Chapter 25 Part 2

Tong Yuwu had scraped her left temple on a rock, splitting the skin in a small gash from which blood now flowed freely. The pain brought clarity, and her purple eyes regained their usual sharpness. The look she shot Meng Yiran was far more hostile than friendly.

But before she could do anything, Meng Yiran struck first—with a torrent of tears streaming down her face.

Puffing out her cheeks, Meng Yiran blew gently on Tong Yuwu’s forehead, her voice thick with sobs. “It’s bleeding so much… Does it hurt a lot?”

Tong Yuwu froze, the deep purple in her pupils slowly fading.

“…It’s nothing.”

Meng Yiran’s tears momentarily disarmed her, but she never saw it coming. Bold as brass, Meng Yiran leaned in and pressed her lips to the bleeding cut on Tong Yuwu’s forehead.

Her soft tongue lapped delicately at the wound, tasting the faint tang of blood. All the while, Meng Yiran murmured apologies. “I’m sorry. It’s all my fault. I won’t do it again.”

Tong Yuwu’s cheeks and ears, which had just begun to cool, heated up again under the touch—burning even hotter than before. The beautiful young lady stood there in a daze, forgetting entirely what she ought to do next.

Fortunately, Meng Yiran’s voice snapped her back to her senses. She shoved Meng Yiran away and rose to her feet. Her eyes widened as she stared at the other girl, at a complete loss for words. Tong Yuwu wiped the lingering saliva from her forehead and brushed the sticky grass off her clothes.

Once she had tidied herself up, she didn’t spare Meng Yiran a single glance. Reorienting herself, she strode straight ahead.

Meng Yiran chased after her, face still streaked with tears. “Doesn’t it hurt anymore? Want me to blow on it some more?”

Tong Yuwu’s expression remained icy as she marched on without a word. “No.”

Meng Yiran felt terribly aggrieved but didn’t dare reproach her. In a small voice, she pleaded, “Don’t be mad at me…”

Tong Yuwu came to a halt.

She clenched one hand into a fist and raised it to her chest, her eyes sweeping up and down Meng Yiran’s form as if appraising something. Then, with a slight furrow of her brow, she issued a warning. “I don’t know you. Stop following me.”

Meng Yiran’s eyes went wide. “How could you not know me?!”

“You’re my Doll Lady!”

Tong Yuwu denied it flatly. “I’m not.”

Tears welled up in Meng Yiran’s eyes again, the ones she had just blinked back threatening to spill over.

Under the influence of the miasma, she poured out all the fantasies she harbored in her daily life. “I’ve taken care of you for so long—you don’t remember? Everything I had before is gone now. You’re the only doll I have left! But… but you don’t want me anymore… I’m so sad…”

The habits from her time as a cat were still etched into her soul. Without thinking, she hugged Tong Yuwu and buried her head in the woman’s embrace, all the while letting out pitiful whimpers and sobs.

Tong Yuwu’s left hand drifted upward, her fingers unconsciously pinching Meng Yiran’s neck.

Her fingertips rested right on Meng Yiran’s throat. She could feel the vibrations of her sobs trembling beneath them—an odd sensation that brought a faint flush of color to her otherwise pallid skin.

All she had to do was press down, and the world would be peaceful again. Yet her hand seemed to have lost all strength; she couldn’t even manage that simple motion.

She could only stand there rigidly, her warning coming out without any real menace. “Let go of me.”

“It tickles…” Oblivious to the danger she was in, Meng Yiran mumbled a complaint. Her neck was sensitive—even stray hairs from a haircut would bother her for ages. With Tong Yuwu’s entire hand draped over it now, she wanted to squirm away. Instead, her arms only tightened around the other woman in defiance. “No.”

Tong Yuwu slid her hand away from Meng Yiran’s neck and shoved her with force.

Deprived of that support, Meng Yiran lost her balance and tumbled to the ground.

She said nothing, her golden eyes—still glistening from her earlier tears—fixed unblinkingly on the other girl from below.

The cut on Tong Yuwu’s forehead was small and had stopped bleeding by now, but she could still catch the faint, rusty tang of blood in the air. It set her nerves on edge. She shot Meng Yiran a sidelong glance, clenched her left fist, and grasped at empty air.

Then she took two slow steps backward, turned, and walked away alone.

Meng Yiran felt heartbroken, and an overwhelming drowsiness she couldn’t fight began to creep over her.

She yawned, brushed away the single clear tear that welled up at the corner of her eye, buried her face in her knees, and decided to catch a quick nap.

But she had barely closed her eyes when she felt someone toying with her hair.

The intrusion ruined any chance of sleep, so she lifted her head and shot an irritated glare in that direction.

When she saw Tong Yuwu’s face, she froze. “Why’d you come back?”

Tong Yuwu’s expression remained as blank as ever, but somehow Meng Yiran could tell she was in a foul mood.

She answered the question flatly. “We’re in the miasma. My head’s not clear.”

“Miasma?” The word stirred vague memories in Meng Yiran. She raised her right hand, a nagging sense that something was missing from her palm.

Tong Yuwu stood there, impatience sharpening her tone. “You coming or not?”

Meng Yiran was too muddled to think straight. “Go… where?”

Tong Yuwu frowned.

Realizing words weren’t getting through, she simply seized Meng Yiran’s wrist, hauled her to her feet, and dragged her along.

Meng Yiran felt bewildered and miserable. “I’m so tired… I just wanna sleep. Can’t I stay behind and—”

Tong Yuwu didn’t look back. She flung a single cold word over her shoulder. “Quiet.”

Meng Yiran leaned in close to her ear, whispering in the hushed tone of someone sharing state secrets. “Whyyy~?”

Tong Yuwu’s grip tightened like a vise. Pain shot through Meng Yiran’s wrist, drawing an involuntary “Ow, ow!” from her lips.

The beautiful Noble Miss offered no pity, her pace unrelenting. “Don’t talk to me. And stay out of my sight.”

Tears brimmed in Meng Yiran’s eyes. She wanted to ask why again, but the bruising pressure on her wrist taught her a lesson. She settled for a soft, pitiful whimper—obedient, pitiable, and utterly endearing.

Free of further interruptions, Tong Yuwu pulled her out of the miasma in just a few minutes.

Ling Ze and Ling Ge had already turned back to search for them. Had they been two seconds slower, the pair would have plunged right in.

The moment they emerged, Ling Ge let out a huge sigh of relief. “You two okay? Everything alright?”

But her words died in her throat when she spotted the blood on Tong Yuwu’s forehead.

Tong Yuwu, however, acted as if nothing had happened. She released Meng Yiran’s wrist without a second thought.

Now clear-headed after escaping the miasma, Meng Yiran slowly sank into a squat, burying her head fully in her knees.

Ling Ge’s eyes went wide. She dropped down beside her, full of concern. “You feeling awful? Don’t huddle like that—let me help you to somewhere with fresh air to rest.”

Meng Yiran’s voice drifted out faintly from between her knees. “No need…”

“Hey, are you hurt too? Tell me, I’ll take a look. What’s the point of curling up like this?” Ling Ge fretted.

Ling Ze watched Meng Yiran as well, but his gaze suddenly caught the deep crimson flush on her exposed ear.

He turned to Tong Yuwu, considered for a moment, then tugged Ling Ge aside. “Give her some space for now. We’ll rest a bit, but we need to move out soon.”

Ling Ge was puzzled but didn’t argue with him.

Ming Yi sidled up to check on Tong Yuwu, asking after the injury on her forehead. His demeanor stayed cheerful as ever—even now, his voice held a light laugh—creating a vivid contrast of warmth against her icy demeanor as he stood by her side.

Unable to resist, Meng Yiran peeked sideways at Tong Yuwu. Seeing her remain stoically impassive despite Ming Yi’s solicitous attention, she felt a quiet wave of relief.

She pushed herself to her feet, willed herself not to dwell on what had happened in the miasma, drew a deep breath, and exhaled all her lingering embarrassment.

Kelly, meanwhile, had grown thoroughly impatient with the wait. From a short distance away, she called for the group to hurry up and follow. Behind them, the thick fog had lifted, revealing a straight path just over a hundred meters long, lined with lush greenery.

~~~

“You made it out. That’s great—my advice didn’t lead you wrong.”

“I’m nothing special, but if you need me, I’ll do everything I can to help. And if I don’t know the answer, we can do it like old times: head to the library together, ask the teacher together.”

“I really don’t know if those kinds of days can ever come back…”

Kelly frowned, her face darkening. “Quit muttering all that nonsense. No one’s interested in your romantic history.”

It wasn’t clear if her words had any effect, but the clear male voice stopped reminiscing and moved on to the next challenge.

“Ahead lies a Small Plaza hosting an Outdoor Art Exhibition. Those paintings have nothing to do with me—they’ll only mislead you down the wrong path. I’ve prepared a black cloth for you. Cover your eyes with it, loop it over your ears, and tie it behind your head. Walk straight through the exhibition. No matter what you hear or feel along the way, believe that it’s all illusions. Don’t stop. Don’t hesitate.”

“Only I am real. Come find me.”

As his words faded, a black cloth truly appeared in each of the seven people’s hands. The Small Plaza he had mentioned also materialized before them, lined with easels. But due to the angle or some other factor, they couldn’t clearly make out the contents of the canvases from where they stood.

Meng Yiran glanced at Tong Yuwu before quickly looking away. She clutched her black cloth, preparing to tie it on.

The previous challenge had made her realize that she was nothing but dead weight. She had chosen to stick with Tong Yuwu out of concern for her, but if that concern became a burden to the other girl, then it all meant nothing.

Before she could act, however, someone else beat her to it.

Meng Yiran heard the guy from the Little Couple shout “Kelly!” She turned to look and saw that Kelly had already blindfolded herself. Her boyfriend, Elfa, reached out to grab her, but she shook him off. “Quick and done—I’m sick of hanging around here.”