Black Crow Prison (22) The Calm Before the Storm

Mu Xinning was pinned beneath him. In the dim light, Mo Yichen’s violet eyes shone with startling intensity, yet the emotions roiling in their depths remained inscrutable to her.

There was confusion, pain, and a kind of shattered expectancy.

"Peipei..." he murmured again, his fingertips lightly brushing her brow bone with a tenderness as if he were touching something infinitely fragile. "Is it true... that you remember nothing at all?"

Mu Xinning’s heart skipped a beat.

The name was like a thin needle, piercing deep into her memory and stirring a vague, stinging ache. She felt as though she had heard the name before, but the memory was too fragmented to piece into a coherent shape.

"My name is Mu Xinning." She deliberately hardened her expression, trying to create distance. "Doctor Mo has mistaken me for someone else."

It was inconceivable to her. Since her death in her previous life, aside from childhood memories, she had never suffered from amnesia. The harrowing scenes of her past life were still vivid in her mind. She had indeed lived two lifetimes as Mu Xinning. It was possible that the game had wiped away memories of her true origins, but her name could not possibly change to someone else’s. That was simply unacceptable. She knew she might have forgotten some things, but as a human, her name was Mu Xinning—she had no nickname.

Therefore, "Peipei" could not possibly have anything to do with her!

Mu Xinning could only conclude that Mo Yichen had mistaken her for another girl. Yet, the name "Peipei" still carried a sense of familiarity, though any attempt to delve deeper brought on a sharp headache. What was going on? She held her head with one hand.

Mo Yichen’s fingertips tightened abruptly, the light in his eyes dimming suddenly. He released her and sat back on the edge of the bed, his shoulders trembling slightly as he turned his back to her.

"Forgive me," his voice was hoarse. "I was too forward."

Mu Xinning sat up, watching his tense back, feeling an inexplicable heaviness in her chest. She wanted to say something to ease the tension, but the tentacles at her lower back stirred. Jin muttered in her mind, "Perhaps we... really have forgotten something." During the battle with Mo Yichen, Jin had sensed that his words held hidden meanings. Now, seeing his curiosity toward the "little one," perhaps there really was a bond between her and the girl. Yet, Jin couldn't fully convince himself—he was an alien creature; how could he have ever been connected to a human girl?

Listening to Jin, Mu Xinning stared at Mo Yichen’s loose white hair and asked tentatively, "Who exactly is this Peipei you speak of?"

Mo Yichen’s back stiffened.

After a long silence, he slowly turned around. The emotion in his violet eyes had settled into a calm that bordered on numbness. "Someone... whom I loved deeply."

A girl I loved to the very marrow of my bones.

Jin had vaguely sensed it too. He was certain that because his body had once been split and shattered into many parts, some things had been stripped away along with them. This included his past memories and lost emotions. His clones possessed these things. The realization left him feeling deeply frustrated—these vital pieces of himself were scattered. He was now intensely curious about what kind of past he had forgotten! As the original entity, he had always been cold and ruthless, but ever since meeting her, his emotions had been stirred time and again. Could this past be related to the "little one"? Jin was utterly baffled.

A person loved by a clone? Mu Xinning felt as if struck by lightning.

Curiosity compelled her to ask, "Does she look like me?"

"No," he shook his head, his tone softening. "Not just similar. She looks exactly like you."

Mu Xinning’s heart sank. Could this "Peipei" be her past self? But why was there no trace of it in her memory? Was it erased by the game, or...? She did not want to be narcissistic and create unnecessary misunderstandings.

"What happened to her?" she pressed.

Mo Yichen avoided her gaze, rose, and walked toward the door. "It's late. Get some sleep." With that, he left.

"Seriously! What is actually going on?!" Mu Xinning felt an inexplicable sense of frustration; she wanted answers, but found none.

Jin spoke up then, "I have a five-day agreement with him. I suspect we will have our answers by then." He finally told her about their battle the day before.

"What?! You two fought? No wonder I was so exhausted yesterday!" Mu Xinning complained indignantly. So, the water Mo Yichen gave her had been tainted!

"I... I apologize... I didn't know how to bring it up! After all, this whole thing is quite preposterous, isn't it?" Jin apologized. Losing memories, forgetting emotions... it left him feeling sour and restless.

Mu Xinning felt unsettled as well. "If we defeat him, will we learn the truth...?" They both fell silent, letting their hearts sink into the depths of a dark lake.

...

The following days were unusually "lively" for Mu Xinning, like the calm before a storm.

Every morning, Mo Yichen arrived at the ward on time, sometimes carrying freshly toasted bread, other times a small bag of fresh strawberries, constantly bringing her treats. He didn't say much, but he was always extra careful when removing her bandages; whenever his fingertips touched her skin, he would instinctively pause, his earlobes turning a faint red.

In her mind, Jin kept grumbling, "Stop eating the things he gives you! Be careful, or you'll get addicted!"

But Mu Xinning would deliberately hold a strawberry to her lips and crunch into it. "So sweet."

Jin was so angry he nearly extended his tentacles to flip the tray.

During these days, she didn't just eat for herself; she also had to go to the second floor on time to let Jin have his "snacks." The number of eyeball monsters was dwindling; there were only enough left for two more days. As for exploring the morgue, Mu Xinning decided to postpone it—it was better to wait until after their fight and preserve her strength.

Zhou Kui and his two companions hadn't been idle either. They were frantically exchanging information with other players and had even formed an alliance with another veteran player. Several players had "checked in" to the hospital over the past few days.

After returning to the hospital, Zhou Kui had tried to visit Room 401, only to be quietly blocked by Mo Yichen every time. Watching the "Dungeon Boss" fuss over "Number 3," Zhou Kui felt his worldview crumbling. This was a far cry from the rumors of a ruthless, bloodthirsty boss.

Upon hearing the news of Feng Xuanyan’s death, Zhang Dafu felt little turmoil, but he was at least relieved to be out of danger.

In 402, Zheng Kai discussed with the others, "This veteran player, Su Yun, is quite capable. She actually got the nurse to give us the access card for the lift!"

The woman named Su Yun possessed an item called "Verbal Control," an A-grade one-time-use tool that forced an NPC to briefly follow her commands for half a minute. That was enough time for her to secure the location and access card for the lift.

Looking at the access card in their hands, the three showed signs of joy. Zhou Kui felt this alliance was well worth it; it greatly increased their chances of clearing the dungeon. Dungeon items were extremely rare, and each player could only carry one. He now knew what the other veteran’s item was, while his own trump card remained hidden. This was a major advantage!

Zhang Dafu suggested, "Let's go inform Sister Yun and the others, then explore the other floors. It would be great if we could clear the dungeon as soon as possible!"

They all nodded, setting their plan for the night.