Chapter 439 – Palpitations from That World – Only Cares About One Person (06)
The bandaged man never participated in the game from beginning to end. He fed on the fear generated by the players.
After the bandaged man left, the oppressive pressure surrounding everyone finally dissipated.
Several players let out sighs of relief—but everything had only just begun. At the entrance of the house, a puppet opened the door and stepped aside, respectfully inviting them in.
Jin Fenfei’s legs went weak, leaving her unable to walk. She could only lean against Li Pai for support.
The others were relatively better off. Although fear was written all over their faces, no one broke down screaming.
Wen Junnan tightened his grip on Bai Tang’s hand. “Why is it so cold? Tang Tang, are you freezing?”
Bai Tang replied softly, “The wind is a bit strong. Let’s go inside.”
Whether sooner or later, they would have to go in. Going in earlier might even give them an advantage.
The players participating in the game were both teammates and competitors. Wen Junnan, who understood the bandaged man’s nature better than the others, immediately grasped Bai Tang’s unspoken meaning. The bandaged man’s ultimate goal was not to kill them, but to feed on their fear. However, at the very end, the person closest to death would produce the greatest amount of fear.
That meant the players were competitors. In order to survive, there was no guarantee that someone wouldn’t sacrifice their teammates just to buy themselves time to escape.
“Then let’s go inside and get out of the wind,” Wen Junnan said, leading Bai Tang into the house under everyone’s watchful gaze.
As they passed by the puppet, Bai Tang turned his head to take a glance. The puppet was staring at him as well, the smile on its face widening. Frightened, Bai Tang quickly looked away, not daring to look at it again.
Even with someone taking the lead, the remaining players still found the inside terrifying and lingered outside, hesitating.
The bandaged man had many games. Ning Sitong had accompanied players through many of them, but this was her first time coming to this house.
She was a spy planted among the players by the bandaged man. Even if she didn’t know what was inside, the puppets would not harm her. Without the slightest trace of fear, Ning Sitong walked in.
With three players already inside, the rest had no choice but to follow. More importantly, the puppet standing guard at the door turned its head and stared straight at them. Being watched for too long by something neither human nor ghost made their scalps tingle. Their legs trembled as they walked toward the house, and just as they were about to step inside, the puppet suddenly moved—startled, they hurried and rushed in.
The old, dilapidated wooden door slammed shut from the outside, plunging everyone into darkness.
Ning Sitong lit the candle on the table. Although it couldn’t illuminate the entire house, it at least provided some light—enough for everyone to see their surroundings.
This was a house built in a medieval European style. The interior furnishings exuded a noble, aristocratic air—but unfortunately, it had fallen into disrepair. No one had lived there for years. Cobwebs filled every corner, and a thick layer of dust covered the furniture, giving the place an even stronger sense of decay.
For now, it didn’t seem particularly dangerous.
Since it was a game, there had to be rules.
On the table were two neat rows of cards, ten in each row. A note was attached: “Players, please choose a room number card and send a representative to select the game type.”
Everyone looked at one another, seeing suspicion and unease reflected in each other’s eyes.
In an unfamiliar environment, forced to play a life-threatening game, no one was eager to make the first move. If no one chose a card, they would remain stuck in a deadlock. At that moment, Ning Sitong’s role became apparent.
As a spy planted among the players, she took the lead in guiding them. “If we don’t play, this game will never end. We also don’t know how much food or water is in this house. If we finish the game sooner, we might find a way to leave.”
After speaking, Ning Sitong randomly picked a card from the first row. On the back was the number “2,” indicating a room on the second floor.
Bai Tang glanced at Wen Junnan. Encouraged by him, he reached out and flipped over a card marked “5,” while Wen Junnan drew a “1.”
It had to be said—the power of the original plot was strong. Even though Bai Tang had already disrupted the male and female leads’ first “perfect” meeting, the game still arranged for them to stay in adjacent rooms. After all, the saying “the closer you are, the better your chances” existed for a reason—living nearby made it more likely they would help each other.
Wen Junnan gently squeezed Bai Tang’s palm. “It’s okay. Lock your door at night. No matter what you hear, don’t go out to check.”
Curiosity kills the cat—Bai Tang had understood that principle long ago.
He nodded to show he understood.
The remaining players also drew their room cards. Jin Fenfei got number 3, Chen Chenchen got 4, Roger got 6, and Li Pai got 7.
Bai Tang could feel the deep malice of the original plot. The game had deliberately separated those who were close—he and Wen Junnan, Li Pai and Jin Fenfei.
After drawing the room cards, it was time to draw the game card.
No one knew what kind of game it would be. To be honest, the pressure was immense.
What if they drew a highly dangerous game?
No one wanted to be the “culprit,” and once again, the game’s progress fell into a stalemate.
Wen Junnan still didn’t know what kind of people the others were. If it were just him alone, it wouldn’t matter—but with Bai Tang here, he couldn’t afford to take risks by standing out. The saying “the nail that sticks out gets hammered down” applied perfectly—the more you stood out, the greater the danger.
He quietly warmed Bai Tang’s hands, letting Ning Sitong glance at him several times without saying a word.
Left with no other choice, Ning Sitong continued guiding everyone. “The instructions say we need to choose a representative. How about we pick one? Staying stuck like this won’t help. If we don’t make a move, those things might think we’re refusing to play…”
She deliberately made the situation sound more serious. If the players didn’t start the game, the bandaged man would punish her—so it was better for them to suffer instead.
Already at a loss, the others saw Ning Sitong step up to take charge and decided to follow her lead.
Chen Chenchen asked, “Then who should be the representative to draw the card?”
Drawing a bad card would surely invite blame. Jin Fenfei was the first to push the responsibility away. “Since you brought it up, why don’t you do it?”
Chen Chenchen might be bookish, but he wasn’t stupid. He said, “I’m not familiar with the rules, and I don’t know what will happen after drawing a card. If something goes wrong, you’ll definitely blame me. Why don’t we draw lots instead? No matter what card is drawn, no one can complain.”
This was the fairest solution. Not wanting them to waste any more time in meaningless hesitation, Ning Sitong pulled open a drawer, took out a pen and paper, and wrote numbers on them. “Whoever draws the numbered slip will draw the card.”
With quick, efficient movements, she tore the paper into several pieces, crumpled them into balls, and scattered them across the table.
Watching her smooth, practiced actions, Wen Junnan narrowed his eyes, a thoughtful look flashing through them.
Each person stepped forward to pick a paper ball. The one who got the numbered slip was Chen Chenchen. His face turned pale, looking utterly miserable.
Jin Fenfei let out a breath of relief. “I told you to draw earlier—now it’s still you. Hurry up, don’t waste everyone’s time.”
It was easy for her to say, having no stake in it. From the bottom of his heart, Bai Tang disliked her.
With trembling fingers, Chen Chenchen flipped over a card. On it were the bold words: “Mirror,” with several lines of smaller text below explaining the rules.
At midnight, find a mirror. Two people stand on either side of it, each holding a lit red candle. A third person holds a red apple and a knife, facing the mirror while peeling the apple. A fourth person stands behind the one peeling the apple, holding a red string. When the apple is completely peeled, the game is considered complete.
“Is it really that simple?” Roger was a carefree guy who never paid attention to urban legends, so he had no idea how terrifying these kinds of games could be.
After hearing the full explanation, Jin Fenfei broke out in a cold sweat. “I—I’m not playing. This game only needs four people, right? There are seven of us. I’m not playing…”
Chen Chenchen still remembered how Jin Fenfei had mocked him earlier and snapped back, “We’re all players here. Just because you say you’re not playing, you think you’re exempt? Ning Sitong is a girl too, and she didn’t say she wouldn’t play. What, are you the only one who’s special?”
Li Pai’s anger flared. He stepped in front of Jin Fenfei. “Say that again?” His well-built biceps bulged, showing off his strength.
Bai Tang watched the drama unfold without blinking, completely absorbed in the spectacle. Wen Junnan, however, mistook his gaze as being fixed on Li Pai’s muscles, and suddenly felt very glad he had kept up his own workouts—his physique was even better than Li Pai’s.
Lowering his head, he whispered softly into Bai Tang’s ear, “My muscles are pretty good too. I’ll let Tang Tang take a look later.”
Seeing muscles meant taking off clothes… which might lead to something more intimate.
Bai Tang’s mind instantly ran wild, imagining more than ten different scenarios. His delicate face flushed red. “A Nan, you’re being shameless~”
Qiu’er: “Nice one, male lead.”
Xiao A: Learned something new. Narrowing his eyes slightly, he pinned Qiu’er—who had been watching from the sidelines—beneath him. “Qiu’er, let me show you something good.”
Qiu’er: “???”
“Ah—hey, you’re being shameless…”
It was Ning Sitong’s first time seeing people flirting in the middle of a life-and-death game. People like that were either strong—or fools. Sensing the spiritual energy emanating from Wen Junnan, she was more inclined to believe he was the former.
“Alright, let’s draw lots like before. Whoever gets picked can’t back out,” Roger stepped in to smooth things over. If this went on, the two would start fighting. If they didn’t die at the hands of those things but instead killed each other, wouldn’t that just lower their chances of survival?
“Student Ning, sorry to trouble you.”
“Alright, no problem.”
Since Wen Junnan wasn’t taking the lead, and someone was finally willing to move the game forward, Ning Sitong was naturally supportive.
She quickly tore off a sheet of paper and wrote down the participants’ positions. This time, even the roles would be assigned by drawing—whoever got what would have to take it, leaving no room for arguments.
Wen Junnan drew the role of holding the red string. Jin Fenfei and Ning Sitong drew the candles. Li Pai got the role of peeling the apple. Bai Tang, Roger, and Chen Chenchen were left out.
Jin Fenfei broke down instantly. She didn’t want to participate in the game—this was a horror game, after all. It was very easy to summon something unclean.
Wen Junnan felt extremely relieved that Bai Tang hadn’t drawn a lot.
“Tang Tang, go back to your room and hide. No matter what you hear, don’t come out.”
The clock in the hall pointed to 11:30. There was still half an hour left—the game would begin at midnight. After it ended, everyone had to return to their respective rooms to rest. So Wen Junnan boldly guessed that the rooms were safe.
“What about you?” The boy’s concern made one’s heart soften.
“I’ll go play the game,” Wen Junnan said. “There’s still half an hour. Let’s go upstairs and find your room first.”
From the start of the game until now, Wen Junnan had only spoken to Bai Tang. Among everyone present, the only person he cared about… was Bai Tang.