Chapter 4

He suddenly turned around

Moreover, he has accomplices

As Kou Chen felt he could have a minute, the surroundings gradually began to appear before his eyes

"You smell it," Kou Chen said softly

There is indeed someone upstairs, and this person is walking towards the stairway.

The fine hairs on Huo Ran's body slowly and neatly stood up

This building is similar to their teaching building, both having wooden floors. It is not surprising to hear a creaking sound when walking, but it does require a certain weight to produce such noise. Moreover, this sound...

But in reality, nothing can be seen.

He let out a sound of disbelief, truly unable to understand why Huo Ran had the audacity to agree to come to the haunted building at midnight. He took out a lighter and held it under his chin, pondering for a moment before revealing his teeth.

As he took out his phone, Kou Chen's voice sounded a few meters away from him: "Come here"

"Not this one," Jiang Lei said, "He has said too little today, which is unusual"

In a state of uncertainty about whether he was going to save someone or was simply afraid and seeking company, Huo Ran rushed over, intending to pull Kou Chen up. In his panic, he saw a white figure float out from the small platform at the stairway between the second and third floors, disappearing without a sound.

"You have lost," Kou Chen said

"I saw someone inside," Kou Chen said, and without pausing for a second, he ran upstairs

Kou Chen suddenly stopped, and Huo Ran, unable to brake in time, took a step forward while watching him retreat one step down the stairs

Several people were watching him, and after a long while, Jiang Lei finally said, "Does this count as cheating?"

Huo Ran hesitated for a moment, gently inhaled, and indeed caught a whiff of firewood, but...

What happened?" Huo Ran glanced at Hu Yi's nape and said, "When I don't want to pay attention to you guys, I can also walk ahead.

What are you doing?" Xu Zhifan spoke at the same time as him

When Huo Ran came to his senses, after a series of creaks and groans on the stairs, there was no trace of Kou Chen.

After saying this, Kou Chen rushed over in that direction, seemingly intending to block the person coming down on the third-floor staircase

"I can't, I'm busy, I was already asleep by 12 o'clock," Jiang Lei said, "What were you planning to do at that time? Night training?"

What?" Huo Ran was shocked

The back must be turned towards others, and it cannot be left empty

As the firelight illuminated his grinning face from below, the light from the phone over there went out, but before he could express his joy, a beam of bright light immediately struck his eyes.

The security duty room at night looks no different from during the day, filled with the smell of smoke and instant noodles in the air

Hmm? Huo Ran noticed that his voice sounded somewhat off

She actually brought a powerful flashlight! As it shone directly on his face, he felt as if he was about to ascend, everything was a blinding white.

Ah—he only shouted after a two-second delay, following Kou Chen's call.

The strong beam of the flashlight suddenly illuminated the haunted building again

Kou Chen, who had been walking gracefully ahead, suddenly came to a halt. Huo Ran, following closely, also stopped, turned around, and faced away from Kou Chen.

There, he fell into a sudden silence, yet did not move the light away; no matter which direction he turned his face, the beam of light followed him.

What time is it? Xu Zhifan asked

However, the mood is still somewhat different

"Turn off that thing of yours," Kou Chen said, "it's even more terrifying than the dark"

"You students, usually wearing running shoes..." said the security guard as he glanced at their feet.

"Then Kou Chen can accompany you, can't he?" Jiang Lei said

"What the hell," Kou Chen exclaimed as he jumped up and ran over, "Is that a person?"

Here. Kou Chen peeked his head out from the corridor and waved at him

No need, uncle, our partner is still in the haunted building. He can survive alone in the wilderness for a month, but he might not last twenty minutes in a solo haunted building instance. Uncle, let us go by ourselves; we can still circle around to the back door and climb over the wall to rescue him from danger.

"Should we ask?" Huo Ran said

"That is the leg of a chair," Xu Zhifan corrected him

Kou Chen suddenly turned his head to glance upstairs, where it was pitch black and nothing could be seen. In some areas, there was a faint light amidst the darkness, suggesting that his vision had not yet fully recovered

Kou Chen walked smilingly towards the corridor on the second floor, with Huo Ran following closely behind. As they passed by, they should be able to see the corner where the corridor turns. He planned to take a detour first to assess the situation.

"I eat barbecue every day," said Kou Chen

It was quite dark all around, and the light from the playground in the distance was still on before 10 o'clock. After 10 o'clock, only the moonlight remained, and everything seemed to fade in color.

"Alright," Huo Ran stretched lazily, "Are you free tonight?"

He is quite genuine; he is afraid, but he can endure it

Xu Zhifan nodded and said, I also think he arrived late today

Go!" The security uncle waved his hand.

Kou Chen remained silent, looking at him. After a while, he suddenly raised his eyes and glanced behind him.

As he approached the haunted building, he was just about to ask whether to go upstairs or enter the first floor when Kou Chen suddenly turned around and slapped him on the shoulder

These are the impressions of the haunted building that Kou Chen had when he came to visit before

"Are you attending the evening self-study session?" Jiang Lei asked, "Why are you pretending to be a good student?"

Then I shall take my leave, said Kou Chen

Then he fell backward and sat down on the ground

The person walking ahead, Hu Yi, also turned around and said: "Are you sick?"

"If you're scared, just call me," Kou Chen said. "You don't even dare to look back. Do you want me to walk behind you?"

Behind him was a long corridor, and suddenly he felt as if his back were pressed against an open refrigerator, a chill running through him. He straightened his back abruptly and instinctively leaned forward a bit.

He stood still.

"Have you brought someone with you?" Kou Chen asked from behind.

"Where are you?" Huo Ran immediately asked, illuminating the area with the screen of his phone.

Huo Ran hesitated somewhat; he indeed brought people with him, but he could not disclose that. However, he felt that it truly was not Xu Zhifan and the others above. Yet if he went up and it really was them... it would be quite embarrassing, his face as round as a full moon

No," Huo Ran immediately said

"Night training," Huo Ran said, "Besides, my parents go to sleep at 11 o'clock, so they won't hear me jumping rope in the living room."

The haunted building is indeed very old, featuring an ancient style with three stories. The lower level consists of corridors that ascend layer by layer along the staircase, lined with rooms. The windows are in a state of disrepair, leaving only the frames, adorned with cobwebs. It appears that there should be a corridor and a courtyard in the center, but they are not visible without entering.

At that moment, another sound echoed from the rooftop, this time moving a distance of one or two meters towards the stairway entrance

I swear! Kou Chen stepped back a step, "What are you shouting for? You scared me so much!"

According to Huo Ran's theory that "everyone is afraid of ghosts, and those who are not afraid are just pretending," he believes that Kou Chen is also afraid. However, Kou Chen has become so accustomed to putting on airs that his current ease of movement is merely a result of being too deeply immersed in the act.

Did you just fart?" Huo Ran immediately held his breath, "Are you being childish or not?"

As I was pondering the whereabouts of my accomplices and considering sending a message to inquire, a sudden creaking sound came from above my head

Before the words were finished, a sudden sound came from the haunted building behind.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, he suddenly sighed, it is fine, we all came out together, there is no win or lose, it is a draw

Huo Ran stood in the darkness, stunned and forgetting to be afraid; it was only at this moment that he realized that Kou Chen really seemed unafraid of ghosts

"What? You made an appointment with Kou Chen to go to the Ghost Building? What for? You should have said it earlier; just block him in the classroom and don't let him leave, that would solve the problem. " Jiang Lei had an expression of exasperation, as if he were looking at a fool. "Why are you still going to the Ghost Building with him? Ghost! Building! Ghost!"

Kou Chen took two steps and then stopped: "You wait here, or..."

Creaking

"I will not suddenly poke you," Kou Chen said

"You can rest assured," Huo Ran said, "I am a bit scared, but I will not go out"

"I really didn't bring anyone." Huo Ran suddenly looked up and said in a low voice

"Did you really not bring anyone?" Kou Chen asked again

Uncle, you are like this... Jiang Lei struggled a bit

The floor creaked with a sound

He had no idea how he found the courage to run over immediately, but for the sake of his pride, he had no choice but to walk over slowly: "I didn't see clearly"

Jiang Lei! '' Kou Chen continues, `` Hu Yi! Come down, let's play cards, four plus one, the loser stands aside to help others massage their shoulders.

"Wow," Kou Chen's voice revealed excitement, "let's go take a look"

Well," the security uncle stood up, "I will escort you out and call a car for you to go home.

No," he replied succinctly

There are people upstairs, " said Kou Chen

"Fool," Huo Ran scolded, "I don't want to argue with you right now. Just tell me, why are you hitting me!"

The rules of the game are not about accompanying me into the haunted building. Huo Ran gritted his teeth and said, Before 1 o'clock, just scare Kou Chen away, to be precise, as long as he leaves before me.

"It is indeed a night run," Xu Zhifan said

What exactly is this thing

Huo Ran stepped forward and embraced Jiang Lei briefly

Kou Chen looked at him, his face indistinct, yet one could still catch a fleeting glimpse of a mocking smile.

"Damn it!" Kou Chen cursed, quickly covering his eyes with his arm

"You two are definitely not just playing around, are you? Is it a bet or are you going to fight? Are there rules that require someone to accompany you?" Xu Zhifan asked again

Huo Ran looked at his back, hesitating for 1 second between "Should I follow him in?" and "My accomplices probably haven't taken their positions yet. What was that sound just now? Will it be more dangerous for me to stay here?" Just as Kou Chen's figure was about to disappear, he quickened his pace and followed.

What? Jiang Lei was taken aback

Huo Ran felt extremely embarrassed, but he could not show any weakness verbally: "You are the one who brought people..."

However, this distance is somewhat far, and that bit of light is clearly unable to reach Kou Chen's side

Upon thinking of this, he suddenly could not stand still and ran upstairs: "Kou Chen! You didn't mention that we would scare each other!"

Then he lit the lighter

"Let's go," Kou Chen said, tugging at his collar, "I was really startled just now"

"Kou Chen, I curse your grandfather." Huo Ran abruptly turned off the flashlight and said this.

However, compared to not understanding, understanding is even more frightening, as my mind flashed with nearly twenty ways in which ghosts could appear in the hollow window

"I smell something burning, you fool," Kou Chen whispered in his ear

"These are the running shoes we all wear," Hu Yi lifted his leg to showcase the new shoes he bought during the summer vacation, "specifically for running"

Huo Ran nervously followed him and looked inside, feeling the hairs on his body stand on end and flutter in the wind

However, what made Huo Ran feel uneasy was that there was always no movement behind him; any slight noise he heard was coming from the front. No matter how he thought about it, he felt that there was something wrong with this building

Kou Chen looked at him

What he sees now is not the entirety; he can only see the circle illuminated by Huo Ran's flashlight. Within that circle lies a chaotic blend of black and white, and it takes him several glances to discern where the window is located.

Shall we go up and take a look? asked Kou Chen

He walked over, and then Kou Chen stuffed the phone back into his pocket: "Don't turn on the phone."

At five minutes to 12 o'clock, a figure appeared in the distance, slowly walking towards this side

"It is 12 o'clock," Huo Ran said

It is not surprising that someone is burning firewood," Huo Ran said softly, "the smell must be from a fire that was lit several hours ago, roughly around dinner time.

Huo Ran stood at the pitch-black staircase on the second floor, took a step back, and leaned his back against the corner pillar. In theory, this position allowed him to see people coming from two directions...

Is it really running? Do you guys go to the school playground to run in the middle of the night? The security guard sighed and slowly drank the tea in his cup.

Kou Chen did not respond.

He pointed to the stairs over there and whispered, "Run out of the stairs before that person comes down."

After lowering his head and walking out of the school gate, Xu Zhifan suddenly broke into a run. Jiang Lei and Hu Yi almost simultaneously followed suit. After ten meters, the three of them turned right in unison, heading towards the nearest direction to the back gate

You do not need to report your class and names to me anymore," the security guard said as he took a notebook to jot down notes. "I know your name is Xu Zhifan, and you are part of a group with that captain of the school basketball team, always together. Tomorrow, I will report this to your homeroom teacher. You can discuss the specifics with your homeroom teacher.

"Believe me," Huoran said, "when I was starting a fire with firewood in the wilderness, you hadn't even entered junior high school."

"Go to the haunted building," Huo Ran said

"Alright," Xu Zhifan replied immediately, "We will explain it to Teacher Yuan tomorrow."

But after walking a while, the person stopped and stood still for a moment, seeming to be searching his pockets. Then Kou Chen saw the light from the phone screen, followed by the light from the phone's flashlight, shining over in this direction.

What the hell do you have the guts for? He stood up and looked at Huoran's face clearly, "Why don't you just change the time and make an appointment at noon..."

I do not wish to accept, Jiang Lei said, "If I go, it will only be for one reason, which is that I am afraid something will happen to you."

"Go." Kou Chen interrupted him, turning around and walking into the building

If you don't mind, I can also touch you with my mouth. " Kou Chen said

Get lost! Huo Ran pointed at him

It should have been sudden; Kou Chen sat up straight, removed his headphones, and put them back in his pocket, preparing to stand up

Huo Ran has confidence in Xu Zhifan's intelligence, but Jiang Lei and Hu Yi are not very reliable. After Kou Chen finished speaking, he realized that these two might actually show up... He immediately didn't want to speak anymore.

Huo Ran turned off the flashlight: "Are you scared? It's not too late to admit defeat now. Don't worry, even if you lose, I won't let you die a quick death..."

What are you looking at? Huoran suddenly wanted to ask if you're crazy. You know there shouldn't be anyone up there, but now there is. Are you going up to catch the thief?

Xu Zhi looked at hetushu.com. As he lowered his head to look, Jiang Lei, who was standing behind him, took a step back. Xu Zhi Fan felt quite helpless, as Jiang Lei was wearing a pair of double-plated shoes

After Dan Kouchen finished speaking, there was silence all around, with no sound at all.

That's carbon, this is firewood, idiot," said Huoran.

"You all just say who is free to accompany me," Huo Ran said, "I have an appointment with Kou Chen to go to the Ghost Tower."

"Why the hell are you hitting me! Don't you have a mouth!" Huo Ran said

"I won't accompany you for night training," Xu Zhifan said immediately

"Alright," Huo Ran patted him on the shoulder, "and it's more challenging than pulling cheat sheets out from the steel pipes of the table during your exam. Are you willing to accept this challenge?"

Huoran admitted that he was scared for a moment and almost turned around and ran away, but he was proud of himself. He controlled his fear and even shouted out to bolster his courage, "What are you doing?!"

The two individuals descended the stairs, looking around, but did not see anything moving.

However, after Kuocheng rushed out a few steps, he suddenly shouted: "Ahーー"

He suddenly felt a bit uneasy, looking around. Xu Zhifan and the others seemed to be hiding somewhere, and their concealment was quite dedicated. Observing the scene, which was as quiet as a horror film, Huo Ran even wondered if they had not come at all

Kou Chen," Xu Zhifan looked at Jiang Lei, "it is Kou Chen."

Let's not ask for now. If he doesn't say tomorrow, we'll ask again," said Xu Zhifan.

I don't believe you," he suddenly turned his head and said, "you go first."

The nights in September are still quite pleasant, as Kou Chen leans against the stone tablet in front of the haunted building, gazing at the road ahead, with earbuds in his ears

"Good." Huo Ran immediately nodded; he did not want to stay here for even a second longer

...No need. Three people answered simultaneously.

Hu Yi seems a bit off today. After school, Jiang Lei watched Hu Yi, who was walking a few steps ahead of them.

I am just ... ..." Kou Chen said as he glanced out the window on the first floor, lowering his voice, "I am just ... ..."

Xu Zhifan! Kou Chen called out, raising his head.

"I won't be back in the dormitory until next week. What excuse do you have to come out tonight?" Xu Zhifan asked

Xu Zhifan exchanged a glance with Jiang Lei and Hu Yi, then walked out of the security room.

They are talking, and it is certain that those upstairs can hear them. At a time like this, if there is still noise being made, it definitely cannot be Xu Zhifan and the others.

Your good student ran to school for self-study at midnight! Huoran frowned, "Really going to the haunted building."

"Do you accept?" Huo Ran asked

Accomplices ... . ... Huo Ran turned around to look behind him; there was only one path, from the playground to the haunted building, and from the first floor of the haunted building to the third floor, it was all one path. Therefore, at this moment, Xu Zhifan and the others could only remain behind.

Hmm. Huo Ran suddenly had a feeling that those three really did not come.

In the end, Kou Chen gave up resisting, covering his eyes with his arm, listening to Huo Ran's footsteps as they approached him.