CH 8

Ji Ning’s first thought was not that the script of the film had changed, but that Huo Wuling had come after him again. Hi whole body tensed up in fear.

But almost immediately he heard the director’s instructions come through the headset. The director told him the plot of the script had changed and that there was something wrong with Li Gui which caused him to seriously injure the female lead. He told Ji Ning he could act freely as long as he remained faithful to his character. 

…Was the director the one acting?!

Ji Ning was caught off guard for a while, as the blood that flowed from the female lead spilled over his hands. It was different to real blood, the temperature was too cold and it lacked the coppery smell.

He suddenly remembered that the sentence Gu Chen had just spoken was actually a line that appeared in the original novel of ‘Rebirth of the Interstellar Actor’.

In the novel’s plot, when filming ‘Ghost Mansion’, the director changed the script to make Gu Chen play the role of a person possessed by a ghost, the final boss of the film. 

This particular ghost was not a resentful spirit trapped within the old house, but a spirit who had been following after the female lead for a long time. He loved her deeply, but she couldn’t even sense his presence.

Yet inside the ghost mansion, which had soaked up the energy of countless grievances, the spirit could finally become corporeal for the first time. It set a trap to use the other ghosts inside the house to kill the living people one by one. As long as the male lead also died, through an equivalent exchange of life and death, the spirit could use the male lead’s body to stay forever with the girl he secretly loved.

This change in the script occurred in the original novel, so Ji Ning had pretended to be unaware but was prepared for Gu Chen to stab him. But now the person being stabbed was the female lead and Gu Chen had spoken his line to him.

The conclusion to this seemed too obvious. Although he didn’t know why, the role of the heroine had been transferred to him, which meant the person Gu Chen’s ghost was deeply in love with, was him…

Gu Chen stroked Ji Ning’s face, the corners of his lips raised slightly. His aura had undergone an unnerving change. Although he was smiling, his eyes were cold and dark, a chilling expression on his face that didn’t quite look human.

Yet as long as he wasn’t Huo Wuling, Ji Ning felt relieved.

Thoughts flashing through his mind in an instant, Ji Ning immediately acted according to the plot of the original book, performing the scene that should belong to the female lead.

He pushed away Gu Chen’s hand as if he didn’t care about anything else and pulled the injured female lead towards him, moving her as if he was trying to run away. He didn’t know if the actress who was still acting dazed had received the director’s instructions but she cooperated well with him. When Ji Ning lifted her, she used some of her own strength so that she didn’t put all her weight on him. 

Ji Ning showed due confusion and panic but controlled his expression so that it didn’t appear exaggerated.

Together, he fled with the female lead. Gu Chen watched for a few seconds, then slowly pursued them.

He moved as if he were unused to using the body of a living person. At first his movements were jerky, like rusted gears, but gradually they became smoother and his speed increased, chasing after Ji Ning and the female lead.

Ji Ning escaped with the actress just as the ghosts in the house noticed the presence of the spirit in Gu Chen’s body. Enraged by the presence of an outsider, they gathered in one spot to kill the spirit but none were able to compete with Gu Chen’s strength. Screaming they vanished into the darkness one by one. 

The two had a short time to catch their breaths. Ji Ning bandaged the female lead’s wound but she was injured so badly she had nearly lost consciousness and seemed as if she would bleed out any minute.

Balanced on the edge of life and death, she entered a soul state that revealed to her what atrocities had occurred within the mansion. Finally realising the mansion’s past, the female lead understood how they could kill a ghost.

There was a dagger hidden behind a portrait in the master bedroom. As long as it was removed, the wicked energy of the house would disperse, and if it was stabbed into a ghost’s body it would destroy the ghost.

Ji Ning and the female lead went to get the dagger. Gu Chen followed them all the way, professing his love for Ji Ning in a gentle voice while he dragged a mutilated corpse behind him, leaving a trail of blood. 

“Vabq gecclcu jkjs.”

Lf rwlifv ja Al Rlcu’r yjmx, tlr fsfr ojvlcu ab j vfjvis uibbw, “Tbe mjc bcis yf klat wf.”

Djcu.

Al Rlcu rijwwfv bqfc atf yfvgbbw vbbg, mjggslcu atf ofwjif ifjv bc tlr yjmx. Lf mjgfoeiis qea atf ofwjif ifjv vbkc, kgfcmtfv vbkc atf qjlcalcu, jcv rwjrtfv atf eqqfg lcafgijs jujlcra atf yfvrlvf ijwq, ajxlcu bea atf vjuufg. 

At the same time, Gu Chen threw the body he had been carrying into the corridor. Reaching the final stage of his plan, he entered the bedroom, calling Ji Ning's name with a smile.

Ji Ning turned, hiding the dagger behind his back as he slowly unsheathed it. His face was flustered but he remained calm as Gu Chen approached him step by step.

“I’ve been looking forward to this day for a long time.”

Gu Chen held up what used to be two bones. The marrow from the inside had been hollowed out, creating a twisted appearance of two rings. Holding Ji Ning’s hand, he took one of them and prepared to put it on him, smiling. 

“Bas-”

The sharp dagger pierced through the air and headed straight for Gu Chen’s chest.

Ji Ning didn’t hesitate to use the knife. He knew that his real friend had died and the walking corpse that remained was only the spirit who had manipulated him.

The dagger plunged into flesh but horror filled Ji Ning’s face as he realised it hadn’t stabbed Gu Chen’s chest, but was instead tightly clenched in his hand. 

Blood instantly flowed down the blade. Although the weapon seemed sharp, the blood was simulated by a holographic projection. However, it would still produce a pain similar to being cut. Gu Chen suppressed any reaction to the pain as the possessed body would have felt nothing.

His strength was unnatural. Ji Ning pulled at the hilt of the dagger, but the blade was gripped too tightly in his palm and Gu Chen had no intention of letting it go.

Clang.

Gu Chen pulled the dagger away, letting it fall to the floor. 

The wound created by the dagger emitted a noxious black gas, having directly injured Li Gui’s soul but he didn’t even glance at the injury as he slammed his bloodied hand into Ji Ning’s shoulder with such force that his fingers pierced the flesh.

“You want to kill me?”

The expression of Li Gui’s perfect face changed little by little. After a short time of possessing the body, he had managed to make his expression and movements look like a living person again but after Ji Ning had hurt him, he returned to looking as stiff as a corpse.

“Why…could it be that you don’t like this face?” 

His voice was slightly hoarse and choked and his eyes were red but he seemed to have forgotten how to cry. He clutched at Ji Ning’s shoulder and murmured over and over again.

“Or because…I’m a ghost? Just because I’m a ghost?”

The man possessed by the spirit half laughed and half cried. He pointed to the corpse he had thrown out the door and spoke slowly.

“That man wanted to murder you in order to escape with his own life. I rescued you. Do you think I am more terrifying, or him?” 

He pushed Ji Ning to the ground with all his strength and stared down at the person he had loved for so many years. His eyes were red rimmed and his face pale as his dark hair splayed messily across the floor. It was as if Ji Ning was the ghost who could disappear at any moment.

Cold tears fell from the corners of his eyes and dripped onto Ji Ning’s face.

Ji Ning was stunned for a few seconds, then opened his lips and made a faint sound.

“You…” 

A dagger suddenly pierced through Gu Chen’s throat.

Eyes opened wide in pain, he clutched his neck and slowly turned his head to see a severely injured girl clutching a dagger in both hands, panting as she glared at him with hatred in her eyes. The image of him collapsing to the ground was reflected in her pupils.

He fell on top of Ji Ning, blood splattering across him.

A momentary uncertainty flashed across Ji Ning’s face but when he saw the female lead had also collapsed, he forgot about Li Gui and rushed to hug the girl into his arms, anxiously calling her name. 

The fallen man looked towards Ji Ning’s back as he hugged the girl, his chest trembling slightly before he abruptly let out a deep laugh. The next second the floor turned syrupy black and all three of them began to sink into it.

Ji Ning was caught off guard, his feet sinking at once as he held the girl, unable to move. Covering his bleeding neck, the spirit stood up staggeringly and pushed the girl to the ground, grabbing Ji Ning’s wrist.

The body he had obtained wouldn’t last much longer. As he was about to die, Li Gui took the bone ring he held clutched in his hand and stubbornly placed the cracked ring onto Ji Ning’s finger.

“…I love you.” 

He murmured with a smile, but tears still fell from his eyes.

“Let’s meet in hell.”

He kissed Ji Ning’s lips.

Ji Ning’s eyes widened and he didn’t try to hide his surprise at all. 

Wait, what was Gu Chen doing? He didn’t remember there being a kiss scene in the original novel??

Crack. Crack. Crack.

The cameras hidden across the room each fell down with a thud. Simultaneously a cold male voice spoke through the headsets.

“Stop.” 

The holographic projection effects disappeared; the bubbling black floor, the patches of blood, and the sharp knife which had pierced the actress’s body vanished one after another. The actors stood up from the ground and stood silently, their eyes unfocused and lifeless, like puppets.

After a brief struggle, Gu Chen also fell into the same state. Only Ji Ning was left in the room still awake. This was the full power of Herinos’ suggestion ability, placing people into a puppet-like trance.

It didn’t take long for Herinos to appear in front of Ji Ning.

He had a vampiric appearance, dark hair fluttering against his long cloak that seemed to crackle with thunder. His red pupils held a fierce fury. 

Oops, he’s angry…

Of course, Ji Ning knew why Herinos was so angry, but he still showed a puzzled expression and asked, “Herinos? You are…”

“…”

Herinos said nothing but regarded Ji Ning with a heavy gaze. 

After a while he stepped forward, wrapped his arms around Ji Ning’s waist and rubbed at his lips until Ji Ning began to squirm. At this he paused, and replaced his thumb with his lips.

The author has something to say:

First Huo Wuling, then Gu Chen, Herinos feels like a stiff big toe!

This feels so wrong but it’s all I’ve got, I am so tired. 

Wait I’ve got it and I’m gonna explain it cause I’m pretty proud of myself:

赫里诺斯 – this is Herinos’ name in pinyin

赫里绿斯 – this is what I translated to ‘stiff big toe’ （O_o）

绿 – this is the character that was changed, which means ‘green’ 

It’s a pun. The author made a pun on Herinos’ name – she added the character for green, because to ‘wear a green hat’ in China is a euphemism for getting cheated on, because everyone is stealing a kiss from our poor Ji Ning.

Also, I want you all to know that all the comments on JJWXC want Herinos to be cheated on more, which is really funny to me.

This was the chapter where Gu Chen first won me over because I just felt so sorry for Li Gui’s ghost, I just want him to be with the person he loves. Plus the “Let’s meet in hell.” line is so hot >w<