Chapter 65: The Unexpected Turn

“Wuwu… I’ve been so wronged! That wretched man, he heartlessly took my life.”

Perhaps the ghost’s attire was chillingly realistic, or perhaps her voice was simply too eerie.

The fear factor was instantly maximized!

The moment visitors stepped into the corridor and witnessed the malevolent spirit’s appearance, piercing screams erupted in unison, echoing through the confined space.

The shrieks lingered, refusing to dissipate.

Immediately afterward, the tourists scattered in a frenzy, running for their lives.

Lin Qing and Su Yao were caught in the chaos, and it seemed the ghost held a particular fondness for them. She ignored the other fleeing visitors, her gaze fixed solely on the two.

This unforeseen deviation from the plan caused Lin Qing some distress. However, as the iron-barred cage door loomed into view, he realized there was no time to waste.

He could feign dodging the ghost, seize the chance to shove Su Yao into the cage.

Then, under the pretext of luring the ghost away, he could perfectly orchestrate their separation!

Before Lin Qing could even put his plan into action, Su Yao, who had been clinging to his hand, abruptly released her grip and halted her frantic run.

Caught off guard, Lin Qing hadn’t anticipated this, and his momentum carried him forward for a few more steps.

The ghost, hot on their heels, suffered a similar delay.

Once he regained his bearings, Lin Qing ignored the pursuing ghost. He quickly halted his stride and turned to glance at Su Yao, who now lagged behind him.

For reasons unknown, an unsettling premonition began to bloom within Lin Qing, expanding with each passing second.

And just as Lin Qing’s gaze settled on Su Yao, her body sprang into action.

With light, agile steps, she moved behind the ghost. Her thumb tucked in, forming a ‘hand knife,’ she brought it down sharply towards the ghost’s nape.

The next instant, the ghost crumpled without a fight, falling unconscious to the floor.

Witnessing this unfold, Lin Qing’s eyes widened involuntarily, leaving him utterly dumbfounded.

‘Su Yao attacked the ghost?!’

“Aiya, I didn’t quite control my emotions there. I actually attacked a staff member… There aren’t any cameras here, are there, Lin Qing? Let’s make a quick escape!”

As Lin Qing stood frozen, Su Yao effortlessly scooped up the unconscious ghost and casually tossed her into the adjacent cage.

Then, grabbing a nearby prop rope, she bound the cage door shut, securing it tightly.

It was the kind of knot that wouldn’t easily come undone.

Having finished, Su Yao clapped her hands together, brushing off imaginary dust, then flashed Lin Qing a sweet smile. She took his hand once more and quickened their pace forward.

Still utterly bewildered, Lin Qing instinctively followed Su Yao, his mind struggling to process the events. He felt as if his brain had malfunctioned.

While Lin Qing had anticipated Su Yao wouldn’t simply fall for his trap, this turn of events had far exceeded his wildest expectations.

“Ahhh!”

Just as Lin Qing was lost in thought, Liu Hong’s piercing scream suddenly echoed.

It was a truly pathetic sound, instantly eliciting sympathy.

This jolted Lin Qing back to reality. He looked up at Su Yao’s retreating back, a nagging suspicion forming that she knew about his ghost house scheme, though he couldn’t pinpoint any concrete evidence.

Then again, if it were the ordinary Su Yao, such an action wouldn’t be entirely out of character.

After all, when she was with him, Su Yao often chose to drop her usual facade.

“Were you scared just now?”

As Lin Qing stared blankly at Su Yao’s back, she suddenly spoke, her voice calm, without turning to face him.

Her pace then slackened, allowing her to walk alongside Lin Qing. Gone was the frantic rush of their escape; she now moved with a deliberate, unhurried grace.

Her hand, still clasped in his, squeezed gently, a subtle reminder of her presence.

“No, not scared. I was simply surprised by your sudden move.”

“Don’t worry,” Su Yao reassured him. “There are no cameras in the ghost house, and no other witnesses. Plus, this hat concealed my face. Even if the staff member wakes up, they won’t be able to identify us.”

As she spoke, Su Yao reached up, removed her baseball cap, and casually tossed it aside, unwilling to leave behind any incriminating evidence.

The dim lighting of the ghost house meant their clothing colors were indistinct, significantly reducing the chance of identification.

The hat, however, was quite distinctive and couldn’t be kept.

“I’m sorry for discarding your hat. We’ll buy you a new one once we leave the ghost house!”

“No need,” Lin Qing replied.

Lin Qing observed Su Yao complete her tasks with swift efficiency. Above her head, the ten luminous skull heads glowed, their grotesque faces — some weeping, some laughing manically — now fixed intently on him.

‘Compared to the ghost house, Su Yao was far more terrifying…’

Yet, a persistent question that had plagued Lin Qing for some time remained unanswered.

The expressions on the skull heads floating above people’s heads typically bore a strong correlation to the individual’s own emotions.

For instance, the Venomous Nurse he had encountered previously displayed expressions of bitter resentment and fury on her skull heads whenever she saw couples.

However, the skull heads above Su Yao’s head constantly shifted through a myriad of expressions, never quite settling.

Even now, as Su Yao appeared perfectly serene, her skull heads were depicted screaming, roaring, and cackling with cunning madness.

This discrepancy defied Lin Qing’s understanding, a phenomenon he simply couldn’t comprehend.

It was utterly bizarre.

Yet, he could find no explanation.

Moreover, the red skull heads that occasionally manifested above Su Yao’s head served an even more inexplicable purpose.

They could restore his injuries to their original state and even accelerate his growth in height…

In essence, Su Yao was an enigma, a woman shrouded in one mystery after another.

It felt as though he would never fully unravel them all.

“We’re finally out.”

As these thoughts churned in Lin Qing’s mind, Su Yao had already guided him out of the ghost house.

The sudden burst of light caused him to instinctively raise a hand to shield his eyes, having been accustomed to the pervasive gloom. Only after his vision adjusted to the bright sunlight did he lower his arm.

His ghost house plan had utterly failed!

Liu Hong’s long-anticipated ‘hero saves the beauty’ scheme had not only failed but now consigned him to the awkward predicament of being trapped in a room with the ghost.

Recalling Liu Hong’s recent screams, it was clear he had been thoroughly terrified by the ghostly presence.

Nevertheless, the plan’s failure held no bearing on Lin Qing; he had fulfilled his part of the arrangement.

Now, it was time to swiftly part ways with Su Yao and head home.

“Lin Qing, put this on.”

Su Yao’s sudden words snapped Lin Qing from his reverie. He watched as she plucked a pair of cat ear hair clips from a strolling vendor’s wares and, without a word, placed them directly on his head.

The black cat ear clips, surprisingly, suited Lin Qing’s somewhat gloomy demeanor perfectly.

“Looks great.”

Su Yao smiled at Lin Qing’s appearance, then took a white pair of cat ear clips and adorned herself with them.

She looked utterly adorable.

Indeed, it seemed there wasn’t an accessory in existence that didn’t complement Su Yao, each one only serving to enhance her inherent beauty.

“I’ll take both of these. Mobile transfer, please!”

Having declared her satisfaction with the clips, Su Yao, without even bothering to ask the price, addressed the vendor with a grand, almost extravagant air, much like a wealthy patron.

Indeed, Su Yao was a true magnate in her own right.

‘But if buses accepted mobile payments, why had Su Yao insisted he use his card?’

Lin Qing, having just processed this thought, realized he had missed his chance. He knew that any attempt to bring it up would simply be brushed aside by Su Yao, so he wisely remained silent.

‘Now, it was time for them to part ways.’

“Lin Qing,” Su Yao began, “though I’m a little worried about getting caught by the staff, I really want to go on that!”

Just before Lin Qing could voice his intentions, Su Yao pointed towards the amusement park’s towering Ferris wheel, its highest point visible in the distance.

Then, as if a new thought had struck her, Su Yao promptly added.

“I’ve heard that after a man and a woman ride the Ferris wheel together, they quickly fall in love~”