Chapter 45
Fu Zhi: ????
“What’s going on? Another live-action escape room adventure???”
Jiang Sheshe’s expression wasn’t great either as she recalled her previous escape room date with Fu Zhi.
The NPC dressed as a butler dutifully played out the plot: “Dear guests, please do not make loud noises, or the Duchess will be angry.”
“If the Duchess gets angry, things you cannot predict might happen.”
[Youai Butler: By the way, honorable guests, please follow the NPC’s rules and do not provoke them. Also, every guest will have an exclusive livestream room today. The two guests with the most viewers will receive exclusive benefits prepared by the Program Team!]
Ning Xi frowned upon seeing this message.
Why were there exclusive livestream rooms?
Did it mean they would be moving separately within the castle?
[This is getting intense!]
[Duke’s Castle!!!! Isn’t this the largest live-action castle adventure escape room in Xiangcheng? I heard a single ticket costs eight or nine hundred yuan, and the NPCs are all played by professional actors. Ahhh, I’m so excited!]
“Please follow me now.”
The butler led the way at the front.
The five of them climbed a long flight of stairs.
Right then.
The butler suddenly paused and turned back to look at everyone.
A sudden boom of thunder echoed outside the castle, accompanied by the pitter-patter of rain and the whistling wind. The smile on the butler’s face turned inexplicably eerie.
“By the way, I forgot to ask just now-where are the five guests’ invitations?”
Everyone froze. Invitations? What invitations?
The Program Team hadn’t given them any.
“Ahhh! What is that-”
Jiang Sheshe screamed.
Ning Xi followed Jiang Sheshe’s gaze and saw a person lying at the end of the stairs. Their long hair was a mess, and dark red blood was oozing from the back of their head.
Wei Xuan immediately stepped in front of Jiang Sheshe to comfort her. “It’s okay, it’s okay. It’s all fake.”
Xie Lanchen instinctively reached out to cover Ning Xi’s eyes.
However, Ning Xi merely murmured, “It’s so nice to be young. Falling asleep just like that.”
With such a beautiful state of mind, she simply had to go make a friend.
Thus, Ning Xi walked up to the lying NPC in a few quick steps. Sure enough, she found five invitations in the NPC’s hand.
[Holy crap, Ning Xi is so brave.]
The moment Ning Xi pulled the invitations from the “dead person’s” hand, the “dead person” instinctively rolled over, revealing hollow eyes and a face covered in blood to Ning Xi.
[Ahhhhhhh! Mommy!]
Ning Xi was also stunned for a moment.
Everyone thought she had been frightened as well.
Instead, they saw Ning Xi pat the NPC on the shoulder. “A young girl’s blush is better than any confession. Admit it-you like me just as much as I like you.”
“But I have a banquet to attend today, so I won’t accept your confession for now. I’ll consider whether or not to be with you the next time we meet. Bye-bye.”
The dead NPC: ?
The four guests following behind Ning Xi: ?
[Ning Xi, you’re going to be the death of me!]
[You call that a confession???]
[Alright, alright, this is the first time I’ve seen someone dare to flirt with an NPC.]
[Watching the livestream from Ning Xi’s perspective seems pretty interesting. I’ve decided to stay in Ning Xi’s room today, haha!]
Ning Xi stood up and handed the invitations to the butler.
“These are our invitations.”
The butler’s originally eerie and dark smile instantly became incredibly respectful. “Of course, distinguished guests.”
From beginning to end, he didn’t seem to notice the “dead person” on the floor.
“By the way, some maids have recently mentioned strange occurrences in the castle, but after the Duke sent people to investigate, it turned out to be just children’s pranks. So, if you guests see anything strange, don’t be afraid; it’s all fake.”
The butler spoke as they entered the first-floor hall.
Ning Xi understood: this was a hint to remind them that there were many more NPCs like the one just now lurking in the castle.
In the hall, glasses clinked and wine flowed as many men and women in exquisite, ornate clothing danced.
Ning Xi immediately spotted Shen Yibai and Ning Mingyue standing in the crowd.
Ning Mingyue looked a bit uneasy, while Shen Yibai lowered his gaze and comforted her in a soft voice.
[LMAO, these two were the first to arrive. At first, they thought they were actually attending some party.]
[You guys didn’t see Ning Mingyue’s reaction when an NPC suddenly turned its head to scare her. I bet she’s cursing up a storm in her head right now, hahaha.]
The seven of them officially met up.
Ning Mingyue’s complexion was a bit pale. “I’ve never played an escape room before, so I don’t quite understand the rules.”
Jiang Sheshe weakly raised her hand. “I’ve played before, but I can only follow behind everyone like a human accessory. My brain doesn’t work at all in these things.”
Fu Zhi swallowed hard and remained silent.
He was instinctively afraid of these things, but he didn’t want to admit it in front of Ning Xi.
Wei Xuan and Shen Yibai both looked calm; it seemed they weren’t afraid.
Ning Xi scratched her head and looked at the quiet Xie Lanchen beside her. “Have you played before? Are you scared?”
Looking at Xie Lanchen, she thought he probably wasn’t…
“I am.”
Xie Lanchen nodded seriously at Ning Xi, a flash of lingering, nervous worry in his eyes.
Then, he took a step closer to Ning Xi with total confidence.
Fu Zhi frowned and was about to say something.
Just then, the brightly lit castle suddenly plunged into darkness.
The music stopped abruptly, and all the dancing NPCs let out panicked screams, crowding toward the group of seven.
The seven were immediately separated.
At the critical moment, Ning Xi grabbed Xie Lanchen, who was closest to her. “Stay close to me!”
Jiang Sheshe instinctively tried to hide in Wei Xuan’s arms, but when she turned her head, she found he wasn’t there.
She grew anxious. “Brother Xuan…”
Only to see that not far away, Ning Mingyue was about to be knocked over by an NPC, and Wei Xuan had caught her just in time.
Jiang Sheshe froze.
She was pushed by the crowd in the opposite direction of Wei Xuan and Ning Mingyue, dazed.
“Ning Xi!”
Fu Zhi’s first instinct was to find Ning Xi.
But he was pushed in the opposite direction by the NPCs.
Fu Zhi’s face instantly became frantic. “Get out of the way!”
But the milling NPCs didn’t care; they just kept pushing Fu Zhi toward Wei Xuan and Ning Mingyue.
Fu Zhi could only watch helplessly as Ning Xi drifted further and further away.
Then, his pupils suddenly constricted-
He saw Ning Xi get bumped by some NPC, sending her crashing straight into the arms of Xie Lanchen, who had been protecting her from the front.
And on Xie Lanchen’s face, there was no sign of the panicked worry he had just claimed to feel; there was only a faint smile.
He even cast a cold glance at the NPCs trying to get near them, and the crowd was so intimidated that they didn’t dare approach again!