He had stretched out a foot to trip Mo Xiaoji, grinning mischievously.
Mo Xiaoji spat out the dirt, then stood up gracefully, brushing off her clothes.
The middle-aged man continued to look at her with a provocative expression.
This made Mo Xiaoji furious. She lunged forward, grabbing his collar and roaring: “Damn it, you want to die? Daring to trick me? I’m not afraid of gods above, nor ghosts below, so why would I fear a human like you?”
As if she weren’t human herself, she spoke with such conviction.
The servant’s eyes lit up when he heard her words: “You really aren’t afraid of ghosts?”
“I…” Mo Xiaoji’s scalp tingled, but the words were already out, so she stiffened her head: “Ghosts… they’re just ghosts,” her voice trailing off weakly.
The servant, seeing her frightened expression, couldn’t help but laugh, sneaking close to her ear: “There are many ghosts here, especially in this forest. While ghosts in other places only come out at midnight, here they emerge as soon as the sun sets, and they especially like to chat with fearless girls like you.”
“Really?” Mo Xiaoji’s mouth went dry, her body hair standing on end.
Encountering a Ghost
“Of course,” the servant said seriously. “I, Wang San, never lie. The ghosts here are tricky – some without heads, some missing arms, some missing legs. Good ghosts are few, evil ghosts are many. If you meet a good ghost, it’s fine. But if you meet an evil ghost? That’s trouble.”
Mo Xiaoji stared helplessly as the sun became the twilight, then just a wisp of rosy light.
Mo Xiaoji was already afraid of ghosts! And now, after the servant’s words, she was terrified, only able to swallow her saliva.
Those flying saliva eggs after the middle-aged servant wiped the dust off his clothes, said to the terrified Mo Xiaoji: “Young lady, go home quickly! The sun is setting. If you don’t go home now, you’ll encounter ghosts. I’m going to close the door and sleep. I’m most afraid of ghosts, they’re so scary, just imagining them is frightening.”
The middle-aged servant didn’t show any fear at all, but Mo Xiaoji was so scared her eyes stopped moving.
Seeing the middle-aged servant was really going to close the door and sleep, Mo Xiaoji looked at the dense forest around, with no other houses in sight. She immediately put on a smile, grabbed the servant’s clothes: “Uncle…” She didn’t forget to bat her eyelashes, her voice sweet and coquettish: “Can I stay here tonight?”
The middle-aged servant looked at Mo Xiaoji staring at him eagerly, suppressing his laughter, his face stern: “No, who knows if you’re a female ghost. You know, I’m most afraid of ghosts.”
“I… I can’t be a ghost, I’m also most afraid of ghosts,” Mo Xiaoji anxiously explained, then immediately covered her mouth.
“Oh! So you… also… afraid of ghosts…” the middle-aged servant loudly repeated her words.
Mo Xiaoji’s face immediately turned red, embarrassed and only able to grin. But no matter how embarrassed, she didn’t let go of the man’s clothes.
The middle-aged servant finally couldn’t help but laugh: “Since you’re also afraid of ghosts, come in!”
Mo Xiaoji’s face grew thick-skinned. For the sake of survival, what’s the point of saving face?
This courtyard was truly unusually large, but strangely, no other people could be seen.
Encountering Ghosts
The middle-aged servant looked at Mo Xiaoji’s strange expression and chuckled: “I’m the only one watching this yard. The master and mistress have moved to Vandu. If you’re scared, go home!”
Mo Xiaoji quickly shook her head: “Not scared, not scared.” Though she said she wasn’t scared, her face had turned green like a vegetable leaf. She was thinking: “Is this man a pervert? Won’t he have inappropriate thoughts?” But compared to the ghosts outside, Mo Xiaoji could only accept her fate.
The middle-aged servant brought Mo Xiaoji to a small building in the back courtyard, stopped, and grinned at her: “Young lady, this is the best house in our yard, originally the mistress’s room. Since she’s not here now, you can stay here tonight! Remember to lock the door, don’t let ghosts or monsters in.”
Mo Xiaoji stared at the middle-aged servant. She always felt there was something creepy about his smile, something not quite right.
Poor Mo Xiaoji had no other choice. Talking to ghosts or watching this unscrupulous uncle, she had no other path.
Mo Xiaoji hung her head and nodded weakly.
The unscrupulous uncle’s smile was indeed creepy, especially as he watched Mo Xiaoji walk into the small building. His smile was so bizarre that fortunately, Mo Xiaoji didn’t see it. Otherwise, she’d rather talk to ghosts than stay in this building.
The small building was actually well-decorated, but the entire room in bright red was unbearable for Mo Xiaoji. She had heard that ghosts love red, and anything ghosts liked, she typically disliked.
Bright red mandarin duck bedding, red mosquito net, even the tablecloth was a red mandarin duck water scene silk. The red made Mo Xiaoji’s eyes dizzy.
Worse yet, the two candles in the room were red and marked with wedding characters.
It looked just like a wedding chamber.
The overwhelming red made Mo Xiaoji’s nerves extremely tense.
After inspecting the room, her first action was to bolt the door, and the second was to quickly fall asleep.
Asleep, she wouldn’t be afraid.
Meeting Ghosts
To Mo Xiaoji’s delight, she found a few not-so-fresh fruits in the room. She ate a few, then climbed onto the bed and pulled the covers over her head.
Mo Xiaoji had decided that unless something was threatening her life, she wouldn’t move. Even if a ghost climbed into her room, she would pretend not to see it.
The more she tried to sleep, the more awake she became, tossing and turning until her head hurt, with no sign of sleepiness.
The outside had completely darkened. The two candles lit the room a deep red, red like blood, but Mo Xiaoji didn’t see this. She had her eyes closed, believing that what she can’t see can’t hurt her. Her current highest state was playing dead.
The room’s red grew thicker, dripping onto the floor with increasing loudness. All items in the room began to move wildly.
The mosquito net alternately transformed into female, male, and animal forms.
Initially, the tables and chairs only watched the mosquito net’s performance, but eventually joined in, creating a sea of magic.
The bed Mo Xiaoji slept on wasn’t to be outdone, awkwardly twisting and throwing her from the headboard to the footboard.
Mo Xiaoji’s sleeping skills were incredible – completely motionless, like dead.
After the monsters twisted themselves tired, with no one screaming or looking at them with terrified eyes, they found the performance lacking and quietly returned to their original positions.
Mo Xiaoji, poor thing, was unceremoniously shaken and thrown under the bed by the large bed because she wasn’t cooperative.
Mo Xiaoji was in pain but held back her cries.
She,Mo Xiaoji, had said that no matter what happened tonight, she would play dead. Of course, except when her life was at stake.
The room fell quiet. Lying on the ground,Mo Xiaoji was comfortably wrapped in a big blanket. Although it was a bit hot inside, it was still better than being cold. She,Mo Xiaoji, felt quite content, but someone had to oppose her.
Female Ghost
Just asMo Xiaoji was about to drift off comfortably, the blanket was pulled away.
Mo Xiaoji was furious! Furious!
Is being a ghost so great? So great?
She,Mo Xiaoji, would become a ghost one day too.
First, a cold wind swirled aroundMo Xiaoji, and then the door began to creak.
The creaking seemed endless, as if it had been going on for an hour, drivingMo Xiaoji crazy with anger.
“Where’s the ghost? Isn’t it time for the ghost to appear?”
