“But,” Bai Zhen said, grabbing Liang Sheng’s little hand once more, “this is what I promised Little Junior Sister Liang Sheng.”
Gu Yuqi lowered her head and looked toward Liang Sheng, who didn’t know where to direct her gaze.
“Junior Sister Liang Sheng, let me pay for you.”
Gu Yuqi’s smile carried a hint of danger.
“No, no, no—I’ll pay myself.” For the first time, Liang Sheng was so eager to spend her own money.
The front desk girl watched these girls bicker over who would pay. She stared for a full two minutes until the sweet-faced little sister finally lost her patience.
“Who’s actually paying here?”
Bai Zhen was quickest on the draw, and with cash in hand, she slapped the bills down on the counter with a sharp thwack.
“There! I’ve paid!”
Though they were all adults in their twenties, in that moment, Bai Zhen resembled a child snatching a toy—or a concubine squabbling for favor in a palace harem.
“Fine. You can go in now.”
If not for her professional creed that the customer was god, the front desk girl would have kicked up her heels and bolted.
“Eek…” Drawing closer to the escape room, Liang Sheng heard the wailing and howling echoing from inside, like tormented souls in torment.
Suddenly, regret washed over her. Why had she challenged herself like this? Why pick something terrifying?
To be fair, a touch of horror could heighten the spark between couples.
But… with all these girls around, which one was her partner?!
Liang Sheng’s mind reeled a little. She prayed these girls wouldn’t get so caught up in their rivalry over her that they forgot about her entirely, leaving no one to keep her safe.
The front desk girl led them to the “Underworld’s Eighteen Layers” escape room. With a push, she opened the door, and a blast of chilly air rushed out.
“Hiss~” Liang Sheng hugged her arms tight, shivering as goosebumps prickled across her skin.
Bai Zhen and Gu Yuqi noticed at once. Gu Yuqi took hold of Liang Sheng’s hand, while Bai Zhen stepped protectively in front of her and glanced back. “Don’t be scared. Big Sis will protect you.”
Song An’an was even more terrified than Liang Sheng. She trembled violently and plastered herself to Liang Sheng’s back.
Mo Qingrou trailed indifferently behind them all.
“No can do—you’ll need to split into two groups,” the front desk girl said. “One in this ‘First Layer’ room, the other in the ‘Eighteenth Layer’ room.”
They exchanged glances, their eyes inevitably settling on the quivering Liang Sheng.
“I want to pair with…”
They hadn’t even finished speaking.
“Hold it!” The front desk girl had seen this coming and cut them off.
She pulled out six slips of white paper. “Draw lots!”
“That’s a great idea.” Everyone swore confidently that, as Lucky Emperors, they’d land in the same room as Liang Sheng. Only Mo Qingrou silently hoped to group up with Liang Sheng and Gu Yuqi.
The results were in.
Gu Yuqi: “…”
Bai Zhen: “…”
Song An’an: “…”
Liang Sheng: “?”
Mo Qingrou: “…?!”
Mo Qingrou’s wish had half come true. She and Liang Sheng were together in one room.
Gu Yuqi felt a twinge of irritation, but seeing that her Little Junior Sister Liang Sheng was paired with the school’s emotionless doctor, Mo Qingrou, she relaxed. An Iceberg Woman like that wouldn’t take interest in a cute girl like Liang Sheng. Gu Yuqi was utterly convinced.
And so, Liang Sheng and Mo Qingrou stayed behind in the simpler “First Layer,” while Gu Yuqi, Song An’an, and Bai Zhen headed to the tougher “Eighteenth Layer.”
“Game start~”
The voice boomed out of nowhere, startling Liang Sheng. She clutched Big Iceberg Mo Qingrou’s arm and pressed herself trembling against the other girl.
Mo Qingrou saw how frightened she was and wanted to offer comfort, but she didn’t know quite how.
“It’s okay. We’re staunch materialists—ghosts don’t exist at…”
“Mama ya!!!” Liang Sheng threw her arms around Mo Qingrou’s neck and leaped onto her, legs clamping vise-like around the Iceberg Beauty’s slender waist.
“Ghost! Ghost! Ghooooost!!!’ Her piercing scream made even the passing staff member flinch.
The fake ghost—sweating under the wig from Liang Sheng’s bloodcurdling wail—decided it was best to scram. No sense risking a heart attack or worse for the poor kid.
With that in mind, the staff member quietly slipped through to the next room and locked the door behind him. Routine: spook the customers, wait for the screams, then advance and secure the door.
Meanwhile, School Doctor Sis Mo Qingrou stood there, face impassive as ever, one hand propping up Liang Sheng’s rear to keep her from sliding off.
Her heart was just as unruffled as her expression.
“Ah… Liang Sheng,” Mo Qingrou said softly, patting the girl’s back and pointing toward the ghost’s escape route. “That ‘ghost’ got scared off by your scream.”
Liang Sheng refused to let go, clinging like an octopus.
With no other choice, Mo Qingrou scooped her up and searched the room for clues. Her strength was impressive; she carried Liang Sheng for a solid five minutes.
Five minutes later, Liang Sheng finally regained her composure.
“Cough, cough—Sister Mo Qingrou, you can put me down now.” Coming back to herself, Liang Sheng flushed with embarrassment. Her cowardly antics had been mortifying.
Mo Qingrou set her down and shook her head. “It’s fine.”
Liang Sheng asked awkwardly, “Sister Mo Qingrou, was I heavy?”
“Not at all.” Mo Qingrou spoke from the heart—Liang Sheng had felt light and soft in her arms.
The silence in the eerie room only amplified Liang Sheng’s fear.
To distract herself, she struck up a conversation.
“Sister Mo Qingrou, you like escape rooms too, huh?” She regretted it instantly. Of course she did, or why come?
To her surprise, Mo Qingrou answered earnestly.
“I have no interest in escape rooms whatsoever.”
“Huh??” Liang Sheng’s curiosity piqued, dulling her fear as she leaned in closer. “Then why’d you come play, Sister Mo Qingrou?”
Mo Qingrou replied, “I came to experience the emotion of fear.”
“Huh??” Liang Sheng blinked in confusion once more.
She pondered, then it clicked.
She recalled that Mo Qingrou hadn’t just lost the ability to control her facial expressions—she’d lost her emotions too.
No wonder she was so hard to win over. Her Favorability grew at a snail’s pace.
“So… Sister Mo Qingrou, after you lost control over your facial expressions, that’s when you started losing your emotions too?”
