When Owen Dong opened his eyes, he found himself locked in a bridal chamber.
The room had a traditional, antique style and was exquisitely decorated, but nearly everything in sight was red. Across from the bridal bed was a round table covered with a red cloth embroidered with the character for “double happiness.” On the table stood a pair of tall, slender, unlit red wedding candles.
Next to the candles was a tray with a wedding scale used to lift the bridal veil, and the bottom of the tray was filled with longans, red dates, and peanuts.
Owen Dong had attended friends’ traditional Chinese weddings before, and the bridal chamber was decorated just like this. His head buzzed with confusion as he clung to a final shred of hope and walked towards the dressing mirror by the wall.
In the mirror, he saw a miserable, tear-streaked face. He was dressed in an old-fashioned groom’s outfit, the red wedding coat hanging awkwardly on his not-so-muscular body, making him look a bit ridiculous.
This time, this place, wearing a groom’s outfit and appearing in a bridal chamber.
Ahhhh! He was the unlucky guy!!
Owen Dong was falling apart.
Instinctively, he wanted to escape, but as he rushed to the door, he suddenly remembered what Li Zhi had told them before they entered.
“Just think of it as entering a new level, adapt quickly, and whatever you do, don’t panic.”
Stay calm! You must stay calm!
Owen Dong pressed both hands against the doorframe and took several deep breaths, trying to force himself to calm down. The boss had said they couldn’t let the NPCs suspect their identity. If he started causing a scene, it would definitely raise suspicion.
Clues! Yes! Look for clues! Find clues first, then reunite with the team!
Boss Li is so powerful, there has to be a way to save him! There’s no way they’d really make him marry a corpse!
As Owen Dong tried to convince himself, he began searching the bridal chamber. However, it was clear the room had just been set up. Everything inside was new, and even after checking under the bed, he couldn’t find any useful information.
Just as he was growing more anxious, footsteps sounded outside the door, and soon someone pushed it open and entered.
Owen Dong instantly became alert, crouching behind a multi-tiered display shelf. Morning light streamed into the room through the open door, and Owen Dong caught a clear glimpse of the person who had entered. Overcome with joy, he dashed out from his hiding spot. “Meng Meng!”
A dear friend!
Seeing a teammate at this moment was like a lifeline to Owen Dong. He rushed forward and hugged You Jingmeng tightly before even confirming who she was. But hearing his voice, You Jingmeng quickly recognized him too. “Owen Dong? You’re the groom?”
Owen Dong, sobbing, replied, “Yes, I’m the unlucky one…”
You Jingmeng breathed a sigh of relief. Having a teammate play the groom rather than an NPC was good news. But as she thought of their respective roles, she couldn’t help but shed a few sympathetic tears for him. “Alright, alright, let me go first, and listen to me.”
Owen Dong reluctantly let go of her and finally noticed her attire.
She was dressed in a dark red padded jacket, with a blue and gold vest draped over it. A floral headband was wrapped around her head. The more he looked, the more she resembled…
“Are you playing the matchmaker?”
You Jingmeng’s face was filled with despair. “To be exact, I’m the ghost matchmaker.”
Owen Dong was horrified. “So, you’re the one who matched me up? You’re making me marry a corpse???”
You Jingmeng looked at him faintly. “No, you applied for this yourself.”
Owen Dong: “???”
You Jingmeng pulled out a trimmed newspaper from her pocket. It had a marriage recruitment ad on it. The ad stated that the Pan family, a wealthy local household, was seeking a live-in son-in-law for their daughter, who had passed away suddenly from an illness.
The requirements were simple: male, brave, and with decent features. The ad offered a reward of ten thousand silver dollars for completing the wedding ceremony, and an additional twenty thousand silver dollars if he was willing to consummate the marriage.
Owen Dong’s hand trembled as he held the newspaper. “Did my character… actually apply for this?”
You Jingmeng nodded. “Yes, you two are already engaged. You’ve passed the matchmaker’s gate, exchanged birth charts, and even registered with the government. Technically speaking, you’re already married. All that’s left is today’s wedding ceremony.”
Owen Dong struggled to speak. “How… how much money did I get?”
You Jingmeng gave him a sympathetic look. “…Thirty thousand.”
Owen Dong fainted on the spot.
You Jingmeng squatted down beside him, sighing. “Faking unconsciousness won’t help you. You’re just unlucky. Come on, the auspicious time is approaching. You have to head to the Pan residence to fetch your bride and bring her back here. This is your new home, by the way. The Pan family matron bought this house for you and your wife—it’s your love nest now.”
Lying on the floor, Owen Dong let out a wail, “Why am I so unlucky?! Why is my life so miserable?!”
It was too tragic, really too tragic.
Getting married was bad enough, but consummating the marriage…
You Jingmeng couldn’t help but gag a little at the thought.
After crying for a while, they suddenly heard hurried footsteps coming from outside the courtyard. Both of them froze, and Owen Dong quickly scrambled to his feet. No matter what, the mission was the most important thing. If he couldn’t complete it and leave, he really would be stuck here, married to a corpse!
An NPC dressed as a servant appeared at the door. Upon seeing him, the servant said, “Young Master, why are you still here? The horse is ready, and the auspicious time has come. Hurry up and follow us to fetch Miss Pan!”
Owen Dong gave You Jingmeng a desperate look.
You Jingmeng remained calm and said, “Indeed! We must hurry, or we’ll miss the auspicious time!”
Owen Dong: “……..”
The three of them walked outside, with the servant leading the way and You Jingmeng and Owen Dong following behind. Owen Dong whispered, “Where’s Boss Li? Get her to save me!”
You Jingmeng whispered back, “Who can save you? It’s not like she can take your place at the wedding!” After a pause, she tried to comfort him. “Don’t worry. Let’s head out first. Maybe we’ll run into her on the way, and we can come up with a plan then.”
That was all they could hope for.
With a tearful face, Owen Dong mounted the white horse adorned with red flowers that was waiting by the door.
He didn’t know how to ride a horse, but with a saddle and a servant to lead the horse, all he had to do was sit there. The wedding procession, complete with music and fanfare, began its journey toward the Pan residence.
Meanwhile, the livestream chat was full of laughter:
[Will Little Owen break down even more when he finds out that the powerful boss he’s relying on is actually the Pan family matron trying to marry him to her daughter?]
[Who would have guessed he’s the unlucky guy, hahaha!]
[So what’s the actual mission in this haunted house? How do they leave?]
[With six different roles, Owen Dong’s seems to be the most dangerous. What if he can’t complete his mission?]
[Oh my, there’s no way Owen Dong can complete this mission, he has to… marry a corpse… Yuck!!]
[Actually, what’s happening with Li Zhi is pretty terrifying too, you should all go check it out.]
…
The thick scent of incense couldn’t fully cover the smell of decay, and together, they formed a pungent and overwhelming stench.
The old wet nurse looked at the heavily powdered face in front of her, eyes shut tightly, and sighed, “The delay has been too long. The young lady’s face has already deteriorated. Luckily, it will all be over today.”
She turned to look at Li Zhi and said, “Madam, it’s time to comb the young lady’s hair.”
She handed Li Zhi a sandalwood comb, then stepped back.
Li Zhi walked to the back of the deceased “daughter.” In the mirror, the young lady’s face was far from peaceful. She must have experienced intense suffering before her death, as her facial muscles were twisted and contorted in pain. The resulting expression of bitterness and hatred had stiffened after death.
Even the heavy layers of powder couldn’t hide the large patches of corpse spots on her face. She leaned against Chi Yi for support, and as Li Zhi got closer, she noticed that under the woman’s knees were metal braces custom-made to keep her upright. The braces were fixed to the ground, allowing the corpse to remain seated.
Li Zhi reached out and touched the young lady’s back.
As expected, beneath the broad wedding dress was a steel frame supporting the body. Without it, even with Chi Yi holding her, the corpse wouldn’t be able to sit up.
“Madam,” the old wet nurse urged again, “please begin.”
Li Zhi gently grasped the long hair draped down the back of the corpse and began combing from the crown of her head downward.
The room was silent. The strange scent lingered in the air, and the old nurse’s voice, cold and rigid, echoed ominously in the eerie red bridal chamber.
“One stroke to the end.”
Li Zhi carefully combed through the hair with the sandalwood comb. She barely applied any pressure, but the long black hair still came loose from the scalp, falling off in clumps. The hair roots were attached to decayed scalp tissue, which fell in large chunks onto the ground.
Li Zhi threw the clumps of hair onto the floor and continued combing.
“Two strokes for lifelong companionship.”
On the second stroke, more hair came loose, and a section of scalp from the back of the head was pulled away, oozing a yellowish, thick fluid.
The foul-smelling liquid dripped from the strands of hair onto the red shoulders of the wedding dress. The stench intensified, and Chi Yi, who was supporting the body, struggled to hold back her gag reflex. Her whole body was tense as she tightly clenched her lips, swallowing the bile that rose up.
“Three strokes for a house full of descendants.”
If Li Zhi continued combing, she feared she’d tear the bride’s entire scalp off. That would be far too cruel to Chi Yi, who was holding the head.
Li Zhi recalled that Chi Yi had once mentioned her fear of corpses. She paused and looked gently at the old wet nurse beside her. “Nanny, I think that’s enough. Our dear young lady cherished her beauty, and it would be a shame if we lost any more of her hair.”
Li Zhi had observed the layout of the residence on her way in—it was a typical southern-style home, indicating that the family was from the south. In this region, young daughters were often affectionately called “Nannan.” As the pampered daughter of a wealthy family, it was only natural that she had been very fond of her appearance.
Hearing Li Zhi’s words, the old wet nurse hesitated but did not press further.
She turned and brought over a tray that held a phoenix coronet adorned with pearl curtains and a red bridal veil. “Please place the veil on the young lady,” she said.
The bride’s head was still resting on Chi Yi’s lap.
The old wet nurse looked at her and said, “Hudie, please adjust the young lady’s head.”
Chi Yi, feeling utterly hopeless, supported the bride’s head.
Li Zhi bent down and placed the phoenix coronet on the bride’s head. However, whether due to a miscalculated size or the post-mortem loss of moisture causing the head to shrink, the ornate coronet slipped down, covering the bride’s entire head like a mask.
The phoenix coronet was not light, and it caused the lifeless head beneath it to tilt to one side.
Crack.
The head drooped as if it had snapped, and the coronet fell to the ground. The bride’s head lolled to the side, and one of her eyes opened, staring through the mirror at the people in the room.
Chi Yi bit down so hard on her tongue that she nearly drew blood, barely managing to stop herself from screaming and letting go in that moment of terror.
Li Zhi quickly picked up the coronet, her expression unchanged. “The coronet is too big. Nanny, go find someone to adjust it. Add more cotton padding inside. Hurry, the auspicious time is approaching.”
The old wet nurse nodded, took the coronet, and rushed out.
Li Zhi stepped forward, grasped Chi Yi’s hand, and helped her straighten the bride’s head again.
She extended her hand in front of the bride, gently brushing her fingers over the open eye crawling with corpse bugs, closing it with care.
“Don’t worry,” she smiled softly, pressing down on the bride’s shoulder with the tenderness of a loving mother. “Mother is here with you.”