Chapter 107 - 106: Definitely Won’t Let Her Die

Chapter 107: Chapter 106: Definitely Won’t Let Her Die

The car stopped in the parking lot outside the film studio. The mother and her two sons had just gotten out when a young woman came running over from a distance.

The woman wore a wide-brimmed sun hat that covered the upper half of her face. The lower half, which was visible, bore a huge smile.

"Brother Hai!" The woman ran up to them and tilted her face up, revealing a cute, round face. "I’ll take you inside." Then she looked at the person behind Huo Xinghai, and her eyes lit up even more. "Sister Qing!"

Gu Qingyin smiled and nodded. "Hello."

"Sister Qing!" The woman completely ignored Huo Xinghai and rushed over to Gu Qingyin, her eyes sparkling and a little shy. "I’m a fan of yours. Could you give me an autograph?"

Gu Qingyin was a little surprised, then her eyes crinkled in a smile. "Of course. Thank you for your support."

’Well, even if I have issues with Li Lu, what does that have to do with her assistant? Besides, she seems to like me so much. It’s hard not to be happy when someone likes you.’

The woman quickly pulled a notebook and a pen from her bag.

Gu Qingyin had assumed she was going to sign the notebook, but the young woman opened it and took out a photograph—a picture of her and Huo Xinghai together.

Gu Qingyin couldn’t help but laugh. "You carry this around with you?"

The young woman shook her head honestly, her voice tinged with excitement. "I was actually hoping to get Brother Hai’s autograph, but I never expected to meet you! I’m so lucky today!"

"What’s your name?"

Gu Qingyin took the photo and the pen and wrote a blessing on it: *May you be healthy, happy, and rise higher and higher!*

The young woman cupped her face. "My name is Hu Yuanyuan. ’Yuan’ as in ’circle.’ You can just call me Xiao Yuan."

Gu Qingyin nodded and continued writing—*To: Xiao Yuan*. Then she signed her own name next to it.

Smiling, she handed the photo to Huo Xinghai, who took it and signed his name below Gu Qingyin’s.

When Xiao Yuan got the photo back, she was so excited she jumped on the spot twice.

"Can we go in now?" Huo Xingchen, who had been completely ignored, couldn’t help but ask.

Xiao Yuan nodded quickly. "Sorry, sorry! I’ll take you in right now."

Huo Xinghai was at the peak of his popularity, Gu Qingyin’s face was also widely recognized, and while Huo Xingchen wasn’t as famous as his older brother, anyone who followed the esports world would know him. With Xiao Yuan leading the way, the group entered without any trouble.

Just then, Li Lu finished filming her scene. The moment the director yelled "Cut!" a hint of exhaustion appeared on her face.

Xiao Yuan rushed over, her heart aching for her. "Sister Li, why don’t you take some time off to rest? A little rest now will help you work better later."

Li Lu shook her head. "This is my first time acting in a film. I can’t leave a bad impression. It’s just a small cold; I’ll be fine in a couple of days."

Gu Qingyin had sharp ears. Even though they were some distance away and the surroundings were noisy, she still heard their conversation clearly.

She sneered inwardly. ’Li Lu doesn’t have a "small cold." The resentment clinging to her is so thick it’s about to form a vengeful spirit. It seems that in her desperation to make a comeback, she has been getting a lot of help from little ghosts.’

Li Lu looked up and saw Huo Xinghai. The exhaustion in her eyes faded slightly, replaced by a starry glimmer.

It was the look a woman only gets when she sees the man she likes.

Gu Qingyin narrowed her eyes. ’Regardless of what Huo Xinghai thinks, Li Lu’s feelings for him are clearly not so simple.’

"Aren’t you busy with your album’s music video? What brings you here?" Li Lu’s eyes crinkled in a smile, her entire being radiating happiness.

Huo Xinghai glanced cautiously at Gu Qingyin and cleared his throat. "The music video is almost done. I brought my mom and my brother over to look around today, and to visit you on set."

’What else could he say? That he was here to take back the Ghost Doll? How could a man ask for a gift back after giving it away!’

Li Lu followed his gaze to Gu Qingyin. Her expression didn’t change, but inwardly she was extremely surprised.

She knew who Gu Qingyin was, of course; she had seen all of Huo Xinghai’s shows. She had originally assumed Gu Qingyin’s youth and beauty were thanks to video filters, but she never imagined the woman was even more beautiful in person than on screen.

As a woman herself, Li Lu couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy and subtle jealousy.

"Hello, Auntie." Whatever Li Lu was thinking, she maintained basic politeness on the surface.

Gu Qingyin also smiled. "No need to be so formal. Just call me by my name. I don’t like it when people call me ’Auntie’."

Li Lu glanced at Huo Xinghai, looking a bit troubled. "That doesn’t seem right. After all, Xinghai and I are friends. How could I address you directly by your name?"

"It’s fine. We can keep our relationships separate," Huo Xinghai said. "My mom looks too young to be in the ’Auntie’ generation anyway."

Only then did Li Lu nod and address her again. "Sister Qing."

Gu Qingyin acknowledged it with a sound and asked, "When do you wrap up? We should get a meal together."

Li Lu was a bit flattered. "I have one more scene. If it goes smoothly, it shouldn’t take long."

"Alright, you go on and finish up," Gu Qingyin said with a smile. "We’ll go for a walk. When you’re done, give Xinghai a call."

Watching the three of them leave, Li Lu threw herself back into filming with renewed energy. If she was lucky today, she might be able to leave a good impression on Gu Qingyin, which would make things with Huo Xinghai go more smoothly in the future.

The moment she turned away, the smile on Gu Qingyin’s face vanished.

The two brothers exchanged a look, neither daring to speak.

After walking in silence for a while, Gu Qingyin suddenly asked, "Xingchen, what did you see?"

Huo Xingchen hadn’t opened his Yin Yang Eye, so what he saw was blurry, but he had noticed something.

"Li Lu is covered in heavy resentment." Even with his poor sight, he could see that much; what his mom saw must have been far worse.

"Resentment?" Huo Xinghai was confused. "How is it different from mine?"

Gu Qingyin explained, "The subject is different. The Curse Doll is just a tool. If you don’t use it, it has no effect. If you do use it, you naturally have to bear the sin yourself."

"With Li Lu and the Ghost Doll, the Ghost Baby is the subject, and Li Lu is, at most, the one making offerings. She makes a wish, pays a certain price, and has the Ghost Baby grant it for her. The Ghost Baby absorbs the sin, but the resentment falls upon Li Lu."

Comprehension dawned on Huo Xinghai. He had thought the two were more or less the same.

"So which one has more severe consequences?"

"The Ghost Baby, of course!" Huo Xingchen cut in. "As the saying goes, it’s easy to invite a god but hard to send one away, let alone a little ghost. If this goes wrong, the little ghost might take Li Lu’s life with it when it leaves."

Huo Xinghai frowned, a pang of guilt rising in his heart. If he hadn’t taken it upon himself to bring Li Lu a Ghost Doll, she wouldn’t be facing this kind of risk now.

"Mom, you can save her, right?"

Gu Qingyin shot him a sideways glance. "Why else would I be here?"

Huo Xinghai let out a small sigh of relief.

Sensing his thoughts, Gu Qingyin consoled him, "Don’t blame yourself too much. You may have brought the Ghost Doll back, but if she didn’t have the intention, she wouldn’t have actually used it. If she hadn’t summoned the little ghost, the Wooden Ghost Doll would just be an ugly little decoration."

Huo Xinghai nodded, but he still felt guilty. "But at the end of the day, I’m the one who put the opportunity in front of her."

Gu Qingyin sighed to herself and patted his shoulder. "Don’t worry. Mom definitely won’t let her die."