Chapter 1

   “Welcome to the Ghost Hunting livestream! I’m Jia Ming, and it’s now 11:55 PM. I’ve arrived at the infamous 14 Pingning Road!”

     The handsome male anchor moved his mobile phone to show the surrounding environment to the live broadcast room, and said in a low voice: “The street lights on this street are very dim. The residents nearby seem to have fallen asleep. There are no cars passing by on the road. It is very quiet.”

     The camera turned, and a desolate and dilapidated abandoned small western-style building appeared in the live broadcast room. The rusty iron gate swayed in the night wind, making a “creaking” sound.

     The western-style building was completely covered in lush green ivy, and several of its windows were broken, like so many deep, dark eyes.

     “This derelict building is none other than the infamous No. 14 haunted house. Abandoned for over fifteen years, its owner remains a mystery. Legend has it that those passing by late at night have heard mournful opera song echoing from within, only to glimpse a ghostly figure flitting past a second-floor window. Even more chilling, nearby residents have reported receiving blood-stained opera tickets, leading them to sleepwalk into the house and become unwitting audience members to the spectral performances…”

     The anchor Jiaming turned on the flashlight and pushed open the iron gate: “Whether these rumors are true or not, we will be able to draw a conclusion tonight. Fans, follow Jiaming closely.”

     The yard was overgrown with weeds, and small animals would occasionally fly by. The anchor walked quickly to the front door and pushed open the heavy wooden door: “The lock is broken, and there’s a strong musty smell inside.”

     The anchor used a flashlight to shine around: “The living room has been emptied, leaving only some old furniture…”

     The cold light shone on the wall, and the anchor suddenly saw a face, and his hands trembled with fear: “Oh my god!”

     He blinked and found that it was a photo. Because of the bad environment, the colors were blurred, and the woman with stage makeup looked a little creepy under the pale light.

     The audience in the live broadcast room was also startled, and a bunch of barrages exploded instantly.

 

   【I was scared, it turned out to be a photo!】 

   【It feels like a haunted house. If you look closely, the woman in the photo is pretty and a little familiar. 】

   【Shh, did you hear any sound? 】

 

     “Bang, bang, bang…” 

      A noise came from deeper in the house.

      The anchor turned pale and pointed in a direction: “The sound is in that direction, and it’s quite loud, like the sound of chiseling something. But why would there be such a sound in a deserted building with nothing in the middle of the night? It can’t be real…”

     The anchor swallowed the word “ghost”. Unlike other ghost-hunting anchors, Jiaming has no team or script. He is a real adventurer. He really doesn’t know what the noise is.

     He didn’t say anything else, walked lightly, and approached the source of the sound.

     The flashlight shone into the room where the sound came from, and a slender figure came into view. Her long hair floated faintly in the cold wind. She swung her pale and thin arms and mechanically repeated an action.

     The host’s legs softened instantly, and she screamed: “Aaaah …G..Ghost!!!

     The “ghost” was startled by the sound and slowly turned around. She was wearing a black mask on her face, revealing a pair of beautiful eyes that looked like they were painted with fine brushwork, and a cinnabar mole under her eyes: “Who are you?”

     The anchor didn’t dare to look at her, and explained tremblingly: “I, I’m a ghost hunter streamer, I’ll just, just leave now…”

     “With your courage, you’re a ghost hunter streamer?” The “ghost” chuckled, “Take a closer look, am I a ghost?”

     The anchor raised his head and saw a pair of peach blossom eyes with a teasing smile. He realized that this was a living person. She was wearing a T-shirt and hot pants, a pair of long legs that were thin and straight, and holding a… shovel in her hand?

     Late night, haunted house, beautiful woman, and a shovel?.

     What a magical combination.

     The anchor blinked: “Who are you, what are you doing here?”

     “You are broadcasting live, right? Then I will say hello to the fans in your broadcast room.” The girl waved to the camera, her black hair slid down her shoulders, making her skin look even whiter: “Hello everyone, my name is Xiao Shi, I am digging a corpse.”

     Shi Xi laughed first after she finished speaking. This reason may sound ridiculous, but she is really digging a corpse.

     But she didn’t expect to meet someone who was live-streaming a ghost-hunting video while digging. The sound of the shovel was so loud that she didn’t notice someone coming in.

     Since we’re already here, let’s use the pseudonym ‘Xiaoshi’ and make a friendly cameo appearance in this livestream.

     “Dig, dig the body?” The anchor widened his eyes and whispered: “Are you kidding me? Do you know this is a haunted house?”

     “I’m serious, you should be stronger than me, I’ll leave the rest to you,” Shi Xi handed him the shovel: “There is a body buried under the ground, you dig it out, I guarantee your live broadcast room will be very popular.”

     The anchor looked at her vigilantly: “Even if there is a body, how did you know?”

     Shi Xi’s eyes curved subtly: “The owner asked me to come, she said it was so cold underground, the floor pressed her so hard that she couldn’t breathe, she wanted me to help her dig out the bones and change to a bright cemetery.”

     A gust of cold wind blew, and the anchor suddenly broke out in a sweat.

     A few minutes later, Shi Xi and the anchor changed positions, she held the live broadcast equipment, and the anchor held the shovel, grunting and cleaning the wooden floor.

 

   【Script, definitely a script, and this Xiao Shi is the actor invited by the anchor. 】

   【Acting, right? 】

   【Xiao Shi is so beautiful,the cinnabar mole under her eyes is killing me, can she stay here permanently in the future? 】

   【Don’t tell me, whether it’s real or acting, digging a corpse in a haunted house late at night, the clanging sound of the shovel is really scary, what if the owner comes out while digging…】

 

     Shi Xi smiled: “Little anchor, they said I’m an actor you hired, so do I get paid?”

     The anchor wiped the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand and clarified aggrievedly: “I really don’t know her, and this is not a script. I just think the owner she talked about is too pitiful, so I helped dig the body.”

     After the anchor finished speaking, he buried his head and dug the soil with a huff.

     About twenty minutes later, the anchor stopped and looked at Shi Xi: “It seems we have dug it up.” 

     Shi Xi squatted beside the pit and looked down: “There is a body bag. The owner of the house is most likely murdered. We can’t dig any further, or it will destroy the evidence. Call the police.” 

 

  【Oh my god, there are real bones. The props look very professional!】

   【Awesome, the acting is so real, I almost believed it.】

   【This script is quite complete. Is it time for the ghost to appear next?】

 

    “Appear?” Shi Xi pointed behind the anchor: “The owner of the house has been behind the anchor.” 

     In Shi Xi’s eyes, there was always a woman wearing a dark green embroidered gold cheongsam and holding a jade pipe behind the anchor. The woman had curly hair and a black veil covering her eyebrows, revealing only the pale lower half of her face. Her emerald earrings and bright red lips were particularly eye-catching in the night. 

     Looking down, you will find that her feet are not touching the ground, but floating in the air.

     The anchor turned back stiffly, and of course he saw nothing. He breathed a sigh of relief: “Xiao Shi, don’t scare me anymore.”

     “Thank you, I feel much better now.” A soft voice sounded in the room.

     The anchor replied subconsciously: “You’re welcome.”

     After answering, he suddenly froze, and all the hairs on his hands stood up: “Who said thank you just now?”

     “Obviously it wasn’t my voice.” Shi Xi said, pointing to the corpse in the mud pit: “I didn’t scare you.”

 

   【I heard it too, it’s so weird!】 

   【It’s just acting, don’t believe it. 】

   【Is there a third person in the haunted house? Was she arranged to go in in advance? Why was the live broadcast arranged so carefully? 】

   【From the moment Xiao Shi appeared, the popularity of the live broadcast room began to soar. If it continues like this, it will be on the front page】

   【Do you think everyone is really here to watch the corpse digging and ghost exploration? 】

 

     Most of the viewers in the live broadcast room thought that this live broadcast was a script, and the bones dug out by the live broadcast were props. When the anchor called the police, they criticized him for wasting public resources.

     It was not until the sirens sounded outside the haunted house, the police took over the scene, and asked the anchor to close the live broadcast room that they all shouted ‘F*ck!’ – This was actually real! So, was that ‘thank you’ they heard…?”

…

     Police station. Shi Xi clasped her hands and looked at the policewoman opposite sincerely: “I am an actor, an actor outside the 108th line.”

     “I didn’t have any work today, so I played games at home. It was a new supernatural game. After I registered, I received a novice task. The game required me to go to No. 14 Pingning Road to dig up corpses. If I didn’t do it, I would be punished by insomnia for a month. Then my window was knocked, and I saw a pair of bloody palms pressing on the window…”

     “Let me interrupt you,” the female police officer said, a bit speechless. “Are you talking about what happened in the game or what happened in real life?”

     Shi Xi explained to her: “I accepted the task in the game and have to complete it in reality. If the task is successful, I can get rewards, and if it fails, I will be punished.”

     The policewoman was silent for a moment: “As expected of an actor, I almost believed it. Don’t run to that kind of place at night in the future. This behavior is very dangerous.”

     After Shi Xi and the anchor received the love education of the police comrades, they met again at the gate of the police station.

     The anchor said to Shi Xi: “Tonight’s live broadcast has become popular. This is the best result I have ever achieved since I started live streaming.”

     “Congratulations.”

     The anchor said with a sad face: “But I have decided to change my career.”

     “…”

     Shi Xi patted his shoulder: “The thank you that the owner said to you was sincere. You did a good thing tonight.”

     Shi Xi said goodbye to the anchor, tied up her black hair, turned and walked into the night.

 

   【Congratulations to the player “Shi Xi” for completing the novice task “Digging up corpses in a haunted house”.】 

   【Lin Ying was once a Yue Opera and film actress. After her stunning debut that captivated the nation, she vanished without a trace, earning the moniker of a short-lived talented actor. 】

   【You have inherited 50% of Lin Ying’s acting talent. 】

 

     This is the reward that Shi Xi knew before carrying out the task. She can get part of the talent of the undead by helping them fulfill their wishes, but she thinks that inheriting only half of it should not be of much use.

 

   【New task: Appear in a movie;

     Details: The small-scale youth love movie “Àimù” is recruiting actors, and the player’s goal is to be the third female role;

     Reward: Acting talent +10%;

     Penalty: Be bald for a month. 】

   【Host, your current goal is to complete these small tasks that carry Lin Ying’s wishes, and strive to inherit Lin Ying’s talent 100%, come on! 】

 

     Shi Xi broke the silence: “System, if you want me to be bald, just say it directly. Why do you have to go through the process?”

     As a 108-line actress, Shi Xi’s best result is the sixth, seventh, and eighth female roles in idol dramas. According to her qualifications, it is difficult for her to get an audition opportunity.

 

   【Host, you have to believe me, you are no longer the same as before. As long as you cooperate with me, you will definitely reach the peak of your life! 】