​​Chapter 129: The Haunted Amusement Park

​You Jingmeng didn’t notice Chi Yi’s guilty expression—her attention was entirely focused on Li Zhi’s hollow, empty eyes. She asked nervously, "Boss, what’s wrong with your eyes?"

"Blindness debuff," Li Zhi replied with a smile. "Don’t worry, it should wear off soon. How about you? Are you hurt anywhere?"

Those vines had burrowed into human bodies. You Jingmeng had been trapped in the plant wall for so long—who knew if any vines had drilled into her internal organs?

You Jingmeng took a deep breath, assessing her condition, then excitedly jumped up from the ground. "I feel perfectly fine! Better than before, even!" She looked at Li Jianxi with gratitude. "Thank you! What was that thing you gave me?"

This was the first time someone had addressed him with such respectful formality. It felt... odd.

Li Jianxi paused before answering, "Just medicine. No need to thank me."

Before this, You Jingmeng had only seen Li Jianxi as the boss’s rumored love interest, viewing him through a gossipy lens. Now that he’d saved her life, her impression of him had completely transformed—he seemed taller, brighter, almost radiant!

"Thank you, all of you!" She grabbed Chi Yi’s hand. "Especially you, Yiyi! I heard you calling for me inside. If you hadn’t found me, I’d really be dead this time."

Guilt-ridden Yiyi: "………… Y-You’re welcome! It was nothing!"

Better not tell Mengmeng the truth…

As they spoke, the blindness debuff finally wore off. Light pierced Li Zhi’s vision, and she closed her eyes briefly to adjust before reopening them. The three of them were staring at her with concern.

Li Zhi blinked, her eyes still red from the irritation. "I’m fine now." She turned to You Jingmeng. "What clue did you get?"

You Jingmeng hurriedly pulled it out. "It’s a picture of a pair of sharp fangs. I think they belong to some kind of beast."

Chi Yi’s face fell. "Zhi-Zhi already got that clue. It’s a duplicate. We’ll have to keep searching."

You Jingmeng wasn’t discouraged. "Then let’s keep going! Now that we’re reunited with the boss, we can open treasure chests without worry!"

Chi Yi: "Just wait until you trigger a prank debuff and have to tap dance in front of a national audience. You won’t be saying that then."

You Jingmeng’s eyes lit up with the excitement of missing out. "So you tap-danced in front of a national audience just now?"

Chi Yi forced a smile. "Let’s not dwell on the past."

You Jingmeng: "Hehe, I’m definitely watching the replay after this."

Chi Yi: "…………"

Fine. Considering I unleashed six ghosts and dragged her into this, I’ll let it slide.

With three of them reunited, only Ou Wendong was missing. But given his luck, no one was worried about him. As they continued navigating the maze in search of treasure, You Jingmeng felt an odd sense of security watching Li Jianxi walk ahead—as if an NPC was escorting them through the dungeon.

She leaned in to whisper to Chi Yi, "If Boss Li really ends up with Li Jianxi, does that mean we can strut through dungeons like we own the place?"

Chi Yi: "…" She gave her a deadpan look. "Boss Li can already strut through dungeons like she owns them!"

You Jingmeng said, "I know! I mean us! We’re practically her in-laws now. If I ever run into Li Jianxi alone in a dungeon, he’d probably look out for me for her sake, right?"

Chi Yi recalled the analysis posts about Li Jianxi she’d seen on the forum. "Actually, even without Boss Li, Li Jianxi would help you. Within the rules, he often aids players. Doesn’t he have that ‘friendly, helpful NPC’ reputation?"

You Jingmeng sighed. "But he only drops items for Boss Li. He only seeks her out proactively. He even packed himself into a box as a gift for her."

Chi Yi spoke with authority, "Of course he treats someone he likes differently! It’s called favoritism! If he acted the same toward everyone, why would Boss Li choose him? She’s outstanding—he has to compete for her attention! Right now, aside from being ridiculously handsome, he has no competitive edge! If he doesn’t show favoritism, he’s out of the running, okay?"

You Jingmeng had an epiphany. "So that’s how it is! Then aside from being insanely good-looking, Li Jianxi really has no advantages. Hey, if I put in a good word for him with Boss Li, do you think he’d give me special treatment later?"

From ahead, Li Zhi’s voice floated back faintly, "I can hear you, you know."

Li Jianxi: "…………"

His expression remained neutral, but when he noticed Li Zhi glance back, his jaw tightened slightly, making him look unusually stern.

Then he heard Li Zhi say gently, "They’re just joking. Don’t take it to heart."

Li Jianxi slowly relaxed, the tension in his chest dissipating—along with some faint, unspoken hope buried deep inside.

What was he even hoping for?

He was just an NPC.

"Look, a treasure chest!" You Jingmeng shouted excitedly.

They changed course, and You Jingmeng stepped forward boldly. "Let me do it! Good or bad, I’ll take full responsibility!"

Chi Yi gestured grandly. "After you!"

Tch. Mengmeng’s cocky attitude is exactly like mine earlier.

Li Jianxi pushed aside his thoughts and walked to the chest. He watched as You Jingmeng flung it open—only to immediately burst into uncontrollable laughter, as if someone had tickled her funny bone.

The trio: "…………"

The chest was empty. This time, they’d triggered a laughter debuff.

You Jingmeng clutched her stomach, rolling on the ground in hysterics. Between gales of laughter, she gasped out, "Hahaha—my—stomach—hurts—hahahaha—so much!!!"

Li Zhi helped her up: "…"

There’s nothing we can do.

The three could only watch as You Jingmeng laughed and cried simultaneously. This debuff was far worse than blindness or tap-dancing. You Jingmeng laughed until she was breathless—Chi Yi half-expected her to laugh herself to death.

Perhaps her laughter was too loud, because it soon attracted something else in the maze. The sound of rapid footsteps echoed from a nearby path.

Chi Yi turned and nearly jumped out of her skin. "It’s those six ghosts! They’re back!"

Li Zhi and Li Jianxi simultaneously stepped forward. The six grotesque, snarling ghosts skidded to a halt at the intersection.

Li Zhi studied the one clutching its oversized head and suddenly realized, "This is a Big-Headed Ghost, right?" She’d read about it on the Hundred Ghosts Wall. Turning to Chi Yi, she said, "Big-Headed Ghosts are docile. They don’t attack humans. It was probably just trying to scare you."

Chi Yi: "???" Fuming, she pointed at the ghost. "Then why the hell were you leading the charge every time?!"

Big-Headed Ghost: "…………"

Caught red-handed, it could no longer keep up the act. Hugging its head dejectedly, it turned and shuffled away.

The other ghosts took one look at Li Jianxi’s icy glare and promptly fled as well.

"I—hahaha—my life—hahaha—is so—hahaha—miserable!!!"

Li Zhi / Chi Yi: "…………"

Can’t argue with that.

Ten minutes later, the debuff ended. You Jingmeng collapsed, exhausted, feeling like her jaw might dislocate. Clutching Li Zhi’s hand, she shed tears of regret for her youthful arrogance. "I never want to open another chest again…"

Once You Jingmeng recovered, they pressed on.

Li Zhi took over chest-opening duties from then on, but her luck was average—she mostly summoned ghosts. Fortunately, with Li Jianxi standing nearby, the ghosts quietly closed their own chest lids and left.

After a while, Chi Yi’s ears perked up. "Do you guys hear something weird?"

You Jingmeng heard it too. "Sounds like a monkey."

—"Wahooo!"

—"Yahooo!"

The cries grew closer, brimming with excitement. Li Zhi paused. "That’s Ou Wendong."

"???"

They followed the sound and soon spotted Ou Wendong bounding toward them like a human pogo stick, leaping three meters high with each jump.

Chi Yi and You Jingmeng stood frozen in shock.

Ou Wendong’s voice echoed through the maze, sometimes near, sometimes far: "Boss! I got a jump boost item!" He whooshed down beside them, then whooshed back up into the air, bouncing endlessly. "Wahoo! This is amazing! Hahahaha!"

Chi Yi was speechless. After a long pause, she said with complicated emotions, "He really is lucky."

She wasn’t jealous at all!

"I also found a clue!" A card fluttered down from his hand as Ou Wendong soared skyward again.

Li Zhi: "…………"

She picked up the card. The illustration showed a beast’s shadow on all fours, prowling through the dark. Though its features were indistinct, the silhouette’s shape was unmistakable. "It’s a bear."

Chi Yi examined it and nodded. "Definitely! I’ve seen bears at the zoo. This is exactly how they look."

Li Zhi placed the three cards together. "The answer must be Grandma Bear. We can look for the exit now." As Ou Wendong descended, she asked, "Did you see the way out?"

Whoosh—"I have an idea!" Whoosh—"Follow me!" Whoosh—"This way!" Whoosh—

…………

With Ou Wendong’s human pogo stick leading the way, they found the exit easily. His jump boost wore off just as they approached. He landed, his face flushed with excitement. "These items and skills are so fun!"

Chi Yi / You Jingmeng: Just rub it in, why don’t you?

Around the next bend, a plant-covered archway appeared ahead.

They stepped through the exit, where the green-uniformed staff member from earlier stood waiting. Unlike the usual cheerful park employees, her expression was grim. She glared at the players and said coldly, "You damaged the plants inside. There will be consequences."

Before Li Zhi could respond, Li Jianxi stepped forward, his face impassive. "I did it." He said, "Check the surveillance footage."

Staff Member: "…………"

Her stern, eerie demeanor cracked slightly. She took an involuntary step back but stubbornly insisted, "Y-You still have to follow park regulations! Compensation is required!"

Li Jianxi pressed his lips together, then slowly pulled out a handful of coins from his pocket—earned from his various NPC gigs—and held them out.

"That’s all I have."

He delivered the line with cold, guilty defiance.