Chapter 123: Children’s Laughter (3)
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No one had anticipated such a turn of events during the opening ceremony.
The master invited by the crew stood beside the offering table, looking at the mess of crushed incense ash with a grim expression.
He was in the service industry, used to dealing with money, and opening ceremonies were not supposed to be dangerous. They were merely seeking good luck. But this renowned actress had brought him face to face with a situation he had never encountered before.
The director’s expression was also dark and uncertain. The entire set was filled with a deathly silence, and no one dared to break the deadlock.
Only Chi Yan stood in front of the offering table, her back rigid. Her once well-built figure now seemed so frail, trembling in the autumn wind.
“Chi Yan, if you’re not feeling well, take a break on the side.”
Realizing that they were still live, and the situation couldn’t afford to look too unpleasant, the director spoke up to ease the tension, directing, “Master, could you please prepare again?”
The director spoke, and immediately everyone sprang into action, bringing life back to the set.
Meanwhile, Chi Yan was assisted to the backstage lounge by her assistant. The director, citing her physical discomfort, politely declined her participation in the opening ceremony.
—Being kicked out of the opening ceremony as the female lead? That’s unheard of.
Many of the minor actors present watched Chi Yan’s weak figure with schadenfreude, already anticipating how harsh the comments online would be once the news got out.
As for the audience watching the live broadcast, they were left stunned.
If the first incident could be dismissed as an accident due to poor-quality incense, what about the second? Or the third? It couldn’t be a coincidence three times in a row, could it?
[Didn’t Brother Yan mention before that incense should not be broken twice in a row? What does it mean for it to break in the middle like that?]
[This is just too bizarre… I often burn incense for my ancestors at home, but I’ve never encountered anything like this.]
[I was just complaining about how stingy this production team is, even buying subpar incense that breaks with a touch. But now I don’t think that anymore. I don’t know if you all noticed, but did you see the color of the roasted pig? I blinked, and suddenly it turned black?]
[Shocking, it does seem to be true! I initially thought it was just a color difference on the screen, but it’s unlikely that everyone’s screens would malfunction at the same time, right?]
[So scary, waaah, it’s raining outside my house, and the living room window isn’t completely closed. The wind is howling, and now I’m trembling under my blanket, too scared to go close the window in the living room.]
[They all turned into incense ash in the end… Even if someone’s incense was of poor quality, it shouldn’t have happened like this, right? Moreover, didn’t the director and the master handle them just fine earlier? How did it become a problem with Chi Yan?]
[…Silently putting on thick clothes, hiss, so scary, I’ve got goosebumps.]
The members of the production team stood to the side, trying to minimize their presence as much as possible.
They had come together as a strong team, but who could have imagined that such a thing would happen? After all, when someone is embarrassed, they tend to resent anyone who witnessed their embarrassment.
They came to network with a renowned director, not to seek revenge!
“Brother Yan?” Zhang Wubing looked worriedly at Yan Shixun and asked softly, “What’s going on? Sister Chi Yan doesn’t seem right.”
Of course she wasn’t right.
Yan Shixun looked deeply at Chi Yan’s gradually disappearing figure among the crowd, his expression cold and devoid of any warmth.
In the eyes of others, even in weakness, a beauty remains captivating.
But in Yan Shixun’s eyes, Chi Yan seemed to be engulfed by black sewage, with countless dark energies entwining around her, continuously spreading from her shoulders and back, attempting to engulf her.
Each strand of dark energy seemed to whisper with resentment close to the ear, entwining and refusing to leave, trying to pull people into another world.
Yan Shixun had never seen such intense resentment on anyone before. Well, to be precise, anyone he had seen with similar traits in the past had already become ghosts.
There were no living beings.
Just now, when Chi Yan was lighting the incense, Yan Shixun watched attentively. Suddenly, a surge of black energy erupted from her, as if in anger, instantly engulfing the entire space and blowing out the candles on the altar.
“Master Uncle, is Chi Yan…?”
Lu Xingxing leaned over to Yan Shixun, rare willingness to call him “Master Uncle”, lowering his voice, wanting to know if Chi Yan was as he imagined.
After all, he was following a senior monk from the Haiyun Temple, and coupled with Yan Shixun’s obvious unease, he felt like a student being reminded of the beginning by another monitoring teacher during a silent test, vaguely guessing at something.
“Before things are confirmed, don’t speak out of turn.”
Yan Shixun’s voice was calm, without any hint of abnormality. “Lu Xingxing, the words spoken by practitioners are heard by heaven and earth. Once uttered, they carry power. If the truth is not as you imagine it to be, but the other party’s fate has already been affected by your words, then you will bear the consequences.”
Lu Xingxing reluctantly kept his mouth shut and didn’t dare to continue speaking.
This left An Nanyuan, who had been eavesdropping with keen interest, feeling anxious. He was eager to know what was going on. After all, Chi Yan was also his idol!
He didn’t want Chi Yan’s perfect image in his mind to collapse, but…
As the crew members stood silently by the side, pretending to be statues against the wall, silently watching, the crew on the other side finally, after a chaotic moment, reprepared everything for the opening ceremony.
The scattered incense ashes that had just covered the table were all cleaned up, and the candles were replaced with new ones.
Because the roast pig was usually arranged in advance and couldn’t be bought on the spot, the director, despite feeling uncomfortable about it, had to make do for the time being.
This time, when the master handed the three incense sticks to the director, almost everyone on the scene held their breath, fearing that their breathing would extinguish the incense.
Although the director didn’t say anything, his face was tense, indicating that Chi Yan’s incident had left him uneasy.
Fortunately, everything went smoothly this time. After the director bowed and inserted the three incense sticks into the new incense burner, everything returned to normal.
The incense swayed a bit, emitting a few wisps of black smoke, and then ignited smoothly under everyone’s gaze.
As the fragrance of the incense slowly spread, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
When the main cast members were called forward by the director to light incense, each of them did so without any hesitation, their arm muscles tense with nervousness.
Thankfully, everything went smoothly without any further surprises, and the director’s serious expression eased up once again.
The opening ceremony proceeded smoothly according to the plan, and the photographers came over with the developed photos to discuss selections for publicity with the director.
The rest of the actors dispersed, chatting with each other, seemingly harmonious as if no one remembered the small incident that had just occurred.
The director approached and shook hands with Zhang Wubing, saying, “Sorry for the mishap.”
Zhang Wubing quickly replied, “A flaw doesn’t overshadow the brilliance. Congratulations on the filming of ‘Binhai Nocturne.’ I heard you’ve been planning this script for a long time, and with your dedication, it’s sure to go smoothly.”
The director nodded, “I hope so… Where’s Zhao Zhen?”
He waved his hand towards the back, signaling for Zhao Zhen to come over. “Friends are here to visit, how can you leave them aside? Since you’re not needed for rehearsals today, you should familiarize yourself with the scenes and get a feel for it. Take your friends along.”
“I just started filming, and I still have work to do over there. I’ll excuse myself for now. Feel free to roam around, everyone, don’t be shy.”
The director also knew that the production team had brought in significant traffic, ensuring the film’s budget. This had reassured the investors to approve his funding. They could also leverage his reputation, perhaps even affixing an “artistic” label to some of them when they returned.
But leaving the production team aside in front of everyone’s eyes wasn’t a good look.
So the director smiled and quickly shook hands with everyone, making a rare gesture of closeness, and the guests reciprocated graciously.
However, when the director shook hands with Yan Shixun, he hesitated and didn’t let go for quite some time.
Yan Shixun raised an eyebrow, his previously absent-minded gaze refocused on the director, silently asking: What’s up?
“You…” The director hesitated, but still asked, “Are you interested in making movies?”
Except for Zhang Wubing, who was already aware, everyone else looked surprised at the director, not expecting the renowned director, who had been famous for many years, to directly extend an invitation to someone.
If those actors who had been repeatedly rejected by the director despite their desire to join his films found out that someone who hadn’t even entered the entertainment industry had easily obtained the opportunity they had been dreaming of, they would probably go crazy!
Audience before the live broadcast: [???]
[Haha, where does Brother Yan have acting skills?]
[Hey, don’t say that. Every time Brother Yan tells us that it’s not superstition but science, his acting is pretty good, he had me fooled.]
Yan Shixun didn’t expect the director to come out with something like this so suddenly. Because Zhang Wubing knew very well that Yan Shixun wouldn’t agree, he had put this matter aside after talking to the director on the phone before, without mentioning it to Yan Shixun.
He looked at the renowned director who seemed particularly sincere, not like someone just going through the motions. Yan Shixun felt somewhat moved, so he didn’t reject him directly as he usually would.
Although Yan Shixun didn’t understand much about the entertainment industry, he was not unfamiliar with this director.
The reason was simple – Zhang Wubing’s idol was this director.
Although Zhang Wubing had applied to the Finance Department at Binhai University according to his family’s wishes, he had never forgotten his passion for movies. Especially for this director, Li Xuetang, who had sparked his initial interest and pursuit of film.
Yan Shixun and Zhang Wubing lived in the same dormitory. Yan Shixun had seen more than once the tall stack of books on film history, film art, and the magazines on movies that Zhang Wubing kept. Articles about Director Li Xuetang were treasured by Zhang Wubing; he would cut them out and paste them on the wall, using them as constant motivation for himself.
As a result, even Yan Shixun, who never paid attention to the entertainment industry, knew quite a bit about this director’s life and character. He knew that he was an idealist who would go to great lengths to pursue his artistic vision.
A pure idealist deserved respect.
So, Yan Shixun deftly freed his hand from the director’s grip, which seemed reluctant to let go, and smiled, “Zhao Zhen is a great actor, and there are many other talented actors who have dedicated years to perfecting their craft hoping to have the opportunity to work with you, Director.”
Hearing Yan Shixun’s tactful refusal, the director felt disappointed, but he respected others’ choices. He nodded and turned to walk towards his waiting team members.
“Wow, that’s awesome, Brother Yan!”
Excitedly, Lu Xingxing rushed over and asked, “Is that also one of our conditions for cooperation? To have you act in a movie?”
Yan Shixun felt like he was starting to understand why Taoist Song Yi often had an expressionless face.
It was probably to avoid being provoked by this troublemaker.
“I don’t know if it’s part of the cooperation, but even if it is, it won’t survive your shouting at the front of a live broadcast.”
Yan Shixun gave a fake smile. “Have you ever considered auctioning off your brain, Lu Xingxing? It would fetch a high price, after all. Everyone else’s has signs of use, but yours is brand new.”
The audience, who had just been shocked by Lu Xingxing’s mention of “transaction”: “Pfft!”
[So, does Brother Yan mean Lu Xingxing never uses his brain?]
[Haha, I used to think Lu Xingxing was that cool musician. Last year, when he dissed all his competitors on stage, I thought he was so cool and loved him. Now I just want to ask if my eyes were blind last year.]
[This is clearly a silly child! Hahaha, this is priceless. Xingxing, you better smarten up a bit. Your handsome image in your mom’s eyes is gone forever, my little Xing is so silly, tenderly pat head.jpg.]
Lu Xingxing looked at Yan Shixun in confusion for a long time before weakly retorting, “But Brother Yan, didn’t you just not refuse Director Li earlier? You even said you wanted to cooperate with him…”
Yan Shixun: “…”
“It’s really unbelievable. With your understanding, you actually went through nine years of compulsory education :)”
Lu Xingxing clapped happily. “I didn’t!”
Yan Shixuan: “?”
Others also turned to look over.
Lu Xingxing, oblivious to the attention, calmly explained, “Because I joined Haiyun Temple and became a disciple there since my youth, so after finishing elementary school, I’ve been studying with the senior brothers at Haiyun Temple.”
The audience before the live broadcast was about to burst into laughter.
[Excuse me, is this program called ‘Xingxing Comedian’?]
[Xingxing has never hidden this matter, many fans know about it. In a previous show, when his opponent dissed his education, he immediately started composing lyrics from the first word in the ‘Cihai’ dictionary and sang it out, leaving the opponent speechless. When the opponent didn’t believe him, the organizers took out the ‘Cihai’ and cross-checked it word by word, and it actually matched!]
[Our Xingxing may have a low education level, but his cultural level is not low. People from Haiyun Temple are really knowledgeable.]
[Brother Yan gives you two slaps :) Brother Yan isn’t asking about Lu Xingxing’s education, right? Brother Yan himself doesn’t seem to have a formal education either? He just thinks Lu Xingxing is a bit too silly.]
[? Seems like you have some misunderstanding about Brother Yan…”]
[Pftt, why do I feel like Xingxing is too obedient in front of Brother Yan? That scene just now looked like father and son, with Xingxing being a silly child wanting to show off his achievements to his dad.]
[Huh? Does Brother Yan have a natural dad vibe? Father is very worried about you.jpg.]
[Am I the only one who thinks Brother Yan and Xingxing are hilarious together? I was scared half to death just now, but now I’m laughing my head off in bed.]
Yan Shixun completely ignored Lu Xingxing now, suddenly feeling some sympathy for Taoist Song Yi. Having such a disciple would truly test one’s cultivation.
Meanwhile, Zhao Zhen rubbed his cheeks, which were hurting from laughing, and led the crew members away from the opening ceremony venue.
“This area used to be the concession area of Country Y. Later, it was designated as a key protected unit by Binhai City. To visit, you need to make an appointment. Only a thousand people are received each day, and it’s very strict. You can’t just enter whenever you want.”
Zhao Zhen unfolded the map and guide given to him by the assistant director and began acting as a tour guide as they walked. He said, “This is a rare opportunity for us to explore. Don’t be shy. Having the whole place to ourselves even allows us to enter the buildings. It’s truly a rare chance.”
Lu Xingxing, puzzled, made a questioning sound, then turned to Yan Shixun and asked, “Brother Yan, aren’t you supposed to be the tour guide? Why is Zhao Zhen explaining?”
Yan Shixun calmly walked up to Lu Xingxing, gave him a fake smile, and said, “Because I need to make time to deal with you.”
Then, in an instant, he moved so quickly that he left almost an afterimage. Before Lu Xingxing could react, Yan Shixun grabbed his collar and pulled him directly into a nearby alley.
“You guys talk. I’ll have a friendly chat with Lu Xingxing.”
Yan Shixun dropped the statement with a deadpan expression, and the final image of the livestream was Lu Xingxing struggling in terror as he was dragged away.
Some quick-eyed viewers had already captured screenshots: [Alright, let’s congratulate the birth of a new meme!]
[Let me go, I’m about to do something bold!.jpg]
The guests laughed uncontrollably. Zhao Zhen casually glanced at the map and noticed a building next to the alley where Yan Shixun and the others had just entered, marked as “Former Residence of Diplomat Jing Bin”.
Nobody paid much attention to these small incidents as they listened with relish to the events that had occurred in this area a hundred years ago, recounted by Zhao Zhen.
However, Zhang Wubing was lagging behind, murmuring something under his breath and fidgeting with his hands, but shaking his head as if he had confused himself.
When Zhao Zhen mentioned that Li Xuetang had rented out the entire eastern area of the concession, Zhang Wubing suddenly realized a problem: production costs.
Despite being a semi-amateur director, his knowledge of finance was solid. He knew that in order to avoid losses, one had to balance profits and costs. After roughly estimating, he realized that Li Xuetang’s spending style meant that the cost of this film was not low at all!
Did Li Xuetang manage to secure a large investment? Otherwise, this film might run out of budget halfway through.
Zhang Wubing fretted over the thought.
On the other side, after Zhao Zhen led the production crew away, Li Xuetang found various excuses to dismiss the actors who were scheduled to discuss the script today.
With no live broadcast or outsiders present, Li Xuetang’s demeanor became much more serious when he looked at the master.
“What’s the deal with the opening ceremony?” His tone was displeased. “This film cannot afford any mistakes. Other directors and producers have high opinions of you, so even if you demand a high price, I’m willing to pay. But is this what you give me?”
The master also appeared impatient, completely losing the calm and sophistication he had shown in front of everyone earlier.
His Taoist robe was stained with incense ash, as if he had tried to brush it off but failed, making it even messier. However, he seemed to have forgotten about his carefully crafted image of a “respected master” and instead kept pinching his fingers, as if trying to calculate something.
“Don’t compare me to those swindlers. The opening ceremony I personally arranged was meticulously planned, and there have been numerous instances where other crews shooting in the mountains, unaware of the rules, sought my help to resolve issues with dirty spirits. Although I may not be a renowned director like you, my reputation in the entertainment industry is not bad.”
The master wasn’t one to be pushed around either. He replied with a cold sneer, “But what happened at today’s opening ceremony is unheard of! It’s definitely not my fault. I’ve been in this industry for over a decade and have never seen spirits collectively enraged like that, refusing even the incense offerings.”
“So you’re saying the problem lies with us?” Li Xuetang angrily retorted.
To his surprise, the master responded without hesitation, “Exactly!”
Those remaining were core members of the director’s team, highly trusted and with multiple collaborations under their belts. They were all astonished at the master’s straightforwardness, a rare sight when facing a director.
In the entertainment industry, people, perhaps due to their frequent encounters with the supernatural, often believe more in ghosts and spirits than the average person. That’s why they spare no expense in hiring these masters. This master, who specializes in entertainment industry matters, has made a fortune over the years by capitalizing on this.
But even as someone reliant on the entertainment industry and reputation to make money, he dares to speak to Li Xuetang in such a manner? Isn’t he afraid of losing future clients from the industry?
Li Xuetang was taken aback by the admission. For a moment, he didn’t know how to react, incredulously staring at the master.
Meanwhile, the master’s expression grew increasingly grim as his attempts at divination yielded no results.
“To be frank with you, precisely because I’m not a charlatan, I can’t guarantee anything for you. Something… strange has happened here.”
“Right before the opening ceremony, I habitually checked the surroundings. Although there were spirits present, they posed no significant issues. But since just now, it’s as if the spirits in this place have been provoked. Even the geomantic aspects are being affected. My abilities are insufficient to determine what’s going on.”
The master shook his head. “I can’t deal with this matter. I’ll refund your money double immediately. Please seek another solution.”
With that, the master didn’t even bother to tidy up his belongings. He hurriedly walked out, as if something had frightened him.
His decisive rejection startled Li Xuetang, making him realize that something might indeed be amiss.
Both individuals possessed formidable auras, making others hesitant to intervene.
It wasn’t until the master had walked through the courtyard and out of the large iron gate that the photographer, who had been waiting nearby for some time, approached cautiously. He carefully asked: “Director, about the photos from the opening ceremony…”
Li Xuetang immediately cast a stern glance at him.
The photographer flinched, then mustered up the courage to continue, “The publicity team suggested that we should seize every opportunity to promote the film, so they want to use the photos from the opening ceremony for social media promotion. Could you please take a look and decide which ones to use?”
He wasn’t about to face the boss’s wrath head-on, blindly charging into trouble. It was because the situation he discovered was too bizarre, he didn’t dare to make decisions alone.
The film was his labor of love, and Li Xuetang wouldn’t vent his frustration on the movie. He waved his hand, signaling the photographer to come and see.
But the photographer deliberately placed many photos of Chi Yan at the forefront.
Li Xuetang frowned, “What kind of work are you doing? Didn’t you see what happened with Chi Yan during the opening ceremony? How can we include her in the promotion? Take them down.”
Others were surprised, knowing that Chi Yan probably wouldn’t get a good result this time with the director.
The leading actress was clearly present, yet her absence in the promotion was striking. It was almost unheard of to show such lack of consideration.
The photographer reluctantly enlarged a few of the photos, “Director, there’s a problem with the pictures we took…”
Li Xuetang didn’t understand what the photographer was trying to say. He frowned at the photographer but when he followed the photographer’s gaze, he noticed something unusual—
In the photo, Chi Yan respectfully bowed towards the altar, her graceful figure set against the backdrop of the ancient surroundings, beautiful as a painting.
However, there were faint shadows entwining around Chi Yan’s back.
In one of the pictures where Chi Yan bent down, there was a whole mass of black shadow on her back, resembling a child sitting on her, pressing her down.
“This…” Li Xuetang recalled the strange attitude of the master just now, and his expression changed suddenly.
The photographer, fearing that Li Xuetang might vent his anger on the bearer of bad news – himself, explained cautiously, “Perhaps there was a flying insect passing in front of my lens at that moment, causing this effect during the exposure. These photos can’t be used anymore. I’ll delete them immediately.”
Li Xuetang nodded heavily, his mind no longer focused on these matters.
His longtime partner, seeing the photos, immediately pulled him aside and asked in a low voice, away from others, “Chi Yan seems a bit off. Should we consider changing the female lead?”
Li Xuetang was puzzled.
The old partner glanced around, making sure no one could overhear their conversation, before lowering his voice, “You’ve always been obsessed with drama, not paying attention to anything else. So you probably don’t know, but Chi Yan has been in touch with quite a few people lately.”
“A lot of people in the industry say she may have upset some big shot, who then hired a Gu Master to retaliate against her. That’s why many people have been avoiding her lately.”
The old partner complained, “It’s only you. I’ve reminded you several times, but you still insist on using Chi Yan.”
Li Xuetang frowned, “Chi Yan is the most suitable person for this script. Besides, changing the lead actress right after the opening ceremony? What would people think of me?”
The old partner was exasperated, “Oh, you stubborn mule.”
The two, overwhelmed with worry, didn’t notice that just beside the corridor where they were talking, behind the ancient stone screen, a pair of red-bottomed high heels faintly emerged.
Chi Yan stood in the shadows, her face as dark as water. She didn’t seem angry at being discussed for replacement, nor did she panic at the mention of photo issues.
It was as if she had known all along.
But when the director’s old partner mentioned “Gu Master’s curse,” Chi Yan breathed a sigh of relief.
Thank goodness… No one noticed.
“Huh? Sister Chi Yan, what are you doing standing there? It’s chilly over there.”
The assistant, who had been sent to temporarily take care of Chi Yan, came back with some hot water and saw Chi Yan’s strange behavior. Without much thought, he said, “I brought Sister Chi Yan a cup of hot water. You’re not feeling well, so drinking some might help.”
The conversation behind the screen stopped abruptly, followed by the sound of footsteps.
Chi Yan’s body stiffened for a moment, and a trace of annoyance flashed across her beautiful face when she straightened up. But she quickly regained her composure and turned to face Li Xuetang, saying openly, “I just came to inform the director.”
“My health isn’t too good today, so I plan to go back to the hotel and rest for a while.”
Li Xuetang nodded without saying much, allowing Chi Yan to leave.
Regardless of any issues Chi Yan might have, Li Xuetang never concerned himself with the personal morals or troubles of artists. He only valued their acting skills and compatibility with his scripts. So, even though his longtime partner was unhappy with him using Chi Yan, he still respected the decision.
Watching Chi Yan’s graceful figure leave, his longtime partner glared at Li Xuetang with some resentment, as if wishing he would see the consequences before it was too late. “You, you… Are you really going to wait until something happens to regret it?”
“I won’t regret it.”
After a long pause, due to his partner’s persistence, Li Xuetang hesitated and said, “I will consider your words.”
His partner sighed and tore out a page from his notebook, hastily scribbling down a phone number. He handed it to Li Xuetang and said, “I know a powerful figure in the Haiyun Sect, Taoist Song Yi. If that Chi Yan has angered someone powerful enough to upset you, and if anything happens, then quickly seek out Taoist Song Yi.”
“I’ve heard that the big shot brought in an old Gu Master from the Miao family. Even the locals dare not provoke them, so don’t take it lightly.”
Although Li Xuetang didn’t fully agree with his partner’s words, he appreciated the concern from his friend.
He nodded and thanked him with a smile.
…
The hotel chosen by the crew was located on the edge of the old Eastern Concession area, previously used as a high-end tourist hotel. Many rooms had balconies overlooking the panoramic view of the Concession area, and the crew had reserved several rooms there.
The production team also stayed in the same hotel to create a close relationship with the film crew and because it was the only option nearby.
However, neither side had reserved a room for Chi Yan.
After all, Chi Yan’s home was in Binhai City, just across the river from her Lian Jiang Mansion, so it was very close. Moreover, Chi Yan had not even participated in the opening ceremony before. The logistics staff of the crew thought that this top-tier actress might not be comfortable staying in a hotel, so they didn’t book a room for her.
At this moment, Chi Yan was standing at the hotel front desk, and both the hotel staff and the crew assistants were quite embarrassed.
“Ms. Chi, I’m sorry, but your room…” The front desk staff was clearly uncomfortable.
Seeing the situation, the manager nearby immediately walked over and said, “Hasn’t the top-floor suite always been reserved for Mr. Jing? It’s not yet the time when Mr. Jing usually comes. Let’s give Ms. Chi the top-floor suite for now.”
“But…” The front desk hesitated, but was sternly reprimanded by the manager.
“Sorry, Ms. Chi, it’s our mistake. You can stay in the top-floor suite for now, and all your room expenses will be considered as our apology.”
The manager quickly walked over to Chi Yan and said, “We’ll clean up the other suites immediately, and we’ll take you over first thing tomorrow morning.”
Chi Yan nodded. Although she hadn’t said a word in support of the front desk or the assistant’s cold treatment, she smiled gently only after the manager resolved the issue. “It’s not your fault. I didn’t inform the crew before I came. It’s my mistake.”
“You’re too kind.”
The manager breathed a sigh of relief, feeling even more favorably towards Chi Yan. It was rare to encounter a customer with such a high status who was willing to understand the difficulties.
Immediately, someone came to escort Chi Yan to the top-floor suite.
Meanwhile, because Director Li Xuetang encountered some unexpected issues today that needed to be dealt with, there were no immediate arrangements. Everyone could go about their own business for now. Therefore, the crew of the program decided to drop off their belongings at the hotel first, freshen up, and then head to the East Bund area.
As the guests walked through the lobby with smiles on their faces, they happened to see Chi Yan heading upstairs.
Little fan Bai Shuang’s eyes immediately lit up. “Sister Chi YAn!”
Chi Yan turned around, smiling gracefully. “Oh, it’s you all. And you, I remember you, beautiful girl.”
Bai Shuang’s face turned as red as an apple, her mind overwhelmed with the thought, “She said I’m beautiful!” She was completely unable to process it.
Her face flushed with concern as she asked, “Sister Chi Yun, are you feeling better now? Earlier at the venue, you didn’t look too well.”
A hint of awkwardness flashed across Chi Yan’s face. She pushed her sunglasses, which she hadn’t taken off, up a bit, inviting everyone to go upstairs together and subtly changing the subject by asking about their trip to the East Bund.
“Brother Yan and Xingxing didn’t join us. They went to visit a diplomat’s former residence.”
As someone from the same crew who needed to work together, Zhao Zhen smiled as he explained the situation to Chi Yan, taking into consideration Lu Xingxing’s feelings, without directly saying they weren’t there for a visit but rather for “friendly exchanges.”
“A diplomat?” Chi Yan seemed to latch onto something, focusing on the least important detail.
Zhao Zhen nodded. “It seems to be a diplomat named Jing Bin.”
“Sister Chi Yan, let us accompany you upstairs,” Little fan Bai Shuang said worriedly. “You’re going alone, without an assistant. I’m a bit concerned.”
Other guests chimed in, “It’s a gentleman’s duty to escort a lady home.”
Chi Yan didn’t refuse.
“Ding—!”
The sharp, piercing sound of the elevator arriving echoed in the empty space, sending shivers down everyone’s spines.
Behind the elevator doors seemed to hide shadows of ghosts, lurking in the darkness. They stared intently at the elevator, waiting for the doors to open, then pounce—
“Ahhhhh!!”
Bai Shuang was terrified, her legs giving out as she collapsed inside the elevator. The other guests were equally unprepared, screaming in terror, their minds going blank.
Behind the elevator doors, unexpectedly revealed to everyone, was a blood-red patched puppet.
Blood had spread from the elevator doors to the luxuriously decorated yet empty living room, smearing the walls with crimson and dripping slowly down the wallpaper.
Under the high dome, Bai Shuang’s screams echoed repeatedly.
The puppet, with its limbs disjointed and then reassembled, twisted in angles impossible for a human, stood there covered in blood, facing directly towards the open elevator doors. Its face wore a twisted smile, and its entirely black eyes gleamed.
As if greeting the visitors—
Did you miss me?
Chi Yan’s breath suddenly became heavy, her eyes wide beneath her sunglasses.
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