Chapter 10

Hu Yizhi, male, 28 years old.

As you can see, he is an out-and-out “homebody.”

The Hu family has been able to communicate between the two worlds of yin and yang for hundreds of years, and the Tao is precious, with women not passing it on to men. However, this generation faced family planning policies, and Hu’s mother only gave birth to one son. With no other choice, he had to inherit the Taoist system of the Hu family.

It is estimated that because he is a man, the ancestral system and infrastructure are truly incompatible, and errors occur constantly. He has been struggling to manage until now—translated, it means “a spell that should be learned is unknown, and a ghost that should not be seen will decline.”

“I’m always sick because I often bump into ghosts, so I’m not in good health and can’t work.” Hu Yizhi sat cross-legged, whispering, “After graduation, I stayed at home, surfed the internet every day, watched anime, and basically never went out, relying on takeout and express deliveries.”

He Jinchao was a bit curious: “If you don’t work, how do you support yourself?”

After all, He started working at fifteen to earn money, and he really couldn’t imagine there were people in this world who could completely stop working and avoid contacting outsiders.

“This…” Hu Yizhi clutched the question mark stool beneath him, “When the government relocated our village out of the mountains, they gave my grandmother’s family a few houses. Later, there was a demolition, and then…”

“—Stop talking.” Ling Chen, who was beside him, quickly interrupted the conversation that was raising his blood pressure, “I can’t hear that, I hate the rich.”

The topic was forcibly redirected.

Ling Chen briefly explained his encounter with He Jinchao, of course, leaving out the “thread” that connected them.

To be honest, Ling Chen was very skeptical that Hu Yizhi could help them. This otaku “Great Witch,” who was afraid of ghosts and not very skilled, seemed unreliable.

But what could be done? Since they already knew each other, it wouldn’t hurt to get a free consultation.

“That’s the situation,” Ling Chen said solemnly, “Do you have any clues?”

“You—don’t call me a witch, just call me by my name.” Hu Yizhi said shyly, “As for the clue… I don’t have one. The last time I heard the story of ‘two protagonists meeting by a coffin full of flowers’ was Snow White.”

Ling Chen: =_=####凸

Oh, the punch is strong.

He Jinchao was also confused by Hu Yizhi’s answer, and subconsciously sat up straight, narrowing the distance between him and Hu Yizhi: “…Really?”

The curly-haired young man’s courage was only a step larger than that of a hamster, and He Jinchao’s simple rhetorical question sounded like a demon’s talisman in his ears, making him panic: “—Yes, yes, yes! I remembered, I have it!”

Seeing his panic, He Jinchao was bewildered. He turned to Ling Chen and asked, “What do I look like now? It can’t be that I’m bleeding from the seven orifices with red eyes, right? Why is he so scared of me?”

Since becoming a ghost, his shadow no longer reflects in any reflective object, whether mirrors or glass… God willing, he’s been handsome all his life and cannot become an ugly ghost after death.

Ling Chen looked at He Jinchao seriously: “Except for your face being a little pale and your lips being a little dry, you’re no different from when you first died.”

He Jinchao: “Still as handsome as when I was alive?”

Ling Chen: “…”

He Jinchao: “If you don’t speak, I’ll take that as a yes.”

Meanwhile, Hu Yizhi dragged the stool back a few steps, finally breathing a sigh of relief when he kept a safe distance from the Evil Ghost Shadow Emperor, then stammered:

“I… I suddenly remembered why Mr. He could become a ghost after he died, instead of disappearing directly.” He took a deep breath and said one by one, “My grandmother said that because science has developed too quickly, there are hardly any animals after the founding of the People’s Republic of China, and the number of ghosts has decreased greatly.”

He Jinchao’s interest was piqued: “Oh? You mean, I’m blessed?”

Ling Chen glanced at him: “Why not ask about the ‘Great Grievance’?”

He Jinchao smiled slightly: “My life has been smooth, except for my strange death, I really haven’t suffered any grievances. I can become a ghost because my good fortune is still ahead.”

Ling Chen: “…Oh, you’re so confident.”

Hu Yizhi continued: “Great blessing is easy to understand. For example, if a person has a good personality and is particularly liked, everyone wants him to live a long life. Countless similar thoughts form a particularly strong obsession, which protects him like a shield and condenses in the depths of his soul like a seed. In the past, these people were called ‘believers,’ but now they’re called—”

“‘Fans.'” Hearing this, He Jinchao suddenly understood, “You mean, it’s the fans’ love for me that protects me? That’s why I didn’t die immediately, but became a ghost?”

This answer was beyond Ling Chen’s expectations, but it made sense when thought about carefully.

There is a term in the entertainment industry called “red air to raise people,” meaning the more popular a star is, the better their demeanor and complexion. On the other hand, artists who face scandals are often described as withered and gloomy.

Nowadays, chasing stars is akin to creating gods, and the love of fans is the strongest yet most fragile thing.

They can quickly raise someone to the altar, and then just as easily turn away without nostalgia.

“That’s about it,” Hu Yizhi replied. “But it’s not that simple. Otherwise, all the stars in the world would live forever. Just receiving fans’ love isn’t enough to keep your soul in the world after death. Mr. He, you must have done a lot of good things in your lifetime—using entertainment industry terms, you must have had ‘popularity’ and ‘actual achievements.'”

He Jinchao nodded, his face expressionless as if he were describing something ordinary: “Since I earned my first salary, I’ve anonymously donated to a Hope Primary School every year, and also built a supporting rural library and hospital… Well, there are also activities like scholarships for underprivileged students.”

Ling Chen suddenly turned to look at him, the surprise in his eyes unmasked.

“What’s wrong?” He Jinchao noticed his gaze.

Ling Chen said honestly: “I didn’t expect you to be so—”

He couldn’t find the right word, “kind” didn’t seem enough; “gentle” didn’t seem precise enough.

Clearly, He Jinchao was a narcissistic person, showing off his appearance three hundred times a day, but he never boasted about his charitable donations in any media. If Hu Yizhi hadn’t asked today, this would have been buried with He Jinchao’s death.

Seeing that Ling Chen seemed to want to say something but held back, He Jinchao raised his eyebrows and completed the sentence for him: “-I didn’t expect me to be so virtuous and flawless?”

Ling Chen: “…”

What “kindness” and “gentleness” just now were really just hallucinations.

Ling Chen rolled his eyes, then turned to look at Hu Yizhi again: “Great Witch, what is the connection between me and him? Can it be severed?”

As he spoke, Ling Chen subconsciously hooked his right-hand pinky.

He couldn’t see the threads on his fingers, but he faintly felt the sensation of being connected to another person—an invisible thread that bound their bodies and destinies together.

“That’s up to you.” Hu Yizhi pinched the air with both hands, as if grasping something, then brought the “line” in front of his eyes to observe carefully. “Although this ‘line’ is the first time I’ve seen it, my grandmother mentioned that only those with deep fate in life can have a lifeline after death—were you really strangers before?”

Ling Chen and He Jinchao exchanged glances and nodded at the same time.

“Before that, we didn’t have anything to do with each other,” Ling Chen laughed at himself. “He is a big star, and I am just his audience, except my work is more special; I can’t be ordinary anymore.”

He Jinchao added, “I haven’t had a fan meeting for many years, and I really haven’t seen Xiaoling.”

“Strange,” Hu Yizhi lowered the “thread” and rested his chin, thinking seriously. But he wasn’t a good learner and shook his empty head vigorously, producing only the sound of water.

“Let’s not talk about this ‘line’ for now,” Ling Chen decided not to dwell on it and changed the subject. “How can he get out of his current state?”

Hu Yizhi’s eyes wandered for a moment, and he didn’t answer. Despite the heavy head curtain obscuring his eyes, He Jinchao detected his evasion from his body language.

He Jinchao was mentally prepared and smiled openly, leaning back on the sofa. “Just say it, is there no way for me to be resurrected?”

“Well…” Hu Yizhi’s voice lowered, and he mentioned his grandmother again. “My grandmother said that a situation like yours, staying in the world because of a fan’s wish, won’t last too long. The shortest is three months, the longest is a hundred days. After that, you’ll be reincarnated.”

After reincarnation, all the memories, glory, happiness, and regrets of this life will be erased.

The death of the body is not the end, but the dissipation of the soul is the true end.

—There are only 100 days left.

When the number was mentioned, the reactions were very different.

Ling Chen: “So long?”

He Jinchao: “So short?”

Ling Chen: “……”

He Jinchao: “……”

They both turned to look at each other.

He Jinchao frowned. “Why is it long? Now that my visa is for ten years, I can stay for just three months? I haven’t even enjoyed the freedom of not needing to read scripts or film. Are you urging me to go already?”

Ling Chen’s tone was sharp. “You’re free, what about my freedom? I’ve only been with you for three days, and I’m about to turn on you. What’s the matter, big actor? Do you really want to stay at my place as a ‘small dynasty’?”

He Jinchao incredulously asked, “You actually want to turn on me? Look at my face. Are you really willing to do that? Do you still want to inherit my Wanguan family fortune?”

Ling Chen sneered. “Ha! Ha! Ha! Don’t flatter yourself. Transfer the coffee money to me first, then I’ll consider burning you more paper after you’re reincarnated.”

He Jinchao: Angry .jpg

Ling Chen: Slightly .gif

The “evil spirit” was angry, and the consequences were quite severe.

Suddenly, all the lights in the small living room began to flicker. Hu Yizhi rushed to turn them off, but he couldn’t keep up with how quickly He Jinchao turned them back on.

“Is it my delusion?” Hu Yizhi trembled, hugging himself. “Why do I feel a cold wind on the back of my neck?”

“It’s not your delusion,” Ling Chen replied. “Some evil ghost turned on the air conditioner.”

Hu Yizhi: “……”

He looked back and saw that the air conditioner in the corner had automatically turned on, the temperature set to sixteen degrees, blowing directly on the necks of the two humans in the room.

Ling Chen smiled with irritation, wrapping his coat tightly. “He Jinchao, I see that you’re not just a narcissistic ghost, but also a childish ghost!”

He Jinchao snorted and arrogantly turned his head.

—-

In the next second, the game console connected to the TV automatically turned on. A villain dressed as a brave man climbed the tower uncontrollably and then jumped off the tower without hesitation.

Hu Yizhi almost cried out. “My winning record!”

In short, since He Yingdi activated his ability to control electrical appliances, he had become even more ghostly when angry.

The only pity was Hu Yizhi, the owner, who didn’t understand why their quarrels led to bad luck for him. Could it be that he’s part of their play?