When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 148: Two People, One Room

Chapter 148: Two People, One Room

Shocked, Gu Luoxin looked around, but Jin Jiuchi had really vanished without a trace! Colors drained from his face and he stuttered out, "I–I swear he was just here seconds ago!"

Shen Nianzu clenched his teeth in frustration. Checking the time, he said, "We still have twenty minutes until the plank to the ship is lifted. Let’s search around for ten minutes at most and meet here again!" Gu Luoxin nodded, and they both went in separate directions.

"Da Shen!" Gu Luoxin called out anxiously. "Da Shen, where are you?!"

Meanwhile, Shen Nianzu’s eyes were sharply scrutinizing his surroundings. Jin Jiuchi was tall and he had a muscular build that made him stand out from the crowd. It should have been easy for Shen Nianzu to find him, unless he was crouching on purpose or... there was a supernatural element at play here.

Heart sinking in his chest, Shen Nianzu also called out, "Da Shen!" He weaved through the crowd, who seemed oblivious to his presence. All around him were foreign faces, either laughing, crying or hugging each other, and the more he looked, the more he felt like he was trapped in a still movie, with only him moving.

His heart pounded in his ears, and his breathing quickened. He felt cold sweat pouring out of his pores with each passing second of Jin Jiuchi’s disappearance. "Da Shen!"

"Woof!"

Shen Nianzu’s ears perked up at the sound of a bark and he instinctively rushed towards the source. He could not even summon the energy to get angry anymore; all he wanted was to find Jin Jiuchi. As long as Jin Jiuchi returned to him, then everything would be fine.

His eyes lit up when he saw a white fluffy dog a few meters ahead. "Da Shen, you—"

However, his hope was dashed when the doggy turned around, revealing a foolish face with clear black eyes and its tongue hanging out.

Shen Nianzu’s expression sank. Not Jin Jiuchi.

He turned around and continued to shout, "Da Shen!"

"Da Shen!"

Shen Nianzu had no idea how long he had been searching. It could have been five minutes, five hours, or five years. Just as his voice grew hoarse and he was ready to use a prop, a familiar presence approached him from behind, and a pair of arms wrapped around his waist.

Jin Jiuchi’s voice echoed beside his ear, "Nian’er..."

Shen Nianzu’s body tensed for a split second before he abruptly slumped back into Jin Jiuchi’s embrace like a marionette with its string cut off. Relief coursed through his body as he raked his fingers through his hair, "You..." After the relief, a surge of anger rushed to the top of his head and he spun around, seizing Jin Jiuchi’s collar roughly. "Where the hell did you go, you bastard?! You think it’s okay to just disappear like that all of a sudden?!"

Jin Jiuchi wore a shocked expression on his face as if he had not expected such a strong outburst from the jade doll. He tried to defend his innocence, looking extremely wronged, "But Nian’er, I didn’t even go far. I was just a few steps away from you..."

"Bullshit!" Shen Nianzu’s face was flushed in anger as he glared at the man before him. "I would have noticed you instantly if you were nearby! What the hell were you doing running around as you pleased?!"

"Nian’er, Nian’er, don’t be angry..." Jin Jiuchi gently grasped the jade doll’s wrist and caressed it lightly in a soothing motion. "I have a good reason, I swear! You see, there was this child who told me she had lost something important..." he looked around his feet, only to be confused when he could find no one. "Huh, where did she go?!"

From the start, Shen Nianzu had never seen a child around Jin Jiuchi. Thinking that this was yet another scheme of his to get out of trouble, Shen Nianzu sneered, "A good reason, you say?"

Jin Jiuchi was really aggrieved now. "I’m really not lying. I—"

"Xiao Shen! Da Shen!" Gu Luoxin’s voice echoed in the distance, drawing their attention. They turned to see him dashing toward them, his breathing uneven. He wiped off the sweat on his chin, visibly relieved to see Jin Jiuchi in one piece. "Where did you go?! We have been looking for you!"

Frustrated, Jin Jiuchi tried to defend himself again, "Just like I told Nian’er, I saw—"

Click.

Something locked into place around his neck and Jin Jiuchi looked down to see... a black leather collar securely fastened, with the leash firmly gripped in Shen Nianzu’s hand. He became dumbfounded, "N–Nian’er?"

Even Gu Luoxin wore a stupefied look on his face. ’It can’t be... Xiao Shen, in broad daylight...’ His mind instantly conjured up ten thousand episodes of drama filled with dog blood and tears.

Shen Nianzu’s expression was extremely cold as he started to walk toward the ship. "We have wasted enough time here. Let’s board the ship first."

With that, he began to drag Jin Jiuchi along with him as though leading a pet on a leash. At first, Jin Jiuchi was still trying to cry his way out, but soon he got used to it and happily followed Shen Nianzu around with his imaginary tail wagging behind him. Either way, he was still tied to Nian’er. How good was that!

And so, the three of them climbed aboard the cruise ship and entered the spacious lobby. As this was a five-day trip, numerous staff members were seen bustling around, tending to the guests’ luggage on trolleys. Passengers mingled in small groups as they ventured deeper into the lobby, making their way toward the deck and entertainment area.

Shen Nianzu surveyed the surroundings and decided their first stop would be the receptionist. "Let’s go and collect our room keys."

The Nightmare had already made the necessary bookings under their names, so all they needed to do was provide the details to the reception staff and receive their keys.

However, an unexpected problem soon emerged.

"Only two people can share a room?" Shen Nianzu asked with a frown. "Can I upgrade it into a suite?"

"No, Sir," the receptionist shook her head politely, her tone brooked no refusal. "There must be two people in one room."

Gu Luoxin helplessly tried to appeal, "It’s really impossible for us to stay together?"

But the staff repeated again, her gaze straight and voice firm. Even the curve on her lips remained unchanged. "There must be two people in one room."

The trio lapsed into a momentary silence. It was okay if this was an ordinary cruise ship, but this was the Cycle and they dared not violate any instructions given by the NPC in case it would really turn out to be a death condition. Gu Luoxin glanced at Shen Nianzu and the leash connecting him to Jin Jiuchi. It was apparent at a glance that they would share a room.

That left only him...

"W–What should I do?" Gu Luoxin’s face turned slightly pale, his knees weakening at the mere thought of being separated from his two godly teammates. "I–I have to find another person to room with me?"

There was really no other choice. As the reception staff had emphasized, there must be two people in one room, otherwise they did not know what the consequences would be. Shen Nianzu sighed and massaged his temple, "It seems so."

Gu Luoxin had the urge to cry. He had just opened his mouth to say something when all of a sudden, something soft brushed against his calf. Looking down, he found a black cat with clear emerald eyes gazing up at him. "Meow~"

Gu Luoxin was taken aback. "W–Whose cat is this...?"

"Mine."

He whipped his head around to find a tall man approaching him. He seemed to be around the same age as Gu Luoxin. He had his hands tucked in his pocket in an extremely casual posture. His hair was a mess of soft brown curls and his eyes, just like the black cat’s, shimmered with deep emerald hues.

Gu Luoxin’s eyes couldn’t help but brighten at the sight of him. Being a student of musical theater, Gu Luoxin had developed a keen eye for aesthetics, and the man before him seemed to be the embodiment of beauty and lazy grace. What a handsome little brother!

The young man’s gaze fleetingly brushed over the collar around Jin Jiuchi’s neck before settling on the black cat. He seemed utterly unfazed, as if it were perfectly normal for another man to be led by a collar. Reaching out a hand, he called out to the cat, "Lucius."

"Meow~" The feline was adamant in sticking close to Gu Luoxin’s feet and refused to budge.

Gu Luoxin was flabbergasted when he heard that. Lu— what? How could a cat’s name sound so noble and imposing nowadays? This world was so unfair!

Though he was weak when it came to soft and fluffy small creatures, he did not feel right keeping the man’s cat with him. So he said, "I–Is this your cat? Sorry, here—" He intended to lift the cat and return it to the owner, but the young man stopped him.

"Well, it’s rare for him to take a liking to someone else, so just let him stick to you for the time being." Before Gu Luoxin could react, he swiftly continued in a careless tone, "You want to find a roommate? What a coincidence, I am here alone as well. Wanna join me?"