Chapter 58: The Yin Hall Gathering (Part 2)

Ren Dong tightly huddled himself between the two of them, afraid that something unclean would suddenly burst out from an unexpected place. There were several missed calls on his phone. How could he dare go home alone right now? So he replied telling them to wait outside for him a while longer.

“Master Chen, how do you think we should resolve this matter?” Ren Dong cupped his hands toward Chen Jiu: “These sudden incidents every now and then, we don’t have enough lives to be scared like this.”

“I’m afraid your filming has occupied someone else’s territory, and that’s why they’re coming to cause trouble for you.” Chen Jiu handed the costume to him: “Was there a ceremony when you started work?”

Ren Dong tremblingly received the costume, swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and said: “There was, wasn’t there? Wasn’t it that feng shui practitioner…”

“The practitioner might not necessarily be fake. It’s just that when asked at the time, the other party might not have agreed at all. The practitioner you hired was unwilling to spit out the money he received, so he just deceived you.” Chen Jiu sheathed her sword, walked forward a few steps, and continued: “You offended and provoked them first. It’s quite normal for them to want revenge. But injuring people to the point of hospitalization is indeed excessive. We can no longer indulge them in their mischief.”

Hearing this, Ren Dong’s heart finally settled. He quickly asked: “Yes yes yes, do you need me to help prepare anything?”

But Chen Jiu said: “Not urgent yet.”

Ren Dong inwardly shouted, heavens! Not urgent yet?!

“Several?” Chen Ba’s brows moved slightly: “I thought there were only two. Junior Sister, what do you think?”

Chen Jiu said: “All incidents happened after the opera singing segment began. The clues are related to this opera. First, a subsequent segment not written in the script was sung. Then the supporting actress was scared out of her wits… What role does this girl play in the drama?”

“The pillar of the opera troupe, a flower-dan, with a predestined connection to the male lead. In the plot her function is to assist the main couple. Her screen time is really not much… meant to advance the feelings between the male and female leads. But the male lead remains unmoved throughout. This girl ends up with a heartbroken departure, no longer involving herself in the main couple’s affairs.” Ren Dong answered.

Chen Jiu said: “That previous segment of singing not in the script, should also be sung by the flower-dan?”

Ren Dong nodded.

Chen Ba suddenly realized: “Then this is the same one.”

“The martial male role is the second.” Chen Jiu finished, somewhat hesitant: “It’s just uncertain whether the one who wrote the three characters ‘Yellow Springs Assembly’ is one of them, or another person… another ghost.”

Ren Dong knew there would be no results today. He truly wished they would stop talking about it. He quickly cupped his hands toward both sides: “How about we go back first? Let’s not chat here anymore, great immortals. I’m just a mortal flesh and blood nobody. My heart is truly afraid!”

The two had no objections, both nodded once. Ren Dong quickly called for them to head out, conveniently taking that costume with him too.

He didn’t dare go back alone to the pitch-black costume room to put the thing back!

When the few people sat down in the hotel private room, brightly lit, Ren Dong finally let out a long breath of relief. His whole body wasn’t as tense as before. He smoothly reported a string of late-night snack names, having the server bring them out quickly.

Chen Jiu pondered in silence for a moment. Yu Wan’s dream was probably also related to this haunted place. But she couldn’t actively expose a female celebrity’s private matters. It wasn’t appropriate to bring it up. Right now she also didn’t know whether the person in Yu Wan’s dream overlapped with the martial male role mentioned just now.

That flying costume was now placed on the empty seat in the corner. Chen Jiu looked back at it. Ren Dong jumped in fright, quickly asking: “It wouldn’t follow us here, right?”

Chen Jiu smiled mysteriously: “Hard to say.”

Ren Dong instantly didn’t dare make a sound.

“Stop scaring Director Ren.” Chen Ba said helplessly: “He hasn’t actually been filming horror films for very long.”

Chen Jiu retorted: “Oh? In that case, I estimate it’s because you filmed too many horror films that you attracted them.”

Chen Ba: “…”

Chen Jiu had her fun, laughed heartily a few times, then asked: “This is the costume the flower-dan wears?”

“Yes.” Ren Dong wiped the sweat from his temple, saying: “How about I burn it? Rushing to make a new one wouldn’t be difficult.”

Chen Jiu was even more amused: “No need. I was joking. It’s completely clean now.”

Calculating this way, the supernatural energy entities that appeared were: the flower-dan, the martial male role, an unknown ghost who wrote “Yellow Springs Assembly,” and a yin peach blossom in Yu Wan’s dream that might or might not overlap.

The late-night snacks arrived quickly. The time was already very late. The few simply weren’t rushing to sleep either. They ate slowly, continuing to sort through clues.

Chen Jiu asked the two: “What happened before and after this segment in the script? Keep it brief.”

Ren Dong was a clear-stream, practical director recognized in the industry. He wasn’t one to eat idle meals. Whatever script he wanted to film, he would know it by heart.

“The male lead wants to marry the female lead into the family. He went to great trouble building this new mansion as their happy nest.” Ren Dong took a small sip of fruit wine, continuing: “He invited a hall gathering. Below the stage sat over a hundred people densely packed. Warming the house, driving away evil and protecting the residence, while also showing off wealth and social status. It was also an excellent occasion to meet social celebrities and young talents. After this scene ends, the male lead truly expresses his feelings to the female lead. The opera on stage finishes, the love below the stage is also resolved. The flower-dan knows there is no longer any possibility, so her heart turns cold, her spirit wounded, she resolutely leaves…”

Chen Jiu listened with her brows pressing downward, thinking who wrote this script? Truly vulgar enough. Such a big budget paired with this dog-shit-stirring plot. What have they been filming all these years? No wonder kids Su Xiaoyu’s age don’t much like watching TV anymore.

“What about the martial male role?” Chen Jiu asked.

Ren Dong was stunned, saying: “His screen time is even less. Speaking of it, at most he’s a background prop.”

Chen Jiu was also stunned upon hearing this. Had she been completely wrong in her entire direction? Then why…

“They keep disrupting things. Do they want this opera to remain unfinished, or do they have some other purpose?” Chen Ba murmured.

Ren Dong let out a long sigh: “Regardless of whether or not, our progress has indeed already been delayed. Tomorrow there are new actors coming to audition. We need to get through this segment quickly.”

Hearing this, Chen Ba and Chen Jiu exchanged a glance. Their brainwaves synchronized.

“Let me perform a segment.” Chen Jiu said directly.

Ren Dong: “?!”

He didn’t understand for a moment. Even if she wanted to appear on camera, this wasn’t the way to do it. As a director, he had principles. He couldn’t let someone like Chen Jiu, who clearly had no acting talent, appear on screen.

“Director Ren, you’ve misunderstood, haven’t you?” Chen Ba laughed, lightly clinking his wine glass against Ren Dong’s: “What my junior sister means is not performing for people to watch.”

Now Ren Dong understood. Chen Jiu was going to sacrifice herself to bait the big fish.

“I truly don’t know what to say…” Ren Dong gratefully smacked his lips a few times, sending his cup straight toward Chen Jiu: “On behalf of the entire crew, I toast you. Little master, come!”

Chen Jiu didn’t like drinking. She clinked a small cup of fruit juice with him, meaning enough, stopping at the right point.

“You’re too polite.” Chen Jiu was also quite moved.

High compensation, and the person was sensible. This big order was practically tailor-made for her.

That night, Chen Jiu hadn’t slept long before the sky brightened. Su Xiaoyu was sensible enough not to wake her senior sister. She put on her clothes and pants, led Bingbing to ask the specialist about pet-friendly strolling routes.

Chen Xiaoxuan stayed in the room, squeezing from its own nest to beside Chen Jiu’s head, with its bottom facing mother’s face, continuing to sleep soundly.

Su Xiaoyu returned from her stroll, and at the hotel entrance encountered Yu Wan wearing sunglasses. Her three assistants: one held an umbrella and fanned her, one carried various bags, and the remaining one saw Bingbing was such a big dog, and from afar wanted to scare them off: “Hey! That little kid, pull your dog away!”

The specialist didn’t dare offend either side. But Su Xiaoyu was young, probably easier to fool. He could only put on a bitter face and say: “Little sister, shall we walk through the side passage?”

Su Xiaoyu’s first reaction was to follow. Her second reaction was that something wasn’t right. So she put her hands on her hips and loudly asked: “Big sister, are you afraid of dogs? If you’re afraid of dogs you can tell me nicely. There’s no need to be so fierce!”

Her childish voice, innocence not yet shed, immediately drew the attention of several passersby. They pointed and discussed. Then someone discovered that the person standing at the door seemed to be Yu Wan.

Yu Wan became somewhat angry at this, pulled her mask up a bit, and raged at her assistant: “Why are you inexplicably picking on a little kid?”

The assistant also complained bitterly, thinking wasn’t it you who said you were afraid of dogs and didn’t want to see dogs? But she couldn’t vent her anger at the boss. She could only endure it, shouting toward Su Xiaoyu: “Then sorry!”

Su Xiaoyu: “…”

The specialist secretly gave the kid a thumbs up, leading her through the main entrance. The two groups brushed past each other.

Su Xiaoyu curiously sized up Yu Wan. This big sister was beautiful just looking at her eyes. But why was she always wearing a mask? Then she swept her gaze and noticed a faint black fog above Yu Wan’s forehead.

The assistant saw this little kid didn’t leave immediately, but was audaciously staring at Yu Wan. She could only restrain her temper and ask: “What are you looking at?”

“Big sister, don’t stand under the umbrella.” Su Xiaoyu said sincerely: “You need to get sun exposure. Otherwise you’ll have bad luck.”

Everyone: “…”

Yu Wan was shocked. How could this little kid say something like a curse with such an innocent and cute face? If not for the public setting, she would have long gone over to pinch her little cheeks.

The assistant rolled up her sleeves: “You little kid…”

“I’m not lying.” Su Xiaoyu said, pulling out a talisman from her small backpack and handing it to Yu Wan: “May the Venerable Heavenly Lord of Infinite Blessings bless you. All evil shall not approach. All calamities shall not invade.”

She performed a cupped-hands salute with proper form, then led Bingbing away.

Leaving everyone dumbstruck.

Yu Wan lowered her head to examine that talisman. It was quite similar to the one Chen Jiu had given her yesterday. But the handwriting was very immature, clearly a child’s handwriting.

“No need.” Yu Wan put the talisman in her pocket, looked at Su Xiaoyu’s departing figure, then looked at the assistant holding the umbrella for her, saying: “What are you standing there for?! Put it away!”