Although the person on camera wasn't clearly visible, the voice of the 'Cute and Lovely Big Beauty's' father came through loud and clear:
"Sweetheart, Xiao Li and I got married today. You'll have to call her Mom from now on."
Next, her best friend and now-stepmother also spoke: "Lele, your dad and I are officially married. We didn't say anything before because we were worried you wouldn't be able to accept it. Don't worry, your father and I will both love you from now on. Lele, you'll give us your blessing, won't you?"
The 'Cute and Lovely Big Beauty' flew into a rage. "Call you Mom?! Fuck! I thought you were my best friend, and you're trying to be my mother!"
The viewers on screen, thoroughly enjoying the drama, chimed in:
[Holy shit, I thought I came here for Zhou Ye gossip, but this is actual fortune-telling. I was expecting to see a fraud get exposed, but instead, I'm watching some trashy family melodrama.]
['Cute and Lovely Big Beauty', listen to me, for the sake of your allowance, you have to endure it! Endure!]
[For real, I don't even make 90,000 yuan a year. If I had a dad that rich giving me that much money every month, he could find a few more stepmoms for all I care!]
The phone screen went black, but the sound of furious cursing still came through, soon followed by loud CRASHING and BANGING.
It was easy to imagine the fierce fight that had broken out.
A short while later, the connection dropped.
[It cut off! So did she lose her allowance or not?]
[I bet it was. 'Cute and Lovely Big Beauty' doesn't have the money for the divination fee, so she bailed!]
[Poor streamer. She predicted the beginning but couldn't predict the ending.]
Feeling sorry for the streamer, many people started sending her 'Little Hearts'.
Shen Zhiyao, however, wasn't worried. She took a sip of water and said nonchalantly, "Does anyone else want a reading? I can do two more today."
However, a thousand yuan for a single reading was no small sum for the average person. It might have been worth it if her predictions were actually accurate.
But with 'Cute and Lovely Big Beauty' disconnected, no one knew whether the reading had been accurate or not.
So, while the public chat was buzzing with conversation, not a single person actually stepped up for a reading.
Another twenty minutes passed. Suddenly, a blue light flashed on the screen as a huge white dragon appeared, accompanied by a resounding roar.
['Cute and Lovely Big Beauty' sent a 'Potential Dragon Abyss'.]
There are many kinds of gifts on Douyin Live Stream. A 'Little Heart' costs 0.1 yuan, while a 'Potential Dragon Abyss' is 1,600 yuan.
That was over 600 yuan more than Shen Zhiyao's fee for a reading.
When the viewers saw 'Cute and Lovely Big Beauty' reappear, the chat immediately erupted.
['Cute and Lovely Big Beauty', quick, give us the update! Did you save your allowance? I've been waiting here, and the suspense is killing me!]
[She paid for the gift, so she definitely lost it. Looks like the reading was accurate after all.]
[Don't be sad, girl! Don't go head-to-head with your dad. You couldn't keep the man, so at least keep the money!]
[Can someone's fortune-telling really be that accurate? I'm not buying it. This has to be staged, right?!]
After sending the gift, 'Cute and Lovely Big Beauty' left the stream without another word.
She still had a stepmother to battle; she was in no mood to inquire about Zhou Ye's gossip.
Perhaps the first reading served as an icebreaker, because soon, another user named 'Wu Ai Wo Fu' connected for a reading.
This time, a skeletal middle-aged man appeared. He wasn't bad-looking, just filthy and utterly listless.
Many people were already eagerly asking in the comments what he wanted a reading about.
Shen Zhiyao's gaze, however, looked past the man and settled on a corner behind him. There stood a woman in a white dress, her face covered in blood.
"A thousand for a reading, no charge if I'm wrong. Wu Ai Wo Fu, what is your question?" Shen Zhiyao asked calmly.
Wu Ai Wo Fu calmed himself before speaking. "I haven't been sleeping well lately. The moment I close my eyes, I feel like there's something under my bed, and a chill runs down my spine. Just now, I was about to fall asleep when I saw a woman staring at me with hateful eyes. It scared me awake. Streamer, am I haunted?"
Shen Zhiyao nodded. "Something like that. She's right behind you."
Her words sent the chat into another frenzy:
[Holy shit, don't be so scary this late at night!]
[Sir, don't be scared! Quick, give me your address, I'll go get Lin Zhengying for you!]
[What kind of stream is this, anyway? We've gone from celebrity gossip to trashy family melodrama, and now we're onto ghost stories?]
Hearing Shen Zhiyao, Wu Ai Wo Fu quickly looked behind him, but he saw nothing. His heart just pounded even more fiercely than before.
"Streamer, are you serious? Please don't scare me."
Shen Zhiyao said calmly, "Don't be afraid. You know better than anyone what that is, and who that woman is, don't you?"
Wu Ai Wo Fu froze. "I really don't know! I've never done anything wicked in my life, I've never hurt anyone. Streamer, can you talk to her? Tell her to leave? Or at least help me see what she looks like."
Wu Ai Wo Fu was so frantic he was no longer making sense.
Although Shen Zhiyao was inhabiting a mortal vessel, her soul had been cultivated for over a hundred years. She could certainly see things ordinary people could not.
The soul was currently in a powerful state, but through its malevolent facade, Shen Zhiyao could still see its original appearance.
"She's a woman in a white dress with waist-length hair," she said. "But her stomach is huge, as if she's eight months pregnant."
At these words, Wu Ai Wo Fu was so terrified he collapsed to the floor in a heap, his face breaking out in a cold sweat.
He stiffly turned his head, but still saw nothing. He called out tentatively, "You... Who are you? Can you please stay away from me... I'm begging you, please leave! I'm begging you!"
Unseen by the viewers, the woman's hands were inching slowly toward Wu Ai Wo Fu's neck. Her eyes were blood-red, as if she held a mortal grudge against the man.
Wu Ai Wo Fu couldn't see her either. He pleaded fearfully with Shen Zhiyao, "Streamer, I really haven't done anything heinous! I don't know that woman in white! I don't want to die! Streamer, please help me! At least let me see what she looks like!"
Shen Zhiyao snorted. "If you're not afraid to die, then by all means, have a look," she said softly. "Find a cup, place willow leaves in some water, and wipe it over your eyes. Then you'll be able to see her."
Wu Ai Wo Fu immediately did as he was told.
His bedroom contained nothing but a bed. Following Shen Zhiyao's instructions, he applied the Willow Leaf Water to his eyes.
Soon, the figure of a woman materialized before his eyes.
The woman had waist-length hair and a gaunt frame, her large belly protruding. She was staring daggers at Wu Ai Wo Fu with a vicious gaze.
"AHHHHHH!"
Terrified, Wu Ai Wo Fu fell backward onto the floor and scrambled away.
The camera was pointed right at Wu Ai Wo Fu. A dark shadow flickered across the feed, revealing the woman's form.
"Susu..." The man's eyes widened as he repeatedly murmured her name, "Susu."
The man scrambled over to the woman's side. He reached out to gently touch the hem of her dress, but his hand passed through nothing but empty air.
The sight truly startled everyone watching.
[What did I just see? Was that... a woman's ghost soul?]
[AHHHH, I can't believe I'm seeing a fucking ghost on a live stream in my lifetime!]
[Pfft, what's with all the fuss? They just got someone to act it out. It's all smoke and mirrors.]
[Exactly! She screwed over our Zhou Ye, and now that she has the popularity, she's pulling these kinds of stunts. It's all for fame!]
[I don't care what you guys say, I'm a believer now. Streamer, if I use that method, will I be able to see ghost souls, too?]