What to do if I've locked myself in a book! - Chapter 46

Bai Yiyan capped the marker, set it on the side cabinet, and took long strides back to the sofa.

“Ji Shi, that Silver you mentioned—his words are very thought-provoking. Did you notice?”

“Yes. I don’t know if his absurd theories are true, but it doesn’t hurt to be cautious.”

“You missed the key point,” Bai Yiyan said, stressing each word. “He said this is a game of survival of the fittest.”

“That was just a metaphor, right?”

“I don’t think it’s that simple. For example, the world in the book and our world are intersecting. People from the book may come into reality, and people from reality may enter the book.”

“I know that.”

“So maybe the two worlds aren’t just intersecting. If we follow Silver’s logic, the price of intersection—or even fusion—could be survival of the fittest. Do you understand what I’m saying, Ji Shi?”

Ji Shi sucked in a sharp breath. After thinking it through, a chill ran down his spine.

“You mean the two worlds are merging, and the rule is to eliminate the weak and keep the strong…”

He stopped mid-sentence, not daring to think further.

“Don’t be too pessimistic. This is only my hypothesis, based on the assumption that what Silver said is true,” Bai Yiyan said calmly, taking a sip of lemon water. “If Qianqian is still staying at the ‘my’ house in the book, we might meet her again tonight.”

“Then can I wait here tonight?” Ji Shi suddenly perked up, eyes bright, looking at Bai Yiyan with a serious plea.

“Of course. But there’s no guarantee she’ll appear.”

“That’s fine. Thanks.” Reassured, he took a sip of coffee and asked, “If she really shows up, is there a way to keep her here?”

“If we figure out how and why she disappeared, there should be a way.”

As he spoke, Bai Yiyan carefully reviewed the laptop.

“At the start of the book, she appeared on the villa terrace wearing summer sleepwear. Judging by her clothes and the situation when you arrived, she most likely vanished while writing at home and entered the book.”

“Very likely. But even if we know that, what does it change?”

“If the information entered into the laptop reflects her real-time situation in the book world, then why was Cheng Zhan recorded when you saw him at BLUE, but there wasn’t a single word about Silver?”

“That is strange…”

“It means that although the book records events faithfully, it can be altered.”

Bai Yiyan’s words hit Ji Shi like a revelation.

“No wonder the last part felt so different in style—it was edited! It was changed to stop readers from noticing!”

“Exactly. So I have a bold idea. If we can actively edit the content, we might be able to bring Qianqian out of the book.”

The thought gave Ji Shi goosebumps. This man really was sharp—it opened his mind instantly.

“Professor Bai, that’s an amazing idea. But you saw it too—the computer acts dead. Nothing works. We can’t edit anything.”

“Then we’ll need Qianqian’s help.”

“What?” Ji Shi almost thought he misheard.

“I believe the one sending the ‘prompts’ is in our world. If Qianqian follows the clues and finds who’s behind them, we may be able to save her.”

“Why are you so sure the person sending the prompts is in reality?”

“Because anything in the book that involves real-world locations is blocked. You saw Cheng Zhan recorded because you entered BLUE in the book.”

—

Night fell. After ten p.m., Ling Qianqian finished her shower and came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel.

The marks on her body had faded. She could show skin freely now, without worrying about Bai Yiyan seeing everything when he undressed her.

She went to the living room and found the lights off. Before she showered, he had been there choosing a movie, saying they’d pick one together, then make some late-night snacks. Now he was nowhere to be seen.

“A-Yan?”

She called out. No answer. Holding her towel, she went upstairs to look.

The study on the second floor was dark too. Thinking he might be waiting in the bedroom to surprise her, she went straight up to the third floor.

The bedroom door was open, with a night lamp on.

She smelled nice after her shower. Last night, she didn’t let him undress her because she was afraid he’d notice the marks. Now there was nothing to hide—she wanted to surprise him too.

She tiptoed in and saw Bai Yiyan sitting in a single chair by the bed, legs crossed, as if waiting for her.

But when he saw her, his eyes filled with surprise.

Before he could speak, she smiled brightly and jogged over. Just as he stood up to say something, Ling Qianqian rose on her toes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and teased softly, “Didn’t we agree to watch a movie and eat snacks downstairs? Why are you playing hide-and-seek with me?”

As she spoke, she rubbed against his chest. The towel couldn’t hold and slipped to the floor, leaving her bare, alluring body fully exposed—her back facing Ji Shi, who was standing behind her.