INSIDER Chapter 135

As a group of young people saw the boy and Lu Chu walking over together, they teased, “It’s so rare for our class to get together for a meal, Lu Chu. Why did you sneak off by yourself? Where did you go to meet someone secretly?”

Lu Chu shook his head with a smile, “This place is so remote, there’s no one and nowhere to have a secret meeting. I was just wandering around nearby because the barbecue was taking forever to cook.”

The person who had brought Lu Chu back playfully punched him. “Yeah, right. Wandering around and you ended up in a mansion.”

Others got interested, “What mansion? The one over there, the villa?”

“Exactly,” the boy said. “Lu Chu even climbed over the locked iron gate to get in.” A girl present gasped, “Oh my, Lu Chu, you’re so bold!”

When Lu Chu entered this round, he was already inside that small estate. It wasn’t his intention to go there but was arranged by the “rules.” Of course, he couldn’t say that, so he maintained a gentle smile and chatted with everyone, “I was just curious.”

While they were talking, 7 quietly walked up to Lu Chu and handed him a few skewers of cooked meat. Lu Chu took them, then offered the skewers to 7. Understanding the gesture, 7 took a bite, and Lu Chu, with a gentle look in his eyes, started eating as well.

Song Gui, who had initially intended to join the fun, found the sight blinding and awkwardly but politely returned to his previous spot, bantering with Yuan Kejie and the others.

At this moment, a bespectacled boy was threading corn onto skewers as he spoke, “Most of you aren’t locals, so you might not know the legend about that villa. It’s quite mysterious.”

Yuan Kejie, instantly intrigued, asked, “What is it? What’s mysterious?”

Others were also drawn in and urged, “Sun Haoran, just tell us already, don’t leave us hanging!”

The boy named Sun Haoran continued to thread corn and placed it on the grill before continuing, “It’s said that the villa originally belonged to a wealthy noble family from Russia, back in the mid-19th century. They were very rich and had the mansion built according to their own blueprints. The family of three, along with numerous servants, gardeners, and housekeepers, lived there.”

The girls listened with fascinated expressions.

Sun Haoran chuckled and went on, “Who would have thought, just a few years after moving in, the entire family died tragically. From the owners to the servants, none were spared, and they all died horribly.”

The girls were immediately horrified.

Yuan Kejie caught a key point, “A family of three? A couple and a child?”

“Yes,” Sun Haoran said, “They had a daughter, a little girl under ten years old.”

Lu Chu asked, “Was there any cause of death found?”

“No, they died so mysteriously. In the end, the investigation revealed that the culprit was the man of the house. It’s said he was driven mad by his belief in a cult and killed his wife, daughter, and servants, offering them as sacrifices to a demon in exchange for eternal life.”

Lu Chu inquired, “So, did he achieve eternal life?”

Sun Haoran shook his head, “They all died, including the man. When their bodies were found, they were still identifiable and were buried by their relatives.”

The class had chosen this sparse, lush, and remote spot for their barbecue. With dusk settling and Sun Haoran’s storytelling, a breeze brought a chilling air to the summer night, adding an eerie feel.

The girls huddled together while the boys encouraged, “Go on, what happened next?”

“And then?” Sun Haoran continued, “The relatives tried to sell the house. After twenty years, someone bought it, but within half a year, everyone in that family either went mad or died. Rumor has it that the house is haunted by the demon the original owner summoned, killing every new occupant. Yet, people still get tempted by the low price and luxurious house, move in, renovate, and inevitably die within six months.”

Everyone shivered, their skin prickling with goosebumps.

Someone questioned, “Why hasn’t anyone demolished the house?”

Sun Haoran replied, “It’s not that no one wants to, but they don’t dare. After so many deaths, people avoid the place. It’s been fifty or sixty years since the last owner died. Strangely, despite being unoccupied, the gardens are meticulously maintained, making it even more unsettling. Eventually, the nearby residents moved away, leaving just this isolated estate.”

The story evoked a mix of fear and excitement among the group.

But no matter the reaction, everyone treated it as a mere ghost story to liven up the atmosphere.

“It’s not very original, just a typical haunted house tale,” Yuan Kejie concluded.

Luo Qi crossed her arms and nodded, “Yeah, it’s cliché.”

Yuan Kejie laughed, patting Luo Qi on the shoulder, “Wow, using big words now! Good job, keeping up with your studies!”

The girl next to Yuan Kejie also laughed, “Ke Jie, your cousin is so cute and interesting.”

In this round, Luo Qi was playing the role of Yuan Kejie’s cousin temporarily living with her. Because her family was away, Yuan Kejie had to bring her to the class gathering.

The “rules” made plausible arrangements for the players’ identities.

In this setting of a university class reunion, if Luo Qi’s thirteen-year-old body wasn’t altered, she needed a reasonable identity—either a child prodigy or someone’s relative.

Despite the teasing, Luo Qi kept a disdainful expression, but her childish appearance made her seem cute, drawing more playful comments from everyone.

Thus, the haunted house story was temporarily set aside.

As the gathering continued, more food was prepared and grilled. Spirits rose, and a few boys opened two cases of beer, proclaiming, “Let’s drink until we drop! If you’re a man, drink up!”

The girls weren’t forced to drink and mostly held juice, watching the boys toast each other. The class president was hit the hardest, soon swaying drunkenly. The girls laughed and joined in, toasting the boys and insisting on a three-to-one ratio—one cup of juice for them, three beers for the boys.

With their major having a low ratio of girls, the tradition of honoring the girls’ toasts developed, making it mandatory for boys to accept the challenge.

Already tipsy, the boys tried to bargain, “It’s tradition for girls to toast boys three-to-one, but you’re drinking juice… How about one sip of juice to one cup of beer?”

The girls, just aiming to keep the fun going, agreed to the one sip to one cup deal.

Another round of toasting began.

After a while, those with good alcohol tolerance were still standing strong, while others were visibly drunk, boasting and laughing.

7 drank quietly without any sign of being affected, as if it was plain water.

Lu Chu didn’t refuse the girls’ toasts, but avoided most from the boys, with many deflected by 7. He actually drank very little.

As a minor and a girl, Luo Qi was protected by everyone.

Lu Chu was amazed at Yuan Kejie and Song Gui’s drinking capacity.

Song Gui was expected, but Yuan Kejie, despite being a girl, was treated as an unbeatable drinker, thanks to her character’s backstory. Everyone, regardless of gender, cheered her on to drink, and she matched the boys cup for cup.

Whether it was her character’s setup or her real ability, she showed no signs of being affected even after many rounds.

Drunk boys started calling her “big brother.”

With full bellies and a lot of alcohol, the need to relieve themselves arose.

A man asked Sun Haoran, “Where’s the nearest toilet? I can’t hold it anymore!” Several others echoed his need.

A girl whispered to Yuan Kejie, “Ke Jie, I need to go too. Can you come with me?”

Yuan Kejie had to comply due to her role.

Sun Haoran directed, “There’s a public toilet if you walk out of the woods, follow a path to the main road, turn south at the intersection, and then go east for a few hundred meters.”

The boys groaned.

One boy exclaimed, “That’s too far! I can’t make it. Is there a closer one?”

Sun Haoran nodded, “Closer? Yeah, the villa has a toilet.”

Everyone paused, then, because of their numbers, urgency, and disbelief in ghosts, decided to head to the villa together.

The drunk boy asked, “Anyone else need to go? Let’s stick together!”

Four more boys joined him.

Yuan Kejie, pulled along by her friend, followed behind.

Before leaving, Yuan Kejie whispered to Lu Chu and the others, “I have a bad feeling about this. If things go south, you better come save me. I can’t handle this alone!”

Lu Chu assured, “Don’t worry.”

Song Gui joked, “Safe travels.”