Stepdaughter of a wealthy family? The little darling of a Beijing tycoon

The two had tried almost all the rides in the park, and now only the haunted house remained.

Shen Jingshu wasn't particularly interested, but Lu Jingxing remembered that Secretary Liu had specifically highlighted the haunted house on the date list last night, saying it was the perfect way to get closer to her. He immediately grabbed Shen Jingshu's wrist and gently persuaded, "Since we're already here, let's go in and experience this last one."

Shen Jingshu didn't think much of it and nodded with a smile: "Okay, let's go in and take a look."

As soon as they reached the entrance of the haunted house, a series of sharp screams from men and women echoed from the dark passageway. Shen Jingshu helplessly picked at her ears; the artificial frightening noises were far too noisy.

The staff at the entrance came forward to give instructions, repeatedly emphasizing the most important point: never physically assault the staff members dressed as ghosts.

It's no wonder that the other party repeatedly reminded them that haunted houses are inherently high-risk jobs. Every now and then, some tourists with low tolerance for stress lose control of their emotions after being frightened and start punching and kicking the staff dressed as ghosts.

After listening, the two nodded in unison and stepped inside.

There happened to be a young couple in front of them. As soon as they stepped into the darkness, the girl screamed in fright, and the boy took the opportunity to hug her tightly around the waist and whispered to comfort her.

Lu Jingxing caught a glimpse of the boy putting his arm around the girl and subconsciously turned to look at Shen Jingshu beside him.

She walked leisurely, her expression relaxed, as if she were strolling in a backyard garden, without the slightest bit of tension.

Since following her master in her cultivation journey, Shen Jingshu has seen countless ghosts and spirits in the world: hanged ghosts, water ghosts, battlefield ghosts, or wandering spirits of those who died tragically in car accidents or falling off cliffs—all kinds of strange and wonderful beings. She has even dealt with many ghost messengers from the underworld. Naturally, mere ghosts and monsters played by real people are no match for her.

Lu Jingxing quietly raised his hand, intending to approach her like the boy in front of him, but after hesitating for a moment, he silently withdrew his hand.

Upon reaching the fork in the road, both passages were pitch black, emitting an eerie green glow. The couple ahead chose the left one, and Lu Jingxing turned to ask Shen Jingshu for her opinion.

Shen Jingshu nonchalantly raised her chin: "Let's go this way, so as not to disturb their romance."

The two stepped into the right-hand passage and walked forward, but the staff member who was expected to suddenly appear did not show up for a long time.

A slight disappointment arose in Lu Jingxing's heart.

But Shen Jingshu's expression gradually darkened, and her brows furrowed slightly.

The surrounding air was unusually cold, and she keenly sensed a chilling aura—it seemed that real ghosts, not living people in disguise, were hiding in this haunted house.

At that moment, Lu Jingxing also sensed the unusual atmosphere around him, a chilling coldness creeping over him. He immediately gripped Shen Jingshu's hand tightly, their eyes meeting in unspoken understanding. Shen Jingshu gently squeezed his palm back, silently indicating that he didn't need to worry.

The two continued to walk slowly forward, and the chilling aura grew stronger as they went deeper into the passage.

Suddenly, a light, floating shadow darted past them. Neither of them turned around, pretending not to notice, and continued their leisurely stroll. A few moments later, the shadow returned several times, seemingly testing the waters.

After several unsuccessful attempts, the ghostly spirit mustered its courage and quietly drifted closer, its bluish-gray claws slowly rising, about to land on Shen Jingshu's shoulder.

Just as her fingertips were about to touch the fabric, Shen Jingshu spoke in a cold tone: "If you dare to put your claws up here, I'll chop them off today."

The ghostly claw suddenly retracted, as if it had been scorched by flames.

A few seconds of silence followed, then a confused voice came from behind: "You...you can see me? Wait, you didn't even turn your head. Do you have eyes in the back of your head?"

"You only have eyes in the back of your head," Shen Jingshu replied casually.

The spirit suddenly became excited and floated directly in front of the two: "Good heavens, you can not only see me, but you can also hear me!"

Lu Jingxing couldn't see the spirit himself, but he clearly sensed a cold, eerie presence that had appeared out of nowhere in front of him. Seeing Shen Jingshu talking to the empty space ahead, he instantly realized that they had truly encountered a ghost.

But he felt no fear. Firstly, he was wearing a lightning-struck wood amulet personally carved by Shen Jingshu, which had kept evil spirits away from him during this time. Secondly, he had a genuine master of metaphysics standing beside him, so he had no need to be afraid and completely trusted that his girlfriend would protect him.

He simply gripped Shen Jingshu's hand tighter instinctively and stood quietly to the side.

At this moment, floating in front of Shen Jingshu and Lu Jingxing was a young male ghost.

He wore a slightly worn black hooded sweatshirt and looked to be no more than twenty years old. A thin layer of gray mist surrounded him, and his feet seemed to float half a foot off the ground, his non-physical feet merely blurry shadows. His face was the bluish-gray of a corpse, his lips were tinged with a dark white, and only his eyes were wide open, filled with shock and bewilderment.

He spent many days in this haunted house, and despite the many tourists coming and going, no one noticed his presence. Everyone was only frightened by the ghosts and monsters dressed up by the staff; no one ever saw him floating around, let alone spoke to him.

The male ghost circled Shen Jingshu twice, looking her up and down, his tone full of curiosity: "Strange, I've been here for so long, and this is the first time I've encountered a living person who can see me."

Lu Jingxing still couldn't see the other person, but could feel that cold aura swirling around him. He quietly pulled Shen Jingshu to his side, holding her hand tightly with his fingertips.

Shen Jingshu calmly looked at the illusory figure: "Why are you lingering here instead of reincarnating? This haunted house is filled with yin energy; staying here for a long time will greatly damage your soul."

Upon hearing this, the young male ghost's face fell, and he floated to the side, dejected.

Based solely on the yin energy and soul aura surrounding the male ghost, Shen Jingshu could tell at a glance that he had been trapped in this haunted house for five or six years.

When he has nothing to do, he likes to quietly float out and tease passing tourists. Many people fall ill for no apparent reason after visiting and leaving. Although he has no intention of harming anyone and is just simply playful, the yin energy he emits over time disturbs the living, which ultimately harms his karma and greatly damages his own soul.

Just as the male ghost was about to introduce himself, before he could even raise his wrist, Lu Jingxing gently tugged at Shen Jingshu's hand beside him.

Shen Jingshu turned her head to the side, a hint of doubt in her eyes.

Lu Jingxing coughed softly, his tone carrying a hint of unease: "Is there any way to let me see it too? There are clearly only the two of us, yet you're talking to thin air. I find it a bit strange."