Chapter 22: The Green Tea That Won't Steep

Startled, Lu Xi jolted and kicked out, but suddenly a force at the foot of the bed yanked her downward. Her face turned pale, and instinctively she grasped the wrist of the man beside her. In the next moment, warm arms wrapped around her waist, lifting her back up.

Lu Xi was instantly drawn into Ji Chenling’s embrace. She looked up in surprise, their eyes meeting. Ji Chenling’s gaze was unfathomably deep, like a bottomless whirlpool pulling her in.

“Don’t be afraid, sister,” the young man’s voice was slightly hoarse. “I’m here.”

Strangely, the cold chill that had gripped her ankle vanished the instant Ji Chenling opened his eyes. No matter what, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Coming back to herself, Lu Xi instinctively pushed Ji Chenling away. “You’re too close.”

“You’re so unfair, sister. You held me tight when you needed me just now, and now that you don’t, you’re turning your back on me so quickly,” Ji Chenling pouted, blinking at her with an innocent look.

Such a sly fox…

Lu Xi placed her hand against his chest, pushing him outward with an expression of disdain. “Enough acting. I’m not hot water; I can’t soak you.”

Ji Chenling raised an eyebrow. “Then let me soak you instead, hmm?”

What devilish words!

Yet, despite his teasing, the unease and fear in Lu Xi’s heart dissipated considerably.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed through the room—heavy clogs dragging along the floor with a slow, deliberate pace.

Lu Xi dared not make a sound. She nudged Ji Chenling with her hand.

“Sister, I’m scared,” he whispered, drawing closer.

A sudden intuition struck Lu Xi.

There was a ghost beneath the bed.

And outside the room, a ghost as well.

She drew a deep breath and glanced behind Ji Chenling.

He lay on the outer side of the bed, sleeping on his side facing her.

Behind him was a pale, dilapidated wall.

The room was strange—windowless and airtight on all sides, like a prison.

Lu Xi’s body suffered from severe night blindness, so she shouldn’t have been able to see her surroundings clearly, yet inexplicably, she clearly saw a large mark on the wall.

Judging by its outline and shape, it was a human silhouette.

Panic overwhelmed her again, her heartbeat shooting up into her throat. Her palms were sweaty.

She hadn’t feared Cui Cui before because she knew Cui Cui wouldn’t harm her and looked cute, albeit with terrifyingly dark eyes.

What frightened people most wasn’t the strength of the monster they faced, but the unknown.

“Sister, I’ll go check outside.”

At that moment, Ji Chenling suddenly threw back the covers and sat up.

“Hey, don’t—” Lu Xi started to protest, but it was too late.

Ji Chenling moved swiftly, getting off the bed and bending down to peer beneath it. Then he straightened up and raised an eyebrow at her with a teasing expression.

“Don’t worry, sister. There’s no ghost under the bed.”

Hearing that, Lu Xi's heart sank.

His warm hand covered hers, patting gently on the back of her hand.

Before she could react, he left the room.

Lu Xi lay back down, staring blankly at the ceiling.

To survive in this world, one mustn’t lose their mind.

The horrors and dilemmas of the game world never end. Each seemingly normal day could bring torturous surprises.

So survival required a strong sense of faith.

Believing she could escape, that she could survive until the end.

Even deluding herself that it was all an illusion, telling herself ghosts were nothing to fear.

But no one could guarantee this wasn’t a vast Möbius strip.

Where was Ji Chenling? Why hadn’t he returned?

The footsteps outside had ceased, but the silence was too eerie.

If Ji Chenling went out, he must be doing something.

She wasn’t a fool, nor naive, and certainly not as gullible as her original self.

Deep down, Lu Xi began to question Ji Chenling’s identity.

They had known each other and spent time together, but the mystery surrounding him only deepened.

After waiting a long while, footsteps finally echoed in the deathly quiet room.

Lu Xi pulled back the covers and sat up. “Ji Chenling, you’re back! Are you okay?”

He smiled. “What could have happened? It’s clean outside, no mess. It’s late; we should sleep early.”

He prepared to climb back into bed.

Lu Xi lowered her head, relieved.

It seemed they would get through the night safely.

But what was the crucial breakthrough here? Why had Granny Cui Cui sent her to sleep in this room?

Would the “door” to leave the dungeon appear here?

She couldn’t figure it out.

Then she noticed Ji Chenling hadn’t gotten into bed yet.

“What’s wrong?” Her voice trembled uncontrollably.

Suddenly, the air around her dropped sharply; her heartbeat quickened again.

She silently touched her arm; goosebumps rose faintly.

Ji Chenling paced by the bed, his tone anxious. “Where are you? Where’s the bed?”

Lu Xi’s pupils contracted sharply—this wasn’t Ji Chenling!

It was a ghost.

A ghost impersonating Ji Chenling.

Not hearing her reply, the fake Ji Chenling grew more agitated, his voice intensifying. “Lu Xi, where are you? Reach out and pull me, please! I can’t see you.”

Lu Xi clamped her hand over her mouth, struggling to hold back a scream.

Fortunately, the imposter couldn’t cross over. An invisible barrier formed a protective ward around the bed, preventing the ghost from approaching or touching her.

Covering her mouth with one hand and clutching her clothes at her chest with the other, Lu Xi told herself: stay calm, stay calm. As long as the monster can’t get up here, she’s safe.

At worst, she could wait until dawn.

In Muguan Village, the rule was ghosts vanished at daylight.

But this thought didn’t last long before another concern struck her.

If this Ji Chenling wasn’t real, then where was the real one?

Or, more cruelly, was he even alive?

The night was pitch black.

A crescent moon hung high, its cold light pouring over the land.

Beneath lush trees, a figure stood.

Any passerby would notice he held a stuffed rabbit wearing overalls.

He idly pulled off the rabbit’s head, then put it back on, again and again, under the toy’s terrified gaze.

He reveled in this repetitive act.

“Do you think... she’d risk coming out for me?” he murmured.

The rabbit said nothing.

This madman, unwilling to kill the player named Lu Xi, yet constantly testing her.

What was he up to?

Indeed, the mind of a madman was beyond normal comprehension.

No matter how harmless his appearance seemed, once the disguise was stripped away, beneath lay a dark, merciless heart.