The director froze instantly.
This person, this voice, he would never forget in his lifetime.
How could this be? He had deliberately avoided anyone resembling her, yet he heard that familiar voice again.
His mind struggled to function as he remembered this was during the filming process.
No, wait…
“Hey… He Hui?” The director took a step back, his back quickly pressing against the door.
He quietly reached for the doorknob, forcing a smile at He Hui. “Look, Chai Zhuo didn’t come today, so let’s just call off the rehearsal… let’s talk about it tomorrow or the day after.”
“Tomorrow?”
The red figure suddenly moved closer to the director, a chilling aura spreading near his ear. “Is it the day after tomorrow or tomorrow’s tomorrow?”
“What…”
The director was momentarily dazed, and only after a moment did he react and sprint towards the door.
The door was not shut, and it opened easily.
But the woman in red behind him didn’t disappear and continued to chase after him...
“Ahhh! Help me!!!”
The scream quickly echoed down from the second floor, reaching Sang Yue and Ma Xiaowen at the door.
Ma Xiaowen quietly leaned closer to Sang Yue and whispered, “This… although we arranged this, she’s performing too well, right? It’s like she’s playing herself.”
Sang Yue furrowed her brow. "Is the ghost really working so hard because she has a grudge against that husband of hers? Maybe... the ghost's goal is to kill her husband?"
She crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe. "Then I really don’t understand. Why lock us up in the Mansion? She could just confront that man herself!"
Ma Xiaowen shook her head.
The commotion inside quickly spread from the second floor to the first.
Sang Yue straightened up. "It's time."
Meanwhile, Gu Zhan, who had prepared in advance at the staircases on the first and second floors, poured the last bucket of oil on the ground.
The comments in the live chat were buzzing.
【What are they planning to do?】
【I just realized that being with Gu Zhan can turn good people bad.】
【Hey, I like this development.】
After doing this, he hid in the shadows, and soon the director came tumbling down from the second floor, howling like a ghost.
He Hui followed closely behind.
The director, panicking, didn’t notice the oil on the stairs and slipped when he stepped on it.
But he didn’t look back; he got up and ran.
Outside, the heavy rain continued to pour, and the sky grew darker. This kind of weather was perfect for mischief.
As soon as the director left, Gu Zhan emerged and set the stairs on fire.
The moment the fire touched the oil, it ignited immediately.
Gu Zhan had poured oil on both the staircase on the second floor and one side of the first floor. The fire in those two places would burn more fiercely. But the Black Crow Mansion was filled with decorative items, so it would catch fire quickly. It wouldn't be long before the director realized he was surrounded by smoke and flames.
At that point, he would have to choose: continue hiding in the burning Black Crow Mansion or run outside.
And outside… it was raining.
In this story, water and rain symbolized Xiao Xiu.
Earlier, his room was flooded at midnight, scaring him away from the Black Raven Mansion.
Now, the extreme contrast between fire and water would reveal what he feared more.
The director was soon chased out by He Hui from the first floor, while Sang Yue and Ma Xiaowen had already left.
He ran frantically, trying to avoid the ghost behind him, completely unaware that the surroundings were on fire. All he felt was the thick smoke in the corridor, which seemed to be suffocating.
Instinctively, he fled toward the front door and suddenly saw Sang Yue standing outside.
Sang Yue also seemed to have just come out of the Black Raven Mansion. She waved at the director, urgently shouting, "Hurry out, director! It’s on fire inside!"
The director turned around and found that the woman in red chasing him had vanished. In her place was a room full of thick smoke and flickering flames at the top of the second-floor staircase.
He quickly ran outside but was met with the overcast sky and the relentless rain.
Ironically, when he looked up, his gaze collided with a splash of red in the yard.
The heavy rain seemed to wash the colors off the surrounding plants, making the red stand out starkly against the dark backdrop.
She smiled at him, seemingly waiting for him to step into the rain.
Rain...
Water...
It was her.
It was indeed her.
The director's face suddenly turned pale. He did not look back and fled deeper into the Black Crow Mansion.
At that moment, Gu Zhan walked in through a side door.
Sang Yue watched the director's retreating figure and frowned. "He really is that man. What should we do?"
Gu Zhan observed the director desperately rushing into a room on the first floor and coldly said, "Shut the door."
"What?"
Sang Yue didn’t quite understand.
But she heard Gu Zhan say, "This is just a flashback segment."
"…"
【How ruthless! The key character in the plot can be killed just like that.】
【But he’s right; this is just a flashback segment. Nothing is real except for the ghosts.】
【I’ve never seen anyone be so harsh on a director before.】
【If only we had been so decisive back then. It was our mercy toward the director that almost got us wiped out.】
Sang Yue quickly understood and stepped forward.
"I’ll help you."
They arrived at the door of the room where the director was and locked it tightly.
Inside, the director seemed to hear the noise and asked, "Is anyone there? Is there someone outside? Help me... Help me find an umbrella; I can’t get wet in the rain."
But what awaited him was not a response from the crew, but the sound of the door lock turning.
The director quickly realized something was wrong. He ran to the door and started pounding on the doorframe.
"What are you doing? Let me out!"
"Are you in cahoots with that ghost? You won't have a good ending working with her!!"
"Let me out! I can give you money, a lot of money!!"
The director’s voice gradually broke down, from threats at the start to tempting offers later.
When he found that no matter what he said, the people outside remained silent, he started trying to break down the door violently.
Meanwhile, the smoke was spreading in.
Sang Yue exchanged glances with Gu Zhan, and they both stepped outside.
At the entrance, Ma Xiaowen in a red dress walked in, asking, "Are you ready? Where's He Hui?"
Sang Yue looked back at the Black Crow Mansion, which was now engulfed in flames. He Hui had not come out.
"What should we do?" Ma Xiaowen was as anxious as an ant on a hot stove.
Sang Yue gritted her teeth. "Let’s wait a bit longer."
Until now, they hadn’t completely confirmed He Hui’s identity.
What if she was really a player?
They remained in the lobby of the Black Raven Mansion to wait.
But the fire grew larger. Not only was thick black smoke billowing out, but they could also hear the cracking sounds of beams and stairs burning.
Gradually, they had to move from the lobby to the door, and finally outside.
This magnificent building was burning and collapsing from the inside.
In the end, the flames finally reached the outside.
Inside had already become a sea of fire; even standing at the door, one could feel the scorching heat.
Ma Xiaowen was very scared, pulling on Sang Yue's hand as they took steps back, until all of them ended up in the rain.
The fire inside grew larger and larger, and the room seemed unable to support itself, emitting creaking sounds.
Ma Xiaowen shouted in fear, "It's going to collapse! Let's go!"
With the fire burning like this, if He Hui were truly a human, she probably wouldn't survive either.
Sang Yue bit her lip and turned to look at Gu Zhan, but she saw him standing in the rain not far away, his expression calm.
He seemed never to have been troubled about whether He Hui was alive or dead.
It felt as if she alone believed He Hui was a ghost and still hoped she could come out alive.
What on earth was she doing? If He Hui were really a ghost, her being alive wouldn’t be of any benefit to them!
Let’s not forget, Wang Zhe was killed by her!
“Let’s go!” Sang Yue finally made up her mind and turned to leave.
But just as she shifted her gaze, a person burst out from the thick fog—it was the long-lost He Hui.
She shouted at the crowd, “Run!”
She opened her arms and suddenly lunged at Gu Zhan and the others.
At the same moment, the Black Raven Mansion behind them collapsed with a thunderous crash.
Just then, Gu Zhan heard his system announce.
“Congratulations, player, for completing the hidden side mission: <Kill that heartless person>.”
……
The world plunged into darkness, and the noisy sounds around disappeared.
Suddenly, someone let out a light laugh.
“You’re quite impressive.”
Gu Zhan opened his eyes and found himself sitting next to a long bench in the dining room of the Black Raven Mansion. Not far away, a cloaked sorcerer leaned against the wall, raising an eyebrow as he looked at him.
Next to him were Sang Yue, He Hui, and Ma Xiaowen—all present.
The sorcerer smiled slightly. “I didn’t expect you all to survive and come out of the second rewind segment. Congratulations! You must have gained quite a bit, right?”
Sang Yue suddenly stood up, clenching her fists as she looked at the sorcerer. “Are you the one who killed Xiao Xiu?”
The sorcerer raised an eyebrow. “What are you talking about? Isn’t Xiao Xiu the ghost in your story? She’s not dead. If she were dead, who do you think is the one who trapped you here?”
Sang Yue had no way to counter him.
Right now, there was no evidence to prove who the “husband” truly was.
She sat back down.
The sorcerer was not angered by Sang Yue’s offense; instead, he smiled slightly at the group and said, “Now, your task has become simpler. Based on what you saw in the rewind segment, find out who trapped you here… before dawn. Otherwise, you will remain here forever.”
After saying this, he pointedly looked toward the dining room window.
There, a corner of the night sky was visible.
The group instinctively turned to look in that direction.
But when they looked back at the sorcerer after glancing at the window, the spot where he had stood was already empty.
The sorcerer… was gone.
At that moment, a public broadcast that everyone could hear echoed in the dining room.
【Welcome players to the instance <Black Raven Mansion>. All 4 players have logged in; the instance is starting. Countdown… 3… 2… 1…】
【Instance background: Black Raven Mansion is a mysterious building nestled among the mountains and forests. No one knows who its owner is, nor the era it was built in. Players will arrive at Black Raven Mansion to uncover its mysteries.】
【Instance content: Each player has a hidden personal task. Completing the task is the only way to leave the instance.】
【The instance is about to begin. A kind reminder: the Black Raven Mansion is very dangerous, especially at night. Please return to your rooms. Unless you determine you have a personal task to complete, do not leave your rooms.】
【Countdown… 50, 51, 52…】
The broadcast left everyone dumbfounded.
Ma Xiaowen was stunned, murmuring, “The instance… is about to begin? What were we before this?”
Sang Yue suddenly reacted. “Quick! Back to the room!”
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