LABMY CH149

The bricks and stones were stacked high to form towering walls. Affixed to the walls were triangular iron frames that extended inward. At their sharp tips, they stretched forward into curved hooks, from which hung pitch-black, hollowed-out hexagonal iron cages. The dim light inside flickered uncertainly.

Yet, despite the light being on, it failed to illuminate the surroundings. Even the small patch of ground beneath it was difficult to see, as if something were absorbing the light that scattered outward, thick and dark like the gaze of an abyss.

The high brick walls extended far and wide, standing like the silent guardians of a distant, towering ancient castle. Further inside, an iron fence enclosed the area, with sharp blades protruding at regular intervals. Between these razor-sharp edges, iron brambles coiled tightly, preventing anyone from attempting to climb over.

Beyond the iron fence lay the grand and imposing ancient castle. Compared to the towering brick walls, the iron fence seemed like the emperor’s trusted attendants.

At the center stood an iron gate, designed like the fence itself. The wind pushed it, making it creak with a teeth-grating sound. Occasionally, the gate would shift open slightly, revealing a narrow gap before the wind pushed it shut again. It appeared to be unlocked, as if a mere push could open it.

On either side of the iron gate, iron hexagonal street lamps swayed lightly in the wind. These lamps lined up in a straight row, stretching outward from the gate—eight in total.

On a winding mountain road, a bus rumbled forward. The driver wore a hat, and in the dim night, his features flickered between light and shadow as the bus passed under streetlamps, making them difficult to discern.

Inside the bus, the initial excitement of the passengers had faded. Most now showed signs of fatigue. A young man with dyed blond hair, seated in the front rows, stood up and patted the driver’s shoulder. “Hey, old man, how long have we been driving? When are we gonna get there?”

The driver turned his head and glanced at him briefly. His voice, cold and eerie, carried an unsettling undertone. “Soon. What’s the rush?”

Damn!

What a freak. His face was covered with a rough, flesh-colored mask—probably sick in the head.

The blond man muttered a curse under his breath and sat back down, suppressing his irritation. He wasn’t about to admit that the driver’s eerie three-whites eyes had sent a chill down his spine.

Not daring to provoke the driver further, he vented his frustration elsewhere. He kicked the seat in front of him hard—or rather, he aimed at the person sitting there.

Thud!

A muffled sound echoed as the person in the front row was suddenly thrown forward. Failing to stabilize himself, he crashed to the floor. Being in the very first row, there was no seat in front of him to block his fall. His knees hit the floor hard.

“Damn!” He stood up, gasping from the pain and instinctively turned around to glare at the blond man.

The blond man slouched back in his seat, eyes filled with disdain. “What? You wanna fight?”

The man he had kicked was a scruffy middle-aged man, his clothes worn and slightly disheveled. His hair was messy, and his gaze timid. The blond man had singled him out precisely because he looked easy to bully.

Sure enough, the scruffy man, though clearly angry, didn’t dare say anything and just sat back down.

The altercation had happened so quickly that by the time anyone thought to intervene, it was already over.

Beside the scruffy man sat someone younger, about thirty years old, who leaned in to whisper a few words, likely urging him to stay calm.

“Tch, so boring.” The blond man sneered, folding his arms and turning to stare out the window.

But all he saw were monotonous trees. The same dull scenery over and over again had long since worn out his patience.

The bus continued its quiet journey down the road. Perhaps because it was late at night, a dense white fog had formed in the mountains, swallowing the bus’s headlights. They could barely see a short distance ahead.

The road conditions worsened. The bus seemed to have veered onto a rural dirt path, filled with loose gravel and potholes. The vehicle jolted and swayed violently. Yet, despite the rough ride, no one uttered a complaint.

Thud! Bang!

Amidst the bus’s violent shaking, a passenger was thrown from his seat. After hitting the floor with a dull thump, he remained motionless, his eyes shut, his body shifting slightly with the bus’s movements.

His arm dangled under the seat, swaying with the motion of the vehicle, yet he showed no reaction at all.

The bus fell into an eerie silence.

The driver kept his gaze steady on the road, his expression unreadable. Behind him, one by one, the passengers slumped over in their seats, their heads drooping, all of them unconscious.

At the very back, near the window, a man leaned against his seat, one elbow resting on the armrest, his hand covering his eyes. His head bobbed slightly, as if he were asleep.

His hand partially obscured his face, making it difficult to see his features clearly. But his long, well-defined fingers and the faint veins on the back of his hand hinted at strength.

The sharp, clean lines of his side profile were striking. Through the gaps between his fingers, one could barely glimpse his features, only adding to the intrigue of what kind of man he was.

His fitted shirt and vest outlined his straight-backed posture and lean waist.

One by one, the streetlamps around the ancient castle’s iron gates flickered to life, as if welcoming the long-awaited guests. As the final lamp burst into light, the bus appeared in front of the iron gates.

The driver made no attempt to wake anyone. Unfathomably, the castle’s gates had already opened. The bus drove past them, through a decaying garden, past pavilions draped in cobwebs, around a fountain, until it finally stopped before the castle entrance.

He turned his head, glanced back, snuffed out the cigarette at his feet, and silently stepped off the bus.

At that moment, Jian Yuanbai found himself in a dilemma—should he get off now and follow, or wait for the others to wake up?

Before he could decide, silence.

“Who—who touched me?!”

A sudden shout startled the entire bus awake.

The young man who had fallen to the floor earlier shot upright, his eyes darting around in panic. “Huh? How did I end up on the ground?”

“Did I… fall asleep?”

“Hiss, why does my hand hurt so much?”

Jian Yuanbai glanced at the boy. Since he had been awake the entire time, he knew exactly why his hand hurt. But instead of focusing on him, he used the commotion as an excuse to survey the rest of the bus.

The bus had thirty-three seats, but only thirty passengers. Including the driver, that made thirty-one.

Now, however, only one person was missing—the driver.

It didn’t take long for the others to notice. The blond man was the first to step off the bus, cursing under his breath. “That bastard dumped us here. Where the hell did he go?”

As he lifted his head, his mouth gaped open in shock. “Holy shit.”

Before them stood a towering, majestic castle. Its grandeur made those standing in front of it feel minuscule. A solemn and imposing aura surrounded it, making one wonder what era it had been built in.

The main doors were wide open. Lavish carpets lined the grand hall, and exquisite crystal chandeliers reflected shimmering lights. The hall was vast, with a grand staircase at its center that split into two midway, leading left and right.

Above the stairs, at the very center of the hall, hung an enormous painting.

The painting’s tones were dark, as deep as an abyss. A single beam of light pierced through the darkness, illuminating a man dressed in a black tailcoat. He stood within the light, head slightly turned to reveal part of his face—an elegant nose, and lips the color of roses.

He seemed to be searching for light in the darkness, yet he also seemed to be the darkness itself.

All the other passengers on the bus got off one after another, walking into the ancient castle, looking around curiously, marveling at its exquisite grandeur. Only Jian Yuanbai stood at the entrance without moving.

His gaze fell on the enormous hanging painting, and he didn’t look away for a long time.

Until—

“You have come here as agreed, each for your own wish.”

A voice suddenly rang out, drawing everyone’s attention.

A massive screen lit up in front of the fireplace, and a man dressed in a black tailcoat appeared on the screen. He bent slightly at the waist toward the crowd. He wore a slanted mask, revealing part of his nose and mouth, which made Jian Yuanbai frown involuntarily.

A clumsy imitation.

For some reason, this thought suddenly surfaced in his mind.

The blond man was the first to shout, “Who are you? Where’s the money you promised?”

The man in the black tailcoat smiled slightly. “You may call me H. I am a loyal advocate of the night.”

“As for the money…”

His words carried a hint of something left unsaid before he abruptly stopped. The sound of mechanical gears turning replaced his voice. The fireplace sank into the floor, and a transparent glass dome slowly rose up.

Inside—

Stacks upon stacks of money.

The blond man’s eyes widened. The others also stared intently at the rising glass dome. Gulp. The sound of swallowing echoed as most people gazed at the money with burning desire.

Once the glass dome was fully raised, the blond man rushed forward first, throwing a punch at the dome, only to be sent stumbling back by the force of the rebound.

“What are you standing around for? Help me break it open!”

Seeing that he couldn’t break the glass on his own, he shouted at the others. They snapped out of their daze and hurriedly joined in, trying to shatter the dome.

Even without counting, it was obvious—

There was over a billion in cash inside.

A billion.

They punched it, rammed it with their bodies, smashed it with chairs, and even pried a decorative axe off the wall.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

They hacked at the glass dome with all their might.

But forget breaking it—even a tiny crack didn’t appear.

From beginning to end, H, behind the screen, never intervened. He simply stood there, watching, as if enjoying an amusing clown performance.

Jian Yuanbai remained motionless. He positioned himself beside the glass dome, waiting for H to speak again.

Eventually, when everyone was panting heavily and the blond man cursed under his breath, he stepped forward and glared at the screen.

“Are you playing us for fools?”

H chuckled softly. “I merely wish to play a game with all of you. Only the winner of the game can claim these rewards.”

“What kind of game?”

“Can I choose a different reward instead of money?”

Two voices spoke at the same time.

The blond man turned to see who had spoken—it was that timid middle-aged man. He spat on the ground contemptuously. “What kind of idiot doesn’t want money?”

H, however, responded, “Whatever you desire, I can give it to you.”

He spread his hands wide and leaned back dramatically.

“Wealth, power, status, beauty—if you win this game, you can have anything you want.”

Among the thirty people present, their eyes burned with increasing intensity.

At that moment, H suddenly leaned forward.

It was as if he were looking directly at them through the screen. His voice grew deep and hypnotic—

“Even…”

“Bringing the dead back to life.”

For a brief moment, silence.

Then—

Like water splashing into hot oil—chaos erupted.

H raised a finger to his lips.

“Shh.”

“The name of this game is: Who Killed Me?”

The screen flickered, and a cartoon figure appeared, demonstrating the rules of the game.

Each day, at breakfast and dinner, a covered dish would appear at the center of the dining table. Inside the dish was a slip of paper with a person’s name on it.

That person had to go into hiding.

Everyone else had one objective—

Find them. And kill them.

On the screen, a group of blue cartoon figures stabbed a red one.

Inside the grand hall, the thirty people present turned pale. Someone let out a sharp gasp, while others instinctively took a step back in fear.

“We have to kill someone?”

“This has to be fake. No way.”

“Will we die if we play this game?”

“Are you seriously saying we have to kill people?”

“This has to be a joke!”

People whispered frantically among themselves as the game explanation continued on the screen.

From 9 AM to 5 PM, and again from 6 PM to 2 AM, the game would be in progress.

If the named target survived the 9 AM to 5 PM time frame, the game would move on to the next round. During dinner, a new name would be revealed, marking the next target.

The target—was called the “ghost.”

There were a total of thirty participants. The names would appear in a predetermined sequence. Once every person had been a target once, the cycle would restart, this time only including those still alive.

The start and end times of the game would be announced by the castle’s clock. If a ghost’s name appeared at 9 AM and they survived until 5 PM, they could no longer be hunted. If anyone tried to kill them after the time limit, the next target would not follow the set sequence—

Instead, the one who wrongly killed the ghost would become the new target.

The nighttime rules were the same.

The screen showed only one remaining cartoon figure. A victory crown appeared above its head.

Clearly—

There could only be one winner in this game.

The screen flickered again.

H reappeared. “The rules are simple. I believe everyone understands them now.”

A round-faced girl hesitantly spoke up, “Can I choose not to play? I want to leave.”

As soon as she spoke—

The others immediately followed.

“Do we really have to kill people?”

“Can we win without killing? This has to be a joke, right?”

“Will we actually die in this game?”

“Are we really supposed to kill someone?”

H seemed to smile. “If you want to withdraw, just wait until tomorrow morning. A driver will take those who wish to leave.”

“If fewer people remain, naturally, there will be less competition, but the game will continue.”

H’s lips curved strangely as he said, seemingly implying something, “Everyone, rest assured, whatever you do here, no one will ever know.”

“For those who leave early, we will ensure they keep it a secret.”

He glanced down, then clapped his hands. “Now, let the game begin.”

As soon as his words fell, the screen flickered and then went dark. Immediately after, a crisp clang echoed through the room.

Everyone turned toward the sound and saw an old grandfather clock standing beside the staircase in the center of the hall. Its hands pointed to six o’clock.

It was a vintage pendulum clock, resembling a cabinet. The clock face was at the top, while a long pendulum swung below, striking the hour with a solemn chime.

The most expressive of the group, the blond man, exclaimed in shock, “What the hell? It’s only six o’clock?”

Before boarding the bus, their phones had been confiscated, so naturally, they had no way of knowing the time.

A bespectacled man spoke up, “Maybe it’s because the trees are too dense in the mountains, the mist is heavy, and now that it’s autumn, the sky naturally darkens earlier.”

He adjusted his glasses and looked at everyone. “How about we introduce ourselves? It’d be good for us to get to know each other.”

A middle-aged woman suddenly interrupted, “Something’s moving over there.”

Her words cut off the bespectacled man. Everyone indeed noticed a sound and quickly walked toward its source. Turning left from the hall, they unexpectedly found themselves in a dining room.

A long dining table was laden with various dishes, but the most eye-catching thing was the large, iron-covered serving platter in the very center.

Everyone froze, staring at the metal cover. For a moment, no one dared to approach.

Jian Yuanbai took half a step back, subtly observing everyone’s reactions.

The blond man swallowed hard, the bespectacled man furrowed his brows, the unlucky young man who had injured his hand looked both nervous and intrigued, the timid middle-aged man shrank his shoulders, the round-faced girl took a step back, and the middle-aged woman covered her mouth in fear…

Most of them displayed shock, fear, and suspicion. A few showed curiosity, but nothing unusual.

In the end, it was the bespectacled man who stepped forward and lifted the cover. Inside, a single piece of paper lay silently.

He reached out to pick it up, but Jian Yuanbai frowned and stopped him. “Wait.”

Jian Yuanbai walked over. “We should open it together.”

Everyone, afraid yet tense with anticipation, gathered around.

A white note, folded twice, lay quietly on the large plate. It was no gourmet delicacy but rather a death sentence in disguise.

The bespectacled man placed his hand on the note. Everyone held their breath in unison, fearing the same thing—

That their own name would be written on the note.

As he unfolded the first fold, their pounding hearts thumped against their chests.

Under the intense gaze of the group, the note, folded twice, was finally revealed.

Three black-inked characters stood starkly on the paper.

Lu Yongye.

A few scattered sighs of relief were heard. Jian Yuanbai directly took the note from the bespectacled man’s hand and held it up for all to see. “Who is Lu Yongye?”

A girl dressed in a gothic-style dark dress stepped forward. “It’s me.”

She was quite tall, wearing black lace stockings beneath her skirt, and her long hair cascaded down to her waist.

Lu Yongye tried her best to appear calm, but her slightly trembling hands betrayed her fear. “I won’t wait for the driver tomorrow. I want to leave tonight.”

Jian Yuanbai nodded. “Alright, I can drive. I’ll take you away.”

As he spoke, he tucked the note into the pocket of his suit trousers.

“I—I want to leave too.”

“Me too.”

Two more people spoke up. The others exchanged glances but ultimately followed them out of the dining room and back to the hall.

The blond man eyed the glass display filled with stacks of money and sighed regretfully.

Though he acted tough, when it came to actually killing someone, he hesitated.

His eyes flickered with an idea. Suddenly, he said, “This castle looks pretty old. If we take something from inside, wouldn’t it be worth a fortune?”

His words seemed to awaken others from their hesitation. Their eyes brightened.

Jian Yuanbai didn’t bother to dampen their excitement, but he still commented, “I’m afraid that won’t work.”

Wearing leather shoes, he lightly ground his heel against the luxurious carpet beneath his feet. “Everything here is fake. This carpet? You might get two hundred if you sell it as scrap.”

From what Jian Yuanbai could see with the naked eye, the castle’s carpets, fireplaces, vases, porcelain, and gilded decorations were all counterfeit.

Even the grandfather clock used to tell time was an artificially aged replica. That enormous hanging painting? It was likely just an imitation.

The blond man was displeased. “Just because you say it’s fake, that makes it fake?”

“Do you even know what you’re talking about?”

He scanned the group. “Anyone here who actually knows antiques? Let’s go through this castle together.”

Clearly, the blond man proposed this looting idea to find someone knowledgeable to join him.

His words stirred the group’s greed. Jian Yuanbai didn’t bother persuading them any further and instead turned to Lu Yongye. “Let’s go.”

“No way!” The blond man suddenly blocked Jian Yuanbai’s path. “If you drive away, what about us?”

Jian Yuanbai frowned. “I’ll come back.”

The blond man scoffed. “Why should I believe you?”

Some of those hoping to stay in the castle to search for valuables or observe the situation for a night spoke up to stop them.

“Exactly! The driver will come tomorrow. Why not wait and leave together?”

Lu Yongye said coldly, “Your names aren’t on that paper. Of course, you’re not in a hurry.”

“Hey, come on, girl, you’re making it sound like we’d actually kill someone.”

“Yeah, seriously, murder? I wouldn’t dare.”

“Exactly, exactly! This castle is so extravagant—coming all this way just to leave empty-handed?”

On one hand, fewer competitors meant better odds for those who stayed. On the other hand, the real reason was simple—

They didn’t have the guts to kill.

They were afraid of dying.

And most of them had come here because they desperately needed money.

So the blond man’s suggestion had undoubtedly swayed them.

The young man who had injured his hand spoke up, “If you don’t take something yourself, yet you claim it, that is stealing. Are you trying to steal?”

His words provoked awkward laughter from a few people, who then fumbled for excuses.

Jian Yuanbai didn’t want to waste words with them. He had to drive people away, then rush back overnight, making it back before nine in the morning, before the second name appeared. Time was tight.

He bypassed the blond man, intending to leave, but the man grabbed him. “No, you can’t go.”

Jian Yuanbai furrowed his brows and looked at the hand clutching his clothes. “Let go.”

The blond man stood at 1.8 meters tall, well-built—one might even call him fat. Even though the person in front of him was taller than him by quite a bit, he wasn’t particularly afraid. After all, his bulk wasn’t just for show.

He clenched his fists and sneered. “I said, you can’t go.”

With a sharp slap, Jian Yuanbai struck the hand gripping his clothes and said expressionlessly, “I said, let go.”

A scream rang out, followed by a heavy thud as the blond man fell to the ground, clutching his shoulder in pain. He stared in fear at Jian Yuanbai’s retreating figure.

That move—twisting his wrist like that—was a technique commonly used by the police to apprehend suspects. As someone who had been a frequent guest at the police station, he was about 80% sure that this man was a cop.

The people who had initially tried to stop Jian Yuanbai all fell silent, not daring to interfere as they watched him leave with the others.

Jian Yuanbai drove the bus toward the exit. However, after he had left the castle for a short distance, he suddenly froze in place.

“What’s wrong?”

“Is the fog too thick?”

Two of the people who had left with him asked, while Lu Yongye nervously glanced over.

Thick fog surrounded them, but that wasn’t the most pressing issue. Jian Yuanbai’s brows furrowed tightly. “There’s no road.”

The surrounding trees were dense, their canopy blocking out the sky. Except for the road they had taken to get here, all directions ahead were filled with towering trees, with no visible traces of a path.

Unwilling to believe it, a few people got out of the bus and walked around, but the fog was too heavy, and they didn’t dare stray too far. “There really is no road.”

“How is that possible? Then how did we get here?”

“What do we do now? Should we go back?”

The eerie silence around them was unsettling. Besides the few of them, there was no other sound. Some of the group were beginning to feel afraid. Lu Yongye, sticking closely to Jian Yuanbai, cautiously suggested, “Let’s go back first.”

The bus turned around and drove back to the castle. When they returned, the others looked surprised. Jian Yuanbai briefly explained their situation and then said,

“Something strange is going on. For now, let’s not act recklessly.”

He had been fully alert when they arrived and had memorized the route. How could the road suddenly disappear?

Jian Yuanbai lowered his gaze, recalling what H had said: “Those who leave early—we make sure they keep the secret.”

What kind of person could guarantee keeping a secret 100%?

Jian Yuanbai could only think of one possibility—dead people.

Only the dead could never leak a single word.

Was the option to leave the game early truly real?

Upstairs, the blond man and his gang were making a racket as they rummaged through the castle. Meanwhile, downstairs, a glass case full of money sat silently. It made no sound, it could not move, yet its presence was impossible to ignore. Countless eyes, overtly or covertly, kept glancing at it, estimating its worth over and over again.

If they wanted to ensure the secrecy of this game, there was only one most reliable method—thirty people dying until only one remained.

As the sole beneficiary, that last survivor would become the game’s most loyal guardian of its secret.

The hands of the grandfather clock by the left side of the staircase slowly ticked forward. Jian Yuanbai glanced at it and suddenly realized—the clock was positioned just a short distance from the dining hall entrance.

Was it placed there to ensure everyone kept track of the game’s time?

Inside the dining hall, the long table was still set with untouched food. After searching the entire castle, the blond man, now carrying large bags, walked downstairs. “Damn, I’m starving.”

“Eat something, get some sleep. We’ll leave first thing in the morning.”

When Jian Yuanbai and the others had returned earlier, saying there was no road, the blond man hadn’t been present. Now, hearing this, one of the people who had been sitting in the hall, waiting instead of searching, spoke up: “It seems like there really is no road.”

The blond man frowned. “Huh? What do you mean, no road?”

Although Jian Yuanbai had just fought with him, he didn’t mind explaining again. “We drove out, but not far from the castle, the road disappeared. The fog was too thick, and we couldn’t see more than five steps ahead. There was no road for the bus to take.”

The blond man was a little wary of Jian Yuanbai, but in front of his five or six lackeys, he refused to back down. He stiffened his neck and said, “What do you mean, no road?”

“I think you guys just couldn’t find it. We’ll wait for the driver to pick us up in the morning.”

The bespectacled man added, “No one here dares to kill, and I’ve asked everyone—we all agree to opt out. The girls don’t have to worry.”

But Jian Yuanbai wasn’t as optimistic.

By tomorrow morning, that driver probably wouldn’t be coming.

No matter what, they had to get through tonight. The thirty people wandered around and eventually returned to the long table. Most of them ate the food, but Jian Yuanbai did not. Instead, he hid away two round buns.

He stayed behind to observe for a moment and noticed that, aside from himself, there were four other people who had not eaten.

The bespectacled man was spinning his fork absentmindedly, lost in thought. The timid middle-aged man trembled like a frightened rat. The short-haired girl, who had been silent since they got on the bus, remained speechless. And Lu Yongye, whose name had appeared on the slip of paper, seemed uneasy.

After dinner, it was already late. The castle was vast, with five floors, all filled with rooms. Jian Yuanbai suggested, “Everyone should try to choose rooms on the second or third floor. That way, if anything happens, we can be the first to know.”

Everyone had previously stated that they would not continue participating in the game. They all believed that no one would risk their lives to take part in such a horrifying, murderous game.

This was their first night in the castle. The atmosphere was peaceful, and they had just enjoyed a lavish meal, so most people were somewhat relaxed.

Following Jian Yuanbai’s suggestion, the thirty people settled into rooms on the second and third floors.

The candles in the castle were extinguished, and the night deepened.

The bespectacled man glanced disdainfully at the room that the blond man had rummaged through, leaving it in complete disarray. Instead of lying in bed, he paced back and forth, occasionally glancing at the window.

The boy with the injured arm tossed and turned, unable to sleep due to the pain.

The short-haired girl clutched her sleeve, lost in thought.

The blond man grinned, his face full of amusement as he admired the “treasures” he had collected. After a moment’s consideration, he stuffed some jewelry into his pants pocket.

Lu Yongye clutched the hem of her dress, nervously sitting by the bed.

Meanwhile, Jian Yuanbai entered the bathroom in his room. He turned on the shower, but that wasn’t enough—he also turned on the faucet at the sink. The sound of running water filled the space. Lowering his head, he spoke into the seemingly empty bathroom, “Group B, Group B, do you copy?”

The hidden wireless earpiece in his ear received no response. Jian Yuanbai frowned and tried again.

If all signals here were cut off, then how had H appeared on the screen?

A pre-recorded video?

No, that wasn’t right.

There had been back-and-forth conversation—screen recordings couldn’t achieve that.

After leaving the bathroom, Jian Yuanbai silently stepped out of his room. In the darkness, his nerves remained tense as he moved toward the spot he had scouted earlier—one that offered both a good vantage point and a hidden position.

In the deepest, unfrequented part of the castle, at the end of a pitch-black corridor, a luxurious coffin rested quietly in a room.

If anyone had been able to see inside the coffin, they would have been horrified to find a person lying within—one who looked so fresh and lifelike that they seemed merely asleep.

Seven nails were embedded into the coffin, driven deep into the wood. Though asymmetrical, they appeared to have an underlying order within their randomness.

Suddenly, the person inside twitched their nose slightly.

So fragrant, so fragrant, so fragrant…

The faint ticking of a clock echoed rhythmically in the darkness. The sky outside deepened in color with each passing second, then gradually brightened again.

Aside from the bloodshot veins in his eyes, Jian Yuanbai showed no signs of having stayed up all night. Estimating the time when the others would wake up, he arrived at Lu Yongye’s door just before then.

To be safe, he decided to confirm her situation once more.

He raised his hand to knock gently, but just as his fingers touched the door, it creaked open slightly.

Jian Yuanbai was momentarily surprised before pushing the door open and stepping inside.

The sight that greeted him was Lu Yongye lying on the bed, eyes dilated, her blood soaking the sheets.

Her voluminous black dress spread out across the bed like dark soil. Her body became the stem of a flower, and the blood flowing from her neck, spreading outward, formed a richly colored blossom.

Staring at Lu Yongye’s corpse, Jian Yuanbai quickly scanned the entire room. A chill ran down his spine. He had stood guard all night and was certain that no one had entered or exited—so who had killed Lu Yongye?

As he examined the body, he suddenly spun around—only to be confronted by a pale, bare-skinned figure.

For once, the usually unshaken Jian Yuanbai’s expression cracked. Finding a corpse first thing in the morning was bad enough, but seeing a naked man—who could handle that?!

“Who are you?”

“So fragrant… Can I take a bite?”

Jian Yuanbai and the unexpected boy spoke at the same time.

When Jian Yuanbai didn’t respond, the boy revealed a set of small, sharp fangs. He held up a slender, pale hand and pointed at his little finger. “Just a tiny bite, okay?”

“Is that alright?”

The boy was stunningly beautiful, with delicate features and flawless skin. His voice carried a coquettish lilt, as if pleading. “Please? It really won’t hurt.”