Chapter 103: No, you called me husband last night.
Outside, the wind and snow created a world of pure white, while the room was filled with the blood-red hue of intimacy.
Unable to see anything, An Wujiu seemed able to let go of his dignity and choose to indulge himself.
He loved Shen Ti.
An Wujiu knew his days were numbered, with a guillotine hanging over his head. If, on some day, that blade fell, and he learned of his sister’s departure the same way he had learned of his mother’s death, he would be in such pain that he would want to give up. He was just a model manipulated by others, a test program. Why couldn’t he break down? Why couldn’t he test to a bad result?
But because of Shen Ti, An Wujiu was willing to endure these pains.
Because of him, An Wujiu wasn’t afraid to repeatedly practice accepting the worst beginnings and endings in life.
He might really love Shen Ti more than he had imagined.
In fact, An Wujiu wanted to see Shen Ti’s face, to look at him, but he was afraid he might cry, so he simply closed his eyes.
Even in the darkness, he could recreate Shen Ti’s appearance in his mind, the expression on his face with every move he made.
An Wujiu could almost feel the texture of Shen Ti’s fingertips, pressing over his protruding collarbone, imprinting on his skin. Under Shen Ti’s random caresses, An Wujiu no longer felt cold.
For some reason, just as Shen Ti’s palm pressed against his left chest, his heart beat so fast that he could hardly breathe, as if he were seriously ill.
Just as An Wujiu was about to open his mouth, Shen Ti, half-pressed on top of him, suddenly kissed him, as if his attempt at a deep breath was actually an open invitation.
So naturally, they tangled together, like two slippery fish, their faces close together in the warm, humid mist.
Shen Ti’s gentle actions made it impossible for An Wujiu to refuse. He could only press his hand against Shen Ti’s chest, his wrist resting just below Shen Ti’s collarbone.
“Is it okay?”
Shen Ti asked intermittently.
This actually surprised An Wujiu a bit. He had thought Shen Ti would act without asking, but it turned out he would consider his feelings.
He felt Shen Ti lift his head, as if looking at him. At this moment, An Wujiu didn’t want to care about Shen Ti’s true identity; he only felt the tenderness of being cared for. But they were in a relationship of give and take, a balance of control and confrontation. So when Shen Ti was cautious, An Wujiu’s heart harbored a bit of malice, wanting to tease him.
“Can you?”
As soon as he said this, there was no half-second of silence before An Wujiu felt his hip bone being gripped.
Shen Ti’s voice was right by his ear.
“What can’t I do?”
“The altar even gave us a demonstration. You watched it, didn’t you learn?”
Before An Wujiu could respond, Shen Ti laughed again. “Just kidding.” He kissed An Wujiu’s ear. “Even if I hadn’t seen it, I think I could do it.”
“Why?” An Wujiu’s hand unconsciously climbed up Shen Ti’s neck, his voice filled with amusement.
“Because… well, answering something like this at a time like this feels insincere and purposeful,” Shen Ti’s tone was serious, “but I still have to say it.”
“Because I love you.”
An Wujiu couldn’t describe the feeling of his heart moving at that moment, it felt as though his heart was slowly sinking into Shen Ti’s chest like a setting sun.
A smile formed at the corner of his mouth as he kissed Shen Ti’s left hand on his cheek.
“So, I think I shouldn’t perform too badly. I should be able to please you…”
Shen Ti suddenly realized his words sounded strange, so he abruptly stopped talking.
He was afraid An Wujiu would say “Do you think that would make me happy” again, afraid he would ruin the atmosphere.
The air flowed quietly.
An Wujiu couldn’t help but laugh softly. “You’re so cute.”
He was often elusive, mysterious, and strange, but when facing him, his hidden innocence, enthusiasm, and love were unadorned, with no concealment.
This description left Shen Ti bewildered.
Him? Cute?
Wasn’t that term associated with furry little creatures? He was over six feet tall, far above the average human height, how could he be cute?
“I…”
Shen Ti didn’t have time to refute.
“Let’s try,” An Wujiu said, then wrapped both hands around his neck and kissed him.
…
An Wujiu woke up once during the night. This was the first time he felt this exhausted.
He didn’t sleep soundly, constantly thinking this might be their last night in this game, so he kept drifting in and out of sleep. Whenever he was slightly awake, he would instinctively reach out for Shen Ti, and only when he felt Shen Ti holding him would he feel at ease.
The rules of this game were not favorable to either of them. Several players on the field harbored hostility towards him and were very wary. Perhaps they would kill him on the first night.
Among the cultists was a gargoyle, and even his teammates didn’t know who it was. There was a possibility that someone might kill him on the first night, so the witch would be extremely cautious with the potion, fearing to save a cultist by mistake.
Half-asleep, An Wujiu thought of this and couldn’t sleep. Thinking that dawn should be near, he lay quietly in Shen Ti’s arms, planning his strategy for the next day if he survived.
He didn’t know how long he lay there before realizing something strange.
For such a long time, Shen Ti hadn’t moved at all.
An Wujiu’s heart skipped a beat. He reached out to touch Shen Ti’s hand and tried to push him.
Only when pushed did Shen Ti move, once again hugging An Wujiu.
Only then did he feel reassured.
That night, he had asked Shen Ti to take off his gloves because he wanted to feel the texture of his hands. He did so then, and now, he did the same. An Wujiu covered Shen Ti’s hand with his own, their body heat mingling. Suddenly, he felt as though those lines were alive, very hot, surging beneath his skin like snakes, like eerie vines.
An Wujiu didn’t flinch; he only held his hand tighter, so tight that the strange things moving beneath the surface almost seemed to penetrate his palm.
He had actually anticipated something like this.
But he neither believed it nor feared it.
An Wujiu told himself that things would be different when they returned to reality.
Gradually, perhaps because his psychological suggestion really took effect, the strange movements of those lines disappeared. They did not break through the surface.
Could it have been a hallucination?
As he pondered this, An Wujiu suddenly heard Shen Ti, in his sleep, mumbling his name.
“Wujiu…”
An Wujiu lowered his eyes and interlocked their fingers.
“I’m here.”
When dawn broke, miraculously, An Wujiu’s vision also cleared. The first thing he saw was Shen Ti’s hand, a hand covered with blue lines and prominent veins.
His broad shoulders were exposed to the cold air. An Wujiu, afraid he might be cold, pulled the quilt up to cover Shen Ti.
The daylight outside was dazzling with the reflection of the snow, as if reminding him that he and Shen Ti had both survived the first night.
Before long, Shen Ti also opened his eyes, and his first reaction was to smile and hug An Wujiu.
“You didn’t sleep well, did you?” His face was buried in An Wujiu’s shoulder, his nose brushing against him, inhaling the comforting scent.
You really have to thank the altar for its powerful construction ability, making every experience infinitely close to reality.
“How did you know?”
An Wujiu’s fingers slid down his slightly curved spine.
“Of course I knew, you couldn’t relax before dawn.”
An Wujiu exhaled a long, steady breath, white mist condensing and lingering in the air.
“Yes.”
Shen Ti loosened his hold a bit, cupping An Wujiu’s face, touching their foreheads together, his face unable to hide his happiness.
An Wujiu easily caught his mood, a smile forming on his lips.
“What are you so smug about?”
Shen Ti raised an eyebrow, “I’m this handsome, with a brilliant and beautiful wife, how can I not be smug?”
An Wujiu raised his hand and pinched his face.
Shen Ti continued, “No, you called me ‘husband’ last night… Ow, ow, ow, I won’t say it anymore.”
As soon as An Wujiu let go, Shen Ti flipped over, pinning him down, his previous act of begging for mercy completely gone, pretending as if it was all real.
“Pretending you don’t know me with your eyes closed?”
An Wujiu’s smile deepened, “Yeah, I couldn’t see.”
Shen Ti raised his brows, looking down with a casual expression, “Then look at me and let’s do it again.”
But he didn’t get his way.
The sanctified voice very disruptively issued an announcement at this moment.
“Good morning, players. I trust you all had a wonderful night.”
Shen Ti looked displeased, “If you hadn’t interrupted, I could’ve had a wonderful morning too.”
An Wujiu just wanted to laugh. How could he argue with a system voice?
He patted Shen Ti’s arm, indicating for him to get off, but Shen Ti refused.
“Now, please prepare for this morning’s ritual.”
The playful Shen Ti also paused.
An Wujiu felt a bit nervous. The holy voice didn’t directly announce the deaths from last night, making him worried, hoping nothing happened to his teammates.
Suddenly, he heard a voice from a nearby room, grumbling, “So soon? Can’t we sleep a bit longer!”
“The soundproofing here is that bad…” An Wujiu looked at Shen Ti.
Shen Ti, however, patted his head comfortingly, “It’s okay, the sound isn’t that loud.”
An Wujiu had nothing to say.
“In thirty minutes, please proceed to the hall of the Obsidian Temple, stand in order from 1 to 12 in front of the light pillars, and perform the morning ritual before the deity.
Once everyone is gathered, the specific rules of the morning ritual will be explained.”
The holy voice announced a brief piece of good news without any emotion.
“I wonder how last night went.” An Wujiu said softly.
“Judging by their approach, they probably don’t intend to announce it directly. Maybe they’ll declare the deaths during the morning ritual, which means someone could die on the spot.” Shen Ti shrugged as he spoke, then got up and walked to the table to pour An Wujiu a glass of water. But the water was cold, and he hesitated about whether to let An Wujiu drink it.
An Wujiu had a nagging doubt in his mind, but there wasn’t much time, so he didn’t dwell on it.
The snow outside hadn’t stopped all night, and even now, the sky was filled with snowflakes drifting like catkins. It seemed colder than the previous day.
Shen Ti draped his cloak over An Wujiu, but he refused.
“It’s heavy.” An Wujiu said this on purpose, putting the cloak back on Shen Ti, “You can’t get sick yourself.”
As they walked out, they happened to encounter Zhou Yijue. When they crossed paths, Zhou Yijue’s lips curled into a slight smile, an expression that looked polite and friendly to anyone.
“Good morning.” Zhou Yijue raised an eyebrow, his eyes falling on An Wujiu. “You look good today.”
“You too.” An Wujiu replied coldly, his face completely devoid of the liveliness and passion he showed with Shen Ti. Draped in a black fur cloak, his pale and indifferent face resembled a finely sculpted statue covered in ice and snow.
A few people had already arrived early, including Lao Yu. Seeing Shen Ti and An Wujiu walking together, his face showed only disdain.
“You two actually got together.”
“Is that something surprising?” An Wujiu said flatly.
Shen Ti laughed, “Yeah, shouldn’t you think we’re a good match?”
Lao Yu, stifled by their comments, was momentarily speechless.
Megan, standing beside Lao Yu, laughed and said, “A good match indeed. But you two aren’t both cultists, are you? Otherwise, why wouldn’t you even bother to avoid suspicion?”
An Wujiu looked at her with a smile that held a certain distance, “Miss, if you are a good person, inciting disputes and sowing discord among players is not the behavior of a good person.”
Megan chuckled dryly, “Just kidding. I don’t really think you’re wolves.”
An Wujiu lowered his eyes and returned to the pillar he had stood by the previous night. The others followed suit and returned to their positions.
People gradually gathered. Wu You was the last to come out, and Shen Ti teased him, “In the growth phase, it’s normal to sleep a lot. Otherwise, how will you grow taller?”
Wu You gave him a sidelong glance, “You’re always sleepy, how come you haven’t grown up to the sky?”
An Wujiu pressed his lips together, his eyes falling on Matsubara opposite him, noticing that his expression seemed different from yesterday.
Could he have a special role?
“All players are present. The morning ritual is about to begin. First, the rules will be introduced.”
“Before the sacrifice discussion begins, there will be a mid-priest election. Players who want to participate in the election step forward. All candidates will speak in a designated order, and the remaining players will vote to elect the mid-priest they have in mind.
Please note, the elected mid-priest will have 1.5 votes. This extra half vote could be the key decision.
Players who no longer wish to be candidates during the election can step back at any time before voting begins. Voting players cannot vote for those who withdraw.
After electing the mid-priest, the deaths from the previous night will be announced. Then, the mid-priest will decide the speaking order, and players will speak one by one. When a player is speaking, other players will temporarily lose their ability to speak.
Based on the election speeches and subsequent speeches, everyone will vote for who they believe to be a cultist and exile them for sacrifice.”
The holy voice paused, “Therefore, players, please observe carefully and speak well. After the morning ritual, you will have free time.”
“Of course, that’s if you can survive.”
An Wujiu paid special attention to everyone’s numbers.
Number one was himself, number two Lao Yu, number three Toudou Sakura, number four Zhou Yijue, number five Megan, number six Nan Shan, number seven Shen Ti, number eight Wu You, number nine Noah, number ten Andrew, number eleven Yang Ce, and number twelve Matsubara Mori.
A countdown appeared once again above the empty space among them, this time with only ten seconds of preparation time.
After ten seconds ended:
“Players who want to run for mid-priest, please step forward.”
“Players number one, two, three, four, five, seven, ten, eleven, and twelve are participating in the election. Players number six, eight, and nine are not participating and only have voting rights.”
“The system randomly selects the speaking order.”
“Starting from player number three, speeches will be in reverse order. Player number two, please prepare.”
“Player number three, Toudou Sakura, please speak.”
Toudou Sakura appeared relaxed, “I am the seer. Last night, I checked player number two next to me, because his way of speaking, it sounds particularly fierce to me.”
She looked weak and pitiful, “I’m really afraid of such fierce uncles, so I checked him. He’s my detection result, a wolf.”
An Wujiu stared at Toudou Sakura, watching her turn and look at Lao Yu with a smile.
“Uncle, are you very angry now, being detected by me right off the bat?”
“Why don’t you just blow yourself up? Hmm?”
