This Damned Thirst for Survival

Chapter 6

The lady boss was no longer human; she resembled a mass of minced meat, stitched together by her own hands using the tensile strength of needle and thread. Stripped of her daytime facade, she revealed her most horrifying visage in the dense gloom of midnight.

No one knew why the lady boss had transformed into such a ghastly figure. Mo Yue felt a threat emanating from Jiang Luo and his companions, causing the lady boss's expression to contort into a hideous snarl. However, instead of attacking them, she fiercely pounced on an elderly and a young one sleeping on the bed.

Ye Xun instinctively bit his finger and inserted it into a rabbit doll's mouth. As blood dripped out, a dim light flickered in the doll's glossy black eyes. With a grave expression, Ye Xun placed the doll on the ground and commanded, "Xiao Fen, devour her."

Xiao Fen moved stiffly towards the lady boss.

The doll, astonishingly, began to move.

Jiang Luo's face lost its usual composure, blankly staring at Xiao Fen.

With concern, Ye Xun tossed the last two outsiders out the door, saying, "Get out, don't cause more trouble here."

The door slammed shut in front of Jiang Luo and Lu Youyi, who took a long while to recover before joining the smoking boss on the balcony.

Mimicking the boss's posture, they looked like a stark contrast between a soap opera and reality. The boss, undisturbed by the comparison, was a bundle of nerves, his cigarette trembling in his hand as he rambled on nervously, "How did she become like that? Did I see it wrong?"

The faint smoke blurred Jiang Luo's features.

Jiang Luo casually asked, "Boss, what are your and your wife's zodiac signs?"

The boss replied, "I'm a Rat, and my wife is a Horse."

Jiang Luo nodded, seemingly in thought.

The boss sighed miserably, blaming himself for his lack of spirit since his business failed, "It's all my fault, I didn't pay enough attention to my wife," he choked up and wiped away tears, "She turned into that... and I didn't even notice... I'm such a fucking failure!"

His cries were ugly, his appearance disheveled, and Lu Youyi's eyes reddened in response. Jiang Luo, head bowed, appeared indifferent amidst the smoke. Once the boss finished his cigarette, Jiang Luo stood up, towering over him, and asked, "Did you really not notice?"

Caught off guard while crying, the boss froze.

Jiang Luo continued, "It's rare to find such a geomantically significant spot. Your daring to run a hotel here proves your concern for feng shui. Your zodiac, Rat, corresponds to the Water element in the Chinese zodiac, while your wife's, Horse, corresponds to Fire, creating a clash. This room, facing north to south, benefits the male owner but not the female. Did you truly not know?"

The boss looked up from his hands, stunned.

Jiang Luo smiled, his words chillingly incisive, "You simply found it too bothersome, too lazy to care, leading to this disaster."

He then returned to the room.

Lu Youyi, following him, asked in a complex tone, "Jiang Luo, was what you said true?"

Jiang Luo hummed in affirmation.

Lu Youyi fell silent, his lips sealed.

Jiang Luo glanced at Lu Youyi.

Lu Youyi, with a strong sense of justice, could cry over a fabricated story or rage over the tragic deaths of three girls. Such a person, like a fire, might also have moments when reality's darkness and despair extinguish his flame.