Qi Yang glanced back with a hint of suspicion; from Nan Sheng\u2019s tone it sounded as if this man were the boss of the ghosts and monsters, and thus knew whether they were overworked.
“You’re so sure?” Qi Yang’s smile deepened slightly at the corner of his mouth.
Nan Sheng immediately shook his head without leaving a gap and said, “Just a guess. You see, none of them look tired.”
The ghosts were all covered in blood; judging by their faces you couldn’t tell much about good skin, and some of their eyeballs had fallen onto the glass. No matter how Qiyang looked at them, he couldn’t see that they weren’t suffering.
After putting on a strenuous performance on the other side of the glass, all it did was scare the players in the corridor.
“If they knew you cared about them, I think they’d be touched,” Nansheng said, seeing everything Qiyang did as beautiful.
Qiyang shot Nansheng a sidelong glance.
“Alright, stop with the sweet talk.” Qi Yang said with a sour face, telling Nan Sheng to cut it out.
Nan Sheng immediately looked a little hurt.
But it was obvious he was faking it, and Qi Yang couldn’t be bothered with someone so theatrical.
Nan Sheng hugged Qi Yang tightly and headed for the exit. Yang Jiang supported Yi Xinming alone, while Kang Lian followed behind them with a terrified expression. They were gradually moving toward the exit\u2014just a dozen or so meters; at a normal pace it would take only a few seconds. But they were surrounded by grotesque ghosts. Kang Lian forced herself not to look at them, but the harder she tried, the more uncontrollable it became. When she lowered her eyes even slightly, she saw countless bloody, mangled faces beneath her feet, and those horrible eyes stared at her as if they could break through the glass floor at any moment and leap at her.
Kang Lian was extremely nervous, her legs trembling uncontrollably. Her eyes darted around, afraid some spirit might really leap out. Suddenly a tall figure appeared beside her; her heart skipped a beat. She slowly turned and saw Nan Sheng walking up from behind, holding Qi Yang in his arms. Both of them were far more handsome than the average person, the kind of looks that could grace a magazine cover. Although they were both men, the way they interacted seemed remarkably harmonious to Kang Lian\u2014no matter how she looked at them, they appeared perfectly matched.
A flash of jealousy rose in Kang Lian\u2019s chest. She looked at the two of them with envy, unsure whether she was jealous that Qi Yang was being held and protected, or jealous of Nan Sheng \u2014 that someone who had previously been barely noticed by Qi Yang was now the one hugging him.
Qi Yang noticed Kang Lian’s gaze; when he looked up he saw the barely concealed envy in her eyes. Qi Yang thought Kang Lian envied him for being carried by Nan Sheng\u2014what he didn’t know was that actually..
Kang Lian envied Nan Sheng even more; if she had a boyfriend as excellent as Qi Yang, she would probably wake up laughing from her dreams.
Qi Yang stared at her for two seconds, and Kang Lian’s heart raced a little. She did like Qi Yang’s face \u2014 it was more handsome than anyone Kang Lian had seen in real life \u2014 but that kind of liking wasn’t romantic; it was simply an appreciation for something beautiful.
Kang Lian felt her ears grow warm and quickly looked away, afraid Qi Yang would misunderstand and think she had a crush on him. No \u2014 at that thought someone popped into Kang Lian’s mind: the person who truly liked Qi Yang, who secretly adored him. When they used to share a dorm, one night before sleep she had quietly asked Kang Lian what kind of girl she thought Qi Yang would like.
Kang Lian tried to recall how she had answered at the time. She had ruffled Yuan Yuan’s hair and then told her that Qi Yang might like all kinds of types, but it definitely wouldn’t be her type.
“Hey, Kang Lian, you’re too harsh! Why wouldn’t he like someone like me? What’s wrong with me?” Yuan Yuan was upset and shoved Kang Lian on the bed.
Kang Lian grabbed Yuan Yuan’s hand to stop her from moving around. The middle school dorm beds were that small\u2014if she moved too much she might roll right off.
“You’re the silly type, careless about everything. If Qi Yang picked you, I bet he’d never have a moment’s peace,” Kang Lian said casually. She said it to help Yuan Yuan give up sooner, because she could see that the way Qi Yang looked at Yuan Yuan was very flat, sometimes even like a stranger.
Kang Lian didn’t know whom Qi Yang would like, but that person definitely wouldn’t be Yuan Yuan.
After that day Yuan Yuan seemed to calm down a bit, but for her to stop liking Qi Yang instantly\u2014Kang Lian knew that was unlikely. After all, Qi Yang was so handsome; his delicate, beautiful features could easily serve as a template for cosmetic surgery.
Kang Lian pulled her thoughts back from the past. Nan Sheng’s long legs were surprisingly not walking fast; with a little thought, Kang Lian realized he was deliberately matching her pace to take care of her. She took two steadier breaths, regained much more control over her body, and quickened her step. Seeing Kang Lian speed up, Nan Sheng also hurried his pace considerably.
The group moved quickly toward the exit. Behind them were two other players, who kept glancing at each other; their eyes were full of nervous fear.
“Shall we follow them too?” a player with messy hair said anxiously.
“Wa-wait a little longer, let’s wait until they’re safely out before we do anything.” The boy with the tiger-head avatar bit his lip and said, wanting to make sure they were truly safe before going over.
The player with the messy hair stared at Qi Yang and the others, his gaze filled with many things at once
Ghosts\u2014just separated by a pane of glass no one could tell how thick\u2014and players always felt it might shatter at any moment.
“What if they close the exit after they go out?” the player suddenly thought of this.
The boy’s mouth twitched uncontrollably; his voice trembled slightly: “It shouldn’t\u2014no, it can’t be.”
“Let’s go; I feel a little scared standing here.” It was just the two of them left; the others had gone ahead. Although the player was terrified, they still wanted to catch up to Qi Yang and the others\u2014after all, there would be more people over there.
“Go if you want, I’m not going now!” The boy shook his head and stepped backward. The ghosts outside the glass were all surging toward the exit, a writhing mass\u2014some on the surface, many of them\u2014pressed against the glass. The boy was worried that if he moved forward the glass above would crack and the ghosts would turn and climb right in.
Seeing the boy keep backing away, the player immediately felt a surge of panic and wanted to flee, but he quickly turned his head and then started running.
“If I don’t look, it’s fine. Don’t look, it’s fine, nothing will happen, they won’t burst in, they won’t burst in…” The player kept repeating reassurances to himself, his voice growing louder and louder.
He moved swiftly, and in the blink of an eye had run to stand behind Qi Yang and the others, joining the larger group; the panic in his chest seemed to lessen considerably at once.
The exit was only a few meters away. The player glanced at the boy and called out to him, “Come on, hurry over\u2014run here, you\u2019ll be fine. It’s dangerous to stay there by yourself.”
The boy refused to listen; his expression looked out of control. The more the players urged him to go forward, the more he refused to move, even retreating further into the dim corridor behind him.
The player looked anxious; he wanted to grab the boy and pull him away, but there was a short distance between them filled with ghosts pressed against the glass wall, crawling like beasts.
The player furrowed his brow; the footsteps behind were fading, and the player could only choose to follow.
Yang Jiang reached the exit first; of course, with him was the injured Yi Xinming whom he was supporting. Even though Yi Xinming was in terrible pain as they reached the exit, he still managed to say “thank you” to Yang Jiang.
“No need to thank me\u2014you saved my life.” Yang Jiang gave a smile of someone who had just escaped death.
Nan Sheng and Kang Lian also walked out one after the other. They passed through the closed door and immediately found themselves outside the inn. Seeing the familiar inn in front of them, Kang Lian’s legs went weak; she sat down on the ground, as if all her strength had been spent in the passage.
Qi Yang released Nan Sheng’s neck with both hands. He lifted his eyes and looked at Nan Sheng quietly. Nan Sheng bowed his head and met Qi Yang’s enchanting gaze, and Qi Yang smiled silently.
A strange bloom of feeling flooded Nansheng\u2019s heart\u2014this game\u2019s oss, a man who had lived longer than any human, suddenly behaved like a lovestruck adolescent; he was completely captivated by Qi Yang\u2019s warm, gentle smile.
He held onto Qi Yang without letting go, his eyes fixed on him.
\u201cYou can let go now!\u201d Qi Yang thought Nansheng could read the meaning in his eyes, but the man turned and looked at him with an utterly infatuated expression.
Nan Sheng withdrawn his arm, as if he hadn’t heard what Qi Yang was saying.
Qi Yang’s eyes narrowed, and he slapped Nan Sheng on the face, the smack loud and clear. Kang Lian hadn’t been paying attention to what the two were doing; hearing the sound, she assumed Qi Yang was slapping Nan Sheng. She immediately stood up and took a couple of steps forward, afraid Qi Yang might anger Nan Sheng.
Nan Sheng snapped out of his infatuation, met Qi Yang’s teasing smile, and realized what he’d just done. He thought to himself that he was probably truly going to be undone by this human.
Qi Yang climbed out of Nan Sheng’s arms. Yang Jiang helped Yi Xinming into the inn and laid him down to rest on a sofa. Qi Yang strode into the inn and hurried over.
As soon as he drew close, he reached out and grabbed Yi Xinming’s hand. Feeling Yi Xinming’s cold fingers, Qi Yang turned and instructed Yang Jiang, “Go upstairs and bring down a blanket.”
Yang Jiang nodded and ran up the stairs.
The innkeeper came out from the back; when he saw Qi Yang his expression shifted slightly, but Qi Yang was already used to it.
“My friend was a bit hurt. Do you have any medicine for wounds?” Qi Yang asked.
The innkeeper shook his head: “No medicine for wounds here, but there’s a small clinic nearby. You can go take a look.”
A clinic was naturally better than wound medicine; Qi Yang thanked the innkeeper, and the way he said thank you made the owner look pleasantly flattered.
“You’re coming with me to the clinic,” Qi Yang said as he walked up to Nan Sheng, who had just come through the door.
“Why don’t I go instead? You’re tired too\u2014go upstairs and rest for a bit,” Nan Sheng told Qi Yang to go rest.
Qi Yang didn’t listen. With a sidelong glance he faintly glanced at Nan Sheng. Nan Sheng sighed lightly in his heart\u2014what could he do? Of course the pregnant husband would be favored.
On that day’s two check-ins, Qi Yang hardly used any physical effort at all. Especially after entering the underground passage from the stone cluster \u2014 while the others were all a bit exhausted and panting, Qi Yang’s feet never touched the ground; he was carried by Nan Sheng the whole way. One could say Nan Sheng’s role as a tool-like helper seemed even greater than Qi Yang had imagined.
It wasn’t that Qi Yang didn’t trust Nan Sheng or feared Nan Sheng couldn’t bring a doctor to the clinic; he just wanted to go out for a walk. He had just spent some time down in the glass passage, and all told Qi Yang felt it had been over ten minutes
Minutes later, the passage felt too dim and oppressive\u2014an environment Qi Yang didn’t like. He preferred staying on the ground.
Yang Jiang quickly went upstairs to fetch a blanket and covered Yi Xinming with it. Qi Yang asked Yang Jiang to help keep an eye on Yi Xinming, and Yang Jiang, of course, had no objections. After Qi Yang and the others left, he stayed by Yi Xinming’s side without moving, periodically checking his condition.
They left the inn and, following the owner’s directions, Qi Yang and Nan Sheng took some side paths. They soon came upon a small rural clinic. The clinic door was open; there were no patients. The doctor sat in a chair with a look of utter boredom. Soon his peripheral vision caught someone approaching; at first he didn’t see clearly and assumed they were just ordinary players. When he realized one of them was Qi Yang, he sprang up from the chair so quickly that the chair toppled over behind him with a bang. From a distance, Qi Yang saw the doctor knock the chair down and a faint smile tugged at his mouth.
Why did he suddenly feel like these ghostly NPCs became as nervous and uneasy at the sight of him as if they were seeing a top leader come down to inspect their work?
Qi Yang confirmed he was human, not some ghost or monster. Having lived for over twenty years, he was very sure of that. Besides, if he really were some hidden-powerful spirit or monster, there was no way he could have gotten pregnant with Nan Sheng’s child\u2014 the baby in his belly was the best proof.
They walked into the clinic; the doctor greeted them with a smiling face and immediately couldn\u2019t help but ask, with increasing concern, whether Qi Yang was feeling unwell anywhere.
“I’m fine. My friend is injured and currently staying at an inn. Doctor, are you available now? If you are, I’d like you to come with me.” Qi Yang didn’t beat around the bush and spoke directly.
When he heard it wasn’t Qi Yang who was sick, the doctor’s anxious demeanor eased a bit.
He put on a smile: “Well, I just remembered\u2014there’s a patient coming later, an appointment made in advance. He’s quite ill; if you and I go now, that patient will be left hanging. Better if I go a little later.” The doctor made an excuse to decline.
Qi Yang didn’t buy the excuse he had just made up.
Qi Yang walked toward the doctor. He wore a smile, but it was only at the corners of his mouth; his eyes had grown sharp.
“Not going, huh? Then I’ll wait here and see just how sick your patient really is. If you’re lying…” Qi Yang’s smile suddenly deepened, and he used a gentle tone to speak the threatening words.
The doctor trembled all over, his mouth twitching. “Why would I lie? If that’s the case, it sounds like your friend’s condition is more serious. Wait here a moment\u2014I’ll call that patient’s ward and…”
Have him come back later,\u201d the doctor said, then turned and walked into the inner room of the clinic.
Qi Yang watched the doctor\u2019s fleeing figure and smiled. He looked at the doctor, then asked Nan Sheng, \u201cIs there a phone here? How come I didn\u2019t know about it?\u201d
Nan Sheng’s pupils contracted; he was very disappointed in the doctor’s acting.
The doctor went inside; of course he didn’t make any calls. In truth, he desperately wanted to jump out the window and run, but Qi Yang was still waiting outside. This wasn’t an ordinary gamer \u2014 he was the person the top boss had ordered everyone to be wary of. The doctor kept counting in his head while nervously biting his nails. How had he been so unlucky to run into Qi Yang? If he even slightly displeased Qi Yang and the boss found out, he felt his little life would be finished.
The doctor counted to about thirty, then patted his cheek to make his expression look natural rather than stiff. Stepping outside, he said he had already called the patient.
Just as the doctor was about to leave, Qi Yang called out to stop him. The doctor’s face went pale. Could Qi Yang be angry? No way \u2014 he had already been trying hard to play this role.
“You’re just going straight over? Aren’t you going to take something?”
“Take… take what?” the doctor asked tremulously.
“Something for pain\u2014my friend’s face was injured, cut by bamboo. Bring some painkillers or the like.” Qi Yang suspected this NPC in front of him might not actually be a doctor.
The doctor, prompted by Qi Yang, seemed to only then remember: “Oh, right.”
Yeah, right! Qi Yang shot a hostile look.
The doctor scratched his head apologetically.
Having found the doctor, Qi Yang didn’t linger; he turned and went back to the inn with him.
When we went back, the inn had more people than just those few from before.
Hearing footsteps, Qiao Ran turned his head; when he saw Qi Yang his phoenix-like eyes immediately brightened even more, and the smile at the corner of his mouth grew all the more radiant.
Qi Yang showed little change in expression, led the doctor into the inn, and walked straight up to Yi Xinming.
The doctor could tell at a glance that the injured person was Yi Xinming, so he didn’t ask any more questions. When Qi Yang was truly angry, the less said the better.
The doctor approached Yi Xinming and began a careful examination.
Qi Yang moved to the side where there was an empty couch and sat down. Nan Sheng hadn\u2019t gone over to Yi Xinming; in his mind and eyes, there was only Qi Yang.
“I’m a bit thirsty.” Qi Yang ordered Nansheng like a tool without any politeness; he wouldn’t be polite to Nansheng either. After all, he was carrying the man’s child\u2014though the other didn’t know\u2014so a pregnant husband had to have some privileges.
Nan Sheng was happy to be bossed around by Qi Yang; the people around them all looked at him and Qi Yang with strange eyes.
Nan Sheng didn’t care what others thought of him. He found the innkeeper and had him pour a cup of warm water.
Holding the cup, Nan Sheng handed it to Qi Yang. He was more than willing to serve his pregnant husband\u2014an indulgence others could not enjoy.
After drinking half a glass of water, Qi Yang leaned back, a bit drowsy. As he was about to get up and go upstairs, Qiao Ran came over. Qiao Ran ignored the tall door god Nan Sheng standing by Qi Yang and sat down beside him. He turned his head and gazed intently at Qi Yang\u2019s face, as if from any angle it was flawless\u2014no wonder even the Overseer in the game would be interested in Qi Yang.
The Overseer probably knew that this man named Nan Sheng also liked Qi Yang. Obviously, Qi Yang was in high demand, but it was clear that a human player couldn\u2019t compete with a ghost\u2014there was no way to win.
\u201cLet me ask\u2014 which statue did you choose later?\u201d Qiao Ran could have asked Yang Jiang and the others, but he deliberately waited for Qi Yang to return.
Qi Yang vaguely sensed from Qiao Ran\u2019s expression that he seemed to have ulterior motives. He pretended not to know. In terms of acting, Qi Yang wasn\u2019t formally trained, but he thought he was decent enough.
“You picked a wolf.” Qi Yang answered.
“You picked it?” Qiao Ran asked casually.
“Not me, my friend.” Qi Yang glanced at Yi Xinming. The doctor was holding cotton to clean the blood from Yi Xinming’s face, and a bloodstained wad of cotton had already been tossed at his feet.
“You didn’t find a pattern?” Qiao Ran’s tone sounded incredulous.
Qi Yang and Qiao Ran continued to play it coy: “I wasn’t feeling well at the time, I was a bit uncomfortable. My head hurt as soon as I started thinking, so I didn’t look for it.”
“Then your friend found it right away\u2014your friend must be really smart.” Qiao Ran remembered there hadn’t been much time left when he left. If Qi Yang wasn’t lying, then Yi Xinming had figured out the pattern of Shi Qun’s arrangement in the last minute or two. Back then, he never solved things in just a minute or two.
Not envious, exactly \u2014 just found it pretty unexpected.
“He\u2019s clever.” Although Qiao Ran was praising Yi Xinming, Qi Yang looked as if the compliment was directed at him and seemed pleased.
“Two days\u2014no, it hasn’t even been two full days, and half the people are gone. There are five days left; Qi Yang, how many do you think will still be alive by the end?” Qiao Ran’s gaze fixed on Qi Yang, growing icy and sharp; the smile remained, but the warmth had considerably faded.
Qi Yang answered by standing up, eyes lowered. His gaze seemed to see through all of Qiao Ran’s thoughts
Looking down at him: “I’m tired. I’m going upstairs to rest for a while.”
Before Qiao Ran could speak again, Qi Yang turned and hurried off. As soon as he left, Nan Sheng fell into step behind him, but after two paces he suddenly angled his body; looking down from above, his gaze was so cold and indifferent it was as if he were staring at a weed by the roadside as he looked at Qiao Ran.
Qiao Ran lifted his chin slightly. After Nan Sheng followed Qi Yang upstairs and left, Qiao Ran curved his lips into a smile\u2014his eyes shining with sheer amusement.
It seems this copycat game is going to be very, very interesting.
He would keep staying here to seek thrills; if there weren’t any, he’d go and create some.
With a doctor present, Qi Yang believed Yi Xinming would be fine. There was no point in him staying downstairs\u2014he wasn’t a doctor and had no medicines. Back in the room Qi Yang didn’t close the door. He swapped his slippers and went to wash his face, and his feet while he was at it. When he came out of the bathroom, Nan Sheng was sitting on a chair in the room, a pair of dark, unreadable eyes fixed motionlessly on Qi Yang.
Qi Yang didn’t speak to Nan Sheng. He threw back the covers and lay down on the bed. Although someone was watching him sleep, Qi Yang quickly fell asleep after closing his eyes. His even breathing came slowly, and to Nan Sheng’s ears it sounded more beautiful than the sweetest music.
He thought Qi Yang hadn’t treated him like this yesterday\u2014then in the blink of an eye it changed. He didn’t drive him out when he came into the room, and he slept completely unguarded in front of him. Was he not afraid he might do something?
That was giving his self-control far too much credit.
Nan Sheng sat for a while longer, then rose silently, stepped lightly over to Qi Yang, and, looking at the pale, peaceful face before him, felt a sudden compulsion. He leaned down and gently kissed Qi Yang on the lips.
Didn’t kiss too deeply, afraid of waking Qi Yang.
After the kiss had satisfied him just a little, Nan Sheng didn’t disturb Qi Yang, turned and left, and kept the sounds of opening and closing the door exceedingly low.
As soon as the door closed, what Nan Sheng didn’t know was that Qi Yang, who had been lying on the bed, suddenly opened his eyes and curled his lips into a smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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