MTMIO Chapter 20

Chapter 20: It’s Hard Not to Be Moved

The hands of the wall clock pointed to the number “7.” The bowls and plates on the table, which had once been filled with food, were now mostly empty.

“So full~ Hot pot is so delicious!” Zhong Mi sighed contentedly, sprawled on her chair in a “Ge You Slouch.” The panda-printed T-shirt she wore was stretched taut over her round belly, and she patted her stomach, letting out a satisfied burp.

This made everyone at the table burst into laughter.

Yun Zhu took out her phone, pretending to capture this embarrassing moment. “I’m going to send this to your mom later. Let her see how much you’ve let yourself go. She’ll ground you and make you write a self-criticism.”

“No!” Zhong Mi immediately sat up straight and tried to snatch the phone.

Lu You leaned towards Yue Yunxi, asking curiously, “Is Teacher Zhong that strict?”

Yue Yunxi’s red lips parted slightly, but she didn’t immediately answer.

Her blank expression suggested she was contemplating how to explain.

Yun Zhu, hearing this, held her phone high to keep Zhong Mi from grabbing it and replied, “It’s not Teacher Zhong, it’s her mom.”

Lu You was confused. “Isn’t Teacher Zhong her mom?”

Yun Zhu placated Zhong Mi, saying, “Okay, okay, no more pictures, no more Bearing.”

Just as she was about to turn and explain to Lu You, Yue Yunxi interjected.

“Mi Mi calls Teacher Zhong ‘Mommy.’ She has two godmothers, and to differentiate, she calls the closer one ‘Mom.'”

Yue Yunxi then asked, almost without pausing, “More hot pot?”

Lu You shook her head. “I’m stuffed.”

Yue Yunxi smiled silently and suggested, “Want to take a walk and see if there’s anything fun to do, maybe help digest a little?”

Thinking she had nothing better to do back at home, Lu You readily agreed. “Sure.”

Afterward, Yue Yunxi asked the others, and everyone was in agreement.

So, after leaving the hot pot restaurant, the group strolled leisurely along the corridor.

Zhong Mi walked in the front, hopping like a rabbit.

Reaching the third floor after descending the escalator, she stopped abruptly, pointing to an arched doorway on the right. “Let’s go play this!”

A sign stood to the right of the doorway, the words “Escape Room” outlined in stark white neon lights.

Looking inside from the corridor, the shopping mall’s lights cast onto the floor, growing dimmer the further they went in.

Recently, an escape room reality show had become very popular, featuring two top female stars locked in a bitter feud. Lu You had initially watched with a gossipy attitude, but she soon found herself hooked.

Her interest in puzzle-solving games had also intensified.

Zhong Mi was trying to persuade everyone one by one, and had already convinced Yue Yunxi. Lu You turned to look at her, seeing an expression of eagerness.

Yue Yunxi glanced at Lu You, then at the scary poster propped up at the entrance, taking an almost imperceptible deep breath before agreeing, “Then let’s play.”

“Yay!” Zhong Mi excitedly jumped to Lu You’s side, hooked her arm, and headed toward the arched doorway.

Yun Zhu chuckled. “How come you don’t even ask my Little Deer sister if she wants to play, and just drag her in?”

Zhong Mi clung affectionately to Lu You’s arm, turning her head to say, “My sister has ‘I want to play’ written all over her face!”

Yun Zhu clicked her tongue. “Tsk, tsk.”

It sounded like teasing Lu You.

But before her words could fade, Yun Zhu moved closer to Yue Yunxi, lowering her voice to say, “So that’s why you suddenly had so much courage? You’re charging into battle for love~”

A few steps ahead, Zhong Mi was still clinging to Lu You like an ornament.

Hearing Yun Zhu’s mischievous teasing, Yue Yunxi finally withdrew her gaze, casting a cool look at Yun Zhu.

Yun Zhu quickly laughed it off. “Just kidding, just kidding.”

Chen Feifei, walking closely behind, overheard a bit of this, her expression changing several times before relaxing when she heard it was a joke, and shaking her head.

To her left, Li Can glanced at her several times, slowly approaching Jian Yanzhi, and said in a low voice, “Look at Feifei, she’s acting strange.”

“Maybe she’s performing a ritual to build up courage,” Jian Yanzhi analyzed. “I feel like Sister Yunxi isn’t that brave either. Little Lu and Zhu Zi seem like tanks. So if we have to split up, those two can take Mi Mi and Sister Yunxi, and we’ll take Feifei.”

“Okay.”

During this exchange, they entered the lobby. Several young people were coming down from upstairs, their faces still showing signs of shock.

From the back, a girl’s voice whimpered, “That was so scary!”

“It was pretty scary,” a companion agreed. “I’ve been to so many escape rooms before, and the NPCs just try to scare you a little.”

“But it was really fun, too. The three rooms require you to work together to solve them, so creative.” The guy in the front row grinned suggestively, turning to ask the couple behind them, “What were you two doing in that room before we turned on the lights?”

The couple in front blushed, the guy scratching his head and saying, “Nothing, that puzzle was hard to solve, it’s…”

“Don’t spoil it, young man.” A female voice interrupted, the owner.

As if to match the store’s decor, the owner was dressed in a slightly gothic style. She looked at Lu You’s group, saying languidly, “How many of you are playing?”

Lu You replied, “Seven.”

The owner tapped the tabletop, which was covered in a ghost hospital-themed poster. “For groups of five or more, this is the only option. After you go up to the second floor, there will be NPCs patrolling and grabbing people. Hide if you can.”

Lu You asked, “What if we can’t hide?”

“If you can’t hide, you’ll be ‘infected.’ Even if you fail to escape, you can only wait in the lounge for your companions to come out.”

After they had deposited their belongings, the owner gave each of them a walkie-talkie and led them downstairs.

Lu You noticed that Yue Yunxi seemed a little off, her beautiful and radiant face blank.

Like a still, antique gilded vase.

It felt like something was missing.

Perhaps sensing someone was watching her, Yue Yunxi suddenly looked up.

Maybe the light illuminating the stairs was too dim, but Yue Yunxi looked solemn, and the gaze in her amber eyes was unexpectedly gentle.

Lu You’s eyelashes fluttered, and she asked directly, “Sister Yunxi, are you afraid?”

Yue Yunxi was stunned for a moment, then gave a helpless smile, admitting, “I am.”

“You’re afraid but still want to play?” Lu You asked.

Yue Yunxi gave a soft “Mm.”

It wasn’t clear that she wanted to play, maybe because she was too scared.

Lu You thought for a moment and said, “Stick close to me once we’re inside.”

Yue Yunxi’s eyes flickered slightly, a subtle tremor as if her heartstrings had been plucked by the words.

The uneasy feeling in her heart was mostly dispelled.

“You mean…” Yue Yunxi paused, “You’ll protect me?”

Her voice gradually lowered, as if from excessive fear.

Yet, because her voice was so soft, it seemed to contain a subtle, ambiguous hint of testing.

After a moment, before entering the escape room, Lu You said, “Mm.”

With a large group and high intelligence, they didn’t get stuck much while solving the puzzles. They quickly went from the dispensary to the infusion room, and then to the morgue, before taking an elevator to the second floor.

Only one person could ride the elevator at a time.

Yue Yunxi took a long time to mentally prepare herself, going in only at the very end.

Seeing her pale face, lightly furrowed brow, and eyes filled with a hazy mist, losing the usual composure and calmness, Lu You thought for a moment, took off the red string bracelet her grandmother had made for her, and handed it to Yue Yunxi, saying, “Don’t be afraid, I’ll come find you in a bit.”

Yue Yunxi clutched the red string in her hand, took a deep breath, and forced herself to appear calm, saying, “Okay, I’ll wait for you up there.”

When the elevator came down again, Lu You entered and pressed “2,” feeling the elevator not only move vertically, but also shift horizontally on a track.

Reaching the top floor, she found that no one was there, only a long, dark corridor with no end in sight, the lights on the ceiling flickering intermittently.

Apparently, each elevator had a different horizontal trajectory, sending everyone to different locations.

Lu You adjusted the walkie-talkie to contact Yue Yunxi. “Sister Yunxi.”

“You You?” Yue Yunxi’s voice replied with a tremor.

“Do you remember if the elevator moved horizontally to the left or right?”

“Left.”

“How many times did it shake?”

“Three or four times, I can’t quite remember.”

The elevator had bumped several times on the horizontal track. Lu You guessed that it must have passed several possible stopping points.

Based on the information Yue Yunxi provided, she turned to the left and continued to ask, “What’s near you?”

“There’s a cabi…net.” Yue Yunxi’s voice faltered, the end almost inaudible.

As if she had seen something terrifying, her breathing became heavy and rapid.

Lu You frowned, worriedly asking, “Sister Yunxi? Did you see the NPC that grabs people?”

Yue Yunxi gave a soft “Mm,” her tone and breathing distorted by her inner fear.

Just as Lu You was about to speak, the lights on the ceiling began to flicker rapidly, and her sensitive ears picked up a rustling sound.

Like chains clanking, the soles of shoes scraping along the ground, and a subtle scratching sound, like fingernails scraping a blackboard.

These sounds intertwined, both dull and sharp, making her scalp tingle.

Turning her head in the direction of the sound.

The “person” emerging from the fork in the road, illuminated by the flickering lights, could barely be seen. But you could just make out that the person had disheveled hair, wore frightening special effects makeup, and seemed to have no good flesh on their face, and was slowly twisting around in a posture as if all their bones were dislocated.

Lu You: “…”

Suddenly, not hearing her voice, Yue Yunxi called to her, trembling, “You You?”

“I saw the NPC too.” Afraid that Yue Yunxi was too frightened, Lu You tried to keep her voice steady. “See if you can hide in that cabinet.”

“…Yes, I’ve already hidden inside.”

The light above flickered, and the person across the way stopped and turned to look at her!

Although she knew it was a real person playing the part, it was still quite terrifying.

Lu You turned and ran, saying as she ran, “I’m coming to find you, you hide well and don’t come out.”

“…Okay.”

Fortunately, the NPC was dedicated to maintaining that twisted posture and couldn’t immediately catch up.

After running for a long time, until she saw a filing cabinet standing by the wall ahead, Lu You gradually slowed down and walked towards it, panting.

She closed her eyes and thought to herself that she definitely had to get a gym membership when the weather got better.

Walking to the cabinet, she found that the door was not closed tightly, leaving a gap. She didn’t know if Yue Yunxi was inside.

Lu You was about to speak when the sound of iron chains dragging on the floor suddenly came closer, mixed with a roar like boiling water in a throat, coming from different directions.

It sounded like more than one NPC.

Lu You’s breathing deepened, and she subconsciously turned back to look, seeing five or six “zombies” running towards her.

While she was stunned, the cabinet door was pushed open from the inside.

A chill suddenly ran down her left wrist. Lu You was startled, turning her head to glance over, noticing that the fingers gripping her were slender and graceful, and a red string bracelet that she was all too familiar with was on the wrist bone.

It was Yue Yunxi.

Lu You’s tense shoulders slumped slightly, and she was pulled into the cabinet by Yue Yunxi.

The space inside was cramped and narrow, and the two were almost pressed together. Through the thin clothes, she could clearly feel the curves and the rise and fall of their breathing.

Lu You’s mind went blank for a moment.

Until the “zombies'” roars were close to her ears.

Lu You shivered.

Not because she was scared by the NPC.

It was because Yue Yunxi’s picturesque eyebrows and full red lips were suddenly close, her hand lightly brushing against her side waist and reaching behind her.

Lu You: “…”

It was simply a beauty overload.

Yue Yunxi’s eyes shifted slightly, meeting her gaze.

With a “click,” the cabinet door closed.

Lu You’s heart skipped a beat.

Perhaps because she was too scared, Yue Yunxi’s breathing was particularly heavy, especially at the moment their eyes met.

Lu You moved back a little, her heels pressing against the door panel, but she was still trapped in Yue Yunxi’s arms.

As if suddenly relaxing from exhaustion, Yue Yunxi suddenly buried her head in her shoulder and hugged her.

Lu You’s eyelashes fluttered very lightly, and her spine stiffened.

The cabinet had no top, and the flickering lights on the ceiling occasionally cast a faint beam inside.

As thin as moonlight.

Falling before her eyes, it was so faint that it had almost no illuminating effect.

In the dimness, her senses of touch, smell, and hearing became more acute.

The intermittent, distant, low-pitched growls outside, occasionally seeping into the atmosphere, stirred a subtle feeling.

The cool fragrance lingering around her nose and the warmth of a body that was not her own enveloped Lu You.

Yue Yunxi’s breathing became more and more slow, and she could feel the soft undulations even more clearly.

Warm breath, one breath after another, fell on her shoulder and neck, as if she could feel the pulsing of the artery there.

A long time passed, maybe only a minute or two, but it felt like an eternity.

Feeling that Yue Yunxi’s breathing was not as heavy, Lu You slowly let out a breath, forcing herself to ignore the feeling in front of her and saying softly, “It’s okay.”

It was both reassurance and a reminder.

The lights on the ceiling breathed rapidly in the light and shadow.

Yue Yunxi’s fingertips curled slightly, but she didn’t move.

“Can I hug you for a little longer? I’ll be fine after I calm down…”

She lowered her voice, so softly that it was impossible to tell if it was because she was afraid or because she felt guilty.

It sounded like a small flower swaying in the wind and rain, as if it would break at any moment.

Lu You’s heart stirred.

In her memory, Yue Yunxi had always been a calm and reliable older sister figure, more reliable than the adults around her.

She remembered that on the day she broke her finger, Tao Xin had taken her to Yue Yunxi first.

When her grandmother was sick, it was also Yue Yunxi who had helped her solve the problems in an orderly manner.

It seemed that as long as Yue Yunxi was there, there was nothing to worry about.

Such a person, revealing such a fragile side.

It was hard not to be moved.

Lu You’s hand rose, hovering in the air, paused for a moment, and gently stroked her back, saying, “Those NPCs are probably students from the dance academy.”

Yue Yunxi repeated softly, “Students from the dance academy?”

“Yeah, they’re too flexible.” Lu You said casually, “I wonder how much this store pays them to be so energetic, almost twisting their heads off.”

A horrifying scene was made comical by her words, and Yue Yunxi couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

Lu You felt relieved and asked with concern, “Are you feeling better?”

Yue Yunxi pursed her lips, but didn’t say anything.

“It seems like there’s no movement outside. If you’re feeling better, we can go out and find the others.” Lu You paused. “Or, you can calm down for a little longer.”

Yue Yunxi closed her eyes, lowered her hands, and pulled away slightly. “…No need, I’m much better now.”

If she calmed down any longer, she wouldn’t want to let go.

The space was too cramped. Lu You was facing away from the door, unable to turn around, so she could only step to the side, making room for Yue Yunxi to open the door.

Yue Yunxi reached out to push the door, her movements suddenly freezing.

Lu You noticed and asked, “What’s wrong?”

The next second, Yue Yunxi tilted her head, her soft lips brushing against her ear:

“The door won’t open.”