Chapter 56

Chapter 56

“We’ll be able to confirm it a bit later,” Jian Fan said.

The Bar needed a blood supply every day. If their guess was correct, there would be movement in this room tonight.

“Let’s check out the other side,” Jian Fan said, turning to look at Qin Weiyi.

Qin Weiyi had no objections.

The five of them gathered together again and headed toward the opposite direction.

Unlike the storage closet they had just discovered, the other path led to a much larger area. It connected to the staff locker room, several breakrooms, and a warehouse filled with ingredients.

The warehouse also had another exit.

Stepping out through the warehouse exit led directly to the kitchen.

The five of them did a quick but cautious sweep of the entire area. Aside from that blood-stained hemp rope, they didn’t find any other useful clues.

However, they still hadn’t seen anyone from Qi Shuping’s or Xia Zeqin’s teams, so there were definitely places they had missed.

At that moment, Xia Zeqin and his two companions were in a Private Room.

“Brother Xia, are we just going to stay here and do nothing?” Qian Xing couldn’t sit still any longer. Finally, he couldn’t help but ask Xia Zeqin.

Xia Zeqin was leaning back on the sofa, one arm draped over Lin Junruo’s shoulder and the other holding a wine glass, gently swirling the liquid. He didn’t look like he was participating in a Death Game; he looked more like he was at a bar for a night out.

“Are you in a hurry?” Xia Zeqin glanced sideways at Qian Xing upon hearing his words.

Qian Xing gave a fawning smile. “We haven’t gathered much information yet. This world seems too peaceful. The more peaceful it is, the more unsettled I feel.”

Xia Zeqin nodded as if in understanding. “True. You can choose to go look for clues yourself.”

“Aren’t you going, Brother Xia?” Qian Xing probed cautiously.

Xia Zeqin didn’t answer, instead taking a leisurely sip of his wine.

Seeing this, Qian Xing fell silent.

Lin Junruo leaned into Xia Zeqin’s embrace, though her heart was far from calm. Since the world began, Xia Zeqin had taken her onto the dance floor. In her mind, it felt like they hadn’t done anything at all except dance. When they finally left the floor, Qian Xing had suddenly mentioned the 6:00 PM Bar closing, and Xia Zeqin had led them to a change of scenery.

They had moved directly from the main hall of the Bar to the Private Room they were in now.

The strange thing was that Lin Junruo had clearly heard the staff notifying people in the other Private Rooms that the shop was closing, but no one had ever come to theirs. They stayed there until the lights outside were completely extinguished and the sound of footsteps faded away, leaving everything in silence.

It was as if their Private Room had been forgotten.

Lin Junruo’s heart was full of doubt. She had no idea how Xia Zeqin had managed it. This element of the unknown prevented her from feeling the excitement of being carried by a powerful player; on the contrary, she felt a wave of panic.

Qian Xing’s question gave Lin Junruo a glimmer of hope.

Seeing Xia Zeqin’s refusal, Lin Junruo also tried to speak up. “Zeqin, are we just going to sit here the whole time?”

“Is that not good?” Xia Zeqin asked.

Lin Junruo’s expression stiffened for a moment before she forced a smile. “Of course it’s good. I’m just not used to it.”

Xia Zeqin gave a faint, inscrutable smile. “You’ll get used to it after a few more times.”

Get used to it? No. Lin Junruo only felt it was getting more and more terrifying. Xia Zeqin was fearless and didn’t look for clues-or perhaps he was such a big shot that he could obtain information effortlessly. Lin Junruo could accept all of that. But this ignored Private Room was something she felt she might never be able to get used to.
“Was Zeqin always like this?” Lin Junruo asked with a smile, suppressing her rising panic. She wore an expression of practiced admiration. “My previous games with Mu Xin and the others were so exhausting. If only I had met you sooner, Zeqin.”

Xia Zeqin looked at Lin Junruo and smiled. “It’s not too late now.”

“But I wanted to know Zeqin earlier,” Lin Junruo said, acting coy as she buried herself in Xia Zeqin’s embrace. Only by avoiding his gaze did she feel a slight sense of security.

Qian Xing seemed completely accustomed to Xia Zeqin flirting with women. He remained expressionless as he watched the interaction between Lin Junruo and Xia Zeqin.

Despite having been rejected by Xia Zeqin earlier, Qian Xing spoke up again after a moment.

“Brother Xia, I’ve been thinking about it, and I’m still not at ease. I’m going out to take a look.”

Xia Zeqin didn’t stop him, merely nodding. “Mm, go ahead.”

Having received permission, Qian Xing stood up. Before leaving, he didn’t forget to acknowledge Xia Zeqin one last time. “Brother Xia, I’m heading out then.”

Lin Junruo watched as Qian Xing stood up and left the Private Room. Her eyes followed him until the door closed once more.

While Qian Xing was there, she felt like there was at least one other normal person like her. But now that it was just her and Xia Zeqin, her heart raced with even more dread.

“Want to go with him?” Xia Zeqin suddenly asked.

Lin Junruo stiffened for a second before quickly adjusting her emotions. She spoke in a high-pitched, cutesy voice, “Zeqin, what are you saying? You’re right here, so why would I follow him? I’m just curious-since we can just lie back and win, why does he have to work so hard and take risks?”

“After all, not everyone is as smart as you,” Xia Zeqin teased.

Lin Junruo leaned into his chest, seemingly delighted as she laughed until she shook. Yet, the panic in her heart found no outlet.

Qian Xing stepped out of the Private Room.

The Corridor was pitch black, and everything ahead was filled with the unknown. However, when he glanced back at the Private Room out of the corner of his eye, he immediately steeled his resolve.

Staying by Xia Zeqin’s side was not a wise move.

Lin Junruo had only just arrived and didn’t know much, but Qian Xing had been following Xia Zeqin for eight worlds now.

When he first arrived in the Realm of Death, he hadn’t understood anything. At that time, Xia Zeqin and Jian Fan were just a two-man team. Neither of them were talkative, but they worked together with perfect chemistry.

As a newcomer, Qian Xing had nearly died in his first world. It was Xia Zeqin who had stepped in to save him. Whether it was for survival or out of gratitude, Qian Xing chose to join Xia Zeqin and Jian Fan’s team.

He was the third member of the group, making him a veteran of sorts.

He still remembered that Xia Zeqin used to be a man of few words. Jian Fan disliked talking, whereas Xia Zeqin simply didn’t know how to. Xia Zeqin would only speak during crucial moments, or when he was talking to Jian Fan.

But one day, Xia Zeqin changed.

He became the person he was now and parted ways with Jian Fan.

Qian Xing always remembered that Xia Zeqin was the one who saved him, so when Jian Fan and Xia Zeqin had their falling out, he chose to stay by Xia Zeqin’s side without hesitation.

Even now, even though he realized Xia Zeqin was practically squandering Points, Qian Xing never thought about betraying him.

Indeed, Qian Xing knew very well that the reason their Private Room remained undetected was that Xia Zeqin had used Points to exchange for items from the System.