My House of Horrors

Huang Ling and Xiao Gu had just escaped from the bus on Route 104, so they were familiar with the type of passengers it carried. When Jia Ming got into the accident, the camera had shown that he was walking toward the bus. A lot of anomalous behavior showed that there was something strange about his accident. It was indeed this accident that triggered the change in Jia Ming to do something as strange as cooking chopped up dolls.

“You’re trying to say that my husband is possessed by the ghost on the bus?” Huang Ling was silent for a long time before forcing herself to accept reality.

“Possessed? You’re being too optimistic.” Chen Ge looked at the woman’s phone. “You received calls from your husband when you were on the bus. The person who called you was most likely your real husband. He knew that you were on the bus and knew that the passengers were all ghosts, so this means that he was also on the bus with you, or rather his spirit was trapped on the bus, trading places with the thing that calls himself your husband now.”

Huang Ling had a hard time processing what Chen Ge said. If she had not just gotten off the bus and seen the ghosts for herself, she would have thought that Chen Ge was crazy. Her lips fell open. Huang Ling had many things to say, but in the end, she only uttered, “What should I do?”

She gripped the steering wheel helplessly. Thinking about the man who slept next to her at night and might not be her husband, her breath caught in her throat.

“Do you want to find your real husband?” Chen Ge took his hand out from the backpack. From Huang Ling’s tone and reaction, he had confirmed that she was a victim.

“Of course.” Huang Ling turned her head around.

“To find your real husband, we have to start with the fake husband. He should know a lot about that last bus. Your real husband is on the bus—only by knowing everything about the bus can we find it and save him.” Chen Ge’s lips curved into a smile. While it seemed like he was simply dealing with a bus, he had not forgotten that there was a locked two-star scenario on the black phone, the name of which Midnight Hearse.

In terms of difficulty, the Midnight Hearse was similar to Mu Yang High School, but since it was mobile, it was harder to find.

“You want me to trick Jia Ming?” Huang Ling understood Chen Ge’s meaning instantly. She shook her head lightly. She refused to believe these things even though she had her suspicion.

“That’s not my intention, and I hope you won’t act too recklessly. I just need you to silently observe Jia Ming and tell me all about his weird actions.” Chen Ge left his contact details with Huang Ling. “You can consider me your lifeline. Perhaps in the future, only I will be able to help you.”

Huang Ling repeated what Chen Ge had said in her mind before she understood what he meant. In her heart, the man, as weird as he appeared, radiated a sense of trustworthiness.

“Remember to keep in touch. Also, do not tell anyone what happened tonight, including your husband and parents.” Chen Ge wanted to turn the car around and interrogate Huang Ling’s husband, but the effect would not be good, and it might cause Huang Ling to turn on him.

“I know.” Huang Ling put her phone away and focused on driving. Chen Ge’s lips smiled. He did not share his real thoughts.

This is the first time that I’ve come across a mobile scenario. There’s no way I’m letting this escape. But thinking back, the bus, the passengers, the child, and the woman in red raincoat, these few things should be connected somehow.

The taxi continued to move in the rain. Chen Ge leaned on the chair and closed his eyes to rest. Huang Ling sent Chen Ge and Xiao Gu back to New Century Park at 2 am. When he got out, Chen Ge inspected the driver’s body again. After making sure he was fine, he paid twice the fare.

“Be careful on the road, and set my number as your speed dial to make it more convenient.” After reminding her of a few more things, Chen Ge left with Xiao Gu.

After Huang Ling drove away, Xiao Gu opened the umbrella and ran to walk beside Chen Ge. “Boss, do you really want to help Huang Ling? This sounds quite scary.”

“Helping her is just a convenience. My real goal is to find the raincoat woman’s child. Didn’t you say her child was on the bus?” Chen Ge was just concluding the event, but it caused Xiao Gu to blame himself.

“This is all my fault.”

“Don’t dwell on it. You’re my employee, so I have to take care of you.” Chen Ge walked ahead and allowed the rain to splash on him.

Following behind Chen Ge, Xiao Gu looked at the man’s back and hesitated for a while before asking, “Boss, when you were on the phone with the woman, you introduced yourself as the chairperson of ghost stories society. What kind of society is this? How come it feels like you’re not that afraid of these things?”

“Are you really that curious?” Chen Ge had saved Xiao Gu’s life more than once. Plus, Xiao Gu was a straightforward person and did not have ulterior motives, so Chen Ge was still relaxed around him.

“A bit. Actually, the things that happened for the past few months have scared me.” Xiao Gu pouted. “One month ago, I was drugged by a madwoman and almost got dismembered. Two weeks ago, I’d just got out from the hospital and was sent back to the emergency room due to fainting. Combining tonight’s episode, this is the third time that these things have happened. I feel like if this continues, and I don’t take any counter measures, it’ll only be a matter of time until something serious occurs.”

Xiao Gu looked so down, and his usual liveliness was absent. “Perhaps I’m cursed.”

“If you move near New Century Park in the future, I’m sure you’ll be fine.” Chen Ge did not know what to say, but he knew Xiao Gu—other people would have gone mad already.

“Boss, I have a feeling something else will happen, so I wish to know more about these things. Do you think I can join that society of yours?” Xiao Gu said something that surprised Chen Ge. He stood beside Chen Ge shyly.

“You want to join the ghost stories society?” Chen Ge stopped moving to size Xiao Gu up. Then he shook his head. “The society might not sound like it, but it’s actually a support group for mental patients, to reignite their desire for life.”

“Is that so?” Xiao Gu felt like what Chen Ge described did not match the idea that he had in his mind at all.

“Yes, don’t read too much into it.” Chen Ge shoved the handle of the hammer that poked out back into the bag and zipped it up. “The ghost stories society has three objectives—to respect and care about people, to show understanding and acceptance toward others, and to have appreciation and thankfulness for the gift of life.”