CH 50.1

Bai Lixin and Lin Jue carefully went over the marks on the wall one after the other.

Just like the table, the wall was also covered with scratches of varying depths, and all were stained with blood.

Bai Lixin ran his fingers over the wall, and the rough and bumpy feeling of friction was immediately transmitted to his brain.

He pushed his nails into the marks, curling his fingers slightly and sliding them along the grooves made.

The people who had been held in this confinement cell had left, but their cries lingered in the room.

The narrow room was filled with pain and despair.

Extreme joy, extreme fear, extreme despair.

The emotions in this copy seemed too overwhelming, and this extremity was too disturbing.

The nails slid along the marks, until they landed in the corner, where Bai Lixin saw a faint glimmer of light.

His heart moved slightly, and he moved in the direction of the light.

A stone was missing in the corner of the wall, leaving a gap. The light was coming from the gap, and when he walked over, he saw a tiny chain with only the end showing.

It was this chain that had reflected the light from the flashlight and caught his attention.

He held the end of the chain and carefully pulled it on.

Dangling from the other end of the chain was a delicate pocket watch.

Both the pocket watch and the chain were a little rusty, but that did not affect its beauty.

Bai Lixin opened the pocket watch. The hands of the watch had stopped at 7:00.

On the other side of the pocket watch was an old circular photograph.

The photograph was yellow and faded, and some places were so distorted that the figures are only vaguely recognizable.

In the photograph was a woman and two children.

The woman was wearing the simplest of dresses, her hair was pulled back, and her features were beautiful. The woman was sitting on a chair, and the two children stood on either side of her.

Both looked about eight or nine years old, a boy and a girl, with the boy being slightly taller.

The three were looking into the camera. The woman was smiling calmly and elegantly, and the two children were smiling adorably, much like two blessed dolls.

“Look at this,” Bai Lixin walked over to Lin Jue and showed him the photo on the pocket watch, “is this the little boy?”

Lin Jue shone the flashlight on the pocket watch, illuminating the otherwise dim photo clearly.

After a couple of seconds, Lin Jue withdrew his gaze, “It should be.”

Bai Lixin, “What do you mean it should be?”

Lin Jue shrugged casually, “Because you would also just take a guess if you saw that boy.”

Bai Lixin felt like there was more meaning in Lin Jue’s words, but Lin Jue didn’t continue to say anything more. He pursed his lips and lowered his eyes, clearly not wanting to say another word.

The conversation came to an abrupt halt, and Bai Lixin did not pursue the matter any further. Instead, he took out a small storage bag and placed the pocket watch inside, “Shall we go?”

The flashlight was shoved back into Bai Lixin’s hand, and Bai Lixin’s fingers rested on the spot Lin Jue had been holding just now, a spot that was a few degrees colder than the rest.

It was icy cold, causing Bai Lixin to shiver physically.

Bai Lixin, “You seem to be so cold.”

Lin Jue was already walking out with straight shoulders. He stood in the doorway waiting for Bai Lixin, and on hearing these words, he replied without his usual impatience, “It’s very cold here at night, like an ice cellar.”

“Come on, let’s go back. I’m afraid that old thing will be angry if he doesn’t see us.”

The two walked through the long corridors and winding staircases, and still didn’t see any figures.

Bai Lixin made a point of checking on the others. It was strange that the Red Apple House seemed to take good care of them, but the bedrooms could not be unlocked from the inside.

There was no privacy whatsoever.

As he passed by the other bedrooms, Bai Lixin opened the door to look inside and found everyone sleeping peacefully. They all had smiles on their faces and their previously pale complexions were flushed.

Lin Jue also poked his head inside, his hair accidentally brushing against Bai Lixin’s neck, causing it to tingle a little.

Lin Jue clicked his tongue, “This medicine is quite strong.”

Bai Lixin secretly rubbed his neck and silently went back to their room.

There was still some time left, and after sitting down on the sofa, Bai Lixin took out the crystal ball from the system backpack.

The crystal ball was a little smaller than his palm, just enough to hold in his hand. Inside the transparent crystal ball was a mysterious and deep blue sea swirling around, as mysterious and unknown as the crystal ball itself.

Bai Lixin leaned his back on the soft velvet sofa, one hand lazily playing with the crystal ball, the other resting on the arm of the sofa, tapping it as his thoughts drifted away.

“What’s that on your neck?”

Lin Jue’s voice rang out, and Bai Lixin pulled back his thoughts. The brazen man across from him was leaning against the wall, one leg casually hooked over the other, his head slightly tilted as he pointed a finger at his collarbone.

Bai Lixin blinked, and after two seconds, finally came back to his senses.

He turned his head and saw that the black handprint that had been carefully hidden had been revealed at some point.

Bai Lixin pulled his collar back up without blushing and casually said, “It’s nothing, a birthmark.”

“Birthmark?” Lin Jue walked over, his tall figure directly blocking the light in front of Bai Lixin.

The sunlight spilled behind Lin Jue and what should have been a hazy room with the sunlight haloing over it, looked very out of place on Lin Jue’s body.

His back was soaked in the sunlight, but his face was in the darkness.

With one hand on the windowsill, Lin Jue leaned down, his tall figure completely enveloping Bai Lixin in his shadow.

The body slowly descended, forcing itself towards Bai Lixin in a very oppressive manner, “Let me see what this really is.”

Under Bai Lixin’s astonished gaze, Lin Jue stretched his hand towards him.

But in an instant, the astonishment was replaced by coldness. Bai Lixin suddenly lifted his foot and kicked towards Lin Jue.

The target was very clear.

Lin Jue’s half-stretched hand immediately retracted, and went to the arm of the sofa instead. His long and slender legs spun in the air and avoided Bai Lixin’s attack.

Bai Lixin’s tone had taken on a threatening tone, “If you want to test me, why don’t we be more open and honest? If you’re looking for excitement, I can give you some right now. Who the hell are you?”

Lin Jue’s martin boots stomped on the floor and the cynical smile on the corner of his mouth closed, “I am Lin Jue.”

Bai Lixin, “Since you’re Lin Jue, do what Lin Jue should do.”

As he said this, he didn’t notice that the crystal ball in his hand was flickering brightly.

The ethereal blue sea swirled around in the crystal ball as if it was alive.

Lin Jue was silent for two seconds and asked tentatively, “What would Lin Jue do?”

Bai Lixin: “……”

You still had the nerve to say you’re Lin Jue!

Did you really think I’m blind? That restless black shadow was so close to running and dancing under my eyes, how much did this person look down on my eyesight?

At first, he didn’t want to expose the other party, mainly because he wanted to see what kind of medicine the other party was selling in his gourd. Which was why he had been secretly watching the other party.

But it was as if the other party was deliberately trying to get his attention, with the dark shadow scattering everywhere.

Bai Lixin rubbed his brow, “Lin Jue…should be a little more gentle, you’re too aggressive now.”

“Lin Jue” sat on the edge of the bed, actually thinking about Bai Lixin’s suggestion seriously. The fierce expression on his face put away, leaving only openness, “Like this?”

Has he really accepted the suggestion?

Bai Lixin, “Who the hell are you?”

“Lin Jue” thought for two seconds before pointing at the pocket watch in Bai Lixin’s hand, “I’m Brother.”

Brother?

Bai Lixin frowned.

Then, “Lin Jue” said the next thing that made Bai Lixin surprised, “And you are sister.”

“I’ve been looking for you for a long time.”

Bai Lixin: “……”

I’m not, I’m really not.

I’m a 185 cm tall man, and although I’ve been forced to dress as a woman before, I’m really not a “sister”.

Bai Lixin opened the pocket watch in his hand and pointed to the little boy standing next to the woman, “You are him?”

“Lin Jue” nodded his head.

Bai Lixin, “How old are you?”

“Lin Jue”, “This is a picture of me as a child. I was 20 years old when I died. I forget how old I am now.”

Bai Lixin, “What about this one? Is that your real sister?”

“Lin Jue” shook his head again, “No, I found her. Mother didn’t have any children. I was picked up, and so were you. Don’t worry, Brother will protect you.”

Protect me?

That’s why the strange looking Lin Jue was there when they were “covered by ghosts.”

Was it to save him?

Bai Lixin’s mind flashed back to that “Mother” and that “Brother Jia” from last night. Then he looked at the man in front of him that had deliberately suppressed his cold aura, and asked in some disbelief, “Are you the one from last night? Brother Jia, right?”

“Lin Jue” blushed for a moment, but quickly returned to normal, “It’s better to just call me ‘Brother’.”

Bai Lixin: “……”

You also know that you can’t say “Brother Jia”? Do you know how embarrassing it was?

Bai Lixin, “Are you possessing him?”

“Lin Jue”, “Daytime is not my world, so I can only appear in this way. This man saw my ghost in the confinement cell, and through a contract, we were connected. I could possess his body during the day.”

He paused and added, “At night, too. My strength is weakened during the day, and at night it is my time.”

By now, Bai Lixin was finally certain that the ghost possessing Lin Jue’s body was Dijia.

It was just a little strange. Dijia looked as fierce as an evil spirit before. Why was he so obedient now?

The corner of his eye landed on the crystal ball in his hand. He suddenly saw a strange surge and a beautiful fluorescent blue glow inside.

He looked at the crystal ball and then at the man opposite him.

Could it be that Dijia’s abnormality had something to do with this crystal ball in his hand?

Could it be that the crystal ball could control someone’s mind?

Bai Lixin’s heart skipped a beat. The crystal ball in his hand was still emitting a beautiful blue glow, but Bai Lixin didn’t even know how he had triggered its activation.

To test his suspicions, Bai Lixin put the crystal ball back in his backpack.

The “Lin Jue”, who had been as gentle as a dog a second before, froze for a couple of seconds before his expression returned to its previous sharp and wild one.

He looked at Bai Lixin in front of him with a look of scrutiny in his eyes.

Bai Lixin said tentatively, “I’m really not your sister.”

“Lin Jue” stood up, his gaze sorrowful, “You weren’t before, but you must be now. Ghost mother will protect you only if you are sister. Do you understand what I mean?”

Bai Lixin was stunned for two seconds.

He probably understood what Dijia meant.

The other party knew that he was not his “sister”, but only by using that identity could he not be attacked by the “ghost mother” who appeared at night.

The moment the crystal ball was put away, Lin Jue returned to his previous expression, indicating that he was no longer under the influence of the crystal ball. Moreover, he was able to continue the conversation without any problems, which meant that he had memories of what had just happened.

But Dijia didn’t seem angry that he had accidentally used the crystal ball’s power.

What was the exact power of this crystal ball?

“Lin Jue will be fine, right?” Although he subconsciously believed in Dijia’s character, Bai Lixin still asked.

“Lin Jue”, “He’ll be fine, I have just possessed his body for a while, he won’t remember anything after I leave.”

Bai Lixin, “Why are you possessing Lin Jue?”

The “Lin Jue” on the other side frowned, obviously finding the question very boring and stupid, “To protect you, of course, or do you think I have nothing better to do?”

“That’s what I’m asking, why are you protecting me?” Bai Lixin’s gaze was fixed on the man opposite him, but through this body, he saw another figure.

This question confused the ghost across the room. He thought carefully, “I don’t know, the moment I saw you, a voice in my heart told me that this person should be protected.”

Even if the soul is split, even if the memories are lost, is the mission to protect him engraved deep in the soul?

Bai Lixin suddenly smiled.

The man opposite looked at the young man. His smile was as if a river of ice had melted into the earth, a dead tree had sprouted, and tiny green seedlings had emerged from the soil.

With this smile, a tiny shoot also burst out of the dry and cracked heart of the ghost.

Bai Lixin, “One last question, what is your name? I don’t want to call you brother.”

Ghost, “Dijia.”

Bai Lixin looked at the ghost that was drenched in darkness and slowly lost his smile.

He wondered what had happened to Dijia.

Dijia must have had his memories when he first entered this game world, and he should have recognized him immediately.

Judging from the fragments that kept appearing, there is a high probability that it was Dijia’s choice to split his soul.

Because every fragment that appeared to a greater or lesser extent, helped him at one time or another. Even if these fragments had lost their memory, even if they had started out with some other intentions towards him, they’d always end up helping him.

The Dijia on the 999th floor was the main body, and according to this, it seemed that Dijia not only predicted that he would come to this game world, but also to each of the copies he would go to.

The probable scenario was that in order to help him, Dijia split himself, and it was probably the aftermath of this split that caused Dijia’s amnesia.

Moreover, Dijia had left him a very important warning that the 900th floor and above was dangerous.

But only by going to the 900th floor could he truly meet Dijia.

During his days of world hopping, he had run in search of Dijia’s soul fragments.

And now, in order to help him, Dijia chose to split.

Bai Lixin could not think of any other reason as to why “Dijia” had appeared again and again by “coincidence”.

In that brief moment, Bai Lixin suddenly felt emotional.

I thought I would be the one to save my husband, but unexpectedly, the old attacker would always be by my side to protect me.

“Lin Jue” covered his nose and mouth behind his palm, his elbows rested on his thighs, and only his eyes could be seen.

His deep dark eyes were silently gazing at Bai Lixin across the room. He didn’t know what had happened to the young man in the room, but his eyes suddenly had become red and wet. It looked like he was about to cry, but not a single tear fell from his eyes.

A sharp light suddenly flashed in those dark eyes. Hidden behind the palms, his tongue stuck out and secretly licked the corner of his lips.

He himself could not figure out why he had to protect the youth before him.

Because what he wanted to do most was not to protect him, but to make him cry.

He was in ghost form last night and had easily sneaked into the young man’s room and enveloped him in his protection.

His body was warm and his heart was beating so strongly that he could even feel the direction of the warm blood slowly flowing through the young man’s body.

So warm and so hot that he couldn’t help but hold him.

They were surrounded by evil ghosts, but none dared to touch him. The young man quietly lay in his arms and belonged only to him.