Shao Lili was terrified by the sight of the burned - out hotel!
She wanted to run out immediately!
Only a place with people could give her a bit of a sense of security. Humans were social animals. No matter how much one claimed to enjoy solitude, no one would voluntarily live alone in the desolate mountains. Just the feeling of loneliness could give rise to endless terrifying illusions!
Shao Lili felt that she had already fallen into an illusion. Just as she was about to run out into the sunlight outside the hotel, she heard an old woman's voice from behind.
"… Do you have any shoes, girl?"
"Ah?!!"
Shao Lili jumped in fright and quickly turned around. To her horror, there was an old woman with gray hair behind her. The old woman was hunched over, squinting at her.
"I'm asking you, do you have any shoes?"
Although the old woman's clothes were simple, they seemed to be extremely expensive. Just the two huge pearl earrings on her ears were probably from a world - class luxury brand...
"Shoes? Yes, I do!"
Shao Lili sized up the old woman. The old woman's attire made Shao Lili instinctively lower her guard.
Could this old woman be a special guest invited by the program crew?
Shao Lili wondered, but she couldn't match the old woman with any has - been stars or veteran artists in the entertainment circle. It seemed that this old woman wasn't from the industry.
Could she be a big investor invited by the program crew, who wanted to see if these third - or fourth - tier small stars had the potential to generate a large amount of traffic through the program?
Thinking of this, a sincere smile appeared on Shao Lili's face. "Auntie, what kind of shoes do you want? I have plenty of shoes at home..."
"You have plenty of shoes!"
The old woman glanced at Shao Lili with her slightly cloudy eyes and suddenly showed a sinister smile. "Well... I also have shoes here. Do you want them?"
With that, she reached out the hand that had been behind her back in front of Shao Lili.
Shao Lili thought it would be a pair of expensive and beautiful shoes, but what appeared in front of her was a pair of high - heeled shoes burned to a charred black.
"… Ugh!!"
Shao Lili wanted to cover her nose. The shoes were not only dirty but also emitted a faint stench of melted leather.
"What, don't you want them?"
The old woman frowned slightly.
"Yes!! Of course I do!"
Shao Lili thought this was another prank show staged by the program crew. She endured the nausea and took the shoes, saying with a beaming smile, "I'll put them on right now and show you how they look, okay?"
With that, she took off her Oxford shoes and without hesitation put on the charred and smelly shoes.
"Look, they fit perfectly, don't they?" Although she didn't know where the hidden cameras were, Shao Lili still lifted her foot. The shoes were not as disgusting as she had expected. Instead, they seemed to be custom - made for her feet.
"Hehehe..."
The old woman let out a laugh that made people feel extremely uncomfortable. "They fit, they really fit!! But you already have so much 'evil'. Why do you still want mine? Aren't you being too greedy..."
Shao Lili felt that the old woman's words had a hidden meaning. Coupled with the terrifying atmosphere in the hotel, it made her feel a strong sense of unease.
"Auntie... I'm not greedy. These shoes are so worn - out. They're not worth anything..."
Before she could finish her sentence, the old woman raised her hand and stroked her own face.
"Not worth anything... Yes! When things get old, they're all worthless!!"
As she stroked, her already aged skin flaked off piece by piece along with her fingers, just like charred leaves. On the face without skin, the exposed flesh and fascia could be seen. The old woman still smiled and walked step by step towards Shao Lili. "Little girl, I've given you the 'evil'. You should give me something in return!!"
Shao Lili was completely terrified this time. What program crew could create such special effects? What makeup artist could create such a look?!
This was real!!
Shao Lili felt that she had encountered a ghost since she checked into this hotel. She shrieked without caring about her image and ran outside!
Whether it was being filmed or not, she didn't want to stay here any longer!
"Let me out!! Let me out!!"
The cold and hard touch of the glass door was very real. Shao Lili slapped the door desperately.
Outside the door was the sunny and green earthly world, with many little birds hopping and chirping in the trees; inside the door was a charred and desolate dead land. The old woman behind her had already approached Shao Lili. "Don't be so stingy. Just lend me your lifespan! Let me live a few more years!!"
Shao Lili could already feel the bony hands like claws grabbing her neck. She struggled and let out a near - desperate scream!
"Ah!!"
Shao Lili suddenly sat up from the bed. She realized that she had just had a nightmare!
However, the feeling of the old hag's desperate grip on her neck still lingered. Shao Lili touched her neck and got out of bed with lingering fear...
She kicked something cold and slippery that was different from the hotel slippers. She looked down and immediately shrieked and retracted her foot back onto the bed.
There, on the blanket beside her bed, was the pair of charred and smelly shoes!
"Help!! Help!!"
Shao Lili was really on the verge of a breakdown this time. She even suspected that she was still in a nightmare!
She jumped up, grabbed her phone, and wanted to call the program crew, asking them to send someone up to rescue her immediately.
She didn't dare to stay in this room for a single moment longer. While flipping through the phone book, she opened the door and ran out of the room.
Outside the room... just like in her nightmare, it was a scene of complete devastation.
Shao Lili's hands were shaking so much that she could hardly hold her phone. She leaned against the wall with difficulty and called the director, the producer, and even sent voice messages for help in the work group! However, all the calls couldn't get through, and her friends on WeChat were as silent as if they were dead!
She suddenly remembered that the last person who called her was Ma Su!!
So, Shao Lili made a video call to Ma Su. Fortunately, after only two rings, Ma Su answered the call.
"Shao Lili, where are you?!" Ma Su shouted sternly on the phone. "Do you still want to stay in the industry?"
Tears welled up in Shao Lili's eyes and rolled down. "Sister Su Su, don't... don't joke around. Can I stop filming? Let me go home!"
"Shao Lili, what's behind you?"
I was also watching the video on Ma Su's phone, but my focus was on the background in the video.
On the ground behind Shao Lili, the originally red - and - gold carpet had been burned to a charcoal black. At this moment, there was a pair of pitch - black high - heeled shoes, as if being worn by an invisible person, walking towards Shao Lili.
Shao Lili turned around in horror. On the phone video, a pair of shoes and a noble - looking old woman stretching out her hand and smiling sinisterly at Shao Lili were clearly visible. "You said you wanted the 'evil'. Take it... take it!!"
"Ah!!"
Shao Lili didn't have time to talk to us anymore. As the camera shook, she started to run.
"Oops?!"
At this moment, Huang Dabiao, who had crowded beside me to watch the excitement, suddenly shouted. "That old woman! I know her!! She's that old woman who is bent on becoming an immortal. Hehe..."