicious personality change.
Trivia:
- The Evil God used 祂 (divine third-person) in the original Chinese, signaling His nature as a deity.
- The dorm auntie's fear of Luo Yu stems from witnessing the Evil God escort her home.
- The school's obsessive study atmosphere appears to be worsening, suggesting the game's curse is escalating.
- Luo Yu deliberately withheld information about the red eyes and memory loss from the other players.
- The swamp encounter involved Luo Yu sinking half her body while declaring her love to the Evil God.
- Mr. Fatty's sudden confidence and analytical ability may indicate possession or replacement.
- The Evil God's line "Her brain's broken" reflects His dry, deadpan exasperation, not genuine malice.
Notes:
• Luo Yu - A female player inserted into the game world. Tasked with uncovering the school's mysteries. Possesses keen observational skills and analytical thinking. Shows empathy but remains pragmatic about survival. At the time of this chapter, she has already encountered a teacher-monster and survived an attack, leading her to understand the game's true threat. A female player trapped in the Escape Game at Qinggang High. Has lost her memory of events prior to her arrival. Must either uncover the school's secret or survive seven days. Physically slender and not particularly strong. A hopeless sucker for beautiful faces, she cannot bring herself to hate someone attractive even when they're trying to kill her. Maintains a self-deprecating, wry sense of humor even in mortal danger. A player who observes rather than leads. She notices the subtleties in group dynamics and feels mildly disgusted by Yang Tian's showy behavior. Quiet and perceptive. Female protagonist trapped in the Escape Game. A high school student with a bold, flirtatious streak, she is drawn to the handsome cashier without understanding why. Currently suffering from memory loss regarding the previous night's events. Appears carefree but is observant of the school's oppressive atmosphere.
• T - A first-year student at District 13 High School who has recruited K and N from East Middle into his group.
• S - A first-year student at District 13 High School who has taken B from North Middle into his squad.
• B - A student originally from North Middle School who was added to S's group.
• R - A first-year student at District 13 High School who has successfully built a squad and added multiple girls, including M and A, into his group.
• N - A student from East Middle with an eccentric personality who entered National High School due to complex family circumstances and used herself as leverage to negotiate a protective agreement for K.
• A - A student from South Middle School described as an idol who has been recruited into R's high school squad.
• Sun Heng - Scar-faced veteran leader of the main player faction. Pragmatic and calculating, uses other players as disposable assets. Previously had Yang Tian attached, his interest in Luo Yu fuels her jealousy. Subtly predatory toward female players, gave Luo Yu a rules handbook, warns rule-breaking = death. Luo Yu trusts his warning.
• Yang Tian - A beautiful woman who survived two Escape Games by leveraging her looks to attach to powerful players. Aligned with Sun Heng, she shares a class with him and acts as his vocal supporter. Calculating and possessive, she views Luo Yu as a threat, displaying hostility and jealousy. Flirtatious and sharp-tongued, she taunts others to assert her position.
• M - A first-year student at District 13 High School and the childhood friend of Anonymous Student 0006, described as an atavistic strong-female who looks plain but possesses significant power.