Welcome the Lion's Fang!

[To ensure your stay is pleasant, please follow the rules below]

[1. The residence has four floors in total; the first floor is absolutely safe]

[2. The ceiling on the first floor leaks from time to time; please do not touch the water without any protective measures]

[3. The soundproofing in the residence is sometimes very poor; for your safety, everyone is strictly forbidden from going out at night]

[4. If you discover that the water leaking from the ceiling is about to flood the entire hallway, please return to your room and call for help]

[5. You will hear the sound of a toilet flushing in the middle of the night from time to time; please ignore it]

[6. The residence only has four floors, no basement, no basement! If you discover a passageway on the first floor, please ignore it] The handwriting is slightly hurried

[7. The stairs leading to the third floor are locked; if you have an unavoidable reason to go there, please find the landlord to get the key]

<The paper is incomplete; the bottom half has been torn off>

Bai Yuze read the paper over and over several times to ensure he hadn't missed any rules, then stuffed it into his pocket.

"Huh? It seems like there's something in my pocket."

Bai Yuze pulled out the item from his pocket; it was actually another note, though it was a bit smaller, with a few sentences scattered across it.

[Do not swallow a lifetime of sweetness in one gulp]

[A person must always pursue something in this life]

[Darkness has its own sordidness, and light has its own future]

[Ignoring things can save you from many troubles, but it can also bring you even more]

[Seeking light in the darkness is a fool's errand to begin with]

[What you see with your own eyes may not be the truth; what you hear with your own ears is not as good as seeing for yourself!]

[Death is a release, but anger will continue on]

[An ambiguous attitude is more hurtful than a rejection]

"Is this poetry? Or more rules? But if they are rules, why weren't they written on the large note together?"

Bai Yuze felt a bit puzzled, but he still firmly committed these rules to memory.

At the same time, he discovered three scratches on his left wrist, all located right over the artery.

"What is this situation? Could it be that I'm playing the role of someone who self-harms in this instance?"

Bai Yuze began to pace uneasily; it seemed that only by doing so could he soothe the fear and confusion in his heart.

On the bed, Yukinoshita Yukino was also woken up by the sound of Bai Yuze's pacing.

She opened her dazed eyes, and upon seeing an unfamiliar ceiling, she immediately became alert.

Hearing the sound of Bai Yuze's footsteps, her body tensed up even more. Yukino had studied Aikido, and her hands were already guarding her chest.

Bai Yuze caught a glimpse of Yukino's movements out of the corner of his eye. He froze for a moment before realizing what she was doing.

As expected of Yukinoshita, her vigilance is top-notch. She's probably trying to lure me over; I remember she studied Aikido.

Bai Yuze pondered in his heart while taking out the paper and folding it in half.

He slowly approached Yukino, and ensuring he was at a safe distance, he fanned the paper toward her face.

Sure enough, the moment Yukino felt the touch on her face, she opened her eyes and thrust her hand out.

She just hadn't expected that Bai Yuze hadn't actually brought his face close to her at all.

Bai Yuze felt his heart leap into his throat. Although he was standing at a safe distance, the sharp, cold momentum of Yukino's hand movement startled him.

"Good grief, are you trying to kill me?"

Seeing Yukino's left hand in a knife-hand strike and her right hand in a palm-thrusting stance, he couldn't help but feel a lingering fear. If he had really leaned in close, his eyes and throat would likely have been severely injured!

Seeing that her sneak attack had failed, Yukino immediately stood up from the bed. With her hands balled into fists in front of her chest, she quickly scanned the room, finally locking her gaze onto Bai Yuze.

"Who are you? Why did you kidnap me? Is it for money?"

Yukino stared at Bai Yuze vigilantly while assuming an Aikido defensive stance. Based on her basic assessment, she concluded that the most likely reason the man before her had kidnapped her was for money.

The surrounding environment was too dirty and chaotic, which led Yukino to prioritize the possibility of a kidnapping for ransom, and in such a case, it was most likely the work of the Yukinoshita family's rivals.

After all, as long as the price is right, there will always be people willing to do these things, even if the cost is more than the other party could ever imagine.

"Uh... the situation right now is very complicated, but I'm really not a kidnapper. Do I look like a kidnapper to you?"

Bai Yuze looked innocent. Being in a dangerous world was bad enough, but being mistaken for a kidnapper on top of that? When a person's luck is at its absolute worst, even drinking water makes them choke!

Yukino clearly realized she was at a disadvantage. As for Bai Yuze's words, she dismissed them as lies. At this moment, she analyzed her current situation.

The stranger before her looked frail, but she didn't know if he had accomplices. Her best bet for now was to avoid angering him and wait for him to lower his guard before subduing him.

"Then how did you get here? Were you kidnapped too?"

Yukino played along with Bai Yuze's words, but her vigilance was at its peak. Her arms, which had been defending her chest, appeared to be lowered, but in reality, her legs were quietly gathering strength.

If Bai Yuze suddenly lunged at her, Yukino was confident she could kick him right in the crotch.

"I know how I got here, but I don't know how you got here. However, the situation right now is extremely dangerous."

The more Bai Yuze tried to explain, the more tangled things became. He knew clearly that Yukino had not let down her guard, but her presence made his tongue feel clumsy. After all, they had slept together and he had touched her—how was he supposed to explain that?

"So, you're an accomplice?"

Knowing how he had arrived but not knowing how she had, this statement immediately led Yukino to believe that Bai Yuze was an accomplice to the kidnappers, which inevitably made her heart tighten.

Although she had studied Aikido, the disparity in physical strength between men and women was too obvious, not to mention that she might have to face two or more people.

"Who sent you? How much did they pay you? The Yukinoshita family can pay you double!"

To be able to sneak into her home silently and abduct her while she was fast asleep, all signs pointed to the fact that her kidnappers were a professional and well-trained group, and the only people who would hire such individuals were the rivals of the Yukinoshita family.

Otherwise, why would anyone go to such great lengths to kidnap her? Could it be just because she was pretty?

The moment she got up, she had checked her body. Her clothes were still on, and she felt nothing unusual, though there were some wrinkles on her chest area, which Yukino subconsciously attributed to her own defensive movements.

Yukino was somewhat aware of her own appearance; she knew she was cute, and in fact, she was extremely cute.

Since the other party wasn't after her looks, they must have been hired for money. For people blinded by greed, verbal persuasion was useless; one had to prescribe the right medicine, which meant offering more money!

If you offer enough that they cannot refuse, they will naturally work for you!

"No! I'm really not a kidnapper!"

Bai Yuze was on the verge of tears. Why did the more he explained, the more misunderstood he became? He rolled his eyes, and as if having made up his mind, he closed them and said.

"Um... do you believe in urban legends or things like that? We have both been dragged into a world similar to an urban legend."

"It is called Rules Horror."

Bai Yuze laid out the facts completely. He knew he would be met with a look of disbelief, as if she were looking at a fool, so he simply kept his eyes shut.

But he was wrong! What greeted him was not a look of disbelief, but...

Yukino: Face the Lion's Fang!