Qin Ningyi pulled Huo Rou's outstretched hand back with a cold expression, then extended his right hand to shake Ren Zhen's.
Ren Zhen, caught off guard by Qin Ningyi's sudden "intercession," found himself at a loss for words, unsure whether to laugh or cry. This was the "promising young man" his grandfather had spoken of.
"Hello," Ren Zhen said, narrowing his flirtatious eyes and offering a polite smile.
Seeing that Ren Zhen's gaze had shifted away from Huo Rou, Qin Ningyi's expression began to soften.
He knew Ren Zhen was interested in Xia Qingxue, who stood beside him, but he couldn't stand seeing the familiar way Ren Zhen looked at Huo Rou. When facing Huo Rou, Ren Zhen's expression held at least five more points of sincerity.
To Huo Rou, Ren Zhen was special, yet Qin Ningyi had no idea how or how long they had known each other.
Huo Rou, holding An An and leading her crestfallen, silent best friend, walked aside, saying as she went, "You're not the first."
What did she mean? Ren Zhen and Qin Ningyi broke their handshake. As they followed, they heard Huo Rou's words.
Not the first, so... someone in their alliance had met Huo Rou before?
Huo Rou rarely spoke in the main group, never interacting with the masses there. In the main group, she was a source of reassurance.
People only "worshipped" her when they lacked inspiration. So, whoever had seen her must be one of their veteran members.
Someone had seen Huo Rou, knew she was female, but hadn't told anyone. This felt just like that troublemaker Qiong Qi, who loved stirring up a fuss.
"Qiong Qi?" Ren Zhen slowly enunciated the name he suspected. Huo Rou let out a light chuckle, confirming his guess.
That guy would do anything to cause chaos!
Ren Zhen adjusted his glasses and shook his head with a hint of helplessness.
Qin Ningyi remained clueless about this topic, as if he were far removed from Huo Rou's life. This gave him a sense of urgency.
Qin Ningyi exchanged a look with Ren Zhen, glancing at Xia Qingxue, whom Huo Rou was holding. Ren Zhen seemed to understand his thoughts.
But he dared not.
That was Chi You! He held grudges. He had already been pranked by her for "stealing" her best friend. If he were to openly snatch someone from her now, would his company's systems still operate normally?
Ren Zhen gave a wicked smile, whistled, and turned his head away.
Seeing Ren Zhen unmoved, Qin Ningyi had no choice but to step forward himself.
As he reached Huo Rou's side, about to pry Xia Qingxue's hand away, he overheard their conversation.
"Godmother, is the haunted house really that fun?" An An, piqued with curiosity, pressed.
"Of course, I love haunted houses the most. I heard the ones here are ranked among the best nationwide," Xia Qingxue proudly informed An An.
"Don't corrupt the child," Huo Rou said with a mild warning.
"What do you mean corrupt?" Xia Qingxue retorted. "He's my godson too. How could I corrupt him? Haunted houses are fun. You're not afraid, so your son surely won't be."
After saying this, she looked at An An. "Right, An An?"
"Mm! Mommy isn't afraid, so I definitely won't be scared," An An chimed in, following Xia Qingxue's lead.
Huo Rou looked at the two children beside her. For a moment, she was at a loss. Then, recalling An An's happy expression on the pirate ship, she finally agreed, allowing them to satisfy their curiosity.
With Huo Rou's consent, the two children exchanged smiles and, pulling her along, headed towards the haunted house.
It was indeed one of the amusement park's most famous attractions, with a long line of people waiting.
Qin Ningyi found his use now. He seized the opportunity to push Xia Qingxue aside, took Huo Rou's hand, and led them towards the staff.
The staff member, recognizing the big boss, nervously ushered them through the employee entrance.
"Mr. Qin, this week features our most popular theme for the haunted house. Besides being scary, it also has a storyline," the staff member earnestly explained.
"Many visitors have their own insights and theories after leaving. It's quite interesting."
The staff member looked at An An, hesitating. "However, the scariness level is quite high. A child might not be able to handle it."
An An pouted, his eyes looking pleadingly at Qin Ningyi and Huo Rou.
Seeing how much he wanted to go, Huo Rou asked the staff member to show him some scene pictures first.
After watching for a while in the control room with the staff member, An An confirmed that he could handle it.
Only then did Huo Rou and Qin Ningyi take him into the haunted house.
Xia Qingxue was the epitome of "bad at it but loves to play." From the moment they entered the haunted house, she clung to Ren Zhen's back.
She was brave, in a way, as she moved forward with a flourish, even if she refused to lift her head or open her eyes.
She had originally intended to stick to Huo Rou, but Qin Ningyi's long arm wrapped around Huo Rou and pulled her in a different direction. When she met Qin Ningyi's somewhat somber gaze, she felt more terrified than seeing a ghost, her hair standing on end.
The surroundings slowly plunged into darkness. A playful breeze whispered through her hair. She had no choice but to admit defeat and grab onto Ren Zhen next to her.
"Cowardly but loves to play" perfectly described Xia Qingxue. She had once gone through a haunted house with Huo Rou, never opening her eyes, and being led out by Huo Rou. Although she hadn't seen anything, she still exclaimed how thrilling it was.
This time, there was some live commentary.
"Mommy, is that a road?"
"Yes."
"Mommy, why are they walking so strangely on the road?"
"They died there and became ghosts, trapped in that place."
"Ah! Someone suddenly popped out! They look different from the people on the road over there."
"Yes, they seem to be from two different factions compared to the people over there."
...
Amidst An An's and Huo Rou's questions and answers, Xia Qingxue suddenly felt that it wasn't that scary anymore. She cautiously peeked her head out from behind Ren Zhen, squinting as she looked.
Just then, someone suddenly plummeted from above, hanging directly in front of her and Ren Zhen.
"Ah!!!!"
Xia Qingxue's screams echoed throughout the haunted house.
Ren Zhen, looking at the human-shaped ornament hanging before him, let out a muffled laugh.
Yet, his movements were gentle as he comforted her.
"What are you laughing at? Never seen a girl get scared?" Xia Qingxue mumbled into his chest.
Listening to Ren Zhen's steady, powerful heartbeat and feeling the vibration in his chest as he laughed, Xia Qingxue felt incredibly safe and dared to speak.
Ren Zhen, speaking gently, addressed the hanging NPC, "Excuse us, please move aside."
The figure then stuck out a very, very long tongue, but Ren Zhen remained unfazed.
Unable to scare anyone, the NPC felt a bit defeated. However, recalling the scream from earlier, this appearance still brought a sense of accomplishment. He unhooked his equipment, jumped down, and hobbled to the side.
Qin Ningyi glanced back at Ren Zhen and Xia Qingxue, who was hiding in his arms and refusing to look up. He then looked at the mother and son beside him, who seemed to be on an extracurricular field trip. For the first time in his life, he thought it might be better for women to be a little more delicate.
"Mommy, why is there a person slumped over in this laboratory? Why isn't she moving like the others?"
An An's question this time went unanswered. Huo Rou stared blankly at the figure in the lab, the one in a protective suit, quietly slumped amongst the bottles and jars.
She walked towards the figure, step by step.
"Mommy?" An An called out to her, but Huo Rou didn't stop.