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墨書 Inktalez
At the end of 2014, I found myself playing the role of a third wheel for the first time in my life.
I have a friend named Marlon, who is about my age and comes from a well-off family. He belongs to that type of person who only needs to take care of himself. Although he was already in his late twenties, he had neither settled down nor even had a girlfriend, which made his mother unhappy. At the beginning of the year, she told him, "Alon, your mission this year isn't to find a good job or to earn a lot of money. I'm not pushing you to get married, but at least find a decent girlfriend to bring home for us to meet."
He nodded and said, "Okay, Mom, no problem." But as the New Year approached, he still had no leads on a girlfriend. It wasn't that he lacked the qualities; he simply claimed that he wasn't mature enough and didn't want to hurt any girl. In reality, he just hadn't had enough fun yet.
That morning, around eight o'clock, I had just finished my early class when he rang my doorbell. He lived quite far from me; it took about forty minutes to an hour by car. I was puzzled as to why he was coming over so early. After I let him in, he immediately said, "Come on, you're going with me on a blind date today."
Upon hearing this, I instinctively wanted to refuse. Before I could say anything, he pushed me out the door while saying, "My mom arranged this for me; I have no choice. Please help me out. I haven't met this girl before, and I'm worried it will be awkward. Having someone else there would be helpful—please!"
I broke free from his grip and said, "No way. If you're going on a blind date, you should treat it seriously. Bringing someone along is just disrespectful. Since your mom set this up for you, at least show some respect for the other person. Stop acting so nonchalant; it's not right."
After my lecture, he replied, "But Xiaohé is bringing her friend too! To make my social circle look healthy and vibrant, I've thought about it and realized you're the only one who can help me achieve that."
"I'm not going; why should I help you?"
"I'll cover all expenses—order whatever you want! I'll handle transportation and even five meals."
"Wait a minute; let me change into something else—two minutes." After saying that, I turned around and dashed into my bedroom to quickly change into an outfit that looked healthy and vibrant. "Let's go, bro! We're friends; don't say such cheesy things next time. Hurry up; we don't want to keep the girl waiting."
When we arrived at the agreed restaurant, the girl hadn't shown up yet. Marlon and I sat by the window watching pedestrians outside as he kept pointing at people passing by saying, "Could that be her? No way that's her." After a while, he remembered that the girl had sent him a message saying her friend couldn't make it and she'd arrive in ten minutes instead. Watching him fidgeting nervously, I said, "Since she's coming alone now, I won't be a third wheel anymore. When she calls you later, I'll just sit at another table nearby and start my own thing—good luck!"
He nodded without arguing because there was no point in doing so at that moment.
A few minutes later, the girl arrived. They introduced themselves but quickly fell into an awkward silence. Her name was Xiaohé; she was twenty-three years old and had just graduated from college a year ago. She had an average demeanor and appearance—nothing particularly striking about her looks or figure. She belonged to that category of girls whose beauty only becomes apparent once you get to know them better. Given their similar backgrounds and qualities, she seemed like an appropriate match for Marlon since his own attributes were also quite ordinary.
It was a Western restaurant, with booths. I sat at a table behind Marlon, and since the restaurant was quiet and there weren't many people at that time, I could hear their conversation quite clearly.
After they introduced themselves to each other, there was a moment of silence. Marlon wasn't a shy person, and it was clear that the girl wasn't introverted either. They just didn't seem to hit it off, so after their introductions, they fell silent. When the food arrived and I was about to start eating, the girl suddenly spoke up: "Hey, Marlon, can I ask you something? How do you see your own position after two people get married?"
Marlon chewed on a piece of steak and replied, "Marrying an ancestor and giving birth to a father, my position is that of a grandson."
"Ha ha, you're so funny," the girl laughed happily, clearly pleased with his answer. I wanted to tell her that this grandson had silently added: Only a fool would want to get married. But she couldn't hear that.
Once the topic opened up, they began chatting happily. I didn't intentionally listen in on their conversation, but the girl's voice was clear and pure, which added to her charm. Marlon had told me he was somewhat of an auditory person himself.
By the time they finished their meal, it was evident they were enjoying each other's company and even felt like they had met too late. As they discussed going to play an escape room after dinner, I thought my task was done and I could leave when Marlon came over and pulled me up from my seat, saying: "Xiao He, this is my friend Liu X. You said you were bringing your best friend along, so I invited him to join me. Later on, he didn't want to be a third wheel alone, so he just ate by himself."
I smiled and said, "Hello Xiao He, I'm being forced into this. Since you two are getting along so well, I'll take my leave now. Have fun!" With that, I started to walk away; in situations like this, it's best to slip away if possible.
Seeing me about to leave, both Xiao He and Marlon seemed reluctant to let me go. Marlon said, "Come on, let's all go play together." Xiao He chimed in: "Yeah, come play with us! My best friend will join us later too. If you leave now, she'll really be a third wheel. Plus, it won't be fun for just two of us in the escape room."
"What escape room?" I asked in confusion.
Xiao He replied: "The Live Escape Room! It's where they lock us in a room and we have to use our wits to solve various puzzles and mechanisms to get out."
"Sounds exciting! Let's go," I said. Although I wanted to ask if her best friend was pretty, I held back because I considered myself a mature and composed man.
After Marlon settled the bill, we all got into his car and headed toward the escape room they had planned to visit.
On the way there, Xiao He asked from the back seat: "Do you know why women in ancient times bound their feet?"
I was about to explain that it was because small feet were considered beautiful back then—known as the Three-Inch Golden Lotus—and it was an important aesthetic standard of that era. However, Marlon driving the car simply said: "Because they were afraid they'd go out shopping and spend money recklessly."
I pondered for a moment and said, "Oh, I see. Now I understand why modern women no longer bind their feet; it must be because of Taobao. Binding feet has become pointless."
Marlon nodded and replied seriously, "Exactly, that's the reason."
In less than half an hour, we arrived at the store. In the reception area, there was already a girl waiting for us; she was likely Xiaohua's close friend. To sum up her qualities in three words: quite impressive.
After exchanging greetings, we learned that the girl was named Xiaoyuan. She had a great personality—confident and poised. Compared to my shy demeanor, she was refreshingly direct.
The boss came over to introduce us to various themes, mentioning there were horror-themed rooms, pure escape rooms, and puzzle-solving rooms. He asked which one we wanted to try and handed us a brochure containing brief descriptions of each theme for us to peruse. Each introduction sounded intriguing, making us eager to play. After some discussion, we ultimately chose the horror theme. I initially hesitated, but when I saw a zombie in the brochure with a talisman on its forehead—an authentic Soul Binding Talisman that I was very familiar with—I couldn't help but wonder why they would use such a genuine item in an entertainment venue. Wouldn't that pose some risks? Driven by curiosity, I agreed to try the horror theme, which was titled "The Internal Affairs Office Has Ghosts."
The store was run by a young couple; the boss's surname was Liu, and he was part of our subscription group. He was very nice, and the couple seemed very affectionate towards each other. However, after a certain incident, they closed their shop down willingly. I remember when we decided to play this theme, Boss Liu looked uneasy and suggested that it might not be a good idea to proceed with it.
His suggestion made everyone even more reluctant; Marlon insisted repeatedly that it would be fine. "What's wrong with it? It's just horror! We have experts here; just let us in." After about ten minutes of negotiation, Boss Liu finally relented and allowed us to play.
During the discussion, I sensed Boss Liu's concerns; he felt that the Yin Qi in that theme was too heavy. Sometimes while setting up props inside, he experienced discomfort. Yet being an atheist himself created a conflict within him, leading him to give us that advice. Ultimately unable to withstand our persistent requests, he agreed for us to proceed with that theme.
The game was innovative and immersive. Once everything was settled, we began the game, which lasted for an hour. Before entering, we had to store away all our belongings; nothing was allowed inside.
Inside was pitch black; only two flashlights were hidden in the secret room for the four of us. We lined up one by one with blindfolds on, placing our hands on each other's shoulders as Boss Liu guided us in. The entrance led through a long corridor ending at a small door about one meter high that required us to bend down to enter. Once inside, the temperature dropped significantly, creating an eerie atmosphere accompanied by ominous music as Boss Liu began narrating the background story of the theme.
"In the Qing Dynasty, there was a powerful eunuch named Li Lianying who amassed wealth through unscrupulous means and committed countless atrocities," Boss Liu's cheerful voice introduced the story's background. Essentially, this place was Li Lianying's Internal Affairs Office; although he had died, grave robbers later opened his tomb only to find a headless corpse inside. Now we were in his Internal Affairs Office filled with traps; his restless spirit lingered here. We had one hour to escape this place or risk being haunted by his vengeful spirit.
After sharing this background story, Boss Liu exited the secret room. With his signal that the game had begun, the door locked from the outside while leaving behind a walkie-talkie for emergency use—only one chance for help available. The moment the door closed behind us, we could remove our blindfolds and start our escape.
As soon as we took off our blindfolds, we found ourselves enveloped in darkness—not just dark but eerily silent as well. Our first task was to locate a light source—the two flashlights—but before we could find them, I sensed something unsettling about this secret room.
When we entered, there were five of us, but after Boss left, we were down to four. Due to my profession, I am particularly sensitive to darkness. It was daytime, and although the interior was well sealed, I could still vaguely see the outlines of people. I could clearly sense that there were four figures inside besides myself. But since there were only four of us, I had no idea who the extra figure was. Could this be part of the game setting, with an NPC lurking inside?
"I found it," came Marlon's voice, followed by a beam of light that illuminated the room, instantly clarifying the scene. The room's decor was bizarre. All the walls were covered in black wallpaper, including the door. To the right as you entered was an altar, also wrapped in black wallpaper. On the altar were two red candles, a plaque, and an incense burner. Above the altar hung a black-and-white Memorial Photo of Empress Dowager Cixi. The walls were adorned with various Portraits of emperors from the Qing Dynasty. Each Portrait had a brief introduction detailing the emperor's birth and death years, among other things. There was also a cabinet in the room and a door, both secured with combination locks.
Listening to the eerie music and observing this oppressive environment made the three of them feel somewhat uneasy. They each expressed their thoughts separately. However, to me, it seemed like merely a set design; there was nothing terrifying about it. The only unsettling thing was that strange figure that had abruptly vanished when we initially couldn't find the Flashlight. That disappearance was not something a human could mimic. I was familiar with that feeling; it definitely wasn't human. After confirming this thought in my mind, I chose not to voice it because so far, it hadn't done anything outrageous. Many players must have come before us.
While they searched for clues, I began examining those talismans. They all bore the same symbol: the Confinement Talisman. The talisman’s head and body—Gathering Footprints—were very clear, and the Talisman itself seemed stable. If these were indeed drawn by a Taoist priest, then this talisman was effective and not just a simple prop. I wondered whether Boss had intentionally created these talismans or if they had stumbled upon them by chance.
Seeing me lost in thought while staring at the talisman, Xiao He asked if I was okay or if I had been scared silly. I snapped back to reality and chuckled lightly, saying, "No, no! So what about you guys? Have you found any clues?"
Marlon replied to Xiao He: "You think he could be scared by this place? You're joking! Even if you put him in a graveyard for a night, he wouldn't lose any sleep over it. Do you believe that?"
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