“Please everyone, only do what you can,” the Program Director (PD) quickly announced a disclaimer. “The production team is not forcing anyone to do any specific activity. If your physical condition doesn’t allow it, just give up the task, enjoy a walk in the park, and then accept the punishment! We promise the punishment will only be a bit embarrassing, but it will never hurt your physical or mental health~”
“Look at you,” Lin Shen said with a complaining look. “You can’t even take a joke. I’m only in my 40s, in my prime. Don’t be afraid.”
“Yes, he just looks like he’s in his 50s,” Ye Hancheng added.
Lin Shen replied, “Huh? I at least wake up early to exercise every day. What about you? Your 38-year-old body might not even be as good as my 43-year-old one.”
“Youth is everything!”
“Are you that young? You’re only a little bit younger than me here.”
“…Damn it.”
Even after clearing up their misunderstanding, these two still loved to attack each other with words.
Chu Xingyun pulled Cen Jing aside to whisper. “Brother, have you ever been to a haunted house?”
“No,” Cen Jing replied. He knew the other two were just bickering and didn’t plan to stop them. “But I’ve filmed two variety shows about escaping rooms before.”
Chu Xingyun already knew the answer but asked anyway, “Were you scared?”
“Knowing the fact that the NPCs are played by real people makes it hard to feel scared, right?” Cen Jing answered.
During those two tapings, besides being startled once or twice by falling objects or someone else’s sudden scream, he stayed calm the whole time. He even studied the NPCs’ makeup up close.
“I’m terrified,” Chu Xingyun said, faking a couple of shivers. “You have to protect me.”
Cen Jing started walking to keep up with the group moving outside. “Just hold onto the hem of my shirt and follow behind me.”
“Okay,” Chu Xingyun replied obediently.
…
Forty minutes later, the group arrived at the entrance of the amusement park.
The production team gave maps to the six members and announced that free time had started.
“What’s the plan?” Lin Shen found the ‘Haunted House’ on the map. “Do we go separately or as a group?”
“I don’t care about the rest,” Jiang Xun said, grabbing Chu Xingyun with his left hand and Chen Shu with his right. “But for the haunted house, we definitely have to go together.”
Ye Hancheng quietly raised his hand: “I agree.”
…Even though he didn’t show it along the way, he was actually a bit afraid of ghosts.
Seeing that no one else disagreed, Lin Shen asked again, “Should we go to the haunted house first or last?”
Jiang Xun acted like he was ready for the end: “The sooner we die, the sooner we can be reborn.”
Chu Xingyun threatened him in a spooky voice: “…I’m afraid you will find living worse than death.”
“Are you trying to kill me!” Jiang Xun quickly let go of Chu Xingyun and held onto Chen Shu tightly. “Your face is scarier than a ghost!”
After saying that, he felt he had lost too much face, so he whispered into Chen Shu’s ear, “I… although I’m scared, I can still protect you.”
Chen Shu: “?”
Chen Shu: “May I ask how you can be scared and protect me at the same time?”
“Don’t worry about that! Anyway, I will take responsibility for you.” Jiang Xun’s face turned slightly red.
They had already kissed, so he had to step up at the crucial moment!
Chen Shu: “Oh.”
After a short discussion, the six of them walked toward the ‘Haunted House.’
Soon, they reached the front of the haunted house.
Perhaps because the sun was out, the brown and red colors of the building didn’t look that scary. The poster only said, “A unique heartbeat experience,” not even bothering to show a scary face.
“The outside looks normal, but the inside won’t be…” Jiang Xun held Chen Shu’s shoulders from behind. “I have a bad feeling. Should we just give up?”
“Don’t bring me into your giving up,” Chen Shu said and walked forward.
“Hey, wait for me!” Jiang Xun quickly followed.
Today’s theme for the haunted house was ‘The Corridor Mental Hospital.’
The staff briefly explained the story and gave each person a flashlight with a weak, flickering light.
“Find the missing ‘treatment records’ from Room 304 and your own ID badges. Escape the hospital to complete the challenge.”
“Now haunted houses feel like escape rooms…” Following their agreement, Chu Xingyun grabbed the hem of Cen Jing’s shirt tightly with his right hand.
Chen Shu: “They have to. This industry is getting very competitive.”
Ye Hancheng was startled by the cold air at the entrance and quickly pretended to be calm while grabbing the hem of Chu Xingyun’s shirt.
Lin Shen saw this but didn’t make fun of him. He just quietly put his hand on Jiang Xun’s shoulder.
The six of them naturally split into two teams.
Cen Jing turned on his weak flashlight and walked inside slowly. The dim green safety lights barely lit up the hallway of the ‘hospital.’
Chu Xingyun breathed softly and kept his eyes shut. He was almost pressed against Cen Jing’s back, letting the other man lead the way.
“You… you guys should talk,” Ye Hancheng said. His eyes were open, but he only dared to look at his own feet.
“There are rooms on both sides of the hallway. We’ll take one side each,” Chen Shu glanced at the layout. “Mainly look for the ID badges. No matter whose it is, just grab it.”
“Okay,” Cen Jing led his two “little tails” to the right. “Tell the others when you finish searching.”
Chen Shu: “Got it.”
Realizing they had to separate from the other team, Jiang Xun felt that holding shoulders wasn’t safe enough. He hugged Chen Shu’s waist and yelled, “I’ll protect you!”
[Can you open your eyes when you yell ‘I’ll protect you,’ man? Hello?]
[Stop acting, you just want an excuse to touch her. [Smile]]
[Little Xingyun, learn from Jiang Xun next door! anxiously pacing .jpg]
Chen Shu closed her eyes: “…If you stop screaming, you can at least protect my ears.”
Jiang Xun changed to a whisper: “I’ll protect you!”
Before Chen Shu could reply, they suddenly heard the sound of chains dragging on the floor ahead. A dark shadow appeared at the end of the hallway.
Cen Jing and Chen Shu looked at each other and led their teams into rooms on opposite sides.
After locking the door, Cen Jing used the weak light to look around the room. The room was simple, with only two hospital beds and a TV.
“It should be fine,” Cen Jing walked toward the first bed. “You guys can open your eyes and help look for the ID badges.”
Chu Xingyun opened one eye first. After checking that it was safe, he opened the other one.
But a second later, Jiang Xun’s piercing scream from the opposite room made him close his eyes again.
“Maybe… maybe not…” He leaned his head gently on Cen Jing’s shoulder.
THUD—
A loud noise came from inside the room. A zombie prop suddenly sat up from the bed.
Cen Jing took the ID badge from its neck and shone the light on it.
“Lin Shen,” he read the name on the badge and reached back. “Brother Ye, you take this one first.”
Ye Hancheng covered his eyes with his hands, leaving only a tiny gap to see. He took Lin Shen’s badge and couldn’t help looking around.
Suddenly, something else happened.
A person on the other bed sat up while the lights flashed wildly. His neck made cracking sounds as he turned it. He pulled off the blanket, got out of bed, and rushed toward the three of them.
“AAAAAHHH—” Ye Hancheng screamed and tried to run out the door, but then he saw another terrifying ghost face in the window. “Crap—”
Chu Xingyun also screamed. He spun around once or twice and then accurately dove into Cen Jing’s arms, burying his head deeply into the crook of Cen Jing’s neck.
“Wooo… so scary… so scary…”
Cen Jing: “…”
He held the shaking man and walked forward, his voice still very steady. “It’s okay, he won’t attack people.”
Warm, fast breaths hit the skin on the side of Cen Jing’s neck, causing tiny shivers that the ‘ghosts’ couldn’t even trigger.
“My legs feel weak,” Chu Xingyun said pitifully.
As soon as he said it, his knees gave out and he started to slide down. Cen Jing caught him just in time, his arm firmly around Chu Xingyun’s waist.
Chu Xingyun seemed to have no bones left, relying entirely on that arm to stay standing.
“Maybe you should just leave me here and come back for me later,” Chu Xingyun’s legs were still shaking.
“It will be quick,” Cen Jing said as he half-carried, half-hugged him forward to check the rest of the room.
After confirming there were no other props, he called Ye Hancheng, who was hiding in the corner, and they left the first room.
Back in the green-lit hallway, Ye Hancheng finally felt alive again. He was about to grab Chu Xingyun’s shirt hem again, only to find the younger man was still huddled in Cen Jing’s arms.
[Family, what do you think the chances are that I’m hiding in my husband’s arms on purpose?]
[1,000,000,000% [Smile]]
[Chu Xingyun, show some restraint! pulls ears]
[To be honest, not kissing him yet is already very restrained.]
“Little Chu, you’re still young,” Ye Hancheng had a sudden idea. “How about you give me this spot in Little Cen’s arms instead?”
Chu Xingyun peeked out with one eye to look at Ye Hancheng.
“Then I would die right here, and immediately turn into a vengeful ghost to haunt you.”
Ye Hancheng: “…”
Why did the air behind him feel even colder now?
Cen Jing looked down at the fuzzy head near his neck. “There are no ghosts right now.”
Chu Xingyun acted like he didn’t hear him and just tightened his arms around Cen Jing’s waist.
Cen Jing: “…”
He couldn’t tell if this person was truly scared or just using the chance to flirt.
After nodding to Chen Shu, Cen Jing led Chu Xingyun and Ye Hancheng to the next room.
As soon as they entered, Ye Hancheng skillfully squatted in the corner and covered his ears.
“Brother, will you look down on me for being such a coward?” Chu Xingyun secretly traced circles on the side of Cen Jing’s waist.
Cen Jing skillfully took an ID badge from a skeleton prop and pulled open a curtain that clearly hid a ‘ghost,’ startling the actor behind it first.
“There’s nothing to look down on,” Cen Jing continued exploring calmly. “I actually think being a bit cowardly makes the experience better.”
“Is that so…” Chu Xingyun whispered very softly, “…the experience is indeed pretty good.”
“…Alright.” Cen Jing hung the ID badge with the name ‘Chu Xingyun’ on his head. “Let’s go to the next room.”
…