Chapter 167
Chapter 167
Or perhaps an invisible bond had already formed between them long ago.
Even without speaking of it, both of them could feel it.
Were they friends? Partners?
Xiao Huai did not know.
When he was with Lu Yuanshi, unfamiliar feelings sometimes rose within him for no apparent reason.
Xiao Huai placed every one of those unknown feelings into a small box deep in his heart.
He did not deliberately define them. Everything had unfolded so naturally.
Xiao Huai closed his eyes. Only belatedly did he realize that Lu Yuanshi had tucked an arm beneath his neck to make him more comfortable.
He paused, then the corner of his mouth lifted by an almost imperceptible degree.
No longer hesitating, Xiao Huai said, “Lu Yuanshi.”
“Mm?”
“I’m hungry.”
“Mm.”
Lu Yuanshi answered softly, “What do you want?”
“Glutinous rice dumplings.”
“All right.”
Lu Yuanshi rose. Just as he reached the door, he heard Xiao Huai’s voice behind him once more.
By then, Xiao Huai had already injected himself with the conversion serum.
He sat up. Moonlight lay serene within his eyes, while his collarbones appeared and vanished beneath the edge of his shirt.
Xiao Huai said, “Next time, I’ll find you.”
This time, he had vaguely sensed Lu Yuanshi’s presence. Yet somewhere in his heart,
He had not gone looking for Lu Yuanshi. A part of him had not dared.
As though he feared some emotion that should not exist would rise to the surface.
As though he feared becoming too dependent on someone.
He smiled faintly and tucked every emotion away. In truth, there was no need for such hesitation between them.
Honesty was enough.
Finding Lu Yuanshi also meant finding a piece of himself hidden deep within his own heart.
For now, however, he needed time to understand himself.
That certainly did not mean remaining beside Lu Yuanshi.
Before Lu Yuanshi could answer, golden light enveloped Xiao Huai. He tipped his head back slightly, his features edged in warmth, and left the game under Lu Yuanshi’s gaze.
Long after Xiao Huai was gone, Lu Yuanshi raised a hand and glanced quietly at it.
For one instant, he had almost caught that beam of light.
But light often slipped away far faster than one imagined.
Lu Yuanshi lowered his eyes and slowly closed his outstretched palm.
When would Xiao Huai truly belong to him?
Perhaps only when that day came would Heaven truly notice his existence.
He looked toward the thunderclouds outside the window.
This was not the first time he had been punished.
But this punishment seemed more severe than the ones before it.
He watched the clouds calmly and walked outside.
He was a god. He ought to possess a god’s resolve.
He knew every punishment was a warning that what he was doing was forbidden and would not be permitted.
Even so, the next time, he still wanted to be with Xiao Huai.
Because he…
Wanted to be found.
* * *
[Successfully cleared the fourth-floor special game instance: “Vampires”]
[You received a total of 15,323 views during this game! You have entered the Center-Stage Traffic Tier and qualified for the Supernova Traffic Tier!]
[After falling into a certain-death scenario, you escaped the one controlling you and earned immense praise!! The System promises it will not force you into another special game instance for the time being, and the next game you enter will definitely not be difficult.]
After leaving the game, Xiao Huai did not immediately return to the standby world. Instead, he arrived in another space.
Though darkness surrounded him, several beams of light descended from nowhere.
They resembled stage lights.
After hearing the System notification, Xiao Huai could not help giving a cold laugh.
It promised the next game would not be difficult?
The games had stopped being easy with the very first instance.
[In this game, human player Xiao Huai cleared three mini-games and collected four gold coins, earning a settlement score of 15 points. In light of your overall performance, you have received the highest rating: S!]
[Because the player held a human identity, your points have been multiplied a hundredfold. Total settlement: 1,500 points. The limited-time shop is now open. The player may spend points to purchase desired items.]
Every stage light converged on one spot.
A red vending machine stood there, printed with grotesque cartoon designs.
Xiao Huai walked toward it.
As expected, the vending machine’s sales screen offered nothing ordinary.
Every item was designed for use in horror games: single-use substitute dolls, a witch’s gloves, and more.
Some were defensive items, while others were offensive.
Xiao Huai remembered Follower No. 3 saying that the more gold coins a player possessed, the greater their chances of refreshing a Death-Exemption Medallion.
He found a refresh icon at the bottom of the System interface. Each refresh cost one gold coin.
Without hesitation, he fed a coin into the slot.
The vending machine refreshed with an animation like the opening sequence of a lottery draw, every item shifting at random in utter chaos.
When the refresh ended, strange music began to play.
It sounded celebratory, yet the tune resembled funeral music.
That certainly suited the usual style of a horror game.
Xiao Huai paid it little attention. It was only a game effect, and none of it could frighten him anyway.
He cared only about which items appeared.
One quick glance told him there was no Death-Exemption Medallion.
He was curious what sort of item it was, given how excited the players became whenever it was mentioned.
After the game, gold coins could be exchanged for Survival Coins, but Xiao Huai had intended from the start to spend every one of them on refreshes.
No amount of Survival Coins could guarantee the purchase of a Death-Exemption Medallion.
To Xiao Huai, the medallion itself was optional. But to certain people, it might become valuable leverage in a negotiation.
If Xiao Huai obtained it, perhaps he would have a better chance of forming a soul bond with that person in the future.
This was the kind of opportunity one could only stumble upon.
He did not hesitate long before trying again and again.
As expected, his luck was abysmal. Three refreshes in a row failed to reveal even the shadow of a Death-Exemption Medallion.
The other items in the machine were unremarkable, with nothing that interested him.
One final coin remained. He could only leave it to fate.
Xiao Huai suddenly pulled a Red Finger from his system inventory.
The Red Finger was meant to curse other people, but this time Xiao Huai used it to tap the refresh icon.
His own luck was awful, so what if he used someone else’s hand?
Perhaps a female ghost’s hand would prove surprisingly lucky.
The items refreshed again, and Xiao Huai watched the shifting display without expression.
Even the long-haired female ghost attached to the Red Finger quietly draped herself over Xiao Huai’s back to watch the machine spin.
Feeling a chill across his back, Xiao Huai put the Red Finger away.
One second, two seconds, three.
The refresh finished.
To Xiao Huai’s disappointment, however, no Death-Exemption Medallion appeared in the machine.
Just as he decided to spend the points on something at random, several familiar voices sounded behind him.
“I heard the subject of the funeral had already left the game. Everything immediately became dull, so I came to see you off.”
Xiao Huai turned. The speaker was Ling Chen.
The Mad Hatter and Qi Sha stood on either side of Ling Chen, dressed exactly as before.
Only this time, genuinely friendly smiles touched their faces.
There was nothing false about them.