Du Lai had given Bai Youwei a total of 8 puzzle pieces.

He had no goal of completing a full set, so the number itself held no particular significance to him — but among those 8 pieces, 2 carried game immunity rights.

Though it wasn’t clear what the world might look like going forward, Du Lai was certain of one thing: puzzle pieces would eventually become a scarce resource.

Because a single maze produced at most 9 puzzle pieces — corresponding to 9 game immunity rights.

So far, maze numbers hadn’t exceeded two digits. Assuming there were a total of 9 mazes — even if all of them were cleared, only 81 puzzle pieces could be obtained. But the number of games was certainly not limited to 81, and the number of players was certainly not limited to 81 either.

The gap between the two figures was enormous.

So in the future, obtaining puzzle pieces would only become harder and harder. The reason he had managed to get his hands on so many last time was because the Shanghai base had gathered many players who had passed through the maze — but what about after that?

Du Lai fell into deep thought.

He didn’t think taking Bai Youwei’s puzzle pieces and items was a good idea.

Not because the two sides were allied — but because until Bai Youwei’s full hand of cards was revealed, any action carried risk.

However…

Considering that he was no longer acting alone and needed to plan for Fu Miaoxue as well, more puzzle pieces were always better.

The risk was worth attempting.

Du Lai asked Fu Miaoxue: “What are the odds of success?”

Fu Miaoxue lifted her chin with a haughty air. “Eighty percent~”

Du Lai thought it over and cautioned her: “Don’t act until the last possible moment. These two have cleared so many games — it’s definitely not just luck…”

“Nag, nag, nag!” Fu Miaoxue widened her eyes. “You just think I can’t match up to her! Then why did you bother saving me in the first place? You might as well have let me die!”

Du Lai pulled her close and kissed her, coaxing sweetly: “Unless I’m dead, you have to stay alive.”

Fu Miaoxue wriggled against him in his arms. “Hmph~ We’ll see how you behave~”

……

The night was still and silent, and only the sound of rain came from outside.

Bai Youwei had no idea what plans were brewing next door. She was leaning over the edge of the bed, staring with a furrowed brow at the wounds on Shen Mo’s back.

Three scratch marks — no blood, but they had left dark blue-black marks on the skin. The flesh looked subtly necrotic, spreading outward like a bruise deepening gradually — as if he had been poisoned.

Shen Mo had truly gotten the worst of things this time.

Even with an item capable of cutting through virtually anything, he had been completely powerless against the phantom-state Bone-Hauling Woman.

Shen Mo couldn’t lie on his back, so he lay face down on the bed. He squeezed Bai Youwei’s hand gently and said: “Sleep — once we’re out of the game, it’ll all be fine.”

Bai Youwei pressed her lips together, her expression still taut.

After a moment, she said: “Du Lai just said this kind of injury can only heal on its own, and sunlight speeds it up. Going by folk… superstition, I suppose, that’s essentially supplementing yang energy. Besides sunlight, rooster’s blood supposedly carries strong yang energy too…”

She paused, hesitating. “And also… a boy child’s urine is supposed to be high in yang energy. Should we ask little Xiaoxin…”

Shen Mo stifled a laugh, raised his hand to ruffle her hair, and said: “Stop being silly. Come lie down with me for a while.”

Bai Youwei pouted and slowly climbed onto the bed, lying sideways close beside him.

“Are you really not going to try it?” she asked, not quite ready to let it go.

Shen Mo said with amusement: “If we’re using someone’s, mine is better than Xiaoxin’s.”

“…” Bai Youwei’s face went slightly red.

She felt that she and Shen Mo had very different ideas about what “boy child’s urine” meant. When she said it, she meant the actual urine of children twelve years old and under, didn’t she?

And then another thought crept in: *Is he… flirting with me right now…?*

Bai Youwei stared at Shen Mo, feeling a little shy.

Shen Mo’s mouth curved slightly. “Come closer.”

Bai Youwei scooted closer to him, voice tiny: “You come closer too~”

Shen Mo laughed softly. “All right, I’ll come closer too.”

He leaned in to her lips and kissed her.

And she… kissed him back.

Then he…

And then she…

……

This game — one could play it all night and never grow tired of it. *And today, she hadn’t turned into a puppet either.*

—