Chapter 88: Transmigrated as a Fraudulent Male Streamer (12)
Teacher Yan?
Cen Yu carefully racked his brain recalling the plot of the novel, realizing that this Teacher Yan didn’t have much screen time, serving basically as a background character.
Furthermore, in the later stages, this teacher didn’t get dragged into the series of terrifying events at all.
He closely observed the reactions of the others upon hearing Teacher Yan’s name. Jiang Tuan’s face showed surprise, as if he hadn’t expected Teacher Yan to attend this class reunion as well, while He Yongning looked down at his phone, conveniently dodging Cen Yu’s observation.
As for Pei Hengyun, he maintained that same gentle smile as always.
Before long, Yu Sheng received updates from the others. It seemed no one had any major objections to adding an extra person; in fact, some felt the more the merrier. Plus, being a friend of Pei Hengyun, everyone was more than willing to welcome him.
Hearing this, Cen Yu turned to look at Pei Hengyun beside him. “You were really popular back in school?”
How come the moment they heard someone was Pei Hengyun’s friend, everyone expressed their warm welcome?
Or was it that this group assumed that since he was Pei Hengyun’s friend, his personality must be quite similar to Pei Hengyun’s?
Recalling the painting in Pei Hengyun’s house, Cen Yu remarked, “Looks like your high school days were pretty sweet.”
“Back in high school…” Jiang Tuan was just about to say that Pei Hengyun used to sit right behind him, and how they would go to the school playground to play basketball together back then.
The infrastructure in a rural middle school like theirs was relatively mediocre, lacking professional indoor basketball courts.
Still, the group had plenty of fun playing on the concrete ground.
He remembered that back then, he often called out to Pei Hengyun and He Yongning to play basketball together… but the moment the words reached his lips, he paused.
Looking at Pei Hengyun—who was dressed in a dress shirt and suit trousers even in the dead of summer—Jiang Tuan couldn’t help but ponder a question in his mind.
Was Pei Hengyun really like this in the past?
How did he remember Pei Hengyun being the sports representative, someone who loved playing ball with him and He Yongning after class? Yet looking at the guy’s current stance, he probably wouldn’t even know how to take the steps for a basic lay-up.
“What did you guys do in high school?” Hearing Jiang Tuan suddenly bring up their high school days, Cen Yu instantly grew intrigued.
Meanwhile, countless thoughts flashed through Jiang Tuan’s mind. He looked at He Yongning as if seeking confirmation. “Back then, we used to play basketball together a lot, right?”
“Three-on-three. The three of us were often on the same team.”
He Yongning pondered for a moment, looking at Pei Hengyun and then at the visibly puzzled Jiang Tuan. “Yes.”
“Back then, Yu Sheng would stay in the classroom reading, while we’d go out to play basketball.”
He indeed possessed some memories of the high school era Jiang Tuan brought up.
Back then, he and Pei Hengyun were desk partners, while Jiang Tuan was lively and active, so it was always the three of them playing basketball together.
However…
A trace of scrutiny entered He Yongning’s gaze as he looked at Pei Hengyun.
He somehow felt that in his memory, Pei Hengyun’s personality wasn’t like this at all?
Even if one’s personality could change after graduation through the tempering of society, could a person really change this drastically?
Yu Sheng, however, failed to notice the sudden silence between the two. He introduced the surroundings to Cen Yu, “The environment now is much better than before, and the basketball court is more professional than it used to be…” He looked toward He Yongning. “Yongning helped out a lot.”
He Yongning maintained his usual detached expression, as if he hadn’t contributed much himself.
Still, from Yu Sheng’s words, Cen Yu gathered that after graduating and achieving success in his career, He Yongning had donated a sum of money to this school to improve its basic facilities.
“Did CEO He return to your hometown much after that?” Cen Yu asked curiously.
Judging by He Yongning’s unfamiliarity with the place, he hadn’t been back in at least ten years.
“I’m usually busy, so I didn’t get around to it,” He Yongning said.
Yet perhaps only he himself knew that whenever he recalled his hometown and the high school he had graduated from, the dominant thought filling his mind wasn’t nostalgia, but aversion.
It was as if something extremely difficult for him to accept had once transpired here.
Yet no matter how hard he tried to remember, he felt his high school life had been tough yet peaceful—he had even passed the exams for his ideal university in the end, without a single thing worth regretting.
Yu Sheng cast a glance at his phone. “Let’s save the pleasantries for when we reach the restaurant.”
“I booked a farmhouse restaurant. It’s all local country dishes, so I don’t know if you guys will be used to the taste.”
Cen Yu walked alongside Pei Hengyun. Since the farmhouse restaurant wasn’t far from Jiang Tuan’s home, the group decided to walk over.
Cen Yu looked around with a sense of curiosity. He recalled the novel mentioning that Pei Hengyun’s house had been buried in a mudslide, which was why he had to temporarily stay at Jiang Tuan’s place… He searched left and right for a long time, yet failed to spot anything resembling Pei Hengyun’s home.
Until he couldn’t help asking Pei Hengyun, “Where is your house?”
Jiang Tuan seemed to overhear Cen Yu’s question. Walking right in front of the two, he turned back upon hearing this, as if remembering something, and said to Pei Hengyun, “When I called you back then, the call didn’t go through…”
“Although it’s been cleared up now, it’s completely unlivable. How about you guys go take a look today?”
Hearing Jiang Tuan mention that the phone call hadn’t gone through, Pei Hengyun let out a slightly embarrassed smile. “I was busy at the time and didn’t get around to contacting you guys.”
After saying that, he turned to Cen Yu. “Do you want to go take a look?”
“Though the house is pretty much destroyed and can’t be lived in.”
As Pei Hengyun spoke, a faint smile remained draped across his face. He spoke at an unhurried pace, consistently leaving an impression of composure and poise.
Yet strangely, even though Pei Hengyun’s tone of voice remained unchanged, Cen Yu could sense that deep down, the man didn’t want him going to that abandoned old house.
…No, rather than saying he was unwilling, it was more like he was handing the choice over to Cen Yu.
It was as if some secret were hidden within that old house destroyed by the mudslide.
Cen Yu was reminded once again that this was a horror novel.
In any horror novel, a “ghost” appearing to harm people always triggered some kind of flag… Pei Hengyun had survived to the very end; besides being the protagonist, could a deeper secret be tied to this old house?
Cen Yu pondered in his mind for a long time.
Then, facing Pei Hengyun’s gaze, he gave a nod. “I want to go.”
Pei Hengyun’s eyes darkened slightly, yet the smile on his face didn’t waver. “Alright, I’ll take you to see it in a few days.”
“I’ll lead the way,” Jiang Tuan chimed in again. “The road over there was destroyed too, so it’s not easy to walk.”
As Jiang Tuan spoke, he turned out of curiosity to ask He Yongning, who was walking ahead of them, just behind the class monitor, “Yongning, what about you? How about heading back to your old house to take a look these couple of days too?”
He Yongning’s old house was simply abandoned because no one had lived there for a long time; it hadn’t collapsed.
It was just that the entrance was overgrown with weeds, and the rooms inside had become a paradise for various small critters—the cobwebs were probably large enough to bind the Tang Monk. That was why He Yongning hadn’t intended to stay there in the first place.
Yet upon hearing Jiang Tuan’s question, whether because he genuinely felt nostalgic about his hometown or for some other reason…
He Yongning remembered there was a small stream behind his house. In the summer, he and his high school classmates loved playing back there… So he turned to Jiang Tuan. “Sure, I’ll go take a look too.”
