Chapter 4: Wishing House
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
Midnight, 2:15, at the Wishing House.
A large, lake-blue door stood silently, no wind, no sound, as if time itself had vanished in this place. Fan Peiyang, Zheng Luozhu, Teng Ziyan, Wan Fengmang, and Zhang Qian, five people, stood in front of the door, unconsciously looking up.
“No wonder it’s the Wishing House, this door is quite beautiful,” Zhang Qian gave an objective assessment.
“Beautiful?” Teng Ziyun smirked. “Then would you like to stay here to continue passing the tests?”
”
“Forget it, even if it’s ten wishes, I wouldn’t stay,” Zhang Qian decisively stated, “I, WANT, TO, GO, HOME.”
They were inexplicably chosen, and every night they had to enter this place to pass through the challenges. If they succeeded tonight, there would be another challenge tomorrow, and each challenge level was harder than the last. They had to complete all twenty-three challenge levels to end this nightmare, which was extremely despairing. The only consolation was that they had encountered Fan Peiyang.
Boss Fan spent money to hire a team to go through the challenges, aiming to improve the efficiency of passing the challenge levels. As for them, whether they were willing or not, they had to go through them, so when they could make some extra money on the side, everyone was happy.
After forming a team, they indeed encountered various challenges along the way. They even earned themselves the nickname “Five Black Gang” from other challengers. Just from the literal meaning, it was clear that they were not to be trifled with.
However, no one had expected that after just a few challenge levels, Fan Peiyang would spend one million yuan to acquire a piece of information. According to the information, after passing the thirteenth challenge level, they would enter a place called the “Wishing House.” At that time, if they followed the instructions in the information and didn’t make a wish, they could leave this place early without having to go through the remaining ten challenge levels.
Of course, they wanted to leave. Their lives had been thrown into chaos by these bizarre challenges, and what wish could compare to returning to a normal life?
They firmly believed that everyone should have this attitude. However, to their surprise, Boss Fan wanted to stay behind.
Zhang Qian and Teng Ziyun couldn’t help but exchange glances. Even now, they still didn’t understand what their boss was thinking.
The two of them just muttered in their hearts, while Wan Fengmang had already gone over and asked one last time, unwilling to give up: “Boss, are you really not leaving?”
Fan Peiyang shook his head. “The team will disband here. You all can go.”
Wang Fengmang, Zhang Qian, and Teng Ziyun exchanged glances, and finally, Zhang Qian raised his hand and pushed open the door of the Wishing House.
The three of them entered one after another, and when they reached the last person, Teng Ziyun had already stepped in with one leg. Suddenly, he realized that one person was missing. He turned back to look and saw that Zheng Luozhu was still standing in place.
He asked in surprise, “Zhuzi, aren’t you coming?”
Zheng Luozhu smiled and replied, “No.”
Teng Ziyun was stunned. This was even more shocking to him than Fan Peiyang choosing not to leave. After all, their boss had always been enigmatic, but Zheng Luozhu….
The urging voices of his two companions interrupted Teng Ziyun’s thoughts.
He looked at Zheng Luozhu one last time in bewilderment before turning and entering.
The door slowly closed, and the world fell silent once more.
Fan Peiyang turned to look at Zheng Luozhu, his curiosity piqued. “Why didn’t you leave?”
Zheng Luozhu grinned at him and said, “I want to follow you, Boss.”
Fan Peiyang raised an eyebrow slightly, clearly not believing him, but he didn’t press the matter further.
Five minutes later, there was a vibration from inside the door, and after a while, it returned to silence.
Without any surprises, their three companions should have successfully left.
Without wasting any time, Zheng Luozhu turned to Fan Peiyang and said, “Boss, can I make my wish now?”
Fan Peiyang nodded .
Zheng Luozhu opened the door and entered.
The door slowly closed behind him, separating the inside from the outside, creating two different worlds.
Those who chose not to leave were the ones who wanted to make a wish, and wishes were something best kept to oneself.
Ten minutes later, Zheng Luozhu finished making his wish and was transported back. Fan Peiyang patted his shoulder and then entered the Wishing House, becoming the last one to do so.
Zheng Luozhu watched as Fan Peiyang’s figure disappeared, then moved further away and sat down. He looked up at the towering lake-blue door, experiencing an unprecedented sense of quiet.
When the boss bought the information, he must have intended to leave. However, upon learning about the Wishing House, he changed his mind.
Zheng Luozhu was well aware that Fan Peiyang’s wish must be related to Tang Lin.
In this world, there were many things people desired but lacked the power to achieve. Some were not worth mentioning, while others were worth sacrificing everything, even using the readily available escape to exchange for them.
Fan Peiyang had made the exchange.
And so had he.
[Owl: Welcome to the Wishing House.]
As the door closed behind him, Fan Peiyang heard the notification sound.
Inside, the place was as beautiful as a starry sky, with people standing amidst it, like they were floating in the vast universe.
[Owl: As a reward for entering the last ten challenge levels, I can grant you one wish with limited conditions.]
[Owl: Darling, tell me your wish…]
Fan Peiyang closed his eyes and slowly began, “I have a friend named Tang Lin…”
But before he could get any further, the background explanation was interrupted.
[Owl: I know everything about you; please state your wish…]
Fan Peiyang hesitated for a moment and then said without any hesitation, “Let Tang Lin recover.”
[Owl: That wish does not meet the limited conditions.]
Fan Peiyang: “Let Tang Lin live a long and healthy life.”
[Owl: That wish does not meet the limited conditions.]
Unable to control his anxiety, Fan Peiyang blurted out, “Let Tang Lin enter Owl, you can do this right?”
[Owl: This can be done, but are you sure you’ve thought it through? The last ten challenge levels are exceptionally dangerous. My friendly advice is it’s better to choose a wish that can increase your own combat power.]
Fan Peiyang took a deep breath and remained resolute, saying, “I only want him to come in.”
Suddenly, a purple nebula appeared in mid-air, as if the universe had torn open a rift. Soon, a figure lying flat in a deep sleep descended to the floor of the Wishing Room.
Tang Lin was in slumber, but it wasn’t a peaceful one; his brow was tightly furrowed, and a thin layer of sweat covered his forehead.
Fan Peiyang approached him, stepping lightly and quietly. He stood still, raised his hand, and touched the owl pattern on his arm, entering the ‘Stationery Box.’
Dozens of stationery items, painstakingly collected through countless efforts, were neatly arranged inside the ‘Stationery Box,’ ready to be used at any moment.
Stationery was a crucial aid during the challenge. It could be obtained through various means like clearing challenge levels, refreshing clearance records, or the Endless Sea. Different stationery items had different attributes, some for attacking, some for defense, and some for healing.
At this moment, Fan Peiyang’s gaze was fixed on a healing stationery item—'[Heal] As Good as New.’
Since learning about the existence of the Wishing Room, he had been waiting for this day. Stationery items didn’t come with instruction manuals, so determining their effects relied on their attributes and names. After simulating countless scenarios in his mind to ensure there was no room for error, Fan Peiyang finally settled on this one.
Now, everything was in place.
Fan Peiyang appeared calm, and his fingertip was hovering over ‘[Heal] As Good as New.’ However, he hesitated to release it.
[Owl: What are you waiting for?]
The sudden voice in his ears startled Fan Peiyang, causing him to shiver. He raised his head abruptly. “Just a little longer.”
There was no one in mid-air.
His words seemed more like he was reassuring himself.
Fan Peiyang was taken aback, and he looked at Tang Lin once again, his gaze landing on Tang Lin’s body, face, and the space between his brows.
He remembered the times they had met, the moments of excitement, the times they had fallen in love, and the times they had struggled together. All those moments had come together to create the present him and Tang Lin…
Fan Peiyang stood there motionless, but his heart had already started to race. It beat wildly, like a drum, like a heavy hammer, pounding against his chest, scattering his rationality, shattering his calmness, and allowing the hidden fear to escape and take over.
Despite all the simulations he had gone through, when it came down to the crucial moment, he was still afraid.
He was afraid that the stationery item wouldn’t work, he was afraid that Tang Lin’s body wouldn’t be able to handle it, and he was afraid that his stubbornness would lead to disastrous consequences.
But beneath all these fears, there was an uncontrollable sense of hope.
Tang Lin had already successfully entered this place, the illness that had been sentenced to death by the doctor was no longer frightening in the face of the relentless stationery. There was no reason for it not to work, no reason for it to fail. Since the day he obtained the first piece of stationery in the challenge level, he had been thinking about how wonderful it would be if he could use the stationery on Tang Lin!
He quietly stared at Tang Lin, his face showing no emotions.
Only by looking into his eyes could one see the ice and snow melting, the wasteland reviving, and everything beautiful, lively, and full of vitality breaking through the ground. Yet they were so cautious, so restless, desperately suppressing their excitement, afraid that this warmth would disappear at any moment, afraid that this hope would turn out to be a fleeting dream.
[Owl：Darling, you have ten seconds left in the Wising House~~]
[Owl：Ten, nine, eight, seven…]
The mechanical voice began counting down without hesitation.
Fan Peiyang took a deep breath and steadied himself.
[Owl：…Six, five, four, three, two…]
One.
Fan Peiyang silently counted in his heart while clicking on the stationery.
[Owl：Someone has used <[Heal] As Good as New> on you~~]
This prompt was for Tang Lin, but in his hazy state of consciousness, he couldn’t hear it.
The two of them were sent back to the door of the Wishing House together.
Zheng Luozhu leaned on his arm, supporting his head, thinking that the boss should come out now. In the next moment, he saw Fan Peiyang being sent back.
However, there was still an extra person lying on the ground.
Zheng Luozhu’s arm slipped, and his head, along with his upper body, jerked back in astonishment. He opened his mouth wide in shock, not knowing what to say for a while.
He had expected Fan Peiyang’s wish to be related to Tang Lin, but he never expected the boss to bring the person in directly. Was this approach too audacious?
Fan Peiyang didn’t even look at him, all his attention was focused on Tang Lin.
Tang Lin’s skin was originally fair, and after falling ill and getting little sun, it became even paler. But now, his complexion seemed to have improved slightly. It wasn’t exactly rosy, but there was a faint pinkish hue.
Fan Peiyang was so lost in his thoughts that he couldn’t tell if it was real or an illusion.
In the silent stillness, Tang Lin’s eyelashes trembled lightly, and he slowly opened his eyes.
Fan Peiyang immediately reached out and helped him sit up slowly.
Tang Lin was still a bit disoriented, his eyes vacant. He looked around and saw Zheng Luozhu, with whom he had crossed paths a few times, and the strange lake-blue door.
In the end, he chose to ask Fan Peiyang directly, “Where is this?”
Fan Peiyang paused for a moment and replied, “The hospital.” Then, he asked Tang Lin with concern, “Do you feel a bit better?”
Tang Lin furrowed his brow, looking at him. In his still somewhat hoarse voice from just waking up, he said, “President Fan, if you’re trying to deceive me, at least come up with a better setting.”
Fan Peiyang fell silent.
After a long while, he reached up and wiped the sweat from Tang Lin’s forehead. “Let’s go home.”
At the same time, everyone heard a mocking mechanical voice in their ears.
[Owl：Congratulations on completing your wish! There’s still one month until the new challenge level opens, so please go back and prepare seriously~]
If you like what I’m doing please show your support by donating me a cup of coffee through Kofi, or join membership tier to get access to 5 early chapters every month!
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
