Chapter 012: You Truly Are a Kind-hearted Individual.
Within Chi Shen's phone, his game had reached a thrilling chase scene. Without looking up, he acknowledged the bride, "Thank you, sister. Please place it on the table."
The red-clad ghost looked even more rigid, alternating glances between the bride and the engrossed Chi Shen. Her pale, eerie face suddenly bore a look of reverence, making the ghostly visage appear oddly sanctified.
The bride slightly tilted her veiled head, seemingly acknowledging the table. Fresh blood oozed from her veil, dripping in the dim light of the red candles.
The hand adorned with the gold ring inched closer to Chi Shen.
The red-clad ghost instinctively covered her eyes with her withered fingers but peeked through the gaps.
The bride's hand stopped about a foot from Chi Shen, placing the strangely scented sachet on the table. A gust of wind later, she was seated opposite him, surrounded by the softly glowing red candles.
A handsome young man sat at one end of the table with his phone, while a bride dressed in a red wedding gown, holding a spirit tablet with blood dripping from her veil, sat at the other end. The room was faintly illuminated by the glow of burning red candles.
The room fell into an eerie silence. The bride in the red dress remained silent, and so did Chi Shen. Their harmony was oddly pronounced, with the red-clothed female ghost, reduced to just a head and one hand, now listlessly watching them.
How can a person and a malevolent spirit share such a close bond?
After about ten minutes, Chi Shen managed to escape the monster's chase in the game and found a save point. Only then did he put down his phone, looked up at the bride in the wedding dress, and sincerely said, "Thank you, sister."
There were faint dark circles under his eyes, hinting at fatigue. He didn't sleep well last night. Though tired, he had a cup of milk tea in the afternoon, which invigorated him. The mix of mental exhaustion and alertness left him feeling even more drained.
A fleeting voice emanated from beneath the bride's veil, "I was only seventeen when I died, younger than you are now."
The lady in red: "…?"
Chi Shen smoothly replied, "Little sister, Sister Bai."
The bride in the red dress, Bai Wan, giggled from beneath her veil. She seemed pleased, "Cut the hair of a hundred-year-old corpse, burn it with pagoda wood. The aroma can stir restless spirits. Whoever brought this wanted you devoured by myriad ghosts."
Chi Shen already knew this from Lu Xiangyang. He even knew who sent Lu Xiangyang and He Chao to do all this. But with the room in disarray due to the red-clothed ghost, he couldn't be bothered to search for the mysterious sachet.
Chi Shen, supporting his chin with one hand and feeling drowsy, looked at the sachet, extending his other hand, "If it's causing discomfort, I'll take care of it."
"Don't you want revenge?" Bai Wan asked.
Chi Shen glanced at the sachet bearing the character "Bai," sneezed, then refocused on his game. "Compared to someone wanting to kill me, finding a job is more crucial."
Problems need to be tackled one at a time. Securing his next meal was paramount! After all, it determined whether he'd have a south-facing balcony to bask in the sun.
The lady in red: "…?"
"You truly have a kind heart," Bai Wan said with a sigh, as if reminiscing something. "You freed me from that confined space, allowing me to wander here. I'll help you in return."
"Thank you, little sister," Chi Shen responded with a grateful smile, picked up his phone to load his game, and then, as if suddenly recalling something important, added, "No killing, please. It's quite bothersome."
A soft chuckle emanated from beneath the bloodstained bridal veil, "I know you're a kind-hearted person."
The sachet began to burn in Bai Wan's hands, curiously leaving no ashes behind. The smoky remnants drifted outside the old mansion, and Bai Wan disappeared from the room.
Chi Shen massaged the bridge of his nose and continued focusing on his phone. The game, seemingly simple, was quite challenging. One slip, and he'd face a game-over. He needed to stay sharp, to ace his job interview the next day!
The lady in red subtly moved closer to Chi Shen. For some reason, she felt safe around him—even if he was the one who had ended her life.
——
Today seemed to be an exceptionally unlucky day.
Bai Ran checked the exorcism talisman on the door, lit a piece of calming incense, and lay down on his bed.
But it didn’t matter. The person who brought him such misfortune would soon meet their end. With that thought, he couldn't help but smirk before drifting off to sleep.
He soon found himself in a dream.
It felt as if he was back in the Bai family's old mansion, with red candles flickering around. The setting seemed festive, yet the shadows cast by the crimson flames felt oppressively dark.
A woman, dressed in a red bridal gown, had her back to him, combing her hair.
Her raven-black hair cascaded like a waterfall, and the hand holding the wooden comb was delicate and beautiful.
Recognizing the scene, Bai Ran immediately stepped back, turning to flee. He knew this was the vengeful ghost trapped in the Bai family's old mansion!
Exiting the room, he misstepped and found himself in another bridal chamber. This time, the bride sat quietly with her red veil covering her face, seemingly waiting for her beloved.
A mere glance, and he turned around again. But he was back in another bridal chamber. The bride, dressed in her wedding gown, sat by the bed with a dagger embedded in her chest. As he entered, she pulled out the dagger, blood gushing forth. With the dagger, she lifted her red veil, revealing blood-red lips that curled into a chilling smile.
He looked back, only to feel a dagger pierce his chest.
Sensing the chilling pain emanating from his chest, Bai Ran struggled to wake up. Yet, with eyes wide open, he watched the bride in her wedding dress take deliberate steps toward him—
Bai Ran jolted awake, gasping for breath.
That vengeful spirit is confined to the Bai family's old mansion; it shouldn't be able to get out!
Was the nightmare a result of his wish for the spirit to kill Chi Shen, reminding him of past terrors?
How did he become as weak-willed as Lu Xiangyang, even having nightmares?
Bai Ran's heartbeat raced, but he chuckled silently, holding his chest. If he was this terrified of the spirit, then Chi Shen, who was defenseless, would probably be torn apart by dawn.
But why were his hands wet?
Bai Ran switched on the bedroom light, then froze in shock.
There was a two-inch-long cut on his chest, with blood soaking his pajamas. Drops of red wax dripped beside his bed.
Leaping out of bed, Bai Ran hurriedly opened the bedroom door, only to find that the exorcism talismans stuck to it had turned to ash.
After a moment of shocked silence, Bai Ran quickly threw on a coat and grabbed his phone, dashing out of the house. The ancient spirit had been released! He had to survive!
——
Meanwhile, after finishing his nightly routine, Chi Shen peacefully settled into bed.
It had been a while since he had milk tea, and he had forgotten his inability to sleep after drinking it. Reflecting on it, Chi Shen decided never to have milk tea after noon again.
He had completed the horror game. Interestingly, a game filled with terror had a core message of redemption. Chi Shen appreciated the developer's unique approach, finding it both intriguing and profound. He began to wonder about the nature of the company, Le Dao Culture.
The next day, it wasn’t the alarm that woke Chi Shen but a rush of cold air.
Ji Xingchen, with the help of the lady in red, had pulled away Chi Shen’s blanket. Groggily rising from bed, Chi Shen glared at the two ghosts.
Ji Xingchen looked indifferent, while the lady in red joyfully played with the blanket.
"It was you, wasn't it?" Chi Shen said, fixing his gaze on Ji Xingchen. Just because he was asleep didn’t mean he was unaware of what transpired.
Ji Xingchen averted his eyes and said in a formal tone, "The interview is at ten. It takes an hour to get there. To make a good impression on the interviewer, it's best to arrive early. It's eight now. Time to get up."
Chi Shen responded with a blank expression, "Oh."
Having spent considerable time in the death game, he had long lost the habit of oversleeping. Though, even before entering the game, he never really had that tendency.
Rising from his bed, Chi Shen tidied himself up and confidently stepped out of the mansion's grand entrance.
On the bus, Chi Shen pulled out his phone and opened the paranormal forum he'd been on the day before.
Many had responded to his post.
Some scoffed, saying the police wouldn't care about ghostly disturbances, while others suggested he should call them, suspecting the footsteps might be those of a burglar.
Later in the thread, there was a calm and composed reply:
[Thank you, 'Insightful Abyss'! I couldn't take it anymore last night and called the police. They actually showed up and explained it as some regular house settling noises due to temperature changes or something – I didn't get all the details. But the footsteps did stop after they left! I can finally get some good sleep! I've taken tomorrow off to rest all day at home, I'm so relieved!]
After this comment from the original poster, those who doubted the police's involvement disappeared, replaced by others mocking their earlier disbelief.
"Insightful Abyss" was the username Chi Shen registered with. He skimmed past the arguments and didn't bother replying, noticing nothing of significant interest in the other threads.
The bus jolted, and Chi Shen sneezed. He refreshed the forum page.
This time a new comment appeared:
[I used to work on the 14th floor and resigned the day before yesterday. I'm not entirely sure about the details, but I believe it has much to do with my former boss. The game he's developing is based on true events. Everyone's saying that the deceased involved in those events are haunting us.
I've personally experienced these things. Working late at night, I'd often see apparitions. When using the restroom, the reflection in the mirror wasn't always mine.
My therapist said it's hallucinations from excessive stress and advised a change in work environment. So, I quit. Now, I'm living the dream – eating well, sleeping soundly, and never seeing those phantoms. Nights are no longer filled with mirror dread. Life has never felt so beautiful. I've decided to pursue my youthful dream of traveling the world!
That gaming company is still hiring, and they're always short-staffed. A word of advice: Do NOT apply there! Seriously, DO NOT!]
*
Author's Note:
Chi Shen: So, they really need someone like me, don't they?
Chapter 012: You Truly Are a Kind-hearted Individual.
Within Chi Shen's phone, his game had reached a thrilling chase scene. Without looking up, he acknowledged the bride, "Thank you, sister. Please place it on the table."
The red-clad ghost looked even more rigid, alternating glances between the bride and the engrossed Chi Shen. Her pale, eerie face suddenly bore a look of reverence, making the ghostly visage appear oddly sanctified.
The bride slightly tilted her veiled head, seemingly acknowledging the table. Fresh blood oozed from her veil, dripping in the dim light of the red candles.
The hand adorned with the gold ring inched closer to Chi Shen.
The red-clad ghost instinctively covered her eyes with her withered fingers but peeked through the gaps.
The bride's hand stopped about a foot from Chi Shen, placing the strangely scented sachet on the table. A gust of wind later, she was seated opposite him, surrounded by the softly glowing red candles.
A handsome young man sat at one end of the table with his phone, while a bride dressed in a red wedding gown, holding a spirit tablet with blood dripping from her veil, sat at the other end. The room was faintly illuminated by the glow of burning red candles.
The room fell into an eerie silence. The bride in the red dress remained silent, and so did Chi Shen. Their harmony was oddly pronounced, with the red-clothed female ghost, reduced to just a head and one hand, now listlessly watching them.
How can a person and a malevolent spirit share such a close bond?
After about ten minutes, Chi Shen managed to escape the monster's chase in the game and found a save point. Only then did he put down his phone, looked up at the bride in the wedding dress, and sincerely said, "Thank you, sister."
There were faint dark circles under his eyes, hinting at fatigue. He didn't sleep well last night. Though tired, he had a cup of milk tea in the afternoon, which invigorated him. The mix of mental exhaustion and alertness left him feeling even more drained.
A fleeting voice emanated from beneath the bride's veil, "I was only seventeen when I died, younger than you are now."
The lady in red: "…?"
Chi Shen smoothly replied, "Little sister, Sister Bai."
The bride in the red dress, Bai Wan, giggled from beneath her veil. She seemed pleased, "Cut the hair of a hundred-year-old corpse, burn it with pagoda wood. The aroma can stir restless spirits. Whoever brought this wanted you devoured by myriad ghosts."
Chi Shen already knew this from Lu Xiangyang. He even knew who sent Lu Xiangyang and He Chao to do all this. But with the room in disarray due to the red-clothed ghost, he couldn't be bothered to search for the mysterious sachet.
Chi Shen, supporting his chin with one hand and feeling drowsy, looked at the sachet, extending his other hand, "If it's causing discomfort, I'll take care of it."
"Don't you want revenge?" Bai Wan asked.
Chi Shen glanced at the sachet bearing the character "Bai," sneezed, then refocused on his game. "Compared to someone wanting to kill me, finding a job is more crucial."
Problems need to be tackled one at a time. Securing his next meal was paramount! After all, it determined whether he'd have a south-facing balcony to bask in the sun.
The lady in red: "…?"
"You truly have a kind heart," Bai Wan said with a sigh, as if reminiscing something. "You freed me from that confined space, allowing me to wander here. I'll help you in return."
"Thank you, little sister," Chi Shen responded with a grateful smile, picked up his phone to load his game, and then, as if suddenly recalling something important, added, "No killing, please. It's quite bothersome."
A soft chuckle emanated from beneath the bloodstained bridal veil, "I know you're a kind-hearted person."
The sachet began to burn in Bai Wan's hands, curiously leaving no ashes behind. The smoky remnants drifted outside the old mansion, and Bai Wan disappeared from the room.
Chi Shen massaged the bridge of his nose and continued focusing on his phone. The game, seemingly simple, was quite challenging. One slip, and he'd face a game-over. He needed to stay sharp, to ace his job interview the next day!
The lady in red subtly moved closer to Chi Shen. For some reason, she felt safe around him—even if he was the one who had ended her life.
——
Today seemed to be an exceptionally unlucky day.
Bai Ran checked the exorcism talisman on the door, lit a piece of calming incense, and lay down on his bed.
But it didn’t matter. The person who brought him such misfortune would soon meet their end. With that thought, he couldn't help but smirk before drifting off to sleep.
He soon found himself in a dream.
It felt as if he was back in the Bai family's old mansion, with red candles flickering around. The setting seemed festive, yet the shadows cast by the crimson flames felt oppressively dark.
A woman, dressed in a red bridal gown, had her back to him, combing her hair.
Her raven-black hair cascaded like a waterfall, and the hand holding the wooden comb was delicate and beautiful.
Recognizing the scene, Bai Ran immediately stepped back, turning to flee. He knew this was the vengeful ghost trapped in the Bai family's old mansion!
Exiting the room, he misstepped and found himself in another bridal chamber. This time, the bride sat quietly with her red veil covering her face, seemingly waiting for her beloved.
A mere glance, and he turned around again. But he was back in another bridal chamber. The bride, dressed in her wedding gown, sat by the bed with a dagger embedded in her chest. As he entered, she pulled out the dagger, blood gushing forth. With the dagger, she lifted her red veil, revealing blood-red lips that curled into a chilling smile.
He looked back, only to feel a dagger pierce his chest.
Sensing the chilling pain emanating from his chest, Bai Ran struggled to wake up. Yet, with eyes wide open, he watched the bride in her wedding dress take deliberate steps toward him—
Bai Ran jolted awake, gasping for breath.
That vengeful spirit is confined to the Bai family's old mansion; it shouldn't be able to get out!
Was the nightmare a result of his wish for the spirit to kill Chi Shen, reminding him of past terrors?
How did he become as weak-willed as Lu Xiangyang, even having nightmares?
Bai Ran's heartbeat raced, but he chuckled silently, holding his chest. If he was this terrified of the spirit, then Chi Shen, who was defenseless, would probably be torn apart by dawn.
But why were his hands wet?
Bai Ran switched on the bedroom light, then froze in shock.
There was a two-inch-long cut on his chest, with blood soaking his pajamas. Drops of red wax dripped beside his bed.
Leaping out of bed, Bai Ran hurriedly opened the bedroom door, only to find that the exorcism talismans stuck to it had turned to ash.
After a moment of shocked silence, Bai Ran quickly threw on a coat and grabbed his phone, dashing out of the house. The ancient spirit had been released! He had to survive!
——
Meanwhile, after finishing his nightly routine, Chi Shen peacefully settled into bed.
It had been a while since he had milk tea, and he had forgotten his inability to sleep after drinking it. Reflecting on it, Chi Shen decided never to have milk tea after noon again.
He had completed the horror game. Interestingly, a game filled with terror had a core message of redemption. Chi Shen appreciated the developer's unique approach, finding it both intriguing and profound. He began to wonder about the nature of the company, Le Dao Culture.
The next day, it wasn’t the alarm that woke Chi Shen but a rush of cold air.
Ji Xingchen, with the help of the lady in red, had pulled away Chi Shen’s blanket. Groggily rising from bed, Chi Shen glared at the two ghosts.
Ji Xingchen looked indifferent, while the lady in red joyfully played with the blanket.
"It was you, wasn't it?" Chi Shen said, fixing his gaze on Ji Xingchen. Just because he was asleep didn’t mean he was unaware of what transpired.
Ji Xingchen averted his eyes and said in a formal tone, "The interview is at ten. It takes an hour to get there. To make a good impression on the interviewer, it's best to arrive early. It's eight now. Time to get up."
Chi Shen responded with a blank expression, "Oh."
Having spent considerable time in the death game, he had long lost the habit of oversleeping. Though, even before entering the game, he never really had that tendency.
Rising from his bed, Chi Shen tidied himself up and confidently stepped out of the mansion's grand entrance.
On the bus, Chi Shen pulled out his phone and opened the paranormal forum he'd been on the day before.
Many had responded to his post.
Some scoffed, saying the police wouldn't care about ghostly disturbances, while others suggested he should call them, suspecting the footsteps might be those of a burglar.
Later in the thread, there was a calm and composed reply:
[Thank you, 'Insightful Abyss'! I couldn't take it anymore last night and called the police. They actually showed up and explained it as some regular house settling noises due to temperature changes or something – I didn't get all the details. But the footsteps did stop after they left! I can finally get some good sleep! I've taken tomorrow off to rest all day at home, I'm so relieved!]
After this comment from the original poster, those who doubted the police's involvement disappeared, replaced by others mocking their earlier disbelief.
"Insightful Abyss" was the username Chi Shen registered with. He skimmed past the arguments and didn't bother replying, noticing nothing of significant interest in the other threads.
The bus jolted, and Chi Shen sneezed. He refreshed the forum page.
This time a new comment appeared:
[I used to work on the 14th floor and resigned the day before yesterday. I'm not entirely sure about the details, but I believe it has much to do with my former boss. The game he's developing is based on true events. Everyone's saying that the deceased involved in those events are haunting us.
I've personally experienced these things. Working late at night, I'd often see apparitions. When using the restroom, the reflection in the mirror wasn't always mine.
My therapist said it's hallucinations from excessive stress and advised a change in work environment. So, I quit. Now, I'm living the dream – eating well, sleeping soundly, and never seeing those phantoms. Nights are no longer filled with mirror dread. Life has never felt so beautiful. I've decided to pursue my youthful dream of traveling the world!
That gaming company is still hiring, and they're always short-staffed. A word of advice: Do NOT apply there! Seriously, DO NOT!]
*
Author's Note:
Chi Shen: So, they really need someone like me, don't they?
