Chapter 143

Shi Jian had already prepared her backup excuses—how considerate.

Shi Jian: Why would she need to pay or make a reservation to return to her own home?

All eyes instantly focused on Shi Jian.

When she had just arrived, she was dressed impeccably as always—but this time, she’d gone with a new style.

A lake-green qipao hugged her figure, her hair was pinned up with a jade hairpin, outlining her curvaceous silhouette perfectly. Even the coat she later put on for warmth was both stylish and cozy, lined with white fur trim that fluttered beautifully in the wind...

But what drew the most attention was that goddess-tier face that looked like it was crafted by Nüwa herself.

In the extreme cold, her flawless skin was porcelain-white, her dark hair thick and glossy, forming a stark and perfect contrast. Her high-bridged nose was just slightly flushed red from the chill, adding a touch of vitality and a delicate, noble beauty—like a fairy descended to earth.

And if she were really the owner of the lodge, then she was the ultimate dragon-protagonist in a fantasy novel.

Shi Jian lifted her delicate chin slightly, not the least bit embarrassed by all the attention.

Let them all look.

As her stream opened and viewers were notified, they were immediately greeted by her bold proclamation.

...

【Rubbing hands—our streamer is about to start another zero-dollar haul? And it’s a whole mountain lodge this time!】

Scoring a whole lodge for free? Way better than spending money for fun.

【The Great Bluffer Shi Jian is online—go ahead, keep bluffing.】

【Hahahaha, this feels so familiar—reminds me of the Rose Castle arc. I'm reliving my youth!】

【Wife is so beautiful—mwah mwah.】

【Who cares if the trick is old, if it works it works.】

【If she really pulls it off, it’s genius. But would the other side actually believe it?】

After Shi Jian threw that line out of nowhere, reactions varied widely. Xu An quietly looked at her, Tang Tian was nervously anxious on her behalf, mentally praying: Please believe her, please believe her.

The other streamers had all kinds of mixed expressions and thoughts.

Even the Bride Ghost stared at Shi Jian in a daze.

The female receptionist, of course, didn’t believe it. She took a moment to process and then offered a polite yet awkward smile. “Our boss is a man.”

That line should’ve shut most people down cold and ended the whole charade.

But Shi Jian wasn’t most people. She didn’t even pause: “Ever heard of cross-dressing kings?”

The receptionist blinked. “...Our boss is also older in age.”

Shi Jian came back even faster: “Thank you for the compliment! I do take good care of myself. No one ever guesses my real age outside—everyone thinks I’m only eighteen!”

Receptionist: “……” She had never encountered such shamelessness in her life.

The polite smile on her still somewhat delicate face began to falter. “We’ve all seen the boss’s photo.”This actually didn’t even need Shi Jian to respond—Tang Tian could’ve followed up with her logic just fine.

Just say it was plastic surgery. With how advanced technology is nowadays.

The other streamers were also wondering—was the receptionist really going to let them bluff their way in like this?

But this time, Shi Jian didn’t continue the bit.

Alright then.

Time to stop using that trick.

Tang Tian didn’t understand and whispered to the now-retreating Shi Jian, “This shouldn’t be hard for you, right? Just say it’s plastic surgery!”

Shi Jian replied sincerely. She had thought of that, but—“You can’t get a face like this with surgery.”

Arrogant, but honest.

The main reason Shi Jian gave up was because she could feel it—this path was blocked.

Pushing it any further would lead nowhere. Time to try a different route.

...

Outside, the wind howled bitterly cold. Even after just a short while, wearing thick clothes still couldn’t keep the chill from piercing through.

But you could also tell that the streamers in this team dungeon were clearly higher level—they’d learned from experience. No one was stupidly screaming or panicking. Instead, they actively questioned the NPC.

“So, what can we do to get inside?” one female streamer asked.

Surely they wouldn’t really be left out here to freeze to death?

The female receptionist thought for a moment and sighed. “It’s really cold out here… seeing you all like this, I can’t bear it either. How about this—there are two options.”

“First, tell me a story. If someone’s story can move me, I’ll make an exception and let that person stay one night.”

A story?

Shi Jian felt like the “I can’t bear it” line was delivered incredibly half-heartedly, and this logic jump was massive.

But it didn’t sound too difficult.

“What’s the second option?” another streamer asked.

No matter what, they had to know both choices before deciding.

“The second option, huh…”

The receptionist’s delicate face suddenly twisted into an extremely distorted smile. She lit up with excitement, her eyes gleaming. “Leave behind a part of your body as payment. An eyeball, an arm, a leg… all acceptable. One eyeball gets you one night’s stay. Pretty good deal, right?”

As she spoke, her gaze swept across the corresponding body parts of the streamers, full of malice—like she could already see them dismembered.

“……”

Good deal my ass!

Even though Shi Jian and the others could already sense from her smile that the second option was going to be messed up, actually hearing it spoken out loud was viscerally uncomfortable—physically and mentally.

She wasn’t joking.

She was dead serious.You could figure out the right choice with your toes.

But who would be the first streamer to tell a story?

Definitely not Shi Jian—she had already quietly retreated from the front row of the group.

If possible, Shi Jian wouldn’t mind being the first to step up, but she didn’t want to be the first to die.

Just as she was about to make a move, Xu An spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear, “She’ll probably target you.”

Shi Jian thought so too. She figured she’d already offended the female receptionist just now.

After Xu An said that, Shi Jian gave him a look of instant understanding, then quickly slipped behind him.

Xu An: ?

Then he heard Shi Jian’s grateful voice from behind, “So you’re offering yourself as a shield for me, right? Thanks.”

Xu An didn’t respond, but he also didn’t move out of the way.

Shi Jian could feel the warmth of her considerate new teammate. With no cover nearby—not even a single tree—and Xu An being the tallest person present, standing behind him gave her a small but comforting sense of safety.

Tang Tian noticed this too and moved over to help block Shi Jian from view.

The bride ghost just stood there, staring blankly at Shi Jian.

Even though no one wanted to be the first sacrificial lamb, just standing around in the cold wasn’t a solution either. The female receptionist seemed very patient, but some people couldn’t bear the cold anymore.

One of them was a frail-looking teenage boy.

He hadn’t packed thick clothes—after all, the transit hub was spring-like all year round, and he’d never entered a dungeon this cold before. His lips were already turning purple.

“Maybe I’ll go first…”

His teammate, more cautious, tugged on his sleeve and asked, “Excuse me, what kind of story do you like?”

The receptionist replied casually, “I like tragic stories—preferably based on personal experience. The sadder, the better…”

And then she settled in to enjoy the upcoming story session.

The sadder, the better.

That was definitely a necessary question.

The boy gathered his thoughts and began telling his story.

He said to the receptionist, “I was the top scorer in our province’s college entrance exam. I studied really hard and got into the best university. Just when I was about to start my campus life… I died…”

At first, he spoke a little haltingly, but soon his words became vivid. His expression and tone couldn’t hide the excitement and sorrow.

After all, it was his own experience.

A top scorer about to begin a brilliant future at the best university—only to have his life cut short, thrown into this hellish world where death looms at every corner. Could it get more tragic?

For most streamers, death was already the most tragic personal experience imaginable. They weren’t even “people” anymore—what could be sadder?

Yet the receptionist remained cold and unmoved. She smiled and told the boy, “Sorry, that story didn’t move me.”

This was a team dungeon—everyone had come in with teammates. Upon hearing that, the boy’s teammates began to panic.The female teammate who had previously asked about the story’s requirements hurriedly called out to the receptionist, “Can he try telling it again?”

The answer was no.

A story could only be told once—if it failed, then it failed.

The female receptionist stuck out her tongue and licked her lower lip, offering a suggestion, “Maybe you should consider the second option?”

Trade a body part or organ in exchange for entry to the villa—or else, stay outside.

After saying that, she didn’t spare even a glance at the now completely stiffened boy.

With the first person’s failure, the already tense atmosphere grew even more suffocating.

What kind of story would even count?

The livestream viewers were all nervously watching the streamers, and this time Shi Jian wasn’t spared either.

Even though she was hiding behind Xu An, the receptionist still called her out directly by name, “Next storyteller—your turn.”

Shi Jian didn’t even get to volunteer; she was forcibly called out by the receptionist. Clearly, the receptionist held grudges.

…

Shi Jian knew she couldn’t avoid it now, so she stepped forward calmly.

She muttered something softly, loud enough for the viewers in her personal livestream to hear.

Shi Jian said, “Maybe this is just the treatment a protagonist gets.”

Shi Jian: Sigh, born with a protagonist’s fate—can’t avoid the spotlight. Even when hiding, still gets called out.

Her optimistic attitude slightly eased the worry of her viewers—only slightly, though.

After all, telling a story here was no small challenge. Shi Jian still had that to face.

Could she do it?

Tang Tian felt like her heart was about to jump out of her throat. Her worried gaze followed Shi Jian closely. Seeing Shi Jian get called out made her even more anxious than if it had been herself.

Shi Jian, thinking it over carefully, realized she didn’t really have any tragic life stories. Aside from slipping in the bathroom and ending up in this game, her life had honestly been amazing.

She was a textbook winner at life.

Wealthy background, beautiful since childhood, adored and pursued, loved by elders and peers alike. Her debut had been smooth, with endless applause and praise… Of course, none of that could be told to the receptionist.

Shi Jian felt a bit regretful. But under the receptionist’s malicious gaze, she instantly exploded with emotion.

Her performance began!

With no warning at all, Shi Jian’s tears flowed like a broken string of pearls—beautiful and sorrowful. Even the bride ghost could no longer just stare blankly at her, because she was suddenly grabbed by Shi Jian and pulled in.

Shi Jian clung tightly to the bride ghost while crying, pressing her face against the little dress the bride ghost wore—mostly to catch the tears. Otherwise, in this cold, her delicate face might dry out.

Choking with emotion, Shi Jian sincerely said to the bride ghost, “Don’t be afraid, child. Mama is here. Mama will do her best to make sure you never have to wander through the wilds alone…”

Tang Tian, Xu An, and the viewers in their personal livestreams were all about to lose it.

The bride ghost… Shi Jian’s child?!The other streamers also looked surprised.

Of course, they hadn’t overlooked the bride ghost before, but the situation was so urgent that they hadn’t had time to ask how there could be such a young "streamer" among them. What they didn’t expect was that this little girl actually had this kind of relationship with Shi Jian?

The receptionist furrowed her brows and asked, “Is that your child?”

Shi Jian bit her lip, then firmly nodded. “That’s right.”

Tears streamed down her face as she began to speak with a steady tone. “I was supposed to be born into a wealthy family, but I was swapped at birth by a vicious nanny and ended up living a life of poverty.”

“Even though my adoptive parents abused me, I worked hard through school while supporting myself. While working to repay the family’s debt, I unexpectedly fell in love with a rich young master who helped me.”

When she spoke of falling in love, Shi Jian’s expression carried a shy flush like a young girl in love—but soon that shyness was replaced by heaviness and pain.

“But then, fate played a cruel joke on me. The truth about my adoptive parents came to light, and I was brought back to my biological family. I had a life of luxury and loving parents again, only to discover… my boyfriend was actually my biological older brother!”

At the words “biological brother,” Tang Tian felt like her liver was trembling.

She wanted to laugh.

Switched-at-birth? Incest plot twist? Seriously?

The receptionist was clearly shocked too—her breathing grew faster. “And then?”

Shi Jian used one hand to wipe her tears. “Of course, I couldn’t be with my brother. Even though we loved each other deeply, if we stayed together we’d face a lifetime of societal judgment and bring pain to our parents. So I tearfully broke up with him and married the young elite my parents had chosen for me.”

“But no one expected… my husband turned out to be a monster. He only married me to steal my family’s fortune!”

Shi Jian’s every word bled emotion.

“On the way to my wedding, my brother died in a car crash. My parents were framed and killed by my husband. I was pregnant at the time… I swore I would get revenge…”

Everyone was dumbfounded.

Other streamers’ personal chat rooms were still debating: was this real or fake?

It was hard to tell. If it was real, then this story was too dramatic—twist after twist after twist.

But if it was fake, then Shi Jian’s acting was too convincing. Her emotions were contagious.

Even viewers through the screen began feeling sad and angry, wanting to help her tear apart the scumbag husband.

In Shi Jian’s personal stream, the viewers who knew the truth were already laughing uncontrollably.

【Switched-at-birth drama, incest twist, husband’s a family killer, and now a tragic revenge arc… How many dog-blood drama scripts has Shi Jian been eating? This flavor is insane!】

【Does anyone remember when Shi Jian acted completely uninterested in Wang Shufen’s past life monologue on the train? Turns out she’s the real storytelling master.】

(Wang Shufen had dragged Shi Jian into an illusion on the train, trying to trick her by narrating her past life in order to steal her body—but Shi Jian hadn’t believed a word of it.)

Shi Jian concluded, “Anyway, now I’m divorced and raising a child. But the kid’s got some issues—she won’t even call me Mom…”

“Sweetheart, come on now, call me Mama,” Shi Jian gently coaxed the bride ghost.

The bride ghost stared at Shi Jian with her eyes that had no whites. Her mouth didn’t even open: “……”

Shi Jian looked around. See?The bride ghost started thrashing wildly in Shi Jian’s arms, trying to stab her, but Shi Jian, who was well prepared, held her down.

One of the streamers, who had been listening intently, clicked her tongue after seeing this scene and muttered, “Brain-dead.”

She was referring to the bride ghost.

Shi Jian, holding down the bride ghost, turned red-eyed like a wounded little beast and shouted out, “I won’t allow you to talk about her like that!”

The kid looked like she wasn’t all there mentally—she couldn’t even call her "Mom," and was even trying to attack her. But this young, beautiful single mother still tried her best to defend her child.

The scene was both heartbreaking and touching.

The receptionist reached out to interrupt Shi Jian, frowning. “You haven’t finished your story.”

Wasn’t there still a piece missing? She hadn’t gotten to the revenge plan yet—why was she suddenly wrapping things up?

Shi Jian’s beautiful eyes still shimmered with tears, but her thinking was perfectly clear.

With a soft and fragile voice, she offered the receptionist a deal: “Let me into the villa, fill the tubs with hot water, and after I’ve had a proper rest, I’ll tell you my revenge plan.”