462. Mischief
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This was probably Lin Nan’s first time staying at an inn with friends.
She was snuggled up in Chen Yao’s arms, too scared to look at the horror movie on the TV. The background music was ramping up the spooky vibes in the room, and even if she didn’t look at the screen, she couldn’t help but feel terrified.
Luckily, Chen Yao’s warm chest gave her quite a bit of comfort, even though she noticed he seemed pretty scared too.
They say when mixed-gender friends watch a horror movie together, the guys will act all nonchalant even if they’re terrified, while the girls might pretend to be scared even if they find the film boring.
“Are you scared?” Lin Nan whispered to the Chen Yao behind her.
The TV volume drowned out her voice, only allowing Chen Yao, sitting right next to her, to barely hear her.
He looked down and rubbed Lin Nan’s little head, “Not really.”
Well, except for his legs which were shaking uncontrollably, and he was dying to use the bathroom but didn’t dare go.
He sat in silence for a moment, nervously asking, “If you’re scared, should we just head back?”
“Clearly, you’re the one who’s too scared to keep watching,” Lin Nan teased, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Chen Yao’s face. She lightly grabbed his hand, immediately feeling the cold sweat pooling in his palm.
Though she herself was shivering with fright, she just felt that Chen Yao was even more scared than she was.
“Fine, let’s go back then.”
She wriggled free from Chen Yao’s embrace, standing up to tell Tu Junhui, “We’re heading back; I don’t like horror movies.”
“Why? Scared?” Tu Junhui lazily lounged on the couch, throwing shade, “Got no guts, huh? Aren’t you embarrassed? You didn’t say anything before watching.”
“So what if I’m scared? I’m a girl!” Lin Nan declared, puffing up her chest with righteous indignation.
She glanced back at Chen Yao, discovering that his movements getting off the bed seemed a bit stiff—was he just sore from having his legs pinned, or was he too scared from the movie to stand properly?
“Xiong Da, are we leaving?”
“Yeah, you guys aren’t watching anymore?” Xiong Da turned to the two preparing to leave. After a moment of silence, he abruptly hopped off the bed barefoot. “Let’s grab some late-night snacks together?”
With that, Xiong Da quickly slipped on his slippers. He still had that familiar icy demeanor, but his fidgeting gave away that he was probably scared too.
The three of them quickly suited up and scurried out.
But Tu Junhui was left scratching his head, confused. He was all alone now, the only sound being the door closing behind Lin Nan and the others. He glanced back at the screen, and when he saw Kayako’s ghostly face, he shivered as a chill washed over him. Suddenly, his hands and feet felt cold and numb.
His face changed, and without wasting any time, he scrambled after them, shouting, “I’m hungry too! I want a late-night snack!”
It was clear he and Xiong Da had just devoured McDonald’s half an hour ago, but at this hour, even if his stomach wasn’t empty, he had to pretend it was!
As Lin Nan reached the hallway, once again, the door swung open, and Tu Junhui rushed out behind them in a panic.
“Didn’t you just eat?” she teased, wrapping her arms around Chen Yao, “Are you really scared to be alone watching a horror movie?”
“I’m a big guy! I can eat! What’s the problem?” Tu Junhui retorted.
Chen Yao shot a glance at Tu Junhui’s big belly and joined Lin Nan in poking fun. “No wonder you weigh two hundred pounds; you’re hungry already?”
“Didn’t Xiong Da just eat too?”
“But I’m thin! I’m just craving something; it’s not like you!” Xiong Da leaned against the wall, arms crossed.
Lin Nan nearly burst out laughing, glancing down to check the time on her phone, realizing it was already eleven!
By this hour, most shops outside were probably closed.
They had initially planned to find a late-night snack stall, but a quick glance at the dark corridor made them fall silent as they exchanged worried glances.
“Let’s order takeout?” Tu Junhui suggested, lowering his gaze obediently, “Can we eat in your room?”
He didn’t even have the guts to return to his own room; it felt like there were eyes watching him from behind.
Chen Yao used the room key to unlock the door, stepping into the bright room, finally feeling relieved.
Keeping his cool had been exhausting; the psychological pressure was too much. Seriously, “Ju-on” was just too chilling! Even though he usually had a bold heart, this movie had him quaking in his sneakers.
Thank goodness he didn’t embarrass himself in front of Lin Nan!
While in the bathroom, he couldn’t shake the feeling that Kayako was lurking in the corner, but hurriedly finishing up, he collapsed onto the bed, massaging his aching temples. “We should really avoid horror movies in the future, especially the famous ones.”
The more well-known the horror film, typically the scarier it is.
Anyone remember that “Ju-on” actually scared some people to d*ath during its release?
Everyone nodded vigorously, agreeing with Chen Yao. They used to watch horror movies in the dorms, but they were usually manageable; this one was just too much!
“Hey, do you think how much foundation the actress playing Kayako had to put on to look that pale?” Lin Nan leaned against the bedside table, her curiosity bubbling over. “Wouldn’t it come off during filming?”
As soon as the question left her mouth, any lingering fear in the air vanished.
Unfortunately, none of them really understood makeup, so after some chuckles, the conversation faded, and they obediently ordered takeout.
Tu Junhui adamantly refused to admit he tagged along out of fear, even though he was so stuffed from McDonald’s that he could barely eat, he stubbornly ordered a chicken leg!
Xiong Da, who also had just eaten McDonald’s, and Chen Yao, who had gorged on snacks on Zhongshan Street, probably left Lin Nan as the only genuinely hungry one among the four.
Time dragged on.
Chen Yao sat on the bed, struggling to keep his eyes open, yawning uncontrollably. Tu Junhui and Xiong Da were playing mobile games on the couch as Lin Nan wrapped herself in a blanket, focused on her phone while waiting for the food to arrive.
The room gradually fell silent, and Lin Nan’s head unable to resist flickering back to the grisly details of the movie. The more she thought about it, the more shivers ran down her spine.
She reached out from under the blanket and gently kicked Chen Yao, who was sitting at the foot of the bed.
He jumped, turning around to ask, “What’s up?”
He noticed Lin Nan’s big, bright eyes sparkling with terror.
“Don’t think about the movie! Let’s scroll through Douyin for a bit!” Chen Yao tried to climb up the bed to join her, but suddenly remembered the two on the couch, turning back to glare, “When are you two gonna get lost? I’m going to sleep!”
“Sleep? We’ll just stay here gaming; we won’t bother you two,” Tu Junhui smirked, winking at him.
“Get lost!”
Chen Yao stood up, pretending to strike, and Tu Junhui promptly bolted out the door, while Xiong Da, not as brazen, silently followed him out.
“Make sure to bring us the takeout when it arrives!”
“Got it! Scoot!”
