"I’m not sure whether Beiyu Ye’s judgnt is correct or not, but I think Mr. Qingshui might have chosen the wrong path tonight." Yang Xiao leaned against the door, hands in his pockets, letting out a cold laugh. He was done pretending, now sure that Qingshui Cangjie and Heize Lin wouldn’t co looking for them anymore; they couldn’t hide quickly enough.
"We have to split up, that way if they get dragged into a Ghost Dream, we can hear the screams."
"The range of the screams impacts around two floors up and down. Nishimura Yuna and I will guard the third floor. You all go back to the seventh floor. After midnight, if you hear anything, rember to inform the other group." Jiu Shan Shayue was also a cautious person; she wouldn’t be at ease until she saw Qingshui Cangjie take his last breath.
Just like that, the two groups split up. Yang Xiao and Sato Shouta returned to the seventh floor, but not the service room. Instead, they casually picked a guest room in the middle of the hallway, a location with a better vantage point to hear everything clearly.
After checking the room, Yang Xiao lay directly on the bed. He could finally rest for a bit, though Sato Shouta looked worried.
"Mr. Yang, where do you think that old guy Qingshui Cangjie is hiding?" Sato Shouta asked anxiously.
"I don’t know. But if I were him, I’d choose here," Yang Xiao said, raising a hand to point at the ceiling.
"Upstairs? You an they’d hide on the eighth floor?" Sato Shouta was a bit surprised. The eighth floor was the top floor of the hotel and wasn’t exactly ideal.
"It’s just a personal choice, and it doesn’t represent the opinion of the great clever Mr. Qingshui or the lackey Heize Lin." Yang Xiao wagged a finger, having a poor impression of those two. His leg injury still throbbed slightly.
"Mr. Yang, I believe in you. Your judgnt can’t be wrong. You’re so smart you’ve surely figured out the real way to survive, right?" Sato Shouta’s eyes shone brightly.
Upon hearing this, the smile on Yang Xiao’s face slowly cooled down. After a mont, he gave a vague answer, "Mr. Sato, I’m not sure yet, but I believe we’ll find it."
"I believe in you too, Mr. Yang. I can’t wait to go back and see my mother. I’ve been missing for so long, she’s probably worried sick."
Talking about his mother made Sato Shouta’s eyes redden slightly. Not long ago, he had an argunt with her over so trivial matter, sothing he now deeply regretted. He planned to apologize to her upon his return.
"By the way, Mr. Yang, you ntioned there was a secret you were keeping from . What is it?" Sato Shouta asked curiously. With the task lasting at most seven days, it was already the sixth night, the end was near, and he thought it might be ti for Yang Xiao to reveal this secret.
"Mr. Sato, do you have a wish?" Yang Xiao asked suddenly after a mont’s hesitation.
"Could your secret help fulfill a wish?" Chatting with Yang Xiao put Sato Shouta at ease. To him, Yang Xiao was no different from a savior, and naturally, an adequate friend.
"Do you have one?" Yang Xiao asked persistently.
"I want to go back and see my mom, apologize to her. I was wrong about last ti, I shouldn’t have yelled at her. I regret it and I promise I won’t do it again." Sato Shouta said with a hint of guilt.
Yang Xiao instinctively wanted to ask where Sato Shouta’s ho was, but he held back. He knew that despite seeming a bit slow, the man in front of him was in fact very thoughtful and sensitive. He was worried a rash inquiry might expose a flaw.
Although the ending of the story was already predestined and no one could rewrite it, Yang Xiao still hoped to reveal this harsh truth a little later to him.
In this final stretch of the road, Yang Xiao wished for Sato Shouta to walk it happily.
Ti passed quickly, and in a blink, it was already 2 a.m. Sato Shouta was already asleep, lying on his side, even snoring comfortably. Perhaps he was dreaming of going ho, dreaming of his mother.
Yang Xiao sat on the chair, his eyes resting on Sato Shouta’s face with a look of pity, as if trying to imprint this face into his mory.
Having participated in many Nightmare tasks, he was used to deceit and treachery, which only highlighted the preciousness of Sato Shouta’s trust. However, Yang Xiao understood clearly that Nightmares never spared soone like him. Even if he managed to save him this ti, what about next ti, or the ti after that? Sato Shouta would still die.
He was rely sensitive but not smart, nor ruthless enough. He was, by nature, a person from a different world than soone like himself or Tong Han.
The Nightmare World never believed in kindness or tears. Here, neither good people nor bad people could survive, only those who were ruthless and smart enough had a chance.
Initially, Yang Xiao had no intention of saving this guy. Rescuing him from Hasegawa Hideji was firstly seeing him truly pitiful and secondly maintaining basic team harmony, while also building up his own persona as upright and reliable, to win over new recruits.
Newcors in Nightmare tasks were vital resources, useful for scouting or serving as Substitute Deaths.
Yet who would have thought that this guy would later cling to him like a piece of stubborn plaster, impossible to shake off.
But who could have guessed that this unintentional act would end up saving his own life?
If it weren’t for Sato Shouta, he’d already be dead by now. When the children ghost found them, Sato Shouta, terrified, scread and ran out. In saving him, Yang Xiao also rushed out, narrowly avoiding the Curse of the female ghost.
That night, Tong Han and Shibuki Naoko died. And it was through this ordeal that Yang Xiao figured out the ghost’s thod of killing, significantly advancing the mission progress.
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