Chapter 40: Lujiu Turns Out to Be a Stunning Beauty

The comment section of the live stream was in an uproar. The fans had not expected such a plot twist. Was it intentional? Had the host and the guests fallen out?

The people present stared at Cheng Yu, who looked as if she had taken the wrong medicine, their expressions filled with astonishment: "Can she really say that?"

Upon reflection, everyone thought that perhaps Cheng Yu’s earlier stunt of dressing up as the "Masked Senior" to scare them was just a deliberate attempt to grab attention and manufacture drama for the show. Could this be the same thing? Although they were genuinely irritated, they didn't take her words too seriously.

However, Ji Yun, observing the flustered way Cheng Yu clamped her mouth shut after speaking, felt a flicker of doubt. The regret and panic on her face didn't look like acting. It was as if those words had not come from her own volition—yet, they had come out nonetheless.

...

Senior Xia Li didn't care much about what Cheng Yu said. She was more concerned with the show's impact. It was precisely these unexpected answers that drew the audience into discussions and boosted the live stream's popularity. The truth didn't matter. Besides, she already believed that Cheng Yu was doing it on purpose.

Having lost interest in this junior, Xia Li didn't want to give her any more screen time. She shifted the camera away and said, "Let's continue the game!"

Number 2 was Song Wei, who had nearly wet his pants earlier. Seeming desperate to prove himself, he spoke up immediately: "I choose Truth or Dare." He pulled out a red whisker and read the content: "Go to the fourth stall of the restroom at the end of the fourth-floor hallway and stay there for five minutes before returning."

As soon as he read the punishment, Song Wei regretted it. He was naturally timid. He had expected something like the usual games, perhaps a dance or a silly action. He hadn't expected a "solo exploration." The south building of the T4 dormitory had been abandoned for years; there were no streetlights, and the hallway outside was pitch black. Not to mention the ghost stories surrounding it.

When they had all come up together, laughing and joking, it hadn't felt scary. But now, thinking about going to the restroom at the end of that hallway alone, Song Wei’s body began to tremble uncontrollably. He forced a calm facade and asked, "Can I change it? I... I want to play Truth."

Seeing a guy look so terrified, the viewers in the live stream mocked him relentlessly. This, too, was engagement. Xia Li felt the stream was going well; seeing a guy so scared actually diluted the image of her own earlier fright.

She smiled and refused, "Song Wei, we agreed on the game rules! Everyone must complete whatever punishment they draw." Besides, wasn't playing games in a haunted building supposed to be "thrilling"?

The others chimed in. To them, a guy going to the bathroom alone wasn't scary at all. "You're not a girl; don't tell me you need someone to hold your hand to go to the bathroom?"

"Hahaha... how about I go with you?"

Egging him on, the group forced Song Wei to pick up his phone and muster the courage to walk out.

...

With the second person off to perform their dare, it was the turn of Number 3, the chubby guy Zhao Kai. He thought about it and pulled a blue whisker: "I choose Truth."

Unfolding the slip, Zhao Kai read: "Say the one thing you most don't want to say in front of everyone."

The question sounded dull. Zhao Kai seemed to be struggling to think of an answer, but his mouth didn't listen to him. As if possessed, he blurted out, "I like Senior Xia Li!"

It sounded like a grand, courageous declaration. The voice was loud, solemn, and sincere.

When the words were out, the expressions of the group mirrored those from when they heard Cheng Yu’s earlier mockery—they were stunned into silence. Then, the room erupted in laughter.

"Hahahahaha..."

The piercing laughter pulled Zhao Kai back to reality. It was like waking up from a blackout after drinking, suddenly remembering the gap in his memory; he realized how much of a fool he had made of himself. His chubby face turned red down to his neck.

In the live stream, the mocking was relentless.

"This toad really wants to eat swan meat..."

"Hehe, look at his pathetic face, and he has the nerve to confess to Li Zi."

"I have to say, this game is actually interesting. These guys really do say what's on their minds. Hurry, hurry, I want to see what the next one draws..."

...

Having expected the game to be a warm-up, no one thought it would heat up so quickly. Senior Xia Li was used to being confessed to; her expression didn't change, and she smiled sweetly: "Thank you for the affection, junior. But as a student, you should focus on your studies and strive for improvement!"

Her half-joking tone skillfully defused the awkwardness. Everyone laughed along.

Only Ji Yun turned his head to look at Zhao Kai, who was staring at his toes, refusing to look up. The sense of unease in his heart grew stronger. While others saw a joke, he knew his best friend’s personality. Even with constant goading yesterday, the guy had only dared to call himself "handsome in a cool way." To make him confess in front of so many people? It was absolutely impossible!

Yet, just now, how had he said it so bluntly?

...

Before Ji Yun could dwell on it, Xia Li urged, "Next is student number 4!" She didn't even remember Ji Yun’s name.

Ji Yun was called. When he regained his focus, his hand was already near the whiskers of the Maneki-neko. It felt as if a mysterious force was compelling him to choose a red whisker. Snapping out of it, Ji Yun flipped his hand and pulled a blue one.

He read the punishment on the slip: "Tell everyone the most embarrassing thing you've ever done."

Ji Yun was still wondering why he had zoned out. Seeing the question, before he could even think to fabricate a story, he blurted out: "I'm still a virgin."

As soon as the words were out, it unsurprisingly drew another roar of laughter. Being a virgin wasn't strange for a freshman, but admitting it publicly was fodder for ridicule. Even Zhao Kai, sitting nearby, felt that his own embarrassing confession was nothing compared to this. The chubby guy seemed to forget his own scars instantly, laughing heartlessly as if to say: "Good brother! Thanks for the save!"

Senior Xia Li looked at Ji Yun and teased, "Oh my~ it seems our junior has shared a big secret~"

The teasing from a beauty made the topic even more suggestive. In the live stream, the viewers shifted from initial jeers to genuine interest as they realized these people were playing for real. Gifts began to flood the screen. The audience wanted to see more thrilling segments.

...

Ji Yun’s expression was genuine. He was truly embarrassed. He had lived his life by the book, upright and honest. Apart from this, there wasn't really anything he found embarrassing. But beyond the embarrassment, Ji Yun felt a growing sense of suspicion.

If one person "spoke the truth," it could be attributed to showmanship. But he had just experienced it himself. He confirmed it was not. He clearly sensed the uncontrolled state that Zhao Kai and Cheng Yu had been in. That sentence had indeed been the first thing to pop into his mind, but he hadn't intended to say it. His brain hadn't given him the time to lie; it had just tumbled out!

He was familiar with this sensation. Last time, when he encountered that Cat-Faced Old Lady, he had felt as if he were dreaming, drifting in and out of focus.

"Could I be affected by some kind of mental technique?" The thought suddenly occurred to him. He looked at the Maneki-neko again and felt that those amber cat eyes held a soul. It stared at everyone with a smile, as if it were a living thing.

Ji Yun knew better than others that mysterious forces existed in this world. Otherwise, there was no way to explain his own baffling behavior. But he didn't know where the problem lay.

While Ji Yun pondered, the game continued. Number 5, the girl Senior Xia Li called "Lu Jiu," pulled a red dare whisker and read: "Show the side of yourself that you least want to show everyone else."

The question remained mundane. Ji Yun watched. If his hypothesis was true, he was curious to see what this girl would do.

...

This girl had also been at the last occult club gathering. Ji Yun had a vague impression of her. She was the same as before, wearing large-framed glasses and loose clothing. Because she always kept her head down, one could only see her bangs and those thick frames. She went by the nickname "Jiu Jiu." She was a very shy girl with little presence. That was all Ji Yun remembered.

"Ah... I... I..." The girl named Lu Jiu looked at the task she had drawn, clearly panicked. Already shy, she felt so embarrassed under the gazes of others that her chin hid in her collar.

Seeing this, Senior Xia Li encouraged her from the side, "Ah... what will our junior Jiu Jiu show us? How about a dance or a song?"

Ji Yun watched the girl’s reaction. Sure enough! He caught a sudden change in her expression. From shy and evasive, she inexplicably became confident.

Lu Jiu, who had been looking down, suddenly lifted her head. She took off the large-framed glasses that covered half her face, and in an instant, everyone’s attention was locked onto her. Only then did they realize that this student named Lu Jiu had strikingly beautiful features. With hair reaching her waist, straight bangs, and delicate facial features, she was pure and cute. The small freckles on her cheeks were not flaws; in many people's aesthetic, they were a plus.

"So pretty," someone muttered.

However, it wasn't over!

Lu Jiu took off her glasses, unzipped her jacket, and took it off. Under the loose sportswear, she was wearing a simple white T-shirt with a cartoon Squirtle pattern. It was the most ordinary student attire. But because her bust was so incredibly voluptuous, the large eyes of the Squirtle were stretched taut, and her figure was so full that even her round face seemed to become more defined.

Cute and sexy—two completely different styles—were now embodied in the same girl. The hips and legs, previously hidden by the loose jacket, were now confidently revealed. Slim jeans outlined a pair of long, straight, beautiful legs. She was tall and curvaceous.

This was a figure that had been sealed away by sloppy dressing. She was second to none! Even Ji Yun hadn't expected that this "invisible" person, who had always been just like him, possessed such high-level looks and a figure to match. This proud figure and appearance were enough to make the other girls present feel inferior. Even Senior Xia Li, who was always confident in her own looks, stared with astonishment in her eyes. Being a girl, she couldn't help but compare. Xia Li realized that, in front of this junior, she couldn't find any of the confidence she felt around others.

The