Duan Chen decisively pulled the trigger, but the bullet passed through the red-clad bride's forehead and lodged in the wall behind her.
She was a spiritual entity, intangible to physical attacks.
"Husband! You, you actually shot me?!" The red-clad bride was enraged, exuding terrifying, blazing flames.
"How could I shoot you? The gun went off by itself," Duan Chen said with an unreadable expression.
"...Is that true, husband? You won't lie to me, will you?"
"It's true. Why would I lie to you?"
Duan Chen smiled sincerely and put down the gun, his eyes rapidly scanning the classroom.
"Husband, what are you looking for? Shouldn't you marry me first?"
The red-clad bride drifted over resentfully. With a flick of her sleeve, the desks and chairs she passed by instantly ignited. The fiery flames consumed even steel.
Qin Ze and Sun Xiaoxiao tightly covered their mouths, wanting to escape but finding their feet bound, unable to move.
A body-immobilizing spell?!
Fear spread through them as their bodies lost control. They realized that in front of the red-clad bride, they were no different from the desks and chairs; if she wished, they could be turned to ashes at any moment.
Only then did they comprehend how terrifying this mission to search for the formation eye truly was. This was walking on the edge of a blade; a single misstep could lead to a place where there was no burial ground!
Duan Chen, however, remained unhurried, calmly smiling. "I'm looking for a betrothal gift. A gift that needs to be exchanged during the wedding. Do you know where it is?"
The red-clad bride paused slightly, her resentment dissipating considerably. She even generously stepped aside.
"Then search for it. Find it quickly, and then we can get married."
Duan Chen gave Qin and Sun a look. They were shocked to find their feet could move again. Their legs went weak, and Sun Xiaoxiao nearly collapsed. Qin Ze instinctively steadied her.
With pale faces, they bravely and cautiously entered the classroom, beginning their search for the formation eye.
The classroom was now vastly different from their memories. It could even be called a bridal chamber.
"I can't wait," the red-clad bride's figure flashed as she climbed onto Duan Chen's neck and began to sing to him incoherently.
"My lord, lift my red veil, and from this moment on, I am yours."
Duan Chen's spirit wavered. His hand, as if controlled by an unseen force, took the weighing pole from the red-clad bride and slowly reached for beneath the red veil.
A scorching, stinging pain emanated from his hand, affecting not only his flesh but also his spirit. The more the veil was lifted, the more intense the burning sensation became.
Yet, his hand moved as if possessed, compelled to lift the red veil even if it meant turning to dust.
As the veil was halfway lifted, the red-clad bride's cherry-red lips were revealed.
"Do you love me?" the red-clad bride softly opened her vermilion lips.
A psychic shockwave swept into Duan Chen's brain, like an invisible bomb embedded in his mind.
His intuition told him this was a fatal question.
If he answered incorrectly, or if she was displeased in any way, the bomb in his head would detonate instantly.
Duan Chen smiled and replied, "I do."
"You will marry me, won't you?"
"Of course."
The red-clad bride seemed satisfied. She smiled slightly, and the body-immobilizing spell receded, but the bomb in his head remained.
Duan Chen regained control of his body, breathing a subtle sigh of relief.
The red-clad bride's attack power and danger level far surpassed the ghost-faced monster's. But fortunately, they possessed consciousness. As long as one could appease them, they wouldn't continue to harm you.
The red-clad bride pestered him with another question: "Do you think my long hair looks better, or my short hair?"
"Your long hair and short hair both look good. Even bald, you'd look good."
The red-clad bride blushed shyly, and indeed, the burning sensation on her body dissipated.
"If after marriage, your mother scolds me and makes me cry, would you comfort her first, or me?"
"I wouldn't let my mother have a chance to scold you, so why would you cry?"
Looking into Duan Chen's affectionate eyes, the red-clad bride lowered her head and giggled.
"Let's go to the bridal chamber, husband, right now."
Duan Chen felt the bomb in his head disappear. It seemed the red-clad bride was quite satisfied and wouldn't attack him for the time being.
He then glanced at Qin Ze and Sun Xiaoxiao. They had searched with trepidation and both shook their heads.
"No hurry. I haven't found the betrothal gift yet. I can't let you be wronged," Duan Chen gently put his arm around the red-clad bride's shoulder and walked out of the classroom.
The students who witnessed this scene were utterly astounded.
Didn't they say there was a terrifying monster? How did he go in for a while and come out with a wife?
Qin Ze and Sun Xiaoxiao followed behind them in terror, not daring to speak or even breathe too loudly, like a male and female pair of page boys, keeping a considerable distance.
Wu Suowei couldn't help but clap his hands, watching with great interest. "Hehehe, what a show."
The second door: Grade 12 Class 2.
The two of them prayed, "Please don't let us encounter any more terrifying creatures, please don't let us encounter any more terrifying creatures..."
Duan Chen pushed open the door.
A pair of sisters, clad in red wedding dresses, grinned at them.
...Good heavens! This time there were two!
Qin and Sun's faces immediately contorted into grimaces, tears almost falling. They truly didn't want to experience that feeling of losing control of their bodies and being burned by invisible flames again!
Duan Chen patted the person in his arms and coaxed, "The betrothal gift might be in here. I'll go look for it."
"Husband, be careful," the red-clad bride said obediently, waiting outside the door.
As Duan Chen stepped inside, the two red-clad brides in the classroom pounced on him, grabbing his body and singing songs.
"My lord, lift my red veil, and from this moment on, I am yours."
"My lord, kiss my red sorghum, and from this moment on, I am your soul."
Duan Chen smiled slightly, holding off the two sisters while giving a signal to the trembling pair outside.
Qin and Sun, steeling themselves, squeezed into the classroom bridal chamber to search, constantly murmuring in their hearts, "Don't find me, don't find me..."
The red-clad sisters, of course, did not discover them, being fully focused on fawning over Duan Chen.
The elder sister asked, "I've cooked dinner for you when you get home from work – braised pork and fish-fragrant eggplant. What do you want to eat first?"
Duan Chen replied, "You are so visually appetizing, of course, I'll eat you first."
The younger sister asked, "What's my lipstick shade today?"
Duan Chen answered, "It's the color of my heart's desire."
The sisters exchanged glances and giggled in unison, leaning docilely against Duan Chen.
Seeing that they were still searching diligently, Duan Chen chatted with the sisters for a while, thoroughly understanding the red-clad bride's Q&A patterns. Unfortunately, after searching everywhere, he found nothing. Only then did he emerge from the classroom.
The classmates, whose hearts were in their throats, finally saw Duan Chen come out.
This time... he had a new red-clad bride in his arms?
One wasn't enough, so it was two?
Left arm around one, right arm around another, an object of envy!
Duan Chen strode ahead brazenly, with three charming red-clad brides trotting closely beside him. Qin Ze and Sun Xiaoxiao followed meekly at the very back, heads bowed.
The scene was truly bizarre.