I Became the Most Popular Character by Acting as a Villain in the Manga

Chapter 24

It must have been Zhou Chenhao's singing, as the Ghost Bride's face lit up, and she turned to look at the source of the singing.

It was probably joy, after all, with her face covered in rotting flesh, it was truly impossible to tell what expression she was making.

She first saw Zhou Chenhao wearing a blue and black Qing dynasty official uniform, not red, and then looked at the wristband on his wrist, which wasn't lit. She slowly shook her head, holding a round fan, and her body language seemed to convey some regret.

It seemed that one had to meet one of two conditions—either wearing red clothes or having a lit wristband—to be considered a potential groom by her (it?).

At this moment, the female ghost saw Bai Xuechao in the crowd.

The white-haired, red-eyed youth was truly handsome. His snow-white skin was as delicate and lustrous as jade porcelain. His picturesque face showed a faint expression, and he wore a pomegranate-red round-collar robe, like a red plum blossom covered in snow after blooming. The red-clad tourists around him seemed to lose their vibrant colors in that instant, becoming a monotonous background to highlight him.

Judging by the female ghost's expression (?), she was probably captivated.

Xiao 6 made a heart shape with his hands: ‘My host's beauty is unstoppable! Even a female ghost must be conquered!’ (not really)

“Who is my groom~” The Ghost Bride extended her hand with a curled pinky finger towards Bai Xuechao, seemingly wanting to pull him, her eyes, embedded in rotting flesh, staring intently at him.

Suddenly, a Jiangshi cut in from the side.

The red and black-haired youth, dressed in a Qing dynasty official uniform like a Jiangshi, took a lunging step in front of Bai Xuechao. With his hands on his hips and chest puffed out, he continued to magically shake his shoulders and sang back to the Ghost Bride: “I am your groom~”

He completely ignored the female ghost and instead raised an eyebrow at Bai Xuechao, as if asking: 'I dance pretty well, right?'

Bai Xuechao: “…”

He had a premonition that Zhou Chenhao was about to have bad luck.

“Ay-hi~” The Ghost Bride hesitated, deeply conflicted.

It seemed that Zhou Chenhao, who could dance and respond to her with “enthusiasm,” had thoroughly touched her heart.

She suddenly grabbed Zhou Chenhao's arm and, under his bewildered gaze, sang loudly: “Come quickly to my side~”

Perhaps it was the male lead's halo, but the Ghost Bride ultimately chose Zhou Chenhao.

Zhou Chenhao: =A=？

Ling Feng with deadpan eyes: “…”

Xia Xiaoxi grabbed her two low ponytails and gloated, “Serves you right for messing around, you played yourself!”

Bai Xuechao slowly raised his hand and applauded: “A hundred years of marital bliss.”

Xiao 6's booming laughter echoed in his mind.

The Ghost Bride pulled Zhou Chenhao and left.

The surrounding tourists, seeing that the Ghost Bride had chosen the Jiangshi who seemed a bit mentally unstable, all breathed a sigh of relief, glad that they hadn't been chosen by the Ghost Bride. When they tried to leave, however, the surrounding ghosts and female ghosts all swarmed forward, herding them towards the Ghost Bride and Zhou Chenhao, seemingly heading somewhere.

Bai Xuechao, Xia Xiaoxi, and Ling Feng followed behind the Ghost Bride and Zhou Chenhao, realizing that their direction was towards the Underwater restaurant they had visited before.

It looked like they were going for a feast.

Because the Ghost Bride and the other red-clad ghosts hadn't shown any aggressive intentions, the tourists were initially very nervous. But as they walked, their expressions gradually relaxed a lot, seemingly feeling that as long as they cooperated with the wedding interaction, nothing bad would happen.

Along the way, Zhou Chenhao was pulled by the Ghost Bride and complained a little, “Earlier there was a bamboo sedan chair. How come when it's my turn, I have to walk?”

Ling Feng followed behind him, looking speechless, and couldn't help but say, “Is that the point?”

Xia Xiaoxi felt no tension at all. She glanced at the Ghost Bride, whose lower half of her face was covered by a round fan, and said to Zhou Chenhao, “You're getting a wife~ I'll dance for you to liven things up later!”

Zhou Chenhao was still in the mood to joke with her: “What, then wouldn't I be getting a second marriage if I get married later?”

In the crowd, a tourist whispered, “I saw someone else's Weibo post yesterday that said there's a Grand Ghost Banquet during the midway point of the event. Lucky tourists who are chosen can go to the feast. It's all Chinese pastries, and they're quite delicious… Could this be referring to that?”

“Can we leave after eating?” someone nearby asked this tourist.

The tourist wiped his face and said, “Hiss, that Weibo post didn't go into detail… It seemed to mention some small games like 'pitch-pot' that we can play together, but didn't mention anything else.”

Bai Xuechao looked up at the pitch-black night sky.

The hot air balloon had already extinguished, but he could see that its outline was behind the Underwater restaurant, which was the location of the Underwater Park.

“We're getting closer and closer to the hot air balloon,” he said.

Hearing this, Ling Feng also looked up at the night sky. At first, the light from the lanterns hanging by the roadside was too bright, and the night sky was too dark, so he could only see a few twinkling Stars. He frowned slightly, looked carefully for a long time, and then finally saw the outline of the hot air balloon hidden in the night.

Ling Feng said, “Your eyesight is good.”

Bai Xuechao's eyes held a faint smile, and he said easily, “After all, I'm a higher level than you guys, so I got an extra enhancement.”

Xia Xiaoxi also saw the extinguished hot air balloon floating in the sky. After confirming its location, she said, “Looking at the hot air balloon's position, it should be above the Underwater Park. The Underwater restaurant happens to be connected to the Underwater Park, so after this event ends, we can head straight there.”

She patted Zhou Chenhao's shoulder: “You hurry up and finish.”

Zhou Chenhao tilted his head in confusion: “Is when it ends something I can control?”

Bai Xuechao mischievously suggested, “You can try to break off the engagement.”

“Oh, I can certainly try.” Zhou Chenhao actually listened, and immediately turned to the Ghost Bride next to him and said, “I think…”

As soon as he opened his mouth, he saw blue ghost fire emanating from the Ghost Bride's two eyes, as if she was about to turn into a vengeful ghost from a novel or movie in the next second, so he swallowed the rest of his sentence.

With that, who would dare to break off the engagement?

“Hmph, we were just joking!” Xia Xiaoxi quickly interjected, immediately rattling off a string of auspicious wedding congratulations, “I wish you a hundred years of marital bliss, harmonious like zithers, forever united, early birth of noble sons, growing old together…”

Bai Xuechao couldn't help but sigh, “What a malicious blessing.”

Ling Feng nodded: “Hmm, indeed.”

Xia Xiaoxi's forehead had an angry vein throbbing: “Then you guys say it.”

Bai Xuechao's smile was gentle: “Of course, we must wish our new couple eternal union, never to be separated for all eternity.”

Ling Feng: “…Yours seems even more malicious.”

The fountain plaza was not far from the Underwater restaurant, and they soon arrived, also encountering the Ghost King.

The Ghost King clearly looked older than the Ghost Bride. He had almost no flesh left on his body, only a dry, tall skeleton, with a few rotten flesh scraps like sludge still clinging to his skull. He was holding a pale young woman, singing "The Big Sedan Chair" in a rough voice, doing the "hug, hug, oh hug" part.

Everyone: “…”

As expected of father and daughter, your singing style is truly hereditary.

The young woman was wearing a red Ming dynasty Hanfu, with a mandarin duck patterned Pibo draped over her. Her face was made up with Ghost Bride makeup. She probably regretted it fiercely now, wondering why she had dressed like this.

Next to her was a man also wearing a red Ming dynasty Hanfu, with Ghost Groom makeup.

The two were likely a couple, dressed as ghost husband and wife. The man, wearing glasses and looking refined, was fearfully tugging at the Ghost King's bone hand, trying to get the Ghost King to release his girlfriend and choose someone else.

Xiao 6 held up a small red heart: “He's not letting go of her, looks like true love!”

Bai Xuechao found it a bit funny: “You ship even strangers?”

Xiao 6 clasped his two little code hands together, his tone devout: “All beings are equal, ship away!”

Xiao 6, truly 6.

The Ghost Bride's procession passed by the Ghost King.

The Ghost King was singing and tugging the bride with the Hanfu-wearing man with glasses when he saw Bai Xuechao in the procession. Bai Xuechao's snow-white hair lightly swayed beside his slender neck, and the Ghost King's movements suddenly paused.

Everyone: “?”

Something's not right.

Bai Xuechao: “?”

He had an ominous premonition.

Sure enough, the Ghost King let go of the young woman's hand and headed straight for Bai Xuechao.

Upon seeing this, Xia Xiaoxi leaned back defensively: “No way, no way, there's no way a ghost actually thinks someone with slightly longer, prettier hair is a girl, right?!”

Xiao 6 laughed so hard he almost spit out code, singing: “Just because I took one more look at you in the crowd~”

The Ghost King's finger bones grabbed Bai Xuechao's sleeve. Another red-clad ghost, appearing from nowhere, snatched Bai Xuechao's Wusha hat and placed a red veil over his head, as if afraid that the "Ghost Bride" they had finally chosen would run away if they were a second too slow.

The moment the veil was placed, Bai Xuechao saw Zhou Chenhao smiling in a very punchable way, his eyes seemingly saying, "We're in this together."

Bai Xuechao: 'I should have tried to be the Ghost Groom instead.'

The Ghost King shouted into the distance: “Get on the sedan chair!”

Another round of suona, gongs, and drums sounded. The sedan chair the Ghost Bride had used earlier was carried over, and two red-clad ghosts helped Bai Xuechao onto the sedan chair.

Zhou Chenhao's eyes widened: “How come he doesn't have to walk again?”

Ling Feng retorted: “Is that the point?!”

In reality, there were only a few steps left. They had already reached the vicinity of the Underwater restaurant's entrance.

The sedan chair carried Bai Xuechao into the Underwater restaurant.

Bai Xuechao pulled off the red veil and tossed it aside, then took out his phone and glanced at it.

[Stars: Qiao Jing went into the sea.]

Bai Xuechao raised one eyebrow, processing the information.

So, when Duan Xingzhi said Qiao Jing went to the sea earlier, he didn't mean he went to the marine park area, but actually went into the sea?

He replied: [Where are you?]

The other side replied instantly: [On a boat.]

Bai Xuechao was silent for two seconds: [Send me your real-time location.]

Duan Xingzhi immediately sent his location information.

Bai Xuechao opened the location and found that Duan Xingzhi had already passed the Underwater Park and was at the edge of the Eco-Tourism Park.

This location was not unfamiliar to Bai Xuechao; they had been there before.

The Underwater Park and the Eco-Tourism Park were basically connected side by side.

Beyond these two areas, there was still a sea area that belonged to the park but was undeveloped. This was the location accessed by the hidden glass tunnel in the Underwater Park, and also near where Duan Xingzhi currently was.

Was Qiao Jing going to look for those mutated fish?

Bai Xuechao asked: [Did you see him eat anyone when you were following Qiao Jing?]

[Stars: Yes, two.]

Qiao Jing ate Qiao Zhanpeng and then two more people. Now he was going to look for mutated fish. It wasn't hard to guess his objective.

He probably wasn't satisfied after eating people and wanted to eat mutated creatures.

Bai Xuechao thought for a moment, then felt the sedan chair's speed slow down. It seemed to be about to let him down, so he quickly sent a message: [Don't go into the sea, wait for me at the Underwater Park.]

Almost at the same time he tucked his phone back into his leather belt, the curtain at the front of the sedan chair was slowly lifted by a skeletal hand with rotting flesh scraps hanging from it.

The Ghost King's skeletal head poked in, not caring that Bai Xuechao had pulled off the veil: “Hehe, time to get off the sedan chair.”

Xiao 6: ‘Hiss, it's the aura of a kindred spirit. The Ghost King must also be a face-dog!’

Bai Xuechao stepped out of the sedan chair and found that the Underwater restaurant was now draped with red silk, adorned with "囍" (double happiness) characters, and set with banquet tables. It was clearly a lively and festive scene, yet everyone was utterly lifeless, not even daring to make a sound.

The Ghost King said, “Welcome everyone to my and my daughter's wedding banquet!”

All tourists: QAQ (Non-voluntary.)

After the Ghost King finished speaking, his empty eye sockets stared at the tourists without saying a word. The other ghosts also stared at the tourists, which was quite unnerving.

One tourist seemed to understand the Ghost King's meaning and tentatively applauded.

The Ghost King nodded in satisfaction.

The other tourists dutifully applauded.

Amidst the enthusiastic applause, the Ghost King, holding the Ghost Bride's hand, walked up to Zhou Chenhao: “You must pass my test, otherwise I will not give my daughter to you.”

Zhou Chenhao chuckled, “Actually, I'm not really looking to marry—”

Ghost King: “Hmm?”

Zhou Chenhao's smile remained unchanged, and he immediately corrected himself: “That's impossible, I very much want to marry your daughter. Please start your test quickly.”

Xia Xiaoxi, holding Ling Feng's shoulder, was shaking with laughter.

“This is a very simple test.” The Ghost King clapped his two bony hands, and more than ten Ghost Brides with red veils appeared, walking onto the stage that was originally prepared for the band in the Underwater restaurant, standing in two rows. “Later, my daughter will also go up. You must find my daughter among these brides.”

These Ghost Brides held the same type of round fan as the Ghost Bride, wore identical clothes, and even their height and build were exactly the same.

Bai Xuechao: 'Good heavens, are they playing Tang Bohu Points Qiu Xiang here?'

Zhou Chenhao glanced at the Ghost Brides who looked like copy-pasted duplicates and asked, “What if I don't find her?”

The Ghost Bride next to the Ghost King giggled, “Then you die.”

Zhou Chenhao immediately said, “Alright, I will definitely find her.”

Xia Xiaoxi quietly created a small leaf under the Ghost Bride's skirt, then winked at Zhou Chenhao, signaling him to look at the skirt.

Zhou Chenhao understood. With no hint of his intentions on his face, he still smiled: “Let's begin quickly.”

The Ghost Bride, completely unaware, walked onto the stage and temporarily stood in the second row among the Ghost Brides. She was about to put on her veil when she suddenly noticed a missing spot in front of her.

“Wait!” She stopped the musician who was about to play, pointing at the empty spot in front of her, “One is missing. It's not complete, it's unlucky.”

Tourists: 'Ghosts care about luck too??'

The Ghost King glanced at the empty spot and said, “Then just find someone to fill it in.”

After he finished speaking, his eye sockets scanned the tourists.

Wherever his gaze (?) fell, the tourists all lowered their heads or looked away, just like students afraid of being called on by a teacher.

Thus, Bai Xuechao met the Ghost King's two empty eye sockets.

This feeling was familiar.

The Ghost King rubbed his bony hands and said with a sigh, “Oh dear, then I can only let my un-wed wife go up and make up the numbers. You really are a lucky fellow.”

Bai Xuechao: 'I knew it, here we go with this again.'