Chapter 59

Chapter 59

As a result, including Xie Yin Xue himself, five people settled in his room for the night.

Bu Jiuzhao found this preposterous.

But Xie Yin Xue gave him only two choices: either shut up and sleep together with everyone or go out and sleep on his own.

Even if neither option appealed to Bu Jiuzhao, he still had to make a choice.

However, Bu Jiuzhao soon realized that since the others would sleep on the floor, leaving the bed for the two of them, the first choice seemed pretty appealing—letting everyone watch as he and Xie Yin Xue shared the bed had its own charm.

After all, as long as he wasn’t embarrassed, the one losing face wouldn’t be him.

If Xie Yin Xue made this choice, he had to be prepared for any ensuing embarrassment.

But what Bu Jiuzhao never anticipated was Xie Yin Xue's contingency: instead of choosing the room they stayed in the previous night, he picked another room with two beds.

Liu Buhua, noticing this detail, inquired, "Father, aren't we staying in the room from last night?"

"No, we've switched."

At the remark, Xie Yin Xue began to feel a bit vexed by Liu Buhua's attentiveness. Nonetheless, he swiftly admitted it, trusting that Liu Buhua, always so perceptive, would understand his reluctance to elaborate.

Of course, Liu Buhua, who understood Xie Yin Xue inside and out, grasped the implied message and chose not to press further.

However, Bu Jiuzhao couldn't help but chuckle, leaning against the door, eyes sliding to the two beds in the room, remarking, "Because we broke the bed last night."

Everyone else: "?"

"Broke it?"

Li Hong, scratching his head, genuinely baffled—or perhaps, afraid to contemplate—wondered just what Xie Yin Xue and Bu Jiuzhao had done in that room to break a bed.

"Yes," Bu Jiuzhao walked over and sat on one of the beds, smirking, "There was only one bed in that room. So, naturally, we needed a different room, right?"

Xie Yin Xue: "..."

The gathered company looked at the two of them with increasingly complicated expressions. Even Liu Buhua appeared like he wanted to say something but hesitated given the audience.

Xie Yin Xue took a deep breath, met Bu Jiuzhao's gaze with a smile, and said softly, "Bu Jiuzhao, you truly are something."

Bu Jiuzhao responded with a smirk, eyes filled with affection, "Ah, if only you praised me like this every day."

Xie Yin Xue was left speechless, feeling utterly defeated. After all, when it came to being shameless, Bu Jiuzhao was in a league of his own.

Both smiled at each other, but their hearts were seething with mutual annoyance.

As they climbed into their separate beds, they each pulled their blankets up and turned their backs to one another. The others, oblivious to the undercurrents between them, settled on the floor.

They left the lights on that night, a candle flickering on a round table in the room's center, casting a soft, warm glow. Combined with Xie Yin Xue's presence, both Li Hong and Duan Ying felt secure, eyes closing as they prepared for sleep.

However, just as they began to drift off, there was a knock on the door.

All five turned their eyes toward the entrance, where a hazy silhouette stood, its gender indiscernible.

Liu Buhua, Duan Ying, and Li Hong exchanged glances, and finally, Duan Ying asked, "Who's there?"

"Ying, it's me."

The silhouette spoke, revealing the voice of Xu Chen.

"Xu Chen?" Duan Ying looked puzzled, "What are you doing here? Where's Teacher Chao?"

"I think I saw something strange in my room just now, and I'm a bit frightened. May I stay with you tonight?" Xu Chen's voice quivered, laden with a mix of panic, unease, and terror. It seemed as if he had truly witnessed something profoundly horrifying moments ago.

Upon hearing this, Li Hong asked Duan Ying, "Should we open the door?"

During the day, Duan Ying had been consistently worried about Xu Chen. She even contemplated seeking Xie Yin Xue's help to determine if he was possessed by a spirit. In fact, she initially planned to share a room with him tonight.

But, she had accidentally overheard a conversation between Xu Chen and Chao Qinghe.

After their performance, Yu Qinwen and Li Lumeng, both playing monks from Jinshan Temple, had rushed to inform her that they saw a ghost behind her.

Similarly situated nearby were Chao Qinghe and Xu Chen, who also portrayed monks. Chao Qinghe then turned to Xu Chen, asking, "Duan Ying might be in danger tonight. Do you need to..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but anyone could catch his drift—since you two are a couple, shouldn't you stay with her to protect her?

Surprisingly, Xu Chen replied, "But Teacher Chao, I was hoping to share a room with you instead."

Having unexpectedly heard Xu Chen's words, Duan Ying, in that very moment, cast away all her worries about him. Hence, she had asked to share a room with Xie Yin Xue.

Though Duan Ying had spoken softly, she was sure Xu Chen had heard. Surely any man would have some reaction hearing his girlfriend intended to stay in a room with three or four other men?

If Xu Chen still cared for her, he wouldn't have let it happen.

But the reality was Xu Chen remained silent, allowing her to stay with Xie Yin Xue, Li Hong, and Liu Buhua.

Unsure whether Xu Chen's indifference was due to a possessing spirit or his true feelings, Duan Ying felt their relationship had reached a dead end, devoid of hope.

"Xu Chen." Thus, instead of responding to Li Hong's query about opening the door, Duan Ying called out to the silhouette, "Before I let you in, I have a question for you."

"If I and your mother were drowning, who would you save first?"

[If I and your mother were drowning, who would you save first?]

This proverbial relationship test, when posed by Duan Ying in the current context, left Liu Buhua and Li Hong dumbfounded. Bu Jiuzhao, reclining with a pillow, looked intrigued, shifting his gaze to the young man opposite him.

Xie Yin Xue, mirroring Bu Jiuzhao's posture, focused on the door but avoided Bu Jiuzhao's gaze.

The silhouette outside responded, "Of course, I'd save you first."

Most lovers would be elated to hear such an answer. Duan Ying, upon hearing it, smiled. But her smile didn't lead her to rise and open the door; she remained lying down.

The silhouette called out again, "Ying?"

With tears brimming in her eyes, she whispered, "I've actually learned to swim now. You're not Xu Chen. Please, leave."

When she first got together with Xu Chen, she truly couldn't swim.

Most importantly, she'd never ask such a trivial question, knowing Xu Chen's genuine answer deep down. Still, even without asking, she'd pondered on what she might do if such a situation arose. Hence, she enrolled in a swimming class.

Look, even though she hadn’t ended up in water, it still came in handy now, didn't it?

After Duan Ying uttered those words, the shadow outside remained motionless for a good while. Its figure gradually became translucent. In a bizarre, piercing theatrical tone, shifting between male and female voices, it self-interrogated, singing—

“Bai Suzhen, you white snake! I urge you to let go of your infatuation and leave…”

“Do you insist on tearing my spouse and me apart?”

“Sister… Don’t waste words on him. Let’s flood the Golden Mountain and see if he releases our captives!” ①

It recited these lines and slowly faded away.

The villagers, who had been rehearsing opera under strict supervision, instantly recognized these lines from their script titled “Saving the Marriage”.

Li Hong perked up his ears, listening intently. After hearing no further sounds, he whispered, “…Is everything alright now?”

“It should be,” Duan Ying replied, her shoulders slumping. “I hope everyone remains safe.”

She also hoped that Xu Chen, who was supposed to share a room with Chao Qinghe tonight, would be safe.

But what Duan Ying didn't know was: Xu Chen wasn't staying with Chao Qinghe that night.

More accurately, Chao Qinghe chose not to share a room with him.

Initially, Chao Qinghe did return to the room they had stayed in the previous night with Xu Chen. But after a short while, using the restroom as an excuse, he left and selected another room with a single bed, disregarding Xu Chen.

Chao Qinghe couldn’t ascertain if Xu Chen was dead or alive — the previous night, after Xu Chen had fallen asleep, he had turned his shoes around so that the toes pointed directly at the bed.

Shoes pointing towards the bed, a ghost ascends the bed.

Not only that, Chao Qinghe also placed a small mirror under Xu Chen's bed to attract malevolent spirits. After all this, he discreetly changed rooms, leaving the bedroom door slightly ajar until dawn.

Chao Qinghe assumed that in this haunted setting, Xu Chen, having broken many taboos, was doomed. Since he wasn't directly responsible for Xu Chen's potential death, he thought Xu Chen couldn't haunt him. Yet the next day, Xu Chen appeared perfectly alive.

Or rather, he seemed to be “alive.”

Chao Qinghe couldn't find an opportunity to check Xu Chen's pulse or breathing. For now, he decided to keep his distance. As for the others… if not for someone surnamed Xie intervening, he would have killed them all by now. He'd seek another opportunity.

“Guard the door.”

Chao Qinghe scattered some candies on the floor, commanding coldly.

Silence enveloped the room. After a long pause, the candle's flame flickered a few times, and a purplish child's arm suddenly reached out from under the bed, quickly snatching the candies.

On the fifth morning, everyone was roused early by Min Yuandan.

“Tonight's the official performance! We all need to be alert and ready!”

After his loud proclamation, Min Yuandan hurriedly directed them towards the stage. “Quickly head backstage, get dressed, and then line up for Aunt Li to do your makeup.”

The group followed his instructions, getting dressed and making their way to the village square.

However, once they left, they noticed Min Yuandan still sitting in the inner courtyard, seemingly with no intention of joining them at the stage.

Xu Lu inquired, "Leader, isn't the official performance tonight? Aren't you coming with us?"

"You were all called so early, and I haven't had my breakfast. I must eat first, then head over." Min Yuandan rolled his eyes at her, shooing her away with a plastic fan, "Off you go!"

Xu Lu mumbled under her breath about her own missed breakfast, though she didn’t vocalize her complaint.

She looked up at the particularly overcast sky, murmuring, "Is it going to rain today? It’s so gloomy."

The weather in Fengnian Village had been splendid in the past few days: clear, cloudless skies with radiant sunshine. Today, however, there was a dreariness as if someone had overlaid the entire scenery with a gray filter. Everything appeared dim and murky; even the red silks and lanterns throughout the village couldn't dispel the gloom.

"I'm not sure," Liao Xinyang casually replied, "Given the look of the sky, I think it might."

With scant light outside, they could hardly discern their surroundings when they entered the enclosed backstage of the theater. They needed to light candles to see clearly.

Additionally, they noticed a few villagers backstage, ready to assist. Among them, Aunt Lu was responsible for distributing costumes. Seeing everyone gathered, she started handing out neatly stacked costumes from a box according to each individual's role.

Soon, Xie Yinxue received Bai Suzhen's almost entirely white costume.

Xiaoqing’s green outfit was handed to Bu Jiuzhao. However, its vibrant green hue made it look, at first glance, like a notorious green hat.

Duan Ying played one of the heavenly soldiers guarding the Immortal Herb, so she received a set of armor: heavy and unflattering.

At least she didn’t have to wear a bald cap, unlike Yu Qinwen and Li Lumeng, who portrayed monks from the Jinshan Temple.

Holding the bald cap, Yu Qinwen lamented, "These days are probably the ugliest I've ever looked in my life."

No wonder Min Yuandan had rushed them over so early. Donning these caps was time-consuming, let alone the time required for makeup. They had to start early to be ready on time.

Li Lumeng sighed, "Let's get changed first. We have to be in costume before starting the makeup."

Duan Ying followed the two of them into the women’s changing room. Before entering, she glanced at the men's changing room and saw Xu Chen entering with his costume. He was still alive.

In the men's dressing room, already in his Bai Suzhen costume, Xie Yinxue also noticed Xu Chen. However, his attention was solely on Bu Jiuzhao, who stood before him dressed entirely in green.

Xie Yinxue frowned, questioning, "Why is your costume for a male role?"

Bu Jiuzhao looked as if he'd been painted in green, yet his Xiaoqing costume was unmistakably masculine.

Xie Yinxue, on the other hand, had received a genuinely feminine Bai Suzhen costume: complete with a robe, shoulder drape, and flowing sleeves. Even without makeup and hair done, his slender frame, delicate pale face, and long jet-black hair gave him the appearance of a graceful, fair-skinned lady.

Bu Jiuzhao leaned against a wall, lazily surveying Xie Yinxue from head to toe. Approaching Xie Yinxue, he remarked with a playful smirk, "In the original opera of 'The Legend of the White Snake,' the first act is called 'The Duel of the Two Snakes.' It depicts Xiaoqing as a male snake in love with Bai Suzhen. After being rejected and losing a magic duel, he willingly transforms into a maid to serve her."

"Yes," Xie Yinxue replied coldly, "But in our script, that act was omitted. Xiaoqing is introduced as my maid, and you should be wearing a female costume."

"But our script isn't the original," Bu Jiuzhao said, his smile growing wider, "And besides— I wasn’t willing."

Xie Yinxue's eyebrows knitted together, "You're manipulating things for your personal interests!"

It was evident that Bu Jiuzhao, using his privileges as an NPC, had altered Xiaoqing's costume to a male one.

"Indeed, I've been biased, and it's not the first time." Bu Jiuzhao didn't deny it, standing tall as he met Xie Yinxue's gaze. With a suggestive tone, he teased, "Didn't I give my 'first time' to you?"

In Xie Yinxue's first instance of the Gluttonous Feast, Bu Jiuzhao had privately leaked clues for the game's completion out of favoritism. In the second, he even had a direct confrontation with the guide NPC from the Helldream account, all for Xie's sake. His blatant bias was undeniable.

Hearing Bu Jiuzhao's words, Xie Yinxue felt a headache brewing. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he responded, "Your words are nonsensical and insufferable. They're an assault on my ears."

Without wanting to prolong their interaction, he left the dressing room in a huff.

His costume's flowing sleeves brushed against Bu Jiuzhao's face due to his brisk exit. However, Bu Jiuzhao wasn't pained; instead, he relished the cool pear fragrance from the fabric that came from Xie Yinxue. He realized that he couldn't out-argue Xie, but Xie's thin-skinned nature was his weakness.

All Bu Jiuzhao had to do was abandon his dignity, make some wild and disrespectful comments, and Xie Yinxue would be at a loss.

What puzzled Bu Jiuzhao, however, was that despite Xie Yinxue's easily flustered nature, why hadn't he blushed from all the brazen words?

Little did he know, the moment Xie Yinxue stepped out of the dressing room, he felt his face burning hot – not from embarrassment, but sheer annoyance at Bu Jiuzhao.

With a stoic face, he made his way to the makeup area, intending to let Aunt Li style his hair and apply makeup. He had already donned the female costume, so there was no going back. He had to accept his fate.

He reminded himself: "Great achievements require overlooking small issues. It's just a costume; why let it vex me?"

However, before Xie Yinxue could reach the makeup station, he saw Liao Xinyang, who had left the dressing room before him, backpedaling with wide eyes, almost tripping over, as if he had witnessed something horrifying.

Liao's exclamation drew others from the dressing room, who then followed Xie Yinxue's lead, looking towards the makeup mirror.

There were two figures: Xu Chen, now dressed as a monk from Jinshan Temple, and Aunt Li, who was assisting him.

Scanning the area, the group found no other figures or anomalies.

Probably startled by Liao's outcry, Aunt Li looked perplexed and asked, "What startled you?"

"I... I saw..."

Liao Xinyang hesitated, reluctant to point at Xu Chen.

Xie Yinxue softly asked, "What did you see?"

Taking a deep breath and finding solace in the presence of the others, Liao Xinyang hesitantly said, "Just now, I saw a... a bride in a red wedding gown sitting where Xu Chen is."

Liao Xinyang chose his words carefully, avoiding the word "ghost".

When he had first left the dressing room, he had seen Aunt Li styling the hair of a bride in a blood-red gown. The bride's long hair reached her waist, but her reflection was absent from the mirror. As Aunt Li combed through the dark, thick strands, it seemed as if she was preparing a bride-to-be. But, when Liao Xinyang was startled and let out a scream, he blinked, and the bride turned into Xu Chen.

However, he didn't dare recount the exact details in front of Xu Chen and chose more ambiguous words.

Liao's vague description seemed to alarm Aunt Li. Upon hearing the phrase "bride in a red wedding gown," her face paled. Trying to appear calm, she said, "I arrived before you, and there's only been a young man sitting here."

Swallowing hard, Liao Xinyang forced a smile and said, "I must've been mistaken then."

Aunt Li nodded but still appeared somewhat unnerved.

"Indeed, perhaps it was just a fleeting illusion," she murmured.

No sooner had he spoken, than Min Yuandan rushed backstage, panting heavily and waving his hands, exclaiming, "Something's happened! Something big!"

The last time Min Yuandan made such a statement was when Xue Sheng's corpse mysteriously appeared in the alley, which villagers attributed to the haunting of Fengnian Village. So, what significant event was he referring to now?

Everyone simultaneously turned to look at Min Yuandan.

Catching his breath, Min Yuandan finally blurted out, "Xu Chen is dead!"

"His body was found under the bed in the third room of the east house. It's started to decompose! I was halfway through my breakfast when I smelled the stench. When I checked, I almost threw up everything I ate last night."

If the body was already decomposing, then he must've been dead for some time. But wasn’t Xu Chen just backstage? If he had been dead all this while, then who was the person sitting in front of the dressing mirror?

Everyone, as if on cue, turned their gaze towards Xu Chen.

Upon looking again, they saw Xu Chen, still dressed as the monk from Jinshan Temple, sitting with his back to them. However, the reflection in the mirror wasn't Xu Chen's but that of a bride in a bloody gown with a red veil!

"Hee hee hee..."

Sensing everyone's gaze, the blood-clad bride let out a chilling, eerie laugh. Suddenly, as if blown out by a ghostly breath, the candles illuminating the backstage went out.

Plunged into darkness, everyone felt momentarily blind. Still, the faint residual light from outside allowed them to discern figures once their eyes adjusted. They realized they were surrounded by "people" — all dressed in chilling red wedding gowns with blood-red veils. These were the spirits of brides who had met tragic ends in unholy unions.

When the candles were re-lit, these ghostly brides vanished as if the horrifying scene was merely an illusion.

However, everyone remained deeply shaken, haunted by the cold touch of the spectral brides' silky gowns.

"They have come..."

Aunt Li, holding a lit candle, looked dazed with hollow eyes, and cried out in a raspy voice, "They've returned!"

Author's Note:

① Quoted from "Legend of the White Snake · Love"

NPC: If both I and your godson fall into the water, whom would you save first?

Mr. Xie: Naturally, I'd save each of my godsons first.

NPC: Each one?

Mr. Xie: I have four godsons.

npc：……