Che Quan found it hard to keep thinking. With the buff amplifying his skin hunger syndrome by 300%, he simply could not concentrate when it flared up.
His increasingly crimson eyes fixed on the young man before him.
Che Quan gritted his teeth and said quietly, "Um, I twisted my ankle. Could you help support me? Sorry for the trouble."
He had assumed that, given how readily the other man had helped stop his bleeding, such a small request would surely earn an easy yes.
Yet Che Quan had never imagined that Jiang Cong would calmly reply, "I don't like supporting people."
It took Che Quan several seconds to process what he had heard, and surprise immediately flickered across his face.
In all his life, Che Quan had never been refused, much less by a human who had been helping him just a second earlier.
But an even greater surprise followed-
Just as Che Quan was about to say something else, he suddenly felt himself being lifted into the air.
The touch of fingers beneath his knees and against his waist was unmistakably clear, radiating a temperature that felt just right.
Che Quan had never been this close to anyone.
More precisely, no one had ever treated Che Quan with such a protective gesture.
Other vampires either feared or revered him, and most outright worshipped him. What vampire would dare protect him from such a superior position?
Let alone a human, whose company he had always scorned.
Now, held in a young human's arms, Che Quan felt not only bewilderment and shock, but an even stronger sense of indescribable humiliation.
He had intended to resist, then teach this human who had no idea what death meant a lesson he would never forget.
But when his cheek accidentally brushed the skin beneath Jiang Cong's collarbone, every restless symptom of his skin hunger syndrome was soothed in an instant.
Not only that, a pleasant, comfortable sensation welled up from the depths of Che Quan's soul.
It drew him in so deeply that he could not escape.
Even gritting his teeth could not suppress the longing for that feeling in his bones.
He could only set aside his resentment and murderous intent for now.
Once this idiotic instance ended and that damned skin hunger syndrome buff disappeared, he would settle accounts with both this human and the stupid Instance System. That was Che Quan's plan.
Meanwhile, after hearing Che Quan's unexpected request, "Could you help support me? Sorry for the trouble," and Jiang Cong's reply, "I don't like supporting people," the viewers erupted into an unprecedented frenzy of discussion in the barrage.
[Oh my god, how did the little beauty suddenly twist his ankle? My heart hurts, aaaah!]
[Let go of that beauty and let me help him!]
[It really is that top player, isn't it? The one who never has any contact with other players, always explores alone, and carries everyone through the instance!]
[Hey, hey, you're laying those descriptions on a little thick up there, hahaha.]
[But the person in front of him is such a perfect little beauty!]
[A player of his caliber? How could he be swayed by beauty?]
The moment that comment was posted, the viewers watching from Che Quan's perspective saw-
The pitch-black screen brighten little by little.
It was not that the lights on the eerie villa's third floor had come on. Jiang Cong was carrying Che Quan down the stairs with calm elegance.
Everyone in the barrage:
[!!!!?????]
[Wh-what is happening? My brain just stopped working.]
[Oh my god, what a feast for the eyes! Am I allowed to watch this for free? The little beauty and the top player look way too gorgeous together. They're like a painting!]
Inside the instance.
Che Quan lay stiffly in the young man's arms, his exquisitely beautiful, aloof features taut with discomfort and restraint.
Jiang Cong's particularly presumptuous gesture had even brought a faint flicker of murderous intent into his eyes.
But because... his skin hunger syndrome vanished completely after that "accidental" skin contact, Che Quan ultimately endured it.
Still, just before they reached the second floor, Che Quan swiftly leaped out of Jiang Cong's arms.
There was no way he would let others see him in such a useless state.
By now, Che Quan had completely forgotten about the barrage.
Returning to the villa's second floor in a few quick strides as though nothing had happened, Che Quan came face-to-face with Chang Jianfeng and the others.
"We found a new clue!"
The moment Chang Jianfeng saw Che Quan, his gaze lit up with enthusiasm.
He quickened his pace and approached Che Quan, only to discover in surprise that someone else was standing behind him.
"Wh-who is this?"
Che Quan glanced at the elegant, composed Jiang Cong and replied dismissively, "A player. Not important. Tell me about the clue."
Ning Dantong, Chen Yuxiang, and the other women hurried over then as well.
At the sight of the tall, refined Jiang Cong behind Che Quan, his silver hair reaching his waist, they could not help looking astonished and dazzled. But after Chang Jianfeng gave them a warning look, none dared ask a single question, though their eyes kept straying toward Jiang Cong.
Still, their lives mattered more right now. They seemed to have things to say as well, but ultimately all looked toward Chang Jianfeng, apparently wanting him to speak first.
Chang Jianfeng began by clearly reporting the clues he had gathered.
"I found a sheet of scratch paper in 'Teacher Chang's' room on the second floor."
As he spoke, Chang Jianfeng took a crumpled paper ball from his pocket, making sure to explain, "Um, I wasn't the one who crumpled it up. It was already like this when I found it..."
Everyone indicated that they understood.
Then they followed Chang Jianfeng's hands with their eyes as he carefully unfolded the paper.
Once they saw its contents, they immediately understood why Chang Jianfeng had called it scratch paper.
One side was covered in calculations, while the other was filled with the words "I'm right!"
And it was the same equation, repeated with almost frantic, hysterical insistence.
The writing was so densely packed that there were barely any gaps. Every stroke had been pressed down with all possible force, as though brimming with boundless hatred, with the scratch paper serving as the embodiment of an enemy.
The words "I'm right!" on the other side were even more horrifying.
Every character resembled a screaming skull, varying in size and shape, yet all equally terrifying.
The sight made their scalps prickle.
Miao Rouning shuddered outright, frightened out of her wits. "Wh-what does this mean? Is this a clue too?"
Ning Dantong said gravely, "I'm afraid so. But as for what it means... we can't tell yet."
After that, they fell silent, unconsciously turning toward Che Quan.
It was as though they hoped he would offer a hint.
Che Quan raised his eyebrows slightly.
He was in a good mood now that Jiang Cong had suppressed his skin hunger syndrome, so he did not begrudge them a few hints. "This was found in Chang Jianfeng's room, correct?"
Suddenly hearing Che Quan address him by name, Chang Jianfeng was overwhelmed by the attention and hurriedly nodded. "Yes, that's right!"
"Chang Jianfeng's identity in this instance is 'Teacher Chang,' and fittingly, there's a sheet of scratch paper with an equation in his room. This tells us..."
Che Quan spoke lazily, drawing out the last few words.
He had intended to stop there and let them work it out themselves, saving him the trouble of further explanation.
Yet Che Quan found that none of them had any intention of figuring it out. Every one of them stared at him intently, eyes wide and hungry for knowledge.
Che Quan was speechless for a second before he could only spell it out. "It tells us that the person harboring murderous intent is a student or colleague who had a disagreement with 'Teacher Chang.' The two may have argued over an equation, and clearly, the person 'Teacher Chang' offended was an obsessive fanatic."
Then Che Quan made sure to add, "Of course, this is only my deduction. There are countless other possibilities."
Before you continue