In the world of anime with the power to stop time.

Chapter 013: Too Embarrassed to Face Anyone

"Drip, drip…"

After the showerhead was turned off, a few drops of black-red liquid continued to drip for a while before finally stopping.

Lin Ye looked around the bathroom cautiously. He walked over, grabbed two bath towels, and returned to the bathroom door.

At this moment,

He shifted his attention more fully to Hoshino Ai.

The completely bare girl sat trembling in fear, one hand propping herself up on the ground while the other tried to cover herself. Her slender, fair figure was entirely visible, but her snow-white skin was stained with patches of black-red liquid, giving her an unsettling and eerie aura.

"Hoshino, do you feel anything unusual?"

"N-no, nothing."

Lin Ye handed her a towel.

Hoshino Ai tried to take it but found that her right hand was too weak. Not just her hand—her legs also felt powerless, making it impossible for her to stand.

Lin Ye immediately noticed her predicament.

"I'll help you wipe off the liquid first,"

"Okay," Hoshino Ai murmured softly.

Lin Ye carefully used the towel to wipe the liquid off her skin, doing his best to avoid getting any of it on himself. Before long, the once-clean towel was completely stained black and red.

"I'll help you up."

Lin Ye gently supported the girl to her feet and began wiping her back again.

The constant physical contact made Hoshino Ai's sense of shame grow stronger, gradually pushing away the fear that had consumed her earlier.

Soon, Lin Ye tossed the used towel back into the bathroom. He wrapped a bath towel around the girl's body, giving her a sense of relief and security.

Lin Ye carried the girl to the bed.

By this time, Hoshino Ai had regained much of her strength. She pulled the blanket over herself and burrowed into it, her delicate face half-hidden under the covers. Only her bright, expressive eyes peeked out, occasionally glancing at Lin Ye, though her shyness made it impossible to maintain eye contact for long.

Compared to the earlier moment when Lin Ye had seen her through the glass, this time he had gotten a much closer look, touching and observing her thoroughly.

For Hoshino Ai, this had already exceeded her emotional tolerance.

She felt as though she might never be able to marry now.

"Are you feeling better now?"

"Mm,"

Hoshino Ai nodded slightly.

"Then... what was that? Why... did blood spray out like that?"

"It's past 10 PM now. The hotel's rules have changed,"

"Then, does that mean I..."

Suddenly imagining a terrifying possibility, Hoshino Ai clutched the blanket tightly.

"Will I die? Is this liquid poisonous? Am I... going to mutate soon?"

As an idol, she had seen plenty of movies and videos. This kind of unidentified liquid could very well contain some unknown infectious agent. Moreover, Lin Ye had been extremely careful to avoid contact with the black-red liquid earlier. He must have already suspected something!

"You won't."

But Hoshino Ai didn't feel reassured at all.

"I-I... my idol career has just started. I haven't even become a nationwide superstar yet. I haven't eaten enough delicious food. And... and I haven't even been in love. I don't want... to die like this!"

Her tightly-strung nerves finally snapped. She could no longer maintain the calm facade she had been forcing herself to show.

"Trust me, you'll be fine."

"But Lin Ye-kun wouldn't even touch the liquid,"

She looked up, her eyes brimming with unshed tears, a faint sheen of water pooling in her gaze.

"I-I must be mutating already. Lin Ye-kun... when the time comes, if you have to kill me, please... please make it quick. I'm... I'm scared of pain."

Lin Ye's eyes reflected the trembling idol hiding under the blanket. He had thought she might yell at him, demanding he touch the black-red liquid to prove his assurances were real.

But instead...

His gaze softened as he looked at her.

"Trust me, nothing will happen to you. If people could die just from touching that liquid, then the rules of this 'strange game' instance would be far too simple."

"I haven't even been in love. I... I haven't even... Lin, Lin Ye-kun... sleep with me! Before I die, please, sleep with me!"

Hoshino Ai lifted her head, her eyes locking onto his, her expression and tone completely serious, without the slightest hint of joking.

Lin Ye was momentarily stunned.

He recalled something he had read in a book once humans often experience an intense instinct to reproduce when facing death.

"You're not going to die. I promise you."

"But..."

"If my analysis is correct, this black-red liquid is just... water."

"Eh!"

Water looks like this?

"I didn't smell any blood, nor did I detect any other strange odors,"

"But... is water supposed to be this color?"

"The hotel has altered our perception of this water. To put it simply, it's an illusion,"

Hoshino Ai stayed silent for a long moment before finally choosing to trust Lin Ye.

If you can survive, who would want to die?

"Get some rest. By tomorrow, we'll be able to leave this place."

"Mm."

Hugging the blanket and soaking in its warmth, Hoshino Ai suddenly remembered her earlier bold declaration. A wave of shame gushed over her like a fountain, flooding her mind.

She couldn't bear to face anyone anymore.

Meanwhile, the same situation was unfolding in another room.

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