Chapter 24: Candlelight

Lü Yang watched the backs of Sister Mei and Xia Yan as they walked away and could not help but shake his head. Just moments ago, these two women had been fighting in the Women’s Restroom, ending up with bare bottoms. Now, they seemed as close as real sisters. Women really were a species hard to understand.

Xia Yan’s home was filled with candles, all of them colorful and strangely shaped. Clearly, this girl was obsessed with candles and had collected quite a few of them before. She probably never imagined they would come in handy tonight.

“What on earth is going on today? There’s no one left in the Residential Area, and my parents have disappeared…” Xia Yan held Sister Mei’s arm, and the two of them settled on the sofa. Clearly, the events of tonight left her feeling very confused and scared.

“Maybe it’s the Apocalypse?” Sister Mei suddenly became very calm. When she spoke, she always pretended to glance inadvertently at Lü Yang. Her eyes held a bittersweet sweetness, like that of a girl in her first love. Perhaps this feeling made her suddenly unafraid.

“Apocalypse? If it’s the Apocalypse, why are only us few people left?” Xia Yan asked Sister Mei again.

When Lü Yang heard Xia Yan’s question, he couldn’t help feeling startled. Yes, why were only these people left?

Of course, Lü Yang knew this was not the Apocalypse at all. It was simply that the Mysterious Domain of the Eerie Computer had opened. After the Mysterious Domain activated, everyone in the Residential Area had mysteriously vanished. Apart from him, Sister Mei, and Xia Yan, the five Porters remained.

Three of the five Porters had already died, leaving only two now.

Sister Mei had been with Lü Yang the whole time. The five Porters had interacted with Lü Yang just before the Mysterious Domain began. Xia Yan happened to be passing by Sister Mei’s door at that time…

So, they had all been kept behind in the Mysterious Domain.

No, that wasn’t right. They had missed someone.

Whenever he thought of this, a chilling shiver ran down Lü Yang’s back.

There was still Yi Ya.

She had made a phone call to Lü Yang during that time, when Lü Yang and Sister Mei were going downstairs. Later, when Lü Yang and Sister Mei were searching everywhere for the cat, her call came again. But that time, she couldn’t hear his response.

Where was she now?

She must have called from outside the Residential Area. Was she in her Rented Room now?

Outside the Residential Area, under the cover of Black Mist, what kind of world was it?

“What are you thinking about? Xia Yan went to boil water. You can wash up first later and change into clean clothes.” Sister Mei walked over and spoke to Lü Yang. Her tone had become incredibly gentle, but under the candlelight in Xia Yan’s home, she did not dare to meet Lü Yang’s eyes directly as she had before.

“Mm,” Lü Yang responded absentmindedly. His mind was preoccupied with the idea that once Sister Mei was settled here with Xia Yan, and the two had each other for company, he ought to go downstairs to search for clues and put an end to this Mysterious Domain.

Lü Yang believed that the people in the Residential Area could not have truly disappeared. This Mysterious Domain was probably like a Parallel Space, trapping him, Sister Mei, Xia Yan, and the others here.

Lü Yang’s somewhat indifferent expression made Sister Mei feel a little disappointed inside. When a woman has a crush on someone, the response and hints in his eyes when she looks at him can sometimes make her feel confident, sometimes confused, and sometimes very let down.

Because it’s hard to interpret, it makes love mysterious.

“That’s right, let me ask Xia Yan if she can find any food in her home. You must be starving.” After saying this to Lü Yang, Sister Mei turned and went to the Kitchen to find Xia Yan.

After Xia Yan started boiling the water, she and Sister Mei busied themselves in the Kitchen. They chatted while preparing some stir-fried dishes. Before long, the delicious smell of cooking wafted out. Lü Yang was indeed very hungry. Though he had eaten two pieces of grilled flatbread Sister Mei gave him on the long bench, it didn’t help much.

Watching Sister Mei and Xia Yan working diligently in the Kitchen, Lü Yang felt a strange sense of emotion. In this Mysterious Domain filled with danger and the Strange Point, having this feeling of home felt particularly warm.

More than ten minutes later, Sister Mei and Xia Yan brought out three plates of food. They set them down on the dining table. Xia Yan’s home was a duplex, with the first-floor living room and Restaurant connected, making it look quite spacious.

After setting down the plates, Sister Mei and Xia Yan looked over at Lü Yang from a distance and whispered something to each other. Then they called Lü Yang loudly to come over to the dining table. Xia Yan also brought out bread for Lü Yang and Sister Mei. She had already eaten but still sat down at the table with them.

Lü Yang, whose tattered upper garment was tied around his waist, leaving his upper body bare, hadn’t felt uncomfortable earlier in the dark with Sister Mei. But now, with the candlelight shining and an eighteen- or nineteen-year-old girl, Xia Yan, nearby, plus the relatively upscale decor of Xia Yan’s home, he couldn’t help feeling somewhat embarrassed about his half-naked, ragged state. However, the two women didn’t seem to mind.

Sister Mei clasped her hands together, smiled, and said gratefully, “Thanks to little Yan for providing us with food.”

“Oh, Sister Mei, don’t say that! I should be thanking you for saving my life!” Xia Yan didn’t seem as foolish as Lü Yang had imagined; instead, she appeared to understand the importance of gratitude and repaying kindness.

The two women seemed to have endless things to talk about, and Lü Yang hardly got a word in. But he didn’t want to interrupt either, because he was very hungry, so he just focused on eating.

However, during a pause in their conversation, Sister Mei actively turned to Lü Yang again…

“Little Lü, why do you have so many bloodstains on you?”

“Maybe they were scratched by those Porters,” Lü Yang replied without looking up. The injuries on his body were secondary; the cut from the Fruit Knife in his lower area was quite serious. The slightest movement made it burn painfully. Earlier at Sister Mei’s place, there was no light, and it wasn’t convenient to check the wound with Sister Mei around. Now, with two women present and surrounded by candlelight, it was even less convenient for him to take a look.

“Those people are so evil! I knew them, I even helped dress their wounds at the Community Hospital, and they actually…” Hearing Sister Mei and Lü Yang’s conversation, Xia Yan’s eyes reddened. It seemed she was recalling the incident at the Apartment Building entrance where the group of Porters almost assaulted her.

“It’s alright! They didn’t succeed, but little Lü got quite hurt because of you. I didn’t see it clearly in the dark before.” Sister Mei leaned closer to examine the scratches and bruises on Lü Yang’s body, her face full of concern.

“My parents’ room has a first aid kit. After we eat, let me help you put some medicine on,” Xia Yan finally glanced directly at Lü Yang. After what happened in the Restroom, she had felt awkward around him. Then, when the Porters stripped her clothes off, he must have seen everything.

“As long as you don’t call me a disgusting pervert anymore,” Lü Yang chuckled.

“A big man like you, holding a grudge? Sister Mei already explained everything to me… But… back then… couldn’t you have just knocked on the door? Why did you have to shine a flashlight like that? Of course I would think you had other intentions…” As she spoke, Xia Yan’s face flushed red again. The whole matter was really embarrassing; the most private parts of her body were completely exposed to him.

“Don’t think little Lü has any interest in you—his girlfriend is very beautiful! Even if you wanted to latch onto him, he wouldn’t be interested!” Sister Mei was clearly displeased with what Xia Yan said and defended Lü Yang.

“I never thought anything like that! What are you talking about, Sister Mei?” This time, Xia Yan seemed genuinely a little angry.