When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 333: One More Floor

Chapter 333: One More Floor

Gu Luoxin’s jaws dropped as he stared at the round and smooth egg. "W–Who?!"

Jin Jiuchi gave him a condescending look as though he was a physically and mentally disabled child. "It’s Toki, duh. Remember him? Our real tour guide?"

"I–I heard you just fine for the first time!" Gu Luoxin stammered in shock. He was so taken aback by the revelation that he gave no heed to Jin Jiuchi’s mocking tone. "I mean... how? How can our tour guide be an egg? How can an egg be our tour guide?! Are you sure your information is reliable, Da Shen?!" Gu Luoxin almost tore off his hair as he grappled with the bewildering reality in front of him.

Noir also showed a similarly doubtful look. It was apparent that Jin Jiuchi’s credibility was at an all-time low within the group. Had it been Shen Nianzu, if he pointed at a random tree and called it Toki, Gu Luoxin might have really believed him.

However, Jin Jiuchi did not take their skepticism to heart. It’s not like his reaction was any better than Gu Luoxin when he first found out about this. He sighed softly and said, "Let’s move. I have to bring you to Nian’er as soon as possible. Don’t worry about this egg, it will hatch when the time comes. Or you can try breaking it by force if you want. Oh, and I’m talking about Team 4’s Nian’er, not mine. Geez, it’s getting more and more confusing..."

Noir and Gu Luoxin exchanged glances before they followed Jin Jiuchi toward the other side of the carousel where the exit door had been waiting for them.

***

Shen Nianzu crossed the road in front of the hospital building while chatting with the two dumplings in his arms.

He tried to dig out more information such as how long they had been here, who sent them here, and why they were subjected to such treatment. But the answers he received were far from satisfying. The children claimed that they had been here for as long as they could remember, though they couldn’t say for certain how long it was. As for why they were mistreated, they believed it was a form of punishment for their rebellious behavior.

"We hate rules, you see!" Silver-haired Jin Jiuchi complained indignantly. "And there are so many rules in this place!"

His twin nodded solemnly and began to recount with his short and tiny fingers, "We have to study well, we can’t leave the premises, we have to sleep at a fixed time, we can’t waste food..."

The more Shen Nianzu heard, the more his anger simmered like bubbling lava on the verge of erupting. What was this place? A prison? Why would they treat the children so strictly when they were at the age when they should be pampered instead?!

He was secretly fuming within, when a subtle movement entered his peripheral vision. In an instant, his body grew tense. He instinctively wanted to summon his blade, only to recall that his arms were full of two precious bundles right now. Nonetheless, he still kept a vigilant eye on the surroundings, but all he saw were rows of trees lining the road, casting eerie shadows in the darkness.

Noticing his reaction, the silver-haired Jin Jiuchi patted him on the shoulder and reassured him, "Don’t worry, they can’t harm you. They’re just curious that we brought a new person in."

"They?" Shen Nianzu inquired, his left eye twitching. "Who are they?"

Black-haired Jin Jiuchi shot him a disdainful look as though asking, ’You can’t even figure this out yourself?’ Shen Nianzu swore he was going to straighten out this brat’s stinky attitude as soon as possible, but then he ended up being distracted when the said brat huffed, "Duh, of course, it’s the other residents of this building."

The other... residents?

Once again, Shen Nianzu gave the hospital a once-over and reaffirmed that it looked like a haunted building which had not been inhabited for decades. He couldn’t help but gulp softly. Fortunately, the two dumplings in his arms were warm and solid, dispelling any doubt within him that they might be ghosts. He resumed walking until he reached the glass doors, which swung open as soon as he approached as though sensing their presence.

A rush of cold air blasted his face, followed by the sight of a dark and desolate lobby. If Gu Luoxin had been here, perhaps the young man might have passed out of fear.

Fortunately, it was Shen Nianzu, whose heart merely trembled for a second before he regained his composure.

"There, there, don’t be afraid," silver-haired Jin Jiuchi continued to comfort him. What a good boy he was. "Everyone might be a little shy, but they’re quite friendly."

Shen Nianzu had no idea whether he could trust the notion of ’friendliness’ coming from the mouth of a nightmare creature, but did he have another choice? Releasing a little sigh, he offered the silver-haired child a wry smile. "I’m okay, let’s go in. Which one is your room? Lead me there."

Under the two dumplings’ guide, Shen Nianzu carefully navigated the empty lobby and headed to the emergency stairs. Much to his surprise, nothing weird or otherworldly happened along the way as he climbed up the stairs, such as a ghost popping up to grab his ankle, or a long-haired female monster crawling across the ceiling...

Shen Nianzu mentally slapped himself for letting his imagination run wild. Stop thinking about it, Shen Nianzu!

Step by step, he ascended the stairs but until he reached the steps leading to the highest floor, the two children still had not said anything yet. Shen Nianzu noticed how they became increasingly silent and somber as if they dreaded returning to this place. He decided to break the silence, "Is it on this floor?"

The twin shook their heads and responded in unison, "One more floor."

One more? Was there another floor after this? Shen Nianzu did not doubt his memory, so the only explanation must be because this was not the real hospital building and thus there was a slight discrepancy. With a light hum, he continued his ascent, but to his astonishment, he noticed a faint light spilling through the gap beneath the door.

Shen Nianzu was baffled. How could this be possible? Hadn’t he checked from outside that no lights were on in this building?

"We’re here!" The two dumplings jumped down from his arms and took station by his side, gripping his fingers tightly. "Our residents are a bit introverted, so you must not reveal the fact that you’re human, okay?"

Or else what? Shen Nianzu wanted to ask, but the black-haired Jin Jiuchi opened the door before he could do so. He squinted his eyes when dazzling light pierced into his retina which had gotten used to the dark, stinging them. But he soon adjusted to the sudden brightness, and the scene before him caused him to suck in a sharp breath.

A familiar corridor was spread in front of him, resembling any other in the hospital. Wooden benches lined one side of the wall, and an expansive glass panel on the opposite side offered a view of a neatly trimmed garden outside, with birds chirping and sunlight streaming in gently.

It felt like he had been transported into another realm.

Only moments ago, the sky outside had been pitch black in color, but here, it was a tranquil azure blue. However, it was not the scenery that shocked Shen Nianzu the most.

It was the familiar visage of the person standing by the window. His brown curls seemed to glow with a golden hue when touched by the sunlight. As though sensing the piercing stare on him, he turned and locked gazes with Shen Nianzu, revealing his clear emerald eyes.

That man was none other than Noir.