Eldritch Horror Theatre

Faced with Fu Qian's self-evaluation, Tan Ying was momentarily speechless.

After a long silence, she lifted her paper cup and took a large gulp of juice.

It was sweet and tart, distinctly chilled, and tasted surprisingly good.

"There's not a soul around. Where did you get this?"

Tan Ying couldn't help but ask.

"Got it myself, of course. We're in a mall. If you want to find something, it's incredibly simple."

Fu Qian drained his own juice and set the empty paper cup aside.

"I was inspired by someone, actually. That guy managed to drag a generator out of a pile of rubble just to brew some coffee."

"Perhaps."

The faces of Bernard and Loretta surfaced in Fu Qian's mind.

"Or maybe they've just made peace with things."

Hmm...

With the juice quickly downed, Tan Ying's mood visibly improved.

Seeing that Fu Qian had no intention of elaborating, she didn't press the issue, turning to look around instead.

"Like a dream, hard to tell what's real and what isn't. It's a surreal feeling."

"I just wonder where Yanqing went. I hope she simply wasn't in my dream."

Tan Ying's tone carried a hint of self-mockery. Before she even finished speaking, however, a faint noise came from behind her.

She froze. Realizing what it was, Tan Ying whipped her head around to stare at a spot not too far away.

It was the elevator they had used earlier.

A moment later, the shifting numbers above it stopped, and the elevator doors shuddered open.

Panting heavily, Pei Yanqing clung to the elevator doors as she stepped out.

The moment she spotted the group, a look of immense relief washed over her, and she let out a long breath.

"I finally found you. Thank God the elevator hasn't stopped!"

Failing to notice the group's strange expressions for a moment, she hurried over, complaining to ease her lingering tension.

"The lower levels of this mall are way too complicated. I was walking in circles until I was dizzy."

But the air remained dead silent. No one chimed in.

Receiving no response, Pei Yanqing finally realized something was wrong.

Staring at the empty mall, her neck stiffened. She forced herself to look at Tan Ying.

"Exactly how long was I down there?"

...

Faced with Pei Yanqing's question, Tan Ying simply stared blankly at her face.

Who could have imagined that after searching for so long, the missing person would just wander out on her own!

Was this the magic of the dreamscape?

"A very long time. Have you been down there this whole time?"

Gathering her thoughts, she finally spoke.

Not bad at all!

Off to the side, Fu Qian silently appraised the scene.

The established laws were now complete. As the Dream Controller, he could naturally sense that the dream was rapidly disintegrating.

Pei Yanqing had naturally been banished the same way earlier, but the girl had shown remarkable resilience. She hadn't stopped searching for an exit for a single second, forcing Fu Qian to expend extra effort designing corridors to lead her in circles down there.

This process of creating something out of nothing was rather draining, completely contradicting his initial goal of a relaxing, stress-free break.

Fortunately, it was almost over.

The next moment, an invisible ripple swept outward, and the lively clamor of the youth resurfaced.

...

"What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?"

By the round plastic table, Pei Yanqing released the straw from her rosy lips and asked, looking somewhat confused.

Across from her, Tan Ying was staring fixedly at her with an indescribably strange expression.

"N... Nothing."

Jolted from her daze by Pei Yanqing's question, Tan Ying glanced at the crowd around them and instinctively shook her head.

"Your clothes. They look nice."

After her thoughts took several frantic turns, Tan Ying finally found an excuse.

"Are you sure? This Cinderella style?"

Pei Yanqing looked down at her outfit and giggled.

"But since you're admiring it so sincerely, I'll just give it to you. We're about the same height anyway."

"Let's swap, then. I can't just take advantage of you."

Tan Ying had no idea how she managed to reply so naturally.

"Are you serious?"

Her response startled Pei Yanqing, who had clearly assumed Tan Ying was just joking.

"Of course."

Even as she confirmed it, Tan Ying's eyes shifted toward Fu Qian sitting beside them, as if subconsciously seeking his appraisal.

"A change of style isn't bad. People should try new things more often."

Fu Qian offered this casual evaluation, quite satisfied with his measured approach.

Clearly, as the Dream Breaker, Tan Ying's memories were far more profound than the others'.

But that was all. The overall picture remained blurry, not enough to form a clear memory or consciousness.

"Right..."

Unable to glean anything from Fu Qian's face, Tan Ying quickly gave up.

"Tan Ying."

Amidst their conversation, a familiar voice called out again.

Having regained his composure, Song Hang was approaching from nearby.

"You guys really know how to pick a spot. I remember this shop being here back when I was in school."

He naturally took a seat, greeting Fu Qian and Pei Yanqing with perfect ease.

"Then you should praise Student Pei."

Watching him sit down, Tan Ying blinked and pointed at Pei Yanqing.

"She's the one who recommended it. By the way, are you done with your business?"

Yeah, it wasn't complicated to begin with. I just treated it as a chance to take a breather."

Song Hang replied, yet a strange sensation welled up in his heart.

Tan Ying's attitude toward him was indeed no longer as dismissive as before, but the composure that had replaced it was secretly alarming and impossible to understand.

"Since you're so nostalgic, let me treat you to a cup."

Seemingly oblivious to his emotional shift, Tan Ying rested her chin on her hand and calmly flagged down the auntie behind the counter.

"You guys chat, I'm going to the restroom."

Pei Yanqing clearly hadn't noticed anything unusual as she leaned close to Tan Ying and whispered.

"The restroom?"

Unexpectedly, Tan Ying's expression instantly turned peculiar.

"What's wrong?"

Pei Yanqing clearly couldn't fathom what could possibly be wrong with going to the restroom.

"I'll go with you."

Tan Ying didn't explain, simply standing up without room for argument.

...

In the blink of an eye, only Fu Qian and Song Hang were left.

It was obvious that Song Hang was trying his utmost to ignore the cup of milk tea in front of Fu Qian, attempting to maintain his composure.

Unfortunately, Fu Qian had no interest in forcing small talk. The faint, barely-there smile playing on his lips was enough to instantly infuriate anyone who saw it.

Within seconds, Song Hang felt his irritation spike. Some negative emotion hidden deep within his heart had been violently triggered.

"To be honest, I completely fail to understand this self-satisfied attitude of yours."

He finally couldn't hold back any longer.

"It has no basis, and it makes no sense."

"You don't understand the true rules of how this world operates at all."

"Consider me educated."

Fu Qian looked at him and nodded, his punchable expression instantly multiplying several times over.

"I am the rules."

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