Chapter 84: Because She’s Head Over Heels, Her Boyfriend’s Madness Doesn’t Matter (16)

The eleventh Rainflower Society Congress was successfully held in a dimly lit house.

A handful of figures stood in the spacious living room, listening earnestly as the boy seated on the sofa delivered his concluding remarks.

Lu Sheng sat upright, his face grave. “That’s the situation. Yaoyao’s classmate is coming to visit her new home. I expect you all to be on your best behavior.”

A person dressed as a clown asked curiously, “What do you mean by ‘best behavior’?”

“Are you asking us to mind the heat?” The speaker was the ramen shop owner, whose appearance was rather unusual; a chainsaw split his body in two, the result of a recent attack. Everyone knew who had wielded the saw.

A mass of mist, shaped like a person, whispered, “Using fire is too crude. I prefer things in their original flavor.”

The ramen shop owner, his body cleaved, struggled to pull the chainsaw out of his torso. Failing, he glanced at the misty figure, his brow furrowing. “Wild boars can’t stomach fine bran.”

The misty figure was tongue-tied, the most timid among them. Unable to retort, it retreated to a corner, covering its face and sobbing softly.

Of course, it had no face, but that seemed beside the point.

An old woman knitting a sweater smiled; her grin was so wide that cracks appeared in her skin. Her pale eyes swept over the young people present. “It’s been ages since our community welcomed so many newcomers. Lu’s intention is clear—we should treat them well. Our reputation for hospitality will spread, and visitors will multiply.”

Due to her age, she was the only one, aside from Lu Sheng, permitted to sit.

The clown, his painted face bright, exclaimed admiringly, “I see!”

Lu Sheng pressed his fingers to his brow, sighing. “When will you all learn to act a little more normal, like me?”

The others all turned to him.

Lu Sheng continued, “What I want is for none of you to wander around that night. Yaoyao scares easily; if you cause trouble, she won’t be able to sleep.”

The driver, playing a game with four hands, looked at Lu Sheng with an indescribable expression.

Lu Sheng and Bai Yao—what an odd couple. Did they both see each other through some strange filter?

The prospect of many visitors coming, yet being forbidden to join the excitement, filled everyone with disappointment—even those who lacked eyes.

The misty figure in the corner cried louder.

Among them, the calmest was a boy dusted with talcum powder.

Xiao Xiong methodically reapplied powder to himself, glanced out the window, and opened his mouth to emit a piercing cat’s yowl.

The driver stuffed a blood-red candy into his mouth. “Go play, kid.”

Xiao Xiong fell silent, glanced outside again, and calmly fished a phone from his underwear pocket.

A series of notification chimes sounded, and everyone instinctively checked their group chat.

Xiao Xiong: [picture.jpg]

He’d sent a photo—a girl crouched outside the glass window, her hands pressed to the glass, her whole body nearly plastered to it. Her sparkling eyes brimmed with curiosity and a thirst for knowledge.

Backlit, with the sun glaring outside, sweat-soaked hair clung to her cheeks, giving her a gloomy, terrifying appearance.

The clown was first to cover his mouth and shriek, “A ghost! Scared me to death!”

No one dared turn to look at the window.

Lu Sheng forced a stiff smile. “Xiao Xiong, you photoshopped this, didn’t you?”

Xiao Xiong typed, [Nope, just took it. Isn’t she cute?]

Cute—if that’s what you call a ghost!

The ramen shop owner stammered, “W-what should we do? Should we look?”

The driver said, “How should I know!”

They looked to the elderly woman for guidance, but she simply closed her eyes, serene as if she’d already passed on.

At that moment, the misty figure, the most agile, sensed danger and slipped out through the crack of the door.

Lu Sheng was paralyzed with fear, equally unwilling to turn around. His mind spun wildly—no excuse could explain the presence of this group. His brain was on the verge of shutting down.

Bai Yao watched the motionless silhouettes in the room, tilting her head in confusion. It seemed they’d seen her, yet no one came to open the door.

It was hot outside.

But it didn’t matter; ever since her relationship with Lu Sheng deepened, she had a key to his home.

When Lu Sheng gave her the key, he’d blushed and said shyly, “Yaoyao, if you’re ever too scared to sleep alone at night, you can come to my place.”

Now, wiping sweat from her face, Bai Yao sensed something was off. She took out the key and walked to the door.

The sound of the key turning in the lock sent panic into the room.

The driver withdrew two hands, losing the game; his teammate cursed over voice chat, “You never heal during team fights—did you see a ghost or something?”

The old woman fished a pair of sunglasses from her pocket and put them on.

The ramen shop owner frantically sought the clown’s help; the clown kicked him, finally dislodging the chainsaw from his body.

Amidst all this, Xiao Xiong was the calmest. His pitch-black eyes watched the commotion unfold, crunching the candy in his mouth.

Lu Sheng squeezed himself to the door as it opened, bracing himself in the doorway to block Bai Yao’s entrance. He smiled brightly, eyes curved, “Yaoyao, weren’t you supposed to be working on your thesis at home? What brings you here?”

Bai Yao smiled back. “The thesis is too hard. I just wanted to see you.”

Lu Sheng said, “What’s difficult? I can help you… Yaoyao!”

Bai Yao had already slipped under his arm and stood in the living room, her sharp gaze sweeping the room.

There were unfamiliar faces, familiar ones, and some whose faces couldn’t be seen.

Each had a unique appearance, all staring at Bai Yao.

Lu Sheng hurried after her, flustered. “Yaoyao, actually… actually they’re all residents here. Don’t be scared, I… um…”

Bai Yao confirmed there were no young women present—Lu Sheng couldn’t possibly be hiding a lover. Her face broke into a wide smile. “Are you planning a costume party?”

Lu Sheng: “?”

The monsters exchanged glances, then, in perfect harmony, flashed warm, friendly smiles at Bai Yao, nodding sincerely as if to affirm her words.

The old woman in sunglasses smiled kindly. “We heard from young Lu that Miss Bai was throwing a party. He’s never attended one before and didn’t want to embarrass you, so he came to us for advice.”

The ramen shop owner and the clown stood together, hiding the chainsaw behind their backs, nodding in agreement. “Exactly, exactly!”