Her Rose – Chapter 66

Jiang Xinyue was silenced by the sudden jolt, losing the will to spread her unwelcome absurdities.

The others in the car, sensing the tense atmosphere, dared not speak. The group of six drove into the heart of the new city district in complete silence.

The haunted house Jiang Xinyue mentioned, occupying a standalone plot in this prime real estate, was naturally quite famous.

Though called a haunted house, from the outside, it looked more like a bar or some other den of vice. After all, in the new city district, one had to have an exterior that matched the city’s image.

The pointed, castle-like building had been deliberately aged to give it a somewhat ancient look, but the ubiquitous neon lights lent this antiquity a sense of modern absurdity.

A giant, flashing sign was mounted on the heavy wooden main door—the straightforward name “Horror Live Experience Hall” only further highlighted the operator’s confidence in their business.

As a well-known profligate, Cheng Ying had actually heard people talk about this haunted house. It was said to be so realistic that people had been scared to the point of incontinence, which was why you had to sign a liability waiver to enter.

But she had little interest in such things. No horror could compare to what she had actually experienced. The so-called “live experience” was merely a matter of more mature technology, which couldn’t hold a candle to the realism of a world simulated by an Intelligent Brain directly controlling a person’s neural pathways.

Thus, she had rejected several invitations. She never expected to end up here through a strange twist of fate.

The two Omegas who came with Jiang Xinyue had probably not been to the new city district often, and they let out low gasps of admiration.

These gasps restored a bit of Jiang Xinyue’s confidence. Having been quiet for the whole ride, she was now puffed up again, saying with a smug look, “Never seen anything like it, have you? It’s really hard to get a reservation for this haunted house. I had a tough time getting these three tickets myself. You’re in for a treat today.” After speaking, she shot a provocative glance at Cheng Ying. “From what sister-in-law said earlier, you wanted to play too. Sorry, I only have these few tickets, so I can’t invite you today.”

So what if you don’t invite us? We were forced to bring you here in the first place. Why do you make it sound like we’re desperate for your tickets? Xiao Xiao rolled her eyes. To her surprise, Cheng Ying didn’t seem offended at all. Instead, she smoothly unbuckled her seatbelt.

“We’re already here. Maybe it’s not crowded today, and they have tickets available,” the Alpha said, looking quite interested as she got out of the car first.

Jiang Xinyue snorted. “It’s useless even if you go in. The reservations here are booked for a month. How could there possibly be tickets?”

No one responded to her. The six of them walked up the old stone steps in front of the haunted house. The solid wood door seemed to sense their approach, letting out a heavy creak as it slowly swung open.

The lobby on the first floor was decorated in the style of a medieval tavern. A wide, solid wood bar stretched across the room under dim, yellow lights. The shelves behind it held not alcohol, but a series of active display screens showing surveillance footage from various scenes in the haunted house.

The screens were not muted. The screams of various groups of people continuously echoed from them, instantly adding a gloomy and terrifying aura to the already less-than-sunny lobby.

Perhaps because most of the visitors had already entered, the lobby was now quite empty, with only a few scattered people standing at the counter choosing their attractions. Only a single staff member dressed as a waiter stood at the entrance.

The two girls huddled closer to each other and whispered weakly, “Why does it feel like we’ve time-traveled?”

Jiang Xinyue, like a victorious rooster, strode to the front and slapped the three tickets she had prepared into the hands of an approaching staff member. “Three people, get us set up, quickly!”

She deliberately emphasized the word “three,” and after speaking, she cast a triumphant glance at Cheng Ying, who had fallen back to stand with Jiang Hanguang.

Cheng Ying just shrugged, a nonchalant smile on her face.

However, the staff member did not, as Jiang Xinyue had expected, immediately and respectfully usher her in. His eye, behind a monocle, swept over the tickets before he looked up and said deferentially, “I’m sorry, but these three are all special-price tickets. We have a rule that we do not admit customers with special-price tickets during peak hours.”

“What?!” Being contradicted like this in front of everyone, Jiang Xinyue’s already fragile self-esteem shattered instantly. She jumped up and pointed at the man, shouting, “What do you mean by that? Do I look like I need to save a few bucks and buy special-price tickets? A doorman dares to talk to me like that? Get your manager out here.”

Her shouting immediately drew the gazes of the few people at the counter, who started pointing and whispering about their group. It was highly unlikely they were saying anything good.

The others lowered their heads in shame. Jiang Hanguang wanted to step forward and pull her sister away, but Cheng Ying held her hand.

Cheng Ying had originally wanted to let Jiang Xinyue embarrass herself a little longer, but now she was truly speechless. This person was like a plague; not content with making a fool of herself, she had to drag everyone else down with her. Even with her thick skin, Cheng Ying was starting to feel embarrassed, yet the perpetrator still acted as if she were completely in the right. What kind of terrible family environment could produce such a giant baby who, despite being utterly useless, thought she was the center of the universe?

The staff at a high-end haunted house like this were naturally not the type to be defeated by a customer’s tantrum. He gave a signal to the counter, and two burly security guards immediately stepped forward, ready to throw the troublemaker out.

“Wait a moment,” Cheng Ying said, walking to the front of the group. She slapped away Jiang Xinyue’s pointing finger and handed over a black card, smiling. “See if this will work.”

The moment the staff member saw the card, his eyes lit up. He immediately became respectful. “So you are a member of the Pleasure Club. We have scenes specially reserved for your esteemed members. You can follow me to the VIP room to make your selection.”

Cheng Ying waved her hand dismissively. “No need to choose. There are six of us. Just arrange something suitable.”

“Yes, then please wait here for a moment. I’ll go have it arranged right away.” The staff member bowed politely and hurried toward the counter, cradling the card.

Seeing his careful and excited demeanor, it was as if he were holding not a thin card, but a handful of real gold coins.

Jiang Xinyue stood frozen on the spot, a living embodiment of a buffoon. Cheng Ying smiled and patted her on the shoulder. “If you’re out of money, you can borrow from your sister-in-law. I may not be as rich as your ex-brother-in-law, but I’m still better off than you. Taking people out on special-price tickets… how are you supposed to win anyone over if you’re always so thoughtless?”

Without waiting for a reply, she walked back to Jiang Hanguang’s side.

The two girls, who had thought their trip was a bust, now looked at Cheng Ying’s cool, novel-protagonist-like move with stars in their eyes. They immediately turned their heads and said, “Boss Cheng is so amazing! What kind of card is that?”

But the Alpha they were questioning just waved her hand at them as if shooing away children. “You’re just kids, don’t ask so many questions.”

“Oh.” The two girls turned back, disappointed.

Just as Cheng Ying had shooed away the two kids, a woman’s smiling voice reached her ear. “Boss Cheng is so amazing. So, what kind of card is it?”

When Cheng Ying turned her head, Jiang Hanguang had already quickly backed away. Only the faint warmth by her ear and the smile on the woman’s lips proved that what had just happened was not her imagination.

Jiang Hanguang was the type who would feel embarrassed herself after teasing someone. So, after being stared at by Cheng Ying for three seconds, a blush crept up the woman’s fair ears, and she stole a glance at her.

That one glance was almost too much for Cheng Ying. The two had just been intimate in the break room not long ago, and the feel of Jiang Hanguang’s skin still lingered on her lips. Now, swept by the woman’s timid and shy gaze, she felt hungry again—spiritually hungry.

So Cheng Ying grabbed Jiang Hanguang’s hand just as she was about to flee in a panic, leaned in to kiss her earlobe, and murmured in her ear.

“It’s just a society started by a bunch of guys who like to seek thrills for no reason. We get priority for all sorts of entertainment in the new city district. But now that I have you, I don’t need it anymore. When we get it back later, you can have it, okay?”

Jiang Hanguang didn’t know which was more embarrassing: the fact that Cheng Ying was now too preoccupied with her to care about having fun, or the way she looked like she was handing over her salary card to promise she wouldn’t fool around outside. In the end, she could only give her a reproachful look and mouth two words.

“No.”

In high spirits after teasing her lover, Cheng Ying paid no mind to the rejection, smiling as she held Jiang Hanguang’s hand while they waited to enter.

Anyway, she had plenty of ways to make Jiang Hanguang accept it.

No matter how incompetent that group of profligates was in other areas, they were, without exception, very serious when it came to entertainment. The Pleasure Card was indeed effective. Less than three minutes after the staff member had run off, he returned with several other staff members. Dressed just like him, they said respectfully, “Guests, please follow me.”

The six of them took a direct elevator. The sign on it read: “Room 103—The Red-Clothed Female Ghost Massacre Case.”

The name was still so direct that just looking at it could give one an ominous feeling.

The two girls, who had been excited earlier, were now inevitably apprehensive. “It’s not going to be too scary, is it?”

Jiang Xinyue, who had been silent for a long time after being put down by Cheng Ying, now appeared full of confidence again. “Don’t worry. I’ve been to more haunted houses than you’ve ever seen. Stick with me later, and you’ll be fine.”

Is that so?

A mysterious smile touched the corner of Cheng Ying’s lips.

She hoped her dear sister-in-law would still be this confident when they came out.

The elevator opened, and a cold wind blew in. The view that greeted them was completely different from the scene downstairs. It was an ancient Chinese-style decor. Amidst the carved beams and painted rafters of red wood, a crimson lamp sat on a wooden table in the center of the room.

A monotonous system voice sounded, “All participants, please sit at the table and place your hands on the soul-guiding lamp. It will decide the roles you will play in this story.”

Constrained by the gloomy and ghostly atmosphere, no one spoke. They silently sat at the table and placed their hands on the lamp.

“Close your eyes and do not open them, or the story will end immediately.”

In the complete darkness, Cheng Ying felt her arms being lifted. The movements were gentle and respectful; it must be the staff here.

So she didn’t struggle, allowing them to lead her to a room. Someone else came to put several layers of clothing on her, change her shoes, and finally, place a pair of cold glasses on her face.

It was a game, after all. They couldn’t possibly strip the guests naked to change their clothes, so the garments were just worn over their own.

Cheng Ying was led to another room. She sniffed the air and caught the rotten smell of earth.

The staff left without a word. A moment later, a mournful female voice, accompanied by a sorrowful ancient melody, began to sing slowly.

“At the age of fifteen, her soul returned to the west, her resentment lingers, finally turning into a ghost.”

The originally peaceful voice suddenly became shrill, scraping against Cheng Ying’s eardrums along with the sudden noisy static from the speakers.

“Those who wronged me will pay with their blood!”

A red light flashed before her eyes, followed by an old man’s voice. “The story goes that Miss Li of the Li family hanged herself in her boudoir. For some unknown reason, the Li family hastily buried her in the mass grave outside the city. If the murderer is not found, in three days, the young miss will turn into a vengeful ghost and slaughter the entire Li family!”

A system prompt sounded in her ear, “Open your eyes.”

Cheng Ying slowly opened her eyes and saw that she was dressed as a Taoist priest in bright yellow robes, standing in the middle of a graveyard. A solitary half-moon hung in the sky, and eerie, mournful wails echoed with the howling cold wind.

In front of her was a dug-up tomb, in which a bright red coffin lay askew.

Cheng Ying: “…”

Did I come here to exorcise a ghost?

Before she could carefully observe her surroundings, a staff member playing a gravedigger, covered in dirt, timely sidled up to her. “Master, the coffin is down. Do you think we should start covering it with soil now?”

“Hold on, let me get this straight.” Cheng Ying waved her hand and pointed at herself. “Who am I?”

The staff member: “…”

Their haunted house’s special effects and sets were top-notch. Even a seasoned haunted house enthusiast would be scared to death upon opening their eyes to find themselves in a mass grave. Was this customer’s nerve made of steel?

But since she asked, he had no choice but to answer. “Master, you must be exhausted from performing the ritual. You are the Yin-Yang Master our lord invited to perform the rites for the young miss.”

So I really am an exorcist, Cheng Ying thought.

It seemed her task for this stage was to bury this Miss Li and then regroup with the others.

But every scene in a haunted house usually had clues. So she just waved her hand. “The hour has not yet come. I’ll look around some more.”

Then the staff member watched as this steely-nerved young lady began to search around, completely oblivious to the fact that she was in a graveyard.

Cheng Ying first checked her pockets and successfully found a small booklet with yellowed pages in one of them.

The front of the booklet was filled with unimportant and hard-to-understand Taoist jargon, which she skipped right over. Finally, on the last page, she found something useful.

A red circle was drawn around a line of crooked characters.

“Painting the coffin vermilion can prevent the fierce ghost from rising.”

Probably fearing she wouldn’t understand, a note was thoughtfully added below: A newly deceased woman who had lost her chastity has extremely heavy yin energy, making it very easy for her to turn into a vengeful ghost.

Lost her chastity…

Cheng Ying squatted down to look at the offerings on the grave mound. Like the crookedly placed coffin, the offerings also looked extremely careless—a few chipped plates held some fruit and pastries that were clearly not fresh.

The burial was held late at night, not a single family member came to see her off, and even the offerings looked like they were for a beggar. Yet, they still remembered to hire a Yin-Yang Master.

Cheng Ying sneered and asked the gravedigger beside her, “Was this Miss Li betrothed before she died?”

“No. I heard from the servants of the Li residence that the young miss seemed to have taken her own life because she was unwilling to marry.”

“Is that so,” Cheng Ying nodded. “I just remembered, when we were nailing the coffin shut, I forgot to put the talisman inside. Open the coffin now.”

The staff member: “…”

He looked at the Alpha’s pure, innocent, and beautiful face and suddenly felt that this person was more terrifying than their haunted house.

Opening a coffin in a mass grave for an autopsy, does she think she’s in a materialistic detective drama?

But this was also good. A self-satisfied smile appeared on the corner of the staff member’s lips.

In fact, every scene in their haunted house had a “ghost” scheduled to appear, but very few players in the mass grave scene could last until the ghost arrived. They would all hastily bury the coffin and then flee in terror.

He wondered if this young lady would still be so calm after seeing the ghost.

With this thought in mind, he still refused verbally. “This… I’m afraid that’s not a good idea. The old folks say a coffin once in the ground should not be opened, or you might see a ghost.”

This was a friendly reminder: You’d better not push your luck, or the ghost will come out soon.

But Cheng Ying acted as if she didn’t understand him. “If it comes, that’s perfect. This humble Taoist will capture it.”

Is she in character or out of character?

The staff member speechlessly used his shovel to pry at the coffin lid, while one hand lightly pressed a switch hidden in his sleeve.

In an instant, a sinister wind blew. A red shadow suddenly flashed in Cheng Ying’s glasses, flickering as it rushed closer from a distance.

The ferocious face of a red-clothed female ghost suddenly appeared in her vision. Her face was ashen, her eyes bloodshot and weeping tears of blood, and she bared a mouthful of fangs as if to bite through her throat.

“It’s a ghost!” The staff member, also wearing glasses, put on a great act, letting out a bloodcurdling scream, throwing down his shovel, and scrambling in the dirt as if he’d seen a real ghost.

Yet he saw that the Yin-Yang Master was standing there blankly, as if nothing had happened.

Is she scared stiff?

Before the staff member could go and help her, Cheng Ying suddenly let out a wail, “I’ve seen a ghost!”

Then, without a care for his life or death, she turned and ran.

So she was just slow to react?

The staff member struggled out of the dirt pit and followed Cheng Ying with a smug look.

Hmph, no matter how staunch a materialist warrior is, they can’t withstand a real scare like this.

He was two steps behind Cheng Ying, so he naturally couldn’t see the expressionless face of the person in front of him, nor the massive eye-roll she gave.

Cheng Ying: “…Can’t you just use your own face?”

Cheng Mantou, having successfully possessed the female ghost, replied, “I won’t. This creates more atmosphere. I’m going to scare that moron to death later.”

“First, get rid of all that blood on your face. It’s disgusting to look at.”