I really don't want to date a girl addicted to the internet!

"Teacher Shen, as the old saying goes, even the best horse can stumble. Please don't be so harsh." The boy clasped his hands together, his face full of grief.

"Then let's go." The girl stared at him, raised her small hand with the back of her hand facing up, her expression inscrutable.

"Where are you going?" the boy asked, stunned. "And what does this gesture mean?"

"Let's go find clues. It's fine if you don't want to hold hands, so as not to feel disgusted." The girl withdrew her small hand, turning indifferent in an instant.

"Not at all, of course I want to hold your hand." The boy's expression changed, and he quickly grasped the cold, soft little hand, interlocking their fingers.

The girl seemed oblivious, turning back the way she came without a word.

"Teacher Shen, that's too arrogant. You know perfectly well how cute you are, right? You're too scheming." The boy observed her discreetly.

"I don't want to hold your hand anymore, let go." The girl's voice was unhappy, and she started to wriggle.

"Teacher Shen, I was wrong. Please pretend I didn't say anything." The boy grabbed her tightly.

The girl shook her head twice in frustration, then raised her voice, "Please get this straight: my charm is undeniable, I don't need any tricks at all. Stop judging others by your own standards. Only someone like you, Cheng Feiyu, would go to such lengths to seduce someone."

"Yes, Her Highness's cuteness is entirely genuine; it was I who was so despicable." The boy lowered his head.

"If you know the answer, then shut up." The girl said coldly.

"Ok."

The two returned with flashlights and arrived at the door, only to find the heavy door tightly shut, completely blocking out the outside light.

"What's going on? It was open fine before." Cheng Fei stepped forward and pushed the door, but there was no response. He patted it, and it made a dull thud.

Outside the gate, the sturdy metal latch was lowered, and Zhou Han and Ruan Jingyi found a place to sit on the ground, pretending not to hear the knocking below.

Downstairs, Cheng Fei tried to push the door hard, but there was still no response. He then rammed the door a few more times with his shoulder, but the door remained unmoved.

"Uh, Teacher Shen, it seems to be stuck. Do you have your phone with you?" The boy turned his head.

“It’s been handed over, how could I possibly bring it back?” Shen Xi frowned slightly.

"Then move aside. Unless there really is a ghost, I don't believe a door can stop me." The boy rolled up his sleeves, intending to activate Time Zero.

"Don't do anything rash." The girl stroked her chin thoughtfully.

"why?"

"Maybe we just triggered some kind of mechanism. Let's go back and check."

Cheng Fei was surprised, then nodded, "As expected, my teacher Shen's little brain is quick to react."

"Forget about the obvious nonsense." The girl raised the back of her hand again, staring at him expressionlessly.

The boy met her gaze for a second, then grasped her small hand, this time with a firmer grip.

In the silent underground space, it seemed as if unspeakable emotions were spreading.

"Teacher Shen, are you scared?" The boy led the girl forward.

"Nonsense, what are you afraid of when it's so bright?"

As soon as they finished speaking, the bright flashlights in their hands went out simultaneously without warning.

When the light disappeared, the atmosphere fell into a deathly silence. The space ahead became pitch black, as if taking a step forward would plunge one into an abyss where predators would devour them.

At the same time, urgent muffled sounds came from the depths of the unseen passage, as if someone was frantically banging on the door in a panic.

The girl buried her face in the boy's arms in an instant.

535. Shen Xi is afraid of the dark.

The continuous, dull banging echoed in the narrow corridor, the strange sound sending chills down one's spine.

Having explored the area twice, Cheng Fei and Shen Xi knew very well that there was neither a door inside, nor could there possibly be anyone there.

The boy pressed the flashlight switch a few times, but there was no response. He was a little confused. "Teacher Shen, I didn't expect you to be such a jinx."

"Stop talking nonsense and figure out what's going on." The girl threw herself into his arms, her tone completely lacking its usual force.

In the deep darkness, sensing the girl's strong dependence, the boy embraced her delicate, fragile body, as if made of glass, and stroked the back of her head. "Shen Xi, don't be afraid. I'm here so you won't be in danger."

"Go check on the situation quickly," the girl said in a muffled voice.

"Then you'll wait for me where you are?"

"No, we can't be separated." The girl said without hesitation.

“That’s true, in horror movies they always die separately.” The boy nodded. “Then let’s go together. If you’re scared, you can hold my hand.”

"..." The girl's voice was pitifully soft.

"I can't hear you, Teacher Shen."

"Put your arm around my shoulder," the girl said expressionlessly.

"Ok."

After the girl stepped back slightly, Cheng Fei put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her to his side. "Let's go."

"Slow down, I can't see clearly." As if afraid of falling, she clung tightly to the boy, her small hand gripping his sleeve.

"Okay." Cheng Fei slowed down, touched the wall with his empty hands, and moved forward by a faint light that seemed to come from nowhere.

The darkness prevented the two from seeing each other's expressions, so they could only sense each other through sound and touch.

As the two went deeper, the knocking on the door gradually became clearer, as if it came from a specific location.

The girl gripped the boy's sleeve even tighter, like a helpless child relying on an adult.

"Shen Xi".

"what?"

"So cute."

"Don't talk nonsense at a time like this." The tone was so soft and utterly non-threatening.

“Theoretically, this is part of the game, right? There can’t really be ghosts,” Cheng Fei said as he walked.

"Obviously."

"Then why are you so nervous?"

"It's just the body's weak instincts." There seemed to be a sense of resentment.

"What a lovely body."

"Shut up."

"Ok."

As soon as the words were spoken, apart from the strange knocking on the door, only the slow footsteps of the two people remained in the corridor; the silence was unsettling.

"Don't stay silent." He seemed a little unhappy.

"Didn't you tell me to shut up?" Cheng Fei feigned confusion.

"You understand what I mean." There was a hint of reproach in his voice.

"Alright, she really is my princess." The young man said with a mixture of helplessness and doting. "By the way, don't you think the rhythm of knocking on the door keeps repeating itself?"

After a moment of silence, he said, "I can't tell."

"Too nervous?"

"Mmm." The response was soft but crisp.

The two continued to explore and move forward.

Cheng Fei thought for a moment, "I think the flashlight must have been modified so that it would automatically turn off when it receives a signal or something like that."

"Possibly." The response was swift.

"I have to admit that this level design is pretty good." Cheng Fei smacked his lips.

"A pointless game of pretending to be a ghost." I feel annoyed.

The two arrived at the location where the knocking had started, in the middle of the corridor, behind an inconspicuous wall.

The knocking on the door was very close, making a loud banging sound.

"Stop filming, okay? If you're not really dead yet, hurry up and die!" Cheng Fei raised his voice.

There was, of course, no response.

"Check for any hidden mechanisms," the girl ordered, still clinging tightly to him.

"Let me see." Cheng Fei groped around on the wall for a while and finally found the candlestick embedded in it, discovering that it could be turned ninety degrees.

With a soft click, the wall in front of the two opened, revealing a disguised door, and at the same time, the knocking stopped abruptly.

A dark red light leaked from the crack in the door, clearly artificial, which relieved Cheng Fei.

The girl beside him relaxed her tense body a little.

Cheng Fei pushed open the door and saw that it was a hidden room. After confirming that it was safe, he led Shen Xi inside.

The room was bathed in a dark red light, and everything was arranged to look like it had been burned in a fire, with the shapes of various alchemical devices still faintly discernible.

"It seems the witch doctor was locked underground and burned to death, which explains the banging on the door and the screams." Cheng Fei rubbed his chin.

"Hurry up and find the remains and the keepsake." Shen Xi frowned slightly as she scanned the room, keeping her hands tightly gripping the boy's sleeves.

Cheng Fei turned his head to look at her.

"What's wrong?" The girl looked up as if she sensed something.

"It's nothing, it's just that Her Majesty the Empress is so cute, cowering so cautiously next to me while giving orders with such a serious expression." The boy said with great interest.

"Hurry up, I don't like this place." The girl turned her face away, her eyes flickering, and her grip loosened slightly.

"Okay, then I'll let go first?" Cheng Fei pretended to release her.

"Hmm." She reluctantly lowered her hand.

So the boy began to explore the room, with the girl following behind, her small face warily scanning the surroundings.

Soon, Cheng Fei discovered a gruesome, charred corpse on the ground in the corner. Of course, it was just a prop; the corpse was clutching a copper snake-shaped key in its hand.

"Got it, let's go." The boy held up the key and waved it.

Shen Xi silently returned to her position beside the boy.

The two returned to the main gate in the dark as they had come, only to find that the heavy door still showed no sign of opening.

"I thought I could open it with a key, but there's no keyhole here." Cheng Fei fumbled around on the door for a moment, completely baffled.

"Then break down the door. You think you can break it open with your brute force?" The girl released his sleeve and stood to the side.

"Suddenly I don't want to crash anymore," the boy said, rubbing his chin.

His expression was obscured in the darkness, but it was easy to imagine the girl's furrowed brows as she stared at him. "What do you mean?"

"I just feel like you're really cute right now, but we won't see you once we go outside," the boy said seriously. "How about we go back and check if we missed any mechanisms, and get through using normal methods?"

"Cheng Feiyu, taking advantage of others' misfortunes." Even the tone of the insult was so soft and gentle that it lacked any threat.

“Teacher Shen, but banging on the door is too boring. Since it’s a puzzle game, you should win by using your brain, right?” The boy coaxed patiently, spreading his hands, even though she couldn’t see him.

The girl remained motionless and fell silent.

"Teacher Shen? Was she captured by a ghost?"

"I'm ordering you to break down the door right now, and then." The tone left no room for argument.

"Then?"

"If you just like me being like I was just now, and you can reluctantly continue to satisfy your filthy desires for a while after we leave, is that enough?" His tone was extremely reluctant.

“Deal. Being afraid of the dark is kind of cute.” The boy nodded decisively.

"Then stop with the disgusting nonsense and hurry up and crash into it."

On the ground, Zhou Han sighed, resting her chin on her hand. "We haven't heard a sound for so long. We don't know how they are. Please don't let all our efforts go to waste."

Ruan Jingyi stared blankly at the dilapidated shack.