I, the screenwriter, have experienced a resurgence of inspiration.

After Weng Yang disappeared, the pavilion in the middle of the lake remained quiet for a long time.

Tan Moli sat on the ground with her arms crossed, looking very insecure.

Zhao Weilai and Deng Ziwen supported each other, barely managing to draw warmth from one another.

Ding Feifan stared at the candle on the table, deep in thought.

— "Be careful with the candle."

Although they hadn't spent much time together, he could tell that Weng Yang was both cautious and bold.

Therefore, there must be a secret on the candle.

But he couldn't figure out what it was for a moment.

Just then, she heard Fu Qinqin gasp. Turning her head, she saw Tan Moli lying in her arms, pale-faced with white lips and a bluish complexion.

"She has low blood sugar! Someone in my family has this condition... Quickly feed her something!"

Zhao Wei recognized it at a glance. "We should have gone back to the dorm and found something to eat before we came here."

Although the rules say to abide by the student code of conduct, taking things from one's own dormitory should not violate the rules, right?

But none of them dared to.

Because they're all afraid of seeing another version of themselves in the dorm.

"I have it, I have it!"

Fu Qinqin quickly took out half a chocolate from her coat pocket, broke it open, and fed it to Tan Moli. Seeing that everyone was staring at her, she explained softly:

"I get hungry easily when I'm studying, so I often keep some chocolate and nuts in my pocket or bag."

"...Don't ask me, I don't know why I was able to bring things from outside in."

Although everyone was starving, no one asked Fu Qinqin to share the food.

Ding Feifan restrained himself and looked away, while Zhao Weilai squatted down to help press Tan Moli's philtrum.

After a while, Tan Moli's confused state improved a little.

"I'm sorry, I... I have diabetes."

The first thing Tan Moli did after waking up was to apologize: "I didn't dare tell you, because I was afraid you would think I was a burden..."

She knew she was physically weak and ill, just as Chow Sang Sang said—she was a "burden" to others.

So even when she was about to faint, Tan Moli remained silent.

"Then you should have told us sooner."

Ding Feifan's expression was very serious. "Do you know that low blood sugar can kill people?"

Last week, a girl in our grade had low blood sugar and was on her period, but she still insisted on running around campus. She ended up with a ruptured corpus luteum and had to go to the hospital—you students…don't take care of your health.”

He was clearly thinking of his students, and his voice softened.

Ding Feifan thought for a moment, as if he had made up his mind, and turned to look at Zhao Weilai and Deng Ziwen:

"As you can see, Tan Moli's health is not good, and if this continues, her life may be in danger."

The last spot for this ghost story check-in—I can't ask you to give it up, so I'm giving it up.

"Ziwen and I are giving up too, right?"

Zhao Wei glanced at her boyfriend, and after receiving an affirmative look, quickly replied:

"There's only one spot left to check in. I'd definitely prefer him to go first, but he'd definitely let me go first—why don't we go together to find the next spot?"

Fu Qinqin didn't speak, but instead frowned and remained silent.

The ever-burning candle on the stone table flickered, its green halo spreading out to a two-foot square of light.

The shadows of several people were cast crookedly on the pavilion pillars.

The wind swept in from the lake, carrying a heavy, rotten smell that made one's heart tighten.

Everyone seemed to be waiting for Fu Qinqin to make a statement; she clearly didn't want to give up this opportunity.

Tan Moli wanted to say something, but she knew everyone was doing it for her own good, and if she spoke now, she would offend people no matter what she said.

So she simply lowered her head and started picking at her fingers.

……

Thirty-seven minutes later, Liu Guilan appeared outside the pavilion.

Deng Ziwen was the first to hear the noise.

He kept staring into the fog, his palms sweating.

At first, it was just a soft "pattering" sound, like the sound of a duck's foot stepping on mud.

Then came the sound of footsteps, hurried and chaotic, with a hint of staggering panic.

"Someone's here." He stood up abruptly, gripping the mop handle tightly. "It looks like Aunt Liu."

The others immediately gathered at the entrance of the pavilion and looked in the direction from which the sound came.

A faint green light peeked through the thick fog.

The tiny light shone brightly, like a spark drifting in the wind.

Immediately afterwards, a figure stumbled and rushed over.

It was Liu Guilan. Her blue work clothes were mostly wet, her trousers were rolled up to her knees, and her calves were covered in black mud.

She had lost one shoe while running, and was walking barefoot on the cold stone pavement, her hair completely disheveled.

He was in a much worse state than Weng Yang had just been.

As she ran, she remembered to remind herself not to turn back, but her face was full of terror, as if something unseen was chasing her.

"Auntie! Hurry! Hurry!"

As soon as Zhao Weilai shouted, Liu Guilan staggered into the pavilion.

She rushed too fast and almost tripped on the stone bench. It was Zhao Weilai who reached out and helped her steady herself.

"Let's go quickly..."

Liu Guilan buried her face in Zhao Weilai's arms, her pupils dilated, her lips trembling uncontrollably: "Let's go!"

She pointed in the fog, her finger still trembling—

The next second, ink-wash characters appeared before everyone:

[Player Liu Guilan has completed the "Strange Tales: The Lake Ghost" challenge.]

[Player Liu Guilan has left the instance "High School Ghost Stories".]

The moment the words flashed by, Liu Guilan's figure became transparent at a speed visible to the naked eye.

She opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something more.

—For example, "There is a face in the water," "There is more than one of those things," and "The candle cannot be extinguished."

No matter how she gestured, her voice just wouldn't carry.

Finally, she only had time to throw something into Zhao Weilai's arms before disappearing from the spot.

……

……

One less person was left in the pavilion in the middle of the lake.

Only half a burning candle, almost completely burned out, and a white candle used for taking photos remained on the stone table.

The air was as heavy as if it were filled with lead.

Ding Feifan crouched down, staring at the new trail of watery footprints outside the pavilion, a chill running down his spine.

Another set of footprints!

And this time, the footprints were even closer.

It was as if something they couldn't see was circling the pavilion again and again.

With each circle you walk, you get a little closer to them.

"It took Weng Yang thirty minutes to complete the task, but it took Auntie seventeen minutes longer than Weng Yang."

Ding Feifan stared at the footprints on the ground, his voice deep, "It's one thing that she walked slowly, but more likely... she encountered more trouble on the road than Weng Yang did."

Deng Ziwen subconsciously pulled Zhao Weilai closer to him, his gaze falling on the last intact white candle.

There's only one left.

Weng Yang is gone.

Liu Guilan is gone.

Of the remaining five people, only one can complete the check-in with the candle and leave this awful place immediately.

Everyone knows that those who stay behind will face more danger.

This is not a simple matter of order.

It's a gamble with your life.

Donating money to mountainous areas, returning lost property, respecting the elderly and caring for the young—these are the qualities that the general public recognizes as good people.

But good people can die too.

When faced with a real life-threatening situation, who can truly give up their chance of survival to someone else without any reservations?

Deng Ziwen's Adam's apple bobbed; he really wanted to say that he and Zhao Weilai were both only children.

But before he could finish speaking, he glanced at Tan Moli again.

The girl's face was deathly pale, her lips were dry and chapped, and she was sweating profusely.

—It's been almost a dozen hours since she entered the instance, and she hasn't eaten or drunk anything. Her diabetes simply can't withstand it.

"Give the last one to Jasmine."

Zhao Weilai spoke first.

After he finished speaking, everyone was stunned for a moment.

Normally, she might not have given up her chance to live.

People are selfish. She also wanted to get out alive, graduate with Deng Ziwen, and stay in Jiangcheng to work hard together.

But look at jasmine, it's so fragile, it would fall over in the wind.

If we really leave her here, she probably won't even have the strength to resist.

That's when it will truly drag everyone down.

This is not mockery, nor is it sarcastic remarks; it is an objective assessment.

"Yes, you go first," Ding Feifan agreed. "We'll be relieved if you're safe."

Tan Moli looked at them, and tears immediately fell down her cheeks.

She bit her lip, wanting to say thank you, but felt those two words were too inadequate.

"But... I'm afraid to walk alone."

She stammered, "When I saw Aunt Liu like that just now... I was afraid that if I walked halfway there, I... I would faint..."

She didn't say what came next, but everyone present understood.

Walking alone in the fog, with water ghosts following behind, just thinking about it makes my legs go weak.

Moreover, Tan Moli is in poor health.

"I'll go with you."

In the corner, Fu Qinqin, who hadn't said much, suddenly stood up:

"The rules only say 'hold a candle and walk around the lake once,' but don't say that two people can't walk around the lake together."

She looked at the crowd, then glanced at the thick fog outside the pavilion. "The worst that can happen is the mission fails. That's better than you going to your death alone. Besides..."

She paused, but didn't finish her sentence.

—And staying in the pavilion would be tantamount to waiting to die.

This was Fu Qinqin's personal motive.

She didn't want to die here.

She studied hard for three years in high school, passed the CET-4 and CET-6 exams, passed the bar exam, and then spent a whole year preparing for the postgraduate entrance exam.

In six months, it will be the postgraduate entrance examination. She absolutely cannot die here.

Between Zhao Weilai and Deng Ziwen, Ding Feifan preferred Tan Moli.

There's no way she'll get the last spot.

It would be better to accompany Tan Moli and fight for a way out for yourself.

……

……

"Qinqin...you're so kind!"

Tan Moli looked at her with teary eyes, deeply moved. "Will I implicate you? What if I break the rules..."

"It's alright." Fu Qinqin shook her head and gave a faint smile. "At least the two of you can look out for each other. If something really happens, you can help each other out."

"That's right. The rules don't mention individual boat trips on the lake, so perhaps your approach is correct."

Ding Feifan pondered for a moment: "We can give it a try. It's better than letting Jasmine go alone."

Remember, you must protect the candles. If your lives are in danger, remember to run back immediately—don't worry about whether the mission is completed or not, staying alive is the most important thing.

"Mm." Fu Qinqin nodded and reached out to pick up the last white candle.

She leaned close to the ever-burning candle and carefully lit it.

The candle flame flickered, then the green light burned steadily.

"We're leaving."

Fu Qinqin held the candle, and Tan Moli gripped her arm tightly as the two walked side by side out of the circle of light.

Only three people remained in the pavilion.

Deng Ziwen, Zhao Weilai, Ding Feifan.