Velvet Chains of a Tycoon

They went out for dinner that evening.

The suburban villa was just a five-minute drive from the town center.

They headed straight to the CBD and found a local restaurant. The food turned out to be surprisingly delicious, leaving both Qin Ran and Lu Sheng pleasantly astonished.

"Turns out living in a haunted house is quite the bargain," Qin Ran remarked. "Aside from being a bit far from the city, everything else is great."

She paused, setting down her chopsticks. "There's no such thing as a perfect house. Realtors often claim that if you're 70% satisfied with a place, it's already a win. But this haunted house? I'm 90% satisfied."

Qin Ran sighed. "Too bad I don't have the money. If I did, I'd definitely buy a haunted house."

Lu Sheng chimed in, unable to resist reminding her, "Not all haunted houses are villas, you know."

Qin Ran snapped back to reality. "Fine, when I have the money, I'll buy a haunted villa for sure."

Lu Sheng nodded. "Alright, then let's hurry up and make some money. Once we've saved enough, we'll get ourselves a haunted house."

Nearby diners who overheard their conversation exchanged glances, silently wondering if the pair had lost their minds.

After finishing their meal, Qin Ran suggested heading back. Just as they were about to leave, Lu Sheng casually added, "Are you planning to sleep on just the mattress tonight?"

That comment hit home. Qin Ran suddenly remembered that a haunted house wasn't a hotel—it didn't come equipped with bedding.

So, they made a detour to a nearby mall to buy some essentials.

At the bedding store, the salesperson greeted them enthusiastically. "Sir, Miss, today's our anniversary sale! Our premium four-piece sets, normally priced at over 2,000 yuan, are now on special offer for 1,999 yuan. These are made from 100-count long-staple cotton. Plus, if you buy two sets, you'll be entered into a lucky draw…"

The salesperson rattled off technical details that Qin Ran didn't care to follow.

"Which is the cheapest pure cotton set?" she interrupted bluntly.

The salesperson hesitated, turning to Lu Sheng. "Sir, do you want to see the most affordable option?"

Lu Sheng shrugged. "She's calling the shots."

With a resigned sigh, the salesperson led Qin Ran to the cheapest pure cotton set. "This one's affordable and pure cotton, but it's not 100-count long-staple cotton, and it's an older model from last year…"

Qin Ran cut her off impatiently. "Am I going to die if I sleep on something that's not long-staple cotton?"

The salesperson blinked, then shook her head quickly. "No, of course not. It's just not as stylish."

"Why does it need to look fancy?" Qin Ran countered. "I'll be the only one using it at night, and with the lights off, I won't even see it."

The salesperson conceded. "Alright, the discounted pure cotton set is 139 yuan each. How many would you like?"

"Two sets—one dark blue, one light blue."

"Would you like a summer quilt? It can get chilly at night with the air conditioning on, so most people use one."

"Yes, two of the cheapest ones."

The salesperson chuckled. "Miss, you look so young, but you sure know how to save money."

Qin Ran grinned. "Save wherever possible, right?"

Lu Sheng stood aside, watching Qin Ran haggle. After purchasing two discounted bedding sets, two summer quilts, and two pillows, she boldly asked for freebies.

The salesperson, a woman in her thirties, seemed charmed by Qin Ran's frugality and generously threw in two heart-shaped cushions. "These cushions are usually included with the 1,999 yuan set, but you're so adorable—and it's rare to see someone your age who's so thrifty these days…"

On the way back, Qin Ran examined the heart-shaped cushions. "These feel pretty nice. We can use them as teddy bears at night—one for you, one for me."

Lu Sheng, who had been about to decline, saw her serious expression and relented. "Sure."

For some reason, he found her method of splitting things oddly endearing.

By 8:30 PM, they had returned to the haunted villa in Dongjiang.

Located in a natural scenic area, the suburban villa was surrounded by tranquility. With few people around, the neighborhood felt especially desolate at night. The community's low occupancy rate—only 30%—coupled with lush greenery and its proximity to the river, lent the area an eerie atmosphere.

As they drove into the gated community, the sense of isolation was palpable. But Qin Ran, who had grown up in the countryside, found the ambiance oddly comforting, almost nostalgic.

Lu Sheng, having spent time in rural America, was accustomed to such solitude and didn't find the environment particularly unsettling.

Qin Ran carried her bedding to the master bedroom on the third floor and efficiently made the bed in under twenty minutes. When she came downstairs, she found Lu Sheng emerging from the second-floor master bedroom, his own bed neatly made.

Lu Sheng glanced at his watch. "It's almost 9 PM. Why hasn't the ghost shown up yet?"

Qin Ran laughed. "How should I know? I'm not a ghost."

Lu Sheng pressed on. "So, when do ghosts usually appear?"

Qin Ran thought for a moment. "Probably when it's deep into the night and quiet. It's still early—they might not show up until later."

Lu Sheng frowned. "Does that mean I'll have to stay up late tonight?"

Qin Ran raised an eyebrow. "Why waste time staying up for no reason?"

Lu Sheng replied earnestly, "To wait for the ghost, of course."

Qin Ran stared at him blankly. Did Lu Sheng actually believe in ghosts?

---

Monday morning, Qin Ran woke up before 7 AM.

In the kitchen, the previous owner had left behind pots and pans, but most were rusted from over a year of disuse. Since they hadn't had time to buy new ones the night before, breakfast was out of the question.

Fortunately, there was a small store across the street. Qin Ran grabbed two instant noodle cups and brought them back.

As she boiled water to prepare the noodles, Lu Sheng descended from the second floor.

"Qin Ran, did you see any ghosts last night?"

Qin Ran shook her head. "Nope. I went to bed around 10 PM and didn't dream of any ghosts."

Lu Sheng looked disappointed. "What's the deal with these ghosts? I waited until after 1 AM, and none showed up. I wasted my time."

Qin Ran smirked. "Why bother waiting for ghosts? They're unpredictable. Who knows when they'll decide to show up?"

Lu Sheng sighed. "So, you're saying the ghosts in this haunted house don't come out every night?"

"Definitely not," Qin Ran confirmed. She smiled. "Even the neighbors don't show up every day. Everyone has their own business to attend to, right?"

Lu Sheng nodded thoughtfully. "So, the ghost probably had something to do last night."

Qin Ran nodded solemnly. "Could be. Ghosts need to eat too, you know. In an empty house like this, he'd have to wander around looking for food."

Inside, she couldn't help but roll her eyes. *Idiot. There's no such thing as ghosts. Are you possessed or something?*

But Lu Sheng seemed convinced by her reasoning. "I see. I'll keep staying here and see when he shows up."

Qin Ran stared at him, dumbfounded.

She couldn't help but think—was Lu Sheng even scarier than the ghosts he believed in?