The Fake Heiress's Guide to Self-Rescue - Chapter 12

Chapter 12: The Unworldly Variety Show [3]

When Li Sheng brought out the food, he saw three silent statues on the sofa. “What are they doing, sitting there and reading each other’s faces?” Zhao Wen asked curiously as he walked past the living room with a drink.

The three young people on the sofa had been discussing for an entire afternoon and had only managed to come up with three questions. First, they wanted to ask if the millionaire ghost’s cause of death was due to infidelity or being accidentally killed after long-term domestic violence. If one of them was the real reason, they could continue to ask more questions based on that. If neither of those was the reason, Zhang Man would ask the ghost if she and her husband had truly loved each other when they got married. However, they couldn’t come up with the remaining two questions.

None of them had the time to participate in social games, let alone play turtle soup or Werewolf. Now, facing this mission, they had to admit that their minds were completely blank.

“Let’s eat first. The food is going to get cold,” Li Sheng said, seeing that the others had no idea what to do. He told them to eat first.

As Jiang Qianqian ate, she recalled the clues she had found: the music score, the love letter, and the divorce agreement. She had looked at all of them, but she hadn’t found any more clues. The only strange thing was the movie disc. She’s the Man was not a very famous movie. Why would the millionaire buy a special disc to collect it?

She thought about it for a long time but couldn’t find a connection. Jiang Qianqian put down her chopsticks in frustration and looked up to see that Zhang Man’s food was almost untouched.

“Why aren’t you eating?” She wanted to persuade Zhang Man to eat something, or she wouldn’t have the energy to last that late.

Zhang Man’s eyes welled up with tears when she heard this. Her sobbing voice was unmistakable. “I, I’m too scared. I’ve been terrified of ghosts and gods since I was a child. The thought of doing this task alone tonight just makes me too scared to eat.”

The other people at the table looked at Zhang Man with pity. Jiang Qianqian listened to what Zhang Man said, thought for a moment, and then clapped her hands. “How about this, I’ll hide in the corner of the bathroom and keep you company, okay?”

As soon as she said that, Lu Yige asked, “Wouldn’t that be a violation of the filming rules? If Sister Man has to pay a penalty for that, she’ll have to pay more money.”

Although Zhang Man was not a senior in the entertainment industry who could get the director to make an exception, Liu Jin was Jiang Qianqian’s childhood friend. She could ask him to be lenient and just edit her out of the scene. With that thought, Jiang Qianqian patted Zhang Man’s shoulder to calm her down, got up, walked to the TV in the living room, and picked up the walkie-talkie to contact the production team.

“Hello? Is this the production team?”

“Yes, what can I help you with?” A familiar voice came from the walkie-talkie. Jiang Qianqian recognized Liu Jin’s voice and immediately cast aside her nervousness.

“This is Jiang Qianqian. Zhang Man is a little timid and can’t complete the task alone tonight. I want to sit in the corner of the bathroom and accompany her.”

“That goes against the initial requirements of the mission,” Liu Jin said, a little hesitant. Jiang Qianqian raised an eyebrow and said impatiently, “You can just edit me out of the scene. And what if a guest faints from fear? Can you take responsibility for that?”

Her words made sense. Liu Jin also owed Jiang Qianqian a favor, so he agreed to her suggestion without much argument.

“Thank you so much, Sister Qian. I don’t know how to thank you. Thank you so much!” Zhang Man hugged Jiang Qianqian gratefully. “But, won’t you be scared to be with me?”

Jiang Qianqian waved her hand. She was now protected by someone. She didn’t care about any ghost. She’d just use a lightning talisman on them. “It’s fine. I’ve been brave since I was a child. I love reading ghost stories.”

Lu Yige looked at the two hugging each other with a strange expression. His eyes then unintentionally looked at the backyard.

At midnight, Zhang Man nervously sat in front of the bathroom sink. Two red candles were in front of her, and an apple and a knife were prepared in front of the candles.

“We’ll be guarding the bathroom door for you. Don’t be scared.” Li Weizhao and Song Zhe comforted Zhang Man before the bathroom door was closed. Lu Yige and Li Sheng also nodded behind them, saying that they wouldn’t go anywhere and would guard the bathroom door. Zhao Wen was a little scared. He didn’t dare to step into the bathroom and just stood at the door without saying a word.

The bathroom door was closed, leaving only Zhang Man sitting there. The bathroom was completely dark, with only the candlelight from the two candles. Jiang Qianqian silently sat in the corner of the bathroom. She had already covered her body with Jiang Huai’s spiritual energy to hide her presence, and she was tightly holding a lightning talisman in her hand.

Zhang Man took a deep breath, picked up the knife, and pressed the blade against the apple’s flesh. Her fingertips slightly pressed down, and a cut was made. The ritual officially began.

“Zhang Qiang, Zhang Qiang, I need you to answer my confusion.” Zhang Man’s trembling voice was very clear in the silent bathroom. She peeled the apple while chanting the words on the paper. A gust of wind blew, and the fragile candlelight flickered twice and then went out, plunging the bathroom into complete darkness.

A figure appeared in the mirror. She was wearing a black veil, revealing only a pair of eyes. This is a staff member! Both Zhang Man and Jiang Qianqian were relieved. Thankfully, it wasn’t a real ghost.

“Excuse me, was the reason your husband killed you due to infidelity?” Since it was a real person, Zhang Man wasn’t as nervous anymore and confidently asked the question she had prepared beforehand.

“No.” The millionaire’s voice came out.

“So, was the reason your husband killed you because he accidentally killed you after long-term domestic violence?” This was the second question they had prepared.

“No.”

Neither of them?! Both of them were stunned. It was a good thing they had a third question prepared.

“Did you and your husband get married because you truly loved each other?”

“Yes, I love my husband very much, and he loves me too.” This was the right direction. The “millionaire’s spirit” said a few more words along with the confirmation.

The three questions were asked, but Zhang Man had no more ideas. She nervously stared at the mirror. Although she no longer had to worry about a real ghost, she couldn’t deduce the real reason why the husband had killed the millionaire. Jiang Qianqian was also quickly thinking. Questions, what other questions could they ask? The clues from the daytime were a mess in her mind: the pink love letter, the signature on the divorce agreement, and that disc.

She’s the Man! Right. They couldn’t guess the answer by just looking at the Chinese title. It wasn’t because the millionaire liked soccer that she bought the disc, but because the title was hinting at them that the millionaire’s husband was a woman! The movie title was an improper translation. The English title was She’s the Man. The answer was right there!

Jiang Qianqian quickly asked, “Excuse me, was your husband a woman?”

As soon as she said that, both the soul in the mirror and Zhang Man were shocked. The soul in the mirror was silent for a moment. Her eyes curved, and her voice was filled with surprise. “Yes, she was a woman. You guessed it right.”

Seeing that the question was a “yes,” Jiang Qianqian continued to ask, “Did you know she was a woman before you got married?”

“No, she hid it very well.” The spirit shook her head, a sad expression on her face.

Zhang Man put the answers to these questions together and came up with what she thought was the real reason the millionaire was killed: “Your husband hid the fact that she was a woman before getting married. After you found out, she was so embarrassed and angry that she killed you?”

Although it was a bit absurd, given that the first two questions were wrong, this was the only conclusion they could draw.

“Yes, the reason she killed me was because I found out she was a woman. Congratulations, you answered correctly.” The pair of smiling eyes behind the veil seemed to be congratulating Zhang Man on her successful answer. She let out a sigh of relief and gave a thumbs up.

The “millionaire’s spirit” wanted to say something else, but the figure in the mirror flickered twice and then completely disappeared.

Crack, crack. Two bl00d-red handprints appeared on the mirror. Immediately after, Zhang Man’s body, which had just been cheering, was uncontrollably pulled towards the mirror. Jiang Qianqian saw this and wanted to go and help, but Jiang Huai’s voice stopped her.

“Don’t go. She won’t harm her. She just wants to use her mouth to say something.”

Jiang Qianqian was frozen in place by Jiang Huai. She could only watch as Zhang Man’s body went limp and then suddenly stood up straight. The bathroom door was locked from the inside. The people outside couldn’t get in, so they loudly asked Zhang Man what was happening.

“Heh heh—Everyone who took that b1tch’s money, come down and join me!” A sharp female voice came from Zhang Man’s mouth. “How a coincidence! I’ve waited for you for so long. I can’t believe you actually dared to come back here. Just wait, I’ll drag you all to hell one by one!!”

The voice stopped abruptly. Zhang Man’s body began to violently slam into the bathroom door. The moment the door opened, Zhang Man rushed out, and Jiang Qianqian’s body regained control at the same time. Song Zhe, who was already waiting behind the door, performed a Wild Horse Parts Its Mane and knocked Zhang Man down. Jiang Qianqian, who was behind Zhang Man, also rushed over and stuck a lightning talisman on Zhang Man’s head.

“Ah!!!” With a scream, Zhang Man completely fell into a temporary coma. Everyone had heard what “Zhang Man” had said. Li Sheng’s face was pale, and Zhao Wen was sitting on the ground, shaking, not knowing if he was scared or what.

Lu Yige covered his eyes and gasped for air. When the door opened, he made eye contact with the possessed Zhang Man. Her resentful eyes were like a hunting snake. The chilling gaze made his back feel cold.

At this moment, Zhang Man had been freed from the possession. Her face was a little pale, and she was sweating. Li Weizhao and Song Zhe looked at each other and then walked over to Jiang Qianqian at the same time.

“Who gave you this talisman?” Song Zhe asked. Jiang Qianqian looked at them suspiciously. “What are you doing? You’re so powerful, you can definitely draw your own, right? Are you going to steal my talisman?”

Li Weizhao was a little amused. “No, it’s just that the way this talisman is drawn is the same as the way a friend of mine from a certain sect draws them. Do you know Daoist Master Luo Yuan from the Yuqing Temple or her disciple?”

She had never heard of the name, but since Li Weizhao recognized the way the talisman was drawn, maybe Jiang Jing was friends with that Daoist Master Luo Yuan? With that thought, Jiang Qianqian said hesitantly, “I don’t know any Daoist Master you’re talking about, but this talisman was given to me by my friend. Maybe she knows her?”

When Li Weizhao heard this, he immediately clasped his hands and bowed to Jiang Qianqian. “I am Li Weizhao, the 178th generation disciple of the Mount Shu sect. I was wondering if I could meet your friend later. She might have something we’re looking for.”

Here comes this ancient-style young master again, Jiang Qianqian thought, rubbing her forehead.

“I’ll ask her later. If she says it’s okay, I’ll tell Song Zhe to call you out.” Now was not a good time for a reunion. Jiang Qianqian could only agree for now and then go check on Zhang Man’s condition.

At this moment, Zhang Man had woken up and was sitting on the sofa, drinking ginger tea to replenish her energy.

“Can you tell us what you saw when you were possessed?” Song Zhe asked. When people are possessed by ghosts, they usually see some images of the ghost’s life. The two people’s minds would briefly merge.

“I think I saw a… very desperate woman. She was standing on a stool in a room, about to hang herself?” Zhang Man slowly recalled her memory. She couldn’t see the woman’s face, but she felt a great sadness from within her heart. This sadness was not what the woman was expressing, but she saw it and felt it involuntarily.