Having the Same Name as the Demon Lord of the Abyss - Chapter 37

Chapter 37




Having the Same Name as the Demon Lord of the Abyss

A white shirt hanging off his arm, stuck between falling off and clinging on, and long black hair that did not hide the outline of those smooth shoulders, neck and collarbone, even though hiding them would make it more conspicuous.

Even though he was also a man, Ye Zun felt slightly overwhelmed.

“It’s okay, as long as you don’t mind.”

He found something else to do and procrastinated for a while.

After making sure that the other party was asleep, Ye Zun pulled out the spare mattress from the cabinet and placed it on the floor, laying on it with his clothes on, then closed his eyes to rest.

It wasn’t just Ye Zun who couldn’t fall asleep, almost all players were the same.

Ding dong.

After three in the morning.

A text message suddenly sent through the phone.

【 Shen Yuan xiao-gege*, I’m the girl who was also playing in the game with you. I’m having trouble sleeping, can we talk for a little bit? 】

[T/N: little-big brother, makes the speaker sound more endearing]

“Sorry, it’s too late, let’s chat tomorrow ba.”

Ye Zun turned off his phone and slowly closed his eyes to sleep.

Not only Ye Zun, everyone else also received a text message from another person.

【 Xiao-jiejie*, do you remember me? We played games together that time, I don’t know why, but out of all those girls, you are the only one I think is the most special. I have really good feelings towards you, can we talk a little? 】

[T/N: little-big sister, same as before]

On a restless night, there is a person of the opposite sex who has a good impression of you, where the two of you had experienced a thrilling game together. Unless it is a particularly vigilant person, few people will refuse this request.

After all, it’s just talking for a little while, right?

Jiang Yucheng was very vigilant. When he saw the text message, he turned his phone off without hesitation. Who knows if there is a human or a ghost on the other end.

After switching it off, he hesitated again. What if it was the other players coming to test him? Will he be immediately exposed as a player as well?

Doesn’t matter, he’ll just turn it off and pretend he went to bed early and didn’t see it. It’s not like they can say anything about him ba.

……

In a half-dreaming and half-awake state, it was as if he had returned to the time of the test of courage.

Ye Zun walked alone in the peach blossom forest. There was a fragrant and intoxicating aroma entering his nose, and smelling it for a longer time made him feel a little dizzy and nauseated.

Suddenly, he saw a person in front of him, digging for something in the ground.

Ye Zun hesitated for a moment before walking over slowly.

The person looked very familiar. He seemed to have seen them before, during the test of courage. He recalled that their name might’ve been Jiang Yucheng.

“What are you doing here?”

Jiang Yucheng didn’t answer Ye Zun, only digging without pause.

Just when Ye Zun was about to walk up beside him, Jiang Yucheng suddenly glared at Ye Zun viciously and pointed above them. “Can’t you see for yourself?”

Ye Zun was scared by his ferocity and looked at where the finger was pointing with a slight frown.

There were number plates hung up everywhere, dangling like wind chimes.

There was a corpse hanging off a number plate, one with a hideous face and a tongue that stuck out. The corpse looked exactly the same as Jiang Yucheng, who was digging a hole into the ground below it.

“Ha.”

[T/N: gasping noise]

He suddenly woke up.

Ye Zun turned on his phone. It was currently 5:35 in the morning.

Everyone in the Ghost Stories Club was added into a WeChat group, including Ye Zun and the three outside guests.

There were 20 people in total in the group chat, including the staff. Jiang Yucheng, who he had just dreamed of, was also in it.

——What should I do? Should I ask in the chat and have someone check up on him?

——Or should I message him directly?

Ding dong.

Before Ye Zun could do anything, a message came through.

The chat box jumped out by itself. A video was playing.

The camera was pointing at the peach forest beside the dark lake. Through the oppressive and distorted lens, the camera slowly zoomed out, and the surroundings grew darker and darker.

When it was too dark to see, it started to brighten again.

An oval shape was seen through the camera lens, and then it was quickly pulled away, revealing its full form: an eye with lashes and a black hole-like pupil.

A pair of eyes.

Then there was a pale, hideous face that had been turned upside down.

A whole body hanging from a branch of a peach blossom tree.

In the distance, the darkness of the peach blossom grove was about to give way to dawn.

The entire shot was upside down.

Ah, it turns out that the oppressively dark peach blossom forest they saw at the beginning was the reflection of the corpse’s eye!

The video he watched began with the dead man’s eyes looking at the screen.

It lasted only ten-or-so seconds.

It was already over by the time Ye Zun reacted.

The fingers Ye Zun wrapped around his phone squeezed tightly. Cold sweat came over him, and it took all his effort to suppress the fear that came up at the moment before he suddenly came to a realisation.

——How was this shot taken? If you directly face the eyes of the body, the lights and shadows should be blocked. How can the scenery be reflected in the eyes?

It was a ghost video!

The one who sent him the message was the WeChat profile of the dead Jiang Yucheng.

——Was it only me who got it, or did everyone else get it too?

Just when Ye Zun was about to forward the video to the WeChat group, the entire video file was suddenly corrupted and the screen crashed.

……

For students who are able to participate in the Ghost Stories Club, no matter what their appearance is like, they should have some guts.

Some people could cover their eyes crying ying ying ying, while they stomp on cockroaches and mice without hesitation.

Chen Qianqian was a soft and cute looking girl. Although she always showed a frightened expression and covered her eyes emotionally, she actually felt that the test of courage last night was not exciting enough and did not satisfy her imagination very much.

Playing those supernatural mini-games was not interesting either, but just talking was better than nothing.

However, from the group of people who played games with her last night, there were also those who had the same mindset as her.

“You really have the guts ah, it’s so fun playing games with you.” The person on the other end of the text said, “The sun’s almost up. The scenery by the lake is so beautiful, I really want to go for a walk ah.”

Chen Qianqian’s hands flew across the phone as she typed a reply. “Sure ah. Let’s go together ba. There is a type of unique beauty when viewing the scenery at this time.”

“You go first, I’ll be there soon.”

After agreeing to meet, Chen Qianqian came out of the tent and tidied herself up a little. She said hello to those who were still awake, explained where she was going, and then started walking along the lake.

After walking for a while, she didn’t see anyone else.

The person who chatted with her was that good-looking model named Shen Yuan. The other party seemed to live off-campus, so it must take some time to arrive at the site.

Chen Qianqian started strolling slowly along the lake by herself, feeling the cool morning breeze that carried the fragrance of flowers.

Gululu.

There was something shiny that rolled down the hillside.

Chen Qianqian looked around and found that it was not a stone, but a mobile phone, lying on the road not far in front of her.

She walked over to pick it up. The phone was still on, and it seemed that the owner had accidentally dropped it while they were playing with it.

The top of the screen showed it was 5:35.

Chen Qianqian lifted her head and looked up, heading up the stairs while saying, “Whose phone is it? This is too careless ba, stuff like this…”

The fingers holding the phone stiffened, and her entire body froze as she looked at the dead body hanging on the tree.

An ear piercing shriek woke everyone up.

……

The first deceased appeared. It was Jiang Yucheng.

The players breathed a sigh of relief in tandem.

——Someone finally died. That’s great, it wasn’t me who died.

However, the top priority was to figure out, why Jiang Yucheng? What did he do to trigger the death condition?

As for the occupants that took up more than half of the population in the instance, they only felt fear.

“Is the peach blossom forest spirit actually real? Did a ghost really appear?”

“What should we do? Will we die too?”

After being investigated by the police and talking to the school, the club president created a new group and gathered everyone to meet in the off-campus villa he rented. 

The villa was not far from across the school.

Everyone who participated in the Ghost Stories Club’s event last night was present.

This time, everyone was silent, especially Chen Qianqian who discovered the body.

“Everyone, listen to me.” The president’s face was a little haggard, but he still looked steady and calm. “I think you all have a hunch that Jiang Yucheng’s death was not an accident, but I also feel that it is too early to push everything onto the peach blossom forest’s resentful spirit. The murderer may also be some kind of sick-minded person. They could be hiding not far from us, waiting for an opportunity to strike. Or, they could be among us.”

His words took everyone aback, with all eyes in the crowd widening.

“Of course, there is also the possibility…that this was indeed done by the ghost of the peach blossom forest.”

Someone jumped in, “Does this even need to be said? It must be the peach blossom forest ghost, didn’t you see how he died? It’s all your fault, why did you pull us into playing this game?”

There were some who agreed, and some who tried to calm him down.

“Since it has come to this point, if it is really the ghost, there is more reason for us to calm down and think about what to do next.”

The players in the crowd looked at Chen Qianqian who found the corpse intentionally or unintentionally, suspecting that she was the female protagonist of this instance.

However, Chen Qianqian didn’t look like a player at all. She just sat there dumbfounded, trembling slightly from head to toe.

Suddenly, Chen Qianqian looked at Ye Zun next to her. Her eyes were a little direct, but she smiled, slightly and cautiously. “This morning, why did you suddenly invite me out for a walk by the lake?”

Everyone instantly looked at Ye Zun.

Ye Zun was a little surprised and looked at Chen Qianqian in astonishment. “I’ve never spoken to you, nor did I invite you.”

Chen Qianqian straightforwardly replied, “You’re lying. If you didn’t invite me out for a walk, and you were living off-campus last night, how did you show up at the scene of the crime so quickly?”

Ye Zun calmly said, “I did not talk to you. The reason why I was there is because I received a ghost video at dawn.”

He took out his phone and pulled open the WeChat chat with Jiang Yucheng to show her.

Although the video was corrupted and could not be played, they could still see that the message was sent at 5:35 in the morning.

“Five thirty-five; wasn’t that when Chen Qianqian found Jiang Yucheng’s body?” Someone immediately noticed.

Chen Qianqian’s eyes widened in horror. “Impossible, at five thirty-five, his phone was in my hand ah.” 

It was silent for a moment.

“Could it be, Chen Qianqian, you sleepwalked and took a video of the corpse…”

“I didn’t!”

Ye Zun reasoned, “En, I believe that it wasn’t her. The video was sent to me by a ghost, because humans can’t shoot from that angle.”

He described the contents of the video while devoid of any emotion, but even so, everyone still shivered just from hearing about it.

“I received such a video and felt uneasy, but because the video was corrupted, I couldn’t send it to everyone and ask for your opinion. That is why I came to the school. However, I really didn’t talk with you last night. Speaking of which, someone did send me a message, but it shouldn’t be you either.”

Ye Zun went to find a certain text message and wanted to show it to everyone, but he suddenly let out a surprised shout. “How is it—the message disappeared!”

Chen Qianqian was also taken aback, and immediately took out her own phone to find the chat record with Ye Zun.

“Mine is gone too!”

“Ah,” someone suddenly shouted, “Speaking of, I also got a text last night.”

With this reminder, almost everyone remembered that they had more or less talked with someone last night.

Everyone tripped over themselves to take out their phones and look for that message, but, without exception, these messages seemed to have never existed in the first place. Only their own replies remained on the screen, as if they had been talking to themselves.

On the other side, it showed that it was a blank number.

Chen Qianqian thought of something, and immediately took out another phone and scrolled through for a long time.

“There isn’t, Jiang Yucheng’s phone doesn’t have that kind of message!”

She never handed over Jiang Yucheng’s phone.

The president immediately took the phone from Chen Qianqian’s hand and rummaged through it.

“I know why Jiang Yucheng died.” The president faced everyone with a firm look. “Did you all reply to that message, be it a word or more?”

Everyone froze for a second, glanced at their phones, before daring to nod.

“That’s it. Because we all replied to the message, even after the text from the side disappeared, we can see what we sent. However, this isn’t the same for Jiang Yucheng. He didn’t reply, not even with a single word.”

Ye Zun glanced at Ye Zi, who stood silently beside him. He had changed out of his gorgeous set of clothes and wore the same plain shirt and pants as Ye Zun, with his long hair out and falling naturally, appearing cold and elegant.

Ye Zi looked at Ye Zun, and his beautiful lips opened slightly. “En, I also received a text. I thought you sent it, so I replied.”

He held out his phone and showed it to Ye Zun. Sure enough, there was a line sent to the blank contact: Okay.

——Those who do not reply to the messages sent by the resentful spirit, will die!

The first death condition appeared.

The players in the crowd were stunned, whether it was out of relief or from a greater fear.

The president nodded, his face slightly pale, but still calm. “The resentful spirit will not only attack once; I predict it will send another message at a later time. Everyone should be careful.”

Chen Qianqian suddenly said, “We had twenty people last night, twenty one including Ye Zi who joined later. Among the twenty one people, five were staff members who did not complete the test of courage. Can the president find and bring those five people over too?”

“No problem.” The president agreed immediately and made a call.

After exchanging a few words with the other side, the president’s face suddenly turned white. “What did you say?”

Everyone instinctively felt that something was wrong. “What happened?”

The president hung up the call, displaying an unstable expression for the first time. “Those five were involved in a car accident, three were hospitalised with serious injuries. Only two were slightly injured, they just woke up.”

“How can that be? Those five people didn’t do the test of courage, right? How could they be targeted by the ghost?”

Chen Qianqian bit her lip and asked the president, “There is something I want to know. Before the game started last night, who picked the branch from the peach blossom forest, and whose hands did it pass through?” 

The little hostess sister who had been quiet for a while suddenly said, “That has nothing to do with this. The peach tree branch was not actually picked from the forest. I picked it by the road next to the library while walking by.” 

The president quickly connected with the other side with a video call.

The injured staff members on the hospital bed were taller and bigger than the students present. They had already left the school gates.

The two were not seriously injured. One was lying down and the other was sitting, both facing the screen.

They greeted the president first. The scratches on their arms were still obvious and bandages were wrapped around their heads.

Chen Qianqian immediately asked them, “Out of the five of you, who went to hang up the number plates in the peach blossom forest?

The two people’s faces had a heavy aura, but they were very cooperative.

“It was the two of us who went. Those three people were only called in to help out yesterday at the last minute, they never entered the forest.”

——The three who were seriously injured have never gone into the peach blossom forest.

“Did the five of you receive a text? During last night.”

“Because we signed a nondisclosure agreement with the president, I kept the three other staff member’s phones with me during the event. No texts were received. As for us, we received a message. It seemed that one of you sent something as a joke, so we just randomly replied.”

——The three who were seriously injured did not receive the death condition text.

Chen Qianqian’s eyes shifted around quickly. “Those who showed up at the test of courage last night, but did not enter the peach blossom grove and did not reply to the text, will die!”

In other words, if you want to survive, you must enter the peach blossom forest, and you must converse with the resentful spirit.

“What do you mean? Are you saying that we have to go in again tonight?” 

The president’s expression was solemn. “To be on the safe side, it’s better to act the same as we did last night.”

Everyone sucked in a deep breath, feeling like they were actively courting death.

The president wiped his face. “For safety’s sake, it’s best for everyone to stay together. This villa is rented by me and has everything in it. If you all have nothing else on, you should come here ba. Tonight, try not to go to the peach blossom forest and see if you receive any texts. I think the text message is the key. Since I pulled everyone into this mess, I will actively look for a solution.”

Except for the real players, the unwitting club members have more or less complained about him before, but since the matter has come to this point and this person was already actively looking for a solution, if they want to survive, they can’t just blame him.

But for players, in the current situation, although it may not be clear who was also a player, it was easy to tell who was a native NPC of the instance.

A light flashed in the depths of some people’s eyes. They had already thought of how to use the NPCs to dig out mines* for themselves.

[T/N: basically using the NPCs to test the death conditions]

Ye Zun sat there, peering at the president from the corner of his eye.

He hadn’t forgotten his initial suspicions.

——Behind the new Ghost Stories Club, there is an accomplice to the resentful spirit.

Is it the president? The two lightly injured staff members were also suspicious.

——Ghosts have their own energy-farming system. The death condition is their system, and the ghost is obviously forcing everyone to communicate with it.

——If you don’t follow the rules, you will be killed, but if you follow the rules, it will gradually strengthen the ghost’s power, and you will still be killed in the end.

Ye Zun had a lot of questions he wanted to ask, but if he speaks out, his identity as a player will be discovered immediately.

Compared to ghosts, the malice between players buried in the amusement park was an even more dangerous thorn in one’s side.

Something had been constantly eating away at Chen Qianqian’s mind. “Have you guys ever thought that, before us, there should be some rumours of people being killed by ghosts? Why don’t we look into any past victims? Maybe we can find a way out of this mess.”

The president nodded. “You are right. I will have you lead a group to find information about past victims, while I try to use my family connections to find a master who can exorcise this resentful spirit.”

If there is something to do, there is a direction you strive to work hard for. Everyone livened up immediately.

But the only ones who cheered up were the instance NPCs. Most of the real players hiding in the dark watched from the sidelines, observing the environment and looking for opportunities.

Some people wanted not only to live, but to also eliminate more players to gain more rewards.

Since the death condition has been found, the difficulty of the game did not seem to be too high at present. It was a perfect time to kill off a few people first.

……

Not daring to move, but not daring to stay still.

If you move, your identity as a player will be discovered. However, everyone knew that in this situation, the people who dared to move were the instance NPCs. The people who hide are more likely to be suspected.

So, he couldn’t stay still.

Ye Zun and Ye Zi started to investigate the case with Chen Qianqian, who seemed to be very active and had many ideas.

During this period, Ye Zun had led Chen Qianqian into noticing the Student* Jiang and the senior student while keeping himself hidden.

[T/N: 邵/shao: surnamed, so it’s technically ‘surnamed Jiang’]

It was logical to go find Student Jiang’s roommate.

After inviting the other person out, Chen Qianqian took the initiative to inform the other party of their current situation and experience.

Student Jiang’s roommate was not surprised and shook his head.

“I heard that there’s been another death. There’s already been three this year. How do you guys find it in yourself to go play some kind of test of courage?”

“We didn’t even know that so many people had been in these accidents. The news was blocked so tightly, and besides, the peach forest is just there. Even if it’s not by a test of courage, some people will enter by mistake.”

“You are all unlucky, and I don’t know how to help you. I can only say that Student Jiang was the same as you before; he was also interested in the peach blossom forest’s ghost story. Before the accident, he was constantly chatting with someone online. It’s almost like you guys are walking down his old path now.”

Chen Qianqian couldn’t help but almost break down and cry, but she tightly bit down on her lip and said nothing.

The roommate also looked a little uncomfortable.

“This is the information about the previous victims that we have researched. The more I look at it, the more scared I get. I don’t dare to involve myself in this anymore. I’ll give these to you. I hope all of you can save yourselves.”

“Thank you.”

Ye Zun handed Chen Qianqian a tissue and she wiped away her tears. Although her eyebrows appeared to be furrowed, there were no signs of her being discouraged on her face. It was like she was holding her breath.

Student Jiang’s roommate left quickly after handing over the information.

Ye Zun bought milkshakes for Ye Zi and Chen Qianqian.

Chen Qianqian and Ye Zi were obviously NPCs of this world, and Ye Zun didn’t want them to die needlessly.

He thought for a while. “There’s something I’ve always wanted to say. As a freshman, it’s normal for you to not know what happened in the school, but since the president and the others knew about the legends about the peach blossom grove, it makes no sense for them to not know that someone died for it. But he never said anything until you brought up wanting to investigate it.”

Chen Qianqian nodded. “I also noticed, it’s not just the president. Something terrible obviously happened, someone even died, and it will soon be our turn, but I saw that many people in the Ghost Stories Club seem to be planning something. It’s like they’re not that scared.”

Ye Zi said lightly, “They’re probably thinking, they won’t be the ones who will die.”

Chen Qianqian frowned. “In short, Shen Yuan is right. We have to be careful, we can’t trust those people too much.”

Ye Zi paused and lifted his head to look at Ye Zun next to him.

……

The day passed quickly.

Except for the three who were seriously injured and stuck in the hospital, everyone chose to follow the president’s words and stay in his villa together.

Ye Zun, Ye Zi and Chen Qianqian were also present.

Chen Qianqian brought everyone up to date with the results of their investigation, which included the details of seven victims.

Although they were guarded against these people, the more information they share, the more help they will get in finding the source of these incidents, and the quicker they will get everyone out of danger. Thus, this kind of thing was still very necessary.

After today’s division of labour and cooperation, the eighteen people in the villa also began to break off into small groups.

More than half of the groups were a duo consisting of a male and a female.

To a certain extent, if there were no deaths, the Ghost Stories Club’s goal in establishing friendships had been successfully achieved.

Nothing about the president looked out of the ordinary. He praised Chen Qianqian’s ability, and immediately shared the information in the group for everyone to check at any time.

Then, it was time for business.

“I have found a master who is capable and willing to help us, but in order for the master to thoroughly understand what that ‘thing’ is, we have to do another ritual tonight and talk to that ‘thing’. Don’t worry, everyone, this will be voluntary. Those who are willing to go, I will provide the charms given to me by the master.” 

There was a brief silence.

One after another, people raised their hands.

The people who raised their hands looked at each other tacitly.

The mandatory task for the second day of the game has been issued, requiring option-C players to carry out another test of courage tonight under the management of the president.

They weren’t willing, but they had to be.

Ye Zun, Ye Zi and Chen Qianqian also raised their hands.

The people who didn’t want to go looked around and found that there were only a few of them left at the end. No matter how reluctant they were, they didn’t want to act differently from the majority.

In horror movies, people who do different things from everyone else usually die earlier.

In the end, everyone agreed to join the game.

“The crime scene has been blocked off so we can’t get through. Everyone be careful, just go into the forest to pick a peach blossom branch then come back.”

They have all seen the death of someone in the group, so this time around, the game was under a silent and oppressive mood. Every now and then, there were people who couldn’t help but cry softly.

“Fuck, what are you crying for, you’re not even dead.”

At this time, basically everyone was slowly revealing their true nature. They put little effort in maintaining their image.

The boy who cursed at others was quickly reprimanded by the president. “With situations like this, we must unite and stay calm now more than ever. Don’t be an alarmist and disturb the atmosphere.”

A sneer, mocking.

“Isn’t this all your fault! There was no reason for it, so why did you even make this Ghost Stories Club? Seven people in the school have already died, and you still dare to try your luck. To tell the truth, this Laozi* has long thought that you only have bad intentions!”

[T/N: basically, “[I, your] Father”: arrogant way a guy can refer to himself (in this situation)]

The president that had been verbally attacked had a composed face. He didn’t say a word, and just looked at the persistently cursing boy.

The boy wore an enigmatic smile. “What are you looking at? If you have the ability, kill me ah! If this Laozi dies, then it means I am right.”

The person next to him quietly tried to make peace. “Even so, the president also blames himself a lot. Before this happened, who would have thought that there would really be ghosts? The president has no grievances with us, why would he want to harm us? He is also a victim ah.”

Because of the president’s silence, the internal quarrel soon subsided.

“I will go first ba,” the president said.

“No, let’s still follow the order from last night. What if the order is also a death condition?”

“Right ah, who knows if you’ll pull any tricks if you go first.”

“Stop that, aren’t you scared as…”

“Scared of him targeting me? Anyway, all of you listen carefully. If I die, you should keep an eye on him.”

The person who was trying to sedate was anxious. The president finally found a master who could help them. What if everyone is saved in the end, but only he didn’t receive the help, then what will he do? 

How can someone not fear death?

But the players felt that the eccentric boy was right. The president was indeed suspicious.

It’s just that now was not a good time to talk about it, and they didn’t plan on coming forward. It’s better to let the native NPC mess with him.

There was an altercation, but it ended up easing the tension and fear of the atmosphere a little.

Going by the order from last night, everyone went and broke off a peach tree branch before returning.

Because Jiang Yucheng was already dead, and Ye Zi didn’t participate in the test of courage last night, he was always there, following behind Ye Zun.

Therefore, Ye Zi took over Jiang Yucheng’s position.

Ye Zi didn’t say anything.

But even when the last person finished the game, the text still didn’t come.

At this time, due to the tense and oppressive mood, a quarrel broke out in the group again.

“This guy Ye Zi just looks evil. What if it’s because of him that we’re in this mess?”

“You guys, think about what he looked like last night. What if he’s the one who did it?”

Ye Zun glanced at Ye Zi, who did nothing to defend himself. “He was always with me last night. Don’t say he was the one fooling us; if it really is him, I would’ve been the one who died.” 

“Do you think you’re not suspicious? Why was the video of Jiang Yucheng’s death sent to you? Why didn’t the rest of us get it?”

“Also, the supernatural video or whatever, all of that is from your mouth. The video is corrupted, only you know what the content is.”

Ye Zun did not speak.

Once he mentioned the video, he would be under scrutiny; this was something he knew from the beginning. But Chen Qianqian suspected him that time, so he couldn’t hide this kind of thing.

With everyone suspicious and guarded against each other, they finally returned to the president’s villa.

“Go and rest ba. Try to work in groups of at least two people, the second half of the night will be the pivotal time.”

However, everyone had different ideas.

“When we received a text last night, it was during a time when most people were alone. Maybe if there is someone beside you, the text won’t be sent at all.”

“How about we all hand in our phones? If none of us reply, will the ghost still kill all of us?”

“You do you. What if someone secretly keeps their phone, wouldn’t I be wronged when I get killed?”

“I still don’t think it’s a ghost. I think a human did this.”

Although there were different opinions, not staying alone was an absolutely necessary rule for safety.

The girls unanimously chose to stay together.

Ye Zun and Ye Zi shared a room.

There were also a lot of people who decided to play games together.

After a while, there was a knock on the door of the room.

Ye Zun went to open the door. The president stood outside with a calm expression.

“Let’s have a meeting together ba.”

In the small private living room on the upper floor of the villa.

In addition to the president, there were the two injured staff members, Ye Zun, the three other internet celebrities, as well as the hostess Yin Xiaoyu.

The president saw Ye Zi, who had walked in after Ye Zun. He was thoughtful, but didn’t say anything.

“Everyone here is their own person, but at the very least, we still signed a contract with each other.” The president said, with a slight heaviness to his words, “Regarding the Ghost Stories Club’s live broadcasting event, there is something I feel obligated to tell you all about.”

His solemn expression had everyone’s hearts lift a little.

The president said, “I have always been curious about supernatural events, but I have never encountered anything real, so if I am being honest, I have always despised such things in my heart. Every time I come across this kind of event, I also have the desire to uncover the mystery behind it and find the hidden truth. The peach blossom forest’s spirit was meant to be such a case. I really didn’t expect there to be an accident.” 

The president clasped his fingers, shifting slightly with unease.

“Today, I looked into the information Chen Qianqian found on the seven past victims, and I noticed something. The victims all seem to be young men and women with relatively better looks. The six of you here are the most likely to be targeted.”

As soon as these words came out, everyone looked at each other, surprised, doubtful and scared.

The president’s expression was a little guilty. “I will do my best to protect you. To be honest, it is still difficult for me to fully believe that this is the doing of a ghost.”

Everyone was in shock, and no one spoke for a while.

Ye Zi spoke up in a faint voice, “Whether there is a ghost or not, we will know tomorrow.” 

What scared everyone was that, even when it was almost three o’clock in the morning, a time when most people couldn’t hold on any longer, the text still had not been sent.

The horror felt in the morning at Jiang Yucheng’s death seemed to fade with time.

Except for the players, everyone else began to wonder if they been thinking too much, and maybe it was just an ordinary accident. Maybe Jiang Yucheng had committed suicide.

As a result, many people fell asleep one after another, although there were some who pretended to be asleep.

“If people are gonna die going by appearances, no matter how you look, that Ye Zi and Shen Yuan are the most likely to die.”

“That Jiang Yucheng looks very ordinary and handsome, it’s hard to say.”

“Don’t talk about dead people at this time ba, you’re scaring me.” 

The two female internet celebrities and the hostess Yin Xiaoyu lived in the same room. They chatted while doing their skincare routine.

“To tell the truth, I feel like these people really think too much. If I hadn’t signed a contract with the president and got money, I would be too lazy to play games with this group of people.”

The female Internet celebrity named Faye* quietly glanced at the sleeping Yin Xiaoyu behind her, and lowered her voice.

[T/N: 菲儿: Fei-er (I forgot to mention, the influencers will get English-equivalent names since I think it’ll fit better with their online persona)]

“I think the president is doing it on purpose. If someone dies, the popularity of paranormal live broadcasts will be hotter.”

“Are you saying, the president is doing live broadcasts in the villa?”

“There must be cameras around here, filming everyone. I reckon we unknowingly walked onto the president’s reality show.”

“If that’s true, then we have to properly put on a good show ah. But, how do you know this?”

“Someone told me secretly, shhh, don’t spread the word. Didn’t you notice? Yin Xiaoyu always sleeps with makeup on.”

“No way ba, she’s so scheming!”

“Also, don’t you think these people are acting too fake during the day? Every one of them behaves like the cannon fodder characters in the infinite flow novels I’ve read.”

“It’s not just us, the ghost is also invited by the president to perform…”

“Shhhhhhh, just knowing it in your heart is enough, don’t say it out loud.”

“Right now, I think that Jiang Yucheng is not actually dead. It’s probably just an act.”

“Actually, I think so too. Have you ever seen any online reports of the dead people from this school?”

“Now that you mention that, you got a point ah.”

…… 

The text notification sounded when Ye Zun went to shower.

This was also the only time he left Ye Zi alone.

When he received it, Ye Zun was already mentally prepared, but he still paused before opening it.

【 Do you know who I am? 】

“Did you send a message to everyone? Did Jiang Yucheng die because he didn’t reply to your text?”

【 If you call me ‘my dear’, I will tell you. 】

“Why do you want to hear people call you ‘my dear’?”

【 Because I like you. I will quietly tell you something, two will die today oh, my dear. 】

Ye Zun turned the phone off, opened the bathroom door and went out.

Ye Zi sat on the bed, looking at his own phone. It was obvious that he also received the text when he was alone.

“Apologies.” Ye Zun directly held the other’s hand and brought the phone screen up to where he could see.

【 Shen Yuan likes Ye Zi very much. 】

Ye Zi: Where are you?

【 Last night, you replied ‘okay’. You can’t go back on your promise. 】

Ye Zi: The one I replied to was not you.

【 You can’t go back on your promise. 】

Ye Zun frowned slightly, looking at Ye Zi who had a forlorn expression. “What did you promise it last night?”

Ye Zi raised his eyes and stared at him quietly, his eyes melancholy and fragile. “Last night, I thought it was you who sent it.”

“I know.” Ye Zun’s tone was warm. “I’m not saying you are at fault. I just want to know if the situation is very serious. I think of you like a younger brother, I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

Ye Zi’s eyes were clear when he looked at Ye Zun with a frown. “I saw you apologise to me, saying that when we were in the peach blossom forest, you almost couldn’t hold back your urge to kiss me. You asked me that, if I don’t hate you, if we could try dating.”

Ye Zun: “……”

The hand he had wrapped around Ye Zi’s wrist retracted. His expression didn’t change, but he took a half step back, the tips of his ears turning red.

Ye Zi watched Ye Zun silently, and said faintly, “I already know that it was pretending to be you and talking nonsense. I won’t misunderstand you.”

After the shock, Ye Zun calmed down. “You agreed to associate* with the ghost, the situation may be serious.”

[T/N: 交往: to have contact with/to date]

Ye Zi was a little cold. “It doesn’t matter. I have no friends and no family. No one will mourn me if I am killed by the ghost. Let nature take its course ba.“

Ye Zun frowned and looked at him. “You are still so young, how can you have this way of thinking?”

Ye Zi laid on the bed and watched Ye Zun, his eyes steady. “Can’t we try dating and see?”

“En?” Ye Zun instinctively tensed.

Those eyes were pure and glistening. All of a sudden, they reminded Ye Zun of the priest’s eyes.

“It would be nice if it was true. For as long as I’ve lived, I have never been loved by anyone. Out of everyone I’ve met, you are the most gentle. If you are not very repulsed, can you try it with me? It doesn’t matter if it’s just an act on your part. Before I die, I want to see what it feels like, to be loved by someone.” 

Ye Zi closed his eyes and peacefully waited to join the land of dreams, as if he knew that person would not agree, like he didn’t hold any hope from the beginning.

That face looked as fragile as the dew that would disappear come dawn, a beauty shrouded in eternal silence, destined to vanish*.

[T/N: 笼罩着即将消逝的永恒寂静之美: yeah idk what this means]

This person was obviously an indifferent young man, but for some reason, he always reminded Ye Zun of the priest, and of Nogawa Kaoru, the girl who died alone.

Because she was never loved, she struggled when forced to resign herself to death, but when she ultimately died alone, she never loved, nor was loved.

After a long time, his fingers gently landed on the boy’s forehead.

“I have never dated anyone, and I don’t know how to fall in love.”

The voice was like the wind in the morning of a late summer day; it had been waiting for a long time*.

[T/N: 像迟夏清晨的风一样的声音，已经等待了很久了: i can’t translate prose I’m so sorry]

Ye Zi’s eyes were open, clear and harmless, without any desire or demand. “Can you, give me a good night kiss?”

Ye Zun shut his eyes. He leaned over slowly, and soft, cool lips fell on the boy’s forehead, gently resting on the skin.

The indifferent young man, innocent and vulnerable, had a layer of moisture over his eyes.

The instant the kiss fell, those eyes opened. In this moment of chilling darkness, the corners of those beautiful rosy lips rose with insanity.

His fingers lifted in the air and was placed on Ye Zun’s head, taking control of this imprisoned position.

As long as he lightly presses downwards, he can catch the prey that had walked right into the trap.

But after Ye Zun opened his eyes, the young man in front of his eyes was still cold and devoid of desire. Those eyes looked at him, docile and quiet. “Good night.”

The author has something to say:

Shen​​ · vulnerable and innocent · targeted by the ghost · will die soon · beautiful young man · Yuan: Can you pretend to be in love with me before I am killed by the ghost?

The anonymous ghost text, sent secretly behind the scenes by a neuropath:【 Do you know who I am? Call me ‘my dear’, and I will tell you. 】

·

Only the messages Ye Zun received were sent by him.