Chapter 54: Jealous of Me? Are You Out of Your Mind?

After the day's classes had ended, Lin Xiao first took Will and Dustin to visit Michael and Lucas. Their health had already recovered, but the doctors advised a period of observation in the hospital before releasing them.

“Michael, Lucas!”

Will and Dustin ran over, elated. The four friends embraced, exchanged playful punches, and eagerly shared their experiences with one another.

Standing to the side, Lin Xiao pondered quietly. The next full moon was just a month away, the time when Michael and Lucas would transform. Fortunately, he had leveled up again; with his current strength, he was absolutely confident he could restrain them.

He suddenly recalled that by defeating the witch's wraith last night, he had unintentionally altered the course of the story. Though the precise changes were unclear, his 'Plot Disruptor' mission had increased by one, earning him an ordinary-grade nine-star pocket jar—the highest tier among the ordinary-level items.

Stepping out into the hallway, he discreetly summoned his system interface and opened the pocket jar. Three items appeared:

An intermediate elemental crystal, a red orb, and a mysterious card:

[Witch’s Cursed Orb: Ordinary nine-star material, condensed from the core essence of a witch’s wraith. Can be used for forging equipment or enchanting. Effect: Increases attack power against male creatures by 15%, decreases mana by 15%.]

[Crimson Embrace: Ordinary nine-star mystery card, single-use item. Effect: When MP falls below 1%, triggers the Crimson Embrace ability—MP is forcibly locked, and the user enters a feigned death state.]

“A blood-lock skill?!”

Lin Xiao was so excited he nearly jumped. This was a legendary god-tier ability! Forcibly locking his health and even feigning death—an invincible trump card for survival to the very end.

Of course, he didn’t actually want the card to activate; it would be best if it never did, for its activation meant he’d reached the end of the road, teetering on the edge of disaster.

All in all, though the items were decent, they didn’t offer much of a boost to his current strength. Still, something was better than nothing.

Meanwhile, the group of friends chatted until half past six. Remembering Stefan’s party, they took Will and left; Dustin caught a ride home alone, as he was safe for now and didn’t require special supervision.

“Will Michael and the others really turn into werewolves?” Will asked anxiously on the way, afraid his friends would become man-eating monsters.

“They probably will, but you don’t need to worry about that. Eleven and I will handle it—we won't let them do anything bad,” Lin Xiao assured him.

Will nodded. After witnessing Jonathan’s abilities that day, his faith in him had grown immensely; the power to summon lightning was beyond anything they had imagined.

They soon arrived at the gates of Baskerville Manor, a grand estate on the northern shore of Lake Campus—a residence even more opulent than a villa, standing on the lakeshore like a medieval castle, resplendent and magnificent.

Compared to this manor, the villa they had bought was nothing more than a rustic country house, utterly unimpressive.

At the gate, the security guard came over to inquire. Lin Xiao gave Stefan’s name, and the guard returned to the kiosk to make a call.

Soon, a black sedan emerged from within the estate and pulled up at the entrance. Stefan stepped out, walked through the gates, and said, “Welcome to Baskerville Manor, Mr. Byers.”

Lin Xiao and Will got out of the car. Stefan approached to shake their hands, almost as if welcoming nobility.

Tonight, Stefan was impeccably dressed in a mandarin-collar tailcoat, perfectly tailored, a bright red rose pinned to his chest—he looked more like a groom at a ball than the host of a party.

“My brother Will has no one to look after him at home, so I brought him along. I hope you don’t mind?” Lin Xiao asked, glancing at Stefan. They were still in their everyday clothes, having made no special preparations. Who would have thought a party would require such formal attire?

“No problem at all. I’m quite interested in Will. I heard he survived a great ordeal—a most thrilling experience. I’ve been wanting to pay him a visit, so this is perfect timing,” Stefan replied with a smile, patting Will on the shoulder before inviting them into the car, which turned and drove into the estate.

What did it mean to be truly wealthy? Lin Xiao now knew. The cluster of castle-like buildings stood tall by the shores of Lake Pascal, awe-inspiring in their baroque grandeur and full of old-world charm.

“What a magnificent castle! I’ve lived in this town for years and never even seen it before,” Will murmured in awe, eyes fixed on the castle as if he had stepped into a fairy tale.

Lin Xiao understood why. They were people from two different worlds—not the Upside Down and the real world, but worlds separated by wealth and status even within the same reality. Though they all lived in Hawkins, there was a gulf between them as vast as the sky and the earth.

Their world was one of manors, luxury cars, yachts, balls, society events, and capital—where only the rich and powerful mingled, elites who controlled the finest resources.

Originally, Jonathan and his friends had lived on society’s margins—frankly, they were typical losers, with almost no chance of crossing paths with the likes of these people.

But now, thanks to Lin Xiao’s efforts, the two worlds were beginning to intersect.

The sedan stopped in front of the castle’s plaza, ablaze with lights and decorated tables.

A dozen or so teenagers, all dressed to the nines, were gathered there—boys in suits, girls in evening gowns, looking every bit the princes and princesses.

Lin Xiao led Will out of the car. A crowd gathered around them. Several girls looked at them with obvious displeasure—why had they been escorted by the butler when these two were welcomed personally by the host?

Worse still, they had come to a party dressed so casually, as if in their daytime clothes, making no effort to change. It was simply disrespectful to the host.

“Stefan, who are these people? Why did you invite them?”

One girl stepped forward from the crowd, her tone brimming with annoyance, casting a contemptuous glance at Lin Xiao and his brother—their attire made it clear they didn’t belong to the same social class.

Drawing on Jonathan’s memories, Lin Xiao vaguely recognized her as Jessie Kardashian, the school beauty at Hawkins High and captain of the cheerleading squad. Her family was in the oil business and ranked among the leading families in Rowan County.

Hawkins, with its excellent transport connections and proximity to Rowan County, was home to many wealthy residents, especially around Lake Campus, a famous resort area that attracted the elite.

“Miss Kardashian, they are my invited guests,” Stefan explained. “This is Jonathan Byers, and this is his brother, Will Byers.”

Only then did the crowd recall who they were. They’d heard about Jonathan’s brother’s mysterious disappearance and subsequent return—but what had earned Stefan’s invitation?

“I know who they are. I’m asking why you invited them. Just look at what they’re wearing—clearly they weren’t prepared at all. It’s simply rude. Aren’t you the least bit offended?” Jessie demanded, her anger not really about their clothes or identity, but about Stefan’s unwavering attention to the brothers—especially Jonathan Byers.

She couldn’t understand why Stefan’s interest in him surpassed his interest in her. Couldn’t he see how elaborately she was dressed and made up? She’d spent more than two hours having a professional makeup artist come to her house, all to surprise him—yet he completely ignored her. Anyone would be angry.

Lin Xiao quickly realized—this girl was jealous.

Seriously? I’m a man, and a woman’s jealous over me?

Sorry, but I don’t swing that way, thank you.

He also wondered why Stefan was so interested in him, repeatedly going out of his way to be friendly and inviting him to this party. Had he sensed something different about him?

No helping it—when you’re this handsome, you’re bound to stand out. Not my fault.

“Kardashian, as I said, they are my honored guests. I don’t need to explain my reasons to you,” Stefan said coolly, his tone tinged with irritation, though he restrained himself for now.

Jessie, used to getting her way, refused to back down, pointing at Will. “Never mind the clothes—this was supposed to be a party, and he brings his little brother? That’s just too rude. We can’t accept their behavior. We’re leaving this party.”