I Really Am Just a Substitute – CH24

Chapter 24

The five athletes were escorted by staff into their respective difficulty rooms.

Starting from the light-horror level, they would take turns attempting their escape challenges.

As the one assigned heavy horror, Ning Zhou was scheduled to go last. He waited idly while the other four went first.

“Ah!”

The walls weren’t very soundproof, and after some time Ning Zhou heard Yu Tong’s sharp little scream…

If even the easiest level could scare Yu Tong, did that mean the escape rooms were actually pretty hard?

That thought sent unease crawling up Ning Zhou’s spine…

As a lifelong “social black hole,” this was his very first time experiencing an escape room.

He had never watched a horror movie, never visited a haunted house. His entire concept of “horror” came from a time Ning Yang had dragged him to play a horror video game.

But he’d been too exhausted from volleyball training that day—he fell asleep after just a few minutes of play.

“Aaahhh! Uwaaahhh! Help! Somebody, save me!” Zeng Yunsheng’s heart-wrenching screams tore through Ning Zhou’s thoughts.

From yelling “oh my god” to “have mercy, ancestors,” his cries were even mixed with sobs…

Ning Zhou felt his hair stand on end and couldn’t sit still.

He started doing finger exercises, trying to calm his nerves…

“Ning Zhou, it’s your turn.”

The cameraman knocked and entered, the red light signaling “recording” switched on, and the livestream cut to Ning Zhou.

His hand froze mid-motion. Forcing a dry laugh, he asked, “Uh… are they… okay?”

The cameraman tilted the lens a few times: “Don’t worry, they’re all still alive.”

“!?” Was it really that bad!?

[Look at Ning Zhou—he’s so scared his face turned pale. /covering mouth]
[Cameraman’s right though. Even though Zeng Yunsheng’s legs went weak and he had to be carried out by staff, at least they’re all alive.]
[No, no, you don’t get it. Brother Zeng’s legs may have gone weak, but his soul had already left his body ages ago. /doge]
[Can’t believe Brother Zeng’s courage is that small! Same medium-horror level, yet Tong Rong came running out without changing expression!]
[Yu Tong was even better. She got startled by a sudden paper doll and just punched it to pieces…]
[NPC: Thank goodness I wasn’t assigned to light-horror today… lived another day, hell yeah!]
[This is what I’m here for. I love the thrill. Ning Zhou’s about to enter the scariest room—I can’t wait to hear what his screams sound like! /excited]

At the entrance to his scenario, a staff member reminded him, “This is our hardest escape room. If you feel abnormal heartbeat or dizziness, you must say so immediately—don’t push yourself!”

The more he heard, the darker Ning Zhou’s face grew. “Okay… so all I need to do is go inside, find the exit, and come out, right?”

The staffer froze for a second, “…Essentially, yes.”

“Thanks, I got it!” Ning Zhou pushed open the door, muttering under his breath, “Emergency exit, emergency exit…”

The staff scratched his head, then grabbed the cameraman, “Did you even explain the rules to him? He thinks this is just a maze, doesn’t he?”

“He’s young, of course he’s played these before. No need for an explanation!”

The cameraman waved it off, following Ning Zhou inside.

Once the doors shut, the staff picked up his walkie-talkie, “The heavy-horror participant has entered. NPCs, are you ready?”

“All in position!”

…

As soon as Ning Zhou stepped in, two red lanterns lit up at his sides.

He cautiously took two steps forward, and more lanterns lit up ahead, as if guiding him somewhere…

The cameraman shivered at the eerie red glow, but when he turned the lens on Ning Zhou, he found the boy completely at ease, even murmuring with appreciation:

“How thoughtful. Motion-sensor lights!”

[What the—? /deadfish eyes]
[The lanterns meant to build a spooky atmosphere: I feel insulted!]
[Is Ning Zhou big-hearted, absent-minded, or just naturally airheaded?]
[Thanks, Ning Zhou—one sentence from you made me, who was trembling in fear, laugh out loud. /thumbs up/]

Ning Zhou kept walking forward. In the hazy red glow of the lanterns, he could vaguely make out festive decorations around him—

Silk, candles, sachets with tassels, and the bright red double happiness character… except the “?” was smeared into a blur by some red liquid. (? (x?) means “Double Happiness” in English, and it is a widely recognized symbol of good fortune, especially for marriage.)

What should’ve been a bustling wedding scene was instead utterly empty and silent. The dissonance only deepened the audience’s sense of dread. As the viewers sank into that mood, the PD whispered in explanation, “This setting is the store owner’s most recommended horror scenario. The theme is ‘The Last Person Left on the Wedding Night.’ The room Ning Zhou is about to enter is the main stage.”

[Chinese-style horror is the deadliest! /hugs blanket tighter/]
[Holy crap, the atmosphere is already suffocating, and you’re telling me this isn’t even the main stage yet?!]
[Okay, I admit it… I underestimated the ‘heavy horror’ level… /tears streaming/]
[Guys, I can’t handle this. I’m out. I’ll come back later!]
[Wait, hold on—looks like Ning Zhou’s about to say something…]

Ning Zhou’s expression grew serious. He pointed in a certain direction, as if sensing something strange, and the audience on the other side of the screen collectively held their breath in suspense…

Then Ning Zhou asked the cameraman, “The candle wax dripping over there—doesn’t it fall right onto the wire connected to the lantern? That’s dangerous, right?”

The cameraman froze for a long moment before dully replying, “…I’ll let the staff know.”

[I had my heart meds ready, and this is what you tell me?? /gasping for air/]
[His vision actually neutralizes the horror atmosphere!]
[Seriously, anyone would break immersion instantly after noticing wires strung along the set…]
[The camera zoomed in several times before I even realized that black thing was a wire. Not only did Ning Zhou already notice the details in the dark, he even spotted a few drops of wax about to drip on it? OMG!]
[Bro Ning, if you’re tired of this “superpower,” lend it to me for a while! /gnaws on nails/]

The painstakingly built tension evaporated. Worried the audience would lose interest, Director Zhang signaled to the staff.

At the control console, a staffer pressed a button—

A suona (Chinese trumpet) track began blaring. The shrill notes echoed in Ning Zhou’s ears, sounding half like wedding joy, half like funeral wailing…

Ning Zhou hunched his neck, half-covered his ears, lips tightly pressed. Seeing his reaction, Director Zhang finally relaxed: Finally scared him…

He exhaled in relief, but before he could savor it—Ning Zhou suddenly darted off-screen.

Director Zhang: Look how terrified the kid is! The cameraman scrambled to follow, the shaky footage looking a bit chaotic. When the lens finally caught up, Ning Zhou was crouched in a barely noticeable corner, phone flashlight in hand, searching for something.

Then—click—he yanked out a power plug.

The tiny speaker’s power light went dark, the “haunting music” stopped, and silence returned to the scene.

Ning Zhou calmly switched off his flashlight, threw a “V for victory” at the camera, and said, “Didn’t mistake it—knew the speaker had to be hidden here!”

Director Zhang: …Huh?

He rushed over to the staff, “What’s going on? Isn’t the music under your control?”

“I mean, the switch is, yeah…” The staffer looked ready to cry. “But if he pulls the plug on the speaker, what can I do?”

Director Zhang held his head, “Why would you put such an important prop somewhere visible?!”

“That was our carefully chosen least noticeable corner!” the staffer protested.
“To this day, not a single customer has ever found the speaker. Between a column and a wall, in a dead angle with no lighting—who would look there?!”

Director Zhang was speechless. Seeing the staff more dejected than himself, he consoled, “Sorry… it’s not your fault.”

The staffer refused to concede, “Besides, Ning Zhou hasn’t even entered the main scene yet. The real show is only just beginning!”

[The eerie music started playing and—uh, before I could even finish typing, Ning Zhou already shut it down.]
[I’ve turned from hater to fan. So his “vision” really isn’t some PR stunt—this is the first time I’ve seen a skill this bizarre!]
[Whenever Ning Zhou lowers his eyes and scans his surroundings, I know he’s about to pull off something wild. /sunglasses glare/]
[Don’t let your guard down! The PD said we’re still not in the main stage yet!]

The PD opened his mic in the livestream to save face, “Hmph, it’s just a few props and some background music. Nobody thinks getting rid of those means you can withstand heavy horror, right?”

He chuckled darkly, “Let me show you what it means to bring out the real weapons—”

The livestream feed switched to a surveillance angle:

Four or five NPCs in ancient wedding costumes waited outside a small door. Their makeup was ghost-white, with long wigs trailing down—like ancient Chinese zombies.

“These NPCs are currently waiting outside the entrance to the main scene. Once Ning Zhou enters and triggers the hidden mechanism, they’ll rush in all at once!”

The PD could already imagine Ning Zhou’s terrified face. Confidently, he declared:
“Let’s see how he handles that. His ‘vision’ may help him once or twice, but it won’t save him forever!”

[Uh, PD bro, are you sure you’re not reading from a villain’s script?]
[Doesn’t even sound fake—he really doesn’t come off like a good guy… /facepalm/]
[Wait, those NPCs are going that hardcore?!]
[If they suddenly swarm in, they could literally scare someone unconscious!]
[Every time I type a comment, I pretend I’m chill…]
[Zhou Zhou, don’t be afraid—strong ones are always targeted! Push through this and there are shopping cards waiting for you! /fighting/]

Unaware of the lurking NPCs, Ning Zhou kept searching for an exit. Finding none, he followed the cameraman’s cue and pushed open the main stage door—

A wooden door plastered with a red double happiness character.

The wood was marked with scratches, shallow and deep, like fingernails had clawed at it. Ning Zhou frowned, unsettled.

Helping the cameraman steady the door, he said politely, “Carrying that camera must be hard. You go in first.”

The cameraman nodded in thanks and stepped into the room first.

Suddenly, a strip of white silk dropped from above, swaying eerily right in front of the camera lens…

It was the only white thing in the entire room. There was no wind inside, yet it drifted back and forth, as though a lonely soul hanging from it were struggling.

“Ah—!”

The poor cameraman was scared out of his wits, leaping aside in a big jump, the camera shaking violently.

Right behind him, Ning Zhou had just stepped inside. Seeing the white silk, he asked in surprise, “Hm? Why is there a piece of fabric hanging here?”

[So this is what a cameraman’s scream sounds like. /dog head/]
[Cameraman: oh sure, you stay calm and send me in first to trigger the trap!]
[Scared me half to death! One moment I was melting at Gentleman Ning Zhou’s kindness, the next I shot up from my chair. /pat chest/]
[Ning Zhou you lucky brat, that unavoidable scare tactic ended up hitting someone else instead…]

After confirming the cameraman was fine, Ning Zhou began calmly examining the room, looking leisurely as if he were strolling through his own back garden.

The staff member was shaking with anger: “This is an insult to a heavy-horror difficulty!”

Before Director Zhang could even give orders, the staff member grabbed the intercom and reminded the NPCs, “Get ready, do your best—scare him so hard he rolls on the ground!”

Then, with a vicious smack of his hand on the final button, “No one walks out of heavy-horror laughing. Finishing move, go!”

Inside the main scene, the electronic candle stands on either side of the wooden bed suddenly lit up…

In the center of the bed sat a woman in a wedding dress, her face hidden by a bridal veil.

She held a bright red silk ball in both hands, resting it on her lap.

Just as everyone suspected she might be a mannequin, she moved—Slowly raising her head, revealing that a piece of the veil was torn away near the corner, just enough to expose her mouth.

Her lips were painted with blood-red lipstick, smeared well beyond their edges. Grinning wide, she rasped, “On such a fine wedding night, how can the bride be left alone?”

She lifted her veil, revealing bloodstains beneath her eyes that looked like tears.

Her ghostly eyes locked onto Ning Zhou, “Come—stay here with me!”

As soon as the words fell, she hurled the silk ball…

[WTF, am I watching a horror escape or a sports variety show!?]
[Did this bride just finish eating someone? That red all around her mouth looks like blood… /cry/]
[Link please for those contact lenses, I wanna use them for my next ghost cosplay.]
[Ning Zhou run! Stay here = certain death!]

The PD gave live commentary, “Remember those NPCs waiting outside the back door?

The trigger for their appearance is the silk ball. If he catches it, they’ll drag Ning Zhou to the bride’s side. If it falls to the ground—

They’ll carry him back to the dungeon entrance to start all over again.”

[Dead end. /rat funeral pic/]
[Dear program team, by the time you read this message, my soul has already left my body…]
[All he did was shoot at the wrong target, is that really worth this punishment!?]
[Thanks for the invite, I once tried this dungeon… people leave very peacefully.]
[Ning Zhou probably doesn’t even know the rules. One choice, one torment… /light a candle/]

The red silk ball traced an arc, flying straight at Ning Zhou.

To catch, or not to catch—that was the question.

The audience’s eyes followed its trajectory, as though a prompt box had appeared inside the dungeon:

Choose your “death” method:
A. Be dragged to the ghost bride and eaten
B. Be dragged to the start and loop endlessly

In the eyes of the audience, Ning Zhou was basically a dead man already…

But in Ning Zhou’s eyes, the ball flying at him stirred something carved into his DNA…Outside the back door, the NPCs heard “Stand by” over the intercom, their hands tightening on the doorknob, itching to rush in. Ning Zhou lowered his stance, his hands interlocked, one atop the other. He braced, legs pushing, arms swinging upward—With a perfectly executed volleyball bump, he sent the silk ball right back to the bride…

Audience: ?
Program team: ?
Staff: ?

The bride instinctively caught the ball, her wide red grin frozen stiff. The NPCs outside, just about to burst in, were stopped by the staff’s frantic shout over the intercom, “Stop! He didn’t trigger the condition! The ball’s still in the bride’s hands.”

The NPCs, unable to see inside, were baffled, “Then tell her to hurry up and throw it again, we’ve been waiting forever…”

The staff gritted his teeth, “You think she doesn’t want to throw it!?”

“?”

Inside the scene, the ghost bride tossed the ball again and again, but Ning Zhou bumped it back every single time…According to the rules, there were only two triggers: if the silk ball stayed in Ning Zhou’s hands, or if it touched the ground. Now, with Ning Zhou and the ghost bride volleying back and forth, the grab-ready NPCs were stuck behind the door, unable to begin their task.

[Uh… did you two just start playing a game?]
[This is supposed to be an escape room! Heavy-horror difficulty! Ning Zhou, show some respect! The staff must be about to cry. /dog head/]
[I always thought Ning Zhou just had looks and sharp eyes, almost forgot he’s a real volleyball player.]
[Not gonna lie, his form’s good. Every ball goes straight back into the NPC’s hands…]
[High EQ: solid fundamentals. Low EQ: the NPCs have no choice but to receive it. /thumbs up/]

The staff’s hands trembled on the control panel. He connected to the bride’s headset: “Don’t toss it where he can return it so easily! Throw it off to the side!”

The ghost bride adjusted her wrist, sending the ball at an angle. But how could such a slow ball stump a former libero like Ning Zhou? A few quick strides and he not only got under it, he even bumped it right into the bride’s arms…

The staff slammed his thigh, “Now! He’s off balance—throw it the other way!”

The silk ball flew in the opposite direction this time. Ning Zhou’s eyes flashed, one hand braced against the ground, and his skewed body instantly righted itself. He pushed off the ground, leaping up, and at the last moment before the embroidered ball hit the floor, he scooped it up with one arm…

The ghost bride watched in disbelief as, after Ning Zhou’s difficult move, the ball once again landed neatly back in her arms. Something inside her snapped…

Meanwhile, at the back door, the NPCs tapped their legs impatiently: Still not our turn? If we keep waiting, we’re charging overtime…

[To all escape room staff: you’ve worked hard, but meeting Ning Zhou is truly your blessing. /heart/]
[This is hilarious—but also insanely cool. /cover mouth, crying/]
[Only volleyball players understand how hard that one-arm dig really is…]
[If Ning Zhou were a character in a game, he’d be a hexagonal warrior—insane defense, impossible to chip down with normal attacks.]
[Ghost bride’s POV: casting all skills, only to see MISS fill the whole screen.]
[Hhh, ghost bride: Are you the boss or am I?]

The ghost bride’s mentality collapsed exactly as the bullet comments predicted. She froze like a statue, fingers clenched tight around the ball, lips pressed thin.

Ning Zhou tilted his head and asked earnestly, “We’re not practicing anymore?”

The NPC ripped off her red veil and yelled in frustration: “Damn it, who’s practicing with you!?”

Being an NPC these days… it’s hard to stay professional.

She jabbed a finger toward the side door, “Go on, the exit’s over there!”

“Thanks!” Ning Zhou hesitated, “That’s it? I can really just leave? I don’t have any quest with you…?”

“No! Please, just go!”

Under the ghost bride’s desperate insistence, Ning Zhou pushed open the back door—only to come face-to-face with a group of NPCs, staring each other down. The NPCs saw a player, rolled up their sleeves, ready to work. But from inside the room, the ghost bride shouted urgently, “Stop! If you dare drag him back to me, I swear I’ll quit right here!”

The NPCs looked at each other, bewildered, and then pulled back, giving Ning Zhou the way out.

[And so, that night, the escape room industry bore witness to the bloody legend of “One Mr. Ning.”]
[Ning Zhou is absolutely blacklisted from this place. /grin/]
[Others: I escaped! Ning Zhou: I was escorted out.]
[The moral of the story: playing volleyball wards off evil.]
[Lmao—this show is supposed to be a horror survival variety, but it’s just a comedy in disguise.]

…

All the exits of the escape rooms converged into a single lounge. The other four team members had already finished their challenges and were waiting there.

“Strange. Ning Zhou’s been inside a while, but there’s no scream from him?” Zeng Yunsheng tilted his head, muttering. “Instead, I heard a few other voices shouting…”

Fu Binhong leaned back with his eyes closed: “Probably not that scary inside.”

“Impossible!” Zeng Yunsheng insisted. “Even I was terrified in a medium-level room. Could Ning Zhou have already fainted from fear?”

Yu Tong waved his hand, “If he fainted, the staff would’ve intervened. Don’t worry—since it’s so quiet, he must be fine.”

“Exactly. Maybe he’s like me—naturally not afraid of these things!” Tong Rong comforted.

Click!

The door marked “MAX Difficulty” swung open. Ning Zhou poked his head out, saw his teammates, and sighed in relief, “Looks like they weren’t lying. The exit really is over here…”

“Ning Zhou!”

Zeng Yunsheng rushed over first, circling around him. His smile slowly faded, “How did you come out perfectly fine? Not wetting your pants, emotions stable, not even your hair messed up?”

Ning Zhou smiled lightly, “Not as hard as I thought. Along the way, people just kept pointing me toward the exit, so I walked out.”

Zeng Yunsheng: Confused.jpg

Yu Tong smirked, “You both had it easy—one had guides pointing the way, the other literally got carried out.”

Fu Binhong added fuel, “But Old Zeng was the strongest—didn’t even need to walk on his own!”

“Shut up! Say one more word and I’m gonna blow up!”

Zeng Yunsheng shoved them aside, turning back to Ning Zhou: “Who could’ve been pointing you the way? Are you serious? And those shouts we heard inside—who was that?”

Ning Zhou shook his head. He didn’t know, so the cameraman following him explained, “The NPCs.”

“The… NPCs playing ghosts were the ones screaming?” Zeng Yunsheng was even more confused. “Ning Zhou, what the hell did you do to them…”

[Threatening? Bullying? Intimidation? No—what Ning Zhou did was far crueler: he shattered the ghosts’ dignity.]
[Who would’ve thought—Ning Zhou strolled around, picked up a few NPC subordinates, and even got in some volleyball practice.]
[I bet the first thing Brother Zeng does after recording ends is pull up the livestream replay. /side-eye smile/]

At the PD’s urging, the sports team stopped chatting and lined up in front of the camera.

The PD announced the escape time rankings, “Ning Zhou’s speed in clearing the max-difficulty room was incredible! Unfortunately, Tong Rong had the shortest time overall, so Ning Zhou ranks second. By the way, Zeng Yunsheng, since you were carried out—you don’t have a record.”

Zeng Yunsheng’s eyes bulged, “That didn’t need to be mentioned!”

The others ignored him and clapped, “Congrats, Tong Rong!”

[Little Tong Rong is amazing! The smallest and yet the bravest—not afraid of ghosts, such an adorable contrast.]
[Ning Zhou went from fifth in the first round to second in the end—what an inspiring comeback. /shy/]
[Upstairs, if you hadn’t added that emoji, I might’ve believed you. /smile/]
[Live update: during episode 2, Ning Zhou’s Weibo followers shot up by over 100k.]
[Scary fan-gain rate… He’s not even an official national team player. Should Ning Zhou just switch careers?]

[He’s not switching careers. He promised me we’d play volleyball together.]

In the men’s volleyball dorm at the training center, Yu Bai carefully typed out this line. After sending it, it was quickly drowned in the sea of bullet comments, barely making a ripple…

‘Zhou Zhou, we’ll still stand on the same court one day, right?’

‘…Yeah.’

Yu Bai wanted to send another comment. But when he recalled the trembling lashes on Ning Zhou’s eyes as he’d answered, his fingers hovered over the screen, then slowly erased every word in the input box. He might never get the chance to spike a ball set by Ning Zhou again…

Yu Bai felt a little restless. Following the directions in the live comments, he went on Weibo and followed Ning Zhou’s account. There, he also saw a photo of him with Yu Tong. Yu Bai long-pressed to save the photo, confirming that Ning Zhou’s new shoes bore the Yu family logo. The corners of his lips lifted slightly—

The old connection was broken. As long as a new one was built, that was enough…

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