Chapter 38: Exchange

Looking at the blue MP3 player with a worn corner, Ji Linmo made a simple adjustment.
It still worked, and the sound was clear enough.
Satisfied, he nodded and tossed the pink skirt from his inventory to Gu Yulan.
“Take care of this afternoon’s matter properly.”
Grandma Gu stared incredulously at the pink skirt in her hands, then looked up at Ji Linmo.
But the man had already walked away, as if the outburst caused by the props earlier had never happened.
“Yes… this is me, this is truly me!”
Wearing the skirt, the ghostly grandmother preened in front of the mirror, basking in her own delight.
But just as she twirled in her skirt before the floor-to-ceiling window, Ji Linmo, walking away in the distance, suddenly turned back and called out to her with a chilly question.
“Grandma Gu, let me ask you—why did you never try to take Zhu Jun’s skin, even though he lived on the second floor like you and visited your home so many times?”
“Did he use some trick to spare his life?”
Contrary to Ji Linmo’s expectations, his question made “Ghost Grandma—Gu Yulan” sigh helplessly.
“Young man, I have discerning taste. Not everyone makes me covet their skin. That Zhu Jun—he’s too ugly, doesn’t meet my standards.”
Ji Linmo, having heard the answer to his last question, was left speechless and strode away from the balcony.
—Who would have thought? Even the ugly have their own luck.
He stepped into the living room, which was still a mess. But when Ji Linmo opened the door to Room 202, he froze.
The previous tremors had not affected just Room 202, but the entire complex.
The already dilapidated corridor now bore enormous cracks, exposing the steel beams within.
Dust billowed everywhere, the building looked as though it had suffered a great catastrophe.
Ji Linmo brushed the dust from his clothes and began to walk.
Boom!
Suddenly, another earthquake shook the ground, debris flying, the entire building swaying violently; Ji Linmo nearly fell.
Then, as if nothing had happened, the corridor abruptly returned to calm.
Aside from the gaping cracks on the floor, it was as if nothing had occurred.
What was going on?
[*@#@￥]

【Today: Day 12】
【Time remaining until the end of the game: 00:36:00】
【Players left in this instance: 3】
The prompt bar flashed erratic text, then returned to normal.
Ji Linmo stared at the prompt, eyes wide with disbelief.
Why had the game time jumped to Day 12?
The time on the corridor was unchanged, still showing 09:30, just as when he left Old Ma’s home.
But the prompt bar couldn’t be wrong—there was no doubt now, twelve days had passed in the instance.
Yet he had just left Old Ma’s place, and there was no way that house could accelerate time so drastically. Why had the game time leapt from Day 4 to Day 12 in an instant?
Faced with the abrupt anomaly, a chill crept up Ji Linmo’s spine.
It had collapsed.
The game could no longer hold together.
—The “Ruolan Community—Night of the Ghost Bride” S-level game was originally stacked on top of the B-level Ruolan Community instance after the “Instant Wedding Dress” was used.
Now, with the props gone, the instance was crumbling, causing this chaos!
“This is troublesome. Only thirty-six hours left…”
Ji Linmo looked at the countdown and took a deep breath.
Time would wait for no one; he had to find the clues he needed quickly.
At the door of Room 302,
Ji Linmo handed the MP3 to “Ghost Star—Yang Xingxing.”
“Haha! Such a great thing? I just mentioned it and you brought it out. I really underestimated you!”
Yang Xingxing, her hair tied in pigtails, grinned and immediately gave Ji Linmo an impromptu performance with her raspy, metallic voice.
Earlier, she had complained to Ji Linmo that she was frustrated by not being able to hear the songs she was supposed to sing while recording, making it hard to keep up with the beat.
Now, with the MP3, recording songs would be much easier for her.
“Yang Xingxing, I really like your singing. Could you give me the videotape of your previous recordings?”
“As a return gift for the MP3.”
Yang Xingxing smiled brightly and happily fetched a videotape from inside, handing it to Ji Linmo.

“You actually want my videotape so badly? Looks like you’ve truly been conquered by my enchanting voice! I knew it—most people have a talent for appreciation!”
“But no matter how well this tape is recorded, it’s not as wonderful as me singing for you live. How about I give you another performance right now?”
Ji Linmo quickly waved his hand, indicating he had urgent matters and couldn’t enjoy it this time, perhaps next time.
Yang Xingxing coughed a few times and awkwardly scratched her head before closing the door and going back inside.

【Yang Xingxing’s Videotape】
【Item Quality: Inferior】
【Item Description: A song that offends both gods and men—a singer who turns a beautiful melody into such a travesty is a desecration of the original artist!】
Ji Linmo stowed the tape away, tidied himself up, then knocked on the door across the hall—“Ghost Teacher—Nie Xiaolan’s” apartment.

The rusty iron door creaked open slowly.
Nie Xiaolan, wrapped in a loose robe and showing a hint of bare shoulder, leaned languidly behind the door, smiling at Ji Linmo.
“Mr. Ji Linmo, is there something I can help you with?”
But before she finished speaking, a small face peeked out from beside her long, graceful legs, barely visible beneath her robe.
Nie Haohao poked his head out, curious.
Seeing that it was Ji Linmo at the door, he beamed and grabbed Ji Linmo’s hand.
“Big brother Ji Linmo, you’re coming to play at my house again! I’ve missed you. Mom has to go to work soon and can’t play with me, will you stay and play with me?”
Ji Linmo glanced at Nie Xiaolan, smiled, and crouched down to look at Nie Haohao.
“Alright, big brother would love to play with you, but I wonder if your mom will allow it?”
At once, Nie Haohao tugged at the corner of Nie Xiaolan’s robe, swinging it back and forth.
“Mom, mom! Let big brother in!”
“I really want big brother to play with me!”
Nie Xiaolan hesitated slightly, but seeing Nie Haohao’s persistence, she smiled and invited Ji Linmo in.
“Just a moment, I need to change clothes. Haohao, you play with big brother.”
As Nie Xiaolan went into her bedroom, Nie Haohao grabbed Ji Linmo’s sleeve, pouting in dissatisfaction.
“Big brother, where have you been these days? I haven’t seen you in the elevator at all.”