Chapter 9: Three Pairs of Eyes

Yin Luo’s past memories had always been blurry. He was like a patient with Alzheimer’s, his mind deteriorating, only good at forgetting.

He had forgotten many people, many things. From specific past events, to classmates and teachers from his school days, and finally to the family who had accompanied him his whole life.

His world had become nothing but a vast, empty blank.

His bodily functions were declining too. From a healthy, young body, he gradually weakened until he couldn’t even stand, relying on aids like a wheelchair to get around. Eventually, he even had to stay for long periods in a sterile, sealed room, separated from the outside world by a layer of tempered glass at its closest.

How terrifying.

He didn’t even know if he should be thankful only his ability to remember was fading. If he had faced all this fully aware, he would have gone mad sooner or later.

Sometimes, in his lucid moments, Yin Luo would constantly ask the people around him what disease he had. Living normally or walking towards death, could he really choose? No one could tell him the cause of his illness. They could only look at him with pity and regret, as if foreseeing his end.

At those times, only his mother, only she alone, would answer in her always calm, almost detached tone: “Pearl, you will get better. And you will keep living.”

She said it so certainly. If it weren’t for the faint worry hidden in her eyes, Yin Luo would almost think she was simply stating a fact.

His mother was such an arrogant person. As a youth, she didn’t bow to her family. Growing up, she didn’t bow to society. And now, she absolutely refused to bow to fate.

She was an actress, or perhaps a superstar could be the term.

Over the years, large and small awards filled two bookcases. Every time she appeared, it was in a rush.

As he grew older, he saw her far more often on TV or in movies than in daily life.

This Instance World was perhaps a treasured land indeed. Yin Luo’s memories seemed to be recovering layer by layer, allowing him to remember more and more.

These memories were somewhat distant; even recalling them felt like another lifetime.

So, amidst this constant forgetting, when he was on the verge of despair, suddenly arriving in this wondrous world and encountering strange people—it was a novel experience for him, and his final hope.

Besides, he had received a gift.

Yin Luo glanced down at the bracelet on his wrist.

“Gone dumb from the wind?” The next second, Lin Yujing slapped him on the head, sending the black-haired youth stumbling.

“…” Yin Luo immediately pressed down on Little Bear, who seemed ready to lunge forward and bite the man twice, retracted that faint, almost imperceptible stirring of emotion, and decided that no matter what the other’s mission was, he wouldn’t let him succeed easily.

“Whatcha thinking about, looking so heavy?” Lin Yujing rubbed his own skin, seeming to finally realize standing there half-naked wasn’t a good look. He suggested, “Maybe we should go inside? Can’t stand here all night, right? Tsk, if you hadn’t disturbed me, I could have still enjoyed a nice soak before going back to sleep.”

Yin Luo pursed his lips, not replying.

Even without seeing his expression, Lin Yujing strangely understood his apprehension: “Yo, scared? What’s there to worry about with your big brother here? We’re friends, right?”

He kept emphasizing the word “friend,” just wanting that side quest to finally have an epiphany and show the “Completed” status.

But this little brat’s guard was somehow just too high. His side quest hadn’t progressed at all until now; clearly, he wasn’t considered a “friend.”

Yin Luo looked at him like he was an idiot.

Not caring in the slightest, Lin Yujing immediately scooped the black-haired youth up horizontally like a pillar. Without any visible movement, the two of them instantly flipped onto the third-floor balcony.

Just as he was about to step into his room to change, he paused. “Wait, I have a great idea.”

Yin Luo: ?

Without another word, Lin Yujing picked up the black-haired youth again and darted nimbly to the neighboring balcony. “Shh, watch the show.”

…

Wei Congxin had lived a happy and fulfilling life since childhood. His family background, while not from high nobility, was well-off. His family’s demolitions brought several properties; he could comfortable live a life of idle hedonism.

His parents had him late in life, and the strictest requirement they ever imposed on him was probably just to stay alive. To follow his heart without overstepping the rules, living true to himself.

But now, Wei Congxin realized this requirement might be a bit difficult.

Damn, wasn’t staying alive just too hard?!

He hadn’t panicked when he smashed the TV playing soccer as a kid. He hadn’t panicked when he forgot his exam admission ticket before the college entrance exams. But now, he admitted, he panicked.

Listening to the strange knocking sound coming from the neighboring room’s door, he was so scared his whole body trembled. He didn’t even dare stay on the bed, afraid something might crawl out from underneath, leaving him no escape. He could only cower in the corner by the window.

Even the manliest man’s heart is soft, you know; one stab and you’re dead, wuwuwu.

And for some reason, he felt a prickling sensation, as if something was spying on him from somewhere.

His gaze slid over the door, under the bed, through the wardrobe gap, and over the mirror that had somehow become a bit blurry. The feeling of being watched intensified.

“Knock, knock, knock—” Right at that moment, the knocking sounded.

That thing was here, right outside the door!

Was it something peering at him through the gap under the door?

No! Not the door!

Driven by a powerful intuition, Wei Congxin whipped his head around to look at the window behind him.

One pair, two pairs of eyes… and a third pair of crimson eyes staring at him unblinkingly through the gap in the curtains.

Who knows how long they had been staring.

Noticing his gaze, the lowermost pair of red eyes curved upwards, as if smiling.

Wei Congxin’s mind went blank for a moment. Immense fear shot straight to the crown of his head. By the time he reacted, his mouth was already opening uncontrollably, letting out a piercing shriek: “AHHHHHHH! A GHOST, AHHHH!!”