HAGLTP Chapter 57

“Our live broadcast this time is in the evening. Have you gone through the materials I sent you earlier?” Yueyue confirmed with Xiao Lu while driving.

Although he was quite satisfied with the male god’s appearance and was surprised to learn about his ability to predict and calculate, Yueyue still wouldn’t neglect work.

“Mm.” Xiao Lu maintained his mysterious persona, responding very briefly.

The original owner had drunk all night last night, so of course, he hadn’t looked at the materials, but he was different; he had directly seen the script.

This time, their destination was called Qiuying Inn, an old inn with a history of a hundred years.

A century ago, it was quite famous because its owner was a socialite. Many well-known figures of that time had stayed there, and despite its remote location, it never lacked popularity.

Its terrifying reputation also began a hundred years ago.

The inn’s owner was discovered to be a serial killer; he had killed several guests who came to seek him out. After the truth came to light, he chose to commit suicide in the inn, but strangely, his body disappeared without a trace. Soon after, the inn was taken over by others and renovated for business.

However, from that point on, Qiuying Inn began to be haunted.

Guests who checked in reported seeing strange figures, and some even died mysteriously, which only increased the inn’s notoriety. Aside from a few thrill-seekers, fewer and fewer guests dared to stay there. The second owner had no choice but to close the inn.

About eighty years ago, Qiuying Inn was transformed into a school, specifically to shelter orphans who had lost their families in the war. But one day, the principal went mad and slaughtered all the teachers and students in the school.

Since then, the inn fell into disrepair once again.

More than twenty years ago, a wealthy couple returning to the country bought the building again and renovated it into their private residence. However, they didn’t stay long before the entire family died mysteriously.

By this time, the reputation of this haunted house was already quite significant, and no one dared to take it over.

Until recently, a thrill-seeking second-generation rich kid bought the haunted house. He specifically renovated it to resemble the Qiuying Inn of the past, intending to turn it into a hotel that capitalizes on curiosity and the supernatural, inviting some guests who had applied in advance to stay for a trial.

This trip could be seen as both a store exploration and a death wish.

“This time, we must capture the most thrilling footage!” Yueyue was full of confidence.

As they spoke, the two were getting closer to Qiuying Inn.

The further they went into the mountains, the clearer the once sunny sky became overcast. The dense forest obscured the already dim light, and the temperature dropped a few degrees.

Looking at the goosebumps rising on his arms, Yueyue’s face was filled with excitement.

Yes, yes, yes, this is the feeling; this trip was worth it.

Besides them, a few other cars were sporadically parked in the lot—luxury cars, ordinary cars, and even the cheapest rental cars.

Another car arrived almost simultaneously with theirs.

Even when parking, they coincidentally stopped in adjacent spots.

As Yueyue opened the car door, his expression darkened: “Hmph, bad luck.”

The person across from him also saw him; it was a tall, muscular man with a buzz cut and rugged features.

He leaned against the car roof, looking disdainfully at Yueyue: “You must have pulled a lot of strings to get a stay here. For a small streamer like you, it’s not easy to ride on someone else’s coattails.”

The man leisurely lit a cigarette: “Unlike me, who got my spot directly from a friend.”

Yueyue didn’t want to engage with him and turned to the trunk to grab his luggage.

The two left the parking lot, each a step ahead of the other.

On the way, Yueyue explained to Xiao Lu: “That guy is Haigou, an old supernatural streamer. He’s been trying to trip me up since he saw my audience numbers rising quickly.”

“He’s also a supernatural streamer? You two look very different.”

“His selling point is being bold and taking a tough approach, so of course, he looks different from me.”

“And your selling point?”

“I’m timid but love to court danger.”

“…” Xiao Lu turned to look at Yueyue.

To boldly claim to be timid while insisting on being a supernatural streamer—what a talent.

“Male god, we agreed that you can’t suddenly switch sides to him later.” Yueyue’s eyes held a hint of vigilance.

“Don’t worry.” Xiao Lu continued to play with his white jade bodhi bracelet, speaking lightly, “What I promised you, I won’t go back on.”

Behind them, Haigou angrily threw the half-finished cigarette on the ground, frowning as he looked at Xiao Lu’s back.

In their line of work, to get people to notice you, you either need an irreplaceable skill, or you must constantly come up with new tricks, or you have to be so good-looking that people can’t take their eyes off you.

The moment he faced this suddenly appearing man, a sense of crisis unexpectedly arose in his heart.

That gaze and aura were completely different from the attention-seeking internet celebrities, combined with that superior appearance and the rare moon-white long shirt, even he, who was used to seeing all kinds of handsome men and women, was momentarily stunned.

This person was too special.

What kind of person did that deadpan Yueyue invite this time?

The inn was renovated to resemble its appearance from a hundred years ago, so the exterior was quite vintage.

With a white stone facade, exquisite railings, archways adorned with carvings, wooden decorations, and warm yellow lighting, it didn’t look like a creepy haunted house at all.

But stepping inside, one could still see the mottled traces on the floor tiles, and some columns bore unknown scars, telling every visitor about the age and unusual history of this building.

At this moment, they finally met the current owner of the inn.

Guo and Jiang, a wealthy second-generation who enjoyed supernatural research. To fit the theme of the inn, he had specially made a matching suit modeled after the photos of the original owner, and his hair was neatly slicked back, resembling a gentleman from the last century.

He was accompanied by a few friends, all dressed in vintage clothing like him.

Xiao Lu took a special glance at a male college student named Gu Anzhou beside him.

In the plot, this guy’s ancestors were once mediums, and he had encountered some strange events in his childhood, giving him a bit of a supernatural constitution. According to the system’s storyline, he eventually led his companions to escape from the inn, making him a character with potential for the protagonist role.

However, this world felt more like an ensemble novel, with no obvious main character.

Additionally, there were two seemingly ordinary college students, a middle-aged couple, and Haigou with his photographer and assistant.

“Since this is just a trial stay, the rooms are not fully open. So if you encounter locked rooms, there’s no need to panic,” Guo and Jiang explained.

“Is everyone here?” Yueyue looked around.

Guo and Jiang glanced around: “We’re still missing one.”

Xiao Lu’s gaze fell upstairs; he thought he had seen someone standing there just now, but now they seemed to have disappeared.

When he withdrew his gaze, Xiao Lu noticed Gu Anzhou was looking at him; he nodded at the other party and then shifted his gaze away.

Suddenly, heavy rain began to pour outside, large raindrops hitting the glass with a crackling sound, instantly making the air humid.

At this moment, the door opened once again.

A tall figure entered, dragging a suitcase from outside.

Everyone’s gaze naturally fell on the newcomer. He wore a high-quality white shirt paired with black trousers and leather shoes, his appearance carrying a scholarly air, a smile on his lips, and his deep-set eyes adorned with charming peach blossom eyes.

The buttons of his shirt were not fastened neatly; two were undone, revealing his exquisite collarbone. He had gotten a bit wet from the rain, and a few drops of water slid down from his hair to his collarbone, trailing down until they were blocked by his shirt.

That scene inexplicably carried a hint of sensuality.

The man smiled gently at everyone, warm and polite, yet with a hint of aloofness: “Sorry, I’m late.”

Guo and Jiang took the initiative to greet him: “Teacher Cui’s presence is my greatest honor.”

“Which Teacher Cui? Why does the boss seem so warm towards him?” Yueyue whispered in inquiry.

Xiao Lu simply uttered a name: “Cui Yunjin.”

“Cui Yunjin!” Yueyue covered his mouth, suppressing the exclamation that was about to escape.

“The real person?!”

“Of course.”

“Oh my god… ‘Day and Night Entangled’ and ‘The Locked Room’ are my bedtime reads.” Yueyue’s cheeks visibly flushed.

Cui Yunjin, a well-known contemporary erotic novelist, whose delicate and fiery prose made readers blush and unable to stop. He was a good companion for countless men and women in the dead of night.

Looking at the subtle expressions of everyone present, it was not hard to see that Teacher Cui’s works had considerable national recognition.

After all, even the original owner had a stack of them on his bedside.

In conversation with Guo and Jiang, Cui Yunjin mentioned that he had accepted the invitation to Qiuying Inn to seek inspiration for a new book.

However…

Xiao Lu shifted his gaze away from Cui Yunjin and looked back upstairs. If the last invited person was Cui Yunjin, then who was the person he had just seen upstairs?

Since there weren’t many guests, the inn had arranged for a butler and a maid. Both stood in a corner on the first floor and hadn’t gone upstairs.

Guo and Jiang clapped their hands: “To enhance everyone’s experience, I’ve prepared outfits that fit the theme of Qiuying Inn for you all. You can change in the first room on the first floor.”

He specifically turned his head to glance at Xiao Lu: “This gentleman doesn’t need to; your look is more suitable than what I’ve prepared.”

After everyone changed clothes, they looked like guests who had stayed at Qiuying Inn a hundred years ago.

After dinner, it was free activity time.

Once the sunlight was blocked, the false warmth that the light brought to Qiuying Inn disappeared. The mountains shrouded in dark clouds became dim, and outside the window, the rain fell continuously. Looking out, one could only see a thick, unbreakable gray-black, with ghostly tree shadows swaying within.

Just looking at that scene sent chills down one’s spine, not to mention the many terrifying rumors surrounding the inn.

Yueyue sat restlessly in the room.

Although he was a supernatural streamer, he was indeed timid. While organizing his equipment, he couldn’t help but recall the supernatural events that had occurred in the inn, scaring himself more and more as he thought about it.

His gaze was neither right on the table nor under the bed. He felt that something might jump out from the gaps at any moment, giving him a thrill.

The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he became, so Yueyue decided to find his male god for some courage. The male god was so divine; surely, a mere ghost wouldn’t be a problem.

After knocking on the door of the adjacent room, the person who opened it was not the moon-white figure he expected.

“Teacher Cui?” Yueyue was a bit puzzled.

“Looking for you,” Cui Yunjin turned to Xiao Lu, who was sitting by the window.

Yueyue’s mind was filled with question marks. Why was Cui Yunjin appearing in his male god’s room in broad daylight? Were they very familiar with each other?

Cui Yunjin had rolled up the sleeves of his shirt to just above his elbows, holding a familiar white jade bodhi bracelet in his hand. He wore a fitted black vest over his shirt, accentuating his waistline, making him appear even slimmer and taller. The outfit gave off a somewhat ambiguous vibe of restraint.

As he watched, Yueyue couldn’t help but feel his cheeks heat up slightly.

He thought, perhaps it wasn’t the clothes that were the problem. Rather, it was Cui Yunjin’s profession that led to unnecessary associations.

Wait, profession?

Yueyue suddenly remembered that Cui Yunjin had come to the inn to seek inspiration for a new book. Thinking about the other party’s intimate and ambiguous works, and then considering this inspiration, he looked at the scene before him.

Yueyue was shocked: “Y-you-you-you guys…”

The two in the room looked at him, smiling without speaking, their smiles seemingly hiding some unspoken understanding.

“Is there something?” Xiao Lu leaned against the red velvet chair, one leg casually resting on the other knee, his posture more relaxed than before.

“I-I-I want to stay in your room until the evening…”

“I’m afraid that’s not possible. I have a guest right now, and he doesn’t like to be disturbed.”

“But… I paid.” Yueyue held onto his last hope, looking through Cui Yunjin’s shoulder at Xiao Lu.

“That’s for the evening, and right now…” Xiao Lu supported his chin with one hand, tilting his head to look at him, “is a different price.”