"Ah Xu, wake up! We've arrived!"
Xiao Ling shook her friend's shoulder as the taxi rolled to a stop.
"Taxi uncle, here's the money for the ride," she said, handing over the cash.
The driver glanced out at the dark, overgrown road and frowned. "Why would the two of you come to this godforsaken place? This area's been deserted for over a decade—ever since the massacre wiped out the whole village."
Xiao Ling hesitated, glancing at the sleeping figure in the back seat before replying, "Uncle… actually, we're here to stay the night. We made a bet with one of our classmates."
She gave a nervous laugh. "We have to spend one night in this abandoned area and livestream until dawn to win."
The taxi driver's expression darkened. An uneasy silence filled the car before he finally said, "Young people these days… always chasing thrills.
Listen—if you run into any trouble, or if anything strange happens, don't try to be brave. Call the police right away, understand?"
Xiao Ling nodded quickly, forcing a smile. "Don't worry, uncle. We'll be fine."
But even as she said it, a chill crept up her spine.
Ah Xu finally stirred, rubbing her eyes. "We're here already?" he mumbled, glancing out the window.
"Yeah," Xiao Ling replied, trying to sound braver than she felt.
Ah Xu stretched and said, "Then let's go before the sky gets any darker."
The taxi driver gave them one last uneasy look as they stepped out. The car's headlights swept across the cracked road and crumbling buildings before fading into the distance, leaving the them alone in the heavy silence.
There was one place that drew most thrill-seekers to this desolate village—a mansion standing deep within the area.
Rumor had it that anyone who entered never made it out alive.
No one knew what truly happened inside… only that the few who tried to find out had vanished without a trace.
It had all started a few days earlier, when a group of their classmates had been chatting after school.
One of the boys was talking excitedly about an old mansion on the east side of Pujiang — a place rumored to be haunted.
People claimed to have seen strange lights and heard eerie cries around the area.
"Hey, Ah Xu," one of them had asked, "have you ever heard about that mansion?"
Ah Xu had rolled his eyes. "There's no such thing as ghosts or demons. You guys just scare yourselves over nothing."
Jia Le, one of the boys, smirked. "Oh yeah? If you're so sure there's nothing to be afraid of, why don't you prove it?
Go spend a night in that old mansion. Livestream it for everyone to see."
"Why would I do that?" Ah Xu shot back. "I've got a perfectly good bed at home.
I'm not wasting a night in some run-down house."
Jia Le leaned forward, his grin widening. "I knew it. All talk, no action. Guess you're not as brave as you pretend to be."
Ah Xu had glared at him, his pride pricked. Jia Le had always envied how close Ah Xu and Xiao Ling were — and everyone knew it.
That smug look on his face was all it took for Ah Xu to accept the challenge.
Xiao Ling tried to reason with him.
"Ah Xu, stop letting Jia Le taunt you. It's not worth it — that place could be dangerous if you actually go through with it."
But Ah Xu just smirked.
"Come on, Xiao Ling. There's no such thing as ghosts or demons. Why wouldn't I accept the dare?"
He turned to Jia Le. "Since it's a dare, we should make it interesting, right? There has to be a reward and a punishment."
Jia Le raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What do you have in mind?"
Ah Xu grinned. "If I manage to stay in that mansion until dawn, you'll be my slave for an entire month — do my errands, answer my calls, whatever I ask."
Jia Le thought for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Fine. But what if you lose?"
Ah Xu shrugged, his voice steady. "Since I'm the one taking the dare, I'll make it fair. If I fail, you can tell everyone that I, Ah Xu, am nothing but a coward."
The group fell silent for a moment.
Then, as Jia Le's smirk returned, Xiao Ling's heart sank — she knew there was no turning back now.
Jia Le leaned back in his chair, smirking. "So, Ah Xu, when do you plan to head over to that old mansion?"
Ah Xu grinned. "How about now? It's the weekend anyway."
Before he could finish, Xiao Ling smacked his arm.
"Are you crazy? You're not even prepared to stay overnight!"
Ah Xu laughed. "What's there to prepare? All I need is my phone to livestream and a power bank to make sure it doesn't die before morning."
Jia Le chuckled.
"Fine then. I'll even pay for your taxi so you can get there faster.
Start your livestream at midnight — it'll set the perfect mood.
It's around six now, so you'll have plenty of time to get there and settle in."
"Deal," Ah Xu said confidently. He turned to Xiao Ling.
"Tell my mom I won't be home tonight. Just say I'm staying at the school dorm to study for exams."
Xiao Ling hesitated. "Alright… I'll tell her. And I'll let my parents know too."
Ah Xu blinked. "Wait — what do you mean you'll tell your parents?"
"I'm coming with you, of course," she said firmly. "You think I'd let you go to that creepy place alone?"
Jia Le's smirk faded. The moment he realized Xiao Ling was going too, his jaw tightened, a flash of irritation crossing his face.
Jia Le pulled out his phone, called for a taxi, and transferred the fare to Xiao Ling without saying much.
They waited together by the roadside, the evening sky slowly fading into shades of orange and gray.
The group chatted idly, though the air carried a faint tension none of them wanted to acknowledge.
When the taxi finally arrived, Xiao Ling and Ah Xu climbed in.
Jia Le stood with his hands in his pockets, watching as the car pulled away.
Its red taillights glowed faintly in the distance before disappearing around the bend, leaving only the echo of its engine fading into the night.