Chapter 207 – Nightmare from Ten Thousand Years Ago – An Intimate Pair (03)
Wei Kexin’s words left both Mu Quyan and Bai Tang stunned.
Mu Quyan was certain he had never seen the boy before, yet for some reason, he felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity with Bai Tang.
Bai Tang carefully observed Wei Kexin’s reaction. Could that comment just now have been made out of jealousy?
In the past few worlds, once the female lead turned from a white lotus into a black lotus, she would end up hating the male lead as well. If she decided to trip up Mu Quyan later, wouldn’t that put him in danger?!
With that in mind, Bai Tang subtly increased the distance between himself and Mu Quyan. Even though Wei Kexin didn’t appear jealous, it was better not to provoke her.
Mu Quyan sensed the boy pulling away and was immediately displeased. Could just one sentence from Wei Kexin really make him distance himself? Did he like Wei Kexin more than him?
Thinking that, Mu Quyan looked at Wei Kexin with a trace of suspicion in his eyes.
Qi Jiu narrowed his eyes and stepped in front of Wei Kexin, blocking the view between Mu Quyan and Bai Tang.
“Let’s just get going.”
The four of them set off again.
The old district was filled with buildings and houses, but very few had open doors. They leapt over a row of locked houses and came to a power gate.
Mu Quyan inspected the power gate, then turned back to the group. “The power’s been cut. We’ll need to reconnect the power line to activate the gate.”
Mu Quyan had a PhD in physics and was more than familiar with circuitry.
He traced the wires from the gate upward and, using a flashlight, searched through the dense network of cables until he identified the one connected to the gate.
The four of them followed the wire back to its source, which led inside a roll-up door.
Only when Bai Tang called for it would Xiao A come out; otherwise, it stayed in the little white room, comforting Qiu’er.
“Come with me,” Bai Tang said, leading the other three to a nearby pipe area.
He shone his flashlight inside, and deep within the tangled plumbing, a cluster of glimmering objects could be seen.
“Bai Tang is amazing! Calling you a lucky koi was spot on,” Wei Kexin praised.
“But the space in there is really tight. Who’s going in to get the key?” Qi Jiu asked, but his eyes were fixed on Bai Tang.
Based on their physiques, only Bai Tang and Wei Kexin could fit under the pipes.
Qi Jiu naturally didn’t want Wei Kexin to go in. The reason was simple—sending her in alone was too dangerous. Even though the end was just a wall, he couldn’t shake the feeling something might go wrong.
“I’ll go,” Bai Tang offered.
Before he could move, Mu Quyan grabbed his arm.
“I’ll go.”
“No way. You’re too big to fit, and Kexin’s a girl—she’s not strong enough. Bai Tang is just right,” Qi Jiu said, using the classic ‘take care of the girl’ reasoning.
Usually, girls were the ones people looked out for a bit more.
Mu Quyan let out a cold laugh. He had clearly seen through Qi Jiu’s true thoughts.
“When it’s time to run for your life, let’s hope your girl can run fast enough.”
Don’t think Qi Jiu was the only one with a sense of danger. As the male lead, Mu Quyan had a keener perception of threats than anyone else.
“We don’t necessarily have to go in. We can think of another way,” Mu Quyan said, holding onto Bai Tang.
Bai Tang gave him a reassuring smile. “It’s okay. I can do it.”
The boy’s bright, charming smile made Qi Jiu feel a twinge of guilt for his suggestion—but he didn’t regret it. He was doing it for Kexin’s safety.
Bai Tang handed the flashlight to Mu Quyan, rolled up his sleeves, and crawled inside.
Mu Quyan kept his eyes on Bai Tang, concentrating, lighting the path ahead of him with the flashlight.
Bai Tang crawled clumsily through, bumping into things along the way. He pushed aside an empty soda can in front of him and successfully retrieved the key.
Because of the tight space, Bai Tang couldn’t turn around—he could only slowly back out.
Suddenly, everyone froze in place. Bai Tang more so than the others—for right in front of him appeared a flash of red. Beneath the red dress was a pair of bare feet, standing directly in front of him.
Bai Tang didn’t dare make a sound, cold sweat soaking his body.
Fear surged from his heart and spread through every limb. His nose stung, and tears welled up in his eyes.
Bai Tang didn’t move. The red dress didn’t move either.
No one dared to speak, afraid that even the slightest sound might disturb that crimson apparition.
Trembling, Bai Tang’s tears began to fall one by one. He knew that he should slowly crawl out, but he couldn’t. His entire body had gone weak, and his sharp nose could already smell the stench of death and decay.
Mu Quyan was burning with anxiety. He unbuttoned his sleeves, took off his shoes, and shoved the flashlight into Qi Jiu’s hands.
He was going to crawl in and pull Bai Tang out.
He’s lost his mind!—that was Qi Jiu’s first reaction.
He quickly calmed down afterward. Putting himself in someone else’s shoes—if Kexin had been the one inside, he would’ve risked his life to save her too.
Wei Kexin covered her mouth tightly to keep herself from making a sound, her heart aching as she watched Mu Quyan crawl forward under the pipes.
After a hard crawl, Mu Quyan finally reached Bai Tang. With foresight, he immediately covered Bai Tang’s mouth to keep him from crying out.
Startled by Mu Quyan’s sudden touch, Bai Tang collapsed flat onto the ground in fright.
“Mmm! Mmm…”
All of Bai Tang’s whimpers were muffled into Mu Quyan’s palm.
The red dress still hadn’t moved.
Mu Quyan wrapped his arms around Bai Tang from above, then carefully rolled them over so that Bai Tang lay against his chest.
Smelling the familiar scent, Bai Tang opened his eyes and saw Mu Quyan’s handsome face just inches away.
“Don’t be afraid,” Mu Quyan mouthed silently.
With one arm holding Bai Tang and the other supporting them on the ground, he slowly slid backward on his back.
For every inch he moved, the red dress crept forward an inch.
Mu Quyan gently pressed Bai Tang’s head against his chest, preventing him from looking up.
Bai Tang bit down hard on his lower lip, refusing to make a sound and risk burdening Mu Quyan.
At the moment they finally slid out, the red-dressed figure failed to catch them—and disappeared.
Bai Tang clung to Mu Quyan and burst into tears. Everyone present felt a pang of sorrow; Mu Quyan even more so. The boy’s sobs felt like blades slicing through his heart.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have let you go in,” Mu Quyan said as he held the boy tightly, letting his tears soak his clothes.
After crying for quite a while, Bai Tang finally calmed down. He lifted his head from Mu Quyan’s chest, his eyes red like a bunny’s, still sniffling now and then—looking both pitiful and adorable.
“Don’t cry anymore. I won’t let you be alone again,” Mu Quyan said, kissing the tear tracks on the boy’s face.
“Mm~” Bai Tang wiped away his tears and glanced at Wei Kexin.
Wei Kexin felt a wave of guilt. If Qi Jiu hadn’t insisted on protecting her and sent Bai Tang in instead, none of this would’ve happened.
In situations like this, if someone can’t handle the pressure and breaks down, they might come out insane. Bai Tang had practically taken the misfortune in her place.
“Um… Bai Tang, I’m sorry,” Wei Kexin said apologetically.
Bai Tang shook his head. “Hic… It’s not your fault.”
He pulled out the key. “I got the key. Hic… Let’s go… hic, open the door.”
Mu Quyan gently rubbed Bai Tang’s back to help him breathe more easily. Half-embracing him, he led him toward the shutter door.
Click! The padlock snapped open.
Qi Jiu pushed the rolling door upward, the rusty metal screeching painfully as it moved.
Once it was high enough for them to crouch and enter, they stopped pushing.
Switching on their flashlights, they saw that the three wires connecting to the electric gate split off in different directions—in other words, there were three circuit breakers.
To save time, the four split into two pairs to reconnect the circuits.
Mu Quyan and Bai Tang went left, while Wei Kexin and Qi Jiu went right.
Turning into the corridor, Mu Quyan and Bai Tang found a stairwell. At the end of the corridor was the circuit breaker.
They walked over to it. Next to the breaker was a small open space, where a wardrobe had been placed.
Mu Quyan reconnected the broken wire and pushed the switch up.
He led Bai Tang toward the next switch. As they rounded the corner from the shutter door, a woman in a red dress appeared, holding a switchblade, glaring at them with malice.
“Ah—!”
The woman shrieked and charged straight at them.
Mu Quyan grabbed Bai Tang and ran back the way they came, quickly reaching the location of the first switch.
There was no way forward anymore.
Gritting his teeth, Mu Quyan yanked open the nearby wardrobe and pulled Bai Tang inside with him, leaving only a small gap so they could peek outside.
The red-dressed woman quickly caught up. She stopped right in front of the switch—and therefore the wardrobe. Seeing no path forward and no sign of the people she had been chasing, she hesitated, then slowly turned and walked back. The switchblade in her hand clicked in and out with a chilling “clack-clack-clack.”
Mu Quyan held Bai Tang tightly as they curled up inside the wardrobe. He pressed Bai Tang’s head gently against his shoulder, shielding him from the terrifying view outside to prevent him from being frightened again.
Bai Tang, knowing how timid he was, obediently nestled in Mu Quyan’s embrace without a sound.
The sound of the switchblade eventually faded. Still wary the woman might return, Mu Quyan deliberately waited a little longer inside the wardrobe. Only when the silence was complete did he finally open the door and pull Bai Tang out.
Just then, a black-and-white photograph drifted slowly down from the top of the wardrobe and landed on Bai Tang’s shoulder.
Mu Quyan picked it up and saw that it was a picture of a mother and daughter. Both wore long braids and smiled at the camera. The mother was the same woman in the red dress who had just been chasing them.
It seemed her lingering resentment from life had left a ghostly remnant behind, now haunting this place.
Mu Quyan’s thoughts began to come together. Recalling the earlier rooms they’d explored, the note expressing emotions had clearly been written by a young girl. The color of this wardrobe also matched the furniture from the house they had searched. He had good reason to believe this was once the home of that mother and daughter.
Noticing that Mu Quyan had been silent for a while, Bai Tang leaned in closer as the night breeze blew in gently through the ventilation duct.
Mu Quyan kissed the corner of Bai Tang’s lips.
“I’ve found some clues. We need to go back to that house and take another look. Don’t be afraid, Tan gtang—come with me.”
Even if Mu Quyan hadn’t said anything, Bai Tang would have followed him regardless. Only by staying close to his own husband did he feel truly safe.
On the other side, Wei Kexin and Qi Jiu had also finished reconnecting one of the power lines. They regrouped in front of the shutter door.
Still shaken, Wei Kexin said, “Just now, while we were finishing up the wiring, that woman in the red dress came at us with a knife. Luckily, Qi Jiu and I managed to hide in a wardrobe.”
Mu Quyan nodded. “Same here. Let’s not rush to reconnect the power just yet—I’ve got a lead, and I want to check out that house we were in earlier. Turning on the power is bound to attract her again, and the area in front of the electric gate probably won’t be safe. If we need to double back later, it’ll be tough. You can either stay here or come with us.”
Qi Jiu thought for a moment. “We’ll go with you.”
Mu Quyan nodded. “Alright.”
The alleys in the old district twisted and turned in all directions. They had taken so many detours that no one remembered the original route anymore.
But Bai Tang had the map, so he could guide them back to the house they’d been in earlier.
Mu Quyan held Bai Tang close with one arm and carried the flashlight in the other. The two walked at the front of the group, moving in an intimately close way. Watching them, Wei Kexin couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy. To stick together even in such danger—surely, that had to be true love. Fortunately, she had someone like that too.
She looked over at Qi Jiu. He held her hand tightly, eyes fixed ahead, leading her closely behind the couple in front.
Author’s Note:
It might not feel that scary when you’re reading it, but while I was writing it, even the slightest noise outside nearly gave me a heart attack QAQ