TRYMBPIETM 48: Mirror, Night, Snow Peak (11)

Tonight’s moonlight wasn’t very bright, but it was enough for Xue Jinshi to see many details he didn’t want to.

The three “people” opposite had their fingers spread wide. Under the moonlight, their dark nails faintly emitted a bluish-purple cold light, which immediately reminded him of many films and TV shows he had watched.

He suspected that their nails were poisoned.

Xue Jinshi’s heart trembled, and he held his breath tightly, fearing that, just like in the movies, those things would come over, attracted by the living person’s scent.

He prayed desperately in his mind that they wouldn’t see him and would leave quickly, but unfortunately, reality didn’t move according to his will.

In his terrified gaze, the three “people” took another step forward, and the heavy sound of their landing struck Xue Jinshi’s heart, making his brain go blank.

He could no longer recall his plan to “wait until they move further away and then quickly run back to the villa.” With the fastest speed of his life, he pulled back the leg that had crossed out the window.

Perhaps it was fortunate that he had debuted as a singing and dancing talent; his flexibility and body control were exceptional.

In the moment when his leg flew back into the changing room, his right arm swung, forcefully pushing the window all the way down!

The window immediately slammed shut. He nervously locked the latch, retreating a few steps, and hurriedly hid between a bench and a wardrobe, crouching low.

The cramped space gave him a sense of security, but the clothes on his back were already drenched with cold sweat.

His heartbeat pounded wildly, and he felt like his chest was going to explode with an indescribable aching pressure. His pinky, resting on the edge of the wardrobe, twitched incessantly.

He didn’t dare to breathe deeply, his eyes fixed on the frosted window while repeatedly asking himself what those things were.

His personal live stream had exploded the moment the three “people” appeared. Many viewers were shocked and terrified, asking the same question.

[Ahhh, what are those things?! They look so terrifying from afar!! Oh my god, you scared me to death!]

[What the hell! That gave me a huge shock! No wonder it’s a punishment segment. Are they the staff wearing special effects makeup like last time?]

[Is it special effects? This looks too real!]

[The last episode was similar, but the effect wasn’t as good as this one. The makeup artist is really amazing.]

[It scared me so much I screamed, and my dad rushed in to ask what happened!]

[Wait, what kind of stunt is the production team pulling again? A travel variety show keeps doing these kinds of segments. Was the director a horror film producer?]

[With this skill, why is the makeup artist working in variety shows? The film sets need him! Come on, makeup artist, go save those drama crews with bad special effects!]

The audience couldn’t understand, let alone Xue Jinshi’s fans.

They had just planned how to give the new rivals a good show, but before they could even start, their idol was already subjected to such a big scare. Was the production team insane?

The little golden crows were both angry and resentful but had no way to fight back against the production team.

They could only curse the production team for being unethical through the internet.

[So it’s just that only the ones who have connections have rights, huh?]

[What the heck! This makeup is straight out of hell, it almost scared me to death. I feel bad for Xue-ge, getting treated like this by the director’s team.]

[This is infuriating! Does the production team of Scenery Along the Way have a grudge against my brother? I was ready to make a big scene, but now the production team is going to make us trend on hot searches :)]

Actually, including many little golden crows, these ordinary viewers were relatively lucky.

They couldn’t see any strange things. The worst they experienced was being shocked by the sudden appearance of zombies, without having to face any further tests.

However, those with more vivid imaginations weren’t so lucky.

When they saw the three zombies bouncing under the moonlight, they felt a chill down their spines, and in their fear, the items in their hands were tossed aside.

Some people dropped their phones, which immediately broke;

Some threw their water cups at their computer screens, instantly ruining the screen, along with the keyboard;

Others had it worse—both their phones and computers broke, and they tripped.

Those most affected probably couldn’t continue watching the stream today, while the less affected picked up their phones or keyboards and started typing frantically in the live chat.

[Wait, didn’t you notice that the movements of those three people were extremely stiff? They really don’t look human at all?]

[I swear on my 5.2 vision, I didn’t see any movement from their chests!]

[I noticed too, it seems like they didn’t even breathe. Living beings need to breathe, right? Are they really just staff?]

These scattered doubts were drowned out by the massive wave of comments, and nearly no one noticed them.

However, countless emotions of panic, fear, confusion, and even anger were dispersed through these comments, gathering in a certain direction in the live stream, where they were collected by Xing Shuangzhan.

The two directors of the production team were also shocked by this sudden change, huddling together in fear, letting out pitiful screams.

The tech guy was also frightened to the point of tears, almost sobbing, “It really, really is those things! What do we do? Teacher Xue might be in danger!”

The assistant director shivered and said, “I want to save him too, but I need the ability to do so! If only Teacher Chi were still here… If Teacher Chi were here, this would be nothing! Didn’t he flip over a whole group last time?!”

Director Hu, reminded, glanced at the blacked-out live stream of Chi Qingzhou and instinctively grabbed the phone next to him.

He muttered, “The stream is blacked out. Teacher Chi must have finished his business by now. I don’t know if he’ll answer if I call him… Never mind, at this point, only Teacher Chi can save us!”

His expression was blank, but his hands moved swiftly, dialing the number.

The mechanical ringing sounded three times.

Director Hu was anxious, feeling like these few seconds lasted a century.

Pick up quickly.

Pick up quickly!

He silently repeated these words in his mind, and in the next moment, the call was answered.

A breeze mixed with the faint sound of electricity reached his ears. His scalp tingled, and his eyes widened.

“Chi… Teacher Chi?” His voice trembled, “Has the thing you were handling been resolved?”

There was a brief silence on the other end before Chi Qingzhou’s voice, tinged with a smile, came through.

“It’s me. Everything is taken care of. Director, what’s the matter?”

Director Hu felt a rush of relief, nearly crying out.

“Thank god! Thank god!” He jumped up from the couch, urgently saying, “Teacher Chi, here’s the thing. Teacher Xue didn’t stay at the villa as you told him to… because… uh, for some reason, he went to the small square where they were doing the game this afternoon.”

His voice grew quieter as he continued, trembling.

“His live stream started shortly after he left the villa. Just now, we discovered in the stream that he was with three…”

He hesitated with his words, “Stuck in the changing room! Teacher Chi, what should we do now?”

“Is he hiding?”

On the other end of the phone, Chi Qingzhou responded with a calm tone, “I’m already on my way back, I’ll pick up Teacher Xue soon.”

“He’s hidden, but it doesn’t feel very safe,” Director Hu glanced at the live broadcast room, his heart gripped with fear. “Teacher Chi, how much longer until you get back?”

Chi Qingzhou stopped beneath a giant century-old tree outside the villa, the moonlight casting a hazy glow over him.

He raised his head and looked toward the area with the most intense smell of decay, slowly curving his eyes into a smile.

“I’m here.”

…

The small, dark space gave Xue Jinshi a slight sense of security. He stared at the window for a while, seeing no shadows, and he relaxed a little.

But he let his guard down too soon.

No more than half a minute later, three figures appeared at the glass, crashing violently against it with a loud bang.

The sudden impact made Xue Jinshi shudder instinctively. His eyes remained fixed on the window, his heart once again suspended in the air.

He saw them!

He saw it clearly!

The three creatures crashed into the window with such force that it made the entire window frame shake violently!

This vacation villa was not low in star rating, and the building materials and quality were very well-chosen.

Xue Jinshi had noticed when he was climbing out of the window that the glass was specially reinforced, with thick steel frames and bulletproof glass.

Even so, every time the three corpses hit the window, it shook, indicating how strong they were.

In Xue Jinshi’s eyes, the large window, once so convenient, now seemed like a fragile point, liable to be broken through by the three creatures at any moment.

He regretted it, even started to regret choosing this dressing room.

The earlier satisfaction that had flared up like a small flame was now completely doused with a bucket of ice water.

Xue Jinshi shrank further behind the wardrobe, clenching his fingers, staring at the window, not daring to relax for even a moment.

Another loud crash, the window shaking violently again, and a decorative item on the nearby wall suddenly fell to the floor with a loud clatter. The window emitted a creaking sound as though it was about to give way.

Xue Jinshi’s face turned pale. In the darkness, he gritted his teeth and glanced toward the dressing room door.

He had no false hopes and wasn’t planning to gamble whether those three things could jump through the window. He didn’t even care if anyone noticed his actions tonight; his only concern was whether the dressing room door would open.

He knew that some doors could be locked from the outside with a key, making them impossible to open from inside.

He hadn’t planned to exit through the door earlier, nor had he checked if it could be opened. Now, he regretted it.

Behind him, the sound of the window being repeatedly slammed echoed again. After only a brief hesitation, Xue Jinshi decisively abandoned his small safe corner, stood up, and grabbed the door handle.

His fingers trembled as he tried twice, managing to unscrew the safety lock.

Anxiously, he pushed the door handle down, and the door loosened slightly, then suddenly swung open.

A wave of intense joy surged in his eyes, and just as he pulled the door wide, intending to dash out—

At that very moment, he froze, taking a step back in surprise.

Outside the door stood two people, one tall and one short, both dressed strangely.

The taller one was about 1.75 meters ( 5’9″) tall, while the shorter one was under 1.7 meters, likely around 1.68 (5’6″) meters.

Despite it being early summer, with a night breeze that wasn’t cold and a temperature at least in the teens even in the mountains, these two people were bundled up tightly.

The tall one wore a deep brown long coat, with a brown cowboy hat covering most of his face. Xue Jinshi could barely see his features, only noticing an exaggerated, strange smile at the corner of his lips.

The shorter one was dressed even more heavily. A black woolen coat, thick winter pants, long Martin boots, and a tightly wrapped scarf and hat. Xue Jinshi blinked, almost thinking he was seeing someone in winter.

Their bizarre appearance made Xue Jinshi’s hairs stand on end. Even though the window behind him was still banging, he couldn’t pay attention to it.

His heart seemed to leap out of his chest, and he instinctively took a big step back, using all his strength to close the door.

Unfortunately, the taller man was faster.

A withered, thin hand stretched out from the long coat sleeve, pressing against the dressing room door. No matter how much force Xue Jinshi exerted, the door would leave a small crack and couldn’t close completely.

Xue Jinshi’s heart raced, his brain almost bursting as cold sweat formed in his palms.

Anxiety spread through his blood like a strange toxin, making him feel dizzy and oxygen-deprived.

His lips moved, his head slowly lifting, and he met the eyes of the tall man under his hat’s brim.

Those eyes were very calm, the pupils a normal brown, devoid of any judgment or emotion.

The gaze fixed on him felt not like looking at a living person, but more like looking at something about to be slaughtered.

An indescribable coldness drilled into his bones, and Xue Jinshi felt every bone in his body freeze. He was sure that if he moved even a little, it would pierce through his insides.

He was so tense that he couldn’t make a sound.

Meanwhile, his personal live-stream was already filled with frantic screams.

【Who is this? Is this an NPC set up by the production team? So scary!】

【Brother, run!】

【Oh my god, that look, I got goosebumps!】

【Mom, I can’t watch this anymore! That look is so creepy, I feel like I’m going to have nightmares tonight!】

【The production team is really going too far, why set up such a terrifying scene for Xue Ge!】

【Close the door! Close it quickly!】

【Is this a special plot? Why does it feel so terrifying??】

Xue Jinshi couldn’t see the live-stream and had no idea what the audience was shouting.

Instead, the person outside the door narrowed his eyes slightly, glancing behind Xue Jinshi at the empty space.

“What do you have on you?” he tilted his head, his voice twisted with a chilling coldness.

Xue Jinshi’s scalp tingled, but he had no time to care about the question. He desperately pushed against the door, trying to force it closed.

Meanwhile, the live-stream viewers weren’t as lucky.

The brief glance the person outside gave was zoomed in on by the live-stream, scaring many viewers into screaming, and the comments flooded into chaos.

The person withdrew his gaze, observing Xue Jinshi again, his smile growing colder.

“Didn’t expect this from you.”

Xue Jinshi caught the words, slightly confused for a moment.

He didn’t quite understand what the man meant, and before his brain could fully process it, the person nonchalantly added his conclusion.

“Since it’s been seen, it can’t just end like this. Sheng Yihang, take action.”

Xue Jinshi froze, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw a dark light flash through the crack of the door. His heart lurched, and he didn’t have time to care about the door anymore. He jumped backward, shouting hoarsely.

Thanks to his dance training, which he never slacked off on and often practiced privately, he managed to leap nearly two meters backward with all his strength in a fish-like movement!

His calf slammed into a chair in the dressing room, and unable to steady himself, he landed hard on his butt.

The door swung open, and in a panic, he looked up to see the shorter man by the door, having somehow moved closer, with a hand reaching into the room.

Without the obstruction of his coat pockets, Xue Jinshi saw the man’s hand covered in corpse spots, and ten cracked nails.

Each nail was a dark brown color, and irregularly shaped, as if they had been scratched against something rough.

The eerie color reminded him of zombies from horror films.

Could the short man have corpse poison on his nails?

Xue Jinshi leaned back slightly, filled with a sense of relief.

If he hadn’t reacted quickly and jumped backward two meters, he might have already been scratched!

He didn’t dare gamble on whether he could survive if he got scratched.

However, he barely had time to feel any relief before his panic resurfaced.

The dressing room door was wide open.

The two strange individuals were standing in the doorway.

Behind him, the window continued to bang, with three things that were not quite alive still trying to get in.

Xue Jinshi realized this and felt a wave of despair wash over him.

Was he surrounded?

Did he still have a chance to leave alive?

Could this just be another segment arranged by the production team?

Didn’t someone online mention that the production team used similar tactics to hype up Chi Qingzhou in the first episode?

Xue Jinshi clenched his jaw, his face drained of color.

He tried to calm himself by recalling the online rumors, but all he could feel was despair.

When he met the tall man’s cold, calm gaze again, he couldn’t help but close his eyes.

He knew self-deception was useless.

He regretted it.

He deeply regretted it.

He shouldn’t have thought others were just being superstitious; he should have stayed with them at the villa.

Fear flowed through every drop of his blood, and Xue Jinshi’s legs were so weak that he couldn’t even stand up, not even able to muster the thought of escaping.

He thought he would recall many things, but in reality, his mind was blank.

All he felt was the numbness and emptiness after fear reached its peak.

The buzzing sound of electricity echoed in the livestream room, and the screen began to freeze.

Ordinary viewers were still discussing what kind of plot this was, while some more insightful viewers were already screaming in fear.

They pulled out their phones to try and call the police for the production team, but in a place they couldn’t see, white mist silently spread. Some calls wouldn’t even go through, while others connected but had no sound.

Panicked, they looked up at the livestream, all they were a few intermittent conversations

The tall man suddenly stepped back a few meters, looking at a direction outside the mountain villa with a serious tone, even tinged with a little nervousness.

“Has he returned?”

The shorter man replied, “It should be him. Your jealousy—”

The tall man snapped, “Shut up!”

The shorter man sneered sarcastically and obediently closed his mouth.

The tall man didn’t dwell on the other’s disobedient attitude, simply saying, “He really came, this time it’s not in vain. But the timing is bad, the setup isn’t complete. We should leave first.”

The shorter man had no objections.

The two quickly withdrew, but before they could leave the small square, a slightly naive voice suddenly rang out from a nearby rooftop.

“Who are you? Where are you going?”

The two froze, not turning back, but instead looking at the ground.

Where the shadows of the building covered the area, countless blurry mildew spots quietly sprouted.

Patterns that resembled eyes spread all around, and something moved swiftly through the shadows, like a top predator, lurking and watching from the dark.

The two immediately ran forward at full speed.

The huge shadow dashed forward with a rush of wind.

Xue Jinshi vaguely sensed something and slowly opened his eyes.

He felt the voice was somewhat familiar and instinctively raised his head.

In the moonlight, Chi Qingzhou stood on the opposite rooftop, dressed in a casual suit. His pale skin was illuminated by the moonlight, making him seem as though coated with a silver edge.

The night wind brushed past his clothes, and he gently curved his eyes, showing a soft and obedient smile. His aura was like a sharp blade freshly forged, bright and sharp, yet somehow comforting.

Xue Jinshi froze, his heartbeat skipping a beat.

He suddenly had an odd thought.

Chi Qingzhou really should endorse the Frostblade series of Pearl watches.

This person, like a blade just tempered by the moonlight, was bright, sharp, and mesmerizing.