DT |Chapter 16: Xiyi Six

A simply dressed waiter brought over a plate of sunflower seeds. Sheng Feng sat in the hotel lobby, pretending to idly watch the rain outside. As he took out his phone, he pondered over the murmurings of Shen Yan he had just heard. He had only caught the word ‘ge’, but even that single word was enough to set his imagination running wild.

Ge? Does Shen Yan have a brother? He never mentioned it.

A notification sound chimed from his phone. Sheng Feng opened the forum he had been following. The number of people discussing had doubled, and it seemed like someone was actually coming to ‘catch ghosts’.

Frowning, Sheng Feng scrolled down and saw a few young people running into the hotel lobby under a flimsy umbrella. Their clothes were soaked, and they were wringing out the water while cursing.

“What a crappy place. Did you guys get the address wrong from the forum?” said a slightly chubby guy with a large tattooed arm.

“No mistake! It’s here. I’ll scout ahead. Once the video goes viral, we won’t have to worry about money,” replied a tall, slightly balding man.

After about five minutes, Sheng Feng casually walked to the front desk, staying close enough to hear their conversation.

He tapped on the glass counter and said to the receptionist, “A pack of cigarettes, please.”

“Yang Ge, Yang Ge, is that really a haunted house? Is there really a ghost inside?” The youngest-looking one lowered his voice.

“There’s no damn ghost. There’s no such thing as ghosts. I’ve never seen one. It’s all just a scare tactic,” said the tattooed Yang Ge, rolling up his sleeves and pulling out his ID to book a room.

Sheng Feng listened intently, maintaining a calm expression as the waiter approached. He said lightly, “A pack of Yellow Crane Tower,” then took out his phone to scan the QR code for payment.

Yang Ge gave a greasy smile to the receptionist. “Can you tell me how to get to 444 Liquor Alley from here?”

The receptionist glanced nervously at Yang Ge’s tattoos and replied with a forced smile, “That place is a bit remote. No one’s lived there for a long time. Exit our hotel, turn right, then go uphill for a few hundred meters.”

Sheng Feng quickly ran the route through his mind. The waiter handed him the cigarettes, and he immediately opened the pack, lighting one for himself as he leaned against the glass counter.

“Sir, your room keys, 2105 and 2106.”

The group had finished checking in and headed into the hotel with their luggage.

Sheng Feng glanced at the forum on his phone again and took a deep drag of his cigarette. Suddenly, someone slapped him hard on the shoulder from behind, and an arm wrapped around his neck.

“Team Leader Sheng, what are you doing here?” Shen Yan yawned, sleepily leaning on Sheng Feng’s back. He caught a glimpse of the forum on Sheng Feng’s phone. Although he didn’t recognize many simplified characters, he was very sensitive to the word ‘ghost’.

The receptionist smiled inexplicably when Shen Yan appeared, and now her smile deepened as she watched them, making Sheng Feng feel a chill. He almost pushed Shen Yan off him.

Shen Yan looked puzzled. “You found something fun and didn’t tell me. Team Leader Sheng, that’s not fair.”

For some reason, Sheng Feng felt guilty when he noticed the two receptionists giggling at them. Goosebumps rose all over his skin.

Not knowing why they were laughing, he pushed Shen Yan towards the stairs, pulling him along as they went upstairs.

“You… Sheng Feng!” Shen Yan was utterly confused, his collar pulled low by Sheng Feng. Once they reached the first floor, Sheng Feng finally let him go.

Sheng Feng was slightly out of breath from the rush, his chest rising and falling slightly. His pale cheeks were tinged with a faint red.

Unconsciously, Shen Yan realized that Sheng Feng’s appearance was quite captivating. His delicate features could only be fully appreciated up close.

Shen Yan was always one to act on his thoughts. Without hesitation, he leaned in to take a closer look.

Sheng Feng had just caught his breath when he turned and was startled by the face suddenly in front of him. Instinctively, he stepped back, but there was a staircase behind him. He stumbled and quickly grabbed the handrail, staring at Shen Yan with a wary expression.

Sheng Feng had never felt his heart race like this before. He thought he must have been scared.

“What interesting thing did you find? Tell me,” Shen Yan smiled slightly, satisfied after observing Sheng Feng up close.

Sheng Feng calmed his breathing. “Let’s talk in the room.”

Once they were upstairs with the door closed, the flush on Sheng Feng’s face faded a bit. His mind blank, he tossed his phone to Shen Yan and sat on the bed in a daze.

For Sheng Feng to hand over his phone, a personal item, to Shen Yan without reservation, it gave Shen Yan a sense of pride. He happily browsed the forum, finding no characters he found difficult.

“Do you mortals all have a death wish?” Shen Yan continued scrolling. “Team Leader Sheng, you’re not here to explore the haunted house because of this forum, are you?”

Of course not.

Sheng Feng shot him a look. Shen Yan restrained his smile and continued scrolling. Suddenly, a pop-up appeared in the message bar on the phone. It was a WeChat message. Shen Yan glanced at Sheng Feng, who wasn’t paying attention, and quietly opened it.

“I heard at work that you went on a trip. Do you want me to join you? Can you manage alone?”

The message was from someone noted as “Yan Ting.” The tone made Shen Yan uncomfortable, as if this person was very familiar with Sheng Feng.

He swiped away the message and clicked “delete,” making Yan Ting’s message disappear.

“Since there’s a haunted house, when are we going to check it out?” Shen Yan casually returned the phone to Sheng Feng, who hadn’t noticed the message.

Sheng Feng told Shen Yan everything about the people he encountered in the lobby.

“They won’t wait long. They might act tonight. We’ll follow them and see what they’re up to,” Sheng Feng said, plugging in his phone and lying back on the bed to rest.

Shen Yan sat on his bed and said, “If they’re so eager to die, let them. It’s not our responsibility if they get killed.”

Sheng Feng squinted at Shen Yan, who shrugged and said, “Alright, alright, pretend I didn’t say anything.”

Shen Yan moved next to Sheng Feng, squatting down with bright eyes. “I heard from the hotel staff that their drunken shrimp is delicious. Since we have nothing to do, why not try it?”

“No,” Sheng Feng turned over.

Shen Yan clicked his tongue and tugged on Sheng Feng’s arm. “We have work tonight. How can we work on an empty stomach? Come on, Team Leader Sheng, you’re the best. I’ll listen to you from now on, okay?”

Sheng Feng might withstand a girl’s coquettishness, but Shen Yan, a grown man acting cute over shrimp, was unbearable.

Sure enough, Sheng Feng ended up accompanying Shen Yan to the restaurant, ordering a large plate of shrimp for Shen Yan to devour. He ate heartily, costing Sheng Feng several hundred yuan.

After their meal, it was quite late. Sleep was optional for Shen Yan, but for Sheng Feng, it was essential. After eating, he felt sleepy, as expected.

“You sleep. I’ll wake you if there’s any noise outside,” Shen Yan offered to keep watch for the first time. Sheng Feng looked at him skeptically, but Shen Yan confidently assured him to sleep well.

Sheng Feng lay down with his back to Shen Yan. As soon as his head hit the pillow, a wave of drowsiness washed over him. He tried not to sleep too deeply, forcing himself to stay alert, but eventually drifted off.

Fragmented dreams came to Sheng Feng like stars.

Weapons. Cold iron. The neighing of horses.

Fields of bones and wandering souls, blood flowing for miles, the once-prosperous capital now a scene of devastation. Everyone glared at him, as if they wanted to tear him to pieces.

Traitor! Traitors must die!

Near midnight, the rain outside gradually stopped, and a pale moonlight spread over the village.

Sheng Feng felt someone gently shaking him, and he instantly woke up. Shen Yan made a silent gesture, looking serious.

The hotel room was poorly soundproofed, and their room was near the stairs, making outside noises clear.

“Be careful. Do you know how much the camera costs? Can you afford to damage it?” A low voice came from outside.

“Stop arguing. Let’s go.”

After a low reprimand, only the sound of footsteps on the stairs remained.

After a while, when it was completely silent outside, Sheng Feng slowly opened the door. He was about to follow in a T-shirt when Shen Yan stopped him, handing him a jacket. Shen Yan casually put on a hoodie.

Sheng Feng took the jacket, putting it on as he walked. Downstairs, he saw the group just leaving the hotel. The two exchanged a glance and quietly followed.

The youngest, wearing a T-shirt, carried the camera, while the tattooed man led the way. He had somehow obtained a map of the village, navigating smoothly.

“It’s almost midnight,” Shen Yan suddenly said behind Sheng Feng. “These people are probably timing it to do something at midnight.”

Sheng Feng glanced at Shen Yan. He was grateful for the jacket, as he noticed that the deeper they went into Liquor Alley, the colder it felt.