Chapter 71: Heaven Is in the Well
The midday sun was glaring. The woman and the boy stood in front of the haunted house, refusing to leave even after Chen Ge had explicitly turned them down.
"He's always wanted to visit the haunted house. It's something I promised him. Could you please help us out?" The woman pulled a hundred-yuan bill from her bag. "Nothing will go wrong."
Chen Ge didn't take the money. Instead, he asked with a hint of confusion, "Why do you have to go into the haunted house? The kid looks about eight or nine. The environment inside is complex and unusual, which could easily cause psychological stimulation for a child."
The woman gave a bitter smile. She didn't answer Chen Ge's question but turned to ruffle the boy's soft hair. "Fan Yu, how about we try something else..."
Before she could finish, the boy swatted her hand away. This child didn't like being touched, even if it was completely well-intentioned.
No matter what the woman said, the boy stood firm at the haunted house entrance, refusing to leave. He occasionally looked up, his eyes carrying a mix of inferiority, timidity, and a hint of coldness.
"Fan Yu?" Chen Ge's focus had already shifted to the child. It was his first time seeing such an unusual boy.
Crouching down, Chen Ge met the boy's gaze at eye level. "Can you tell Uncle why you want to go into the haunted house? It's dark inside, and there are scary things."
The boy's eyes darted away. He kept glancing at Chen Ge's shadow, saying nothing.
The woman, perhaps worried Chen Ge might feel awkward, quickly stepped in to mediate. "Xiao Yu is different from other kids. He rarely communicates with people. I hope you don't mind."
"It's fine." Chen Ge noticed the two weren't budging from the haunted house entrance. Letting them stand in the sun wasn't a solution, so he softened his stance. "How about this: I won't charge you for tickets. I'll go in with you, but we can only look around the outer area."
"Thank you so much, boss!"
"First, sign the liability waiver. Both adult and child need to write their names. Once inside, don't touch any props randomly, don't run, and stay behind me." Lifting the opaque curtain, Chen Ge placed two waiver forms in front of the woman and the boy. Normally, only the guardian's signature was needed, but to gather as much information about the boy as possible, Chen Ge insisted the child sign too.
After they signed the waivers, Chen Ge led them into the horror scene.
He briefly explained the backstory. The three stood at the entrance of a courtyard house lit with white lanterns. The woman looked nervous, clutching her bag strap, while the boy kept his head down, whether from fear or something else.
The withered tree swayed, and the ground was littered with paper money that rustled underfoot. Chen Ge pushed open the courtyard door. "This is what the interior looks like. You can just stand outside and take a look. We have strict rules: children under fourteen aren't allowed inside."
No sooner had he spoken than the boy, who had been quiet the whole time, suddenly dashed into the courtyard. Neither adult had time to react.
"Fan Yu!" The woman and Chen Ge ran in after him, only to find the boy stopped by the dry well in the middle of the yard. He leaned over the edge, peering inside as if searching for something.
"I'm so sorry, really sorry." The woman hurried to apologize to Chen Ge. She reached for the boy's arm, but the usually quiet and shy child suddenly transformed. Not only did he yank his arm away forcefully, but he also scratched her skin with his nails, like a startled wildcat.
"This kid's emotions are all over the place." The dry well in the courtyard was just a prop, not very deep. Chen Ge wasn't worried about an accident, but he was curious why the boy was so fixated on the well.
After lingering by the well for two or three minutes, perhaps not finding what he was looking for, the boy reluctantly let go. Unlike other children—or rather, unlike normal people—the more eerie and unsettling the environment, the more excited he became.
"Since you're inside, I'll give you a quick tour." Chen Ge's full attention was on the boy. He was shorter than most kids his age, with delicate features and large eyes that seemed like pure black gems.
"The horror scene is modeled after an ancient courtyard house. The east and west wings are usually for younger generations." He casually pushed open the east wing door. Without warning, a female ghost in a wedding dress emerged from behind it.
The woman screamed in fright, stumbling backward.
"No need to worry, she's an actor." Chen Ge pressed a hand on the ghost's head and said quietly, "Xu Wan, you can leave first."
"Your reaction is way too calm..."
Xu Wan lifted the hem of her wedding dress as she stepped over the threshold. No one noticed the boy behind Chen Ge suddenly move closer to her, staring up at her face intently.
"Huh? Boss, why did you let such a young kid in?"
Xu Wan was merely surprised, but among those present, only Chen Ge sensed something off.
The wedding dress was as vivid as blood, and Xu Wan had on special effects makeup, making her look more like a corpse.
In this situation, the boy not only showed no fear but actively approached Xu Wan, tilting his head to gaze at her face.
"He seems to like me?" Xu Wan smiled at Chen Ge, seeing nothing wrong.
It wasn't until Xu Wan left the horror scene that the boy finally looked away.
"I won't take you through the other rooms one by one. The layout is pretty much the same. Can we leave now?" Chen Ge and the woman started walking out, but the boy stayed in the yard, looking around as if searching for something.
"Fan Yu, let's go!" The boy ignored the woman's calls, standing by the dry well, staring at something.
"This kid isn't scared at all?" Chen Ge didn't rush him. Instead, he struck up a conversation with the woman. "Are you his mother?"
"I'm his aunt." The woman spoke apologetically. "Sorry for the trouble. Xiao Yu isn't like other kids his age. Ever since his parents had an accident a few years ago, he's been like this. We've seen many doctors, but nothing helps."
"Psychological issues? Can I ask what happened to his parents?" Chen Ge carefully probed for information.
"Xiao Yu's parents were both teachers at Muyang Middle School. They went missing one after another and still haven't been found. Xiao Yu was only five then. I didn't know how to explain it to him, so I lied, saying his parents went to a faraway place called heaven."
"Muyang Middle School!" Chen Ge's nerves tensed instantly at those four words.
"You've heard of it too? There are plenty of rumors about that school. I warned Xiao Yu's parents long ago, but they wouldn't listen." Mentioning the painful memory, the woman's eyes reddened. She stopped talking to Chen Ge and walked over to Xiao Yu. "Let's go home."
The boy stubbornly stayed by the well, deepening Chen Ge's suspicion. He quietly approached and tried asking, "Why do you keep looking into the well? Is there a monster living in it?"
Fan Yu shook his head. In the dim, shadowy environment, he seemed to let down his guard.
"Then can you tell Uncle why you're always standing by the well?"
The boy glanced behind Chen Ge, thought for a long moment, and finally said, "I'm looking for something."
"Looking for what?" Chen Ge was curious.
The boy stared into the dark, dry well for a long time, then uttered two words: "Heaven."