Chapter 48: Her boyfriend could crush a whiny brat with a single slap (11)

But in an instant, Cha Lan found himself ostracized by everyone. The strange unease and fear within him swelled even more. He shouted, “What’s going on? Why are you all looking at me like that?”

Yin Huanmian replied, “The fifth rule we received said that anyone who can’t see this rule is a murderer.”

Cha Lan was stunned. “Am I the only one who can’t see it?”

Jiang Xun had everyone take out their phones. After checking with each other, they confirmed that only Cha Lan’s message was different from the rest.

A chill ran through Cha Lan. “Impossible—I’ve never killed anyone! I’m not a murderer!”

No one responded to him.

He turned to Tian Susu. “Susu, you know me. We grew up together. You understand me—how could I possibly kill someone?”

Tian Susu was also confused. To be honest, she didn’t believe Cha Lan was capable of murder. But then the system’s voice echoed in her mind.

System: [Susu, you must follow the game rules.]

The rules clearly stated: stay away from anyone who can’t see the fifth rule.

Tian Susu glanced at Cha Lan. The look on his face—a drowning man desperate to clutch at any lifeline—terrified her. She shrank behind Jiang Xun, watching Cha Lan in fear.

A wave of abandonment crashed over Cha Lan. He was surrounded by wary eyes. In this bizarre world, being rejected by his own companions left him with a helplessness that words could never capture.

Perhaps the calmest person present was Boss Shu. He was leafing through his account books, calculating the inn’s recent income. There were hardly any electronics in the town, so the inn’s transactions were all recorded by hand.

Suddenly, a man rushed up to the counter. “Boss Shu, I want to change rooms—or at least have him move. I can’t let him sleep next door to me!”

Another man, catching on, hurried over as well. “Right, I can’t sleep next to him either. Boss Shu, change our rooms!”

These two men had rooms on either side of Cha Lan. Not long ago, seeing how close he was with Tian Susu, they had even considered befriending him to get closer to her. Now, though, Cha Lan was nothing but a harbinger of misfortune in their eyes.

Cha Lan had always been a rich young master. When had he ever been treated with such disdain? He bit his lip, his face dark with anger.

Boss Shu smiled affably and said, “We don’t have many vacant rooms at the inn, and now that everyone’s settled, I can’t just move people around.”

Others immediately voiced their concern that Cha Lan might be moved closer to them. “That’s right, everyone’s already settled! Why change rooms now?”

One man suddenly pointed at Yin Huanmian. “She’s the only one on the fourth floor—there must be spare rooms there for Cha Lan!”

Boss Shu’s temper was excellent. He replied gently, “When we assigned rooms, only Miss Yin was willing to take the fourth floor. So that’s her private area. I can’t force her to give it up.”

When rooms were being assigned, everyone had crowded onto the second and third floors, some even hoping to be as close to Tian Susu as possible. Originally, Cha Lan and Yin Huanmian should have had adjacent rooms, with Tian Susu on the other side of Yin Huanmian.

But as soon as Yin Huanmian agreed to take the fourth floor alone, several men tried to swap for her spot to be closer to Tian Susu. Now, ironically, their attitude had changed completely.

One man said, “Boss Shu, you know what kind of messages we got! What if something happens to us because we didn’t keep away from him?”

Another chimed in, “If you don’t let us change rooms, then we’ll have to take matters into our own hands.”

After witnessing so much death at the edge of despair, conscience and order were easily cast aside.

Cha Lan could hear the threat in their voices, and he wasn’t about to back down. He stepped forward, ready to confront the two men, when suddenly the voice of a girl rang out behind him.

“Let him stay on the fourth floor.”

Everyone turned to look at her, even the young innkeeper, who lifted his gaze.

Yin Huanmian said, “There’s a vacant room on the fourth floor. Please arrange it, Boss Shu. I don’t mind him being up there.”

Cha Lan stood in a daze for a long moment, only slowly realizing what she had said. He didn’t even know how to react.

Boss Shu turned his gaze from Yin Huanmian, took a key from the drawer, and handed it to Cha Lan with a friendly smile. “Then please, Mr. Cha, take room 403.”

Just like that, Yin Huanmian became the center of everyone’s attention. Of course, many thought she was being foolish—knowing full well Cha Lan was now considered dangerous, yet still not keeping her distance.

Tian Susu thought to herself that Yin Huanmian must truly love Cha Lan, and wished Cha Lan wouldn’t come bothering her anymore. But seeing Cha Lan still standing there in a daze, she thought regretfully that since he insisted on confessing to her on the very day of his engagement to Yin Huanmian, it would be very difficult to get him to stop.

The tense atmosphere among the guests seemed to ease a little with Yin Huanmian’s intervention. Now it was 9:50, nearly ten o’clock, and everyone prepared to return to their rooms.

Boss Shu reminded them, “Breakfast will be served in the lobby at 7:30 sharp tomorrow. Please be on time and don’t be late.”

Outside the hotel, the night thickened as a dense fog slowly formed.

Something was stirring in the darkness, just waiting to break loose. But in a white house with a garden of blooming roses by the door, though it too was plunged into darkness after the lights went out, the atmosphere inside was warm and comforting.

Xue Yan was a night owl who couldn’t sleep at night. His eyes glimmered faintly in the dark as he quietly watched the person in his arms, able to remain motionless like this all night long.

He was like a beast in the forest, endlessly patient as it lay in wait for its prey.

Suddenly, Bai Yao, who had been sleeping peacefully, furrowed her brows. Her breathing grew rapid, her relaxed body tensing unconsciously.

Xue Yan sat up and softly called her name, “Yao Yao.”

Bai Yao didn’t respond. She seemed trapped in a nightmare, her hand—resting on his chest—clenching into a fist, her knitted brows refusing to relax, even letting out a low, involuntary moan.

Xue Yan couldn’t wake her. Frowning, he got up, pulled a thick coat from the wardrobe to wrap her in, then effortlessly picked her up and leapt out the window.

The night air was cold, and the town was shrouded in fog, making it impossible to tell direction.

But Xue Yan moved straight toward his destination. He pressed Bai Yao’s face against his chest, shielding her from the wind. In just a few minutes, he had reached the inn, which looked even more unsettling, half-hidden in the mist.