The information overload that flooded his head left Tang Ning bewildered.
Strange bus, a game, ghost babies, dungeons, survive for seven days...
These terms seemed familiar.
In a flash, Tang Ning recalled the terms from the mobile app's game agreement, the one he hadn't bothered to read due to its length.
In disbelief, Tang Ning exclaimed, "Did I enter the dungeon because of that card game?!"
"Yes," replied a cold male voice.
Panicking, Tang Ning hurriedly asked, "Can I quit the game?"
The voice replied, "After exiting the game, due to irregular sleep patterns and physical weakness, the player will instantly die."
Tang Ning, confused, asked, "What?!"
"Winning the card game can avoid a deadlock. Would the player like to exit the game?"
Realizing he had no choice, Tang Ning hesitated.
Fearing the system's ominous consequences, he carefully observed the person in front of him, Mo Yunchu. Was he an NPC in the dungeon? Were they supposed to be in a romantic relationship? But Tang Ning was a straight male...
Tang Ning could only nervously glance at Mo Yun chu. Mo Yun chu's dark, profound eyes resembled the vast sea under the night sky, the pupils reflecting a glimmer of headlights, much like moonlight scattered on the shimmering sea surface-a deep affection capable of drowning people.
Even though Tang Ning had encountered countless handsome men and beautiful women in the entertainment industry, Mo Yun chu's impeccable charm left him stunned for a moment.
"Players should avoid breaking character in dungeons. Adhering to the character's traits improves survival chances. Deviating may lead to NPC suspicion and trigger a chain reaction."
Tang Ning cautiously inquired, "What chain reaction?"
"Including but not limited to being sent to a mental hospital for treatment and turning your relationship with NPCs hostile."
Understanding the importance of adhering to character traits, Tang Ning asked, "What's my character?"
The male voice paused, then replied, "You are delicate and frail, seeking refuge in a powerful male. You are fickle, breaking up with your ex but enticing other men."
Shocked, Tang Ning questioned, "Am I really that bad?"
The voice remained silent.
Nervously, Tang Ning turned to Mo Yunchu. Unsure how to act as Momo's lover, he dared not make eye contact.
Tang ning didn't know how to act as Mo Yun chu's lover. He was famous in the entertainment industry for being a wooden beauty and his acting skills were terrible. However, he knew that under such circumstances, he couldn't make eye contact. Otherwise, it would be like a close-up camera and he would be publicly executed.
Tang ning lowered his eyes in panic as he threw himself into Mo Yun chu's arms. He wrapped his arms around Mo Yun chu and pressed his ear against Mo Yun chu's chest. He could clearly hear Mo Yun chu's powerful heartbeat.
Panic-stricken, he nestled in Momo's arms, feeling his powerful heartbeat and warmth.
"I love you," Tang Ning whispered, attempting to play his part.
Mo Yunchu embraced him, his touch warm and calloused. Tang Ning, feeling the warmth, wondered if his exaggerated reaction was influenced by the "delicate and frail" character setting.
"Don't move, let me hold you," Mo Yunchu said gently, his tired tone suggesting a challenging moment.
Tang Ning, complying, smelled Momo's unique woody fragrance. Despite the eerie surroundings, Momo's embrace felt like a sanctuary, calming his fear.
"Okay, the bus has stopped, we can get off," Mo Yunchu said, breaking the moment.
Mo Yunchu spoke, yet without releasing his hold on Tang Ning's hand. Tang Ning immediately pushed him away with his elbow, bending down to pick up his phone. Throughout these actions, he dared not look at Mo Yunchu, and his long eyelashes trembled vigorously, resembling a fragile butterfly desperately flapping its delicate wings, having just escaped a spider's web.
However, as soon as he got hold of the phone, he worried that his previous reaction might have shattered his persona, irritating Mo Yunchu. So, he cautiously turned his face, which was now covered in a sickly pale red, and glanced at Mo Yunchu.
He saw Mo Yunchu picking up the an evil looking doll from the seat.
At that moment, Tang Ning felt like he was plunged into an icy cave; the color drained from his face completely. His voice escalated abruptly, "Throw it away!"
Mo Yunchu hesitated for a moment but placed the doll back in its original position.
"Let's go quickly," Tang Ning, afraid, held onto the edge of Mo Yunchu's clothing, gripping it so hard that his knuckles turned white. His trembling voice urged, "Hurry..."
Mo Yunchu put on a mask and a cap, his strong and graceful hand gently enclosing Tang Ning's trembling hand.
Tang Ning dared not look at the eerie doll behind him or the passengers in front. Everything on this train felt extremely peculiar to him, and only the warm touch of Mo Yunchu's palm gave him the strength to keep going.
After getting off the train, Mo Yunchu led Tang Ning to a villa area.
Tang Ning was stunned, not by the luxury of the villa but by the cemetery built on the hill behind it.
[Is this Mo Yunchu's home, system?]
[Yes.]
Mo Yunchu noticed Tang Ning's bewildered gaze and asked with concern, "What's wrong?"
"The cemetery on the hill seems ominous, don't you think?" Tang Ning whispered.
"When I bought it, there was no cemetery here. Besides, aren't you a paranormal exploration blogger? You usually don't believe in these things, right?" Mo Yunchu smiled.
[T... system, am I a paranormal exploration blogger?]
[Yes.]
A cold male voice calmly added, [Your channel includes evaluations of global haunted houses, methods to encounter ghosts, and a compilation of horror games. To maintain your persona, you should upload some videos in the next seven days.]
Tang Ning's face turned pale. [Can I skip the updates? I'm really scared of these things.]
The male voice remained silent for a moment. [If Mo Yunchu doesn't suspect you, it's fine.]
Tang Ning sighed with relief internally. Turning to Mo Yunchu, he said, "I used to be fine with this, but doing it for a long time makes me a bit neurotic. Plus, the headlights were flickering on and off today, and I got a bit scared for some reason."
He spoke sincerely, and as he noticed the swaying shadows nearby, Tang Ning instinctively tightened his grip on Mo Yunchu's hand. His eyes showed a hint of panic, like a little bird that could be startled by the shadow of a bowstring at any moment-pitiful yet adorable.
Seeing Tang Ning trembling continuously, Mo Yunchu, "Maybe it rained earlier, causing a minor issue with the headlights."
Tang Ning nodded, feeling like there was something behind him watching, but summoning courage, he turned to look, finding nothing.
Inside the villa, Mo Yunchu asked Tang Ning to take a relaxing hot bath.
After the cold sweat during the train journey, Tang Ning also wanted to freshen up. Mo Yunchu thoughtfully prepared a change of clothes for him, set the water at the right temperature, and even placed soothing scented candles for relaxation.
When Tang Ning undressed, he was shocked by what he saw. His body was covered in shocking scars-purple, blue, and deep red, sprawled across the originally flawless porcelain skin, resembling the aftermath of being tortured.
Upon closer inspection, these were marks left by the ghost baby attacks.
But considering the Pea Princess setting, feeling a small pea through over twenty layers of velvet quilts seemed somewhat reasonable.
Tang Ning lightly touched the wounds; there was no intense pain, just a frightening appearance. He sighed in relief and sank into the bathtub. The warm water diluted the day's fear, and Tang Ning felt a long-lost comfort. His tense nerves relaxed, and drowsiness crept in. The hot mist enveloped him, a pale red hue appearing on Tang Ning's otherwise pale face.
His body was exceptionally fair, and any touch of color made him particularly captivating.
As Tang Ning drifted in a daze, he suddenly heard the sound of the door handle turning.
His blurry eyes opened, and through the mist-covered glass, Tang Ning's somewhat scattered gaze fell on the bathroom door.
Perhaps due to the door being unable to open, the sound of the handle ceased.
Thinking he might have misheard, Tang Ning lay back down. After a while, the more distinct sound of turning resumed, urgent this time, even causing the door to creak loudly. Since only he and Mo Yunchu were in the villa, Mo Yunchu couldn't silently keep turning the door handle. So, who was standing outside now?
In a panic, Tang Ning called out to the system in his mind.
[Find Mo Yun chu.]
Tang Ning quickly picked up his phone, accessing the replica. His phone had undergone some changes, including Mo Yun chu's contact information. Trembling, Tang Ning typed, [Can you come to the bathroom to get me?]
He didn't dare to make a call or communicate with Mo Yun chu directly, fearing that any sound might alert the intruder outside.
Perhaps it was because the door had not been opened that the handle was not turned again.
The bathroom returned to silence. It was so quiet that one could hear Tang ning breathing.
Is he gone?
Tang ning remained motionless as he stared at the door handle. heheard the sound of running water coming from the sink.
Tang ning used his palm to wipe away the mist on the glass door. He didn't see any leakage from the sink, but he could smell a foul smell.
Tang ning's gaze moved down from the sink. This glance made him shiver!
The entire floor of the bathroom was covered in bloody handprints!
The thickest place for bloody fingerprints was the bathroom door!
From the crack of the door to the bathtub, the densely packed bloody fingerprints became sparse. The closest bloody fingerprint to the bathtub was only about 20 centimeters away!
Tang ning retreated in fear, but behind him was a wall. There was no way hecould retreat. His butterfly-like shoulder blades trembled against the wall, and his legs curled up like a mermaid's tail.
The surface of the water was constantly shaking. The sound of water flowing in the bathtub seemed to stimulate the speed of the bloody handprint. The bloody handprint that was slowly emerging quickly flashed at this moment. The handprint was very small, the size of a child. It seemed like a child was crawling on the ground quickly, crawling to the edge of the bathtub in an instant!
"Don't come over!" Tang ning smashed the scented candle on the bathtub shelf onto the bloody handprint on the floor. A series of high-pitched cries echoed in the bathroom.
The bloody handprint that had only appeared on the ground covered the entire wall!
The bathtub was dyed red with blood, and Tang ning's collapsed face was reflected in the surface of the water.
At this moment, there was a knock on the door. All the blood had disappeared. The warm water in the bathtub was clear and the tiles on the floor were white and flawless. It was as if Tang ning had imagined everything.
It was Mo Yunchu!
Tangning seemed to have found his backbone. He quickly walked out of the bathtub and put on his bathrobe. He didn't even have time to fasten his belt before opening the door for Mo Yunchu. He even forgot to lock the door himself. He twisted the handle and didn't open it. Only then did he realize that he should unlock it first.
Ding ~ A notification came from the phone placed on the bathtub shelf.
Touching the mist-covered glass with red-tinted fingertips, Tang Ning looked towards the bathroom door. Perhaps due to the door not opening, the handle had stopped turning.
The bathroom returned to silence, quiet enough Tang Ning could hear his own breathing.
The bathroom door continued knocking, now more urgently.
In this moment, Tang Ning didn't want to acknowledge anything; he just wanted to open the door to welcome Mo Yunchu.
Trembling, he unlocked the door.
At the moment the door unlocked, Tang Ning heard a giggling laughter.
It was a joyful, mischievous laughter of a child who succeeded in a prank.
The temperature in the bathroom dropped in that instant, and Tang Ning felt the cold to the point where his fingertips lost warmth. Amidst the chilly breeze, Tang Ning suddenly recalled some overlooked details-
If the person outside was Mo Yunchu, why was he only knocking and not saying anything?
Who sent him the message just now?
If it was Mo Yunchu, then who was standing outside?
Tang Ning stood stiffly by the door, and as it automatically swung open, he saw a familiar nightmare-
A ghost baby with a pale face stared at him with pitch-black eyes, its blood-red mouth opening, "Mommy."