A Scary Time at the Haunted House

The next morning, Fu Yanzhi got ready after waking up. He planned to take his younger brothers out for another day of fun. Once he was ready, he first woke his second and third brothers.

After waking them, Fu Yanzhi went to wake Xingxing and Yueyue. When he entered their room, Yueyue opened his eyes and, seeing it was his eldest brother, greeted him. Then he went to wash up.

Only Xingxing and Fu Yanzhi were left in the room. Seeing how soundly Xingxing was sleeping, Fu Yanzhi felt playful and quietly tickled his soft, fair little feet. Xingxing felt a little ticklish and stirred. With a sleepy murmur, he turned over and continued sleeping with his back to Fu Yanzhi.

Amused, Fu Yanzhi reached out and gently tickled Xingxing's little feet again. This time, Xingxing woke up completely. He turned his sleepy eyes toward Fu Yanzhi and froze for a moment. Then he realized he had been tickled, and his little lips puckered as he said in feigned anger, "Big Brother, you're so mean. You won't let me sleep."

Fu Yanzhi smiled and pinched his cheek. "You little sleepyhead, get up. Big Brother's taking you all out to play today."

At the mention of going out, Xingxing perked right up. He bounced out of bed and cheered, "Yay, yay! We're going out to play!" Then he ran off to wash up. By the time he finished, everyone was already waiting for him at the table.

Looking at his six younger brothers, all full of life, Fu Yanzhi smiled. "We're going to Mist Food Flavor Town today. I checked it out last night. There are things to do and things to eat. Let's go have fun there today."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Just then, Ji Jinming walked over too. Fu Yanzhi politely invited him to sit down and eat with them. Ji Jinming smiled and nodded, then sat down beside Huanhuan.

Today, Huanhuan didn't openly show his displeasure with Ji Jinming as he had yesterday. At the table, Huanhuan noticed Ji Jinming looking at him and smiling from time to time, but he ignored him.

But after watching Ji Jinming go a long time without picking up any food, Huanhuan thought he was too embarrassed to help himself. He picked up a steamed bun with his chopsticks and offered it to Ji Jinming, saying reluctantly, "This bun is really good. Consider it thanks for protecting me yesterday."

Ji Jinming hadn't expected Huanhuan to offer him food. He froze for a moment, then accepted it with a smile. "Thank you, Huanhuan," he said softly.

Huanhuan's face reddened, and he turned his head away. Fu Yanzhi saw the exchange, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly. He was secretly pleased; it looked like relations between the two had improved.

After breakfast, the group set off for Mist Food Flavor Town. When they arrived, they found it bustling with life. The amusement rides and food stalls were almost too numerous to take in.

Xingxing excitedly held Fu Yanzhi's hand. When he spotted someone selling masks, he clamored for one. Fu Yanzhi smiled and agreed, leading his brothers over.

Meanwhile, Huanhuan was drawn to a nearby cotton candy stall. He stood there, gazing at the colorful cotton candy in a daze. Ji Jinming noticed, quietly went to the stall, and bought one. Then he walked over to Huanhuan and offered it to him. "This is for you."

Huanhuan looked up at the cotton candy in Ji Jinming's hand. After a moment's hesitation, he accepted it and quietly said, "Thank you." The two walked side by side, and the atmosphere between them gradually grew more harmonious.

Just then, Feng Yunxiao, holding a mask in his hand, spotted a brightly lit building and pulled Wen Shiming over to it. The sign read "Thrilling Haunted House."

When Feng Yunxiao saw it was a haunted house, he wanted to go inside and try it. Wen Shiming was a little hesitant.

But Feng Yunxiao said eagerly, "Third Brother, don't tell me you're too scared to go in."

Wen Shiming had been a little scared, but after hearing Xiaoxiao's taunt, he was determined to go in today.

Xingxing saw his third and fourth brothers talking about something and pulled Fu Yanzhi over. When he saw the haunted house, he smiled. "Big Brother, I want to try this too."

Fu Yanzhi teased him, "Are you sure, Xingxing? If you get scared and cry, Big Brother won't comfort you, Xingxing."

Xingxing said proudly, "I won't cry. I'm a big kid now."

Bo Qing also came over with Yueyue at that moment. Seeing that they were considering the haunted house, he took Yueyue to ride the carousel instead. That kind of thrilling game wasn't suitable for them.

When Huanhuan came running over with his cotton candy, he wanted to try it too. Seeing that Huanhuan wanted to go, Ji Jinming had no choice but to join in.

At the front desk, they learned the rules: they had to enter the haunted house in pairs. There were four entrances in total, so they had to split up.

Fu Yanzhi took Xingxing through the first entrance, while Wen Shiming took Xiaoxiao through the second. Huanhuan saw that he could only go with this weird uncle, and they entered through the third entrance.

As soon as Wen Shiming and Xiaoxiao stepped into the haunted house, eerie music and dim lighting created a terrifying atmosphere. Suddenly, a "ghost" in a frightening costume sprang from a corner with a piercing shriek. Feng Yunxiao yelled excitedly and charged up to take on the "ghost," while Wen Shiming shuddered in fright and nearly fell on his backside.

Behind them, Fu Yanzhi entered with Xingxing, who gripped his sleeve so tightly that his knuckles turned white. "Big Brother, I hear... something crawling."

His voice trembled, and his eyes were fixed on the corridor ahead, where the lights flickered on and off. Even his feet were edging backward.

Fu Yanzhi patted the back of his hand and was about to reassure him when his gaze fell on a prop box at the corner of the corridor. Inside the half-open box were a black cloak stained with "blood" and a rubber mask with a blue face and fangs. His eyes lit up, and he pulled Xingxing over to crouch beside it. "Don't be scared, Xingxing. Let's play a different way."

The cloak was a little long on Xingxing. Its ankle-length fabric brushed the floor, making him look even eerier. Fu Yanzhi helped him secure the mask, then grabbed a witch's hat with a hole in its tip and leaned against the wall beside a sound-activated light.

Less than two minutes later, two girls came over, trembling and clinging to each other.

Xingxing was still frozen in place when Fu Yanzhi quietly gave him a kick. He suddenly remembered what to do and imitated the strange noise he had heard earlier, letting out a low "Ooooh" as he stretched out his arms. The girls' screams exploded instantly. They turned and ran back the way they had come, forgetting even to pick up a phone they had dropped.

"Brother! They ran away!" Xingxing took off the mask, his eyes shining as if they held stars. His earlier fear had vanished without a trace. Smiling, Fu Yanzhi plopped the witch's hat on his head. "Don't rush. The next group will be here soon. This time, you stand by the light."

Huanhuan and Ji Jinming heard the commotion ahead and quickened their pace into the haunted house.

The farther in they went, the more traps and frightening scenes they encountered. Feng Yunxiao was like a little warrior, charging recklessly through them and occasionally stopping to scare Wen Shiming.

Just then, a huge "evil ghost" descended from above. Wen Shiming was so frightened that he grabbed Xiaoxiao beside him. Startled by Wen Shiming's sudden grip, Xiaoxiao jumped too. The two tumbled into a panic, their screams echoing through the haunted house.

Huanhuan shuddered at the screams from ahead and instinctively edged closer to Ji Jinming. Ji Jinming took the opportunity to shield him behind his back and comforted him softly. "Don't be scared. I'm here."

Just then, a "jiangshi" suddenly sprang out of a coffin beside them and lunged at them, baring its claws. Huanhuan shut his eyes in fright. Ji Jinming quickly pulled him into his arms and held out a hand in front of him. Seeing that it hadn't scared them, the "jiangshi" continued putting on a show of frightening people to one side.

When Huanhuan recovered, he found himself held tightly in Ji Jinming's arms. His face turned red all the way to his ears. He pulled free and said quietly, "I'm fine now."

The two continued forward. Suddenly, the ground began to shake, and "rocks" kept falling from the ceiling overhead. Ji Jinming took Huanhuan's hand again and quickly led him forward at a run. After they finally escaped the dangerous area, Huanhuan looked at their tightly clasped hands but didn't pull away, and Ji Jinming didn't let go either.

At another entrance, Fu Yanzhi and Xingxing were getting ready to greet the next group and continue their plan to scare people.

After they turned a corner, a stifled gasp suddenly came from ahead. Fu Yanzhi looked through a gap in his mask and saw his two younger brothers huddled in a corner in the dim green light. His third brother was clutching his fourth brother's arm, while his fourth had buried his face in the crook of his third brother's shoulder. The two were like a crumpled ball of paper, even their legs trembling along with the sound effects.

"Here's our chance, Xingxing. Let's go scare Third and Fourth Brother," Fu Yanzhi whispered in Xingxing's ear, deliberately making his voice deeper.

He took the lead, dragging his cloak along the ground with a rustle. Then, imitating the tone of a haunted house NPC, he slowly drawled, "Who's... there?"

His third and fourth brothers jerked their heads up. When they saw the "ghostly figure," their hair practically stood on end. Their screams of "Ahhh!" nearly blew the roof off. They scrambled forward, their shoes scraping shrilly against the floor.

Xingxing's body had still been tense, but when he heard those screams, he burst out laughing and set off after them with Fu Yanzhi.

The black cloak billowed as they ran. In the haunted house corridor, the "ghosts" who were supposed to do the scaring chased two genuine scaredy-cats. Laughter mingled with screams, making it ten times livelier than the haunted house itself.

As Fu Yanzhi and Xingxing chased Wen Shiming and Feng Yunxiao, a fork suddenly appeared ahead. In their panic, Wen Shiming and Feng Yunxiao took the left path without stopping to choose.

"After them!" Fu Yanzhi gave the command and hurried after them with Xingxing. The hem of his cloak flew up as he ran, his brothers' panicked cries filled his ears, and even the air seemed to carry a joyful air.

But there were too many forks in the haunted house. Before they had chased them for long, the figures ahead turned into another passage and vanished completely. Xingxing stopped, a little discouraged. "Big Brother, they're gone."

"Don't worry. Let's find our next 'target.'" Fu Yanzhi had barely finished speaking when quiet voices came from nearby. He pulled Xingxing behind a stone pillar and peeked out. Huanhuan had his arm linked through Ji Jinming's. Though he was forcing himself to look calm, his fingers were clenched tightly around Ji Jinming's sleeve. Ji Jinming, meanwhile, slowed his pace and reassured him softly.

Fu Yanzhi raised an eyebrow and gestured for Xingxing to be quiet. Then he picked up a loose board from the floor and stepped lightly on it, producing a piercing creak. At the same time, Xingxing thrust a skull in front of the two of them, and Fu Yanzhi joined in with a long, ghostly howl.

Huanhuan froze in fright and, the next second, ducked into Ji Jinming's arms. Even his voice trembled. Ji Jinming instinctively shielded him behind his back and asked calmly, "Who's playing ghost?"

Having achieved his aim, Fu Yanzhi couldn't resist taking off his mask. He walked out with a smile. "It's me."

Xingxing took off his prop too, revealing a radiant smile.

Only when Huanhuan saw it was them did he breathe a sigh of relief. Patting his chest, he complained, "Big Brother, you're mean! You scared me!"

Ji Jinming laughed too and patted Huanhuan's head.

Just then, the haunted house's announcement system suddenly came on. "Attention, visitors. The haunted house experience is about to end. Please make your way to the exit as soon as possible."

Everyone had no choice but to end their entertaining "adventure" and head for the exit. There, they ran into Wen Shiming and Feng Yunxiao, both still showing traces of their fright.

When Feng Yunxiao saw everyone, he said excitedly, "Third Brother was so scared just now that he held on to me while he ran!"

Wen Shiming blushed and retorted, "That was because I was afraid you'd run around!"

Their exchange made everyone laugh. When they came out of the haunted house, Bo Qing and Yueyue were already waiting outside. Yueyue happily ran over when he saw everyone emerge.

Fu Yanzhi looked at his younger brothers and smiled. "Today's haunted house trip was wonderful. You were all very brave."

Afterward, he took everyone to eat snacks from the food stalls. As they ate, they shared the funny things that had happened in the haunted house.

Only then did Wen Shiming learn that the ones who had scared him were Big Brother and Xingxing. He said indignantly, "Big Brother, you and Xingxing were really mean."

Xingxing said cheekily, "That's because Third Brother was a scaredy-cat. That's why Big Brother and I scared you into running away."

Wen Shiming pretended to clench his fist. "Xingxing, don't let me catch you, or I'll spank your bottom raw."

Seeing that Third Brother had clenched his fist, Xingxing immediately ran to Fu Yanzhi's side. "I have Big Brother to protect me. Hehe, you don't dare hit me."

Hearing Xingxing's taunt, Wen Shiming started to get up. "Just watch me spank your bottom right now, Little Xingxing."

Fu Yanzhi hurriedly stopped Wen Shiming, saying with a smile, "All right, all right. We came out to have fun, so stop fooling around."

Only then did Wen Shiming lower his fist and give Xingxing a pretend angry glare.

Just then, Fu Yanzhi suggested, "How about we ride the roller coaster? I hear the one here is really thrilling."

Xingxing's eyes lit up again. He took Fu Yanzhi's hand and said, "Big Brother, I want to ride the roller coaster."

The group went to queue for the roller coaster. While they waited, Xingxing bounced up and down with excitement, while Wen Shiming rubbed his hands together nervously.

Finally, it was their turn. Everyone fastened their seat belts, and the roller coaster slowly started. At first, it moved relatively slowly, but then it suddenly shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow. Screams immediately rang out and pierced the clouds.

Although Xingxing was a little scared, he clenched his teeth and refused to show weakness. Huanhuan, meanwhile, closed his eyes in fright and gripped the safety bar tightly with both hands.

Ji Jinming softly comforted him from the side. When the roller coaster stopped, everyone's legs were a little weak, but their faces were all aglow with excited smiles.

Looking at his younger brothers, Fu Yanzhi felt they had had a good time on their trip to Mist Food Flavor Town today.

That evening, Fu Yanzhi called Zheng Long and asked him to pick them up. By the time Zheng Long arrived, the four little ones had fallen asleep after a day of wild fun. Bo Qing carried Yueyue, Fu Yanzhi carried Xingxing, and Wen Shiming carried Xiaoxiao. Ji Jinming was overjoyed: today, his son had given him a steamed bun, and he had gotten to hold his son.

After Fu Yanzhi gently settled his brothers, he took Huanhuan from Ji Jinming, who reluctantly handed him over.

Seeing his expression, Fu Yanzhi smiled. "Boss Ji, in the future, if you have nothing to do, you can come visit us."

Ji Jinming nodded. "Definitely. I'll come when I have time."

Fu Yanzhi said nothing more. After closing the car door, he set off for home.