No Where To Run: Trapped With My Archenemy

The next day, Wan Yi Jun woke up earlier since they got a busy schedule for the day. The higher-ups have only given them a very short time to carry on with the investigation in GUI Xiang. However, even after he woke up and got ready for the day, Han Ze Min has still buried himself under the blankets. 

Last night, he wasn't really thinking about letting his nosy cousin sleep in the same room after what they have been through. But when Han Ze Min mentioned his insomnia, he couldn't help but soften a little bit. 

But to his surprise, it was Bing Wen. 

Most of the tech-savvy people he knew personally belonged to the category of "night owls", who became active only when the sun go down. 

"Oh hi...good morning, Captain, I see that you are up and ready," Bing Wen stuttered as he tried to keep eye contact with Wan Yi Jun, who had a strong and overbearing presence which literally intimidated him "I have something to say...please don't get angry...or panic." 

Upon listening to Bing Wen's bizarre way of talking, Wan Yi Jun couldn't help but worry a little bit. 

"What's it, Xiao Bing?" He inquired in a gentle voice so that Bing Wen could loosen up, 

"Officer Han, it...it...seems like...he went missing again." 

"Huh?" Wan Yi Jun's blankly stared at Bing Wen as if he was talking some alien language. 

"I went to check him in the morning, but his room was locked, and his phone was switched off, so I went outside and checked, but I couldn't find him anywhere... that's why I came here and to tell you-" 

"Hold on!!!" Wan Yi Jun interrupted him for a second and pulled his door wide open before Bing Wen, who happened to be fretting over Han Ze Min, 

"Are you talking about him?" As soon as Wan Yi Jun's question floated in the air, Bing Wen peeked inside the room and found Han Ze Min calmly sleeping on the bed, like an innocent baby.

"Oh!!! He slept with you?" Bing Wen's eyes widened in astonishment when he figured out that both of them had sorted out their argument and slept peacefully. 

"Yaa...wake up!!!" Wan Yi Jun gently tapped Han Ze Min's pillow as a not so effective way to wake him up.

It seemed like he was just trying with no intention to disturb Han Ze Min's sleep.

"Hmmm...Five more minutes, Yi Juniee..." Han Ze squirmed like a baby and turned to another side as if it was a normal thing to do, 

"Wake up or stay in bed all day," Wan Yi Jun reminded the man who found his shelter under the warm and soft blanket while cuddling to the pillow. 

"Five more minutes." He pleaded in a hoarse voice and went back to sleep. "Min wants to sleep." 

As soon as Bing Wen heard their conversation, which happened to be different from whatever he had witnessed so far, he couldn't help but break into a peal of laughter. 

Wan Yi Jun, who embarrassingly shot a glance at Bing Wen, just grabbed a pillow and threw it at the sleeping person, 

Even though it was just a gentle blow, Han Ze Min, who just slipped back into his dream world, jolted awake in a glimpse of a moment. 

"Wake up." 

"Ahhh...what's wrong with you?" Han Ze Min, who got forcefully woken up from his sleep, whined at the irritating fellow who stood next to the bed. 

"Twenty minutes and I want to see the entire team at the dining table." Wan Yi Jun ordered as he picked up his wristwatch from the bedside table,

"Hurry, if you don't want to sit cooped up in the room all day." He took out his best weapon to get Han Ze Min out of bed, 

"Why are you so mean?" Han Ze Min muttered under his breath and finally managed to sit straight on the bed, clearly annoyed by his cousin. 

"Will you leave on your own, or should I just kick you out?" Wan Yi Jun threatened once again, and Han Ze Min robotically rose to his feet in a half-awake state. 

"Anyway, we are sleeping together. Then, how about I just shift my things to this room?"

"Leave."

"Uffo, I'm leaving..." He grunted and trudged out of the room as if he was going to sleep again.

"Oh, hi Xiao Bing," He waved his hands when he saw a glimpse of grinning Bing Wen through his half-opened eyes and returned to his room like a zombie. 

"Gosh, these two are just pretending to be rivals!" Bing Wen under his breath and turned to face Wan Yi Jun, who happened to be listening to his comments.

"This mouth!!!!" He couldn't help but curse himself. Luckily, Wan Yi Jun just pretended not to hear that and pointed in the direction of stairs,

"Are you ready to go down, or do you have anything else to do?"

"Let's go, captain." Bing Wen excitedly said and led the way. Even though it was only seven in the morning, Zhu Yuhai had already prepared the breakfast for the team. By the time they sat down at the dining table, the rest of the team members joined for an early start.

"So what's on our schedule today?" Wan Yi Jun inquired as he sipped on his coffee,

"We are meeting Shu Li Li's parents, elder Mao, and visiting Hu Geng Xin and Song Jia's houses." Lao Yating reported their schedule for today and glanced at Wan Yi Jun, who seemed to be contemplating over something as he silently listened to it. "Is everything alright, captain?" Lao Yating couldn't help but ask when he recalled last night's events and stared at the empty chair at the dining table.

"Is he still fretting over officer Han?" He wondered for a moment and decided to clear his confusion. However, even before he opened his mouth, Wan Yi Jun made a random suggestion. 

"Let's start our day visiting that spooky building on the cliff."

The very instant that wicked suggestion leapt Wan Yi Jun's mouth, a teacup fell from Zhu Wuhai's trembling hands, startling everyone all at once,

"I...I...just...my hand just slipped...I'm sorry. I will get a new one," Zhi Wuhai apologized and rushed back to the kitchen as if he was avoiding their scrutinizing eyes. 

However, just as Wan Yi Jun went ahead with convincing his team members about visiting the old castle on the cliff, Zhu Wuhai came back in protest,

"Officer, please don't go to the castle...didn't I tell you? It's a devil's den. It's haunted with ghosts..." He tried to infuse fear on them, by quoting the unfortunate events in the village and villagers associated with the old castle.

"Have you seen any ghosts, Mr Zhu?" All of a sudden, Han Ze Min's voice directing an unexpectedly expected question to Zhu Wuhai heard in the room as he casually came over for breakfast.

"Listening to your stories, it seems like you have seen 

"No...no...I always carry this token with me...in fact, everyone in the village has one." 

"I lived in a ghost house when I was a child and even got possessed by one." 

"What?" 

"In fact, both of us grew up with ghosts...so it is no big deal for us." 

"Even if we have a search warrant?" 

"Search for what? What will you find in a place which remained closed for hundreds of years? Treasure boxes?"

"I...I will get the door." 

"Captain Han, what are you planning? Why do you have to visit a ghost castle." 

"Xiao Bing, do you know how these ghost castles are created?" 

"I don't quite get you..." 

"It has a pattern, one unnatural death, then a bunch of rumours." 

"That castle got something to do with this case and this village. I'm damn sure about it." 

"Zhu Yuhai said that you want to search the old castle. Why are interfering with dead people, officers? You may not be able to leave this village alive after visiting the castle."

"I don't know whether you are trying to scare me with your words. But I'm sorry, elder Mao. I'm completely willing to die. If I get killed in the ghost house, by the hands of deadly ghost, I would even appreciate it.." 

"Officer, please don't joke about it... playing with forces and energies that are out a mere human being's perception... that's not great." 

" I seriously want to see a ghost before I die...once again," 

"Again...I see...so you have already experienced it...let me see, who? Someone you loved, a girl perhaps?" 

"Elder Mao, I would appreciate it if you cooperate with us." 

"You are..." 

"I'm Wan Yi Jun, the investigator-" 

"Are you from the Wan family...or anyhow related to the Warriors of Wi-" 

"Wisteria gardens, yes," 

"You are Wan Qi's?" 

"My great grandfather?" 

"He...the castle.. it used to be a mental hospital, actually for soldiers, and he is the one who ordered to build it. But later on, it became a mental asylum." 

"Well, I do agree with that, but there used to be a mental asylum." 

"No... There wasn't." 

"There was a mental asylum and I think fourteen years ago, there was a huge