How to Stop the Villain from Going Crazy
Translator: Fuyu
Chapter 30 - It was probably just… PTSD from Erik (2)
After Bo Li finished writing, she read it from the beginning. After confirming there wasn't anything she needed to add, she stuffed the notebook into her backpack.
There was a clock hanging in the hotel room. It was already 9PM, but Erik hadn't returned yet.
Her heart skipped a beat. What if he never came back?
Even now, she couldn't figure out what set him off. Without any warning, he had pressed her onto the floor and grabbed her neck. His eyes behind the mask had gradually approached her. His gaze was cold and gloomy as if he was going to kill her with a thousand cuts.
And then, he disappeared for no reason after she kissed his neck.
His every move couldn't be understood by how a normal human would behave.
Bo Li increasingly felt that writing a guide on him was the right thing to do. Otherwise, after a long time passed, she wouldn't know how to deal with him.
Bo Li placed the first aid kit next to the pillow. She prepared for Erik to drag another body back in the middle of the night, but he didn't come back.
She didn't know if this was good or bad. Was her nightmare over? Was she finally free from being forced to play a horror survival game?
When he was around, her nerves were stretched taut. She was always worried that he would become violent and hurt someone.
He was gone, but she felt even more nervous.
Perhaps, it was because this was Erik's world. He was the undisputed predator and other people were just vulnerable, ignorant, and unwary herbivores.
It wasn't good for a herbivore to lose sight of a predator.
—
Two days passed, and Erik still didn't appear.
Bo Li could only comfort herself with the knowledge that she wouldn't be awakened by the sound of footsteps in the middle of the night. She wouldn't worry whether he would grab her neck or threaten her with a dagger.
She was completely safe.
Well, for the time being, she was completely safe.
She hadn't spent the past three days doing nothing. She had found out where in the hotel Trique was holding his party.
He called it a party, but it was more like a supernatural exhibition.
Trique rented out the fifth floor of the hotel to display his supernatural exhibits: a psychic, people with deformities, and various odd specimens and photos. Those specimens were like the ones she had seen in the manager's box.
It was just that the scope of Trique's collection was bigger.
Bo Li desperately needed something new to distract herself. After thinking it over, she decided to go see his exhibition.
Anyways, it was just two flights up in the hotel.
She didn't wear men's clothing. She was worried that Trique would recognize her and pester her for Erik's whereabouts.
She changed into a dress, put on a woman's hat, and a black veil.
Thankfully, the wig industry was mature enough that even if the wind blew off her hat, her wig would stay in place, and her short, frizzy hair wouldn't be revealed.
The exhibition would open at 3PM.
Before 2:30 PM arrived, Trique was already at the hotel's front door to greet guests.
He was impeccably dressed and beaming. "Visitors, please step right in. The exhibition started early. Here's a brochure. The exhibition is on the fifth floor. The after-party will be held on the rooftop garden…"
Bo Li took a brochure, walked to a corner, and opened it.
Things to see at Trique Terry's Spectacular Exhibition:
a famous psychic that possesses the powerful ability to speak to spirits;
freaks that will show you their thrilling and tragic fates;
bizarre specimens of rare and exotic animals from all over the world;
exorcism tools made according to ancient texts and suitable for performing various purification rituals; and
ghost photos, these real ghost photos might cause harm to your mind and body. Please look at these photos under the watch of the staff.
If you wish to purchase any of the above products, please contact the relevant staff.
In addition, for guests with special requests, we also provided psychic services, exorcism, taking photos of ghosts, and other services. Please contact Trique Terry for details.
Before transmigrating, Bo Li never believed in ghosts. However, after seeing Erik's extraordinary performances, she wasn't so certain anymore.
She looked at the exhibition location of the psychic in the brochure. An idea popped into her mind. Could this psychic know of a way for her to return to modern-day?
Bo Li headed over to the location marked on the brochure.
She was quite surprised to see that the famous psychic was a man.
He was a young and handsome man wearing a black suit with his hands clasped on his knee. When he saw her coming, he stood up with a smile.
"Miss," he said with a smile, "don't speak yet. Let me guess, you've been especially upset lately, right?
His words dashed her meager hope. He was a charlatan.
"Do you say that to everyone?"
"Of course not," he shook his head with a smile, "I heard the voice of your spirit. It told me you've been very unhappy lately. Shh…"
He looked at her and suddenly made a gesture to stay silent. "Don't speak. Let me guess. You don't belong here, right?"
Bo Li's heart tightened. She did her best to nonchalantly ask, "Why do you say that?"
"Your spirit told me. Let's talk while we walk. I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Lawrence Boyd."
"Mr. Boyd." Bo Li nodded at him.
"Spirits are very sensitive," Boyd said, "so only gentle and attentive people can communicate with them. That's why there are more women in this field, but there are also men. I'm an example of that."
His tone was indeed very gentle, "Spirits aren't as vicious as people think they are. On the contrary, they're fragile and soft like butter."
Bo Li pretended that she accepted his teachings.
Boyd took her to see the supernatural photos that he had taken. They were all black and white photos that looked ordinary except for an eerie element.
For example, in one of the photos, a woman was sitting in a photo studio, and there was a blurry, clingy, white ghost embracing her neck. Perhaps, to protect the woman's privacy, her face was blacked out with a pen.
"This is one of my female clients." Boyd said, "That ghost is her dead lover. He can't forget her and keeps seeking her out. However, ghosts will bring about hard to predict misfortune if they come into contact with a living person."
He lowered his gaze and stared at her neck.
"Just like what happened to you. Ghosts will leave behind extremely rough and cruel marks on those people. You must have been at the end of your rope before coming to see me, right?"
Drat! Bo Li was annoyed that she forgot to wrap a scarf around her neck.
While speaking, Boyd stretched out his hand as if he wanted to touch her neck. When he was only a centimeter away, he abruptly withdrew his hand.
"I'm sorry," he said, "I smelled the scent of a ghost on you. Your spirit is scared and is even trying to seek shelter from me. This is very rare. Unless they're extremely frightened, spirits won't ask outsiders for help."
"... Oh." She tried to gloss over the topic. "I don't care about that. How should I put it? I know someone who came from far away. He might need special rituals to return home. Do you know anyone that's done research in this area?"
Boyd shook his head.
"But I can help you keep an eye out." He handed her a business card with both hands and deeply looked at her. "Apart from that, feel free to contact me if you need anything. Here's my address."
It was probably a figment of her imagination from all that ghost talk, but when Boyd was speaking, she suddenly felt goosebumps all over her body. She didn't know why, but she felt like someone was staring at her, and she didn't think it was a human.
The other party's gaze felt dangerous, sharp, and gave off an ominous chill, exactly like the ghosts that Boyd had described.
Bo Li felt cold all over.
It was probably just… PTSD from Erik.
She should be fine in a few days; she thought.
T/N: Below is one of the art covers that the author recently commissioned. Taken from her Weibo.
