Chapter 128 Xiao Hui (ETL) Part 1
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[Banana: Can’t believe I really have people chasing for update XD Thanks Moony, here’s the chapter lol]
Chapter 128 Wanting a New Face
Before going to find the aunty’s son, Gu Ye called Gao Yingjing to confirm if she had any relatives who looked like her. It is to rule out any possibility of it being a case of mistaken identity, so as to avoid making a wasted trip.
Gao Yingjing was surprised that Gu Ye would call her. She exclaimed with delight, “I dreamt last night that the yard was full of red flowers, so I knew today would be a lucky1 day! Sure enough, Master Gu called me!”
Hearing that, Gu Ye chuckled. This film empress was so good with words. He smiled and said, “I didn’t have anything else to do, just a follow-up call. Sister Gao, is the baby doing well?”
Gao Yingjing happily replied, “Yes, the baby is great! With the name you gave him, the baby will definitely be healthy. Master Gu, when are you free? Let’s have a meal together.”
Gu Ye politely declined, “I’m busy lately. By the way, Sister Gao, do you have any relatives who look a lot like you, like cousins or nieces?”
“No, why?”
Smiling, Gu Ye explained, “I have a friend who really likes you. He knows you’re already married and have children, so he’s out of luck. He just wanted to ask if you have any relatives who look like you.”
Gao Yingjing laughed heartily, “Too bad, no.”
“Alright then, Sister Gao, please carry on with your matters. We’ll talk again when we have time.” After asking all the questions and confirming this case is not caused by humans, Gu Ye had no other choice but to say, “Looks like we’ll have to make this trip.”
Xie Cheng teased, “Wow, Gu The Third, you have quite the connections, huh? You even know the film empress.”
The aunty was also surprised by the call, and her gaze towards Gu Ye became somewhat restrained. This master knew everyone; he was too famous. She asked nervously, “Would 20,000 yuan not enough to pay for your help?”
Xie Cheng smiled, “It’s enough. Since we agree on a price, that’s the price you’ll pay. Asking for more at the last minute is like robbery; we don’t do that.”
The aunty breathed a sigh of relief and said gratefully, “Thank you so much.”
After Gu Ye finished his coffee, he stood up. “Let’s go take a look.”
The aunty asked worriedly, “Is it okay to go during the day?”
“Yes, we can see if there’s any ghostly aura.”
The aunty quickly added, “That’s perfect! Let’s go in and check while he’s not here. I rented this place for him, so I have the key.”
The three of them drove to a residential area. When they arrived at the unit, Gu Ye and Xie Cheng immediately saw a ghostly aura emanating from it. They didn’t know why the ghost looked exactly like Gao Yingjing when she was young, but they were certain it wasn’t human.
The aunt took out her keys from her bag and opened the door. Gu Ye stood at the back, arms crossed, watching quietly. Xie Cheng looked at him questioningly, “Why are you hiding so far away?”
Gu Ye shook his head; this case is a difficult one.
Just then, the aunty said to herself, “What’s going on? Why can’t I open it? Did this brat change the lock?”
After trying several times without success, the aunty said angrily, “It wasn’t changed when I came a couple of days ago. Don’t worry, I’ll call the landlord. They always notify the owners when they change locks in their complex; it’s all on record. They wouldn’t just change it for him directly.”
Afraid of upsetting the two masters, the aunty hurriedly explained.
Gu Ye chuckled, “Auntie, don’t worry, we’re already here. It’s alright if we wait a bit.”
The aunty quickly called the landlord. After only a few words, her expression changed. She said apologetically, “I’m so sorry, the landlord is out of town right now. Should I call him (the son)?”
“No need,” Gu Ye said meaningfully, “If you call him, he’s even less likely to come back.”
“How could this child be like this? He can guard against anyone else, but he can’t guard against me. I’m his mother, would I harm him?” The aunty’s face grew increasingly grim as she spoke. “He wasn’t like this before. He must have been bewitched by that female ghost to become like this.”
Gu Ye nodded. “Alright, we’ll talk about it when we meet him.”
Xie Cheng suggested, “We can talk about something else first. I haven’t seen this movie yet.”
Gu Ye added curiously, “I haven’t seen it either.”
The aunty explained, “It’s an old movie. Almost no one your age has seen it. My son only watched it because his dad and I like it; he’s probably influenced by us.”
“Where did you find this DVD?”
At this point, the aunt laughed, “We have this film in our collection at home. We all really like her. Before, we didn’t go to the cinema; we watched it on DVDs. Back then, a DVD cost a few yuan per piece, which was a lot of money.”
Gu Ye asked, “Does your son like her too?”
“Yes, he does. He grew up watching her movies. Now that the internet is so developed, DVDs of these kinds of films are almost nonexistent. So he would download them to watch, and he even bought postcards of her in junior high. We didn’t really interfere in this matter. Being a fan is fine, having a goal gives you motivation. But how did he end up with a female ghost who looks exactly like her? Sigh!”
Gu Ye asked again, “Auntie, how are you sure that the female ghost is this character?”
The aunty explained, “I’ve watched this movie several times. The girl in it has the exact same aura as the female lead. It’s an early work, a ghost film starring Gao Yingjing. She only acted in this one ghost film, so I remember it very clearly.”
Xie Cheng said, “Let’s watch this movie first. Maybe it will provide some clues.”
There were no places playing DVDs anymore, and besides, this movie had aired so long ago; whether it could even be shown was questionable. Gu Ye and Xie Cheng found an internet cafe and searched for the movie online. It was available, but the picture quality was very poor. Fortunately, it didn’t affect viewing.
The movie started off very depressing. It tells the story of a girl named Xiao Hui, born into a family that favored sons over daughters. Her brother was a gambler who gambled away all the family’s savings, leaving them heavily indebted to loan sharks. To pay off the debts, her parents sold her into a nightclub as a hostess.
In that shady place, the girl was taken advantage of many times. But she insisted on only drinking with customers and not sleeping with them, so she offended many people. Soon, a sunny, cheerful, and ambitious man appeared in Xiao Hui’s life. He liked her personality, didn’t care about her job, and pursued her passionately. Naturally, they fell in love.
However, fate had other plans for Xiao Hui. Her boyfriend had accumulated a large debt during his business ventures. His creditor was someone Xiao Hui had previously rejected. The creditor offered a deal: he doesn’t have to pay the debt, but he would have use his girlfriend as an exchange.
To repay the debt, the boyfriend lured Xiao Hui to the creditor’s hideout. There, she was gxxg-rxxxd and hanged to death from a rafter. Afterward, a series of supernatural events occurred. The girl’s spirit transformed into a vengeful ghost, seeking bloody revenge. The story ends with the girl disappearing into the night, her whereabouts unknown. A pair of gloomy, cold eyes gaze upon the world from the darkness, sending chills down one’s spine.
After watching the film, neither of them spoke. After a moment of silence, Xie Cheng remarked, “It’s so powerful. I can’t think about it too much; if I do, I feel like someone’s watching me.”
Gu Ye nodded. “The actors/actresses from that era were definitely a hundred times better at acting than some of today’s expressionless idols.”
“Yeah, it’s very immersive. Old movies still have a certain charm.”
Both Gu Ye and Xie Cheng were exasperated. Even they, who frequently witnessed ghosts, found this film relatable; what about ordinary people?
Xie Cheng sighed, “No wonder Gao Yingjing became a household name after this film. But it’s said that the movie put psychological pressure on her, and it took her a long time to recover.”
Gu Ye chuckled. “How did you know that?”
Laughing, Xie Cheng explained, “There’s that rumor online, but I don’t know if it’s true.”
Gu Ye sighed. Was there anything netizens didn’t know?
The two masters preferred to operate at night, so they took an early afternoon nap after lunch to prepare themselves to meet ‘Xiao Hui’ that evening.
Around 7.00 pm, the three of them returned to the rented unit. The aunty said her son usually got off work at 7.00 pm and was home by 7:30 pm. They waited at the door until 8.00 pm, but he still hadn’t returned.
The aunty was getting anxious and explained, “Maybe something happened on the way, that’s keeping him from coming back. Don’t worry.”
Xie Cheng said helplessly, “We’re not in a hurry, please calm down.”
Gu Ye simply sat on the stairs, took out his phone, and started playing games. Xie Cheng saw this and joined him, and the two played two rounds. They waited until 8:30 pm, but the man still hadn’t returned. The aunty was getting impatient, fearing something had happened to her son. “I’ll call him and ask,” she said.
Gu Ye nodded. “Go ahead.”
The aunty dialed, and the call was answered quickly. She asked anxiously, “Yin Fan, where are you?”
Shao Yin Fan’s voice was calm. “Mom, I’m working overtime today. Did you need something?”
“Yes, I just wanted to see you.”
“I’m working overtime, don’t worry, I’ll be home as soon as I’m done.”
“Son, when are you coming back? Hello? Hello!” The aunty wanted to ask more, but the call ended.
The aunty was about to call him again in anger, but Gu Ye stood up. He dusted himself off and said slowly, “Auntie, no need to call him again. Your son is clearly avoiding you. He already knows why you’re looking for him, and he even changed the locks to prevent you from getting in. Now he’s hiding. He definitely knows his girlfriend isn’t normal.”
The aunt stamped her foot anxiously, “Is he crazy?”
Gu Ye sighed, “People in love can sometimes be a little crazier than normal people.”
Looking at the aunty’s face, Gu Ye counted something on his fingers for a moment. Then he smiled and said, “Let’s go back to sleep. He wants to avoid the matter, so forcing him won’t work. He’ll only know the consequences when he tastes the bitter fruit. I have class tomorrow, so I’ll come again on Friday.”
…
Meanwhile, in a hotel, a young man with features somewhat similar to the aunty held his girlfriend in his arms, comforting her, “Don’t be afraid, I’ll protect you. I won’t let you suffer anymore.”
The woman’s face was bluish-purple, her expression gloomy, and there were rope marks on her neck; she looked like a hanged ghost. She nestled sweetly in Shao Yin Fan’s arms, but to Shao Yin Fan, she appeared quite differently. She resembled the pitiful Xiao Hui from the movie, possessing the unique shyness of a girl from the 1980s—beautiful and obedient. This image evoked a strong protective instinct and a sense of satisfaction in the man.
Shao Yin Fan kissed her forehead, solemnly declaring, “I will protect you. I will absolutely not let those masters harm you.”
Xiao Hui advised, “Why don’t you go back and check on her? Don’t let your mother worry. I’m not scared.” Although she said that, she was still trembling. Her feigned strength softened Shao Yifan’s heart completely. He said forcefully, “No need. She will go home when she can’t wait for me.”
Xiao Hui’s lips curved into a smile. She gently cupped Shao Yin Fan’s face and kissed him. “Thank you.”
Shao Yin Fan reiterated, “No one can hurt you.”
Xiao Hui smiled contentedly, gazing lovingly at her boyfriend. “I believe you.”
“Cough, cough…” Shao Yin Fan was about to say something when he suddenly coughed violently.
Xiao Hui asked worriedly, “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
Shao Yin Fan replied nonchalantly, “It’s probably just a cold. I’ll get some medicine tomorrow.”
Xiao Hui said worriedly, “You’ve lost so much weight lately, and your complexion isn’t good either.”
“It’s probably because I’ve been too busy and tired lately. I’ll be fine after a few days of rest, don’t worry.”
“Then I’ll make you soup every day to help you recover.”
Hearing that, Shao Yin Fan said contentedly, “That’s great! Your soup is the best.”
Xiao Hui smiled, “I’ll make it for you for the rest of my life.”
Shao Yin Fan smiled, hugged Xiao Hui, and kissed her forehead, “That’s wonderful!”
Just as the two were in the midst of the lovey-doveyness, Shao Yin Fan suddenly felt cold and shivered inexplicably. He asked in bewilderment, “Why am I suddenly so cold?”
Xiao Hui quickly turned on the hot mode in the air conditioner and set it to around 30 degrees Celsius. “Will this make you feel better?”
The room temperature gradually rose, and Shao Yin Fan finally felt a little better. Unexpectedly, in the middle of the night, he suddenly felt even colder. Frustrated, he called for the hotel staff and said, “Bring me another blanket.”
The waiter looked at Shao Yin Fan strangely, because there were 2 down comforters in the room. At this temperature, one comforter is enough for a normal person, but this young man needed more than 2 comforters? The staff didn’t say much; he simply gave him another one. Shao Yin Fan ended up with 3 blankets and the hot air conditioning on before he finally felt warm.
The next morning, Shao Yin Fan got out of bed feeling weak and pale and went to work.
…
Raw word count: 6777 (whole chapter)
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