Chapter 42: Deep Sea Mystery
As they spoke, Xu Ruming’s face grew as black as ink.
Shen Ling’an felt a pang of unease, as if she’d hit the nail on the head. Seeing her expression, he began to panic.
"No way, Meng Meng. You’re the only one in my heart right now. Why would I ever be interested in a low-class woman like her!"
Though he was bad-mouthing Xu Qingsui, Shen Ling’an’s eyes couldn’t help but drift over to her.
He was also terrified of Xu Ruming noticing, and the way he struggled to control his gaze was laughable.
"I just don’t get it. How did a woman like her manage to snag a guy like Lu Jingyu?"
At the mention of this, Xu Ruming’s anger flared up once more.
She sneered, as if she’d witnessed it herself, "What other reason could there be? What else of value does she have to offer?"
"It makes me feel sorry for you, really. You two were childhood sweethearts, you grew up together. But in all those years, she wouldn’t even let you hold her hand, would she? And now, just a few days later, she’s already found someone better to latch onto."
At these words, Shen Ling’an’s expression instantly darkened.
Just as Xu Ruming said, he and Xu Qingsui grew up together. Xu Qingsui always said they should wait until they were married, so she never even let him hold her hand, let alone do anything else.
Part of the reason he’d gotten together with Xu Ruming so quickly was that she wasn’t so ’proper’ and had willingly thrown herself at him.
Now, buying into Xu Ruming’s words, he felt as if Lu Jingyu had cuckolded him.
Gazing at Lu Jingyu and Xu Qingsui, he was overcome with the urge to beat the cheating couple senseless.
He had completely forgotten that he and Xu Qingsui were no longer together.
And that their relationship had ended by his own doing.
After smearing Xu Qingsui’s name, Xu Ruming felt a great sense of satisfaction.
But seeing the handgun in Xu Qingsui’s hand, she couldn’t stomach the injustice.
She nudged Shen Ling’an and said sarcastically, "Well, look at that. Someone’s already gotten a weapon."
Xu Ruming shot Shen Ling’an a contemptuous look. "Remember what you promised me? That you’d give me all the best things."
"And now? I’m still empty-handed! I’m doing worse than Xu Qingsui!"
"Even you have a weapon, and I still have nothing."
With that, Xu Ruming crossed her arms, turned her back on Shen Ling’an, and refused to look at him.
"Meng Meng, I remember my promise! Don’t worry. Whatever she has, I’ll make sure to get it for you."
"We’ll get rewards for clearing this instance. I’ll give all of mine to you. After all, what’s mine is yours!"
Shen Ling’an tried to placate her, reaching to hug her from behind.
Xu Ruming twisted away, dodging his embrace. She pouted, "You said it yourself. But you’d better remember: whatever she has, I want. And what she doesn’t have, I want even more."
Shen Ling’an quickly agreed. He was about to try and hug her again when Lu Jingyu signaled that it was time to enter the maze.
Shen Ling’an had no choice but to stop. Xu Ruming visibly relaxed, shooting him a discreet look of disgust.
As previously arranged, Shen Ling’an and Xu Ruming would go first.
Xu Ruming deliberately stayed a step behind Shen Ling’an. ’If there’s any real danger,’ she calculated, ’he can act as a shield.’
At the back of the group, Xu Qingsui and Lu Jingyu walked side by side.
Xu Qingsui’s hand drifted to her waist from time to time. Lu Jingyu’s handgun was there. ’I have to keep it safe for him.’
Standing at the entrance, they peered into the depths of the maze. It was pitch-black, as if steeped in ink.
Everyone switched on their headlamps. The beams of light shot forward, but they seemed to be swallowed by the darkness, having no effect whatsoever.
At this sight, everyone gasped.
After all, even a sliver of light can bring people hope, while darkness is filled with endless despair.
At any moment, from any direction, the tentacles of death could emerge from the darkness to casually reap a life.
The team members all fell silent. Even Shen Ling’an was starting to regret acting so tough.
Seeing how tense the atmosphere had become, Lu Jingyu stepped forward as their leader. "Once we’re in the instance, there’s no turning back. No matter what dangers lie ahead, we have to face them."
"Everyone, stay sharp. Keep the formation tight and watch out for your teammates on all sides. As long as we stick together, we can clear this maze."
Lu Jingyu’s words of encouragement helped lift everyone’s spirits somewhat.
Everyone took a deep breath, ready to press on.
Shen Ling’an had originally hoped that Lu Jingyu would offer to take his place at the front.
But Lu Jingyu remained silent. Shen Ling’an opened and closed his mouth a few times, but he was ultimately too embarrassed to suggest it.
A moment later, Lu Jingyu gave the order to enter the maze.
At this point, Shen Ling’an could only bite the bullet and step forward.
As he got closer and closer to the entrance, Shen Ling’an’s heart pounded uncontrollably.
His earlier desire to prove himself was matched only by his current regret.
In his eyes, the dark, gaping entrance had become a monstrous maw, waiting for him to walk in and be devoured.
When he reached the entrance, Shen Ling’an could only squeeze his eyes shut and step inside.
The moment he stepped inside, a gentle pillar of light, like a spotlight from the sky, descended and illuminated a small patch of ground at his feet.
Bathed in that light, limited as it was, Shen Ling’an breathed a sigh of relief.
To cover up his earlier cowardice, he deliberately straightened his back and put on a fearless facade.
Seeing they wouldn’t have to navigate the maze in total darkness, everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.
Only Xu Qingsui and Lu Jingyu, at the back of the group, remained stone-faced, not daring to let their guard down for even a second.
Although he didn’t want to ruin everyone’s mood, now was not the time to relax.
"Everyone, don’t be careless. The stranger the place, the higher the danger level. Stay alert. We can celebrate properly after we leave the instance."
Lu Jingyu’s words were a bit of a buzzkill, but everyone knew he was right.
After collecting themselves, the group went back on high alert.
At a time like this, no matter how much Shen Ling’an resented Lu Jingyu, he didn’t dare to oppose him.
Rallying his spirits, Shen Ling’an led the group forward along the maze’s corridor.
Because the spotlight’s range was limited, they couldn’t see what lay ahead.
Based on his idea of what a maze should be, Shen Ling’an expected to see a fork in the path soon.
But the path stretched on as if it were endless. They walked and walked, yet no fork appeared.
The only small comfort was that despite walking for so long, they hadn’t encountered any danger.
But walking endlessly like this was testing everyone’s endurance.
Even though they hadn’t faced any danger, a sense of panic began to set in.
’Where does this path even lead?’
’Isn’t this supposed to be a maze?’
’A maze with no forks after walking for this long... how big could it be?’
’We only have one day. Can we really get out of here?’
Any faint sounds from before had faded, leaving only the heavy sound of their own panting.