“It’s fine, Bai Jiu.” Receiving a subtle hint from Fu Yan, Cheng Xi stepped forward and gently patted Bai Ci’s shoulder. “Protecting yourself is the greatest help you can give us.”
Fu Yan pulled out a few ordinary-looking lighters from his pocket, handing them to Sun Hao and Cheng Xi while keeping one for himself.
He warned them, “These can only be struck ten times. On the eleventh, they will explode. Keep track of your count.”
Fu Yan then began to assign tasks. “I just took a look, and the theater now has three floors. The newly added third floor is the most dangerous, so I’ll go there. I have a passive skill that lowers my presence.”
“Sun Hao, you’re in charge of the first floor. Cheng Xi, you take the second. As for Bai Jiu, just hide normally and keep yourself safe.”
“If you run into Fu Liu and the other Executioners, try to avoid direct confrontation. Run if you can. If possible, mislead them into thinking our goal is to kill them, rather than anything else.”
Fu Yan knew very well that leaving Bai Ci to hide alone was undoubtedly sending her into danger. However, she had no way to protect herself, and keeping her with them would only hinder their plans.
Rather than having her take risks with them, it was better to let her find a safe place to hide. If she survived, she survived; if not, so be it.
By not using her as cannon fodder, they had already treated this NPC with the utmost kindness.
Bai Ci nodded. “Alright, I understand. I will definitely hide well and won’t cause any trouble for you.”
“Alright, time is short. Let’s move. Once you’re done, don’t worry about the others—just light the fire. Bai Jiu, watch for the right moment to change your location,” Fu Yan made his final arrangements.
The three of them took their lighters and ran in different directions. Left alone in the corridor, Bai Ci looked around and decided to find a room on the first floor to lay low.
There was no helping it. Whether in terms of stats or mechanics, she was simply not built for combat.
Bai Ci chose a room on the west side of the first floor. It was far from the stage and the staircase, making it relatively secluded—a hiding spot she had chosen after careful consideration.
The room was not particularly large and was dimly lit. There was only a narrow window covered by heavy curtains, allowing only a faint sliver of light to filter through, barely enough to make out the interior furnishings.
This was clearly the theater’s prop storage room. Rows of wooden shelves lined the walls, neatly stacked with various small props: exquisite costume buttons, delicate headpieces, broken daggers, rolled-up silk ribbons, and so on.
In the corner of the room lay several larger props—faded costumes, broken puppets, and fractured stage supports—piled together in a chaotic mess that formed a natural screen.
Bai Ci closed the door behind her and found a thick wooden stick to prop against it. Only after doing this did she slowly walk along the shelves, checking for any hidden traps or anomalies.
She found a box of iron nails on a shelf. After a moment of thought, she scattered them densely across the floor by the entrance.
Anyone who pushed the door open would inevitably step on them, injuring their feet and making noise, which would buy her some time to react.
Having finished her preparations, Bai Ci walked to the innermost corner of the room and sat down with her back against the wall.
Shielded by the large props, she was completely invisible from the doorway, making this the safest spot in the entire room.
She tightly gripped the unused vial of poison in her hand, warily staring at the door while listening closely to the sounds outside.
Dong—Dong—Dong—
The clock chimed three times, signaling the official start of the second half of the game, “tag.”
Absolute silence fell over the surroundings. Bai Ci tightened her grip on the poison, her body tensing slightly as she remained seated against the wall, her eyes locked onto the door.
Suddenly, a wave of chill washed over her from behind, instantly enveloping her entire body.
That was not the temperature a wall should have.
A pair of strong arms reached out from behind, wrapping tightly around her neck. The grip wasn't overly forceful, but it was enough to keep her from breaking free.
Right after, a voice filled with a sweet, playful laugh sounded right against her ear: “Darling~ Did you miss me?”
It was Fu Liu.
Having confirmed who was behind her, Bai Ci stabbed backward with the poison in her hand, without a single moment of hesitation.
Relying on her judgment of the person's position behind her, she successfully drove the needle of the poison into Fu Liu’s arm.
The dark green liquid in the syringe rapidly drained, emptying completely into his body.
“Ugh...”
Behind her, Fu Liu let out a soft groan, but the grip of the arms around her neck didn't loosen at all; instead, they tightened slightly.
At the same time, Bai Ci felt a sharp, slight sting on the side of her neck. A cold needle had already pierced her skin.
The dark green poison was rapidly flowing into her body through the needle.
“You’re so cruel, darling,” Fu Liu said, releasing his grip, his voice still carrying a smile. “Stabbing me without a single second of hesitation... it really breaks my heart.”
Bai Ci lunged forward, putting some distance between them, before turning around to confront Fu Liu.
She raised her hand and pulled the empty syringe from her neck. “The feeling is mutual.”
The wall still looked like a solid, complete wall. It was unclear what method Fu Liu had used to enter the room from behind it.
He was still wearing that white clown mask. Its eerie, exaggerated smile covered his entire face, leaving only his eyes visible.
Those eyes were filled with laughter—a complex mix of mockery, appreciation, joy, and disdain—as if being stabbed by her just now meant absolutely nothing.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone remaining sweet. “Darling, poison can’t completely kill me.”
“Even if I die in this game, I will wake up again when the next game begins. But you, once poisoned, will definitely die. How pitiful, how cute.”
His tone gave Bai Ci goosebumps, making her feel incredibly uncomfortable. “You are such a creep.”
Fu Liu didn't seem to mind her mockery. Instead, he chuckled.
“Darling, can you feel it? Your strength is slowly fading. That’s the precursor of the poison taking effect. You’re about to die. What are you going to do? Do you regret it?”
Regret what? Bai Ci only found it baffling.
However, it was true that the strength in her body was draining. Bai Ci took advantage of this to pretend her strength was failing, sliding down to sit on the floor. Using her coat to block his view, she quickly injected herself with the antidote.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t regret anything I do.”
Seeing Bai Ci's calm and unshakeable attitude, Fu Liu fell silent for a moment. Finally, as if filled with regret, he murmured, “It’s no fun if you’re not afraid.”
Rate on N.U.
