HEIFEIGU -Chapter 19

After violently beating the tree, Ji Jin first retreated while holding the flashlight, then stumbled, spun around, and strode deep into the mansion.

His actions left the four behind dumbfounded. Even Quan You’er forgot to cry, frozen on the spot. Usually high-emotion artists didn’t know how to respond.

“This is…” Ran Shi sighed lightly. “Our tank just drove off on his own?”

Yu Yueting: “He even took one of our flashlights.”

“He’s acting,” Quan You’er shivered. “With that stunt, I’m even more scared.”

【Are these people crazy? Can’t they see how good Ji Jin’s acting is?】

【Their reaction actually proves Ji Jin’s acting is excellent!】

【Exactly. How could he be scared? This scene is a masterpiece of non-physical acting!】

【Should be in the Beijing Film Academy textbooks!】

【Agreed.】

After running ahead alone, Ji Jin realized he was live-streaming. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself.

Separated from the group, only the branch stream viewers could see him. Curious onlookers flooded in.

Suddenly, his live stream became the most popular branch stream.

With viewers climbing, Ji Jin’s earlier fear vanished—time to perform.

He adjusted his expression, smiled at the camera, and forced a casual tone: “I saw some illusions under the tree. I got excited, as if something was calling me, and couldn’t control myself, so I ran ahead.”

“Not sure if they’re okay, maybe I should go back and check.”

【Go back? They not only ignored you but were being sarcastic.】

【The flashlight was obviously given by the production team, so how did it suddenly become theirs?】

【Brother, are you scared, walking alone now?】

“Scared?” Looking at the comments, Ji Jin’s smile deepened. “Not scared at all. On the contrary, I feel excited, looking forward to it. I have a feeling that deep in the mansion, someone is waiting for me.”

“Waiting for him?” Xie Jixing chuckled softly. “Isn’t that exactly what’s happening?”

He called Yue Qinyao and the unlucky spirit over, mumbling quietly.

The two ghosts nodded repeatedly, sending out OK signs in black energy: time to cause trouble!

On camera, Ji Jin, who had just been happily interacting with the livestream comments, suddenly changed expression.

Someone leaned close to his ear and said, “Yes, it’s me waiting for you.”

It wasn’t a hallucination—he heard it clearly: Xie Jixing’s voice.

The nerves he had just relaxed were instantly re-tightened. Ji Jin spun around violently, sweeping the flashlight randomly behind him.

Then, a pair of icy-cold hands clamped around his neck from behind.

“You ruined my voice, so I’ll dig out your vocal cords, how’s that?”

“Get off!” Ji Jin rubbed his neck frantically, especially around his throat. “Impossible! There are no ghosts! Who’s messing with me? Come out!”

His sudden, manic outburst startled everyone.

In the observation room, Yin Li’s hair stood on end. This really didn’t look like a performance.

Wu Hongyuan frowned but still chose to maintain a stiff front. “Ji Jin’s acting is getting deeper, very layered.”

Meng Zezhou was dumbfounded but cautiously asked, “Should we notify the production team? What if something really went wrong?”

Yin Li glanced hesitantly at Wu Hongyuan.

But Wu Hongyuan had already privately contacted the company, creating a trending entry: #JiJinFirstTimeShowcasingActingTalent, now climbing the tail of the hot search list.

“No need!” Wu Hongyuan laughed confidently. “You’re all too nervous. We still need Ji Jin to show more of his acting.”

【I don’t know, it looks kind of scary… maybe Meng Zezhou is right; they should tell the production team.】

【What good would Meng Zezhou’s words do? He’s probably afraid Ji Jin’s acting will outshine him, that’s why he wants to stop the show.】

【After all, Meng Zezhou is the type who would turn his back once he gets famous, and breaks up fan-favorite couples right after going solo. Isn’t this normal?】

The icy hands on his neck wouldn’t come off, and the clear voice kept laughing near Ji Jin’s ear.

He whispered to himself for courage: “There’s no such thing as ghosts. It must be some black-tech trick from the production team.”

“Impossible… it can’t be him. He’s still alive.”

He kicked at the air forcefully a couple of times, nearly falling from the effort, then caught his breath and continued forward.

The chilling sensation disappeared, the voice by his ear was gone, but Ji Jin had lost his previous composure.

He hunched forward, walking slowly, his flashlight scanning at every small rustle around him.

The viewers found the earlier events strange too.

【Weren’t they saying he wasn’t scared? But he’s all jumpy—looks more terrified than fearless.】

【If it’s acting, it’s too good.】

【Did he actually see a ghost?】

【Even if it’s acting, it’s annoying. An escape-room game is about exploring and solving puzzles. He’s just going in alone, scaring himself for no reason. What’s the point?】

The production team’s cameras were night-vision enabled. Though the light was dim, the audience could see clearly within the camera frame.

No one had been there moments ago, and the microphones picked up nothing. It seemed self-directed.

【You don’t understand, stop criticizing. Maybe the script just calls for it?】

【He’s the only one with a script. Why aren’t the others making a fuss?】

【Quan You’er was making noise too. But because Ji Jin is solo-streaming with many viewers, you all came to pick on him.】

【Is bullying a small artist fun?】

Even reasonable discussion would be called bullying by Ji Jin’s fans, so the viewers stopped debating and switched to another livestream.

But Ji Jin had no time for that. As soon as he pushed open the backyard door, a soft female voice rang out: “You finally came.”

This was what the audience heard.

Ji Jin, however, heard a male-female duet that terrified him:

Female voice: “I’ve waited for you so long…”

Male voice: “I’ve waited for you so long!”—clear, full of hatred, teeth clenched.

Along with the duet, Xie Jixing rose from the dry well like an elevator.

This time, he did not wear the tasseled mask, showing his full face.

The strings of reason in Ji Jin’s mind snapped completely. Seeing a face resembling Xie Jixing, his fragile sanity shattered.

He fell to the floor, legs too weak to stand, holding the flashlight while waving it around, crawling backward toward the house with his hands supporting him.