Wen Di frowned. “If you’re scared, go stay with your friend!”
Through their conversations on the road, Wen Di had learned that Fu Zhen and Shen Wangqing were a student and professor from the same university who had come together, Liu Yajun was a businessman who had accidentally ended up here alone, while Lu Jieyang and Yao Nana were thrill-seekers who had met online and decided to come together.
There was another person who had come with Lu Jieyang, but that person had gotten separated from them in a thick fog during the climb up the mountain and was currently missing.
This was the script the Players had received.
But the script Wen Di had received was—a hunting script. The system had told him—Player matching was sometimes full of traps. In an environment of extreme fear, the dark psychology of seeking stimulation would also be amplified, thus triggering a series of morbid, ambiguous desires.
The protagonist of this script was Yao Nana.
Liu Yajun was the first Player she had accidentally pushed to his death.
Of course, there would be a second, a third, a fourth… such as Lu Jieyang, whom she had met online and come with. Even if their identities and relationship were fabricated, once they immersed themselves, emotions could easily follow.
Especially in such an environment, where companionship and comfort were even more needed.
Pushing open the heavy door, the large red lanterns hanging on it swayed along.
Suddenly, the dim lanterns lit up fiercely, emitting a dazzling red glow in the darkness, like the crimson eyes of a giant beast.
“Ah!”
Yao Nana screamed in fright.
Liu Yajun was also startled into a yelp, though a quieter one, before pulling Yao Nana into his arms to comfort her. “Don’t be scared, don’t be scared.”
“The lanterns, why did the lanterns light up?!” Yao Nana’s face was pale, and she didn’t dare to look.
Wen Di turned his head and gave a sinister smile. “Because they’re wind-activated.”
“…”
Yao Nana: “Wind-activated? I’ve only heard of sound-activated. Since when are there wind-activated ones?”
Wen Di: “The lanterns light up when they sway. They light up on their own when the wind blows.”
Yao Nana rolled her eyes. “This, seriously~ annoying!”
The group finally entered the inn.
In the center of the courtyard stood a tall flower bed. Outside the first floor was a long corridor, currently illuminated only by dim yellow lights along it. The dark, seemingly bottomless end of the corridor sent chills down their spines.
“Hurry up and take us to our rooms, I’m freezing to death,” Yao Nana said, pulling her heavy mink coat tighter.
Wen Di led the group up the creaking, dark staircase to the first room.
“Your rooms are in different places. You two are on the west side, you two are in the backyard, and this room on the left is yours.” He pointed at Lu Jieyang and Yao Nana, then Fu Zhen and Shen Wangqing, and finally looked at Liu Yajun.
“Why am I alone in this courtyard?” Liu Yajun widened his eyes, then frowned in displeasure. “Wait, why are we being separated? We came together!”
Wen Di sneered. “Came together? Weren’t you strangers?”
Then he lowered his head, his pale face cast in shadow, and lowered his voice. “Besides, the other rooms are already occupied.”
“Occupied? You’re bluffing, aren’t you? Aren’t they all empty?”
Even as Liu Yajun said this, a bizarre thought crept into his mind—Could it be… ghosts?!
But in an Instance, ghosts were actually quite common. What was truly frightening wasn’t the ghosts, but the taboos. As long as you didn’t break the taboos, the ghosts wouldn’t harm the Players.
Wen Di gave an eerie smile. “Guess.”
Suddenly, a camera flash went off beside them. Wen Di blinked and turned to see Lu Jieyang holding up his phone, taking a photo of him.
He froze for a moment, then his small face immediately flushed with anger. “What are you doing?!”
Lu Jieyang grinned. “Even though there’s no signal, the camera still works. Boss Wen, I think you’re so cute—just taking a few photos as a keepsake, is that not allowed?”
He spoke with shameless confidence.
Wen Di’s slender brows shot up, his large eyes widening even further. He felt utterly humiliated. He had made such a terrifying expression to scare people, yet this guy actually called him cute?? And he didn’t show even a hint of fear at being frightened!
He quickly stepped forward to snatch the phone. “Delete it! No photos allowed!”
Lu Jieyang held the phone high above his head, taking advantage of his 187cm height as he looked down at Wen Di jumping up and down in front of him, trying to reach the phone. After a few seconds, he said with a smile in his eyes:
“Wen Wen, aren’t you running a business here? Why won’t you let me take photos?”
Wen Di felt as if struck by lightning. He stopped moving and stared at him wide-eyed. “Wh-what did you call me?”
Lu Jieyang suppressed a laugh. “Wen Wen? Isn’t that okay? Or Di Di? Little Di? Which one do you prefer?”
Wen Di didn’t know what emotion he was feeling—probably a mix of embarrassment and shame—but his face flushed bright red. “No! None of them! You’re not allowed to call me that!”
The two of them inexplicably started tussling.
Liu Yajun and Yao Nana watched in stunned confusion, completely baffled.
Seeing Wen Di’s eyes redden with anger, Shen Wangqing stepped forward and patted Lu Jieyang’s shoulder. The corners of his narrow eyes curved, and a gentle smile played on his lips as he said to Lu Jieyang, “Alright, stop teasing him. Wen… Boss Wen doesn’t like being photographed. Just delete the photos.”
Distracted by this interruption, Lu Jieyang’s hand paused for a moment, and Wen Di seized the opportunity to snatch the phone away.
Lu Jieyang glanced at Shen Wangqing. Though he spoke with a smile, there was no warmth in his eyes. “Even if you hadn’t said anything, I wouldn’t have wanted to keep making Wen Wen angry.”
After saying this, he turned his attention back to Wen Di.
Wen Di fiddled with the phone for a moment before glaring at him angrily. “It needs a password!”
His pink, moist lips pouted slightly, the solitary lip bead standing out pitifully.
Whether he was intentionally acting cute or it had become a habit, he didn’t even notice he was being watched.
Lu Jieyang’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly, though his expression remained unchanged. He smiled and said, “Oh, there’s a password? I forgot. Let me unlock it for you.”
He took the phone back and hooked an arm around Wen Di. “Come on, I’ll tell you the password.”
Wen Di moved closer with a sour expression. The next second, Lu Jieyang raised the phone, switching the camera to selfie mode. Both of their faces appeared on the screen, and before Wen Di could react—click, click—two photos of them together were taken.
Lu Jieyang beamed. “All done.”
Wen Di was dumbfounded.
Completely stunned.
It took him a long moment to finally burst out angrily, “You… you!”
He was so furious he ran out of steam—or perhaps he had exhausted himself with anger. On closer look, his eyes were red, as if he had been wronged.
Liu Yajun grumbled from the side, “Are you two done messing around? Can we please claim the rooms first?”
He had no idea what this whole scene was about.
If Lu Jieyang, a Player not even on the leaderboard, wanted to fool around, that was one thing—but why was Fu Zhen also standing by the railing, expressionless, just watching?
Just wasting time like this?
And Shen Wangqing, why does he seem so patient too? So patient that… it even makes him feel uncomfortable.
However, he’s starting to feel a bit sorry for Lu Jieyang now. Probably a newbie, daring to bully NPCs like this.