No Sense of Touch? No Problem, I'll Be Your Senses

Outside the safe house door, a black vintage carriage stood quietly.

Driving it was a puppet coachman wearing a white mask, holding a gilded invitation in his hands like a messenger from hell.

Huo Si stood in the entryway, glanced through the peephole, then turned to Jian Ning.

His face was still pale, but the ruthlessness in his eyes had not diminished in the slightest.

"Go."

Huo Si's voice was steady. "Since he's delivered the ticket right to our door, wouldn't it be rude not to go?"

Jian Ning looked worriedly at his hands.

When Huo Si had buttoned his shirt earlier, his fingers had been so stiff that he could barely grasp the tiny buttons. It was a classic symptom of peripheral nerve paralysis.

"But your hands..." Jian Ning went over with a pained look and fastened the remaining buttons for him one by one, smoothing them flat.

Huo Si lowered his gaze to the fluffy head busy against his chest, the corner of his lips lifting slightly.

"It's fine. They're just a little numb."

"When we get to the castle, don't stray too far from me. If I need to pick something up, you..."

"I'll get it for you." Jian Ning looked up, his gaze resolute. "I won't just carry things for you. I'll be your cane and your navigator too. Tonight, you just focus on looking handsome. Leave the rest to me."

[Don't worry, old Huo.]

[We're a combined monster now! No one's going to spot your weakness!]

At eight that night, at King's private castle.

The night was thick and dark. The castle loomed at the edge of a cliff, with only a few windows emitting a dim red glow.

Eerie yet elegant organ music flowed through the grand hall. Guests wore all kinds of masks and medieval finery as they glided silently across the dance floor.

The great doors slowly opened.

The master of ceremonies announced loudly, "President Huo Si of Huo Group, and... his wife!"

Everyone's attention instantly converged on them.

Huo Si wore a black velvet long coat with its collar raised and a silver metal half-mask that revealed only the hard lines of his lower face and those unfathomably deep eyes. He looked like a noble yet dangerous vampire duke.

Jian Ning, linked arm-in-arm with him, was dressed in an entirely different style.

He wore a fitted dark red assassin's outfit—the modified version of the succubus set exchanged from the system—with a broad belt cinched around his waist, outlining its slender curve. A black feathered mask covered his face, while his exposed red lips curled faintly upward, making him look both seductive and murderous.

[System, activate Panoramic Scan.]

[Find that lunatic King for me first.]

System: [Ding! Scanning... Target located in the center of the second-floor gallery.]

Jian Ning looked up.

Sure enough, King stood by the second-floor railing in a pure white pope's robe, holding a goblet of crimson wine as he looked down at them.

His gaze lingered on Huo Si for a long time, as though assessing the progression of the poison.

"Welcome."

King's voice rang through the hall via the speakers, carrying his distinctive operatic cadence.

"Since you're here, why not... have a dance?"

"I hear President Huo is an excellent tango dancer. How about the two of you lead tonight's opening dance?"

Thunderous applause erupted throughout the hall, though it was so synchronized that it felt strange.

Jian Ning's heart skipped a beat.

[A tango?]

[That pervert did this on purpose!]

[The tango is fast, with lots of sharp pauses. It demands extremely precise bodily control from the dancers. Huo Si's hands and feet are numb right now—how can he dance? One wrong step and he'll fall!]

[He wants Huo Si to embarrass himself in front of everyone and expose his condition!]

Huo Si's body stiffened almost imperceptibly.

The soles of his feet felt as though they were stepping on cotton. He could not feel the hardness of the floor at all.

"What's wrong? President Huo won't honor us with a dance?" King chuckled. "Or is it that... President Huo is unwell and can't even walk steadily?"

His words drew the eyes of the nearby guests toward Huo Si.

The guests around them began whispering among themselves, their malicious gazes piercing him like needles.

Huo Si took a deep breath and was just about to force himself forward.

A warm hand suddenly clasped his fingers tightly.

Jian Ning turned sideways, leaned close to his ear, and spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear.

"Don't be afraid."

"Give me your weight."

"I'll make you fly."

Jian Ning turned and shot King on the second floor a provocative smile.

"Since Mr. King wants to see it, then we'll make fools of ourselves."

"Music!"

The passionate tango, Por Una Cabeza, suddenly began to play.

Jian Ning seized the initiative. He grabbed Huo Si's hand, pulled hard, and led him sliding into the center of the dance floor.

[System! Activate [Movement Synchronization Assistance] mode!]

[Transmit my motor nerve signals to Huo Si in real time through the Gossip System!]

System: [Understood! This will consume a large number of points, and the host will experience double the fatigue. Confirm?]

Jian Ning: [Enough nonsense! Do it!]

The next second, a miracle happened.

Huo Si felt a strange force flood into his once-numb limbs. It was not the return of touch, but rather... a tacit pull, something he had never experienced before...

A voice seemed to direct him inside his mind.

"Left foot back. Three, two, one."

"Turn. Lower your center of gravity."

"Hold my waist. Push."

Huo Si trusted that voice completely.

He closed his eyes, shutting out every distraction from the outside world, and focused only on every signal Jian Ning sent him.

Spin, leap, dip, turn.

Their steps were as fast as lightning, their coordination flawless.

The black coat and red assassin's outfit intertwined on the dance floor like a burning flame, like two blades locked in combat.

At every sharp pause, Huo Si's dress shoes landed precisely on the beat with perfect force. There was not the slightest hint of illness in him.

Even during the final difficult lift, Huo Si steadily raised Jian Ning with one hand. Jian Ning traced a graceful arc through the air before landing firmly, their chests pressed together as they froze on the final note.

"Huff..."

Jian Ning panted, his forehead covered in sweat.

[I'm exhausted... This is worse than hauling bricks.]

The entire hall fell silent for two seconds.

Then thunderous applause broke out. This time, there was no malice in it—only pure shock and envy.

On the second floor, King's smile vanished completely.

He gripped his wineglass so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

"No reaction? Impossible..."

"With that dosage, he shouldn't even be able to stand steadily! Why can he still dance?!"

At the center of the dance floor.

Huo Si did not let go of Jian Ning. He still held Jian Ning tightly around the waist, using the pose to place most of his own weight on him.

His back was already drenched in cold sweat.

That dance had drained every last bit of his strength.

"Well done." Huo Si lowered his head, his lips brushing Jian Ning's ear. "We won."

Taking the opportunity, Jian Ning supported him and pretended to kiss his cheek. In truth, it was to keep him from collapsing.

"Of course. When husband and wife work together, they can cut through iron."

"Come on. While that pervert is still stunned, let's go rest over there."

The two went to sit in a rest area in the corner.

The lighting there was dim, making it a blind spot.

Jian Ning immediately had the system scan Huo Si's physical condition.

[Warning! Intense exercise has accelerated the spread of the poison. The range of Huo Si's loss of touch has now expanded to his knees and elbows.]

Jian Ning's heart sank.

They had to find the antidote as soon as possible!

Huo Si would not be able to hold on much longer!

Just then, someone dressed as a waiter approached with a tray.

Keeping his head lowered, he set two glasses of wine on the table.

As he placed the wine down, a small folded note was discreetly pressed beneath Jian Ning's glass.

The waiter raised his head, revealing a pair of familiar eyes.

He was the informant Jian Xiu had planted here—codename "Nightingale."

Nightingale lowered his voice and spoke rapidly.

"The dungeon entrance is behind the kitchen's cold storage."

"That Lin Yu is almost done for. He says he knows where the antidote formula is hidden."

"And... King has prepared a 'second course' for President Huo tonight—a sonic weapon aimed at him. Be careful."

After saying that, Nightingale swiftly left as though he had never been there.

Using the motion of taking a drink as cover, Jian Ning quickly unfolded the note.

It contained a simple hand-drawn map marking the dungeon and the cold storage.

Jian Ning clenched the note in his palm and looked at Huo Si.

Although Huo Si could not hear what Nightingale had said just now—his hearing was starting to be affected too—he understood Jian Ning's expression.

"You want to go?" Huo Si asked.

Jian Ning nodded and wrote in his palm: Lin Yu is in the dungeon. He has clues about the antidote. I'm going there.

Huo Si gripped his hand in return, his brow tightly furrowed: Too dangerous. I'll go with you.

Jian Ning shook his head: You can barely walk right now. You'll only hold me back—cross that out—make it easier for us to be exposed.

Stay here and keep King's attention. That pervert is definitely watching you right now. As long as you're here, he won't suspect me.

Trust me. I have the Invisibility Mode cheat.

Huo Si was silent for a long time.

Reason told him Jian Ning was right.

But he could not bear to let him go, nor could he stop worrying.

In the end, he removed the million-dollar watch from his wrist—the one containing a miniature tracker—and put it on Jian Ning.

"Thirty minutes."

Huo Si's voice was as heavy as iron. "If you're not back in thirty minutes, I'll blow this castle up."

Jian Ning's heart warmed. He leaned over and kissed him.

"Understood, my Duke."

Using the restroom as an excuse, Jian Ning left the ballroom.

The moment he entered the corridor, he activated the system's [Invisibility Mode].

His figure instantly vanished into thin air.

Following the map's directions, he passed through a maze of corridors, evaded countless patrolling guards and infrared cameras, and finally arrived at the kitchen's cold storage.

Deep inside the cold storage stood an inconspicuous iron door.

Jian Ning opened it with a master key.

A pungent stench of blood and rot rushed at him.

This was a water dungeon built inside the cliff.

It was cold and damp, with nauseating green duckweed floating on the water's surface.

And at the center of the dungeon, a man hung suspended.

His body was covered in wounds. His once-exquisite white suit had become strips of rags, and his face was bruised black and blue, leaving no trace of the "everyone's favorite" from a few days ago.

It was Lin Yu.

Jian Ning deactivated his invisibility to save points, stood beside the water dungeon, and clicked his tongue twice.

"Well, well. If it isn't Young Master Lin, the one with his own holy glow?"

"What's wrong? Did Everyone's Favorite System run out of power? Can't even charm the rats in this water dungeon?"

Hearing his voice, Lin Yu struggled to raise his head.

When he saw Jian Ning's unscathed face—even wearing a mocking smile—the hatred in his eyes erupted instantly, only to quickly turn into desperate hope.

"Jian... Jian Ning..."

Lin Yu's voice was hoarse and grating. "Save me... Get me out..."

Jian Ning folded his arms and looked at him leisurely.

"Give me a reason to save you."

"For example... where is the antidote for the poison in Huo Si's body?"

Lin Yu gritted his teeth. "If I tell you... will you save me?"

Jian Ning sneered. "Do you think you still have the right to bargain? That pervert King locked you up here—he's obviously treated you as a disposable pawn. If I don't save you, just wait to rot in this water."

Lin Yu shuddered all over. He knew King's methods all too well.

"Fine... I'll talk."

Lin Yu panted. "There's... no ready-made antidote. King never keeps one."

"But... I know the formula."

"The formula is in King's bedroom, in that safe. The password is... Jian Xiu's birthday."

Jian Ning froze.

Jian Xiu's birthday?

Holy shit! Just how much does this King love—obsess over—my brother? He even used my brother's birthday as the password?

"And..." Lin Yu's gaze flickered. "Besides the formula, there's something else in the safe. It's King's ultimate weapon against Jian Xiu. If you can get it, Jian Xiu will definitely be grateful to you."

Jian Ning narrowed his eyes.

System, lie detector.

System: [Truth. But this person is concealing the danger of that "ultimate weapon."]

"Fine. Deal."

Jian Ning walked over, pulled out a dagger Jian Xiu had given him, and cut the rope suspending Lin Yu.

With a splash, Lin Yu fell into the filthy water.

"Climb up yourself." Jian Ning had no intention of pulling him out. "I'm going to King's bedroom. Wait here. If I get the formula, I'll come back and pull you out on the way. If I don't come back... then we can keep each other company on the road to the underworld."

With that, Jian Ning ignored Lin Yu's wails and rushed into the deeper darkness.

Target: King's bedroom.

Mission: Steal the formula, defuse the bomb—if there is one.

Time remaining: 20 minutes.

King's bedroom was located on the top floor of the castle.

Using the Invisibility Technique, Jian Ning slipped into the excessively luxurious room like a ghost.

The room was filled with photos of Jian Xiu. There were pictures hanging on the walls, sitting on the tables, even printed on the throw pillows—all of Jian Xiu.

It was practically the scene of a massive stalker-fan obsession.

Suppressing his disgust, Jian Ning found the safe embedded in the wall.

He entered the password: Jian Xiu's birthday.

Beep—

The green light came on.

It really was the password!

The safe door popped open.

Inside was a blue USB drive—presumably the formula—and... a red button device.

Jian Ning picked up the USB drive, and the system immediately scanned it.

[That's right. This is the antidote formula!]

Just as Jian Ning was about to reach for the red button and see what this "ultimate weapon" was—

The room's speakers suddenly came to life.

King's soft, smiling voice came through:

"Little sister-in-law, you're pretty quick."

"But... did you really think you could get the goods that easily?"

Jian Ning spun around.

The bedroom door was slowly closing.

Countless pitch-black gun barrels extended from the surrounding walls.

On the safe's display, the red button suddenly began counting down:

[Self-destruct sequence activated: 60 seconds.]

King's voice continued:

"That red button is connected to the explosives on every load-bearing pillar in the castle."

"Since all of you came, then... you can be buried with my love."

Clutching the USB drive, Jian Ning's back was instantly drenched in cold sweat.

Madman! A complete and utter madman!

He wants to drag everyone down with him!

Downstairs, in the ballroom—

Huo Si seemed to sense something.

He abruptly rose to his feet, shoved aside the guests blocking his way, and charged toward the stairs without a second thought.

"Jian Ning—!!!"