Vol 4: Chapter 7-2.
Zheng came to the lobby at nine. He stood next to the wall silently. Lan came over dressed in a casual dress a few minutes later. She looked refreshed. Then she greeted Zheng and went out the door. Zheng had no choice but to follow behind.
“It’s so nice to be able to rest here for five days. To be honest, I am at my limit after two movies. If I didn’t get a chance to relax, I might’ve gone crazy in the next movie…”
Even though it was already nighttime, the outside was bright as daylight from the lighting. As a holiday paradise, nightlife was just starting at this hour. The street was filled with people partying and local girls dancing hula. Everything was refreshing for the two of them.
“Zheng, let’s go over there. A lot of people are gathered over there.” Lan grabbed Zheng’s hand and laughed.
Zheng pulled back his hand without strain and forced a smile. “I told Lori about seeing you, so I can’t stay for too long. Lan if you have something to say just say it… It’s better to make everything clear.”
Lan was dazed for a bit then he looked at Zheng deeply. After a while she smiled. “Are you… mistaking something? Relax, even though I do like you a little, it’s my bottom line to not hurt another girl. So even if you were to betray Lori, I wouldn’t allow it… There’s something else I want to talk with you about.”
“Is that so? I thought…” Zheng scratched his head with embarrassment.
Lan laughed lightly, as though there was something else in her laughter. “I don’t know why, but I’m feeling a sense of stress from our team. Since… uh, since the last time I enhanced my mental capacity, I’ve been feeling this. And after I learned the two spells, this feeling is getting stronger. Like something has been watching and monitoring us.”
Zheng replied curiously, “It’s probably God that’s monitoring us? I felt the same thing when I unlocked the first stage of the constraint, and it’s also getting stronger now… but it shouldn’t be a big deal. God’s been monitoring us all along.”
Lan sighed. “I don’t know how to explain to you… but whatever I am going to say, I don’t have any intention of creating conflict within the team… Don’t you think one of us has been acting strange?”
That made Zheng feel even more curious. “One of us is acting strange? What are you trying to say? Even though we are comrades, if one of us is being strange or has bad intentions, then I won’t let him off easily…”
Lan opened her mouth but at the end she didn’t say anything. She sighed and said, “I’m not sure, it’s just a feeling. Perhaps it’s due to enhancing mental capacity… Zheng, do you still remember the last day in The Grudge? How did I suddenly get to the hotel but the charm didn’t ignite? If it was the Ju-On that did it, then the charm should have burned… Didn’t you feel something was wrong?”
Zheng also cooled down. He thought for a bit and said, “To be honest, I also felt strange at the time why that happened… Hoho, I thought about it for a long time and couldn’t figure it out. So that means you figured out the truth?”
“I can’t say it’s the truth, just some suspicion. That’s why I can’t name that person. Afterall we are a team… Zheng, if I die, then please be careful of the person who reacts abnormally…”
Their short date ended there. When they got back to the hotel, the two were walking with some distance in between. When Lan got off the elevator, she turned around and gave Zheng a smile, a smile that gave him a sense of sadness…
—
“Lori… I’ve been in love with you deeply ever since childhood. I will keep my promise and protect you until our hair turns silver… Lori, I won’t… Nothing happened between me and Lan.”
Zheng cuddled Lori in bed and muttered these words.
Lori yawned then laughed, “… Of course nothing happened. Lan is the nicest sister. Hehe, I already knew she likes you but she isn’t the type of person that will fight with me for you… Pervert, you won’t leave me right?”
“Of course…”
‘Feelings aside, who did Lan mean… the person that acted abnormally, is it Xuan? Or Zero? They are not original members of the team. If she was referring to a newbie, then Yinkong is also suspicious. She acted cold toward everyone and now she’s become a member of the team… Who was she referring to?’
Zheng fell asleep with Lori then suddenly a special sensation woke him up, as if something was going to happen. As time passed, this sensation got stronger and stronger.
Zheng couldn’t bear it anymore and sat up from the bed. He carefully covered Lori with the blanket then got dressed and walked out of the room. Without delay, he ran out of the hotel and followed the direction this sensation was coming from.
It was about four or five in the morning. The area was quiet and empty. Zheng ran toward the shore and the sensation was getting stronger but it was also fading away…
“Lan!”
When he reached the shore, he saw a little black dot floating from afar. Without rhyme or reason he called out Lan’s name. Then he swam toward that little dot. When he finally reached it, it was indeed Lan who’d fallen unconscious! She’d almost died from drowning!