Burning Candles

As the alarm fell silent, a phone rang. "Mi Jierui has been captured." 13 runners remained.

Sure enough, the orange color in Rule Two could not be touched. If they had really believed that maintenance worker, they probably would have been wiped out.

The others had no idea where they had run off to. Once Xiao Ming returned to the proper route, he saw Qu An, and the two hurried back together.

They quickly returned to Rainbow Plaza. When the maintenance worker saw that neither of them was holding anything orange, his expression turned strange for an instant, but he still took the items from their hands.

Xiao Ming was now certain that avoiding orange was correct. The maintenance worker could not be trusted.

The maintenance worker first took the white light tube from Xiao Ming and was about to head toward the original red lamp post when Xiao Ming called out to him. "Replace the one beside the red one—the warm-colored one."

Xiao Ming was cautious enough not to name the color directly. Although the maintenance worker had mentioned orange earlier, there was no orange in the amusement park!

The maintenance worker gave him a strange look but still carried out his order. As for why it felt more like carrying out an order, the expression on his face made it obvious that he did not want to replace it.

When the maintenance worker approached the orange light tube, the white clothes on his body looked orange under the light. Instinctively, Xiao Ming moved farther away and pulled Qu An close to him.

"Keep replacing it. Don't turn around and look at us," Qu An said.

The maintenance worker stopped turning his head back and continued replacing the light tube in his hands.

After the orange light tube was replaced, the maintenance worker looked far more enthusiastic than before. "Next is the blue light, right? Okay!" He walked over to the blue lamp post himself, needing no reminder at all.

Though Xiao Ming knew it was only part of the show's setup and that the NPC was a living person in reality, his hair still stood on end. Even being a grind king did not change the fact that he was an ordinary person—an ordinary person afraid of the dark and ghosts.

His body unconsciously moved a little closer to Qu An. Qu An noticed Xiao Ming's movement but said nothing, merely extending one hand.

Without even looking, Xiao Ming hooked his arm around Qu An's. He still stubbornly insisted, "I'm not scared." Then he realized that saying that only made him seem scared, so he hurriedly added, "Are you scared? If you are, grab my hand."

If his voice had not trembled ever so slightly, perhaps his words would have been more convincing.

Qu An watched Xiao Ming press his lips together in nervousness without revealing anything, yet his mood was unexpectedly good. So this was what Xiao Ming was afraid of. "Okay."

[Xiao Ming looks like he isn't afraid of anything, yet he actually...]

[qaq can you two stop being so in love]

[QAQ Crybaby Little Fairy, I'll ship first]

[Other people are busy hiding from hunters, while these two are over here asking if the other is scared. What is this vibe?]

[But why can't they let the maintenance worker look at them?]

[Class rep reporting in! I saw the maintenance worker's clothes turn orange, so based on Rule Two and what happened when Zhuang Qiaofang was captured, the maintenance worker might turn into a hunter]

[That person calling them Crybaby Little Fairy... you're really going to make me forget their CP name]

[The number of people in the Crybaby Little Fairy fan group is now rivaling Willow in Shadow, Blossom in Light...]

[Can CP fans stop jumping out all the time? I'm seriously so done]

[If you don't like it, turn off the comments yourself. We're free to discuss, okay?]

[I seriously can't read the comments at all. They're always fighting]

The others gradually arrived as well. All the light tubes had been installed. Start, start, start! Lamp posts, prepare to shine!

Rainbow Plaza was bright once more. Beautiful lights spilled over everyone, and adorable children ran out from somewhere, laughing and playing in the plaza. The little girl held a pair of scissors, a sweet smile on her face. Then the woman began calling her name everywhere again, and the girl's gaze instantly changed, turning dark and sinister as she stared at everything around her.

Xiao Ming and Qu An temporarily found a place to hide, planning to analyze the remaining rules first.

"I think roughly two or three rules correspond to one task. Once a rule is triggered, it probably stays in effect. Right now, there should be three rules that have been fully triggered," Xiao Ming analyzed quietly beside Qu An.

The two were hiding in the small slide compartment of an inflatable children's ocean pool, and it was fairly safe.

Speaking of this place, it had to be mentioned that they had followed the children down through the mesh tunnels and slides. Xiao Ming had felt especially embarrassed at first, because he and Qu An stood out like cranes among a flock of chickens amid all those children.

But although the person beside him still wore a smile, the area from his ears down to his neck had already turned completely red.

Hmm. Xiao Ming did not feel that embarrassed anymore. After all, he was not the only one.

"Yes. There are two later task locations that can be clearly identified: Castle of Terror and the Carousel. But before that, I think Rules Four and Five are quite thought-provoking, because Rules Three and Four feel somewhat contradictory."

Xiao Ming thought carefully about those words and began expanding on them with the analytical skills he used for Chinese reading comprehension. "'Please do not trust anyone.' I had considered the possibility that there was an undercover agent." After saying that, he glanced at Qu An. "I suspected you."

"Oh, so classmate Xiao Ming doesn't trust me that much? That makes me a little sad." Qu An did not look surprised at all and was still smiling.

"Because you played really well in the last episode. Besides, it's not that I don't trust you. Aren't I still alone with you right now?" Xiao Ming rubbed his nose. Had his suspicion really been that obvious?

Qu An was naturally just teasing him. "Then will you comfort me?"

The moment those words came out, Xiao Ming froze completely. A lovely pink flush spread beneath the clothes covering his body, making one want to find out exactly how far it had spread.

Qu An had merely been joking and had not truly intended to make Xiao Ming comfort him, but Xiao Ming looked at him seriously and said, "Then... don't be angry anymore. Want some candy?"

Although some of Xiao Ming's candy had been given to him by Qu An, it was not impossible to borrow flowers to offer to Buddha.

Xiao Ming's voice softened as he looked at him with slightly bright eyes, carrying a hint of kitten-like ingratiation. Qu An felt as though a feather had brushed against his heart, leaving it faintly itchy, and even his breathing unconsciously slowed.

He suddenly remembered what the doctor had told him: experience it for himself.

He looked away and concealed the depth in his eyes. "I'll take the candy. Let's continue thinking about the rules. What I can assure you is that I'm not an undercover agent, and I think the 'people' here may not include us."

Once he changed the subject, Xiao Ming's attention quickly shifted as well. Xiao Ming had also guessed what Qu An was suggesting, but he could not be completely sure. "Because Rules Three and Four contradict each other, one of them should be misleading, right?"

Qu An shook his head. He did not think that was the case. They had been told from the beginning to study the rules carefully; every rule was useful. "I'm more inclined to think that the children mentioned here are no longer 'people.' That way, all the rules can be explained."

Xiao Ming's lips trembled as he swallowed, pretending to remain calm. He only moved even closer to Qu An, directly touching the other man's body warmth. "I think what you said makes a lot of sense."

Did Qu An know Xiao Ming was afraid? Of course he did. Since he was beside Xiao Ming now, he naturally laid out his guesses without holding back. More importantly, that possibility had always existed.

Striving to suppress humanity's innate fear of the unknown, Xiao Ming continued analyzing to divert his attention. "Rule Five should be related to the next task. The children may be an important factor in triggering Task Five."

"The task location related to candles should be Burning Candles. There are plenty of children in the amusement park, so we can probably find one and ask." There were quite a few children playing nearby, but they were not in a hurry to ask yet, because they still did not know whether Castle of Terror would be the second task location.

"I'm inclined to think Castle of Terror is the third location. We have to pass Castle of Terror on the way to Burning Candles, so we can take a look while we're at it." Honestly, the words "Castle of Terror" alone were terrifying enough for Xiao Ming.

Although he knew that only the "children" in the storyline were unusual, Xiao Ming still felt his heart pound in alarm. However, he was now able to control his emotions somewhat better.

Having made up their minds, the two left their temporary safe haven and randomly picked a child to ask. "Little friend, do you know where Burning Candles is?"

The child they approached was a little boy who looked five or six years old. He wore adorable overalls and had been watching the other children go down the slide.

"There's treasure there, but it's dangerous." His words were brief, but they conveyed all the necessary information.

Xiao Ming felt less immersed in the game's setting now. This child was genuinely adorable, and he had body warmth and breath.

Xiao Ming took a milk candy from his pocket and gave it to the child. Qu An patted the child's head and asked, "Do you want to play on the slide?"

Both of them had been squatting while talking to the child, so they did not make him feel afraid. The child nodded, then shook his head. "They're younger than me."

Xiao Ming looked to the side and realized that the other children were only three or four years old. Most of the adults were waiting outside.

"It's okay. Big kids can play too." Qu An picked the child up and walked up the stairs. Xiao Ming followed behind him, and some other children followed after them as well.

"Kids, this big brother wants to play on the slide too. But he was just watching you play because he thought he was the big brother and had to let you go first. Do you want to play on the slide with big brother?" Qu An's tone was gentle, and the smile on his face was warm.

"Yes! We want to play with big brother!"

"Big brother doesn't need to let us go first. It's more fun to play together!"

The children's chatter rang out, and even the little boy revealed a shy smile. The children quickly began playing together without feeling awkward around one another, while Xiao Ming and Qu An quietly withdrew after accomplishing their mission.

"Children really like you." There was a strange hint of pride in Xiao Ming's tone.

Qu An considered himself well versed in reading people, but even he could not quite understand Xiao Ming's thoughts right now. So he did not ask further and simply accepted the compliment as the two headed toward Burning Candles.

[The three of them really look like a family]

[I watched the extended version. Xiao Ming and Qu An's analytical skills are seriously incredible]

[Putting everything else aside, the two of them are really suited to this show. They have brains and stamina]

[I feel like I'd get caught within minutes if I played]

[Qu An even scared Xiao Ming. I'm dying laughing]

[I noticed Xiao Ming secretly touching the child]

[After touching him, he visibly relaxed. I'm dying]

[Our Crybaby is really so gentle]

[Qu An's perception is genuinely a little strong. I watched it several times and never realized that the child wanted to play too]

[This child is so polite too]

On the way, the two ran into Lin Xiang and Zhong Ka. After hearing their destination, those two joined them as well, mainly because they really knew how to have fun.

The four then encountered Lin Shange and Guan Jun, who were heading to Castle of Terror. Since it was on the way, they traveled together, though Lin Shange and Guan Jun did not understand Xiao Ming and Qu An's destination.

"Brother Qu, why aren't you going to Castle of Terror? This place obviously looks like a task location," Lin Shange asked curiously.

It was obvious that they had never considered what the numbers before each rule represented. Qu An did not say anything, since it was only their speculation anyway. Everyone had their own choices.

As they passed the ticket booth of Castle of Terror, Xiao Ming sharply noticed that the ticket seller was wearing an orange vest. "Rule Two: There is no orange in the amusement park. Once discovered, destroy it immediately or stay away from it." Xiao Ming called out to Guan Jun, making him notice the ticket seller's clothing color.

But Guan Jun waved a hand, indicating that he did not care. "He's inside. He can't touch us through the glass."

After warning them, there was no need to keep bothering with them if they still insisted on going their own way.

The group continued toward their original destination when a ringtone sounded halfway there.

"Task Two Notification

Burning Candles will close in 52 minutes. All runners will be unable to enter or leave. There are three treasure chests inside Burning Candles."

There were three treasure chests but thirteen runners remaining. That number really meant... there would have to be a fierce scramble.

They encountered two hunters on the way to Burning Candles and were forced to halt their advance. Xiao Ming remembered the map, so while avoiding the hunters, they hid in the direction of their destination.

When Xiao Ming arrived, Ning Shupei was already inside. She was probably the one who had triggered the task.

The path to the treasure chest was not far, but the difficult part was that hunters were patrolling nearby. Moreover, the treasure chest was out in the open and could be spotted at a glance. A hunter was not far from Ning Shupei, and the instant she was discovered, a pursuit would begin.

A phone rang at that exact moment, drawing the hunter away to search for Ning Shupei. Xiao Ming took the opportunity to run over. The treasure chest required fingerprint verification to unlock, and once Xiao Ming retrieved it, he quickly ran away.

Ning Shupei hid as well. Only then did Xiao Ming look at the information on his phone. It was news that Guan Jun and Lin Shange, whom they had parted from not long ago, had been captured. This made Xiao Ming even more certain about the sequence of each rule. Without a doubt, the next task location should be the place he did not particularly want to visit: Castle of Terror.