Horror Camgirl - Ch. 44: The Eerie Woman
I frowned. Traditional entertainers usually look down on us streamers, thinking we only attract attention by flaunting our bodies. I didn't expect that they'd be so rude, even though they're the ones asking for our help.
Tang Mingli said bluntly, "If you're not happy with the conditions, you don't have to participate."
The middle-aged woman, who was Teng Lan's agent, replied indignantly, "How can you talk like that? Teng Lan is a top male star with tons of female fans. With him joining, it’s sure to boost your viewership."
Tang Mingli sneered, "Boost it by how much?"
The agent, prideful, replied, "At least thirty to fifty thousand viewers, no problem."
"Thirty to fifty thousand?" Tang Mingli chuckled dismissively. "Our last live stream had over a million viewers. Thirty to fifty thousand wouldn't even make a dent."
"What? Over a million?" The agent was stunned, and even Teng Lan looked skeptical.
A live stream drawing such a large audience? That can't be true, right?
The agent looked at us with disdain and turned to Teng Lan. "Teng Lan, this is the company's decision. Just treat it like any other job and get through it."
I frowned and said, "Mr. Teng Lan, our live streams can be dangerous. You should think carefully."
The agent scoffed internally, "How dangerous could it be? Everyone knows these so-called horror live streams are all just tricks and effects."
Teng Lan smirked. "Danger or not, I’ll see for myself. When do we start?"
Seeing the doubt in his eyes, I shook my head helplessly. I was already dreading having to babysit him and keep him safe later on.
As night fell, I opened the live stream room and directed the camera at Teng Lan. "Dear viewers, you're in for a treat today—look at our special guest!"
"Isn't that the lead from The Bossy CEO's Little Sweetheart?"
"Wow, another fresh-faced star. Host, you could practically start your own harem!"
"Why would an actor join a live stream? Are you planning to break into the entertainment industry?"
"This handsome guy is cute! I need to watch his dramas."
I prompted Teng Lan, "Say hello to the audience."
"Hello, everyone," Teng Lan said absentmindedly, which immediately irked the viewers.
"Isn't he that famous expressionless actor? He always looks deadpan. What's with the attitude?"
"Yeah, our Tyrant is way better than him."
I silently thought, "Thank goodness he can't see these comments."
I then told the audience about the residential complex's story, adding mysteriously, "What's the real secret of this place? And does that jade ornament hold a terrible power? Let’s go find out."
We walked through a narrow alley into the residential area. It was only eight in the evening, yet not a single light was on. Both Tang Mingli and I stayed alert, while Teng Lan still appeared nonchalant, even a bit mocking.
"Just putting on a show!"
Tang Mingli pointed at a small house up ahead. "That's Lu Laosan's place."
I nodded. "Alright, let's go check it out."
The door lock was broken. As we pushed it open, a chill crept over us.
Inside, the room remained the same as it had been years ago, blanketed in a thick layer of dust.
"Tyrant, let’s split up. You check the bedroom, and Teng Lan and I will look around the kitchen," I said.
He nodded. "Be careful."
Teng Lan raised an eyebrow, sneering internally, "Are you trying to get me alone with you? I've met plenty of women like this."
Teng Lan was a poor actor with questionable character, known for toying with female stars, but he still had Jiayi Entertainment’s backing. His influential background—as the only son of Jiayi’s CEO—was the reason.
He never pursued women; ambitious starlets scrambled to be with him.
So, he thought I was one of them too.
Unaware of his thoughts, I would have gladly handed him over to Tang Mingli if I had known, letting him deal with this guy.
The kitchen was charred and pitch-black. This was where Lu Laosan had died in a fire.
I glanced at Teng Lan, who wasn't taking the live stream seriously at all. He didn’t believe my live stream could reach a million viewers.
Anyway, even with a million, it couldn’t compare to television.
Suddenly, I noticed something scurry past under the stove. Startled, I gripped my peachwood sword.
Teng Lan snorted, "It's probably just a big rat. No need to be so tense."
He must have bad eyesight—have you ever seen a rat that big?
Our viewers knew better. "Take it easy on him; after all, he's just a soap opera actor. How smart could he be?"
"He wouldn’t last three minutes in a real horror movie with that IQ."
I stared at the cabinet under the stove, the door slightly ajar. Just as I was about to poke it open with my peachwood sword, a ghostly voice spoke, "What are you doing here?"
We both jumped. It turned out there was a back door to the kitchen, and a woman had come in through it. She was thin, wearing a red down jacket despite it being only early autumn, and her gaze was unsettling.
"Who are you?" I asked warily.
"My last name is Zeng. I live in the house out back," the woman replied. "I heard noises and came to see if there were intruders."
Teng Lan, full of arrogance, said, "Do we look like intruders?"
The woman’s gaze swept over us. "Here to explore, are you? Young people these days love thrills; I get a few groups a month. Come to my place; I’ll tell you about this household's history."
I hesitated, but Teng Lan accepted instantly. "Thank you."
I said, "I’ll go get Tyrant."
"Why bother?" Teng Lan disliked Tang Mingli; someone more handsome than him was an eyesore. If he joined, wouldn't he steal the spotlight?
As he spoke, Teng Lan reached out to pull my arm. I recoiled as if burned. Ever since what happened with Yin Shengyao, I couldn't stand physical contact with strangers.
Oddly, this wasn't the case with Tang Mingli. Maybe because he was different.
He once saw me at my ugliest, and yet he didn’t show any disgust.
Back then, I’d have been content as long as people didn’t look at me strangely.
I turned around and said, "Let’s go."
Teng Lan scoffed internally, "Pretending to be all proper. Who knows what’s under that mask? You might be a total beast. Pretty women wouldn’t be ghost-hunting on live streams!"
"Ugh, he thinks he can just take advantage of our host!"
"Teng Lan is the most handsome! How could he stoop to bothering a livestreamer? If he did, she’d be lucky! Stop pretending to be all high and mighty!"
"Please, little fanboys, don't embarrass yourselves! Our ghost-hunting stream is top-notch nationwide. Guys like Teng Lan? They're a dime a dozen; how could he compare to our host?"
The Teng Lan fans were shut down and fell silent.
We followed the woman out of the Lu family house, down a narrow alley, and to another home.
The place was poor, with barely anything in it. The woman poured each of us a cup of water. Teng Lan wrinkled his nose at the dirty cup and didn't touch it.
The house had a faint, rotten smell, like that of a dead rat.
I asked, "Ma'am, do you have any family here?"
"My husband passed many years ago, but I have my dear Xiaobao," the woman said, a smile lighting up her face. But it faded quickly. "My son is sick. He's lying in the inner room."
I glanced toward the dimly lit bedroom, where an eerie atmosphere lingered. There was a rustling sound, as if something was crawling inside.
Cold sweat began to gather in my palms.
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