When a man gets seduced, common sense often goes out the window. Chen Dongxi, lured by the sweet and playful voice of "Xiao Tian," was no exception. Excited, he jumped to his feet and rushed to the remote escape room location she had sent him.
Upon arrival, he couldn't help but notice how desolate the place looked. It was far from the city, with the escape room standing alone in a secluded factory.
"Tiantian, why is this place so far out in the suburbs? It's kind of creepy," Chen Dongxi remarked as he took in the scene.
Unbeknownst to him, Qi Lin had already disguised himself as "Xiao Tian," donning a floral dress with suspenders. Despite the absurdity of it all, he couldn't help but think, "Women's clothes are so comfortable... Wait, what am I thinking?!"
(I... I agree 😳)
Shaking off the strange thoughts, Qi Lin—now playing the role of Xiao Tian, smiled sweetly. "Dongxi, don't you know anything about escape rooms? The best ones are always in remote areas. The atmosphere is what makes them exciting!"
Holding onto "Xiao Tian's" arm, Chen Dongxi felt a thrill course through him. He was so caught up in the moment that he didn't notice the oddities of the situation. He scratched the back of his head and chuckled. "I guess I'm out of touch. I've been working at the school too long. This is my first time doing an escape room."
Xiao Tian's smile widened. "It's my first time too. It'll be special for both of us tonight."
The way she said it—It's my first time—had a double meaning, and Chen Dongxi's mind spun. He thought she was hinting at something more intimate, and his cheeks flushed as his thoughts raced.
With a sly grin, "Xiao Tian" led him into the entrance of the escape room, which had a "Death Apartment" theme. It was known to be one of the scariest rooms available.
As they walked in, Chen Dongxi started to feel uneasy. "Tiantian, this place is a little strange. Why haven't we seen any staff?"
Xiao Tian laughed it off. "This is a self-service escape room, silly. The staff are probably hiding, playing the roles of ghosts or monsters. Are you getting scared, Dongxi?"
Truth be told, Chen Dongxi wasn't the bravest. The flickering green lights, the creaking wooden floors, and the eerie props—the bloodstains and cobweb-covered furniture gave him chills. But he was too proud to admit it in front of Xiao Tian, so he puffed out his chest and said, "Don't worry. I'm full of yang energy. No ghosts or monsters can scare me."
As they ventured deeper into the room, "Xiao Tian" let go of his arm. Suddenly, all the lights in the room went out, plunging the space into total darkness.
When the lights flickered back on, Xiao Tian had disappeared.
"Tiantian? Where did you go?" Chen Dongxi's heart raced as he looked around the room, now completely alone. The shadows seemed to move around him, and goosebumps covered his skin.
This isn't right.
Meanwhile, Qi Lin had slipped out through a hidden exit in the cabinet. Before Chen Dongxi could even realize what had happened, Qi Lin was already at the control panel at the front desk.
"Enjoy your night, Mr. Fool," Qi Lin smirked as he set the difficulty level of the escape room to "Nightmare," the most terrifying setting available.
The escape room's traps, jump scares, and eerie sounds were all automated, controlled by the system. Now that Qi Lin had dialed it up to its maximum level, every horror the room had to offer would be unleashed on Chen Dongxi.
With everything in place, Qi Lin stepped out of the building and locked the door behind him. Even if Chen Dongxi managed to escape the room, he wouldn't be able to leave the building.
As Qi Lin walked away, a loud, blood-curdling scream echoed from inside the escape room. Chen Dongxi had fallen right into the trap.
"Oh, you poor fool," Qi Lin muttered, shaking his head in mock sympathy.
Chen Dongxi was in full panic mode now. The escape room's horrifying visuals and sounds screeching ghosts, fake decaying corpses, and creaking floors were too much for him to handle. The dark, confined space amplified his fear, and with every scare, he screamed louder.
"Help! Someone, help me! I'm done playing! I don't want to do this anymore!" he shouted, his voice trembling with terror.
But no one was coming. Chen Dongxi's phone, the only way he could call for help, was no longer with him. Qi Lin had taken it earlier, wiped it clean, and tossed it into the grass outside. There would be no rescue tonight.
---
Meanwhile, on Mulan Mountain
By the time Qi Lin had left the escape room, it was nearing 10 p.m. The dark sky blanketed the mountain, and only a faint glow could be seen from the tent set up near a secluded slope.
Inside the tent, Wang Yunzhi sat alone, waiting. Her phone kept ringing as she tried to reach Chen Dongxi, but each call went unanswered.
"Why isn't he picking up?" she muttered, her nerves fraying. The isolated location, combined with the growing fear that something might have happened, made her feel uneasy.
Little did she know, Chen Dongxi's phone lay abandoned in the grass, blinking with missed calls. The man she had trusted to join her under the stars was, instead, trapped in a nightmare of his own making.