Chapter 73: The Cursed House (Part 6)

Her question was so blunt it was hard to accept, but she wasn’t asking out of nowhere; she wanted to use this chance to probe whose domain of obsession they were trapped in.

“It’s not… it’s not that someone wants me to stay with them.” Hu Chai lowered his head, his fists clenched tight. “If I tell you, will you help me?”

“I’ll definitely help you!” Such a handsome man gazed at her with moist eyes, begging for help. Chen Meng was already smitten; she agreed without a second thought.

But Hu Chai merely nodded politely to her; he was more eager to hear Su Man’s promise.

Su Man, though arrogant and sharp-tongued, had humiliated him, but she was powerful—he needed someone strong like her. Just a bit more strength could make one overlook all her faults.

“Me? Well, I’ll help you too.” Su Man replied swiftly, not because she was captivated by his looks, but because it was something she could promise lightly, and easily retract. After all, she’d gained nothing from Hu Chai—a verbal agreement meant nothing to her.

Hu Chai gave her a grateful smile, then his expression grew serious. “Actually, it’s because they attacked my adoptive father.”

The accident with the wire rig was just an excuse. In truth, his adoptive father had come to see him that day, and the lighting equipment collapsed, crushing him. He had been in the hospital, unconscious ever since.

“How can you be sure that event is connected to all this?” Su Man questioned reasonably.

“Because I saw Ai Ji that day…” Ai Ji was circling his adoptive father; he saw her push over the lighting equipment with his own eyes.

“Afterwards, I told the people nearby, but everyone thought I was crazy.”

Hu Chai clutched his head, his face twisted with anguish. “That’s always how Ai Ji is—she wants to take everything from me, so this time, I want them all gone!”

Chen Meng comforted him tenderly, her heart aching for him. “Don’t worry, we’ll help you, we’ll help you protect everything.”

Hu Chai took a while to calm down, finally regaining his composure.

But when he turned and met Su Man’s quiet gaze, he instinctively lowered his head.

In doing so, he caught sight of the photograph on the table; all the emotions in his mind instantly vanished. He asked, “Where did you get this photo?”

He remembered—his childhood photographs should have all been destroyed.

Su Man glanced down. “Saw it in the hallway, stuck to the wall. If you want, there are plenty more.”

“You dared take a photo from the wall with the mistress leading the way?” Chen Meng couldn’t help but shout again.

Su Man didn’t even spare her a glance. “I’m heading out; no need to leave the door open for me.”

“Where are you going?” Hu Chai asked, a hint of unease in his voice.

“Just wandering. If you want to follow, you can, but I can’t guarantee your safety,” Su Man said.

In the end, Hu Chai hesitated and hesitated, but didn’t go with her, only saying, “Be careful.”

When Su Man left the room, part of her truly was wandering, hoping to stumble across some clues; the other part was searching for a resurrection card.

It was already past eight o’clock, and those sinister entities seemed to have ceased their activities. The corridor was eerily quiet, only the sound of her shoes tapping against the floor remained.

[This corridor seems endless, and there’s no sound at all. Host, say something, I’m getting scared.]

[Will something suddenly crawl out from behind the host? Looking forward to it.]

[I mean, isn’t the host in someone else’s house? How can she just wander around?]

[If you don’t like it, just leave. Why act like a moral policeman?]

[No manners!]

Su Man actually didn’t feel anything amiss, but the comment stream suddenly erupted.

Then, the screen was flooded with gifts.

She couldn’t understand it.

But what caught her attention more was the fleeting line on the screen:

[Host, there’s someone behind you.]

She noticed that the shadow on the floor had somehow doubled. The second shadow opened its mouth wide, revealing a row of shark-like teeth to her own shadow.

Su Man spun around in a flash, flicked her dagger and shattered the overhead light. Glass sprayed everywhere, a frantic wail pierced the silence.

Looking back, Su Man saw Ai Ji clutching her head with one hand, holding her doll with the other, gazing up at her with aggrieved eyes.

The distant light stretched their shadows longer, adding a strange, uncanny atmosphere.

“Sister, do you not like Ai Ji either?” Ai Ji’s lips trembled, as if she might burst into tears at any moment.

“No.” Su Man shook her head, crouched down, and replied patiently, “Your name’s Ai Ji, right? Are you not with your mother?”

“No.” Ai Ji pouted, fiddling with her fingers. “Mom and Grandma are fighting, Ai Ji doesn’t want to listen.”

“So what were you trying to do just now?”

“Eat you!” Ai Ji opened her mouth wide, drooling copiously.

*

“We should hurry and find Su Man. This place is no place for people, and sticking together with her will be safer.” Chen Meng clung to Hu Chai’s arm, huddling in his embrace, holding a candle as she walked nervously down the corridor, glancing back again and again.

“Stop looking back! You’ll die. Didn’t that thing say turning back means death? Are you trying to get me killed?” Hu Chai couldn’t help but scold her.

“I… I’m scared. Who knows if there’s really something unclean in these rooms?”

Chen Meng could barely bring herself to recall what happened. Just five minutes after Su Man left, she went to shower, and encountered something unclean in the bathroom.

She didn’t dare look at what it was—only felt it breathing on her neck, its damp hair floating just beneath her nose.

If Hu Chai’s protective charm hadn’t saved her at the critical moment, she would have died right there.

“Hu Chai, do you think Su Man might be dead too?”

Chen Meng grew more fearful as she spoke. “I think I just heard a scream—was she killed?”

“If she’s dead, what will we do? Do you still have your protective charm?”

Chen Meng was so frightened she couldn’t stop talking.

Impatience flashed across Hu Chai’s face. If he’d followed Su Man, maybe things wouldn’t have gotten so troublesome. Yet what Chen Meng said worried him as well; he’d heard that scream, too. Could Su Man really be dead?

“Hey, look, the light up ahead is broken,” Chen Meng suddenly tugged his arm, calling out.

“No, wait! Is that little girl standing there Ai Ji? And why is there a dog?” Chen Meng’s arm trembled as she clung to him. “Su Man…” Her voice was so thin it was almost suffocating. “Is that Su Man lying there? Is that blood? The floor looks covered in blood! Su Man is dead!”