Wen Yuhan silently watched Yi Li, feeling that he looked like a top student pondering a difficult math problem, lightly tapping his temple with his fingertips, deducing a set of logic:
"Think about it, Han Shu won't let you off the hook. Even if you choose to leave this industry, he won't want to keep you around as a nuisance. Liu Zhengju's position is so unshakeable... As long as they don't let you go, your senior brother won't let them go, and as long as your senior brother doesn't let them go, he'll definitely be implicated... Don't you think the crux of the matter lies with you, senior brother?"
Yi Li looked up at Wen Yuhan, his smile widening: "Once we get rid of you, won't this terrible cycle finally end?"
Wen Yuhan's eyes darkened, realizing that Yi Li's current words meant he had no intention of leaving him alive. Blood continued to seep from the wound in his abdomen, and Wen Yuhan felt his vision blurring. He took another deep drag of his cigarette, exhaling to compose himself, and said, "By doing this, you've essentially made Han Shu a scapegoat, playing right into his hands. What good will it do you?"
"Hahaha..." Yi Li shook his head and laughed, "Senior, don't you understand? I don't ask for anything anymore. Whether I helped Han Shu or screwed him over, I never really looked down on that mediocre idiot. I did this only because I wouldn't allow you to harm Pei Shaocheng. I don't think I've had a chance to tell you yet, senior, but I once thought about giving up my own life. It's because of Senior Brother Pei that I've been able to live until now... It's worth it for me to use this life to save him."
"You're crazy."
Yi Li laughed even harder: "How come you even say the same things as him? It's infuriating!"
Wen Yuhan, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, chuckled softly. Yi Li's voice abruptly stopped, and he asked in a gloomy tone, "What are you laughing at!"
"Laugh at your madness, your fake madness." The glow of the cigarette butt flickered inside the dim water tower, and Wen Yuhan's features were shrouded in white smoke, making it impossible to discern his joy or sorrow for a moment.
"People always choose to conceal what they least want to admit, and then wrap it in a beautiful facade. This facade is usually the lie that people most desire to become, yet know deep down is completely the opposite." He paused, glanced at Yi Li, and smiled. "For example, your so-called dedication to your Senior Brother Pei—was it noble, selfless, or just jealousy and frustration? You know best in your heart… And yet you still have time to embellish your words. Do you think you're truly insane or just pretending?"
"Shut up!!" Yi Li grabbed Wen Yuhan by the neck, his handsome features contorted, like a vengeful ghost stripped of its human skin in the dead of night. "Why did you come back?! Do you know how much I wanted to kill you when I saw you in his room again?! If you hadn't come back, none of this would have happened!! He hates me now... he hates me..."
A sinister smile spread across Yi Li's lips: "Since that's the case, what else do I have to worry about? Don't you think so, Senior Wen..."
...
Chapter 70
A phone vibrated from Wen Yuhan's coat pocket.
Yi Li was abruptly interrupted. He took out his phone with an unhappy expression and narrowed his eyes after seeing the caller ID.
"He really can't be without you for even a minute..." Yi Li hung up the phone and sighed softly.
Wen Yuhan's vision was already blurring due to excessive blood loss. He bit his tongue to keep himself awake and said calmly, "Yi Li, it's not too late to back down now. You're talented, and your career is just starting to take off. Why ruin all of that for someone you hate so much?"
"Senior Wen, you're not qualified to teach me how to do things." Yi Li turned around, bent down, and touched Wen Yuhan's face. His eyes sharpened, and with a smile, he raised his hand and slapped him hard.
Wen Yuhan's head suddenly tilted to one side, and her cheek swelled up instantly. She felt a buzzing in her head.
He felt a sweet taste in his throat and spat out a mouthful of blood, but his eyes remained as calm as a still lake.
Wen Yuhan's indifferent attitude once again provoked Yi Li's emotions. He grabbed the other's chin, brought his face close to Wen Yuhan's, and their noses were touching.
"You're as annoying as ever," Yi Li said, clenching his other hand into a fist and pressing it against the wound on Wen Yuhan's abdomen.
Wen Yuhan's forehead was immediately covered in sweat, his gaze gradually became unfocused, and he felt as if the pain was being pulled away from his body.
That's good, that way it won't hurt anymore...
The phone kept ringing in her ear, and Wen Yuhan could roughly guess who was on the other end.
However, I don't usually answer Pei Shaocheng's calls, so he probably wouldn't notice anything unusual.
Whoosh—
A basin of water was suddenly poured over his head, startling Wen Yuhan and forcibly pulling him back from his dazed state.
"Cough cough cough..." Wen Yuhan coughed repeatedly, each tremor causing his wounds to throb with pain.
The biting cold water felt like a thousand needles piercing her pores on the rainy winter night, sliding down Wen Yuhan's half-long hair to her cheeks and chin, soaking through her thin clothes and bleeding bandages.
His chest heaved, and he could no longer breathe continuously.
Yi Li stared at Wen Yuhan, tilting his head as if deep in thought. Those beautiful eyes, always so docile, were hidden in the darkness, like a pair of priceless black gems.
He suddenly seemed to have thought of an exciting idea, his eyes lit up, and a strange smile with a hint of self-abandonment appeared on his lips.
"Guess what interesting thing I just thought of? Hmm? Senior."
Wen Yuhan instinctively sensed a hint of danger, and his back pressed tightly against the seat back, his lips pursed in silence.
Yi Li considerately brushed away the stray hairs on his forehead that were damp with sweat and cold water. His icy fingers slid down his nose to his prominent Adam's apple and collarbone, pausing briefly at his chest before playfully teasing him to the side.
"Yi Li!!" Panic finally showed in Wen Yuhan's pupils, which trembled violently, and the chair vibrated hoarsely because of his struggle.
Yi Li was very satisfied with his performance and chuckled triumphantly. The gleaming dagger came to Wen Yuhan's waist, the tip of the blade touching the belt buckle, and with a slight flick, it made a soft "click" sound.
A chill, mixed with nausea, surged up from my spine and stomach.
Wen Yuhan gritted her teeth and said in a trembling voice, "You will regret this..."
Yi Li paused for a moment upon hearing this, then shook his head and sighed softly, "What's there to regret? We've already made up our minds to go this far."
As he spoke, he slowly and methodically removed his coat: "Perhaps if you try it yourself, you'll understand how your senior brother feels, right?"
"If you want to kill me to eliminate future troubles for Pei Shaocheng, then do it. Why make yourself miserable?"
"Hehehe...Are you scared, Senior Wen?" Yi Li looked Wen Yuhan up and down with amusement. "Your expression looks much cuter than before."
He leaned closer to Wen Yuhan and lightly licked the other's earlobe with the tip of his tongue: "Senior, what position do you like? Or... what position does your senior like to use on you?"
Wen Yuhan felt as if every inch of her skin had been swept by a venomous tongue, a metallic taste rising in her throat, and her chest about to explode.
Looking at the other person's eyes, red with shame and indignation, Yi Li felt a strong sense of vengeful pleasure.
He circled around Wen Yuhan, like a young animal carefully considering where to start its attack after learning to hunt and taking its first bite.
Wen Yuhan tried her best to ignore the other person's gaze, using the last bit of her rationality to force herself to quickly search her surroundings for anything that might bring a turning point.
The phone rang again at this moment, this time not from Wen Yuhan, but from Yi Li.
Yi Li picked up his phone from the ground, glanced at the caller ID, his eyes darkened, then he gathered up Wen Yuhan's clothes, crumpled them into a ball, stuffed them into Wen Yuhan's mouth, and pressed the answer button.
"Hey, senior brother." He spoke lightly, giving Wen Yuhan a shushing gesture with a cold smile.
A low growl came from the other end of the phone: "Where are you!"
"Hehehe..." Yi Li let out a series of laughs, "I told you to guess before, but you just wouldn't."
"Where's Wen Yuhan! What did you do to him!" Pei Shaocheng's angry voice echoed through the receiver at the bottom of the water tower.
Yi Li pouted, feeling wronged: "Senior brother is so fierce. I told you I would protect you even if it meant my death."
Where is he?!
As Yi Li listened to the other person's voice, a deep sense of loneliness flashed across his eyes. Like a child arguing with an adult, he stubbornly and softly said, "I won't let you see him again..." He paused, "I know that my senior brother is completely fed up with me now. Don't worry, from now on you won't see me again either."
At this point, both Yi Li and Pei Shaocheng, who were on and off the phone, heard a muffled thud.
Pei Shaocheng immediately shouted anxiously, "Xiao Han! Is that you?!"
Yi Li's eyes turned cold as he looked back and saw Wen Yuhan lying on the ground, chair and all.
The wound slammed against the ground, instantly bringing another wave of excruciating pain. Blood seeped through the gauze, leaving dark red marks on the ground. Wen Yuhan shook his head, dispelling the black mist before his eyes.
"Alright, time is running out." Seeing that Wen Yuhan had not escaped, Yi Li snorted contemptuously, then said gently to Pei Shaocheng, "Maybe in the next life. I hope to meet you before Senior Wen in the next life. I will love you even more than in this life."
As Yi Li spoke, he looked up at the sky above the water tower and smiled, "Goodbye, Brother Cheng."
After speaking, he hung up the phone with a "beep."
He casually tossed his phone aside, slowly walked towards Wen Yuhan, and looked down at him condescendingly.
"Tsk, you're such a worry." Yi Li squatted down and pulled Wen Yuhan's hair. "What? Does senior still think I was joking, tying you a bow that'll come undone so easily?"
Seeing that Wen Yuhan remained silent, Yi Li helped the person and the stool back up.
"There was a little hiccup along the way, let's continue..." Yi Li said lightly, "Where were we? Oh right, what position does senior like?"
“Yi Li…” Wen Yuhan closed his eyes, then looked up and said in a deep voice, “Do you know the ten story types under the Snyder system?”
Yi Li seemed completely taken aback by Wen Yuhan's sudden remark, and frowned as he coldly scrutinized him: "What do you mean?"
“One of them is called a haunted house, and the story system contained in this type is similar to our current situation.” Wen Yuhan no longer had any strength left, and her voice was extremely soft. “You represent the kidnappers, ghosts, and danger. And I am the survivor.”
Upon hearing this, Yi Li's smile widened: "Senior, are you already scared out of your wits?"
Wen Yuhan ignored Yi Li and continued speaking slowly, "In stories like this, the person usually called the 'survivor' is the true protagonist. As for the current situation... in the metronome... it's also called the protagonist's soul's dark night."
What exactly are you trying to say?
Wen Yuhan lowered her eyes and smiled faintly, then looked at Yi Li again: "Do you know what the next node of the Soul Night is called?"
"Enough! I don't have time to listen to your nonsense!"
Wen Yuhan's illogical words made Yi Li inexplicably anxious, so he raised his foot and kicked him hard in the stomach.
At the same time, Wen Yuhan's eyes suddenly sharpened, and he used a sharp metal to completely cut the hemp rope that bound his hands behind his back.
Just now, he accurately measured the distance and direction, and finally touched the piece of scrap metal on the ground the instant he fell.
Wen Yuhan swung a punch and slammed it hard into Yi Li's face. Yi Li was obviously not expected that the other party could break free of his restraints. He let out a muffled gasp and his body swayed to one side.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Wen Yuhan kicked him in the back of the knee, and Yi Li's legs went numb, causing him to kneel on the ground.
Wen Yuhan clutched her stomach, staggered, turned around, and ran towards the spiral staircase to the side.
The next stage in the darkest night of the soul is called a desperate counterattack.
Such a plot is only fit for the protagonist.
...
A note from the author:
I'm so sorry everyone, I've been incredibly busy lately, practically at my breaking point. I've been thinking about the rest of the plot, but after numerous revisions and rewrites, I'm still not satisfied (sigh)... To avoid ruining the story and to finish it with high quality, I might update every other day for the next few days. You can choose to wait until it's more complete before reading. Once I'm feeling better, I'll resume daily updates... I promise I'll finish it properly!
Chapter 71
Actually, the water tower itself wasn't very tall, and given Wen Yuhan's usual stamina, he should have been able to climb it easily. But at this moment, due to excessive blood loss and the intense pain from his abdominal wound, he felt as if the spiral staircase was reaching to the heavens and he could never finish climbing it.
The heavy breathing of his own body was amplified infinitely, and his throat was filled with a strong taste of blood. Wen Yuhan held onto the stair railing, and the thick blood stuck to it.
He shook his head, forcing his gaze to focus, and looked up at the top of the tower, gritting his teeth in frustration. Before he could even catch his breath, he heard Yi Li's rapid footsteps behind him.
Damn it...
Wen Yuhan gripped the metal sheet in his hand and continued to stagger up the stairs. Unexpectedly, a wave of dizziness hit him, his legs gave way, and his knees buckled and he fell straight to the ground.
The gleaming dagger came hurtling towards him, accompanied by Yi Li's sinister and maniacal laughter: "Senior, where are you trying to run to?!"