Chapter 27 Mad Dog Hotel
The five people stood frozen in place, stared at by a pack of dogs on three sides.
Huang Zhenyi and Lü Shian walked at the back, closest to the dog.
Huang Zhenyi's face turned pale, and he instinctively took two steps forward, trying to distance himself from the dog.
As soon as he left, the pack of dogs standing silently behind him immediately took two steps forward, just like when people in a queue move forward one step at a time, the whole line automatically moves forward to fill the gap.
The group held their breath, no one caring about maintaining composure at that moment.
Fear is fear; bluffing is useless. Even an ordinary dog can see through human emotions at a glance, let alone these strange creatures.
The exit is less than 100 meters away.
Lu Qi gritted his teeth, turned around, and faced the pack of dogs.
A dozen pairs of dark eyes immediately turned to her, sending chills down her spine. She forced out a "Hello, excuse me, could you... please let me pass?" through clenched teeth.
The three stared at Lu Qi in shock, unable to determine whether she was brave or insane.
Lulu was instantly captivated by Lu Qi's unparalleled elegance. No matter how ancient the nobility, none could match her refinement. Her politeness was ingrained in her very being, and she remained steadfast whether facing people, small animals, or even the strange.
The dog did not move.
Even if [people are just people], things aren't so easy to solve.
The good news is that, while they are not polite humans, they are also not like ordinary dogs; they did not become agitated just because the people were standing still.
"What do we do now? What do we do now?" Huang Zhenyi was on the verge of tears. "Is this the end of the road?!" It all happened so quickly! It's only the second day. Are they Maizono Sayaka?
"Perhaps once you step through the gate, you'll leave?"
Do you believe it yourself?
Tian Miaoying was almost in tears, "I don't know."
If this were a game, they would have to go out and try their luck once they got this far; but this is reality, and they dare not gamble even a single step.
“Haven’t you seen a lot of these kinds of stories?” Tian Miaoying asked in despair, “How are these kinds of situations usually resolved?”
Huang Zhenyi answered tremblingly: "In general, in this situation, the protagonist stands at the exit to think, while the cannon fodder rushes forward recklessly. The monsters all go after the cannon fodder, and the protagonist group manages to escape smoothly. Through the fate of the cannon fodder, they conclude that 'they cannot leave directly'."
Are we cannon fodder?!
"That's exactly what I'm saying!" Huang Zhenyi was even more distraught than her. "At a time like this, we need a reckless cannon fodder to draw our attention!"
“To attract attention…” Lu Shi’an murmured, then suddenly asked, “Miaoying, where are the seashells and crabs you dug up?”
"Huh?" Tian Miaoying's nose turned red with fright. "There are only two crabs left, and a few shells, which I put in a bottle. Why are you asking this? Are you having your last meal?"
Lü Shi'an said helplessly, "No, give it to me."
Tian Miaoying handed him the bottle, and two little crabs crawled around inside.
Lu Shi'an poured the crabs out, glanced at the dog behind him, spat on the crabs a few times, and tossed one of the crabs onto the lawn as insignificantly as possible.
The crab landed on the ground and scurried away quickly.
As soon as it moved, the pack of dogs looked over. It carried the scent of a living person, and a few breaths later, the dogs on the lawn and behind it all chased after the crab.
The road cleared up, and Lü Shi'an growled, "Run!"
He turned and ran, and the others immediately followed.
They ran for their lives, and the pack of dogs that had given chase turned around and pursued them like startled wasps.
This immediately spiraled out of control, leaving no room for maneuver.
Unable to communicate or control them, all the five could do was run with all their might. The strange creatures were incredibly fast; even Lu Shi'an, let alone the two girls, would have a hard time outrun them.
The distinctive scent of a dog followed behind her feet. Lu Qi staggered, her body suddenly lifted into the air, and was picked up horizontally by Lulu.
He easily overtook Lü Shi'an and ran in the lead, nuzzling Lu Qi's cold face as he ran to reassure her not to be afraid.
Lu Qi had no time to appreciate his thoughtfulness. She nestled in Lulu's arms, looking at the scene behind her, and exclaimed in surprise, "They're catching up!"
Lu Shi'an spat on another crab and several shells, then tossed them away.
The object, imbued with the scent of a living person, fell into the dogs' hands. They stopped in their tracks, huddled together, and began to fight over it.
A dog snatched a seashell, and Lu Qi clearly saw it tilting its body and rubbing its neck against the seashell on the ground.
After rubbing against it a few times and nothing happened, it swallowed it, making a gurgling sound from its throat that was like a dog's or a pig's.
The shell was swallowed, the scent of the living person disappeared, and the pack of dogs immediately chased after them again.
Lu Shi'an kept throwing things as he ran, but it was like a drop in the ocean; the distance continued to shrink.
Huang Zhenyi and Tian Miaoying were falling behind, and this couldn't go on. Lu Qi quickly thought of a solution.
They had already run to the section of road where the Schnauzer was, and the dog with the collar saw a large group of dogs running towards them, stood up and barked warily.
This is the normal reaction of dogs, but the group chasing behind them remained silent and quiet while being chased, which is highly unusual.
The swarming pack of strange dogs put a lot of pressure on the pet dogs. Their barks were shrill, but the strange dogs paid no attention to them at all. They seemed to ignore the pet dogs and only chased after the humans.
Lu Qi thought of something, reached into his coat pocket, and touched the necklace he had taken off.
[A person is a person, and a dog is a dog. Dogs with owners have collars; dogs without collars are strays or wild dogs.]
What is a choker? Does a necklace count as a choker?
Will putting necklaces on these strange dogs turn them into friendly pets?
No, no! There are too many, and she only has one necklace! Besides, they're not dogs, they're people… What would happen if someone put a necklace on a person? Would they become a pet in the eyes of these strange dogs? They ignore the pet dogs on the lawn; are they not interested in dogs?
Lu Qi didn't have time to think, she put the necklace on her neck, and said urgently to Lulu, "Put me down, you carry Miaoying and run!"
Miao Ying was out of breath and had fallen to the back. Lu Qi rested for a while and was ready to continue running.
Lulu's eyes darkened slightly when she saw her putting on the necklace.
He tightened his grip on her arms. "No!"
"Miaoying's about to be caught!" Lu Qi patted him. "Put me down!"
"I care more about you, Lu Qi!"
Miao Ying heard it. She wanted to say something, but her throat was full of the taste of blood, and her nose and mouth were busy breathing, so she didn't have a chance to speak.
She blushed and shook her head at Lu Qi. Lu Qi's physical strength was much worse than hers, and if she ran, she would only be caught by the pack of dogs faster.
Lulu is her boyfriend. How could he abandon his girlfriend and run away with another woman? Tian Miaoying understands his actions.
Lu Qi could understand Lulu's choice, but the dog running in front was only ten meters away from Tian Miaoying.
It was a snow-white Samoyed, wearing a gray sweater, quite beautiful in the normal world, but when its front snout was less than ten meters away from Tian Miaoying's heels, everything became utterly terrifying.
Lu Qi was held tightly by Lulu. She gritted her teeth and took a gamble.
"Miaoying, put it on!" She raised her hand, crumpled the necklace, and threw it to Tian Miaoying.
The thin chain hit Tian Miaoying's arm. She frantically tried to catch it, but her feet were too slow. The Samoyed pounced and leaped behind her.
"Watch out!" Huang Zhenyi, who was closest to her, shouted and pulled her aside. Lu Shi'an took the opportunity to throw the last shell at the pack of dogs.
The dogs started scrambling for the shell, but the Samoyed, which had already caught up with Tian Miaoying, ignored it and grabbed Tian Miaoying's trouser leg in its mouth.
Tian Miaoying's face turned pale as she hurriedly wrapped the necklace around her neck.
The necklace ends were connected. The Samoyed was momentarily confused, then hesitantly loosened its teeth.
Tian Miaoying was stunned, and Huang Zhenyi, who came to pull her away, was also stunned.
The two people and the dog were stunned for two seconds, then the Samoyed suddenly changed its target and pounced on Huang Zhenyi.
"Damn it!" Huang Zhenyi shouted, raising his hand to resist. He was used to handling large dogs at the hospital, but this Samoyed, though slender, was like a small mountain, crushing him to the ground.
Huang Zhenyi landed on the back of his head, and everything went black immediately. He heard Tian Miaoying scream in his ears.
Before the dizziness and excruciating pain subsided, a gigantic, blood-red maw suddenly appeared in her blurred vision. Her consciousness fading, Tian Miaoying's screams became muffled and indistinct.
Unable to push away the Samoyed that was pressing down on Huang Zhenyi, Tian Miaoying immediately put the necklace around Huang Zhenyi's neck.
"No!" Lu Shi'an and Lu Qi shouted at the same time, but it was too late.
The Samoyed devoured Huang Zhenyi, and like Zhao Feipeng, who was devoured by a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, his head was now covered with a dog's head.
Huang Zhenyi, sporting a Samoyed-like hairstyle, stood up unsteadily and immediately spotted Tian Miaoying, who had taken off her necklace.
Tian Miaoying remained bent over, her hands reaching out to hold the necklace, frozen in mid-air.
"Run!" Lu Shi'an shouted, but it was too late for her.
Huang Zhenyi tackled her, his neck pressed against Tian Miaoying's neck.
Unlike Zhao Feipeng's situation, the Samoyed did not have a collar under its head. As their necks touched, a blood vessel was drawn from Tian Miaoying's artery and tied around Huang Zhenyi's neck, forming a loop that replaced the collar.
At this point, Lü Shi'an made a decisive turn back and, along with Lulu and Lu Qi, ran desperately toward the hotel.
Lu Qi stared blankly as the two people lying on the ground moved further and further away from her, her eyes wide with rage.
The three rushed back to the hotel. Ignoring the strange receptionist, Lü Shi'an entered the lobby and collapsed to the ground, his whole body limp and weak, only able to gasp for breath.
Lu Qi was in a daze, feeling as if it were all a nightmare.
She was unable to think about the fate of Tian Miaoying and Huang Zhenyi.
It's her fault! It's her fault! She knew it would be dangerous to go out, yet she still suggested it!
She's killed someone again...
Lulu put Luqi down, patted her head, and looked worried.
“It has nothing to do with you, Lu Qi.” He hugged her and patted her back. “They went there of their own accord.”
Lu Qi did not respond, his eyes vacant as he let Lulu hug him.
Tian Miaoying's family and friends are waiting for her to come back; Tian Miaoying cannot die.
Xiao Lu should be hugging Tian Miaoying, not her.
This accusation is utterly heartless. She should at least thank Xiao Lu. Xiao Lu doesn't owe her anything; he was already more than kind and righteous to carry her away.
She should have been grateful, but in the end, Lu Qi couldn't say anything.
There was no blame, no thanks, not even much sadness, only a numb, sharp pain spreading throughout my heart.
She was thoroughly annoyed.
If a person is the sum total of all social relations, then what exactly constitutes her?
Was it tragedy, misfortune, accident, and death? Is that her meaning?
Lu Qi pushed Lulu away with such force that Lulu staggered.
She picked up the kitchen knife that Lü Shi'an had thrown on the ground and turned to walk out the door.
Lulu grabbed her arm. "Where are you going!"
“Go to the exit.” Lu Qi brushed his hand away and said calmly, “I will try to leave a message. If you see me in the pack of dogs later, don’t go over there.”
“It’s obviously dangerous there!” Lu Shi’an also grabbed her pants.
Lu Qi laughed, and a pair of very shallow dimples appeared on his pale face.
This smile could be described as gentle and sweet, yet it inexplicably sends chills down your spine.
“It’s okay,” she said.
Lu Qi suddenly understood why she had entered this strange world—this was the meaning of her life.
She had no need for fear; only in this place did her existence have any value.
This is a chance for her to atone for her sins, and she should be grateful.
"No, no!" Lulu cried anxiously, "Don't be sad, they're not dead."
“Yes, don’t do anything stupid!” Lu Shi’an stood up, panting, supporting his knees. “Zhao Feipeng and that dog-headed man, they and their… ‘master’ are still alive, aren’t they? Maybe Miao Ying and Zhen Yi are alright too.”
Lu Qi's smile faded: "So, does that count as being alive?"
Lu Shi'an suddenly stared in shock at what was behind her.
Behind her came a timid voice, punctuated by gasps: "...I don't know if it counts, but it seems like we can still talk for now."
Lu Qi suddenly turned around.
Tian Miaoying and Huang Zhenyi, who had a Samoyed-like head, were standing at the hotel entrance.
They had red ropes around their necks that looked like veins. Tian Miaoying hesitated at the door, wondering if she could still come in looking like this.
“Miaoying…” Lu Qi was stunned.
Tian Miaoying forced an embarrassed smile. "Sister Lu, I'm fine, it's just that Huang Zhenyi..."
Lu Qi released the knife and pulled her into his arms.
She held Tian Miaoying tightly and stood there for a long time.
“It’s okay, sis,” Tian Miaoying sniffed and patted her, “Just for saying that you asked your boyfriend to hug me, I wouldn’t be ashamed if I died. Besides, I’m not dead yet.”
Lu Qi did not move.
The smile on Tian Miaoying's face gradually froze. The faint sobs around her made it impossible for her to maintain her smile.
She released the pressure and buried her face in Lu Qi's shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably: "What should I do, Sister Lu... I'm so scared, my carotid artery has been ripped out... It's throbbing so badly outside... I've become a monster, and my parents are still waiting for me to come home..."
Looking at the two girls who were crying in each other's arms, Lü Shi'an felt heavy-hearted.
He carefully observed Tian Miaoying and Huang Zhenyi's necks, parting Huang Zhenyi's thick white hair to study the direction of the blood vessels.
The vein, about the thickness of a finger, was pulsating steadily. Lu Shi'an counted the frequency for a minute and pondered, "We can try cutting it open to see."
"Ah!" Tian Miaoying screamed, blowing out a snot bubble.
Lu Qi thought she was frightened by Lü Shi'an's idea, but then Tian Miaoying covered her ears and shouted, "I know, I know! I won't agree, don't shout so loudly, I'm going deaf!"
The two stared at her in surprise. Lü Shi'an asked in astonishment, "Miaoying, who are you talking to?"
Tian Miaoying looked at the two of them pitifully: "Huang Zhenyi."
"What?" Lu Qi and Lü Shi'an both looked at the Samoyed with its mouth open and tongue sticking out.
“I don’t know how to describe it,” Tian Miaoying said, clutching her head in anguish. “His voice would occasionally echo in my head, broken and unclear. He said five sentences, but I couldn’t connect them all.”
"What did he say?" Lu Qi asked anxiously.
Tian Miaoying's expression was very complicated, showing sadness, surprise, and a touch of shame.
The first sentence is, "I'm not dead?"
"Then came: 'I'm not cannon fodder, I'm an old medicine master,' 'Let's merge!' 'Hello,' 'Are you an old medicine master too?'...a jumble of nonsense."
“And besides him, I think there’s another female voice in my head…” Tian Miaoying sniffed again, “like a female ghost, crying all the time.”
She turned to look at the Samoyed, "I suspect it's someone who's become the Samoyed's tenant."
The white dog on Huang Zhenyi's neck tilted its head slightly. Even as a dog, it looked quite handsome.
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Author's Note: Tian Miaoying, an only child from Shanghai, is the true form of a Samoyed, possessing three souls in one body—truly terrifying!
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