Half an hour later, there was a knock on the door to Room 1717.
Bai Lixin’s hair had dried during this time, and he was lying on the bed in a bathrobe, resting.
Dijia was standing at the door. He opened it the first second the knock sounded. Without waiting for the person outside to speak, he extended his index finger to his lips, signaling for the person to be quiet.
Personal Secretary: “…”
‘Huh? Something’s not right; the boss must be hiding someone in the room!’
The secretary nodded expressionlessly, handing over the paper box he carried. His eyes discreetly glanced past Dijia’s side, immediately spotting the torn white suit on the floor.
Personal Secretary: “…”
‘Hey, you play so wildly, the clothes are even torn apart. No wonder I had to deliver clothes overnight.
Who has such great charm that he could drive his rock boss into a lunatic?’
‘Wait, a white suit?
182 cm?
A man?!’
The secretary’s eyes flashed with shock. The next moment, he silently withdrew his gaze and pointed to the end of the corridor, meaning that he was leaving.
Dijia heard no movement inside the room and quietly walked to the corridor. After slightly closing the door, he lowered his voice and asked, “Did you come up from the 16th floor?”
The personal secretary nodded, “Yes, boss.”
Dijia: “Are there still people in the banquet hall downstairs?”
Personal Secretary: “No, it’s empty. Everyone has left, and the staff has started cleaning up.”
‘Right, the boss came to attend a business district gathering.
Could it be that the person inside is also one of the attendees?’
Dijia: “I understand, you can go back.”
Even though the spirit of gossip was burning in his heart, the personal secretary maintained his professionalism and said respectfully: “Yes, boss.”
‘Don’t say what shouldn’t be said.
Don’t ask what shouldn’t be asked.
Don’t do unnecessary things.
No matter how curious you are, you still can’t ask!’
…
Dijia returned to the room and found Bai Lixin already awake, leaning against the bedside, rubbing his eyes while looking at the clock on the wall. “It’s one In the morning. Did your secretary bring the clothes just now?”
Dijia handed over the bag, “Yes, here are your clothes. Change into them.”
“It’s already one in the morning. Sleep here, I’ll take you back early tomorrow.”
Bai Lixin took the bag and pulled out a white suit. The personal secretary was considerate enough to include a shirt.
He casually took off the bathrobe, changing into the clothes as he spoke, “No, I have to go back to the Fei family.”
Dijia: “It’s already one in the morning.”
Bai Lixin: “I can’t stay outside overnight. Thank you, though.”
Looking at the young man’s movements in getting dressed, Fei Taizong’s face appeared in Dijia’s mind, “Have you and Fei Taizong…?”
Bai Lixin: “Have we what? Why don’t you continue? Have we ever slept together?”
Dijia: “…”
“To be honest,” Bai Lixin buttoned up, “I can’t remember.”
Dijia couldn’t help feeling uneasy at the thought of the beautiful and pure young man returning to that wolf’s den and some words slipped out unintentionally, “If you don’t want to go back, then don’t.”
Bai Lixin had just buttoned up to the top when he heard this. He paused in his movements and looked at Dijia, “Not go back? Then where can I go? To your place?”
“Let’s say, even if you can accommodate me for a day, can you do it for a lifetime? My name is in the Fei family’s household register. I will eventually have to go back. You can help me for a while, but you can’t help me for a lifetime.”
“Since I have to go back sooner or later, it’s better to go back obediently from the beginning. I might suffer less torture.”
Dijia was rendered speechless by his words, and just silently watched Bai Lixin getting dressed.
The young man quickly got dressed. Although it was also a white suit, it was slightly different from the style he wore before.
Different suit styles, the same clear and handsome young man.
Bai Lixin walked to the entrance, “Let’s go, boss.”
Dijia: “…”
When Bai Lixin left Room 1717, it was already 1:10 in the morning. Instead of leaving immediately, he walked to the adjacent Room 1719.
Dijia followed him, “What are you doing here?”
Bai Lixin reached out and turned the door lock: “When I was doing that earlier, I heard cries for help next door. I want to see if there was anyone inside.”
Surprisingly, the door to Room 1719 was not locked. Bai Lixin gently turned it and opened the door.
He walked in, and the room was pitch black and silent. Nothing could be seen.
There was a strong smell of blood in the air.
Bai Lixin was about to turn on the light, but when his hand touched the wall, he felt something sticky.
His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly turned on the light. The once off-white walls were now completely blood-red.
Looking from the doorway, you could vaguely see a few legs and arms sticking out from the room.
Bai Lixin looked at his fingertips— there was a clot of blood-red clinging to them.
It was blood.
Just as he was about to explore the scene inside, a large hand suddenly reached out from behind and covered his eyes.
His body was pulled backward uncontrollably, and Bai Lixin fell into the embrace of a solid chest.
“Don’t look.” Dijia’s calm and soothing voice entered his ears. “Don’t be afraid.”
Bai Lixin grabbed Dijia’s wrist with his blood-free hand, “Someone died in this room, quickly call the police.”
Dijia then released Bai Lixin, “No, no one died here. Look again.”
Bai Lixin’s vision returned and he looked back into the room. The hellish scene had vanished, and everything was clean. He couldn’t see anything.
He looked at his hand in confusion, and the blood on his fingertips had also disappeared. It seemed like everything he had just seen was just an illusion.
Unwilling to give up, Bai Lixin walked into the room. The neat room was spotless, without any signs of foul play or a corpse.
He scrutinized the corners of the room, “But I clearly saw it just now.”
“Moon Bay Hotel’s 17th floor is not open to the public, and the button for the 17th floor in the elevator has been removed. You must have noticed that, right?” Dijia calmly looked at Bai Lixin.
Bai Lixin: “Yes, is there a reason why the 17th floor is not open to the public?”
Dijia nodded, “There’s a rumor.”
“Legend has it that there was a shocking murder case that happened in one of the rooms on the 17th floor.”
“Due to the confidentiality of the case, many details are unknown to the public.”
“I only learned about it from someone else.”
“In that room, more than ten people died, and the victims were in a gruesome state. Some of the deceased had special identities and the reason why over ten people gathered here was not pleasant, so the case was kept secret.”
“But so far, the murderer hasn’t been caught.”
Bai Lixin: “The reason isn’t pleasant?”
Dijia: “They seemed to be engaging in a group debauchery. Besides that, I heard they were conducting some evil ritual. To cover up their scandal, these people quietly faded out of people’s sight afterward.”
“Because the case was sealed, almost no one knows that such an incident occurred at Moon Bay at nine o’clock. After the scene was cleaned up, Moon Bay Hotel once opened the 17th floor for a while. However, at night, rumors of hauntings in that room frequently circulated.”
“Someone who once stayed in that room went mad on the first day, shouting things like ‘it’s all blood’ and ‘dead people.’ Later, the hotel stopped using that room, but people staying in the neighboring rooms sometimes heard sounds coming from inside.”
“Even at night, some people going out saw a pale-faced figure in the corridor.”
“As the situation escalated, Moon Bay Grand Hotel had no choice but to completely seal off the 17th floor. As for those who discovered the haunting incident, they were given a sum of hush money, and the matter was suppressed.”
“What we just saw should be the scene that the guest who stayed in this room originally witnessed. No wonder that guest went insane.”
“So what we just witnessed is a reenactment of that murder case?” Bai Lixin asked, “When did this happen?”
Dijia stared at the wall for a while before shaking his head, “I don’t remember. I only remember this incident, but I don’t know when it happened.”
Bai Lixin slowly scanned the room.
Although there is only one number difference between Room 1719 and Room 1717, the interior setup was vastly different.
Room 1717 could be considered a decent five-star guest room, while Room 1719 was the presidential suite.
This room was spacious, including a large bedroom within the living room. Even with more than ten people inside, it wouldn’t feel crowded.
But what did Dijia just say?
Besides engaging in debauchery, they were conducting some kind of ritual?
He seemed to hear the term “bride” through the wall. Was it also prepared for this ritual?
Bride?
Whose bride?
A bride sacrificed to a demon?
Bai Lixin looked at Dijia, “What kind of ritual was it?”
However, the man shook his head, “I don’t know.”
The room was clean, with no other traces or clues. After circling the room, Bai Lixin exited, “Let’s go, boss.”
…
When Dijia arrived at the Fei residence, it was already 2 a.m.
The gate was tightly locked, and light leaked from the windows of the distant villa.
Dijia parked the car under a street lamp. The dim light fell, casting a warm, faint yellow glow over the young man’s delicate face in the passenger seat. The young man sat in silence, devoid of the excitement typical of a child returning home. He just looked out the window with a cold expression.
Although he was young, he seemed to have gone through many hardships.
Dijia’s throat felt a bit dry.
Did he really want to send the young man into the fire with his own hands?
Knowing what the Fei family meant to the young man, knowing what Fei Taizong had done to him, did he still want to send the young man back? What would differentiate him from Fei Taizong and those assailants?
At this moment, Dijia suddenly had an impulse.
He thought, why not just step on the gas and take the young man back to his own home, let him stay by his side forever.
This way, the young man would no longer encounter such tragic things.
This city brought too many unpleasant memories to the young man. Taking him away from this city would give him a chance to restart his life, go back to school, make new friends, and live a normal life.
Dijia tightened the steering wheel in his hands, his gaze firmly fixed on the young man, struggling to find words but hesitating.
Just as he was about to speak to the young man, the young man suddenly turned to look at him, revealing a bright and gentle smile, “I’m home, thank you.”
Half an hour later, there was a knock on the door to Room 1717.
Bai Lixin’s hair had dried during this time, and he was lying on the bed in a bathrobe, resting.
Dijia was standing at the door. He opened it the first second the knock sounded. Without waiting for the person outside to speak, he extended his index finger to his lips, signaling for the person to be quiet.
Personal Secretary: “…”
‘Huh? Something’s not right; the boss must be hiding someone in the room!’
The secretary nodded expressionlessly, handing over the paper box he carried. His eyes discreetly glanced past Dijia’s side, immediately spotting the torn white suit on the floor.
Personal Secretary: “…”
‘Hey, you play so wildly, the clothes are even torn apart. No wonder I had to deliver clothes overnight.
Who has such great charm that he could drive his rock boss into a lunatic?’
‘Wait, a white suit?
182 cm?
A man?!’
The secretary’s eyes flashed with shock. The next moment, he silently withdrew his gaze and pointed to the end of the corridor, meaning that he was leaving.
Dijia heard no movement inside the room and quietly walked to the corridor. After slightly closing the door, he lowered his voice and asked, “Did you come up from the 16th floor?”
The personal secretary nodded, “Yes, boss.”
Dijia: “Are there still people in the banquet hall downstairs?”
Personal Secretary: “No, it’s empty. Everyone has left, and the staff has started cleaning up.”
‘Right, the boss came to attend a business district gathering.
Could it be that the person inside is also one of the attendees?’
Dijia: “I understand, you can go back.”
Even though the spirit of gossip was burning in his heart, the personal secretary maintained his professionalism and said respectfully: “Yes, boss.”
‘Don’t say what shouldn’t be said.
Don’t ask what shouldn’t be asked.
Don’t do unnecessary things.
No matter how curious you are, you still can’t ask!’
…
Dijia returned to the room and found Bai Lixin already awake, leaning against the bedside, rubbing his eyes while looking at the clock on the wall. “It’s one In the morning. Did your secretary bring the clothes just now?”
Dijia handed over the bag, “Yes, here are your clothes. Change into them.”
“It’s already one in the morning. Sleep here, I’ll take you back early tomorrow.”
Bai Lixin took the bag and pulled out a white suit. The personal secretary was considerate enough to include a shirt.
He casually took off the bathrobe, changing into the clothes as he spoke, “No, I have to go back to the Fei family.”
Dijia: “It’s already one in the morning.”
Bai Lixin: “I can’t stay outside overnight. Thank you, though.”
Looking at the young man’s movements in getting dressed, Fei Taizong’s face appeared in Dijia’s mind, “Have you and Fei Taizong…?”
Bai Lixin: “Have we what? Why don’t you continue? Have we ever slept together?”
Dijia: “…”
“To be honest,” Bai Lixin buttoned up, “I can’t remember.”
Dijia couldn’t help feeling uneasy at the thought of the beautiful and pure young man returning to that wolf’s den and some words slipped out unintentionally, “If you don’t want to go back, then don’t.”
Bai Lixin had just buttoned up to the top when he heard this. He paused in his movements and looked at Dijia, “Not go back? Then where can I go? To your place?”
“Let’s say, even if you can accommodate me for a day, can you do it for a lifetime? My name is in the Fei family’s household register. I will eventually have to go back. You can help me for a while, but you can’t help me for a lifetime.”
“Since I have to go back sooner or later, it’s better to go back obediently from the beginning. I might suffer less torture.”
Dijia was rendered speechless by his words, and just silently watched Bai Lixin getting dressed.
The young man quickly got dressed. Although it was also a white suit, it was slightly different from the style he wore before.
Different suit styles, the same clear and handsome young man.
Bai Lixin walked to the entrance, “Let’s go, boss.”
Dijia: “…”
When Bai Lixin left Room 1717, it was already 1:10 in the morning. Instead of leaving immediately, he walked to the adjacent Room 1719.
Dijia followed him, “What are you doing here?”
Bai Lixin reached out and turned the door lock: “When I was doing that earlier, I heard cries for help next door. I want to see if there was anyone inside.”
Surprisingly, the door to Room 1719 was not locked. Bai Lixin gently turned it and opened the door.
He walked in, and the room was pitch black and silent. Nothing could be seen.
There was a strong smell of blood in the air.
Bai Lixin was about to turn on the light, but when his hand touched the wall, he felt something sticky.
His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly turned on the light. The once off-white walls were now completely blood-red.
Looking from the doorway, you could vaguely see a few legs and arms sticking out from the room.
Bai Lixin looked at his fingertips— there was a clot of blood-red clinging to them.
It was blood.
Just as he was about to explore the scene inside, a large hand suddenly reached out from behind and covered his eyes.
His body was pulled backward uncontrollably, and Bai Lixin fell into the embrace of a solid chest.
“Don’t look.” Dijia’s calm and soothing voice entered his ears. “Don’t be afraid.”
Bai Lixin grabbed Dijia’s wrist with his blood-free hand, “Someone died in this room, quickly call the police.”
Dijia then released Bai Lixin, “No, no one died here. Look again.”
Bai Lixin’s vision returned and he looked back into the room. The hellish scene had vanished, and everything was clean. He couldn’t see anything.
He looked at his hand in confusion, and the blood on his fingertips had also disappeared. It seemed like everything he had just seen was just an illusion.
Unwilling to give up, Bai Lixin walked into the room. The neat room was spotless, without any signs of foul play or a corpse.
He scrutinized the corners of the room, “But I clearly saw it just now.”
“Moon Bay Hotel’s 17th floor is not open to the public, and the button for the 17th floor in the elevator has been removed. You must have noticed that, right?” Dijia calmly looked at Bai Lixin.
Bai Lixin: “Yes, is there a reason why the 17th floor is not open to the public?”
Dijia nodded, “There’s a rumor.”
“Legend has it that there was a shocking murder case that happened in one of the rooms on the 17th floor.”
“Due to the confidentiality of the case, many details are unknown to the public.”
“I only learned about it from someone else.”
“In that room, more than ten people died, and the victims were in a gruesome state. Some of the deceased had special identities and the reason why over ten people gathered here was not pleasant, so the case was kept secret.”
“But so far, the murderer hasn’t been caught.”
Bai Lixin: “The reason isn’t pleasant?”
Dijia: “They seemed to be engaging in a group debauchery. Besides that, I heard they were conducting some evil ritual. To cover up their scandal, these people quietly faded out of people’s sight afterward.”
“Because the case was sealed, almost no one knows that such an incident occurred at Moon Bay at nine o’clock. After the scene was cleaned up, Moon Bay Hotel once opened the 17th floor for a while. However, at night, rumors of hauntings in that room frequently circulated.”
“Someone who once stayed in that room went mad on the first day, shouting things like ‘it’s all blood’ and ‘dead people.’ Later, the hotel stopped using that room, but people staying in the neighboring rooms sometimes heard sounds coming from inside.”
“Even at night, some people going out saw a pale-faced figure in the corridor.”
“As the situation escalated, Moon Bay Grand Hotel had no choice but to completely seal off the 17th floor. As for those who discovered the haunting incident, they were given a sum of hush money, and the matter was suppressed.”
“What we just saw should be the scene that the guest who stayed in this room originally witnessed. No wonder that guest went insane.”
“So what we just witnessed is a reenactment of that murder case?” Bai Lixin asked, “When did this happen?”
Dijia stared at the wall for a while before shaking his head, “I don’t remember. I only remember this incident, but I don’t know when it happened.”
Bai Lixin slowly scanned the room.
Although there is only one number difference between Room 1719 and Room 1717, the interior setup was vastly different.
Room 1717 could be considered a decent five-star guest room, while Room 1719 was the presidential suite.
This room was spacious, including a large bedroom within the living room. Even with more than ten people inside, it wouldn’t feel crowded.
But what did Dijia just say?
Besides engaging in debauchery, they were conducting some kind of ritual?
He seemed to hear the term “bride” through the wall. Was it also prepared for this ritual?
Bride?
Whose bride?
A bride sacrificed to a demon?
Bai Lixin looked at Dijia, “What kind of ritual was it?”
However, the man shook his head, “I don’t know.”
The room was clean, with no other traces or clues. After circling the room, Bai Lixin exited, “Let’s go, boss.”
…
When Dijia arrived at the Fei residence, it was already 2 a.m.
The gate was tightly locked, and light leaked from the windows of the distant villa.
Dijia parked the car under a street lamp. The dim light fell, casting a warm, faint yellow glow over the young man’s delicate face in the passenger seat. The young man sat in silence, devoid of the excitement typical of a child returning home. He just looked out the window with a cold expression.
Although he was young, he seemed to have gone through many hardships.
Dijia’s throat felt a bit dry.
Did he really want to send the young man into the fire with his own hands?
Knowing what the Fei family meant to the young man, knowing what Fei Taizong had done to him, did he still want to send the young man back? What would differentiate him from Fei Taizong and those assailants?
At this moment, Dijia suddenly had an impulse.
He thought, why not just step on the gas and take the young man back to his own home, let him stay by his side forever.
This way, the young man would no longer encounter such tragic things.
This city brought too many unpleasant memories to the young man. Taking him away from this city would give him a chance to restart his life, go back to school, make new friends, and live a normal life.
Dijia tightened the steering wheel in his hands, his gaze firmly fixed on the young man, struggling to find words but hesitating.
Just as he was about to speak to the young man, the young man suddenly turned to look at him, revealing a bright and gentle smile, “I’m home, thank you.”
