When the Wild Beast is Trapped in the Nightmare Cycle (BL)
Chapter 543: Should I Try?

Chapter 543: Should I Try?

Regardless of Gu Luoxin’s internal musings, the cringy and dramatic conversation continued to unfold before his eyes.

"Tell me..." the anguished Jin Jiuchi beseeched in a low, suppressed voice, his voice trembling under the weight of his agonizing heartbreak and overwhelming fury. "Do you love him? Huh? Do you love him so much that you can’t accept anyone else? That you can no longer live on without him?!" he burst out, his tone emotional. Even his eyes glistened with faint moisture as though he would instantly break down in tears if Shen Nianzu were to say yes.

"Of course, I—" the devilish Shen Nianzu was about to play along and tease Jin Jiuchi to his heart’s content when he suddenly realized something amiss.

Wait a moment. He narrowed his eyes sharply, a faint doubt and suspicion forming in his heart. Is he...?

"Of course you— what?" Jin Jiuchi urged in distress. "What are you going to say? That you love him so much you want to dig your heart out and present it for him to see? Is that it?!"

Staring at the man’s devastated face as if he was a death row prisoner facing the executioner’s blade, Shen Nianzu abruptly laughed, albeit the smile did not reach his eyes at all. Good, very good, he seethed quietly. Why hadn’t he realized how good this cunning husky’s acting skills were before? He’s got everyone here fooled, including himself! The angrier Shen Nianzu was, the sweeter and sharper his smile became. Under Jin Jiuchi’s persistent urging, he reached out and patted the man’s cheek softly, asking, "Did I say anything, hmm? Why don’t you continue putting some more words into my mouth?"

Want to fool a cheesy confession out of me? Ha! Not in a million years!

Realizing that his little act had been exposed, Jin Jiuchi did not bother pretending anymore. He swiftly adjusted his expression and tutted, his dark eyes gleaming in a sly light. "How did you find out, Nian’er?"

"Y-Y-You...?!" Gu Luoxin was so shocked that he stumbled over his words. He pointed at Jin Jiuchi’s nose incredulously, his pitch rising into a shriek, "You were acting?!"

"Hmph!" Jin Jiuchi raked a hand over his hair while striking a cool pose. "How is it? Do you feel inferior to my natural talent yet? Do you feel the urge to prostrate under my feet and recognize me as your teacher?"

To be completely honest, he did feel a little lost and disoriented when he had just revived from death and could not recognize Shen Nianzu for a split second. He had genuinely taken the jade doll as an angel who descended to lead him to Ninth Heaven, though this state lasted only for a brief moment before he snapped back to his senses. Seeing Shen Nianzu in a rare light and playful mood, he simply went along with the flow to amuse the jade doll further. Jin Jiuchi did not mind acting like a silly buffoon or a pathetic clown if it meant he could coax one or two pretty smiles from Shen Nianzu’s face. But of course, he would not divulge such a sappy truth to anyone else, especially not Gu Luoxin!

Hmph, let him think it was pure acting all along!

Gu Luoxin’s face alternated between red and blue upon hearing Jin Jiuchi’s shameless questions, so enraged that he could breathe out fire. He had cried louder than anyone else when Jin Jiuchi died, and now less than half an hour after the man came back to life, Gu Luoxin already felt like he was better off dead all the time! At least he would not be able to run his mouth in such a brazen way that demanded beating!

Rolling up his sleeve, he was ready to have it out with Jin Jiuchi, huffing and puffing, "Come here and speak properly! Do you think I’m afraid of you?!"

Equally eager, Jin Jiuchi rose to accept the challenge when Shen Nianzu whacked him hard on the back of his head. "Be serious," he chided, his tone severe. "Do you two think you’re at home?"

Although the reprimand was supposed to be directed at two people, his glare was fixated on Jin Jiuchi alone, making the latter feel utterly aggrieved.

"But Nian’er—"

Just then, a faint whiff of blood drifted to his nostrils, causing Jin Jiuchi’s expression to change in an instant. He seized Shen Nianzu’s arm in a gentle yet forceful way that left no room for the jade doll to wriggle free, his brows knitted into a frown. Gone was his pitiful and mischievous demeanor. With his lips pressed together, he seemed to exude a low and oppressive pressure from head to toe.

"Nian’er... was injured?"

The words sounded as though they were spoken through gritted teeth.

If earlier he had used exaggerated body gestures to act out his fake heartbreak, then now he did not even need to do anything— simply standing there and everyone could already sense the intense fury simmering beneath his calm exterior, just waiting for the right moment to explode.

Facing such a Jin Jiuchi, Shen Nianzu couldn’t help but swallow despite himself. Damn it, he had even made sure to wash the blood off his body and clothes before he fed the revival potion to Jin Jiuchi precisely because he feared something like this would happen, so how did this man still manage to detect it?!

Should he blame Jin Jiuchi’s overly sharp and heaven-defying nose for this?

Shen Nianzu shifted his legs awkwardly, cleared his throat, and attempted to downplay the whole situation, "It’s nothing. Just a small inju—"

"What do you mean by ’small’?!" Gu Luoxin rushed in and cut him off indignantly. "Xiao Shen, you must tell him the truth. You nearly died!" Without any delay, he proceeded to recount every single thing they had encountered in the past few hours to Jin Jiuchi without mincing his words at all.

Shen Nianzu stared at him wide-eyed, flabbergasted. I nearly died? When?? Why didn’t I have any idea of this???

With his expertise in theatrical acting, Gu Luoxin was able to narrate the thrilling battle of elimination game with vivid expressions and gestures, fully encapsulating the life-threatening danger they had been in which, in return, caused Jin Jiuchi’s face to turn uglier with each passing second.

Several times Shen Nianzu wanted to interrupt, but Gu Luoxin and Jin Jiuchi, these two bear children who had nearly come to blows just minutes ago, now worked together to prevent Shen Nianzu from speaking, leaving the latter utterly speechless. When Gu Luoxin was done, a sinister smile graced the corners of Jin Jiuchi’s lips, elevating his villain aura by a few notches.

"I see..." he let out dark, humorless chuckle. "Imhotep, huh?"

"That’s right, Brother!" Gu Luoxin patted his shoulder encouragingly. "You must avenge Xiao Shen well, or he would have gotten injured for nothing!"

"Enough." Shen Nianzu massaged his aching temple, exasperated. "Forget about revenge. Let’s talk about the main reward. How is it?" he addressed Jin Jiuchi. "Did you find the black supply box there?"

The sudden switch of topic successfully diverted Jin Jiuchi’s attention from Imhotep. "Of course, I found it!" he responded with a smug look, clearly seeking praises. "Not only that, I even won a huge... huge treasure chest!" he opened his arms wide to emphasize his point. "Nian’er, you wouldn’t have believed what I encountered out there!"

The good news caught both Shen Nianzu and Gu Luoxin by utter surprise. They had prepared themselves for the worst, but in the end... they obtained it? They really obtained the main reward by relying on Jin Jiuchi’s effort alone?!

Excited, Gu Luoxin quickly urged him, "What are you waiting for? Quick, take it out for us to see! Is it a platinum or golden ticket? Please, don’t tell me it’s silver!"

Hearing that, the wide smile on Jin Jiuchi’s face froze in an instant as he was reminded of a crucial detail. "Oh, haha! The ticket, isn’t it? Let me see... where did I put it again?"

Under Shen Nianzu and Gu Luoxin’s increasingly doubtful gazes, now it was his turn to shift his legs awkwardly, clear his throat, and attempted to explain his predicament to the best of his ability. "It was really urgent at that time, I swear! Nian’er, you have to believe me! Dozens of players and countless ghosts besieged me, wanting to bully me. They’re all so mean and fierce! So I— uhh... I kinda swallowed everything... into my stomach?"

When he received nothing but speechless silence from his teammates, Jin Jiuchi suggested tentatively,"Should I try digging it out now?"