Chapter 62: Differential treatment for the Sleeping Beauty

The princess-carry position wasn’t particularly comfortable, especially for Jing Qizhen, who was completely drained at that point. He let himself go limp in Yun Shuanghua’s arms, his head naturally resting on the man’s shoulder. With his eyes shut, he stayed motionless.

To be honest, leaning against a sturdy man was only marginally better than lying on the cold, hard ground.

As Yun Shuanghua scooped up Jing Qizhen and the latter closed his eyes quietly, the Earth let out a sigh of relief but didn’t forget its duty.

The Earth shouted into Jing Qizhen’s mind, bombarding him relentlessly, “Jing Qizhen! Don’t fall asleep! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!”

At the end of his rope, Jing Qizhen barely managed to turn his face away: “…”

Why not just let me die already?!

Yun Shuanghua’s physical strength was undeniable. When he noticed Jing Qizhen’s faint squirming, he felt puzzled. However, with his hands full, he couldn’t lift Jing Qizhen’s face to check.

After a brief moment of consideration, he effortlessly tossed Jing Qizhen slightly upward. The quick maneuver allowed him to glance at Jing Qizhen’s face, confirming it looked normal, though his furrowed brows suggested some unease.

With that, Yun Shuanghua breathed a small sigh of relief.

Catching Jing Qizhen securely again, Yun Shuanghua strode toward the villa’s exit with purposeful steps.

Yan Hong, who had been standing guard at the door, tensed up as soon as Yun Shuanghua entered the villa earlier.

However, when he noticed Yun Shuanghua didn’t pass out like Jing Qizhen or the others inside, the tension in Yan Hong’s mind eased slightly.

Seeing Yun Shuanghua carry Jing Qizhen out of the villa in a bridal carry, Yan Hong finally relaxed completely. He quickly stepped aside to clear the doorway, even brushing away some vines that had crept into the entrance, making it easier for Yun Shuanghua to pass through.

The only thing that puzzled Yan Hong was the peculiar sight of Yun Shuanghua casually tossing Jing Qizhen mid-carry to adjust his position.

But that didn’t matter much. Getting everyone out of the accursed villa was the priority!

Once Yun Shuanghua brought Jing Qizhen outside, clarity instantly returned to his mind.

The overwhelming, irresistible fatigue that had plagued him inside the villa vanished in an instant. Only the lingering aftermath remained as the soreness in every muscle left him trembling as if his body had been through an intense workout.

Yun Shuanghua nodded slightly at Yan Hong in acknowledgment before lowering his gaze to meet Jing Qizhen’s eyes.

His voice, much like his cold expression, was deep and stern rather than gentle, “You’re awake.”

With Jing Qizhen now fully conscious, the Earth finally stopped its incessant shouting in his mind.

The Earth: “Oh. Good. You’re fine now.”

Its voice carried a faint trace of disappointment as if it regretted not being able to continue its loud performance.

Jing Qizhen: “…” If one day he ended up with ruptured eardrums, this stupid ball of a planet would be entirely to blame.

After enduring the Earth’s relentless shouting in his mind, the noise had finally subsided, but Jing Qizhen’s eardrums still seemed to be instinctively trembling. It was like an echo in an empty valley, or to put it bluntly, intermittent ringing in his ears.

As a result, when Jing Qizhen listened to Yun Shuanghua and Yan Hong speak, it felt like their voices were muffled behind soundproof glass. It took him a moment to fully register their words.

“Put me down,” Jing Qizhen finally said. Though his hands were still trembling slightly as he recovered his strength, he managed to place one hand on Yun Shuanghua’s arm and give it a weak shake.

Yun Shuanghua nodded. His cold, emotionless expression didn’t make him seem particularly approachable, but he obediently followed Jing Qizhen’s request.

Still holding the stale, hard baguette Yun Shuanghua had handed him earlier, Jing Qizhen glanced down at it. Then, he looked up sincerely and asked, “Could you help carry out the others too? Once everyone’s safe, we’ll treat you to a meal.”

Yun Shuanghua said nothing, simply nodding again before turning and heading back into the villa.

Outside, Jin Guijuan and Lu Lingxi had been watching anxiously. Seeing Jing Qizhen carried out, they both let out sighs of relief.

Jin Guijuan murmured softly, “Thank goodness. They’re okay.”

Caroline, who couldn’t understand Jin Guijuan’s words, immediately became defensive, convinced she was being mocked. Irritated, she snapped at Lu Lingxi, “What is she saying about me now?!”

Equally relieved but exasperated, Lu Lingxi widened his deer-like eyes and retorted, “We’re all in this together! If the ship sinks, we all drown, lady!”

Meanwhile, Wilcox abandoned his younger cousin without hesitation and rushed to Jing Qizhen’s side. “Hey, buddy, you alright?” he asked, concern evident.

Still plagued by faint ringing in his ears, Jing Qizhen gave a wry smile and shook his head. “Not great. Manman’s injured. Let’s wait for Yun Shuanghua to get everyone out, then we’ll explain.”

Inside the villa, Yun Shuanghua remained unaffected. Spotting Manman, Si Jiayang, Old Xiao, and Gu Leshan unconscious on the floor, he effortlessly picked them up two at a time.

Mindful of the broken glass near Manman’s hand, Yun Shuanghua handled her more carefully to avoid further injury, though his movements were still brisk.

Yan Hong, having witnessed the earlier events, knew better than to rush in and complicate matters. Instead, he stayed by the door, ready to assist Yun Shuanghua.

Noticing Yan Hong standing in a ‘catching’ posture at the door, Yun Shuanghua’s cold face briefly showed a hint of understanding. Without hesitation, he tossed Manman and Si Jiayang out one by one.

Yan Hong caught one, while Wilcox, stepping into position, caught the other with ease.

The villa’s garden conveniently featured a white square table and six matching white chairs, meant for afternoon tea. Yan Hong and Wilcox placed Manman and Si Jiayang onto the chairs, while Jing Qizhen, still holding the baguette, shuffled over to another chair to catch his breath.

Jing Qizhen wiped the table clean before placing the baguette on it. Then, he pulled out some bandages from his backpack to treat Manman’s cuts. Just as he was about to start, her eyelids fluttered slightly before opening.

He exhaled in relief. “Awake?”

Freed from the oppressive fatigue in the villa, Manman was now fully conscious as the pain on her injured hand woke her. Her lips were pale but after nodding slightly at Jing Qizhen in acknowledgment, she gently nudged Si Jiayang, who was sitting beside her, with her elbow.

Si Jiayang instantly snapped awake, jumping up from his chair in alarm. He instinctively looked around and called out urgently, “Manman! Baby?!”

Jing Qizhen: “…” Bro, you’re something else.

Manman rested her arm on the table, revealing the bloody scratches on the back of her hand, which looked rather alarming up close. She carefully examined Si Jiayang, noting that apart from also having been unconscious earlier, he didn’t seem to have any other issues.

Relieved, she turned her attention back to Jing Qizhen. Seeing his pale face, she hesitated slightly and asked, “You don’t look too good. Are you alright?”

“It’s a long story.” Jing Qizhen waved his hand weakly.

Si Jiayang had already taken the bandages from Jing Qizhen and sat down to carefully treat Manman’s wounds. His eyes were filled with sadness and concern as he gently held her hand. “Baby, does it hurt?” he asked softly.

Manman, who had just woken up from the pain, blinked at him and calmly replied, “It’s not too bad. Just wrap it up.”

Jing Qizhen then quietly recounted to Manman and Si Jiayang how the Earth had been blasting his mind with nonsense to keep him awake.

Si Jiayang, focused entirely on tending to Manman’s wounds, remained silent.

Manman, however, speculated, “I only have scratches on my hand and Jiayang was fine once he came out. But you seem the most drained like you’re completely exhausted.”

Jing Qizhen nodded weakly. “Probably because I didn’t fall asleep earlier and had to resist that overwhelming drowsiness, which took a lot out of me.”

Manman agreed with a slight nod.

As they spoke, Yun Shuanghua returned, carrying out Old Xiao and Gu Leshan. Yan Hong and Wilcox quickly helped move them to the chairs in the villa’s courtyard.

Yun Shuanghua, noticing the baguette on the table, naturally sat in the chair next to Jing Qizhen.

Jing Qizhen turned to him with a serious expression. “Thank you.”

Manman and Si Jiayang echoed his sentiment.

The brief exchange of thanks was enough to wake Gu Leshan, who exclaimed, “I couldn’t resist that drowsiness in the villa!”

His loud voice startled Old Xiao awake as well, who, having slept deeply, no longer appeared as distressed.

Meanwhile, Lu Lingxi, Jin Guijuan, and Caroline returned after taking Caroline’s statement under tense circumstances.

Jin Guijuan gasped, “Manman-jie, you’re hurt?!”

“Just a scratch, nothing serious,” Manman reassured her with a calming smile.

Lu Lingxi asked anxiously, “What happened earlier? Are you all okay?”

Once everyone had gathered, Jing Qizhen detailed what had happened in the villa. As he finished, his expression froze for a moment before he suddenly realized, “A castle sealed by vines, everyone falling into a deep sleep… This is ‘Sleeping Beauty’, isn’t it?”

Manman, still letting Si Jiayang bandage her hand, added, “I thought the same, but we have too many people for that story.”

“But why was Shuanghua unaffected?” Wilcox had another question.

Jing Qizhen sighed and explained, “Your cousin and his group were fine too.”

Wilcox exclaimed, “Exactly! Why?”

Leaning back in his chair, still weak but clear-voiced, Jing Qizhen reasoned, “My guess is that we entered at different times, so we weren’t considered part of the same group.”

Si Jiayang finished wrapping Manman’s hand, then hugged her protectively, muttering, “That was way too dangerous.”

Manman smiled gently and lightly squeezed his hand, her expression soothing. Si Jiayang stopped muttering but couldn’t help sighing inwardly.

“We can test this theory,” Yan Hong suggested.

Jin Guijuan and Lu Lingxi nodded. “Let’s do it.”

Wilcox pushed his cousin forward decisively, saying in a commanding tone, “You’re going too!”

Wilcox believed the fastest way to integrate someone into the team was to face risks together. For him, it was better for his cousin to align with their group than with the contentious survivors from his earlier group.

Joyce: “…???”

Though reluctant, Joyce eventually shrugged and muttered, “Fine.”

All eyes turned to Yun Shuanghua.

Yun Shuanghua, still cold-faced and seemingly indifferent, looked confused. “What now?”

Jing Qizhen gestured toward Yan Hong, Jin Guijuan, Lu Lingxi, and Joyce. “We might need your help bringing them back out later.”

Yun Shuanghua nodded silently.

Lu Lingxi pulled a rope from his bag, tied it around his waist, and handed the other end to Gu Leshan. “If I pass out, just drag me out.”

Gu Leshan gave him an ‘OK’ gesture.

The test was simple. Inside the villa, Yan Hong, Jin Guijuan, and Lu Lingxi quickly succumbed to the drowsiness and collapsed. However, Joyce, seemingly unaffected, nonchalantly caught the sleeping Jin Guijuan and gestured helplessly toward the door.

While Yun Shuanghua helped carry people out, Joyce prioritized escorting Jin Guijuan. This time, everyone was prepared, so no one hit the ground too hard, and they regained consciousness quickly outside.

Si Jiayang held Manman’s hand gently, muttering, “It’s definitely selective treatment…”

Jing Qizhen frowned. “The real question now is, if this was ‘Sleeping Beauty’, does that mean Joyce and his team’s earlier scenario was another fairy tale?”

Wilcox turned to his cousin. “Think! Quickly!”

Joyce, under pressure from his cousin: “…???”