Chapter 11 : Roommates

Hua Qi’an raised an eyebrow and opened the messaging app.

【Congratulations on your internship confirmation. You should have already received your payment, right? Communication via text is inconvenient; our company will arrange for someone to add your social account.】

【Please pay attention to the social account information.】

After sending that, there was no further message.

Less than a minute later, a friend request popped up.

It seemed they had found her by searching her phone number.

An all-black avatar, a blank username—it gave off an eerie feeling.

Hua Qi’an accepted the request, and the other party quickly sent a message.

【Hello, I may be the one responsible for assigning your future work.】

【The previous work was just a trial internship; congratulations on passing the test and becoming a full-time member.】

【(Electronic contract)】

Hua Qi’an hadn’t expected the other side to send the contract outright—it caught her off guard.

【You don’t think we’re an illegitimate company, do you?】

Surprisingly, Hua Qi’an sensed the tone behind the words.

Calming herself, she licked her slightly dry lips.

Leaning against the cold railing at her bedside, she carefully replayed everything that had happened since filling out the application form.

The water plants everywhere, the woman in the mirror, the handprint on the neck, the strange object spat out…

Everything was too strange.

Even the inexplicably high pay hinted at something off.

No one gives out money without reason.

Getting paid so much just to shoot some ordinary videos?

Hua Qi’an didn’t believe in such freebies.

The other party was definitely hiding something.

Her porcelain-white fingers tapped out a message on the screen:

【What exactly happened in that house to turn it into a Haunted House?】

The other side was typing.

【Sorry, that’s confidential.】

【You probably feel something’s off too, right?】

The message notification made Hua Qi’an’s heart skip a beat.

She had sensed something strange around there from the start, but there was nothing about it online.

The reply seemed to confirm her suspicions.

Sensing her hesitation, the other side quickly sent several more messages.

【The payment you received today was for the internship period. After signing the official contract, your pay will be doubled.】

【Also, if you have any concerns about your personal safety, our company is willing to provide protective measures free of charge.】

【We sincerely hope to cooperate with you.】

Reading these messages, Hua Qi’an stroked her chin.

She had been somewhat angry—after all, they had hidden information from her at the start.

But their attitude now was genuinely sincere.

She wondered what was so special about her that made them willing to spend so much just to employ her.

And so she asked.

【From the video you submitted, we see immense value in you.】

Immense value?

Hua Qi’an didn’t understand.

She had simply followed the rules and shot a casual video, barely putting any thought into the narration—just reading a few lines randomly.

Could such a video really show “immense value”?

She skimmed the contract.

It was a standard agreement with nothing strange.

Or rather, it was quite favorable to her.

The only thing that caught her attention was the section on personal safety—it had five clauses, which felt excessive.

Hua Qi’an searched for the company name and address online.

It did exist.

Its scale wasn’t small either.

It was listed as a new media company, so having her shoot videos fell within its business scope.

But whether it was because she truly had some value or for some other reason, the other side treated her with extraordinary patience.

【If you’re unsure, you can ask a professional to verify the contract’s legitimacy.】

【No need, I’ll sign.】

After weighing the pros and cons, Hua Qi’an agreed.

【However, you should know I’m a student and can only work part-time.】

【Yes, we knew from the application form. You only need to shoot videos in your spare time, hehe.】

Signing the electronic contract wasn’t complicated.

After signing, Hua Qi’an sent it back.

【Good, looking forward to a pleasant cooperation.】

For some reason, even though they never said it, she felt this person was not the same HR who had interviewed her.

Maybe someday they’d even run into each other.

But Hua Qi’an quickly shook her head and dismissed the strange thought.

【Qi’an, could you please film several more in-depth videos at the location within a week?】

【We think your submitted video is very engaging, but you only captured part of the house, not the full picture for the audience.】

【Payment is daily.】

Meaning Hua Qi’an would submit videos over several days and get paid several times.

That meant the payment she had already received was only for one day…

Although she didn’t understand their purpose, Hua Qi’an didn’t want to worry about it.

There was one more thing…

【You said you’d ensure my safety?】

Going alone to such a remote place was indeed risky.

Maybe because all her previous applications had been rejected, getting this chance made her act on impulse.

Like Lin Yanqiu had said, if she had lost consciousness and the person who found her wasn’t Lin Yanqiu but someone else, things might have turned out differently.

They said they’d ensure her safety—but how?

Would they send someone?

【Understood. We’ve received your request and will apply protective measures immediately.】

【Please watch your logistics information.】

They seemed efficient.

Hua Qi’an checked her class schedule.

Now a sophomore, her timetable was much looser compared to the freshman year filled with basic courses.

She had several days completely free in the morning or afternoon.

She could try to find time to fit this in.

But Lin Yanqiu would probably still be watching her these two days, so maybe not.

Tracing the scratches on her phone screen caused by its age, she recalled the screen had cracked earlier and Lin Yanqiu had taken it to get repaired.

She decided to find time tomorrow to buy a new phone in a physical store.

Although she planned to save money to pay Lin Yanqiu back, improving her quality of life a bit was reasonable.

Besides…

Hua Qi’an hadn’t forgotten how Lin Yanqiu had mysteriously found her location.

She didn’t bring it up at the hospital, knowing the topic was sensitive and asking directly wouldn’t be helpful.

Getting a cheaper new phone was a good solution.

After considering all this, Hua Qi’an felt sleepy again, turned off her phone, and set it aside.

Though she had slept long at the hospital, everything that happened after waking had been exhausting…

Soon, she dozed off again.

The room behind the curtain returned to silence.

“We’re back.”

There was movement at the door, but Hua Qi’an didn’t respond—she was asleep.

Two other roommates returned to the dorm.

“Yingying, you’re here too.”

Zhao Yingying was sitting on the chair under her own bed, easily visible.

“Xiao Qian’s back as well?”

Li Xiaozhen, a girl with braided hair and glasses who looked quite studious, glanced toward Hua Qi’an’s bed.

Hua Qi’an’s shoes were placed at the foot of Li Xiaozhen’s bed, so it was clear she was sleeping on the top bunk.

“She’s really quiet. Asleep, right?”

Normally, Hua Qi’an would answer, but with no movement at all, she was probably asleep.

The last roommate, a petite girl with short, shoulder-length hair who looked lively, spoke softly—perhaps knowing someone was sleeping.

“Huh? Didn’t she have to rush to grab the elective course?”

“Maybe Xiao Qian overslept?”

He Yi touched her head, hesitating. “Should we wake her up?”

This should have been announced earlier, but the class monitor changed this semester.

During the group joining and leaving, this part of the notification was missed.

Only about half an hour ago did someone privately ask her about the elective course, which reminded her to ask around and post the info in the group.

The timing was tight.

They didn’t know when Hua Qi’an had fallen asleep or if she had seen the group message.

He Yi recalled that elective credits were important for scholarship applications.

“I think no need.”

Zhao Yingying suddenly spoke up.

“Xiao Qian usually keeps a regular schedule and rarely sleeps this late. Something must have happened.”

“It’s fine if she doesn’t grab the elective— the system will auto-adjust. The school won’t shortchange us on credits.”

Zhao Yingying said casually.

Li Xiaozhen glanced at Zhao Yingying, then at Hua Qi’an’s tightly drawn curtain, shrugged, and kept quiet.

He Yi could only let it go.

“Oh, I bought the stuff for tonight.”

Zhao Yingying rubbed her hands and pointed at the bag of things by her feet.

“Xiao Qian probably doesn’t know, but she’ll definitely agree to play this with us.”

She looked at Hua Qi’an’s bed and gave a mocking smile.

“Isn’t that just her personality?”