Endless Fall

He gazed into those eyes, gentlemanly and considerate. “Tell me if you’re afraid.”

“Yes.” Qian Yue stepped onto the first stake.

She seemed to be a little unsteady as she grabbed the steel rope and took a step forward.

After crossing a few wooden stakes, she felt inexplicably dizzy. “Mr. Zhou, can you help me?”

Zhou Yanshen leaned towards her. When he held her left hand, an unprecedented feeling welled up in his heart.

“Don’t be nervous.” He comforted her gently with a smile. “I won’t let you fall.”

The warmth of his palm wrapped around Qian Yue.

She looked at his back and the throbbing feeling was even stronger than last night. Even the last trace of nervousness was gone.

When they reached the middle, Pei Zhi held Lin Jiao’s hand and slowly stepped on the wooden stake.

“Jiaojiao, don’t look down.” He knew that her fear came from the wooden stake, so with every step he took, he would turn around to wait for her.

A scene suddenly flashed across Lin Jiao’s mind.

“Uncle.” She pushed aside the hair stuck to her cheek. “Do you remember the French restaurant we went to before?”

“I remember.”

“The glass bridge over there is even scarier than this.”

Pei Zhi let out a low laugh.

He reminded her again, “Steady your step before stepping forward.”

Lin Jiao pulled herself back from her thoughts and walked forward carefully.

Qu Shao, who was following behind her, stared at the fish that jumped out of the stream. “Shen Yi, look at the one on the right. It’s so fat.”

“You want to eat it?”

“Yes, but I can’t get it.”

Shen Yi’s gaze landed on his waist.

He stepped on the wooden stake on Qu Shao’s left. “Compared to that, fixing the broken safety rope is more urgent.”

“Whose safety rope?”

“Yours.”

Qu Shao turned around. “F*ck!”

His shocked voice made the fish in the stream jump even more happily. Even the water splashing seemed to be mocking him.

“I’ll get Chu Yuzhou to send one to you.” Shen Yi picked up the strap on his leg, his expression calm.

“This height should be fine.”

“But you’ll definitely break your bones if you fall.” To be safe, he shouted across the bridge.

Hearing the voice, Chu Yuzhou walked back.

He handed the safety rope to Qu Shao. “How did you break it? Did you tear it?”

“No, it broke itself.”

“The quality is too bad!”

“I’ll talk to them when we get back.” Qu Shao looked at the fat fish and reluctantly stepped down the wooden stakes with them.

“Where should we go?”

“I don’t know. There are no more signs.”

Qian Yue saw the red ribbon and said, “There’s a piece of paper on the tree.” She pointed at the tree behind Lin Jiao.

“It’s too high. We need two people to reach it.”

“Who wants to volunteer?”

Chu Yuzhou squatted down against the tree trunk.

There were only three women present who were considered light. Pei Yilan reluctantly sat on his shoulder.

She hugged his head and clamped his face with her forearm when he stood up, afraid that he would accidentally throw her out.

“Pei Yilan, let go of your hand!”

“It’s your honor to be hugged by me, okay?”

Chu Yuzhou felt frustrated.

He raised his chin at the branch, not in the mood to argue with her. “How are you going to get the thing if you are holding me with both hands?”

“Then stop wobbling.” Pei Yilan reached out her right hand and grabbed the ribbon.

“It’s indeed a map.” Zhou Yanshen unfolded the piece of paper and carefully looked at the icons and routes on it.

“Which way should we go now?”

“The right way.”

They walked along the mud road on the right and stopped in front of a cave covered by dense flowers.

There was no light in the quiet cave.

Not only was it impossible to see the end of it with the naked eye, but it also gave people the feeling that they were staring into an abyss.

“You guys go first.” Shen Yi stepped aside and extinguished the cigarette. “I’ll walk in the back with Qu Shao.”

“Then I’ll walk in front.”

“Turn on the flashlights.”

Pei Zhi held Lin Jiao’s arm and followed behind the others.

When they walked deep into the cave, the sunlight that shone on the cave entrance completely disappeared.

“Ah—”

Pei Yilan, who stopped at the fork, screamed.

She grabbed Chu Yuzhou’s sleeve and pointed to the left. “A shadow floated past!”

“You must be mistaken.”

“I’m not. There really is a shadow!”

Lin Jiao said with uncertainty, “Maybe it’s a staff member?” She stood on her tiptoes and looked around.

“Is anyone there?” Qu Shao shouted.

It was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. However, no one responded.

He shone the flashlight inside and suggested, “Why don’t we go over and take a look?”

“I wouldn’t dare.”

“What are you afraid of? Hide behind me.”

Chu Yuzhou pulled Pei Yilan, who was as timid as a quail, behind him, his eyes filled with mockery.

He shook the flashlight on the wall and looked up when he heard the sound of water dripping.

“Pa ta—”

A few drops of water landed on his forehead.

He wiped it casually and was about to tell the rest of them when he heard a piercing scream.

“What happened?”

“Blood… There’s so much blood on your face.”

“Where did you get the blood on your face?” Zhou Yanshen was frightened by that bloody face, let alone Qian Yue.

“It dripped from above.”

“Does it smell like blood?”

“No.” Chu Yuzhou sniffed his fingertips and smiled. “It’s probably theatrical blood.”

When he smiled, it was even more terrifying.

Lin Jiao handed him a tissue. “Wipe yourself first.” She really did not want to face that spooky face.

When Pei Zhi, who was observing the stone wall, caught sight of a white figure, he pulled Lin Jiao into his arms.

He reminded her gently, “There’s something on the left.”

Qian Yue did not dare to look in that direction.

She walked closer to Zhou Yanshen and held his wrist when she was about to turn the corner, looking for a sense of security.

This made Zhou Yanshen excited.

“Don’t worry.” He stood in front of her in a protective posture and stared at her carefully. “Nothing strange so far.”

“It’s a dead end.”

“Can that stone door be opened?”

“I don’t think so.”

Shen Yi stared at the uneven stone door.

He touched the bumps and said with interest, “There are three buttons on it.”

“I think…” Chu Yuzhou pressed the button closest to him.

Zhou Yanshen turned around. “What do you think?”