Chapter 89

Hou Jingjing was like a spoiled child, who got angry very easily.

Shen Tang felt that those who openly showed their emotions were not as scary as those who schemed behind one's back.

Still, Shen Tang wanted to know why Hou Jingjing disliked her so much.

That day, after Shen Tang finished shooting her scenes early, she happened to see Hou Jingjing sitting on a flower bed with red-rimmed eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"None of your business!"

Shen Tang didn't want to bother with someone who clearly didn't like her. She simply said "Oh" and walked away.

Seeing that, Hou Jingjing got even angrier. "Hey! You're just going to leave like that?"

Shen Tang shrugged. "What else?"

"Aren't you even worried that something might happen to me?" Hou Jingjing challenged.

Shen Tang replied earnestly: "No, I'm not worried. After all, good people don't live long, while troublemakers plague the world for thousands of years."

Hou Jingjing: "..."

She shouldn't have asked! Ever since joining this crew, she had never won an argument against Shen Tang. This woman was vicious!

Hou Jingjing sniffed. "Don't you even want to know why I dislike you so much?"

To be honest, Shen Tang had been very curious about this in the beginning, but could never find the reason no matter how hard she tried.

Now, she didn't really care anymore.

So Shen Tang shook her head.

This angered Hou Jingjing even more. She shot up from the flower bed. "I don't care if you want to know or not, I'm going to tell you anyway!"

"The reason why I oppose you is because you--Ah!" Noticing the curiosity flashing in Shen Tang's eyes, Hou Jingjing hurriedly shut her mouth. "Damn, you almost tricked me!"

Shen Tang sighed, making a tiny gap between her thumb and index finger. "What a pity, just missed it by this much..."

"Humph! You sly, crafty woman. Fortunately I'm smart." Hou Jingjing looked pleased with herself.

Shen Tang exclaimed, "Wrongfully accused! This is a huge misunderstanding! I'm a perfectly law-abiding citizen!"

Just then, there was a loud "bang" next to them.

Hou Jingjing turned to look, but Shen Tang covered her eyes. "Don't look."

"I want to see! What happened?" Hou Jingjing struggled to remove Shen Tang's hand, but Shen Tang was too strong.

Shen Tang's voice trembled slightly. "Someone died..." Hou Jingjing instantly fell silent.

She guessed someone must have fallen to their death right in front of them. Her mind involuntarily began to imagine all kinds of gruesome scenes. Hou Jingjing swallowed hard and asked, "Who is it?"

"Don't know them."

The body had landed face down. The impact was so brutal that even if Shen Tang had recognized the person, they would be unidentifiable now.

Shen Tang shakily dialed 120 [Chinese emergency number] and the police. But it seemed the person was already dead, as there was no response at all.

To be honest, Shen Tang was terrified. A living, breathing person had just crashed down right next to them. Some of the...stuff...had even sprayed onto their clothes.

Unable to hold it in, Shen Tang dry heaved.

Feeling somewhat worried, Hou Jingjing tugged at the corner of Shen Tang's clothes. "Are...are you okay...?"

"Ugh, I'm fine..." Shen Tang gagged.

The area was too remote. It wasn't until the police cars arrived that people from the crew realized something had happened here.

When Hou Jingjing's assistant rushed over, she was so frightened she almost burst into tears. Still, she bravely came to bring Hou Jingjing back.

"Jingjing, let's go back first..."

But Hou Jingjing shook her head. "I'm not leaving..."

The assistant frowned helplessly. "But your clothes are dirty..."

Dirty clothes...?

Realizing what that meant, Hou Jingjing let out a blood-curdling shriek.

Shen Tang instantly grabbed her mouth, cutting off the scream.

"Be good, go back and change your clothes, take a shower, don't think about anything, just get some good rest."

Hou Jingjing tugged anxiously at Shen Tang's sleeve, her voice unconsciously clinging. "What about you?"

"I'll stay here a bit longer. You go first..."

Hou Jingjing had obediently avoided looking at the area marked by the yellow police line, although with so many people around, there wasn't much to see anyway.

She kept looking back worriedly as she left. Her assistant couldn't help wondering if she was possessed, since Hou Jingjing normally did nothing but grumble about Shen Tang behind her back.

Before long, more and more onlookers gathered, including passersby and those who came specifically to gawk at the spectacle. They would take a peek and then recoil in fear, gossiping about the deceased.

Unable to stand their stares, Shen Tang withdrew to sit on a nearby flower bed after answering the routine police questioning.

She was still struggling to process what had happened. She had seen dead bodies before, but never one so horrifically mangled. Her legs felt weak.

"How could it be her?!" The speaker sounded shocked.

"Who was she?"

Hearing the voices, the person jumped in fright before turning to see it was Shen Tang. He quickly explained, "She was a makeup stylist, always so cheerful. How could she have jumped to her death...?"

Shen Tang nodded. "Who said it was suicide?"

The police hadn't even announced anything. How could people make assumptions like that?

The girl suddenly looked nervous. "I...I guessed. If it wasn't suicide, then she must have been murdered, right?"

"You sure know how to guess..." Shen Tang closed in and said softly, "Take another guess - why did she commit suicide then?" The girl stammered, "I...I don't know..."

"It's too early to draw conclusions now. What if she really was murdered?!"

The girl took a frightened step back.

Shen Tang's expression returned to normal. "Of course, I'm just making wild guesses too."

The girl smiled awkwardly. "I don't know what you're talking about. I need to get back to work." And she hurried off.

"Wait, what's your name?" Shen Tang asked.

The girl hesitated briefly before answering. "I'm Li Xiumei."

Shen Tang watched Li Xiumei walk away with an intense stare.

It was obvious at first listen that Li Xiumei was a fake name. Shen Tang didn't even need to guess.

She admitted that she had deliberately intimidated the girl.

She didn't know why, but she had a sixth sense that something was off about her.

Shen Tang hoped it was just her overthinking things.

Because of the incident, everyone went back early to rest that day.

The weather had also turned gloomy, and it began pouring heavily before long.

Shen Tang and Yuan Yuan shared a small suite. The two curled up on the sofa, too disturbed to do anything.

The rain dripped steadily outside. As night deepened, neither felt like sleeping yet.

"Sister Tang, how do you think she..." Yuan Yuan began.

Shen Tang's ears twitched and she quickly shushed the girl. She leaned sideways, straining to listen. There seemed to be faint rustling sounds coming from outside.

With a death having just occurred right downstairs, Yuan Yuan was petrified with fear. Clutching a pillow tightly, she didn't dare utter another word.

Shen Tang tiptoed on bare feet to the door and pressed her ear against it. Indeed, there were sounds outside - footsteps, pacing by, then coming back, finally stopping right outside their door.

Shortly after, they could hear the lock being tampered with.

Having heard this too, Yuan Yuan was dumbstruck with shock. Recalling the jumper from before, her mind leapt to the worst possibilities.

Could it be the murderer coming for them? Would they meet the same cruel end?

Tears instantly pooled in Yuan Yuan's eyes. "Sister Tang..." she whimpered.

Shen Tang had already swiftly sent a distress message to the police. She shot Yuan Yuan a look and mouthed, "Yuan Yuan, do you trust me?"

Remembering Sister Tang's previous mystical encounters, Yuan Yuan nodded. "I trust you!"

"Good. Quietly go lock yourself in the bedroom now."

But Yuan Yuan shook her head adamantly. "No, what about you then?"

Shen Tang said solemnly, "If you stay, I'll be distracted worrying about you."

Still, Yuan Yuan couldn't bring herself to abandon Sister Tang alone against an intruder, even knowing she would be a liability.

By now the person outside was clearly growing impatient, working at the lock with louder sounds, seemingly unconcerned about the noise they were making, emboldened by the rain and late hour.

Shen Tang urged again, "Have you forgotten how strong I am? Go, quickly!"