She hoped Sang Tian would play the wife, and then Jiang Xiao would be drawn as the husband.
If that didn’t work out—
At the very least, she wanted to shove this responsibility onto Ha Ji Xie and make him cross-dress as the wife.
From the five paper slips, Song Qiuyu picked the one in the middle. She closed her eyes, made a sincere prayer, then opened her eyes and unfolded the slip.
Huh?
Did she open it the wrong way?
Her heart raced as she stared in disbelief at the star on the slip.
Was her luck just that bad today?
It felt as if fate’s hand was ruthlessly gripping her throat.
This didn’t make sense.
Why was every draw never in her favor?
So, Song Qiuyu looked toward Sang Tian, just as Sang Tian turned to her with a bright smile.
“Song, did you get picked?”
Sang Tian asked. Song Qiuyu’s lips moved, but no sound came out at first. She forced a strained smile.
If she asked to see what was on the other four slips, would Sang Tian let her?
She opened her mouth, but before she could speak, Jiang Xiao walked up behind her, glanced at the slip in her hand, and said, “Yes, she got it.”
“Alright, then I’ll draw another star on one of the slips. The others can pick again to decide who will play the husband!”
Sang Tian smiled.
Seeing the harmless smile on Sang Tian’s face, Song Qiuyu felt cold sweat slide down her cheeks and gripped the slip tighter.
She couldn’t really doubt Sang Tian and ask her to open the other slips, could she?
While Song Qiuyu was frozen in place, Xie Zhuran beside her also fell into deep thought.
Originally, Song Qiuyu and Sang Tian were supposed to play the married couple, but now Song Qiuyu was the wife. What now?
If Sang Tian played the husband, they’d be cross-cast, which was still fine.
But the right to cheat wasn’t in their hands…
They could only leave it to luck.
Sang Tian drew another star on one of the slips, shuffled the four slips, turned around, and walked up to Jiang Xiao.
“Xie Zhuran, Lin An, you two go first.”
Jiang Xiao suddenly said.
Song Qiuyu paused in surprise.
Sang Tian unhurriedly turned sideways. In a corner where no one else could see, a faint smile curled on her lips.
Lin An was the first to pick and open a slip—blank. Xie Zhuran picked one next—blank.
Two left.
Sang Tian quickly picked one and opened it—blank.
Jiang Xiao narrowed his eyes slightly, watching as Sang Tian swiftly gathered up the last slip without a word.
“Huh? So the husband is… Wait, it’s Jiang Xiao and Song Qiuyu again?!”
Xie Zhuran couldn’t believe it. This outcome was so absurd, nothing like what they had planned.
Lin An let out a heavy sigh.
He patted Jiang Xiao on the shoulder, opened his mouth to speak, but in the end, just looked at the stunned Song Qiuyu.
“Qiuyu, are you alright?”
“I-I’m fine.”
Song Qiuyu snapped back to herself and bit her lip.
The last slip was definitely blank, too!
Sang Tian actually pulled this trick?!
No matter how careful you are, it’s hardest to guard against those closest to you. The one she trusted most, Sang Tian, actually cheated!
But Sang Tian obviously liked Jiang Xiao, and yet she did this… Sigh, what a good girl. Sang Tian probably thought there was something between them and wanted to sacrifice her own happiness for them!
She clenched the slip in her hand.
Even if the couple pairing failed, this was a horror Script Murder. There were still plenty of chances ahead!
This thought flashed through the minds of Xie Zhuran, Lin An, and Jiang Xiao as well.
This was a five-person Script Murder story. Everyone could interact.
Everything was just beginning.
After that, Lin An volunteered to serve as the host of the Script Murder—the Dungeon Master, or DM.
With that, the last two roles, one male and one female, didn’t need to be drawn. Xie Zhuran took the colleague role, while Sang Tian became the wife’s younger sister.
Then, Lin An quietly walked over to the light switch. With a click, the whole room dimmed, leaving only a desk lamp glowing.
“Eek.”
Both Song Qiuyu and Sang Tian jumped, and even Jiang Xiao and Xie Zhuran looked uneasy.
“Setting the mood. It’s a horror script—how can we play with the lights on?”
Lin An adjusted his glasses and smiled at the four startled people.
“That’s the classic move of a horror movie extra—the first to die. Just wait, once we’re in the middle of the game and you go to the bathroom, a ghost will crawl out of the toilet.”
Song Qiuyu grumbled.
“Should I turn the lights back on, then?”
Lin An raised an eyebrow.
“Let’s keep them off. It’s more thrilling this way.”
Xie Zhuran said.
“Alright.”
Song Qiuyu had wanted the lights on, but after glancing at the clearly shaken Sang Tian and Jiang Xiao, she nodded in agreement.
Seeing Song Qiuyu and Sang Tian so uneasy, Xie Zhuran gave a thumbs-up in his heart. Though, next time, he’d prefer a warning before someone suddenly turned off the lights.
It was really scary.
Everyone picked up their phones and, following the script’s scenes, began to play through the Script Murder.
The opening scene had a married couple woken at midnight by a call from Customer Service. When they answered, the voice on the other end suddenly cut off mid-sentence. Then, someone knocked at the door.
Thunder boomed endlessly, and rain lashed the windows.
The immersive feeling of a stormy night, combined with Lin An’s excellent narration, soon had everyone immersed in the creepy, eerie atmosphere of the script.
The couple went to check the door and saw a strange woman standing outside—her face hidden by hair, her whole body dripping wet…
At this point,
The woman’s bizarre appearance was burned into the minds of the four players. They all felt nervous.
As the first one to discover her, Song Qiuyu, playing the wife, swallowed hard, her heart pounding.
Lin An’s description was extremely detailed—maybe even too detailed.
With his narration, Song Qiuyu could picture the woman vividly.
Her wet hair hung down to her abdomen, water dripping constantly from her sleek black hair, her deathly pale skin, and her tattered clothes. As the water dripped, it suddenly turned bright red—becoming blood.
But in truth, this woman was the wife’s younger sister, dressed up as a ghost for April Fools’ Day.
After the wife and husband let her in, the husband’s brother and their colleague arrived. Everyone had a great time.
As the story progressed, all the key roles in the Script Murder finally gathered.
There were only four players in the room, but five or six virtual NPCs appeared—each one played by Lin An.
It was called “split personality mode.”
The atmosphere relaxed a bit. Just as Song Qiuyu was breathing easier, the story introduced a phone call from someone claiming to be the Master of Ghost Catching.
“There is a ghost among you.”
Lin An’s sinister voice, paired with some chilling bhm music, echoed through the dark room.
Unfortunately, everyone else heard the call too. The room, warmed by the air conditioner, suddenly felt ten degrees colder.
It was freezing.
There was a ghost among them!
At this point, the script entered the group discussion phase.
“If you don’t catch the ghost among you soon, he’ll randomly kill someone tonight and take their place. Now, let’s hear your thoughts.”
“I’ll go first!”
Xie Zhuran adjusted glasses that didn’t exist on his nose.
“First, the call said there’s a ghost among us, but it didn’t say how many, so among us…”
He deliberately lowered his voice, speaking eerily: “There might be more than one ghost!”
Just as he finished, a bolt of lightning flashed outside. The thunder made everyone jump.
Song Qiuyu steadied herself.
She glanced at Sang Tian’s pale face, then at Jiang Xiao sitting calmly between them. Pressing her lips together, she whispered, “Jiang Xiao, Sang Tian looks really…”
At that moment, the desk lamp—previously the only light—went out without warning.
As the light faded, Song Qiuyu could clearly feel the temperature in the room dropping lower and lower…
It was as if the Script Murder had come to life.