Upon seeing Xu Chen, Chu Mingjia ignored the baby girl with a hideous expression perched on his head. She pried Han Fengchen’s hand off her hem, walked up to Xu Chen with the photo, and handed it to him. “Do you know where this girl is now?”
The moment Xu Chen saw the photo, his pupils contracted, and a flicker of panic flashed in his eyes. He swallowed hard, staring at Chu Mingjia. “How do you have this photo?”
Chu Mingjia raised an eyebrow. “I got it here, of course. Don’t tell me you still don’t know what this place is?”
In the corner, a woman stood with a sorrowful expression, her gaze fixed on Xu Chen. Her eyes were full of complex emotions, anticipation, but also tension and fear.
Han Fengchen looked at Chu Mingjia, then at the baby girl riding on Xu Chen’s head, and finally at the woman in the white dress standing in the corner.
He swallowed hard, utterly terrified, and kept as quiet as a mouse.
He stuck close to Chu Mingjia’s side. Han Fengchen, the young master who once scoffed at ghosts and despised superstition, had finally come to understand the power of the supernatural.
He cast a pitiful glance at Xu Chen and silently lit a mental candle for him.
Xu Chen studied the photo, then looked suspiciously around the room. It was old, dim, and cramped, the kind of rundown house from decades ago. The walls were blackened and yellowed, and the windows were rusted.
Even in his lowest moments, he had never lived in a place like this. He had no idea where it was.
With a dark expression, Xu Chen stared at Chu Mingjia. “Is this your script for today? Is the Han family going a bit overboard with all this drama just to promote Han Fengchen?”
Han Fengchen peeked out from behind Chu Mingjia and pointed at Xu Chen. “What the hell are you talking about? I—”
He caught sight of the baby girl on Xu Chen’s head and was so startled his voice nearly cracked. He shrank back and lowered his voice. “I’m born under a lucky star, I don’t need anyone’s promotion! Besides, even if my family wanted to push me, why would they drag you into it and give you free publicity? You dreaming or what?”
Xu Chen: “…”
Xu Chen gritted his teeth. “Han Fengchen!”
Seeing that it was already evening, Chu Mingjia knew that if they didn’t resolve this tonight, they’d have to continue tomorrow, and that would be too troublesome, since they had other things to do.
She handed the photo to Han Fengchen. “Have someone look up this girl’s birth date and time.”
Han Fengchen took the photo, utterly bewildered. He glanced at the girl in the corner and whispered, “Can’t we just ask her directly?”
Chu Mingjia shook her head. “No need. She doesn’t remember.”
Han Fengchen: “…”
Livestream chat Room:
【……】
【I feel like they’re talking about something huge! They actually want to check her birth date and time!】
【Judging by Chenchen’s expression, it doesn’t look like acting. I suggest the national special affairs department get involved!】
【Among everyone present, apart from Mrs. Han, everyone else looks terrified. Is there someone standing in that corner?】
……
Han Fengchen didn’t dare say a word. As the eldest son of the Han family, getting someone’s info was no big deal, right?
He called his agent, Hao Lan.
After Han Fengchen’s live stream blew up, the video platform pushed it to the front page. A massive influx of viewers poured in, and within no time, hashtags like #TransparentMotherAndDaughter# and #IsThereSomeoneInTheCornerOrNot# started trending.
Many netizens began screenshotting the footage frame by frame. Based on the gazes, movements, and expressions of Han Fengchen, Chu Mingjia, and Xu Chen, they determined that there should be another “person” in the corner.
What’s more, a highly upvoted comment analyzed the situation like this:
【While Chu Mingjia was talking to Xu Chen, Han Fengchen hid behind her and kept glancing at the top of Xu Chen’s head. Also, when Han Fengchen retorted to Xu Chen, the moment his eyes landed on Xu Chen’s head, he flinched backward in fear. That movement and expression could never be acting. So, there’s very likely someone on Xu Chen’s head too. Connecting this to the earlier context, the two invisible people are a mother and daughter. So, I reasonably suspect that a poor child is crouching in the corner, and a woman is hanging from the top of Xu Chen’s head.】
Within just half an hour, this comment received over a hundred thousand likes, which shows just how popular Han Fengchen’s live stream was.
Millions of viewers were glued to Han Fengchen’s live stream, not to watch Xu Chen, nor even to watch Han Fengchen. They just wanted to see how this would unfold further.
Even if this was scripted, it was brilliantly written, with fantastic suspense and hooks.
【Here’s my little hand wave and a pile of mines! Even if it’s scripted, I’m following it, it’s way too exciting.】
【What a surprise, Xu Chen and Han Fengchen’s acting is so superb! Looks like Xu Chen has hope for a successful career transition.】
……
Director Zhang Song felt a sense of panic. Although the show had become popular, he sensed that it wasn’t as simple or safe as he had initially imagined.
The main issue was that he hadn’t anticipated that Mrs. Han would be so capable!
Zhang Song immediately called a few masters he had contacted before, asking about their availability and seeing if he could invite two more masters to come and take charge.
At this point, money didn’t matter anymore, survival was what counted.
Xu Chen sat on the sofa, looking at Chu Mingjia and Han Fengchen with a cold sneer. “You want to investigate her, so why did you call me here?”
Chu Mingjia was looking at the girl’s information that Han Fengchen had sent over. Han Fengchen glanced at Xu Chen and said with exasperation, “I heard you’ve been thinking about transitioning your career lately, aiming for the big screen.”
Xu Chen furrowed his brow. “So what if I am?”
Han Fengchen offered a sincere suggestion: “I think you’d be perfect as a TV shopping host. Just look at yourself, your ability to play dumb and spout nonsense is top-notch.”
Furious, Xu Chen stood up. “Han Fengchen!”
Han Fengchen swiftly ducked back behind Chu Mingjia again.
Xu Chen: “…”
Xu Chen was livid. Normally, Han Fengchen was so cocky, he wouldn’t hesitate to start a fight with him in public. But now, in front of the live stream, he was putting on such a fearful act!
Han Fengchen was just too good at pretending!
But Han Fengchen wasn’t afraid of Xu Chen, he was terrified of the baby girl on his head!
The baby’s face had turned blueish-green. If this kept up, Han Fengchen felt like she might just take root and sprout.
Holy crap, it was horrifying!
Chu Mingjia looked at the girl’s information on her phone that Han Fengchen had someone dig up.
Actually, there wasn’t much digging needed. As the popularity of Han Fengchen’s live stream continued to rise, many netizens had already uncovered the girl’s details.
The girl’s name was Lin Xiao, 20 years old, and she was Xu Chen’s classmate. They had both signed as trainees with the same company and had even appeared together on the same talent show.
Lin Xiao was pretty and had a sweet voice, enjoying high initial popularity. It was said that the company was already preparing to debut her in a group with two other boys.
But later, for some unknown reason, Lin Xiao suddenly vanished, quickly disappearing from the entertainment industry.
No one would notice the disappearance of an idol who hadn’t even debuted yet. However, Chu Mingjia came across another piece of information.
“Xu Chen paid Lin Xiao’s one-million-yuan contract termination fee?”
Chu Mingjia turned to look at Xu Chen.
An unnatural look flashed across Xu Chen’s face. He didn’t expect that by merely following Han Fengchen to participate in a paranormal exploration show, his own past with his first love would be dug up.
What about the rest of it…
Forcing himself to stay calm, Xu Chen nodded. “Yes, she had gone missing at the time. The company contacted her family, but her parents live in the countryside and had no idea where their daughter was. Besides, they didn’t understand the entertainment industry. A million-yuan penalty fee was an insurmountable sum for them. I had just signed my debut contract and received my bonus, so I helped her pay it.”
Xu Chen had always kept his past with Lin Xiao tightly under wraps, not daring to reveal a single detail.
So, apart from the company, almost no one knew about his relationship with Lin Xiao.
Even if Chu Mingjia had now uncovered it, he wasn’t afraid. After all, he hadn’t mistreated Lin Xiao. She was the one who had disappeared, forcing him to break up. He had even paid her penalty fee, and he had never used that fact for publicity.
If the public narrative was handled well, this would only benefit him.
With that thought, Xu Chen felt reassured.
However, Chu Mingjia didn’t ask him why he had paid that million. Instead, she said, “You owe her far more than a million.”
Xu Chen: “???”
The audience: “…”
Xu Chen’s face darkened. “What nonsense are you talking about? I don’t owe her a single cent.”
Chu Mingjia looked at him with disgust in her eyes. “A person’s fate and fortune are something no amount of money can buy. And you, you only spent a million.”
Xu Chen: “!!!”
Han Fengchen was stunned. He exclaimed in shock, “What fate and fortune? Xu Chen actually did something like that?”
Xu Chen was both shocked and furious. “Bullshit! What kind of nonsense are you spouting? Defamation, I’ll sue you for defamation!”
Chu Mingjia glanced at the still-confused woman in the corner. “Whether it’s defamation or not, we’ll find out soon enough. Let’s go find Lin Xiao’s grave.”
“What?”
Xu Chen was startled again, his expression panicked and incredulous. “You mean Lin Xiao’s grave? She… she’s dead?”
His eyes widened, and his expression and tone didn’t seem fake.
Chu Mingjia gave him a pitying look, shook her head, and turned to leave the room.
Han Fengchen was terrified by the baby girl clinging to Xu Chen’s neck, sticking almost flush against Chu Mingjia as he hurried out the door. He couldn’t stand another second in that godforsaken place.
Jiang Mao followed close behind. The more he watched Han Fengchen clinging to Chu Mingjia, the more annoyed he became.
That little runt was such a coward, timid and useless, yet he stuck so close to the Mountain Lord. And the worst part was that the Mountain Lord didn’t seem to mind.
Back in the day, if he so much as stood a little too close to the Mountain Lord, he’d get a death glare.
Jiang Mao pressed his lips tightly together, aiming his small camera solely at Chu Mingjia. As far as he was concerned, Han Fengchen was nothing more than background extra treatment.
Livestream chat Room:
【Ahhhh, what just happened? Does that mean Xu Chen only got so famous because he borrowed Lin Xiao’s fate and fortune?】
【Is there a possibility that Lin Xiao had good fortune and earned a debut spot, while Xu Chen had always been unlucky and couldn’t debut, so he resorted to shady methods to get his chance?】
【Oh my god, the more I think about it, the more terrifying it is. If this really is scripted, all I can say is Xu Chen is sacrificing a lot.】
【Where are they going? Are they really going to dig up a grave in the middle of the night? No way, no way, is it really going to be this intense?】
【It’s already 11 p.m.! Hats off to the production crew, they’re actually going up a haunted mountain at midnight to dig up a grave!】
【Ahhhh! Cross in my left hand, talisman in my right, I can still keep watching!】
……
Chu Mingjia, Han Fengchen, and Xu Chen sat in the back seat of a small car, with Jiang Mao in the passenger seat. They were heading toward Qishan.
The town they were currently in was located within the Qishan mountain range. However, the Qishan range was vast, and this time, they were heading to a village that belonged to the town.
The drive would take only about half an hour.
Han Fengchen didn’t expect Xu Chen to get in the car. Now, he had Chu Mingjia on his left and Xu Chen on his right.
A baby girl was clinging to Xu Chen’s neck, her face a ghastly blue-black, terrifying Han Fengchen so much that his own face turned pale.
He kept squeezing closer to Chu Mingjia, looking at Xu Chen with utter disgust. “Why did you get in the car?”
Xu Chen’s face was also pale, but he managed to maintain a relatively calm expression, after all, he couldn’t afford to completely lose his composure in front of the live stream.
“Didn’t you call me here?”
Han Fengchen rolled his eyes. “I called you over, but I didn’t tell you to get in the car.”
Xu Chen’s face darkened, and he said nothing more.
Chu Mingjia had said that Lin Xiao was dead. He truly didn’t expect that, and it shocked him deeply, he even felt a faint pang of sadness.
But more than that, he felt panic.
Lin Xiao was dead! How could she be dead?
No, that was impossible. The master had said that borrowing luck would only affect a person’s fortune, not their lifespan.
Lin Xiao’s death definitely had nothing to do with him!