met free Chapter 17 seems to indicate jealousy.
Chapter 17 seems to indicate jealousy.
[Damn! Is Zun Du fake? Why can't I find it online?]
I am from Lotus Village, and I can attest to this: it is absolutely true!
[Back then, some people posted requests for help online, but they mysteriously disappeared as soon as they were posted. It wasn't just deleting or blocking them; they simply vanished every time they were posted. We even suspected it was the work of vengeful spirits, or that the girl was deliberately trying to keep the outside world from knowing!]
I checked the location of Lotus Village; it's situated at the foot of a mountain, where mountain winds constantly echo among the empty houses. The so-called crying sound was likely just the howling wind. As for the people who were hanged, it's more likely that it was done intentionally.
Superstition can kill people! If the police had been called sooner, the murderer might have been executed.
How do you know we didn't call the police? It's useless! Because there wasn't a single trace of homicide, it can only be ruled a suicide!
My brother's grandfather also saw the girl's ghost, but not only was he unharmed, he's still alive and well... What a pity.
Lu Xiang frowned and asked, "What did that girl do? Why did her mother kill her own child?"
"I can't say, I can't say this." The old woman shook her head repeatedly, her expression both fearful and rambling. "If I tell you, the little girl will get angry. That's why those people died."
"Oh, Ju-on, huh?" Si Xingran looked at Yu Cinian with some excitement, as if asking him, "Doesn't that make it even more interesting?"
Yu Cinian smiled, neither confirming nor denying.
Whether it's interesting or not, Lin Sui doesn't know, but the problems in Lotus Village are definitely not that simple.
The haunted house is located at the very back of the village; it's a three-story self-built house with a yard.
Even from a great distance, Lin Sui could sense a surge of resentment.
It wasn't from the haunted house, but from the Liu family, which lived just a wall away.
The Liu family was clearly a wealthy family in the past. Their old house, with its white walls, black tiles, and upturned eaves, was antique and elegant. Although it had become dilapidated and yellowed under the erosion of wind, rain, and time, it still looked quite grand.
In front of the black lacquered and carved gate stands a tall old locust tree, its green shade providing a cool respite that gives one goosebumps.
At that moment, a person was standing upright under the tree.
Xia Juntao, who was on the same team as Lin Siyao, was also the oldest guest.
He looked up, gazing absently at the old locust tree, seemingly lost in thought, and didn't even react as the group walked past him.
Lin Sui glanced at his face unintentionally, and her heart stirred.
Si Xingran called out cheekily, "Uncle, what are you doing here, having an existential crisis?"
Xia Juntao suddenly snapped out of his daze and exclaimed with delight, "You've come!"
"Since you haven't arrived for so long, Mr. Duan and Miss Lin went out to look for you. I had nothing else to do anyway, so I came out to check on you as well."
Xia Juntao is said to be only in his forties, but his temples are gray, and he looks somewhat old, yet he has a calm and composed demeanor as if he has experienced many vicissitudes.
He said worriedly, "We have found out about the ghost stories in Lotus Village... Mr. Duan suspects that the murderer who hanged so many people has not been exposed because he is still hiding in this village. Mr. Duan is worried that you will be in danger if you are still outside at night."
[Waaaa, our Yao Yao is so sweet! She was targeted like that before, yet she still came out to find them without holding a grudge.]
[How come I remember she only went with Duan Xuchi because he insisted on going? Duan Xuchi is the real good guy!]
Lin Sui also felt that Duan Xuchi truly deserved to be called the chosen male lead with a strong sense of justice. He said "it's hard to persuade a damned ghost," but when it really came down to it, he wouldn't just sit idly by.
Just then, Duan Xuchi and Lin Siyao returned.
Because she led the team to quickly find the haunted house, Lin Siyao gradually became the core of the team.
This allowed her to maintain a calm demeanor when facing Lin Sui and the others: "You've finally arrived. We've been looking for you for so long."
She was speaking to everyone, but her gaze inadvertently fell on Yu Cinian, Si Xingran, and Li Ye.
This can be considered her taking the initiative to make amends, after all, they had just had an unpleasant argument at noon, and in the afternoon she repaid evil with kindness by taking the initiative to come out and find them for their safety.
According to the novel's setting, Yu Cinian and the other main characters should have changed their opinions of her and become interested in her.
To Lin Sui's surprise, no one responded, not even Si Xingran, who should have been the first to fall for the female lead.
Lin Siyao lowered her eyes: "Brother Xuchi, I'm a little tired, I'll go back first."
After saying that, she walked straight past the three of them.
"whispering sound!"
A snicker suddenly rang out, and Lin Sui subconsciously turned her head to see Lu Xiang: "What are you laughing at?"
"Can't I laugh?" Lu Xiang said expressionlessly.
Lin Sui: “…”
Duan Xuchi also glanced at Lu Xiang: "It's not safe here. You'd better not come out at night, and especially not alone."
While reminding him, she helped him lift a suitcase and strode to catch up with Lin Siyao.
Lin Sui couldn't help but glance at Lu Xiang again.
"What are you looking at?" Lu Xiang glanced at her coldly, her expression showing some impatience.
As the original female lead, Lu Xiang in the novel would feel jealous whenever she saw Duan Xuchi and Lin Siyao together.
To be honest, he really does look jealous.
Lin Sui said expressionlessly, "Can't I watch it if I want to?"
Lu Xiang: "..."
The haunted house was hidden in a thicket of weeds nearly as tall as a person. Through the rusted iron gate, you could see that the front yard was a small concrete area, where weeds were also vying to squeeze out from the gaps.
As soon as Lin Sui entered the courtyard, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a dark shadow flash by in the corner of his eye.
She looked over sharply and immediately spotted the round window on the second floor of the Liu family's house, which faced the haunted house. It was dark and gaping, like a sinister ghostly eye, watching them.
Lin Sui's eyes sharpened, and she did some quick calculations with her fingers.
Sure enough, Song Dilai's lost soul was right here.
She slightly lowered her gaze and casually withdrew it.
Although the building has three floors, there are not many rooms, so the teams that arrive first naturally have the right to choose a single room.
Later, Lin Sui and the other six could only live in the "collective dormitory" on the first floor.
The dormitory occupied more than half of the floor. The production team seemed to have cleaned it carefully, as it looked spotless and tidy.
The room, which runs longitudinally, has six single beds arranged in a row, with each bed spaced no more than half a step apart, making it look like a dormitory at first glance.
[Oh my god, are they going to have mixed-gender dorms? That's going to be so awkward!]
[Aaaaaah, I wish I could be one of them, which would basically mean I slept with my husband!]
Fortunately, Lin Sui's teammates were all extraordinary people, and there was no awkwardness or hesitation about them.
Everyone quickly chose their beds, in the following order:
Li Ye-Yu Cinian-Tang Xi-Lin Sui-Lu Xiang-Si Xingran
The door faced Li Ye's bed, while next to Si Xingran was a square window.
The two of them coincidentally occupied the two most dangerous positions.
Lin Sui and Tang Xi were the last to be chosen, leaving only the two middle seats empty.
Lin Sui thought Tang Xi would prefer to be near the girls, so she was about to go to Yu Cinian's side when Tang Xi suddenly grabbed her.
The little girl's face was tense. She looked at herself and then at Yu Cinian. Then, like a hero cutting off his own arm, she resolutely walked to the bed next to Yu Cinian.
Yu Cinian, who was disinfecting the bed board, seemed to sigh with regret.
Lin Sui: "...?"