Chapter 138

Chapter 138

"Shit, shut up," Lu Qiuyan muttered, shivering as goosebumps prickled his skin. Though he didn’t believe in ghosts, that fucking creepy urban legend was seriously getting under his skin.

Wang Weiqi was thrilled with the reaction—at least he wasn't the only one scared now. Spreading his arms wide, he declared, "Shared fear is half the terror! Brothers, huddle up, losers!"

No one responded.

Still grinning, Wang Weiqi added smugly, "Even Goddess Nan Mengyao skipped out on her favorite Detective X. Guess she got spooked too."

Tian Ruan frowned. "Then why are you gloating? You just wasted a perfect chance to impress your Goddess."

Wang Weiqi’s smile faltered. "Is it too late?"

Tian Ruan shook his head. Wang really was the kind of guy who missed every train, let alone a speeding bullet like chasing a goddess. "Your funeral."

With that, Wang took off like his ass was on fire, sprinting toward Class 5 where Nan Mengyao had been reassigned.

Suddenly, the production crew came over with cameras, filming as they walked and asking, "Hey, you two, mind being NPCs for the shoot?"

Lu Qiuyan stood lazily beside Tian Ruan, staring blankly at the crew.

Tian Ruan lifted his frosty eyes, offering an equally blank stare.

Despite the bright daylight, a sudden gust of cold wind swept through that small patch of sunlit space, rustling the clothes of the two pale youths.

Tian Ruan suddenly broke into a creepy-ass grin. "Oh? You can see us?"

The crew: "..."

Lu Qiuyan chimed in smoothly, "Being an NPC’ll cost you two million hell coins."

The crew: "……Our bad!"

Watching them flee in panic, Lu Qiuyan scoffed. "Guess even people filming ghost stories are scared of ghosts."

Tian Ruan suddenly felt less afraid. After all, *Detective X's Dedication* was just a ghost-themed reality show. No matter how bizarre things got, everything would eventually be explained by science.

"Let’s go check it out," Tian Ruan said.

Since Tian wasn’t scared, Lu sure as hell wasn’t either—besides, he still had to work for the student council to earn some cash.

The filming moved to the playground, matching the eerie rule from the urban legend: *"Noon on the playground? Death wish."*

But the atmosphere on set felt weirdly off.

Many of X’s fans knew the story of the so-called "fat pig"—a creep who’d been simping for X since his debut, showering him with constant failed attempts at affection. As X rose to fame, the pig’s chances vanished completely.

Eventually, frustration turned him obsessive. He invested in every show and drama X joined, desperate for even a glance from his idol.

As X’s investor, X couldn’t exactly say no. Wherever X went, the pig followed, forcing X to offer a polite, forced smile—breaking his fans’ hearts in the process.

During a break, the pig eagerly approached again, handing over a drink. "Little X, you’ve worked hard. Here’s an energy drink."

X accepted the can but didn’t open it. "Thanks, Boss Pig."

The pig grinned widely, his gold teeth gleaming like a damn disco ball. The director came over to greet him, and the pig scanned the crowd with his piggy eyes. "So many young faces, all quite good-looking."

Finally, his gaze settled on Yu Shang, eyes sparkling with a hungry leer. "Well hello there, handsome."

Yu Shang replied coldly, "Student Council President of Deyin."

"Excellent, excellent," the fat pig leered, his shiny bald spot gleaming under the lights. "Even better-looking than XX."

A low rumble of thunder echoed from the sky. Yu Shang gripped a bamboo pole nearly eight meters long, looming like the God of Thunder as he glared down at the fat pig.

The fat pig instinctively took half a step back, eyeing the sky warily. "Is it going to rain?"

Director Hu's voice crackled over the loudspeaker: "Attention, students, please take shelter from lightning. To the production crew—hello there—we apologize for any disruptions. Lightning strikes are common here at Deyin. If one happens, we hope you'll understand."

"…………"

The director looked baffled. "Is this for real?"

The students of Deyin nodded in unison. "The last person struck was Director Hu—his hair got fried into a bird’s nest, and his goatee turned to frizz."

The fat pig sneered, "Only real scumbags get struck by lightning. I wonder what Director Hu did—"

A thunderclap boomed, cutting him off.

The fat pig’s words caught in his throat as his gaze landed on Lu Qiuyan.

The protagonist’s aura blazed brightly at that moment. A bolt of realization struck the fat pig’s heart—he felt he had encountered the love of his life. The last time he felt this way was when he first saw XX.

Shaking, the fat pig wobbled toward Lu Qiuyan. That unmatched presence, those rebellious eyes—it was the very image of his youthful white moonlight!

"You… you… are you surnamed Lu?"

Lu Qiuyan: "?? Yeah, I am."

The fat pig quivered with excitement, sweat pouring like rain down his face. In an instant, he was transported back to his school days—a quiet, chubby kid too scared to talk to the dazzling youth in his class, left with nothing but regrets after graduation.

Tian Ruan waved a hand, cutting off the loser’s inner rambling. "Who are you?"

Snapping back to reality, the fat pig’s lips twitched as he prepared to introduce himself—only for his vision to flash white, then black out completely.

He collapsed, his body blackened and smoldering.

Tian Ruan: "…"

Lu Qiuyan: "…"

The lightning had struck barely thirty centimeters from Tian Ruan.

This fat pig was the same one from the original novel who, after lusting after Zhu Jueshou, ended up accidentally castrated—though that was supposed to happen five or six years later. Yet here he was, struck down just for exchanging a few extra words with the protagonist.

Amidst the screams of surrounding students, no one dared to move the fat pig. In the end, it was the armed police who carried him away.

"Talk about instant karma," Tian Ruan remarked.

"Indeed," Lu Qiuyan agreed, still in shock. It was his first time witnessing someone get struck by lightning.

The production crew stared blankly at the smoking crater on the field.

Director Hu stepped forward, chiding them sternly, "I did warn you—lightning strikes happen often at Deyin. Why won’t anyone listen?"

The director stuttered nervously, "Are we… are we gonna be okay filming here? We won’t get zapped, will we?"

With the statue of Lord Wenchang standing guard, maybe they shouldn't mess with forces beyond our control.

Director Hu waved a hand dismissively, "It's nothing. Principal Li and I already said our prayers beforehand. The show’s just staged—it won’t be taken seriously."

"That’s a relief..." The crew really started to believe that Deyin had some supernatural power—the lightning struck out of nowhere.

Only Tian Ruan knew that fate had cut short the plot where an extra messed with Lu Qiuyan. Maybe it was because he’d spoken an extra word to Lu Qiuyan, or maybe just pure boredom.

Either way, it was good news for Lu Qiuyan.

Even better news for X. He looked worried on the outside, but inside he was thrilled. He hoped the lightning had left that creep impotent—better yet if it landed him in the hospital for years.

During a bathroom break, X cackled quietly in the stall, "Heh heh heh... hahaha..."

Though he tried to keep quiet, someone still heard him.

Tian Ruan, sitting in his wheelchair, knocked on the stall door. "Mr. XX, pay up."

X: "..." The joy of being rid of that pest instantly faded.

Two minutes later, the two stood at the sink washing their hands. X told his creditor, "I’ll pay you back. No reminders needed."

Tian Ruan: "I’m just afraid you’ll forget, so let me remind you—think carefully about how you led my big brother on and then dumped him. As his younger brother, you think I wouldn’t be pissed?"

X, guilt-ridden: "I know. Please stop."

"So all I’m asking is for you to repay what you owe. That’s already pretty merciful, right?"

"Right."

"Mr. XX, hustle and make that cash. I believe in you." Tian Ruan applied some hand cream and rolled out of the restroom, only to run into a dozen eager fans. "...XX will be out soon. Wait a bit."

"Thank you!" The girls blushed with excitement.

Clearly not the first time being ambushed in the restroom, X signed autographs for each girl. "Everyone go eat. I’m heading to eat too."

Principal Li had reserved several tables upstairs in the cafeteria for the crew, waiting for the guest of honor—X. Although there was a restroom in the cafeteria, X chose the one near the playground to clear his head.

His mood would’ve been even better if Tian Ruan hadn’t followed him around in that electric wheelchair, looking way too smug.

At the stairs, Tian Ruan couldn’t get up. "Mr. XX, help me."

X grudgingly hauled the wheelchair. "What happened to your legs? Married life too wild?"

"..." Tian Ruan shot him a glare. "Fell."

X almost said "serves you right," but caught himself—otherwise that little leech would hit him with another emotional damages fee. How did he end up working for a high schooler anyway?

"You’re married, yet still in school?" X panted from exertion.

Tian Ruan: "I like school."

X couldn’t wrap his head around it. "I hated school the most. Who actually likes it these days?"

Tian Ruan: "You hated it because you were a lousy student, right?"

X: "...Damn, harsh."

Tian Ruan gave him a once-over. "You’re actually kind of handsome when you’re normal."

X flipped his hair and posed. "Oh yeah? Even a taken guy like you can’t resist me, huh?"

"Now you're losing your edge."

"..."

Suddenly, Tian Ruan caught a glimpse of a group of masked men approaching from the corner of his eye. "Who are they? NPCs from the show?"

X followed his gaze. The group was dressed in dingy windbreakers, faces covered with balaclavas, leaving only their eyes exposed. They were rolling up their sleeves, looking intimidating as hell. "No idea."

Just like in a martial arts novel, five or six masked men approached, twisting their necks with a *crack*. The leader must've pinched a nerve—his eyelid twitched as he growled, "Which one of you is the uncle?"

X: "??? Relatives?"

Tian Ruan’s eyebrow twitched. He pointed at X. "He’s the oldest."

The masked men glared menacingly. "So you're the uncle? Eat this—!"

X: "???"

When the cameraman showed up, he saw X tangled in a brawl with five or six masked men and hesitated—was this part of the show? Whatever, just film it first.

Approaching Tian Ruan, he asked, "What's X doing?"

Tian Ruan clenched his fists, cheering for X. "Detective X vs. the Masked Men! This'll definitely boost ratings! Go for it!!"

The cameraman nodded—oh right, must be something the director set up.

X was wheezing. "Hmph! Hah!"

The masked men surrounded him, arms spread like eagles, perched on one leg like roosters, or lunging forward like bears—like the eight sects besieging Guangming Peak.

Gradually, Deyin’s students gathered around, assuming it was an extra segment. Their faces lit up with excitement. "Go, X!"

X wrestled with the masked men, occasionally unleashing the *"Nine Yin White Bone Claw,"* yanking off their balaclavas and grinding them into the ground...

Masked men: "Eep~"

X: "??"

Everyone: "..."

Tian Ruan shouted, "Nice!"

Suddenly, a shifty guy with raccoon eyes jumped into the fight, wiping out all the masked men in seconds while shouting, "Uncle, don't be afraid! I'm here to save you!"

Turning around, Yu Linluo and X nearly ended up face-to-face, inches apart.

X: "..."

Yu Linluo: "...The hell are you?!"

X stared at the masked men rolling on the ground, fake-moaning in pain, utterly confused. "And you are?"

Tian Ruan finally got it—Yu Linluo had hired these guys to attack him, then planned a hero moment to win over his "uncle."

But of course, X was already there.

Even without X, there would've been bodyguards—those guys never had a shot at getting near Tian Ruan.

When Yu Jingmo showed up, this mess is what he walked into.

The towering figure, with chiseled features and a commanding aura, instantly silenced the surroundings. Assistant Xu, walking at his side, was completely overshadowed, looking bewildered at the chaotic scene.

"Thank goodness Madam is unharmed," Assistant Xu murmured under his breath.

The crowd instinctively parted ways.

Yu Jingmo's expression was icy and stern. Even without showing any emotion, the mere lowering of his eyes carried immense, volcanic fury, instilling fear in onlookers and leaving them speechless.

"Uncle... Uncle..." Yu Linluo shuddered violently, snapping out of his daze. He scrambled toward Yu Jingmo on his knees, attempting to grab his leg. "Uncle, let me explain—"

Yu Jingmo sharply kicked out with his long leg, rejecting any attempt at contact.

Yu Linluo flew backward unconscious, collapsing like a singed moth into X's arms.

X: "..."

Yu Jingmo raised his hand, and several armed guards swiftly rounded up and removed the group of masked men—including the now limp Yu Linluo in X's arms.

"Clear out," Yu Jingmo said coldly.

Bodyguards stepped forward, pushing the spectators out. X needed no second warning—he had already climbed up and rushed away.

The entire incident lasted only two or three minutes.

Before Tian Ruan could even comprehend what had occurred, Yu Jingmo lifted him from his wheelchair.