Chapter 30 Mad Dog Hotel

That night, everyone's mood was even heavier than the night before.

Entering the ghost story world only took one night and one day, yet it left me utterly exhausted.

The endless stream of events had taken a toll on her mental and physical energy. Lu Qi sat leaning against the curtains in the same spot as last night, making it easy to observe the situation below through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

At 10:30, the eerie access control alarm sounded precisely on time.

It sounded like the alarm of a heart monitor echoing in the quiet hotel.

The silence was profound, and the sound, mixed with the cold, deep night, created an overwhelming desolation that engulfed Lu Qi, leaving him feeling suffocated by a dull, depressed mood and a suffocating loneliness.

Hopefully, no giant dogs will appear tonight, and no one will lose their lives.

She held a notebook in her hand and scribbled a few squares, each with a different label at the top: "power," "wit," "coward," etc. Scattered names were filled in the different label squares.

Lulu brought her a glass of warm water, sat down behind Lu Qi, tentatively wrapped one arm around her waist, and took the notebook from her hand with the other.

He looked at it several times, finally stopping at the last line, "Zhang Shu..." "Is it Zhang Shule?"

"You remembered that?" Lu Qi looked at him with slight surprise.

The 74 people met for only two hours, and no one introduced themselves. Lu Qi could only vaguely match a dozen or so names to the list.

"Half," Lulu said.

He likes humans, and he cares especially about the humans in his territory.

"You have a great memory," Lu Qi exclaimed, then added with a hint of surprise, "Why have I never seen your name at K University?"

She couldn't see Lulu because Lulu was socially awkward; but she also never saw Lulu on the list of scholarship and academic competition winners.

Although Lu Qi doesn't often check the rankings, Lulu's name is so unique that she should notice it if she's on the list.

Lulu paused for a moment, then suddenly laughed, "I'm four years younger than you. When you were a first-year graduate student, I had just started my studies, and the campus was different."

Lu Qi suddenly turned her head: "Four years? How come you graduated with a master's degree?"

“I didn’t want to stay at school without you, so I graduated early,” Lulu said.

Lu Qi was stunned, unsure whether to be shocked by Lulu's genius, who could skip three years at K University; or shocked that he had fallen in love with her so early; or shocked that she was dating a boy so young.

She always thought Lulu was only a year or two younger than her, at most three or four years younger—too young…

Lulu's existence, like this ghost story, is ethereal, illusory, and unrealistic.

Even though the two had no connection, a gentle and handsome junior was infatuated with her and skipped three grades for her.

She didn't want children, and he happened to be a medical madman who had his testicles removed... This whole series of events sounded even more bizarre than a classic ghost story.

Lulu picked up her notebook, subtly changing the subject, "Why haven't you finished writing?"

"My mind is a bit of a mess." Lu Qi leaned back into Lulu's arms and sighed wearily, "So many things happened today."

As she spoke, she looked up at Lulu behind her and asked, "Lulu, when you were in front, did VIP and Zhao Feipeng really bite someone?"

Lulu lowered her eyes, then shook her head. "I didn't see clearly. But they did rush towards the crowd."

"Professor Meng and I found a ball on the ground," Lu Qi guessed. "Were they just chasing the ball?"

Lulu didn't answer. Lu Qi frowned. "Why is there a ball? And it's such a bright yellow."

"It must be a toy brought by one of the children," Lulu said.

Lu Qi nodded, then hesitated and said, "It also looks a bit like a dog toy."

There were no preschool children here today, only children over four or five years old. Nowadays, it's rare to see such simple and unpretentious toys around.

“I’ll have to ask everyone tomorrow to find out who brought it,” she said. “We need to alert the parents.”

Lulu narrowed her eyes slightly. "If an ordinary ball can cause such a commotion, then other things can too. The key issue isn't the toy."

"I see……"

Lu Qi looked at his reflection in the water glass. "Zhao Feipeng and the VIP are dead. After they died, their owners also died... Adding the man who was bitten to death in the restaurant, that makes five lives."

Her voice was downcast, and Lulu asked, "Are you worried about Tian Miaoying?"

"Of course I was worried about her and Zhenyi, but seeing other people, even Zhao Feipeng, die was also very upsetting."

"Why?" Lulu tilted her head. "He bullied you, and he's a monster now, not human anymore."

He taught the person who hurt her a lesson; she should be happy.

“It might be because of the dog’s appearance…” Lu Qi hugged his knees, and after a long silence, he spoke softly, “My dog ​​was beaten to death by someone.”

Her spirits plummeted, and Lulu panicked, "They're not your dogs!"

"Yes, I know... I know. But they are people after all, whether they are good or bad, they are always kindred spirits." Lu Qi turned around and gave him a pale smile. "I'm fine, you don't need to worry."

"Hmm." Lulu frowned and echoed softly.

He quietly stayed with her, just like he used to stay with her in the closet, waiting for her emotions to slowly recover.

Lu Shi'an gathered the people together and had him collect a large amount of negative emotions over one night.

The black mist inside my body has already completely sealed off a window. When people see the situation on the first floor tomorrow morning, it will surely provide them with a lot more energy.

Regardless of who those [world's minions] are, Lulu is determined to protect their territory to the death.

This is his and Lu Qi's home. He can protect Lu Qi here and let her live a safe and healthy life.

As for her current unease—

Lulu lowered her head, her nose brushing against Lu Qi's hair.

“Don’t be afraid, baby,” he reassured gently over and over again. “The room is safe. There’s plenty of food and water, lights, air conditioning, and blankets.”

He understood her anxiety. All animals go through an adaptation period when they arrive in a new environment. Compared to males, females are more vigilant and more sensitive to changes in their environment.

This is temporary, lasting from a week to a year. Eventually, she will relax and live here peacefully and happily.

Hearing his words of comfort, Lu Qi tried to find humor in his misery, saying, "Yes, at least we're not in some desolate mountain tomb. Being trapped in a place with ample supplies is a stroke of luck amidst misfortune."

"Oh, right," she remembered, turning to look at Lulu, "you told me at the restaurant this afternoon that you had something to tell me when you got back?"

Lulu paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "No, it's alright."

"Huh?" Lu Qi asked in confusion, "What?"

"It's really okay now."

He already knew that Lu Qi planned to leave by killing the lord, just like everyone else.

Humans are indeed wise; they figured out how to leave in just one day.

Their thinking is correct: kill him, and the ghost story will fall apart.

"Are you really alright?" Lu Qi hesitated. His expression was very serious, not like it was just a casual, trivial matter.

Lulu kissed her cheek. "It's really okay. I just wanted to tell you that I love you and will always love you."

"You have a really good attitude." Lu Qi smiled helplessly. Four people had just died, yet he could still think about these things without changing his expression.

On second thought, this was probably Lulu trying to soothe her anxiety and distract her.

Lu Qi returned his kiss, thanking him for his thoughtfulness: "Thank you, Xiao Lu, thank you for being by my side. I... like you very much too."

Lulu's eyes curved into a sweet smile.

...

When Zhao Feipeng woke up in the hospital, the doctor told him that he had collapsed on the roadside and had been found and brought to the hospital for emergency treatment.

Physically, I'm fine, but mentally I'm extremely tired.

He felt as if he had been having a long nightmare, but he didn't remember the specific details of the dream. He only remembered the excruciating pain that felt like his head was being torn apart.

He returned home in a daze, and when he opened the door, he saw several Cavalier King Charles Spaniels in a cage.

A round dog head, moist black eyes, and the distinctive scent of a dog appeared before Zhao Feipeng's eyes, and he suddenly screamed in agony: "Ah!"

An unprovoked fear made his body tremble. He collapsed to the ground, staring in horror at the dog in the cage, clutching his head with both hands, and groaning as if he had a mind of his own.

Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch! It hurts so much!

"Ah, ahhhhh! Get away! Get away! It hurts!" His bloated body rolled around on the ground once, then he scrambled into the room and locked the door tightly.

After a long while, the pain in his brain gradually subsided. Zhao Feipeng gasped for breath and clutched his heart.

What's wrong with him...?

Why would he collapse on the roadside during the Chinese New Year?

What happened? Why did his head hurt so much just now...?

"Woof! Woof woof!"

The sound of barking came from outside the door, and the Cavalier King Charles Spaniels barked excitedly upon seeing their owner return home.

The sound pierced through the door panel, like steel needles stabbing into Zhao Feipeng's cochlea, and the excruciating pain that had just subsided suddenly surged back into his brain like a giant wave.

Zhao Feipeng howled, crouching down with his hands on his head. His round head swelled up to a reddish-purple color. He trembled and roared, "Stop yelling! Stop yelling! Shut up, you damned beast!"

To no avail, the elderly Cavalier King Charles Spaniel in the far corner suddenly let out a short, pitiful howl.

Zhao Feipeng was very familiar with this sound. The dog was old, not in good condition, and often had a relapse. Every day, it would lie in its cage and kick its head from time to time.

This dog is hard to get rid of, and even breeding it is difficult. Zhao Feipeng can only use it as a blood donor. He occasionally goes to the hospital to donate blood to other people's dogs, earning a few hundred yuan and getting a blood donation hero medal. It's a way of making use of the dog.

But now, the dog's pitiful howls echoed in Zhao Feipeng's ears, coiling around his brain like threads, tightening with each bark.

His soft brain felt like cheese being cut with a wire, causing Zhao Feipeng excruciating pain.

Pain, pain! How can there be such suffering in this world? Even breathing is an unbearable torment.

In a daze, he let out a bark like a dog: short and shrill.

Human voices and dog barks mingled together, gradually becoming indistinguishable.

"Ah, ah, ah—!" Zhao Feipeng clutched his ears, rushed out of the house, and fled as if he had seen a ghost.

As soon as he ran out of the house, the excruciating pain in his head suddenly disappeared.

He paused for a moment, standing on the road, and was given strange looks by passersby.

What happened...?

What happened? His headache is gone, because of the dog…

"Ugh—" Zhao Feipeng suddenly squatted down, his head starting to ache again just thinking about the dogs at home.

Doctor, he needs to go to the hospital, he needs to see a doctor!

Zhao Feipeng returned to the hospital, but no matter how the doctors examined him, they couldn't find anything wrong.

"Is it because of too much stress?" He was referred to the neurology department. "Tell me, what has happened recently?"

Facing the doctor's calm gaze, Zhao Feipeng opened his mouth.

A strong urge to confide was stuck in his throat, but when he opened his mouth, he couldn't say anything.

What's been happening lately?

He didn't know; he only remembered seeing some kind of academic training for dogs, and before he could decide whether to go, he woke up in the hospital.

"I don't know, I don't remember," he stammered fearfully. "I think I had a nightmare, a dream with lots of scary dogs..."

"Are you in the pet industry?" The doctor looked at his resume. "You may be under too much work pressure. I'll prescribe some medication for you and suggest you try to stay away from stressors as much as possible."

"That won't do!" Zhao Feipeng retorted without hesitation. "I make a living off dogs. Without them, I..."

Before he could finish speaking, the image of the King Charles Spaniels flashed through his mind, and then another sharp pain shot through his brain.

"Ah!" he cried out in pain, and the doctor quickly got up to help him. "Are you alright?"

"N-nothing!" Zhao Feipeng shook off his hand, panting. "Give me...give me the medicine!"

He can't live without those dogs. He'll get better after he takes his medicine!

Staggering out of the hospital, the sunlight was so bright he could hardly open his eyes, and he accidentally bumped into something.

Zhao Feipeng looked down and saw a child wearing a gray hoodie walk past him.

The other person was not tall, just over 1.5 meters, and the hood of his sweatshirt covered his head.

"Hey!" He was already annoyed by a strange headache when this unlucky guy showed up at his door, so he immediately cursed him without any politeness, "Are you blind?!"

The child stopped and turned to look at him.

Beneath the hood was a fair, baby-faced appearance.

Zhao Feipeng then realized that the other person was not a child, but a teenage girl.

The girl's clear black and white eyes looked over, and Zhao Feipeng suddenly got goosebumps when she stared at him.

His gaze was eerie. He cursed in a harsh voice, "Bad luck," and hurriedly left with the medicine.

The girl turned around and watched his departing figure.

A wisp of light black mist drifted from her body into Zhao Feipeng's body.

This is what she just knocked out of Zhao Feipeng.

He doesn't need her help, so she'll give it back to him.

The girl twitched her delicate nose, memorizing the scent of Zhao Feipeng and the wisp of black mist, and followed the scent towards the outskirts of the city.

The city is changing too fast. Water trucks and cleaners are everywhere. There are too many people and too many cars. It took her some time to track them down to the seaside.

The girl looked up at the hotel complex shrouded in black mist.

She stretched out her pale hand, her fingertips touching the outer edge of the black mist.

[Who is it!]

A harsh bird call rang out from the sky. The girl looked up and saw a giant swallow with a black back and white belly emerge from the black mist.

It flapped its wings, stared at her with hostility, and opened its mouth to let out a strange cry:

[What are you!]

The girl stared at it, making the swallow feel uncomfortable: [I'm talking to you! What are you doing... quack!]

Before the words were finished, a broad-backed, short-handled cleaver suddenly shot out. The swallow swiftly turned and flipped, but three inches of its left wing were still cut off.

The wind from the blade was fierce, and the swallow cried out in fright. Before it could regain its footing, the girl on the ground suddenly leaped into the air and looked at the swallow at eye level.

With her left fist raised, she smashed it straight at Yanzi's face.

The swallow had never seen such a ruthless creature since it was born. It panicked and turned into mist, leaving only a broken black feather on its tail to save its life.

The punch missed the swallow, but the force of the punch landed in the air. Half a breath later, the black mist twenty meters away from the punch suddenly trembled, like a boulder thrown into a lake, creating ripples.

Swallow, who had fled behind the girl, was dumbfounded.

What kind of creature is this? It almost shattered the barrier with a punch from a distance!

"You..." it stared at the girl, terrified. "You are... [a minion of the world]!"

The broadsword that had been thrown out returned to the girl's hand.

She was quite petite, and the short-handled machete was almost half her body length.

The girl turned around, her clear black and white eyes fixed on Yanzi, and said succinctly, "Open the door."

"No way!" Yanzi roared. "Go ahead and break it by force! Smash the barrier, forcibly stop the ghost story, and everyone inside will become an idiot!"

Without a word, the girl drew her knife and charged at Yanzi.

She stared intently at Yanzi, her eyes more ferocious than the cleaver behind her.

Oh, Master! The swallow flapped its wings, desperately trying to fly away.

It can't beat them!

Its first ghost story involved only five deaths before [the world's minions] came looking for it!

What a hateful world! What's the difference between these damned lackeys and locusts!

It fled very quickly, and the girl chased after it for a while before stopping and giving up.

Back on the ground, she looked at the park shrouded in black mist before her, her brows furrowed with worry.

I'm late.

When [World] notified her, she was still in the previous mission.

If the older sisters were here, they could immediately enter the ghost story and rescue the people inside.

She can't.

She wasn't clever enough to distinguish between the world's goodwill and the rules fabricated by the Ghost Lord.

Moreover, she is not good at dealing with humans.

Humans always regarded her as the ruler of ghost stories and attacked her en masse.

Once an [mystery tale] has begun, it cannot be violently destroyed or forcibly interrupted, as this will shock the mind and turn those caught up in it into idiots.

The other sisters are all in other ghost stories; she's the only one here.

The girl stared at the black mist for a while, looking troubled, before finally resigning herself to her fate, putting away the machete and taking out a folding fruit knife from her pocket.

She lay prone outside the park, rubbing the barrier little by little with a knife, trying her best not to harm the humans inside and to avoid being noticed by the lord.

From dawn till dusk, the girl huddled outside the fog, meticulously and carefully grinding the crevices with her small knife.

This task was quite time-consuming, but fortunately she was very skilled at it.

-----------------------

Author's note: Yes, I'm not dead, I won't die, if I died I would have been released.

A small knife can't kill a person.

If someone actually dies, they will lose their qualification to become a male protagonist on Jinjiang Literature City.

Lulu panicked, "They're not your dogs!"

[Lu Qi is upset]: Panic!

[Lu Qi treats Zhao Feipeng like her dog]: Panic! Panic!

She always thought Lulu was only a year or two younger than her, at most three or four years younger—too young…

They are actually 15 years apart.