FIO CH9

Chapter 9: Boo Hoo…

The young man sitting on the sofa kept glancing towards the bedroom and checked his wristwatch—it was exactly ten o’clock. Two hours had passed since Lu Fangchi got up. Over an hour ago, he had finished getting ready and sat on the sofa waiting. About forty-five minutes ago, Zhou Zheng had said, “Almost ready,” but there was still no sign of him.

Before Lu Fangchi’s patience ran out completely, the bedroom doorknob turned downward, and the alpha finally emerged.

“Ready, let’s go,” Zhou Zheng said, fashionably late.

Lu Fangchi looked him over, hesitated for a few seconds, and then asked quietly, “Are you really going like this?”

Zhou Zheng looked down at himself, seemingly finding nothing amiss. He turned around to show off his outfit and countered, “Doesn’t it look good?”

It did look good, but it was a bit flamboyant. His short hair, grown out from a buzz cut, was styled with gel. He wore a military green parka paired with matching cargo pants and black boots. His already long legs were even more eye-catching, and the outfit made him look very cool, young, and energetic.

“It’s fine, but those shoes will tire your feet. There will be lines for the amusement park rides,” Lu Fangchi said honestly and pragmatically. After all, his own outfit was much more casual—a black down jacket, jeans, and sneakers, exuding a different kind of nonchalant, lazy coolness.

Zhou Zheng only heard the first half of the sentence: “As long as it looks good.”

Alright, whatever, Lu Fangchi decided not to say more.

They set off for the amusement park, parked the car, got the tickets, and lined up to enter.

The moment they stepped inside, a white flash of lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a “rumble” of thunder. Dark clouds churned overhead, and the sky that had just cleared up was instantly enveloped in darkness.

This was the prelude to rain.

Other visitors entering the park had obviously noticed the change in the weather and hurried towards the indoor areas. Zhou Zheng and Lu Fangchi followed the crowd and entered the indoor amusement area together.

Not long after they got inside, large raindrops began to pound the ground, turning into silver threads that fluttered down and formed a curtain of rain.

The rain was heavy and showed no signs of stopping soon, which meant that some of the outdoor entertainment would be suspended.

Complaints rose around them: “What bad luck! It starts raining as soon as we get in. Sigh!”

“I did check the weather forecast and saw it would rain, but when I left, the sky was clear. I came with a bit of luck, but as soon as I stepped in, it started raining.”

“And it doesn’t look like it will stop anytime soon. We won’t be able to enjoy many of the rides.”

Lu Fangchi didn’t complain much, but a subtle sense of regret welled up inside him. Truth be told, he had never been to an amusement park before.

But as a nearly thirty-year-old adult alpha, his adaptability was quite good. He suppressed that slight regret and looked at Zhou Zheng beside him: “Disappointed?”

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Zhou Zheng shook his head and replied with a smile: “Not disappointed.”

There was nothing to be disappointed about. Even if they didn’t get to enjoy any rides today, he wouldn’t be disappointed. Just being with Lu Fangchi made him very happy.

Zhou Zheng’s relaxed expression seemed genuine. As long as he wasn’t disappointed, that was good. Lu Fangchi turned around and looked at the indoor area again. It seemed there were still things to do here.

Determined not to come for nothing, Lu Fangchi suggested, “How about we try some indoor activities?”

“Sure,” Zhou Zheng agreed readily.

Ten minutes later, Lu Fangchi began to regret his suggestion.

The gloomy entrance before them read “Insane Asylum” in large letters, with eerie skulls and blood-red marks creating a terrifying atmosphere. The ticket booth was illuminated with blue-green lights, as if something might burst out at any moment. It looked very eerie.

Even knowing it was all fake, just the usual haunted house decor, the continuous screams from inside made one feel uneasy.

Lu Fangchi had never been exposed to such things and rarely watched horror movies. The haunted house entrance alone made him want to back out.

This shouldn’t be fear, right? He just didn’t like this creepy feeling.

Was it okay to suggest something and then back out? The young man frowned in distress, thinking.

After a long while without coming up with a good excuse, Lu Fangchi simply threw the problem to Zhou Zheng, “Shall we go in?”

Zhou Zheng seemed calm on the surface, but inside, he was in turmoil.

He, Zhou Zheng, an S-class male alpha at twenty-four, was fearless in skydiving, bungee jumping, and surfing. He was not afraid of anything, except for the supernatural.

The young man’s question put him in a dilemma.

After waiting for a long time without a response from Zhou Zheng, Lu Fangchi touched his arm.

In such a gloomy environment, being touched unexpectedly made Zhou Zheng jolt, his body tensing up and his hairs standing on end.

At that moment, a highly overlapping conversation came from nearby: “Shall we go in?”

“Why aren’t you speaking? You’re not scared, are you?”

It clearly reached Lu Fangchi and Zhou Zheng’s ears.

Lu Fangchi didn’t think much of it. He was hoping Zhou Zheng would say no.

But Zhou Zheng, with a strong sense of involvement, let his pride get the better of him: “Of course we’re going in.”

Lu Fangchi stiffened, but still hoped for the best and asked again, “Really?”

The environment was too dim, and they couldn’t see each other’s faces clearly, let alone capture those subtle expressions. Coupled with the sting of that sentence, Lu Fangchi’s question was automatically interpreted by Zhou Zheng as “disdain.”

“There’s no way I’m backing out,” Zhou Zheng puffed out his chest to embolden himself, but his resigned expression gave away his true feelings.

Lu Fangchi and Zhou Zheng, each with their own thoughts, lined up at the entrance. Since the moment they bought the tickets, Lu Fangchi’s furrowed brows had never relaxed. The ticket seller, dressed in a bloodied patient’s gown with long black stripes under the eyes and a red smile stretching up to the temples, sinisterly chuckled and wished them, “Welcome to the immersive haunted house. Have a pleasant time.”

Lu Fangchi quickly took the tickets, handed one to Zhou Zheng, and then followed the sign into a closed-off small room. As soon as he stepped in, the door behind him slammed shut, making everyone’s heart skip a beat.

It was pitch black and void, so dark that one couldn’t see their own hand. The silence was terrifying, and the unknown filled the heart with fear. Lu Fangchi felt uneasy and immediately wanted to back out.

The next second, an electronic voice suddenly sounded from above: “This is a mental hospital. Please help the protagonist, Li Qian, escape from the hospital. However, being trapped in the hospital for too long seems to have caused some issues with Li Qian’s mental state…”

Almost instantly, a beam of white light illuminated a bed not far ahead in the dim environment. A woman sat on the bed, her long hair covering her face.

The sudden appearance of the NPC made Lu Fangchi’s heart leap into his throat. Then, the hand that was resting on his leg was tightly grabbed by someone, causing pain.

Zhou Zheng’s slightly trembling voice came from beside him: “Hold on, it’s really dark.”

Lu Fangchi, preoccupied with his own fear, didn’t notice Zhou Zheng’s odd behavior. He firmly squeezed back Zhou Zheng’s hand. Holding hands did make them feel a bit better.

The two of them slowly inched forward, trembling as they approached the bed and stopped half a meter away.

“Players, please take one step forward and stand on the footprints,” the electronic prompt sounded again, and then fluorescent green footprints lit up on the ground.

…It was way too close, practically face-to-face.

Lu Fangchi closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then reluctantly moved two steps forward and stood on the footprint.

The moment he stepped on it, there was a “click” from the ghost’s neck, and then her head rolled off, landing right in front of the two of them.

Zhou Zheng reflexively kicked the head violently with his foot. Due to the excessive force, the head flew and hit the wall, then bounced back.

“Don’t come near meeeee!” Zhou Zheng let out a scream, covering his head with his hands and backing into the corner, his legs still kicking the air uncontrollably.

Zhou Zheng’s sudden overreaction left Lu Fangchi dumbfounded. The alpha was cowering in the corner, trembling and covering his ears with his hands, muttering to himself in a self-hypnotic manner: “It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay… I’m not afraid, I’m not afraid, I’m not afraid…”

The sight of the tall, 1.9-meter figure huddled into a ball was oddly comical, and Zhou Zheng’s excessive fear somehow dissipated some of Lu Fangchi’s own terror.

As the head rolled to the ground for the second time, a key dislodged from the impact and fell with a “ding-dong” sound.

Lu Fangchi’s eyes lit up; they could get out. He inserted the key into the lock, turned it, and with a “click,” the door opened. Lu Fangchi pulled Zhou Zheng, who was still huddled in the corner, into the next section.

Just like when they first entered the haunted house, as soon as the two of them stepped in, the door behind them slammed shut again, symbolizing that there was no way back.

Having learned from the previous experience, Lu Fangchi’s heart only skipped a beat this time, but Zhou Zheng was startled, his palm sweating cold and sticking to Lu Fangchi’s hand.

Lu Fangchi patted his shoulder reassuringly, “Don’t be afraid, I’m here.”

In this environment, the slightest movement could terrify Zhou Zheng. He jumped at the touch and then, with his head buried in the young man’s shoulder, he whimpered, “I don’t want to play anymore. I want to go home.”

Although it was really pitiful, it somehow tickled Lu Fangchi’s funny bone. He tried hard to suppress a smile so as not to make the situation worse.

With a “click” of a switch, the long corridor in front of them lit up section by section with white lights, which then flickered rapidly, turning into red lasers that spread forward and were swallowed by pure blackness. Suddenly, in the red and black flashing, a NPC dressed in a striped patient’s gown with twisted limbs lunged forward. Coupled with the tense and urgent sound effects, it seemed like a deadly ghost.

Lu Fangchi’s throat tightened with fear, and Zhou Zheng’s reaction was even more exaggerated. He turned and pounded on the iron door behind him, shouting, “Let me out!! Let me out now!!”

The iron door didn’t budge, and the deadly ghost drew closer. Finally, in despair, Zhou Zheng slid down the wall and huddled into a ball, covering his head and repeating, “I can’t see me, I can’t see me, I can’t see me…”

Zhou Zheng’s miserable state was so pitiful that even the NPC couldn’t bear to scare him anymore and slowed down, disappearing into a hidden passage.

Lu Fangchi’s heart rate returned to normal. He squatted down and patted Zhou Zheng’s shoulder, “He’s gone. Let’s hurry up and leave before something else comes out.”

Zhou Zheng quickly rolled over and, with Lu Fangchi’s help, struggled to his feet, his legs weak and trembling.

They walked through the long corridor and entered a corner staircase. Once again, an NPC appeared, this time wielding a “buzzing” drill. The green monster’s face twisted into an eerie smile as it began to chase and slash at them.

Lu Fangchi felt Zhou Zheng’s hand slip away as he bolted, disappearing from sight.

Two seconds later, the terrified Zhou Zheng returned, frantically pulling Lu Fangchi into a hundred-second sprint. The iron door, which could have been pulled open, was instead violently kicked open by the panicked Zhou Zheng, producing a loud “bang.”

The commotion caused by the alpha attracted all the attention, and NPCs came from all directions, pursuing this troublemaker.

Zhou Zheng, in his reckless flight, kept bumping into walls and doors. Eventually, what Lu Fangchi had warned him about before they left came true. He seemed to have stepped on something, stumbled, and fell to the ground, causing Lu Fangchi to squat down as well.

After falling, Zhou Zheng’s hand landed on something soft. Instinctively, he looked up and saw a silicone lizard, incredibly lifelike with its emerald eyes glowing eerily in the dark, which scared him half to death.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” Zhou Zheng screamed again, flinging and kicking the lizard away. He quickly climbed up Lu Fangchi’s leg and onto his back, tightly wrapping his legs around the other’s waist and abdomen.

There were terrifying things even on the ground!!!

“Boohoo…” Zhou Zheng kept wailing. He couldn’t go on; he really couldn’t move anymore.

Lu Fangchi had no choice but to carry Zhou Zheng on his back, struggling to make his way to the exit with the tall alpha.

Finally, using the key to open the last door, they successfully completed the challenge. The eerie sound effects gradually faded, and Lu Fangchi, slightly out of breath, said, “We’re out.”

Zhou Zheng cautiously lifted his face, opening his eyes just a slit. Seeing that the eerie blue-green glow was gone, he finally let his heart settle.

As Zhou Zheng’s senses gradually returned, he jumped off Lu Fangchi’s back and began to look around, but he dared not meet the young man’s eyes.

He couldn’t face Lu Fangchi anymore; it was just too embarrassing.

At this moment, a staff member came over and broke the silence: “Do we need the surveillance video? If so, please leave your contact information, and we will send it to you within three working days.”

Zhou Zheng’s eyes twitched. He absolutely did not want this video, which captured his embarrassing moments!

The alpha was about to say no, but Lu Fangchi quickly scanned the code with his phone: “Thank you, added.”

“Also, your companion just kicked in an iron door and a prop head in the escape room. The total depreciation comes to fifteen hundred, which needs to be compensated by you,” the staff member said apologetically.

Lu Fangchi understood and promptly transferred the money.

Whether it was the power of money or not, the surveillance video that was supposed to be sent within three working days arrived as soon as they left the building. Lu Fangchi opened it and started watching. After just half a minute, he let out a “pffft” laugh. Seemingly mindful of Zhou Zheng beside him, the young man pursed his lips to hold back his laughter but couldn’t help letting out a few giggles now and then.

Zhou Zheng closed his eyes. He didn’t need to see to imagine how ridiculous he looked in the video. He buried his head in Lu Fangchi’s shoulder and mumbled, “Go ahead and laugh. I’m a coward.”

This was followed by Lu Fangchi’s clear and cheerful laughter. The alpha’s honesty made the young man speak up to comfort him: “It’s okay. Actually, I was scared too.”

Zhou Zheng’s expression changed, and he looked up, “Really?”

“Really,” the young man nodded, his eyes twinkling with a playful smile, “But not as scared as you.”

Zhou Zheng was left speechless and, after a while, quietly cursed, “Jerk.”

It was still raining outside, and there were only a few indoor activities left. After their ordeal in the haunted house, Zhou Zheng and Lu Fangchi didn’t have the energy to play anymore and decided to head home.

Zhou Zheng sat in the passenger seat, watching the dark clouds and the drizzling rain outside, feeling as cold and disappointed as his surroundings. Their first date had been ruined; it was such a failure.

The car moved forward steadily, passing by trees and flowers. They were just two intersections away from home, and Zhou Zheng’s mood grew even more depressed.

At a red light, the car stopped. Zhou Zheng glanced out the window and saw a movie advertisement on the big screen of the shopping mall.

An idea struck the alpha. He turned his head and suggested to the driver, “How about we go see a movie?”

It was still early, and they hadn’t really enjoyed anything at the amusement park. Lu Fangchi had no objections to Zhou Zheng’s suggestion since his time was at the other’s disposal today, “Sure, we can go see a movie.”