“So that’s why,” Su Xiaoxiao smiled, “Then, I’ll have to depend on Mr Chen. As long as my little brother and I survive, I don’t care who walks out of the door first.”
Chen Ran widened his eyes in mock surprise, “Doesn’t Miss Su even want to fight for it?”
“No.” Su Xiaoxiao lowered her voice and said officially, “I don’t want to make enemies out of a mad person, or rather… a group of mad people.”
Chen Ran narrowed his eyes. He was used to being called this. He might even enjoy it. He slowly pulled up a grin. It was like an art piece slowly collapsing.
“You are a disciple,” Su Xiaoxiao stared at Chen Ran’s face, “You are… Deep Red’s people.”
Chen Ran’s grin grew even bigger. The two’s communication ended then. Chen Ran led the way forward. Su Xiaoxiao followed him at a two-meter distance. Strangely enough, their original plan was to trick Jiang Cheng and Fatty into believing they had entered the forest. They wouldn’t be able to help themselves and enter the forest.
In reality, Su Xiaoxiao and Chen Ran had been hiding in the first-floor lobby until Jiang Cheng and Fatty left. They then came out and watched Fatty and Jiang Cheng enter the forest. Be it Su Xiaoxiao or the people from Black Stone Town, everything started with the white plate. That was how the curse started.
If they didn’t examine the plate further, they would feel uneasy. That led to another problem. Who would be the first to examine the plate again?
Su Xiaoxiao and Su An entered the forest earlier because they didn’t know about the stone plate. Otherwise, they wouldn’t enter the forest no matter what. Furthermore, she didn’t get close to the stone plate. At least she hadn’t touched it with her hand.
Based on their experience, strange things in the nightmare were not good things. In other words, good things would not appear in the nightmare. Therefore, their plan was to follow behind Jiang Cheng and Fatty, who would scout the way for them.
Based on what the people from Black Stone Town said, the strange plate was hidden deep inside the forest and hard to find. However, for the travellers, no matter how secluded a location was, as long as it was crucial to the mission, it would be found, or the mission couldn’t progress. It was a part of the rules. In fact, it probably wouldn’t take them long to find the strange stone plate.
Soon, Su Xiaoxiao and Chen Ran came to the edge of the forest. Chen Ran still had a strange expression, but Su Xiaoxiao was different. She had just escaped from this nightmarish forest. Now, she was heading back to it. No matter how she tried to rationalise it, it was hard to accept. This forest was the nightmare of the nightmares. Being close to it made her worried and anxious.
She had a feeling that if she entered this forest again… She would not be able to leave it again.
“Miss Su,” Chen Ran’s voice interrupted her thoughts. He smiled, “I’ll have to trouble you to lead the way.” Chen Ran’s expression, emotions and appearance were not threatening but when they were paired together, it made him an annoying and oppressive presence.
Su Xiaoxiao hated being threatened, but she had no choice but to submit this time.
“Mr Chen,” Before Su Xiaoxiao entered the forest, she turned around to stare into Chen Ran’s eyes, “I assume having one group of scouts… is enough.”
Chen Ran widened his eyes like he didn’t understand her words. “Miss Su, what are you talking about? We’re partners!”
“I hope you’re right.” Su Xiaoxiao stepped into the forest. Chen Ran paced around before following her. Su Xiaoxiao followed the direction in her memory to approach the stone plate. They would be there to witness the progress of assimilation and even the origin of the curse.
Su Xiaoxiao suddenly had a strange feeling. Su Xiaoxiao and Chen Ran… and even the two before them… were the sacrifices for this forest. It was very appropriate because Su An did say that the forest… was alive. The forest watched them enter it batch after batch. They were all sacrifices for the forest. Maybe the forest was not the full extent of it. There was also the unpredictable, indescribable ‘it’ that the people from the Black Stone Town mentioned.
After Chen Ran and Su Xiaoxiao entered the forest, the edge of the forest sank into silence again.
However, a few minutes later, the death-like silence was broken by irregular sounds.
An agile figure slithered down a tall tree. He let go of his arms on the tree trunk, and he landed firmly on his feet. The figure glanced in the direction where Chen Ran and Su Xiaoxiao disappeared. His eyes rolled.
“Doctor,” Fatty’s shaky voice came from the top of the tree. He was so scared, but he didn’t dare to talk too loudly. He was afraid of luring over the things inside the forest. “How am I supposed to get down?”
Fatty was afraid of heights. He was at least 5 metres off the ground. With his size, if he fell, having broken bones would be a positive result. Whenever he looked down, his stomach shrunk.
In the end, it was Jiang Cheng who used a special method to help Fatty get down the tree.
“Doctor,” Before Fatty could steady himself, he tossed Jiang Cheng an admiring gaze. “You’re amazing. How did you know the two were acting to trick us into the forest?”
Jiang Cheng took a deep breath. “Fatty, if I tell you… I had thought of their trick, but they used it before I could. Would you believe me?”
Fatty nodded vehemently, “Of course, Doctor. Anything you say makes sense.”