Chapter 2: The First Night in the Villa

Since this was Pei Liu’s first time participating in such a program, he wasn’t quite sure what to do.

The other guests hadn’t arrived yet, so he was all alone.

He set his luggage aside, glanced at the camera in the corner, and simply sat down to wait.

There were suspicious dark red stains on the sofa as well.

He found a clean spot to sit, noting a black card placed on the table in front of him.

On the card was a grotesque illustration of a baby lying on the ground, crawling toward him.

This was the background story for the haunted house set by the production team.

Pei Liu began to read it aloud.

“Twenty years ago, a wealthy man lived here.”

“He was young, handsome, and possessed a vast fortune, but he was not happy.”

“Back in university, he had a soul-stirring romance, but due to his parents’ interference, he lost contact with the girlfriend he loved so deeply.”

“After years of relentless searching, he finally reunited with his missing girlfriend.”

“To his surprise, she had a lovely little girl with her—their daughter; she had been pregnant when she left him.”

“Overjoyed, the tycoon proposed immediately and held a magnificent wedding of the century for her.”

Reading this, Pei Liu couldn’t help but comment: “This plot feels a bit familiar—is this the ‘Overbearing CEO and his runaway little bride’ trope?”

However, there was more to the story.

The male and female protagonists did not live happily ever after following their marriage.

The CEO was very busy and often away from home, leaving his wife alone to care for the child.

Their daughter didn’t seem to adapt well to the new environment and her personality became very strange.

She often stayed alone in dark corners, talking to the air with hollow eyes, and would suddenly burst into screams.

Terrifying and inexplicable things began to happen in the villa, one after another…

Before he could finish the last word, the sound of light footsteps suddenly came from the doorway.

Pei Liu looked up at the sound, but before he could speak, the other person let out a shriek: “A ghost—!”

A ghost? Where?

Pei Liu instinctively looked left and right but saw nothing.

This was despite the fact that a dense crowd of ghosts was actually surrounding him.

The female ghost closest to him was even sitting right beside him, her hollow eyes continuously leaking tears of blood.

The young woman at the door ran back out and bumped into someone.

After urgently saying a few words, she cautiously walked back in with another person.

Once the situation was clear, the woman looked a bit embarrassed.

“I’m so sorry. This haunted house is too scary, and I saw you as soon as I came in.”

“Your skin is so pale, I accidentally let my imagination run wild.”

The room was half-lit and half-shadowy, making it hard to see clearly.

Pei Liu’s complexion was indeed a bit sickly and pale—so white it was almost translucent, as if it might glow in the dark.

His excessively beautiful face was stunning in the sunlight, and while it was also beautiful in a horror setting, it easily brought to mind a dangerous phantom.

Fortunately, Pei Liu didn’t mind and gave a small smile.

The woman couldn’t help but blush.

She had heard Pei Liu’s name before, and people called him the “ceiling of beauty” in the entertainment industry.

At the time, she thought it was just overblown marketing or fan hype and didn’t take it to heart.

Seeing him in person today, she realized it wasn’t an exaggeration at all; one could even say Pei Liu wasn’t photogenic enough.

He was too beautiful.

Although using “beautiful” to describe a man felt slightly inappropriate, Pei Liu’s beauty was beyond reproach.

Just sitting there doing nothing, he could make someone lose their train of thought with a single glance, leaving them speechless and their heart fluttering.

After this small interlude, they began to introduce themselves.

Being in the same industry, they might have heard of each other even if they hadn’t worked together.

The pair that had entered were a young man and woman—both attractive “rising stars,” Wu Kai and Tong Jiaqi.

Not long ago, they had starred together in a Xianxia drama as a couple.

The drama was a hit, and they were popular, spawning a large number of “CP” fans.

As a result, they often appeared together off-screen to provide “fan service.”

Just moments ago, when Tong Jiaqi had been frightened, Wu Kai’s comforting head-pat was a very “sweet” moment for the fans.

Soon, more people arrived.

A slightly plump middle-aged man and a man with a baby face entered, chatting happily.

“Senior, I grew up watching your dramas. I especially loved your portrayal of the founding emperor…”

The baby-faced man had a brilliant smile and was polite and respectful.

The slightly plump man was Zhao Hai, a veteran actor in the industry with numerous prestigious awards to his name.

Although he didn’t act much anymore, he still held a high status.

The one speaking to him was Jian Yongge, who had skyrocketed to fame this year.

He was a “second-generation star” with a massive fan base and fearsome “combat power”; other celebrities were usually very polite to him.

Tong Jiaqi and Wu Kai immediately went to greet them with warm smiles.

Pei Liu didn’t try to stand out and followed along to greet them obediently.

However, a draft of wind hit the back of his neck, making it feel a bit itchy, and he couldn’t help but touch it.

During the introductions, Jian Yongge smiled politely, but his gaze lingered on Pei Liu for a subtle moment before shifting away as if nothing had happened.

As they chatted, Wu Kai couldn’t help but say: “How did the production team find this villa? Even as a local, I didn’t know it existed.”

“And… do you guys feel a chill on the back of your necks? Like someone is breathing on you from behind?”

Tong Jiaqi hurriedly looked back and slapped his arm.

“Don’t go scaring people. Surely the production team isn’t so insane as to release ghosts right at the start.”

“They should at least give us time to adjust… right?”

By the time she finished, she didn’t sound so sure herself.

Pei Liu said: “Not necessarily. Before I came in, I saw a figure standing at the third-floor window.”

Tong Jiaqi was shocked: “And you still dared to come in?!”

Pei Liu said honestly: “I already signed the contract. If I leave now, I’ll have to pay a penalty.”

“…”

After a moment of speechless silence, the others laughed.

The newcomers hadn’t read the background story yet, so they picked up the card and scanned it.

“A horror-dark version of a CEO novel, huh?”

“Is it going to be a ghost baby? Honestly, child ghosts are the scariest. A certain movie I saw as a kid is still my psychological trauma.”

“Look on the bright side. Maybe the whole family is here. Or better yet, the whole house is full of ghosts.”

“Ha, you sure know how to comfort people. Don’t go jinxing us.”

In fact, there really was a whole house full of ghosts staring at them gloomily.

Especially around Pei Liu, where the ghosts were most concentrated, their eyes filled with greed.

As the senior, Zhao Hai spoke up: “Let’s start looking for clues. Should we split up or stay together?”

Wu Kai: “In horror movies, splitting up usually doesn’t end well.”

Everyone agreed, so they moved as a group.

The first place they searched, of course, was the master bedroom.

In the hallway, the wallpaper was peeling, revealing blackened and dirty walls.

“It’s so dark. Let’s find a flashlight first,” Tong Jiaqi suggested in a low voice, huddled close to Wu Kai.

Their phones had been confiscated by the production team.

Just as she finished speaking, with a click, the overhead light flickered on, startling them.

They looked back to see Pei Liu standing calmly by the wall with his finger on the switch.

The button almost blended in with the wall and was easy to miss.

Finding that everyone was looking at him, Pei Liu looked a bit confused: “What’s wrong? Are we not allowed to turn on the lights?”

Of course they were, but their thinking had been momentarily restricted by horror movie logic.

However, the light didn’t help much.

It flickered as if the voltage was unstable, which only heightened the terrifying atmosphere.

This was intentionally set up by the production team, and combined with the heavy yin energy from the mass of ghosts, it was even more hair-raising.

It felt as though, between the flickers of light, a vengeful spirit was standing at the end of the dark, empty corridor.

Wrapped in yin energy, the spirit seemed to advance a short distance with every flash of darkness.

Closing in until it was suddenly right in front of you, almost pressing against your face, staring at you with pitch-black eyes devoid of any white.

The group moved forward cautiously.

Wu Kai, who had a sturdy build, walked at the front.

He slowly reached out, held his breath, and gripped the doorknob to open it.

With a creak, the view went dark as something suddenly dropped from above.

It was cold and swept across his neck like countless slimy worms wriggling.

Goosebumps erupted all over Wu Kai’s body.

He cried out and frantically swiped at it with his hands, but he couldn’t shake it off; it remained firmly stuck to his neck.

Zhao Hai, Tong Jiaqi, and Jian Yongge all instinctively took a step back.

At that moment, a porcelain-white hand reached out and gently took away the black clump of material.

“It’s just a wig.”

The calm voice was very reassuring.

Wu Kai recovered, and the others let out sighs of relief, teasing him for being scared out of his wits by a wig.

Wu Kai defended himself: “It just came out too suddenly. I was just a little surprised.”

The others laughed.

Tong Jiaqi hid behind Wu Kai, afraid a ghost would suddenly pop out of the room.

“Why would there be a wig in a tycoon’s villa?” she asked.

Pei Liu said instinctively: “Maybe he had issues with balding?”

Tong Jiaqi froze for a second as an image of a CEO with a receding hairline flashed through her mind.

Her fear faded quite a bit, and she couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

“You’re so funny.”

Pei Liu placed the wig on a cabinet by the wall and said: “It’s a bit dirty. I’m going to wash my hands. Does anyone want to come?”

Hearing him say that, Wu Kai felt even more uncomfortable on his neck.

Whatever had been on that wig was sticky and slimy, so he nodded decisively.

The bedroom naturally had an attached bathroom.

It was spacious with a separate wet and dry area.

Pei Liu turned on the faucet, and dark red water flowed out.

It became more and more abundant, staining the white sink red and emitting a faint, unpleasant odor.

Wu Kai’s heart skipped a beat.

Although he was tall and the company had built a “tough guy” persona for him, his courage was unfortunately quite small.

He had just been scared by the wig and hadn’t fully relaxed yet, and now this.

However, Pei Liu’s reaction was so calm that he didn’t want to show weakness.

“Red water from the tap? How old-fashioned. Who would be scared of this, right?”

Pei Liu looked up.

“The production team did this? I thought it was just rusty pipes. Let it run for a bit… it’s turning clear. It’s fine to wash now.”

Wu Kai wetted his hands and wiped his neck, remarking: “I really thought you’d be terrified of ghosts. Rumors aren’t to be believed; I feel like you’re bolder than I am.”

Although the show had just started and these were only small tricks, they were effective.

Furthermore, this villa was too quiet.

There were clearly many trees around, but not a single sound of birds or insects could be heard, giving one a bad premonition.

Not hearing a response from Pei Liu, he tilted his head to look.

He discovered Pei Liu was staring directly behind him.

Instantly, Wu Kai’s scalp tightened and his heart raced.

“…W-what are you looking at?”

Pei Liu: “There’s a human head behind you.”

It was no exaggeration to say that Wu Kai practically jumped out of his skin.

He lunged behind Pei Liu, clutching his arm like a damsel in distress, before carefully turning to look.

Sure enough, there was a human head behind the bathroom door.

The skin was blackened and shriveled as if it had been burned by a great fire.

The features were frozen in an expression of terror, as if it had seen something horrifying before death.

It was too realistic.

Wu Kai took only one look before quickly averting his gaze.

Pei Liu said: “It’s probably a clue. Should we take it out and show them?”

“Take it out?!” Wu Kai was shocked.

Pei Liu thought for a moment.

“You’re right, it’s better not to move things. I’ll call them over to see.”

Wu Kai was somewhat dazed as he watched Pei Liu walk out of the bathroom.

Left alone to exchange a glance with the severed head, he shuddered and hurriedly followed with large strides.

He then heard Pei Liu say: “The head is male, possibly the CEO from the story. There are traces of animal gnawing on the skull.”

Several people gasped, their expressions changing.

Zhao Hai also spoke about the clues he had just found in the room: a family photo and two newspapers.

The photo showed a family of three.

A handsome man had his arm around a beautiful woman with dark hair and snow-white skin.

Their daughter was small and carved like jade, not even reaching her mother’s waist.

One newspaper reported on the grand wedding of the tycoon and his wife—a picture of happiness and fulfillment.

The other, however, was a shocking news report about the daughter accidentally burning to death while playing with fire.

The two placed together created a stark contrast—heaven in one moment, hell in the next.

Tong Jiaqi frowned: “That’s terrible. Was no one watching the child? Even if the mother went out, there should have been a nanny.”

Zhao Hai: “The newspaper says that because the CEO didn’t like outsiders in the house, the cooks and gardeners all left after finishing their work.”

“There was only one live-in nanny who was said to be very dutiful and close to the mistress.”

“On the day of the incident, she happened to be out buying things, but who would have thought that in such a short time, an accident would happen.”

“It’s not normal. There’s definitely a hidden story,” Jian Yongge said with certainty.

The others agreed and continued to search for clues.

The master bedroom was very spacious.

Opening a door on one side revealed a large walk-in closet.

It was filled with countless haute couture outfits, glittering jewelry, high heels, and bags.

One could see that the CEO truly loved his “little bride.”

Tong Jiaqi curiously pulled out a long dress.

It was a design style from many years ago, but it was still strikingly beautiful by today’s aesthetic standards.

She casually held it up against herself—it was a floor-length gown.

Then, she stuffed it back into the wardrobe and continued looking for useful information.

Jian Yongge looked at the jewelry cabinet for a while before walking away.

Pei Liu looked along the way and suddenly noticed a Sudoku puzzle in a corner of the jewelry cabinet.

Before coming, he had watched the first two seasons and knew that some clues required solving puzzles to obtain.

So, he lowered his head to solve the somewhat complex Sudoku.

Five minutes passed, and he successfully solved it.

He waited for the clue to appear.

Two seconds later, about a meter away from him, there was a click as something popped out from under a drawer.

He turned his head to look, thinking it was the clue corresponding to the Sudoku, and prepared to walk over and get it.

Suddenly, a hand reached out and snatched it ahead of him.

Jian Yongge said joyfully: “Look! I found a key!”

The others immediately surrounded him and praised him.

“Yongge, that’s impressive. This should be a very important clue.”

Pei Liu paused slightly.

The hand he had reached out was lowered, and he said nothing.

After all, Jian Yongge thought he had found it himself, and the others had already misunderstood.

It would be awkward to go over now and say he was the one who discovered the clue.

He still had to spend ten days with them.

Whatever—the cameras had captured it anyway.

Pei Liu turned to continue looking for clues.

While Jian Yongge was talking to the others, he suddenly glanced at Pei Liu, seemingly quite concerned about his reaction.

They had arrived at the villa in the evening.

After a round of searching, it was already very late.

Drowsiness set in, and it was time to prepare for sleep.

Thus, they left the master bedroom and went to their respective rooms to rest.

Fortunately, the production team wasn’t completely sadistic; the rooms had been specially cleaned and were tidy enough to stay in.

Even so, sleeping in such a gloomy haunted house was quite a test for the heart.

As Pei Liu walked through the corridor, a trace of cold wind swept across the back of his neck, like ice-cold fingers brushing against his skin.

He paid it no mind and turned to look out the window.

In the pitch-black night, tree shadows swayed.

Under the cold, eerie blue moonlight, they looked like the withered hands of evil spirits reaching straight through the glass.

The distorted shadows enveloped Pei Liu as if holding him in the palm of a giant hand.

After looking for a few seconds, Pei Liu continued forward, found the room with his name on it, and went inside.

After washing up, he lay down on the bed.

Without a phone to play with, there was nothing to do but sleep.

Pei Liu pulled the thin blanket up to his shoulders and closed his eyes.

Around his bed, a circle of ghosts was huddled together, all staring at him with drool dripping from their mouths.

The ghostly energy was chilling.

Yet he was completely unaware and slept very soundly.

It was currently summer, and there was no air conditioning in the abandoned villa.

He had originally been worried it would be too hot to sleep.

To his surprise, the feng shui here was excellent—it was cool and comfortable, and he drifted off in no time.