Volume 2: The Days of Playing with Monkeys in the Village
I Don’t Want to Die
You’re so naive
Hidden intentions?
Shen Maomao didn’t believe these words herself. In reality, Lou Jingmo was richer, prettier, and more talented than her; in the game, Lou Jingmo was brave, calm, and perceptive. Although she said she was substituting for her life, she protected her very well…
She typed back: 【Don’t worry, what could I possibly want from you? I have no money to want, no looks to want, absolutely very safe】
Ren Yue: 【Aren’t your two kidneys quite valuable?】
This scene was familiar, as if she had also grumbled similar words in her heart when Ren Yue was adamant about meeting her rich female master…
Thinking about this, Shen Maomao’s thoughts couldn’t help but wander.
The reason she and Ren Yue could become good “guimi” (close female friends) was that their personalities were very similar to a large extent. They liked watching the same dramas, listening to the same songs, and being equally “shabi” (foolish or silly) every day. They had spent nearly four years together since starting college as freshmen.
How could Ren Yue possibly harm her? Perhaps Lou Jingmo had some misunderstandings about her? She thought uncertainly.
Half an hour before class, Shen Maomao mysteriously walked into the classroom with Lou Jingmo, finding Ren Yue who had reserved seats in advance.
The best friend and the goddess made eye contact from a distance, one sitting and slightly raising her head, the other standing and looking down from above, both with no extra expression on their faces.
The two nodded lightly, considering it a greeting, without much interaction.
Shen Maomao sat in the middle, completely separating them.
Ren Yue leaned close to her ear and asked quietly, “What’s going on with you? Why did you bring her along?”
Shen Maomao made a face at her and said smugly, “My personal charm is too great, my goddess couldn’t help but fall in love with me!”
Ren Yue rolled her eyes: “I think your head might not be too clear.” After saying this, she turned her head and rummaged through her backpack for something.
Just as she was about to joke around with her best friend some more, she heard Lou Jingmo ask from the other side, “What class do you have this period?”
At the same time, Ren Yue opened her backpack and took out a book, slapping it down in front of her: “I brought the book for you.”
Left and right, two women, both staring at her intently, waiting for her answer. Shen Maomao felt uncomfortable and at a loss, while also feeling a bit puzzled—
“Feng” (an exclamation of frustration), who could tell her why she had a sense of déjà vu of being forced into an “asura field” (a difficult situation)?
She faced the blackboard straight ahead, thinking for a long time without knowing whether she should first thank her best friend or answer her goddess’s question.
Logically speaking, one should be polite, but Lou Jingmo was her goddess…
Lou Jingmo was her goddess, but Ren Yue was her best friend who had been incredibly close for several years…
Feng.
Shen Maomao chose to surrender: “I’m a bit sleepy, I’ll take a nap, you two chat!” After saying this, she flopped down on the desk, out of sight, out of mind.
Lou Jingmo and Ren Yue: “…”
There’s really nothing to chat about!
Neither of them spoke again. Lou Jingmo observed Ren Yue inconspicuously; Ren Yue stared blankly, lost in thought, and for the time being, things remained peaceful.
The lecture hall was gradually filled with their classmates, and the class bell soon rang. Shen Maomao raised her head at the sound, looking straight at the teacher: “I’m going to listen to the lecture attentively now, please don’t disturb me at all.”
The two: “…”
The lecturer walked in from outside carrying a book, as usual, first taking attendance. After going through the list, out of four classes, half of the students had asked for leave and didn’t come.
“I know you seniors are busy looking for jobs, but those people in your class who don’t even attend classes, aren’t they afraid they won’t get their diplomas?” The teacher threw the attendance book on the lectern and vented a big temper, “Can’t you distinguish between good and bad anymore? Coming to class without even bringing books? Starting to sleep as soon as the bell rings? The sleeping boy by the window! Stand up! You dare to sleep in the first row?!”
The person sitting next to him quickly woke him up. The boy rubbed his eyes, still not fully aware of the situation: “What’s wrong? Didn’t we finish taking attendance?”
The teacher said coldly: “You come to class just to sleep after attendance is taken? What’s your name? Which class are you from? What’s your student ID number?”
The boy was startled awake: “Teacher, I was just too tired! This is the first time I’ve slept in class…”
The teacher didn’t believe him at all, intending to make an example of him: “Hurry up and say, which class are you from? What’s your student ID number?!”
Because they were sitting in the front, Shen Maomao only dared to message Ren Yue to complain: 【Did Old Zhao take some explosives today?】
Ren Yue faced forward, quickly typing with both hands under the desk: 【I don’t know, and I don’t dare to ask. That guy seems to be from Class 3, right? He’s going to be in trouble.】
The boy from Class 3 stood there at a loss, and Teacher Zhao was furious: “What’s the matter? Can’t I even call on you now? Where are the class monitors? All of you stand up! Which class is he from?!”
Four class monitors stood up, but no one spoke first.
Teacher Zhao asked them one by one: “Which class are you from? Is he from your class?” He asked two classes in a row, and the monitors all said the student wasn’t from their class.
The boy lowered his head, his expression unclear, as if he was scared to the extreme. Just as Teacher Zhao was about to reach the Class 3 monitor, he suddenly raised his head, revealing a very terrified expression on his face, and incoherently wailed: “I don’t want to die—I don’t want to die! Help—”
Shen Maomao widened her eyes and looked at Lou Jingmo.
Lou Jingmo had already stood up and shouted: “Stop him quickly!”
But it was too late. The boy, while shouting “I don’t want to die,” rushed to the window and directly flipped over and jumped down.
Everything happened too fast. His friend grabbed a piece of his clothes and was completely stunned; Teacher Zhao collapsed to the ground, mumbling: “I was just trying to scare him a little…”
With a dull “thud,” the class erupted like boiling water—
“Did someone die?!”
“The guy from Class 3 jumped off the building!”
“What the hell happened?!”
“Wo cao!” (an exclamation of shock) Shen Maomao, who had developed some courage from the game, remained relatively calm. Her hands shaking non-stop, she immediately took out her phone to call 120, “Hello, this is Jiangcheng University Building No. 1, someone jumped from the sixth floor!!”
There was no need to continue the class. The sound of police sirens and ambulances echoed throughout the entire campus. Building No. 1 was temporarily sealed off, and Teacher Zhao was also taken away by the police for investigation.
Shen Maomao suspected that she hadn’t successfully escaped from the game at all, otherwise how could such a terrifying thing happen in the real world?
The boy was shouting “I don’t want to die” and “Help,” clearly not voluntarily jumping off the building. How much it resembled a player who had been bewitched by ghosts and monsters but still had a trace of self-awareness?
On the way back, they could still hear the surrounding students discussing this incident. Ren Yue’s face was pale, seemingly terrified.
Shen Maomao held her hand and comforted her in a low voice: “Are you okay?”
Ren Yue said weakly: “I’m fine… I just need to lie down when I get back. You go accompany your goddess.”
Shen Maomao felt that if she just left at this moment, she would be too heartless. She looked back at Lou Jingmo following behind them and tentatively asked: “Goddess? I’ll send her back to the dorm first, can you wait for me downstairs?”
Lou Jingmo said: “I’m going back to the hotel. Come over early, I have something I want to tell you in person.”
Shen Maomao gave her an “OK” sign.
She helped Ren Yue upstairs. The other roommates hadn’t returned yet. She went to pour a cup of hot water and handed it to her: “Drink more hot water, it’ll keep you safe.”
“Maomao,” Ren Yue hugged the cup, her expression dazed, unusually not picking up on her joke, “Human life is really fragile.”
Shen Maomao brought her own chair and sat next to her: “What’s wrong with you? I’ve never seen you so timid before…”
Ren Yue blew on the hot water, took a sip, and gave her a pale smile: “I’m fine… It’s just the first time I’ve seen someone jump off a building in front of me, I’m a bit anxious.”
Shen Maomao comforted her for a while, but her mind was on what Lou Jingmo wanted to say. She didn’t feel comfortable leaving Ren Yue alone, so she sat in the dorm talking to her until the other two roommates returned. Only then did she leave the dorm at Ren Yue’s urging.
In the hotel, Lou Jingmo was packing her luggage, preparing to leave Jiangcheng.
Shen Maomao knocked and entered, sat on the edge of the bed, and asked straightforwardly: “Sister Lou, what did you want to tell me?”
Lou Jingmo, while folding clothes, said: “That boy who jumped off the building was very likely a game player.”
“How did you figure that out?”
“Intuition,” Lou Jingmo said calmly, “I was watching him from the moment he stood up, his hand was constantly scratching near his waistline.”
“A second before he jumped, I noticed his movements had a moment of pause, very much like he had just experienced a game.”
Shen Maomao didn’t doubt Lou Jingmo’s observation skills and deduction. She bit her lip and hesitantly asked: “So… did he fail to clear the game? Will all those who fail jump off buildings like this?”
Lou Jingmo asked her in return: “Have you watched 《Final Destination》?”
She instantly understood Lou Jingmo’s meaning—there are many ways to take a life, it doesn’t have to be jumping off a building, it could also be natural disasters, accidents, man-made calamities…
Some people survive all kinds of disasters unscathed, while others mysteriously drown in shallow ditches with water not even knee-deep. This is the creative inspiration for 《Final Destination》, and it could also become the ending for failed players in the 《Confession Game》.
“Will we die like this too?”
Lou Jingmo: “I definitely won’t, but I don’t know about you.”
Shen Maomao: “??” Are you even human??
Lou Jingmo smiled: “Why are you thinking so much? Everyone has to die eventually.”
Shen Maomao raised her right hand, making a gesture of opening fire: “Bang—you’re dead.”
Lou Jingmo closed her suitcase: “Childish.” After saying this, she pushed the suitcase to the door.
Shen Maomao stuck out her tongue at her back.
Lou Jingmo suddenly turned around, her hands forming a figure-eight shape, and “fired” at her three times: “Bang—Bang—Bang—”
“What the hell?” Shen Maomao looked as if she had seen a ghost, “You’re not my goddess! Quick, give me back my cold and aloof goddess!”
Lou Jingmo instantly became cold and aloof: “Perhaps I overthought it, your friend doesn’t seem to have any problems.”
Shen Maomao breathed a sigh of relief: “That’s what I thought! Ren Yue is so timid! If she had participated in the game, she would have been scared to death long ago! How could she still have the energy to cause trouble?!”
She was too preoccupied with her relief to notice Lou Jingmo’s meaningful expression beside her.
LP: … Ren Yue intentionally changed places with Shen Maomao huh?
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