Chapter 125 – Shh, He Found You – Who Is the Real Suspect (03)
“Tang Tang, you’ll suffocate in there. Come out, okay? Hmm~”
The young man murmured sweet nothings through the blanket to the blushing boy.
Bai Tang felt like his ears were about to catch fire. Why was the male lead in this life such a flirt? This was only their second time meeting!
Yu Hongbo pulled down the blanket, revealing the boy’s teary, misty eyes gazing at him. As he continued to pull it down, Bai Tang’s reddened nose came into view—his shy appearance was incredibly adorable.
“I’m sleepy. I’m going to sleep~”
Bai Tang pulled the blanket back over his head, forming a small, round bump on the bed.
Yu Hongbo realized he had been too forward. But the boy didn’t seem to dislike him—he even blushed. Could that mean Bai Tang had some feelings for him too? At the very least, it didn’t seem like hatred.
“Then I’ll head out for now, okay?”
The little bump on the bed didn’t move. Yu Hongbo knew better than to push a shy boy too hard. He left the room regretfully after tidying up the dishes.
There would be plenty of time in the future for them.
The clock’s hands ticked steadily forward. No one knew how much time had passed when the sky outside darkened, the moon hiding behind the clouds. The room was pitch-black.
Suddenly, the TV on the wall flickered with white light. A line of red text appeared: [Werewolves, please act.]
Following the TV’s prompt, Bai Tang found a knife in a drawer.
The bell suddenly rang at midnight—its dull dong dong echoing throughout the entire villa.
Bai Tang jumped. The moonlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows and reflected off the sharp knife, casting a cold gleam. His face, filled with shock and uncertainty, was mirrored in the blade.
The game had begun.
Should he go out?
He was a werewolf, but he didn’t want to kill anyone.
But the game had already started.
The old clock on the first floor stopped chiming. The silent villa felt completely deserted, yet there was a thick scent of death in the air.
Bai Tang dropped the knife.
He decided to go out and take a look.
At the very least, he needed to find out who the other werewolves were. He had to protect Yu Hongbo, make sure the others didn’t get a chance to harm him.
The boy didn’t wear shoes. The Lolita dress was a bit heavy and clumsy. He tiptoed out of the room. Yellow lights illuminated the hallway—not as bright as incandescent bulbs, but still enough to see clearly.
Shoot—he forgot to ask which room Yu Hongbo was staying in.
Bai Tang bit his lip tightly. He looked like a panicked child, unsure of what to do next.
No one else came out of the rooms on the fourth floor. Bai Tang stood alone in the hallway.
It seemed the other werewolves were all on the third floor.
The floor was covered with a thick carpet, making it completely silent to walk on—perfect for sneaking around in the middle of the night.
Bai Tang leaned over the railing and looked down. The lights on the third floor weren’t on—he couldn’t tell if they were broken or just hadn’t been turned on. Carefully observing his surroundings, he tiptoed down the stairs. Just as he reached the landing on the third floor, a piercing female scream shattered the silence of the villa.
Immediately after came the crashing sound of tables and chairs toppling over.
Bai Tang hurriedly ducked behind a corner. A dark figure rushed out of a room and bolted toward the stairs.
As the figure passed by, Bai Tang caught a strong whiff of blood coming from them.
His heart pounded violently. There was only a wall between him and the werewolf.
Thankfully, the person didn’t notice him. All he heard was the sound of hurried footsteps ascending the stairs.
What was strange was that despite the commotion, no one on the third or fourth floor came out to check.
But then again, it made sense—this was a real-life death game. Except for the werewolves, no one would dare come out in the middle of the night. Who knew if opening the door would mean facing a werewolf, knife in hand?
Only after that person left did Bai Tang dare to come out.
He ran to the room from which the scream had come. The door was ajar. The night breeze stirred the white curtains, and a woman lay on the floor, her eyes wide open, staring toward the doorway. A dark red pool of blood spread beneath her.
Bai Tang staggered back, horrified by the woman’s unblinking, death-stiffened gaze. His back bumped into a firm chest.
“Ah—mmph…”
A hand quickly covered his mouth just as he was about to scream.
“It’s me.”
Bai Tang fell into an embrace that smelled faintly of soap—it was Yu Hongbo.
“Don’t look.”
Yu Hongbo covered Bai Tang’s eyes, closed the door, and shut out the dead woman’s gaze completely. Then, he gently led the still-shaken Bai Tang back to his own room.
“Drink some water.” Yu
Hongbo poured a glass of water for him and held his cold hand.
“S-Someone died…”
Bai Tang had seen dead bodies before, but being stared at by one in the dead of night—it was terrifying.
“Don’t be afraid, I’m here. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Yu Hongbo pulled the trembling Bai Tang into his arms and spoke softly to comfort him.
No one knew how much time passed. Eventually, the steady, soft sound of breathing came from the person in his arms. Yu Hongbo looked down and saw that Bai Tang had fallen asleep, still clutching the front of his shirt.
Yu Hongbo smiled faintly and gently laid him on the bed, then removed his shoes and socks.
As he was doing that, a card suddenly slipped down beside Yu Hongbo’s hand.
An identity card?!
Yu Hongbo glanced at the sleeping Bai Tang and quietly pocketed the card.
He closed the window, tucked the blanket around the boy, and adjusted the light to a soft, warm yellow. Then he grabbed his coat and stepped outside.
About an hour later, Yu Hongbo returned, his steps damp with dew.
He quickly towel-dried his hair, took off his slightly damp coat, and slipped into bed.
Bai Tang had kicked off the covers in his sleep from the heat. Now, feeling something cool beside him, he instinctively snuggled closer, even nuzzling Yu Hongbo’s cheek with a soft, contented purr.
Yu Hongbo chuckled, pulled him into his arms, brushed the sweaty bangs from his forehead, and tucked the blanket around him again.
“Goodnight, Tang Tang.”
In the morning, the first rays of sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling window, waking Bai Tang with their brightness.
He had practically slept the whole previous day and now felt full of energy.
Then he realized—he was lying in Yu Hongbo’s arms!!!
“Morning.” Yu Hongbo was a light sleeper and had woken the moment Bai Tang stirred.
“M-Morning~” Bai Tang rubbed his nose, noticing that Yu Hongbo’s arm didn’t seem to be moving well.
Yu Hongbo’s right arm hung limply. A pair of soft, fair hands gently reached over and began to massage it.
“Thank you.” The boy lowered his gaze slightly, focused intently on what his hands were doing.
The morning light cast a soft glow across his profile. Beneath his curled lashes, a faint shadow flickered. His fair cheeks carried a subtle blush as he focused on massaging Yu Hongbo’s right arm—making the whole experience feel like a beautiful indulgence for Yu Hongbo.
“Tang Tang,” the young man called hoarsely.
“Hmm?” The boy looked up.
They were very close—so close that their skin nearly touched.
“Do you… like someone?” Yu Hongbo asked softly, his heart thundering in his chest.
“I do~” The boy’s voice was sweet and childish, but to Yu Hongbo, it felt like falling into an icy abyss.
So Bai Tang already liked someone before coming here.
The realization broke Yu Hongbo’s heart. He forced down the bitterness rising inside him and managed a smile. “He must be a really great guy.”
“Yeah, he’s amazing…”
Bai Tang’s eyes sparkled as he looked at Yu Hongbo, remembering how good the male leads had been to him in every world. He smiled sweetly.
That smile cut deep into Yu Hongbo’s heart.
“That’s… nice.”
Yu Hongbo didn’t speak again. A heavy silence settled between them.
After a minute of silence, Yu Hongbo stood up, crouched down, and began putting shoes on Bai Tang’s feet. His voice was low and muffled. “We should get downstairs. There’s a vote coming up.”
In the rules of the Werewolf game, werewolves kill at night. During the day, they hide among the villagers, and everyone votes on who they suspect is a werewolf. The exiled one, in a real-life game like this, would undoubtedly face death.
Bai Tang and Yu Hongbo went down to the second floor. Everyone else had already gathered and was seated at the extended dining table, murmuring in low voices.
A few of them looked at Bai Tang with strange expressions—fear mixed with disdain.
Yu Yi came out carrying four servings of breakfast: freshly fried eggs paired with soft, glutinous white porridge—a nutritious and appetizing meal.
“This one’s for little sister Bai Tang,” Yu Yi said, placing a fried egg into Bai Tang’s bowl.
“Thank you, Sister Yu Yi~” Bai Tang smiled sweetly, which instantly put Yu Yi in a great mood.
While Yu Hongbo was lost in thought, Yu Yi quickly pinched Bai Tang’s soft little cheek—the one she’d been wanting to touch for a long time.
Mmm~ Just like she imagined—smooth and silky, absolutely perfect.
“Mmph~ Sister Yu Yi~” Bai Tang pouted, his puffed-up cheeks pushing Yu Yi’s hand away.
Yu Yi looked at her empty hand, then at Bai Tang’s deflated cheeks.
What an absolutely adorable little girl~
Unable to resist, Yu Yi began ruffling Bai Tang’s soft hair while chanting, “Little cutie~”
“Time for breakfast,” Yu Hongbo said firmly, swatting away Yu Yi’s mischievous hand and carefully smoothing out Bai Tang’s hair.
Yu Yi awkwardly pulled back. Seeing the messy bird’s nest she’d made out of Bai Tang’s hair, she felt a little embarrassed. Still, the girl’s hair was incredibly soft—she’d have to ask later what brand of shampoo she used.
“I made some breakfast too. Come and eat,” said a girl with a ponytail, stepping out from the kitchen wearing an apron. She began handing out portions of breakfast to everyone.
Yu Hongbo gently touched Bai Tang’s cheek, which had turned red from Yu Yi’s pinching.
“Do you need some ointment?”
Bai Tang shook his head. It didn’t actually hurt—his skin was just naturally sensitive.
After everyone finished eating, a tense silence fell over the group. They looked at one another uncertainly.
A man wearing gold-rimmed glasses was the first to speak.
“You’ve all seen our situation. We don’t know how we ended up in a real-life killing game, but it’s happening, and we can’t deny that. According to the rules, we need to vote and exile someone. But first, let’s introduce ourselves. I’m Hu Peng.”
The girl with the ponytail said, “I’m Zheng Yao.”
“Yu Hongbo. This is Bai Tang.”
“Yu Yi.”
“Pan Quan.”
“Liang Shengfu.”
After everyone had finished introducing themselves, Hu Peng continued, “Alright, now that we all know each other, let’s get to the point. Let’s talk about who we suspect and establish a timeline. I drew a Villager card. I was in my room sleeping the entire night when I suddenly heard a woman screaming from the third floor. But I was afraid the werewolves were acting as a group, so I didn’t dare go out.”
Zheng Yao added, “I’m also a Villager. Same as Hu Peng—I heard a woman’s scream…”
“I—I saw her last night. She was in the third-floor hallway…” A short-haired girl suddenly pointed at Bai Tang.“She must be the werewolf. She’s the killer!”
Everyone turned their eyes to Bai Tang. He was stunned and quickly denied it. “It wasn’t me. I didn’t—”
“If it wasn’t you, what were you doing wandering the halls in the middle of the night? It has to be you!”
A burly man with a brutish face shouted angrily. “I say we vote for her! She’s the most suspicious!”
“No, I—I…” Bai Tang couldn’t explain why he had been on the third floor, but he was sure he hadn’t killed that woman.
Under the table, Yu Hongbo gently squeezed Bai Tang’s hand and then calmly said,
“Bai Tang came down to find me. I can vouch that he didn’t kill anyone. And actually, among all of us, the most suspicious person here—is you.”
Panic flashed in the fat man’s eyes, but he quickly composed himself. “Evidence? Everyone knows werewolves strike at night. If you’re not a werewolf, why were you up wandering around in the middle of the night?”
Yu Hongbo remained unshaken and pulled out a piece of paper. “The evidence is right here.”
At the top of the paper were four bold characters: Divorce Agreement.
“The deceased woman’s name was Zhang Xing. She was your ex-wife. Because of your gambling and domestic abuse, she couldn’t take it anymore and filed for divorce. She even took more than half of your assets. The divorce was finalized just yesterday. The divorce certificate is still in your pocket. Do you dare show it to everyone along with your ID?”
Everyone looked at the fat man with growing suspicion.
The man’s face twisted in rage at having his secrets exposed. He slammed his hand on the table and roared,
“I said she’s the most suspicious, and she is! So what if I was married to Zhang Xing? She was seen going out in the middle of the night!”
Yu Hongbo calmly countered, “Do you really think someone with Bai Tang’s build could have killed Zhang Xing?”
Earlier that morning, they had all gone to Zhang Xing’s room to see who had died the first night. Everyone had seen what she looked like—Zhang Xing was a large woman, nearly 1.75 meters tall. Bai Tang, on the other hand, was small and slender, not even 1.7 meters tall. If they’d fought, Zhang Xing could probably have overpowered him with one hand.
Author’s Note:
There are 21 participants. If I have to name each one, I’ll go crazy. Since many of them are just there to be killed off, the unimportant ones won’t be named.
There’s a small clue in this chapter that explains how the male lead knew the victim’s identity~