Chapter 9: Even as a Ghost, One Remains Charming
Click, click, click.
High heels struck the concrete beside the bleachers, ringing out in crisp, rhythmic steps.
A woman, her makeup refined and subtle, with brows like painted ink and lips red as cherries, bore a face luminous as the moon—a classical beauty as if she had stepped straight from an ancient ink painting, exuding the unique charm of a graceful, mature woman.
Her skin was flawless, glowing like porcelain even beneath the night’s shadows, maintained with such care that she appeared barely past twenty. Yet in her every gesture was a composure and elegance far beyond that of any young woman in her early twenties.
She wore a simple white blouse, top three buttons undone to reveal a delicate collarbone, and below that, a teasing glimpse of black lace. Her fitted skirt accentuated her alluring curves, the full roundness of her hips and the slender line of her waist in perfect harmony.
In her left hand she carried a box of coconut pastries; in her right, a box of salted egg yolk puffs. She approached slowly, stopping a few steps away from Wen Nan.
[Name: Lin Xuemei (Aunt Mei)]
[Role: The fair and tender neighbor aunt]
[Background: Ever since you moved at age twelve, Aunt Mei has been your neighbor. She is Qiqi’s aunt, and to care for motherless Qiqi, she has turned down one relationship after another, remaining single until now. Growing up, every time you came home from school, you eagerly hurried to her house. You claimed it was to see Qiqi, but truthfully, you just wanted more chances to be near someone else. Your memories of her home are filled with lace in every style and fabric, and the gentle scent of shampoo drifting from soft, wind-tossed hair.]
[Difficulty to win over: ★★★★☆]
………
[(*´﹃｀*)]
[(@￣ρ￣@)]
[(´ρ`)]
[What brand of snow mochi is this? So white, so tender.]
[Which bakery makes those egg yolk puffs? So round, so big.]
[(＾་།＾)]
[(￣་།￣*)]
[Bear, I’ve finally waited for you.]
[You made me wait so long, Bear.]
[…]
[Wait a second, people, do you even remember this is supposed to be a horror escape game?]
[Open your eyes and look—the ghost boss is four and a half stars!]
[Damn, four and a half? That high? I’ve never seen a female ghost boss of this level! No wonder it’s so exciting! slurp slurp]
[slurp slurp]
[Stop, do you realize what four and a half stars means?]
[The priciest item in the newbie trial area—the Safety Bubble—only works on four stars or below. Meaning, if she attacks the streamer, he has almost no way to resist.]
[Resist? Why resist? Just enjoy it...]
[(￣་།￣*)]
[Yeah, if she buries me, I’ll be a dashing ghost.]
[…Why does the vibe in this stream keep getting weirder?]
[Can’t help it, the streamer’s wild antics led us astray.]
[Speaking of, four and a half stars, triggered into a frenzy by the school beauty’s pheromones—how do you even fight a boss like that?]
[They’re just level one rookie players—no way they win. Their only hope is to keep her from manifesting.]
[Too late, she’s already triggered the manifestation mechanism.]
[Huh?]
[No joke, look at the skin on her neck—she’s starting to ghostify!]
[Why so fast? She never even touched the streamer before.]
[It was right when the streamer said “let me explain.” He wasn’t confident, even he thought it was a lame line and started to hesitate.]
[With the streamer’s usual composure, a bit of doubt shouldn’t have triggered Bear’s manifestation, especially since she was so far away. But with her in a frenzied state, her emotional perception is way too sharp.]
[So what now?]
[Kiss her again?]
[Can’t you see the streamer is already kissing Chili? He’s run out of mouths!]
[Besides, stopping a four-and-a-half star ghost boss from manifesting with a kiss? Maybe with a three-star, but at this level, it’s useless.]
[Then what do we do?]
[Looks like the streamer’s doomed this time.]
………
Right now, Wen Nan really had no more lips to spare.
He could clearly hear Lin Xuemei’s approaching footsteps behind him, and her voice: “Xiao Jiu, what are you doing?”
What could he possibly be doing? Kissing, of course.
Fun fact—kissing makes it hard to talk.
So Wen Nan had no way to answer her. But he didn’t want to ignore her, nor did he dare.
Lin Xuemei was a four-and-a-half-star target. With someone of her quality and difficulty, one wrong move and he’d lose his chance at success.
He knew perfectly well—if he failed with any of the five targets he’d chosen, it was over. He’d be stuck on this trial map forever.
With that in mind, he released his hold on Chili, took a deep breath, then turned his head. “Aunt Mei—”
“Roar—”
He’d barely spoken when a low, hoarse growl burst from Chili’s throat, and a wave of searing heat threatened to erupt from her lips.
Wen Nan panicked and pressed his lips to hers once more.
Her crimson eyes slowly closed; the fire in her throat faded.
This was dangerous—her temper was formidable. How long would he have to keep kissing before she’d calm down?
And as he kissed Chili again, he could feel the icy, cutting aura radiating from Lin Xuemei behind him, growing stronger by the second. It swept over him like a blizzard, chilling him to the bone, almost making him drop Chili from his arms.
Wen Nan stood with his back to the wall, trapped between opposing forces.
Two women, one before and one behind, had him thoroughly caught in a dance of fire and ice.
He couldn’t let this go on—the strain was too much. He had to find a way out...
Just as Wen Nan was weighing his options, another familiar figure approached from the side.
Qiqi.
………
[Oh boy.]
[I forgot—Qiqi is also in a frenzied state now.]
[Looks like that “let me explain” line triggered not just Bear’s transformation, but Qiqi’s as well.]
[Now what? Two women already had him overwhelmed. With Qiqi added, how’s he supposed to survive?]
[Isn’t this game over?]
[Is this really the end for him?]
[Even a legendary pro couldn’t handle this mess.]
[Praying hands.]
[Praying hands.]
[Praying hands.]
…
Back in the stream, the betting pool about whether he’d clear the stage saw its odds soar to new heights.