Only two sets of footsteps broke the silence inside the building.
Both men passed the elevator without sparing it a glance and headed straight for the stairwell, intending to walk up to the Thirteenth Floor.
Avoiding elevators was a habit the hotel staff had long since developed. Without a word, the two began climbing the stairs.
Yu Guo kept watch over their surroundings, unable to suppress the excitement within him.
After facing ghosts firsthand, his fixation on A Lian had grown all the more urgent. Although he had prepared himself not to see her tonight, he still could not help feeling hopeful now that he was so close.
Ji Li brought up the rear, his expression dark. Everything seemed too smooth, as though the ghost had deliberately let them come up.
In particular, when he noticed Yu Guo's back trembling slightly ahead of him, he knew the man was already losing his composure as they neared their destination.
"Don't get your hopes up. You had nothing to begin with."
Ji Li should not have spoken at that moment, but for the sake of both their lives, he still offered a warning.
The ice-cold words instantly doused Yu Guo's rising emotions. He took a deep breath and turned to look at Ji Li.
"Thank you," he said with heartfelt sincerity.
Ji Li did not want to say anything more. His eyelid twitched slightly, and the little finger on his left hand began spasming incessantly.
It was like an innate ability of his: whenever the presence of ghosts around him grew too strong, his left little finger would sound a warning.
He had drawn this conclusion during the previous mission. For example, after Li Xing touched the Hotel Phone, Ji Li's little finger had trembled uncontrollably when he reached for it.
But