Chapter 23 – Campus Arc: A Glamorous Romance – The Cinderella Sweetheart’s Endless Love (23)
Just when Bai Tang thought this haunted house wasn’t all that scary, a sudden rustling sound came from the nearby forest.
Tian Lingxue’s eyes lit up. Perfect timing! She deliberately moved to the side and said aloud, “This place isn’t nearly as terrifying as they made it out to be~ Hudson, why are you holding onto Tang Tang? Don’t tell me… you’re scared?”
“Hissss—”
A spine-chilling sound slithered closer. A shiver ran down Tian Lingxue’s back. No… no way… it can’t be what I think it is, right?
She swallowed nervously. “Owen, y-you’re walking too fast… wait for me.”
In reality, the rumor about Hudson being afraid of ghosts did have some truth to it.
The one who was actually afraid of ghosts wasn’t Hudson—but Owen.
His footsteps faltered, and his voice quivered slightly. “D*mn woman, hurry up and keep up.”
“N-no, it’s not that… I… there’s…”
A cold, slithering sensation wrapped around her ankle.
Tian Lingxue wasn’t afraid of ghosts, but she was absolutely terrified of invertebrate cold-blooded creatures!
“O-Owen… Th-there’s a snake…”
Under the dim lighting, Owen squinted and barely made out a coil of green at Tian Lingxue’s feet. He scoffed. “Well, well, dead woman, looks like you’ve finally met your match. Beg me. Beg me, and I might just help you get rid of it.”
Tian Lingxue was already on the verge of a breakdown. With Owen’s taunting pushing her past her limit, fear turned into explosive action. She kicked the snake hard, sending it flying straight toward Owen.
Owen dodged effortlessly.
But before he could smirk in victory—
Thud!
Another wild kick came out of nowhere, catching him completely off guard. Owen lost his balance and fell, crashing directly into Bai Tang, who had just stepped forward to help Tian Lingxue.
The two tumbled to the ground, rolling over and over in a heap.
“Tang Tang!”
The male and female leads shouted in unison.
Meanwhile, the two unlucky victims who had rolled into the bushes let out simultaneous, ear-piercing screams.
“AHHHHH—!!!”
Their cries echoed through the forest, startling an entire flock of resting birds into flight.
The two tumbled into the grass and came to a halt when they collided with something soft and squishy.
Reaching out to touch it, they were met with a slimy, sticky sensation—and the distinct scent of iron.
“Where do you think you’re touching?”
A hoarse voice spoke.
The thing in front of them pushed aside its disheveled hair, revealing a grotesquely mangled face looming terrifyingly close.
The two, who were absolutely terrified of ghosts, let out blood-curdling screams and scrambled out of the grass, rolling and crawling in sheer panic.
“Where do you think you’re going? Give me back my life…”
The tattered-clothed female ghost stretched out her long, razor-sharp fingernails, pointing directly at Owen and Bai Tang.
“H-Hudson, wuuuuu~~”
Hudson pulled Bai Tang into his arms, shielding him from seeing the ghastly specter’s horrifying face.
At that moment, identical white-clad female ghosts began emerging from all directions, slowly closing in on them.
“Run!”
Owen grabbed the nearest person—Tian Lingxue—and bolted without hesitation.
Before they had entered the haunted house, the staff had warned them that this was an open-ended horror experience, where anything could happen.
And now… it was proving to be terrifyingly real.
Hudson wasn’t scared, but Bai Tang was!
With Owen and Tian Lingxue already fleeing in one direction—with a ghost hot on their heels—Hudson quickly chose another path, taking Bai Tang with him. The group split up.
Fortunately, the ghosts had limited roaming areas. Once outside their designated range, they would stop chasing.
Hudson twisted open a bottle of water and gently brought it to Bai Tang’s lips.
Bai Tang sipped in small gulps but drank quickly. In no time, a third of the bottle was gone.
“Do you need more?” Hudson reached out to wipe Bai Tang’s lips.
Bai Tang shook his head.
Despite the short sprint, his face was still pale as a sheet. The fear had yet to fade.
Gripping the hem of Hudson’s clothes tightly, he clung to him like a lifeline, terrified that Hudson might leave him behind and run away.