Chapter 2208: Love Trapped in the Cycle of Fate 07

Tuesday evening.

Sixth-floor hallway.

Plus Xu Yi, the four-person group crouched in the hallway waiting for the killer.

Shao Huai was half-forced to take responsibility for protecting Xu Yi's safety.

The reason was simple: during the day, Shao Huai and Jin Chen both forgot there was still a companion who had a coin.

When Xu Yi woke up, frightened and choking, he still had to muster his spirit to knock on Room 306's door, trying to meet up with them, only to find the 'Us Three' group already discussing how to protect Song Gong.

Xu Yi almost shed tears in Room 306.

Shao Huai was pushed by Jin Chen to go comfort him, still somewhat puzzled: 'Why am I the one to comfort him? You forgot too, didn't you?'

At that moment, having just finished eating and filled his stomach, Jin Chen ducked behind Xie Guan, saying, 'I also have someone to coax.'

Xie Guan: '......'

Time returned to this moment, 23:45.

Shao Huai: 'Rest assured, I've confirmed three times that Uncle Song is in Room 607; when the killer comes, we'll rush over.'

He lowered his voice, bracing himself.

Beside him, Xu Yi's back pressed against the damp wall, his fingers gripping the sleeve trembling, still afraid.

From downstairs, Room 508's fish-chopping sound suddenly intensified, the dull thud of the blade hitting the cutting board like it was cutting cartilage.

Just then, an ominous disturbance broke the silence.

Boom—

The sound of a heavy object falling exploded overhead.

The four people's expressions changed instantly.

They thought the killer had appeared, but instead a corpse fell from the sky, crashing heavily before them.

It was precisely Song Gong, who should have been inside the room.

His condition was the same as in the previous loop: a hole in his heart, blood gushing out black-red liquid.

Damn.

Jin Chen cursed inwardly, catching a glimpse of a raincoat corner flashing past the upstairs corner, and without hesitation chased after it.

Shao Huai also subconsciously followed upward.

The corpse lay sideways before Xie Guan and Xu Yi.

Xu Yi's heart raced from fright, but he still forced himself to crouch, trembling hand reaching to pick up the contract clutched in Song Gong's hand.

'This... this is... what, a contract?' Xu Yi's voice trembled, the characters on the contract blurred by rain, only able to vaguely make out the last two characters—'Real Estate'.

He lifted his head to look at Xie Guan, seeing the other's face ashen as paper, lips tightly pressed, eyes gloomy and silent, fixed on that contract.

Xu Yi thought he too was frightened, and forced out a sentence: 'You're scared too, right?'

But as soon as the words left his mouth, he himself couldn't help but redden his eyes; facing the impact of the corpse was still too great.

Xie Guan came to his senses, lowered his eyes and nodded slightly, not refuting, just his pale face in the dim light looking even more wan.

The sixth-floor hallway was filled with a strong smell of blood; Xie Guan's gaze shifted, seeing Song Gong's blood seeping along the gaps in the floor tiles.

Faintly wafting from downstairs was the smell of burning paper money, coming from the home of Grandma Chen in Room 508, plus the almost nightly fish-chopping sound, the rhythm of blade striking cutting board especially piercing in the quiet night.

Xie Guan's dim gaze again looked downstairs; every floor was shrouded in a gloomy atmosphere, the dim light stretching his and Xu Yi's shadows into distorted and eerie shapes, deathly still, as if even the air had frozen.

'Don't cry.' Xie Guan forced himself calm, walked to the corpse, quickly recalling the difference from last time.

Jin Chen's chasing footsteps echoed dully in the stairwell.

He stared at the raincoat's hem fluttering around the corner; that dark green hue glowed eerily under the emergency light, somewhat like the color of a body bag.

Shao Huai's panting followed close behind; the two nearly collided in the narrow stairwell.

The downpour was too heavy; moisture on the seventh floor condensed into fine droplets, trickling down the wall.

Shao Huai's shoe sole slipped, his knee heavily striking the step; instantly he smelled a sweet, metallic rust odor, unable to tell if it came from his wound or the blood-laden air.

The killer's footsteps ahead were hurried, the rubber-soled shoes scraping the ground like some reptile wriggling.

'Don't let this bastard get away!' Shao Huai shouted.

On another floor up, Jin Chen used the wall to push off and leap, his fingers about to grab the killer's coat corner when the latter suddenly turned.

Under the pallid light, he saw the killer's neck covered in dense black hair, and the whole face masked.

Jin Chen's pupils contracted in shock, he froze in disbelief.

The burnt smell of the paper money suddenly intensified.

——

Jin Chen opened his eyes in the early dawn.

He frowned, instinctively grabbed his phone to look, his tense body relaxed, then closed his eyes to recall the last scene he saw.

That thing...

It doesn't even look like a person.

【Are you sure there's no non-human element this time?】

【No, Host.】 Ling Gun Gun patted his chest, guaranteeing, '【Absolutely zero monsters are scientific!】'

【... Where's the science.】

【...】 Ling Gun Gun scratched his head, '【Except this building isn't very scientific.】'

From the neighboring room came Shao Huai's angry cursing.

'Damn! Just a bit off!'

Jin Chen's contemplation was interrupted; he rose, opened the window, and suddenly raised an eyebrow.

May 12, Monday, no downpour.

But the mist grew thicker, visibility extremely low.

A few minutes later, in the Living Room of 306, four people sat around the tea table.

Xu Yi and Shao Huai were similarly dazed, repeatedly tapping into their phone calendars, then despairingly closed their eyes.

How could someone's days keep moving backwards?

Xie Guan was a bit better, but not much; his pale face made the dark circles under his eyes heavier, his half‑closed eyes looking burdened with worry.

His face was suddenly lifted up.

Jin Chen held Xie Guan's face, examining it closely, "Did you have a nightmare last night?"

Xie Guan paused, turned his face away, and inexplicably let out a soft hum; he remained aloof, yet inexplicably seemed somewhat fragile.

Jin Chen flicked his forehead, "Open your mouth."

Then he stuffed a milk candy into his mouth.

"Eating something sweet won't scare you," Jin Chen said.

Xie Guan: "……"

He suddenly realized, Jin Chen seemed to be coaxing him.

Moreover, it was a bit too close.

"…Let go."

Xie Guan silently clenched his fingertips, lowered his eyes, struggled again, but didn't notice his ears were bright red.

Jin Chen glanced, refrained from pinching to avoid making Xie Guan flare up, their fingertips rubbed each other, his tone nonchalant.

"What did you dream last night to look so pale?"

"Dreams are the opposite, ah." Jin Chen then blew a puff of his hair.

Xie Guan twitched his lips and retorted, "I dreamed you became a billionaire."

Jin Chen: "……"

Shao Huai couldn't help but say, "Right, this dream must be the opposite."

Xu Yi also laughed a bit, finally snapping out of the daze.

"Go to hell." Jin Chen kicked Shao Huai's chair and sat back on the sofa.

Just as Xie Guan relaxed his breath from the departing aura, he noticed the hand under the tea table being grabbed and pinched it as if punishing.

……Is this person a childish ghost?

This also needs retaliation.

Xie Guan couldn't help but glance at Jin Chen, pursing his lips to listen to Shao Huai's speculation.