Chapter 213: The True Meaning of a Haunted House
When Zhao Yuanyuan saw an empty two-person chariot, she immediately insisted on dragging Huang Mao to ride in it with her.
Although Huang Mao looked utterly disgusted, Zhao Yuanyuan forcibly shoved him into the seat. Seeing his expression, stiff as a board from the stares of the people around them and the shame of riding such a childish attraction, Zhao Yuanyuan couldn’t stop giggling beside him.
She reveled in his embarrassment.
Soon, another two-person chariot freed up. Su Yuqing dismounted her white horse and joined Chen Mo to experience it together.
They sat side by side, feeling the chariot rise and fall as if they were floating through the air together, a unique sense of lighthearted joy washing over them.
’No wonder couples loved this ride. The feeling of being so close in such a simple, calm way was truly pleasant.’
When they got off the carousel, Huang Mao looked relieved to have escaped his ordeal, while the other three, in contrast, had clearly enjoyed themselves.
Having tried only two attractions, Su Yuqing and Zhao Yuanyuan, who rarely visited amusement parks, were already thrilled. They grew even more excited for what was to come. Chen Mo and Huang Mao, who were there to cater to their every whim, exchanged a knowing smile before following them deeper into the park.
"Cotton candy! I want some!" Zhao Yuanyuan was rooted to the spot as they passed a stand selling huge, pink clouds of it.
Huang Mao immediately whipped out his wallet and bought one for her.
Chen Mo glanced at Su Yuqing. Although she didn’t seem desperate to eat any, she looked quite taken with the cotton candy itself, so he bought one for her too.
Holding the giant, cloud-like confection, you could feel the sweet aroma wafting from it even without taking a bite.
Su Yuqing held the cotton candy and examined it. ’Whoever invented this is a true genius,’ she thought.
’To make sugar this much fun.’
"Go on, try it," Chen Mo said with a smile.
Su Yuqing nodded and carefully extended the delicate tip of her tongue for a lick. A wisp of sugar instantly stuck to the corner of her mouth, and she, a little embarrassed, tried to wipe it away with the back of her hand.
Watching her clumsy attempt, Chen Mo couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle. He reached out naturally, gently wiping the sticky sweetness away with the pad of his thumb.
The brief, warm touch of his thumb sent a blush blooming across Su Yuqing’s cheeks, as if they’d been dusted with the pink from the cotton candy.
"Ahem, there are other people here, you know. Mind the PDA," Huang Mao said with a smirk, seeing the way they were staring at each other, their gazes practically weaving silk.
Zhao Yuanyuan immediately shot them a look, ready for the drama.
It made Su Yuqing’s face turn an even deeper shade of red.
After wandering around and trying the bumper cars and the pirate ship ride...
Finally, they arrived at the day’s main event: the haunted house.
The sinister entrance was designed to look like the gaping maw of a giant monster, from which came bursts of shrill cries and an eerie green glow.
"Whoa! We’re finally here!" Zhao Yuanyuan rubbed her hands together, her face filled with anticipation. "I hear this one is super scary! Let’s go, let’s go!"
Huang Mao stared at the pitch-black entrance, gulped, and forced himself to look calm. "Tch. It’s all fake. What’s there to be scared of?"
Chen Mo discreetly moved closer to Su Yuqing and asked in a low voice, "Scared?"
Su Yuqing looked at the entrance, her heart definitely beating a little faster. But she still shook her head and whispered, "With... with you here, I’m not scared."
The words felt a bit bold even to her, and her face flushed an even deeper red.
"Okay. Stick close to me." Chen Mo’s voice had a reassuring quality.
The four of them got in line and entered.
The lights dimmed instantly, leaving only the flicker of eerie green and red strobes.
Narrow passages, cramped spaces, and the air was thick with the smell of dust and prop blood.
The air grew colder the deeper they went, the musty smell of old dust growing stronger, mixed with the faint, almost unnoticeable scent of disinfectant.
The corridor was narrow, with mottled, peeling walls hung with all sorts of indecipherable medical diagrams and twisted mannequins.
Unsettling background music, interspersed with sobs, the screech of metal, and the sound of something being dragged, constantly assaulted their eardrums.
"AHH!" A shrill, recorded scream blared from a corner up ahead, making even Huang Mao, who was leading the group, jump.
"Holy shit!" he couldn’t help but curse.
Zhao Yuanyuan, however, was in high spirits. She used her phone as both a flashlight and a camera (though a staff member quickly told her to turn it off), critiquing the props as she went. "Wow, this fake blood looks pretty realistic! Tsk tsk, and this skeleton... looks like it has a herniated disc, doesn’t it?"
"Oh, for crying out loud, can you stop with the running commentary?" Huang Mao grumbled, glancing around nervously.
"AHHH—!" Just as they rounded a corner, a "zombie" in tattered rags with a hideous face suddenly sprang from the wall, accompanied by a piercing shriek.
Zhao Yuanyuan let out an excited yelp and actually leaned in for a closer look at the details.
Huang Mao, however, jumped a foot in the air and instinctively grabbed onto Zhao Yuanyuan’s arm.
"Yellow Hair! You’re hurting me!" Zhao Yuanyuan cried out. She tried to shake him off, but Huang Mao had his eyes squeezed shut and was gripping her for dear life. "This thing looks too real!"
"Pathetic!" Although she sounded disgusted, Zhao Yuanyuan didn’t try to pull away again. She let him cling to her arm, muttering about what a coward he was.
Chen Mo and Su Yuqing, walking behind them, encountered their own "ambush."
A "female ghost" with disheveled hair dropped down from a hole in the ceiling, her long wig almost brushing against Su Yuqing’s face.
Su Yuqing let out a startled cry and flinched, her body instinctively pressing flush against Chen Mo’s chest.
A soft, warm armful, smelling faintly of sandalwood and sweet cotton candy, pressed against him.
Chen Mo’s heart skipped a beat. He immediately wrapped a steady arm around her shoulders, pulling her protectively to his side.
"Don’t be scared. I’m here." Amid the cacophony of ghostly wails and Zhao Yuanyuan’s grumbling, his voice reached Su Yuqing’s ears, steady and strong.
Su Yuqing’s cheek was pressed against his warm chest, and she could hear the steady, powerful rhythm of his heart, which drowned out all the surrounding wails and shrieks.
The shock from a moment ago was instantly replaced by an immense sense of security, followed by an indescribable thrill and a wave of shyness.
She didn’t pull away. Instead, under the cover of darkness, she allowed herself to lean into his warmth and shelter.
This was the true purpose of going through a haunted house.
The passage was narrow and winding, with new traps and tricks at every turn.
Chen Mo kept his arm firmly around Su Yuqing, shielding her from any props she might bump into and always ready to be her anchor whenever she was startled.
With every sudden scare, Su Yuqing would instinctively shrink deeper into his embrace, and Chen Mo’s arm would tighten in response.
The delicate, unspoken feelings between them intensified and fermented in silence, fueled by the manufactured horror and their close physical contact.
[P.S.]: The murder mystery arc has concluded. The subsequent fluffy romance arc will likely cause me to lose many readers who were only here for the mystery. My income is bound to take a big hit, so I ask all of you who enjoy the sweet, romantic parts to please keep up with the story! Whether you’re reading for free with a monthly pass on the QQ Reading app or subscribing on the Qidian Reading app, both support me and give me the motivation to keep writing. Thank you all for your support~
For those who have monthly tickets, please consider using them at the end of the month. Love you all! (づ￣ 3￣)づ Muah!