This guesthouse had been open for almost three years. Chen Jian had watched it being built. Back when the town was just getting started, plenty of guesthouses with different styles and business models had popped up. He had also watched many of them go under.
Zhenxi had lasted longer than most.
If not for the suicide on the third floor six months ago, it might have held out a little longer.
Even though the case had been officially ruled a suicide, the rumors surrounding it were eerie. No one dared come within 500 meters of the building.
When Qian Yu ran off, he still owed Chen Jian some wages, telling him to come and take whatever he wanted.
But he didn’t leave him a key.
Truly a deadbeat.
Chen Jian had come here often, but he never took anything. The door wouldn’t open, and anything valuable was too big to carry out anyway. If he ever did manage to break in and take something, Qian Yu could turn around and accuse him of theft.
The real reason he kept coming was because the mattresses here were comfortable. He came here to sleep.
The more terrifying the ghost stories got, the quieter this place became.
Especially the third floor.
Chen Jian moved carefully up the stairs to the third floor. His usual sleeping spot was in the room diagonally across from the suicide scene. He had tidied it up himself. Yesterday, he had left his bag here.
Just like every other time, he climbed in through the second-floor window, took the stairs up to the third floor, and opened the one room that wasn’t locked. Then, he flipped the switch.
This was the only room in the entire building with working lights—he had wired it himself from the outside.
But today felt different.
He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but the moment he touched the doorknob, he sensed something off.
Still, after only half a second of hesitation, he turned the handle.
There was no water, no electricity, and no cleaning in the other rooms. Even if Shan Yu and Liu Wu dared to stay here, they wouldn’t have picked a room directly across from the crime scene.
He stepped inside and closed the door behind him.
Rumors were just rumors, but he still worried that ghosts might follow him in.
The next second, he froze in place.
The room had always carried a faint, dusty scent. But today, mixed within that dust, was a hint of seawater.
Perfume?
Before he could think further, the lights turned on.
Shan Yu was sitting in his wheelchair, staring at him.
This was a situation Chen Jian had never imagined.
Was this guy nuts? It was one thing to stay here, but why the hell did he choose this room?!
He stood frozen two steps into the room, unsure whether to greet him, turn and leave, jump out the window, or just apologize, claim he was lost, and then jump out the window…
Then, he saw the baseball bat leaning against Shan Yu’s wheelchair.
He wasn’t just sitting here—he was lying in wait to catch a thief.
Chen Jian didn’t hesitate any longer. He took half a step back and reached for the door handle, wary of a sneak attack from Shan Yu.
But Shan Yu was faster.
Before Chen Jian could even touch the handle, Shan Yu had already grabbed the bat and swung it hard in his direction.
The bat spun rapidly through the air toward him. Just from the sound, Chen Jian could tell it was metal.
Shit.
If that thing smashed into his face, wouldn’t it cave in?!
But just as it seemed inevitable, the bat suddenly changed direction—almost like something had pulled it back.
It hit the floor half a meter in front of him, making a sharp metallic clang, then spun in the opposite direction and flew right back into Shan Yu’s hand.
The whole sequence took less than a second.
Chen Jian’s hand was still frozen in midair, reaching for the door handle.
Holy shit.
That was pretty badass.
“A remote control feature?” Shan Yu placed the bat back beside his wheelchair and casually rotated a remote in his other hand. “Pretty advanced.”
“Thirty bucks, free shipping,” Chen Jian said.
Shan Yu looked up at him.
“I…” Chen Jian glanced at the window.
“You can take your bag and leave through the door later,” Shan Yu said. “No need to jump.”
“I was planning to use the door,” Chen Jian looked at the bat. “But that thing won’t let me.”
“I said later.” Shan Yu leaned back in his wheelchair.
“Fine.” Chen Jian didn’t argue and leaned against a chair, abandoning any thoughts of escape.
“You know Qian Yu well?” Shan Yu asked.
“Not really,” Chen Jian said. “Just acquaintances. The town’s local business owners all know each other.”
“Oh.” Shan Yu spun the remote in his hands. “What happened in that room?”
“A couple committed suicide,” Chen Jian said bluntly.
“Suicides are usually poison or something. Why is there blood all over the bed?” Shan Yu asked.
“They took poison first, then slit their wrists,” Chen Jian said. “The blood soaked into the mattress. Probably left behind some resentment. People say they hear voices at night… sometimes even crying.”
“I see.” Shan Yu nodded, falling silent.
“Have you heard anything?” Chen Jian asked.
“No,” Shan Yu yawned. “Maybe I need to stay up later.”
Chen Jian didn’t say anything else. This guy really had nerves of steel.
He waited for a while, unsure if Shan Yu was done questioning him. The guy didn’t seem in any hurry to let him leave.
So, he asked, “Were you specifically waiting here? How’d you know I use this room?”
“This is the only room with electricity,” Shan Yu chuckled. “I just guessed someone was staying here. Didn’t know it was you.”
“I don’t stay here,” Chen Jian clarified. “I just… come by sometimes to sleep.”
“Mm.” Shan Yu nodded, then pointed at the bag on the table. “Go ahead.”
Chen Jian eyed the baseball bat.
Shan Yu wasn’t looking at him, but he had both hands clasped together.
Chen Jian walked over, grabbed his bag, and quickly turned to leave.
Just as he was about to close the door, Shan Yu called out, “Curly.”
Honestly, Chen Jian wanted to pretend he hadn’t heard. If you’ve got the guts, roll your wheelchair over here and stop me.
But he was in the wrong tonight, so he stopped and looked back. “Yeah?”
“Take this to Liu Wu for me.” Shan Yu tossed something at him.
Chen Jian caught it. A charger. He hesitated. “Where am I taking it? Isn’t he staying here?”
“The guesthouse past the intersection. Not sure exactly which one,” Shan Yu said. “Aren’t you familiar with all the local owners? Ask around.”
“…Fine.” Chen Jian stuffed the charger into his bag and left.
Liu Wu was at a small guesthouse near the intersection. Too close to the haunted house, so business had been terrible lately. He was probably their only guest tonight.
Chen Jian didn’t even need to ask. The lights gave it away.
“Luo-jie,” he greeted the woman at the front desk. “I’m going in to give something to that kid.”
“Go ahead,” Luo-jie said, eyes glued to her phone. “Do you know that new owner, Boss Shan?”
“No. Why?” Chen Jian asked.
“That kid said he’s friends with Qian Yu, so I thought maybe you knew him too.”
“Nope.” Chen Jian walked down the first-floor hallway. That Liu Wu really had no filter—telling people everything.
The moment Liu Wu opened the door and saw him, his face lit up like he had just seen a long-lost relative.
“You’re here! Thank god!”
“Shan Yu asked me to bring you this.” Chen Jian took out the charger and handed it to him. “Why didn’t you stay with him at the haunted—uh, at Zhenxi?”
“Who the hell would dare?!” Liu Wu scrunched up his face. “You know about the crime scene on the third floor, right?! How could anyone live there?! I was already scared to death! You and that boss lady didn’t say anything when we were fixing the car—totally not cool.”
“Isn’t he your brother?” Chen Jian laughed. “How come his courage is so much bigger than yours?”
“Cousin,” Liu Wu corrected him, then suddenly thought of something. “Wait, you went to see him?”
“I ran into him while grabbing some stuff.” Chen Jian said.
“Damn.” Liu Wu looked at him. “You went to that place at night just to grab something? You’ve got guts.”
“Just the usual amount,” Chen Jian said. “I’m heading out. Charge your phone.”
“Don’t go,” Liu Wu followed him. “Stay and chat for a bit. That room on the third floor, is it really…”
“You sure you wanna hear about this at night?” Chen Jian turned back to look at him.
Liu Wu went silent. It was obvious he was fighting an intense internal battle. After a while, he turned around. “Forget it. I’ll ask in the morning.”
(Though honestly, he wouldn’t dare ask even in the daytime.)
The next morning was bright and sunny.
When Liu Wu stepped out of his room, he saw the guesthouse owner chatting with someone at the entrance. It would’ve been a good time to ask about Zhenxi.
But he didn’t.
He didn’t quite have the guts.
Instead, he went straight to Zhenxi.
Under normal circumstances, Shan Yu wouldn’t be awake at this hour. But since there was no water or electricity, Liu Wu figured he should check if Shan Yu wanted to move out.
When he opened the door and saw Shan Yu rolling around on the first floor in his wheelchair, his eyes widened. “How did you get down here?”
“Threw the wheelchair down first,” Shan Yu said. “Then hopped down on one leg.”
“You should’ve called me.” Liu Wu walked over to inspect the wheelchair. “This thing’s expensive. Did you break it?”
“Next time, I’ll throw myself down first. I’m not worth much.” Shan Yu said.
“Hey,” Liu Wu laughed. “Honestly, I wasn’t even worried about you falling. You’ve got skills.”
“Did you sleep well last night?” Shan Yu asked.
“Not at all,” Liu Wu frowned. “There was constant noise outside—animals calling, rustling sounds, and weird scuffling. Either animals fighting or something else… What about you?”
“I slept great. Slept like a rock. Didn’t hear a thing.” Shan Yu said.
“You’re seriously fearless.” Liu Wu glanced at the bar counter. The sink was wet. “You washed up? Thought the water was out.”
“There’s bottled water.” Shan Yu pointed to the side.
Liu Wu looked over and saw a hidden door next to the bar. Inside was a storage room filled with water bottles, toiletries, and stacks of paper towels.
“The water’s not expired?” Liu Wu asked.
“Expiration doesn’t mean it’s bad,” Shan Yu said. “Back when we were kids, you drank stream water with cow dung in it and didn’t die.”
“That wasn’t cow dung water! That was stream water! There just happened to be cows upstream that pooped!” Liu Wu corrected him.
“Still had a taste to it.” Shan Yu smirked.
“You’ve got some nerve to laugh,” Liu Wu said. “So, did you drink this water or not?”
“I did.” Shan Yu admitted.
They both paused for a second before bursting into laughter.
As Liu Wu laughed, he glanced at the staircase. The sunlight had fully illuminated the interior, making the furnishings clearly visible. Other than some dust and clutter, the place didn’t look as scary as it had last night.
But he still pushed Shan Yu toward the exit. “Let’s get breakfast. The place I stayed at last night had breakfast, but it sucked. Let’s find somewhere better.”
“Okay.” Shan Yu agreed. “Are you heading back today?”
Liu Wu didn’t answer.
“You only took two days off, right?” Shan Yu said. “Go back this afternoon. Skipping classes this early in the semester isn’t good.”
“I can extend it for a couple of days,” Liu Wu said. “I didn’t expect this place to be like this when I took leave. How are you supposed to handle everything alone?”
“I’ll hire people. Not a big deal.” Shan Yu didn’t seem to care much. “Just get the water and electricity back on this morning, then head back.”
“How are you going to get around? At the very least, won’t it be tough without someone to push your wheelchair?” Liu Wu asked.
“This wheelchair is electric.” Shan Yu said.
“…Right.” Liu Wu stopped, stunned for two seconds. “Wait, you threw an electric wheelchair down the stairs? You weren’t worried it’d explode?!”
“Well, it didn’t explode.” Shan Yu said.
Liu Wu might be slow in conversation, but he was efficient when it came to getting things done. After breakfast, under the watchful eyes of the street’s shopkeepers, he pushed Shan Yu back to Zhenxi, then drove off to settle the utility bills.
As long as he wasn’t talking, he was a capable kid.
Shan Yu sat behind the bar, flipping through a booklet he had found in the storage room. It contained employee records and work logs.
Once the electricity and water were back, the place needed cleaning. A building this size required a decent workforce.
He needed someone who had connections with the locals.
After skimming through the records for a while, he picked up his phone and dialed a number listed inside.
As he waited for the call to connect, he spun an ID card between his fingers.
“Hello?” The voice on the other end was groggy, clearly irritated from being woken up. “Who’s this?”
“Curly.” Shan Yu said.
“If you call me that again, I swear to—” The person on the other end paused. “Wait. How’d you get my number?”
“Chen Jian,” Shan Yu flipped through the records. “According to this, you used to wake up pretty early when you worked here. Not up yet?”
Chen Jian didn’t answer right away. After a few seconds, his voice came back, much more awake. “Did you contact Qian Yu?”
“No,” Shan Yu replied simply.
Chen Jian waited a few more seconds before pressing again. “Then how do you have my number?”
“Boss Qian left everything behind when he ran,” Shan Yu said. “March 7th, liquor inventory, BLAH BLAH BLAH… processed by: Chen Jian…”
“You’re a piece of work.” Chen Jian said.
“Not really. The records were just sitting in the storage room.” Shan Yu said.
“What do you want?” Chen Jian asked.
“Come over and help out,” Shan Yu said.
“No time.” Chen Jian rejected him without hesitation.
“Okay.” Shan Yu accepted just as quickly and hung up.
Less than five minutes later, Chen Jian called back.
“Who’s this?” Shan Yu answered.
“Don’t pretend. You saved my number, didn’t you?” Chen Jian said.
Didn’t get a chance to.
Shan Yu stayed silent.
“…It’s Chen Jian,” Chen Jian had to introduce himself again.
“Ah, Curly.” Shan Yu said.
“Did you take my ID card?” Chen Jian asked.
Shan Yu glanced at the ID card in his hand. “Why would I take your ID?”
“Then did you find my ID?” Chen Jian rephrased.
“No.” Shan Yu said.
“Got it.” Chen Jian hung up.
“Where you going?” A kid squatting by the gate asked.
“Just wandering.” Chen Jian swung a leg over his motorcycle. “Keep an eye on your grandma. Don’t let her run off again.”
“Mm.” The kid nodded.
“Want me to bring anything back?” Chen Jian asked.
“Spicy sticks.” The kid said.
“Got it.” Chen Jian revved the engine and sped off.
As he rode through town, he wondered why someone as sharp as Shan Yu had taken over Zhenxi and ended up in this dead-end place.
The car in the courtyard was gone—Liu Wu must have taken it.
Chen Jian parked his motorcycle by the entrance and walked inside.
Shan Yu was sitting in his wheelchair, gazing out at the overgrown garden.
“No one’s taken care of it. It’s all wasted now.” Chen Jian said.
Shan Yu didn’t turn around. “On the bar.”
Chen Jian looked over and saw an ID card. He picked it up. It was his.
“…You did take it.” He was speechless.
“Found it.” Shan Yu said.
“Then why did you say you didn’t when I asked?” Chen Jian asked.
“You said you weren’t close with your boss either.” Shan Yu said.
“…Fine.” Chen Jian put the ID away. “Where’s your brother?”
“Went to town to sort out the utilities.” Shan Yu said.
“You… you really…” Chen Jian stared at him. “Even before the crime scene on the third floor, this place wasn’t doing well. You really didn’t look into it at all?”
“Nope.” Shan Yu said.
“…Are you stupid?” Chen Jian sighed from the bottom of his heart.
“Then explain it to me now. I’m listening.” Shan Yu said.
