chapter 43

“Drip… drip…”

Tu Nan was awakened by the sound of water droplets coming from somewhere unknown.

She opened her eyes. The room was pitch black; she couldn’t see her hand in front of her face. In the silent darkness, the sound of dripping water was especially distinct.

“Drip… drip…”

One drop after another.

It seemed to be right by her ear.

She shifted slightly, and suddenly someone grabbed her hand. Jenny’s voice sounded right next to her ear.

“Shh,” she said. “There’s something outside.”

Tu Nan stared into the darkness before her, holding her breath and listening for any movement outside.

The sound of dripping water grew louder and louder.

Besides that, there was also a dragging sound, something being pulled across the floor-a faint rustling.

She used her finger to write in Jenny’s palm.

[What is it?]

Jenny also traced in her palm with her finger: [Not sure. Let’s wait and see.]

Her palm was slick with sweat, hot and damp.

They waited for a while, but the sounds outside faded away.

The two of them got up in tacit agreement and lit the Candle by the window.

The dim candlelight flickered, illuminating part of the room. Tu Nan glanced around and noticed that the Blanket they had hung over the Painting before going to sleep had fallen down.

And the Cat in the Painting was staring straight at them.

“Bang! Bang! Bang!” Suddenly, the door was knocked on.

Tu Nan and Jenny exchanged a glance, seeing the gravity in each other’s eyes.

Neither of them made a sound.

“Lita, open the door.” It was Fu Zhixing’s voice. “Quick, I have something to tell you.”

At a time like this, no one would be foolish enough to open the door.

“Open the door!” Fu Zhixing’s voice grew urgent, filled with terror. “It’s here… it’s right behind me, it’s here!”

Suddenly, a scream came from outside the door, followed by a sickening chewing sound. The cries for help became intermittent.

After a heavy blow against the door, his voice disappeared completely.

“That thing can mimic human voices,” Jenny said, her tone grave.

She glanced at Tu Nan, then got up and walked to the door.

Tu Nan watched, her heart pounding, not daring to blink.

Jenny pressed her ear to the door. The next second, a sinister voice sounded right by her ear.

“I know… you’re behind there…”

Jenny’s eyes widened, her breathing suddenly quickening.

“Why… won’t you open the door… save… me…”

Immediately after, something scraped forcefully across the wooden door, making a screeching sound. Jenny felt a chill at her feet. She looked down and saw bright red blood seeping through the crack under the door, slowly spreading in and soaking the tips of her shoes.

Her face twisted for a moment, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it would leap out of her throat.

Her nails dug deep into her palm as she suppressed the scream that nearly burst out.

Jenny quickly returned to the room, grabbed the Blanket from the bed, and vigorously wiped the blood from her toes.

“That thing… is not simple.” It took her a while to calm down before she spoke slowly. “It can’t get into this room. It can only tempt us to go out.”

“It can’t get in-maybe only for now,” Tu Nan said gravely, glancing at the door. “Let’s hope no one opens the door tonight.”

“They’re not fools. Don’t worry.” Jenny checked the time. “There are still a few hours until dawn. We’ll take turns resting. We can’t miss breakfast.”

Tu Nan nodded.

Just then, the wall behind the bed suddenly sounded with knocks of varying lengths.

Next door was Fu Zhixing’s room.

Jenny frowned, but saw Tu Nan also knocking on the wall with her knuckles in a rhythmic pattern.
“Morse Code?” she asked curiously, “You know how to use that?”

“Before entering the Instance, I was an obscure suspense novelist. I once studied Morse Code for a while out of interest,” Tu Nan explained.

“What did he say?”

“He told us not to open the door under any circumstances.”

Perhaps the Weird outside realized they wouldn’t be fooled, so the latter half of the night became very quiet. Tu Nan lay on the bed, but sleep eluded her. She didn’t know how much time had passed before her consciousness gradually blurred, yet her sleep was restless until Jenny woke her up.

“Wake up, we should go downstairs.”

Tu Nan opened her eyes, her mind buzzing, and Jenny’s enlarged face appeared before her.

“Did you have a nightmare?” she stated with certainty.

She had indeed had a nightmare, dreaming that those things outside broke in and tore her apart on the bed.

But there was no need to mention such a dream.

The window was still covered by Boston Ivy, leaving the room dim, but Jenny had a prop wristwatch, unaffected by the Instance, which could absolutely guarantee the accuracy of time.

Tu Nan planned to get herself a watch as soon as she got out.

If one cannot have an accurate sense of time in the Instance, it is often fatal.

The two of them washed up briefly and left the room one after the other.

The corridor was clean and tidy, gleaming enough to reflect one’s image, showing no trace of anything, as if everything from last night had been an illusion.

Except…

Tu Nan closed the door and looked at the Bloody Handprint that hadn’t been there last night, frowning slightly.

“Good morning.” Fu Zhixing came out of the room next door and greeted the two of them.

He looked fairly spirited, though the skin under his eyes faintly showed a bluish tint.

The three of them happened to go downstairs together and arrived at the Dining Room.

Jack and Rose had arrived ahead of them, and Qin, who had spent the night alone in a room, was also there. The other two men had not come down yet.

When she saw that it was Tu Nan’s group entering, a trace of worry flashed across Qin’s face.

“There’s still an hour before breakfast ends, don’t worry,” Rose kindly reassured her.

They took their seats one after another. The table was already filled with a dazzling array of breakfast foods, both Chinese and Western, everything one could wish for.

But which ones were safe to eat became another problem.

Tu Nan rested her head in her hand, feeling a headache coming on.

“Miss Lita, please allow me to prepare a special dish just for you. Only such a delicacy is worthy of your status.”

Suddenly, Simon’s tall figure appeared at the entrance of the Dining Room. He held a huge tray in his hands and, under everyone’s gaze, placed the dish before her.

Tu Nan looked at him in surprise, “For me?”

“Of course,” Simon said with deep emotion. “No one has ever been so incisive in pointing out my flaws. Those ordinary dishes would only insult your discerning palate. From now on, I will prepare a special meal for you at every sitting.”

Everyone cast subtle glances her way, their envy unspoken but clear.

Though last night had been dangerous, such a reward was undoubtedly worth it.

She had won the chef’s favor, so at least she wouldn’t have to worry about what to eat each day.

“Then thank you very much,” she stood up and gave an elegant bow, “It is my honor.”

Simon lifted the lid of the tray, and a rich aroma wafted out.

Everyone present instinctively swallowed.

“Simon, you’re playing favorites!” a slightly childish voice suddenly rang out, “You’ve never made such a delicacy for me!”

Tu Nan paused slightly and looked toward the entrance of the Dining Room.