The surroundings were filled with bright lights, and the illumination on each floor dazzled the eyes equally.
Fang Chen didn’t know which floor he had been led to.
The red carpet beneath their feet seemed to hollow with each step, as if they were about to fall through it. Suddenly, he snapped out of his daze and stopped. Fan Yingying turned around, her eyes flashing with panic. “What’s wrong?”
“Where are we going?” Fang Chen supported himself against the wall with one hand as he tried to pull his other arm back from her grip, but Fan Yingying held on firmly.
Her loose ponytail swayed as she shook her head. Raising the room key card in her hand, she said, “We’re going to the fourteenth floor. I have the room card. I don’t want to be with that thing… Let’s escape together once the sun rises!”
Earlier, Zhang Rui had taken three room cards and left the other two on the bedside table upon entering the sixth-floor room. When Fan Yingying said she wanted to take a shower, her real intent was to actually seize the room card while others were distracted. This was a plan hatched since early morning.
“What about the others?” Fang Chen asked, with his gaze wandering around the current floor.
Fan Yingying dragged him with desperation, vigorously shaking her head. “I don’t wanna go back! I don’t wanna go back! Fang Chen, please…” She cried, tears streaming down as if adorning pear blossoms with morning dew. Both of her eyes were now swollen red.
Fang Chen stumbled a step from her pulling. Upon witnessing Fan Yingying’s heightened emotions, he had no choice but to console the other party first. “Don’t panic, I’ll go with you. Which floor are we on now?”
Fan Yingying calmed down slightly at Fang Chen’s words. She loosened her grip on him, yet it left behind circles of red marks. Fang Chen’s fair complexion made these marks seem as though they were seared onto his skin, creating a rather eerie and unsettling sight.
“I don’t know.” Yet again, a sense of panic slowly crept up on Fan Yingying. She was entirely focused on making an escape with Fang Chen and didn’t pay attention to which floor they had reached.
Looking around, she couldn’t see any floor markings either. So strange. Everything about this hotel’s so strange.
“We’re probably not on the fourteenth floor yet. Shall we go to the elevator and check?” Fang Chen led.
Fan Yingying nodded but shook her head afterwards, her hands grasping Fang Chen tightened even more. “What if he takes the elevator up? I’ll die, I’ll definitely die. He’ll kill me for sure!”
“He won’t,” Fang Chen instinctively refuted. After uttering those words, he pursed his lips, unwilling to say more. He couldn’t associate that rotting man with Nie Shi. That man was his nightmare, but Nie Shi… what was Nie Shi to him? Fang Chen couldn’t put it to words; he just felt that Nie Shi was someone he could get close to and rely on.
Sure enough, as soon as those two words left Fang Chen’s lips, Fan Yingying clenched his arm with increased strength, and her nails dug even farther into his flesh. “You don’t believe me?”
“I didn’t mean it that way.” Fang Chen felt a cold shiver racing down his spine. He tried to pull his arm back, only to receive a sharper pain.
Fan Yingying wanted to say something, but suddenly, a muffled thump echoed through the hallway, as if something had fallen on the floor. She immediately crouched down in fear, nervously muttering, “He’s here, he’s here!”
Fang Chen strained to maintain his composure, pulling Fan Yingying behind the door to hide as his heart pounded in a chaotic rhythm.
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.
The sound didn’t resemble someone approaching; it wasn’t Nie Shi or anyone else. The two held their breath, surrounded by utter silence. Through the crack in the door, they could see the quiet hallway, incredibly tranquil and undisturbed…
Out of the blue, Fan Yingying unleashed a sudden, resounding sob. Her eyes widened in sheer terror as she desperately covered her mouth, tears cascading down her face like a torrential rain.
We’re done for.
A long, thin, and sharp hand emerged beside the door, scraping against the door frame and emitting guttural cries of “aah aah.” It unveiled a head and eyes devoid of whites, almost as if proclaiming— “I’ve found you guys.”
Fang Chen swiftly intervened, delivering a kick straight to its skull, diverting its head. Fan Yingying’s scream pierced the air, its sharpness echoing through the surroundings, leaving Fang Chen’s ears stinging in response. He instinctively reached for his belt, only to find the sheath empty; his dagger was lent to Nie Shi!
With no other choice, Fang Chen, seeing Fan Yingying struck by fear, pulled her and ran upstairs.
The malevolence was quite fragile; its skull fractured under the impact of a mere kick from Fang Chen. A greenish-yellow liquid oozed out, dripping onto the floor and forming black dots that eventually disappeared after some time—nothing could ever be left behind by those malevolences.
The malevolence slowly crawled back up, swaying as it ascended towards the upper floors. Its initial movement was sluggish, but it gradually picked up pace, clawing at the railing and climbing up. Its limbs slipped on the metal railing, and with each desperate attempt, its cries echoed louder, rising in intensity.
After running two floors, Fang Chen pulled Fan Yingying out of the stairwell, hiding behind a sofa in the lobby of the current floor. The malevolence failed to locate them, continued its ascent, and narrowly missed the duo.
Amidst the chaos, Fan Yingying kept her gaze on Fang Chen’s back. His hair was slightly tousled with a hint of curls, and the nape of his fair neck was bathed in a glistening sheen of sweat.
Fan Yingying had felt a spark being ignited in her from the first moment she laid eyes on Fang Chen; he truly resembled someone she had liked before, with rosy lips and white teeth, exuding a youthful charm. Unfortunately, that person lacked discernment in choosing a partner and ended up with a girlfriend who couldn’t match up to her in any aspect.
Thinking about that, Fan Yingying once again applied pressure and firmly gripped Fang Chen’s wrist, leaving a series of red marks. In certain areas, the skin was even scraped to the point of bleeding.
Fang Chen knitted his brows and was about to turn around and say something, but the stairwell resonated with another unexpected sound.
Another malevolence?!
Fan Yingying trembled, whispering, “Protect me, Fang Chen. You must protect me.”
“Shh, don’t speak,” Fang Chen whispered, inclining his head as he strained to listen. His legs teetered on the brink of collapse, and his arms pulsated with a burning ache, with small droplets of blood seeping from the wounds. However, even in the face of discomfort, he had no choice but to endure.
It’s the sound of footsteps.
Fang Chen sighed in relief, but quickly tensed again. In a moment of intense panic, Fan Yingying clamped her hands tightly over her ears, forgetting even to breathe. Her eyes widened, staring in disbelief, as she fervently prayed in her heart: Please, please, don’t let it be him!
The footsteps grew closer, stopped on their floor, and then silence ensued.
Fang Chen’s heart pounded like a drum, waiting what felt like an eternity, yet there was still no sound of movement. Closing his eyes and clenching his teeth, he slowly peeked out.
In the centre of the lobby stood one person—only this one person.
“Fang Chen,” he spoke.
Fan Yingying let out a piercing scream. Without a second thought, she quickly dodged past Fang Chen, sprinting towards the corridor connected to the stairwell, narrowly avoiding a stumble.
Nie Shi glanced at the direction in which the girl fled, showing no intention of pursuing her. Instead, he turned his gaze back to Fang Chen. “Are you hiding from me?”
“I’m not.” Slowly rising to his feet, Fang Chen brushed across the soft surface of the sofa with his fingertips. His gaze wandered aimlessly everywhere, yet never once settled on Nie Shi.
“What did she tell you?” Nie Shi walked over, his shadow looming over Fang Chen’s head.
“No…” Fang Chen’s hands trembled. He also had no idea why he was feeling scared. He could only stare at his own arm, where droplets of blood rolled down, leaving behind a trace of bloodstain. The droplet fell onto the sofa, creating a circle that subtly blended into the fabric’s pattern, eventually merging into the intricate lines and disappearing from sight.
“Do you fear me?” Nie Shi’s low and deep voice rang out, not in a questioning tone but more like a sigh.
“No.” Fang Chen’s vision blurred as he repeatedly denied three times, growing more anxious with each utterance.
Fang Chen’s chin was gently lifted by someone, and tears fell as he blinked. Nie Shi took hold of Fang Chen’s bloodied arm, licking away the blood with his tongue.
Fang Chen’s sight regained focus, and alongside the clarity in his gaze came a tender kiss that felt out of the ordinary.
Nie Shi said, “Don’t be afraid.”
Their lips met, sharing a frosty embrace.
Fang Chen couldn’t help but shiver.
…
Fan Yingying escaped.
She ran up another floor and just so happened to arrive at the fourteenth floor. Trembling, she used the room card to unlock the door, then securely shut herself inside and slumped to the floor in despair.
She left Fang Chen behind.
Fan Yingying’s breath hastened, her eyes brimming with tears. A sharp pang shot through her eyes as she wiped them with the back of her hand. Clutching her knees, she started to choke on her sobs.
She had no choice but to escape; that person despised her, and she would be done for if caught by him! But Fang Chen was different; it would be a… different case for him, right? She didn’t dare think further, holding herself tightly.
Fan Yingying was all alone now, what should she do… Wuu, she felt so scared. Was this her retribution? It must be, right? Because she did something wrong, she had to receive punishment. But how could she be blamed? It wasn’t her fault to begin with; that woman was the problem. That woman snatched away the one she liked and carried on as if nothing happened, still laughing and chatting with her and the clique.
The room was pitch black, and the sky outside had lost its ink-blue hue; it was an absolute, pure blackness without stars or the moon, casting its influence on everyone’s hearts. In the darkness, the girl clutched her knees, crying so silently that it was almost inaudible.
The hall’s chandelier was exquisite, adorned with cascading layers of tassels. Fang Chen tilted his head, gazing up at the chrome-yellowish core of the light.
His teeth were pried apart. An icy cold tongue slithered inside and explored the interior of his mouth, filling his surroundings with echoes of soft, wet, sloshing sounds. Nie Shi… no, it wasn’t Nie Shi, but that man with a rotting appearance who was embracing him, his palm tracing the contours of Fang Chen’s back.
They were kissing.
It was a kiss, as cold as ice and devoid of warmth, freezing Fang Chen to the point of shivering. Yet he endured. His gaze became unfocused as it drifted towards the bright chandelier. The glaring light exploded before his eyes, resembling a fleeting burst of fireworks.
Fang Chen felt a bit afraid.
Through the tears that had just been shed, Fang Chen inadvertently caught a glimpse of the man’s rotting face. Faintly visible amidst the ruins was the semblance of what once was: the contours of a face—that of Nie Shi.
Fang Chen had a moment of doubt; this was just a monster cloaked in human skin, merely wearing the face of Nie Shi to scare him. Unfortunately, he quickly returned to reality. This person, this rotting man, was indeed Nie Shi. He recognized Nie Shi’s scent, and now it enveloped him, rendering him unable to escape its grasp.
Perhaps dissatisfied with Fang Chen’s lack of response, the kiss intensified, becoming more fervent. He clung tightly to the back of Fang Chen’s head, his tongue swirling chaotically within.
Fang Chen was soon brought to tears, each drop pattering down.
In the staircase, the cries of a baby resounded once again. The malevolence circled back, having traced its way once more.
Nie Shi gently released Fang Chen, soothingly ruffling his hair as if to comfort him.
Fang Chen felt as though all strength had been drained from his body. He slumped directly to the ground, sitting there in a daze, his gaze fixed blankly on the floor. Silver threads clung to the corners of his mouth, and he wiped them away with the back of his hand, his fingers slowly curled up.
The malevolence only showed half of its body at the stairwell entrance. Nie Shi’s shot struck it directly in the chest, and as it fell, it simultaneously dissipated in the mid-air. That shot was the last bullet. With the chamber now emptied, Nie Shi ejected the magazine.
While Nie Shi was reloading, Fang Chen’s fingers twitched. His gaze remained lifeless, but he finally dared to lift his head and look at Nie Shi.
“Who are you?” Fang Chen’s voice was hoarse and muffled, as if covered by a layer of cloth. The light fell on the man’s rotting face; Fang Chen’s eyes flashed with confusion, followed by fear.
Trembling in his throat, he asked a question that even he found absurd, “…Did we know each other before?”
Unic experience: asking questions to a familiar rotting corpse
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