Exploring a haunted house? Zhang Liang, those sharp ears of yours are going to spell disaster!

After the battle by Weiming Lake, Orange Treasure had become thoroughly famous at Jinghai University.

Someone had even created a dedicated megathread on Tieba with an extremely eye-catching title: "Shocking! Gangster cat spotted at Jinghai University, flips off rich second-generation heir and drives him back."

The replies were all begging for chance encounters and photos together.

But those people were destined to be disappointed.

Orange Treasure was now a top-priority protected charge of Ruan Qingwu and her roommates.

In Dorm Room 304.

Orange Treasure lay sprawled on Ruan Qingwu's pillow, soft belly exposed.

After being washed clean, that formerly filthy fur had become sleek, glossy, and golden.

Lin Ruoxue held a feather teaser, waving it back and forth before Orange Treasure's eyes.

"Orange Treasure, look here! Catch!"

Orange Treasure did not even lift an eyelid, merely yawning lazily and pushing the teaser aside with a paw. That look plainly spelled out one word: childish.

Zhao Mengyao tore open a packet of budget cat puree and held it to Orange Treasure's mouth. "Here, try this. Tuna flavor."

Orange Treasure's nose twitched twice. Smelling the cheap artificial flavoring, the cat flicked its tail disdainfully, jumped off the bed, and burrowed into Ruan Qingwu's arms.

"Holy shit, this cat is something else!" Zhao Mengyao's eyes widened as she pointed at Orange Treasure. "Qingwu, has your cat become a spirit? It was definitely looking down on my cat puree for being cheap!"

Ruan Qingwu sat at her desk, grooming Orange Treasure with a small comb.

Hearing this, she smiled, her eyes curving, and took a packet of imported freeze-dried meat cubes from her drawer, pouring some into her palm.

Orange Treasure immediately leaned over and ate with relish, purring away.

"Lin Bei said the cat's smart. Maybe life was hard as a stray before, so now it's picky." Ruan Qingwu gently scratched Orange Treasure's chin.

"Oh, give it a rest. Every other word is Lin Bei." Zhao Mengyao tossed the cat puree into the trash and mysteriously pulled out her phone.

"Qingwu, look at this."

On the phone screen was a sinister, terrifying promotional poster.

Dark red lettering dripped blood against the backdrop of a dilapidated, abandoned hospital, with several deathly pale hands reaching from its windows.

"Wisteria Mountain Hospital, that new immersive haunted house in the south of the city. Apparently all the NPCs inside are real people. It's having a trial opening this weekend, and tickets are half price!" Zhao Mengyao grew more excited as she spoke.

One glance at the poster made Ruan Qingwu's little face turn white.

She was timid by nature. Normally, she did not even dare watch movies with the slightest hint of suspense, let alone visit a haunted house with live actors.

"I'm not going." Ruan Qingwu shook her head like a pellet drum. "You and Ruoxue can go. I'm staying in the dorm to review advanced calculus this weekend."

"Review advanced calculus, my ass! The semester's barely started!" Zhao Mengyao pressed down on Ruan Qingwu's hand, her eyes darting as an idea struck. "If you're scared, ask Lin Bei along!"

At Lin Bei's name, Ruan Qingwu's comb paused.

Seeing an opening, Zhao Mengyao immediately switched into sweet-talking mode.

"Do you know what the suspension bridge effect is? When someone's extremely frightened, their heart speeds up, creating the illusion of romantic attraction."

"It'll be pitch-black in the haunted house. A ghost suddenly jumps out, you get scared and dive into Lin Bei's arms, and he wraps his arms around you..."

"Oh, stop talking nonsense!" Two blushes instantly flew onto Ruan Qingwu's cheeks, and even the tips of her ears grew hot.

"How is that nonsense? You two have been childhood sweethearts for how many years now, and things are still lukewarm. Aren't you anxious?" Exasperated at her failure to step up, Zhao Mengyao poked her forehead. "Listen to me. Call and ask. If he's willing to go with you, that means you've got a chance!"

Ruan Qingwu bit her lower lip, her fingers unconsciously tugging at the hem of her clothes.

Truthfully, she was tempted.

Lin Bei's perpetually nonchalant face surfaced unbidden in her mind. If things really went the way Mengyao said...

"But... he's usually so lazy. He definitely won't want to budge." Ruan Qingwu was still making excuses.

"How do you know without asking?" Zhao Mengyao shoved Ruan Qingwu's phone straight into her hand. "Call! If you don't, you're no campus belle of Jinghai University!"

At the same time.

South Playground, Jinghai University.

September's autumn breeze carried a hint of dry heat, and the basketball game was in full swing.

Lin Bei hid beneath a huge camphor tree at the edge of the playground, slumped on a bench as though he had no bones.

On the court, Fatty Wang was slaughtering the competition.

Ever since drinking the Spirit Water Lin Bei had spiked last time, the fatty's stamina had not only gone off the charts, but his coordination and explosive power had also risen by a huge step.

His mountain of flesh, weighing over two hundred jin, suddenly accelerated into a sharp change of direction outside the three-point line.

The six-foot-three sports student defending him was knocked three steps backward.

Fatty followed through with a layup, and the basketball swished through the net.

"Nice shot!"

"Holy shit, is this fatty possessed by O'Neal?"

A burst of cheers erupted from the sidelines.

Fatty smugly lifted his jersey to wipe his sweat, waving furiously at Lin Bei beneath the tree.

"Brother Bei! Did you see that? Lord Fatty's invincible crossover!"

Lin Bei lazily raised his bottle of cola and gave it two perfunctory waves.

Just then, the phone in his pocket vibrated.

He pulled it out and saw "Ruan Qingwu" flashing on the screen.

Lin Bei answered and put the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

The other end stayed silent for two seconds before Ruan Qingwu's slightly strained voice came through. "Lin Bei, are you... free this weekend?"

"Sure." Lin Bei shifted into a more comfortable position against the bench. "Why, want to treat me to a meal?"

"Not a meal." Ruan Qingwu's voice grew quieter as she spoke. "Mengyao said a new haunted house opened in the east of the city, called Vengeful Spirit Hospital. She insists on dragging me along... I'm a little scared. Could you come with us?"

Lin Bei was amused.

This girl had feared ghosts since childhood. As a kid, watching a zombie movie could leave her too scared to use the bathroom in the middle of the night, and now she was actually volunteering to visit a haunted house?

"Sure." Lin Bei agreed at once. "But let's get this straight. Don't get so scared you can't walk and make me carry you."

"Who wants you to carry me?" With her little scheme exposed over the phone, Ruan Qingwu raised her voice in flustered embarrassment. "Then it's settled. Saturday morning at ten, at the university gates!"

With that, she hung up immediately, as though afraid Lin Bei might change his mind.

Lin Bei chuckled at the darkened screen and casually slipped the phone back into his pocket.

What he had not noticed was that, behind the row of holly bushes just behind him...

Zhang Liang was crouching there, having heard every word of Lin Bei's phone call crystal clear.

"East of the city... Vengeful Spirit Hospital... Saturday..."

Zhang Liang muttered those keywords, a dark glint flashing through his mung-bean-sized eyes.

He stopped watching the basketball game and did not even deliver water to his buddies on the court, turning to run toward the upscale men's dormitory area.

The international students' dormitory, a luxurious single room.

Zhou Zihao lay groggily wrapped in a thick silk quilt.

After falling into Weiming Lake that day, he had developed a high fever that very night.

Only after two days of IV drips at the hospital had his fever barely subsided, but he was as weak as though he had suffered a serious illness.

"Achoo!"

Zhou Zihao sneezed violently, pulled the tissues from his nostrils and tossed them into the trash, then drew out two fresh ones to plug them again.

"Lin Bei... just you fucking wait... sooner or later, I'll settle this score with you!"

Zhou Zihao was cursing through gritted teeth when the dorm room door was suddenly shoved open hard.

Zhang Liang rushed in, panting.

"Young Master Zhou! A golden opportunity! A golden opportunity!"

Startled, Zhou Zihao irritably grabbed a pillow and hurled it at him. "Are you fucking rushing to reincarnate? Don't you know how to knock?"

Zhang Liang caught the pillow and hurried to the bedside in a few long strides.

"Young Master Zhou, I just heard some huge news at the playground! That broke bastard Lin Bei is taking Ruan Qingwu to that new Vengeful Spirit Hospital haunted house in the east of the city this weekend!"

"A haunted house?" Zhou Zihao froze for a moment. "What the fuck does him going to a haunted house have to do with me? Looking like this, am I supposed to go corner him there?"

"Young Master Zhou, you're not thinking straight!" Zhang Liang lowered his voice, his face sinister. "It's pitch-black inside a haunted house, and it's full of NPCs dressed as ghosts. All we need to do is spend a little money and get a few guys from the streets to slip in disguised as ghosts."

Zhang Liang paused, his gaze growing more vicious. "Then they can scare Lin Bei half to death in there! Ideally, scare him until he pisses his pants and kneels begging for mercy! We'll record it from the side and post the video on the university forum..."

At this, Zhou Zihao's formerly sickly eyes instantly lit up.

That's right!

Pissing his pants in a haunted house would hardly be any better than shitting them!

Once the video got out, that broke bastard Lin Bei would suffer total social death at Jinghai University!

Once Ruan Qingwu saw what a spineless coward he was, how could she still like him?

"Good! Great idea!"

Zhou Zihao abruptly sat up in bed.

The frustration and vicious anger bottled up inside him these past few days had finally found an outlet.

He snatched the phone from his bedside table and dialed a number with practiced ease.

The call connected after three rings. A rough voice came from the other end, with the clamor of a pool hall in the background.

"Hello? Young Master Zhou, what made you think of your big brother today?"

"Brother Biao, do me a favor this weekend. It's a simple job. Money's no issue." Zhou Zihao gritted his teeth, his temporary replacement front tooth faintly aching from excitement.

"Oh? Let's hear it."

"That new Vengeful Spirit Hospital haunted house in the east of the city. Take a few brothers who can handle themselves in there this weekend and dress up as ghosts."

"Find a freshman named Lin Bei. Scare him half to death! Best if you can make him piss his pants. And you must get me a high-definition video!"

Brother Biao burst out laughing on the other end. "I thought this was some big deal. Just scaring a college student? Sure, I'll take the job. I guarantee he'll walk in standing and come out crawling!"

Hanging up, Zhou Zihao let out a long breath, feeling that the pent-up resentment lodged in his chest these past two days had finally eased.

He tossed his phone onto the bed and turned to Zhang Liang.

"Well done. Once it's done this weekend, you'll get your share of the rewards."

Zhang Liang nodded repeatedly, all flattery. "Thank you, Young Master Zhou! That brat Lin Bei is finished!"

The two looked at each other and laughed in the dorm room, as though they could already see Lin Bei's miserable state that weekend, scared so badly he pissed and shit himself.