Chapter Fourteen: The Stubborn Young Man’s Adventure

Miao Wenhao was an ordinary college student, but also an enthusiast of the paranormal. This time, he decided to take his two best friends on an adventure in an abandoned, unfinished building.

"Heh heh heh, just wait and see how I scare you guys this time!"

Miao Wenhao had quite the mischievous streak. Since the tales of the girl in red and the haunted doll had been trending recently, he went out of his way to a toy store, bought a clothes rack and a red dress, and set them up inside the derelict building.

Satisfied with his handiwork, he nodded approvingly. But just after leaving the building, he suddenly heard a song.

"What do you call your father's father? Father's father is called Grandpa. What do you call your father's mother?..."

Following the voice, he found a doll. The doll looked especially terrifying—just one glance sent chills down his spine. Wasn’t this exactly like the haunted doll from the forum? Seeing no one else around, he decided on the spot to hide the doll in the unfinished building as well.

That night, as Miao Wenhao walked with his friends, his anticipation was nearly impossible to conceal. He could hardly wait to see their terrified, screaming faces.

“Hao, what's up with you? Why are you grinning so creepily?” came a man's voice from ahead—it was his best buddy, Wu Wen.

“Nothing, I just thought of something amusing, that's all,” Miao Wenhao scratched his head awkwardly, trying to explain.

“Oh? What could you possibly find so amusing, when you've never even had a girlfriend?” This was a cute woman's voice—his junior, Qu Meng.

The three of them were the closest of friends, and tonight's adventure was just for them.

“Enough teasing, let's get moving!” Miao Wenhao gave the two a light push to hurry them along.

It was already midnight, and under the cover of darkness, the abandoned building loomed even more eerie and sinister.

“Come on, let's go in. Wen, you take the lead,” Miao Wenhao urged, but despite their bravado on the way, both his friends hesitated once they arrived.

“Hao, why don’t you go first?” Wu Wen grinned. He knew he didn’t have the nerve to lead.

“Exactly, you were the one who insisted we come. How could you make us go first?” Qu Meng pouted, feigning a sulk.

Looking at the two cowards, Miao Wenhao placed his hands on his hips with a confident air. “It’s just an abandoned building! Look at you two, scared out of your wits. Is this all the courage you have?”

With that, he strode in, confidence in every step. The building had been deserted for years, the inside hollow and echoing, with only a few battered pieces of furniture left in some rooms. Each step they took resounded loudly.

Suddenly, Wu Wen heard something behind them. He quickly turned around but saw nothing.

“Did you guys hear something just now?” Wu Wen asked.

Miao Wenhao and Qu Meng both shook their heads. Qu Meng even patted Wu Wen’s shoulder. “Come on, stop spooking yourself. It’s just a rundown building, nothing to be afraid of.”

But as soon as she finished, Qu Meng caught a fleeting glimpse of a red shadow darting past behind them. Stunned, she rubbed her eyes, but the space was empty. Had she imagined it?

“Hao, maybe… maybe we should just go?” Wu Wen was reaching his limit—the atmosphere was too oppressive.

“Aren’t you ashamed? Even Meng, a girl, hasn’t said she wants to leave, and you’re already scared?” Miao Wenhao looked at Wu Wen with exasperation, disappointed at how quickly his bravado had dissolved.

He turned to Qu Meng, about to praise her courage, only to find her staring behind them, her face pale with fear.

What’s with her? Did she see something too? No, she must be trying to scare Wu Wen, that coward. Ha! I’ll play along.

“Qu Meng, what’s wrong? Is there something behind us?” Miao Wenhao asked, playing along with what he thought was her act.

Qu Meng pointed behind them, her finger trembling. “Just now… I saw a red figure dash past…”

Miao Wenhao chuckled inwardly at her convincing performance. Who knew his usually obedient junior could be so cunning? She was quite the actress!

He knew that if he played along, he could maximize their fear. So he quickly said, “Really? I saw a red shadow when we came in too. I thought it was just my eyes playing tricks on me!”

Hearing this, Wu Wen couldn’t bear it any longer. He grabbed Miao Wenhao in desperation. “Hao, I’m begging you, let’s leave. From now on, you’re my brother, my real brother.”

Miao Wenhao was elated. Earlier, Wu Wen had bragged that with him around, no ghost or demon would dare approach. Now he was terrified.

At this point, Qu Meng huddled close as well. “Hao, maybe we should call it a night. I have a bad feeling about this place. That red figure could be anything…”

She was a staunch atheist, never believing in ghosts or monsters. But she had truly seen the red shadow. As for Miao Wenhao’s claim, she dismissed it as nonsense—his exaggerated acting was hardly convincing.

Miao Wenhao waved his hand with an air of gallantry. “Let’s check the third floor first. We’ll leave right after.”

He didn’t understand why Qu Meng also wanted to leave, but his “surprise” was on the third floor. If they left now, all his earlier efforts would have been wasted.

Qu Meng had no choice but to agree, and Wu Wen, too scared to go alone, followed them to the third floor.

They had barely walked a short distance when they saw the “little girl in red” Miao Wenhao had set up—a clothes rack draped in a red dress. Miao Wenhao pointed dramatically. “Look! The Red-Dressed Lolita!” (The ordinary folks’ name for Long Mengting.)

The other two were startled by his sudden shout and, following his finger, saw a red dress swaying in the wind, looking uncannily like a person. Wu Wen, whose nerves were shot, leapt up and clung to Miao Wenhao.

“Hao, what the heck is that?!”

Qu Meng, more observant, quickly realized the trick. “Seriously, get a grip. It’s just a dress,” she said, tugging at Wu Wen.

Wu Wen took another look and realized it was just a red dress propped up on a rack. His terror turned to anger. He rushed forward and kicked the rack away, cursing, “Damn it! Which bastard put this here? Someone could have died of fright!”

His ruse discovered, Miao Wenhao smirked inwardly. There was still the doll, though.

Thinking of the doll’s terrifying appearance, he could already picture Qu Meng clinging to him in terror. He turned to where he’d hidden the doll, only to find the spot empty.

“How odd. I’m sure I put it here,” Miao Wenhao muttered in confusion. There had been an old wooden table, and he’d placed the doll right on top. Now it was gone.

He began searching and soon spotted the doll in a corner. Even though he’d seen it before, its terrifying appearance still startled him.

“Look! Over there!” Miao Wenhao called, pointing to the corner.

Wu Wen and Qu Meng instinctively looked where he indicated, but saw nothing at all.