Fan Yingying quickly loosened her grip and walked away without saying anything to Fang Chen.
The living room was spacious. The ladies sat on the sofa. As for the guys, Zhang Rui casually found a chair to sit in, Nie Shi half leaned against the wall, with Fang Chen standing on his left front. Gao Cheng, having nowhere to sit, also stood near Fang Chen.
Raindrops pattered on the window, resonating simultaneously within their hearts. The seven known individuals in the building had all gathered here.
The dark, oppressive clouds in the sky refused to disperse. Suddenly, lightning flashed, causing Fan Yingying to jolt. Xie Ying held her shoulder and comforted her with care.
“Where’s this place?” Fang Chen voiced, asking his first question.
Gao Cheng didn’t understand what he meant and asked, “Ah?”
“Do we really live here?” Xie Ying also raised her gaze and questioned, her hands still resting on Fan Yingying’s shoulder. “…Sometimes, I can’t help but think like this.”
Ever since an unknown day, they woke up to an ordinary day and faced familiar neighbours. Although they recognized each other, the specifics of how they met were forgotten.
When did they move in? No idea. Had they spoken with each other before? If they did, what did they say? If they didn’t, then why do they know each other? The building had twelve floors, yet they hadn’t even met the people who lived on the top few floors. The only known interactions were among their small group.
“Where’s this place…” Wang Huiwen gulped and repeated Fang Chen’s question.
A chill ran down everyone’s spine. They had some understanding of each other, but that understanding was too superficial and couldn’t withstand scrutiny, especially when they started doubting everything here, and it felt like everything was collapsing.
Feeling a weight behind him, Fang Chen turned and found Nie Shi almost falling asleep. The other party’s head was knocking against Fang Chen’s back, with their hair gently brushing against his neck.
Gao Cheng turned his head sideways and pointed towards the gun at Nie Shi’s waist, making eyes at Fang Chen, mouthing, “What’s that all about?” He saw it the moment Nie Shi entered the apartment. He endured for a long time without daring to ask, and it seemed the others felt the same.
Because Nie Shi was leaning close towards him, Fang Chen didn’t dare to move and just blinked his eyes.
Gao Cheng immediately showed a sympathetic look, imagining Fang Chen being pushed around by Nie Shi, serving the role of a little follower.
This was just a little episode of his, finding joy in sorrows. Everyone knew that something extremely strange was happening here. No one was outside, the corpse on the second floor had disappeared; the sky was getting darker, time was becoming chaotic, and the temperature was gradually dropping… Everything they thought they knew was wrong.
The three ladies dressed in skirts were huddling together, shivering in cold, while only Gao Cheng continued to sweat, resembling a human furnace.
Zhang Rui suddenly brushed across the TV switch and accidentally turned it on. Nie Shi slowly opened his eyes as he placed his arm on Fang Chen’s shoulder, resting his head on top of it.
The TV was playing a palace intrigue drama, and a woman screamed sharply, “You deserve to die a terrible death!” A muffled thunderous roar followed, and Fang Chen shrank his neck, rubbing his ear against Nie Shi’s cheek while doing so.
“Let’s wait for dawn to arrive, and we’ll leave then.” Zhang Rui pressed the remote control twice. News interviews from various regions within the country were still playing. A sense of anxiousness surged inside him. “We’ll leave the moment the day breaks.”
“Go where?” Fan Yingying asked with nasal voice.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
Zhang Rui abruptly looked at Nie Shi in a quick flash, then immediately retracted his gaze. “Well, we can’t possibly keep staying here, right? You see,” he said, changing several channels. “Here and here, aren’t they all fine? Anyway, let’s not remain in this cursed place!”
As if in response to him, a knocking sound wafted from the entryway. After a few knocks, it changed to scratching, making everyone’s hearts tremble and their scalps tingle.
Fan Yingying tightly covered her ears, whimpering. Xie Ying picked up the kitchen knife from the coffee table, while Wang Huiwen and Zhang Rui huddled together.
“Brother, what do we do?” Zhang Rui tremblingly asked Nie Shi.
The weight on Fang Chen’s shoulder was relieved. Nie Shi stood up straight with a lethargic expression, looking as if he was still tired. “There are too many people here.”
Everyone was gathered in one room, so the malevolence naturally followed suit.
Beyond the door, echoes of “ahhh” reverberated, accompanied by the banging of the door panel, as if it might be smashed at any moment.
Fang Chen felt everyone’s gaze gathering on Nie Shi, including his own.
“What to do?” Gao Cheng swallowed nervously.
Standing alongside Nie Shi, Fang Chen felt those gazes piercing through him and directly onto Nie Shi.
What to do? The only one daring enough to kill that monster here was Nie Shi.
Nie Shi glanced up, “Want me to go?” he asked, but no one dared to speak up.
Fang Chen, feeling an unknown impulse, held onto Nie Shi’s arm. “I’ll go with you.”
“Hmm,” Nie Shi muttered to himself, as if contemplating, then lifted his head. “No need. I don’t know how many are outside. I can’t watch over you.”
Fang Chen: “……,” He just got seen as a liability, didn’t he?
“Then, I’ll go too.” Xie Ying suddenly stood up. “I’ve been a police officer for a year and a half, after all.”
Oh, that explained her calm demeanour; someone in the corner secretly sighed in relief. Wang Huiwen immediately grabbed her hand. “Have you seen what that thing looks like? Don’t be foolish; sit down.”
“But he can’t go alone, can he?”
The atmosphere stagnated, until Nie Shi directly drew his gun and walked towards the door.
Fang Chen was still uncertain, but his feet had already followed out. Though, his forehead was met with a push by Nie Shi, pushing him back, “Stay here; I’ll be right back.” Finishing his words, he turned and walked towards the entryway.
Fang Chen also had concern about holding back Nie Shi. And just as he was contemplating, someone called him from behind, “Fang Chen.” Fan Yingying sat up from the sofa with widened eyes and asked, “When did you become so close with Nie Shi?”
As the door cracked open, a pair of claws forced its way in. Nie Shi raised his foot and stomped on the malevolence that was clinging to the door frame. He quickly scanned the area, aimed, and fired the first shot towards the right front.
There were only two of it.
Silver bullets pierced through the rotted black chest. Upon impact, the malevolence quickly shrivelled up before finally turning into a disgusting skin and dissipating into ashes in the air.
Fang Chen shuddered at the sound of the gunshot, wanting to turn around and peer outside the door. Fan Yingying was startled again, but she still continued speaking, “Did you two know each other before?” She bit her lower lip, hands trembling. “It can’t be, right?”
Fan Yingying had observed the two of them for a long time now. She had been watching Fang Chen, so she naturally wouldn’t overlook the person close to him. Their interaction was strange… it was too intimate. Those actions and words, not just from Nie Shi to Fang Chen but also from Fang Chen to Nie Shi.
But did they know each other before?
The second gunshot rang out, and Nie Shi coldly watched as the pile of soft flesh at his feet disappeared.
Fang Chen couldn’t recover his composure for a long time.
The memories of everyone here had been tampered with. They only believed they knew each other, but the reality was far different. They all have their own social circles and acquaintances. But, what about Fang Chen?
Fan Yingying’s words silently choked his throat.
Did you know him?
Him. An oddity.
Fang Chen felt the air thinning, unconsciously pressing his hand against his neck with force.
He didn’t know Nie Shi. In fact, he didn’t know anyone. While others had people they could contact, he didn’t.
They were arranged and placed in a building, and now three people were already dead, with the possibility of more deaths to come.
Nie Shi was strange. He killed those malevolences expressionlessly, without a flinch. Everyone was afraid of him, yet they had no choice but to depend on him.
A door closing sounded, followed by footsteps echoed, and then, a gentle knock on his head.
Fang Chen’s expression instantly darkened, even the glimmer in his eyes also dimmed. Why was he the only one who had forgotten everything?
“What’s wrong?” Nie Shi saw Fang Chen’s face and ran his eyes over everyone in the apartment.
He was displeased.
Fan Yingying tripped and sat on the sofa, covering her face as tears started to flow. She couldn’t bear the way Nie Shi looked at her, like he was looking at a dead person, devoid of any warmth.
“Has it been resolved outside? Just what exactly is that thing…” Xie Ying asked, putting the kitchen knife back on the coffee table. She was frightened too, but she still reached out to pat Fan Yingying’s hair, comforting her, “It’s over, don’t be afraid.” She thought Fan Yingying was frightened by the strange creatures outside the door.
Someone turned on the lights, and the interior suddenly brightened.
Fang Chen took a step back, wanting to retreat into the shadows, but a hand behind on his waist stopped him.
“What’s wrong?” Nie Shi asked again, his breath brushing past Fang Chen’s ear.
Fang Chen’s initially chaotic emotions were soothed, and a weird feeling arose in his heart—were they really this familiar with each other?
“That thing… is it dead?” Nie Shi returned too quickly. Gao Cheng gulped nervously and glanced at the gun at Nie Shi’s waist. “That’s way too cool, isn’t it?”
No one responded to him.
The tranquil facade of this building had been completely shattered, and everyone harboured their own private thoughts.
Fan Yingying’s crying gradually waned.
“Now the most important thing is to figure out why we’re here.” Xie Ying turned to survey the people in the room. “We were arranged and placed in this building. Is there… something common among us?”
“Don’t know. I woke up and was already here.” Fan Yingying hugged her arms, her gaze shifting to Fang Chen and quickly retracting. “I don’t know…”
Fang Chen discreetly observed Nie Shi. The attempt at stealing glances failed miserably, and he was caught red-handed by Nie Shi. For the third time, Nie Shi asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Fang Chen dodged eye contact.
“What commonality?” Wang Huiwen asked.
“I don’t know.” Xie Ying lowered her head. “But there must be some overlap, right? Otherwise…”
“The three people who died earlier, did they share something similar with each other?”
“Anyway, let’s escape first!” Zhang Rui interrupted their contemplation. “We can’t stay in this place. I have a car… can take at most five people…”
“Escape to where?”
“In any case, we can’t stay here, right?!” Zhang Rui flung back his head, sweat flicking off as he did. “Let’s escape first… Outside… outside may not be like this?” He looked at Nie Shi, as if they only needed his approval, and they could set off immediately.
Isn’t he someone they’re afraid of? Fang Chen couldn’t help but step forward, standing halfway in front of Nie Shi.
“Shall we wait until sunrise and then go outside to have a look?” Xie Ying suggested. “I also have a car. Two cars should be enough for seven people.”
It was no longer possible to keep staying in this building; they could only try to escape.
poor girl, really hope she doesnt do anything stupid though 😭
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