Chapter 105: The Mute Stone Silkworm

At that awkward moment, Stone Silkworm placed a plate of food in front of Luo Hanya. Luo chuckled awkwardly, muttering that he was starving, thanked him, and then devoured the meal with unrestrained gusto, completely ignoring Man Luo sitting beside him, who was staring daggers at him.

Originally, Luo Hanya was just pretending, but unexpectedly, the script came with a palpable hunger. Once he relaxed, his stomach truly began to protest. Moreover, the food before him looked genuinely appetizing: a meat dish, a vegetable dish, and a soup—each vibrant in color, rich in flavor, and imbued with a subtle artistry.

The vegetable dish was a tender, vividly fresh “Three Delicacies of the Earth”—ordinary eggplant, green pepper, and potato, enhanced with some coastal ingredients. The glossy eggplant and chili, paired with the golden, enticing potatoes, blended perfectly, intensifying the flavor of the green pepper, warming Luo’s stomach and whetting his appetite. The meat dish was a seaweed and fish belly hand roll. Chopped fresh fish belly wrapped in tender seaweed, without any other seasoning, perfectly showcased the fish's savory aroma, mingled with the seaweed’s fresh fragrance—a rare delicacy in the world. Finally, the soup was the crowning touch: a simple, elegant oyster broth, rich and fragrant, nourishing and soothing to the stomach, fresh without being greasy.

Luo Hanya ate heartily, unable to resist exclaiming his delight. Within minutes, he finished everything, greedily licking his lips, and turned to Stone Silkworm. “Did you cook all this?”

Stone Silkworm remained silent, merely nodding.

“Thank you. You’re an excellent cook,” Luo said sincerely.

Stone Silkworm’s grotesque, fearsome face trembled, his unusually large right eye widening. Luo smiled, sensing a complex array of emotions in that gaze—bitterness, sorrow, confusion, and even a hint of gratitude.

Luo patted Stone Silkworm on the shoulder wordlessly and silently gave him a thumbs-up.

“Mute! Aren’t you going to clear the dishes?” Man Luo suddenly said coldly.

Stone Silkworm snapped awake, casting a terrified glance at Man Luo, and hurriedly began clearing the table, fumbling so nervously he almost dropped a plate. Luo caught it just in time, handed it back, and sat down slowly, smiling as he asked Man Luo, “Don’t you know which room I’m staying in?”

Man Luo kept his stern expression, glancing sideways at Luo Hanya and said sharply, “You haven’t checked in yet. What room?”

“Then please, ‘innkeeper,’ register me!” Luo said flatly, no longer bothering to pretend, his face expressionless.

After a short while, Man Luo pulled out a yellowed, worn registration form from a drawer.

“There you go.”

The form looked ancient, exuding a faint musty odor, like a devil’s contract.

“Just a signature?”

“Yeah.”

“Why are there no other names on this form?”

“Heh.”

“Why?”

“You just need to sign. If you want to stay, don’t waste time with nonsense!” Man Luo scolded Luo Hanya with an air of impunity.

Luo knew Man Luo held all the power now, so he decisively wrote two characters on the form—“Ba Ba.”

“Ba Ba... is that your name?” Man Luo’s eyes flickered with suspicion.

Luo Hanya was already laughing inwardly.

“Stone Silkworm, take this... guest to his room,” Man Luo paused, seeming to understand something. He looked at the keys and finally handed an old-fashioned key to Stone Silkworm. “Room 13 on the second floor.”

Luo was taken aback. “Why this room number?”

“Are you afraid of thirteen?” Man Luo stared coldly into Luo’s eyes.

“No, no, I just wanted to ask what day of the week it is.”

“Friday. Why?”

“N-nothing...” Luo grinned awkwardly, cursing inwardly.

Though Luo wasn’t superstitious about the number thirteen and usually dismissed such nonsense as foreign superstition irrelevant to him, this was no ordinary setting—it was a nightmare script steeped in the supernatural. Friday the 13th—an ominous, black Friday of foreign origin—was dangerous, brutal, and troublesome. Man Luo had clearly noticed Luo’s little trick and deliberately assigned him this room on this day.

Stone Silkworm nodded and motioned Luo to follow him toward the stairs.

Just then, Man Luo’s voice echoed behind them, “Sir, remember not to open the windows at midnight, and don’t wander outside at night.”

“Okay...” Luo replied, dragging out the word, barely paying attention.

Stone Silkworm carried the kerosene lamp, its dim yellow light flickering on the stairs as they moved between darkness and light. Aside from the lamp’s glow, everything was shrouded in darkness, broken only by the steady sound of breathing and the creaking of the wooden floor beneath their feet.

Turning a corner, they reached the second-floor corridor. Stone Silkworm led the way, the small beam of light wavering like a guide through the underworld, leading lost souls deeper into unknown darkness.

Perhaps because of the overwhelming darkness and lack of landmarks, the corridor seemed endless to Luo. Stone Silkworm vanished, leaving only the lamp’s glow to guide him.

“Sir, why have you come here?” The sudden voice startled Luo, who instinctively searched for its source, only to find himself engulfed in absolute darkness— the lamp was gone too...

Luo took a deep breath, standing firm as a mountain. He softly called out, “Stone Silkworm, are you there?”

“Sir, I’ve been right ahead of you,” came a voice nearby. Stone Silkworm, still hunched, held the lamp.

“You... can suddenly speak?”

“Why not?” Stone Silkworm slowly turned, bringing the lamp close to his face. “Sir, I’m perfectly normal...”

The dim light illuminated Stone Silkworm’s face, already terrifying, now resembling a demon. Even more eerie, new silkworm-like growths sprouted from each tumor on his face, multiplying into countless silkworms all asking in overlapping voices that pierced Luo’s ears: “Sir, do you think I’m normal?”

“Normal! Very normal!” Luo forced a smile. “You’re just a normal person.”

Stone Silkworm looked deeply into Luo’s right eye and slowly faded into the darkness...

Luo exhaled sharply and took a step forward—only to bump into something.

He focused and saw a familiar figure standing before him. “Stone Silkworm? How did you suddenly appear here?”

Stone Silkworm gave a puzzled look at Luo, uttering sounds and gesturing, as if asking why Luo bumped into him.

“Sorry, I was distracted,” Luo said with a smile, concealing everything that had just happened as if nothing unusual had occurred.

Stone Silkworm paid no mind, instead fumbling at a door. The sound of a key turning in the lock followed, and the door opened—this was room thirteen.

Stone Silkworm gestured Luo inside to rest, then slowly stepped back out, pausing to glance once more at Luo.

Suddenly, Luo noticed something flicker in Stone Silkworm’s eye—something indescribable that made his heart skip a beat.

…