NOVEL WEB Ch. 35
Chapter 35: Forum and Haunted House (Two-in-One)
[Let’s discuss rationally: Who did Yiming think of when he saw this ‘Big Brother Bai’?]
1L Original Poster
Initially, I thought it was Shuang Buyan, but Big Brother Bai doesn’t seem connected to Shuang Buyan.
Shuang Buyan is a fatherly figure, while Big Brother Bai’s cold demeanor feels closer to Ahoge Li.
But Big Brother Bai lacks an ahoge, losing that soul, so he doesn’t quite resemble Ahoge Li either.
Is there anyone else I haven’t thought of?
2L
It’s the Reunion Festival, so he’s probably thinking of family.
Shuang Buyan hasn’t shown his face yet. What if they look alike?
3L
Shuang Buyan has pale golden hair, right? Big Brother Bai clearly has black hair, so their appearances don’t match.
Unless you mean their faces are similar.
If it’s really Shuang Buyan, his act of ignoring Little Corgi is quite amusing, haha.
Poor Little Corgi in advance.
4L
Suppose Little Corgi thinks Big Brother Bai’s vibe is like Li’s. After all, Big Brother Bai is someone else’s brother, which aligns with Li’s identity.
That would be a bit subtle.
Just a few days ago, someone dug up that Li isn’t dead, and now the manga includes this?
Even a reincarnation plot wouldn’t move this fast. At least wait for a new arc, right?
Copying comments isn’t done like this.
Though I feel Little Corgi sees Big Brother Bai as Li, there’s definitely a twist coming. I’ll hold off for now.
5L
Indeed, Li seems more likely in terms of identity alignment, but Shuang Buyan hasn’t shown his full face, and Little Corgi was thinking of him before...
6L
That said, regardless of who Big Brother Bai resembles, didn’t Little Corgi say it was a mistake? What if he’s just a new, unrelated character?
Meeting someone else’s brother during the Reunion Festival—poor Little Corgi.
7L
Bai, Heige, I don’t believe you guys have no theories.
8L
That’s another angle.
But Big Brother Bai probably isn’t Heige in disguise.
If it were Heige, Little Corgi wouldn’t look pitiful; he’d be furious and bite him on the spot.
[Corgi Angry.jpg]
9L
Agree with the above. I trust Little Corgi’s nose.
Also, have you forgotten Little Corgi was an orphan at the start? What if a real relative shows up for a fateful reunion?
It’s not impossible, right?
...
Li Li skimmed through.
The current forum consensus was uncertainty about who Big Brother Bai resembled, with everyone as a possible candidate.
It might be because the manga had just updated, and the lore enthusiasts were still combing through old chapters for clues.
For now, it was all speculation.
Li Li felt the murkier this mess, the better.
The Li = Heige alias would eventually fall, but not now.
She’d drag it out, releasing more smoke bombs.
Like in some manga where they love doing a three-way character choice, the debates had to get heated to boost popularity.
“Come on, keep guessing.” She happily spectated.
Li Li bookmarked the post, deciding to check back tomorrow, and left to join the main storyline discussion thread.
[Let’s discuss rationally: What’s the deal with Uncle Next Door?]
1L Original Poster
His sudden appearance has me confused.
What we know: Uncle Next Door has been to Floating City, and he’s close to Tang Zeng’s family.
After Tang Zeng’s death, Tang was locked up by Qing Tong, and Uncle Next Door was nowhere to be seen. Now he’s in Four-Way City.
Honestly, with this plot, I don’t think he’s a good guy.
2L
In the story, Tang and Momo followed him, but Little Corgi’s group searched all day and couldn’t find them.
That’s worth pondering.
3L
They vanished, and Youyou’s nowhere to be found either.
I’ve felt something off about those twins.
Are they deliberately baiting Tang?
Tang’s a hot commodity—the only healer in the entire manga so far.
Maybe Uncle Next Door waited for Qing Tong to collapse before targeting Tang.
4L
I’ll bet Momo and Youyou are in on it, and it’s all Uncle Next Door’s scheme.
Their motives are weird too.
Why assume Little Corgi could help them take down the research institute?
5L
Tang Zeng’s role in this is shady too.
He’s playing both sides and can’t pin down whether Uncle Next Door is with the Tide or Qing Tong.
But Qing Tong is gone, so he’s with the Tide, right?
6L
Have we dug into the Tide organization?
7L
If Uncle Next Door is with the Tide, he might actually be here to help.
8L
I think he’s a good guy. After all, he brought candy for the kid.
Many parents don’t even remember to bring stuff for their kids after a business trip.
Maybe it’s another plot twist.
Next chapter, Little Corgi’s group gets ambushed halfway, and Uncle Next Door shows up to reunite them with Tang.
I’ve seen through this pattern: people who seem bad are actually good, and those who seem good are actually bad.
...
With more information, Li Li already had some ideas.
She skimmed the readers’ speculations, took some notes, and then logged off.
Next, she briefly checked posts from character fans.
[Yu Xiao, my precious, finally didn’t drop the ball!]
1L Original Poster
Feels like it’s been forever since he was last useful.
2L
It was the arc before last.
Yu Xiao at least blocked a bullet for Yiming.
He’s not that clueless.
Okay, he’s still pretty clueless.
3L
Is Yu Xiao good-looking? Yes.
That’s what his brain was traded for.
4L
As long as my baby doesn’t mess up halfway, he’s a good fish.
...
Li Li always felt Yu Xiao’s fans had a weirdly chill vibe.
They treated him like a mom watching her big boy, thinking, “Ah, my son’s growing up” every time he did something notable.
Though, to be fair, Yu Xiao’s character role was indeed a pretty but useless fish.
Besides that, Li Li also saw posts about her new alias.
[Is this okay to say? Bai’s looks have stolen my heart.]
1L Original Poster
God, I can’t resist single stud earrings! They show off that slender neck—so hot, so hot!
I want to tug open his shirt collar and see his collarbone (just kidding).
2L
OP, if you’re gonna be spicy, be spicy! No need to hold back, right?
I admit I’m a pervert—I want to see!
3L
Ahhh, black-haired character fans are fully satisfied! The black-haired guys in Extreme Black and White are all so hot!
4L
I’ve noticed the recent male characters really hit my sweet spot.
Did the manga artist study the female market?
Give me more, I’m loving it!
5L
Sob, seeing him, I couldn’t help but think of Li. Both have that cool guy vibe…
But they’re different.
Li would never treat Little Corgi like that—it’s too cruel.
6L
As a Li stan, I…
But saying this here feels a bit off-topic. I’ll leave the thread.
7L
Seeing Bai, my spicy soul has been revived!
He’s dressed so conservatively, but that single stud earring makes it so hot. Is this the ascetic type? Is it?
Any artists out there? Any fan content?
...
[Doujin: Bai, cherish this account.]
1L Original Poster
Quickly sketched something. Heavy OOC, don’t hate if you don’t like it.
...
2L
Artist, isn’t something blue and long missing?
3L Original Poster
Gotta cherish the account, so imagine the rest.
4L
Ahhh, so hot! Slowly peeling off his gloves—so delicious, sob!
Pouring red wine? What kind of divine move is this? Help, is that red wine or my nosebleed?
5L
God-tier artist and my god-tier wife!
I can’t resist the cold, ascetic type!
6L
The ascetic vibe makes it even hotter. Wife, you need to reflect on yourself!
7L
The group chat’s talking about some lunatic sprinting around the field in the middle of the night.
That’s me, hyped up by this god-tier work!
More spice, give me more spice!
...
Li Li: Reflecting, I’m reflecting.
Li Li carefully took notes, deciding to add more layers to ‘Li Baige’s’ outfit in the future, then forwarded the post to her roommate.
Her roommate’s voice came from below: “Tch, Lili, still scrolling after saying goodnight?”
“Holy crap, that’s hot!”
...
Because her favorite character got overshadowed by her best friend’s favorite, Jiang Lan had been sulking for days.
She hadn’t synced up with her friend for the last two updates.
Tonight, after finishing the update, she decisively called her best friend.
“Hello? What’s up in the middle of the night?” her friend asked.
“I’ve reached enlightenment,” Jiang Lan said.
“?” Her friend was puzzled. “What’s today? What did you realize?”
Jiang Lan took a deep breath, staring at the new character’s cold profile on her computer screen.
“My male god is so great, he wouldn’t mind me climbing the wall. He’s the moonlight in my heart, but the new character is also super hot!” Jiang Lan opened a document, staring at the blank page, and said earnestly, word by word, “Battle-damaged is my favorite, but ascetic icebergs aren’t bad either. I’ve realized—I’m diving into a new romance!”
“…” Her friend said slowly, “You just love climbing the wall, don’t you!”
...
After shedding her aliases, her popularity soared, and Li Li stopped tracking the exact numbers.
After finishing the day’s classes, she went with her roommate to a haunted house.
They’d booked a ‘loft’-themed haunted house.
From the outside, it looked unremarkable, but once inside, they saw a creepy loft decor.
The wooden floor creaked with every step.
The AC was blasting cold air, and they were playing special Mid-Autumn Festival tunes.
It was downright eerie.
Her roommate, who’d stayed up late and had dark circles under her eyes, shivered from the AC and clung to Li Li’s arm, already regretting it: “How about… we just go back?”
Li Li calmly eyed the out-of-place white AC unit ahead.
If her roommate had looked up, she’d have noticed Li Li’s lips pressed flat, far from her usual cheery smile.
If one looked closely, they might have noticed her pale complexion.
She took a deep breath and said, “We’re already here.”
A quick blink, and it might be over.
Li Li felt she couldn’t back down to fake ghosts.
She was the tough one who’d face real ghosts head-on!
Thinking of An Heyu, the undead, and the ghost that might have stared at her for a long time back then!
Li Li: I can do this!
She and her roommate showed their booking info at the front desk, then waited for the third person to join their group.
During the wait, Li Li chugged two cups of ice water, trying to suppress her restless nerves.
Five minutes before the start, the third person arrived—a guy about their age, also a college student.
Before heading in, they realized they were all from the same university.
Of course, it was her roommate doing the talking, while Li Li kept a smile and listened.
Once everyone was present, the front desk staff opened the door.
A blast of cold air hit them, and the dim interior felt like a gaping abyss, eerie and chilling.
Li Li had done a lot of mental prep. Eager to get it over with, she stepped in first.
Her roommate clung tightly to her arm, following close behind.
When the guy entered last, the front desk staff shut the door.
It was pitch black.
“Lili, Lili, I’m scared,” her roommate said, trembling.
The guy stepped forward, shining a prop flashlight ahead. “I’ll take the lead. If there’s a ghost, I’ll handle it. Don’t be afraid, juniors.”
The flashlight lit up a bit of the space.
They were in the loft’s first floor, decorated with an upward staircase and a row of bookshelves. Li Li glanced around, suspecting there’d be a basement.
This haunted house blended with an escape room, following a themed script.
The players were adventurers trapped in a snowstorm, seeking shelter for the night.
They’d encounter ghosts and had to uncover the haunted house’s truth to help the ghosts pass on.
“I’ll check upstairs for a place to sleep,” Li Li said, slipping into character quickly.
She turned on her flashlight, eyes focused, ready to climb the stairs and advance the plot.
The sooner they “died,” the sooner they’d resolve the story and send the ghosts on their way.
“Bold junior, huh,” the guy said, lingering by the door without moving.
But her roommate was determined to stick with Li Li, hurrying to follow while still clutching her arm. “Don’t leave me, I’m scared.”
Only then did the guy slowly trail behind. “Let’s stick together. Three’s stronger.”
The stairs to the upper floor were individual planks without handrails, extending upward like a ladder.
A black cloth hung from the side, blocking the space beneath.
Li Li had a hunch when she saw this.
She suspected the area under the stairs was hollow.
And she felt like something was watching her.
When she shone her flashlight on the steps, it was dark, as if another black cloth was there.
“Wait,” she stopped the guy, who was about to charge upstairs.
“Huh?” He looked at the steps. “You think something’s here? No way a haunted house would hide someone there.”
Li Li, on edge, didn’t respond.
She slowly lifted her foot onto the first step. Nothing happened.
The guy followed. “No way there’s anyone here. They usually hide behind doors…”
At that moment, the black cloth in the stair gap dropped, revealing a ghostly white face smeared with red paint. Its wide eyes locked onto the three of them.
Roommate: “AHHHHHH!”
Guy: “Holy crap!”
Li Li: “…”
The resentful ghost under the stairs stared at them.
A pair of hands reached out from the gap, as if to grab their ankles and drag them to hell.
Li Li swiftly pulled her foot back, stepping away from the ghost.
In the flashlight’s dim glow, the black-haired girl suddenly curled her lips.
The sudden scare didn’t seem to frighten her—it seemed to amuse her.
She retreated cleanly, her steps carrying an ease and confidence.
Calm, quick to react, and still mindful to pull her terrified roommate back with her.
She seemed to be at the haunted house just to humor her friend, unaffected by fear herself.
Her unchanging smile conveyed that.
But in reality—
Li Li: Amitabha, bless me, thank you Jade Emperor, thank you CCTV…
Even knowing someone might pop out, the sudden scare was still jarring!
Her face felt frozen, and she had no idea what expression she was making.
The guy scrambled back, dodging the arms, and they retreated from the area.
The gap under the stairs was covered with black cloth again, as if nothing had happened.
“What kind of ghost was that…” the guy muttered.
“It means we can’t go upstairs yet,” Li Li replied.
From that setup, if they tried climbing, the NPC would grab their ankles.
“Let’s explore the first floor,” Li Li said, turning toward a wooden door she’d noticed.
Her roommate clung to her arm, too scared to look around.
The guy hesitated but followed. “I’ll take the lead, junior.”
Li Li didn’t bother arguing and let the eager senior open the door.
The wooden door creaked open slowly, revealing a pitch-black interior. No one jumped out.
The guy visibly relaxed and stepped inside first.
It was likely a kitchen.
The flashlight illuminated cabinets, a countertop, and a chimney stove for cooking.
“Maybe we’re supposed to light a fire to stay warm?” her roommate whispered.
“Can we even light it?” The guy scanned the stove with his flashlight, spotting firewood and a lighter. “…Isn’t that a fire hazard? What if it catches? Weird.”
After the first scare, Li Li felt her mind clear significantly. She was now staring at the dark hole.
She sensed unfamiliar gazes. Someone inside was watching her.
There were also gazes from above and under the nearby table.
With their flashlights on, they were easy targets. Those hiding in the dark could spot them effortlessly.
Having been a bounty hunter for so long, her physical prowess in the real world wasn’t as sharp as in the manga world, but her sensitivity had heightened in both.
Those gazes weren’t the malice of an enemy or the fear of someone intimidated. They were just watching her.
This was the real world. These weren’t real ghosts but NPCs, she thought.
They were just doing their jobs, harboring no ill will, and this was just a game.
With that in mind, she watched the guy bend down and flick the lighter at the firewood.
No flame sparked, only a crisp click.
Then, a white figure suddenly shot out from the stove, lunging to grab the guy.
At the same time, the ceiling caved in, and a white-clad, long-haired female ghost, tethered by a rope at her waist, dropped down, blocking Li Li and her roommate.
Guy: “AHHHH!”
Roommate: “Lili, save me, AHHHH!”
Li Li: “…”
With a smile, she pulled her roommate’s hand, stepping back once, then again.
She stopped just outside the female ghost NPC’s range.
Her expression didn’t falter, her smile unwavering, as if she had full control, had seen through the script’s tricks, and was merely playing along.
In reality—
Li Li: Amitabha, bless me, Jade Emperor above, thank you CCTV…
She knew it was coming, but ghosts were still terrifying!
Once the guy escaped the two ghosts’ grasp, the three of them stood at the doorway, watching the NPCs.
The one in the stove retreated, and the one from the ceiling was hoisted back up, leaving the room in disarray.
“They have a limited range,” the guy said, still shaken.
Li Li thought for a moment. “There should be script clues inside. Let’s avoid their ranges and check.”
She’d already pinpointed three staff members’ hiding spots.
On re-entering, she deliberately avoided the one under the table and the other two, eventually finding a dusty diary in a corner.
Using the same method, she found two more diaries in the other rooms.
“I think this haunted house never meant for us to actually solve the script,” her roommate grumbled, clinging to Li Li’s arm. “Who’d remember to check corners for diaries when they’re scared to death?”
“This is a haunted house, not an escape room,” the guy retorted.
They retreated to the lobby to study the diaries, piecing together the script.
Roughly, the loft was sealed by a mystic master’s array.
Those who died here couldn’t pass on or leave their death spots, but they could drag others down to share their torment.
“So we need to destroy the array?” Her roommate glanced at the stairs. “But how do we get up there?”
The array’s core was upstairs, not in the basement, but going up meant dealing with all those grabbing hands.
Li Li pondered, then looked up. “Babe, ever heard of talking your way out?”
Having spent so long in shonen manga settings, she genuinely believed in the power of words.
Since there was nowhere else to explore on the first floor, and the diaries mentioned the ghosts were conscious, maybe they could communicate. Li Li decided to try talking.
She steeled herself and returned to the stairs, telling her roommate not to follow.
Stepping onto the stairs, she spoke to the staff member whose face emerged from behind the black cloth. “You can drag me down, but you’ll never be free.”
The outstretched arms paused.
The staff member said in a ghostly tone, “What do you mean?”
“There’s a chance!” the guy said excitedly.
Li Li was about to continue, but as she opened her mouth, she heard a faint sound.
The clink of metal hitting the floor.
Li Li quickly traced the source—a screw rolling across the wooden floor.
A screw securing the stairs had come loose.
At the same time, the top of the stairs began to collapse.
If unchecked, it would crush the staff member below!
As the collapse started, the staff member, still waiting for her response, hadn’t reacted.
In a split second, she instinctively tried to use her ability to stabilize the stairs.
But how could that work in the real world?
Yet, as her flashlight swung upward, the stairs seemed to pause for a moment.
It felt like a blink-of-an-eye illusion.
The next instant, the collapse resumed.
Li Li grabbed the edge of the still-intact stairs, ducked into the black cloth, pulled the stunned staff member into her arms, and rolled out to the side.
At the last second, the stairs crashed down beside them with a heavy thud.