Wen Yi’s words made the other players’ expressions turn unpleasant, especially the three female players, whose gazes at Qing Li were laced with resentment.
Her appearance signified that one of the female players would be unable to find a teammate, thus failing the mission.
With just one sentence, Wen Yi easily incited hostility toward Qing Li.
As the undercurrents surged in the atmosphere, the man’s tightly pressed lips curled faintly.
Player No. 66, Huang Lina, had a pure and innocent face, but it was tinged with awkwardness. She could see that Wen Yi was very interested in Qing Li, which caused a sense of crisis to rise within her.
“Brother Wen Yi, if you choose me, I’ll do anything you want.” She gave a bashful smile, her soft body leaning closer to Wen Yi, lightly brushing against him.
In the Horror Live Stream, it was common for the weak to cling to the strong, even offering themselves willingly.
Good-looking men clung to women, good-looking women clung to men, and sometimes, even the same gender wasn’t out of the question.
Huang Lina’s actions were nothing unusual—everything was for survival.
“Really?” Wen Yi lowered his head, his slender fingers lifting the woman’s chin. His fox-like eyes were filled with deep affection, enough to drown anyone in their allure.
Huang Lina’s cheeks flushed red. Unbidden, the words written in blood on the wall came to her mind, and she blurted out, “For you, I’m willing to give everything, even my life.”
“Good girl.” Wen Yi caressed her lips.
【No way, does this mean our little village girl has no man interested in her?】
【Haha, do these men really think our little village girl will die without them? She can solo clear the game dungeon on her own.】
【Men only slow down the speed at which the little village girl wields her big axe.】
【This No. 14, Wen Yi, is so disgusting. He’s clearly stirring up trouble between the little village girl and the other female players. Ugh, scumbag.】
The live stream audience cursed and ranted.
“Qing Li, do you have anything to say?”
Wen Yi didn’t immediately agree to Huang Lina’s proposition. Instead, his gaze fell on Qing Li, waiting for her response.
“I have only one question.”
Qing Li yawned. Her thin sleepwear’s neckline was slightly open, revealing a long, fair neck. Her makeup-free face carried an innate laziness.
Huang Lina was on high alert, her hands clenching tightly, nails digging painfully into her palms.
“What question?” Wen Yi asked with a smile.
Qing Li looked up at the dilapidated hotel sign dangling precariously and mumbled, “I just want to know—do we have to pay for staying at this hotel ourselves, or is it covered? If players have to pay out of pocket, I’m not doing this money-losing deal.”
Wen Yi: “…”
Other players: “…”
The ever-present system: “Free.”
Upon hearing that she didn’t have to pay, Qing Li’s eyes brightened. She turned to the other players and said, “Since you’ve already divided into teams, you don’t need to worry about me.”
“Qing Li, don’t joke with your life. The mission hint clearly stated that a single person cannot check in.” Wen Yi’s eyes darkened, his tone cold.
He had given this woman three chances, yet she remained ungrateful.
The man’s anger was already beginning to simmer.
“Oh? Then what do you plan to do?” Qing Li asked with a smile.
Wen Yi replied, “I’ve already found a loophole in Hint One. This is a couple’s hotel, but it doesn’t explicitly state that only two people can book a room. If you’re willing, I can team up with you and Lina.”
It was clear he wanted to enjoy the luxury of having two women at his side, basking in the bliss of having both in one team.
【Damn, this is disgusting. Does this dog even know who he is, daring to make a move on our little village girl?】
【Keep it civil, everyone—this is a family-friendly stream. Meanwhile, let me grab a knife from the kitchen…】
【Hell no, my fists are clenching. He dares desecrate the little village girl who even in my dreams I don’t dare to offend!】
【Insert a wall of curses…】
Huang Lina relaxed her clenched hands. She understood that she held no power in this situation, forcing herself to smile as she said, “Brother Wen Yi is so clever, finding the loophole in the task so quickly. I’m willing to team up with Miss Qing Li and you.”
Qing Li felt goosebumps rise all over her skin. Sharing a roof with this lecherous fox? She’d rather sleep on the streets.
“Your idea is interesting, but there’s actually another loophole in this task,” Qing Li calmly analyzed. “The hint doesn’t strictly require male and female players to team up to check in. It just says the pair has to be of the opposite gender.”
“But… where are you going to find a man?” Player No. 79, Wang Tingting, who had been silent all along, finally spoke up.
Qing Li smiled mysteriously. Three-legged toads might be hard to find, but two-legged men were everywhere. Worst case, she’d grab a two-legged male ghost.
Just then, she noticed a figure, and her smile deepened.
“A two-legged man is here,” she said.
The players followed Qing Li’s gaze and saw a tall, slender figure walking down the desolate street.
The man was dressed in a bloodstained outfit, with slightly long bangs covering his deep and shadowed eyes. His unnaturally pale skin was marred with patches of blood. The corners of his crimson lips were tightly stitched with surgical thread. His hands were tucked into his clothes, and the rolled-up sleeves revealed a small portion of his wrists, which were also encircled by eerie surgical stitching.
He was a man of both striking beauty and unsettling eeriness.
As Chu Ci appeared, the livestream’s bullet comments exploded.
【Ahhh! Our Dr. Chu is back again!】
【Does Dr. Chu have a thing for our little village girl? He’s never appeared in the Horror Live Stream before, but ever since she arrived, he shows up every time.】
【It must be the power of great love that brought them together.】
【If my rival is Dr. Chu, I’ll put down my knife.】
【Dr. Chu looks so handsome today—he’s got that perfect psycho vibe.】
“Hi, Dr. Chu. We meet again… and again… and again,” Qing Li greeted, raising a hand.
“It seems we’re destined to meet,” Chu Ci smiled faintly.
He was wearing a hospital lab coat, though it was impossible to tell what gruesome things he had done in it. The once-white coat was now dyed crimson with blood.
Qing Li silently recalled the corpses dragged back to the hospital from the tunnels. She figured Chu Ci had probably defiled every last one of them.
“Fate indeed,” Qing Li said with utmost seriousness. “So, how about we book a room together, chat a little, take a shower, and get some sleep?”
Chu Ci nodded. “That works. I came here intending to book a room and clean the blood off myself.”
【They’re booking a room already? Little village girl moves fast!】
【First driving, now booking a room. Next time, are they going straight to having kids?】
【We demand to see the process. Don’t skip the details!】
The livestream audience was in a frenzy.
“Qing Li, who is he…?”
The other players didn’t recognize Chu Ci, but Zhou Ya’s expression was one of utter shock.
This man was someone even ghosts would avoid at all costs!
“Dr. Chu, do you remember me?” Zhou Ya approached him eagerly. “We met before. It was thanks to your protection that I survived.”
Determined, she resolved that this time, she would stick closely to Chu Ci throughout the task. With him around, her chances of survival were significantly higher.
Chu Ci, however, remained cold and indifferent. “Sorry, I don’t remember you,” he said flatly.