Ying Tong and Wen Xiuxiu stared at Gu Jiu, momentarily speechless.
Could it be that this dainty young lady, who seemed to have wandered into a dangerous game world by accident, was actually so fearless? They initially thought her angry retorts to the landlord were just her way of gathering information under the guise of a temperamental young lady. Who could have guessed she had this kind of nerve?
Quick to recover, Ying Tong asked, “Where’s the ghost?”
Gu Jiu glanced at Lu Ji.
A little green paper frog hopped out from a corner. Despite the damp ground, it was perfectly clean, as if an invisible membrane shielded it from the air around it.
The paper frog opened its mouth and spat out the ghost it had swallowed.
Ying Tong & Wen Xiuxiu: “.…” Was this some kind of magical paper frog?
Gu Jiu was a bit surprised as well. She hadn’t expected that when Lu Ji said to “keep an eye on the ghost,” he meant the paper frog would swallow it whole. Could this paper frog really have a pocket dimension inside its belly?
As soon as the ghost was spat out, it instinctively tried to escape.
A small paper doll leapt from Lu Ji’s sleeve, planting its foot firmly on the ghost’s heel, anchoring it in place.
The ghost looked weak, her face pale and rigid, her facial features frozen in a grotesque expression. Blood trickled down from her head, winding its way down her dead, white face, making her appearance particularly horrifying.
Wen Xiuxiu’s hair stood on end, and memories of almost being strangled to death by the ghost’s hair flooded back to her, filling her with fear.
Ying Tong, however, stayed calm, examining the ghost. She noticed several bloody holes on the ghost’s head. Could this scene reflect how the ghost looked at the moment of her death? Perhaps the fatal injuries were from some sharp object.
With this in mind, Ying Tong asked, “Did you die because of the head injury?”
The ghost: “…No.” She stiffly glanced at Gu Jiu, the one who had strangled her head.
Gu Jiu, unfazed, replied, “What are you looking at me for? You spied on us while we were bathing, and you think that’s okay? Just because we’re the same gender doesn’t mean it’s any less of a violation. Don’t you know? Sometimes, when women harass other women, it can be just as bad as when men do it.”
Her bold accusations left her with an air of moral authority, despite her being the aggressor.
The ghost’s fragile form trembled with rage, almost seeming to come apart.
“I-I wasn’t spying…” And she certainly wasn’t interested in women.
“You hid in the shower room. If that’s not spying, then what is it?”
The ghost’s hair bristled with anger, lengthening as it rose.
Wen Xiuxiu and Ying Tong guessed that the ghost wasn’t there to spy on them but rather to kill the players. Still, watching Gu Jiu dominate the ghost in such a way made them feel oddly satisfied, curious to see what Gu Jiu would do next.
As the ghost’s hair whipped towards her like a lasso, Gu Jiu grabbed it, gave it a sharp tug, and snapped it.
Ying Tong & Wen Xiuxiu & the ghost: “!!!!” She… she broke it?
Gu Jiu tossed the strands of hair aside, frowning.
“Using your hair to attack people is rude. Who knows how long it’s been since you last washed it? It’s absolutely filthy.”
Annoyed, she walked over to the sink to wash her hands thoroughly, scrubbing with soap until she was satisfied.
The ghost, having lost a part of her hair—and consequently, some of her ghostly power—looked even more haggard than before. She seemed to realize that this ill-tempered young lady wasn’t one to mess with and finally settled down, casting a resentful gaze at them with her ghostly eyes.
Ying Tong and Wen Xiuxiu stared in a daze. Wen Xiuxiu, being a newcomer, was stunned, and even the experienced Ying Tong couldn’t quite process what she had just witnessed.
This was the first time Ying Tong had seen a player directly confront a ghost head-on—and win.
As Gu Jiu meticulously washed her hands, Lu Ji naturally handed her a clean towel, the scene looking every bit like a proper young lady’s ritual.
When she turned back to the ghost, Ying Tong couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for it; encountering such a terrifying young lady was truly unfortunate.
Once Gu Jiu finished washing up, Ying Tong cleared her throat and began interrogating the ghost.
“How did you die? How long have you been here? How many other ghosts are in this house? Where are they?”
She fired off a series of sharp questions, each one precise and targeted. Clearly, her experience with in-game ghosts was substantial.
The ghost replied, “I’ve been here for as long as I can remember. I’ve forgotten how long it’s been, and I don’t know how many other ghosts are here because I can’t leave the bathroom. Also… I wash my hair and bathe every day. This is my space, and I have access to water.”
The last comment was directed at Gu Jiu, a clear rebuttal to her earlier remark about not washing her hair.
Gu Jiu responded half-heartedly, “Oh, I see. My mistake, then.”
Seeing Gu Jiu’s apology, the ghost seemed a bit satisfied.
Ying Tong: “….” Was she really that easy to placate?
Ying Tong continued, “Are all the ghosts in this house bound to their specific areas like you?”
“Probably not,” the ghost replied uncertainly. “But since I’m here, I’ve never seen any other ghosts come around.”
This was essentially an admission that there were indeed other ghosts in the house. Whether they were similarly restricted remained unknown.
Ying Tong proceeded with a few more questions, but the ghost didn’t have much additional information to offer.
When they were done questioning, the ghost looked nervously at Gu Jiu.
“Can I go now?”
“No way!” Gu Jiu replied. “We’re taking you with us, so you don’t come sneaking out to spy on us while we’re bathing.”
The ghost quickly protested, “I wouldn’t! I wouldn’t dare! If I run into another player who can make my head bleed again, I’ll actually die.”
Unmoved, Gu Jiu glanced over at Lu Ji.
Following her cue, Lu Ji instructed the paper frog to swallow the ghost again.
The three of them watched in astonishment as the small, palm-sized paper frog opened its mouth wide enough to devour the ghost.
“What… what is that thing?” Ying Tong asked in amazement. Even with her extensive in-game experience, she had never seen such a miraculous item.
Gu Jiu explained, “That’s Lu Ji’s paper control technique.”
Ying Tong understood; it wasn’t an item sold in the game store but rather a talent skill awakened by a player.
This sparked a bit of envy in her. She’d heard about players with powerful spirit seeds within them, capable of awakening special talents. Unfortunately, she hadn’t been able to awaken one herself. She planned to work on building her strength, hoping that by the time she advanced to higher-level scenarios, she might have a chance at awakening.
Those who had awakened special skills from their spirit seeds indeed started off at a higher point than ordinary players and could advance further. Without a doubt, Gu Jiu and Lu Ji were both players who had awakened their talent skills.
The four of them left the bathroom.
Suddenly, Wen Xiuxiu exclaimed, “Ah, I remember! When that ghost appeared, there was a bloody numeral on the wall. I think it was a 5.”
“Are you sure it was 5?” Ying Tong pressed.
Wen Xiuxiu nodded, “I think so. I barely glanced at it before the ghost started strangling me.”
She rubbed her neck as she spoke, a lingering fear evident in her movements.
Ying Tong fell into thought.
The game was called Seven Little Sheeps, so there had to be a connection with the number “seven.” As for “sheeps,” it was still unclear whether it referred to the players or the ghosts in the game. However, this newly discovered numeral hinted at another possibility, suggesting that the “seven sheeps” might not refer to the player faction after all.
While she was lost in thought, they’d already returned to the living room.
The other male players, seeing them return, decided to go for a quick shower. Only the newcomer, a shut-in gamer, and one more experienced player remained holed up in their rooms, reluctant to step out.
The men showered nervously, afraid that they might suddenly encounter a wall-blocking ghost, isolating them from the outside world and eventually trapping them in the ghost’s domain to be slowly picked off.
But after they finished, nothing unusual happened.
“Strange… Is there no ghost here?” Fatty rubbed his cheeks, baffled.
“No way. There’s definitely a ghost here,” a male player beside him immediately retorted. “When we went with Sister Ying to investigate the first floor, we ran into a wall-blocking ghost. We almost didn’t make it out.”
Fatty asked, “What kind of ghost was it?”
“I couldn’t see clearly. It was so dark that even our flashlights couldn’t cut through. I only saw a long, thin, white leg, like a skeleton, following behind us…”
The memory of that eerie, long hallway on the first floor sent shivers down the spines of the other players.
After they finished recounting the incident, they left the bathroom—only to spot the landlord suddenly appearing by the staircase, his murky eyes glaring at them with a sinister intensity. His eerie presence startled the timid Tu Shuai, who let out a sharp scream.
The scream echoed through the house, startling the players who had already returned to their rooms.
Ying Tong and her group came out to see the landlord’s sudden appearance, though they weren’t particularly surprised.
The shut-in gamer and the other official player, who had been hiding in their rooms, cautiously peeked out to see what was going on.
Once again, Gu Jiu was the first to speak up, full of irritation.
“Why are you creeping around, trying to scare people? Do you not realize how terrifying you look? Get lost already!”
Everyone else: “.…” Miss Gu, maybe don’t provoke him any further.
Predictably, the landlord was enraged by Gu Jiu’s words. This was his domain, after all—he was the one the players should fear, and they ought to listen to him. This was the first time a player had dared to boss him around, leaving him fuming.
With a snarl, the landlord said, “It’s dark now. Go back to your rooms, and don’t come out at night. If you do…”
His bulging eyes, as ominous as a goldfish’s, swept over all the players with a chilling intensity, causing everyone’s skin to crawl at the vague, menacing warning.
Gu Jiu, thoroughly annoyed, snapped, “Yeah, yeah, we get it. Now get lost. Just looking at a loser like you is irritating.”
The landlord shot her a glare, his face flushed with anger, then stomped off downstairs. But his stiff, mechanical steps didn’t lend him much authority; instead, they seemed almost robotic.
After dismissing the landlord, Gu Jiu turned to the other players who were watching her.
“Everyone, go back to your rooms and rest. Whatever happens outside tonight, don’t come out. If something happens in your room… well, you’ll just have to rely on your luck.”
With a kind reminder, she pulled Lu Ji back to their room.
The others, taking her lead, quietly returned to their rooms. Though all of them were filled with both fear and doubt, Gu Jiu’s bold stance made them feel that maybe the eerie landlord wasn’t so terrifying after all.
Back in their room, Gu Jiu didn’t rush to sleep.
She took out her phone, turned it on, and unsurprisingly found there was no signal. She could still play some offline games, but she wasn’t interested, so after a quick glance, she tossed her phone back into her bag.
Lu Ji pulled out a quilt, his eyes fixed on the bed.
“Ah Ji, what’s the matter?” Gu Jiu asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.
“The bed’s too small for two quilts,” Lu Ji said softly.
The bed was just 1.2 meters wide—enough for one person, but very cramped for two. Adding two quilts would make it impossible to move. It was likely the house intentionally had such small beds, encouraging players to take individual rooms.
Gu Jiu shrugged, unbothered. “Then let’s just use one quilt and share.”
Her face lifted, gazing at him with eyes that held a faint, misty shadow, unlike the bright eyes of most girls. Lu Ji thought to himself, if her eyes ever returned to normal, they would be incredibly beautiful, no less striking than any other girl’s.
“Ah Ji, let’s go to sleep.” Gu Jiu patted the bed, motioning him to join her.
“You’re younger than me, so you sleep on the inside.”
Lu Ji: “…”
In the end, Lu Ji got into the bed, lying on the inside, close to the wall.
As Gu Jiu lay down, she chuckled lightly.
“Aside from sleeping with my grandmother, uncle, and aunt when I was young, I’ve never shared such a small bed with anyone since growing up.”
Lu Ji remained silent. The bed was so narrow that their shoulders touched, the closeness undeniable. He could even catch the faint, clean scent on her—she didn’t wear perfume, just the fresh trace of her body wash, lingering delicately in the small space, like her subtle yet stirring presence.
She seemed blissfully unaware of the effect she had, with her casual charm stirring his heart.
After a while, Lu Ji heard her breathing slow and steady. He turned to glance at her and saw that she had indeed fallen asleep quickly, undisturbed and resting well, as if nothing could keep her from her comforts.
Letting his paper doll settle down in a cozy corner, Lu Ji closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep.
×××
Gu Jiu was woken by a soft, tickling sensation.
Opening her eyes, she was startled to see a massive sheep head looming close to her face. She could feel its breath—foul and rancid—washing over her. The sheep’s wool was long and coarse, falling across her face, neck, and arms in a prickling, unsettling way.
“Get away from me; I’m sensitive to fur.”
Without hesitation, the young lady pushed the sheep head aside with a slap.
Only after shoving it away did she realize that this was a monster with the head of a sheep and the body of a human.
TL’s Note: Hi Fluffies! The part 2 of the book (CH 146-281) is now available on my Kofi. Here’s the link: https://ko-fi.com/s/e9915ee159