Reborn, I Became a Male God - Chapter 51-55

When Jing Ling had just taken the phone from her hand, Tan Yunshu was merely surprised at his hearing ability. That he could clearly catch what Jiang Sijin was saying over the phone in such a crowded and noisy environment seemed unbelievable, even if the two were relatively close. But as she listened to him on the phone, she gradually felt something was off.

 

It was understandable that he knew Tan Yunzhong was favored in the Tan family—given the male-dominated social environment, it wasn’t hard to guess. But knowing that she and Jiang Sijin had been friends when they were little—that was a stretch to explain as mere speculation.

 

If it were only those two things, it might have been passable. But then when Tan Yunjin called and said those things, it was no longer something that could be explained away as coincidence. He knew she was at odds with her family, even that she hated some of them; he knew what kind of person Tan Kangcheng was, knew the ugliness that lay at the core of the Tan family members, even knew that the girls of the Tan family were nothing but tools to pave the way for men…

 

The Tan family was no ordinary household—these sorts of details weren’t known even among those in their social circle. And there wasn’t a single family with the surname Jing living on Shangxian Mountain.

 

Moreover, a question she had previously overlooked now resurfaced: apart from matters of the Tan family, Jing Ling also had a detailed understanding of her preferences. At the time, she had thought it was coincidence, but in hindsight, it seemed far too coincidental.

 

So where exactly had Jing Ling learned all of this?

 

Tan Yunshu couldn’t figure it out, and she wasn’t planning on making wild guesses in such a clueless state. After Jing Ling hung up the call, she directly pulled him into a nearby empty alley and said to Yang Xinyao as they walked, “Xinyao, I have something to discuss with Jing Ling, could you please wait here for a bit?”

 

Yang Xinyao was stuffing food into her mouth at the time. Upon hearing that, she waved her hand, “Go ahead, go ahead!”

 

At the end of the alley, a wall of blue bricks blocked the path. Due to the surrounding buildings shielding the sunlight, the floor beneath the dripping eaves had a thin layer of moss. Though the long street within view remained bustling, the noise had lessened considerably once it reached here.

 

Tan Yunshu let go of his hand, lifted her head to look at Jing Ling, her gaze serious. “Why do you know these things?” So many questions, and in the end, they were condensed into this one sentence.

 

Jing Ling looked down at her, his gaze calm and sincere. When he had said those things, he knew Yunshu would have doubts. But he said them anyway, because he didn’t want her to suffer. He knew what Jiang Sijin had said on the phone wasn’t intentional. She had grown up in an ivory tower, unaware of the hardships of the world; her family was both willing and capable of letting her live a simple and happy life—that was her fortune, one others could only envy. But the harm she had brought to Yunshu was real, too.

 

To be honest, Jing Ling didn’t dislike Jiang Sijin, but he didn’t want her to have any further involvement with Yunshu in the future. They weren’t people from the same world; there was no right or wrong in that.

 

“You mean the Tan family stuff? I thought something was off that day in the Jiang family’s garden. Later, when I met Old Master Jiang, I asked about it in passing. Since he needed a favor from me, making a small request wasn’t too much to ask,” Jing Ling explained.

 

At first glance, this explanation seemed full of holes, but thinking it through carefully, everything actually fit.

 

Tan Yunshu was well aware of her own situation—deeply mired in the swamp that was the Tan family. If someone didn’t know the truth, that was one thing. But anyone who did would never go to great lengths to get close to her, because being a daughter of the Tan family held no value. As for her as a person, while she had always been confident in her looks, that alone didn’t count for much in front of someone like Jing Ling.

 

Not for power, not for beauty—then it really did seem like it was just for her.

 

Destined to meet, and then be together.

 

And besides, someone who was willing to brave danger for her, who would answer her calls even amid gunfire and bullets, who spun lies only to put her at ease—what was there to doubt about a person like that? Even if he did have ulterior motives, how many people could resist such gentleness in the face of peril?

 

“Sorry, I was being too sensitive.” In the end, she still chose to trust him.

 

“No need to apologize, and no need to thank me. If one day I give you the whole world, it’s only what you deserve.”

 

Yang Xinyao, who had just finished eating and wandered over with nothing better to do, happened to overhear this line and instantly felt like she was falling apart. Of all the food on this entire street, why did she have to come over now and get force-fed dog food?

 

That afternoon, after seeing Yunshu and Yang Xinyao off at the airport, Jing Ling had dinner with Jing Qiu that evening. And just like that, the weekend came to an end. With the arrival of a new week, he began living like an ordinary college student again—going to class, eating meals, and resting on time. But unlike others who could sometimes skip class and have someone else answer roll call, Jing Ling didn’t have that privilege. All the professors remembered his face.

 

Because he had promised Shen Ze before to work a little harder, starting with posting one Weibo a day, updating Weibo had become part of his daily schedule. For the first couple of days, Shen Ze was afraid he’d forget, so he personally dropped by to supervise and only left after watching him post.

 

And so the fans were in for a treat. What they had expected to be another long hiatus with only one post to tide them over for half a month turned out to be a surprise when they refreshed the feed the next day and saw a new post. Just the words “Good morning,” paired with a photo of a corner of the Yizhou University campus. Morning sunlight spilled onto tender green leaves, creating a translucent glow.

 

The next day at the same time, another new post appeared. Still “Good morning,” but this time with a picture of soy milk and fried dough sticks. A simple breakfast, yet the photo looked unexpectedly appetizing.

 

The third day featured a photo of a morning jog. The boy in the picture had a tall, well-proportioned figure, broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and beautifully defined muscles on his arms.

 

The fourth day showed a graceful hand, fingers long and slender, with a little sparrow perched on the slightly curved index finger.

 

The fifth day…

 

After five straight days of “Good morning,” on Saturday morning, fans thought they were in for another routine update—only to be surprised by something different.

 

Jing Ling—Second Most Handsome Under the Heavens V: Fill in the blank from the picture. These are my favorite words. [Image]

 

The image was of a wooden desk. Laid on it was a sheet of xuan paper, bearing the calligraphy:


“Zhong shui ji jin lai” (中誰寄錦來) — the ink still fresh.

 

(Note: “中誰寄錦來” can be interpreted as “Among them, who has sent brocade to me?” Often part of poetic lines expressing longing or connection.)

 

Chapter 52

 

 

The Weibo account My Roommate is a Goddess is a verified popular comedy blogger with nearly 800,000 followers. Though it can’t compare to the mega-influencers with tens of millions of followers, it’s still somewhat well-known. When the account was first created, it focused on sharing stories about the goddess roommate. Later, as it gained more followers, it gradually expanded to cover other content.

 

On Saturday at noon, the blogger posted a Weibo update:

 

My Roommate is a Goddess V: Here’s a shocking piece of news—our goddess who blocks out the world with both ears and dedicates herself entirely to studying all kinds of books, after allegedly falling in love, has now started fangirling. And the object of her fandom is that pretty boy who recently went viral [Husky emoji].

 

The comment section instantly exploded.

 

Are You Leaving or Not: What the hell?!

 

Promise Under the Maple Tree: Counting the days, it’s only been a little over a week, and the goddess has already broken her image twice…

 

lockhart: Image collapse +1. Falling in love was one thing, but fangirling? What the hell?! Not to generalize, but today’s pretty boys mostly have no acting skills and don’t even look that outstanding. I really can’t imagine the goddess fangirling over any of them!

 

Your Weicheng: I want to know which pretty boy caught the goddess’s eye. Please decode!

 

Miss Li Tiantian: Some people really think they’re above everyone. Not to mention the trending male leads—even some lesser-known stars with a modest following could outshine this so-called goddess by miles. Looking down on pretty boys, saying they have no looks or talent—well then, you do it if you’re so great! Such a big ego! @lockhart I’m talking about you!

 

Colorless Scenery: +1 to the one above. People have been calling her “goddess” for over two years, but there’s never even been a photo. Who knows if she’s real? Yet so many of you are pouring your hearts out under her posts—first dissing this, then looking down on that. Honestly, your so-called goddess isn’t even as real as those pointy-chin internet celebs with heavy filters. At least those people exist!

 

eline: Which fanbases did those last two belong to that got so triggered?

 

—

 

As the owner of the My Roommate is a Goddess account, Cheng Sisi, after posting the Weibo update, scrolled through the comments for a bit, then continued to sit cross-legged on her bed, resting her chin in her hand and watching her goddess roommate Tan Yunshu, who had been grinning foolishly all morning at her desk.

 

She really had been smiling all morning—ever since Cheng Sisi woke up, her expression hadn’t changed. Though “grinning foolishly” might be an exaggeration from Cheng Sisi. After all, she was the goddess—every frown and smile was captivating.

 

As the recognized goddess of Imperial Capital University, Tan Yunshu had so many admirers they were uncountable. Even in today’s highly developed internet age, Cheng Sisi still received many love letters and all sorts of gifts to pass along to Tan Yunshu. But Tan Yunshu had never accepted a single one. Last week, she suddenly brought home a giant teddy bear. Cheng Sisi didn’t think much of it and casually asked, “Why’d you decide to buy this?”

 

Tan Yunshu replied, “Someone gave it to me.”

 

“Oh, someone gave it to you… Wait a sec, Yunshu, you actually accepted a gift from someone?!”

 

Cheng Sisi’s first reaction at the time was: the goddess is in love. Sure enough, early that weekend morning, she saw Tan Yunshu leaving with a suitcase, saying she was going on a trip with a friend. Cheng Sisi’s gossipy soul ignited, and she got up immediately, determined to see who was lucky enough to win the goddess’s heart. But when she got downstairs, she saw the goddess’s date was a girl…

 

She originally thought it was just a misunderstanding. But after the trip, the goddess started acting even more suspiciously—she actually began watching a costume idol drama, last year’s hit web series The Song of Eternal Joy. Cheng Sisi had watched it too and had become a fan of the male lead. Since she had nothing else to do, she joined the goddess for multiple rewatches. When they reached the ending, she even sighed, “I want to marry the male lead too. To die under the peony flower, even as a ghost, would be romantic! Though he’s still underage and far from legal marriage age…”

 

Time passed without notice, and it suddenly jumped from Monday to Saturday. Half-asleep, Cheng Sisi still didn’t forget to check in on Weibo. The male lead’s latest post was a calligraphy riddle, with two blank spaces, a picture guessing game. Even though she wasn’t a Chinese major, the poem was too famous—one glance and she guessed it.

 

“It’s Yunshu…” she blurted, then realized what she’d said a moment later. She immediately rolled around on her bed, wailing, “Heavens are unfair! I clearly liked the male lead way before you, so why does this kind of good thing happen to you?! I don’t care—I’m changing my name to Cheng Yunshu! Right now! Immediately!”

 

She was answered by a soft laugh.

 

Grief-stricken, Cheng Sisi decided to go back to sleep and dream of dating her idol! When she finally woke up near eleven, she saw the goddess sitting at the computer in a daze, a faint smile on her lips. Curious, she got out of bed and leaned over to take a look—it was the male lead’s Weibo page.

 

Even though she knew that Yunshu wasn’t her Yunshu, Cheng Sisi still felt like she’d just been force-fed dog food. Feeling disheartened, she decided to distract herself—thus came the opening Weibo post.

 

Time flew by, and before long, it was the end of April.

 

The movie Island was scheduled for a May 1 release. During this period, the official Weibo account released various teasers and plot details. Although scattered and not enough to form a full scene, they were especially tantalizing.

 

On April 27, amid great anticipation from fans and moviegoers, the official Weibo posted the final trailer for Island.

 

Clear blue skies, an isolated island in the vast ocean.

 

“Need a defense attorney? Since fate has brought us together, I’ll give you a 5% discount,” says a middle-aged man. His ragged appearance starkly contrasts his calm demeanor.

 

The scene shifts to a cliffside—a delicate face filled with blazing anger appears, teeth clenched as she growls, “Scumbag, I’ve wanted to punch you for a long time!” And with that, she throws a crisp, clean punch.

 

The moon hides behind clouds, leaving only the stars twinkling. Waves crash repeatedly on the beach. A man screaming wildly; a ghost-like shadow drawing near. A cold, glinting blade slices a throat—suddenly, the world falls silent, and the gushing bl00d blooms like a flower in an instant.

 

“We’re all going to die—no one can escape!” cries a bespectacled man in agony.

 

The soundtrack begins.

 

In a dense forest, a beautiful woman suddenly turns her head; a figure races across the treetops, shaking the leaves. Waves crash against jagged rocks, breaking into white foam. A hand reaches toward someone standing on a cliff’s edge… A mountain stream trickles clearly, the water so pure you can see the bottom. Fish swim below—but soon, the water turns bl00d red.

 

“Who?”

 

Accompanying that word, a monstrous beast reveals just the tip of its terrifying face.

 

The screen suddenly goes black. Then words appear: May 1st, I’ll wait for you on the deserted island.

 

The comments under the Weibo post quickly exploded.

 

FishFishFishFishFish: I don’t know why, but when I heard Uncle Feng talk, the phrase “a beast in gentleman’s clothing” popped into my head…

 

Braised Gingerbread: As expected of my goddess—she’s beautiful even when throwing punches. Love you, @Zeng Qing.

 

Deep Sea in the Clouds: Came specifically to see my idol, but in the end all we got was a voice?? [confused.jpg]

 

Milly: “Beast in gentleman’s clothing” +1. Uncle Feng is so handsome! #TodayIWantToMarryYou#

 

Abei Has Always Tried Hard: Didn’t some fanbase keep bragging about the third male lead? And now the trailer only has his voice and just one word? This is the loudest slap in the face I’ve ever seen—I could feel the pain myself!

 

Train WuLaLa: Love you, Yu Leyang @YuLeyangle —your acting’s gotten even better than before. You’re improving every day. Keep going!

 

Huahua Eats Meat Not Dirt: To the person who said my cute boy only had one line—are you blind? Look carefully, thank you [image][image][image].

 

Liquid Cat: The one above is amazing. Recognizing someone just by their hand? Your screenshot skills are god-level. I almost thought that was a monkey…

 

Jing Ling shared the official Weibo post of the trailer, with a caption: See you in the cinema on May 1st. He also attached an image: an online seat selection for a cinema, showing the two seats on the far left of the last row.

 

After the post went up, fans flooded the comments.

 

Rock Sugar Pear: Front row!

 

He Zhi Ke Yi: Do you really think buying two tickets can hide the fact that you’re single? [dog emoji]

 

Cat Nai Nai: Time to tell you all the truth—my cute boy is dating me [image].

 

Bamboo Night Chiyoya V: Nonsense from the one above—he’s obviously dating me! [image]

 

—

 

Cheng Sisi reposted one as well, then tilted her head to sneak a glance at Tan Yunshu’s computer—just in time to see her post a new Weibo update.

 

Yunshu’s alt account: See you on May 1st @Jing Ling—Second Most Handsome Under the Heavens V

 

The attached image was the exact same seat selection screenshot as the male lead’s post.

 

Chapter 53

 

 

Cheng Sisi didn’t think much of it at all. After all, too many people confessed to idols every day—if she had to be suspicious every time she saw one, she wouldn’t have time to do anything else all day.

 

It was nearly noon, time to face the eternal dilemma of “what to eat.” She lay listlessly on her desk, tilting her head to look at Tan Yunshu. “Yunshu, I need you to guide me in life.”

 

“The restaurant deep in that alley diagonally across from the south gate has a pretty good cook. You’re welcome.” After being dorm mates for three years, Tan Yunshu had basically memorized Cheng Sisi’s preferences, and she had long since gotten used to her daily bout of decision paralysis at mealtimes. Each time she brought it up, Tan Yunshu would casually suggest something Cheng Sisi hadn’t eaten that week, solving the problem perfectly.

 

“Love you!” Cheng Sisi suddenly sprang up and pounced on Yunshu, took the liberty of some playful flirting, and then pulled her up from her seat. “Let’s go!”

 

“Alright.” Tan Yunshu casually closed the browser tab, shut her laptop, and headed out with Cheng Sisi.

 

On the way to the restaurant, Cheng Sisi said, “Yunshu, let’s go see a movie together this May Day too.”

 

Tan Yunshu was momentarily stunned, then shook her head slightly. “Sorry, I can’t this year. A friend is coming to visit.”

 

“Hahaha, every year you’re mine, and this year’s no different! Some people can only grind their teeth in frustration…” Cheng Sisi laughed smugly, but her smile froze almost instantly. Her eyes widened, and her face was full of disbelief. “Wait, Yunshu, what did you just say? You have a friend coming over, so you can’t go to the movies with me?”

 

Tan Yunshu nodded.

 

Cheng Sisi wailed like she had been abandoned by the entire world. “You ditched me out of nowhere to run off with some other little vixen, sob sob sob!”

 

Tan Yunshu pressed a hand to her forehead. “Even if this area is pretty remote, that doesn’t mean no one’s around…”

 

Cheng Sisi froze for a second, then quickly regained her composure and said nonchalantly, “I don’t care. You have to make it up to my wounded heart. You’re treating this meal!”

 

“Okay.”

 

May Day arrived quickly.

 

Though it was only the first day of the Golden Week holiday, there was already a noticeable increase in the number of people on the streets. Jing Ling took the earliest flight that day and arrived in the capital around 9:30. Tan Yunshu had originally planned to pick him up at the airport, but Jing Ling turned her down.

 

“The traffic here is unbelievably bad. Picking someone up is too much of a hassle. Just wait for me at school. I’ll call you when I get there.”

 

She was easily persuaded.

 

Around eleven, she received a call from Jing Ling—he was already downstairs by the dorm. Under Cheng Sisi’s resentful gaze, she slung on a small bag and left the dorm. The walk from the fifth floor to the first was less than 80 steps, something she normally completed without a second thought, but today it felt unusually long.

 

Once she exited the dorm building, she looked around but didn’t see anyone familiar. She took out her phone to make a call, but just then a familiar voice came from behind.

 

“Yunshu.”

 

Tan Yunshu turned around at the sound. When she saw who it was, she froze. 

 

“Jing Ling?” she asked hesitantly.

 

“Yeah.” Jing Ling nodded and pointed at his hair and face. “Wig and a bit of light disguise, just in case. If someone recognizes me, we won’t be able to watch the movie.”

 

Tan Yunshu understood. Still, his disguise was done remarkably well—she stared at him closely for quite a while but couldn’t spot anything amiss.

 

“I know you’re curious,” Jing Ling said with a smile, “but we should get going. I’m worried that if we stay any longer, your admirers will show up in a group to challenge me.”

 

At his words, she looked around. Sure enough, several people were already sneaking curious glances their way, including one girl who lived on the fifth floor like her. She quickly grabbed Jing Ling’s hand and left with him.

 

“Probably won’t take long before the news that the campus goddess is taken spreads all over. Who knows how many people are going to curse me behind my back.”

 

“Stop talking!”

 

“Okay.”

 

The cinema was packed. Couples and families of three were the most common groups.

 

Jing Ling had Tan Yunshu sit and wait while he lined up to get the tickets and snacks, doing his best to be the picture of thoughtfulness. The crowd was massive, and a long line had formed at the self-service ticket machines, moving forward at a sluggish pace.

 

Next to Tan Yunshu sat a girl about her age, with a naturally friendly personality. After waiting for a few minutes, she struck up a conversation. “Hey, are you here to see a movie with your boyfriend?”

 

Tan Yunshu instinctively glanced at Jing Ling, who was still in line. As if sensing her gaze, he looked back and met her eyes, smiling. She hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Yeah.”

 

“Me too!” The chatty girl looked toward the line, pointing at a guy in a gray jacket. “My boyfriend is seven people ahead of yours in line. We’re watching  Island. What about you guys?”

 

“Same,” Tan Yunshu replied simply.

 

“Want me to ask Ah Hui to pick up your tickets too? The line is a nightmare.” The girl wasn’t just chatty—she was enthusiastic too.

 

“Thanks, but no need,” Tan Yunshu declined.

 

The other girl didn’t seem bothered and kept chatting with her from time to time. When her boyfriend finally got their tickets and called her over to buy snacks, Tan Yunshu was finally left in peace. She looked up and her gaze unintentionally met Jing Ling’s—he had a teasing smile on his face.

 

Tan Yunshu glared at him.

 

Between ticket pickup and snack buying, over half an hour passed. With just twenty minutes left until the movie started, Tan Yunshu and Jing Ling found their screening room, had their tickets checked, and headed to their seats in the far corner. Two people were already seated next to them—none other than the chatty girl and her boyfriend from earlier.

 

Tan Yunshu: “…”

 

The girl was talking to her boyfriend but turned and noticed her. Looking at the two empty seats next to her, she asked, “Are these your seats?”

 

“Yeah.” Though she didn’t want to admit it, Tan Yunshu nodded. She had a feeling this movie wouldn’t go as smoothly as planned—and soon, her premonition came true.

 

The theater lights went dark, and the film began.

 

A luxurious cruise ship, a sudden shipwreck, the protagonist waking up on a beach… The story progressed bit by bit, quickly reaching its first climax. Jing Ling’s character, the Ninth Person, appeared on the beach. The glint of a blade flashed as he slashed the enraged celebrity’s throat.

 

The dim lighting, dark visuals, eerie music, and the sudden spurt of bl00d—even though it wasn’t a horror film—scared quite a few timid viewers, including the girl next to Tan Yunshu. With a scream, she threw herself into her boyfriend’s arms.

 

At first, Tan Yunshu didn’t pay it much mind. But after a while, the screams were replaced by… strange sounds. She didn’t think much of it and casually turned to look—then her face turned scarlet in an instant.

 

Just as she was frozen in embarrassment, not knowing what to do, Jing Ling pulled her into his arms and said lightly, “You know cinemas have infrared night-vision cameras, right? Even if the lights are off, everything’s crystal clear in the surveillance room.”

 

Chapter 54

 

 

“Or do you guys think the projectionist and the security guard work too hard, so you came to the cinema to watch a movie while planning to reward them with a live-action performance?”

 

The last three rows of this cinema were so-called couple seats, with no armrests installed between the two seats, allowing couples to sit closer together. On the big screen, a thrilling and intense jungle chase scene had just ended, and the soundtrack transitioned into something soft and soothing. So even though Jing Ling didn’t speak loudly, the few restless couples around them all heard what he said.

 

A bolt from the blue!

 

All the strange noises vanished instantly, as if someone had hit a pause button. Especially the couple sitting right next to Jing Ling— the overly familiar girl was sitting on her boyfriend’s lap in a gray jacket. When Tan Yunshu turned her head, the movie was at a scene set in broad daylight, with blue skies and white clouds, and the lighting in the theater was slightly better. Because of this, she saw the guy’s hand slipping under the hem of the girl’s knitted sweater and into her clothes.

 

Hearing Jing Ling’s words, the couple instantly froze like statues, motionless. It took them several seconds to recover. The boy quickly pulled his hand back, and the girl obediently returned to her own seat.

 

But Tan Yunshu no longer cared about that—her attention had shifted to something else. “You said there are night-vision cameras installed in the screening room. Is that true?” she asked in a low voice.

 

Jing Ling nodded. “Yeah.”

 

“How do you know?” she asked again.

 

Jing Ling explained, “I looked carefully when I came in. There are cameras installed in several corners. Judging from the angles, one purpose is to monitor the screen to ensure it’s functioning properly, and another is for public safety. It’s pitch dark in here—if anything happens, they’ll need evidence. To achieve that, regular cameras wouldn’t work. They’d have to be infrared night-vision cameras.”

 

It was a simple explanation, but not something an average person would easily notice.

 

Thanks to Jing Ling’s two sentences, Tan Yunshu didn’t hear any more strange noises for the rest of the movie.

 

As the plot progressed, the survivors died one after another, and the truth of the isolated island gradually came to light. In the previously released final trailer, Chen Huaimin had said, “We’re all going to die. No one can escape,” like a prophecy that slowly came true.

 

Seeing the male and female leads lured away, leaving only Chen Huaimin—who had just deduced a shocking truth—Tan Yunshu whispered, “He’s going to die, right?”

 

This part of the plot wasn’t hard to guess. Before this, the mysterious ninth person had already killed five people. If Chen Huaimin died too, then only the male and female leads would be left out of the eight shipwreck survivors, signaling the arrival of the final showdown.

 

The three remaining people—a money-minded lawyer, a justice-driven police officer, and a ruthless killer—represented black, white, and grey. Who would survive in the end, or whether they’d all perish together, was still unknown. But for now, the ninth person held an overwhelming advantage. After all, the male and female leads had lost five teammates and were about to lose another, yet they couldn’t do a thing to the ninth person.

 

If this pace continued, the likelihood of the ninth person becoming the ultimate winner was as high as ninety percent. However, there’s an unspoken rule in domestic films: evil never triumphs over good. Criminals must face justice in the end. What the ninth person did was absolutely unacceptable as a final outcome, or the movie wouldn’t pass censorship.

 

“Yeah,” Jing Ling replied.

 

The twist came quickly. The ninth person, who should have fled after a successful strike, inexplicably returned and took Chen Huaimin’s body. Then the plot became somewhat disjointed. He brought the body to a creek, held a sharp dagger, crouched down, and then it suddenly cut to a shot of the creek water turning red with bl00d.

 

“I think there’s something off here,” Tan Yunshu said.

 

“There was originally a dismemberment scene, but it didn’t pass review and was cut out,” Jing Ling said. That’s what Director Gu told him. This set of shots was his favorite. In his words, it was the perfect fusion of death and art. But for the sake of release, it had to be cut—like slicing off a piece of his heart.

 

Tan Yunshu nodded. That explained it.

 

The movie continued. Those who had seen the final trailer knew that the next scene would feature the terrifying beast finally revealing its true form.

 

Suddenly, rustling sounds echoed through the jungle. The camera switched to a top-down view, showing a huge black shadow gliding between the trees. A one-meter-wide trail appeared out of nowhere wherever it passed. Short trees were crushed, and vegetation was flattened into mud—an utter mess. However, the trees were so dense, they seemed to block out the sun. Through gaps in the branches and leaves, it was impossible to see the beast’s full shape clearly, but it had to be at least ten to twenty meters long.

 

It was a true giant python.

 

Humans carry an innate fear of snakes, and this grotesque monster completely defied imagination. A close-up on the big screen showed its body slithering past a tree. It was gray-brown, and the snake scales were clearly visible. In the screening room, many people screamed in fear.

 

Tan Yunshu was also terrified but managed to restrain herself and didn’t cry out.

 

Jing Ling gently patted her shoulder and comforted her softly, “Don’t be scared. Little Grey just looks scary, but he actually has a good temper and is very smart. He lives with a tiger named Little Flower. That young lady is spoiled by him and likes to lie on his back for rides.”

 

As Jing Ling spoke, the giant snake on the screen approached the ninth person. Sensing something was wrong, the man suddenly stood up and looked back, shouting, “Who’s there?!”

 

The moment he spoke, the giant snake burst through the dense foliage and wrapped around his body before he could react. Its massive body made the man look like a doll in comparison.

 

Screams erupted instantly, one after another.

 

But Tan Yunshu’s attention had already been diverted by Jing Ling. Staring at the terrifying beast on screen, she said in a doubtful tone, “Little Grey? Good temper?? And it raises a tiger??? How did you come up with all that in such a short time…”

 

“I’ll take you to see them when there’s time. We’ll bring some lamb, Little Flower likes to eat that.”

 

The gray-jacketed guy beside them, already scared stiff by Jing Ling’s earlier remarks, couldn’t hold back anymore and muttered, “Damn idiot!” Right after saying that, he hissed in pain. Tan Yunshu glanced over and saw that the overly familiar girl was giving his side a good pinch.

 

“Sorry, he didn’t mean anything by it!”

 

“It’s fine.”

 

With the sudden death of the ninth person, the movie approached its end.

 

The male and female leads, who had been deliberately lured away, sensed something wrong and hurried back to the camp. The fresh bloodstains on the ground were exactly where Chen Huaimin had last been before they left. 

Clearly, another survivor had been killed. But unlike before, this time the perpetrator didn’t leave a body. After a thorough search, the two finally found a clue and followed the traces to the creek—yet Chen Huaimin’s body was nowhere to be found. There were only large amounts of bl00d and a few suspicious bits of flesh.

 

Later, the female lead found a dagger and a wireless earpiece in the woods.

As if it knew someone had picked it up, a voice suddenly came through the earpiece: “Congratulations on surviving. A boat will soon arrive to take you ashore.”

 

Though filled with suspicion, the male and female leads still chose to follow the instructions and leave the jungle, heading toward the docking point… The final shot froze on a luxury cruise ship. Inside a room decorated like a movie theater, more than ten people sat facing a large screen, watching the film that depicted everything that had happened on the island.

 

“What the hell!”

 

“A bunch of lunatics—they actually sent people to an island to play a real-life murder game!”

 

“I thought it was a battle of wits, but it turns out everything was controlled by a puppet master!”

 

As the movie ended, the audience discussed the plot while getting up and leaving the theater. Once most people had left, Jing Ling and Tan Yunshu also stood and exited.

 

“You acted really well!” Tan Yunshu whispered. “That tree scene—was that really you? I saw the behind-the-scenes video posted on the official account, the one of you climbing a tree. Was that related?”

 

“Yes,” Jing Ling replied. “Because that scene was a bit difficult, Director Gu didn’t believe I could do it, so he had me try an easier version first.”

 

They chatted as they left the cinema. It was already past four. Jing Ling and Tan Yunshu took a walk in a nearby park, and when they got tired, they sat on a bench. The weather was nice today, and many people were out enjoying the park. Tan Yunshu was truly beautiful, and even though Jing Ling had disguised himself, he still looked good—definitely not unattractive. At 1.8 meters tall, he was a proper handsome guy. A good-looking man and woman sitting together naturally made for a pleasing sight, and most passersby couldn’t help but glance at them.

 

When the phone clock showed 17:30, Jing Ling and Tan Yunshu got up to leave the park and headed off to dinner. The restaurant had been reserved by Tan Yunshu the day before and was located in a nearby shopping mall—just a five-minute walk.

 

“I’ve been here a few times with Sisi before. Their food is pretty good…” As they walked through the mall’s main entrance, Tan Yunshu explained to Jing Ling. As she spoke, out of the corner of her eye, she saw something fall from above. The next moment, she felt the hand holding hers suddenly let go as the person beside her lunged forward.

 

Chapter 55

 

 

The time it takes for an object to fall from a height is extremely short. Often, the human eye can’t even capture a complete image, let alone something like the slow-motion scenes in television or film, where one can even strike a pose mid-air.

 

When they saw something falling from above, Tan Yunshu and Jing Ling had just walked through the revolving doors of the Hualian Plaza. The object landed near the elevators, several meters away from them. The human brain often can’t keep up with the body’s reaction speed. She only felt the hand that had been holding hers let go after Jing Ling’s figure had already rushed forward.

 

How fast can a person really move? At a lower level, it would look like a trail of afterimages. At a higher level, one wouldn’t be able to see anything at all, as the speed completely exceeds the limits of human vision.

 

Tan Yunshu watched as a blur shot past in front of her, heading toward the elevator area, and just barely caught the falling object. But before her eyes could even register and piece together what she had seen, another object dropped with a terrified scream, and her retina caught it just in time. The two points of impact weren’t far from each other, and the figure reached out once again.

 

The entire process took less than ten seconds—only a few breaths.

 

During this time, Tan Yunshu’s mind was completely blank. Her gaze subconsciously followed the figure, and it took a long while before she came back to her senses and saw clearly that it was Jing Ling, who had entered the building with her just moments ago. Her body reacted faster than her mind; without thinking, she ran over.

 

“Jing Ling! Are you okay?!” Her voice trembled uncontrollably.

 

The young man turned to look at her and shook his head. “I’m alright. Help me check on them first.”

 

He said “alright” instead of “fine.” But she didn’t catch the subtlety at the moment. She instinctively followed his gaze and saw, on the smooth marble floor nearby, two children—one sitting, one lying down. The older one looked about three or four years old, and the younger about one or two. Both looked stunned, eyes wide open as if they were frightened.

 

“They…” Tan Yunshu could hardly believe it. She looked up at the upper floors, then back at the children. “They fell from above?”

 

“Mm,” the young man replied.

 

Tan Yunshu smoothed her skirt and crouched down to examine the children. She didn’t see any wounds on their heads, and she didn’t dare move their arms or legs in case of hidden injuries. So she could only ask gently, “Little ones, tell big sister—do you feel any pain anywhere?” She softened her voice to avoid scaring them. The younger child clearly didn’t understand much yet, so her attention was focused on the slightly older child.

 

The older one was a little girl of about three or four, wearing a dress and her hair in pigtails. Her eyes moved and looked at Tan Yunshu when she spoke. 

 

After staring blankly for a few seconds, she suddenly shut her eyes, opened her mouth, and burst into tears with a loud “Waa!” The younger child, who had been lying on the ground, seemed to be influenced by her and also started crying.

 

“Hey, don’t…” Tan Yunshu hadn’t expected the girl to start crying so suddenly and froze for a moment. Just as she was about to offer comfort, she felt something bump into her shoulder. Her body lost balance and she fell to the ground. Luckily, she had been squatting, so the fall wasn’t too hard. She was wearing a skirt, but also leggings underneath, so there was no wardrobe issue.

 

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a figure rush to the children. He first picked up the child lying down, then pulled the sitting girl into his arms. “Tao Tao… Huan Huan… Daddy’s good children, thank goodness you’re alright… thank goodness…”

 

The little girl clung tightly to his neck, crying and calling out, “Waa… Da-Daddy… Waa…”

 

Tan Yunshu wasn’t hurt from the fall, but she was a bit dazed—she hadn’t expected such a turn of events. Only when a familiar voice sounded beside her did she snap out of it. “Are you alright?” It was Jing Ling. He crouched beside her, eyes filled with concern, though he didn’t reach out to help her up. She didn’t think much of it, just shook her head and stood up. During the movement, she accidentally noticed Jing Ling’s hands hanging unnaturally at his sides. She paused. “Your hands…” And in that moment, she finally realized: the children had fallen from a height—based on what she saw, at least the third floor. With gravity, even the relatively light weight of three- or four-year-old toddlers would produce a terrifying impact force. What’s more, Jing Ling caught the first child, and immediately after, rushed to catch the second.

 

No wonder when she asked if he was okay, he said “alright” instead of “fine.” No wonder he had her check on the kids instead of doing it himself. And no wonder, when she was knocked over just now, even though he was right there, he didn’t grab her in time, nor did he help her afterward…

 

It was all because his hands were injured—not because he didn’t want to, but because he couldn’t!

 

“Jing Ling, what’s wrong with your hands?” She instinctively reached out to examine his hands but stopped halfway, afraid of hurting him or making things worse.

 

She was flustered and panicked, a mess inside. But Jing Ling, the one injured, remained completely calm, as if he weren’t hurt at all. When he heard her question, he even smiled at her and said reassuringly, “Don’t worry. It’s not that serious.”

 

Then he leaned close to her ear and whispered, “There are too many people here—don’t say my name. If I get recognized, it’ll be troublesome. The kids’ father is here now, so there’s nothing left for us to do. Let’s go. I remember there’s a hospital not far from here. I’ll just go get a cast.”

 

Despite how lightly he said it, Tan Yunshu didn’t believe him at all. He had a serious history of downplaying things—like answering her call in a hail of gunfire and pretending a huge explosion was just his roommate watching a movie. She had almost been fooled then.

 

So now, she didn’t believe a single word he said. She was sure it was just a well-meant lie to reassure her. But she agreed with the part about going to the hospital—and wished she could fly there instantly.

 

“Mm, let’s go to the hospital right now.”

 

But while the thought was beautiful, reality had other plans.

 

By now, the other people in the mall had caught on and realized something had happened. People on the first floor quickly gathered around. Since this was near the elevator, it was already a high-traffic area. Tan Yunshu looked up and saw they were surrounded by a thick crowd—so tightly packed it was nearly impossible to get out. Even regular people would struggle to squeeze through, let alone Jing Ling, whose hands were injured. If he forced his way through, it might cost him his hands entirely.

 

People on the second and third floors were leaning over the railings to look down. Most people love a spectacle—if one person is seen looking up, soon others will follow, even if there’s nothing there. In the mall, it was the same. People shopping saw the growing crowd at the railings and gathered too. Soon, the shared open spaces of the higher floors were filled with onlookers.

 

The mall responded quickly. Management and security came to assess the situation and began evacuating the people on the upper floors, fearing the accident was caused by equipment failure and worried that others might get hurt.

 

Even though the children weren’t visibly injured, the fact remained—it was an accident. The mall reported it to the police, and some of the bystanders also called the police, while others contacted the media. Soon, officers from the Cuihu District arrived, followed by reporters.

 

Consumers on the first to fourth floors were evacuated. The public areas and elevators/escalators between the fourth and first floors were cordoned off with police tape. No one was allowed near.

 

Tan Yunshu and Jing Ling originally wanted to leave with the others, but at the critical moment, the father who had been holding onto the children finally came to his senses. He looked around, quickly spotted Tan Yunshu in the crowd, and shouted, “Hey, young lady! Don’t go!” As he yelled, he reached out to grab her.

 

With police nearby, the instinctive reaction was to stop him. One officer reached out and was about to grab Tan Yunshu’s arm when someone stepped between them—it was Jing Ling. He looked at the officer trying to stop them and smiled. “Excuse me, is there something wrong?”

 

“Quick reflexes,” the officer commented, squinting slightly. “We need you to stay and cooperate with the investigation.”

 

The delay gave the children’s father time to approach, still holding them, face full of gratitude and speaking in a rush, “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for saving Tao Tao and Huan Huan! Thank you!”

 

Though the first to fourth floors were locked down, a crowd had already gathered outside the mall, and people on the higher floors were still watching. Clearly, talking out in the open was not ideal. The mall’s manager suggested moving the conversation to an office.

 

The parents and police agreed, but Tan Yunshu refused. “No. We need to go to the hospital first!” Her tone was firm, leaving no room for negotiation.

 

The children’s parents didn’t react immediately, but the police officer looked at her instinctively, then turned his eyes to Jing Ling. After a quick glance, his gaze settled on Jing Ling’s hands, and his expression changed with surprise.

 

“You caught both of them?”

 

Jing Ling nodded.

 

The officer turned and shouted to a colleague, “Xiao Liang, I’m taking them to the hospital. You keep things under control here!” Then, without waiting for a response, he told Jing Ling, “Let’s go. I’ll take you to the hospital. The kids too.”

 

As they were getting into the car, the officer casually said to Jing Ling, “I hope you don’t have a criminal record. Otherwise, things might get complicated.” His eyes rested on the area behind Jing Ling’s ear.