Chapter 148: Chapter 148: Will He Ever Come Back?

After confirming with the old woman several times, she insisted her destination was Mengjin Matun.

Wang Fugui was so scared he couldn’t say a word. He just stepped on the gas and drove toward Mengjin Matun.

Along the way, the old woman kept praising Wang Fugui for being a good person. She said she was going to Mengjin Matun to wait for her husband, who had been away from home for many years.

“Back then, the war was raging. My husband and I were both researchers. Our village was destroyed by bombers, and the country needed secret agents to go undercover in the United States. My husband left without a second thought, and I was the only one who stayed behind.”

“Every day, I go to Matun to see if my husband has returned safely…”

The more Wang Fugui listened, the stranger he felt. ’Aren’t we in an era of peace? Why would there be bombers? And going to the United States as a secret agent… that sounds really weird.’

He was about to ask a question when he happened to glance at the rearview mirror. He was shocked to see only an empty back seat in the reflection; the old woman was nowhere to be seen.

He froze in terror. When he whipped his head around, the old woman was sitting right in the middle of the back seat, staring at him with a stern expression. “Young man, don’t look all over the place while you’re driving. Focus on the road. Once we get there, you’ll be well rewarded.”

He glanced at the rearview mirror again. All he could see was the empty seat. There was still no sign of the old woman.

Ever since he was a child, Wang Fugui had heard his family say that ghosts are ethereal. You can see them in reality, but they don’t appear in mirrors.

And whatever appears in a mirror cannot take physical form in reality.

A chill ran down Wang Fugui’s spine. He gripped the steering wheel, not daring to make a sound, and drove all the way to Mengjin Matun.

When they arrived, the old woman asked Wang Fugui, “How much is the fare?”

Wang Fugui wasn’t a professional rideshare driver. Terrified the ghost would latch onto him, he stammered, “N-No charge!”

The old woman’s expression grew cold. “What do you mean, no charge? I’m a reasonable person; I don’t like to cheat people out of their fares. You had better name a price.”

Wang Fugui was on the verge of tears. ’There’s a full-on ghost standing in front of me, I’m about to piss my pants!’

’Besides, I’ve never driven for a rideshare service before. I really have no idea what to charge!’

The old woman handed Wang Fugui a large red banknote. “This is for the round trip,” she said. “Wait here for me. After I find who I’m looking for, I’ll ride back with you. You can keep the change.”

Knowing she was a ghost, Wang Fugui had absolutely no intention of giving her a ride back. He wanted to bolt right then and there.

But then he felt that would be wrong. He had already taken the old woman’s money, so he couldn’t just leave.

After that, he got a “request” from the old woman every single night, driving her back and forth for over half a month.

He had been trying to get into Shen Zhiyao’s stream for over half a month and finally succeeded today, so he decided to ask for advice.

[Bro, if you knew she was a ghost, why didn’t you just run from the start?]

[I agree, Fugui’s a blockhead. If I were him, I would’ve bolted the very first day. There’s no way I’d drive her around for half a month.]

[I don’t think driving the old lady is a big deal. She doesn’t seem like an evil ghost. You could probably drive her for another half a month and be fine. Besides, she paid for her ride; she didn’t try to stiff you.]

Wang Fugui held up the money he’d been receiving to his phone’s camera. “Here, you see this? Are you looking closely? She’s paying me with Joss Paper! You want some? I’ll give it to you!”

Shen Zhiyao asked, “You must have dropped her off at Matun by now and are waiting to take her back, right?”

“Yes,” Wang Fugui replied.

Shen Zhiyao said, “The one you’ve encountered isn’t a Fierce Ghost, but there are still taboos when dealing with a ghost soul. Since she told you to wait, you must wait. If you run, the ghost will latch onto you. You’ve done the right thing for this past half-month. You deserve praise!”

Wang Fugui asked worriedly, “Then… will I be in any danger?”

Shen Zhiyao said, “Judging by your facial reading, you haven’t encountered a Fierce Ghost. As long as you don’t violate her taboos, you’ll be fine.”

“Oh, good, good! That’s a silver lining in this mess!” Wang Fugui finally let out a sigh of relief.

Just then, a raspy voice came from the back seat. “My apologies, young man. I’ve made you wait a long time.”

A gust of wind swept through the car, and an ancient-looking woman was now sitting in the back seat.

At first glance, the old woman looked no different from a normal person, but a closer look revealed that something was off.

Her face was wizened and caked in thick makeup—the kind funeral parlors apply to the deceased.

She was wearing a thick, red-and-green Zhongshan suit, which was completely out of step with the current season.

“Let’s head back,” the old woman said.

“Right, right!”

Wang Fugui started the car, which swayed as it drove along the narrow mountain road.

The road was pitch-black, illuminated only by the car’s headlights.

The scene in the car—one human, one ghost—was utterly bizarre.

The viewers in the livestream chat were freaking out:

[HOLY HELL! This isn’t scripted! That old lady’s face looks so creepy! Are those burial clothes she’s wearing?]

[This is seriously terrifying. My mom just came in and told me to stop watching this stuff before I scare myself to death.]

[I’m new here. Is the streamer directing a ghost movie with one of his viewers?]

[This isn’t a movie, it’s real! You can just feel the heavy Netherworld aura coming off that old lady!]

[He really is the guy with the same name as that anime character. His nerves are steel. Even in a situation like this, he can still drive home so calmly.]

What they didn’t know was that Wang Fugui was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

He was so frightened that his entire body was drenched in sweat, but he didn’t dare lose focus, terrified of a fatal crash.

Just then, he felt a chill on his back. He turned his head and saw the old woman’s face pressed right up against his. He let out a terrified scream: “HOLY SHIT!”

He’d been in such a panic that he forgot to turn off his phone screen.

The old woman was a little curious. “What is this? Why haven’t I ever seen one of these before?”

The chat exploded again:

[AAAAAAHHH! HOLY CRAP, THE GHOST IS TALKING TO ME!]

[DAMN, I’M GONNA PISS MYSELF! IT’S THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT! SO SCARY! MOM, SAVE ME!]

[HOLY SHIT, WHO PEED IN MY PANTS?!]

[LMAO… The old lady is hilarious! We should get her to have her fortune told!]

[I kinda wanna see that too! I’ve never seen a ghost get a fortune-telling before!]

The longtime viewers had mostly gone quiet, afraid the ghost might see their comments and come find them.

Only the new viewers, who thought it was all a horror scene staged by the streamer, kept asking questions. Some were even joking around with the ghost.

The old woman had been dead for decades and had never seen a livestream. Seeing it for the first time, she was naturally curious and kept pestering Wang Fugui with questions.

“A livestream… a livestream is…” Wang Fugui forced himself to explain it to her, all the while thinking, ’The things that have happened to me over the last two weeks are just beyond ridiculous.’

Once the old woman understood, she moved directly into the front passenger seat, grabbed the phone, and turned the camera to face her.

Wang Fugui glanced over and screamed in terror, “AAAAAAAAHHH! MOM, SAVE ME! MOM! AAAAAHHH!”

The car suddenly swerved and began to drift.

The old woman poked Wang Fugui’s arm. “Don’t be scared,” she explained. “I’m just a little curious about fortune-telling. I’d like to have a reading.”

The car straightened out. Wang Fugui was speechless. ’What’s a ghost like you doing getting your fortune told? Are you going to ask him if you’re a human or a ghost?’

He didn’t dare voice that sarcastic thought, though.

Shen Zhiyao, however, remained perfectly calm, looking at the old woman with the same expression he used for his viewers.

“What would you like to ask about? I can give you a reading, as long as you pay the divination fee. And just so you know, I accept Joss Paper.”

Hearing Shen Zhiyao’s words, the old woman smiled. “…”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep