Chapter 26: It’s Hard Not to Let One’s Mind Wander

The haunted house wasn’t difficult to find.

In fact, it was quite eye-catching.

It was a simple three-story building, occupying a vast area, enclosed within iron fencing.

Several dark, aged trees stood nearby, their leaves scattered across the ground.

The haunted house was decorated to look like an abandoned hospital, with peeling walls. Blood-stained stretchers lay scattered in the courtyard, and tattered hospital gowns hung on the fence like fluttering flags.

Occasionally, screams could be heard from inside.

It was hard to tell if they came from visitors or were part of the haunted house’s sound effects.

Su Tian and her four companions stood at the iron gate, facing the eerie building.

Jiang Chiyu merely glanced at it before returning to sip his milk tea through a straw. His cheeks briefly puffed out like a frog’s while drinking. Su Tian noticed and pretended to fiddle with her phone to capture a photo, but he had already lazily finished his last sip and walked forward to throw the cup in a nearby trash bin.

Su Tian checked her phone sideways – the focus was off, capturing only a blue blur against the wall.

Zhou Ying looked away and swallowed, “This is… quite big.”

She turned to Han Shuo, “Is this like what you mentioned earlier?”

Han Shuo shook his head, and just as Zhou Ying sighed in relief, he added, “This is much smaller and faker than that one.”

Zhou Ying’s expression froze.

Han Shuo consoled her, “Don’t worry, all haunted houses follow the same pattern. Stay behind me, and grab my clothes if you’re scared.”

Zhou Ying nodded, “Then walk slowly, don’t leave me behind.”

As the two flirted, Su Tian looked around, hoping to find someone brave to follow. Her eyes first landed on Jiang Chiyu, who showed no signs of fear, but after a second’s consideration, she firmly looked away.

No way, she had to stay away from this psycho. Given his nastiness, he’d probably laugh when ghosts scared her.

He might even deliberately try to frighten her!

Thinking this, Su Tian shuddered and took two steps to the other side.

Her series of small movements didn’t escape Jiang Chiyu’s notice.

Jiang Chiyu raised an eyebrow, letting out a light snort, glanced at Wei Sicheng who hadn’t moved since seeing the haunted house, but said nothing.

Su Tian shifted her gaze to Wei Sicheng.

Wei Sicheng’s expression looked very serious.

“Wei Sicheng, are you afraid of ghosts?” Su Tian asked.

Wei Sicheng paused before responding expressionlessly, “…No.”

“Then I’ll follow behind you, okay?” Su Tian said.

Wei Sicheng forced a smile, sweat beading on his forehead, “Sure.”

Su Tian thought he was hot and handed him some tissues.

They discussed their formation: Han Shuo volunteered to lead under Zhou Ying’s sparkling gaze, the two girls would stay in the middle, and Jiang Chiyu and Wei Sicheng would bring up the rear.

Everyone agreed to this arrangement.

Just as they were about to enter, they heard a sky-piercing scream. A muscular-looking man came running out from the first floor, howling. He slipped and crawled a few steps due to running too fast, practically scrambling past them in panic.

After running a few steps, he patted his chest fearfully, muttering, “Oh my god, that was terrifying, never coming back again. Heavenly deities, please don’t let me have nightmares tonight.”

Then, seeming to notice the students watching him, he embarrassedly scratched his head and turned away.

Su Tian was quiet for a moment, “Just in case, let’s agree not to pretend to be ghosts to scare each other.”

She gave Jiang Chiyu a pointed look as she finished speaking.

Jiang Chiyu blinked innocently.

The others nodded in agreement.

“Let’s go in.”

They entered the courtyard in their agreed formation.

Perhaps because of the sunlight, the courtyard didn’t look scary, and the bloodstains on the ground appeared obviously fake. This helped ease their tension and reduce their fear somewhat.

“The paint smell is strong,” Han Shuo commented.

“Yeah, it’s just acrylic paint, smells awful. They could’ve used something better,” Zhou Ying pinched her nose.

Su Tian linked arms with her, carefully surveying their surroundings.

She’d only been to a haunted house once before.

Her father had taken her, but it was a childish one with large posters of monsters and ghosts on the walls. The whole house was barely ten square meters, with plastic ghost models surrounded by railings in the middle, each with an introduction plaque.

A complete tour took just one minute.

Five yuan per person, and after walking through, she felt her intelligence had been insulted.

This was her first time in such a large-scale haunted house with a set theme and background.

She looked around curiously, her curiosity temporarily exceeding her fear.

The group dawdled through the courtyard. As Han Shuo, walking in front, stepped through the hospital entrance, the floorboard suddenly creaked. Everyone, who had been chatting casually, froze at the sound.

Half their bodies were still bathed in sunlight.

Jiang Chiyu looked down, “It’s nothing, just old wooden boards.”

Han Shuo noticed too and deliberately stepped a few more times, making loud noises to dispel their fear. “It’s intentionally…”

Before he could finish, he noticed dark red marks under his feet. Moving his foot, he saw he had stepped on a bloody footprint.

Han Shuo’s expression twisted slightly.

Zhou Ying finished his sentence, “It’s just intentional effects, let’s go.”

Han Shuo nodded, stepping elsewhere. The others also unanimously avoided the bloody footprints at the entrance.

Standing last, Jiang Chiyu saw the prints, clicked his tongue lightly, and walked around them in disgust.

The hall was cold, with pale light bulbs hanging overhead providing dim illumination, creating an atmosphere completely different from the sunlit courtyard. Just standing inside was enough to send chills down one’s spine.

Only the entrance had wooden flooring, which looked like it might collapse at any moment. The hall floor was normal tile.

Because it was tile, certain marks were more visible…

Like bloody footprints, handprints, and drag marks that looked like something heavy had been pulled across the floor.

It was hard not to let one’s imagination wander.

Zhou Ying tried to lighten the mood with a forced laugh, “Did you see the introduction hanging at the entrance? It said if we find the mysterious prop and bring it to the staff, we can get a mysterious grand prize.”

Su Tian, not wanting to discourage her, casually agreed, “Yeah, wonder what the prize is.”

“Heh.”

A cold laugh suddenly came from behind.

Su Tian instinctively thought it was Jiang Chiyu and snapped, “Jiang Chiyu, can you stop being so out of place?”

She turned to glare at him, only to see Jiang Chiyu looking up at her innocently, and behind him to the side, a furry head hanging upside down.

Su Tian’s hand suddenly gripped Zhou Ying’s arm tightly. Zhou Ying cried out in pain, but before she could speak, she saw Su Tian whip her head back around, her expression completely distorted.

“What…” Zhou Ying started to turn around to look, but before she could, Su Tian shut her eyes tightly and spoke incoherently, “Don’t turn around! Quick, walk forward!!”