I was awakened by a nibbling sensation.
Struggling to lift my eyelids that felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, the first thing that came into view was a luxurious crystal chandelier.
The dim yellow light refracted through the crystals, casting strange shadows around. I felt a bit dazed and didn't know where I was for a moment.
"Are you the one here to be my bride in the ghost marriage?"
Suddenly, a sinister voice rang in my ear. Immediately afterwards, the thick black mist condensed into a human - shaped figure that slithered up along my calf, like a cold snake winding its way up to my chest...
I wanted to scream, but the sound seemed locked deep in my throat. I only opened my mouth slightly in vain, trying to make a sound.
The black mist suddenly solidified, taking on a face with deep - set features and a sly smile. "Are you trying to seduce me?!"
Before I could react, those perfectly - shaped lips pressed against mine and bit down hard on my lower lip.
"Um..."
It was both painful and cold!
But my face flushed with shame. I, I was actually bullied by a ghost!!
My hands that were desperately trying to struggle were pinned above my head. He even went further, entangling his lips and tongue with mine more deeply.
The air around me quickly disappeared. I was like a drowning person, tilting my head up desperately to gasp for air, but it only made it easier for him to invade...
"You taste good."
After who knows how long of this lingering, he finally let me go. His cold and slender fingers brushed across my swollen and ravaged lips. "Those idiots finally got it right this time..."
With a sinister curl of his lips, he reached his hand into my T - shirt again.
The bone - chilling feeling swept across my collarbone and then grasped my neck. The sense of suffocation instantly brought me back to my senses.
"…A person is separated by a thousand barriers, while a ghost is separated by ten thousand. Evil demons... retreat!!"
Recalling the incantations from my father's ancient books in my mind, I silently recited them and also made hand gestures. When the last word "retreat" blurted out, it was as if an invisible big hand had suddenly knocked the ghost that was bullying me away from my body...
The pressure on my body suddenly eased, and I sat up abruptly from the bed.
Such a real nightmare left me covered in cold sweat. Gasping for breath, I looked at the phone on the bedside table.
My phone was placed on the seemingly expensive walnut bedside table beside the bed, with the camera facing the bed.
The phone screen was still on, and the video call hadn't ended. However, the client I had talked to last night was gone. Sitting upright on the other end of the screen was a pale paper figure with two strange patches of rouge on its face...
My name is Lu Xiyu. I just turned eighteen last month. I'm a soon - to - be freshman at the Civil Affairs Vocational College in Green City, majoring in Modern Funeral Management and Technology, which is commonly known as an "undertaker".
The reason I chose this major is related to my family's business.
My father, Lu Tianchang, runs a shop next to the most prosperous Great Avalokitesvara Temple in Green City.
The signboard of the store says "Lu's Name - Giving and Fortune - Telling Shop", and it also deals with funeral services, funeral implements, tomb - moving, and other business related to the underworld.
This kind of tacky and vulgar name, along with a small 15 - square - meter storefront, can't catch the eye of those fashionable pilgrims who come to offer incense and worship Buddha at all.
My father sticks to this poorly - doing store and can only sit in the store dozing off all day...
Because of the family's meager income, my father desperately wanted me to get into a good university. He hoped that after I graduated, I could get a white - collar job and live a stable nine - to - five life.
However, things didn't go as he wished!
During the college entrance examination, I inexplicably had a high fever, and my scores were a complete mess. I was directly transferred to a vocational college and became a "prospective undertaker" honorably.
My father was furious and firmly threatened me that I must repeat my senior year of high school. If I dared to enroll in this major, he would break my legs.
It was too naive of my father to think he could make me submit in this way!
In order to raise the tuition fees and living expenses for the next three years, I secretly took up a new profession: a haunted - house sleeper.
From the beginning of the summer vacation until now, I've taken two jobs. I can earn 1,600 yuan for sleeping in a haunted house for one night, and there's already more than 3,000 yuan in my Alipay account!
The annual tuition fee is 36,000 yuan. Coupled with accommodation fees and daily meals, I'm afraid the annual expenditure will be at least 50,000 to 60,000 yuan.
I have to raise at least enough tuition for the new school year before this summer vacation ends!
Knowing that I had a falling - out with my father, my aunt Lu Ling secretly came to me and said that a rich man's luxurious villa had someone die in it. They were looking for a haunted - house sleeper to stay there for a day and asked if I was interested.
The rich man was really generous and offered an irresistible price. If I could complete this job, the tuition fees and living expenses for the first semester would be taken care of!
Naturally, I readily agreed and thanked my aunt a thousand times. My father had a bad relationship with the whole family. Only my aunt would occasionally help us financially. Otherwise, our small store might not even be able to afford the rent!
My aunt is only five years older than me. She's always been very kind to me and has been secretly taking care of my business.
The rich man's villa is located in the Jiulongwan Villa Area on the outskirts of Green City. There, lush greenery and colorful flowers abound. Many unique single - family villas are hidden among them, showing a kind of understated luxury.
Jiulongwan is a private community for the upper class, and even the navigation map shows nothing about it.
I had to ask people along the way for the location of Fanjing Villa at No. 18 Lvyin Street, which was the address provided by the client.
Unexpectedly, as soon as people heard this name, they were all terrified and shook their heads, looking like they were eager to avoid it. It seemed that just hearing these four words would bring bad luck.
Only a kind - hearted sanitation uncle cautiously told me that it was an extremely terrifying haunted house!
A total of eight young women had died in it one after another. Their corpses were in such a terrifying state that even experienced policemen couldn't help vomiting...
After a series of investigations, the policemen concluded that these people had all committed suicide, and they all ended their lives in the most tragic way!
Although the warning tape outside Fanjing Villa had been removed, the marble piers used for isolation still blocked the private road outside, preventing anyone from entering.
I thanked the sanitation uncle and pretended to be very scared.
After the uncle was out of sight, I still walked resolutely towards the end of Lvyin Street.
I had already received half of the deposit from the client in my Alipay account. Our Lu family has always been honest and trustworthy. How could we not do our best when we've promised something?!
Soon, I found a courtyard surrounded by stone piers.
The courtyard was extremely elegant.
Countless bamboo poles surrounded the light - gray marble porch. Several jagged rocks were dotted beside the white wall. The four dark - gold official - script characters "Fanjing Villa" were inlaid on one side of the porch.
Following the client's instructions, I found the key under the third step of the front door and smoothly entered the villa.
I walked up the walnut - wood stairs all the way to the third floor. This was the master bedroom of the villa, where all the young women had committed suicide...