Feed Me, Husband - Chapter 57

Chapter 57

The left corridor was shrouded in pitch-black darkness.

Faint red electric candles lined both sides, their dim, flickering light doing little to pierce the gloom. It was as if they weren’t there at all; one couldn’t see a thing.

Eerie, medieval European-style music drifted through the air, heightening the sense of supernatural dread.

“Why is it so dark…” Xiao Wu clung to Taohua’s arm, too terrified to move forward. Taohua hugged her shoulder bag tightly, also hesitating to take another step.

Lu Yichen, who had been walking behind them, stepped forward. He was completely veiled in the shadows, his face obscured.

“Teacher Lu!”

Noticing him passing by, Taohua instinctively reached out. She had intended to grab his arm, but for some reason, she only managed to catch the hem of his shirt.

“Teacher Lu, don’t go so fast!” Xiao Wu spotted him as well and called out hurriedly. “Wait for us, Teacher Lu, please!”

As Lu Yichen continued forward, Taohua gripped his shirt tightly-half out of genuine fear, and half because she simply didn’t want to let go.

In the darkness, Lu Yichen turned his head slightly. The moment Taohua looked up, he gave a soft chuckle. “Alright. You two can walk behind me.”

“Thank you, Teacher Lu. Taohua, keep close.” Xiao Wu nodded and nudged Taohua toward Lu Yichen’s side. She followed closely behind Taohua, muttering, “This is too scary. Did they really have to make it this dark?”

Lu Yichen walked through the darkness with a cold expression. He glanced down at Taohua, who was still clutching his shirt, and slowly led the way forward.

The corridor wasn’t long, but because of the darkness and the fear of the unknown, the two frightened girls moved at a snail’s pace.

Combined with the occasional jump-scare mechanism, Xiao Wu was soon screaming non-stop. Taohua, perhaps because she was holding onto his shirt, felt her fear largely replaced by joy.

She looked up slightly at Lu Yichen’s profile, wishing only that they could stay in this darkness forever.

“Ah!” Xiao Wu shrieked, darting around in a panic. Under Lu Yichen’s lead, they finally reached the scene beyond the corridor.

It appeared to be an underground wine cellar. The darkness remained as thick as ink, and the music that had been playing in their ears suddenly stopped.

*Thump. Thump.*

A sound echoed from inside a massive wine barrel. Startled, Taohua stepped forward to grab Lu Yichen’s arm, but he sidestepped her once again.

Xiao Wu lunged from behind and pulled Taohua into a hug. “What the hell was that? I’m never coming here again…”

“You can close your eyes,” Lu Yichen’s voice drifted through the dark. Xiao Wu nodded frantically. “Right, right. I’ll close my eyes.”

*Thump. Thump.*

The knocking sound returned, seemingly drawing closer.

Suddenly, a bright flash of light erupted, and a figure appeared abruptly in front of Taohua and Xiao Wu.

“Ah!”

Faced with the jump-scare, Xiao Wu panicked and immediately shoved Taohua aside as she crouched on the floor.

Taohua was small and thin; the force of Xiao Wu’s shove sent her stumbling directly toward the wine barrels on the side.

The barrels nearby were props, wrapped in decorative wire. Though the barrels lined the walls and were some distance from where they stood, Taohua couldn’t stop her momentum.

She was about to slam right into them.

The staff member who had jumped out to scare them was also stunned and instinctively reached out to help. However, another figure was faster, grabbing Taohua by her clothes and pulling her back.

But the arm of the person who pulled Taohua was lightly grazed by the wire.

Lu Yichen looked at the small cut on his arm and said with a smile, “It’s nothing.”

The staff member quickly retreated, and the wine cellar returned to darkness.

Taohua whispered several thank-yous and helped Xiao Wu up from the floor. Just then, a plot prompt played, instructing them to continue forward.
After experiencing their respective storylines, the left and right paths converged at the final study.

Pushing open the door to the wine cellar, another winding, pitch-black passage awaited them.

Xiao Wu was so terrified that she refused to let go of Taohua. With her hands full, Taohua couldn’t grab onto Lu Yichen, so she could only hold onto Xiao Wu and follow behind him.

Lu Yichen led the way through two more consecutive themed rooms. The two women behind him were scared stiff; if he hadn’t been there, they likely would have crouched in place, too afraid to move forward.

*Creak.*

Accompanied by a sound effect, Lu Yichen pushed open the door to the study.

In the darkness, two pairs of blood-red eyes snapped toward him the moment he entered.

Emerging from the shadows, Gu Xiaonuan walked over and grabbed Lu Yichen’s hand, quickly leading him to the side. Li let out a soft chuckle but remained where he was without moving.

“Are we at the end?” Xiao Wu asked, her eyes still squeezed shut. Taohua, who had been half-carrying and half-dragging her the whole way, gave a grunt of affirmation, feeling that a perfectly good opportunity had been wasted.

As the five of them gathered, the lights in the study suddenly flared to life.

Seeing Gu Xiaonuan and Li, Xiao Wu finally breathed a sigh of relief and let go of Taohua. Taohua looked at Gu Xiaonuan standing beside Lu Yichen and silently averted her gaze.

To the accompaniment of an elderly voiceover, a projection appeared on the wall, beginning to reveal the truth behind the story.

Li stood there, his tall frame imposing. The crimson hue in his eyes had dissipated with the turning on of the lights. After listening to the story, he let out another laugh, one filled with disdain.

“Dear guests, your adventure is complete. Please follow me this way,” a staff member stepped out and guided them toward the exit.

When the sunlight from outside flooded their vision again, Xiao Wu took a deep breath. “It was terrifying, but it was actually really fun. I’m curious about your story.”

“Miss Gu, can you give us a hint?”

“Giving it away would ruin the fun. It’s better to experience it yourself,” Li spoke up. “You all enjoy yourselves; I’ll be heading off now.”

He looked at Gu Xiaonuan with a smile, his gaze subtly drifting to the wound on Lu Yichen’s arm. He took a deep breath. “See you next time, kid.”

“Boss Li, you’re out!” The staff member who had been with him earlier hurried over. Li turned away with a smile, seemingly having no intention of continuing to walk with the group.

Gu Xiaonuan watched him walk away, then hurriedly pulled Lu Yichen along.

“Editor Gu, Teacher Lu, where are you going?”

Xiao Wu called out, and Gu Xiaonuan looked back. “He’s injured. I’m taking him to the infirmary to get it treated. You guys go ahead and play.”

“Oh no, Teacher Lu is hurt!” Xiao Wu finally noticed the wound on Lu Yichen’s arm. “Teacher Lu must have gotten hurt while protecting Taohua. Taohua, go with them!”

Xiao Wu quickly nudged Taohua, giving her a pointed look.

“Teacher Lu got hurt because of me, so I should be the one to do it,” Taohua said, stepping quickly toward Gu Xiaonuan.

Lu Yichen, who had remained silent until now, saw his expression darken when he sensed Gu Xiaonuan was about to let go of him.

His body swayed slightly, and he leaned his weight onto her without a word.

Gu Xiaonuan caught him immediately. His face was slightly pale as he murmured, “I’m a little dizzy. It was really scary in there just now. I forced myself to finish it; I couldn’t let the two of them lead the way.”

The scent of blood from the wound on his arm was so stimulating that Gu Xiaonuan felt her fangs itching to emerge. “Let her take you to get treated. I’m afraid…”

Lu Yichen leaned his head against her cheek, his thin lips brushing against her earlobe.

“What are you afraid of?”

He whispered softly, his voice like a feather drifting over her. “Aren’t I yours?”