Chapter 23: The Princess Carry

The man pressed the young girl down onto the soft little bed, his gaze deep and inscrutable as he leaned over, both hands braced on the mattress. It was as if a vast, dark cloud had descended from the sky, shrouding everything in mist and slowly pressing down.

The space was cramped, the two of them close enough to feel each other’s breaths. Yet Qin Yichi maintained a proper distance, never actually touching her.

“Mmm…” Qiao Zhen sank into the soft blanket, her mind blank, her body taut and rigid.

She couldn’t breathe.

She couldn’t think.

Time seemed to halt, the world falling silent as though only the two of them remained.

Qiao Zhen lay utterly still, her curled lashes trembling lightly like the wings of a cicada. She was… pinned to the bed? Was this the legendary ‘bed slam’ she’d heard about?

Her breath caught, and instinctively she reached out, pressing her hands against his solid chest. “You… you…”

The bed was soft, but so narrow it could barely fit Qiao Zhen alone.

Qin Yichi’s breathing was rough, his voice rendered even more seductive by restraint. “The first wave of attacks lasts fifteen minutes. The bed is a safe zone. Stay here.”

He had seen the clues: there were talismans on the bed, making it the one place in the haunted house where the dolls couldn’t attack, at least not for fifteen minutes.

Having said this, he prepared to leave.

In the pitch darkness, Qiao Zhen suddenly reached out, reflexively clutching at Qin Yichi’s clothes, her body stiff as a board. “Don’t, don’t go,” she pleaded, her voice trembling uncontrollably, tinged with pitiful supplication.

Qin Yichi paused, his tone low and soothing. “This space can’t hold two people. I’ll return once I find the clues.”

But Qiao Zhen shook her head softly, mumbling, “No, don’t leave me, Qin Yichi…”

Fear flashed in her eyes as she curled up obediently on the tiny bed, barely daring to breathe.

In the darkness, Qin Yichi couldn’t see her face, but he could feel her helplessness.

He finally relented, murmuring “Alright,” veins standing out on his forehead, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he braced himself on either side of her, kneeling on the mattress.

He shielded her completely, yet avoided any physical contact.

He was utterly restrained.

They were simply close. Nothing more. Not a single touch.

But in the darkness, every other sense seemed to sharpen and magnify.

Qiao Zhen felt as if she were lying atop a blazing furnace, enveloped by heat she couldn’t escape.

The searing temperature pressed down, masculine pheromones branding her skin, fermenting uncontrollably, seeping into her pores.

It spread throughout her entire body.

She clutched Qin Yichi’s sleeve like a lifeline.

They were merely squeezed into the safe zone, so Qin Yichi holding her down here was perfectly reasonable.

Yes, perfectly reasonable…

Though only a minute or two had passed, she felt as if an eternity had gone by.

Her lashes trembled as she awkwardly asked, “When… will we be able to leave?”

Her voice was soft, very soft, and shakily uncertain.

“Shh—” Qin Yichi deliberately lowered his voice, making it even more seductive, as if a black feather gently brushed her eardrums.

The door creaked open, and a hissing sound flooded the room, followed by the patter of blood dripping onto the floor.

Qiao Zhen’s heart clenched, and she curled up tighter.

Suddenly, thunder crashed overhead! The room blazed with blue ghostly fire, and a white doll’s shadow hung upside down from the ceiling. Its bloody head dropped with a thud.

The terrifying sight shocked her to the core, her pupils contracting in fright.

But within half a second—

Qin Yichi gently covered her eyes.

His quiet breathing sounded above her, carrying an indescribable longing, faint yet unmistakable. “Don’t be afraid.”

Qiao Zhen’s heart skipped a beat at that moment.

His words were like a sedative, injected right into her heart, spreading through her limbs and soothing her panic.

There was something strange in the air…

She didn’t know how much time had passed before the door finally slammed shut.

The NPC had fled, leaving them alone.

Qin Yichi finally moved his hand away. When he stood up, his collar was still tightly grasped by Qiao Zhen, making it impossible to break free, in fact, she’d pulled him even closer than before.

A layer of blue ghostly light filled the room, tranquil and beautiful as moonlight.

He looked down at the girl, his Adam’s apple sliding as his throat suddenly felt parched.

“Mmm…” Qiao Zhen’s eyes reddened, her dark pupils shimmering with a watery haze.

Her long lashes curled and trembled, fluttering like butterfly wings.

A faint, honeyed gasp slipped from her lips, sweet and soft.

Nervous and scared.

She resembled an innocent, pitiful little rabbit, trembling minutely.

Adorable.

Qin Yichi’s restraint was almost painful; the veins on his neck stood out, his ears growing hot.

A wicked thought surged up.

He wanted, desperately…

To make her cry.

Qin Yichi cursed himself as a beast.

Yet Qiao Zhen was utterly oblivious to just how pure and alluring she looked lying on the bed, how she inspired pity.

She pursed her lips, her thoughts muddled and dizzy.

Qin Yichi’s face was so close, half-hidden in darkness, his eyes intense and predatory.

Maybe it was the stuffy, overheated room, but sweat gleamed on his brow, making him look wild and untamed.

After a while, Qiao Zhen whispered, “Why… aren’t you getting up?”

Qin Yichi let out a frustrated laugh. “You’re holding onto me. How am I supposed to get up?”

Qiao Zhen considered this for a moment. “…Oh.”

Oh, she was holding him.

Wait, holding him??

Qiao Zhen looked up and realized she was gripping his collar with an octopus-like tenacity, impossible to shake off.

My God, were those really her hands?

She stared in shock, as if she’d grabbed a burning coal, and instantly let go.

She quickly turned her back to Qin Yichi, curling up and burying her face in her hands.

Utterly mortified.

Oh, what was wrong with her…

The door had been locked by the NPC, impossible to open from inside. Qin Yichi calmly searched the room for clues, finally uncovering an urn.

The dim light made it hard to see.

Qiao Zhen followed behind him in a daze, inching through the secret passage.

Suddenly, Qin Yichi stopped, and Qiao Zhen almost bumped into his back.

Confused, she was about to ask when—

He grabbed her wrist.

Qin Yichi’s voice was husky. “Hold tight. Don’t get lost.”

“Mm.” Qiao Zhen obediently tightened her grip, feeling his warmth at her fingertips.

She couldn’t tell if it was the terrifying blood doll or the eerie haunted room, but at this moment, Qin Yichi’s voice seemed to carry an inexplicable tenderness and indulgence.

Just then, the boys shouted, “Chi! Qiao! Are you still alive?!”

Spotting Qin Yichi, one boy threw himself at him, hugging his leg, sobbing.

“…” Qin Yichi’s face was icy. “What the hell, get off me.”

The boy was panicked. “Chi, Qiang got grabbed by the doll!”

Three paths lay ahead. Qin Yichi connected the clues, analyzing steadily and confidently, his voice like a leader directing the group from the rear.

Behind them, ghost dolls drifted lazily, following.

Everyone quickened their pace, rescued Qiang, and finally reached the exit, where white light beckoned.

It felt like emerging from a desert, and they all ran madly toward the light.

Suddenly, screams erupted from the boys up front, chaos breaking out.

Niu Yifeng stumbled forward, shouting, “Damn! I fell!”

“Shut up, so did I.”

The next moment, Qiao Zhen was kicked forcefully, her foot twisting, balance lost.

With a thud.

Her knee slammed hard into the ground, her lips pale as she nearly cried from pain.

It all happened in a blink.

Before she could react, strong arms pulled her into a burning embrace.

Qin Yichi effortlessly lifted her.

And it was—

A princess carry!

Qiao Zhen:!!!