Chapter 79: The Duke’s Wish Is There Someone Who Always Used to Ask You for a Light Before?

Zhou Qi hardly touched the food in front of him.

She took a tiny sip of the wine, really just a minimal amount.

Because when she lifted the glass, the Duke seated at the head of the table gave her a very peculiar look.

What was so peculiar about it?

It was as if he didn’t want to look her way, but his eyes refused to obey, stubbornly forcing themselves to turn in her direction…

There was an extremely jarring sense of stiffness.

After just one glance, he continued to smile and chat with the two other examinees beside him.

But Zhou Qi was thoroughly frightened.

As soon as her lips touched the wine, she quickly set the glass down.

The banquet ended at 10 PM.

The servant led the way in front, taking the guests back to their rooms. Along the way, Zhou Qi seemed somewhat absent-minded.

“Xiao Zhou, are you alright? You look pale,” Zhao Jiatong asked with concern.

“You can see her complexion through that mask?” Gao Qi, who loved alcohol, was already slurring his words from drinking too much.

“Can’t you tell her lips are pale?” Zhao Jiatong nudged him aside. “Get out of the way.”

You Huo and Qin Jiu walked ahead and turned around when they heard the sound.

“What’s wrong?”

Zhou Qi hesitated for a few seconds.

An absurd thought popped into her mind—the way the duke had looked at her just now seemed to be a warning not to drink.

But this was truly ridiculous.

As a question NPC, the Duke didn’t seem like a good person to begin with. Would he really give her such a reminder? And even if he did, why would it be just for her?

What made her so special? It didn’t add up.

Besides, the few top players here were quite casual about the food and drinks. They ate whatever was available, likely relying on their rich experience and strong abilities, not caring whether anything might be problematic.

Gao Qi drank especially heavily.

To tell them now that the wine might be an issue would only make things awkward, wouldn’t it?

Zhou Qi swallowed his words again, shaking his head and saying, “It’s nothing, I just don’t like it here. Being here for too long makes me uncomfortable, a little scared.”

Yang Shu remarked indifferently, “If you’re not eating or drinking, it must be hunger.”

Zhou Qi thought to himself, I’m really not that hungry…

But she didn’t want to mess with this arrogant girl, so she nodded and said, “Maybe.”

Zhao Jiatong kicked Gao Qi’s leg and said, “Didn’t you go to the rest area before you came? Did you buy any food?”

“No.” Gao Qi took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and said innocently, “I only bought this.”

“What good are you then?” Zhao Jiatong said, “Drinking and smoking, do you have even one good habit?”

Gao Qi was used to her nagging and wasn’t angry. He just raised his hands in surrender and said, “Alright, alright, I won’t smoke, okay?”

As he spoke, he slipped the cigarette into You Huo’s pocket.

“Here, it’s yours now.”

You Huo replied, “I don’t smoke.”

Gao Qi took out his lighter and handed it over as well: “I’ve never seen you smoke either, but didn’t you always carry a pack during invigilation?”

“Why?” Zhao Jiatong was genuinely curious.

Although they had all once followed Examiner A, not everyone could be as close with A as they were.

In any case, Zhao Jiatong had always been a bit intimidated by him in the past. Curious, yet afraid.

Gao Qi answered beside him, “How would I know why?”

As he spoke, he sneakily glanced at Examiner A himself again.

You Huo didn’t even raise his head.

Gao Qi spread his hands toward Zhao Jiatong and mouthed: Don’t ask, he probably forgot why himself.

So there really is no cure for a brain that’s broken.

Gao Qi and Zhao Jiatong sighed deeply with regret.

You Huo was about to put the lighter into his pocket when two slender fingers suddenly reached over from beside him, snatched the lighter, and took it away.

Just by looking at the hand, it was obvious it was Qin Jiu.

“What’s up?” Yu You asked.

“I’m a bit curious, mind if I borrow a look?”

Qin Jiu walked alongside him, spinning the lighter between his fingers in a circle, then suddenly asked, “Was there someone in the past who always borrowed a light from you?”

Perhaps it was because his voice was too deep, or perhaps because they were standing too close.

You Yu’s heart stirred, as if something he’d almost forgotten had been mentioned, suddenly giving him a faint impression.

He looked at the little object in Qin Jiu’s hand and asked, “How did you know?”

“Because you asked me if I smoke.”

Qin Jiu said as he raised his eyes to look at him.

You Huo was quiet for a moment, then pulled the lighter back and slipped it into his pocket. “You said you don’t smoke.”

Qin Jiu halted his steps, while You Huo continued on, quickly pulling ahead.

Gao Qi looked up after squabbling with Zhao Jiatong and asked in confusion, “What’s wrong? Why did you stop here?”

Qin Jiu rubbed his empty fingertips and lifted his head, saying, “Nothing much, just thinking about something.”

“What is it?” Gao Qi turned and glanced around. “Did you notice something?”

“It’s unrelated to the exam.” Qin Jiu paused for a moment and added, “Just some personal matters.”

* * *

The duke’s wine had a first-rate sleep-inducing effect.

After everyone returned to their rooms, they secretly changed rooms and soon felt drowsy.

In the middle of the night, the castle was completely silent.

The butler Douglas stood at the door of a certain room on the second floor, holding a lantern, and knocked a few times, tap-tap-tap.

Soon after, the door was opened.

The man scratched his head, eyes bleary with sleep, and asked, “Who’s there—”

The old steward’s skin sagged, his face worn with age. The lamplight from below cast shadows upwards across his features, startling the one who had opened the door and jolting him fully awake.

He was none other than Zhang Pengyi, who had arrived late to the previous evening’s banquet.

“B-butler?”

Douglas nodded and said, “Apologies for disturbing your rest, sir.”

Zhang Pengyi rubbed his face vigorously, his fingers trembling slightly.

He hadn’t wanted to fall asleep.

The duke’s question at the banquet had frightened him. Both he and Jiajia had been too scared to even think about sleeping, but for some reason, they had both fallen asleep—and now, just as mysteriously, he had woken up.

“Is… is something wrong?” Zhang Pengyi peeked into the room.

It was strange. He had woken up, but Jiajia was still sleeping soundly.

It hadn’t been like this before. If he so much as turned over, Jiajia would wake up.

Douglas slowly said, “I wonder if sir remembers, the duke mentioned earlier that he needs to speak with you about something this evening.”

Just that one sentence made Zhang Pengyi’s bladder swell up.

“Can we do it during the day tomorrow?”

“I’m terribly sorry, but I think it would be best for you to go now.”

Zhang Pengyi glanced once more down the corridor.

Although many people lived in the castle, it was eerily quiet at that moment.

Neither voices could be heard, nor the sound of snoring.

He recalled the duke’s warning at the banquet, as if everyone living here automatically fell into a deep sleep at night.

Not only that, the servants who had been guarding outside the doors during the day were nowhere to be seen.

Most of the wall torches in the corridor had gone out, leaving only the flickering light in the old butler’s hand.

Zhang Pengyi broke out in a cold sweat.

In his panic, he opened his mouth and shouted, “Help—”

The word “help” hadn’t even fully escaped his lips when the slow-moving old butler’s face suddenly twisted ferociously, and an iron rod came crashing down on his head.

Zhang Pengyi’s cry for help abruptly cut off as he collapsed to the ground.

On the large bed inside the room, He Jiajia, as though deaf, continued to sleep soundly, completely unaware.

The old butler once again resumed his expressionless demeanor, reaching out to grab Zhang Pengyi by the collar.

The skin on the back of his hand was covered in wrinkles, with bluish-purple veins showing starkly against his pale complexion.

Despite appearing both old and frail, he could drag Zhang Pengyi along without even a change in his expression.

In the corridor, the rustling sound of fabric scraping against the floor echoed from the second floor down to the first, eventually stopping outside a bedroom in the West Tower.

The old butler knocked on the door.

The Duke’s voice came from within, soft and hoarse: “Is that you, Douglas?”

“Who else would it be, my lord.”

“You’re a bit slow today.”

“Sorry, Master.”

“It’s all right.”

The main door creaked open, and two male servants stood there holding the handles with expressionless faces, as if they didn’t even see the butler dragging someone behind him.

The Duke stood there wearing a mask.

Though it was a midsummer night, he rubbed his hands together as if he were cold.

“It’s alright, I have the most patience in the world for you,” the duke whispered softly. “What would I do without you?”

“I have always been here.”

Douglas dragged Zhang Pengyi into the large bedroom.

The Duke followed behind, still breathing into his hands and rubbing them, a smile on the corners of his lips, somewhat similar to the person in the oil painting, yet… not entirely the same.

Without even looking, he said to the manservant, “Get out.”

The two manservants moved as one, leaving and closing the bedroom door behind them.

Douglas threw Zhang Pengyi into an armchair and lazily brought over a pile of candles, lighting them one by one.

The Duke stood before the armchair, removed Zhang Pengyi’s mask, and examined his face by pinching his chin.

He clicked his tongue and said, “I don’t particularly like this face, and you’ve already damaged it.”

“Apologies, sir.”

“No worries, we don’t need his. But I don’t care for his build either,” the Duke added, slipping open the collar of the other’s shirt.

He coughed a few times, blood coloring his lips, and spoke with regret, “Never mind, though—my heart can’t take it anymore.”

* * *

Zhang Pengyi suddenly felt a chill, then a splitting headache.

He faintly heard voices, jolting awake in an instant. His eyes flew open.

He saw himself sitting in an unfamiliar room, surrounded by a circle of pale white candles and some withered tree branches.

He had watched plenty of TV dramas and, for a moment, his mind conjured images of medieval witchcraft and other supernatural rituals.

But these thoughts were swept away in the next second.

Because fear took hold—he realized he couldn’t move.

Old Butler Douglas stood outside the circle, while the Duke stood inside it, right in front of him.

The figure leaned down, eyes fixed on him through the holes in the mask.

Zhang Pengyi caught a whiff of a peculiar scent.

Decayed, cold…

The duke smiled.

Looking closely, one would notice his smile was extremely stiff, as if he couldn’t quite control it well, merely managing to pull up the corners of his mouth.

“Look at me,” the duke said.

His eyes held a bewitching power, and Zhang Pengyi inexplicably began to feel somewhat dazed.

“Kind guest, would you be willing to do me a small favor?” the Duke asked softly.

Zhang Pengyi opened his mouth.

His lips and brain seemed to have parted ways. He wanted to say “no,” but his lips stubbornly prepared to utter “yes.”

He wrestled with himself, his eyes rolling upward in the struggle, looking utterly pitiful and disheveled.

The duke “tsk”ed again, grumbling to Douglas, “It’s even uglier.”

Zhang Pengyi didn’t hear it, however.

He felt the grip on his chin tighten once more, and he saw the other person’s eyes again. Slowly, all his struggles came to a stop.

A moment later, he said hoarsely, with a blank expression on his face, “I do.”

The duke smiled: “Thank you very much.”

* * *

A muffled sound came from the bedroom, like something piercing through flesh.

It took a while before it finally stopped.

Then came the faint, dragging sound of something heavy being pulled away.

There was an intricately patterned mirror standing in the corner. The Duke stood before it, wiping his fingers as he carefully examined the person reflected inside.

He had changed into Zhang Pengyi’s formal attire, with the top buttons undone. Fine lines of blood crisscrossed his neck and waist, like evenly spaced stitches.

Douglas was fastening the buttons for him.

The Duke said, “I’ve given it some thought and decided not to use his face after all.”

“And what about this gentleman’s wife?” Douglas said. “You can tell they’re deeply in love.”

“Deeply in love… that’s all the better,” the duke said. “Let’s still go try later.”

The duke stroked his chin again and said, “This face really needs to be changed as soon as possible. I feel it hasn’t been behaving very well these past couple of days.”

As he spoke, he rolled his eyes nervously and twisted his neck from side to side a couple of times.

As if…his head was struggling.

The butler said, “I understand, sir.”

“Patching things together like this is too troublesome. It would be great if we could have one perfect guest.” The duke thought for a moment, then added, “At this banquet, luckily, I saw two such guests. If either of them could go against my demands and make the slightest mistake, that would be even better.”

“I hope they are people who don’t follow the rules,” the butler responded. “I will pray for you.”

The duke lifted his chin, allowing the butler to fasten the buttons all the way to the top.

He glanced at the butler and said, “Douglas, this body of yours is far too old. When will you be able to change it?”

Douglas replied, “When you and your wife are reunited.”

The Duke’s eyes softened a little as he said, “Soon. Wasn’t it said that this guest and his wife are deeply in love? My Eliza will be back soon.”

He then turned to Douglas and said, “Once your youthful face is restored, I want to find a painter to add a few strokes to those oil paintings, putting you in them as well.”

* * *

The night grew deeper, and the sky was once again overcast with dark clouds.

A few rumbles of thunder rolled by, and the rain that had just stopped began to fall again.

The stone wall grew damp, moisture forming long streaks across its surface.

Douglas, holding an oil lamp, returned to the door of Zhang Pengyi’s room.

He said to the person behind him, “Please go in first.”

The duke, wearing Zhang Pengyi’s attire, entered the house and walked straight into the bedroom.

In the deep red bed, He Jiajia lay curled up under the covers, fast asleep.

The duke sat down by the bed, removed the mask from her face, and gazed at her sleeping expression.

Within his chest, the sound of his heartbeat grew swift and frantic. He closed his eyes to feel it.

He said to Douglas, “Excellent… Truly excellent. I can feel it…”

Another circle of white candles appeared beside the bed.

The Duke’s gaze softened considerably.

He gently patted He Jiajia’s face and said, “Darling, wake up.”

The person who had been sound asleep just a moment ago actually woke up.

She mumbled with half-closed eyes, “Pengyi? Why are you up?”

The Duke caressed her face, looked down into her eyes, and said, “Wake up, open your eyes and look at me.”

“Exactly… just like that.”

“Kind girl, would you be willing to help me with something?”

……

* * *

The thunder suddenly grew louder.

On the third floor directly above that bedroom, Zhou Qi abruptly woke up, her heart pounding fiercely.

She had suddenly dreamt of her boyfriend who had gone missing. He was standing before a huge full-length mirror, wearing a formal suit from the ancient castle, holding a removed mask in his hand.

He looked pale as he said to her, “Qiqi, I’m a bit cold…”

She wanted to go over, but he took a step back and said, “Don’t come over, don’t look at my eyes. Get some rest, it’s so cold here…”

Then she woke up with a start.

Beside her, Zhao Jiatong exuded a faint fragrance of red wine, sleeping soundly.

Zhou Qi sat on the bed for a while, her body alternating between chills and fever.

She recalled the words her boyfriend had said in the dream and lay back down.

They didn’t use the bed, instead choosing to sleep on the carpet.

She stared at the condensation slowly sliding down the wall, her eyes wide open.

As if someone is crying…

She shrank back, leaned against Zhao Jiatong, and closed her eyes once more.

……

3 a.m.

On the third floor, in the room near the east tower, a phone alarm suddenly rang.

After it went off, it was turned off.

A few minutes later, it went off again, and was turned off once more.

……

You Huo finally lowered his arm and opened his eyes.

He shot a glare to the side, full of morning grumpiness, eyebrows furrowed.

Qin Jiu stood beside him, looking down at him: “If you didn’t wake up, I would’ve resorted to more drastic measures.”

You Huo closed his eyes for a moment to gather himself, finally sitting up.

He carried an air of low pressure as he said, “Why did you call me? I set an alarm.”

Qin Jiu shook his phone, pointing at the screen to ask him, “You mean this alarm that’s gone off eight times?”

You Huo: “…”

Maintaining a deadpan expression, he patted his empty trouser pocket, met Qin Jiu’s eyes for a moment, and said, “Why is my phone in your hands?”

“It was too noisy, so I stole it.”

Qin Jiu leaned down and said, “Since you’re awake, I’ll return it to its owner.”

Of course, they didn’t sleep in their restrictive formal jackets, only in their snow-white shirts and trousers underneath, with the pocket snug against his hip.

You Huo watched as someone retracted their finger, a corner of the phone peeking out from their pocket.

……

Gao Qi came out of the bedroom with his coat and saw You Huo rise from the animal-skin couch, glancing down as he slipped his phone into his pocket.

The formal wear here also included long boots, which at first glance really resembled the invigilator’s attire from back then.

Gao Qi froze for a moment and said, “Same boots, but how come they look so long and straight on your legs? I always feel like they’re strangling me…”

You Huo lifted his eyes to look at him.

Gao Qi felt that he probably wouldn’t say anything pleasant, so he quickly interrupted, “Forget it, pretend I didn’t say anything. That… are we really going to bother the Duke right now? Why do I feel like this is a terrible idea?”

“You can stay behind,” You Huo said.

Gao Qi felt a crack in their friendship.

He was just about to persuade him a little more when suddenly a person jumped down from the balcony.

Zhao Jiatong said to them, “Don’t rush to bother the Duke just yet. Let’s save our companion’s life first.”

You Huo froze.

Zhao Jiatong pointed to the side and asked, “Little Zhou isn’t looking too good. Come take a look?”