The concluding sound of the game echoed in Tang Ning's mind. He felt a profound dizziness, and the surroundings vanished like illusions, replaced by an empty bus station.
All was eerily still – no wind, no rain, no rustling trees, and no "I love you."
Tang Ning blinked slowly, looking down at the phone screen. A game summary popped up:
【Instance Name: Ghost Infant】
【Danger Level: E (White Instance)】
【Mission Difficulty: E (Novice Level)】
【Main Task Completion: Survival! (Survival Days * 10)】
【Advanced Task Completion: Seal the Ghost Infant! (Survival Days * 20)】
【Hidden Task Completion: Seal Mo Yun Chu! (Survival Days * 100)】
【Comprehensive Evaluation: S (Completion of S-level tasks grants lifetime usage of the 'Pea Princess Card' in this instance!)】
【Dear Player, your current survival days are 130. You currently possess the following items: Pea Princess Card, Evil-Repelling Coral Jade, Damp Spirit Money *4 (Items carried in the instance can be brought into reality)】
Survival days? Does it mean he can continue living for a while?
Tang Ning stared dazedly at the dense game summary, confirming that the events of the past six days were not a dream. He clicked confirm, then opened the in-game inventory.
**'Pea Princess Card'**
【Rarity】: S
【Function】: A rare charm-type card. Equipping this card permanently increases your attractiveness to "princes" by 10% in a weakened state.
**'Evil-Repelling Coral Jade'**
【Rarity】: A
【Function】: Has a deterrent effect on ordinary malicious spirits. When a malicious spirit enters the Coral Jade's area, its strength will be continuously weakened (only effective against spirits with common traits in this instance).
**'Damp Spirit Money'**
【Rarity】: E
【Function】: Giving the spirit money to a malicious spirit has a chance to reduce its aggressive intentions (same as above).
Thinking of the game's mention of "special items being brought into reality," Tang Ning reached into his pocket and indeed found the Coral Jade and the damp spirit money.
Retracting his hand, Tang Ning chose to continue exploring the game app. This time, he earnestly read the rules of the card game.
【Basic Rules of the Card Game】
1. Once a player obtains game eligibility, they will enter the game instance for a challenge every ten days.
2. To ensure player safety in reality and avoid danger during reading and quitting the game, the game will not consume real-time, and each read or quit will grant one second of absolute protection.
3. Death in the instance means real death.
【Card Explanations】
1. Players receive a card each time they enter an instance.
2. Cards follow players throughout the game, unrestricted by the instance.
3. Card usage: Current instance cards are not limited by usage times; players need to unlock card usage rights based on instance completion:
- S-level: Unlimited use
- A-level: Twice
- B-level: Once
- C and below: Sealed
4. Cards disappear upon player death.
5. After a player's death, there is a thirty-second window for teammates to pick up the cards.
6. Cards cannot be brought into the real world, and players cannot use cards in the real world.
7. Cards cannot be transferred except in the event of player death.
【Protection Mechanism】
Having glanced through the general rules, Tang Ning finally gained some understanding of the game. He found his way to the player forum, where the announcement welcomed players to communicate, share strategies, and participate in periodic events with rich rewards.
Clicking into the forum, Tang Ning encountered various threads on the homepage:
#【Casual Talk】After seeing some guys exploiting rules to kill and pick up cards, I'd rather honestly be my lone wolf.
#【Trade】Buying defensive items of the Eastern supernatural genre!#
#【Gossip】Does anyone know why Mo Yun Chu's instance suddenly closed?#
#【Casual Talk】Played seven rounds, the rarest card I drew is D-grade. Is this reasonable?#
Seeing the name Mo Yun Chu, Tang Ning's heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively clicked on it.
【Thread Starter】
Damn, damn, I read the instance description, and it says Mo Yun Chu being sealed caused a huge disturbance in the world line. The instance is temporarily closed for adjustments!!!
Let me introduce Mo Yun Chu. He's the top celestial master in some E-level instance, powerful enough to be considered in A-level instances. What's even more insane is that after Mo Yun Chu dies, he supposedly turns into an unsolvable evil spirit, capable of skyrocketing the instance difficulty straight to A-level!
Before, my teammates and I teamed up to support the gravedigger and take down Mo Yun Chu. In the end, we were almost wiped out by him. There was another team in the instance that day, insisting on going to Mo Yun Chu's villa, saying they wanted to trigger some hidden mission. The people who went there that day just disappeared. Later, I heard about that large-scale event, so anyone who went near Mo Yun Chu's lair that day vanished.
Regardless of the level, anyone approaching the villa area, without exception, died on the spot. Mo Yun Chu's lair was like his reverse scale – anyone who approached died, and no one knows what treasures he hid inside.
Apart from being a top celestial master, can you imagine Mo Yun Chu being a melee mage? The six of us attacked together, and he stylishly beat us in various ways. He even took out a belt and hung our team leader up to beat! By the end, he didn't even wear his suit properly, turning into a suited thug. Finally, he casually attended the awards ceremony.
Oh, by the way, I remember he received the Best Actor award that day. Well-deserved. Mo Yun Chu is really good at acting. I was planning to spend some survival days to revisit his instance and relive the classics.
【1st Reply】
Mo Yun Chu sealed? Laughing to death. Those who were beaten by Mo Yun Chu have gone crazy again.
【2nd Reply】
Just wanted to mock the thread starter for being a Mo Yun Chu fan, but turns out Mo Yun Chu really got sealed, and the instance is really closed!!!
【3rd Reply】??? Is this for real? By the way, I heard Mo Yun Chu's villa is specifically used for "golden house, hiding the beauty." Mo Yun Chu has never filmed kissing scenes, never involved in any rumors with anyone, all for keeping himself pure for his loved one.
【4th Reply】
Amidst browsing the posts, Tang Ning's ears seemed to echo Mo Yun Chu's unique, magnetic, and warm voice saying, "I love you."
"I love you." Tang Ning had repeated this phrase countless times in the instance, avoiding Mo Yun Chu's gaze each time. He continuously uttered these false sweet words, and with each repetition, it seemed like he was starting to believe them himself.
Now, reflecting on those days and nights, Mo Yun Chu had only said it to him twice. Once was when he was attacked by the ghost infant on his first day in the instance, and Mo Yun Chu hugged him, saying, "I love you." The second time was when he entered the seal, saying, "I love you."
He had initially thought Mo Yun Chu was a malicious spirit, and it was reasonable for a malicious spirit to be sealed. But after reading the posts, Tang Ning realized Mo Yun Chu wasn't a malicious spirit but an excellent celestial master, a genuinely powerful cultivator according to the system.
So, when Mo Yun Chu saw him leave wearing the Evil-Repelling Coral Jade, did he genuinely have something to attend to? But why did Mo Yun Chu silently stand guard at his villa? Why did Old Liu say he had picked up a dead person in the middle of the road?
Tang Ning felt bewildered. All he knew now was that Mo Yun Chu would turn into something terrifying after death, and the gravedigger had been guarding near Mo Yun Chu's home, waiting to collect Mo Yun Chu's body.
Yet, Mo Yun Chu willingly entered the seal for him.
Thinking about it, Tang Ning's chaotic thoughts suddenly came to a halt. He had laid in that coffin, it was so painful, so cold, so dark.
His chest felt so tight he could barely breathe. Tang Ning took a deep breath, searching for how to return to the instance. He felt like he might be going insane. If not insane, why would those crazy and irrational thoughts uncontrollably surface in his mind?
"If I could return to the instance."
"If, regardless of the flood after Mo Yun Chu's death."
"Could he go?"
"Could he go and undo the seal?"
His fingertips trembled slightly as Tang Ning continued to read the rules of the instance:
1. The instance library consists of 36,500 instances, categorized by the overall danger level of monsters from E to S difficulty.
2. Each instance has an independent plot development. When a player enters, the wheels of time start turning, providing players with an entirely new experience. NPCs also remember players who have left a memorable impact on them.
3. The timeline stops when a player exits the instance, only resuming when a new player enters the game.
4. Instances have growth, and based on the timeline progression, upgrades or downgrades are highly likely.
5. Players will be matched to instances based on their own win rates and card collection completion in the corresponding difficulty range, without repeating the same instance for three cycles.
6. Players cannot autonomously choose the instance to enter.
Unable to autonomously choose an instance.
It was as if a bucket of ice-cold water had been poured over Tang Ning, freezing not only the warmth surging in his veins but also his thoughts. Tang Ning stood motionless, pupils losing focus, his mind starting to empty. He had no idea what he was thinking at this moment.
Mo Yun Chu.
Mo Yun Chu.
It's strange, why is the name filling his mind? He seemed to be sick, afflicted with a disease called "Mo Yun Chu."
"Beep—"
The distant sound of a vehicle moving reached Tang Ning's ears. He suddenly raised his head, pupils contracting. A bus appeared from the night, an outdated model that had already been phased out. The license plate number was different from the supernatural bus in the instance.
The bus stopped in front of Tang Ning, and the door opened automatically. In the dim light, passengers could vaguely be seen chatting on the bus. Tang Ning glanced at the time—midnight, twelve o'clock.
As the rules stated, regardless of how much time was spent in the instance, one couldn't perceive the passage of time upon returning to reality.
The bus didn't have any words related to funeral services on it, indicating it was arranged by the production team.
Tang Ning boarded the bus, glanced around, locked eyes with two extras sitting in the middle row by the window. Seeing their remarkably synchronized surprised expressions, he looked away, finding hidden cameras set up by the production team.
Had he truly returned to reality?
Tang Ning turned and walked towards the driver's area, tilting his head, staring directly at the driver for a while.
The driver felt inexplicably stared at, couldn't resist turning to ask Tang Ning what he was looking at. However, as soon as he turned, Tang Ning's face unexpectedly entered his view.
With delicate Eastern features on his face, bathed in the dim light, Tang Ning appeared like a fragile and beautiful puppet, emitting an indescribable deadly allure.
For a moment, the driver was left speechless.
The exceptionally handsome young man gave him a faint smile, then turned and walked away.
Indeed, it was a bus and people arranged by the production team.
Tang Ning exhaled a breath, found a seat in the last row, and looked out of the window at the pitch-black scenery. In the previous instance, he had also sat in this position on a bus, with Mo Yun Chu beside him, holding him.
Voices from two extras chatting in the front reached Tang Ning's ears. They were likely reciting scripted lines provided by the production team.
"Have you heard about the urban legend of the ghost bus at Jinsong Station's last bus?"
"Is it the story where you'll end up at the cemetery if you fall asleep during the ride? This kind of story is too far-fetched. Besides, as long as we don't doze off, we'll be fine, right?"
The bus lights started flickering between the conversation of the two extras, creating a suspenseful atmosphere.
This was the first scripted scare arranged by the production team, like an appetizer. Typically, guests would show a slightly nervous expression, glancing around anxiously. But Tang Ning on the screen—
He tilted his head back, looking at the shifting lights without any change in expression, cold and detached, as if isolated from the chaotic scene.
Director: "?"
Director: "Didn't his manager say he's easily frightened and requested not to scare him too much? Why does he seem pretty brave?"
"Although his manager didn't say it wrong, Tang Ning is indeed too good-looking," the assistant couldn't help but remark.
The experienced director nodded in agreement, then shouted, "Second scare, prepare—"
On the bus, a handle suddenly dropped, rolling to Tang Ning's feet. Tang Ning didn't flinch; he was mentally and physically exhausted, wanting nothing more than to lie down and empty himself. Any reaction to the outside world would deplete his remaining energy.
In this state, Tang Ning was most interested in the mysterious card game.
The game forum couldn't be accessed during the game time, only in the real world. Additionally, only card players could see this forum; ordinary people would see other random content. Therefore, Tang Ning sat on the bus quietly scrolling through the forum on his phone.
Urban Legend of Jinsong Bus
The conversation of the two extras in the front just now reminded Tang Ning of the supernatural bus in the instance, and the urban legend of the ghost bus in reality. Were the similar paranormal events in instance 22 and the real-world ghost bus legend just coincidences?
A vague unease settled in Tang Ning's heart. He entered several keywords, browsed numerous posts, and finally found the post he was looking for.
# [Chat] Has anyone noticed more and more instances permeating into reality in the game? #
[OP]
It used to be that only when instances collapsed would some supernatural elements permeate into reality. But recently, I saw a ghostly figure related to an instance that hadn't collapsed.
Tang Ning's right eyelid twitched. He shouted to the driver, "Sir, which road are we taking?"
"Greenhua Avenue," the driver replied.
Tang Ning furrowed his brow. He only knew that the road where the incident occurred in the instance was 22, but he hadn't learned the specific name of that road.
Was he overthinking?
It seemed like there was a gaze from the shadows projecting onto him. It was a cautious scrutiny. Tang Ning suddenly lifted his head, locking eyes with the extras in the front who were sneakily glancing at him.
The other party obviously didn't expect Tang Ning, who had lowered his head a second ago, to suddenly look up. Their face immediately turned red. Tang Ning looked at the extra and suddenly said, "Just now, I overheard your conversation about the urban legend of Jinsong Station. Quite a coincidence, as I've recently heard a similar story from someone."
The extras stared at Tang Ning without blinking.
"That person is a hearse driver. They have a rule in this profession—don't pick up passengers late at night. But one night, he saw a woman in white," Tang Ning began telling the story, leaving the people on the bus and the staff in front of the screen stunned, unsure of what play Tang Ning was acting out.
"How did he know the next scare would involve an actress standing on the roadside trying to hitch a ride?" the director was somewhat puzzled.
The scare script prepared by the production team this time was straightforward. On the bus, including Tang Ning, there were only four people— the driver, two scripted actors, and Tang Ning as the guest.
Outside the bus, there's another actor waiting not far away, a female actress wearing a wig and a white dress, soon to play the role of a female ghost. Once she boards, the three actors will enact a scripted ghostly encounter. The bus driver will pretend the bus is out of control, but in reality, he will follow the original route and take the bus near the riverbank close to the desolate graveyard.
Thinking about this, the director sitting in the tent shifted his gaze to the screen capturing the actress playing the ghost. Seeing the actress standing in the grass with a pale back, he nodded, then withdrew his attention to continue observing the screen on the bus.
On the screen, Tang Ning was still narrating the story of the hearse driver. The significant difference in his ghost stories was that he had personally experienced them, providing listeners with a vivid and immersive account.
The headlights projected onto a desolate path not far away. A vague white figure appeared at the roadside.
"That woman harbors resentment towards all vehicles on Route 22. If she gets on the bus, everyone on board—" Tang Ning raised his head, his voice firm, "will encounter misfortune."
The two extras, who were holding their breath, followed Tang Ning's gaze outside the window.
A white-clad woman stood stiffly by the deserted road. The headlights illuminated half of her body, and the bulging abdomen lifted a blood-stained skirt. Even though the two extras knew in advance that a female ghost actress would board midway, they couldn't help but scream.
Tang Ning stared intently at the woman in white outside the bus.
Something's wrong.
Very wrong.
Through the tangled black hair, he seemed to catch a glimpse of elusive malice in her eyes—icy, cruel. That was not a look a living person could possess!
"Don't stop the bus!!!" Tang Ning suddenly stood up and shouted.
The driver strictly followed the director's instructions and stopped the bus without heeding Tang Ning's warning.
The white-clad woman by the roadside slowly approached the bus. Her steps were stiff, each one unnaturally slow. Her figure flickered on the screen, and the scene seemed to lag, as if the camera were glitching. The director muttered in confusion, "What's going on? Is the camera malfunctioning? We might need to reshoot later."
The swollen foot stepped onto the bus, and the temperature in the cabin dropped several degrees instantly. One of the extras sitting in front couldn't help but hug his arms, but then bravely stood up according to the script, approaching the white-clad woman. "Friend, your face is covered by your hair. Can you see the road clearly like this?"
He leaned in, reaching out to lift the black hair covering the woman's face.
The entire cabin fell silent for three seconds.
"Ah ah ah ah ah ah!!!!!!!" A heart-wrenching scream erupted from the man. He widened his eyes as if he had seen something terrifying. His whole body trembled violently.
The other extra behind him couldn't help but marvel at his partner's acting skills today. Then, following the script, he quickly rushed forward, "What's wrong?! Why are you screaming? Are you playing a prank again?"
However, his companion didn't respond with the next line. Instead, he paled, collapsed to the ground, shivering intensely as he tried desperately to move away from the woman in white.
Did he forget his lines?
His improvisation was pretty good!
Without much thought, the other extra swiftly reached the motionless woman in white. He then quickly extended his hand, feeling the cold black hair. A chilling, foul-smelling breath blew out from between the strands, causing him to involuntarily shiver. Raised by a hand, the woman's hair stopped mid-air.
His face twitched, making a terrified and emotional expression. His mouth opened in a dumbfounded manner, and a cassette-like wail intermittently came out.
The driver, seeing everyone else performing excellently, also prepared to shout out his scripted lines, "What's happening! Why is the bus—"
The robust shout suddenly halted, as if a screaming rooster had been abruptly silenced. In its place was a silent moan emanating from widened eyes.
All indicator lights showed as extinguished. Even when the trembling driver gave up control, the bus continued smoothly on the pitch-black road.
The people inside the bus were plunged into a deathly silence. Their eyes widened in disbelief, mouths slightly agape, as if they had witnessed something beyond rationality.
In their fearful pupils, crimson blood poured silently from the doors, windows, and even the roof of the bus. Two meters high, the blood seemed like an advancing wave, splashing on the ground and bouncing off, filling the carriage with jumping blood beads.
The eerie blood silently engulfed the bus, splashing onto the old carriage. It opened its blood-filled maw, devouring the tiny humans on board.
Tick-tock.
Tang Ning blinked, and all the blood suddenly disappeared. Only the woman in white remained standing quietly in the bus. Tick-tock, a crimson drop of blood fell from her blood-stained legs, maggots wriggling in the blood, and in an instant, the viscous blood tainted the area within half a meter of the bus door.
The woman in white stiffly turned her head, and her empty eyes behind disheveled hair stared directly at Tang Ning.
In the moment their eyes met, a shiver ran from the spine to the top of Tang Ning's head. His entire body's hair stood on end. If he hadn't gained experience in the first scenario, he might have collapsed on the spot.
Stay calm!
Stay calm!!!
The woman, still bleeding, slowly approached Tang Ning at the back. A deathly aura surrounded her, devoid of any vitality. The resentful gaze resembled a venomous snake ready to strike. Tang Ning discreetly reached into his pocket, grasping the damp paper money.
A pungent, foul odor pervaded the air, seemingly transforming into insidious little snakes that hissed on the skin, crawling into the flesh, entwining around his wildly beating heart—
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
The heartbeat synchronized with the footsteps. Tang Ning stared fixedly at the approaching woman in white, the hand holding the paper money trembling until his knuckles turned white. Through the strands of black hair covering her face, he could vaguely see dark eyes. Tang Ning could feel the ghost assessing him, using a gaze filled with hunger, resentment, coldness—like a sharp knife sliding against his face, ready to cut a piece of flesh if he wasn't careful!
The pale hand of the ghost reached out to Tang Ning.
Almost simultaneously, Tang Ning swiftly pulled out four pieces of paper money from his pocket. He resisted the fear and handed the paper money to the ghost in front of him, trying to keep his voice steady, "Please get off the bus."
The hand with corpse stains rigidly seized the damp paper money, and Tang Ning's fingertips were less than a centimeter away.
All eyes were focused on this scene.
The extras with tears streaming down their faces, the driver desperately smashing the steering wheel, the director frowning intently, and Tang Ning, his heart in his throat.
Handing paper money to a malevolent spirit only had a chance of reducing its aggressive intentions, not completely deterring it. Tang Ning could sense this ghost lingering on the brink of attacking him. The greedy, resentful, fierce, and fearful gaze felt like a sharp knife sliding over his facial skin. Inattentiveness could result in the ghost cutting a piece of flesh!
The scenery outside the windows rapidly flowed backward, like an endless black river, or a downpour of blood turning black. The half-closed windows emitted a mournful wail, and Tang Ning's hand couldn't help but tremble. In this tense atmosphere, his lips quivered unconsciously, uttering a name—
"Mo Yunchu."
The speeding bus suddenly came to a stop. Everyone on board staggered with the abrupt braking. Tang Ning almost fell onto the ghost. He quickly stabilized himself, hearing the sound of the door opening.
A chilling night breeze blew in from outside, and the silent scene beyond the open door seemed like another world. The woman in white turned around, holding the paper money, and slowly walked off the bus.
The driver slumped over the steering wheel. At the moment he saw the woman getting off the bus, he suddenly gained strength. His face turned pale as he tried to step on the accelerator to leave. However, when the headlights illuminated the eerily still surroundings, the driver almost fainted.
In the darkness stood small mounds of dirt. The bus had stopped just a step away from a murky river, about to plunge in!
"Well done! Well done! The effect of this episode is excellent!" The director nodded in satisfaction. He had never expected the acting of everyone on the bus to surpass expectations. Sitting in front of the screen, he felt like he was watching a group of award-winning actors in an intense performance. Especially the sudden scene where Tang Ning took out spirit money—there was an indescribable eerie feeling that got more intriguing the more he thought about it.
The director, joyfully preparing to wrap up the shoot, didn't notice a pale hand lifting the tent.
A woman with white clothes and black hair walked into the tent.
She reached out and patted the man's shoulder.
The director turned around, seeing the actress who was supposed to be standing in the desolate graveyard, and said bewildered, "Director, I woke up and found myself sleeping on the roadside. Did I miss the bus?"
Tang Ning's body collapsed onto the seat as if completely exhausted. His limbs felt weak, and his heart was still pounding. He felt like he had just walked through the gates of hell. After managing to calm himself, he looked up and met three pairs of shining adoring eyes.
"Master, what should we do now?" a supporting actor asked respectfully.
Tang Ning: "?"
The look in the eyes of the person in front of Tang Ning wasn't unfamiliar – the gaze of those fearing the darkness, looking at the only candlelight with hope. Tang Ning had once looked at Boss Hao, the graveyard keeper, and Mo Yunchu with such eyes.
He just never thought that one day, people would look up to him in the same way.
"I'm not a master, and I don't know what to do," Tang Ning said weakly.
The bus driver, wiping tears and snot, apologized to Tang Ning, "I'm sorry, wise one. I should have listened to you. Whatever you say next, I'll follow!"
"So, are we wrapping up?"
In the end, Tang Ning, accompanied by three terrified crew members, got off the bus. They also encountered the photographer crouching in the graveyard, looking equally frightened.
"That person just now," the photographer wasn't sure how to address the woman in white, hesitated for a while, and finally said, "Where did that good brother go? My camera seems to have a problem, no, it's my eyes that have an issue. The camera could capture that good brother, but I can't see her with my naked eye. How come she disappeared when I blinked?"
The three crew members behind Tang Ning turned pale, urging the photographer to stop, "Don't talk about it! Let's wrap up quickly! Tang Ning said to leave early!"
The shivering photographer quickly nodded, and everyone left in a small van, neglecting the departing bus. The driver, a burly man of 1.9 meters, insisted on sitting next to Tang Ning. He grabbed onto Tang Ning's clothes, seeking a sense of security. The other two supporting actors were equally competitive, fighting for the remaining seats next to Tang Ning.
Tang Ning knew these people were terrified. After all, he was scared himself. Amid the helpless and pitiful gazes of the group, Tang Ning thoughtfully played the song "Good Luck" for them.
On the way back, Tang Ning received calls from the shivering director and actress. The trembling director promised to make Tang Ning a regular guest on the show. Tang Ning, deeply moved, firmly declined.
After saying goodbye to the crew members, Tang Ning returned home. As soon as he opened the door, he saw a black shadow rushing towards him!
"Meow~"
A cuddly black cat rubbed against Tang Ning's legs. It squinted its eyes, and its little head rubbing against him was forceful enough to cover Tang Ning's pants in cat hair.
Tang Ning crouched down, hugged the happy cat, buried his face in its belly, and took a deep breath. The joyful purring filled his ears.
The home was desolate, with only a purring little cat. Tang Ning let go of the cat, went to freshen up, but the moment he entered the bathroom, a similar scene made him immediately retreat.
He was afraid to enter the bathroom alone.
After thinking for a while, Tang Ning brought the happy cat into the bathroom. Joyfully sniffing around, it seemed excited. In the past, Tang Ning never allowed the cat into the bathroom because it always liked to drink toilet water secretly.
With Joy's company, Tang Ning quickly took a hot shower.
He put on his pajamas, carried the cat into the bedroom, locked the door tightly, drew the curtains completely, positioned his slippers facing outward, and, after doing all this, Tang Ning curled up in bed.
It wasn't early; it was already 4 a.m.
The air conditioning breeze blew on Tang Ning's face, a chilly wind. Tang Ning immediately pulled his head under the blanket. The blanket felt stuffy, making it hard for him to breathe.
The furry little cat also crawled into the blanket, licking Tang Ning's damp eyelids. Tang Ning closed his eyes, crying softly, and whispered to Joy, "What should I do? I'm so useless."
"Without him."
"I can't sleep."