Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The Director’s brow furrowed deeply.

“Ye Ran, what are you doing on the bed? Get down!”

The Director shouted a few more times, but Ye Ran just lay there, motionless and seemingly deaf to his calls.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to move; she was being pinned down by her hands and couldn’t.

No one else could see that a man was lying on the inner side of the bed. He was clutching Ye Ran tightly around the waist, pressing down on her arms.

Ye Ran’s eyes were closed, but her eyeballs were twitching violently-a clear symptom of sleep paralysis caused by a ghost.

This vengeful spirit certainly had some cultivation. Even with so many people in the room providing plenty of yang energy, he still dared to show himself.

I stared at the spirit. As if sensing something, he glanced in my direction and pulled back his hand in surprise.

The moment he let go, Ye Ran woke up instantly.

She rubbed her aching arms and climbed off the bed with a dazed expression.

“Director, how did I fall asleep?”

The Director didn’t answer. His face was grim. After a moment, as if remembering something, he reached up and touched the crucifix hanging around his neck.

“Fine, take a break. We’ll continue filming in a moment!”

“Ye Ran, I’ll give you one last piece of advice: really, stop filming.”

I leaned against the doorway with my arms crossed. The two actresses had already performed the Pen Spirit ritual several times. In the corner, the quilts on the bunk beds were bulging high, and the curtains on both sides were fluttering despite the lack of wind. There was no telling how many ghosts were hiding there.

If they kept summoning, it would be a massive headache to clean up once the vengeful spirits multiplied. Moreover, as the lead in the ritual, Ye Ran would be followed by all these ghosts. With such intense baleful energy, she wouldn’t survive.

Ye Ran scoffed and rolled her eyes, speaking in a high, mocking tone.

“Oh, let me guess-you want to film it instead? You’re the ‘Grandmaster,’ so you’d be fine, but we mere mortals can’t handle this role? You’re doing this all for my own good, and I’m just being ungrateful, right?”

I nodded.

“Exactly. I’m glad you’ve realized that.”

Ye Ran spat, “As if!”

“You’re not that old, but you sure are calculating. You’ll make up any excuse just to steal a scene.”

Ye Ran didn’t take my words seriously, and filming resumed. She and Li Ying sat back down at the table. Soon, the pen they were holding began to slide slowly.

The camera focused on the tabletop. On the white paper, a large word appeared: “GET OUT!”

The Director’s face contorted.

“Cut! What’s the meaning of this? The script says you’re supposed to write ‘DEATH.’ Why did you draw ‘GET OUT’?”

Li Ying shrieked and dropped the pen.

“I didn’t write it! I wasn’t even using any force just now!”

“It’s the Pen Spirit… the Pen Spirit wrote it! She’s telling us to leave!”

While no one else could see him, the male ghost stood behind Li Ying, holding the pen and looking toward me provocatively.

He was very tall. Half of his face was rotted away, and his left eye was nothing but a dark, hollow socket where maggots crawled incessantly.

I turned my face away in disgust. Interesting. Was he telling *me* to get out?

Li Ying’s scream set off the other staff members, who began to cry out in fear. Xiao Zhao’s face was deathly pale.

“Director, this place is a bit creepy. Let Qiao Moyu take a look. Assistant Director Zhou said she’s a very powerful master.”

Before Xiao Zhao could finish, the Director slammed his hand on the table.

“Did you all plan this together? Li Ying, are you pulling this stunt just to get Qiao Moyu this role?”

“I’m telling you, nobody better play games with me! If anyone mentions Qiao Moyu again, you can all fucking get out!”

The Director was an ABC who grew up abroad. He was a Christian and didn’t believe in metaphysics at all. Previously, Assistant Director Zhou had handled all the traditional rituals for the crew, and the Director had been willing to follow local customs. But now that Assistant Director Zhou had left the set on business, he couldn’t be bothered to cooperate anymore.

Li Ying looked ready to cry from the grievance, but she didn’t dare offend the Director. She could only bite her lip.

“I’m sorry, Director. Let’s film it again.”

Standing outside the door, I was speechless.

This was the first time both ghosts and humans had told me to get out at the same time. Making money really isn’t easy.

The filming continued. The two actresses repeated the Pen Spirit summoning ritual several more times. Soon, a chilling wind swirled through the room, and the bedding on the bunk beds in the corner bulged into lumps.

Every take summoned another malevolent spirit. Once the yin energy in the room outweighed the yang, people wouldn’t even need cow-tear eye drops to see them-everyone would be able to see the ghosts.

I was looking forward to that moment.

Time ticked by, minute by minute, until the clock struck twelve. The air in the room became so thick and heavy it was stifling.

Finally, with a loud *pop*, the light bulb went out again.