Why didn't you tell me earlier that my little sister is still waiting for me?

Chapter 792 Return from Mount Maqiu

Despite the women's comforting words—well, I guess that's what you'd call comforting—Hu Youyu's heart was still pounding, unable to settle down. His face was long and his eyes darted around, when suddenly an idea struck him, and he stammered, "Um... Hongdou, Nanxing, Nana, Damai... you see, although you successfully avoided Miss Liu's possession before, we've summoned her again. What if she gets angry this time and insists on causing trouble, regardless of whether you're with someone or not?"

Seeing the changes in the four women's expressions, Hu Youyu became even more confident in his next suggestion, and his voice unconsciously rose a little: "How about... how about this! Add me too! Let's all sleep together! More people means more yang energy! When Miss Liu sees how complicated and messy our relationships are, she'll definitely be overwhelmed, and maybe she'll think it's too much trouble and just give up on all of us! Right?"

Lin Bufan, who had been leisurely watching the show, was startled by these words and almost dropped the melon seeds in his hand.

Good grief! I painstakingly planned everything, from scaring people to acting, even adding custom touches... I finally got this "perk," and you just want to steal it all with a single word?

Eat shit!

However, before Lin Bufan could even organize his thoughts for a "friendly" refusal, four cold, disdainful gazes were already fixed on Hu Youyu.

Xu Hongdou didn't even bother to lift her eyelids, slowly and methodically adjusting her sleeves.

Chen Nanxing rolled his eyes and snorted, "Heh."

Nana crossed her arms over her chest and raised her chin slightly.

Da Mai silently shrank behind Lin Bufan, expressing his attitude through his actions.

They didn't even bother with a complete refusal, but the meaning couldn't be clearer—get lost, get as far away as possible.

Hu Youyu was speechless at this silent rejection, his face turning pale and then red. Undeterred, he looked pitifully at Lin Bufan, hoping that this "teacher" would say something "fair".

Faced with Hu Youyu's pleading gaze, Lin Bufan could only return a helpless look, indicating that it wasn't that the teacher wouldn't help him, but that his teachers' wives wouldn't allow it!

Hu Youyu pleaded and begged for a long time, tears streaming down his face, but the four women remained resolute and showed no sign of backing down. Finally, under Chen Nanxing's threat, "If you keep nagging, we'll throw you out," Hu Youyu had no choice but to dejectedly abandon his delusion of "collective refuge."

Several people went back to their rooms.

However, for Hu Youyu, this night was destined to be an agonizing one, with his eyes wide open until dawn. Every time he closed his eyes, all he could see was the churning mud, the glaringly red wedding dress, and the ethereal wailing of ghosts. He really didn't dare to be alone. After much thought, he finally steeled himself and sneaked out like a thief to the "doghouse" that he had personally made for Sang Biao on Maqiu Mountain.

Sang Biao was lying sprawled out on its specially made, soft-cushioned little bed, fast asleep.

Hu Youyu crept closer and carefully "scooped" Sang Biao, who was sleeping sprawled out on its soft, comfortable bed.

Sang Biao was fast asleep when he was suddenly pulled from his dream by a brute force. Startled, he flailed his four paws in the air a few times in vain, and made a dissatisfied "groaning" sound in his throat.

"Brother Biao! Chairman Biao! I need to borrow some of your yang energy! I'm in dire need of help!" Hu Youyu held Sang Biao tightly in his arms, muttering to himself as he hugged this soft, fluffy "talisman" who was still grumpy from waking up, and fled back to his room as if escaping, locking the door behind him.

Sang Biao was so choked he almost rolled his eyes back. After struggling a few times, he realized that Hu Youyu was incredibly strong, as if he were possessed by a ghost, and he couldn't break free at all.

In the end, Sang Biao gave up, collapsing into Hu Youyu's arms with no will to live, shedding tears of regret—"I am no longer clean!"

While Hu Youyu was filled with fear and Sang Biao was despondent, in room number five, the lights were off and the curtains were drawn tightly.

Although the four women firmly rejected Hu Youyu's absurd suggestion to "sleep together," his words still left a ripple in their hearts. Hu Youyu was right; they had repeatedly "provoked" that Miss Liu. What if... she really got angry and stopped caring about "principles"?

So tonight, Nana and Chen Nanxing, who were sitting right next to Lin Bufan, instinctively squeezed closer together, their arms wrapped even tighter, as if trying to draw more security and courage from his warm body. The space under the blanket was already limited, and with this squeeze, they were almost completely sealed off.

In the darkness, rustling sounds and hushed, indistinct conversations came and went.

"Don't push..."

"Who pushed? You were the one moving around..."

"Hey, don't move your hands like that..."

"Shh—keep your voice down...Teacher Hu is still next door..."

"But this is so uncomfortable, how can I sleep like this..."

……

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the kitchen window and illuminated the dining table.

Lin Bufan sat down with a refreshed air, slowly sipping his soy milk. Xu Hongdou, Chen Nanxing, Nana, and Da Mai sat down in turn, all looking radiant with rosy cheeks and bright eyes, even exuding a more languid charm than usual, seemingly unaffected by Miss Liu's presence the previous night.

In contrast, Hu Youyu, sitting opposite them, seemed like a completely different person. He had dark circles under his eyes, a sallow complexion, and his hair was a messy, upright frizz. His hand holding the chopsticks was trembling slightly, and he looked like he was in a daze, about to fall asleep at any moment.

"Teacher Hu, did you...not sleep well last night?" Da Mai asked timidly, holding a glass of milk.

Hu Youyu lifted her heavy eyelids, rolled her eyes in annoyance, and said in a hoarse voice, "Sleep well? I want to sleep! The moment I close my eyes, all I see is that red dress fluttering... You didn't see it, the dust... the dust just churned up by itself! Do you think she's a nice person? It would be a miracle if I could sleep well!"

As he spoke, he suddenly sensed something was amiss. His gaze swept suspiciously over the four radiant women opposite him, then back to the spirited Lin Bufan. His brows furrowed into a knot: "Something's not right... It's you guys who are acting strange! We all saw a ghost together last night! How come you... are all sleeping like nothing happened? And so... radiant?"

The four women exchanged glances, momentarily stunned. Indeed, after what happened last night, even if they weren't as terrified as Hu Youyu, they should at least be somewhat frightened and unable to sleep soundly. But they… didn't seem particularly scared, and even slept more comfortably than when one of them slept alone before!

Nana pursed her lips, her eyes darting around, and casually said, "Maybe...maybe it's because Mr. Lin's lullabies at night are especially effective. Ms. Hu, if you really can't sleep, you could ask Mr. Lin to sing one for you next time?"

"Really?!" Hu Youyu's dim eyes lit up instantly, as if she had grasped a lifeline, and she looked at Lin Bufan with hopeful eyes, "Teacher Lin! Could you... sing me a lullaby tonight too? Please! I'm about to die from exhaustion!"

Lin Bufan's lips twitched almost imperceptibly, then he glared at Nana!

Nana returned Lin Bufan's gaze with a provocative smile!

Lin Bufan's eyes darted around, and he said with amusement, "Youyu, it's not that I don't want to help you. It's just that I have a rule when singing lullabies."

"What rules? Tell me! I promise to abide by them!" Hu Youyu immediately replied.

Lin Bufan cleared his throat and said seriously, "I can only sing this lullaby when I'm playing basketball. Singing it when I'm not playing won't feel the same or have any effect."

"Play ball?" Hu Youyu looked completely bewildered. "What kind of ball game is this late at night? Is it because exercise helps you fall asleep?"

"Pfft—" Chen Nanxing couldn't help but burst out laughing, and quickly lowered his head to pretend to drink porridge.

Two red clouds quickly rose to Nana's cheeks. She kicked Lin Bufan hard under the table and spat in a low voice, "Are you trying to die?!"

Lin Bufan remained expressionless and continued to suggest to Hu Youyu, "So, you should just play some soothing music on your phone; the effect is more consistent that way."

Although Hu Youyu didn't fully understand the necessary connection between "playing ball" and "singing lullabies," seeing Lin Bufan's clear attitude and Nana's blushing face, he could only reluctantly say "Oh" and continue to struggle with his dark circles under his eyes, dejected.

……

In the following days, life in the courtyard seemed to return to a certain "track".

The "collective refuge" in Room 5 continued into the night. Perhaps it was the potential pressure from the second "provoking" incident, or perhaps they had gradually grown accustomed to the "sense of security" in this crowded place, but none of the four women suggested ending it.

After a few days of trepidation, Hu Youyu realized that apart from being terrified, nothing really seemed to have happened, and his courage slowly returned. However, he still dared not sleep alone, and every night he shamelessly "invited" Sang Biao to his room.

From initially fiercely resisting, to later becoming numb and indifferent, Sang Biao eventually gave up completely. However, every time Hu Youyu hugged him, a look of utter despair would appear on his face.

Just as the second "seven-day observation period" was drawing to a close, Ma Qiushan returned from Shanghai.

As dawn broke, Ma Qiushan, carrying only a few simple bags, pushed open the gate of the Windy Courtyard, looking weary from his journey. His face bore the marks of his return from Shanghai, but his eyes gleamed with the excitement of a project's launch. However, that excitement froze instantly upon seeing the scene before him, shattering into utter astonishment.

He rubbed his eyes, thinking he was hallucinating from the fatigue of his journey.

The door to room number five creaked open, and the first person to step out was Xu Hongdou, with her long hair loose, sleepy eyes, and still wearing her pajamas. As she walked, she raised her hand to tuck a stray hair behind her ear, her cheeks flushed from just waking up.

Immediately after, Chen Nanxing followed out, yawning. He was wearing an oversized men's T-shirt and only shorts, revealing his two long, straight legs.

Then, Nana appeared, rubbing her eyes. Her pajamas were loose at the neckline, and her hair was sticking up in a messy way.

Finally, Barley, like a frightened little rabbit, timidly peeked out, clutching a pillow in its arms and wearing cute cartoon pajamas.

Four women emerged one after another from Lin Bufan's room in the early morning, each looking as if they had just crawled out of bed.

Ma Qiushan's luggage fell to the ground with a "thud," his mouth agape. He stiffly turned his neck, looking at this one, then that one, finally fixing his gaze on the open door to room number five behind them. His mind went blank, a complete "buzz."

What... what's going on?! President Lin... they...

Hu Youyu happened to come out of his room to wash up when he saw Ma Qiushan's petrified state. A sense of shared grief and indignation welled up in his heart. He walked over, patted Ma Qiushan's shoulder heavily, sighed, and said with a tone full of vicissitudes, "Master Ma, you're back? Don't be surprised, you'll get used to it. When I first came back, I was exactly the same as you are now."

Ma Qiushan was jolted back to his senses by Hu Youyu's slap. He pointed at the backs of the four women who had already returned to their rooms or gone to wash up, then pointed to room number five, his voice trembling: "They...they are...President Lin...this..."

Hu Youyu pulled him aside, lowered her voice, and said with a "I understand you" sympathy, "Master Ma, I know what you want to ask. At first, I didn't believe it either, and I thought they must be... well, you know. But later, they gave me an explanation."

"What explanation?" Ma Qiushan asked eagerly.

Hu Youyu looked around, then leaned close to Ma Qiushan's ear mysteriously and whispered, "They said that the guesthouse construction site at the east end of the village, owned by Boss Li, is haunted. There's a female ghost named Liu, who wore a red wedding dress and died over three hundred years ago, who specifically targets pretty single girls to possess. To avoid being possessed, they've been crowding into Teacher Lin's room these past few nights... pretending they're taken."

Maqiushan: "..."

His facial muscles twitched a few times. Looking at Hu Youyu's serious expression and recalling the "sensual" and chaotic scene he had just witnessed, a sense of absurdity rushed to his head.

“Old Hu,” Ma Qiushan took a deep breath, trying to make his voice sound calm. He stroked his non-existent beard. “Although I, Ma Qiushan, have been meditating in the village for over a year, my brain isn’t damaged. How can you expect me to believe this… this kind of plot that only exists in supernatural tales? A female ghost in a red wedding dress? Who only possesses pretty girls? And they’re all crammed into President Lin’s room for safety?”

Ma Qiushan's explanation became increasingly absurd. He pointed to the empty courtyard, then to room number five: "Look at this, huh? Does this look like someone afraid of ghosts? This is clearly... this is..."

He hesitated for a long time before finally saying the word, but his expression said it all – it was clear that his real intention was something else entirely, and his excuse was utterly clumsy!

Seeing Ma Qiushan's reaction, Hu Youyu realized it was exactly the same as his own back then, and he felt a surge of excitement, a sense of "I'm not alone in this." He nodded vigorously and said in a low voice, "Master Ma! Great minds think alike! That's exactly what I thought back then! This excuse is ridiculous, it'll fool a three-year-old! But they insisted it was true and dragged me to see it for myself..."

"You went?" Ma Qiushan raised an eyebrow.

"They're gone!" Hu Youyu's face instantly showed lingering fear, and his voice trembled: "They really are gone! Master Ma, you didn't see it... that place, that light, that dirt turning over by itself... and that red dress... fluttering! My God, my legs still cramp when I think about it!"