CH 22

Everyone held their mobile phones to illuminate the darkness, whispering and following behind the boss. Lian Qiao learned from their conversation that they were now in a world where there were ghosts and monsters and they needed to find an elevator and an elevator button to leave.

At this time Lian Qiao realized that the metal object hidden in the doll that Brother Sledgehammer smashed was the elevator button.

The man who opened the door for them was called Yuan XueMing. He claimed to be an old-timer and this was his third time entering the world of ghosts and monsters. At this moment, he quietly approached Lian Qiao and staring at Xu RenDong’s tall and slender back, he asked in a low voice, “You came with him? Do you guys know each other outside?”

Lian Qiao said, “I don’t know him. I met him soon after getting out of the elevator. He says he knows me from my live broadcast.”

Yuan XueMing: “What about the button?”

Lian Qiao: “Just picked it up outside.”

Yuan XueMing: “…”

Lian Qiao also had something to ask him: “What happened to the rabbit just now?”

Yuan XueMing said: “I thought that the rabbit was here to give us a task. Generally speaking, we can only leave here only after completing the task. But no one has ever just left the elevator and found the button within an hour. This is incredible.”

Hearing his praise of the boss, Lian Qiao inexplicably felt very proud: “Yes! Our boss is amazing!” 

Yuan XueMing smiled: “Didn’t you just meet? How come you have turned into his younger brother already.”

Lian Qiao tapped his chest proudly: “Isn’t it because our big brother is too charismatic!

Yuan XueMing smiled, shook his head and said: “Oh, you’re really a child “

With the godly big boss guiding them, the church soon appeared in view of everyone. Lian Qiao looked up and felt that the round top of the tower looked like Kisses chocolate. He felt a bit hungry when he looked at it.

When he returned to his senses, he suddenly discovered that the big boss who was supposed to be leading the way had stopped at some point and had turned his head back to look at him. Lian Qiao leaned forward like a little concubine who had been summoned: “Big boss, are you looking for me?” 

When Xu RenDong heard those two words “big boss”, the words he was going to say were abruptly swallowed back by him into his stomach. He turned his head indifferently: “No.”

Lian Qiao: “…oh.” How come the big boss was hot and cold?

No he could understand, important people were always very unpredictable!

Lian Qiao only felt the big boss was even cooler than usual so he carefully clamped his tail and followed the boss into the church cautiously.

This church was not big. The first thing they saw when they entered was the chapel  with a tall cross upon which Jesus was nailed. Jesus looked solemn and had a compassionate expression.

The boss instructed them to break up into groups and search but everyone wanted to be in the group with the boss. Especially those little girls, their eyes were lit up like stars in the milky way and they were blushing like they were looking at their first love, it was very cute. 

Lian Qiao’s mind was full of melon eating. He was too lazy to fight with them and also felt he had nothing to fight with. However, just as he was studying the statue of Jesus, Xu RenDong’s cold and pleasant voice suddenly came from behind him.

“Lian Qiao, come here.”

Lian Qiao walked through the crowd with a dazed expression when he heard this and walked over to Xu RenDong. The girls were full of envy, jealousy and hate but when they looked at Lian Qiao’s extremely cute face, they showed the expression of “if it’s you, then we have nothing” and dispersed.

Lian Qiao realized that Xu RenDong gave him special treatment and couldn’t help but feel excited. But when he thought about it, he also felt it was a bit strange. He had never revealed his sexuality in the live broadcast. Fans probably didn’t know that he was bent…

Lian Qiao sighed in his heart: I’m thinking too much, he takes special care of me because he’s my fan. I must not misunderstand this pure fan love. 

Otherwise, he would be too embarrassed. 

So he adjusted his mood and followed Xu RenDong into the side corridor. 

The lights in this corridor were very dim which was pretty scary to be honest. But the boss was close at hand and Lian Qiao felt reassured. He even thought: ‘There’s nothing to be scared of anymore’. {Please see author’s note at the end, I didn’t put it here because it’s a bit long.} 

As soon as this sentence flashed through his mind, he suddenly realized that he had set a flag and had a bad feeling. But with the big boss by his side, that shouldn’t happen right?

He subconsciously glanced at the big boss beside him but he didn’t expect that the big boss stopped and cast him a look that seemed to be holding back a smile. 

Lian Qiao was stared at by those smiling eyes, and felt that the tip of his heart was trembling. The feeling of electricity spread all over his body. Unexpectedly, the next second, the boss suddenly stretched out his hand and pushed him hard against the wall! 

Lian Qiao: “…Fuck?!”

He was taken aback and fell back without any resistance. He thought it’s over, I’m definitely going to hit the wall now. What does the big boss want? How come he made a move without saying anything? Didn’t we already agree that it was pure fan love?

Lian Qiao staggered back a few steps, thinking that he was about to hit a hard and cold wall but unexpectedly found that there was nothing behind him. The 10,000 word barrage in his heart hadn’t finished yet but the scene in front of him suddenly flashed. The corridor and the boss were gone, replaced by a white wall.

After Lian Qiao stood still, he fell into a daze and couldn’t help but swear a few more times. He turned his head and saw that he was in a square room. The room was white everywhere no matter where he looked. Only behind him stood a silver-gray elevator, which was coldly reflecting the metallic light.

Wait, elevator? Isn’t this what they are looking for!

Lian Qiao was stunned, his mouth open wide enoughn to fit a full set of Russian dolls. He was about to call for the big boss, but then he heard the boss’s voice from behind the wall: “Lian Qiao? Are you still alive?” 

“I’m here, inside! I’m fine!…Uh, I seem to have found the elevator!” He scratched his head. Before he could figure out what was going on, a slender and straight leg appeared in the wall in front of him. The line of the legs was perfect, wrapped in dark suit pants. It looked dignified and upright, but had a kind of abstinent beauty.

Soon, Xu RenDong walked out of the snow-white wall. The scene was like an ancient Greek god who got up from a milk bath; elegant, handsome and breathtaking. Lian Qiao was hit by a beauty attack and immediately forgave the big boss for his inexplicable violence before. He even had the desire to be kicked again by his long legs. 

Seeing his obsessive look, Xu RenDong was taken aback for a while and then asked apologetically: “You…did you bump your head?” 

Lian Qiao: “…” It’s too embarrassing to say it’s because I’ve become addicted to the big boss’ beauty.

But it didn’t seem to be any better to admit that he had become stupid by banging his head. So he remained silent, feeling complicated, and didn’t want to explain. 

Seeing that he didn’t deny it, Xu RenDong’s face showed a little guilt. 

“Sorry,” he said, “I didn’t mean to use so much force. Did I hurt you?” 

He reached out to Lian Qiao, as if he wanted to see where he had been injured. Lian Qiao suddenly felt happy and he cleverly moved his head up towards his touch: “It hurts, it hurts! It hurts!”

It hurts a lot! Big boss, touch it and make it feel better! 

Lian Qiao closed his eyes and was about to enjoy the big boss’s caress but then heard Yuan XueMing’s question from outside the wall: “What’s the situation inside? Are you guys okay?”

Xu RenDong immediately retracted his hand. 

Lian Qiao craned his neck and waited to be touched: “…” Master Yuan, you’re really hateful.

Xu RenDong explained the situation to the outside through the wall. Immediately afterwards, he saw Yuan XueMing poking his head out of the snow-white wall. 

Lian Qiao thought coldly: Oh, like a pig’s head on a chopping board.

Yuan XueMing on the chopping board: “Why are you looking at me with such a look? It’s scary….” 

Lian Qiao: “No, you’re thinking too much.”

Xu RenDong didn’t notice the weird atmosphere between these two people. He just took the button, clicked it on the groove next to the elevator and said: “Call everyone in, let’s leave.”

What? Is this the end?!  What about the large-scale live-action decryption escape game? How come he just cleared the level while lying down and hadn’t even solved any puzzles?

A barrage of “I’ve just taken off my pants and now you show me this?” comments flashed through Lian Qiao’s mind. It was the kind that was in large and colorful font.

Before he finished roaring inside, Yuan XueMing said, “No, how come this button isn’t lighting up?” 

Xu RenDong was taken aback and looked in the direction of his fingers. Sure enough, after the button was installed, nothing happened. Yuan XueMing said: “It’s supposed to glow.”

Xu RenDong frowned. He went up and pressed the button but the elevator did not respond. Both people fell silent. 

Lian Qiao was a little confused: “What’s the problem?”

Yuan XueMing: “I don’t know, I have never encountered this situation. Normally, you can find the button and install it and then you can leave. Why? This time…” He paused and glanced at Xu RenDong, “But this time it is indeed very strange. No one has ever been able to find an elevator and a button at the same time within an hour. Who are you?”

Xu RenDong Said: “I am a veteran player, this is the sixth time I have come in.”

Yuan XueMing immediately understood the weight of the words and the doubt in his eyes disappeared instantly, replaced by a look of admiration. Instead, he asked in a tone indicating he wanted to have a discussion: “Then why do you think the elevator can’t open?” 

Xu RenDong looked at the elevator without speaking. 

Lian Qiao courageously interjected: “Is it because there’s no electricity?” 

Yuan XueMing said helplessly: “This elevator doesn’t even have cables. Do you think it needs electricity?”

Lian Qiao said, “It doesn’t have to be real electricity. Maybe a special method is needed to activate it? For example, randomly select a lucky spectator to be a sacrifice?” 

The other two were lost in thought, unaware of the horror in his light and fluttering sentence. Yuan XueMing murmured: “Impossible, all the elevators I encountered before are directly usable, it’s never…” He couldn’t help but glance at Xu RenDong again. This time it was not a questioning look but more like asking for help. 

Lian Qiao looked at the boss expectantly, guessing whether the boss would take out another magical item from a fourth-dimensional pocket. 

Unexpectedly, Xu RenDong was silent for a moment and just said: “Then let’s go back today.”

Yuan XueMing could only nod.

The three of them walked through the wall, returned to the corridor and saw that everyone was staring at them in anticipation. After everyone learned that the elevator was not usable, they fell into a depression.

Back to the hunter’s cabin, everyone was surprised to find that the gray rabbit was still sitting in the snow, covered with snow, looking pitiful like an unemployed worker. 

However, when it saw everyone coming back dejectedly, that rabbit’s face changed in an instant. It slapped snow off its butt, jumped up and said very happily: “So you haven’t left yet!” 

No one answered him, and the rabbit triumphantly announced: “Then you will stay and celebrate the holiday with me in seven days. The gifts I prepared are all gone, you must…” 

Before he finished speaking, Xu RenDong shoved it aside impatiently and walked straight into the house. 

The rabbit who had fallen onto his butt again: “…..” 

Yuan XueMing coughed: “Go ahead.” And he stretched out his hand to the rabbit in a friendly manner, trying to pull the rabbit out of the snow. 

He stretched out his hand out of goodwill, but as a game boss, the rabbit was even more infuriated at having received sympathy from a player.

“Find the gifts and give them to me!” It yelled out and almost gritted its molars. After roaring, he turned his head and lay down on the ground, kicked its hind legs and jumped away like a real rabbit. 

Yuan XueMing watched it run while the snow on the rabbit fur was still falling, he suddenly sighed and said with emotion: “It’s not easy for him either.”

Everyone nodded in sympathy but only Lian Qiao nodded proudly. He thought: Humph! Who told him to pretend to be cool in front of our big boss. He deserves it!

Everyone entered the house one by one. Xu RenDong, who entered the house first and had already lit the fire in the fireplace. He turned around and asked faintly, “Is everyone here?”

Everyone looked at each other. Yuan XueMing said, “Everyone is here.”  

Xu RenDong said : “Split rooms, sleep, and start looking for a matryoshka tomorrow.”

His words were brief and straightforward but they were also confident beyond doubt. Everyone was struck dumb and nodded, waiting for Xu RenDong to allocate them a room.

Lian Qiao, who had struck the boss’ thunder point multiple times, didn’t dare to expect to share a room with the boss. He only hoped that the boss would not assign him to the middle-aged uncle Yuan XueMing. After all, this uncle looked sick and gloomy with a temperament like he was about to die. Sleeping with him in the same room, he might get nightmares. {Striking someone’s thunder point means poking at their sensitive spot, basically irritating them without quite realizing it.}

Lian Qiao was praying secretly in his heart only to hear Xu RenDong say indifferently: “You choose your own roommates.”

At the same time, Lian Qiao felt that someone was approaching. He raised his head in surprise, not knowing when Xu RenDong had already come over to him and declared in a natural tone:

“Lian Qiao, you sleep with me.”

—Oh no, my heart moved.

Oh no, my heart moved. Oh no, my heart moved. Oh no, my heart moved. Oh no, my heart moved. Oh no, my heart moved. Oh no, my heart moved. Oh no, my heart moved. Oh no, my heart moved. Oh no, my heart moved. Oh no, my heart moved. Oh no, my heart moved. Oh no, my heart moved….

Lian Qiao’s barrage machine has already chosen to commit suicide under the bombardment of the large amount of repeated information. His sanity also went to committ suicide together. 

He was so shocked that the boss pulled him into the room, turned off the light and had already gone to sleep before he could react.

What the fuck, the big boss actually made the bed for me! What the fuck, the big boss actually lay down next to me! What the fucking boss said good night to me! What the fuck, the big boss actually fell asleep next to me!

What the fuck, I’m actually- 

Hard?!

***

The author has something to say:

Note: ‘There is nothing to be afraid of’: This comes from “Magical Girl Madoka Magica” and is the classic quote of Tomoe Mami. After saying this, this senior sister was decapitated by the witch and since then has given rise to many “headless senior sister” sayings such as “cherish the senior sister who still has a head” and so forth. The most famous is that this saying ‘There is nothing to be afraid of’ is raising a flag, and indicates that something bad will soon happen.