Her heart felt like it was suddenly struck by a drum, nearly jumping out of her mouth, and she quickly shrank back, closing her eyes.
Although she often brushed against him during intimate kisses, this was the first time she had seen it with her own eyes, and she really wanted to poke herself.
Gradually, heat began to rise on her face.
After an unknown amount of time, he changed into dry clothes and sat down beside her, quietly keeping watch. She also calmed her thief-like emotions and noticed that he was only wearing thin clothes. Feeling a bit of pity, she said, "Come and join me; it's warm under the blankets."
Yan Su, hearing this, felt a twinge of regret. Why did he put his clothes on so quickly?
But he still knew to seize the moment for his own benefit, so he quickly climbed into bed, wrapping his arms around his beloved girlfriend.
Noticing something was off with his expression, Zhen Ai asked, "What's wrong with you?"
Yan Su was not good at hiding his feelings, so he said honestly, "Why are we always naked together at different times?" His tone carried a hint of grievance.
Zhen Ai: ...
She averted her gaze and softly said, "There are still people outside; it's not appropriate here."
Yan Su frowned, not understanding. "I mean purely in the literal sense of sleeping together without clothes, not having sex with you. Do you really think I would have such poor taste as to have our first time in this absurd castle bathroom?"
Zhen Ai blinked at him, wide-eyed. Who said anything about wanting to do that with you? Don't get carried away!
Just as she was about to say something, he fixed his gaze on her cheek, looked for half a second, then let out a long breath, feeling extremely happy and relieved. "Ai, you've finally blushed."
What he really meant was that she had finally regained some color.
But Zhen Ai was already embarrassed to the point of wanting to sink into the ground. This idiot Yan Su! Was her blush really just because she was regaining color?
Zhen Ai leaned against him and softly said, "Even though it's warm outside, I still feel a bit cold inside; it's uncomfortable."
At that moment, he held her tightly, his warm fingers gently caressing her back and waist, as if he were savoring the feel of her body. Hearing her words, a strange thought flashed through his mind. It was as if, after experiencing the despair and ecstasy of losing and regaining her, he lost his judgment and just wanted to do something untimely and crazy driven by his emotions. He suddenly had an overwhelming desire to touch her. "Maybe I have a way."
"Mm?" She looked at him in confusion.
He stopped speaking, tightened the blanket, revealing only their heads. But his palm slipped to her chest, grasping a soft mound, with his rough thumb grazing over the tip. Zhen Ai shivered, as if his warmth reached her heart. Her head suddenly felt hot, and she could barely tell what was going on.
He lightly kneaded for a moment, finally letting go, his fingers drifting to her waist, sliding into her rear. Zhen Ai tensed her body, not having time to resist as his long fingers slipped into her cleft, stopping at her entrance, lightly touching it like a dragonfly skimming over water.
Zhen Ai quickly bit her lip to stifle her voice, her eyes filled with confusion and reluctance, but with a hint of anticipation.
Yan Su embraced her body, which was trying to evade him, and whispered, "Don't move; I'm just going to touch a little."
She indeed stayed still, her face flushed, awkward yet innocent as she looked at him.
His palm was filled with softness as his thumb gently stroked the little pearl at the front, while his index finger explored the tiny opening. He only managed to insert the tip of his finger when Zhen Ai's body jolted, her small hand clutching his arm tightly. Despite biting her lip, a faint whimper escaped her lips.
His breath quickened, originally intending just to touch her, but the delicate, tender sensation beneath his fingertips made it hard to pull away. Unable to resist, he slowly pushed deeper, cautiously stroking her.
Zhen Ai tightened around him, staring at him in shock, her dark eyes glistening like a frightened little deer. Although his cheeks were flushed, his gaze was calm and clear as he focused intently on her.
Under the close blanket, the air grew warm and humid, causing her to sweat.
She squirmed against his finger, feeling unbearably itchy, nearly unable to hold back a soft moan. Several times, she wanted to pull his hand away, but he remained unmoving.
Until a moment when the strange feeling of pleasure inside her peaked, heat surged within her, and moisture overflowed beneath him, he finally stopped.
Zhen Ai was stunned for a moment, embarrassed, and quickly buried herself under the covers.
Yan Su pulled her out, asking, "Ah? Are you still cold? Do you want to go again?"
Zhen Ai: ...
She really wanted to bite him!
With a huff of dissatisfaction, she turned to leave, but he twisted her back and hugged her tightly. "Be good; don't move around; the warmth will escape."
His voice was low, like he was coaxing a child.
Zhen Ai's heart softened in an instant, and she obediently snuggled against him, closing her eyes quietly.
After the earlier commotion, Zhen Ai felt as if her body was on fire, and the strange sensation of being thrown into the clouds amazed her even more.
She felt weak all over, lazily shifting her position and resting her head against his chest, listening to the powerful rhythm of his heartbeat. Since being with him, she had always felt an abundance of security.
And the intimacy they just shared… She leaned closer to him and buzzed, "Dear…"
"Hmm?"
"Why do you…" She hesitated, her cheeks burning. How could she even ask such a question?
As she struggled to find the right words, Yan Su leaned down closer to her ear, his voice a bit hoarse yet proud, "You want to compliment me for being amazing?"
Zhen Ai detected the uncontainable pride in his voice and regretted asking him, but she still mustered the courage to mumble an "uh-huh."
Yan Su's lips curled into a big smile, and after a moment, he seriously explained, "Oh, it's probably because I have a pretty good understanding of female anatomy."
Zhen Ai suddenly lifted her head, staring at him in astonishment.
Yan Su was momentarily taken aback, not understanding why her expression had changed. After contemplating for a moment, he curiously asked, "Isn't there a diagram of female reproductive organs in the biology book? Front view, side view, overall, details… it's all there."
How could that even compare?
He was such a genius...
Zhen Ai couldn't find her voice. She knew she shouldn't have asked.
Noticing the changing emotions in her eyes, Yan Su took the initiative to lean closer to her ear, his voice low and sultry as he whispered:
"Just now was field research. Hmm, I've already gained a basic and comprehensive understanding of your body." As he spoke, his fingers wandered down again to touch her, "You both don't need to be nervous. Tell her I really like her. Of course, don't get jealous; you're my favorite."
Gradually, his voice carried an unassuming sense of ambition:
"Don't worry; given my outstanding learning ability and comprehension skills, when our bodies truly combine, I'll definitely perform even better. At that time, you won't be able to help but praise me, saying 'You're amazing!' 'That's incredible!' So…"
After this promotional speech, along with a low-key yet succinct tagline, "Stay tuned."
Was it really okay to discuss such a scientific and serious topic in such a sensual manner?
The key was that he had no trace of shyness or joking in his demeanor; he was being completely serious. First, he conducted field research and preliminary experiments, then provided emotional reassurance, followed by a self-introduction to his functions, culminating in setting expectations for future performance.
Had he already begun planning how to consume her...?
What he said about earning her praise and making her unable to hold back her admiration, "You're amazing!" "That's incredible!"
And "Stay tuned"...
Zhen Ai opened her mouth, her emotions complicated as she lowered her head. She was already convinced by him.
She quietly closed her eyes, thinking it was best to fall asleep.
Cuddled in his arms, she gradually drifted off, her body slowly warming up. After an unknown amount of time, she unconsciously lifted her smooth, bare arm and wrapped it around his neck, affectionately running her fingers through his hair.
His hair was wet and felt soft, not at all prickly—just like him at any other moment they shared.
Suddenly, she jolted awake, vividly remembering that not long ago, she had poked him.
She instantly felt a pang of guilt and leaned closer to him, "Dear."
"Hmm?"
"Actually, you were very sad about Chace's death, weren't you?"
The man beside her suddenly stiffened, his voice becoming somewhat cold, "Hmm. His death is the greatest regret of my life." He held her tighter, resting his chin on her shoulder, "I'm sorry, Ai. I never thought he would commit suicide. He was such an optimistic and confident person…"
The more he spoke, the more disjointed his words became, and he started discussing his area of expertise: "You know, scientific research shows that people with higher IQs are less likely to choose suicide, so how could he…"
"I know." She couldn't bear to listen to his frantic words, gently interrupting him, tears welling in her eyes, "Even I don't understand why he did it, let alone you."
He fell silent but understood her feelings. He instinctively pulled her closer, as if trying to merge her into his being.
Zhen Ai remembered that her mother died in her hands, but it wasn't intentional, while Bert had always emphasized the opposite viewpoint, leaving her with an unhealable wound in her heart.
And Yan Su, though his brother had died at his hands, it wasn't really his fault. He bore the burden placed on him by his brother, and she couldn't bear to add more weight to it.
She recalled that night during the college bombing incident when they sat in the dark talking. She shared about her mother, and he talked about Alex, his pain still fresh in his memory.
She smiled, "You were good friends with him? Can you tell me about his school days later? I really want to know what he was like outside, whether he was doing well."
He couldn't find many words to say, but he nodded deeply.
---
At three in the morning, Zhen Ai had mostly regained her body heat, with only a few frostbite blisters and scars left on her hands, feet, and legs. Zhen Ai said it was fine; she would just ask the maid for some ointment for the frostbite later.
Yan Su was worried that the people outside the bathroom would cause more trouble, so he helped Zhen Ai get dressed and opened the door to go out.
Some of the people outside were dozing off, while others were softly chatting. Upon seeing the two of them emerge, the teacher immediately approached Zhen Ai and asked, "Are you okay?"
Zhen Ai shook her head.
The maid quickly handed over the prepared ointment for the frostbite, and others also offered a few words of concern.
Yan Su glanced at the suspicious killer, who was chatting with someone nearby, showing no signs of abnormality.
Although he was pretty sure he knew who the killer was, he couldn't directly expose them. This case had several unresolved points, and there were still assassins sent by the organization on-site.
From Yan Su's perspective, the organization initially intended to commit murder while also playing a game, not anticipating that this group had internal conflicts, leading to infighting. As a result, the organization's assassins arrived on the island and calmly observed the game.
The surgical knife used to kill the doctor and the heavy hammer used against the boxer—beyond these, Yan Su had no idea if the killer carried any other weapons. If he rashly pointed it out, the killer might take the people present hostage; even if they managed to subdue him, it would still pose a greater danger.
The remaining people would think the killer had been captured and would relax their vigilance; at this time, the organization's assassins, seeing the killer subdued, would take matters into their own hands and continue the killing.
In this atmosphere of mutual suspicion, it was actually the best scenario.
But what worried him even more at the moment was another question: "Where's the host?"
The lawyer replied, "We went to the living room to grab blankets, and he said he would return to his room, asking us not to wait for him. But…" The lawyer glanced at his watch. "It seems almost an hour has passed."
His reminder alerted everyone to the unusual situation.
Zhen Ai asked in confusion, "He's been gone for so long, and none of you went to look for him?"
The actress had already changed into warmer clothes that were less revealing. She looked at Zhen Ai, her expression ambiguous—whether out of jealousy or something else, her heavily made-up face looked terrible, almost ghostly, and her tone was even worse: "Everyone else is here, so what could possibly happen to him outside?"
The model chimed in, her face free of makeup, showing heavy dark circles, perhaps due to poor health and fear of the cold, bundled up tightly: "Exactly. If someone goes to find him and discovers he's been killed by the murderer, how could that person escape blame?"
Zhen Ai was taken aback. While what they said wasn't wrong, could the murderer have exploited everyone's fear of meddling?
The writer stood up and said, "Since Miss Student is fine now, let's hurry back and check on Mr. Host."
So everyone got up and prepared to head back.
Before leaving, Zhen Ai whispered to Yan Su, "What if the power goes out again on the way?" With that, she deliberately picked up a candlestick to hold close.
"Very good!" He walked at the back, bent down, and gently kissed her forehead, then softly asked, "I see you want to keep warm."
Hearing "keep warm," Zhen Ai inexplicably blushed and shot him a playful glare.
But just then, Yan Su spotted a thin object glimmering on the floor by the door, and the maid at the front was already about to trip over it.
That line was connected to the power supply!
Yan Su's expression changed instantly, and he turned to Zhen Ai: "Drop the candle!"
Almost at the same moment, the room was suddenly plunged into darkness. The candlestick in Zhen Ai's hand crashed to the ground with a "bang," the brief flash of fire quickly extinguished.
Just as Yan Su was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he suddenly noticed that the chest area of Zhen Ai's clothing was covered in luminescent material. It was barely visible before, but now it emitted a faint green glow in the darkness.
In the pitch-black room, this small point of light stood out like the center red dot of a target.
Zhen Ai realized it but had no time to react when Yan Su abruptly turned around and swiftly pulled her behind him. Zhen Ai heard something whizzing through the air like a projectile, but it disappeared without causing her any harm.
Yan Su tightly grasped her wrist, pulling her into his embrace, whispering in her ear, "Shh, don't make a sound. I'm fine."
In the darkness, Zhen Ai stood still against his chest, listening to the deep breaths he took, her heart filled with astonishment—who was trying to kill her repeatedly?
The butler and maid quickly lit the candlestick, restoring light to the surroundings. A crossbow and several arrows lay on the ground, the replica decorations from the castle. The crowd exchanged confused glances, uncertain about what had just happened.
Yan Su's face was cold, his expression dark as he stared at the group of people feigning ignorance. Just as he was about to speak, Zhen Ai tugged at his hand. He looked down to see her gazing deeply at him, shaking her head.
His heart softened suddenly, tinged with pain.
He realized she had come to the same conclusion he had.
Now, if they captured the murderer, the organization would kill that person and begin eliminating the rest (including the murderer); and Zhen Ai believed the timing was wrong.
But he was anxious. If they didn't catch the culprit, Zhen Ai would remain in danger.
The feeling of knowing who it was but being unable to act was incredibly stifling!
What was even more ironic was that Zhen Ai likely had no idea who the murderer was, yet instinctively thought about the bigger picture and the safety of others; meanwhile, the murderer, based on mere speculation, assumed Zhen Ai had seen through him, and in self-preservation, attempted to kill her repeatedly.
Yan Su felt pain as he pulled Zhen Ai into his arms, resting his chin on her forehead, softly saying, "Alright, I'll listen to you."
This time, everyone took a candlestick and walked back in silence.
Yan Su kept Zhen Ai close behind him, pressing down on her wrist to keep her half a step behind, as if always prepared to protect her if anything happened ahead.
Zhen Ai couldn't resist his strength and had to follow his lead.
For some reason, from earlier until now, he had been unusually quiet. Unlike the times when someone died and he would suppress his anger, or when he'd quietly analyze and judge while listening to others chat. At this moment, he was as still as deep water, with no ripples. The only thing was the powerful grip he had on her hand, almost as if he were going to crush her wrist.
This silence felt strange to Zhen Ai; she didn't know what was wrong with him.
He didn't speak again and made no further contact with her.
When they reached the main hall of the castle, a horrifying scene appeared once more.
Suspended from the huge chandelier in the hall was a person, their rigid body swaying with the shadows of the lamp. Everyone gasped, but upon closer inspection, it was just the host's wax figure.
However, based on previous patterns, the host might have met with a mishap.
Everyone exchanged looks of uncertainty, and the realistic wax figure hanging in the center of the hall was quite unsettling. The lawyer and the writer took it down together and called everyone to help search for the host...
But this time, a cloud of gloom hung over everyone, much like the stormy weather outside the castle.
Yan Su remained silent, but as he passed by, he deliberately turned his head to take a serious look at the lawyer's wax figure. The white face was missing one eye, and the head was slightly deformed, as if someone had pierced the wax figure's eye with a sharp, hard object and pulled out the fake weapon.
Because the weapon was missing, everyone had failed to notice that the lawyer's wax figure also had a problem.
What did this hint at?
Yan Su lowered his gaze; in fact, he was struggling to protect himself and worrying about Zhen Ai, leaving him no energy to consider others.
As they approached the corridor with thirteen bedrooms, a strong smell of blood rushed towards them, pervading the cold and narrow hallway, causing chills.
Everyone assumed the host had been hanged, but in reality, he was sitting on the ground, leaning against a decorative table by the corridor, a rope wrapped around his neck, the other end secured in the drawer of the table.
This caused him to be fixed in place, his legs straight, arms hanging down, drenched in blood, motionless, like a rag doll.
It was truly disturbing. His head was tilted, eyes wide open in terror, blood oozing from his eyes, almost bursting from their sockets. His skull had been smashed to pieces, with blood holes everywhere.
The sight was exceedingly gruesome.
The maid covered her mouth, nearly retching.
Zhen Ai frowned and asked, "Just now, you all went to the living room together to grab blankets. Did anyone come back this way to check on the bedroom?"
But what worried him even more at the moment was another issue: "Where is the host?"
The lawyer replied, "Just now, we went to the living room to grab some blankets. He said he was going back to his room and told us not to wait for him. But…" The lawyer glanced at his watch. "It seems like it's been almost an hour."
At his reminder, everyone started to notice something unusual.
Zhen Ai asked, "He's been gone for so long, and none of you went to look for him?"
The actress had already changed into warmer clothes, less revealing now. She looked at Zhen Ai, not knowing whether it was jealousy or something else; her heavily made-up face looked ghastly, and her tone was even worse. "Everyone is here, and he's the only one outside. What could happen?"
The model chimed in. She was barefaced with dark circles under her eyes, perhaps due to a poor constitution and fear of the cold, bundled up tightly. "Exactly. What if someone goes to find him and discovers he's been killed by the murderer? How could that person wash their hands of it?"
Zhen Ai was taken aback. While that was true, the murderer wouldn't exploit everyone's reluctance to intervene, would they?
The writer stood up and said, "Since the young lady is fine, let's hurry back to check on the host."
Everyone then got up to head back.
Before they left, Zhen Ai whispered to Yan Su, "What if the power goes out again on the way?"
As she spoke, she deliberately hugged a candelabrum to her chest.
"Such a good girl!" He walked at the back, bent down, kissed her forehead gently, and then asked softly, "I see you want to keep warm, don't you?"
Hearing "keep warm," Zhen Ai inexplicably flushed and shot him a glare.
But just then, Yan Su spotted something thin and shiny hanging on the floor by the door, and the maid in front of them had already tripped over it.
That line was connected to the power source!
Yan Su's face changed instantly. He turned to Zhen Ai and shouted, "Throw away the candle!"
Almost simultaneously, the room was plunged into darkness. The candelabrum in Zhen Ai's hand crashed to the floor, sending a flicker of firelight that vanished in an instant.
Just as Yan Su was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he suddenly realized that Zhen Ai's clothing at the chest had been coated with a fluorescent material. It hadn't been noticeable before, but now it emitted a faint green glow in the darkness.
In the pitch black, this little bit of light was like the red dot at the center of a target.
Zhen Ai sensed something was off, but before she could react, Yan Su suddenly turned and swiftly pulled her behind him. Zhen Ai heard something whiz past her, slicing through the air, but it vanished without harming her.
Yan Su tightly grasped her wrist, pulling her into his embrace and whispering in her ear, "Shh, don't make a sound. I'm fine."
In the darkness, Zhen Ai remained still against his chest, listening to his deep breaths, surprised by the thought of who had tried to kill her repeatedly.
The butler and maid quickly lit the candelabrum, restoring light to the surroundings. On the floor lay a crossbow and several arrows, all decorative replicas from the castle. The group exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of what had just happened.
Yan Su's face darkened, his expression cold as he glared at the group, who seemed collectively oblivious. Just as he was about to speak, Zhen Ai grasped his hand. He looked down to find her gazing deeply at him, shaking her head.
His heart softened, tinged with pain.
He realized she had instinctively come to the same conclusion he had.
If they apprehended the murderer now, the organization would kill him and then start eliminating the rest (including the murderer); Zhen Ai believed the timing was wrong.
But he was anxious. If they didn't catch him soon, Zhen Ai would remain in danger.
The feeling of knowing who the murderer was but being unable to act was suffocating!
What he found even more ironic was that Zhen Ai likely had no idea who the murderer was but was instinctively considering the bigger picture and the safety of others. Meanwhile, the murderer, assuming Zhen Ai had seen through his true nature, had been repeatedly trying to kill her to protect himself.
Yan Su gently pulled Zhen Ai into his arms, resting his chin on her forehead, softly saying, "Alright, I'll listen to you."
This time, everyone took three candelabra and quietly made their way back.
Yan Su kept Zhen Ai at half a step behind him, holding her wrist tightly, as if prepared to shield her from any danger that might arise ahead.
Zhen Ai couldn't resist his strength and had no choice but to follow.
For some reason, he had been unusually silent since earlier, unlike the times before when someone had died, when he would quietly simmer with anger. Now, he was as still as a deep pool, without a ripple. The only thing that was striking was the overwhelming force in his grasp, as if he might break her wrist.
This silence felt strange to Zhen Ai; she had no idea what was going on with him.
He didn't say another word or engage with her.
As they reached the main hall, a terrifying scene unfolded once more.
Hanging from the large chandelier in the hall was a person, their rigid body swaying with the shadows. The crowd gasped in shock, and upon closer inspection, they realized it was a wax figure of the host.
But according to the previous pattern, the host might have already met with an unfortunate end.
Everyone looked at each other, at a loss. The lawyer and writer worked together to take it down and called everyone to help look for the host...
However, a dark cloud hung over everyone's hearts, just like the stormy weather outside the castle.
Yan Su remained silent, but as he passed by, he intentionally turned his head to take a serious look at the lawyer's wax figure. The pale face was missing one eye. The head was somewhat deformed, as if someone had used some hard, narrow object to stab through the wax figure's eye, then pulled out the fake weapon.
Because the weapon was missing, everyone had failed to notice that the lawyer's wax figure had problems too.
What did this suggest?
Yan Su lowered his gaze. At that moment, he could hardly protect himself; with Zhen Ai's safety in his mind, he had no time to care about anyone else.
Just as they approached the corridor with thirteen bedrooms, a strong smell of blood assaulted them, filling the cold, narrow hallway and causing panic.
Everyone assumed the host had been hanged, but he was actually sitting on the ground, leaning against a decorative table in the corridor, a rope wrapped around his neck, the other end tied inside the drawer of the table.
He had been secured in this way, his legs straightened, hands hanging limply, drenched in blood, completely motionless, like a broken doll.
The scene was truly horrific.
The maid covered her mouth, nearly retching.
Zhen Ai frowned and asked, "Just now, you all went to the living room to grab blankets. Did anyone come back this way?"
Several people said it was the host who wanted to return to his room to get something. None of them had come this way.
"Then after you got the blankets, who was the last one to go to the annex, where I lost consciousness?"
Everyone looked at the actress in unison.
The actress crossed her arms and snorted coldly. "Do I have the strength to beat him up like this? If I were a murderer, I'd make sure he died naked on my bed."
The crowd: ...
Yan Su scanned the scene intently, several doubts immediately surfacing before his eyes.
1. Unlike before, the scene was very chaotic; the carpet was covered in signs of struggle. The host had resisted violently when he was killed; yet the murderer had subdued the other victims effortlessly. Why did it not work on the host? What did this have to do with the story the host told?
2. The murderer used a rope one moment, a sharp weapon the next; the methods were chaotic. Was this a spur-of-the-moment decision? Or was he unprepared?
3. What about the empty eye socket in the lawyer's wax figure? The murderer originally intended to kill the lawyer but switched targets midway? Why? Was there another reason?
But at that moment, he didn't want to say anything.
Zhen Ai suddenly noticed that Yan Su had been silent, lost in thought as he stared at the host's body on the floor. She couldn't tell if it was her illusion or the lighting, but his face seemed somewhat pale.
But how could her dear appear weak?
Sure enough, the next second, he calmly raised his head, looking at everyone with determination, and said something that surprised everyone:
"Let's part ways here! There are three hours until dawn, and it looks like the storm will subside. Because someone notified the police before coming to the island, they'll be arriving around seven tomorrow morning. During the next four hours, I suggest you all stay together without leaving each other's side. If you want to lock yourselves in your rooms, make sure you don't open the door for anyone. The true face of the murderer will surprise all of you."
After saying this, he grabbed Zhen Ai's wrist. "Let's go back to our room."
The strength of his grip surprised Zhen Ai. It was in this grip that she seemed to feel his
urgency and panic, as if he were trying to escape something.
On the surface, he still appeared calm, but a strange sense of sorrow spread from his palm.
Zhen Ai's heart suddenly raced, feeling flustered and at a loss.
The others exchanged glances, puzzled.
The writer caught up and asked, "Mr. Logician, aren't you coming with us?"
His hurried steps suddenly halted, causing Zhen Ai to nearly bump into him.
He turned his back to everyone, his voice flat: "I want to protect everyone, but clearly, that's impossible." His tone was calm, but it sounded so sad, it was heart-wrenching. "Rather than fail to protect anyone, it's better to protect the most important one."
He took a step forward, then paused. "I'm sorry, everyone. But if you follow my advice just now, you should be safe for now. There are still four hours... Please, everyone, hold on. Don't trust the murderer around you, but also don't panic and attack anyone."
After saying this, he pulled Zhen Ai away.
As soon as they entered the room, Zhen Ai couldn't help but ask, "Dear, why are you acting so strangely all of a sudden?"
He didn't answer, turning away from her, steadily locking the door behind him, then slowly turning back, like a weak old man, step by step, walking towards her.
The room was unlit, and he leaned weakly against the tall cabinet, smiling faintly at her.
Zhen Ai then noticed that the light was dim, and his face looked frightfully pale.
She immediately turned on the light to see what was wrong, but as soon as she did, she saw him leaning against the cabinet, his side profile pale and frail. His right hand trembled, fingers loosening, and a wooden arrow, missing most of its length, fell from his black coat onto the carpet.
The front was broken, and the cracked wood was still smeared with blood.
Zhen Ai seemed to understand, and she dashed over, frantically pulling open his coat, only to be shocked into a stupor. A large patch of bright red blood soaked through his left chest, the rusty arrowhead nearly disappearing inside.
Was this what he had used to shield her from in the darkness earlier? He had been putting on a brave face all along?
All the while he held her as they walked behind the crowd, how much sorrow and fear had he felt inside?
No wonder his grip had been so strong at that moment, holding back the tremors—was he afraid that if another attack came, he wouldn't be able to protect her?
She gazed up at him in shock, grief stricken. "Dear…"
"Shh! Don't make a sound." His index finger was pressed against her lips, and in a short while, his face turned paper-white, yet he smiled faintly. "I'm fine."
Zhen Ai's tears began to flow. "I'll go find the butler and the maid."
"Don't…" He grabbed her, as if uttering another word would take all his strength. His voice was weak yet filled with reluctance and tenderness. "Don't let anyone know I'm injured, otherwise, I truly won't be able to protect you."
He smiled faintly, looking down at her, his heart aching. Among those people outside, besides the murderer, there were also hired killers from the organization; and beyond those hired killers, there was...
He had never considered that Arthur had come personally.
His Zhen Ai, how could he protect her?