After riding the roller coaster three times in a row, Rong Shu finally got off, still not fully satisfied but no longer asking for another round.
“I want to get some ice cream. There’s a place here that sells really good cones. I’ll treat you!”
Rong Shu gave his hand a slight tug. From the moment they got on the roller coaster, the two hadn’t let go of each other’s hands.
It was no surprise from Rong Shu, but Shen Huaixiu seemed to have forgotten their hands were still intertwined.
They approached the small booth selling ice cream cones, and Rong Shu chose a taro-flavored one. Turning to Shen Huaixiu, he asked, “What flavor do you want?”
“The same as you.”
“Do you like taro, too?” Rong Shu asked in slight surprise, as Chen Jing couldn’t stand the taste of taro.
Shen Huaixiu nodded, thinking that he could like it now, if only for the sparkle in the boy’s eyes.
Hearing his response, Rong Shu immediately broke into a smile. “I didn’t expect us to have similar tastes.”
How nice.
After buying their cones, the two sat down to rest in the shade.
Rong Shu bit into the crispy cone. “How about we check out that escape room later?”
He had wanted to go for a while but hadn’t had the chance. This time, he had planned the amusement park trip with Shen Huaixiu specifically for this, as he’d heard that the park had recently introduced a new ‘couple’s escape room’.
“Sure,” Shen Huaixiu replied without hesitation, completely willing to follow Rong Shu’s lead.
As time passed, more people began to fill the amusement park. After finishing his ice cream and resting a bit, Rong Shu stood up and asked, “Are you afraid of ghosts?”
Shen Huaixiu was momentarily stunned by the sudden question. Just as he was about to answer, he heard Rong Shu say, “Alright, no need to answer. I know you’re not afraid, and I’m not either. Let’s go.”
Without giving him a chance to respond, Rong Shu, as if afraid of changing his mind, pulled Shen Huaixiu toward the escape room nearby.
As they approached, the receptionist greeted them with a smile. “What mode would you like to choose? You two are a couple, right? We have a special love-themed escape room designed just for couples. And as luck would have it, a new room just opened yesterday! If you successfully clear it and complete the challenge, you’ll win our grand prize—two smart couple’s phones. Interested?”
Rong Shu waved his hand playfully and glanced at Shen Huaixiu. “What do you think? The prize is a phone!”
Hearing how Rong Shu deliberately emphasized the word “phone”, Shen Huaixiu couldn’t help but smile. “Hmm, the prize is a phone. Let’s pick that one.”
“Since you’ve made your choice, please come over here to register.”
After completing the registration, the door to the escape room slowly opened. Looking at the pitch-black interior, Rong Shu instinctively moved a step closer to Shen Huaixiu. “Shouldn’t a love-themed escape room be all cute and pink? Why make it so scary?”
“Don’t worry,” the receptionist reassured them. “We promise it won’t disappoint. The props here are incredibly realistic and the experience is top-notch. Good luck! We’ll be waiting for you at the exit.”
Rong Shu: “Thanks,” though he didn’t feel particularly encouraged.
Shen Huaixiu took Rong Shu’s hand and said in a low voice, “Let’s go.”
Once they both stepped inside, the door behind them slammed shut with a loud “bang”. Plunged into darkness, neither of them moved.
Rong Shu blinked. Even though both Omega and Alpha had sharper senses than ordinary people and could still make out things in the dark, the experience wasn’t exactly pleasant.
And it really was dark in there.
Rong Shu walked beside Shen Huaixiu. Although he wasn’t afraid of ghosts, he couldn’t help feeling a bit tense in such an environment.
After walking for a while, there was nothing but darkness all around and nothing strange had happened. Rong Shu couldn’t help but whisper, “Why is there nothing here? Are we just going to keep walking like this?”
“We probably won’t,” Shen Huaixiu replied, cautiously scanning their surroundings. He didn’t believe the design would be that simple.
“But… ah—” Before Rong Shu could finish speaking, a glowing green head suddenly dropped from above, almost ending up face-to-face with him.
Shen Huaixiu glanced at the boy who instantly clung to his arm, then wrapped his arm around Rong Shu’s waist, pulling him back a step. “Don’t be scared. I’m here.”
“I’m not scared, I’m not scared, it just startled me.” Rong Shu glared at the ghost that had dropped down to scare him, now emerging from its white robe to toss handfuls of peach blossoms at them. “A surprise for you both—wishing you smooth sailing on the path of love. Hehe~”
Rong Shu: “…”
What kind of ridiculous setup is this? I’m leaving a bad review after this.
The two continued walking. Since that jump scare, Rong Shu’s nerves had been on edge. It wasn’t that he was afraid of ghosts, but the sudden shocks were getting to him.
Luckily, nothing else happened for a while. That is until a red light appeared ahead. With a creak, a previously closed door opened beside them. The place lit up by the red glow had three words written on it: Morgue.
Rong Shu: Are they sure we’re in a love-themed escape room?
“Are we supposed to go in there?” Rong Shu asked hesitantly, only to hear Shen Huaixiu respond, “Mm-hmm. If you’re scared, you can wait outside.”
Rong Shu gripped Shen Huaixiu’s hand tightly. “No way am I waiting outside.”
Who knew what might jump out while he was alone?
“Alright.” Shen Huaixiu also wasn’t comfortable leaving Rong Shu by himself, feeling more at ease with him close by.
The two of them entered the morgue, one after the other. With a “thud”, a book dropped at Rong Shu’s feet. He picked it up and muttered, “Is this place obsessed with dropping things from above?”
Flipping open the book, he read: “You have five minutes to find the rose that symbolizes your love. The rose must be as vivid as blood.”
“They want us to find a rose.” After saying this, Rong Shu flipped through the rest of the book but found nothing else.
“Let’s go in and take a look,” Shen Huaixiu said, pulling him forward. As they passed through the doorway, they were greeted by a 30-square-meter morgue. In the center were four autopsy tables and around the room were various specimens preserved in formaldehyde.
As the two were examining their surroundings, the door behind them suddenly slammed shut. Then, a mechanical voice sounded: “Timer starts now.”
This was followed by the ticking of a countdown clock.
In the large morgue, only a single dim yellow light provided illumination.
Rong Shu let go of Shen Huaixiu’s hand and said, “Let’s split up and search. We only have five minutes. I’m not sure what will happen after that.”
“Aren’t you scared to be on your own?”
“Not really. You’re still here, I’m not alone.”
“Alright.”
After agreeing, Rong Shu headed toward the cabinets filled with formaldehyde specimens.
Shen Huaixiu began searching on the other side of the room.
Rong Shu opened drawer after drawer in the cabinet, but all of them were completely empty. “Shen Huaixiu, I haven’t found anything over here. How about you?”
After he spoke, the only sound in the large space was the ticking of the countdown. Rong Shu instinctively turned his head, only to realize that Shen Huaixiu, who was supposed to be searching on the other side of the room, was nowhere to be seen.
The corpse beds had started to move.
Rong Shu watched as a zombie, with a sunken face and blood all over its body, slowly rose. Its eyes, enhanced by special effects, locked onto him.
A creepy, rasping laugh escaped from its mouth.
Suddenly, Rong Shu’s lips curved into a smile and he walked toward it. His sudden approach caused the “zombie”, which had been slowly getting up, to freeze. Clearly confused, the creature couldn’t understand why this pale, delicate-looking boy didn’t scream. Not only that, he was actually walking toward it.
“Hello, may I take a look at your stomach?” Rong Shu asked politely, waving at the “zombie”.
The zombie lay stiff on the bed, its dislocated eyes dangling as it stared at Rong Shu, seemingly unsure whether to comply or not.
However, the next second, the boy’s hand firmly pressed down on its shoulder, forcing the “zombie” back onto the bed. Rong Shu lifted the half-covered white sheet that was draped over its body, exposing the blood that was seeping from its stomach.
A rose as vivid as blood… Could it be hidden in the zombie’s stomach?
Only a rose stained with blood can appear as vivid as blood itself because it’s soaked in it.
Just as Rong Shu reached out toward the “zombie’s” stomach, he suddenly heard a few clicks. The next moment, Shen Huaixiu, who had disappeared earlier, pushed open a wall on the other side of the room and emerged, holding a red rose.
The moment the staff member playing the zombie saw the rose, he inexplicably let out a sigh of relief.
“Wah! Where did you go? I was almost scared to death by him!” Rong Shu, looking pitiful, ran toward Shen Huaixiu, throwing himself into his arms. He didn’t forget to point accusingly at the “zombie” lying on the bed behind him.
The “zombie”: Can’t you just be a decent person?
Shen Huaixiu glanced at the “zombie” playing dead on the bed, then wrapped an arm around Rong Shu’s waist. “Don’t worry, it’s all fake. I found the rose.”
Rong Shu, sensing the opportunity, dropped his act and eyed the rose in Shen Huaixiu’s hand. “There’s another hidden room here?”
“Mm-hmm. Inside was a bathroom. I found the rose in the bathtub.”
“You’re amazing,” Rong Shu praised, then turned to glance at the still unsealed wall behind them. “Let’s get out of here quickly. This place is really creepy. The corpses here even come back to life! If you hadn’t come back just now, who knows what those corpses would’ve done when they got up!”
The “zombie”: Does your conscience not hurt? You were clearly excited earlier and you almost dug into my stomach with your bare hands!
“Alright,” Shen Huaixiu replied, protecting the boy in his arms. Just as he spoke, they heard the clicking sound again. A staircase leading downwards appeared before them.
“Are we supposed to go down there?”
“Seems like it.”
The door behind them was tightly locked, so the only way out was to descend the staircase.
The two descended the stairs one after the other, only to find themselves surrounded by mirrors. The emotionless mechanical voice sounded again: “Congratulations, the two of you have passed the first test. You’ve obtained the rose that witnesses your love. Now, bring your rose to face the wizard’s challenge. Proceed to the second test: the Mirror Maze. In this maze, you will see various illusions. Support each other as you make your way through. Good luck!”
They now stood in a room entirely lined with mirrors. Due to the dim lighting, the place felt particularly eerie.
Rong Shu reached out and clung to Shen Huaixiu’s arm. “Ugh, my legs feel weak!”
“I’ll carry you,” Shen Huaixiu said, turning and crouching slightly. “Hop on.”
Rong Shu, who had only intended to act for a moment, was suddenly swayed by the broad back of the Alpha in front of him.
Author’s note:
Rong Shu: Kissed, hugged, and now carried ^_^
