Main Text Chapter One The Great House in the Forest

A rugged SUV was making its way through the mountains.

They had set out at dawn and, after several hours on the road, the excitement in the car had gradually faded to fatigue. Aside from napping and snacking, there was little to do but scroll through their phones. The unchanging scenery of winding mountain roads and endless trees grew monotonous, lulling everyone toward drowsiness. A thin mist clung to the slopes, slowing their progress further.

Guo Zhengxiang was at the wheel. Truth be told, driving these mountain routes made him sleepy, and after so many hours, his eyelids were growing heavy.

“What’s wrong, Guo Zhengxiang? Are we there yet?” Feeling the car come to a stop, Cui Kaixuan put down his phone and glanced out the window. Ahead, a narrow winding road disappeared into endless fog.

A bit of life returned to the car’s interior.

“Wow, I must’ve dozed off. Where are we now?” Fei Xin rubbed her eyes, the mist outside making her think her vision was blurred, so she rubbed again.

Guo Zhengxiang took a sip of water and checked the navigation, “Just over fifty kilometers to go. I’m getting a little drowsy myself—I need a break.” As he spoke, he leaned back in his seat and massaged his temples.

“Tao Tao, give Guo Zhengxiang a hand with his eyes, will you? A girl’s touch is softer—double the effect!” Gao Yi grinned.

Sitting up front, Guo Zhengxiang chuckled. Soon, a pair of delicate, soft hands pressed gently on his temples, kneading with a soothing touch that made him sigh in relief.

“Keep going, Tao Tao, don’t stop—Guo Zhengxiang’s almost cured,” Wang Qian teased with a laugh.

“What?” Tao Tao, confused, glanced around.

A chorus of laughter broke out. From everyone’s mischievous expressions, Tao Tao finally caught on, her cheeks flushing pink.

Fei Xin pursed her lips and looked at Wang Qian, “Does Li Datong from the other class know you’re like this? Would he still dare to chase after you?”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Fei beauty,” Gao Yi interjected, “Boys these days love a wild spirit.”

Wang Qian shrugged with indifference, “There’s no shortage of people who like me. If he doesn’t, that’s just fine.”

Fei Xin’s mouth curled up as she glanced at the listless boy beside her, “Xiu Ming, do you like wild spirits too?”

“…Not really. I like waves.” Xiu Ming replied with a sly grin at Fei Xin.

“Pfft.” Fei Xin turned to the window, but her reflection in the glass betrayed the curve of a smile.

Suddenly, Cui Kaixuan frowned at his phone, “The road ahead’s closed—landslide. And it says there’ll be heavy rain by evening. I don’t think we’ll make it through.”

Fifty kilometers wasn’t far, but on these roads, speeding was impossible, especially with the fog.

“Are we just going to rough it in the car for the night?” Gao Yi shifted uncomfortably. He was tall, and the thought of sleeping in the car didn’t appeal to him.

Wang Qian piped up, “But there’s an extra guy—what do we do about that?”

“…”

“Just kidding, don’t take it seriously. But really, there ought to be a village around here, right? It’d be better to find somewhere to stay. We’ll need our energy tomorrow for the cave exploration after all!” she said.

Tao Tao agreed, “Qianqian’s right. Look, isn’t that a dirt path over there? Maybe it leads to a village.”

Everyone looked. Amid the trees by the road, a well-trodden dirt track split the woods. Not a blade of grass grew—clearly it had seen many footsteps over the years.

“All right, I’ll check it out,” Guo Zhengxiang said, stepping on the gas as the car eased into the trees.

The taillights faded in the mist, like a pair of eyes vanishing into the depths. A breeze stirred, thinning the fog at the crossroads, revealing the remnants of burnt paper offerings.

The car pressed on. The others in the back weren’t paying attention, but Guo Zhengxiang, behind the wheel, noticed the path narrowing, with more and more weeds encroaching. At this rate, even if there was a village, it was likely abandoned.

China had countless deserted villages—most former residents had moved to nearby towns or cities.

After about twenty minutes, Cui Kaixuan, in the passenger seat, pointed ahead, “Look—what’s that?”

Everyone peered forward. Behind the trees, something taller than the treetops loomed.

“Looks like a rooftop,” Gao Yi said uncertainly.

“Let’s go check it out. If it’s nothing, we’ll turn back,” Guo Zhengxiang decided, and no one objected. After ten more minutes, they finally drew near.

“Wow! What a huge Western-style house!” Wang Qian exclaimed.

“It’s big enough to call it a castle,” said Cui Kaixuan, gazing at the mist-shrouded structure.

Guo Zhengxiang hopped out of the car, “Come on, let’s take a look. A house this big must have someone around. If we can, let’s stay here for the night.”

“We’d better stick together,” Xiu Ming advised, glancing at the group.

Everyone agreed, so Guo Zhengxiang parked, and the seven of them walked up to the massive front doors.

Gravel crunched underfoot, muffled by long-neglected weeds. On either side of the castle, overgrown flowerbeds lay in ruin. Towering trees, their limbs unpruned, stretched high, their gnarled branches clawing at the sky.

Guo Zhengxiang knocked on the heavy doors, “Hello? Anyone home?” The doors looked so solid, it was hard to imagine any sound would reach inside.

After waiting ten minutes, there was only silence.

“Looks like no one’s here.”

“A house this grand, and no one living in it—what a shame,” Tao Tao murmured.

“Maybe the owners are just out,” Gao Yi suggested.

“No… This place hasn’t seen anyone in ages,” Xiu Ming said quietly from behind them.

“How can you tell?” someone asked.

Xiu Ming pointed to the doorknob, “If people lived here, the handle would show signs of use. But look—it’s all rusted, not a spot any newer than the rest.”

“Ah, I see.” Understanding dawned. “Guess we can’t stay here tonight.”

Unwilling to give up, Gao Yi shoved at the door, but it didn’t budge.

Yet something felt different, as if the door shifted, then sprang back—like pushing on a bamboo pole.

“Wait, I think it’s possible!” Gao Yi, tall and athletic, spat on his hands, rubbed them together, and gave a mighty heave.

With a deep groan, the long-sealed doors opened at last.

A chilly, unpleasant draft swept out, making the three girls shiver. Mist drifted inside, carried by the breeze.

It was damp and gloomy outside, but the view into the house was even darker and more oppressive. Their eyes could barely make out the nearest shapes.

In sight was a grand hall, an ancient chandelier overhead with a few burnt-down candles still clinging to it. An oil painting hung indistinct on the wall, and a long table stood directly beneath the chandelier in the center of the hall.

“Let’s head in and have a look. Spending a night here should be fine,” Guo Zhengxiang declared as he stepped inside. The others followed, reasoning that anything was better than sleeping cramped upright in the car.