Chapter 499: The Lady in Black Skirt
An off-road vehicle sped down the smooth highway.
Bai Youwei, on the passenger seat, was dozing off.
The long drive, monotonous scenery, warm sunshine… all tempting her to succumb to sleep.
Curbing a yawn, she said, “Next time, we should let Tan Xiao sit in the car. Despite his constant chatter, he can help us stay alert.”
Shen Mo glanced at her, “Why didn’t you let him sit in the car this time?”
“To save fuel, duh!” Bai Youwei eyeing him, “Your car guzzles fuel, don’t you know?”
That’s why not only the luggage had been moved into the dollhouse, but Tan Xiao, Chang Weicai, and Pan Xiaoxin were also banished into it.
Shen Mo chuckled, not answering.
In his heart, he thought Bai Youwei was deliberately creating more alone time for the two of them.
“Hang in there a bit longer, we’re almost there,” Shen Mo said.
Bai Youwei mustered the energy to look forward, seeing a beautiful landscape flashed by. Further ahead, heavy mists indicated the presence of the maze.
“I wonder if Su Man is in there…” she worriedly sighed.
After discovering Su Man’s disappearance, they and Yan Qingwen split into two groups to look for her. One group was dispatched to Xuzhou, the other to Fuzhou.
In an environment lacking means of communication, finding someone was really hard. Yet with Lun Ang gone, Yan Qingwen did not want to see Su Man get into trouble again. Plus, collecting puzzle pieces from the maze was their original goal. It would, of course, be even better if they could find Su Man in the process.
So, after some discussion, Shen Mo and Bai Youwei set out for Fuzhou, while Yan Qingwen and Zhu Shu headed to Xuzhou.
Looking ahead, Shen Mo murmured, “According to the map, we should drive for another hour before seeing the fog, but seeing it now means the maze has expanded in the meantime.”
Bai Youwei, leaning on the car window, muttered, “What would happen if no one ever came out from a maze?… Would the maze keep expanding? Expanding non-stop, covering the entire continent? The entire earth?”
“That depends on the purpose of the game system,” Shen Mo slowed down his car’s speed and said calmly, “If it’s goal is to kill, the maze and the game’s difficulty will increase. But if it aims to select certain people, it will surely leave some leeway.”
Bai Youwei turned to look at him, “Do you want to be selected?”
Shen Mo answered frankly, “Of course. Only by winning to the end can we uncover the truth.”
Bai Youwei pondered before asking, “Is knowing the truth important to you?”
Shen Mo gripped the steering wheel, turned to glance at her, “Lun Ang and Yu Yaqing both died in the game. Don’t you want to know why they died?”
Bai Youwei was silent for a moment.
Lun Ang and Yu Yaqing were killed by the doll, which was created by Mary, who was created by the game itself. But who created the game? Why did the game come into existence? This remained an unsolved mystery.
Bai Youwei didn’t intend to pursue the truth. In fact, she was somewhat resistant to it. Once the truth arrived… would everything return to the way it was?
She looked down at her own legs.
After so much struggle, she was about to stand up again…
But this thought can’t be shared with anyone, not even Shen Mo.
She didn’t want to appear dark, selfish, or even malevolent in his eyes.
The car suddenly stopped.
Bai Youwei was surprised, “Why did we stop?”
“There’s a car up ahead,” Shen Mo squinted, “Beside the car there’s a tent and a woman.”
Bai Youwei also looked in that direction, “Could it be Su Man?”