Chapter 84

When the woman in red ghost, Jumpy Xu, and the Old Lady returned, they saw a crowd surrounding Long Black Straight Hair, offering her tea, water, and fruit, and showing her great concern. Those who were more attentive even cut the fruit into neat little cubes, skewered them with small bamboo sticks, and fed them to her one by one. Long Black Straight Hair lay on the table, only needing to move her mouth, much like a boss who, despite being incapacitated, hadn’t forgotten to order her underlings around.

They had only been gone for a short while; what had happened?

The woman in red ghost couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy. Why had her handsome and charming Sudi and Shao Yizhou succumbed to Long Black Straight Hair’s tyranny, serving her tea and fruit? She stared at them for a long time, almost unable to suppress a howl of frustration. She never thought that she, both beautiful and wealthy, would one day envy the impoverished Long Black Straight Hair. It was infuriating.

Gu Feiyin noticed the Old Lady returning with the woman in red ghost and Jumpy, and she smiled: “You’re back.”

The woman in red ghost nodded sourly, Jumpy rolled her eyes while resting her chin, and the Old Lady, holding her broom, stood gloomily in the corner, head down and silent.

Liao Yuan, Jingxing, and Zhen Du also looked at the three little ghosts. These three little ghosts carried a lot of resentment, but they weren’t the kind of evil ghosts that killed indiscriminately. No wonder Shizhu Gu hadn’t devoured them; otherwise, how could they still have their souls?

Sudi and Shao Yizhou only saw Master Gu smiling coldly at the air, saying, “You’re back,” which gave them a chill. Who was she talking to?

Gu Feiyin kindly explained that they had met them before: this was Jumpy, this was the Old Lady, and this was one of their little fans, who liked to watch them whenever they had the chance. If they could burn a signed photo or something, they would be overjoyed.

Jumpy: “…!”

Old Lady: “…!”

Little fan: “…!”

Ah, Long Black Straight Hair, shut up!

The woman in red ghost jumped up, ghostly aura swirling, feeling the embarrassment of a little secret being exposed. Sudi and Shao Yizhou were a bit stunned. Watching them? No wonder they occasionally felt a chill around them. As for burning signed photos, what was that about? Well, it wasn’t impossible…

The three little ghosts glared coldly at Long Black Straight Hair, clearly unhappy. She was puzzled; weren’t they happy even with signed photos? How about a group photo then?

The three little ghosts, somewhat tempted, turned away, not wanting to look at her.

Gu Feiyin was quite baffled, thinking that ghostly thoughts were hard to guess, not knowing what they were thinking all day. She chewed on an apple Sudi had brought to her mouth. The apple was delicious, fragrant, crisp, sweet, and juicy. It was said to be highly nutritious, with the high praise of “an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” making it a particularly impressive fruit.

The woman in red ghost watched with envy, her teeth itching. Long Black Straight Hair really knew how to enjoy herself. She turned her head disdainfully.

Sudi, looking at the empty corner, suddenly recalled the scene from that night. He not only floated all the way to the sky but also saw an Old Grandma with a broom with two bloody eyeballs on it.

These strange-looking ghosts seemed terrifying, more so than those who looked human. But it was these terrifying beings who saved him. The biggest difference between humans and ghosts is that there is no difference; greed is the most terrifying thing in the world.

He smiled slightly and said, “Sure.”

Shao Yizhou also agreed, “Sure, sure, taking a photo is easy, right?”

Liao Yuan was also tempted by the idea of a photo. He had never taken a photo with Sis Gu before, and these young people looked like flowers, standing out in a crowd like moving light sources. He thought back to when he was young and handsome, regretting that Sis Gu missed his most handsome days.

“I want a photo too!”

He planned to place the photo by Sis Gu’s bedside, so she could look at him more often. The more she saw him, the more she’d remember who he was, and she wouldn’t forget him.

Since they were taking photos, they might as well take them.

Everyone was interested in the idea of photos, and someone suggested a group photo.

A group photo? That sounded great.

The film crew had no shortage of cameras. Sudi went out to borrow one and returned. Liao Yuan quickly sat next to Sis Gu, adjusted his monk’s robe, and smiled broadly, leaning his bald head to the side. Jingxing sat next to Liao Yuan, and Zhen Du sat on the other side of Shizhu Gu, sitting upright with a face like a smiling Buddha.

Sudi and Shao Yizhou, unable to get a good spot, stood behind Master Gu. The woman in red ghost, Jumpy, and the Old Lady floated over, staring at the camera with stiff, eerie smiles.

Gu Feiyin was nervous; she had never taken a photo before. This was her first time, so how could she not be excited? She adjusted her cotton clothes and long hair, sat upright, and didn’t move, her big eyes wide open, grinning: “Hehe!”

Sudi adjusted the camera and shouted, “Ready? Ready? Ten, nine, eight, seven…”

He quickly ran back, just reaching behind Master Gu, grinning, when there was a click, the flash went off, and the photo was taken.

The people and ghosts in the photo, though seemingly bizarre, exuded an eerie harmony.

…

Because of the unexpected accident, there was no way the show could go on. Gu Feiyin’s stint as an extra had come to an end as well. Luckily, she’d already received her wages-otherwise, even if she ate that troublemaking little ghost head, her anger wouldn’t be soothed. What’s more, she’d injured both arms and hurt her waist, so all she could do was return to her room to rest. Even dinner had to be packed up and brought to her room.

“Give me a piece of meat, I want to eat meat.”

“……”

“You have to put the dishes on the rice and eat them together, that’s the best way. Just eating rice is tasteless.”

“……”

The woman in red ghost rolled her eyes. I’m feeding you, and you’re still being picky-can’t you just eat properly?

Her face, pale and cold, grew even more sinister. She gripped a spoon and scooped up a spoonful of rice, while Jumpy picked up her chopsticks and placed a piece of fragrant stir-fried mushroom on the rice. Gu Feiyin opened her massive mouth wide, chomped down with a big bite, and chewed happily-delicious!

At this moment, Old Lady’s ghost was floating on the rooftop, her cold eyes gazing into the night, though no one knew where or at what she was looking…

The woman in red ghost drooped her eyelids and said, “This town must be Old Lady’s hometown, right? She even went to the town to see her grandson earlier. But she doesn’t go home-who knows why. Jumpy, you’ve been with Old Lady for so long. Have you ever seen her go home?”

Jumpy thought for a moment, then shook her head. These past years, they’d been inseparable. She’d never seen Old Lady leave the unfinished building. If not for the unexpected appearance of Long Black Straight Hair, she and Old Lady would probably have stayed there forever. Besides, these years, she’d never seen Old Lady receive any offerings-just like her, no one worshipped her. She’d always assumed it was because Old Lady had no family, that she was just a lonely wandering ghost. But now, it clearly wasn’t like that at all.

Gu Feiyin was genuinely puzzled. “Did Old Lady sneak off to see her grandson? So her home is really here, huh.”

“Mm,” said the woman in red ghost. “I get the feeling Old Lady has some secret sorrow. She’s been drifting as a lonely ghost, never reporting to the Underworld. Obviously, she has unresolved regrets in the mortal world. But what could they be?”

But Old Lady never said a word, so even if they wanted to help, they couldn’t.

However, that night, Old Lady had gone off somewhere and suddenly rushed back in a panic. Her gray-white eyes stared at Gu Feiyin. Gu Feiyin was half-asleep, but she pulled on her coat and flopped onto Old Lady’s back. Old Lady carried her, floating out the window. The woman in red ghost and Jumpy were surprised but followed, only to discover that the little kid they’d seen that afternoon was in trouble.

That little kid had spent the night at an internet café playing games, and was caught by a group of delinquent boys who dragged him into the bathroom to extort protection money. The kid was stubborn and refused to pay, so naturally, he was hauled into an alley and beaten black and blue.

By the time Gu Feiyin arrived, the kid was huddled on the ground, clutching a handful of bills and refusing to let go. Even after being kicked a few more times, he stubbornly held on. “Get lost! Get lost! All of you, get lost!”

The delinquents had never seen such a tough nut before. One spat and kicked him again. “Fine, then don’t let go. Tonight, I’ll teach you the meaning of pain!”

To Gu Feiyin, robbing someone of their money was as bad as killing their whole family. She hated people who stole, whether human or ghost-it was absolutely unforgivable.

Gu Feiyin swung her arm and strode forward. The woman in red ghost lashed out with her whip, wrapping it around one of the delinquents and yanking hard. The kid felt a sharp pain in his waist, then in the next instant, he was sent flying and crashed to the ground!

What the…?!

His friends were dumbfounded, then burst out laughing, thinking he was showing off acrobatics by flying and falling. But their laughter died when they turned and saw a woman dropping from the sky, her body twisted, both arms hanging limp, long hair falling over her face with a pair of chilling eyes peering out from underneath!

That terrifying, contorted figure looked like an evil ghost crawling straight out of hell!

This bizarre scene stunned the delinquents in place. Their legs trembled, and fear seized them! They thought maybe they’d stayed up too late and were hallucinating. They rubbed their eyes hard, but when they looked again, the woman was already floating right in front of them, her pitch-black eyes glaring at them with venomous malice!

“Holy-!”

“Ghost! There’s a ghost!”

They scrambled backward in a panic, only to trip over something strange at their feet. With a thud, they all fell to the ground, struggling for ages but unable to get up. The long-haired ghost gazed down from above, her voice icy: “Are you robbing people?”

“W-we…”

“I’m going to rob you too. Hand over all your money.”

“……”

…Money? That’s easy, right?

At this point, who dared resist? Without a second thought, the delinquents fished every last bill from their pockets. Altogether, they barely scraped together a hundred yuan, which they offered up with trembling hands, tears nearly spilling from their eyes. “Here, all of it’s yours, please, just don’t kill us…”

“Please, spare us! We won’t dare again in the future!”

Gu Feiyin took the money and tucked it into her bag, giving a sinister smile, “You guys hit people, so now I’m going to hit people too.”

The delinquent boys: “……!!!”

Then they experienced the most terrifying night of their lives. Not only were they robbed by a ghost, but they were also beaten up by one. They ran out of the alley with bruised faces, too scared to even look back, fearing they might be dragged back and have their lives taken.

From now on, forget about collecting protection fees; they probably wouldn’t even dare to walk the streets at night.

At this moment, the little boy crouched on the ground was also scared stiff. He stared blankly at the Long-haired Woman, who wobbled step by step towards him, grinning eerily yet somehow appearing a bit kind?

“Hello there, get up now. The bad guys have been chased away by me, no need to be afraid, hehe.”

“……???”

It took the little boy a while to get up from the ground, shrinking his neck as he looked at her, seemingly unable to believe that there were really ghosts in this world? He said timidly, “…Thank you for saving me.”

Gu Feiyin said, “No need to thank me, it’s your…”

The Old Lady rolled her eyes and stared at her, Gu Feiyin glanced at the Old Lady, “Can’t say it’s you, huh? Alright, the one who saved you doesn’t allow me to say who she is.”

Little boy: “…?”

He was puzzled for a moment, unable to figure out when he had a ghost friend? He carefully handed the money he was holding to her, “This is for you.”

Gu Feiyin couldn’t help but reach out when she saw the money, but the Old Lady rolled her eyes again. Fortunately, she pulled her hand back just in time, otherwise, it would have been hard to explain. She put both hands behind her back, forming a human-shaped little airplane, “You keep it, I don’t want your money.”

Old Lady: “…”

Jumpy: “…”

Woman in red ghost: “…”

Even the woman in red ghost couldn’t help but roll her eyes, this Long Black Straight Hair really couldn’t resist temptation at all.

The little boy let out an “oh,” and naively put the money away, now a bit convinced that this was indeed a good ghost.

The woman in red ghost said, “You should tell the little boy to hurry home. It’s fine to play during the day, but wandering around at night is not good. Luckily, the Old Lady was here, otherwise, who knows what might have happened tonight.”

Gu Feiyin nodded, thinking this made a lot of sense. Kids should focus on studying well, playing too much isn’t good. Otherwise, they’d end up like her, unable to find a job and hitting walls everywhere, constantly worrying about being laid off. After all, she had no education or culture, and if it weren’t for her outstanding work ability, she wouldn’t even be able to keep her job!

“Let’s go, we’ll take you home.”

The little boy shrank his neck again, looking at the Long-haired Female Ghost, not understanding why she, being just a ghost, insisted on saying “we”?

“Actually, I can go back by myself…”

“No way, you’re carrying a fortune. What if you get robbed again?”

“…”

He only had about thirty yuan on him, just stubbornly unwilling to give it away easily, how could that be considered a fortune? He couldn’t refuse anymore and had to lead the Long-haired Female Ghost back home.

The night was dark, and there weren’t many cars, so they had to walk all the way back.

He never thought that one day, he would be escorted home by a ghost, which was quite a miracle in his life.

…

The little boy’s home was in the town, just a ten-minute walk away. Watching him go upstairs, the Old Lady stood at the bottom with her broom, looking up for a while before lowering her head and drifting away.

Gu Feiyin lay on Jumpy’s back, listening to the woman in red ghost ramble, “He’s already at his doorstep, yet the Old Lady didn’t go back to take a look? The Old Lady’s grandson is so grown-up, her son should still be there, right?”

Gu Feiyin thought about it, either the Old Lady didn’t like that home, or there was something about that home that bothered her, or maybe that home didn’t welcome the Old Lady? So the Old Lady didn’t want to go back?

She couldn’t figure out the reason, just sighing at how complicated kids’ minds were these days.

But they hadn’t gone far when they saw the little boy who had just gone upstairs rushing out like a firecracker, followed by a middle-aged man with a broom. The man chased after him, cursing, “I told you to listen! I spend money for you to study, and you just waste it playing! You might as well go out to work!”

As he spoke, he hit the little boy a few times. The boy’s eyes turned red, and he raised his arms to block but couldn’t stop the blows on his back. He shouted in pain, “You don’t even care about Grandma, what right do you have to control me!”

The middle-aged man, upon hearing this, got even angrier and tried to hit him again, “How dare you talk to your father like that? Watch me beat you to death today!”

A Middle-aged Woman also came out, “Wei, calm down, the kid is just going through a rebellious phase. Teach him well, and he’ll understand your good intentions. Xiao Xu, your dad is doing this for your own good, it’s not easy to support you through school, just listen to him.”

Wei Xu was not grateful, retorting, “Shut up, this is between me and my dad, it’s none of your business, outsider!”

The Middle-aged Woman’s eyes reddened, looking at Wei helplessly, she lowered her head and wiped her tears. Wei got even angrier, cursing how dare you talk to your mother like that? He raised the stick to hit, and Wei Xu said, “She’s not my mom, my mom died a long time ago!”

This is outrageous! Wei raised his stick and swung it down!

Wei Xu, terrified, shut his eyes tight. He was used to it by now-no matter how much it hurt, he would never acknowledge that woman as his mother. When he grew up, he’d leave this house, go find his grandma, and never come back.

But the pain he expected never arrived. He was surprised-could it be that his dad had a change of heart and wasn’t going to hit him? He cautiously opened his eyes and saw his father’s hand raised in midair. Several times, he tried to bring the stick down, but it was as if something was blocking him, holding him back, and he just couldn’t land the blow.

He immediately thought of that long-haired ghost and her friends-had they not gone far, had they come back to save him?

Wei was clearly stunned by this strange scene as well, because he could clearly feel that something was gripping the stick, rendering him unable to move. Cold sweat broke out all over him. His wife looked at him and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Wei snapped back to his senses, suddenly letting go of the stick, and sure enough, the stick floated in midair, not falling to the ground?!

Wei’s wife stared wide-eyed at the sight and let out a scream, “There’s a ghost!” She staggered backward, bumped into something, and with a thud, landed square on her backside.

“Thud-”

The stick finally clattered to the ground.

For some reason, in the cold darkness of the night, Wei vaguely saw a hunched, frail shadow. That figure reminded him of his mother.

His mother was short and thin, a typical rural woman-usually quiet, not very experienced, the only thing she knew was how to work hard in the fields. His father always said he shouldn’t have married her, and if the matchmaker hadn’t spoken so sweetly back then, he never would have brought her into the house. After his father died, no one said anything about her anymore. Wei figured she was getting old, so he brought her to live in town. Unexpectedly, she caused a lot of embarrassment-she could haggle over a few coins for vegetables for half the day, always dressed in shabby clothes, and made him feel ashamed.

Luckily, his mother had left home years ago because she said she didn’t want to stay, that she wanted to go out and find work.

He was quite pleased with this, since he had just married his second wife at the time. Having his mother at home was not only inconvenient, but also annoying. She would get up at five or six in the morning, bustling around cleaning and cooking, making a racket, calling him to get up for breakfast, so he couldn’t even sleep in. She would often argue with his wife over trivial matters, and every time, his wife would yield, leaving him stuck in the middle, feeling troubled.

Later, his mother really did leave. He heard she was working as a cleaner in City A, making a thousand or two a month. For someone her age, that wasn’t bad. After that, she rarely came home, too busy even to return for the holidays. Sometimes she’d call, just to say hello, and that was all. But his son said she would come to school to see him, take him out to eat, buy him clothes, and give him pocket money, but never came to see Wei.

He felt a bit guilty, but mostly relieved. He hated trouble; as long as she wasn’t bothering him and was living okay, that was for the best. Besides, his mother was still strong, able to carry baskets and work the fields-sweeping floors was nothing for her.

Because of this, his son had fought with him several times, begging him to bring Grandma home.

“Your grandma wanted to go work herself. I told her not to go, but she insisted. What could I do?”

“It was you all who drove Grandma away! That woman always yelled at Grandma. You’re unfilial-just wait for heaven to strike you down!”

A child barely twelve or thirteen could say things like that-who taught him? Wei was so angry he slapped him. Naturally, the father and son became more and more estranged.

This went on for years. Later, his mother stopped calling altogether, but every year on his son’s birthday, there would be a little present-maybe a shirt, maybe a pair of shoes. At New Year’s, there would be a little red envelope. He thought, this was fine-his family was doing well at home, and his mother was doing well outside…

He always thought things were like this, but now that hazy shadow was appearing. He saw that familiar yet strange face, wrinkled, rigid, pale, with a pair of gloomy, sunken eyes staring at him. Not a word was spoken, yet he shuddered all over, a chill rising within him, his legs giving way as he collapsed to the ground.

Wei Xu saw the ghostly figure and was dazed for a long moment. His mouth quivered, and as he lunged forward, he landed in thin air, falling to the ground. Kneeling there, stunned for a long time, his lips quivered, and he burst into loud sobs.

“Grandma! Grandma!!”

……

The woman in red ghost watched from the side, almost exploding with anger, muttering curses under her breath, “That bastard’s gone too far! And that woman isn’t any better. Damn, what kind of people are these?!”

Jumpy pressed her chin gloomily, her face looking even worse.

Gu Feiyin said, “Heartless and cruel people?”

The woman in red ghost: “……”