For the first time, Su Lin realized that despite Lin Xiaowan's seemingly delicate appearance, she possessed surprisingly strong wrist strength. Had his body not been enhanced, he believed his arm would have been sore for days from her grip.
After traversing several rooms, they finally reached what was referred to as the ancestral hall.
"Su Lin, why is there a breeze in this ancestral hall? Isn't it a sealed room? How can there be wind inside?" Lin Xiaowan's hair stood on end from the cold draft. Although she knew it was all fake, she couldn't help but feel scared.
Su Lin comforted her, saying, "Don't worry about those things. Just remember it's all fake. Keep muttering 'it's fake, it's fake' to yourself, and you won't be scared when you see these things."
Lin Xiaowan glanced at the rows of spiritual tablets, feeling a chill in her heart. She hurriedly followed Su Lin's advice, muttering to herself, "Fake, it's all fake, they're just props. Don't be afraid, Lin Xiaowan, it's all fake~!!!"
Su Lin found Lin Xiaowan's constant muttering adorable. He lamented not having a smartphone at this moment.
"Let's go, we need to put the tablet back in its place," he said.
Lin Xiaowan stood still, unwilling to move, and clung to Su Lin's arm, shaking it twice. "There must be a trap. Su Lin, you go and return it."
With some resignation, Su Lin nodded, "Alright, you stay here and don't move. I'll go put it back."
"Okay, hurry up, Su Lin."
"Alright~!"
Su Lin took the tablet and walked over. Lin Xiaowan watched him intently, worried that something like before might happen. However, when Su Lin placed the tablet back, nothing happened.
Lin Xiaowan was surprised and somewhat annoyed. Why did nothing happen when Su Lin did it, yet she encountered a terrifying event when she tried to take the tablet?
Just then, a hoarse voice of an old man sounded behind Lin Xiaowan. "Young man, thank you for returning my son's tablet. To thank you, I want to give you a treasure map that I've kept for many years."
Hearing the voice, Lin Xiaowan instinctively turned around. An old man with a tattered lantern had appeared behind her without her noticing. "Ah~!!!"
Startled, Lin Xiaowan stamped her feet on the spot. Then, she remembered what Su Lin had told her: it's all fake. "Fake, it's all fake," she muttered to herself. It's all props, just props."
"Why are they always trying to scare me, even the props? I've had enough!" With that, Lin Xiaowan swiftly kicked out, performing a flirtatious leg kick towards the old man.
"Xiaowan, no....."
"Ow~!!!"
A scream echoed in the room. The old man dropped his lantern and clutched his lower body, hopping on the spot in pain. His hunched posture looked even more terrifying to Lin Xiaowan.
"Su Lin... there's a ghost, a ghost!" she exclaimed.
Before Su Lin could react, Lin Xiaowan had already run to him, jumping into his arms and tightly wrapping her legs around his thighs. "There's a ghost, a real ghost this time, Su Lin~!!!"
Su Lin looked at the staff member with a helpless expression. Lin Xiaowan's kick had not been light. The man's reaction made Su Lin instinctively tighten his legs. He never knew that Lin Xiaowan, usually so mild-mannered and non-confrontational, could be so fierce.
He comforted her, patting her back, "It's not real, not a ghost. He's just a staff member here to give us a clue."
But Lin Xiaowan wasn't listening. "A ghost... Su Lin, a ghost."
With no other choice, Su Lin, holding Lin Xiaowan, approached the staff member. "I'm sorry, brother. Xiaowan didn't mean it."
The old man gave a pained smile, "That was quite a harsh kick, ouch~!!!"
Su Lin sighed, empathizing with the pain. He took out two hundred yuan from his pocket and handed it to the old man. "I'm sorry, Xiaowan really didn't mean it. Consider this money as compensation for your trouble."
Five minutes later, Su Lin and Lin Xiaowan were escorted out of the escape room by the staff. Lin Xiaowan clung to Su Lin until they reached the sunlight. "Your legs are too tight; it's hard to walk," Su Lin remarked.
Outside, a crowd was watching them. Su Lin patted Lin Xiaowan's back, "We're out now, Xiaowan. It's over, no more ghosts."
Realizing they were the center of attention, Lin Xiaowan quickly jumped off Su Lin.
"The girl didn't cry, and she's so pretty."
"Why do you care if she's pretty? Got a crush?"
"No way, she has a boyfriend. My crush wouldn't matter."
"So you mean you would have a crush if she didn't have a boyfriend?"
"That's not what I meant..."
"What did you mean then?"
"...."
Lin Xiaowan, feeling embarrassed, quickly walked away with Su Lin, still holding his hand. Finally, she let go, turned to him fiercely, and said, "Su Lin, you did that on purpose. I'm not talking to you anymore."
Su Lin protested his innocence, "You're blaming me unfairly. How could I know the first challenge would be this intense? And that poor guy, you kicked him so hard. He was still in pain when we left."
His explanation only made Lin Xiaowan angrier. "You didn't tell me he was real."
"I wanted to, but you screamed and kicked before I could say anything."
Lin Xiaowan sobbed, "My reputation is ruined because of you."
Su Lin comforted her, "How can it be ruined? I actually found you very cute today. It's just a pity we got kicked out after just one task and didn't get any clues."
"We must be the only players ever to be kicked out by the staff."
Su Lin chuckled, "That's not true. I read online about a couple who actually beat up the staff."
"Really? You're not lying?"
He nodded, "Absolutely true. The guy saw his girlfriend scared and crying, got angry thinking someone was playing a prank, and ended up beating up the staff member, costing him a lot of money."
At the mention of compensation, Lin Xiaowan felt guilty. "Su Lin, how much did you pay? I'll repay you."
Su Lin laughed, "Why would I want your money? I invited you out, so it's my responsibility to pay."
Lin Xiaowan pouted,"'Hmph! As if you just wanted to take me out because you just wanted to laugh at me."
Su Lin quickly reassured her, "No, that's not true."
Lin Xiaowan stared into his eyes, trying to read his intentions. Su Lin kept his composure, not letting on that he indeed wanted to see her reaction and deepen their relationship.
"Hmph, I don't believe you."