Chapter 2 Haunted Houses in the Republic of China (Part 2)
"Let's all take a break. If you are tired and sleepy, just lie down and rest. We can sleep peacefully here. From now on, we have to keep one eye half open even when we sleep." Lao Zhang mentioned.
The anxious new players could only follow the veterans' lead and close their eyes to rest. But even if they tried to learn, who could truly rest in peace under such circumstances? Every time they closed their eyes, they would recall the tragic scene of their own death and the scene of their recent escape from the ghost's mouth...
Well, there is one newcomer who doesn’t fit in, and she looks so calm that she seems more like an old player than the old ones.
The night gradually deepened.
"call……"
The flame of the kerosene lamp flickered inexplicably.
A cold wind blew in the safe hut with closed doors and windows, and the wind gently blew up a strand of Miss Ning's long hair, as if an invisible hand was holding it up.
Miss Ning suddenly opened her eyes. Her beautiful eyes, which seemed to hide the stars, reflected the faint light of the fire. She looked around anxiously, but unfortunately, all the abnormalities disappeared the moment she opened her eyes.
After a moment, her expression returned to its initial calmness. Perhaps it was an illusion, but the light in her eyes dimmed a little.
“Da da…”
Suddenly, there was a faint noise outside the door. The old player who had his eyes closed opened them immediately. He could see that even the seemingly kind-hearted Old Zhang became fierce in that instant.
"The housekeeper is here. This little brat is a tough one. Be careful. No matter what he does, don't resist. Don't argue with him, or you'll have a hard time for the next seven days."
"Bang!" The door was pushed open violently, and a strong wind swept in, almost blowing out the poor flame in the kerosene lamp.
[The protection period of the safe house has expired.]
In the darkness of night, a strange man with a pointed face and a fat body pushed the door open. He looked to be in his sixties, with half of his hair already white, but his eyes were sharp.
His face was so pale that it lacked a trace of lifelike blood. The way his mouth was pulled up was as stiff as a mummy. Most importantly, that face...
Like a mouse.
“Hehe…”
After the wind died down, the safe house was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. I don't know who was chattering their teeth, but the chattering sounds formed a symphony in the quiet house.
After looking around, the butler met the indifferent look of Miss Ning. He walked into the room and went straight to Miss Ning, pinching her face and arm with his shriveled fingers.
He pinched very hard, leaving a deep red mark on Miss Ning's face, which looked very painful. I don't know whether to say that Miss Ning was very patient or had a good temper. Even when being pulled around by the housekeeper, her face did not show any emotion.
Others almost held their breath.
"You have such a beautiful appearance! Even that unlucky son-in-law can't compare to you. You are not too wronged in this appearance, Miss." The butler's skinny fingers stroked across the delicate skin of Miss Ning's face, and his eyes, which seemed to be glowing green, showed a greedy look.
However, the next second, he pulled his hand back abruptly as if he had been electrocuted. Only Miss Ning could see that his fingers, which he had quickly lowered, were trembling slightly.
The skin on his pale face twitched slightly, and his originally arrogant look instantly turned into fawning. Even the way other people's faces changed in opera were not as fast as his.
"You're a lucky person. You've jumped from a servant to a master. You'll have a good life in the future. But don't forget who promoted you." The housekeeper's green eyes glanced at the others nearby, and his expression was not so kind. "Do you understand? The one who died on the road was a servant. The son-in-law is sitting here now. You all should be careful not to let anything slip, otherwise I will peel off your skin first!"
"Yes, yes, yes!" No one would refute the butler at this time.
The housekeeper was satisfied with their attitude. "What are you still standing there for? Quickly change our son-in-law into wedding attire. Our young lady has been waiting for a long time. Don't miss the auspicious time."
At the door, two thin figures appeared quietly carrying two trays of clothes. The kerosene lamp in the house flickered, and it seemed that there was a thin, hairless tail behind them.
The little deer, noticing this, covered his mouth tightly, fearing that he would accidentally scream.
I don’t know if it was the game guide or the boss who was very considerate, but this wedding dress was very fitting for Miss Ning. The two skinny little girls following behind the housekeeper helped Miss Ning tidy up her clothes with expressionless faces, and even helped her put on light makeup.
The red wedding dress made Miss Ning's skin even more fair and beautiful. After helping her put on makeup, the two little girls, who looked like paper dolls, said in unison, "The young lady will like you."
The two girls' voices were devoid of any emotion and echoed eerily in the room.
"Have you changed your clothes? It's almost the auspicious time!" The butler's voice urged again at the door.
All the men were waiting at the door. The only ones helping in the room were Xiaolu, Changyue, and two girls who looked obviously not human.
"It's ready." The two girls said to the housekeeper.
"Then please ask your son-in-law to come out." The housekeeper stood at the door and made a gesture of invitation.
The fiery red wedding dress was so conspicuous in the night. Two girls held white lanterns in front to illuminate Miss Ning, while Brother Zhao quickly grabbed the kerosene lamp.
Before this, they had divided up all the useful items they could find in the safe house, such as candles.
The carriage swayed slowly in the direction pointed by the butler. Old Zhang seemed to have learned the relevant skills and drove the carriage quite well.
After a while, the carriage arrived at the gate of the large courtyard where a row of white lanterns with wedding characters were hung. It was dark inside, and the huge house looked like a dormant man-eating monster.
At the housekeeper's reminder, the carriage drove into the huge mansion from the side door. The matchmaker, who was dressed in mourning clothes and had a white flower on her head, had been waiting at the side door. When she saw the carriage coming in, the corners of her mouth almost stretched to her ears.
This is not an exaggeration. If the housekeeper is like a mouse, the matchmaker is like a snake.
"Rustle, rustle..."
Something seemed to be moving in the grass and on the branches.
"Please get out of the car and follow me to the wedding hall, my new son-in-law. Don't miss the auspicious time." The matchmaker's shrill voice scratched people's hearts like a needle.
Xiaolu had been sitting next to Miss Ning. When she suddenly heard the shout outside, she subconsciously grabbed Miss Ning's sleeve.
"Sir, please go with the matchmaker first. I will arrange accommodation for the rest of the people." The housekeeper's cold eyes fell on Xiaolu's hand. The girl shuddered and immediately let go.
When the matchmaker saw the man stepping down from the carriage, her grin widened even further, and her tongue even licked her bright red lips. "Oh, the new son-in-law is so... handsome! He and our young lady are truly a perfect match!"
"Stop talking so much nonsense and take the son-in-law to the wedding hall quickly." The butler only shouted in the carriage and did not show up.
"It's been a long time since we last met, and you, you dead ghost, don't even want to see me?" The matchmaker let out a faint, eerie laugh from her throat.
The butler's response was to urge Lao Zhang to drive the carriage to the other side.
"Hmph." The matchmaker snorted coldly, then put on a smile and said to Miss Ning, "Sir, let's go."
The Xia family had an ancestor who was a high-ranking official. This mansion is the old house built at that time, with a total of six courtyards.
Walking in this deep courtyard, the towering walls can limit people's vision. Looking up, there is only a small piece of sky. Not to mention at night, even during the day it can be depressing and suffocating.
Both sides of the high wall were hung with white lanterns with black wedding characters on them.
Two little girls were walking in front holding lanterns. The light could not illuminate a very large area, and could only barely cover the two of them, the matchmaker, and Miss Ning. Moreover, in the pitch-black shadows beside them, there was always something rustling and moving around.
There are a lot of rats in this house...
Miss Ning glanced at the thing in the shadows.
"Squeak..." The heavy door was pushed open, and Miss Ning finally saw the "person".
Several little people who looked like porcelain dolls came out from nowhere. Their faces only had unchanging smiles and exaggerated blushes. They stared at Miss Ning for a while, then ran inside cheering.
"My uncle is coming! My uncle is coming!"
With the children's shrill cheers, this dull old house seemed to be awakened. Miss Ning could feel countless eyes falling on her at that moment.
Two rows of white lanterns in the yard extended to the wedding hall. She followed the matchmaker with a normal expression and completed the wedding process which the bride was not present at.
The wedding hall seemed noisy and bustling with people drinking and chatting. Miss Ning could hear the sounds but could only see a few scattered "people".
Two white candles burned silently in the hall, and the faint light illuminated the pale faces of the master and mistress of the Xia family. Since entering the wedding hall, Miss Ning had not seen them blink, and the curvature of their smiles did not change. They looked like two paper figures with fixed expressions.
"The ceremony is over!"
"Send her to the bridal chamber!"
As the ceremonial officer finished his sharp words, the wedding hall, which looked like it had no more than ten people in it, suddenly became noisy. Miss Ning was pushed into the bridal chamber by the force behind her. Before she could even stand firmly, the door behind her was already locked.
The wedding candles in the bridal chamber were white, and the flickering candlelight reflected the crowded ghosts outside the windows and doors. They were playing around, as if they wanted to make trouble in the bridal chamber but did not dare to enter.
Miss Ning looked around the room, then walked straight to the bed and sat down. Although she was the new son-in-law, she looked more like a young wife waiting for the groom to come back.
I don’t know how long it took, but the noise outside died down, and suddenly a gust of wind blew out all the candles in the room.
Human night vision is limited, and Miss Ning can't see anything in such a dark environment.
"Knock, knock, knock..."
The temperature in the room gradually dropped, and Miss Ning heard something beating faster and faster.
It turned out to be her own heartbeat.
"Your heart is beating fast." A cold hand touched her heart.
Suddenly, a woman's voice sounded in her ears.
A slightly cold breath was blown beside her ear, and a faint floral fragrance gradually enveloped Miss Ning. The hand of the "person" on her heart gradually moved upwards and then stroked her face.
The hand was very cold, not like the temperature of a living person.
"Oh, your face is so hot." The woman laughed coquettishly, "Are you shy, my husband?"
"Or rather... my little lady?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
