Chapter 45

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Before she had a chance to think much about Gu Ze’s odd behavior, she had already reached the entrance of the dorms. She hid behind the doorway and peeked into the building cautiously to survey the area.

Sure enough, the body was still there. Blood, organs, and other unidentifiable human slurry covered the middle of the hallway. It was Zhao Zixun’s masterpiece from the night before, exactly as she remembered it.

Di Qing and Lu Ye stood to the side and watched while the long-haired man knelt on the ground and cleaned up the gore. He collected the pieces of carnage carefully and reverently. His head was lowered, but she could still make out the gloomy expression on his face and the complicated look in his eyes.

Di Qing and Lu Ye seemed to be discussing something, but Bai Zhi couldn’t hear what they were saying because she was too far away. She gave up trying and took a half step back. Out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly noticed someone behind her.

Bai Zhi startled and drew in a sharp intake of breath. She turned around—it was the short-haired boy from the other side of the wall. He sat quietly in the shadows and seemed to have been there for some time. She found him studying her through narrowed eyes. She must have passed right by him and without even realizing it!

“Bai Zhi?” The boy called out to her unexpectedly.

“Who are you?” She didn’t detect any malice from the boy’s tone of voice or expression.

“Just now, were you the one Gu Ze was fucking on the other side of the wall?” The boy watched her intently.

She blushed and shook her head in vehement denial.

“I have very good hearing, you know; in fact, I discovered you early on.” The boy pointed to his ear. His hand dropped, and wariness crept into his eyes, “Why is a girl like you in this game?”

Bai Zhi’s face drained, “People keep saying that this is a game, but I don’t know what it means! What does it mean?! I was arrested for no reason. No one explained anything to me; they just…” She bit her lip and shook her head. She stopped herself from saying any more.

The boy nodded knowingly, “Push you down and fuck you all the time, right?” He stood up to his full height, which was half a head taller than Bai Zhi. The boy’s skin was fair and soft, his chin was sharp, and his upturned eyes no longer held the same ruthless expression as before—it even seemed indifferent. “Towards the weak, these types of things have always been the norm, no matter the time nor society.”

Bai Zhi shook her head, rejecting this idea.

He walked to Bai Zhi’s side and tipped his chin, “My name is Xiao Yang. I am here as a serious contestant. You’re not, right?”

“Contestant? What do you mean, you’re here… as a contestant?”

Xiao Yang continued nonchalantly, “My boyfriend has kidney failure but no money, so I joined this game. If I win, I can give us a few more years together.”

Bai Zhi wanted to keep asking questions, but Xiao Yang sent her a piercing glance.

He paused before offhandedly adding, “It was my boss who pulled me in. He knew of my situation, but he couldn’t help me directly.” His eyes flashed with a complicated look at the mention of his boss.

“He is also in the game. If we win together, we can collect a tidy sum of reward money. However, you don’t have a number, so you’re not in the game. Except for the rules of the prison itself, you are not bound by anything else—including the rules of the game. But as such, you will not receive any rewards if you win.”

“What are the rules? I heard that only one prisoner can get out alive?”

Xiao Yang looked at her, “Different positions have different rules. Not everyone here is like me. I have found that the people here have many reasons for going to prison… In short, you should take care of yourself. Don’t believe what anyone says… including me.”

Bai Zhi bit her lip and nodded, “Xiao Yang, why are you telling me all this?”

“I don’t know… I guess I just never expected to see a woman in this battle royale death game. To be honest, I pity you. I hope that when the game is over, you make it out alive.”

Chills ran up her spine at his words, and Bai Zhi couldn’t help visibly shuddering.

She also hoped that she would one day make it out of this hellish place alive.

“Xiao Yang, I have one last question.”

“Speak.”

“What’s the relationship between the man who died last night and the long-haired man over there?” The image of his gentleness while cleaning up the crime scene kept plaguing her thoughts. The way he looked at the corpse numbed her scalp. She knew something was up, and she couldn’t help asking.

Xiao Yang laughed somewhat hysterically; there was even a note of happiness within his outburst. He straightened after a moment and explained, “…They are attracted to each other, but they cannot accommodate each other.”

Other resources: Character List

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