Volume 1, Chapter 4: I Am Just a Streamer

Xiao Min was a bit bewildered at this moment, as she had been unaware of this development. With her almond-shaped eyes, she looked at Li Qiang. "Is this true? Why haven't you mentioned this to me before?"

Li Qiang exhaled and pulled Xiao Min into his arms. "I was afraid you would worry about me, that's why I didn't want to tell you. Besides, you’ve been tortured by those dreams every day; if I told you all this, I was afraid your mental state couldn't take it."

After saying this, he didn't forget to plant a kiss on Xiao Min's rosy lips. To the viewers watching the live stream, this display felt rather presumptuous. The terror induced by Li Qiang’s earlier words instantly vanished, replaced by the unexpected feeling of being force-fed a display of affection.

Who could possibly understand this? The viewers had hearts, too! Was this really appropriate? It was enough to make one's blood pressure skyrocket.

[I was so scared by what they were going through that I dropped my phone, and I was genuinely terrified! Suddenly, you hit me with this display of affection? Seriously, guys, are you here to ask the host for help or to show off your romance in a metaphysical live stream?]

[Too much, you two are going too far. Public displays of affection die fast! Hmph, take that woman away and let me step in; my lips are quite sexy, you know?]

[Take the man away instead! His lips look so hot. I’m still a young, fresh meat, after all!]

[To the guy above: get lost. You already have kids of your own; stop pretending to be innocent here.]

[Damn it, who are you to tell me what to do?]

[You little brat, I’m your father, Gou Dan.]

[Dad? How is it you? Why are you watching this live stream too?]

The viewers in the chat erupted in laughter. [Damn, what is going on? Is it necessary to be this hilarious? I give up.]

Jiang Rui glanced at the couple and then looked behind them. "You heard what they said. Is that how it happened?"

The viewers’ hearts had just calmed down, but upon hearing Jiang Rui’s words, their hearts skipped a beat—not only did their heart rates spike, but even their blood flow seemed to accelerate. They truly couldn't handle this level of emotional whiplash.

[What? What did Jiang Rui say? Who is she talking to?]

[You scared the life out of me! I’m just a child!]

[Damn, I really can't take this. Wait, hold on—didn't I see you walking your dog with your grandson just this afternoon? You haven't changed into a "child" in just a few hours, have you? Did you somehow turn back time?]

The truth was exposed, and the "child" vanished without a trace, leaving not even a shadow behind.

[Am I the only one who understood what the host meant by that question?]

[I suddenly have goosebumps all over. Damn, this is too terrifying. I strongly suggest that anyone with heart conditions should absolutely not watch this live stream. It’s way too scary.]

After hearing the host's words, Li Qiang and Xiao Min’s hearts, which had barely settled, began to race again. Xiao Min opened her mouth, but for a long time, no sound came out. Seeing this, Li Qiang gave her a sharp, firm pat on the back.

Xiao Min finally regained her voice. "Host, what do you mean by that? Who are you talking to? Please, don't scare us, I..."

Before she could finish, Jiang Rui waved her hand dismissively. "Hey, it’s not that I want to scare you. It’s just that the party involved has been signaling me repeatedly to give her a chance to speak. It’s hard for me, you know? I have to listen to you two putting on a double act while also trying to soothe the spirit’s emotions. I’m just a host—a metaphysical live streamer! Why make it so hard for me? If you ask me, since you two have been talking for so long, why not let the party involved say a few words? Oh, wait—I should say, let the victim say a few words."

In truth, the moment the video call started, Jiang Rui had seen the thick, dark energy swirling between their brows—a sign of being haunted by a vengeful spirit. Furthermore, they were both wrapped in a layer of dense, inseparable Yin energy. Every sign pointed to them being haunted by a ghost, indicating that their lives were nearing their end.

Li Qiang fell to his knees before Jiang Rui, snot and tears streaming down his face. "Master, I beg you! We are good, law-abiding citizens! Xiao Min and I haven't done anything wicked, have we? My grandfather was a soldier in the Eighth Route Army; we come from a family of patriots. Host—no, Master! As long as you resolve this for us, name your price, and I’ll pay it! You can’t just stand by and watch us die, right? People will die!"

Xiao Min also knelt, bowing her head to Jiang Rui. Jiang Rui shot them a sideways glance.

"Now you remember you're descendants of patriots and 'law-abiding citizens'? Does that even sound believable coming from your own mouths? You think that just because nobody knows what you did, you’re safe? You commit such acts, and now you’re here acting innocent, putting on this performance—the two of you singing in harmony, being all emotional and touching, showing off your love. I really want to ask: who gave you the courage to come here and pull this stunt in front of me?"

Jiang Rui’s verbal onslaught left the couple speechless. The viewers felt as if their CPUs were overheating; it was the precursor to a total system failure.

[Holy crap, this host is something else! I’d give this script a ninety-nine out of a hundred; I won't give a hundred because I’m afraid the host will get arrogant.]

[This is too scary. It’s just one surprise after another.]

[Correction, please: it’s not 'surprises,' it’s 'shocks.']

[It’s a script, it’s all a script. It’s obvious these three are all in on it together. Don't let them fool you.]

Jiang Rui glanced at the live chat but didn't respond to the viewers. "Master, that’s not how it happened. I was harmed by them. If they hadn't harmed me, I wouldn't have ended up like this. Master, I hate them! I hate them so much! I want to eat their flesh, drink their blood, and pull out their tendons!"

The sudden voice left the viewers completely stunned. They didn't know where the sound was coming from—they could hear it, but they couldn't see the speaker. In such a situation, it was impossible not to be terrified.

Everyone could feel a sky-high resentment and a bone-chilling coldness, even through the screen. If the viewers were this scared, it went without saying what the couple in the room felt.

Upon hearing the voice, their faces turned stark white, drained of every drop of blood. The temperature in the room plummeted. It was the height of summer, yet at that moment, the two of them felt as if it were the dead of winter. One word: cold. Two words: very cold. Three words: freezing cold.