Chapter 48: That Place Is Haunted

Night gradually fell, and the cool August breeze drifted gently. The business administration class’s cookout was lively and spirited; taking advantage of the moment, Zhou Xiaoyu managed to win over quite a few girls, which gnawed at Zou Qingshu’s heart with envy.

“So what? I don’t believe you can steal the class monitor position from me,” Zou Qingshu muttered through gritted teeth.

In the business administration class, his grades were among the best of the boys, and he’d long since established good relationships with the class advisor and several teachers, having sent them many gifts. He was determined to win the class monitor’s role.

Poor fool—he didn’t know that all his efforts couldn’t compare to a single word from Qin Xuan.

“What time is it now?” Liu Qianqian, her lips gleaming with grease, suddenly recalled something and asked in a hurry.

Zhou Xiaoyu, sitting beside her, replied, “Just eight o’clock. We can still eat for a while. The dorms close at eleven, everyone relax.”

“That won’t do, I have to go!” Liu Qianqian stood up abruptly.

“Hey girl, where are you off to?” Qin Xuan asked, puzzled.

“To buy clothes, of course!” Liu Qianqian answered as she wiped her mouth. “Isn’t Tenglong International closing tonight? If I go late, I won’t have any time to choose.”

Qin Xuan curled his lips. “Can’t you just go tomorrow?”

“How is that the same? What would I wear tomorrow, then?” Liu Qianqian shot back.

Qin Xuan thought about it and realized she really didn’t have anything else to wear.

“She’s right, boss. It’s normal for a beauty to go shopping for clothes—let her go. And Liu the beauty is just like you, a master swordswoman. What could possibly happen to her?” Zhou Xiaoyu chimed in indifferently.

“Exactly, exactly, beauties buying clothes is nothing special,” Gao Tie echoed quickly, though in his heart he was thinking: I wonder if Liu the beauty will look even prettier in different clothes? How exciting…

If the muscle-bound Xiao Gang were here, he would certainly have added to the commotion, but he was busy at another table, chatting happily away with several girls.

“All right, go then. Just remember to come back early,” Qin Xuan said, pulling out a bank card and handing it to her. “The password is on the back.”

“Wow, boss, you’re even giving her your bank card?” Zhou Xiaoyu exclaimed in mock shock.

“She’s got no money, and I don’t either. This is the only card with any cash—what else am I supposed to do?” Qin Xuan replied helplessly.

“Haha, that’s why you’re the boss—so generous!” Zhou Xiaoyu said with admiration.

“Little Qin Xuan, I’m off then!”

With the bank card in hand, Liu Qianqian’s bright eyes curved like crescent moons. She ran off in a hurry, lively as a butterfly, her spirited figure once again ensnaring the attention of many boys.

“Boss, I hear you’re about to move in with two beauties?” Zhou Xiaoyu sidled up conspiratorially the moment Liu Qianqian disappeared from sight.

“How did you know?” Qin Xuan asked, surprised.

“Hehe, Liu the beauty said so herself. Can’t be wrong, can it?” Zhou Xiaoyu replied.

A cold sweat broke out on Qin Xuan’s brow. Sure enough, ever since he got involved with that girl, trouble followed wherever he went.

“Boss, I heard your place is huge. How about letting me crash there too?” Zhou Xiaoyu asked hopefully.

“No way,” Qin Xuan refused flatly. It wasn’t that he was stingy, but the villa really couldn’t accommodate anyone else. Liu Qianqian, being a swordswoman like himself, was fine; Dongfang Qingwan was someone he needed to protect. Anyone else would only cause inconvenience. As for matters of ghosts and spirits, Qin Xuan had no intention of letting Zhou Xiaoyu and the others get involved—it would do them no good.

At this, Zhou Xiaoyu’s enthusiasm instantly evaporated.

Suddenly, Qin Xuan glanced at the foot of the mountain and frowned slightly.

As darkness deepened, he sensed a faint aura of resentment drifting from that direction. Looking over, he saw only a single, pitch-black building, standing alone and unlit at the base of the hill.

“What’s up, boss?” Zhou Xiaoyu snapped out of his thoughts and followed Qin Xuan’s gaze.

“What’s that building?” Qin Xuan asked.

Hearing this, Gao Tie perked up. “Heh, boss, you’re asking the right guy. That used to be a dormitory two years ago, but something happened and the building’s been abandoned ever since…”

“What happened? Don’t tell me someone died?” Zhou Xiaoyu laughed.

“Spot on, Xiaoyu,” Gao Tie chuckled. “Someone did die. Word is, it was the campus beauty from that department, committed suicide. Ever since, people say the place is haunted. The school tried hard to suppress the news, but there are still a few old threads about it on the forums.”

“Amazing you managed to dig that up. Legend!” the boys around them looked at Gao Tie with awe. He thumped his chest proudly, as if to say: Do you even know who I am? The legendary forum king!

Qin Xuan gazed at the haunted dormitory, his eyes narrowing. The malice emanating from it was anything but ordinary.

“Boss, don’t tell me you’re interested in that place?”

“You all carry on. I’m going over to take a look,” Qin Xuan said, rising to his feet.

“Boss, I’ll go with you,” Zhou Xiaoyu volunteered.

“Sit down,” Qin Xuan shot him a glare, then looked around at the group. “Let me warn you: no one is to follow me. If anyone does, don’t blame me if something goes wrong. Xiaoyu, you trust me, right?”

Qin Xuan’s solemn tone left the boys momentarily speechless; they nodded without thinking.

When they looked again, Qin Xuan was already gliding down the hill, the rosewood sword case now in his hand, clearly ready for action.

A figure slipped off stealthily after him.

Zhou Xiaoyu saw who it was—Zou Qingshu—and grinned wickedly. “Don’t make a sound, guys. Our boss is off to catch ghosts. That little wimp’s in for it if he follows—might even get scared into a heart attack…”

Everyone burst out laughing.

None of them really believed Qin Xuan was off to hunt ghosts, but his warning had spooked them enough to keep them in place. If Zou Qingshu wanted to invite trouble, the others were all too happy to watch—and if something actually happened, so much the better.

As Qin Xuan neared the building, a chill wind swept over him, thick with resentment.

“I’ll need to see where this malice is coming from… The campus beauty from two years ago, dead by suicide?” Qin Xuan’s lips curled in a faint smile as he stepped into the ancient dormitory.

Zou Qingshu followed, teeth chattering in the eerie gloom, but still too stubborn to turn back.

“I want to see what shady business you’re up to in here,” he muttered, trembling as he climbed the first step of the staircase.

“Young man.”

Suddenly, a soft voice sounded behind him, and he felt a hand lay gently on his shoulder.

“Ah—ghost!” Zou Qingshu shrieked, nearly losing control of his bladder. His scream echoed all the way to the others, still feasting up the hill.

“Ghost, my foot. Are you looking to die?” This time, Zou Qingshu recognized Qin Xuan’s voice and broke into a cold sweat. He was just about to turn around and protest—why scare people like that?

But Qin Xuan gave him no chance. Grabbing him by the collar, he hauled him out of the dormitory in one swift motion. “If you want to die, come in. Otherwise, stay the hell outside.”

The next moment—

Clang!

For the second time, the Taiqing Sword was drawn from its sheath.