Chapter 9

No time to waste—let’s do it!

The anticipation in the livestream chat soared as the very first Rose Castle Storytelling Contest was about to begin.

Contestants—

The new streamers of Rose Castle.

The sole and irreplaceable judge—

Housekeeper Tang.

Everyone decided to hold the storytelling contest during lunchtime.

With food in their bellies, a nap in the morning, and a clear plan now in place, the group was reinvigorated.

Shi Jian sat upright in her chair at the dining table, posture straight and poised. She elegantly brought a cup to her lips and took a sip. Even though it was just plain water, she carried herself with absolute grace and refinement.

Shi Jian glanced at Housekeeper Tang, who stood by to serve, and asked, “Housekeeper Tang, you must be tired from standing. Would you like to sit and rest a bit?”

Housekeeper Tang remained unmoved. “Not at all. This is my job.”

Shi Jian: Not like I was insisting—if you like standing, then suit yourself.

Zhang Dong, always quick to read the room, promptly steered the conversation.

“Thank you very much, Housekeeper Tang, for your gracious hospitality these past few days. Although we’re guests invited by your master, we’ve still troubled you quite a bit. I suppose you don’t yet know our identities—it’s only right we introduce ourselves.”

The others chimed in.

“Yes, we should really introduce ourselves.”

“It’s so improper of us—how could we forget something so important?”

“How about I go first?”

Housekeeper Tang’s eyes flickered—what tricks were these little treats trying to pull?

After all, they were all trembling before him just days ago. Why the sudden enthusiasm to introduce themselves?

And Tang suspected the instigator might be the woman swirling her cup.

Shi Jian noticed Housekeeper Tang was about to speak and instantly sensed something was off.

She shouldn’t have asked him a question—it should’ve been a statement!

So Shi Jian quickly cut in, leaving Housekeeper Tang no room to interrupt.

Shi Jian said, “Housekeeper Tang doesn’t know your identities yet. None of you have said anything.”

“Why don’t you start?” She gestured toward the one who had just volunteered.

Housekeeper Tang: “……”

His eye color shifted again from black to amber, his pupils narrowing vertically. But he said nothing—he silently allowed the introductions to begin.

Zhang Dong and the others instantly broke into a cold sweat—just narrowly avoiding a critical mistake.Shi Jian, who had just turned the tide: She was scared to death! When Housekeeper Tang glanced at her just now, she thought he was about to pounce and bite her.

Shi Jian silently repeated to herself three times that she was the unattainable goddess in the eyes of the Rose Castle's master, just to calm her racing heart.

This also served as a reminder to everyone: they had to be extremely cautious. One mistake, and they could fall into a trap at any moment.

...

The first storyteller stepped up. He was clearly well prepared and spoke with clarity.

He said to Housekeeper Tang, “I’m a very close friend of your master. I’m a painter by profession, and your master really likes my work.”

Not only had Shi Jian noticed that there were many oil paintings hanging on the castle walls, but this contestant had also picked up on it. He cleverly chose to start from there.

And he wasn’t just making things up—before being forced into this horror game as a streamer, he really had been a painter.

Housekeeper Tang nodded. “Our master indeed enjoys collecting various artworks and making friends with artists.”

Everyone exchanged glances, slightly delighted.

They were safe?!

The painter also let out a relieved expression.

But then, Housekeeper Tang changed his tone. Looking out at the vast rose bushes outside the window, he murmured, “There should be seven painters buried out there.”

“The master had them painting day and night. All the artworks in the castle are their masterpieces… Seems like you’ll be the eighth.”

Housekeeper Tang’s gaze moved from the roses to the painter, drawing this conclusion.

Painter: ???

Everyone else: ???

This is cursed! What kind of horror story is this?!

Shi Jian felt the hair on her arms stand on end.

The painter, face drained of color, lips trembling without sound, turned to Shi Jian with a pleading look.

After the hot spring egg incident, everyone had unknowingly begun treating Shi Jian as their pillar.

Shi Jian: Bro, why are you looking at me? You think I have a way out of this?

“Stylist.”

Shi Jian blurted it out.

Painter: ?

Housekeeper Tang: “Oh?”

Shi Jian calmly spewed nonsense. “Aside from being a painter, he’s also my personal stylist.”

...

So the painter managed to get by, temporarily, under the identity of Shi Jian’s stylist. The second storyteller then began her performance.

The second contestant was Li Anle, and her introduction was: “I’m a distant relative of your master.”Clinging to fabricated family ties.

As expected, Housekeeper Tang was cunning. He rejected it outright, “The master has no relatives. Everyone in the family tree is long dead.”

Li Anle defended herself, “It's distant, so it's normal not to know.”

Viewers in the livestream thought that was good enough, but Housekeeper Tang snorted coldly and said, “Then there’s no need to reunite. A mooching poor relative isn’t welcome here.”

Shi Jian: Is he seriously being snobbish now?

In the end, Shi Jian bailed Li Anle out by saying, “She’s my makeup artist.”

Li Anle quietly held Shi Jian’s hand, grateful to the point of tears. Shi Jian gently patted her to comfort her.

The third contestant, after watching the previous two fail, got nervous and ended up borrowing Shi Jian’s approach.

“I’m your master’s… unattainable male god.”

He was then met with a contemptuous look from Housekeeper Tang, who scanned him from head to toe before sneering.

“With that face, you dare say that?”

Please don’t insult a monster’s aesthetics and intelligence!

The third contestant's fabricated connection to the castle master was rejected because his looks didn’t meet the standard.

He looked as if he'd been struck by lightning: Damn it, why are even monsters this shallow?

He was then assigned a new position: Shi Jian’s driver.

Housekeeper Tang seemed quite disgusted by the third contestant and even issued a warning: “If the guests keep spouting nonsense, I might have to kick you out of the castle.”

It was both a threat and a very real possibility.

Getting kicked out of the castle was clearly not the same as being allowed to leave—it meant death.

...

After seeing the first three contestants test the waters, everyone realized that the castle master wasn’t very reliable—liked overworking people, didn’t care for relatives—so it was more useful to claim a connection with Shi Jian.

So after Zhang Dong took the lead and said he was Shi Jian’s manager, suddenly Shi Jian’s assistants and personal bodyguards all appeared.

Shi Jian even had two people claiming to be her assistants.

Housekeeper Tang, of course, questioned this halfway through and stared at Shi Jian impatiently. “Why did you bring so many people?”

Shi Jian wasn’t fazed at all. If she hadn’t been dragged into this place, she would’ve had an even bigger team.

Shi Jian confidently replied to Housekeeper Tang’s questioning, “Because I’m a big star. Popular.”

This number of people? Barely a sprinkle.

Housekeeper Tang: “……”

【Hahaha, I’m having so much fun listening to them make up identities. So all the streamers in this instance are Shi Jian’s staff now?】

【The streamer reacts so fast.】

【Amazing. Look at Housekeeper Tang’s face—it’s turning green.】During this time, there was also one person who cleared the level without relying on Shi Jian — an antique appraiser. He used his real-life profession, and Housekeeper Tang personally tested him. Fortunately, his expertise was solid, and he managed to hold his ground with his identity as an antique appraiser.

Shi Jian also clearly realized today that she wasn’t the only one dragged into this livestream game — there were also many outstanding individuals from various professions.

Only one final streamer remained.

He was a delicate-looking young boy, who didn’t seem very old — probably still a student.

The male university student had just entered a higher education institution this year, and was hit by a shot put while walking on the sports field. When he opened his eyes, he found himself in this place full of monsters.

To him, it was nothing short of a nightmare.

When the others were speaking, he didn’t dare go up. By the time he mustered the courage, all the roles around Shi Jian had already been claimed.

Housekeeper Tang, clearly worn down by Shi Jian, had given up on resisting. At the very least, everyone’s stated identities had passed this round, so he looked at the male university student.

“And what are you to Miss Shi?”

The male university student, so nervous his voice cracked and his mind went blank, blurted out, “...her dog?”

Shi Jian: ???

Wake up!

The male university student eventually became Shi Jian’s younger male cousin — not related by blood and not even particularly close.

...

The Rose Castle Storytelling Conference finally ended with Shi Jian’s “family reunion meeting” as the highlight.

Shi Jian proposed a condition to Housekeeper Tang: “All my staff need to live on the second floor. I want them by my side.”

This had been agreed upon by everyone beforehand. Since the upper floor wasn’t drafty or leaking or hailing at night, it would be best for everyone to move there.

But this demand couldn’t be fulfilled. Housekeeper Tang responded with an unyielding tone:

“Miss Shi is an important guest and may stay on the second floor. The other guests can only stay in the first-floor guestrooms.”

There was no room for negotiation.

After Shi Jian went upstairs last time, Housekeeper Tang had already fixed that loophole — she could no longer sneak everyone up with her.

Zhang Dong and the others even comforted Shi Jian instead: “It’s already much better now. At least we have a bit more protection, and there’s food.”

This time, aside from eggs, Shi Jian also asked for some lettuce leaves. Everyone’s standard of living improved again. “Manager” Zhang Dong made a simple salad for Shi Jian.

The problem of the drafty, leaky rooms and the night-time chill still hadn’t been resolved. Even after Shi Jian returned to her luxurious five-star suite, she was still thinking about it.

When she, full of worry, walked into the bathroom to wash up, the long-haired faceless mirror woman appeared again in the mirror.

“Heeheehee... I’ve come to take my face.”

The mirror woman, who had fled in embarrassment before, was back again.

She blamed her previous failure on the clock mirror being too small and uneven, which had hindered her performance. This time, she was certain she would get that face!

Shi Jian watched as the mirror woman quickly transformed into another form, then — full of momentum — began to bang violently against the mirror with loud bang bang sounds.Shi Jian, "..."

The mirror woman used every trick she had but still couldn’t enter Shi Jian’s body. From beginning to end, Shi Jian never accepted that anyone could imitate her face.

The mirror woman made a second attempt.