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

The red paper slid in little by little from under the door.

The sounds of gongs and drums outside are still ringing out.

thump.

thump.

thump.

The drumbeats are not fast.

But it felt like each blow was hitting Xu Yao's heart.

She slumped onto the sofa, covering her mouth tightly, not daring to even cry out loud.

In the shot, the red paper rests on the floor of the entryway.

The paper is bright red.

The black lettering above was glaring.

Marriage certificate

There is another line of smaller text below.

[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.]

The live stream chat exploded instantly.

[A marriage certificate! It really is a marriage certificate!]

Holy crap, they even wrote down names!

This can't be a prank, can it? Who would pull off a prank like this?

[Never touch Xu Yao!]

Where are the police?

Master, what should I do?

Xu Yao was trembling all over.

"Master Chen..."

"It has my name on it."

"It really has my name on it..."

Chen Bufan stared at the marriage certificate, his voice turning somber.

"Don't touch it."

Xu Yao nodded frantically.

"I won't touch it, I absolutely won't touch it."

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

"The bride."

"The marriage certificate has been issued."

"Now that the betrothal has been accepted, it's time for her to get into the sedan chair."

Xu Yao was so frightened that tears streamed down her face, and she clenched her fingers tightly into her palm.

The left hand is "broken".

The right hand is "awakened".

She pinched herself as she murmured in a trembling voice:

"My name is Xu Yao."

"I am not the bride."

"My name is Xu Yao."

"I'm not the bride..."

Chen Bufan did not interrupt her.

If you can remember your own name, you won't be so easily led astray.

He looked at the marriage certificate on the screen.

After the second layer was opened, he could see two streams of energy wrapped around the red paper.

One of them was Xu Yao's life force.

It's very light.

It hasn't completely sunk in yet.

The other is the yin life of the dead.

cold.

hard.

It smelled of grave soil.

The two streams of energy intertwined in the middle of the marriage certificate, and only the final "acceptance of betrothal" was needed before they would be officially sealed.

"Xu Yao".

Chen Bufan spoke.

"Zoom in with your phone camera."

Xu Yao's face turned pale.

"Should we go near the door?"

"You don't need to come near me."

Chen Bufan said.

"Zoom in on the phone."

Xu Yao then realized what was happening and zoomed in on the camera with trembling hands.

The words on the marriage certificate gradually became clearer.

Besides the marriage certificate at the top, there are two smaller lines of text below.

left:

[Bride: Xu Yao]

Born in the year of Xin Si, the month of Yi Wei, the day of Geng Chen, at the hour of Zi (11 PM - 1 AM)

right:

Groom: Song Wenjie

He died in the year of Ji-Mao, the month of Ding-Chou, the day of Ren-Shen, at the hour of You (5-7 PM).

Upon seeing these two lines of text, the live stream room fell silent for a second.

Immediately afterwards, the live chat exploded with comments.

[Birth date and time!]

[Even the birth time is included?]

Who is Song Wenjie?

[The groom died at the hour of You (5-7 PM)? "卒" means "died," right?]

This is practically arranging a marriage for the dead!

How come Xu Yao has so much information?

Lin Wanqing saw it too.

Her expression darkened, and she immediately spoke up during the live stream:

"Technical team, check Song Wenjie."

"Registered resident of this city".

"Death record".

He died in a car accident three years ago.

"male."

"The focus will be on investigating real estate developers and wealthy families."

A response came quickly from the walkie-talkie.

"receive!"

Xu Yao cried and said:

"I don't know this person."

"I really don't know Song Wenjie."

"I've never even heard of that name before."

Chen Bufan looked at the marriage certificate.

You don't need to know him.

"If your birth chart matches their fate, they will come after you."

Xu Yao's voice broke down:

"On what grounds?"

"Why should he marry me now that he's dead?"

No one can answer this question.

The sound of the suona outside the door grew closer.

Like a wedding procession, they stood at Xu Yao's doorstep.

But there are clearly residential buildings outside the door.

There should clearly be neighbors.

There should clearly be hallway lights.

But now, in the live stream footage, all that can be seen through the crack in the door is a grayish-white fog.

Chen Bufan suddenly said:

"Lin Wanqing, which floor are the police on?"

Lin Wanqing held the walkie-talkie.

"The local police officers are downstairs, but the elevator is out of service."

They are climbing the stairs.

"Xu Yao's home is on the seventeenth floor."

Chen Bufan frowned.

"Tell them not to walk in the middle of the stairs."

Lin Wanqing immediately relayed:

"Walk close to the wall."

"Don't walk in the middle of the stairs."

The sound of a police officer's rapid breathing came through the walkie-talkie:

"receive."

"Team Leader Lin, the fog in this stairwell is very thick."

"But there was no open flame, and no suspicious personnel."

Chen Bufan said:

"It's not fog."

Lin Wanqing looked at him.

Chen Bufan's voice turned colder.

"It's the road for the wedding procession."

There was a moment of silence on the intercom.

The police officers clearly heard it.

Lin Wanqing said sternly:

Do as instructed.

"Lean against the wall to go upstairs."

"Don't touch the paper money, red rope, or 'double happiness' characters on the stairs."

A voice came through the intercom:

"clear!"

At this point, the technicians had the results.

"Captain Lin, we've found it!"

Lin Wanqing immediately asked:

"explain."

The technician spoke very quickly:

"Song Wenjie, male, was 28 years old at the time of his death."

"A local resident."

"My father, Song Qiyuan, is the chairman of Qiyuan Real Estate."

"Song Wenjie is Song Qiyuan's only son."

Three years ago, Song Wenjie was involved in a car accident on the South Ring Road while driving a sports car and died on the spot.

The accident was recorded as being caused by speeding in the rain, which led to the vehicle losing control and crashing into the guardrail.

Lin Wanqing asked:

"What about the funeral?"

The technician paused for a moment.

"That's strange."

"No funeral records have been made public."

"The Song family only issued a brief obituary at the time."

"But no memorial service was held for the public."

"No information about the cemetery can be found either."

"What about the ashes?"

"No burial records can be found at the moment."

The live stream chat was flooded with comments.

[Only son!]

[Only son of a real estate tycoon!]

No wonder they have the money to buy ghost marriages.

[No public funeral? And the ashes can't be found?]

There's definitely something wrong with the Song family.

[Died three years ago, now looking for a bride? That's disgusting.]

Chen Bufan showed no surprise at all after hearing this.

"really."

Lin Wanqing looked at him.

"What did you see?"

Chen Bufan pointed to Song Wenjie's name on the marriage certificate.

He was not buried.

Lin Wanqing frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"The ashes were not buried."

"The soul has not returned to its place."

"The remains or ashes were likely kept at home by the Song family."

Xu Yao turned pale with fright.

"Why are they keeping dead people around?"

Chen Bufan's answer was extremely brief:

"I'm not reconciled."

The chat in the live stream slowed down instantly.

Chen Bufan continued:

"Song Wenjie is an only child."

"The Song family line has ended."

"Song Qiyuan was unwilling to accept his son's death."

"I am unwilling to let the Song family line die out."

"So he arranged for a ghost marriage."

Lin Wanqing immediately asked:

"Is buying a ghost marriage to find a companion for the dead?"

Chen Bufan shook his head.

"A typical ghost marriage is about finding a companion."

"This is not it."

He looked at the marriage certificate.

"In this marriage certificate, Xu Yao's birth date is Gengchen, and she has the Life Gate in her destiny."

"Su Man and Meng Yao also have similar destinies."

"They were not simply assigned to Song Wenjie."

"It was used to continue the Song family's lineage."

Everyone could see that Lin Wanqing's face darkened.

"Can the living continue the family line?"

Chen Bufan said:

"Cannot be continued normally."

"That's why I resorted to evil magic."

"After the three bows in the ghost marriage, Song Wenjie's life will be compensated by the life force of the three living brides."

"The Song family's good fortune may not necessarily continue."

"But the Song family's fortune, the status of their descendants, and the aura of their home will be forcibly stabilized for a period of time."

Xu Yao trembled all over upon hearing this.

"So I'm going to die?"

Chen Bufan looked at her.

"If you complete the three bows, you will die."

Xu Yao's face turned deathly pale.

"What about the other two girls..."

Chen Bufan remained silent for a second.

"They have already been worshipped."

The live stream chat instantly went silent.

Those who were just watching the spectacle now felt a chill run down their spines.

This is not a ghost story.

These are two living, breathing young girls.

A nurse is about to get married.

A wedding makeup artist earns her living with her own hands.

They were chosen based on their birth dates and horoscopes, sent wedding dresses, and their birth times were revealed. They were then led to an abandoned location, dressed in red, and became the "brides" of men who had been dead for three years.

Now, it's Xu Yao's turn.

Outside the door, the drumbeat suddenly intensified.

Boom!

Xu Yao was so frightened that she covered her ears.

The marriage certificate slipped an inch further into the room through the crack in the door.

It looks like someone is pushing it from the outside.

Chen Bufan shouted:

"Step on it with your foot."

Xu Yao was startled.

"Step on?"

"Yes. Immediately!"

Xu Yao gritted her teeth, moved over, and pressed the marriage certificate firmly with the edge of her slipper.

The moment she stepped down, the old woman's voice outside the door instantly became shrill.

"How dare you!"

"How dare you step on a marriage certificate!"

Xu Yao was so frightened that her legs went weak.

Chen Bufan laughed instead:

"If you don't step on it, are you going to take it?"

Tell that thing outside.

"You won't marry him."

Xu Yao's lips trembled.

She looked at Chen Bufan on her phone, then at the marriage certificate at her feet.

Finally mustering her courage, she shouted with a sob in her voice:

"I won't marry him!"

There was a moment of silence outside the door.

next second.

boom!

The door was slammed shut.

Xu Yao screamed.

The live stream chat was flooded with comments.

Don't open the door!

Hang in there!

[The police are coming soon!]

[Xu Yao was so brave just now!]

Chen Bufan stared at the doorway.

Say it again.

Xu Yao cried out:

"My name is Xu Yao!"

"I'm not the bride!"

"I won't marry a dead man!"

The suona horns outside the door suddenly became shrill.

Like crying.

It also looks like a smile.

Just then, a police officer's voice came through the walkie-talkie:

"Team Leader Lin, we've reached the fifteenth floor!"

"There was a lot of paper money in the stairwell!"

"And a red string!"

"Continue."

Lin Wanqing's voice was calm.

"Don't stop."

"yes!"

Chen Bufan suddenly asked:

"Have you found the Song family's address?"

The technician immediately replied:

"Song Qiyuan owns multiple properties."

"The most suspicious one right now is a detached villa in Jinxiu Nanyuan, Xiqiao Town."

"It matches the location where Xu Yao went for her makeup trial."

Lin Wanqing's eyes sharpened.

"Send someone to the Song family."

"Request a search at the same time."

"The focus of the investigation will be on Song Wenjie's belongings, the funeral hall, his ashes, the red rope, his wedding dress, and the template for the marriage certificate."

"yes!"

Chen Bufan looked at the marriage certificate in the camera lens.

"not enough."

Lin Wanqing asked:

"What else do you need to investigate?"

Chen Bufan said:

"Who has the Song family invited recently?"

"Especially metaphysical masters, feng shui consultants, wedding companies, and funeral service agencies."

"Especially..."

He paused for a moment.

"Longevity Foundation"

Lin Wanqing's eyes darkened instantly.

"You think it's them again?"

Chen Bufan looked at the eerie aura on the marriage certificate.

"This is not an ordinary ghost marriage."

"Ordinary people don't have the ability to select three living brides from their birth charts."

"I also don't have the ability to use black-marked lucky money to suppress the soul."

"The Song family are the buyers."

"The real mastermind behind this is the Song family."

Just then, Xu Yao's phone rang again.

That's not Chen Bufan's voice from his live stream.

It was another phone call.

Caller ID:

mom.

Xu Yao was taken aback.

"mom?"

Chen Bufan's expression changed slightly.

Don't answer.

But it was too late.

Xu Yao's hand was shaking so badly that she accidentally pressed the call button.

On the other end of the phone came a woman's panicked and complicated voice.

"Yaoyao, did you get into trouble?"

Xu Yao was stunned.

"mom?"

Xu's mother's voice trembled.

"A lawyer just contacted me."

"They said you accepted the betrothal gifts from the Song family."

"Now that things have blown up, it's not good for anyone."

Xu Yao froze.

"What betrothal gifts?"

Xu's mother had clearly been crying.

"As long as our family signs the consent form."

"They said...they said you were the one who agreed to this in the first place."

The live stream went silent instantly.

The next second, the barrage of comments exploded.

[The Song family knew after all!]

They've also contacted the family members?

This is disgusting!

[Talking about reconciliation while the person is still alive?]

Xu Yao was trembling all over.

"mom."

"I did not agree!"

"I don't know who the Song family is!"

"I didn't accept the betrothal gifts!"

On the other end of the phone, Xu's mother cried and said:

"But the lawyer said the marriage certificate has already been submitted."

"The betrothal gifts have been given."

"If we don't agree, the Song family will no longer care about the consequences..."

Chen Bufan looked at the camera, his voice very low.

"Xu Yao".

Ask your mom.

"What's the lawyer's name?"

"Where are you now?"