Chapter 33: Darkness Before Dawn

"Cover... face?" Dong Xiaoyu chewed on the word on the slip of paper, feeling puzzled.

Did it refer to an Actor's Mask? Dong Xiaoyu quickly arrived at the same thought as Ding Mo.

Ding Mo took back the slip of paper, but shook his head after hearing her idea.

Perhaps there is a connection, but I fear it is not that simple.

Watching Ding Mo, who was lost in thought, a look of disappointment appeared on Dong Xiaoyu's delicate face, and she felt a bit annoyed with herself.

She felt she was so useless, and there was so little she could actually help with.

Sitting on the bed to the side, for some reason—perhaps because her mood was low—

Dong Xiaoyu felt a bit hungry.

But immediately, she perked up, jumped off the bed, and walked away.

Ding Mo did not pay attention, continuing to ponder the meaning of the word.

Ten-odd minutes later, a fragrance suddenly wafted through the room!

Ding Mo looked up in surprise, his gaze falling on Dong Xiaoyu, who was carrying a plate of food out.

Seeing Dong Xiaoyu wearing a long dress, she said with a smile: "Let's eat something first!"

"The conditions in York's room are a bit crude, and there isn't much food, so we'll have to make do."

Although he heard the words "make do," as Ding Mo smelled the aroma, he couldn't help but feel his appetite whetted.

He, too, had not eaten for nearly 7-8 hours.

A while later, after finishing the food, Ding Mo felt his spirits improve quite a bit; although the symptoms of sleep deprivation still persisted in his brain, his state was already much better than before.

Even his previously sluggish thinking seemed to have become much smoother.

"Thank you," Ding Mo said sincerely.

The situation was too dire, causing him to even forget to eat.

This was not good; the impact on his state was too severe, he would have to pay attention to this in the future...

And when Dong Xiaoyu heard the praise, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"As long as I was able to help you."

"You helped a lot!"

With the energy from the food surging into his brain, when Ding Mo looked back at that slip of paper, many thoughts emerged instantly compared to before, and his mind was much more active.

"Th-that's good then..." Hearing him say this, Dong Xiaoyu felt a flutter of joy in her heart, which actually caused her face to flush slightly.

Ding Mo did not notice her reaction.

He already had some ideas in his mind at this moment.

Standing up, Ding Mo said: "Are you rested? We still have one thing to do."

Dong Xiaoyu hurriedly stood up as well: "Tell me!"

A while later.

The two appeared in a corridor.

If Chu Chenfeng were still alive, he would certainly discover that this was the very corridor where the Security Room was located.

Before long, Ding Mo brought Dong Xiaoyu to the door of the Security Room.

Looking at this door, which was still left ajar just as it was when he left, Ding Mo breathed a secret sigh of relief.

This at least indicated that after he left, there should not have been any outrageous abnormalities inside.

Next, Ding Mo gave an instruction to Dong Xiaoyu:

"Help me keep watch at the door; if anyone comes, call me."

Hearing this, Dong Xiaoyu nodded worriedly. He hesitated for a moment, only saying:

"If you go in, be careful."

Ding Mo nodded, pushed the door open, and walked in.

Inside the room, just as before he left, there were no changes.

The "Chu Chenfeng sculpture" made of white wax still stood twisted in place, as if it would exist in this spot for hundreds of years.

The empty Black Suitcase was still sitting on the table. Ding Mo stared at it closely as he walked nearer. He discovered that it seemed to have become an ordinary suitcase, its surface covered in a layer of dust, with no abnormalities whatsoever.

Ding Mo passed by it and walked toward the "sculpture," his gaze falling on the sword at its waist.

That's right, this was one of the purposes of Ding Mo's trip—he had lost his own sword, but wasn't there still Chu Chenfeng's?

Walking up, Ding Mo pulled at the sword that had been fused into a lump by the white wax.

Crack, crack!

The sound of the solidified white wax cracking rang out, tiny fragments fell, and the "sculpture" suddenly swayed and shook with his movements!

It looked like it was about to come alive!

Ding Mo retreated two steps abruptly!

He wasn't sure if this abnormality caused by the Black Suitcase still had the possibility of a second resurrection!

But soon, the "sculpture" stabilized again, and Ding Mo breathed a slight sigh of relief, went up again,

and reached out his hand!

Crack!

Another heart-trembling sound of cracking echoed in the silent room, extremely distinct.

Ding Mo pulled the Mask off Chu Chenfeng's body.

This was Ding Mo's second purpose; since the Mask was so important, and the clues likely pointed toward it, Ding Mo felt he had best collect them all.

He was still missing clues now, and had no way to figure out the meaning behind "Covering Face."

But if some preparations could be made in advance, that would also be a good thing.

After obtaining the Mask, Ding Mo prepared to leave.

He backed away while staring at that sculpture, yet he suddenly felt something strange in his heart.

He kept feeling that some kind of change had just occurred inside the room?

Something was not right, but he could not put his finger on it...

Cold sweat secreted from Ding Mo's forehead; he quickened his pace and moved sideways toward the main door.

And so, he finally discovered what was wrong:

On the frozen face of that "sculpture,"

those eyes, which had also been frozen, were now staring straight at him!

What is going on?! Ding Mo remembered that it did not seem to be looking this way just a moment ago!

Could this "sculpture" be alive!!

"Ugh..." Ding Mo's body tensed up, and he quickened his pace again.

He did not believe Chu Chenfeng was still alive; the solidified white wax had sealed his mouth and nose, and if he were alive, he would have suffocated long ago.

But why was this sculpture alive?!

Ding Mo did not understand, nor did he want to understand.

One minute later, Ding Mo walked to the doorway like a crab.

The "sculpture's" eyes followed him the entire time.

Ding Mo took a breath, flashed out, and pulled the door shut!

Bang!

"Hoo!" Arriving in the hallway and breathing the fresh air there, Ding Mo had never felt it was so sweet.

For some reason, the oppressive feeling from that sculpture was even stronger than the one given by the "Substitute Actor"!

Ding Mo could feel that when he faced it, the fear in his heart was like water overflowing a riverbed, almost impossible to suppress!

Fortunately, although the sculpture was alive, it seemed to have no intention of attacking him.

"Ding Mo! How are you?" Dong Xiaoyu asked with concern from the side, looking somewhat shocked and afraid at the sight.

She saw the Mask and the sharp sword that had appeared in Ding Mo's hands.

What had he encountered inside?

"I'm... I'm fine." Ding Mo took a moment to calm down before refining the lingering fear in his heart.

"... Let's go, our business is not yet finished."

Next, the two of them cautiously went to the room where Zhu Jie died and the location where Leng Rourou was killed, taking the masks they had left behind respectively.

Returning to York's room once more, there was less than half an hour left until dawn.

"Ding Mo, you should rest for a while; I will call you when it's dawn," Dong Xiaoyu said this while secretly biting her red lips.

The pain slightly dispelled her sleepiness.

"I will keep watch."

"Are you... going to be alright?"

"It's fine, I... can only do this much."

Ding Mo looked at the silent Dong Xiaoyu.

She had also helped him a lot; if possible, he hoped she would survive.

No, he would do his best to bring her through this alive!

Without Dong Xiaoyu, Ding Mo could not have made it this far. Even if he had, his body would have collapsed, and he would have given up on life in pessimism, unable to continue.

"Then, I'll leave it to you." Ding Mo lay on the bed and narrowed his eyes.

Seeing this, Dong Xiaoyu sat down beside Ding Mo. In the darkness after the lights were turned off, she struggled to keep her tired eyes wide open.

She, too, had not rested for over 20 hours.

But she knew that if she could survive in the end, it would definitely be because of Ding Mo. Not for any other reason...