Without a doubt, this woman in red was a ghost!
In an instant, Chen Mo broke out in a cold sweat. But upon closer inspection, this woman in red—or rather, female ghost—seemed somewhat familiar.
Yes, he had seen this red-clad female ghost before. After the first triggered mission ended, this red-clad specter had appeared before him twice, and then the mysterious woman had shown up.
That woman who called herself Midnight Ghost Talk, the most enigmatic figure in the seventh program group of the Horror Radio Station. Chen Mo remembered her name was Su Mu, and she held a unique identity as a host, unlike other participants.
In the half year since joining the Horror Radio Station, Chen Mo had never once seen Su Mu's name appear in any horror story mission!
This woman was truly mysterious and special.
Could this be the special privilege of being a host—exemption from ordinary horror stories released by the station? But since Su Mu still hadn't escaped the station's control, it meant she, like other listeners, was bound by the ten-mission limit. Though her name never appeared in regular horror story missions, as a host, she might face even more extraordinary trials.
As for this red-clad female ghost, Chen Mo had seen her before. She had turned into a flash of red light and returned to the blood-jade bracelet on Su Mu's left wrist. So without a doubt, this red-clad ghost was under Su Mu's control.
Half a year had passed, and Chen Mo had almost forgotten that night and the white shadow. Yet tonight, this red-clad ghost, clearly under her control, appeared before him again. What did this mean?
Just as Chen Mo felt a flicker of confusion, the ghost's form gradually faded, then reappeared not far away.
Chen Mo's heart stirred. The red-clad ghost's second appearance seemed to convey some intent—was it signaling him to follow?
Seeing the ghost's faint form about to vanish again, Chen Mo quickly stood up, paid the bill, pushed aside his stool, and chased after her.
"Hey—"
The night market vendor looked at Chen Mo's retreating back in confusion, then at the untouched bowl of noodles on the table. He shook his head, puzzled, and cleared the dishes.
"Didn't take a single bite. Strange."
Just then, the vendor seemed to notice something. He looked oddly at the seat across the table—where the red-clad ghost had stood—and reached out to touch the stool in bewilderment.
Was that his imagination? There was clearly no one there, yet it felt like something had been present.
"Forget it, I'll pack up early."
"Th-this is—"
Following the red-clad woman's intermittent appearances, Chen Mo expended considerable effort and finally arrived before a familiar building. But this wasn't some strange or unfamiliar place—it was the old clock factory apartment building where he rented a room.
This was an old factory district, rare for its lush tree cover. Yet the red-clad ghost had led him back home?
What was this about?
Though it was late, some elderly folks were still out cooling off. Seeing Chen Mo, they nodded and smiled. "Xiao Chen, why are you back so late? A young lady's been waiting for you for ages."
"Young lady?" Chen Mo froze. For nearly a year, he had lived here alone, and most neighbors knew that.
"Yeah, she's quite pretty. Your girlfriend?" Another old man chimed in, as if oblivious to Chen Mo's confusion.
Wait, what did that mean?
A trace of confusion flickered across Chen Mo's face. But suddenly, he seemed to understand. He nodded at the two elders, pulled out his keys, and headed into the stairwell.
In the pitch-black corridor, only the red-clad ghost floated silently at the end, adding an eerie touch.
Reaching his familiar door, Chen Mo was about to unlock it when a cold wind, seemingly from nowhere, suddenly blew the door open. The room was dark, but moonlight streaming through the window faintly revealed a pale figure standing silently inside, as if looking around.
*Click.*
Chen Mo turned on the light. The pale figure in the room turned around, and Su Mu's stunningly beautiful yet pallid face appeared before him.
"Su Mu?"
She nodded. "You're back."
Her tone didn't sound like someone who had broken into another's home, but rather like she was the owner here.
Fortunately, Chen Mo wasn't meeting Su Mu for the first time. This woman, the host of the seventh program group of the Horror Radio Station, always gave him an odd feeling. Especially after he had worn the human-skin ghost face and completed the ghost-seeding within his body, sensing the icy aura emanating from her made him feel like the figure before him wasn't a person, but a specter.
Perhaps Su Mu, like him, had undergone some changes, giving her that chilling presence. And recalling the blood-jade bracelet she wore, which hid a female ghost under her control, made her seem even more terrifying in her coldness.
Chen Mo opened his mouth, curious about how she had found his rental and entered, but then thought better of it. The question seemed redundant.
A mysterious woman who had completed over five horror stories from the Horror Radio Station and become the host of the seventh program group—such a being, besides controlling a vengeful spirit for protection, likely had other bizarre tricks up her sleeve. Chen Mo wouldn't be surprised at all.
Though he was a quasi-veteran who had cleared two formal stories, being this close to Su Mu again made him feel the considerable gap between them.
So he didn't bother asking how she got into his room and cut straight to the chase. "Spit it out. What do you want from me?"
Su Mu turned back and suddenly smiled, like sunlight breaking over an iceberg—dazzling and striking.
"Chen Mo, you haven't disappointed me."
"What does that mean?" Chen Mo frowned, not pleased by her praise. Instead, her sudden visit tonight stirred a sense of unease!
Su Mu had been waiting here for him for a long time, back when he was still in the Midnight Hearse triggered mission. This meant she had been waiting for that mission to end, confident he would survive.
And for Su Mu to show up late at night like this, it couldn't just be for small talk.
*PS: Thanks to Future-chan for the ten-thousand reward, thanks to Feiyu Ruoqing, Destroyer Seon, Dongling Zui, Night Roaming Madman, Putian Heng, and other readers for their support. I was traveling last week and didn't have time to thank everyone individually. Please forgive me.*