Chapter 79: Terrifying Live Stream (16)
"Who are you?" Zhang Zhaoqi gave him a cold glance. His tone hadn't changed at all, yet one could sense that he was in a terrible mood. Si Chenshao, standing beside him, immediately felt a chill run down his spine.
Whether it was the seemingly gentle Ke Han, or the always composed Zhang Zhaoqi, both were radiating a subtle, heavy aura. The black-haired, black-eyed youth blinked, and after a slight delay, introduced the two to each other, "Ke Han, this is Zhang Zhaoqi."
"This is Ke Han." Qi An's gaze shifted from Ke Han to Zhang Zhaoqi.
"And also Ann Ann's admirer." Ke Han tugged at the corner of his mouth, adding in a peculiar tone. As he spoke, he affectionately adjusted the coat on Qi An, allowing his own oversized outerwear to wrap around the youth entirely. "Hello, Zhang Zhaoqi, right? Nice to meet you. Ann Ann has mentioned me too. My name is Ke Han, just the lucky audience member they pulled."
"Mm." Zhang Zhaoqi's gaze turned even colder. "I see."
The system, which had been quietly observing, suddenly noticed its host frowning slightly. Its heart immediately tensed. Its gaze darted continuously between Zhang Zhaoqi and Ke Han. Although to outsiders, Qi An's expression showed no change, the system could sense something different.
Beneath the youth's seemingly helpless exterior, he was deep in thought.
"So you're Qi An." Seeing that things were heading in a bad direction, Si Chenshao looked at the confused Qi An and internally clicked his tongue, deciding to lighten the mood appropriately. "I'm Si Chenshao. I've heard the viewers in the live stream mention you before, saying your looks are exceptional. Now that I've seen you in person, it's really true."
Ever since the livestream started, the name Qi An had been appearing frequently in his stream. Generally, when celebrities pair with ordinary people for a show, the ordinary person gets completely overshadowed. But Qi An's popularity was remarkably high. Si Chenshao had always wondered what kind of charm Qi An possessed.
Now that he finally met him, he truly understood the reason.
Qi An was perfectly suited for the花瓶—pretty face—character in the script.
He looked like someone raised in a greenhouse. Although fragile and unable to withstand any danger, he was so exquisitely beautiful that no one could compare. Even if you looked down on him, even if you hated him...
You couldn't help but admit that your gaze would involuntarily fall upon him.
You would hope that this incredibly fragile flower could lean on you, desperately begging for your pity. When he stood there at a loss, his dark eyes darting about in panic, even if your expression showed contempt, your heart would still be unable to suppress a hidden, sick excitement.
Someone like this... definitely shouldn't enter the entertainment industry they're part of.
Otherwise... they'd be eaten alive without a trace left.
These thoughts only flashed through Si Chenshao's mind for a moment. He habitually reached out to pat Zhang Zhaoqi's shoulder, but just before making contact, he chickened out and stopped. Instead, he verbally complained a few times, "And you, Zhang Zhaoqi, we've been in the same group for so long, and you never told me you knew Qi An."
"..." Zhang Zhaoqi didn't answer at first. After a while, he spoke in an indescribable tone. "Mm, Qi An and I have indeed known each other for a long time."
After he finished speaking, Qi An could feel Ke Han's grip on him tighten noticeably. But just a second later, the other's gentle voice rang out again, "I see. I've never heard Ann Ann mention you before."
"Cough cough cough." A certain sense of crisis made Si Chenshao deliberately cough several times, shifting the topic. "Where are Liang Xuan and the others? I just saw the netizens in the livestream say something seemed to have happened on your end."
The youth's face turned somewhat pale. Wearing that oversized coat made him appear even more small and helpless. It was Ke Han whose smile deepened instead. "I know where they are. Let me show you the way."
The journey back was unexpectedly quiet. Even Si Chenshao, who was usually very active in interacting with the viewers, felt a deep sense of压抑—oppression.
The door was pushed open by Ke Han again. The moment it opened, a strong fragrance wafted out.
"Did they just finish eating? This group of people, not even a tiny bit of sharing spirit. Don't they know I'm starving here?" Si Chenshao made a hurt expression.
But when he saw Liang Xuan inside, her face deathly pale and one arm severed, his smile froze. On the floor covered in blood, the girl's usually cold face showed visible fear. Si Chenshao had worked with Liang Xuan several times before, naturally knowing what kind of persona she portrayed and how flawlessly she did so.
But her current state was worlds apart from her usual persona.
Qi An walked in behind Si Chenshao. Once he clearly saw the scene inside, he couldn't help but frown slightly.
Beneath the fragrance was a faint metallic smell of blood. Qi An's gaze swept the area and finally landed on that large pot.
"You're back." Zhi Le's voice carried a smile. He looked at Qi An first, but when he noticed Zhang Zhaoqi standing beside Qi An, his eyes narrowed. "...Zhang Zhaoqi? So it really is you. I thought it was just a coincidence in names."
"Mm." Unlike Zhi Le, who spoke as if reuniting with an old friend, Zhang Zhaoqi's brow seemed to furrow slightly. "It's indeed been some time since we've seen each other."
"Right? I had no idea you and Qi An were so close." Zhi Le's voice paused, and he looked at Qi An with interest. He clicked his tongue, touching his chin as if with some special meaning. "But then again... it's normal."
Knock knock knock.
Even though the door was open, a polite knocking sound rang out.
"So everyone's here after all."
The voice that rang out was clear and crisp. Qi An turned his head to look and saw a girl in clothing similar to ethnic minority attire walking in from outside the door.
Many bells were hanging from her clothes. Logically, the slightest movement should cause these bells to make sounds. But before the knocking sound, no one had been able to hear these sounds at all.
It was as if some kind of force had firmly locked these bells onto the girl's body.
The man beside her, on the other hand, had bronze-colored skin and looked extremely sunny. The loose clothing subtly outlined the muscles hidden beneath.
"Lian Zhou." The man gave a slight nod, basically greeting them.
"I'm Hang Man." The earlier girl spoke up. Qi An noticed that when she said her final sentence, she directed her gaze at him. "I'm also a fortune teller."
The girl's eyes suddenly filled with a silver-white color. This silver-white was like a symbol of mystery and the obscure. But the next second, her pupils slightly contracted, and her body trembled faintly.
[Ann Ann, why do I suddenly have an uneasy premonition?]
[Because... everyone's here.] Qi An's voice that answered the system was cold and indifferent, but the system subconsciously understood what he meant to convey.
Once everyone was gathered, the possibility of other things happening would only increase.
[But then again...] There was a hint of something else in Qi An's voice. [From then until now, it's already been half a day.]