Because of the experiences of the previous night, the atmosphere during breakfast was a bit strange.
It was the same long table, with Ma Xiaowen and He Hui on one side, while Sang Yue and Gu Zhan sat on the other.
Sang Yue was naturally cold and gave no one any face today, wearing a cold expression. Even when the director came over earlier, she didn’t say much.
Sang Yue remained silent, and the restaurant was terrifyingly quiet.
Ma Xiaowen looked left and right, realizing that the big boss seemed determined to give up.
She could only muster the courage to speak: “How about we discuss what we encountered yesterday? Sang Yue and I walked around the village, and all the houses had their lights on, but there wasn't a single person in sight…”
She briefly recounted their experiences from the previous day, stopping at the point where they met the director at the village entrance, as Gu Zhan already knew what happened afterward.
Gu Zhan casually remarked, “I saw Xiao Xiu yesterday.”
“What?” Both Ma Xiaowen and He Hui displayed expressions of shock.
Gu Zhan said, “She was in that river, her ankles tied to stones, drowned for who knows how long. The water ghost we analyzed earlier is probably her.”
As Gu Zhan spoke, Sang Yue added, “The child’s corpse we found in the small house should, without a doubt, belong to Xiao Xiu.”
Ma Xiaowen stated, “So, the two ghosts we’re facing now are one who drowned, Xiao Xiu, and another who was burned, Xiao Xiu’s child?”
Sang Yue replied, “Not just them; there’s also the husband who left Huangquan Village alive and is now missing.”
“If it’s that husband… I have some thoughts.” At this moment, He Hui suddenly spoke up.
Her position within the team was somewhat delicate.
Sang Yue’s animosity towards her was obvious, and Sang Yue held significant influence in their small team. If she targeted someone, that person wouldn’t fare well in the group.
Nevertheless, He Hui insisted on expressing her thoughts: “The family dynamics must not be friendly; otherwise, after the woman died, the child wouldn’t have been stuffed into the stove. As the only living person in Huangquan Village, it’s hard to imagine he didn’t benefit from this situation. Among everyone we’ve encountered, the highest social status belongs to the owner of Ye Sheng Ge and the director of the film crew. I believe one of them must be that husband.”
However, Sang Yue countered, “I don’t think so. Even if the husband is a beneficiary, if he gained something, he should keep his distance. Why would he take in a singer named Xiao Xiu? And why would he proactively film a movie related to a female ghost?”
He Hui responded, “He killed the woman, so he definitely wouldn’t want anyone to know the truth. Filming the movie could just be to cover up what he did…”
Sang Yue interjected, “But in our discussion materials, the female ghost is the one who killed the entire Huangquan Village. We have no evidence to prove that the husband killed anyone. The female ghost has committed murder, and we witnessed it in the last flashback. If we’re going to identify a murderer now, why not recognize the one who has already done something wrong instead of searching for someone who hasn’t even appeared in this incident?”
Sang Yue’s logic wasn’t flawless, but her aggressive demeanor had completely suppressed He Hui.
He Hui's arguments also seemed strange; it felt like she was trying to exonerate the female ghost.
Ma Xiaowen’s mind was clouded; she had no idea whom to believe.
One moment, she would look at He Hui, and the next, at Sang Yue.
At that moment, Gu Zhan spoke up: “Perhaps there’s another possibility.”
“What?”
Both Sang Yue and He Hui turned to look at Gu Zhan.
Gu Zhan continued, “There’s another person with a high social status who might have even orchestrated the whole event: the owner of the Black Crow Mansion.”
Sang Yue's eyes went blank for a moment. “The owner of the Black Crow Mansion… isn’t that you?”
Gu Zhan replied, “It’s a trap. After I woke up, someone told me I was the owner of the Black Crow Mansion, and I believed it, telling you all. But beyond that, do we have any evidence to prove I am the owner of the Black Crow Mansion?”
Unlike Sang Yue and the others who carried their identities into the scenario, Gu Zhan had no memories related to the Black Crow Mansion.
In the story, the settings couldn’t be fabricated.
Sang Yue, Ma Xiaowen, and Wang Zhe were from a film society, so they shared memories related to each other; hence, they must be from the film society.
However, Gu Zhan being the owner of the Black Crow Mansion was something they learned only after meeting him.
Sang Yue never considered this possibility; she opened her mouth, wanting to refute, but couldn’t find the words.
Ma Xiaowen was already covered in goosebumps.
Gu Zhan said, “I always found it strange that my pants legs are very long.”
“What…” Sang Yue was completely confused.
What did their current discussion have to do with pants?
Gu Zhan gestured: “Clothes like that shouldn’t be anything but custom-made, right?”
Sang Yue couldn’t believe it: “You think you’re not the owner of the Black Crow Mansion based on this?”
Gu Zhan replied, “Yes.”
“…”
Everyone fell silent.
Gu Zhan’s statement was bold, eerie, filled with surrealism and… chilling reality.
It was absurd.
But once this possibility entered their minds, it was hard to dispel.
Sang Yue couldn’t help but think that they had always believed it was the female ghost or the little ghost who trapped them in the Black Crow Mansion.
Was it really like that?
What if…
Ma Xiaowen couldn’t help but ask, “Who exactly locked us in the Black Crow Mansion?”
“That sorcerer…” Sang Yue said, “is also not to be trusted.”
Not just the NPCs; even the people among the players could not be trusted.
But Sang Yue hesitated to voice this last thought; if there were three “ghosts,” how could she justify that only He Hui was problematic?
Among them, there were only four people left.
In an instant, the situation fell into a deadlock. After a moment of silence, Gu Zhan said, “We still have some time; we can verify whether the director is a ghost.”
“How do we verify something like that?” Ma Xiaowen asked. “Last time his room was flooded, he was terrified. If we do anything else, wouldn’t he run away again?”
“It’s just in time,” Sang Yue looked out the window. “This movie definitely can't be filmed; if we start shooting, we might end up dead.”
She temporarily set aside her doubts. No matter what, at least for now, before this flashback segment ended, they were all in the same boat.
“We can discuss what to do next.”
---
After they finished their discussion and left the restaurant, it began to rain again.
Sang Yue stood at the entrance of the Black Raven Mansion, looking at the overcast sky, and said, “Perfect, the heavens are helping me.”
The director was anxious and called a meeting with the crew in the afternoon, asking for a rehearsal.
The content of the rehearsal was simple; it involved a scene where Xiao Xiu and the male lead, Chai Zhuo, meet at the Black Raven Mansion.
Gu Zhan knew nothing about this part and only read the script at the last minute to get a clear understanding.
The basic plot was that although Xiao Xiu was possessed by a female ghost, she still retained some self-awareness, watching helplessly as “she” slaughtered those around her, with friends and family gradually drifting away.
After meeting Chai Zhuo’s character, she briefly regained the ability to act and told him about her situation, asking for his help.
In this short time, the male and female leads developed feelings for each other. Chai Zhuo promised to help her, but before they could part ways, the female ghost’s consciousness took over again.
Using Xiao Xiu’s hand, the ghost killed the one she loved and left with a wild laugh...
Of course, the male lead didn’t die in the subsequent story.
However, with this added twist, the female ghost’s character became even more detestable. Not only did she kill, but she also toyed with the emotions of others, taking pleasure in Xiao Xiu’s despair as she lost her beloved.
As for how someone possessed by a ghost could fall in love with a stranger in less than a day… that might be too complicated to analyze.
After watching this segment, Sang Yue's expression was quite dramatic.
Gu Zhan thought she had discovered something special and looked at her for a moment longer.
Unexpectedly, Sang Yue said, “I really don’t understand. Don’t the characters have any brains?”
She spoke with great indignation, leaving Gu Zhan puzzled. “I don’t know.”
After all, he wasn’t straight.
Holding the script, Sang Yue asked Gu Zhan, “If you were Xiao Xiu, would you fall in love with a stranger in such a short time?”
For some reason, a pair of eyes flashed through Gu Zhan's mind.
He replied calmly, “Not necessarily.”
“Ha?” This unexpected answer twisted Sang Yue’s expression.
Gu Zhan said, “If he’s good-looking enough, maybe.”
“…” Sang Yue threw the script aside and turned away in exasperation. “I have nothing to say to people like you who only care about looks. I’m going to handle my part.”
Gu Zhan bent down to pick up the script.
Beautiful people and things are valuable and cherished; there’s nothing wrong with liking them.
However, he was different from Xiao Xiu and couldn’t generalize.
The character itself was not at fault; it was simply forced into a narrative that didn’t belong to her, leading to the distortion and fragmentation of her personality.
Bit by bit, she had been twisted beyond recognition.
The director didn’t care that his work was being altered. When explaining the positioning of the male and female leads in this scene, he was energetic and excited.
Gu Zhan stood nearby and could even see the fingers gripping the script slightly trembling.
“You stand here, and in a moment, Chai Zhuo… where’s Chai Zhuo? Why hasn’t he arrived yet?”
The director had already arranged Xiao Xiu’s position, but the male lead was nowhere to be found.
Gu Zhan stood nearby, fully aware that Chai Zhuo wasn’t coming.
After calling out to him twice with no response, the director became angry and shouted at Li Qing nearby, “Where is he? Why aren’t you going to find him?”
Li Qing didn’t dare to reply and quickly turned to leave.
After she left, Gu Zhan said, “I’ll help look for him as well.”
The director didn’t say anything; he was immersed in the excitement of finally starting the filming.
Not long after Gu Zhan left, the open door creaked shut.
The surroundings fell silent, and the sound of the door closing dragged on, like squeezing toothpaste, making one’s teeth ache.
The director glanced back, frowning as he approached the door and shut it, then walked toward Xiao Xiu.
He was about to speak to her when he suddenly felt that the person in front of him had changed...
She stood at the window, her long black hair draping over her shoulder, her features clear and beautiful.
She smiled at him and softly asked, “How dare you?”
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