Chapter 69

Chapter 69

The small room was located at the very back of the photo studio. It had no door, only a thin gray curtain partially covering the entrance. A light was on inside, but the glow it cast outside was a deep red due to the walls inside being painted in red lacquer.

Just as He Min finished speaking, everyone seemed to catch a glimpse of a fleeting red figure inside. It was hard to discern because its color blended too well with the background.

"What the heck?!" Xia Rui exclaimed, asking everyone, "Did anyone else see something red flash by just now?"

Han Dongni hesitated, “... I think I did.”

Xie Yinxue stated firmly, “Yes.”

Compared to Han Dongni's hesitant reply, Xie Yinxue's concise answer was much more certain.

Xi Can, clinging to Yan Wenhe’s arm, asked, "Was it a real-life NPC?"

Yan Wenhe paused before answering, “Doesn’t look like it? It seemed too small. But I couldn’t see clearly.”

Following up, Liu Buhua suggested, “Why don’t we go check it out?”

"You're brave."

Feeling a bit disappointed with her failed attempt at getting to know the handsome Xie Yinxue, Han Dongni turned to Liu Buhua, “Aren’t you scared?”

Liu Buhua, much more talkative than Xie Yinxue, said nonchalantly, “Why be afraid? It’s not a real ghost. At most, it’s just an NPC. Even if it were a real ghost, I wouldn’t be scared.”

“I would still be,” Han Dongni said with a wry smile. “Can’t help it, I’m easily scared but love to play.”

Liu Buhua stepped forward, taking the lead, “Then follow behind me.”

So, the group proceeded, ignoring the eerie photos on the walls that seemed to watch them. Xie Yinxue lagged a few steps behind and noticed some empty frames on the wall with spooky photos, with no pictures inside them.

Shifting his gaze, he followed the group, pushing aside the curtain to enter the small room. Once inside, they realized it was a compact dressing room of about six square meters. There were floor-to-ceiling racks full of clothes on the left, and on the right was a locked door. There was also a square, empty photo frame fixed to the wall near the bottom right corner of the door.

"There's a small gap." Approaching for a closer look, Xie Yinxue noticed a tiny crack near the frame and began to provide a scientific explanation for the red figure they had just seen. "Theoretically, if what we saw wasn’t a real-life NPC, it must have been an effect created by a mechanism in this room."

He Min nodded in agreement with Xie Yinxue and tugged on Xi Can's sleeve, "Isn't it similar to that escape room we played in last time?"

Holding her chest, Xi Can said, "That truly startled me."

"We’ve only just begun, and you’re already scared?" Yan Wenhe teased his girlfriend with a grin, "If you're scared, just hold onto me."

Ignoring the young couple's public display of affection, Liu Buhua leaned in close to Xie Yinxue and whispered, "Godfather, are you telling the truth?"

Xie Yinxue admitted, "I was just speculating. It's both our first time here, isn’t it?"

Liu Buhua: "..."

Xie Yinxue added, "But I haven't sensed any negative energies here."

"True." After pondering for a moment, Liu Buhua felt the red figure was probably just a mechanism to scare them, "We’re not like Zhu Yikun. We can’t possibly encounter real ghosts in an escape room."

"If we could, it'd be our lucky day." Thinking of the ghost summoning game they played during the Ghost Festival without any success, Xie Yinxue sighed, "Too bad we didn’t bring Ah Ji here."

Liu Buhua also let out a sigh.

Only Xia Rui was sincerely engrossed in the game. Holding the golden lock on the inner door, he said, "We need to find the key for this lock. Let's search for it."

Without hesitation, Xie Yinxue pointed to the floor-to-ceiling clothing rack on the left, "It's highly probable that it's in one of those pockets."

Hearing his suggestion, everyone began searching through the pockets of each garment.

Xie Yinxue, having provided the hint, stood back and watched the others, quickly counting that there were over twenty sets of clothes on the rack. They varied in color and design, each corresponding to the Republic-era theme of the room.

In less than two minutes, Yan Wenhe found a key in the sleeve pocket of an ochre-colored coat with button loops, "Got it! I wouldn't have found it if the sleeve didn't feel a bit heavy. Who would've thought it had a sleeve pocket?"

"Impressive!" Xi Can examined the key and then looked at Xie Yinxue with gleaming eyes, "How did you know? Have you played a similar theme before?"

With a gentle smile, Xie Yinxue replied, "We’re rookies, but it wasn't too challenging."

Compared to the trials he faced in the "Eternal Lock" scenario, this escape room felt like child's play. Regardless of the room's theme, there was no immediate threat to their lives, so there was none of the usual stress or anxiety.

"But we certainly don’t think as fast as you," Xia Rui commented, giving Xie Yinxue a thumbs-up. "It's great having you here. I feel like we won’t need to use the walkie-talkie to ask for hints from the staff."

Part of the allure of escape rooms is the thrill of figuring things out on one's own. It's always best to refrain from using the walkie-talkie for hints, and stricter escape rooms even limit the number of times players can ask for assistance from the staff. If you can't get through, you'll just have to revisit and try again.

Moreover, given that the staff mistakenly assigned them the wrong themed room, and haven't yet realized the oversight, what would happen if they contacted the staff and inadvertently reminded them of the error?

When complimented by Xia Rui, Xie Yinxue simply smiled without responding.

Xia Rui didn't prolong the chat, choosing instead to use the key to unlock the door.

As he pushed open the door, a disheveled, black-haired head suddenly dropped down. However, a red string suspended it, leaving it hovering just above Xia Rui's head.

He Min and Xi Can, walking right behind him, were immediately startled, screaming and leaping back to maintain a distance.

Xia Rui seemed to be in a daze, staring intently at the head. It was only after he felt the putrid liquid dripping from the severed neck of the head that he regained his senses.

"Damn, damn! It's blood! It's all over me!"

Frantically wiping his face, Xia Rui smeared the blood even more, painting his face a gruesome red. When he turned back to the others, their expressions were frozen in shock.

"Whoa!" Liu Buhua exclaimed, his voice filled with awe, "Is it always this intense?"

He felt this escape room was even more thrilling than the "Eternal Lock" scenario.

Xie Yinxue stepped forward, parting the hair from the head and even pinched its face, raising an eyebrow as he commented, "It's a fake head, made of plastic."

The others were once again taken aback by Xie Yinxue's audacity. In the next moment, Liu Buhua also approached, inspecting the head alongside him, "It seems to be modeled after Sadako."

Without their confirmation, the others could tell from the overly grotesque and sinister expression that it was a prop. Though it was indeed chilling, it wasn't a face that a deceased person would typically exhibit.

Still, fake or not, it was undoubtedly terrifying.

Han Dongni, taking refuge behind Yan Wenhe and Xi Can, was too frightened to approach the head, "Can you cover it up again? It's making me uneasy..."

Complying with her request, Liu Buhua rearranged the hair to conceal its face.

After regaining her composure, He Min approached Xia Rui, dabbing a bit of the wet blood from his face and sniffing it, "Is this real blood?"

Xie Yinxue nodded in affirmation, "Yes."

"So, the metallic scent you detected earlier came from this blood?" He Min said, looking impressed, "You have quite the keen nose, able to detect it through all those doors."

Xie Yinxue remained noncommittal.

Xi Can then inquired, "Can you identify the type of blood by its scent?"

Xie Yinxue shook his head, responding, "I can't discern that."

"It could be chicken, duck, cow, or pig," Yan Wenhe comfortingly patted Xi Can's hand, saying, "It's definitely not human blood. Don't be frightened."

In Liu Buhua's eyes, Xie Yinxue could do no wrong. Seeing him shake his head, Liu Buhua suspected Xie Yinxue was withholding information and quietly pressed, "Godfather, are you sure you can't identify it?"

Xie Yinxue replied with a chuckle, "I don't cook, so even if I've smelled human blood, I wouldn't know how it's distinct from animal blood."

"That makes sense," mused Liu Buhua, stroking his chin, "Once we leave the secret room, I'll buy some blood to investigate."

"It's unsettling, but also exhilarating," Xia Rui remarked, his face smeared with blood, invigorated as he continued the search. "It seems like a makeup room."

The room they found themselves in was considerably larger than the dressing room outside. It was divided into two sections. The front section housed a vanity table and mirror, while the back section had three separate changing cubicles. However, the walls were all drenched in a bloody hue.

The vanity mirror appeared to have been tampered with; reflections were grotesquely distorted. Atop the vanity lay items like eyeshadow palettes, combs, and rouge. However, like the vases at the entrance, they were affixed in place, immovable. On the walls hung a bright red traditional wedding gown, with an unknown red cloth, perhaps a veil, dropped at its hem.

Xie Yinxue picked it up for a closer examination, informing the group, "The red figure we saw was likely this. It's perforated, indicating it was rapidly pulled from the adjacent room through the frame near the door by a string."

Upon hearing this, Xia Rui inspected the side of the door and, indeed, found a small hook behind the frame. He chuckled, "Knowing the mechanism, it doesn't seem as scary now, does it?"

"It's all artificial," Yan Wenhe, who had shown little fear since entering the secret room, stated, "Once you grasp that, it becomes less terrifying."

Han Dongni, however, didn't share the sentiment.

Initially, she had led the group with confidence, drawing from her past escape room experiences. But as they progressed, her courage waned, especially after the sudden appearance of a severed head at the makeup room entrance.

It's often said that what we fear, we can't help but think about.

That was the case with Han Dongni now.

Terrified of the severed head, she repeatedly told herself not to think of it. Yet, she couldn't resist glancing at it, only to find the head slowly turning.

How could it move on its own without any wind in the room?

It was as if it mirrored her actions. As she looked, it turned, its blood-red, vengeful eyes fixed intently on her.

Even though the face was obscured by disheveled black hair, making it hard to pinpoint its direction, the mere thought petrified Han Dongni. A chilling sensation coursed through her, goosebumps rising, the tingling sensation traveling up to the crown of her head.

"Have you found any new clues?" she asked, her voice trembling and choked with emotion. "I'm so scared. Can we hurry and find a way out of this escape room?"

Xia Rui pointed to a brown, intricately carved wooden box on the vanity. "There's a box here. The lid is loose, indicating there's something inside, but we can't open it."

"There's also this TV that won't turn on," Xie Yinxue remarked, slightly shifting to indicate the vintage television set placed to his left on the vanity. "The power button is sealed. We'll need a remote to operate it."

Without Xie Yinxue elaborating further, the others began to piece things together.

"The box must contain the TV remote, right?" Yan Wenhe deduced, "But how do we open it?"

Bending over to inspect the box, Liu Buhua mused, "Perhaps it requires triggering a mechanism."

The box lacked an external lock, implying the latch was internal. Thus, some mechanism had to be activated to open it automatically.

However, despite a thorough search of the dressing room, they found no such mechanism. Even the individual changing cubicles yielded no clues.

Guessing the box's contents was one thing, but it was pointless if they couldn't access them.

Baffled, Yan Wenhe, Xia Rui, and the others turned expectant eyes to Xie Yinxue, hoping he might have an answer. After all, among them, Xie Yinxue was the quickest thinker.

If even Xie Yinxue was stumped, their best bet might be to ask for assistance from the staff.

The problem certainly kept Xie Yinxue pondering for a moment. He took a deep breath, scanning the makeup room, but his gaze ultimately settled on the small dressing room they had first entered.

He asked the group, "We came here for a photo session, right?"

"Yes," He Min responded almost instinctively, "Isn't the name of this escape room 'The Terrifying Photo Studio'?"

Continuing his line of thought, Xie Yinxue pressed, "Since we're here for photos, and we're currently in a room meant for guests to change and apply makeup, with clothing racks outside, shouldn't we... get dressed and made up?"

A hushed silence enveloped the escape room.

Yan Wenhe quickly caught on, giving Xi Can's hand a little shake, "Right! And we have our role cards!"

His remark jogged Xia Rui's memory. Picking up his role card, he calmly passed by the hanging severed head towards the clothing rack. Matching the picture next to his role name, he quickly found the exact outfit depicted.

Holding up the outfit for everyone to see, Xia Rui confirmed, "It's here."

"Oh," realized Liu Buhua, "So, we're supposed to find these outfits and wear them?"

Han Dongni swallowed hard, shaking her head resolutely, "I'd never put on those clothes."

Xi Can remarked, "We might not necessarily have to wear them, but we definitely need to gather all the outfits."

"I can't go there anymore; that severed head is too horrifying," Han Dongni, still traumatized by the sight of the hanging head, shrank back into the group. Turning to Liu Buhua, she pleaded, "Liu Brother, can you find it for me? Here's my role card."

"Sure, no problem!"

The affectionate call of "Liu Brother" warmed Liu Buhua's heart. Not only did he readily agree, but he also offered to the others, "Are you all scared too? Give me your role cards, and I can retrieve the clothes for everyone."

Overwhelmed with gratitude, Han Dongni thanked him profusely after handing over her card.

Xi Can and He Min followed suit, admitting, "Thank you so much. I'm too hesitant to go there myself."

Although Yan Wenhe wasn't scared, Xi Can clung to him tightly, leaving him no choice but to hand over his card to Liu Buhua as well.

Xie Yinxue, observing Han Dongni's initial interest in him, kept his distance. It wasn't that he wanted to particularly avoid her, but after choosing the life of a "loner", he didn't want to string anyone along. Hence, he tended to be distant and cold to those interested in him.

However, seeing Han Dongni, who had seemed brave at the start, now trembling with fear as she watched Liu Buhua pass the severed head, he was amused. Curiously, he asked, "Why are you so afraid of that head? Didn't Buhua show you it's fake by parting its hair?"

"I know it's fake, but... but..." Han Dongni, eyes fixed on the head, finally shared her earlier observation after much hesitation, "It moved just now!"

"Moved?" Xie Yinxue, taken aback, followed her gaze to the head.

Yet, the head remained motionless, suspended in front of the door.

Voice trembling, Han Dongni elaborated, "...I saw it turning, just like how we turn our heads."

The face of the severed head was completely obscured by its hair, making it hard to determine if it had indeed moved.

What shocked Han Dongni more was Xie Yinxue's fearless approach to the door. He looked up at the head and brushed away its black hair.

And then she saw it: the terrifying visage of the head had indeed shifted — it had changed direction!

Initially facing the dressing room, it was now glaring into the makeup room with its blood-red eyes, fixed intently on them.

Author's note:

NPC: I feared you might miss me during our time apart, so I wrote you a letter.

Xie Lao: Buhua and I are having a blast. Please, don't disturb us.

npc：？