Upon returning ho, Qin Nuo went to the bathroom to wash his face and then lay down on a chair to rest for a bit.
Perhaps it was because Qin Feng was at an age where he was still growing and needed plenty of rest, but Qin Nuo felt utterly exhausted and drowsy. After playing his role for over three hours, he decided to take a short nap.
He lay on the sofa for nearly an hour before being awakened by the alarm clock he had set. Rubbing his eyes, Qin Nuo looked out at the sky from the balcony, which was starting to turn yellow.
After stopping the alarm, Qin Nuo stood up and put on a worn-out shirt. "Ti to bring Ah Le ho, and maybe grab a al at his place."
"This seems like a simple task, but judging by the mission's content, it's clearly not as straightforward as it seems," Qin Nuo muttered to himself as he closed the door and left the house.
As for where to find Ah Le, the answer was already obvious.
Walking through an alley, Qin Nuo returned to the clearing he had visited in the morning. Perhaps because it was dusk, the pervasive white fog had thinned considerably.
The ancient well gradually ca into view, surrounded by wild plants and moss creeping all around. It was hard to tell how long it had been abandoned, as the wooden cover over the well had rotted away.
Qin Nuo approached and glanced into the well. It was pitch black inside, with no reflective light visible, making it uncertain whether there was still water in it.
Sniffing the air, Qin Nuo detected a subtle scent and, after a mont's thought, spoke up.
"Ah Le, didn't you say you wanted to play with ? Now I'm here, shouldn't you co out?"
Qin Nuo looked around at the swirling mist, which seed to carry moisture, causing beads of water to form on his nose.
There was no response.
The surroundings remained silent.
Wiping the water from his nose, Qin Nuo rubbed his fingertips and said with a smile, "If you're playing hide and seek with right now, you've already lost. I can see you; you're right beside , aren't you?"
After saying this, there was a brief silence before a playful laugh echoed around him.
The laughter ca from all directions, followed by Ah Le's voice: "Not fun, you found so quickly."
"How did you find , big brother?"
Qin Nuo thought to himself that he had guessed, but shrugged and replied calmly, "Don't I know you well?"
"Alright then, now it's your turn to hide, and I'll find you. I'm going to start counting."
Ah Le showed no intention of appearing, and his voice lingered in the air, as if his face was right next to Qin Nuo.
"Let's play the ga later. Look at the ti; it's almost dark. Your grandpa has prepared dinner at ho, waiting for you to join us. Let's go back and eat first, and then I'll continue playing with you, okay?" Qin Nuo's gaze wandered around as he spoke.
"That's no fun."
"I don't want to go back. Grandpa always controls ."
Ah Le's voice was childish, and from his manner of speaking and tone, it was clear he was quite young, at least a few years younger than Qin Feng.
"If you don't go back, then I'll leave. Who knows when I'll co back next ti."
As Qin Nuo spoke, he turned to leave.
Ah Le quickly called out, stopping Qin Nuo, and a cold chill swept over him, halting his steps.
"I want to go back to Grandpa's house too, but I can't leave here. You might have to help , big brother."
"What do you an?" Qin Nuo asked.
"My body is so heavy, I can't move. Why don't you carry ?"
Though puzzled, Qin Nuo nodded and agreed.
After that, Ah Le's voice disappeared, and the surrounding chill quietly retreated. Soon, there was so movent from the ancient well.
Qin Nuo looked up to see the water level in the well rising, with a large amount of water overflowing and covering the dry ground.
The water soaked Qin Nuo's shoes, and as he blinked, a mass of dark hair floated to the surface of the well.
It was hair.
"Ah Le?"
Qin Nuo walked over and, beneath the hair, he saw pale skin. Showing no fear, he plunged his hands into the icy well water and pulled the person out.
It was a corpse, about seven or eight years old.
There was none of the bloating or bulging eyes that Qin Nuo had imagined.
Aside from its pallor, the body showed no abnormalities, appearing more like it was peacefully asleep. Despite being subrged in water for a long ti, the skin showed no signs of swelling.
Qin Nuo looked at Ah Le's body, pondered for a mont, then lifted it onto his back.
"The task is just to bring him back ho, whether dead or alive. It seems more like a corpse-carrying job than a role-playing task, really a hassle."
Qin Nuo muttered, feeling the weight of Ah Le's body, which was surprisingly heavy for a child, making it difficult for him to carry.
Like Li Xiaoming, after taking on this role, so basic information surfaced in his mind, such as the direction of Ah Le's ho.
Ah Le's ho was in an old building behind Qin Feng's house, with a slope and steps leading up to the entrance.
As the sky gradually darkened from yellow to dusk, Qin Nuo glanced at his watch. It was nearing 5:30.
"Half an hour left."
Qin Nuo was panting, exhausted after just a few ters, with sweat pouring down and his limbs growing sore.
Ah Le's body, though small, was unexpectedly heavy. Looking at the steps ahead, Qin Nuo took a deep breath and started climbing.
One step at a ti.
Each step seed to add more weight.
The pain in his shoulders was becoming unbearable.
"This isn't an illusion; Ah Le's body is definitely getting heavier," Qin Nuo thought with certainty.
"Why struggle? Just toss him up, and he'll be inside," the Blood-Eyed Ghost couldn't help but comnt.
"It's better not to be so blatant while playing a role. The role-playing aspect is minor, but if there are other punishnts, that would be troubleso," Qin Nuo replied, panting.
Adjusting Ah Le's position on his back, Qin Nuo took a deep breath and continued climbing.
After a few more steps, he felt sothing sticky on his back, assuming it was sweat, and paid it no mind.
But as he continued, the sticky sensation grew more pronounced, and he heard faint sounds, with droplets of water falling onto his shoulder.
A large amount of water dripped down Qin Nuo's back, soaking the ground and the steps.
Qin Nuo was drenched, sensing a change in Ah Le on his back, feeling a growing unease.
But he tried to dismiss these thoughts, focusing on the steps ahead: "Just a few more steps, and I'll be there. Once inside, the task is complete."
Despite this, Ah Le's weight was absurdly heavy, causing Qin Nuo's legs to tremble as he struggled to support him.
Suddenly, he felt a slick sensation on his face, as if Ah Le's head had drooped down, brushing against his cheek.
Qin Nuo told himself to ignore it, but instinctively glanced sideways.
What he saw was a bloated, unrecognizable face with bulging eyes, a terrifying visage coming into view.
The swollen face was pressed intimately against Qin Nuo's own...
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