Gu Jiu suspected that “Lingyuan” was actually a type of unknown supernatural force.
This explained why the ghosts in the hotel could manipulate Lingyuan to harm the players. It was pervasive, filling every corner of the hotel. As long as players remained within its walls, there was no escaping it.
Their situation was more dangerous than they had imagined.
Fortunately, they had healing ointments purchased from Boundless City. In under half an hour, the wound on Gu Jiu’s arm healed, leaving only a faint pink scar.
Seeing this, Lu Ji took out a tube of flawless white jade scar-removal ointment. Supposedly, it was a popular item among female players. It could eliminate even the ugliest of scars, restoring flawless skin—a true blessing for those marred by disfigurement.
Gu Jiu was surprised that she’d bought even this type of scar cream and thought Lu Ji had quite the thoughtful, caring side.
She flexed her arm, where there was only a lingering sense of pain from earlier. In truth, the injury had healed.
Seeing the blood on her towel and the traces on her skin, she felt uncomfortable and decided to take another shower.
“Ah Jiu, take this with you.” Lu Ji handed her a small, winged paper heart. “It can monitor the presence of Lingyuan.”
Seeing the heart flutter toward her, Gu Jiu couldn’t help but chuckle. “Didn’t you say it wasn’t very useful?”
“That was before.” Lu Ji put on a face of feigned embarrassment, though he was clearly making things up in a serious tone. “But it’s a heart that represents justice. If danger appears, it’ll alert anyone nearby.”
Gu Jiu took the paper heart and entered the bathroom.
She removed the bloodstained towel and took another shower, washing away the sticky blood until her skin was clean. Even after putting on a fresh robe, nothing happened; the paper heart continued to flutter around her.
Exiting the bathroom, she gestured for Lu Ji to take her turn. “Ah Ji, be careful too. Don’t get hurt.”
Lu Ji nodded and went into the bathroom.
Once the door shut, he didn’t move right away. He glanced out the window as if peering through the curtains into some distant void. His black eyes were unfocused, and a powerful force surged around him, radiating like a storm and engulfing the entire hotel.
The hotel sank into a deeper darkness, as if an inaudible wail echoed through its walls.
“Ah Ji, are you okay? Nothing happened, right?”
Not hearing any sound from the bathroom for a long time, Gu Jiu knocked on the door, worried.
Lu Ji snapped back to himself, and the force surrounding the hotel vanished instantly, restoring the world to normal.
He quickly replied, “I’m fine.”
Gu Jiu was still a little concerned. “Be careful.”
Lu Ji acknowledged softly and turned on the water, taking his time in the shower as the rushing sound masked the strangeness hidden in the small bathroom.
Later, as they prepared to sleep, Gu Jiu asked seriously, “Ah Ji, could your paper creations stand guard for us overnight?”
“They can.” Lu Ji understood her intent. “Sleep soundly; nothing will happen.”
Gu Jiu sighed. “When someone is asleep, their reactions are dulled. If there’s another attack at night, we might not be able to respond in time…”
This game world was far more dangerous than any they’d encountered before. The unrelenting assaults, impossible to guard against, even disturbed their sleep. Gu Jiu, who normally slept soundly, wasn’t sure she could stay alert while sleeping. She hated the thought of dying here in such a frustrating way.
Lu Ji suggested, “How about I take the watch tonight?”
Gu Jiu considered this to be a safe approach as well, but she didn’t let Lu Ji take the whole watch by herself. “You keep watch for the first half of the night, and I’ll take the second half. When it’s my turn, wake me up.”
Lu Ji nodded, watching her lie down and quickly drift into sleep.
When midnight came, Lu Ji did not wake Gu Jiu.
As he watched the peaceful human sleeping beside him, a warm surge of unfamiliar feelings rose in his chest—a blend of joy and serenity. He was delighted by her presence, the way her aura lingered around him. She was the most captivating, most unique presence he had ever known, making his heart race with thoughts of being together with her. At the same time, he felt a profound peace in her company, as if all darkness and loneliness had receded.
In this silent and terrifying world, he relished her presence at his side.
When Gu Jiu woke up, daylight had already flooded the room.
The curtains hadn’t been closed, and the morning light spilled in. She stared at the sunrise outside the window, dazed, before recalling something and quickly sitting up.
“Ah Ji, why didn’t you wake me?” she asked, reaching for her glasses and putting them on, noticing bits of torn paper on the floor near the bed.
They were remnants of Lu Ji’s paper creations, torn apart.
Lu Ji explained, “I can stay up through the night, so I didn’t wake you. There were three attacks last night, all blocked by the paper guards, so nothing happened.”
Since the paper figures could completely fend off the threats, he hadn’t felt it necessary to wake her.
After understanding her words, Gu Jiu sighed and laughed, patting her hand. “Alright, I should trust your paper creations. That was my mistake.”
Her voice was especially soft, naturally gentle in tone, and when she made an effort to be even softer, it was irresistibly charming.
Lu Ji was no exception.
He was already deeply drawn to her, whether it was her lovely face, her gentle voice, or even her proud, feisty personality, he found her to be utterly wonderful.
The tips of his ears turned red involuntarily, and he felt an urge to hold her hand tightly.
But he restrained himself, not wanting her to notice his reaction. Keeping his expression calm, he simply said, “It’s fine. I don’t mind.”
Gu Jiu laughed as she ruffled her hair and pulled her up to start the day.
As they washed up, Gu Jiu asked about the attacks, learning that the three incidents during the night had been silent and unpredictable.
“Could it be that there are only three attacks in a night, and if you make it through them, you’ll be safe?”
Gu Jiu speculated, deciding to check on the other players and observe again that night.
They headed to the dining hall, only to find it empty.
They had arrived at about the same time as the day before—not too early, not too late—so Gu Jiu didn’t think the other players were simply sleeping in. Something must have happened.
The two of them turned and headed up to the fifth floor, stopping in front of Room 503.
Gu Jiu knocked on the door and called out, “Wan Xingzhou, are you still alive? If you are, come out!”
Her shout didn’t bring out Wan Xingzhou, but it did attract other players on the fifth floor.
The door of Room 511 opened, and a player with a pale, haggard face, clothes stained with blood, peered out, looking at Gu Jiu in confusion and fear. The first thing he asked was, “Did you get attacked out of nowhere last night?”
“Of course.”
With Gu Jiu’s confirmation, the player’s expression turned grave. He, too, had realized the dangers of this game world.
Gu Jiu knocked again, and finally, Wan Xingzhou’s voice sounded from inside, “Miss Gu, is that you?”
“Who else would it be?”
“Is Sister Lu with you?”
Lu Ji didn’t bother to respond, remaining silent.
At last, the door opened to reveal a blood-stained Wan Xingzhou. He scanned the two of them and remarked, “This time Sister Lu didn’t snap at me, so it must be real.”
Even though Lu Ji usually couldn’t be bothered with irrelevant people, he still felt an overwhelming urge to roll his eyes.
What kind of logic was that?
Wan Xingzhou invited them in and immediately asked, “Did you guys get attacked last night?”
“Yes, we did,” Gu Jiu replied. “As soon as we entered, a fruit knife almost fell right on my head, but Ah Ji pulled me away just in time. After that…”
Hearing that even Gu Jiu, the young mistress herself, had faced an attack, Wan Xingzhou looked somewhat relieved.
Gu Jiu shot him a side-eye. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”
“I just figured you’re really skilled, Miss Gu. So if even you got attacked, it makes my terrible luck feel more…normal,” Wan Xingzhou quickly clarified, then launched into his own string of misfortunes from the night before.
When he first entered his room, he was attacked by a knife that appeared on the door handle, nearly piercing his hand.
Then, while taking a shower, he slipped in the bathroom and almost “cracked his eggs” on the floor—Gu Jiu and Lu Ji instinctively glanced downward, causing Wan Xingzhou to flinch and turn away with an expression of silent suffering.
Later, when he finally tried to go to bed, the bed frame suddenly collapsed. Not to mention the three attacks during the night while he was trying to sleep…
In short, he had struggled through the entire night, too afraid to close his eyes, lest he meet his end in a single unguarded moment.
“Look at my bed—it’s in pieces! I had to sleep on the floor,” he said, pointing at a bed that had snapped cleanly in two, as if sliced right down the middle by a sharp blade.
After finishing his tale of woe, he looked at Gu Jiu with puppy eyes, filled with an innocent desperation.
Gu Jiu patted his shoulder sympathetically and said, “You’ve had a rough night. Hang in there and keep trying your best to survive tonight—you can do it!”
Wan Xingzhou sighed. “My bed’s in pieces. How about I crash on the floor in your room tonight? I mean, a floor’s a floor, right?”
Lu Ji offered helpfully, “I’ll go next door and grab you a fresh bed.”
Wan Xingzhou shot him a pained look, but Lu Ji turned away, pretending not to notice.
“Oh, alright, come on over then,” Gu Jiu agreed readily.
Now it was Lu Ji’s turn to look discontented, his gaze turning somewhat gloomy.
Gu Jiu couldn’t help but chuckle. Running her fingers through her loose hair, she teased, “Looks like spending time with Wan Xingzhou has taught you his puppy-dog eyes. Not bad, not bad—it’s a good look on you.”
It was a rare moment of playful charm.
Seeing her expression, one of proud approval as though she were pleased with her child’s newfound liveliness, Lu Ji simply went silent.
Wan Xingzhou cleaned himself up in the bathroom, washing away the bloodstains, and then followed Gu Jiu and Lu Ji to the dining hall.
With all the delays, they were just in time to catch the tail end of breakfast.
Most of the other players had arrived, and Gu Jiu scanned the room, noting that only fourteen players were present today—five fewer than yesterday. She wasn’t sure if they had perished or simply chose not to appear. She decided to check the registration list later.
The players’ conditions were visibly poor; they looked exhausted, picking at their breakfast. The only one who seemed lively was Zhan Shaohong. As a player focused on items, last night’s dangers hadn’t been as daunting for him.
Zhan Shaohong bounced over cheerfully. “Gu Jiu, are you alright? Did anything happen last night?”
Gu Jiu smiled. “I’m fine.”
The other players looked at her, noticing she was as radiant and stunning as ever. It was clear she’d slept well, a stark contrast to the others’ weary faces. Could she be a tool-user player as well?
Before Gu Jiu could respond, Zhan Shaohong eagerly started recounting every detail of his night. He spared no particulars, even mentioning how many times he’d lathered on body wash during his shower…
Liang Lifei and several other players listened with blank faces. This level of “loyal dog” devotion, they thought, was bound to end badly. They could only wait to see how it would pan out for him.
Zhan Shaohong’s experience had been similar to Gu Jiu’s. Attacks began the moment he entered his room, with a life-saving charm protecting him during a second attack. He endured three close-call attacks throughout the night.
“Gu Jiu, this hotel is incredibly dangerous. I have protective items—how about joining me tonight for safety?” Zhan Shaohong suggested with clear intentions.
There was a sharp crack as Lu Ji snapped his chopsticks in half.
Meeting Lu Ji’s gaze, Zhan Shaohong couldn’t help but shiver. He quickly mumbled, “Uh…if you’re not comfortable with that, that’s totally fine…”
Everyone else: “…” Is this it? Is this the courage of the great Young Master Hong they’d heard about?
Gu Jiu politely declined Zhan Shaohong’s “kind offer” and turned to chat with Chai Yingying instead.
Among the players, she had observed that Chai Yingying was the strongest. She speculated that the reason Chai Yingying treated Zhan Shaohong differently was due to her purpose in the game world—likely to protect him. Zhan Shaohong had mentioned previously that it was Chai Yingying’s timely actions that prevented him from getting hurt multiple times. She even kept watch at night, waking him at any signs of danger and reminding him to use his protective items.