Chapter 41 Mad Dog Hotel
Lu Qi was awakened by the pain.
A dull ache in her abdomen made her groggily get up. Lulu followed suit, asking, "What's wrong, baby?"
"It's nothing." Lu Qi went to the bathroom to put on a sanitary napkin, then came back and lay down again.
Lulu heard the sound of her tearing a sanitary napkin, wrapped her arms around her waist, and sniffed at her neck for a while.
"Are they here?" His voice sounded somewhat doubtful.
"No, it should be soon." Lu Qi turned over, snuggled into Lulu's arms, and closed her eyes to sleep.
Lulu hugged her and licked her cheek.
He didn't smell any blood. Based on past experience, Lu Qi should still be in heat for about a week.
After becoming like Lu Qi, her body and her scent became even more attractive to him.
In the past, Lulu only felt that Lu Qi's estrus cycle smelled a bit special, but now she felt a strange restlessness.
Lu Qi lay down for a while, but the pain in her abdomen became more and more obvious. It wasn't unbearable, but it was more intense than her usual menstrual cramps, coming in waves that made it difficult for Lu Qi to fall asleep.
Lulu noticed something was wrong. "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
"Hmm," Lu Qi said, propping herself up to sit up. "I want to drink water."
Lulu turned on the bedside lamp, went to the kitchen, and brought back a glass of warm water.
Lu Qi accepted it and said, "Thank you."
He pulled the blanket up to wrap Lu Qi up, saying, "I'm going to buy ibuprofen."
Lu Qi paused for a moment.
No wonder she always forgets that Lulu is a dog.
Lulu sometimes acts too naturally, without any of the stiffness or inhumanity she seems; she's more human than a man.
Lu Qi wanted to say no, there was no need to make such a fuss so late at night.
“Wait a minute,” she suddenly looked at Lulu, “How are you going to get there?” The rules don’t allow going out at night.
"There's not much of a problem inside the hotel. If we keep quiet, we won't attract the attention of the stray dogs."
“What if they find out?” Lu Qi grabbed him. “You said you’re also bound by the rules here.”
“Then kill them,” Lulu said, her pale face worrying her. “They’re just stray dogs, after all, it’s not a property dispute.”
Lu Qi was slightly taken aback.
His tone was nonchalant, as if he didn't take those terrifying giant dogs seriously at all, and his attitude towards them was dismissive and arrogant, as if they were inferior creatures and he didn't recognize them as his kind.
What saddened Lu Qi even more was that he so easily uttered the words "property dispute".
He viewed the lives of his fellow human beings as property disputes... police, lawyers, and courts all ruled his death as property damage.
Lulu bent down and touched Lu Qi's forehead. "Don't worry about Lu Qi, I'll bring the medicine back, and you'll get better soon."
“I’ll go with you.” Lu Qi lifted the covers and was about to get out of bed when Lulu stopped her.
“No, it’s dangerous at night.” He said sternly. “You must stay in your room and absolutely cannot go out.”
"I'll stay by your side and won't wander off," Lu Qi promised.
Lulu was silent for a moment, then shook her head. "No."
Her pale gold eyelashes drooped, obscuring her eyes. From Lulu's expression, Lu Qi glimpsed the tragedy that had occurred that night.
Even if she stayed close to him, she would still encounter misfortune at night.
Lu Qi crawled two steps on her knees on the bed. Now that he didn't have a tail, she lifted his chin.
Lulu looked at her blankly.
She wanted to say something; Lu Qi had already started showering the puppy with sweet words, but facing this man's face, some things became difficult to say.
Without her saying anything, Lulu understood what she meant after her chin was lifted up for a moment.
He smiled, his gloomy mood vanishing instantly.
“I’ll be back soon.” His tone regained its ease and confidence. “I love you, Lu Qi.”
Lu Qi smiled and said, "I love you too."
After Lulu left, the pain in her abdomen flared up again.
Lu Qi stayed for a while, scrolling through her notes on her phone, and inadvertently glanced at the time.
00:50
Lu Qi suddenly opened his eyes.
She realized that this wasn't menstrual cramps, but parvovirus!
After taking a nap, I was so focused on finding a way to escape the ghost stories that I neglected the small experiments.
Yes, she deliberately didn't eat anything all day yesterday, just to verify whether the tiny parasites in the ghost stories were curable and whether they were contagious.
Lu Qi was the perfect candidate for this experiment; she was the most suitable subject. Lulu, who lived with her, had already contracted parvovirus and was unlikely to be infected again, so her contracting the disease would not cause any additional harm.
Amidst the lingering ache of the continuous rain, a sudden, sharp pain shot through me, as if something were burrowing into my intestines.
Lu Qi's face was slightly pale as she clutched her lower abdomen. After enduring this period, the pain level decreased, and it became tolerable again.
So this is what it feels like in the early stages of parvovirus infection...
As for how to cure it, Lu Qi already had a few ideas, and tried the one that he was most confident about first.
Lulu has repeatedly emphasized the importance of eating.
Parvovirus recovery – A significant sign of recovery from most animal diseases is the return of appetite.
Back then, she was just a student who knew nothing, and the veterinarian explained parvovirus to her in the simplest and most understandable terms; even now, Lu Qi explains parvovirus to her clients in the same way—
"As long as you eat, you're fine."
Therefore, the first method Lu Qi tried was eating.
She rummaged through the food Lulu had brought back and casually took out a piece of bread.
The moment I tore open the bag, a strong feeling of nausea surged up.
She covered her mouth and ran to the toilet.
I hadn't eaten anything all day, so I couldn't vomit anything, just a bunch of gastric juice with tiny white bubbles.
Looking at the vomit remaining in the sink, Lu Qi was instantly transported back twelve years.
She still remembers every detail of that morning clearly; she remembers the sound of Lulu vomiting, the way she vomited, and what she vomited.
Even after so much time has passed, everything about Lulu is still vivid in my mind.
Upon discovering the subtle rules, Lu Qi's first reaction was that Lulu was retaliating.
It wants to return the pain it experienced to humanity.
For Lulu, however, the parvovirus was probably the most vague memory. Paralysis and syringomyelia had accompanied him for a much longer time. If someone had triggered the parvovirus, then someone should have triggered the rules of paralysis and syringomyelia long ago.
Why hasn't it appeared yet?
Lu Qi vomited until she felt dizzy and her throat was burning.
In a daze, she recalled the afternoon when the plum blossoms were fragrant.
He sat on the bench and said to her, "I was very worried about you, Lu Qi. After I left, you stopped eating and were admitted to the hospital."
"I keep begging you to eat quickly, but you can't hear me."
Whoosh—
The faucet washed away the filth, Lu Qi washed her face, and walked out of the bathroom clutching her stomach.
She picked up the bread and put it in her mouth.
Such a simple action was accompanied by strong resistance at every step.
She seemed to have developed anorexia, and felt extremely disgusted by food; even chewing and swallowing made her feel nauseous.
Fortunately, she was a human being, not a dog driven by instinct, and she was able to force herself to eat it.
After swallowing that bite of bread, the abdominal pain gradually subsided after three to five minutes.
Lu Qi slumped onto the sofa, his face deathly pale.
It's because of her...
The entire ghost story, every single rule here, is all because of her.
The somber colors of illness painted Lulu's life, but in his domain there would no longer be the rules of paralysis and syringomyelia, because Luqi was not paralyzed, because Luqi had never had syringomyelia.
He was indifferent to his own suffering; he only remembered the scene of Lu Qi's inability to eat.
Unable to understand her feelings, Lulu dug out small things from her limited shared experiences to substitute for them.
Lu Qi opened the check-in guide, and sure enough, there were minor rule updates.
She hid the manual in the wardrobe, so that Lulu wouldn't see it for the time being.
With the results of the small-scale experiments clear, the next step is to move on to research experiments that move beyond the supernatural tales.
"Lu Qi!" The door opened, and Lulu rushed in, holding a box of ibuprofen.
He strode towards Lu Qi, handed her the medicine, and sniffed her cheek. "How are you? Are you alright?"
Lu Qi pursed her lips.
She grasped the box of medicine and hugged Lulu at the same time.
Her voice was a little hoarse from the stomach acid, but she stroked Lulu's soft blond hair and said into the crook of his neck, "I'm fine, you came back so quickly... You're the fastest beagle, no dog is better than you."
Lulu tilted her head.
He paid more attention to Lu Qi's tone than what Lu Qi said.
This doesn't sound like a compliment; it's closer to crying.
"Are you sad, Lu Qi?" He frowned, his concern growing.
Lu Qi shook his head on his shoulder, "No, I'm moved."
Even if he was the culprit behind this nightmare, Lu Qi couldn't bring herself to hate him.
Even with a human appearance, he is still just an innocent and naive little dog.
The trouble caused by a dog should be cleaned up by the owner.
She should have taken on this responsibility from the moment she decided to keep it; if she hadn't been aware of this, she shouldn't have brought it home without explanation.
"Touched?" Lulu was puzzled.
Lu Qi looked up from his embrace.
Her eyes welled up with tears, becoming bright and sparkling, with a slight reddening at the corners. "Our Lulu has grown up. She's a little dog who can buy medicine now. That's amazing!"
Lulu smiled and said, "Lu Qi is even more remarkable."
What's so great about me?
“All of them.” Lulu moved closer to her.
She was willing to love a sick dog that no one else wanted; she must be the most remarkable person in the world.
Lulu could no longer smell pain on Lu Qi, so she was indeed better, and he was relieved.
As she slept, Lulu held her, still feeling sorry for her, "You should have gotten sterilized sooner, Lu Qi, so you wouldn't have to suffer every month."
Lu Qi chuckled, "Yes, it's too late now."
She closed her eyes and buried her face in Lulu's chest, saying, "I really want to eat fish tomorrow."
"The restaurant will have it at noon," Lulu said.
"Mmm," Lu Qi responded through his nose.
She fell asleep, and when it got light, she suggested that she invite Tian Miaoying and Lü Shi'an to come downstairs for breakfast together.
Lulu patiently refrained from objecting.
He doesn't like sharing Lu Qi with others, but he has always believed that Lu Qi needs social interaction to stay healthy.
Lu Shi'an, however, refused.
Having narrowly escaped death and seen so many people turn into corpses, he temporarily lost the desire to go out.
Lulu was pleased to see it happen.
He could not kill Lü Shi'an.
Unlike killing a stray Shiba Inu, killing someone would alert [security]. Unless absolutely necessary, Lulu didn't want to break the rules she had set for herself and create unnecessary trouble for herself.
Since he cannot be killed, Lü Shi'an would be better off never leaving that door and never appearing in front of Lu Qi again.
Lu Shi'an didn't want to go out, while Tian Miaoying was eager to try.
"Shall we go downstairs?" Tian Miaoying hadn't quite caught the invitation yet. "Are there many people outside? Can I go out now?"
She was forced to stay in her room, unable to go anywhere, and had no idea what was happening outside. She was going crazy from being cooped up.
"Oh, right." Lu Qi seemed to realize something and said regretfully, "Then we'll have to stay with Professor Meng. You should stay in your room."
Tian Miaoying looked worried. "Okay, I think so too."
"Don't worry," Lu Qi took her hand and held it tightly, "It won't stay like this forever, it can definitely be resolved."
Professor Meng looked thoughtfully at the two girls' clasped hands, then looked at Lulu.
The handsome, aloof boy was glaring at Huang Zhenyi with disgust, his gaze a warning to him not to come near Lu Qi.
His gaze fell on Huang Zhenyi's ears several times, and each time he saw its erect ears, he would frown in disgust.
Professor Meng followed his gaze and looked at Huang Zhenyi's ears.
The small white ears stood erect in the fluffy white fur.
Like the Shiba Inu that died tragically in the conference room, the Samoyed was born with erect ears.
Meng Feiqin narrowed her eyes, withdrew her gaze, and met Lu Qi's eyes.
Lu Qi smiled at her and said, "Let's go, Professor Meng."
“Okay,” she said.
As Professor Meng passed by Tian Miaoying, he gave her a few words of advice and noticed that Tian Miaoying had one hand tightly clenched, as if she were holding onto something.
Lu Qi, who had just finished speaking to her, turned around, grabbed Lulu's arm, and led her out the door, shielding Tian Miaoying from view.
“Be polite, Lulu,” she said. “Don’t keep glaring at Zhenyi; he hasn’t done anything to you.”
Lulu gave a noncommittal hum.
Meng Feiqin followed the two away. After closing the door, Tian Miaoying slowly loosened her fist.
A small crumpled piece of paper was in her palm.
She opened it and saw a note in small print: "New Rules [Food is the source of life energy. Both humans and dogs need to eat every day. If you have not eaten for more than a day and feel unwell, please eat immediately, even if you have no appetite.]"
"Destroy the note, and find an opportunity to distribute the intelligence later."
This is Rule Twelve, which appeared in Lu Qi's manual in the early hours of the morning.
Clutching the note, Tian Miaoying vaguely sensed something.
Lu Qi passed a note to Professor Meng last night and then ran back to her room.
She was in a hurry; if something dangerous were chasing her, she would have told them, but she didn't. Instead, she asked them to keep her coming a secret.
Whom are we trying to hide this secret from?
Out of concern, Tian Miaoying stood guard at the door for a while.
Not long after Lu Qi left, someone opened the door to room 2602.
Lulu came back.
At that time, Tian Miaoying was still just wondering.
Today, only the four of them were present, but Lu Qi still secretly passed her messages by writing notes.
She communicated in writing to avoid being eavesdropped on by someone.
Who can listen in on a hotel anytime, anywhere?
Most likely, it is the mastermind behind this strange tale.
But compared to giving her the note directly yesterday, Lu Qi passed the note very discreetly today.
Is there anything different between yesterday and today?
"Woof woof!" Huang Zhenyi barked in frustration, having just been glared at several times for no apparent reason.
Tian Miaoying rubbed it, "Alright, alright, it's not like this is the first time Xiao Lu has disliked you. Even when you were a human, let alone now that you're a dog-headed person, he didn't like you either. You should get used to it."
"Ugh..." Huang Zhenyi nestled against her neck, whimpering and seeking comfort.
Tian Miaoying was startled.
Little T Lulu, Lulu—
Lu Qi passed the notes differently yesterday and today;
The biggest difference between yesterday and today is that there is one more person present.
The answer is obvious.
"No way..." Tian Miaoying murmured.
"Woof?" Huang Zhenyi sensed her emotional fluctuation and looked up at her in confusion.
She gasped and looked at the fluffy white dog's head.
In my mind, Yeye's sobs were still faintly audible.
Coconut... Lulu, Coconut, Lulu... Oh my god, they're so slow! What normal family would name their son like that? It sounds like a pet's name!
"Sister Lu was telling me the other day that Xiao Lu shares the same name as her dog!" Tian Miaoying slapped her forehead. "I actually worked with a dog for a whole month!"
"Woof woof woof!" Huang Zhenyi barked in confusion.
"Shh, quiet down!" Tian Miaoying patted his head. "Look at you, even a dog's stitches are prettier than yours! You furry good-for-nothing!"
[What right do you have to criticize me? At least I haven't injured a cat's nipples while shaving it.]
Huang Zhenyi's voice suddenly rang in my mind.
Tian Miaoying was startled, "You're alive again?"
[I'm not dead, okay...] he said, rather speechless. [Look at the back of the note; it seems like there's something written on the back too.]
Tian Miaoying turned over and said, "...Stay in the room and wait for me."
Huang Zhenyi also saw it and said in Tian Miaoying's mind, "[I have a bad feeling. Sister Lu seems to be brewing something big. You'd better be careful.]"
"Sister Lu doesn't seem like she wants to harm me." Tian Miaoying threw the note into the toilet. "Whatever, we'll know when she gets here."
...
The restaurant was empty.
Through the floor-to-ceiling window, Lu Qi did see people passing by outside.
“We could have gotten together to discuss things, but after yesterday’s broadcast about the minor speculation, everyone’s afraid of getting infected, so no one dares to meet,” Meng Feiqin said, sitting across from me. “It seems like we’re all planning to find our own way out.”
Lu Qi forced a smile. "Yes."
Meng Feiqin scrutinized her expression. "What are your thoughts on the deceased?"
They exchanged information via notes last night, discussing the Shiba Inu that died in the conference room.
Lu Qi guessed that Professor Meng had noticed something unusual.
She wasn't sure how much Professor Meng knew, and after a moment of silence, she said cryptically, "I have some ideas, but I'm not sure yet."
"Let me share my thoughts first," Meng Feiqin said, stirring the porridge in her bowl. "I believe it was the dog that killed it."
Lu Qi glanced at her, and Meng Feiqin smiled, "Looks like I guessed right?"
Lu Qi was stunned for a moment, her eyes filled with panic. She hadn't expected that Meng Feiqin would see through her thoughts just by glancing at her.
“Let me guess again,” Meng Feiqin said, looking at Lulu who was picking out breakfast for Lu Qi in the distance. “Your boyfriend is very possessive. He craves control. You love him very much, but you can no longer control him.”
"I..." Lu Qi really didn't expect Meng Feiqin to be so perceptive. She wasn't even sure if she could trust her when Meng Feiqin discovered everything.
“Don’t be nervous, little girl,” Meng Feiqin said calmly. “He’s not a dog, after all. This kind of supernatural situation is beyond human control. Perhaps you had a chance before, but the opportunity has passed. Everything that happened here has nothing to do with you, and you don’t need to feel guilty about it.”
She said in a deep voice, "If you need anything, feel free to contact me. I will do my best to help you."
"professor……"
"Thank you." The tray full of food was placed on the table, and Lulu pulled out a chair and sat down next to Lu Qi.
He interrupted Lu Qi and Meng Feiqin's conversation, nodded to Meng Feiqin, and said, "Lu Qi respects you very much, and so do I."
"Thank you for your concern for Lu Qi. I know you are very capable and have escaped danger from wild beasts many times, but this time is different from the past."
Those dark eyes stared at Meng Feiqin. The young man slightly tucked his chin and said in a deep voice, "There are no wild beasts here. This place is full of rules and order. Here, Lu Qi only needs my help."
"Lulu!" Lu Qi scolded in a low voice.
“Oh, it’s alright,” Meng Feiqin laughed, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Kid, you’re very assertive, and I guess you have your reasons, but most girls still prefer gentlemen.”
“Of course,” Lulu looked directly at her, “I was very gentle and very gentlemanly with Lucky.”
Their eyes met, and Lu Qi was secretly alarmed. Before she could intervene, Meng Feiqin had already looked away.
“I’ve almost finished eating,” she said, getting up from her seat. “I’m going to check on our colleagues and students. Please continue your meal.”
After she left, Lulu quickly turned her attention to Lu Qi.
He presented the dishes to her in a flattering manner, his sharp eyes instantly becoming cheerful and clear. "Lu Qi, I've picked out all the fish for you. Try some."
Lu Qi frowned. "Lulu, you're being very disrespectful to the professor."
Lulu blinked innocently and licked her lips. "I respect her very much and arranged the best room for her."
“You should at least show some respect in your tone.” Lu Qi took a couple of bites of the fish, then put down her chopsticks unhappily. “It’s not fresh at all. I’m not eating it anymore. I’m going back to my room.”
"Lu Qi?" Lulu chased after him anxiously. "Are you angry?"
"Yes." Lu Qi walked forward.
"Do you want to touch me?" Lulu pulled down her collar and puffed out her chest muscles. "Touching me will make you happy."
Lu Qi didn't even glance at him, saying, "You're not being good, so I don't want to pet you. I only pet polite little dogs."
"I'm being very polite." Lulu took a few steps past her, walking sideways and observing her expression closely. "Please, Lu Qi, touch me, call my name, okay?"
Lu Qi was a little soft-hearted.
She couldn't help but waver.
Do I really want to do this?
Isn't this too cruel to Lulu?
She decided to try negotiating one more time: "Lulu, if you're really being polite, just let everyone go. Okay?"
Lulu remained silent.
After a long pause, he said, "No."
Lu Qi felt a chill in his heart.
There is no room for negotiation, and communication is impossible.
"Then there's nothing more to say." She walked past him and entered the elevator.
"Lu Qi!" Lulu exclaimed in alarm as she reached for her hand, but Lu Qi quickly dodged it.
She stared at him, and he slowly looked away, compromising to keep his distance from her. He only glanced nervously at her expression out of the corner of his eye, licking his lips anxiously.
Lu Qi lowered her eyelids slightly.
This is the effect she wanted.
Lulu was very perceptive and intelligent. She wanted him to focus all his attention on her and not let him have any free time to ponder Professor Meng's words.
Lulu really didn't have time to think about anything else; she spent the entire morning carefully observing Lu Qi.
At noon, he took the initiative to go to the restaurant to bring his own lunch.
Remembering Lu Qi's words from that morning, he brought out all the fish-related dishes, filling the table to the brim.
Lu Qi took a bite, put down his chopsticks, and sighed.
Lulu's heart jumped. "What's wrong, Lu Qi?"
Lu Qi turned to look at him: "Am I really going to live here for the rest of my life?"
Lulu was taken aback. "...Isn't this place nice?"
Compared to the outside world, this place is full of rules and order; it is clearly the best and safest place.
“A place where you can’t even get wild fish,” Lu Qi said listlessly, poking at the fish with her chopsticks. “It’s either frozen dead fish or farmed fish that can’t even swim. Am I going to never get to eat wild fish in my life, Lulu?”
"I'll go catch it." Lulu immediately stood up. "Wait for me a moment."
"Where are you going?" Lu Qi asked in surprise, grabbing his arm. "You're not going to catch fish in the sea, are you?"
She touched him, and Lulu's eyes lit up. She worked even harder. "Yes, I'll make sure you get to eat good fish, Lu Qi."
“Where are the fish in the nearshore waters during winter? We have to go out to sea to fish.” Lu Qi sighed. “It’s too much trouble for Lulu. Never mind, I’ll just bear with it.”
“It’s okay, Luqi,” Lulu insisted. “You can take a walk around and soak up the sun. I’ll be back as soon as possible.”
"Hmm..." Lu Qi reluctantly agreed, "Then you have to promise me that you must be back by four o'clock, whether you've caught anything or not."
"Mmm." Lulu nodded, her eyes crinkling with pleasure.
She cares about him; she's so kind.
“If I bring back fish, can you touch me?” he asked.
“…Of course.” Lu Qi smiled at him. “I love you, Lulu.”
Lulu tilted her head. "Are you sad, Lu Qi?"
Lu Qi chuckled, "No, I'm just touched."
"Same as last night?"
"Hmm, just thinking that my Lulu was able to catch fish makes me so touched..." She tiptoed and kissed Lulu's lips. "I'm really looking forward to it. I'm sure I'll catch a big fish!"
Lulu smiled. "Okay, Lu Qi."
He walked towards the door when suddenly his waist tightened as Lu Qi hugged him from behind.
"Lu Qi?" He turned his head in confusion, but couldn't see Lu Qi's expression. She was buried in his back, her slender arms tightly wrapped around his waist.
"What's wrong, Lu Qi?"
"It's nothing..." Her lips pressed against his back, her voice partially absorbed by the fabric of her clothes, leaving a muffled tone.
"Be careful, Lulu," she said. "What I said earlier was a lie. Whether you catch any fish or not, I'll hug you... I'll always love you."
Lulu's pupils contracted slightly.
He suddenly turned around and hugged Lu Qi tightly.
"I will catch the fish," he said excitedly, not knowing what to do. "Lu Qi, I will definitely catch it."
"Hmm, I'll wait until you catch him... Ah."
"I'll wait for you, Lulu."
She stood in front of the living room's floor-to-ceiling window, watching Lulu walk out of the hotel and head towards the beach.
She watched him leave.
After Lulu boarded a small yacht, Lu Qi immediately took action, dealt with the matters in the room, and rushed to room 2603 with his phone in hand.
As soon as she rang the doorbell, Tian Miaoying opened the door.
"Sister Lu." She had been waiting for her for a long time.
Lu Qi entered the house and saw Meng Feiqin sitting in the living room, obviously waiting for her as well.
“To make a long story short,” she said to the two of them, “'Death' is the way to leave this ghost story behind.”
"I saw the dead Shiba Inu leave the hotel through the security camera footage."
"What!" Tian Miaoying exclaimed.
Meng Feiqin frowned, wasting no time in amazement, and went straight to the point: "The surveillance footage may not be the real thing."
“Yes, I’m not sure,” Lu Qi said. “I’m preparing to try it now.”
"Try it? That's too risky!" Tian Miaoying grabbed her hand. "We only have one life, and we're not in that urgent situation right now!"
“No, staying in an unreal place for too long will only make things worse.” Lu Qi gripped her hand. “Lend me your phone. I’ll record my death and the footage that appears on the surveillance camera. Go to the control room to get your phone in half an hour. Take it and leave. Don’t linger.”
“They won’t believe it! Even if death really is a way to leave this world, no one would try it so easily!” Tian Miaoying advised her, “Don’t do it, Sister Lu, there’s no need!”
"No, I don't mean for you to show the video to others. After all, surveillance footage may not be real, and you may not be safe after you get out."
"Then why do you still..."
“It’s just to leave some evidence for now… I might need it later,” Lu Qi said. “If I come back, it proves the experiment was successful. If I don’t come back, it means death isn’t the answer, and you don’t need to try this path anymore.”
"You..." Tian Miaoying was so shocked she couldn't speak. "Did you really treat this as a game? So easily risking your life to try and find an answer!"
“Calm down,” Meng Feiqin said. “If you don’t come back, our situation might get worse. Your death might upset him.”
Lu Qi lowered her eyes. "Yes, that's the worst-case scenario."
"You think it's unlikely?" Meng Feiqin asked.
“If I were gone, he would do everything he could to find me immediately, instead of staying here and taking his anger out on innocent people. His attention would be on me.”
“Of course, I can’t completely deny the possibility you’ve suggested. I’m sorry…” she said softly, “but I really think it’s worth trying.”
Lu Qi is willing to believe Lulu.
It sounds absurd that she would believe the words of a monster who imprisoned them here.
He said they did not kill anyone;
He said he promised her he would let the Shiba Inu go.
Lulu was the family she chose, and also the last family member she cherished.
If even those two sentences were lies to her, and if he really killed so many people because of her, then Lu Qi would find no meaning in preserving her life.
She has no face to live.
"Then go ahead and try it," came the elderly, gentle voice.
"Professor!" Tian Miaoying exclaimed disapprovingly in a low voice.
“Someone has to try,” Professor Meng said. “Several days have passed, and we haven’t found any way to leave. The crowd is starting to fall apart, and dragging this out won’t do us any good. Since you have hope, you should try. What I just said was to encourage you to think carefully; one-sided self-sacrifice is not noble.”
"But if you judge that the situation will only get worse, and you are more than 60% sure, then do it."
Lu Qi met her gaze. Those aged yet clear eyes were calm and composed; just looking at them gave him a sense of calm.
She is clearly a highly experienced leader of the dog pack.
Lu Qi became increasingly determined.
She turned to Tian Miaoying, "Miaoying, I suspect I'll lose all memories of this place after I leave. If I come back, give me this piece of paper and the video when you have the chance."
She folded a piece of paper and gave it to Tian Miaoying, saying, "I also wrote it on the inside of my clothes. In case the words on the clothes don't stay, I'll have to rely on you."
The first few people to die had been gone for a long time, but the surveillance footage did not capture the police cordon, indicating that none of them had called the police.
They have no reason not to call the police unless they are threatened or have lost their memory.
In the bizarre tales that Lu Qi encountered, both scenarios were possible, but the surveillance footage showed that after the Shiba Inu left, he appeared dazed and showed no excitement or agitation at all, as if he had escaped the strange tale.
Lu Qi therefore leaned towards the latter.
She deduced that after leaving the ghost story, the memories associated with this place were very likely to be erased.
Although the Shiba Inu's clothes remained the same, writing on them wasn't entirely safe, especially since it was a matter of life and death, so she had to make as many backups as possible.
Tian Miaoying hesitated for a moment while holding the paper.
“It’s alright, you and Professor Meng can take a look.” Lu Qi smiled wryly. “Anyway, you’ve basically guessed it already.”
The living room fell silent for a moment.
After a long pause, Professor Meng spoke up: "Is there anything else I can do to help?"
Lu Qi whispered, "Thank you, thank you for your understanding."
After guessing the mastermind behind the ghost story, Professor Meng was still able to talk to them calmly, and even comfort and believe her. Her magnanimity made Lu Qi feel ashamed of himself.
Professor Meng shook his head. "Have a safe journey."
Lu Qi nodded to her, "Please take care."
"Sister Lu, do you really have to do this?" Tian Miaoying pleaded. "Can't we find another way?"
“This is the only known lead.” Lu Qi held out his hand. “Lend me your phone. If Lulu finds out, just say I borrowed your phone and asked you to come to the control room to get it in half an hour. You don’t know anything else…”
She sighed. "Lulu is very perceptive about emotions, and you probably can't hide it from him. I was originally torn about whether it would be better not to tell you, but now that you've been dragged into this, you have the right to know the truth."
“I’m sorry, Miaoying,” she said apologetically, “you could have refused me.”
Tian Miaoying shook her head, "You've already risked your life to test the exit, why would I care about this?"
"Thank you." Lu Qi bowed. "Thank you so much, and... I'm so sorry, so very sorry."
Tian Miaoying sniffed. "Sister Lu, why don't we think about it again? Let's try to persuade Xiao Lu together. If we can't persuade him now, maybe he'll change his mind in three to five years?"
Lu Qi smiled bitterly, "It's only been three to five days since I came in and it's already like this. How can I have the face to ask so many people to stay with me for three to five years?"
They are different from her; their relatives, family, and friends are anxiously waiting for them to come home. She can't be so selfish.
"I'm leaving." She borrowed Tian Miaoying's phone and told her the control room password. "Remember to come back for it in half an hour."
Tian Miaoying nodded with red eyes.
Lu Qi smiled at her.
To outsiders, Lu Qi's approach is undoubtedly a Russian roulette, but Lu Qi is not so pessimistic.
On the contrary, she was rather impatient.
Deep down, she believed her deduction was correct and that she would succeed in letting these innocent victims go.
Death is certainly within reach; Lu Qi could simply grab a knife from the suite's kitchen. But so far, the deceased have all been tainted by the rules of the supernatural tales. Does intentional death fall under the "can leave" criterion?
It is impossible to know.
To be on the safe side, she'd better respect the rules and die by triggering them.
Lulu is deeply obsessed with creating a safe world. What seems like a dangerous and terrifying tale actually has few fatal rules.
Deliberately causing trouble is not a good choice. When the security guards are dispatched, they will sound the alarm. In that case, the first one to arrive may not be the security guards, but Lulu.
Dogs are peaceful animals; they would never intentionally harm their pack members to death, and Lulu is no exception. Every word of this rulebook is filled with the pursuit of peace and stability. Only causing trouble—this strange tale tolerates all behavior, even the terrifying virus parvovirus can be cured instantly, but deliberately causing trouble is unforgivable here.
Aside from deliberately causing trouble, after going through the entire manual, the only factor that could potentially lead to death is "food".
However, the human body is too large, and it is not easy to reach a lethal dose. Under normal circumstances, even if Lu Qi consumed chocolate excessively, it would take five or six hours for him to die.
Fortunately, this is "normal".
Judging from the first outbreak of food poisoning, the poisoned person showed abnormal symptoms before finishing breakfast, proving that the punishment for violating the rules is immediate and takes effect immediately.
Lu Qi went to order three large cups of extra-rich chocolate and then went to the convenience store next door to buy a bar of chocolate.
She took her things to the control room. The security guard at the door glanced at her, hesitated for a moment, and then did not stop her.
Lu Qi understood why the security guard had let her through, and she reached into one of her pockets—
There was a paper package there containing the "talisman" that Lulu gave her the first time she went to the Red Thread.
A dry, dark amulet, resembling a dried olive.
Looking back now, it was probably Lulu's feces, filled with his smell.
The lord's scent intimidated the security guards, and also the Shiba Inu from back then.
Its hesitation when it first faced Lu Qi was probably due to this talisman.
Lu Qi entered the password he had seen last time and entered the monitoring room.
She held Tian Miaoying's phone upright and searched for an angle for a while to ensure that she and the surveillance footage appeared on the same screen, so that the footage of her death and departure could be recorded at the same time.
She sat in front of the monitor wall, drinking large gulps of chocolate. After finishing all three cups, she started munching on a chocolate bar.
Before I could finish eating it, only halfway through, a sharp pain exploded inside my body.
She gripped the handrail, intending to sit down, but her body reacted more violently than Lu Qi had anticipated.
Everything went black before her eyes. She fell off the chair and collapsed to the ground, her limbs convulsing uncontrollably, blood flowing from her mouth and nose.
The process of dying was more terrifying and painful than she had imagined.
The blood that was flowing away took away her body heat, and she shivered, feeling lightheaded. In a daze, light snowflakes covered her body, burying her one by one, just like that winter night.
So this is what Lulu felt back then...
Amidst indescribable agony, Lu Qi heard the broadcast.
It's Miaoying...
She vaguely heard that the twelfth rule she had given was being broadcast.
A large amount of hot blood blocked his respiratory tract. Blood spurted out and then flowed back in. His nasal cavity, mouth, and even eyes seemed to be filled with blood.
She lost her sense of time and couldn't tell whether the process was long or short.
As consciousness faded into stillness, in her final moment, the rule that Lu Qi had first witnessed flashed vividly into her mind—
A person is a person, and a dog is a dog.
She stared blankly at the blood-red ceiling, finally understanding the meaning of this rule.
Humans are humans. Humans will not become monsters with dog heads, nor will they become dogs in clothes.
Similarly, a person will not die from poisoning by consuming this small amount of chocolate.
Lulu...
She started waiting for him, waiting for him to catch... her.
Whoosh—!
White waves broke apart beside the yacht.
Lulu, with a sea fish in her mouth, climbed onto the yacht.
He spat the fish into a bucket filled with water; there were already two in the bucket.
This was the first time Lulu had ever hunted food for Luqi since she was born as a hunting dog, and she felt a sense of novelty and satisfaction.
Shaking the seawater off her hair, Lulu jumped back into the sea.
Before diving, he turned his head as if sensing something and glanced back at the hotel in the distance with a bewildered look.
For some reason, he suddenly longed to see Lu Qi and return to her side.
Lu Qi, lovely Lu Qi, great Lu Qi...
Only half an hour after they parted, he began to miss her deeply again.
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A note from the author:
When young newcomers enter the workplace
Yanzi: Go and create a set of supernatural legends with rules. Don't use the same old ghost story from ten years ago. Make sure the way to escape is also innovative, so that it's not obvious to everyone how to get out.
Lulu: Serving up a pot of dog-themed hotel food; live on the brink of death, the way to pass is to eat more chocolate.
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