Bedtime Horror Stories

"Say that again—how many meters?" Liu Bo's eyes widened.

"Thirty meters. Is that deep?"

"Damn, Su Yang, even if you're gonna brag, at least make it believable," Zhang Ziming turned to Pan Ning. "You two are really playing off each other. Do you even know what thirty meters means?"

"For you guys with gear, diving thirty meters is no big deal. But free-diving that deep? Forget about handling the water pressure—by the time you hit thirty meters, chances are you’re not making it back up."

"Ask Ye Wei if you don’t believe me. She’s the expert," Pan Ning said flatly.

"Doesn’t matter who we ask. Unless Su Yang’s some pro free-diver, I’m not buying it."

Su Yang couldn’t be bothered to argue. Right now, he was starving—all he wanted was to fill his stomach.

"Fine, I lied. It was just three meters."

"Three meters sounds about right for a beginner."

Su Yang chuckled as he evenly sprinkled seasoning over the beef skewers. He kept flipping them, and soon the rich aroma filled the air, teasing everyone’s noses.

"Whoa, what smells so good?!" Xia Keke followed the scent like a bloodhound.

She rushed over to Su Yang, eyes locked on the skewers, and swallowed hard. "Su Yang, since when could you cook like this?"

Su Yang held up a skewer, inspecting it. "Almost done. Wanna try?" He handed it to Xia Keke.

Like a famished lamb, she took it, sniffed carefully, then bit into the beef with gusto.

Meng Wenzhou and the others watched, waiting for her verdict.

Xia Keke’s eyes widened as she chewed. She raised a thumbs-up, bouncing excitedly. "Su Yang! This is insanely good!!"

Her reaction was so over-the-top that even Su Yang found it a bit much.

"That good?" Meng Wenzhou sounded skeptical. "Let me try one."

Su Yang passed him a skewer. Meng Wenzhou blew on it before taking a bite.

His expression shifted instantly. "Holy—have you run a barbecue stall before?"

Su Yang laughed. "Nah, not really."

"So? How is it?"

"Unreal, man. How’d you do this? Tastes better than restaurant stuff!"

"You’re just hungry. My skills are average, really."

"Stop humblebragging. Cook more—I’m starving. Hurry up, my beer’s getting warm."

"Alright, alright. Go tell the girls to speed up and bring the rest of the ingredients. I’ll grill everything at once."

"Got it!" Meng Wenzhou, clearly ravenous, jogged off with a grin.

Liu Bo and Zhang Ziming sidled up, grinning.

"Su Yang, let us have a taste too."

"The beef’s ready. Grab some yourselves."

"Sweet." Liu Bo piled a plate high with juicy-looking skewers and carried it to the table.

......

Next, Su Yang grilled three of the fish they’d caught that day, followed by a mountain of shrimp, beef tongue, kidneys, chicken wings, and more.

After a short break, Pan Ning came over to help.

Soon, two tables were laden with a lavish spread of barbecue.

The group of twelve settled around the feast.

Meng Wenzhou very conscientiously raised his glass of beer and said, "Let’s thank Old Su for being our chef tonight. If it weren’t for him, we’d probably be eating instant noodles back at the hotel later."

Su Yang waved his hand dismissively. "No big deal. It’s my honor to serve you all."

"Then let’s raise our glasses to Old Su! Oh, and welcome to Freedom Island! Cheers!"

Everyone tilted their heads back and downed their drinks in one go.

"So this island actually has a name?" Liu Bo chuckled.

"It didn’t before. I just made it up," Su Yang replied.

......

"Wow, this smells amazing! I swear this is the best barbecue I’ve ever had in my life, no contest!" Han Xiaoyu exclaimed, her mouth glistening with oil as she devoured a skewer of grilled pork belly.

"Same here!" Liu Meng chimed in, raising her hand in agreement.

Tang Ziyun nodded while chewing. "Plus one!"

Su Yang grinned. "If it’s good, eat up. I’ll grill more if you run out."

[Ding! Host’s mood detected as joyful and relaxed. Reward: 500,000.]

Amid laughter, everyone eagerly grabbed skewers and dug in.

Over an hour later, the group was stuffed and sprawled out in various spots to let their food settle.

Su Yang and Pan Ning nestled into a beanbag chair, gazing up at the starry night sky.

At some point, Pan Ning dozed off, her head tilting onto Su Yang’s shoulder.

Meanwhile, Zhao Qingqing and Ye Wei stood up to excuse themselves early, citing other matters.

Su Yang suddenly remembered he hadn’t checked in for the day and immediately called out in his mind:

—System, check in!

[Check-in successful. Reward: 50,000.]

After some casual chatter on the beach, Meng Wenzhou stood up and addressed the group. "Alright, ladies and gents, let’s head back to the hotel and call it a night. We’re all tired—time to wash up and rest."

"Sounds good."

One by one, they got up, cleaned up their trash, and followed Meng Wenzhou toward X Hotel on the island.

The island wasn’t very large, with only three hotels in total. X Hotel was the sole five-star establishment among them.

Leaving the beach, Su Yang and the others wound through a twisting gravel path. After five or six minutes of walking, the hotel came into view.

A massive glowing "X" hung above the entrance.

The resort consisted of eight villas and a seven-story building. Even the cheapest room here cost tens of thousands per night.

But for Meng Wenzhou, that kind of money was pocket change.

He led the group to the lobby, exchanged a few words with the front desk, and within minutes, a small shuttle cart pulled up outside.

"Where are we headed?" Su Yang asked.

"I booked a villa. It’s a bit far to walk, so this’ll be faster."

"Wait, you mean all ten of us are staying in the villa?"

"Yep. The place has plenty of rooms—sleep however you like," Meng Wenzhou said, flashing Su Yang a smirk.

"How’s the soundproofing?"

"Top-notch. I booked the biggest villa they’ve got. You’ll see when we get there."

"I trust your judgment," Su Yang replied with a laugh.

Just then, a young waiter in a vest and tie approached them politely. "This way, please."

They boarded the shuttle, and the driver set off toward the villa area.

Seven or eight minutes later, the cart stopped in front of a grand villa marked "No. 01."

After disembarking, the group received a brief introduction from the waiter before he excused himself.

Villa No. 01 is located in the innermost part of the X Hotel's villa district, right next to the sea, separated from the beach only by a stretch of greenery.

This villa is the largest in X Hotel, featuring a front yard and a spacious backyard. The backyard includes a swimming pool, basketball court, gym, and other recreational facilities. The villa spans four floors with 17 rooms, covering approximately 1,300 square meters.

A single night's stay here costs 100,000 yuan.

Meng Wenzhou walked to the villa entrance and opened the door, followed by the others as they filed inside.

Though it was still early, everyone had been quite tired. Yet, upon entering the villa, no one felt like resting just yet.

At that moment, Liu Bo plopped onto the sofa with a grin and said, "Hey everyone, who's up for a creepy bedtime story?"