The moment the words “Murder Game” were spoken, the atmosphere instantly became strange. In a remote hotel on a deep, dark winter night, with wind howling and snow blowing outside, even the lights didn’t seem as bright.
Adding to the effect, Ying Weizhu had worn a deep red coat since arriving, and his voice was low and gloomy, carrying a faint, lingering resentment. He looked just like an evil demon from an ancient tale.
“Who are you trying to threaten? If it came to a real fight, I could take on three of you.” Qin Guan sneered. “As long as you don’t play dirty tricks.”
Even Bo Xiting frowned slightly, his gaze sweeping over Ying Weizhu.
Amidst the silence, Jiang Xiao spoke up:
“How come I didn’t know you like playing this kind of game now? Did you play before?”
His body was relaxed; clearly, he didn’t take Ying Weizhu’s words to heart. Among the others, Qin Guan had the strongest reaction.
“Not really. It just looks thrilling in movies, especially the performance of a certain murderer. It’s practically flawless, perfectly brilliant.” Ying Weizhu’s tone shifted, as if he were joking. “You’re all so serious. Don’t tell me you thought I was serious.”
“Compared to me, someone else here might be more interested in playing this game.”
Ying Weizhu seemed to be implying something, but he quickly dropped the topic, saying: “Let’s play Truth or Dare. Besides the loser having to choose, the winner can also make one request of the loser.”
“So, what do you say? Wanna play?”
He produced a dice from somewhere, leisurely tossing it up and down in his palm.
“No!”
Jiang Xiao almost blurted it out.
But in the end, he forced himself to swallow the words back down.
To Jiang Xiao, this game was a complete and utter pitfall.
He had a premonition that both Truth and Dare carried risks.
And this risk stemmed from Ying Weizhu, the unpredictable element. If he asked something he shouldn’t…
Although the game rules were just words on paper—no lying wasn’t a mandatory rule, just a game of conscience.
“To make the game more interesting, if you chose Truth in the last round, you can’t choose it again. Same goes for Dare.” Ying Weizhu added another rule.
“I’m not participating.”
Bo Xiting’s cold voice rang out.
After saying this, he lowered his eyes again and flipped a page of his book.
“It’s better if you don’t participate.” Ying Weizhu smiled. “This game isn’t as fun with too many people.”
“Then let’s begin.”
“Senior,” Jiang Xiao suddenly said, “come and play too, okay?”
“Games are always more lively with more people.”
He pleaded with Bo Xiting in a near-begging tone: “Just a few rounds? You can’t?”
Bo Xiting’s eyelashes trembled a few times. After a few seconds of awkward silence, he gave a faint “Mm.”
Wen Xu, who had been silent all along, suddenly cast an observing glance at Bo Xiting.
Bo Xiting’s expression was indifferent, his face as cold and emotionless as an ivory statue.
Bo Xiting was well-known in the Photography Department. His works were published in the most famous journals and websites. His shooting angles were always different from others, never using any filters or post-processing, yet naturally perfect. The lighting and composition were exceptionally beautiful. Even professors called him a prodigy, using his work as demonstrations in class.
But his fame wasn’t due to his talent; it was because of his looks. Ever since his first year of university, countless juniors had confessed their feelings to him. Bo Xiting treated them all as if they were invisible, walking past without a single glance.
Although people always thought they were the special one, they were invariably proven wrong in the end.
And Jiang Xiao wasn’t special either.
Everyone knew that Jiang Xiao, who changed lovers like clothes, had actually confessed to Bo Xiting.
But not many people witnessed it back then. The confession spot wasn’t a popular campus landmark; it was outside the school gates, in front of the book house Bo Xiting frequented.
Constantly surrounded and ambushed on campus, Bo Xiting preferred reading off-campus. And it was right there that someone clearly heard Jiang Xiao say something to Bo Xiting, though the words were indistinct. Only the last sentence was heard clearly:
“Be my boyfriend, okay? Senior.”
Of course, Bo Xiting didn’t say a single word. He just walked around Jiang Xiao and entered the book house.
For the ever-victorious Jiang Xiao, that was a supreme humiliation. But in the eyes of his other boyfriends, maybe not so much.
No one could reject Jiang Xiao. Could Bo Xiting really be the exception?
【You once confessed to Bo Xiting. The story of him ignoring you spread throughout campus.】
Jiang Xiao picked up the dice, his fingertips rubbing the indented dots. After pondering for a few seconds, he said, “What if the loser doesn’t want to do Truth or Dare?”
“Some requests are just too much, right?”
“There’s one chance to refuse, substituted by drinking.” Ying Weizhu’s voice had become noticeably more cheerful ever since Jiang Xiao agreed to the game, as if he was already certain Jiang Xiao would lose.
“The one with the lower number is the loser. What if there’s a tie for the low number?”
“Then they’re both losers. Same rule applies for winners.”
“Fine.” Jiang Xiao nodded and raised his hand to throw the dice.
The dice spun round and round on the smooth tabletop, its speed gradually decreasing until it stopped with a “click.”
“…Six.” Ying Weizhu said slowly.
Jiang Xiao wondered if the smile on his face had faded. He really wanted to see.
Jiang Xiao said modestly: “I just got lucky. Let’s see how the rest of you do.”
In the first round, Jiang Xiao had a beautiful opening, rolling a six. Ying Weizhu rolled a five, Wen Xu a three, Qin Guan a two, and the lowest was Bo Xiting, with a measly one.
A stark, bare-faced one, as if mocking Bo Xiting.
Everyone else can roll a two, three, four, or five, so why are you a one?
How disappointing!
“Senior lost?” Jiang Xiao was a little amused. He touched the dice on the table; it really was a one. He wondered what Bo Xiting’s mood was right now. “Truth or Dare?”
Bo Xiting: “Truth.”
That was indeed Bo Xiting’s logic.
“Does Senior have someone he likes right now?” Jiang Xiao asked with great interest.
Bo Xiting answered very quickly.
“No.”
“Really no?” Jiang Xiao asked, “Qin Guan, help me check. Is he telling the truth or a lie?”
Qin Guan said casually, “How should I know? It’s probably the truth.”
“Then we’ll call it the truth.” As Jiang Xiao spoke, he fumbled around the table for the dice, but his wrist was suddenly grabbed. Bo Xiting coldly said, “No means no.”
“Hey, hands to yourself! Don’t you know men and men shouldn’t touch casually?” Qin Guan immediately exploded.
Bo Xiting’s grip loosened. Jiang Xiao found the dice and laughed, “Seems my question was a bit too simple. But I don’t have any requests for Senior. Let’s continue next round.”
Jiang Xiao tossed the dice again, throwing it onto the table.
Qin Guan leaned over to look and said suspiciously, “How is it a six again?”
“Maybe it’s luck. The goddess of fortune favors me.” Jiang Xiao said, “Go on.”
In the second round, Bo Xiting again rolled a one. Everyone else rolled three, four, or five.
The other three: “…”
Jiang Xiao: “Then this time it’s Dare. Let me think… Hmm…”
He pondered seriously for a moment, then said, “The Dare is… Senior, come here and kiss me.”
“What?!” Qin Guan immediately shot up from his seat. “There’s this kind of good… this kind of ridiculous request? Why didn’t you say so earlier?”
“Isn’t this just a prank?” Jiang Xiao looked perfectly innocent.
Wen Xu coughed lightly: “Xiaoxiao, teasing people like this isn’t good.”
Jiang Xiao said: “What can I do? I can’t see your Dares. I can only do things I can physically feel, to make sure you guys aren’t slacking off.”
Wen Xu gently squeezed his waist through his clothes, signaling him not to go too far; his boyfriend was going to get jealous. Jiang Xiao whispered to Wen Xu, “Alright, don’t worry. He won’t agree.”
Just as expected, Bo Xiting didn’t think for too long before saying, “I’ll drink.”
“Then Senior better think it over carefully. You can only escape this once.” Jiang Xiao said, feeling everything was under his control.
If Ying Weizhu was the variable in this game, then Bo Xiting was the constant. The reason Jiang Xiao had insisted on dragging him in, besides reducing Ying Weizhu’s chances of winning, was to fish for some clues.
Bo Xiting was the type to say one thing and mean another. You just had to listen to his answers in reverse.
Jiang Xiao hadn’t planned on being so obvious about it. Who knew his luck would be so explosive in the first two rounds? And since Ying Weizhu rolled after him, even if Jiang Xiao won, he might not achieve his real goal. So rolling a low number didn’t really matter.
“Haven’t you practiced this?” Qin Guan rubbed his chin. “If you can roll six again in the third round, you might as well go to a casino.”
“Say no to gambling, drugs, and prostitution. Ever heard that?” Jiang Xiao said with a smile. “But I feel like someone in our group really does know how to play.”
“Ying Weizhu goes first this time. I’ll go last.” Jiang Xiao said generously.
The group threw the dice. Jiang Xiao didn’t even bother asking the results. He took a few sips of water and casually tossed his.
However, interestingly, a huge change occurred in the third round.
Ying Weizhu and Qin Guan both coincidentally rolled a one. Jiang Xiao and Wen Xu rolled a three, and Bo Xiting rolled a four.
Bo Xiting became the winner.
If the situation weren’t what it was, Jiang Xiao would have almost laughed out loud.
He didn’t know what Bo Xiting’s mood was like, but he knew the other two’s moods definitely weren’t great.
Sure enough, the request Bo Xiting made of them was: Tomorrow, when he was with Jiang Xiao, they weren’t allowed to disturb them.
From head to toe, Ying Weizhu radiated a dark, resentful aura, practically rivaling the God of Darkness.
“Still playing? Fourth round.” Jiang Xiao forcibly suppressed his laughter. “If not, then…”
“I’ll play.”
Ying Weizhu sounded like he was forcing the words through gritted teeth: “Continue.”
This round repeated the outcome of the first round: Jiang Xiao won, Bo Xiting lost.
This time, the Truth question was worth pondering.
“Question, Senior, you… why do you hate me so much?”
