Chapter 25: Two Teammates

Huan Xiao suppressed the urge to curse, scrambled up, put on her shoes, and grabbed her phone to meet up with the others. Fortunately, her nightgown had a doll collar, making it suitable for daily wear, so she wouldn't feel too embarrassed in this situation.

"Yo, you're awake?" A boy with a bowl cut raised an eyebrow at her. He then pointed to two girls and said to Huan Xiao, "We’ve already formed our teams; those two are your teammates. See ya, good luck to you." With that, he led his team away.

Huan Xiao stood there, stunned, watching everyone else leave, leaving only her and the two girls behind. The boats on the river had already started to row away one by one, and others were setting off in succession. To be sure, Huan Xiao checked her phone again. There was no mention of a three-person team requirement in the phone's instructions. What was going on?

Just then, one of the girls—a girl with twin tails—looked at Huan Xiao and asked, "You're a newcomer, right? I've already been through six games. I’ll be leading the two of you for this round. You don't have any objections, do you?"

Seeing that neither of them radiated any ghostly aura, Huan Xiao didn't overthink it and nodded in agreement.

"Good. My name is Wen Su. You two should give your names too, so it’s easier to address each other." The twin-tailed girl wasn't in a hurry to board the boat.

The other girl appeared to be older, around twenty-five. She seemed to still be reeling from being rejected by everyone else, keeping her head lowered in dejection.

"My name is Xiao Huan," Huan Xiao said, giving a fake name. She personally thought it was easy to remember.

"Very well, I like obedient newcomers... Hey, what's your name?" Wen Su, annoyed by being ignored, walked up to the other girl with a displeased look.

Startled, the woman quickly whispered, "My name is Li Yanshu."

"Li Yanshu? Why does that sound like a man's name? Forget it. To make it easier, I'll call you 'Serious' from now on. Xiao Huan, you call her that too." After saying this, Wen Su turned and headed toward the boats. She hadn't asked for Li Yanshu's opinion at all, seemingly holding her in great contempt.

Yet, Li Yanshu felt no resentment; instead, her eyes filled with delight. Based on Wen Su's demeanor, she assumed Wen Su must be quite skilled. As for why she had been left behind like her, she figured others must have just been discriminating against her for being a frail girl. After all, Wen Su had a sweet and lovely appearance, and it was easy to underestimate her based on her looks alone.

"Hurry up and follow," Wen Su urged from the front.

Huan Xiao followed without hesitation, though she was chanting to herself that she didn't want to play this game—she really didn't. This was already the third game she had entered tonight! Getting a good night's sleep was just so difficult.

But since she was here, Huan Xiao decided to just go along with them and slack off. After all, wasn't the phone task just to enjoy the scenery? She might as well do just that.

As they drew closer, Li Yanshu became visibly nervous. She was already plain-looking, and standing between two pretty people made her feel even more awkward.

"Xiao Huan, which game is this for you?" Wen Su asked while walking, seemingly more interested in Huan Xiao.

Huan Xiao paused for two seconds before replying, "The third."

"Did you enter the game a month ago? Or longer?" Wen Su kept probing for information.

Huan Xiao countered, "Senior, is there a set pattern for when we enter these games?"

"Not exactly. While the timing isn't regular, it's usually every fifteen days, but that's not absolute. It depends on luck." After that, Wen Su stopped asking questions because they had reached the riverbank.

"There are only two boats left. They’ve all rowed away." Looking at the departing boats, the irritation in Wen Su's voice was evident.

Li Yanshu asked from the side, "Is something wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong." Wen Su quickly smoothed her expression, though her smile didn't reach her eyes. She didn't like this cowardly teammate; if not for the fact that she was the only one left, she never would have chosen her. "Let them go first. Consider them cannon fodder to test the path. Let's get on the boat."

Wen Su stepped onto the boat, but to everyone's surprise, it began to sink. She quickly grabbed the edge of the boat to pull herself back onto the bank, watching as the vessel floated back up and returned to its original state.

"It seems we have to board as a group of three. You two, follow me and step on together," Wen Su said, pondering for a moment while pointing at Huan Xiao and Li Yanshu.

Huan Xiao had no objections. This boat was highly peculiar; it was likely designed to force players to follow a rule: if there weren't three people, the boat would sink.

Li Yanshu, however, hesitated and dared not step in. She asked worriedly, "But... but if we all step on, won't it sink even faster? What if you chose the wrong boat, Wen Su? Aren't there two boats here?"

Facing the challenge, Wen Su became impatient. She snapped, "Don't question my judgment. 'Serious,' I am the leader here. Or are you saying... you don't respect me at all?" Wen Su was annoyed. If anyone else had encountered a sinking boat, they would have been in a panic by now. The fact that things were so quiet before only meant that they had all boarded in groups of three. She had a brain, too!

"I... no, I wouldn't dare," Li Yanshu conceded quickly, not needing any more convincing.

Wen Su said to her with dissatisfaction, "Then get on the boat with me quickly. 'Serious,' you should learn from Xiao Huan; she’s very obedient."

Huan Xiao, standing to the side, thought: *...I feel like she’s training a dog, but I have no proof.*

"Okay, I'll go with you, but what if—" Li Yanshu started to whisper, clearly unreconciled, but was immediately cut off by Wen Su.

"There are no 'what ifs.' 'Serious,' you just need to listen to me. Abandon your own thoughts; I don't need them."

Li Yanshu fell silent. Huan Xiao had expected her to put up some resistance, but to her surprise, Li Yanshu just hesitantly nodded and replied, "Okay."

*I see,* Huan Xiao thought. *These two teammates are a match made in heaven.*

The sky was overcast, thick with dark clouds. A cool breeze stirred ripples, sending layers of water rings across the river. The water was black and filthy, hiding whatever might be lurking beneath. But judging by the ghostly aura floating on the surface, Huan Xiao knew there were definitely ghosts in there.

The banks were dry, pebbled sand with no vegetation. The current flowed from left to right; the left was shrouded in black mist, while to the right, one could faintly see two branching rivers in the distance.

The three of them stepped onto the boat. Li Yanshu's fears did not materialize, and all three stood safely on the wooden craft. Once safety was confirmed, Wen Su emphasized, "See? There's no problem. You just have to trust me."