Are my ears playing tricks on me?

The clerk looked perplexed, but he quickly took the two hundred-yuan bills Xu Lai held out and gave him a stealthy thumbs-up. What a real man. Daring to face anything. Even if the price is sleeping on the couch tonight or kneeling on a keyboard, that's what a man is supposed to do!

He handed her the Haunted House Pass Card and waved it in front of her. "Let's go, honey."

Ruan Tang shook her head vigorously. "No way. You can beat me to death, but I'm not going. You go play by yourself."

"Really not going?" Xu Lai asked again.

Ruan Tang mercilessly rejected him. "I'm not going!"

Everyone has their own likes and dislikes; you should learn to respect them, not force things on people.

So, Xu Lai didn't press the issue and simply smiled. "Okay then. Let's go to the arcade and play something else."

Xu Lai's words made Ruan Tang pause.

She had expected him to keep trying to persuade her, but she never expected…

Ruan Tang bit her lip.

Two hundred yuan might not be a lot, but she wasn't in the habit of being wasteful.

After hesitating for a moment, Ruan Tang said, "You can go in by yourself. I'll wait for you at the entrance."

"Sorry, but the fifty percent discount is for couples. A single person has to pay full price," the clerk, who was still there, added helpfully.

Ruan Tang gave him an expressionless look.

The clerk shrank back. For a second, he felt a wintry chill descend upon him. So cold!

But, ever the dedicated employee, he still whispered, "Singles really can't get the discount. It's the company's rule for the promotion."

Ruan Tang took a deep breath.

As if having made up her mind, her beautiful eyes flashing with determination, she said, "Fine. Let's go in and see if this haunted house is worth two hundred yuan."

"Hmm?"

Xu Lai was a little surprised. "Honey, you don't have to force yourself. It's only two hundred yuan."

"I'm very scared, but for you, I'm willing to try."

At this, Ruan Tang looked at Xu Lai with a tender gaze and added softly, "Besides, I know you'll protect me."

The clerk was speechless. DAMMIT! What did I, a single guy, do to deserve this? It's depressing enough to serve couples all day, but now they're shoving their PDA right in my face. My life is so hard.

The clerk's figure looked desolate as he mumbled, as if he'd lost all will to live.

「...」

They got in line for the haunted house.

It was obvious Ruan Tang was scared. She gripped Xu Lai's arm tightly with both hands, her face tense with nerves.

There were only two couples ahead of them. Seeing how pale Ruan Tang's face was, Xu Lai suggested, "Why don't we just skip it? We can come back another time."

Ruan Tang shook her head, signaling that she was fine.

She had been terrified at first, but now she suddenly had an urge to give it a try.

After all, with Xu Lai by her side, she wouldn't get many opportunities like this to face her fears head-on.

Besides, she had survived the five darkest years of her life. The malice of people was far more terrifying than actors in masks pretending to be ghosts. What did she really have to be afraid of?

At this thought, Ruan Tang suddenly relaxed. She loosened her tight grip on Xu Lai's arm, appearing quite calm.

Xu Lai couldn't help but nod to himself. My wife adjusts her mindset so quickly. She deserves some encouragement!

But as they entered the haunted house…

The moment the eerie, unsettling music began to play, Ruan Tang shrieked and dove straight into Xu Lai's arms. She buried her head in his neck, clamped her hands over her ears, and shivered uncontrollably.

Xu Lai was speechless. What happened to being fine?

Her move—closing her eyes, covering her ears, and leaping into his arms—was executed in one single, fluid motion.

But Xu Lai didn't tease her. Instead, he held her tight and said softly, "Don't worry, I'm here."

Ruan Tang had her ears covered, but strangely enough, Xu Lai's voice still reached her with perfect clarity.

Suspicious, she carefully peeked her eyes open.

But the moment she did… she saw a human head suddenly roll down from the ceiling.

Ruan Tang's eyes rolled back, and she fainted on the spot.

"I'm so sorry! Is your girlfriend okay?" The staff member controlling the prop head was a young woman with a pleasant voice, though her makeup was horrifying. She rushed out from the shadows, bowing deeply in apology.

Working here, she had to apologize at least ten times a day. It had become routine.

"She's fine," Xu Lai said, shaking his head. "Sorry to cause you trouble."

"Not at all, not at all," the staff member apologized. "Although the entrance is right behind you, we have to ask you to walk through the rest of the course so you don't disturb the guests behind you. It should take about half an hour."

"Half an hour? That long…"

Xu Lai frowned, then quickly relaxed his expression. "Can I just fly out of here?"

"Wait, wait…" The staff member looked bewildered. "Fly… out?"

Thinking he was joking, she replied dryly, "Sure, flying isn't prohibited. But you might encounter the Spider Spirit in the next room, so I'd recommend sticking to the walls…"

"Alright, thank you. Goodbye."

The moment he finished speaking, Xu Lai, still holding Ruan Tang, vanished from the spot as if he had never been there at all.

The female staff member froze for about three seconds before her scalp began to tingle in sheer terror.

"A GHOST!" she shrieked and sprinted for the exit.

The couples still in line saw a woman with white hair and bloodstained clothes sprint out of the haunted house, and they immediately erupted into terrified screams.

「...」

When Ruan Tang woke up, she found herself lying in her bed at home. The evening sun filtered through the window, casting a warm glow across the floor. Weren't we at the haunted house? When did we get back to Haitang Court?

Ruan Tang rubbed her head and sat up, the memories of what happened flooding back into her mind.

"How humiliating, I actually fainted from fright…" Ruan Tang covered her face with her hands, burning with shame.

She got up and went downstairs.

She called for Xu Lai a few times but realized he wasn't home.

Checking the time, she saw it was 5:40 PM. Xu Lai should have already picked up their daughter from kindergarten and be home by now.

Sure enough, just a few minutes later, Xu Lai pushed the door open and walked in with Yiyi.

"Mommy!" Xu Yiyi threw herself into Ruan Tang's arms. "Daddy said you two went to the haunted house this afternoon! Was it fun?"

"..."

Ruan Tang's face flushed with embarrassment, and she whispered, "It wasn't very fun."

"Mommy, can we all go together next time?" Yiyi asked, looking up at her hopefully.

Ruan Tang shot Xu Lai a pleading look. Stifling a laugh, he said, "Alright, Yiyi, go wash your hands and change your clothes. Daddy's making you grilled steak and deep-sea king crab tonight."

"Okay!"

Xu Yiyi dropped her schoolbag and scurried off to the bathroom.

Only Xu Lai and Ruan Tang remained in the living room.

Their eyes met for a moment before Ruan Tang quickly looked away. Lowering her head, she murmured, "I'm sorry, I…"

"I'm the one who should be sorry," Xu Lai said, pulling her into an embrace. His voice was full of apology. "I shouldn't have bought the tickets in the first place. I didn't protect you properly."

Burying her head against his chest and inhaling his inexplicably comforting scent, Ruan Tang shook her head. "I ruined the mood and wasted our time."

"We went out to spend time together, but we can do that just as well at home tonight." Xu Lai winked. "I have a surprise for you. Any guesses? Here's a hint: candles."

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