Chapter 154
Chapter 154
Peng Sheng had been preparing to deliver a grand speech from the moral high ground, but now the words stuck in his throat. He pressed his lips together.
That was true. No matter how righteous he made himself sound, he was still picking and choosing, looking for the option most likely to keep him alive.
For the first time since entering the Game, Cheng Miao hardened her heart. “I’ve already summarized and shared the rules and every clue we have. My conscience is clear.”
“But I can’t ask my team to provide even more help and protection, let alone risk their safety just to soothe some so-called moral obligation.”
After saying that, Cheng Miao did not spare Peng Sheng another glance. She called her team aside to summarize their current clues.
She did not see the same relief appear in the eyes of two completely different men behind her, Qiudong and Jiang Chen.
Their Cheng Miao had grown. She had matured.
She would not shackle herself with vague sympathy and morality. That was an essential condition for surviving the road ahead.
Cheng Miao looked at Qin Musong and Lin Zhu, then lowered her head. “I’m sorry. If you think it was cruel of me to reject Peng Sheng, I have nothing to say. But I can’t use you as bargaining chips in a gamble.”
She received no verbal answer. Instead, three people wrapped her in a warm embrace.
Qin Musong was not used to expressing his emotions this way. He brought a fist to his lips and coughed. “We’re very happy.”
Cheng Miao: ?
Lin Zhu grinned. “Sister Miaomiao, we would never think you’re cold-blooded. Your kindness is what drew all of us to you, so we’d never doubt that. If anything, we often worry that you’re too kind and that it might become a weakness.”
Qi Jiajia had finally managed to squeeze past Qiudong and stand beside Cheng Miao. She clutched the hem of Cheng’s shirt and refused to let go. “In short, kindness puts you at a disadvantage in this Game, so we were afraid you wouldn’t know where to draw the line. Now we can relax.”
Cheng Miao stared. Then warmth swept through her entire body and softened the rims of her eyes.
Smiling, she rubbed Qi Jiajia’s head and cast her remaining turmoil aside.
Peng Sheng was having no luck either. His attempt at moral coercion could do little more than disgust Cheng Miao. None of the others were buying it at all.
Before Peng Sheng could even speak, Gu Fan refused him. The dead man had been their teammate, yet Peng Sheng had rushed out and now wanted to move in with them?
Xiao Wen and Xiao Qing backed away two steps and hurried to Cheng Miao’s side.
Peng Sheng stood frozen. He was out of options. Only those two men remained.
Bracing himself, Peng Sheng looked toward Jiang Chen and Gu Jian. “Can I stay with you?”
Jiang Chen’s smile had vanished the moment Peng Sheng began his speech.
Without his smile, Jiang Chen resembled an ancient bronze sword, heavy and sharp, carrying an air of age and mystery.
Gu Jian, however, remained his usual self. “Sure. But if you die, don’t expect us to do anything about it.”
The ominous remark made Peng Sheng frown, but since he was asking for shelter, he swallowed his complaint.
Because of the castle’s location, candles burned all day. The players spread out again and continued searching for clues by candlelight.
Cheng Miao wandered around the living room with her new tail, Qiudong. Whatever else could be said about the castle, its taste was impeccable. The piano and candlesticks were all exquisite, high-end pieces.
The piano’s glossy lacquer faintly reflected the figures of the two people beside it.
Cheng Miao brushed the keys, then turned to Qiudong. “I used to play the piano.”
Qiudong raised an eyebrow. “There will be plenty of chances for me to listen in the future.”
Cheng Miao had no intention of playing here. A castle and a piano were practically the standard setup for a horror movie.
Suddenly, two specks of light flashed across the piano’s lacquered surface. Cheng Miao noticed the gleam, which looked like reflected light.
She turned toward it and saw a small doll hidden among the curtains.
Cheng Miao walked over, picked up the doll, and examined it cautiously. There was nothing wrong with it. She had seen dolls like this countless times.
The light just now must have come from its glass eyes. Cheng Miao sighed and put the doll back where it had been.
Suddenly, after so many encounters with ghosts, Cheng Miao sensed with unusual sharpness that something was wrong.
She looked up. A frail woman in a billowing white dress had appeared beside the piano. It was Yuko!
The Kun-Bone Dagger appeared in Cheng Miao’s hand. She watched Yuko warily, puzzled that her buff did not seem to have activated.
Yuko approached one step at a time. Black hair covered her formerly pale face, leaving only the corners of her bloodred eyes exposed.
Her gait was twisted and stiff. Fine beads of sweat appeared on Cheng Miao’s forehead, yet her buff still did not activate.
What was going on?!
Her buff should be one hundred percent effective now. Unless…
Was this a hallucination?!
Cheng Miao’s pupils contracted. She did not dare run or even move, afraid she might touch a painting that could be somewhere nearby.
But what if she was wrong?
Pain throbbed through Cheng Miao’s head. The female ghost who could once nearly frighten her to death with a single glance was drawing closer and closer.
Use the dagger?
If this was a hallucination and she slashed a painting…
Cheng Miao put the dagger away. With a flick of her hand, she produced a lantern made of white bone and human skin.
She watched the female ghost approach and gritted her teeth.
She would take the gamble!
Holding her breath, she watched the foul-smelling woman press right up to her face. Cheng Miao dug her nails into her palm and desperately controlled herself, refusing to make any sudden movement.
It felt as though a century passed. Then a hand closed around Cheng Miao’s icy fingers, and a faint, cool fragrance made her breathe a sigh of relief.
She turned and saw Qiudong smiling at her.
Cheng Miao was quite a sight by then. Sweat had soaked her entire body, plastering her clothes to her back and her hair to her face.
Fear still lingered in her eyes. The next moment, she was drawn into a faintly cool embrace scented with that clean, chilly fragrance.
Qiudong softened his voice, amusement warming it. “You did very well.”
He had noticed something was wrong with Cheng Miao earlier. He watched her inexplicably walk into a corner, surrounding herself with several paintings.
But he did not act rashly. Instead, he positioned himself where he could intervene in time.
He watched conflict cross Cheng Miao’s face, watched her take out the Kun-Bone Dagger and put it away again, and finally watched her grip the lantern, hold her breath, and force down her fear.
She had done very well.
Cheng Miao calmed herself in Qiudong’s arms. Her ghost encounters had grown more frequent after gaining the buff, but she had never experienced one at such close range before.
Even now, her legs still felt weak.
Once her heartbeat returned to normal, Cheng Miao realized she was still in Qiudong’s arms and suddenly felt embarrassed.
Before she could figure out why, Qiudong naturally released her and led her by the hand to the sofa.
“Tell me. What happened?”
Qiudong’s question scattered the awkwardness in Cheng Miao’s heart. She briefly described what had happened, then sank into thought. “I did see a doll before the hallucination, but there was nothing unusual about it.”
Qiudong did not interrupt. His long fingers pressed the back of her neck, and a few gentle kneads soon made Cheng Miao feel much better.
When the players returned from searching and saw Cheng Miao in that state, they were startled. Qiudong explained the situation in a few words. Some did not understand, but his cold expression kept them from asking more.
Cheng Miao’s gaze moved from Lin Zhu to the piano. Suddenly, her eyes lit up.
“I know!”