ATFBETIBM Chapter 287.2

The arm firmly grasped Bai Lixin’s hand and with a strong pull, dragged Bai Lixin into the pitch-black corridor.

The stone figures behind suddenly halted their steps.

They roared angrily, but there seemed to be an invisible wall in front of them, trapping them firmly in the corridor.

“Are you alright?”

A magnetic and low voice gently came to Bai Lixin’s ears. Bai Lixin looked over and upon seeing the familiar face, his tense nerves finally relaxed. “Fortunately, you’re here. Thank you. How did you know I was here?”

The man stared at the youth’s slightly cheeks. He closed and opened his pitch-black eyes, and in that moment of opening, those eyes seemed to momentarily turn into a golden vertical line.

Before Bai Lixin could catch this abnormality, the man’s eyes closed again, and reverted to their pitch-black hue when they were opened again.

In the darkness, the man’s breathing grew somewhat heavy. He helped Bai Lixin up. “I installed a tracker on your phone. When I noticed you were in an odd place, I rushed over. Can you still walk?”

“If I said I can’t walk, would you carry me on your back?” With the crisis lifted, and Bai Lixin found the mood to joke.

“Carrying isn’t an option.” The man’s face appeared especially profound in the darkness, his eyes as deep as two abysses.

Suddenly, Bai Lixin felt like the world spin for a moment. The next second, his feet left the ground. “But holding is still possible.”

“Let’s leave this place first.” The man said, casting a meaningful glance at the corridor behind him before turning and leaving.

When he descended earlier, Bai Lixin felt like it happened in an instant. However, when they were ascending, the man had walked for nearly ten minutes and still hadn’t reached the ground floor.

The monsters that had chased him on the stairs were all hidden now. Only a few brave ones peeked out from corners, watching the two warily.

More accurately, they were watching the man.

They feared Shen Mo.

The staircase was spiraled so Bai Lixin lowered his head to look below. The deep cylinder resembled the open mouth of a demon, quietly waiting for its prey to come.

A somewhat cold and rough palm pressed against Bai Lixin’s cheek, holding him against the man’s chest.

A somewhat helpless sigh sounded from above. “Don’t look down. If you really want to see something, why not look at me more? I look so much better than these worn-out stairs, right?”

With his cheek pressed against the man’s chest, Bai Lixin could hear the strong thumping of the man’s heartbeat.

Thump.

Thump.

Thump.

One beat after another, like the striking of a hammer, resoundingly pounded within Bai Lixin’s heart.

His cheeks uncontrollably turned hot.

Somewhere Bai Lixin couldn’t see, the man glanced down at the youth.

Through the thin shirt, he could feel the scorching temperature against his chest.

The man smiled and started to pat Bai Lixin’s back rhythmically. “Take a nap if you’re tired. I’ll wake you up when we reach the ground floor.”

In the man’s embrace, the youth softly murmured in agreement, his voice carrying a faint nasal tone.

He found a comfortable position against the man’s chest, his body curled up naturally, and along with the steady rhythm of the heartbeat, his eyelids slowly drooped.

After an unknown amount of time, the man’s foot finally stepped the lobby floor on the ground floor.

The man didn’t wake the youth up. He cradled him and circled the lobby, eventually finding a coffee room.

Placing the youth on the plush, spongey sofa, the man went on one knee and knelt in front of him, supporting his cheek as he stared at the youth.

A while later, a faint white light illuminated the coffee room, then quickly returned to stillness.

In a secluded corner, the youth lay soundly asleep on the soft couch.

In the youth’s embrace, a snake as thick as a bowl, clung to him. Its head rested against the youth’s chin, its body coiled around him, and its tail hooked onto the sofa’s backrest, seemingly to prevent the youth from falling off.

The silver snake behaved like a small dog, nudging against the youth’s chin a few times. Then, the snake’s head slowly lifted. The golden vertical pupils stared fixedly at the youth. Its triangular head covered in scales revealed no expression, leaving its thoughts a mystery.

After staring at the youth for a good half minute, the silver snake tentatively stretched out its scarlet tongue, and lightly swept it across the youth’s cheek.

The youth was perhaps too exhausted and slept soundly.

Sensing that the youth showed no sign of waking, the snake’s eyes brightened, and its snake tongue gradually slid to the corner of the youth’s mouth.

The soft, slender red line traced the youth’s red moist lips, and after contemplating for two seconds, the silver snake gently pried the youth’s teeth open.

The red line slipped In.

——————————–

In the live broadcast room

[Is this something I can see? Blushing and covering my face.jpg.]

[I used to be afraid of snakes, but why is it that I’m now excited to see God Xin being kissed by the silver snake? I don’t find it disgusting or scary. The silver snake looks so affectionate.]

[One is a biological instinct, the other involves love, so of course, it’s different. Sure enough, under the influence of love, everything becomes beautiful.]

[Pink bubbles are soaring.]

[Ah ah ah, I’ve awakened a new XP again, sisters!!! I can’t handle this, quick, call an ambulance for me!]

[The one calling an ambulance, wait for me, I want to get on it too.]

[I’m crying, such a touching scene. Every pair of God Xin and the big boss is so touching I want to cry.]

———————

Bai Lixin woke up to the sound of footsteps outside.

After opening his eyes, he looked around in a daze at first. When he saw the unfamiliar scene, he was initially stunned, then became fully awake a few seconds later.

He was covered in a black windbreaker, but the man was nowhere to be found.

This was a café, to be precise, the café on the first floor of the library.

He stood up from the chair with the windbreaker in hand, and the fresh mint scent belonging to a man entered his nose.

His lips seemed a bit dry. Licking them, he instantly tasted a pleasant vanilla mint scent, just like the one on the man’s clothes.

After contemplating the source of the taste in his mouth for two seconds, a faint blush touched Bai Lixin’s face.

It was now 7:30 in the morning. The library hadn’t opened yet, and the footsteps he heard earlier were from the staff.

He held onto Shen Mo’s clothes, and was just about to head outside when his phone rang.

Bai Lixin opened it and found a message from Shen Mo.

—[I had work to do, so I left first. You were sleeping so soundly and I didn’t want to wake you. I left you the clothes to keep you warm. When you wake up, come to the place where we met. I still need the clothes.]

At the end of the message, Shen Mo included an address.

Bai Lixin placed a hand on the screen to reply to Shen Mo’s message but another one came in from him.

—[Have something to eat after waking up. You are as light as a feather. Although you’re my personal caretaker, put yourself first before me.]

Bai Lixin licked his slightly swollen lips and replied: [Got it, I’ll be there soon.]

He had just sent the message when another one from Shen Mo came in. Considering the time taken to read and send messages, it was practically an instant reply.

—[You’re up quite early. I hope I didn’t wake you. Wait at the school gate, I’ll have the driver pick you up.]

A slight smile tugged at the corner of Bai Lixin’s lips as he tapped the keyboard: [I woke up naturally. Alright, see you in a bit.]

After ending the conversation with Shen Mo, Bai Lixin headed outside with the windbreaker. He had just taken a couple of steps when he heard faint voices in the distance.

“Who are you, and why are you sleeping here? I’ll call the police.”

“Hey, don’t call the police. I’m a Taoist priest called by your school to exorcise ghosts. I’m waiting for my companion.”

Bai Lixin walked out of the café and immediately spotted the Taoist priest.

“Master, you’re still here?”

The Taoist priest was arguing with the administrator when he saw Bai Lixin, who had just walked out of the café. After scrutinizing the youth worriedly, the Taoist let out a relieved sigh after ensuring he wasn’t injured. “Where did you go yesterday? I didn’t see you after coming down the stairs and I couldn’t go back up myself. Do you have any idea how long I waited for you at the staircase?”

He walked over and the administrator followed from behind. He had just hung up the phone, seemingly having verified their identities with the person on the other end. His initially cautious expression had relaxed.

On hearing the Taoist’s question, the administrator immediately perked up his ears, watching the two with curiosity.

Though he didn’t understand, it sounded quite supernatural.

“I didn’t come up until in the morning. The story behind it is long. I’ll explain it on the way,” Bai Lixin casually made up an excuse to avoid alarming the administrator.

The Taoist priest regarded the youth with a mix of doubt, but he didn’t say much.

Bai Lixin’s gaze shifted from the priest to the administrator. The administrator seemed to be sensitive to the cold. Despite it being summer and that the library’s air conditioning wasn’t on, he was wearing a thick sweater.

Looking at the administrator’s somewhat sickly face, Bai Lixin inquired, “Mr. Administrator, I’d like to ask you something before you go.”

The administrator responded, “Oh, what is it?”

Bai Lixin asked, “I heard that the previous administrator was sick. Do you know the specifics?”

“Oh, you mean that matter. Well, I don’t know the details very well. I heard he initially had a small tumor in his eye, and it later developed into cancer. Despite receiving continuous treatment, the results weren’t great. The doctors once suggested removing the eye to prevent the cancer from spreading, but removing the eye meant losing his eyesight.”

“It seems he couldn’t accept that treatment plan, so he never underwent surgery.”

“I visited him at the hospital a few times before. Then, I heard his condition worsened and he was transferred to another hospital. After that, I heard he found some specialist overseas, claiming there was a unique therapy. He went abroad for treatment, and it seemed quite effective. I even saw him post on his moments.”

Bai Lixin asked, “Could you show me the post?”

“Sure, no problem.” The administrator took out his phone from his pocket, opened his moments, scrolled for a moment, and handed it to Bai Lixin. “Here, that’s him.”

The Taoist priest was curious and he leaned in to take a look.

On the phone’s screen was a selfie of a man.

The man in the photo was wearing a pair of dark sunglasses, and his eyes couldn’t be seen through the jet-black lenses.

The photo was posted four days ago.

The Taoist priest commented, “This doesn’t reveal much. He’s wearing sunglasses, so who knows if his eyes have improved?”

“But he’s smiling so contentedly; his condition should be under control, or even improving, right? He’s a pretty anxious person, and he hasn’t smiled since he learned of his illness. So, seeing him smile like this genuinely makes us happy for him.”

The man’s moments was visible for activities within the past month, and there was only this photo and no other updates.

Bai Lixin handed the phone back to the administrator. “Teacher, could you transfer this photo to me via Bluetooth ?”

“Of course, no problem. Let’s connect .”

As they finished the transfer, the distinct school bell rang outside.

The administrator explained, “That’s the class bell. It’s 8:00 AM and the library is about to welcome students, so I need to prepare. I won’t chat with you guys anymore, you can focus on your own matters.”

After bidding farewell to the administrator, Bai Lixin’s mind was soon filled with the voice of the system.

[Ding! Congratulations to player Bai Lixin for successfully completing another task. Your income has been deposited into your bank card. The money in your bank card is spendable, and if there’s money remaining after the end of the copy, it will be converted into mall points at a certain ratio.]

[Looking forward to our next encounter.]

Not long after the system’s voice disappeared, the voice of the Escape System also rang out.

[Master Bai Lixin, it’s already the fourth day. When we entered the copy, it was exactly 7:00 PM. Each day spans 24 hours, from 7:00 PM one day to 7:00 PM the next day, totaling seven days and seven nights for this copy.]

[Let me briefly summarize your schedule over these days.]

[On the first day, you visited the deceased Chen Ping’s house. On the second day, you went to the set for the love variety show. On the third day, you worked at the TV station’s Studio 8. On the fourth day, which was yesterday evening, you were at the library of X University.]

[From 7:00 PM yesterday to 7:00 PM today is the fourth day.]

[Master Bai Lixin, this copy requires you to complete two tasks. One is to find the owner of the eyeball, and the other is to uncover the reason and culprit behind the murder.]

[Now, more than half of the task time has passed. Do you have any leads? Time is running short, and you need to hurry.]

Bai Lixin: [I have a bit of a clue now. Thanks for summarizing my schedule, Sister System. You’re truly outstanding.]

On the blue screen of Bai Lixin’s mind, the Escape System displayed a blushing smiley face “()”: [It’s what I should do, Master Bai Lixin. Thank you for your compliment.]

S419M: [……]

Something felt off, but it couldn’t pinpoint what.

Why did it feel like there was a slight ache in its face? Was it due to shame?

Walking with the Taoist priest to the campus gate, Bai Lixin saw a crowd gathered there from a distance.

Several individuals were holding a banner with large red-painted characters: “Seeking Justice for Chen Ping!”

These individuals had megaphones in their hands, repeatedly chanting the same content: “Cowardly school, seek justice for Chen Ping!”

The bright red paint flowed down the white cloth in streaks, resembling blood seeping from a wound.

The school guards stood at the gate, attempting to disperse these people.

Teachers and students passing by quickly rushed into the campus upon seeing the large banner, avoiding it as if it were a venomous snake.

The Taoist priest furrowed his brows. “Chen Ping? Didn’t he commit suicide? Why are they causing a disturbance here?”

The group holding up the banner and using megaphones appeared to be simple, modestly dressed men and women. Despite their attire, a refined urban demeanor could still be sensed beneath the surface.

Among them was a pregnant woman. Herr belly looked prominent as she approached the guards, hysterically shouting, “I’m pregnant! If any of you dare touch me, try it. If I miscarry, your school won’t get away with it!”

The guards exchanged uncertain glances, hesitating to take action.

Behind the banner and megaphones stood an elderly man and woman.

Their faces and bodies bore the marks of hardships endured on the earth. They stood helplessly, holding each other’s hands as they shrunk behind the banner, fear and trepidation evident as they gazed at the banner-waving group. They seemed to dread these people immensely.

If Bai Lixin’s guess was correct, these two should be Chen Ping’s parents.

Chen Ping was their only child. Considering their age, they were likely around forty years old.

Perhaps due to the cycle of life, their hair had turned white, their faces reflecting both the sorrow of losing a loved one and the bewilderment and numbness of being battered by life.

Their cloudy eyes no longer held any hope or expectation for life. They now resembled mere shells of existence, struggling to survive.

Two people in their forties appeared to be nearing seventy.

The Taoist priest also noticed them and swept his gaze back and forth between Chen Ping’s parents and the people holding the banner. “Strange, what’s going on here?”

Bai Lixin’s faint smile that had been hanging at the corners of his mouth disappeared as he stopped in his tracks and looked at the group. “Those people should be representatives from the high-interest loan company that Chen Ping borrowed from. Since Chen Ping is dead, they are pursuing his parents for repayment. However, it seems Chen Ping’s parents don’t have the money, so they resorted to this despicable tactic.”

The Taoist priest commented, ”Causing a scene by the school gate with banners, pressuring the school for compensation to cleanse their misfortune, enabling the high-interest loan company to recover their debt. This… is too ruthless. I know about that student’s situation. These sinister people drove their debtor to suicide in life, and even in death, they don’t spare the parents. Aren’t they afraid of retribution?”

“If they were afraid of retribution, they wouldn’t have engaged in such acts from the start.” Bai Lixin stood on the other side of the road, his gaze coldly fixed on the group of individuals. “Everyone in this world needs to have a bit of fear. Whether it’s fear of moral norms, fear of ghosts and gods, or fear of the law.”

“To destroy them, first drive them to madness and they won’t end up well.”

“Hey, you! Yes, you! What are you looking at? If you keep staring, I’ll gouge your eyes out. Get lost, now!” One burly man holding the banner noticed Bai Lixin and pointed at him forcefully.

Bai Lixin didn’t back away; instead, he took a couple of steps closer.

By the time the Taoist priest realized, Bai Lixin had already approached them.

Silently muttering a curse, the Taoist priest reluctantly followed behind him.

Seeing that the person not only hadn’t left but was coming closer, the burly man clenched his fist in a show of intimidation. “What, you want to step up?”

Bai Lixin glanced at the couple. “How much did Chen Ping owe you?”

Upon hearing this, the burly man and another bald man beside him, who was also holding the banner, exchanged a glance. “150,000.”

Bai Lixin frowned. “I wasn’t talking to you. I was asking his parents.”

The couple timidly raised their heads and looked at Bai Lixin. “Initially, he borrowed 20,000. He thought he could repay it quickly, but in just a year, the interest compounded, and it became 150,000.”

The burly man corrected, “After another month, it has become 200,000.”

The couple’s faces turned pale at these words.

At this point, Bai Lixin turned his gaze to the burly man. “It seems like they’re afraid of you. What have you done to them?”

The burly man shrugged. “What else can we do to them? Their son owes us money. It’s only right for his parents to pay. It’s only natural for us to greet the elders, right?”

Bai Lixin’s brow furrowed. “What you’re doing is a crime. Aren’t you afraid they’ll call the police?”

The group burst into laughter as if they had heard a hilarious joke. “Call the police? Hahaha, we have some very intriguing photos of Chen Ping. If they dare call the police, we will make sure that even in death, Chen Ping’s reputation is tarnished! They can endure a lot for the sake of their good son.”

“200,000, right? I’ll repay this debt for him,” Bai Lixin’s mouth curled downwards slightly. “Release them and leave.”

“You?” The burly man hesitated, evaluating Bai Lixin with skepticism. He extended his hand. “Are you someone related to Chen Ping? Seeing how young you are, can you have that kind of money?”

The burly man looked at Bai Lixin hesitantly, and stretched out his hand, “We just want to get our own money back. I don’t want to be this bad guy. Give me the money now, we will cancel all our debts with Chen Ping, and we will leave immediately. We won’t even bother the two elders for anymore.”

The burly man shook his hands: “Hurry up, where’s the money?”

Bai Lixin: “I don’t have such cash now. Come to Gold Sea Luxury Apartments tonight. I will bring the money, and you will bring the IOU and those surprise photos. I will give the money, and you will give the IOU and delete all the photos and negatives.”

Burly man: “How can we believe that you aren’t lying to us?”

Bai Lixin casually pulled out a golden prop card from his backpack. Though it was a prop card, it was made of genuine gold.

He actually had a lot of diamonds in his backpack, but judging by these people’s demeanor, even if he showed them diamonds, they might mistake them for something else.

For these individuals, plain and simple gold was more exciting.

As expected, when the glittering gold landed in their eyes, they reacted like vultures smelling carrion, their eyes lighting up instantly.

One of the men was about to step forward and snatch it but Bai Lixin slightly sidestepped and, with his other hand, grasped the man’s wrist and twisted it forcefully. The man was immediately slammed onto the ground.

The burly man’s eyes widened in anger. “You dare hurt someone?! Medical expenses are 50,000, so the total is now 250,000 or we’ll go to the police station!”

Bai Lixin looked down at the man on the ground from above. “Medical expenses? He tried to rob me and I only acted in self-defense. If you really want to call the police, I wonder who they would believe. So many pairs of eyes are watching, and even the surveillance cameras at the gate are evidence. Security guard brothers, tell me, didn’t he attempted to grab my things first?”

The cued security guards nodded without hesitation. “That’s right, they were the ones trying to steal things. Robbery is a serious crime, with a punishment ranging from three to ten years.”

On realizing that Bai Lixin wasn’t easy to intimidate, the burly man thought for a moment and then said, “Since you want to be the savior, we won’t stop you. Leave us your phone number. What if we can’t find you tonight?”

Bai Lixin stated his phone number indifferently.

The burly man was shrewd; he even dialed the number to test it and confirmed it was indeed Bai Lixin’s before putting away the banner. “I advise you not to play tricks, but rather pay back the money obediently. You can’t escape the temple even if you escape the monk. If you’re just stalling for time, Auntie and Uncle will suffer even more. Don’t bring them harm.”

After leaving behind these harsh words, the group left while grumbling.

As soon as they left, the couple suddenly knelt in front of Bai Lixin, letting out heart-wrenching cries, a sight that filled people’s hearts with pain.

I give up here. My nephews visited and it’s impossible to do anything with them around 😅. I’ll continue on Monday.