The Beauty with Terrible Luck Falls in Love with a Ghost - Chapter 8

As an avid virtual cat owner, she had memorized cat food recipes as thoroughly as how to boil noodles.

Soon, the savory scent of meat wafted from the kitchen. To let the aroma spread better and attract the cat, Zuo Lihua didn’t even turn on the range hood.

Once done, she placed the food in an avocado-shaped dipping dish, small but packed to the brim, looking quite lavish.

Satisfied, she set down the spoon and carried the dish toward the door, her emotions a mix of excitement and worry.

Excited at the possibility of having a cat, yet worried it might have already run away.

The ghost lurking behind her rotated its newly restored head, curiously eyeing the avocado dish, craning its neck as if eager to try it.

To her disappointment, the cat was gone. She searched around the yard but found no trace of it anywhere.

With her destined cat missing, her mood instantly sank.

After a moment’s thought, she placed the cat food on the walkway beside the shrubbery, right under the window. If the cat returned, she’d spot it at a glance from the living room.

Now, it was time for her own meal.

Returning to the living room and sitting on the sofa, Zuo Lihua froze on the spot.

Her noodles had once again turned into a sticky, tar-like mess.

What was going on???

Her pupils trembled with shock, her heart racing. Recalling yesterday’s fried rice, she finally sensed something was terribly wrong.

Just then, a dark shadow appeared outside the window. She turned to look and saw a ghostly, humanoid figure crawling on all fours. Its slender limbs made it resemble a mutated spider.

Its head was buried in the bowl of cat food, devouring the meal ravenously. Mushy bits of food splattered everywhere, as if it were tearing into raw flesh, a horrifying and grotesque sight.

Perhaps sensing Zuo Lihua’s gaze, it turned its head, its venomous eyes locking onto her. Its face, seemingly pieced together from thick smoke, twisted into a faint smile, as though conveying a death sentence.

Zuo Lihua’s blood ran cold, her heart nearly stopping in terror. Her feet felt rooted to the spot, refusing to budge, and her throat seemed choked, rendering her unable to make a sound.

The reporter’s terrified expression and harsh words suddenly flashed in her mind: “You still have no idea, do you? Your days are numbered!” She hadn’t paid it much mind then, but now it seemed she had already encountered this “monster.” Fear of it must have driven the reporter to act that way.

What should she do now? Countless thoughts raced through Zuo Lihua’s mind, but when it came to action, none proved useful. Perhaps she was already paralyzed with fear.

The “monster” finished the cat food, then climbed onto the window like a cat, passing straight through the glass as it “walked” toward her. As it drew closer, Zuo Lihua finally saw its eyes clearly, bloodshot orbs, no different from human eyes, yet filled with malice and murkiness. They resembled the eyes of a vengeful spirit, clawing its way out of the grave, unwilling to rest until it had exacted revenge.

No, it was a vengeful spirit to begin with.

As the “monster” approached, Zuo Lihua didn’t even realize she had stopped breathing.

It leaned in close to her, its repulsive eyes fixed intently on her face, as if sniffing for something.

Zuo Lihua’s face flushed red from holding her breath.

Just as she was on the verge of suffocating to death, the “monster” took a step back, and then something was thrown beside Zuo Lihua’s feet.

It was the avocado dish.

Zuo Lihua glanced at the plate, it was clean, so clean it seemed as if it had just been taken out of the dishwasher.

The “monster” crawled onto the sofa in a bizarre, backward-moving posture, its long limbs curled up, its head resting on the armrest, and its eyes rolling around as it stared at her.

Zuo Lihua: “?” What does this mean?

Her intuition told her that the “monster” was trying to convey some kind of message.

Zuo Lihua’s frightened brain hadn’t yet returned to normal, and she stared blankly at the “monster”, unmoving.

The “monster” arched its body, using all four limbs, turned around on the sofa, and looked at Zuo Lihua again. Seeing that she still hadn’t reacted, it shook its head irritably. It then held its head with its hands, suddenly exerted force, and tore its head right off.

Zuo Lihua’s face twisted in horror, her legs went weak, and she fell to the ground with a thud.

She gasped for air but couldn’t make a single sound.

The “monster” rolled its head around, stretched out its arm, and with a powerful throw, sent the black sphere flying out the window in a perfect arc.

Outside the window, there was a rustling sound, a very familiar noise, much like the movements of a cat she had heard earlier.

Zuo Lihua: “Hiss!” In that instant, she understood a truth: perhaps there had never been a cat to begin with.

From the moment she entered this house, she had been sharing the space with this ghost.

This realization made her nearly paralyzed heart beat heavily once more, her blood rushing faster through her body, carrying a dull ache from her ventricles to every limb.

While she was still dazed, a head suddenly leaped onto the windowsill. The “monster’s” body also turned to face Zuo Lihua, its arms crossed, looking completely at ease.

Being stared at by the “monster” was unbearable, and Zuo Lihua finally regained some semblance of clarity to process the situation.

After another tense standoff, the “monster” seemed to grow impatient. It glared at Zuo Lihua as if it wanted to bite her, its body leaning halfway off the sofa.

In that instant, Zuo Lihua felt a threat to her life.

A strong survival instinct suddenly sparked an idea in her mind. She quickly crouched down, picked up the avocado bowl, hugged it to her chest, and stood up again, her movements so fast they seemed to leave afterimages. She said, “Do you want to eat cat food?”

Only after speaking did she realize her voice was trembling with tears.

The “monster” seemed to calm down a bit, retracting its leaning body. At the end of its stick-like arm appeared a misty claw, and it tapped its fingers on the sofa.

“Understood, I’ll go right now! Please wait!” Zuo Lihua instantly understood, hugged the bowl, and dashed toward the kitchen.

Zuo Lihua chopped the meat with a series of thuds, when suddenly a chilling cold crept over her, and something clung to her back.

Her already tense muscles tightened even further. She kept her eyes fixed ahead, her face expressionless, and mechanically repeated her actions. She appeared to be adapting well, but in reality, she was on the verge of collapse.

This time, Zuo Lihua made a full pot of food. Carefully, she scooped out half a ladle and arranged it in the avocado dish.

The “monster” finished it in two or three bites, scattering bits of meat everywhere, some even splattering onto Zuo Lihua’s clothes.

Severely mysophobic Zuo Lihua dared not utter a word, standing by the pot like a maid, watching it eat, and silently refilling the avocado plate when it was handed to her.

This repeated until the entire pot of cat food was devoured, and Zuo Lihua’s entire body had stiffened.

The best approach would have been to give the “monster” a larger plate or simply hand it the pot to eat from directly, but it seemed fixated on the avocado plate, and Zuo Lihua didn’t dare say a single word.

Only at this moment did she realize just how strong her will to survive was.

When the “monster” discovered the pot was empty, it stopped asking for more food, placed the plate back on the counter, stretched lazily, and then stood to the side, glaring at Zuo Lihua.

From its bloodshot eyes, Zuo Lihua inexplicably sensed an urge to hurry.

She tentatively moved her stiff hand, stealing a glance at the “monster” out of the corner of her eye, it showed no reaction.

She turned on the faucet, still no reaction from the “monster.”

She washed the dishes and scrubbed the pot, the “monster’s” eyes remained fixed and unmoving.

She finished the tasks as expected, and just as she dried her hands, her neck tightened, and her breathing suddenly became labored.

The “monster” had lifted her from behind, one hand supporting her waist, the other gripping her collar, hoisting her onto its shoulder.

Zuo Lihua’s face turned ashen with terror as she watched everything in sight rapidly recede.

“I, I’ll… burn paper money for you… cough… anything, cough… please, I beg you…” Zuo Lihua tried to speak, hoping to bargain for her survival.

Only when she was thrown back onto the bed, the soft mattress bouncing her slightly before she settled, did she realize she hadn’t been tossed from the second floor.

Immediately after, the warm-toned European-style ceiling was replaced by a ghastly face.

The breath Zuo Lihua had just relaxed caught in her throat again.

Now, she lay on the bed as stiff as a steel plank, while the “monster” loomed above her, its face pressed close to hers, crouching in a posture reminiscent of feeding.

Am I… am I going to be eaten?

Zuo Lihua held her breath, her eardrums throbbing painfully from the pounding of her heart.

In the faint light from the window, the distance between her and the “monster” allowed her to see its only tangible eye, a deep, ocean-like azure blue.

A small, square object brushed past her ear and landed on the pillow.

This is… her phone?

Zuo Lihua tilted her head to glance at the phone, then looked at the “monster” crouched above her. A bold speculation surfaced in her mind.

Could it be… it wants to watch Pleasant Goat?

The “monster” showed little patience, its eyes shifting with growing irritation.

Zuo Lihua picked up the phone and, as quickly as possible, played the cached episode of Pleasant Goat.

The “monster” slowly descended, retreating from Zuo Lihua’s body.

Zuo Lihua cherished this hard-won opportunity, taking deep, grateful breaths.

The cheerful laughter of the goats echoed from the phone, but to her ears, it felt utterly chilling.

She turned over, shifting to her side to relieve her stiff muscles.

A dark shadow slowly slid into the crook of her arm.

Zuo Lihua’s breathing slowed, and she didn’t dare move.

The “monster” nestled into Zuo Lihua’s embrace, resting its head on her arm, its eyes locked on Pleasant Goat.

Zuo Lihua took in the scene, a painful itch rising in her throat. She swallowed hard, suppressing the urge to cough.

But the sensation was too intense to be suppressed or held back. The pain and itch in her throat persisted, growing increasingly severe. Finally unable to bear it, Zuo Lihua turned her face aside and let out a soft, delicate cough, a sound as faint as a kitten’s mewl.

Then, a pair of icy hands, cold like the mist inside a refrigerator, abruptly covered her cheeks.

Zuo Lihua’s pupils contracted sharply. Slowly, inch by inch, she turned her neck and looked back.

Before her eyes were those enlarged, bloodshot, azure irises.

Around the eyes, mist swirled and churned, while smooth skin gradually revealed itself, first around the eyes, then a smooth, full forehead, a straight and delicate nose, and finally lips curved slightly upward, petal-like and soft.

Zuo Lihua stared wide-eyed, frozen, watching as that face drew closer and closer to hers. Then, something cold and soft pressed against her lips, which had turned pale from fear.