Chapter 57 Part 3

“If a demon appears and someone’s missing, that one is naturally our answer.

“This method has risks too—we might become prey caught all at once—but fortune favors the bold, right?”

Jie Jialiang raised one hand and smiled faintly. “Same as before, minority obeys majority. We vote.”

As Jie Jialiang expected, the proposal passed.

It was just a formality. Regardless of whether Zhong Nian and the Masked Man agreed, he had three teammates in the group who followed his lead. Everything would proceed as he planned.

Zhong Nian thought the idea wasn’t bad anyway. He was always the unlucky one targeted by demons, so no difference.

Moreover, he worried Jie Jialiang might target the Masked Man again and vote him out.

The man was injured; spending another night in the confessional would be too dangerous.

They drew lots for pairs to take night watch shifts: two groups per night, one for the first half, one for the second.

Zhong Nian was paired with Jie Jialiang, but not until tomorrow night.

“Alright, stop frowning.”

Behind the sofa back, Zhong Nian sat wrapped in a blanket on the laid-out bedding with the Masked Man—they planned to sleep there.

Zhong Nian said to the man who had been furrowing his brows tightly since the draw results: “It’s just guarding together. Nothing will happen.”

The longer they spent together, the more he seemed to understand him.

Even with the man’s face covered, his speaking tone always monotone and laconic, Zhong Nian could inexplicably sense subtle differences.

So even without words, he could tell what displeased him.

“Here.”

Zhong Nian stuffed a piece of jerky into the Masked Man.

Afraid other players would know he had hidden extra food, he did it quickly, slipping his hand directly into the zipper opening of the Masked Man’s outer clothes to place it in the inner pocket.

His hand brushed past the warm chest. He didn’t notice at all how his action made the man’s breathing hitch.

Cupping his hand near his lips, he whispered breathily, “Eat it secretly when you get a chance.”

With that, he quickly popped a small piece of dried fruit into his own mouth.

Behind the sofa back, the two had carved out a private space amid the players, whispering secrets only they shared.

The Masked Man eyed the youth’s cheeks bulging occasionally from the dried fruit. He raised a hand to cover the spot hiding the food, feeling his own powerful heartbeat.

Thump by thump, pounding against his palm.

“Want some hot cocoa?”

An intruder breached their exclusive space.

The Masked Man shot an unfriendly glance at Jie Jialiang, who wore silver-framed glasses, and immediately shifted position, subtly blocking Zhong Nian behind him in a fully hostile stance.

Zhong Nian gave Jie Jialiang no good look either. After hastily chewing and swallowing the dried fruit in his mouth, he refused bluntly, “No need.”

But the other seemed oblivious to their dislike, still wearing a perfectly curved smile as he softly persuaded, “The cabin’s food is gone. Everyone only had a bit of bread tonight and is still hungry. Luckily, I found cocoa powder in the cabinet. Drinking some will give a sense of fullness. How about a cup for everyone?”

Jie Jialiang’s gaze shifted to the Masked Man. “Especially you, friend. Haven’t seen you eat tonight. Aren’t you hungry? We’re all trusted teammates. No need to stay on guard constantly.”

Zhong Nian caught on—he wanted to see the Masked Man remove his face mask.

He poked his head out from behind the Masked Man, face cold. “I said we don’t need it. If he’s hungry, he’ll eat himself. No need for your concern.”

Jie Jialiang kept shamelessly approaching despite the refusals, and Zhong Nian lost patience for pretense, dropping the surface friendliness.

Of course, he absolutely wouldn’t let others know they had plenty of filling food hidden.

These were all earned together from the townsfolk; how could they share easily?

[Baby is really good to his own people…]

[I bet if you yanked off the Masked Man’s mask now, you’d see a Nike mouth.]

[Masked Man, better guard your male virtues, or those last-world scumbags who tricked away wives will be your cautionary tale heh.]

[Jie guy, can you stop being an eyesore? Who knows if what he brings is clean.]

Jie Jialiang saw the two were an impregnable fortress and could only give up and leave.

Taking advantage of the early night, Zhong Nian went upstairs to bathe.

The Masked Man accompanied him, guarding outside the bathroom door.

Through the frosted glass door, Zhong Nian could make out the silhouette leaning against it. He had removed his mask and was eating the jerky Zhong Nian had slipped him earlier. Zhong Nian felt sorry for him.

Having to avoid people constantly, unable to eat or drink freely, face covered all day—it must be stifling…

It was probably badly disfigured. Zhong Nian had subtly indicated more than once that he didn’t care about a friend’s appearance, but the Masked Man’s inferiority complex on this was far worse than imagined.

With a quiet sigh, Zhong Nian wiped water from his eyes with one hand and reached for the soap with the other.

But he touched an abnormal sensation.

It was slippery, but not the shape of soap, and even softer and more elastic.

His body reacted faster than his brain. Zhong Nian instinctively pinched it to confirm, heard a “squish,” and only then yanked his hand back in fright.