Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Gu Lin felt his heart racing so fast it made his head spin, and his nose felt hot.

"Pei Sheng, don’t stand so close to me—I’m gonna pass out," Gu Lin said, raising a hand to push him away.

Pei Sheng noticed two trails of blood dripping from his nose and shot him an unimpressed look. "You’re bleeding."

He led him to the bathroom, where Gu Lin caught sight of the blood under his nose in the mirror.

Gu Lin: "..." Damn, morning eye candy is *way* too stimulating!

Forcing a smile, he explained, "Young guys run hot, you know?"

"Nope," Pei Sheng replied with a faint smile.

"It must be from eating hotpot—spicy food overload!" Gu Lin muttered awkwardly, avoiding his gaze as he rinsed his nose. Internally, he grumbled, *Why does Pei Sheng have to tease me like this? What torture!*

Pei Sheng, meanwhile, was clueless about dressing modestly.

After showering—likely still warm from his workout—he came out in just a blue tee, revealing his well-defined arms.

One glance, and Gu Lin felt his nose heating up again. He quickly shut his eyes, mentally reciting *calm down, calm down*.

"We have a tryout later," Pei Sheng said, pulling a bottle of milk from the fridge and chugging it through a straw.

"What tryout?" Gu Lin opened his eyes and sat up, confused.

"Haunted house NPC." Pei Sheng had received the call at eight that morning, asking both of them to come in for a tryout.

Out of all the resumes he’d sent out, this was the only one that had responded.

"We got the gig?!" Gu Lin sprang up from the couch in excitement, eyes lit up. As long as Pei Sheng started working, he could dig himself out of this money pit.

Eagerly, he asked, "When do we go?"

Pei Sheng noted Gu Lin’s intense enthusiasm for making money.

"Put on a jacket—we’re leaving now." Pei Sheng finished the milk in one gulp and headed into his room to grab his coat.

His door wasn’t fully closed, and Gu Lin peeked into Pei Sheng’s room—a massive white desk with a transparent jar filled with colorful paper cranes.

He glanced at the coffee table beside him, where he’d spotted a small paper crane earlier when he woke up. There was another on the fridge, too.

It seemed like a weird little habit of Pei Sheng’s.

Seeing Pei Sheng about to come out, Gu Lin looked away fast and crouched down to pet Lado’s head.

"Lado, be good at home, okay?" he instructed.

Lado promptly turned his backside to him and went straight to Pei Sheng for pets instead.

Pei Sheng ruffled Lado’s fur before heading out with Gu Lin.

Today, Gu Lin didn’t argue over driving. Instead, he slumped in the back seat and mumbled, "Pei Sheng, what’s the job for a haunted house NPC?"

Pei Sheng: "You scare people."

He’d never even been to an amusement park, much less a haunted house, so Gu Lin got kinda nervous. "Is it really that scary?" he mumbled.

"I doubt it," Pei Sheng said, glancing at the black car following them in the rearview mirror, a smirk curling his lips. Cheng Zhiqing still didn't trust him.

But right now, his situation was something Cheng Zhiqing needed to see.

After two subway transfers, the two arrived at the interview location—a newly built amusement park packed for the weekend special event.

The haunted house had a long queue. As they entered the interview area, they heard shouting before even seeing anyone.

"Can you even do this job? If not, get lost!" The voice was deep, booming, and full of aggression, making Gu Lin tense up instantly.

They finally saw the source of the yelling when they reached a room lined with rows of costumes—a girl in a pink puffy dress, standing with hands on hips.

"Boss, the interviewees are here," their guide whispered before quickly scurrying away, afraid of being yelled at.

The angry girl turned around, her baby face still flushed with irritation. But when her gaze landed on Pei Sheng and Gu Lin, her eyes widened in disbelief. She even wondered if she was seeing things. Striding over in her high heels, her voice suddenly turned sweet: "Hey there, are you two here for the interview?"

Gu Lin nodded earnestly. "Yes, Boss! We're up for anything!"

"Then… can he be my boyfriend?" She was batting her eyelashes, looking shyly at Pei Sheng.

Pei Sheng was busy staring at a nearby skull, completely oblivious to the flirty glances thrown his way.

Gu Lin, however, panicked and quickly stepped between them. "No way! He's spoken for!"

Her gaze darted between them with understanding. "Ohhh~ So you’re the one who ‘took’ him?"

Gu Lin instinctively nodded before catching himself, coughing awkwardly. "Uh… it’s up to him."

Pei Sheng, possessive like a guard dog, pulled Gu Lin close without wasting words. "Are you hiring us or not? If not, we’re leaving." He still wanted to get back in time for lunch.

"Yes! Of course!" The girl grinned. "NPCs get ¥120 a day, but you two are so handsome—¥150 a day, lunch included, daily pay. Stay as long as you're able."

"Deal!" Gu Lin never expected their looks could bump up their pay.

Pei Sheng, hands in his pockets, gave a noncommittal "Hmm," but still asked cautiously, "If someone passes out from fear, does that count as a work injury?"

"Huh?" The girl blinked in surprise. "If you're scared, it’s better not to do this job."

Gu Lin couldn’t let their ¥150 slip away. He hastily covered Pei Sheng’s mouth. "Ha! Just kidding! We’re not scared at all!"

The girl’s gaze grew even more suggestive at their exchange. "Alright, you'll work as a team. It’ll help you adjust."

"Got it, thanks, Boss!" Gu Lin said, pulling Pei Sheng toward the changing area.

"Let go," Pei Sheng shot him a look.

Gu Lin released his hand and muttered, "Who said I was scared? For that money, I'll face anything."

Pei Sheng’s lips had been pressed against Gu Lin’s palm, which still carried the scent of hand soap. Even after letting go, the scent still lingered.

He touched the tip of his nose, watching as Gu Lin went to change before following suit.

Their guide explained that their job was simply to jump out and scare people.

Gu Lin and Pei Sheng entered their assigned room—pitch black with only eerie green lighting, with horror soundtracks and occasional screams playing in the background.

The atmosphere was terrifying, especially since the room was so dark they couldn’t see their own hands, making it ten times scarier.

Gu Lin clutched Pei Sheng's hand tightly, muttering to himself: "Don't worry, don't worry, there are no ghosts. This world has no ghosts to begin with. Walk enough haunted paths, and you’ll run into a ghost."

Pei Sheng: "...Alright, no need to recite poetry."

After speaking, Pei Sheng stood there like a statue, stiff as a board, blending into the wall.

A voice came through their earpieces from the control room: "A couple’s heading your way. Get ready, you two."

Gu Lin let go of Pei Sheng's hand, ready to jump-scare them. But just then, a freezing hand suddenly clamped onto his.

Already frightened, Gu Lin's heart almost stopped from the sudden grasp. He shrieked.

The couple who had just rushed in were startled by the sound, clinging to each other and shrieking, cowering on the ground in a heap as they desperately scuttled into the corner.

Gu Lin's scream abruptly stopped, his mouth hanging open—because he, too, was being held tightly.

By Pei Sheng.

He was shaking all over, cold sweat trickling down his neck. You could tell he was scared shitless.

"Y-you alright?" Gu Lin's hands fluttered uselessly before he finally settled on patting Pei Sheng's back. "Don’t be scared, don’t be scared."

Pei Sheng had never set foot in an amusement park, let alone a haunted house. He hadn’t expected it to be this terrifying.

After a few comforting words from Gu Lin, Pei Sheng forced himself to regain composure and let go, wiping the sweat from his forehead. His voice was weak: "I’m fine."

The couple had already recovered, now in stitches at the two NPCs who had clung to each other even tighter than they had.

"Hahaha, the NPCs are bigger chickens than us!"

Pei Sheng: "..."

Gu Lin bit his lip to keep from laughing. Instead, he circled behind the couple and suddenly revealed a ghostly face right in front of them, sending them bolting.

Pei Sheng also flinched backward, wishing the floor would swallow him. He snapped angrily, "Gu Lin!"

Only then did Gu Lin burst into laughter. "So when you asked about getting scared unconscious earlier, you were asking for yourself!"

Pei Sheng cleared his throat. "I was asking for you." He just hadn’t expected Gu Lin to be so brave.

"Come here." Without Gu Lin by his side, Pei Sheng felt an eerie chill everywhere. He groped for Gu Lin’s hand.

But Gu Lin circled behind him and tapped his shoulder. Pei Sheng instantly froze, his scalp prickling.

The next moment, a warm hand closed around his icy fingers.

His tense body relaxed all at once, and even his breathing became easier.

"Pei Sheng, have you never been to an amusement park before?" Gu Lin asked quietly.

"Have you?" Pei Sheng countered.

"No, never." In the darkness, it was easier to say things he’d normally choke back. "Did you ever want to come when you were a kid?"

"No." As a child, Pei Sheng had only had eyes for textbooks, not fun.

"I really wanted to. I even snuck in once, but the park was closed. The carousel stood still, and the little planes weren’t flying."

Pei Sheng glanced sideways at Gu Lin—only to see a ghostly face staring back. His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly turned away. "Kid stuff’s overrated anyway."

Gu Lin snorted, "You’ve never even tried."

"I’ve watched others try every ride," Pei Sheng replied.

"Pei Sheng," Gu Lin suddenly thought, "you look kinda pathetic."

Pei Sheng recalled something from his childhood, "That person who played the mini plane lost two front teeth. Glad I skipped that one."

Gu Lin: "..."

The walkie-talkie crackled with another message: "Another couple is coming. You two, get ready."

Gu Lin patted Pei Sheng’s hand, "Showtime. Don’t chicken out now, got it?"

Pei Sheng wasn’t as tense now, but when Gu Lin tried to pull his hand away, he instantly tightened his grip. "What are you doing?"

Gu Lin sighed, "You clinging to me ruins my scare game."

Pei Sheng didn’t answer, but his refusal to let go conveyed three words—*Not letting go!*

They heard footsteps approaching. Gu Lin was ready to jump out, but before he could act—

The couple moved faster. The man and woman clung to each other in the corner, immediately locking lips in a passionate kiss.

Gu Lin blinked. *Seriously?* Do ghosts not exist to them?

Pei Sheng: "?" They *that* horny?

"Baby, are there cameras here?" the girl whispered.

The guy, handsy and impatient, dragged her closer, hands all over her. "No, and what’s anyone gonna see? I’ve been holding back for so long. Let me kiss you."

The sounds of their heated make-out session filled the cramped space, making Gu Lin’s ears go hot in the dark.

Watching the couple’s fiery passion, Gu Lin thought about his and Pei Sheng’s strictly business sugar daddy deal—zero chance of *this* kinda heat.

Pei Sheng, however, remained composed, though his palm gripping Gu Lin’s was clammy and weird.

"What do we do?" Gu Lin whispered, unsure whether to scare them now—worried he’d scare the guy limp.

He turned to Pei Sheng for help.

The walkie-talkie crackled: "You two, leave. Head to another room."

Pei Sheng booked it like his life depended on it, dragging Gu Lin out of the cramped space toward the designated room.

But getting there meant passing through several terrifying zones.

The scare actors went after everyone. Pei Sheng, stiff as a board, followed closely behind Gu Lin.

"Almost there, almost there," Gu Lin said, amused by Pei Sheng’s shell-shocked look.

"You gonna survive the whole shift?" He just finished speaking when a fake head came swinging down.

"Watch out!" Pei Sheng instinctively hauled Gu Lin backward.

Gu Lin stumbled, plowing into Pei Sheng—his ears on fire.

He bit his lip. Just now… he’d definitely grazed something *off-limits*.