The downpour tapered to moderate rain. The two found an abandoned house next to the Substitute Life Well, and just then, the corpse woke up.
It was a tourist.
The moment he saw Xiao Fen and Ou Yu, he let out an excited shriek.
“You’re the corpse right now—don’t get so worked up.” Xiao Fen dug at his ear; too much water had gotten in, muffling the sounds.
The tourist was thrilled. The Program Crew had brought dry clothes for him to change into. He got paper and pen from someone and asked the two for autographs.
“Normally the Program Crew doesn’t let us get near you, but now I’m the corpse—surely that’s okay? It doesn’t violate your rules, right?”
Wang Ze said awkwardly, “Seems like it doesn’t.”
“Fine, fine, take your cold medicine first.” Xiao Fen shoved the medicine into his mouth, signed the paper, and handed him the pen with water.
“I got fed medicine by Brother Fen.” The tourist started chattering excitedly again.
Xiao Fen passed the signed paper to Ou Yu, but he didn’t take it.
“What happened?” he asked. He’d noticed Ou Yu’s off mood earlier.
Ou Yu glanced at him, then puzzledly asked Wang Ze, “Did you see anything strange?”
Wang Ze and the Program Crew staff all looked blank. “Teacher Xiao asked the same thing earlier—no, we didn’t.”
“You saw something?”
“I asked because your mood seemed off.” Xiao Fen said.
“While I was carrying the corpse out earlier, I saw a deformed person.”
When Xiao Fen jumped into the well, Ou Yu had wanted to call for backup, but remembering his words, he really didn’t feel right leaving the corpse guy alone. So he slung the body over his shoulder and headed out of the alley.
Luckily, several alleys led to the Substitute Life Well, so he missed those black raincoat figures.
But just as he reached the alley mouth, he spotted a black shadow.
At first, he thought it was patrolling Vice Squad Officers and quickly stashed the corpse in a corner of the alley, hiding himself too.
But gradually, he realized the footsteps didn’t match.
They were slow and heavy, staggering in the rain.
The area was pitch black, the storm further blocking vision. He listened as the footsteps passed the alley mouth and headed off into the distance before daring to peek out.
That glance made his heart nearly stop.
“That person’s head was upside down,” he described to them. “Like someone’s neck completely severed, but just a layer of skin holding it— the head thrown back, dangling inverted from the neck. When it saw me, its eyes were wide open, with an eerie, upside-down grin plastered on its face.”
The rain outside had lightened, pattering on the dilapidated roof tiles.
No one spoke, and no one turned on a light.
“The figure was skinny but tall—over two and a half meters, taller than anyone I’ve ever seen. A single black raincoat should’ve reached its calves, but on it, it was like a top.”
“Just as I was about to pull back, I saw the monster turn toward me.”
“Actually, it wasn’t even looking—there was no head straight ahead. From the front, it was just a headless person.”
Ou Yu gestured, trying to make his description clearer.
【This is a monster, right?】
【Running into something like that on a stormy night would really give you a scare.】
【Too bad the camera crapped out earlier—we missed it.】
The tourist swallowed hard and quietly sidled up to Xiao Fen’s arm.
Xiao Fen looked at him in bewilderment.
“Good thing I was out cold earlier. No worries—with Brother Fen here, all evil flees.”
“…I’m not a god.” Xiao Fen shifted sideways, unused to being too close to strangers.
He was just an ordinary person now, okay.
“Is he on stilts or something? How else could he be that tall?” Wang Ze wondered doubtfully.
“Or maybe he mixed up the person with their reflection in the water, making it look that tall at first glance.”
“Is that it?” After hearing that, Ou Yu wasn’t so sure anymore. “Then what’s with the head being severed and tilted back? I’ve never seen anyone like that.”
“There’s a rare disease that makes the head tilt forward or backward. We call those people ‘Folded People,'” Xiao Fen said.
“A disease?”
“Yes, it looks scary, but it’s just rare in everyday life. This spinal condition can be cured with surgery. They’re all ordinary people—nothing to make a fuss about.”
【Hey, I looked it up, and it’s true. There are even successful cases.】
【Learned something new. If I ran into a Deformed Person like that normally, I’d be scared to death and scream ‘monster!’ I had no idea they were just sick, struggling through life and facing weird stares. So pitiful.】
“Alright,” Xiao Fen said. “It’s getting late. We should head back.”
Wang Ze quickly went invisible too.
“Am I supposed to stay here alone?” the tourist asked. “It’s so dark here, and everything’s so rundown. I’m a bit scared.”
“You’re a grown man in your twenties…” Xiao Fen said helplessly. “Don’t worry. The Program Crew is nearby. They’ll know if anything happens.”
“I need some strength.”
“What kind of strength?”
The tourist suddenly hugged Xiao Fen and lunged to kiss his face.
“Let go of me, aaaaaah—”
Ou Yu hurriedly covered his mouth and pried him off Xiao Fen.
【Hahaha, Brother Fen was scared shitless.】
【Never thought he’d get forcibly kissed by a ‘corpse’ one day.】
【You dead pervert, let go of my Fen Treasure, aaaaaah!】
【If I were there, I’d go even crazier.】
【Brother Fen stretched his neck out so far—you can tell how hard he tried to dodge that kiss, hahaha.】
The Live Stream Chat viewers were full of talent. In less than half an hour, they had drawn comics: the guest pinning Xiao Fen’s arms and waist, puckering up for a kiss, while Xiao Fen leaned back, tears at the corners of his eyes, half his soul flown out in fright.
Netizens’ meme reaction images went live at the same time. The whole internet was abuzz with joy.
Xiao Fen wasn’t laughing.
On the way back, Ou Yu teased him mercilessly.
“You’re usually so skilled, but you still got groped one day.”
“Go ahead and laugh. I’ve put up with so much for your sake.”
Xiao Fen shook his head and sighed. This was Ou Yu’s task, after all.
That guy was just an ordinary person—not thick-skinned like Fang Si Ting. If Xiao Fen kicked him, he’d be dead or crippled.
Ou Yu covered his mouth and whispered, “Still, the program effect should be pretty good.”
“I think so too.” Xiao Fen tilted his head and knowingly bumped it against Ou Yu’s.
Such great buzz.
Ou Yu’s head got bumped. It didn’t hurt, but as he watched the grinning face suddenly loom close and then pull away, his heart trembled faintly.
————
Back at Brother Hao’s house, Brother Hao and Sister-in-law Jinlan had already gone to sleep. Xiao Fen had gotten the keys to the front door and Room 6278 from them ahead of time, so they wouldn’t notice if he went out like tonight.
After a hot shower, Xiao Fen finally felt his body warm up a bit. He went downstairs and poured himself a cup of hot water. The faint glow from his phone lit up his face as he scrolled through the group chat messages from today. Nothing special—just the two tasks he posted, plus a few scattered words of encouragement and advice.
He read through the chat history. When adding friends, most people shared their info to show sincerity, like their names, which he knew. But many hadn’t spoken in the group yet.
Xiao Fen thought for a moment, licked the water droplet from the edge of his lips, and set down the phone.
It wasn’t even midnight, but he couldn’t hold out and fell asleep.
++
The next day.
Xiao Fen slept sprawled out like a starfish. The blanket was pulled off one corner and draped over his navel, the rest trailing on the floor, barely covering his belly.
In a daze, he heard his phone vibrate. He groped for it. “Hello?”
Only after speaking did he realize his voice was hoarse. He laid the back of his hand on his forehead—it felt hot.
He seemed to have a fever.
“Little Fen, what do we do? There’s a real dead person!” Ou Yu’s anxious voice came through the phone.
“Yeah, I know.” Xiao Fen yawned and rubbed his eyes. What time was it to be calling?
11:23 a.m.
No wonder he was hungry.
He shook out the blanket, took it with him to the bathroom, tossed it in the washing machine, and set the phone to speaker. He grabbed his toothpaste and toothbrush.
“No, a real dead person!” Panic laced Ou Yu’s frantic voice.
Xiao Fen looked up. In the mirror, his face was pale. Only then did he sense something was off.
“You mean a real dead body? In reality?”
“Yeah!” Ou Yu sounded like he was about to cry. “Come over here. The Substitute Life Well is swarmed with people already.”
Xiao Fen hung up, his expression dazed.
His head spun a little.
From getting drenched in the rain yesterday.
He washed up simply, changed clothes, and on his way out, didn’t forget to grab a steamed bun from the kitchen. He dashed to the end of town.
By now, the place was packed tight. Farther out were the townsfolk with grim faces, muttering nonstop that the Substitute Life Well had come to claim souls. None dared get close.
But others said it was fake—the Program Crew filming a show. Everyone was confused.
Closer in were tourists with stupidly clear eyes, craning their necks curiously while chattering.
“First time on a show—kinda nervous. What do you think of my outfit? Where’s Brother Fen? Movie Emperor Ou would be fine too.”
“Who’s the lucky one? Got picked as the corpse. Whose task was it last night? So curious.”
“Dunno. Don’t you feel a chill as soon as you get here? Even with this crowd. Think it’s really haunted?”
“Don’t scare me.”
Xiao Fen was puzzled too. He pushed through the crowd to the caution line and saw a bloated corpse wrapped in a mat on the ground.
His head buzzed and exploded.
At the edge of the mat protruded a swollen hand—realism no makeup could fake, complete with dark green corpse spots.
A real dead person.
