After Losing My Memory, I Became Sweet - Chapter 15
As soon as Zhu Yun was grabbed by the NPC, he realized that this meant he and Qin Huaichu had been selected for a two-person mission.
Although Qin Huaichu had always claimed to be afraid, Zhu Yun hadn’t taken him very seriously. But now, with a bright red cloth covering his head and face, he felt a bit uneasy—and at the same time worried about how Qin Huaichu might react in surprise.
Based on his experience, a player’s reactions in an escape room would influence the development of part of the scenario.
Zhu Yun turned his head to listen for any sound beside or behind him but couldn’t hear Qin Huaichu.
Instead, his movement prompted an NPC to issue a stern warning: “Do not move. The auspicious time has not arrived. This is not yet the moment for your wedding ceremony.”
Auspicious time? Wedding ceremony?
They were in a modern setting—why was this ancient terminology being used?
At that moment, the lights in the room went out, and the NPC seemed to leave. Qin Huaichu and Zhu Yun removed the red cloths from their heads and found themselves in a room styled like an ancient bridal chamber.
The room now held only the two of them, and the main door was tightly shut, without a lock to open.
“It looks like we’ll have to find the exit ourselves,” Zhu Yun said, glancing at another wall.
The room was decorated with red festive “double happiness” symbols. A table with candlesticks stood in the center, looking very similar to the first room they had encountered.
Along the walls, several picture frames were placed again, but this time they probably couldn’t find a key hidden behind them.
Zhu Yun walked over to the wall and placed his hand on one of the photos, now blurred with age.
Suddenly, the room darkened, and the same eerie, hoarse voice spoke again:
“The auspicious time has arrived. The couple, please kneel before the incense table and prepare for the wedding ceremony—”
They didn’t move, so the voice repeated itself:
“The auspicious time has arrived. The couple, please kneel before the incense table and prepare for the wedding ceremony—”
It seemed that this mission had to follow the script exactly.
Zhu Yun looked at the two red cushions on the floor in front of the incense table, then turned to Qin Huaichu with a questioning look: “Shall we go?”
Qin Huaichu reached out and pulled him close, whispering: “Kneel on one knee.”
Zhu Yun didn’t object.
So, the two knelt on one knee on the red cushions.
The eerie, hoarse voice continued guiding them: “Pick up the cups on the table and drink the nuptial wine—”
“How can an ancient wedding have a nuptial wine ritual? It makes no sense,” Qin Huaichu frowned, pointing out a flaw in the process.
The nuptial wine should be part of the private interaction after entering the bridal chamber.
The NPC responded: “Who told you this is an ancient wedding? This is the 21st century!”
Qin Huaichu: “……”
Zhu Yun stepped forward to pick up a cup, but Qin Huaichu stopped him.
Then Qin Huaichu picked up a cup himself and sniffed it.
It was colorless and tasteless—probably just water.
It seemed the escape room didn’t dare let guests drink alcohol.
He nodded at Zhu Yun: “Go ahead.”
Zhu Yun hesitated but picked up the other cup. Drinking itself wasn’t difficult, but drinking the nuptial wine—did Qin Huaichu really want to do this?
Qin Huaichu turned to face Zhu Yun, signaling him with his eyes: “Start.”
Zhu Yun still didn’t move.
Then Qin Huaichu reached his arm across, intertwining it with Zhu Yun’s arm holding the cup.
They each took a sip.
It really was just water.
Then they swapped cups and finished the remaining “wine,” completing the ritual.
For a couple, swapping cups wasn’t much of a challenge.
But Qin Huaichu and Zhu Yun, as “husband and husband,” had never had physical intimacy before. Their indirect “kiss” had only occurred once recently over breakfast steak.
Zhu Yun looked at Qin Huaichu’s eyes, wanting to ask if he really had to drink it.
At that moment, Qin Huaichu, without hesitation, lifted the cup to his lips and drank it all.
Afterward, he calmly said to Zhu Yun: “It’s just water. No problem.”
Zhu Yun: “……”
The focus wasn’t on what was in the cup, so Zhu Yun didn’t dwell on it and drank his cup as well.
Suddenly, the room darkened again, leaving only two dim red candles flickering.
They heard the NPC’s piercing voice: “Ceremony complete. Enter the bridal chamber—”
Enter the bridal chamber? Zhu Yun’s heart raced.
Qin Huaichu took Zhu Yun’s cup and held his hand, sensing that the next step wouldn’t be easy to bluff through.
From somewhere in the room, several people appeared, grabbing them and pushing them toward one side of the wall.
That wall seemed to be a moving door; when they stood by it, it flipped open.
They saw a white void ahead.
“Enter—the bridal chamber—”
The NPC and the voice in the broadcast repeated the phrase in a strange tone, then pushed Qin Huaichu and Zhu Yun into the door.
They stepped forward, but the floor dropped out beneath them, and they slid down a white circular tunnel wide enough for two adults.
Qin Huaichu’s first reaction was to grab Zhu Yun’s wrist, adjusting his position during the descent to avoid pressing down on him.
The further down they went, the darker it became. Finally, Qin Huaichu turned sideways and held Zhu Yun in his arms.
They slid down the track and landed in a flower bed.
The flowers were artificial, with a thick sponge base, so even from a height, they were unharmed.
Zhu Yun didn’t make a sound during the fall.
Or rather, from the moment Qin Huaichu held him, his senses shut down.
He hadn’t expected Qin Huaichu’s instinctive action—to hold him rather than let go.
Qin Huaichu led him out of the flower bed and glanced at the wall opening.
“So that’s what a bridal chamber means,” he muttered sarcastically.
Zhu Yun had been tense during the fall, unsure what ridiculous procedure awaited them.
But it turned out to be nothing serious.
He looked at Zhu Yun, noticing his pale face and cold fingers.
He guessed that the sudden drop had scared Zhu Yun.
But with his own character designed to be more fearful than Zhu Yun’s, how could he comfort him?
In the end, he held Zhu Yun’s hand tighter and said in a tense voice: “It was really scary. Luckily, you were beside me.”
Zhu Yun: “……”
Zhu Yun looked up at him and suddenly smiled: “It’s okay. Bravery can be trained. You’ll have to come with me to play horror escape rooms more often, brother.”
Qin Huaichu: “……”
“Maybe another time,” he chose to avoid the suggestion.
They looked around and found a closed door.
The final puzzle was easy—they unlocked the code in minutes.
Stepping through, they were back in the familiar outdoors.
They had completed the escape room in fifty minutes, reportedly breaking the room’s record.
Outside, another two couples were waiting.
One male player shouted: “They actually took this long? So we were just waiting for them at the last stage? That’s such a terrible game experience!”
The other three, including his girlfriend, gave him sideways looks.
They hadn’t solved a single puzzle themselves, yet criticized the experience.
The male player insisted his gameplay was restricted by the game itself.
Qin Huaichu and Zhu Yun ignored him and walked away.
Staff handed them two feedback forms.
“Excuse us for five minutes. Could you please give some feedback on today’s escape room experience?”
Zhu Yun quickly filled his form.
Qin Huaichu glanced down and also gave four stars on all questions.
After finishing, Zhu Yun looked at Qin Huaichu.
He had written a detailed review at the bottom: “The timeline of the escape room was chaotic, oscillating between ancient and modern storylines. Some stages were too easy.”
Seeing Zhu Yun glance, he carefully added: “But it was still quite scary.”
Zhu Yun: “……”
The other four players were filling out forms. One female player asked in confusion: “Why were you holding your phone and filming the whole time?”
The male player: “Shh.”
Girlfriend: “Wait… were you live-streaming?”
She realized his phone was pointing to the right, not recording her.
Qin Huaichu noticed, moved closer to Zhu Yun, and wrapped his arm around him, shielding him completely.
The male player muttered: “No face shot, what a pity.”
He raised his phone, calling: “No problem! I’m going to another escape room next. I’ll show everyone how I cleared it—”
But the live viewers’ attention had shifted.
Some were already asking who the handsome male couple that carried the team was.
Regardless, Qin Huaichu walked away with Zhu Yun.
Back home, they made dinner and soon it was bedtime.
Zhu Yun wore his soft pastel pajamas, leaning on the pillow while looking at his phone.
Qin Huaichu sat on the other side of the bed, pulling back his own blanket.
“Ready to sleep? You must be tired today,” he asked softly.
Zhu Yun nodded and put down his phone.
Qin Huaichu turned off the lights, leaving only a gentle bedside lamp.
He saw Zhu Yun’s delicate profile in the corner of his vision.
He recalled the nuptial wine and the moments when he had held Zhu Yun during the drop in the escape room.
He felt their relationship had grown closer.
If he made a change tonight—merging their two blankets and embracing Zhu Yun to sleep—would it better reflect their post-marriage relationship?
This was the first time Qin Huaichu planned to cross the divide between them.
But as he reached to embrace Zhu Yun, he suddenly saw him grab the large bunny plush from the bedside and hug it tightly.
Qin Huaichu: “……”
Before it even started, it was already over.