Qi Wei woke up from his sleep. He remained in his lying-down position but turned his head to check the other bed and the bedroom itself.
'Was that just a dream?' Qi Wei thought after realizing there was no one in the bedroom other than the four of them.
Just before, Qi Wei thought he had heard a rustling sound. It sounded like someone was dragging their feet around the bedroom. He kept his eyes closed and pretended to sleep as he still didn't know how to face such a situation in this game.
He waited until the sounds died down and gathered all of his courage to slowly open his eyes and observe, but nothing other than darkness met his vision.
"Do not look down," a sudden caution was heard from the top bunk bed; it was Lai Yuan.
So… it wasn't a dream after all? Something was really in the room with the four of them right at this moment.
Just when Qi Wei thought so, he felt something creep up his bed; the movement was slow and draggy. The sound was uncomfortable to the ears; it sounded like something extremely wet dragged on top of a dry bed.
"It…" Qi Wei held his breath as he felt the movement getting closer. He tried to move away as much as he could, cornering himself against the wall. "It touched me," Qi Wei's voice shook. A wet and sticky skin met his own face. The smell of iron pierced his nose; there was no questioning that the hand that was currently caressing his face was wet with blood.
Qi Wei felt his stomach churn, fear seeping into him as he felt his body tense up from the touch.
"Do not scream. Breathe slowly," Lai Yuan kept on giving him instructions. His voice was calm, but if one observed closely enough, they could hear worries latched onto his tone.
"It will go away soon. Do not scream," he reminded Qi Wei once again.
Qi Wei struggled with all his might to suppress the rising urge to vomit, his face contorted in a battle against the churning turmoil in his stomach. He dared not even draw a breath, fearing that the metallic scent might be the final trigger to empty the contents of his roiling stomach.
In barely audible whispers, Qi Wei strained to catch the faint murmurs of Lai Yuan's chanting, but with his dwindling oxygen supply, his brain struggled to piece together the fragmented words.
Gradually, Qi Wei sensed the hand retreating from his face, its touch receding with deliberate slowness. Despite Lai Yuan's continued chanting, Qi Wei concentrated intently, straining to discern the faint rustling sounds once more. A realization dawned upon him—it seemed the hand was no longer within the confines of the room.
"Breathe," Lai Yuan commanded.
Qi Wei parted his lips quickly, taking a long inhale only to be assaulted by the metallic tang of blood on his face, causing his stomach to lurch violently. "Ah!" he gagged, unable to suppress the wave of nausea that surged through him.
Lai Yuan sprang from the upper bed with surprising agility, his hands swiftly enveloping Qi Wei's trembling form, guiding him into a seated position. "Let's get you to the restroom," he urged, his voice firm yet laced with concern.
Qi Wei nodded in agreement. He let Lai Yuan hug his side as he led him to the door. However, Qi Wei's steps faltered at the doorway, a fleeting glance cast back at Huang Peng. Sensing Qi Wei's silent plea, Lai Yuan sighed softly, intuitively grasping the unspoken concern. He swiftly seized a nearby hat from the coat stand, flinging it with precision to rouse Xiao Yi from her slumber.
"Aw!" she exclaimed, startled into a sitting position, her expression poised to unleash her wrath upon the unknown culprit, until she recognized Lai Yuan's authoritative voice.
"Something happened to Qi Wei. Keep an eye on Huang Peng," he instructed firmly.
Xiao Yi nodded without hesitation. "Got it, ge."
"Ugh. I must look awful right now," Qi Wei complained, leaning on Lai Yuan for support as they made their way to the nearest restroom.
"Don't even think about looking in the mirror," Lai Yuan cautioned, anticipating Qi Wei's curiosity about his bloodied face. "You're still handsome, believe me."
"Are you seriously joking at a time like this?" Qi Wei retorted incredulously.
Lai Yuan chuckled as he pushed open the restroom door. "Who said anything about joking? I'm just telling it like it is."
Brushing aside Lai Yuan's words, Qi Wei lowered himself onto the closed lid of the toilet. "Could you grab me a wet towel?" he requested, his voice tinged with unease. "I don't dare to be near the sink. I'm afraid I might get tempted to catch a glimpse of my reflection."
Qi Wei kept his head bowed, fixating on his own feet as Lai Yuan knelt beside him, gently lifting his chin. In Lai Yuan's hand, a warm, damp towel awaited, its comforting touch soothing as he delicately dabbed it across Qi Wei's face meticulously.
Their faces were mere inches apart, so close that Qi Wei could swear he could hear Lai Yuan's every breath, each inhale and exhale almost synchronized with his own. A peculiar sensation fluttered in Qi Wei's chest, but he brushed it aside.
Qi Wei contemplated opening his mouth to question the necessity of Lai Yuan's proximity, but a sudden self-consciousness about his own breath halted his words. He made a concerted effort to breathe as slowly and quietly as possible, hoping to conceal any trace of unease that might betray his inner thoughts.
A mischievous grin spread across Lai Yuan's face, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "Why do you seem so tense?" he teased lightly, wiping away the final smudge of blood from Qi Wei's cheek. "Are you considering kissing me?"
This time Qi Wei did not retort with a snarky remark. Instead, he pushed Lai Yuan's shoulder softly. "Thanks," he said in a small voice. "Am I clean now?"
Lai Yuan couldn't help but find the flustered Qi Wei adorable. He laughed softly before standing up to clean his hands and throw away the dirty towel. "Yes, Your Highness. You are clean now."
Qi Wei recovered from his flustered state quite fast. He rolled his eyes at Lai Yuan's reply. "Let's just go back to the room. I'm still sleepy. And do not answer me with another 'Yes, Your Highness.' It's annoying."
Lai Yuan stayed silent for a while before nodding with an innocent face. "Yes, Your Highness," he teased, leaving Qi Wei annoyed once again.
As they walked back to their room, Qi Wei inquired about the owner of the bloodied hand and found out that each realm had its own creature of death.
"They are the NPCs that are out to kill you. We call them Creatures of Death. If you misinterpret the clues and trigger death, it will come and kill you," Lai Yuan explained.
"Then, was I about to get killed before?" Qi Wei asked. "But how did I trigger death? I don't feel like I did anything to offend death."
Lai Yuan nodded. "I know why, but it's better to talk about this tomorrow in our room so we won't have anyone eavesdropping on us. Let's just rest for tonight. Plus, you did not trigger death, you just seem to happen to be the creature of death's favorite."