After My Cross-dressing Cover Was Blown, the Movie Star Became My Accomplice - Chapter 16

Chapter 16

◎I Hate You, Go Die!◎

While Mu Yao was still dazed, the live stream interface on the other end had descended into madness. Everyone had turned into screaming fanatics because of Cheng Zeyi’s actions.

“Ahhhhh, did Movie King Cheng just pick a whole pile of pretty stones?!”

“Ahhh, was it because Qu Fu got close to Mu Yao that Movie King Cheng got jealous?”

“Hahaha, so Movie King Cheng is a jealous king?”

“My god! This is such a good ship, but I’m still looking forward to Mu Yao being exposed!”

“+1, will Movie King Cheng’s world crumble?”

Seeing so many stones in Mu Yao’s arms, Qu Fu leaned over curiously to take a look. Multicolored stones of varying shapes lay cradled in Mu Yao’s embrace.

“Wow, Brother Cheng really picked quite a few. Mu Yao, are you going to keep them all?”

Mu Yao snapped back to reality. He looked down helplessly at the stones in his arms and shook his head.

“They’re too heavy to take back. Even if I forced them into my suitcase, I’d be overweight at the airport. I think I’ll pick one very special stone to keep.”

It wasn’t that he couldn’t take the stones back to save the Movie King’s face, but it was simply too much trouble. He crouched down, placing the stones on the ground to begin sorting through them.

Qu Fu turned to look at Cheng Zeyi and found that he had already silently sat back down on the rock, appearing to glance over here casually from time to time.

“Hey, Mu Yao, pick this one. The color of this stone Brother Cheng picked is so red, very festive!” Driven by the principle that watching a scene is never enough trouble, Qu Fu decided to meddle a bit.

“Hmm? This one is indeed festive, but I think this one is better.” Mu Yao picked up the pebble from Qu Fu’s hand, looked at it, and then set it down. From the small mountain of stones Cheng Zeyi had provided, he pulled out a black pebble.

The stone wasn’t large, only about the size of a one-yuan coin. It possessed a luster like black jade, feeling icy cold and smooth to the touch. The color wasn’t pure black; it was covered in tiny, pinprick-sized bright spots. Looking closely, it resembled stars shining in the dark of night.

He really liked this pebble that carried a galaxy within it; it felt as if hope were hidden inside.

I should find another one like this to give to Mom. Looking at this special stone, Mu Yao made a silent decision.

In the distance, Cheng Zeyi watched Mu Yao cautiously. Seeing him tuck away the black pebble, he subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief. Just now, it had seemed like he was picking stones at random, but he had actually selected them, and that black stone with the stars was the one he found most beautiful. There was a trace of joy in his heart, though he didn’t let it show.

On the live stream, a “shipping expert” had already noticed the small detail and happily shared her discovery in the comments.

“That black stone—Movie King Cheng held it and looked at it carefully for a long time. It was definitely selected with care. For Mu Yao to pick it out, they truly have a telepathic connection!”

“Wait? You could see that in such a fast shot? You’re a pro!”

“Great ship, so sweet!”

The Village Chief drifted beside the guests, explaining the lore behind the various pebbles. Having accepted Cheng Zeyi’s gift—and even though he found the behavior strange—Mu Yao picked out a “Rain Flower” stone, a village specialty, to give back to him. The texture of the Rain Flower stone was very delicate, with a moist, glossy surface and rich colors; the one he found even had a natural pattern resembling mountain peaks.

Cheng Zeyi hadn’t expected a return gift. He carefully tucked the stone away, feeling that even his arm, which had just received the shots, didn’t feel so sore anymore.

The group ended their time at the riverbank and returned to the inn exhausted. They had been worried that the crew might not provide dinner and they would have to cook again, but upon entering, they found the inn had already prepared a lavish, specialty dinner. They could finally relax and rest.

After dinner, they chatted for a while before retreating to their respective rooms. The fact that the crew didn’t install cameras in the guest rooms really allowed the guests to unwind. Mu Yao returned to his room, took a quick shower, changed into comfortable clothes, and threw himself onto the bed.

After pretending to be a girl all day, he could finally return to his boyish self and move about freely.

“I didn’t even do much, so why am I so tired…” Mu Yao rolled over and looked out the window. The moon was already hanging quietly in the sky. The heavens had darkened, but the village had not yet fallen into slumber.

Ring-a-ling, ring-a-ling.

His phone rang. Mu Yao scrambled up from the bed and saw the caller ID: He Ji.

“Hello, Brother He.”

“Mu Yao!! You’re incredible!! You’re actually on the trending searches! This is treatment you’ve never had before. Your Weibo followers have increased a ton, have you seen?”

Listening to He Ji’s cheerful voice on the other end, Mu Yao looked confused. “Trending? No. I don’t carry my phone during the day’s filming, and I didn’t think of it tonight. I’m trending?”

“Yeah, though the search terms are a bit… you can still see them now, the heat is quite high. You should take a look.” He Ji didn’t say it plainly, only reminding Mu Yao to check for himself. Of course, he didn’t forget to ask about the filming. “Speaking of which, you actually drew the ‘female dress’ identity for the shoot. This is the first time I’ve seen you in drag; the internet is going crazy. If I knew you’d get famous by wearing a dress, I would’ve made you wear them more often!”

“Brother He, what are you thinking? If it weren’t for the contract with the crew, do you think I’d wear a skirt?” Mu Yao rubbed his brow, thinking He Ji was being fanciful. He absolutely did not agree to getting famous through drag—accidents aside.

As he was chatting with He Ji, a thought suddenly struck him. “Wait, what did you just say? Photos of me in a dress are going crazy on the internet?!”

“Yeah, someone recognized you during the live stream and took screenshots. Honestly, you’re really suited for live streaming; you look that beautiful even under those lenses!” He Ji confirmed on the other end, praising Mu Yao in passing.

“…I feel like my task is doomed. If it’s going crazy online, then Movie King Cheng definitely knows I’m a man in drag! The mission won’t be completed!” Mu Yao covered his face. He felt that his gender would be exposed long before the filming finished!

It’s over. As soon as Cheng Zeyi looks at his phone, the game is up!

As for whether the other protagonist had looked at his phone? The answer was yes, but he wasn’t looking at Weibo, nor did he have Weibo notifications turned on. He was currently on a call with his manager, Ke Xi.

“Brother Cheng, is the problem in the village serious? Do we need to intervene?” Ke Xi’s tone was serious and respectful.

“Not for now. There is definitely something wrong with this village, but a large-scale operation would alert the hidden hand. There’s definitely someone hiding behind that female ghost. This isn’t just a vengeful spirit hurting people; it feels more like a man-made disaster.”

As Cheng Zeyi spoke on the phone, he dried his hair. Beside him lay a beautiful Rain Flower stone. “Furthermore, I’m not the only one acting in the village. There’s also a ‘Living Wu Chang’ (Living Impermanence). I’m curious if he’ll make a move tonight.”

“A Living Wu Chang? An Impermanence shouldn’t be here. We cleared this operation with the Underworld. Could it be that the Underworld wants to move against our Investigation Bureau?” On the other end, Ke Xi’s tone sharpened as he considered reporting upward.

“No, it doesn’t seem like an arrangement from the Underworld. It’s an interesting little Impermanence… no need to report, I have my own considerations.” Cheng Zeyi tossed the towel aside and picked up the Rain Flower stone to fiddle with it.

“Then Brother Cheng, should I continue to stand by?”

“Let’s do that. By the way, gather all the data on missing children in the village as soon as possible. It might be useful later.”

“Understood!”

Cheng Zeyi hung up the phone and tossed it onto the table. He looked at the stone in his hand, his lips curling slightly.

Late at night, Mu Yao, who had slept for a short while, opened his eyes. He changed back into his dark, action-ready casual clothes and fastened the Soul-Hooking Chain to his wrist. He remained cautious, blurring his features, and then climbed out the window holding the little rabbit hair clip.

This time, he didn’t wander the village looking for clues. Instead, he followed the girl’s invitation and headed directly to the Mountain God Temple to investigate.

The temple was on the other side of the river. Fortunately, there were boats docked at the pier. Traditional wooden boats made very little noise when drifting, and wouldn’t wake the sleeping villagers. Mu Yao took a small boat to the other side and climbed the stairs toward the temple.

Reaching the temple, he could clearly see the signs of repair under the moonlight and the temple’s lights. The mottled colors of old and new wood, combined with the flickering lights and the whistling mountain wind, made the atmosphere of the temple exceptionally eerie.

Mu Yao took out the hair clip with the red thread. He saw the red thread representing the ghost drifting toward the interior of the temple.

“As expected, there’s something strange about the Mountain God Temple. Better go in and see.” Mu Yao instinctively rubbed the chain on his wrist, took a deep breath, and entered the temple with the hair clip.

Even with electricity, the lighting in the temple was incredibly dim. Red candles were lit according to custom, and as soon as he entered, he smelled their distinct scent. In his eyes, the temple was not a sacred place; rather, it was steeped in a chilling ghostly aura. Guided by that aura, he carefully searched the front hall.

Underneath wooden tables and chairs, he found faint scratch marks. In areas hidden by carpets, he found fragments of clothing. These subtle, small traces caused a strong sense of unease in his heart. Looking down, he saw the red thread on the hair clip was still extending toward the rear hall. Mu Yao felt a rare sense of resistance.

“I feel like there’s danger ahead… No, I have to go in. Only by going in can I understand the ghost’s purpose.”

Mu Yao decided to take the risk. Even knowing it might be a trap, he had to investigate. He believed the chain in his hand wouldn’t let him suffer at the hands of a ghost.

The moment he stepped into the rear hall, the figure of the red-clothed girl manifested in the center. Her eyes were blood-red, and a sharp scream tore from her throat. Around her, the silhouettes of many ghost children appeared.

“Ahhhhh! I hate you, I hate you! Go die!”