Red robes like blood, embroidered with black divine patterns, hardened resentment and despair solidified into tangible ornaments. Zhang Ya stepped out from Chen Ge's shadow, treading on the wailing souls beneath her feet.
That terror beyond Red-Robed spirits shook everyone to the core — so this was what beauty could look like, devastating and breathtaking all at once.
Chen Xiao and Xu Meng stood frozen on the steps, utterly dumbstruck.
"A Fierce God? The girl you're talking about is a Fierce God?!"
So overcome with emotion that his words stumbled, Chen Ge's father could barely form sentences. He had guessed that Chen Ge might get vengeful spirits to work for him, and he had a rough idea the horror house was doing well — but he never imagined his son would bring a Fierce God to meet them.
"Mm, her name is Zhang Ya." Chen Ge naturally took Zhang Ya's hand. Xu Meng and Chen Xiao's eyelids twitched violently — they were genuinely afraid that if Zhang Ya got upset, she might just crush Chen Ge on the spot.
The elderly couple had only just woken from their year-long unconsciousness. Returning to the horror house, they had been hit with one shock after another. They were starting to wonder whether the Director had trapped them in some kind of illusion.
But then again, the Cursed Hospital's illusions wouldn't dare be arranged like this.
"Other than having a decent personality, does he have any other redeeming qualities?" Xu Meng instinctively asked Zhang Ya. The evil thoughts had grown up under her watch — she knew her son was outstanding, but only compared to ordinary people.
Facing Chen Ge's mother's question, Zhang Ya remained silent as she always did, and she even stepped a little further behind Chen Ge.
Anyone with eyes could see that this Fierce God was deeply dependent on Chen Ge.
"We've been through so, so much together. How about we tour the horror house first, and then find some time to sit down and talk?"
"Anytime is fine for the tour. We'd rather talk about Zhang Ya first." Chen Xiao and Xu Meng spoke in unison. Their son was about to start dating a Fierce God — who cared about the horror house?
"Aren't you two tired? It's almost midnight." Chen Ge smiled bitterly, not expecting such an intense reaction from his parents.
"We slept for an entire year. We're wide awake right now."
"Alright then, I'll find a restaurant. Let's all have a proper get-together." Chen Ge called all his employees together, opened his phone, and picked out an upscale hotel in Hanjiang with a banquet hall.
The horror house had far too many employees now — even Yan Danian's comic album couldn't hold them all. Many of the obsessions and vengeful spirits had no choice but to disguise themselves as Chen Ge's shadows.
Picking up a backpack, Chen Ge stood on the road, and the entire street turned deathly eerie. A hundred ghosts parading through the night wouldn't come close to describing the horror and strangeness of the scene.
No taxis. Chen Ge had Tang Jun drive the Route 104 spirit bus, carrying himself and his parents, while countless employees trailed behind, arriving at the hotel he had luckily chosen.
It was already midnight. The hotel had long since closed for the night.
Chen Ge first sent Zhang Yi to alter the security guard's memories, then had Qiu Mei and the phone ghost Tongtong enter the surveillance center, temporarily disabling all cameras.
After all that, he flipped through the comic album, and employee after employee stepped out.
Those skilled in cooking headed straight for the kitchen, while the student obsessions were thrilled — they loved "field trips" the most.
Watching the employees divide up the work and bustle about the hotel, Chen Xiao and Xu Meng found it all incredible. Vengeful spirits existed because of their obsessions, tangled in resentment and hatred — they never imagined spirits could get along with Chen Ge like this.
"We've booked the whole place tonight. When we leave at dawn, I'll pay." Chen Ge showed his phone's bank balance: "I have no interest in money. These numbers are just byproducts of expanding the horror house."
Before he could finish, his father bonked him on the head: "If you're not interested, give it to me. Since getting married, I've never seen this much money."
The family of three joked their way into the hotel and made it to the top-floor private room, where the entire Hanjiang nightscape stretched out before them.
The employees began bringing out dishes, and Chen Ge summoned Zhang Ya as well.
At first, Chen's parents were still worried about Chen Ge and Zhang Ya, firing off questions about their future plans, wanting to know how they intended to live.
But once Chen Ge told them about Zhang Ya's past and everything they had been through together, Chen Xiao and Xu Meng's attitude did a complete one-eighty.
Xu Meng especially — she sat right down next to Zhang Ya as though Zhang Ya were her own daughter, clutching her hand with heartache and whispering something to her.
Xu Meng and Chen Xiao were genuinely wonderful people. Long ago, they had taken in Luo Ruoyu's soul, and back then Chen Ge had felt they treated their adopted Luo Ruoyu better than they treated him. Now it seemed that history was repeating itself. Xu Meng stopped pressing Zhang Ya about her past and instead turned to Chen Ge. She wanted him to understand that dating someone and committing to a lifetime together were two very different things.
She wanted Chen Ge to think it through carefully, to be truly prepared. She didn't want to see either of them get hurt.
The banquet lasted a long time. The employees couldn't drink, but they all seemed a little drunk anyway.
They talked and laughed freely, planting a simple, beautiful warmth in their hearts. Once, their past memories had tormented and imprisoned them — but because they had met Chen Ge, they could now talk about the future.
The night would eventually end. Just before dawn, the employees restored everything to how it had been.
Chen Ge compared what had been consumed, withdrew the money from the bank, and left it on the counter along with a note — though the handwriting, of course, was done by an employee.
Walking out of the hotel, Chen Ge's parents took the backpack and left ahead of them, wanting to give Zhang Ya and Chen Ge some time alone.
The old couple had been through it all themselves. They knew that after meeting the parents, Chen Ge and Zhang Ya would probably have things to say to each other, so they didn't stick around.
Black hair blown by the night breeze, Chen Ge and Zhang Ya walked down the empty road.
The scene felt almost familiar, as though they had lived it in a dream.
All their memories came flooding back. The two of them nestled close together, passing through the darkness, greeting the dawn.
"Tomorrow we'll go to the civil affairs bureau and look into it. It's time to leave the past behind and start a new life."
The sun rose as it always did, its light driving away the night.
At nine in the morning, New Century Paradise opened for business, and a long line had already formed in front of the horror house.
"Senior, your injuries haven't healed yet — maybe you should skip the visit today." He Shan was desperately trying to escape, but Zuo Han had him pinned down tight.
"Today's a new scenario opening. Even if we don't go in, just watching the excitement is worth it." Zuo Han glanced back at the forensic medicine academy crowd and frowned: "Where's Gao Ruxue? She still hasn't come?"
"Mm, the senior says she's not feeling well."
"Let's go check on her together sometime." Zuo Han was about to say something else when the crowd suddenly erupted into chaos.
"Oh my god! The new scenario is open! It's a four-star scenario!"
"The Cursed Hospital — the nineteenth layer of hell!"