"Clatter, clatter."
The sound of chattering teeth.
"Did you guys hear something?" Cheng Jinyang asked with a frown.
"No, no!" Cui Jinqi clung tightly to his arm.
"Probably just the sound of rats gnawing," Xing Yuanzhi sneered.
The three of them walked down the narrow corridor, with Xing Yuanzhi, holding the flashlight given by Zheng Qiupei. She is carefully leading the way, avoiding the occasional trash and puddles on the floor.
Cheng Jinyang walked in the middle, almost dragging Cui Xiaoniang forward—she couldn't move her legs at all.
"Strange, the air quality here is actually okay. It doesn't have the dusty, stuffy feel of a sealed basement," Xing Yuanzhi said curiously as she pushed open the door to a room.
"Of course, it was recently renovated, probably with a new ventilation system installed," Cheng Jinyang laughed.
"Then could ghosts move along the ventilation ducts?" Cui Jinqi asked fearfully.
The two were silent.
"Jinqi," Cheng Jinyang said earnestly, "there are no such things as ghosts in this world."
"I never said there were," Cui Jinqi retorted stubbornly, "I just meant, what if there were? Would they move through the ventilation ducts?"
"Of course not," Xing Yuanzhi answered.
Cui Jinqi sighed in relief, then heard Xing Yuanzhi add,
"They prefer to hide, like in mirrors, behind doors, or in corners. Then, when someone walks by, they pounce on them, sucking out their life force and soul."
So Cui Xiaoniang bit her lower lip and clung to Cheng Jinyang's arm with a force that seemed like she was trying to break it.
"Yuanzhi, wait a moment." With his right arm occupied, Cheng Jinyang called out to Ah Zhi, who was about to continue ahead, "It's too dark here, let's hold onto each other so we don't get separated."
Ah, achieving the "hugging left and right" milestone.
Xing Yuanzhi frowned slightly, then took out a pair of spare gloves and tossed them to him.
Cheng Jinyang: ........
He sullenly put on the gloves and then took Xing Yuanzhi's hand.
With the gloves on, he couldn't even feel the warmth of her skin, let alone any romantic sensations.
Looking at Cui Xiaoniang clinging to his right arm, seemingly ready to hang onto him, Cheng Jinyang sighed helplessly.
Ah Zhi's cleanliness obsession really needed to be addressed, or she might lose favor in the future.
The three searched the room and finally found a photo fragment.
According to Zheng Qiupei, several fragments were hidden in the basement. Collecting all of them would form a complete photo, which could be exchanged for a reward upon leaving.
Of course, even without collecting all the pieces, they could leave directly after finding the exit. Or they could press the rescue alarm button and wait for Zheng Qiupei to come to their aid.
Cui Jinqi quickly suggested finding the exit and escaping immediately. Was there any need to collect the photos?
Xing Yuanzhi said, "We've already come this far, why not collect all the elements before leaving? If you're scared, just press the alarm and let your sister Qiupei come save you."
Naturally, Cui Xiaoniang refused. Even though she was terrified, leaving alone now would mean getting eliminated early.
Cheng Jinyang then displayed his masculinity at the right moment, saying it was okay, both of them could follow him, and he would lead them to victory!
The three left the room and headed to the next one. Although the basement was originally spacious, a greedy landlord had divided it into over ten rental rooms, a kitchen, and two communal bathrooms with walls.
Adding to that the tenants' clutter in the corners, it was almost a man-made super maze. Even without carbon monoxide poisoning, not many would escape in a fire.
After stepping over the remnants of a child's bicycle, the three found the next room. The wall at the entrance had burnt, yellowing couplets pasted on it, and the door seemed deformed, making a strained creaking sound as Xing Yuanzhi pushed it open.
"Jinyang!" Cui Jinqi suddenly trembled. "There, in that corner, it seemed like something just ran past!"
"Where? Why didn't I see anything?" Xing Yuanzhi asked suspiciously.
"It's nothing, probably just a big rat," Cheng Jinyang reassured her.
Upon hearing this, Cui Xiaoniang shook even harder, refusing to go in any further, huddling in a place whimpering, resembling Yang Wangshu when she is unmasked.
"Forget it, I'll go in," Xing Yuanzhi said helplessly.
"Be careful," Cheng Jinyang cautioned, "there might be traps or actors inside."
"If they dare to throw dirty stuff on me, I'll dismantle this haunted house!" Xing Yuanzhi declared fiercely.
Outside the haunted house's information desk, Zheng Qiupai listened to the noises inside, momentarily speechless.
Alright, it seems some mechanisms might spray water or smoke. I'll remotely deactivate all of them.
"Jinyang!" When Xing Yuanzhi entered the room, she saw Cui Jinqi holding Cheng Jinyang's arm, shaking it as if pleading. Her face turned black instantly.
Miscalculated!
This so-called timid girl from the Five Great Families looked scared but was actually using it to stay close to Jinyang. When I'm not around, she actually takes advantage!
Sensing Ah Zhi's sudden burst of terrifying aura, worse than a demon's, Cheng Jinyang hurriedly explained, "Yuanzhi! Jinqi said her heart feels uncomfortable. Shouldn't we get her out first?"
"Heart discomfort?" Xing Yuanzhi feigned urgency. "We need to get her to a doctor immediately, no! Call an ambulance! The mortality rate from sudden heart attacks is very high!"
Cui Jinqi: ?
Seeing Xing Yuanzhi already dialing her phone, Cui Jinqi quickly shook her head and said, "No need, no need! I feel fine now, it was probably just my imagination..."
"Heart issues are serious!" Xing Yuanzhi interrupted her, relentless. "Many people ignore slight discomfort at first, only to find out after a sudden heart attack that they had underlying heart problems!"
With that, she made the call. Meanwhile, Zheng Qiupei rushed out from the entrance corridor, looking horrified.
"Jinqi? What heart problem are you having, Jinqi? Should I inform Uncle Taichong?" she asked anxiously.
Using her abilities urgently, she immobilized Cui Xiaoniang and swiftly escorted her out of the haunted house.
Several minutes later, a rescue helicopter descended from the sky, carrying the bewildered Cui Jinqi away.
"I hope she's okay," Xing Yuanzhi said calmly, watching the helicopter depart.
Cheng Jinyang: ......
"Why, you seem a bit reluctant?" Xing Yuanzhi frowned slightly, smiling.
"It's not that," Cheng Jinyang quickly denied. "Actually, lately I've been feeling some discomfort in my heart too, occasionally feeling chest tightness..."
"That's from overexertion in exercise. Ask Li Qingwan for a few days off to rest." Xing Yuanzhi said expressionlessly.