A single divination predicts life and death; the entire internet begs me to start a live stream.

"The bride."

"It's time to get in the sedan chair."

When the woman's voice came from the phone, Xu Yao froze.

The next second, she screamed and backed away.

"ah--!"

The phone camera was shaking violently.

The woman in the red wedding dress stood in the center of the bedroom.

Nobody wears it.

But as the hem of her clothes spread open and the sleeves rose, a dark shadow slowly peeked out from the collar.

The pale hand was still suspended in mid-air.

Her fingers are very slender.

The nails are bluish.

It looks like it's been soaking in water for a long time.

The live stream chat exploded.

[Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy crap!]

[Hands! There really are hands!]

[This isn't special effects, is it?]

[Xu Yao, run!]

Don't run away! There's still paper money at the door!

[Master, please save us!]

I got goosebumps all over!

Xu Yao was so frightened that she couldn't cry out.

She leaned against the wall, her legs weak, and she almost slid down.

"Master Chen..."

"It's out..."

"It really came out..."

Chen Bufan stared at the screen, his voice suddenly lowering.

"Don't run away."

Xu Yao shuddered.

"what?"

[Should we just wait to die if we don't run?]

【Ahhhh, that's terrifying!】

【Master Chen, please save her!】

"If you run, it can catch you."

Xu Yao stopped abruptly in her tracks.

Her face was covered in tears, and her lips were trembling violently.

"Then what should I do?"

Chen Bufan said:

"Stand under the lamp."

Xu Yao glanced at the ceiling in a panic.

The bedroom ceiling light was on.

But I don't know if it's because of unstable voltage, the lights are flickering.

She cried and said:

"The light...the light is flickering."

Chen Bufan said:

"Turn on all the lights in the room."

Xu Yao was stunned.

"all?"

"right."

Chen Bufan spoke very quickly.

"Living room lights, kitchen lights, bathroom lights, hallway lights, table lamps, wall lamps."

"Turn on everything that can be lit. Turn on your phone's flash too."

"Don't let there be any dark corners in the room."

Xu Yao didn't dare to hesitate and rushed out with her phone in hand.

The woman in the red wedding dress did not pursue him.

But that pale hand slowly lowered itself.

The cuffs hung in mid-air, like a faceless bride standing there, quietly watching her.

Xu Yao ran to the living room and frantically pressed the light switches.

Snapped.

The living room lights are on.

Snapped.

The restaurant lights are on.

Snapped.

The kitchen light is on.

Bathroom lights, hallway lights, balcony lights.

She opened them all at once.

The whole room was blindingly bright.

The brighter it was, the more unnaturally dark the shadow at the bedroom door seemed.

In the live stream, everyone was so nervous they didn't dare blink.

All the lights are on.

That thing didn't come out.

Are you afraid of light?

[It's not that they're afraid of the light; it seems like they're waiting.]

Have the police arrived yet?

[Hang in there, Xu Yao!]

Chen Bufan looked at the camera.

"Never let your phone out of your sight."

"The camera is pointed at the bedroom door."

Xu Yao nodded through her tears and pointed her phone at the bedroom.

The bedroom door was open.

The red wedding dress still stands inside.

But now, it hasn't moved any closer.

The hand was pulled back into the sleeve.

The hem of her dress swayed gently.

It's like there's an unseen person turning around inside.

Xu Yao's voice trembled.

Why isn't it coming out?

Chen Bufan said:

"Because it's not here to kill you."

Xu Yao was stunned for a moment.

The live stream audience was stunned.

[You didn't come here to kill someone?]

What are they here for?

[They've already reached out, why aren't you killing them?]

[What the master said is even more frightening.]

Xu Yao swallowed.

"If it's not here to kill me, then what is it here for?"

Chen Bufan looked at the wedding dress.

"Try on clothes."

Xu Yao almost broke down.

"Try...try on clothes?"

Chen Bufan said:

"Before the ghost marriage takes place, the bride must try on her wedding dress."

"The size of a living person."

"The weight of the living soul."

"Are our destinies compatible?"

"Can you fit into this dress?"

"It's not here to take your life tonight."

"I'm here to confirm if you're qualified to be a bride."

As soon as those words were spoken, the live stream chat was flooded with comments like "scalp tingling".

Trying on clothes...

[Oh my god, I'm more scared than hearing about murder.]

[So, it already considers Xu Yao its bride?]

[A living person trying on a dead person's wedding dress?]

This is too dark.

Xu Yao's face had lost all color.

"I don't want to be a bride!"

"I don't know that dead man at all!"

Chen Bufan looked at her.

You don't need to know them.

"It's enough that they chose you."

Xu Yao shook her head, crying.

"No, I'm calling the police, I'm calling the police right now..."

"The police are already on their way."

Chen Bufan said.

"But you have to hold on until they arrive."

Just then, a message from Lin Wanqing popped up on the screen.

Location confirmed.

The local police station arrived first, followed by the criminal investigation team.

Tell her not to open the door unless she's sure it's a police officer.

After reading it, Chen Bufan said directly to Xu Yao:

"Xu Yao".

"Listen carefully."

"From now on, you must not open the door for anyone who knocks."

Even if you say they're police.

Even if you call it a delivery service.

Even if you say it's your family member.

Xu Yao asked in a trembling voice:

"What if the police come?"

"Tell them to call the police."

"Have them call Lin Wanqing to confirm."

"The door cannot be opened without confirmation."

Xu Yao nodded frantically.

"well."

Chen Bufan continued:

"Take out that red paper."

Xu Yao's expression changed.

"It's in the delivery box."

"Where is the delivery box?"

"At the bedroom door..."

Her voice grew softer and softer.

Because the delivery box was right next to the red wedding dress.

Chen Bufan said:

"You don't need to go in."

"Find something long and use it to hook the box out."

Xu Yao looked around and picked up the mop.

She stood in the living room, trembling as she stretched the mop into the bedroom doorway.

The red wedding dress remained untouched.

But when the mop touched the delivery box, the sleeve of the wedding dress suddenly lifted slightly.

Xu Yao was so frightened that she immediately withdrew her hand.

"It moved!"

Chen Bufan shouted:

"Don't look at the sleeves, look at the box."

Xu Yao cried as she reached out the mop again and slowly hooked the express box out.

The box was dragged under the living room light.

Sure enough, the red paper was pressed down inside.

Xu Yao used the mop handle to pick out the red paper.

The red paper was turned over.

The camera captured the words on it.

Bride, come to the wedding ceremony tomorrow night.

The handwriting was bright red.

There is an even smaller line of text below.

Trying on clothes at midnight

[Offering betrothal gifts at the hour of Chou (1-3 AM)]

[Soul Guiding at Yin Hour]

Xu Yao's voice has changed.

"What does this mean?"

Chen Bufan glanced at the time.

10:48 PM.

It's not midnight yet.

But the fitting had already started ahead of schedule.

This means the other party is anxious.

This also shows that after the Su Man case was exposed, the people behind it knew that the police would investigate and wanted to speed up the third investigation.

Chen Bufan said in a deep voice:

"It needs to confirm your identity before midnight."

"At the hour of Chou (1-3 AM), someone will come to propose marriage."

"At the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), if the situation is not broken, your soul will be led away."

Xu Yao's face turned deathly pale.

"Then... will I die?"

Chen Bufan looked at her.

"Before dawn."

Xu Yao went limp and slumped onto the sofa.

The live stream chat was flooded with comments like crazy.

[Before dawn!]

[Police, hurry up!]

【Master, hurry over there!】

This case is too urgent.

[Xu Yao, don't break down, listen to the master!]

Chen Bufan ignored the comments and continued asking:

Have you visited any funeral parlors, cemeteries, morgues, or wedding venues recently?

Xu Yao tried hard to recall.

"I go to weddings every day."

"I'm a makeup artist."

"There is no mourning hall."

"There isn't a cemetery either."

She suddenly paused.

"wrong."

"I visited a client's house a few days ago."

"That family said they wanted to take sample photos of their Chinese wedding makeup."

"But their home is strange."

"There are many white flowers in the living room."

"There are also black and white photos."

Chen Bufan pressed for an answer.

"Who is in the photo?"

Xu Yao thought for a moment.

"A man."

"Young man."

"I thought it was a relative of theirs who had passed away, so I didn't ask any more questions."

"That client also asked me to do a makeup trial on a red wedding dress."

"But they didn't let real people wear it."

"It was hung on the clothes rack so I could do my makeup and take atmospheric photos."

Lin Wanqing's message popped up almost simultaneously.

[Network location is incorrect. Interference has occurred.]

[Please provide the address.]

Chen Bufan asked directly:

"address."

Xu Yao quickly gave the name of a neighborhood.

"Xiqiao Town, the beautiful Nanyuan."

"I can't remember exactly how many buildings."

"But I have taxi records on my phone."

Chen Bufan said:

"Send it to Officer Lin."

Xu Yao was taken aback.

Lin Wanqing quickly entered the live stream room using her official account and connected directly with the host.

"Xu Yao, I am Lin Wanqing from the Criminal Investigation Detachment of Haicheng Public Security Bureau."

"Don't panic now."

"Send me all the taxi records, customer contact information, and express delivery information."

"The local police will be at your door within five minutes."

Xu Yao nodded repeatedly, as if grasping at a lifeline.

"well!"

The live stream chat exploded again.

Officer Lin is here!

[Official entry!]

This is true saving lives.

[Xu Yao is saved!]

Chen Bufan did not relax.

He stared at the red wedding dress.

The woman in the red wedding dress stood in the bedroom, unusually quiet.

So quiet it was as if they were waiting for something.

Lin Wanqing made arrangements quickly.

"Xu Yao, lock the door from the inside."

"Check all the windows."

"Don't go near the balcony."

"Put away your kitchen knives, don't leave them in an easily accessible place."

Xu Yao was stunned for a moment.

"Why are knives being confiscated as well?"

Lin Wanqing's voice was calm:

"I'm afraid you'll hurt yourself if you get controlled."

Xu Yao's face turned even paler, but she still did as instructed.

Chen Bufan suddenly spoke:

"Xu Yao".

Do you have any red lipsticks at home?

"have……"

"Take it out."

Although Xu Yao didn't understand, she still pulled out a lipstick.

Chen Bufan said:

Write the character "断" (duàn, meaning "break") on the palm of your left hand.

Xu Yao did as instructed.

The red lipstick wrote a crooked, broken character on the palm.

Chen Bufan then said:

Write the character "醒" (xǐng, meaning "awaken") on the palm of your right hand.

After Xu Yao finished writing, her breathing became a little more steady.

"Will this work?"

Chen Bufan said:

"If you suddenly hear someone call you 'bride,' or if you want to put on that wedding dress, pinch your right hand with your left hand."

"When you see the character '醒' (xǐng, meaning 'awaken'), call out your own name."

Xu Yao nodded, tears still falling.

"I've got it."

Just then, it suddenly became quiet outside.

It's not normal quiet.

Even the sound of the wind in the stairwell has disappeared.

The number of comments in the live stream gradually decreased.

Everyone heard it.

In the distance, a very soft suona sound came.

woo-

woo-

The sound was very far away at first.

It sounded like it was coming from the entrance of the residential complex downstairs.

Then it got closer and closer.

It's becoming clearer and clearer.

Suona.

锣。

drum.

And there were faint footsteps.

thump.

thump.

thump.

Xu Yao's face turned deathly pale instantly.

"They're here..."

"They're here..."

Chen Bufan glanced at the time.

11:07 PM.

It's not midnight yet.

The other party arrived earlier than expected.

Lin Wanqing's expression also changed.

"How long until the local police officers are available?"

A voice came from the intercom:

"Team Leader Lin, we've arrived at the entrance of the residential area."

"but……"

Lin Wanqing pressed further:

"But what?"

"The hallway suddenly became foggy."

"The elevator has stopped."

"We're climbing the stairs!"

Outside Xu Yao's house.

The sound of gongs and drums grew closer and closer.

Finally, we stopped in front of her house.

thump.

thump.

thump.

Someone knocked on the door.

Not too light, not too heavy.

Three times.

Xu Yao covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face.

An old woman's voice rang out from outside the door.

"The bride."

"Open the door."

"The groom's family has come to offer betrothal gifts."

Chen Bufan's eyes were terrifyingly cold.

"Don't make a sound."

Xu Yao nodded frantically.

But the next second, a piece of red paper was suddenly slipped under the door.

The red paper slid slowly into the room.

On the paper, two large characters were written in black ink.

Marriage certificate

Below the marriage certificate, there is a line of smaller print.

[The Xu family's daughter, Yao, is destined to be with her ghost husband. Tonight, she enters the house, and they are forever bound together in the afterlife.]