Chapter 74: Please take a good rest.

As Xi Yan continued reading, his heart grew increasingly uneasy.

“November 2nd, rainy weather. It seems what was meant to come has come—they’re here to kill me! But this shouldn’t be! I am their creator! They can’t kill me, they can’t…”

The writing ended abruptly, the pen stroke trailing off into a scratch, as if something had happened to the writer at that moment.

When Xiao Chen saw that the two had finished reading the diary, she picked up the notebook and said to them, “I’m also a survivor who came here before. All my companions were killed by this Xu Yu. I’ve been hiding everywhere, that’s why I’m still alive. Please, take me with you, help me escape!”

She reached out, trying to grab Xi Yan’s arm, but Qing Yan immediately pushed her hand away.

Yet as Qing Yan’s hand touched Xiao Chen’s, she paused, staring at Xiao Chen in confusion. Xiao Chen’s hand was icy cold.

It was too dark for Xi Yan to notice the change in Qing Yan’s expression.

Looking at Xiao Chen, Xi Yan asked, “You mean this Xu Yu is no longer human, and has been killing the survivors?”

Xiao Chen nodded vigorously, fear etched across her face. “I just want to leave, but I don’t know how. Please, take me with you.”

Xi Yan wasn’t sure what to do, so he turned to Qing Yan—and noticed something was off about her.

“Qing Yan?” he probed. Qing Yan seemed absent, as if her soul had left her body.

“Huh? I…” Qing Yan was distracted, her gaze flickering uncertainly toward Xiao Chen. Without evasion, she pulled Xi Yan aside and whispered, “Her hand is freezing… it doesn’t feel like a living person’s…”

Qing Yan’s words made Xi Yan frown. He glanced back at Xiao Chen.

Xiao Chen didn’t seem odd at all, except for her body temperature.

Seeing the two of them whispering, Xiao Chen came over. “You don’t want to take me with you?”

“Why… why are your hands so cold?” Qing Yan asked.

Xiao Chen blinked helplessly. “Because it’s cold. Feel your own hands—they’re cold too, aren’t they?”

Qing Yan instinctively touched her own hands. They were cold, but not in the same unsettling way. There was something off about Xiao Chen, something she couldn’t pinpoint—perhaps just a woman’s intuition.

Xi Yan, seeing Qing Yan’s bewilderment, already knew the answer. He was well aware Qing Yan’s hands were cold—she had been holding onto him tightly.

“I told you, I’m alive. The atmosphere here is strange, I’m scared, and it’s cold at night. That’s why my hands are cold. You don’t need to worry,” Xiao Chen continued to explain.

“Do you know how to leave this place?” Xi Yan decided not to dwell on the temperature issue any longer, knowing it would get them nowhere.

Qing Yan asked no more questions, just clung to his sleeve, following wherever he went.

“I don’t know, but I heard from my previous teammates that there must be a way out somewhere in this amusement park. Let’s look together,” Xiao Chen replied.

Xi Yan nodded. There was no better option. Regardless of whether Xiao Chen was human, they could just be cautious.

He said to Qing Yan, “Let’s focus on getting out of here first. We’ll worry about the rest later.”

Qing Yan nodded obediently.

Xi Yan and Qing Yan began searching the amusement park for clues to escape, keeping a safe distance from Xiao Chen out of caution.

Xiao Chen seemed to understand their wariness and kept her distance as well.

They could see each other, but were too far apart for either side to launch a surprise attack.

…

After wandering for a while, Xi Yan and Qing Yan found themselves back at the carousel. This time, Xi Yan noticed another line of writing on a different horse.

“No! Don’t leave this place! Don’t leave!”

The handwriting was still crooked and frantic. But what did it mean—not to leave? Xi Yan was lost in confusion.

He tried to find the original line of writing he’d seen before, but no matter how hard he looked, he couldn’t find it.

The carousel wasn’t running, and all the rides in the park were shut down. Logically, the writing shouldn’t have disappeared. Had someone wiped it away? That didn’t make sense—there shouldn’t be anyone else here.

Was it Xiao Chen? That didn’t seem likely either. So what was happening…?

Xi Yan was more bewildered than ever. First, the endless loops, then the strange Xiao Chen claiming Xu Yu was dead, and now these cryptic messages.

“Xi Yan! Xi Yan!”

Qing Yan’s urgent grip on his sleeve snapped him out of his thoughts. Following her gaze, he saw someone approaching.

Xu Yu was walking toward them, still carrying that lantern.

Xi Yan could feel Qing Yan trembling as she clung to him.

Xu Yu stopped in front of them, eyeing them strangely. “You two aren’t done wandering yet? It’s the middle of the night.”

Xu Yu looked completely normal. Xi Yan wanted to look for Xiao Chen, but when he turned around, she had vanished.

Noticing Xi Yan glancing around, Xu Yu asked, “What’s wrong? Are you looking for someone?”

Xi Yan forced a smile. “No, it’s just that this amusement park is bigger than I thought. It’s easy to get lost.”

“That’s normal, especially at night. The layout is like a maze. Stop wandering and go back to rest. If you want to look around, I’ll show you tomorrow,” Xu Yu said warmly.

Xi Yan remembered that when he’d first seen Xu Yu, his face was emotionless. Now, he seemed just as friendly as he had at dusk. What was going on here?

“We…” Qing Yan tugged at Xi Yan’s sleeve, not wanting him to return. But Xi Yan patted her hand reassuringly and said to Xu Yu, “Alright, we’ll head back. But I don’t remember the way. Could you show us?”

Xu Yu nodded and led them back to their lodging, reminding them along the way, “It’s for your own good. I advise you not to go out at night. This place has its problems. That’s all I’ll say. Get some rest.”