Chapter 22
Thinking about last night's events, Ye Nianchu pulled open the curtain to peek outside.
The sky was covered with dark clouds, looking like someone had spilled a whole bucket of ink over it. Even though it was only a little past three in the afternoon, it felt like dusk.
Ye Nianchu hesitated, then opened the glass door and stepped onto the observation terrace.
With the last bit of daylight, she saw that Daiyong Town had completely transformed. Large peach trees now filled the town, creating a dense forest of branches and blossoms.
The peach blossoms were in full bloom, with petals drifting gently on the wind.
It was beautiful but also a bit unsettling.
She realized that the peach petals she had seen before must have come from these trees. The petals on the ground were now yellow and withered, unlike the fresh ones from before.
In real-world traditions, peach trees are believed to ward off evil spirits. But here, the peach blossoms seemed to be dying.
Ye Nianchu frowned, turned, and went back inside. Staying in her room wasn’t perfect, but it was definitely better than being outside right now.
She quickly grabbed a bite to eat and then, like the previous night, got comfortable with her props, ready for another long night.
The night grew darker, with only the sound of wind rustling the peach petals on the ground. The town was eerily silent.
After a while, she heard footsteps in the quiet corridor. These were real footsteps from a living person, not the usual creepy noises.
Someone was knocking on the door of the next room, much more politely than the evil spirits had.
"Is anyone there?" It was Zhou Yun’s voice.
With no peephole in the door, Ye Nianchu couldn’t see what was happening outside. She could only hear Zhou Yun’s soft voice through the door.
She tried to make out what was being said but only caught a few words: "We, together..."
Ye Nianchu frowned and hesitated. She was surprised to find herself reaching for the door handle.
This sort of thing was something she only used to do when she first started the game. New players often had to face dangers to learn the ropes.
Usually, she would ignore such situations and wait for morning.
Opening the door now could reveal her as a player.
But her identity was already pretty obvious, and others weren’t dumb.
It was a survival game, and getting involved could be risky.
Ye Nianchu was torn but finally decided to open the door. She turned the handle.
---
The corridor was dimly lit, with small insects buzzing around the flickering lights.
Zhou Yun had been knocking for about half a minute and was almost ready to give up when the door creaked open.
The young man stood by the door, his face looking even paler in the dim light.
Zhou Yun was stunned for a few seconds. It wasn’t the young man’s looks that surprised her, but the cold, impatient expression in his eyes, so different from how he seemed during the day.
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