It had been seven years since Jing Jiujiu died.
He died in the Sleeping Beauty Castle gifted to him by his father, at the tender age of eighteen.
Now, Jing Jiujiu wore a brown suit with eight buttons, a lace ruff encircling his neck, accentuating his small, pale face. He looked like an exquisite little prince displayed in a high-end showcase.
There was an understated elegance and delicacy about him.
He lowered his head slightly, and in the dim light, one could only glimpse the smooth, fair line of his chin. He was counting on his fingers, muttering, "When will I ever be able to leave this place..."
As soon as he finished speaking, the chandelier behind him suddenly shattered with a loud "bang".
Jing Jiujiu jumped in fright, quickly grabbing the dinner knife from the table: "Who's there?!"
The castle was eerily silent, not a sound to be heard.
A chilling sensation crept up Jing Jiujiu's spine as ten or more seconds passed.
Suddenly, Jing Jiujiu put down the knife: "Oh, right. I'm a ghost myself. What am I afraid of?"
Another ten seconds or so passed, and the pile of chandelier shards began to rustle.
A palm-sized robot rolled out from among them, speaking in a cold, metallic voice: "Hello, I am System 377."
What on earth was this?
"Do you want to leave this castle?"
Yes.
Of course he did.
Last month, some high school students came here to explore. They discussed the Sleeping Beauty Castle, and then mentioned Jing Jiujiu's other father.
Jing Jiujiu had two fathers, one who disappeared eight years ago, and the other was Jing Tinghua, the CEO of Jing Group.
He overheard them saying that Jing Tinghua had married a new wife and had a new child, who had just celebrated their seventh birthday.
He was dead... had they all forgotten about him already?
He wanted to leave this place. He wanted to see what that woman looked like, and what the child looked like.
Was that child as beautiful as he was?
Unhappy emotions weighed heavily on Jing Jiujiu's heart, but at this moment, they were dispersed by the talking little robot in front of him.
"When you died, you became an earth-bound spirit here, so you've never been able to pass through that main door. From now on, you need to work hard at scaring people. Every time you successfully scare someone, your power will grow a little stronger, and eventually you'll be able to leave this castle."
"Scare people... huh?" Jing Jiujiu thought for a moment, fully utilizing his limited horror movie experience. He raised his hand, tugged at his cheek, and revealed his pointy little canine teeth: "Like this?"
"..."
System 377 felt like it might have found the wrong person, or rather, the wrong ghost.
On the other side of the city.
The agent sat stiffly on the sofa, speaking dryly: "Isn't there any way? When you owe someone a favor, don't you have to repay it?"
"That's a favor you owe," the young man opposite him said coolly.
The man seemed to have just come from an award ceremony. He wore a black tailcoat, with his chest pin and cufflinks meticulously in place. His hair was combed back, revealing his handsome features underneath.
His eyes gleamed like cold stars, his eyebrows as if painted with ink.
The man's good looks, just like his excellent acting skills, were universally acknowledged in the entertainment industry.
A critic had even written a long article about him, describing him as radiant as the sun and moon, as splendid as the morning glow.
The agent felt even more awkward at his words: "I don't have much face to lose, but even if you won't do it for my sake, at least consider the appearance fee they're offering... 30 million. Just to be a guest star for one episode."
The young man coolly asked in return: "Am I short of money?"
The agent choked a bit: "Well... you're not." Who else would know if not him? The man before him didn't lack money at all. He didn't rely solely on the entertainment industry for his livelihood. If he wanted, he could easily earn as much as a full movie's pay.
Maybe you'll find this variety show interesting?
The words were on the tip of the agent's tongue, but he couldn't bring himself to say them.
Although the man in front of him was young, he had played emperors, generals, a lonely immortal master who overturned the world after nine lifetimes, and a mad killer who walked among crowds in tattered robes... Perhaps because he had played too many powerful roles, the agent always sensed an air of authority from him.
As time ticked by, the pressure on the agent grew.
At this moment, someone came to knock on the door, asking softly: "Brother Bai, are you joining the celebration party later?"
The agent sighed, thinking to himself that maybe he should give up and go tell the show's team that he couldn't help them after all...
Suddenly, the young man spoke up, asking: "Do I have anything scheduled for tomorrow or the day after?"
The agent replied hesitantly: "No, isn't that your usual habit? You always take a break for a while after receiving an award... so nothing's been arranged yet."
"Give me the schedule for that reality show."
The agent was stunned for a moment, then suddenly lit up with joy. He quickly turned to find the schedule: "Just a moment, I'll get it for you right away. Thank you, Brother Bai! I'll have my mom make you lion's head meatballs someday!"
"I won't be going to the celebration party. I'll look at the schedule first," Bai Yuhuai said coolly.
"Alright, alright!" The agent handed him the schedule and left, repeatedly expressing his agreement.
The reality show the agent mentioned was called "How to Escape". It had five permanent MCs, and every two episodes would focus on a horror or suspense theme. The five MCs, along with one guest star, would enter the themed location and stay for eighteen days. Successfully leaving the themed location at the end would mark the completion of the challenge.
Due to the lengthy filming process, not many artists were willing to participate in this show. The director had a hard time gathering enough people and securing sponsorship.
The reality show's ratings weren't bad, firstly because of its unique theme, and secondly because the director had done many favors in his early years. Those who had received his favors had achieved some level of fame, and while they couldn't be permanent cast members, they were willing to appear as guest stars to return the favor. With their appearances, fans would naturally tune in to watch.
The guest star who was supposed to participate in the next recording had agreed to the director three months in advance, but ended up backing out at the last minute to film a movie instead.
The director couldn't blame them, of course, and could only ask around again to find a guest star.
That's how they ended up approaching Bai Yuhuai.
Bai Yuhuai briefly flipped through the schedule and casually placed it on the coffee table, then got up to pack his suitcase himself.
On the schedule page, the words "Haunted Castle Survival Challenge" were written in large letters.
Meanwhile, in the castle.
Jing Jiujiu had just figured out that this little robot was from outer space, passing by here, but lacking the energy to return to its own planet. It hoped to help Jing Jiujiu in order to regain energy and successfully return to its home planet.
Jing Jiujiu smacked his lips and said, "Sounds like a sci-fi story. Very unscientific."
"You've already turned into a ghost, what's unscientific about it?"
Jing Jiujiu: "...Oh, right."
The little robot choked a bit.
"But..." Jing Jiujiu flopped listlessly onto the table: "There's no one here, who am I supposed to scare?"
"Wait," the little robot seemed quite experienced. It said: "There will definitely be young people coming to explore out of boredom."
Jing Jiujiu let out a long sigh, having no choice but to wait. Maybe it would take a month, two months, or maybe half a year.
Who knew he wouldn't have to wait long at all. The very next afternoon, he heard the sound of approaching cars, which even woke Jing Jiujiu from his dream. Theoretically, ghosts shouldn't dream, but Jing Jiujiu didn't really think of himself as a ghost at all.
He lazily sat up in bed, even yawning like a human would, before going to the window.
The glass was covered in dust, but he could still clearly see through the window that many people had arrived and were unloading luggage outside.
It had been so long since Jing Jiujiu had seen so many people, not since those high school students came last time.
He quickly turned around and hurried downstairs.
The little robot clumsily followed behind him.
At this moment, a cleaning cloth rose into the air, swiftly wiping down the dining table. A broom followed suit, kicking up dust everywhere. Finally, the refrigerator door opened by itself...
Oranges from the tree in the castle's backyard flew through the air, landing one by one in the refrigerator.
The little robot watched in amazement: "What are you doing?"
Jing Jiujiu replied without turning his head: "When guests come to your home, don't you clean up and prepare fruit?"
The little robot: "..."
Well, that... that did make sense.
"But you're supposed to scare people! You've cleaned everything so thoroughly and even thoughtfully prepared food and drinks. Where's the terrifying atmosphere?" The little robot barely managed to regain some sense.
How many years had this young man been trapped in the ancient castle to get so excited at the sight of a person?
Jing Jiujiu: "...Oh."
The cleaning rags and broom clattered to the floor, and oranges rolled away...
Little robot: "N-never mind, this works too."
Anyone entering an abandoned castle for years, only to find it spotlessly clean as if someone lived there, yet never seeing a soul, would feel scared.
It worked out in a roundabout way.
Just then, there was a commotion by the door.
"Careful, set up all the camera equipment first." "Be careful moving the luggage." "Hurry and film Brother Bai, don't mess up!"
"Someone's coming!" Jing Jiujiu shouted.
The little robot turned around to find Jing Jiujiu had vanished.
Who's actually scared of whom here?
Bai Yuhuai had been resting the whole way.
As per the production team's requirements, he was the last to get off the vehicle.
The castle was on a mountain, and the mountain forests were foggy and rainy. As soon as Bai Yuhuai alighted, an MC came over with an umbrella to shelter him, greeting him enthusiastically: "Hello, Brother Bai!" "Tsk, it's a bit cold in these mountains. Brother Bai, be careful not to get rained on."
Bai Yuhuai glanced at him.
The umbrella holder was named Ji Meng, who had debuted through a talent show four years ago. But he peaked at debut and faded into obscurity half a year later. He wasn't actually ugly; on the contrary, he was particularly delicate, and when he smiled slightly, he looked like a prince charming from a campus drama. To make him popular again, his manager had him join this variety show, aiming to create a gap moe persona.
Bai Yuhuai didn't have a deep impression of Ji Meng, only vaguely remembering seeing him at some music festival, so he just nodded slightly and said coolly, "Thank you."
Only then did the others realize Bai Yuhuai had gotten off, and they hurried over to greet him one by one.
"Brother Bai, have you participated in this kind of variety show before?"
"I heard that this castle was abandoned because someone died inside, and they died horribly, like being burned to death..."
"Ah, wasn't it drowning?"
"Brother Bai, I specially brought talismans, do you want one? I'll share one with you." Ji Meng approached again, smiling.
Bai Yuhuai seemed somewhat cold and aloof among them, but everyone knew his personality and understood what kind of status he held in the industry. Whether this person had variety show appeal or not, once the show aired, the ratings would definitely explode.
So no one would miss such an opportunity.
"I brought a sarira, bought it at a high price. Do you want it, Brother Bai?"
"No, thank you," Bai Yuhuai said indifferently.
"Are you crazy? Where can you find genuine sarira nowadays?"
The MCs didn't seem embarrassed at all. Seeing Bai Yuhuai's refusal, they immediately started bantering among themselves to create variety show effects.
"Old Cao, what did you bring? ... Damn, why did you bring a bowl? Did you bring it to serve rice in a haunted house?"
"A bowl holds grains, connecting heaven and earth's energy. It wards off evil and suppresses ghosts!" MC Old Cao said.
Only then did Bai Yuhuai spare some attention, calmly saying, "Bowls are very useful."
Everyone was pleasantly surprised and hurriedly continued the topic for a few more sentences before ushering everyone inside.
Bai Yuhuai didn't put on airs either. He carried his own luggage in and even helped two female MCs.
By this time, when most people had entered, Jing Jiujiu finally leaned on the railing to look down.
"Why does it seem a bit clean here?" the director muttered.
"Sprinkle more dust, put some dead leaves, add some cobwebs too. Otherwise, how is it scary?" the assistant director said.
Jing Jiujiu watched as they scattered dust, threw leaves, placed skull skeletons, and broken candlesticks in the place he had painstakingly cleaned, turning his nice home into something weird and eerie.
"Alright, alright, we can continue filming. The effect is about right," the director called out.
"Are they filming a movie?" Jing Jiujiu murmured.
"Tsk, I feel the yin energy is so heavy here," MC Yun Xin shuddered at the entrance.
She had been popular a few years ago, known for her sweet voice. These past two years, she had faded into obscurity and could only join this variety show.
Old Cao said, "Oh, that's because you're not dressed warmly enough."
Old Cao was even less known than Yun Xin. He used to be a golden supporting actor, but now, not wanting to play bit parts anymore, he came to film reality shows.
"Why are there oranges in this refrigerator?" Another female MC, Kong Xiangqi, looked at the fridge door in surprise.
"Did the production team prepare them?" she asked.
Jing Jiujiu sighed by the railing.
No. It was thoughtful me.
"The peel is still green, can't eat them," Bai Yuhuai walked over and closed the fridge door.
Kong Xiangqi nodded, "Come to think of it, I'm actually a bit hungry."
"Then let's tidy up a bit and make something to eat ourselves," Old Cao suggested.
Everyone immediately got busy.
As they worked, they didn't forget to chat, increasing editability for post-production.
"Don't you find it strange? Since we arrived, we haven't heard any insect sounds or bird calls. Shouldn't these mountain areas be full of such sounds?"
"It's a haunted house, that's normal. When the yin energy is heavy, living creatures don't dare to come."
"Are there really ghosts?"
"Of all the places the production team found, this is the most likely to have ghosts. Do you know who used to live here? You know the Jing family, right? The Jing family had a son... I even collected a photo. Just one, but one is enough. It's the only photo of the young master of the Jing family that the media ever got. Let me find it..."
Kong Xiangqi spoke as she took out her phone and started scrolling.
"Here, like this..."
"How old was he? He's so incredibly good-looking."
"They say he was thirteen at the time. He's really like an earthly fairy, right? I'm in the entertainment industry, used to seeing beautiful people, but even I felt he was breathtakingly beautiful at first glance."
The phone was passed around, with everyone unable to help but exclaim in admiration.
Only Bai Yuhuai showed no interest, and Kong Xiangqi didn't dare to hand the phone to him.
Ji Meng asked, "Is he the one who died?"
With these words, everyone suddenly fell silent. After a while, voices gradually rose again.
"No way, was it him?" "Why haven't we seen any related news?" "Damn, is this heaven's jealousy of talent?"
Kong Xiangqi also let out a long sigh: "It was him. He wasn't even of age when he died, right? They say children like this have the strongest resentment..."
The others suddenly felt a chill down their spines.
The beauty in that photo became a regret from another world, and also an invisible knife.
Bai Yuhuai paused his movements, lifted his eyelids slightly, then continued washing the cups.
The little robot, crouching at the corner of the second floor, listening to these people chat, even it, a piece of metal, felt it was quite tragic, so it turned back to look at Jing Jiujiu.
...Gone again?
The little robot hurriedly went to find the person, no, the ghost.
Finally, it found him in Jing Jiujiu's bedroom.
"What are you doing?" the little robot asked.
Jing Jiujiu was seriously writing down each of their names and rough personalities and behaviors in a notebook. Finally, he turned his head and said seriously, "I've already decided who to target first."
"Who?"
"The one called Brother Bai."
"?"
"Look, the others talk so much, which shows they're very brave and used to such scenes. Only he hasn't spoken at all, which surely means he's terrified since coming in," Jing Jiujiu stood up, and the notebook and pen automatically returned to the drawer.
"He must be a coward!" Jing Jiujiu declared confidently.
Downstairs, Bai Yuhuai bent down to pick up an orange that had rolled onto the floor.
A little ghost lives here, a ghost who still remembers to pick oranges even after death.
Bai Yuhuai thought indifferently.