After My Cross-dressing Cover Was Blown, the Movie Star Became My Accomplice - Chapter 27

Chapter 27

◎ It’ll be all over if Cheng Zeyì finds out! ◎

Mu Yao left the cavern and returned to the inn, carefully flipping through the window back into his room. His first priority was to enter the bathroom and strip off his filth-ridden night-traveling clothes; the garment was beyond saving, not even worth the effort of washing.

Tossing the clothes into a corner, he threw a talisman onto them. The paper ignited, incinerating the outfit completely.

“Heh, if Dad saw me using his talismans like this, he’d definitely give me a thrashing.”

Mu Yao shook his head at the burning talisman and turned on the shower to begin scrubbing himself clean.

As the grime was washed away, the wound on his shoulder was also rinsed by the stream of water. Looking at the gash in the mirror, Mu Yao’s expression turned complicated.

“What a huge loss. I saved his life and didn’t even get a favor out of him… Forget it, it’s better to have as little contact as possible with someone like the Rakshasa. Also, I need to look into that Supernatural Investigation Bureau secretly.”

After drying off, Mu Yao went to his suitcase and pulled out a small wooden box. Inside, besides talismans, was wound medicine.

This medicine was something his father had left behind; every bit used was a bit gone forever. Mu Yao wouldn’t use it lightly, but the location of the wound made it easy to expose, affecting his movements. Since he was currently filming a show and couldn’t let it interfere with work, he could only use it despite the heartache.

“So stupid, such a loss… I really should demand a favor, or else I’m doing this medicine a disservice.”

Mu Yao muttered to himself, but then he remembered the Rakshasa’s intent to protect him and shook his head again.

“Whatever, he protected me just now too, and he had the patience to answer my questions. I won’t hold a grudge.”

After convincing himself, Mu Yao changed into pajamas and finally lay down on the bed, feeling relaxed and free of psychological burdens.

The mastermind behind the female ghost, Village Chief Zhang Hao, had been taken away by the Bureau. Those ghost children would likely be saved. Although he didn’t know how the Bureau would settle Auntie Zhou, she hadn’t killed anyone, so she should be fine. The threats that could have brought crisis to the production crew were resolved; he could finally rest in peace and focus on the final two days of recording.

Lying on the soft bed, Mu Yao’s consciousness grew increasingly heavy, but a sudden flash of inspiration struck his mind, and he snapped his eyes open.

“Wait, how did I overlook this?! In the cavern, there was the body of Auntie Zhou’s daughter and evidence of the Village Chief’s living sacrifice, but… where are the bodies of those ghost children?!”

The next morning, the sound of a rooster crowing echoed through the village as the people woke up to begin a new day.

At the inn, the guests gathered together, eating breakfast while discussing the day’s schedule.

“We got back early yesterday, so I finally got a good night’s sleep! How did you guys sleep?”

Qu Fu scooped up a spoonful of porridge and asked as she ate. She happened to turn toward Mu Yao and noticed the dark circles under his eyes.

“Hey, Mu Yao, what happened to you? Did you not sleep well?”

Mu Yao was still thinking about the events of the previous night. Once he realized the bodies of the ghost children hadn’t been found, he hadn’t slept a wink, wondering where they could be hidden and what he and the Rakshasa had missed.

Hearing Qu Fu call his name, he was still a bit dazed. He quickly regained his senses and made up a random excuse.

“Ah, I really didn’t sleep that well… I found a mosquito in my room yesterday.”

It was early spring, and while the wind was still cold, it was the season of rebirth. Not only were the peach blossoms blooming in the village, but insects were gradually waking up. His excuse wasn’t too far-fetched.

“A mosquito?! You’re so unlucky. To be harassed by a mosquito in this cold weather… My room was fine, I slept great!”

Bi Tu picked up a chicken soup dumpling. After swallowing it whole, he looked at Mu Yao with sympathy.

“Teacher Bi, please eat properly.”

Cheng Zeyì handed Mu Yao a posu bun and gave Bi Tu a smiling reminder, though he looked at Mu Yao with concern.

“Are you alright? Your sleep hasn’t seemed very good these past few days.”

“I’m fine, thank you for your concern.”

Mu Yao knew Cheng Zeyì was helping him. He nodded in thanks and focused on eating.

After the meal, Bi Tu received the task card from the production crew. He looked at Kong Yanfei, who was clutching a small brown teddy bear and sitting silently to the side—a far cry from her usual lively self—and said:

“My, of all of us, only little Yanfei hasn’t received a task card yet. Yanfei, are you excited for today’s task?”

“I… I’m not excited.”

They had expected a happy response, but this was what they got.

“Uh, what’s wrong with the kid?”

Bi Tu couldn’t follow up and could only scratch his head, looking at the others.

“Don’t know. Yanfei was fine yesterday; she was bouncing around the peach orchard so happily!”

Qu Fu shook her head. She didn’t know what was up with Kong Yanfei either. During breakfast, she noticed the girl was quiet, but she thought the breakfast was just so grand that the girl was focusing all her energy on the food.

“Little Yanfei, why aren’t you looking forward to today’s task? Are you in a bad mood? Or did you have a nightmare?”

Kong Yanfei hugged her toy and kept her head down, her brow furrowed in worry. Mu Yao remembered she had also had a lock of hair taken by the female ghost; fearing she was being affected by a lingering spell from the Village Chief, he inquired further.

“I… I’m actually a little afraid of the dark. Mining explorers have to go into caves, right? I’m scared.”

Kong Yanfei tightened her grip, hugging the plush bear even closer.

“Oh, so it’s a fear of the dark! It’s okay, Yanfei. Even if we go into a cave, we’ll have flashlights. We can’t just go in there in total darkness.”

Bi Tu slapped his thigh, speaking in a light tone.

“That’s right, Yanfei. We’ll all be with you,” Qu Fu added comfortingly.

“Don’t worry. In a bit, Mu Yao and I will walk in front of you to block out the darkness ahead.”

Cheng Zeyì glanced at Mu Yao and nodded as he spoke.

“I don’t want to be in the back alone. I want Sister Mu Yao to stay with me.”

“Sure, I’ll stay with you.”

Under their encouragement, Kong Yanfei’s state improved significantly. The group left the inn and followed the task card’s directions to the mining cave where they could obtain Starlight Stones.

The cave was located on a mountain next to the village, requiring them to cross most of the town. Along the way, Mu Yao carefully observed the state of the village.

The villagers were living normally, unaffected. The Village Chief being taken away by the Bureau hadn’t impacted their lives, and his deeds hadn’t been made public.

Passing by the Village Chief’s house, Mu Yao noticed several men in black standing guard. A man ran out from the house, greeting the director with a smile.

“Aha, I’ll apologize on behalf of the Chief. Sorry, the Chief was supposed to lead the way for you all today.”

“It’s fine. The Chief is the head of the village, after all; it’s natural for him to have urgent business. We aren’t unreasonable people. The Chief also sent me a message informing me of the cave’s location. The village roads are well-maintained and not complicated; we can find it ourselves.”

“Good, good. Thank you for your understanding. I hope the guests have a great experience!”

After a brief exchange, the group continued toward the cave, leaving the house behind.

The Rakshasa’s cleanup is pretty good; he even found someone to take over the Chief’s work. It seems they do this often.

Mu Yao mused to himself, planning to find a chance to check on Auntie Zhou’s situation and see how the Rakshasa would arrange things for her.

The group arrived at the cave, where staff members greeted them warmly and explained its history.

“Welcome, guests, to the search for Starlight Stones. Please give us a few minutes to tell you about the Starlight Cave of our Xiantao Town.”

A staff member stood before a small table with several brochures. As he handed them out to the guests, he picked up a small box.

The brochure detailed the cave’s history and tourist introduction. The guests read along while listening to the explanation.

“The rarest thing in this cave is the ‘Starlight Stone.’ These stones look ordinary, but in the dark, they emit a faint shimmer, like stars from the night sky scattered across the rock walls. During the village tourism peak, tourists from all over would visit to find special Starlight Stones and experience the fun of mining.”

On the wall behind the staff member was a map of the cave. He pointed to the winding paths.

“Although the cave was abandoned for a while due to a decrease in tourists, please rest assured. The areas currently open are safe. We have reinforced and maintained them; there is no danger. Guests can explore with peace of mind. Just note that the tunnels are very winding, and in some places, you can only enter sideways. The walls also retain marks left by tourists from years ago. While exploring, feel free to look up and see if you can find those marks or any overlooked glimmers of starlight.”

“The cave was abandoned? Won’t it be scary?”

Kong Yanfei raised her hand quietly. Hearing it had been abandoned made her even more afraid.

“No, little sister. The cave has been reopened; it might be a little desolate, but it’s definitely not scary. However, according to the rules, the guest participating in the activity must enter the Starlight Cave alone to complete the task.”

The staff member smiled politely, making a tiny gesture with his fingers, then waved his hands dramatically. But his final words were like a thunderbolt to Kong Yanfei.

“Just me alone?! I don’t want to, I don’t want to!”

Kong Yanfei was already scared; hearing she had to go in alone made her jump. She literally jumped three feet in the air and then hugged her teddy bear, opting for a silent protest.

Qu Fu looked at her helplessly and decided to help the non-violently uncooperative girl. She turned to the camera.

“Director, Yanfei is afraid of the dark; you can’t let her go in alone. How about changing the rules and letting someone accompany her?”

Cheng Zeyì’s expression was gentle. He asked the staff about the location of the ore and pointed at the map, echoing Qu Fu’s sentiment.

“Yes, and the location is quite remote. Letting a young girl go in alone is inappropriate, and besides, us older brothers, sister, and uncle standing outside have nothing to do anyway!”

“Hey, Film Emperor Cheng, even if Yanfei calls me ‘Uncle,’ you shouldn’t single me out like that! I’m not that old!”

Bi Tu slapped his hand, muttering at Cheng Zeyì, then raised his hand too.

“I agree. I’m interested in the ores in the cave; I’d like to see for myself.”

“Yeah, I also think letting Yanfei go alone is bad. I already promised her I’d go in with her.”

Although Mu Yao felt his words didn’t carry much weight, he added his support.

With all the guests in agreement, the production team couldn’t strictly enforce the rules. Given how genuinely scared Kong Yanfei was, the director finally nodded. They all toured the cave together, and after exploring for a while, Mu Yao accompanied Kong Yanfei into the side tunnel where the Starlight Stones were kept.

The side path was narrow, only allowing for walking sideways, but fortunately, the ground had been leveled and was quite flat. Mu Yao walked in front, holding Kong Yanfei’s hand and leading her along without much effort.

As they walked through the dim tunnel, the cameramen followed behind, continuing to film. To ensure a good visual for the audience, both Kong Yanfei and Mu Yao wore chest-mounted cameras.

At the end of the tunnel was a table with mining tools. The surrounding walls were covered in chisel marks and Starlight Stones that glowed in the darkness.

“Brother Mu Yao! Starlight Stones! It’s the Starlight Stones!”

Seeing the magical stones shimmering on the walls, Kong Yanfei forgot her fear and jumped with excitement.

“Shh! Lower your voice! It’ll be all over if Cheng Zeyì hears you!”

Mu Yao whispered a reminder in her ear. His task wasn’t finished yet; he couldn’t let his cover blow at the last minute. He still wanted to see what kind of souvenir the production team had prepared!

“Oh, right, right! I got too excited and forgot!”

Kong Yanfei rubbed her head and gave a silly laugh.

Mu Yao helped her use the tools to chisel off a small piece of Starlight Stone. They carefully tucked it away, ready to return and hand in the task. Unexpectedly, just as they turned around, the mining lights flickered, and with a snap, the lights suddenly went out.

“Yah!”

“Ouch!”

“What kind of crappy facility is this? How is there a power outage!”

The light vanished, and darkness seized everyone’s vision. Kong Yanfei screamed and threw herself into Mu Yao’s arms. Mu Yao calmly observed his surroundings, while the cameramen following them began to complain.