“I refuse!” Xin Meng resolutely rejected without a second thought, “You can make another request!”
The man shook his head, remaining silent, just quietly watching him.
Kneeling on the bed with a dagger in hand, Xin Meng was extremely angry, “This request is impossible for me to fulfill, it’s too unreasonable.”
The light at his fingertips flickered, and a brief message glimmered with a chilling cold light:
[If you cannot complete it, you will die.]
Seeing that the other party was unwilling to change the request, Xin Meng had no intention of compromising. He would never allow himself to be subjected to such humiliation. Gritting his teeth, he simply said, “Then I give up this game!”
After all, he still had three chances left; at worst… at worst, he would just die once more!
Repeatedly being rejected, the other party didn’t seem angry. The gaze from behind the mask lingered on his face for a few seconds, then without warning, he raised his hand, palm up, and then forcefully flipped it down!
A tremendous pressure suddenly appeared, descending from mid-air like a mountain, Xin Meng had no power to resist, and was pushed back like a flimsy piece of paper, lying on his back on the bed, unable to get up!
Although he was empty-handed, it felt as if something heavy was pressing down on him. This feeling of being pinned down made Xin Meng’s heart tighten, and alarms blared in his mind. He struggled to lift his head and shouted at the man, “I already said I give up this game, what do you want! Bastard, let me go!”
The man showed no reaction to his shouts and curses, took a step forward, and then sat on the edge of the bed.
Ignoring Xin Meng’s struggles, he extended his long fingers from under his sleeve and firmly grasped Xin Meng’s chin. However, Xin Meng refused to cooperate, and as he struggled, his pale chin quickly bore glaring red fingerprints. The man glanced at the red marks and released his grip.
Xin Meng gained a moment of freedom, but before he could catch his breath, he saw the man directly climb onto the bed, pressing down on him!
Now it truly felt like being pinned down!
Xin Meng’s heart nearly stopped in shock, and reflexively, he kicked out, but was immediately caught and pushed aside, the man taking the opportunity to enter between his legs.
“Get off! Get away!”
The disparity in strength was too great. Xin Meng finally lost his usual calmness, cursing inwardly, unable to understand how he, with such poor physical strength, could encounter such a strong! Violent! Offender!
Wasn’t this supposed to be a game? Wasn’t there supposed to be a way out?
Where was the way out? Just lie down flat?
Damn this game, I curse you!
Xin Meng was unwilling to let anyone touch him. His angry eyes turned red, and seeing the man’s actions becoming increasingly excessive, tearing his shirt apart in a few swift motions, exposing his bare chest, and now pulling at his pants, Xin Meng steeled his heart, raised the dagger high, and then forcefully stabbed it towards his own throat!
He couldn’t defeat this man, so he might as well end it himself!
However, his plan once again fell through. The man reached out, pressing his hand against Xin Meng’s cheek, slowly tightening his fist, then suddenly opened it wide!
Before Xin Meng could clearly see that somewhat familiar hand, he felt his wrists and ankles being grabbed by something, and then pulled forcefully in four directions. He let out a scream, the sudden force causing him to loosen his grip, and the dagger was flung away, falling under the bed.
In a panic, he turned his head to look, only to find his limbs shackled by iron hoops that seemed to have appeared from nowhere, connected to chains as thick as his arms, binding his limbs wide open to the four bedposts!
“Clang…”
He tried to tug at his arms, but the chains were exceptionally sturdy, making it impossible to break free!
Without a weapon and with his movements restricted, Xin Meng fell into a perilous situation. He didn’t even know where a surge of desperate courage came from, as he bit down on his tongue, ready to bite it off.
He was determined to give up this game, willing to do anything to seek death!
But the person pressing down on him didn’t give him that opportunity. Two fingers forcefully pinched his jaw, preventing Xin Meng from closing his teeth, and then a silk handkerchief was roughly stuffed into his mouth, completely cutting off his intention to bite his tongue and end it all.
Xin Meng’s pupils dilated, disregarding the cold, hard iron hoop cutting into his wrist, using all his strength to pull at the chains, his thin wrists quickly drawing blood.
The man behind the mask frowned sharply, seeing Xin Meng’s self-destructive resistance. His eyes, which had been particularly bright due to anger, were now filled with fear and despair. The man paused for a moment, then reached out, forcefully grabbing Xin Meng’s bleeding hand, intertwining his fingers, locking them in place to prevent any further movement.
Xin Meng showed no gratitude, immediately trying to shake him off, but the man’s grip was too tight. Xin Meng couldn’t, and in his anger, he stopped struggling, instead digging his fingers like claws into the back of the man’s hand, quickly drawing blood, showing just how hard he was squeezing.
However, this childish revenge could not inflict any fatal damage on the man, nor could it stop his actions. Feeling his pants being pulled down, the hand that belonged to someone else had already reached the edge of his underwear, Xin Meng’s body trembled; he was truly scared.
Aside from the moment he had seen the terrifying zombie when he first entered the game, this was the second time he felt real fear.
He once again experienced that terrifying feeling of being isolated and helpless.
You Yi, where are you…
He finally couldn’t help but call out the name of another man in his heart, praying that the other would appear immediately, not needing to ride on auspicious clouds, just to be able to save him…
But no one came.
His underwear was torn apart, reduced to rags, his thin body completely exposed to the man above him. Xin Meng could hear the other’s heavy breathing, which strangely carried a familiar feeling, but his mind had long turned to mush, unable to think clearly. Just when he thought the man would immediately take advantage of him, the man’s actions suddenly stopped.
He didn’t want to know what was happening, turning his head away, his gaze somewhat vacant, but suddenly feeling warmth at the corner of his eye, as the man reached out to gently wipe away the tears that had slipped down unconsciously.
It was at this moment that Xin Meng saw the man’s hand.
“Ugh…!”
His eyes widened in shock, Xin Meng couldn’t believe he was looking at the man’s hand, the long and broad outline, including the calluses on the fingertips, he was all too familiar with!
How… how could this be?
How could it be him!
Xin Meng was nearly going crazy. Compared to the fear of losing himself, a stronger pain came from his heart!
The person he had just been calling out to for help was actually the culprit?!
His heart felt as if it were being ruthlessly twisted and played with by a hand, causing him to almost be unable to breathe!
Why?
“Ugh ugh ugh!”
He wanted to ask the other why he was doing this, but could only emit muffled sounds, indicating what kind of treatment he had just endured. The emotions he had been holding back suddenly collapsed, tears surged forth, and his frail body trembled violently. If he weren’t being forcibly pulled apart, he would have almost curled up into a ball.
Why was this happening? Hadn’t he always been protecting him? Hadn’t he promised to be his strongest support?
Why treat him this way!
The man’s hand remained at the corner of Xin Meng’s eye, originally intending to help him wipe away that one tear, but unexpectedly, he was instantly drenched. The eyes behind the mask revealed a hint of helplessness.
Xin Meng was crying uncontrollably. He had just turned eighteen; how could he have encountered such betrayal? If it were someone else, even if it were Qi Xiaokui doing this, he wouldn’t be this upset. But why, why was it this person?
His psychological defenses were nearly completely shattered, his tear-filled eyes almost unable to open, yet a sudden flash of light still penetrated through his thin eyelids, causing him to unconsciously open his eyes.
The words formed by that faint light connected to the man’s fingertips, extending to Xin Meng’s face, even poking his forehead with a stroke, seemingly trying to catch his attention. Following its guidance, Xin Meng looked over.
[Do you want to pledge loyalty to me?]
“Ugh ugh ugh!” Pledge loyalty to a ghost! You liar!
Xin Meng couldn’t speak, his emotions rolling violently, and he momentarily didn’t understand the other’s intentions.
Until the words changed again: [Fulfill my wish, and you can join my camp.]
Xin Meng was stunned.
The man controlled these two sentences, flashing them repeatedly in front of his eyes, almost like…
Like talking to an NPC?
Xin Meng was startled, his tears gradually stopping. He looked at the mask on the man’s face, then thought of the next step he had never forcibly taken, feeling confused and uncertain. After hesitating for a moment, he lifted his chin, indicating he wanted to speak.
The man took out the handkerchief.
“You are You Yi.” Xin Meng’s first sentence was a statement of certainty.
But the man did not respond, neither nodding nor shaking his head.
“Why do this?” Xin Meng continued to ask.
The masked man, who was You Yi, pulled the two sentences from his fingertips to show Xin Meng.
“You mean…” Xin Meng hesitated for a moment, uncertainly asking, “Are you playing the role of an NPC?”
The man remained silent, but Xin Meng’s emotions calmed down. This fact made him feel much better. Although You Yi did not admit it, his intuition told him that the man’s lack of a shake of the head should confirm his guess.
Recalling the time he encountered Qi Xiaokui in that side quest in Xiuse Village, when she was playing the role of an NPC, she indeed couldn’t speak, which also explained why You Yi had never made a sound, only communicating with him through text. He must have also been restricted by the game, unable to disclose information freely.
Xin Meng didn’t know if he was truly clever enough to guess the truth or if he was just unconsciously defending the other in his heart, but it was certainly better than being trapped in the despair of betrayal by someone he trusted.
“Let me go first.” Xin Meng requested.
Unexpectedly, You Yi shook his head, turning his fingertip, this time enlarging and even bolding the words [Fulfill my wish], the warm yellow light turning into a dazzling red, blinking brightly, nearly dazzling Xin Meng’s eyes.
“What… do you mean?” Xin Meng felt uneasy in his heart, could it be that it wasn’t the meaning he thought?
He saw You Yi lower his head, the gaze from behind the mask slowly sweeping over his bare chest, filled with aggression and possessiveness. Xin Meng couldn’t help but shrink back, trembling as he asked, “Is your wish really that?”
The broad, warm palm had already begun to caress down along his sensitive waistline. The man, who had never shown any indication before, actually nodded for the first time, and Xin Meng fell silent.
The man’s actions also paused until he heard Xin Meng ask, “Is this… your wish, or the wish of the lustful demon?”
Raising his head, he saw Xin Meng staring at him intently. Although he knew that nothing could be seen through the mask, Xin Meng still wouldn’t even blink, as if this answer was particularly important to him.
Silence spread in the air, the originally seductive red in the room turned into the blood flowing in someone’s heart. Xin Meng gradually fell into despair, closing his eyes.
Then he felt the hand that was holding his being pressed three times in the palm.
He suddenly opened his eyes, staring blankly at the dark mask.
Three more times.
The corners of Xin Meng’s eyes were a bit wet again, closing his eyes once more, but this time his expression was unusually calm.
“Okay.”
