Please Do Not Disturb, On a Date

At two in the afternoon, Long Miaoming arrived with Luo Xiaoxi at the entrance of a haunted house right on time.

Before this, they had found a hotel to take a short afternoon nap. After all, it was the height of summer, and Xiaoxi had always maintained the habit of napping. As for whether Miaoming took any “unfair advantages” during that time, that remained a mystery.

“Sister Long, do we really have to go in?”

Xiaoxi stared at the pitch-black entrance. One didn’t need to be a genius to know this wasn’t a pleasant place. Her rich sister stood right behind her.

“Aiyee, we already bought the tickets. We can’t let the money go to waste, can we?” Miaoming said with a gentle smile.

Looking at the entrance, Miaoming felt confident. She was betting that even if only for the sake of the money spent, Xiaoxi would definitely go inside.

“This…”

Xiaoxi was torn. On one hand, she saw the mischievous glint in Miaoming’s eyes and felt uneasy; on the other hand, wouldn’t the money be wasted if they didn’t go? Even if it wasn’t her money.

“You have to decide quickly, Xiaoxi. They’re closing soon,” Miaoming added with a “helpful” reminder.

Xiaoxi weighed her options one last time and gritted her teeth. “Fine! Let’s go!” Without waiting for a reaction, she marched straight in.

Truth be told, while this was a famous attraction in White River City, it was essentially just a haunted house with a bit more realism than usual. Nevertheless, it scared Xiaoxi witless. On the surface, Xiaoxi seemed mischievous and bold, but only a few people knew the truth: she was deathly afraid of the dark and ghosts.

This played right into Miaoming’s hands.

Initially, Xiaoxi only gripped the hem of Miaoming’s shirt. But as they went deeper and the fake monsters became more intense, she ended up practically burying her entire self into Miaoming’s embrace.

“Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid,” Miaoming whispered. Smelling the intoxicating scent of the girl in her arms, she finally allowed a “successful scheme” smile to spread across her face.

From three to five in the afternoon, the two of them watched a movie.

Miaoming checked her little notebook. Next on the list: Autumn Fall Park, then the night market, then get Xiaoxi tipsy and take her home. Having confirmed the objective, Miaoming drove straight there.

However, when they arrived at the outskirts of Autumn Fall Park, Miaoming noticed security personnel were turning tourists away. One guard noticed the two girls in the car.

“Hello, ladies. The park is closed today. Please move along,” the man said politely.

Miaoming frowned and checked her phone. “Doesn’t it close at eight? It’s not even six yet.”

“Ah, well, our facilities are currently undergoing emergency repairs,” the guard replied, his eyes shifting nervously.

“Is that so? Why wasn’t there a notice?” Miaoming said, her voice tinged with blame. The guard apologized repeatedly. “It was sudden; please be understanding.”

Luo Xiaoxi, who had remained silent in the car, watched the guard. Something felt off. His eyes were darting around as if he had committed some terrible crime.

She sniffed the air carefully. A faint floral scent lingered, but beneath it was something else—a sharp, metallic smell of blood that the perfume couldn’t quite mask.

“Someone died here,” Xiaoxi suddenly whispered.

Miaoming, who was driving, looked at Xiaoxi in surprise. She had also sensed something was wrong, but unlike Xiaoxi’s sensitive nose, what Miaoming sensed was demonic energy!

However, Miaoming didn’t intend to interfere. She had no responsibility to play the hero or exorcist for this region. Moreover, with Xiaoxi in the car, she didn’t want to risk any mishaps.

“Sister Long…” Xiaoxi suddenly turned to her. “Let’s go in and take a look together.”

Miaoming froze. Looking at Xiaoxi’s expectant little face, she prepared to give a firm refusal. “It’s dangerous in there—”

“I know! But isn’t Sister Long here?” Xiaoxi looked at her hopefully. “Sister Long is so strong; you’ll definitely be able to protect me, right?”

Miaoming felt a surge of pride. Even though she knew Xiaoxi was deliberately flattering her, what could be better than hearing the person you love praise you?

“Still, no.”

“Aiyee, Sister Long…” Xiaoxi immediately switched to “spoiled brat” mode, tugging at her arm.

Miaoming’s head started to spin. “Fine! But we have an agreement: if it gets dangerous, I am taking you out of there immediately, by force if necessary.”

“Mhm, mhm!” Xiaoxi nodded frantically.

After finding an underground parking lot, the two walked back to the park. The security guards were now joined by police cars. Cordon tape blocked off the area, and everyone seemed to be on high alert.

Miaoming looked at the iron fence surrounding the park, then at Xiaoxi, who was already rolling up her sleeves and preparing to scale the wall. Miaoming simply made a casual swiping motion at the wire mesh. A person-sized “temporary door” manifested instantly.

Luo Xiaoxi: “…”

Looking at this irreversible magical feat, this wasn’t “sneaking in” anymore. This was a blatant home invasion. Regardless, since there was a door, there was no need to climb the wall.

Stepping into the park, they were met with a vast sea of flowers. Every single one was a Black Lycoris (Black Spider Lily).

“This…” Xiaoxi had never seen a black Spider Lily in her life. Furthermore, it was thirty degrees Celsius outside; for so many to bloom in the open air… none of this was normal.

Suddenly, a strange sound drifted over—the sound of something rubbing against the ground. All the black flowers began to sway. A floral fragrance washed over them, carrying a power that seemed impossible to resist.

Xiaoxi quickly covered her mouth and nose, but it was futile; visible clumps of pollen surged toward her. Their target was Xiaoxi.

Miaoming frowned and flicked her finger in the air. Instantly, a whirlwind rose between heaven and earth, blowing away all the pollen and uprooting the black flowers on the ground.

Only then did Xiaoxi see what lay beneath the flowers: pile after pile of bleached white bones. Some even had synthetic clothing still clinging to the skeletal remains, having not yet fully decomposed.

“Ugh…” Xiaoxi felt her stomach turn.

Miaoming gave her a brief look, then peered into the distance where the pollen had cleared. The only thing remaining was a single tiny blue flower and the motionless figure beside it.

“Xiaoxi, close your eyes and wait for me here.”

The vertical pupils in Miaoming’s eyes began to glow faintly. “Just like… when we were in the haunted house.”