Chapter 59

     Compared with the staff behind the scenes, the players who witnessed Shi Xi receiving a ghost call were more shocked.

     Only after Shi Xi hung up the phone did they feel fear.

     “I thought the call was arranged by the program team, until I saw the broken phone line and heard the strange voice, I was sure that the person talking to Shi Xi was a real ghost.” Ji Mingxu recalled the supernatural events he encountered on the plateau, and for the first time he was absolutely sure that it was not an illusory dream he had after having a high fever.

     Qiao Qing said in a trembling voice: “What the NPC hiding in the closet in the utility room said was true. He was frightened by the ghost at that time, not acting.”

     “No one told me that recording a variety show would be so dangerous,” Liu Ziyu now not only did not want to stay permanently, but also wanted to leave overnight: “Do we really have to continue recording?”

     Director Song asked him calmly: “Of course, do you want to get off work now?”

     They all thought of the call between Shi Xi and the ghost. The ghost promised Shi Xi to wait until they got off work before coming. If they got off work now, they might not even get out of the door and be found by the ghost.

     “Don’t be nervous,” Shi Xi said deliberately in a loud voice, “The owner of the house specially called to welcome us. Naturally, they’re a reasonable and trustworthy ghost. I believe that before we get off work, they will definitely not cause us any more trouble.”

     This is shouting to the ghost from a distance, and also to reassure everyone.

     When everyone saw Shi Xi’s smiling eyes, the fear that lingered in their hearts strangely disappeared. She had a kind of power that made people feel stable.

     “Even if I can’t escape the cycle, I hope to leave a good work for the world,” Lu Xiu said slowly: “This is what I said shortly after the game started. I still haven’t changed my mind now. Teachers, let’s continue to complete this work.”

     Everyone cheered up, took their positions, and began to make up for the interrupted scene.

     Behind the scenes, the program team tried to ask for help from the outside world, but no information could be sent out. This wooden building was completely isolated from the world, and only the filming equipment was operating smoothly.

     The assistant director looked at the director’s monitor and said admiringly: “The teachers have strong psychological qualities.”

     The chief director shook his head: “No, only Shi Xi is really not afraid at all. The other guests are the same as us, but they dare not stop. Shi Xi is not simple. If she can escape danger this time, I have to reward her solemnly.”

     “The next is the most important scene,” Director Song explained the scene to the actors: “After Xiao Shi and Xiao Ji discovered Qiao Qiao’s true face, they hurriedly fled, but were forced into a dead end by the evil ghost couple…”

     This scene was filmed on the second floor.

     Shi Xi and Ji Mingxu were forced to the end of the corridor by the evil ghost couple. There was a closed door behind them that could not be opened no matter what.

     Shi Xi and Ji Mingxu’s eyes were filled with tears of fear. They desperately rammed the door behind them, trying to break a way out.

     “It’s useless. You can’t break this door.” Qiao Qing approached them step by step, her voice hoarse like a venomous snake.

     “Who let you live in our house? This time, none of you can escape.” Liu Ziyu laughed coldly and swung a knife at Shi Xi.

     With no way to escape, Ji Mingxu suddenly turned around to protect Shi Xi and blocked the knife with his back. The two evil ghosts saw the blood and became more crazy. They cut Ji Mingxu’s back again and again. Ji Mingxu bit his lip and said nothing. When he was dying, he was still trying to knock on the door behind Shi Xi.

     The knocking sound became weaker and weaker, and Ji Mingxu fell into Shi Xi’s arms.

     “Cut!” Director Song called for a pause. The other actors did not move. Only Ji Mingxu left with red eyes and acted as a prop master to cover Shi Xi’s hands with blood plasma.

     The shooting continued. Shi Xi was still in the play. After Ji Mingxu fell, his body disappeared. Shi Xi looked at the blood on her hands, and her red eyes were filled with overwhelming pain and hatred.

     Ji Mingxu’s death stimulated Shi Xi and reminded her of the truth of this world. She trembled with her hands and cried hoarsely: “It turns out that there is no haunted house… and there are no evil ghosts…”

     “Are you scared crazy?” Liu Ziyu was unmoved and raised the kitchen knife to Shi Xi.

     Shi Xi held Liu Ziyu’s wrist, and her red face reflected the cold light of the kitchen knife, showing a fragile beauty, but when she looked up at Liu Ziyu, the broken feeling on her body disappeared, and her eyes were so sharp that ghosts dared not look directly at her.

     Liu Ziyu was frightened by this look, and the knife in his hand fell into Shi Xi’s hand.

     She was still crying, but her voice was as cold as ice: “This is my spiritual world, the game field for the four of us, you are all just my secondary personalities… You killed Aji, you all deserve to die.”

     With a swift backhand, Shi Xi cut through Liu Ziyu’s soul, then turned the blade towards Qiao Qing, completing a counter-kill with astonishing power.

     Her hands fell to her sides, she gazed silently into the camera, her eyes burning with fierce resolve.

     No one dared to speak, everyone was brought into this tragic scene by her, their eyes were hot.

     A little further away, the three NPCs who came to attack stared at her blankly, not daring to come forward to disturb her.

     After a while, Director Song shouted “Cut” in a hoarse voice.

     Shi Xi left the scene and helped Qiao Qing and Liu Ziyu up.

     “Teacher Shi, your emotional tension just now was too extreme, my heartbeat hasn’t stabilized yet…” Qiao Qing was talking, her eyes swept over several NPCs standing in the distance, her heartbeat became more chaotic, pointing over there and said in panic: “When did they come? Why is there no movement at all!”

     Everyone looked over at the same time, the three NPCs met Shi Xi’s sight, and took a step back together.

     “After filming the most important scene, I want to relax a bit,” Shi Xi tossed her long hair behind her back and smiled slightly: “Teacher Lu, let’s finish them off here.”

     Lu Xiu: “Okay.”

     The two players with the strongest combat power in the whole scene joined forces to catch two NPCs in one breath and let them finish on the spot.

     “…” Ji Mingxu: “This is the first time I’ve ever seen this kind of relaxation.”

     “Who hasn’t seen it for the first time?” Liu Ziyu covered his face in pain, unable to compare, really unable to compare.

     “One ran away.” Shi Xi was a little regretful.

     Lu Xiu said in a low voice: “He will appear before the film is finished.”

     There are still two relaxing literary scenes left. Liu Ziyu and Qiao Qing went to remove their makeup, and Shi Xi and Ji Mingxu also went to deal with the blood on their bodies.

     When shooting the last scene in the study, the only “surviving” NPC appeared. He stood at the door and looked at Shi Xi motionlessly.

     “It really showed up,” Ji Mingxu shouted to the NPC, “Brother, are you here to surrender, or to fight six people alone?”

     The NPC didn’t say anything, still looking at Shi Xi motionlessly, with no expression on his face and a dull look in his eyes.

     She stared at the NPC and found that there was a faint yin aura lingering around him. Her heart sank, and she called Lu Xiu who was walking towards the NPC, “Wait.”

      Lu Xiu glanced at her, “What’s wrong?”

     Shi Xi said in a low voice, “This is not the NPC, it’s the owner of the house.”

     Shi Xi gestured for everyone to retreat, and she stood at the front calmly, and asked indifferently, “Didn’t we agree that you won’t interfere with our work before get off work ends?”

     Everyone was shocked when they heard Shi Xi’s words. This was too bold!

     “I didn’t intend to interfere with your work,” A strange red light glowed in the NPC’s eyes, and the NPC’s body, possessed by the ghost of the house owner, fell gently to the ground. A dark ghost with an unclear face floated in the air and looked down at Shi Xi: “Don’t you want to catch him? I’ll send him here for you.”

     The first time they saw the ghost face to face, several players almost screamed, but fortunately their reason restrained them.

     At the same time, the director’s surveillance screen malfunctioned again, and he could only capture the conversation from the noise.

     The entire program group fell into panic again.

     The assistant director asked hoarsely: “Director, should we go over to help? Is physical attack useful for ghosts?”

     The chief director pursed his lips: “Except for Xiaoshi, there is no one here who can fight. If we go rashly, it may cause trouble for Xiaoshi. Let’s listen to what Xiaoshi says first.”

     The assistant director thought about it and it was indeed the truth.

     Shi Xi heard the reason why the owner showed up, and she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry: “Thank you for your kindness, but we are just playing games, not for real.”

     “Oh…” The owner scratched it head awkwardly: “Then I’ll leave?”

     “Since you’re already here, and you frightened them, don’t rush to leave,” Shi Xi pointed to the players who were pale with fright by the house owner, and sighed helplessly: “I think you’re ghost who can communicate, so tell me straight, what was the purpose of your disturbance tonight?”

     The house owner turned in the air awkwardly, and said in a nagging way: “I only knew how to work when I was alive, and I didn’t have many friends. After I died, I stayed here. My family has moved away, and I am the only one left. There haven’t been so many people visiting for a long time. When you leave, this place will become very quiet again, and no one will find that I still exist in this world…”

     Shi Xi raised her eyebrows: “So you just want to attract our attention? Or do you want me to find your family?”

     Many resentful spirits have this obsession.

     “No… I heard that you are all big stars, and your variety show is very popular,” the owner’s tone gradually became excited: “I want to use your mouths to become the top of the supernatural events in the entertainment industry! Become a legend passed down by word of mouth in the supernatural world!”

     Shi Xi: “…” This guy has even arranged a script for himself, so Chunibyo!^[1]Chūnibyō (中二病, lit. ’middle-school second-year syndrome’) is a Japanese colloquial term typically used to describe early teens who have grandiose delusions, who desperately want … Continue reading

     This Chunibyo declaration made everyone speechless, and suddenly they were not so scared.

     “After this variety show is broadcast, you will definitely be popular,” Shi Xi persuaded in a gentle voice: “If you want to know how popular you will be, you can follow me and wait for the variety show to be broadcast to witness it with your own eyes. If you follow me, you will also have incense to eat, how about it?”

     Well, when the variety show is almost broadcast, the salvation will be completed.

     Several players gasped when they heard it. Is the ghost a pet? Can it be taken home and raised casually?

     Hearing about the incense, the owner had no resistance at all. He stammered, “I have another request.”

     “Go ahead.”

     The owner: “Can you sign an autograph for me? Your acting is amazing!”

     Shi Xi smiled sweetly: “Sure.”

     I can also give you some of my peripherals: the talisman paper I drew myself.