Cheng Jia was completely stunned, staring at the person in front of him in disbelief, almost unable to trust his own eyes.
Gu Wuji, who was already remarkably handsome, now seemed to emit a divine radiance in his eyes, exuding an aura of nobility. Even his cold, piercing gaze now carried a hint of compassion.
A surge of overwhelming emotion erupted within Cheng Jia's heart, and tears welled up in his eyes. In this moment, he completely forgot how he had previously insulted and looked down upon Gu Wuji. He felt that Gu Wuji was akin to a divine being, appearing at this precise moment and saving his life without holding any grudges.
How could he have ever mistaken such a figure for a third-rate, low-quality minor celebrity? This was clearly a mogul with extraordinary skills just casually dabbling in the entertainment industry!
"Are you alright?" Gu Wuji wondered if Cheng Jia had been scared silly, as he showed no reaction at all.
Just before arriving here, Xu Mingjun suddenly claimed to feel unwell, so Gu Wuji came alone. Then, just as he was about to enter, he was startled by a voice from inside the car, causing his hand to shake and accidentally open the door.
Gu Wuji paused, trying to decide what to do. After all, Cheng Jia had been here for so long without any harm coming to him. It seemed that the conditions for ghosts to harm people were quite strict, so letting him figure things out on his own a bit longer shouldn't cause any harm.
"Master Gu! I never thought you would actually come!" Cheng Jia's tear-filled eyes brimmed with deep gratitude, his voice choked with emotion.
Thinking back to how he had previously praised Xu Mingjun and even humiliated Gu Wuji because of him, Cheng Jia wanted to slap himself. He had practically dug his own grave. If it weren't for Gu Wuji's magnanimity, he would probably have been dead hundreds of times over.
Gu Wuji: "???" Did Cheng Jia turn out to be such an emotionally rich person? And why did he call me like that?
"Don't say more, let's get out of here."
"Yes!" Cheng Jia's emotions stabilized slightly at this, and he looked at Gu Wuji gratefully, cautiously attempting to move out. The figure in front suddenly twitched, startling Cheng Jia stiff, then he quickly jumped off the car, hiding behind Gu Wuji like a rabbit.
Gu Wuji's gaze followed suit, fixing on the headless figure, and he said, "That driver seems a bit off."
Cheng Jia behind him was on the verge of tears. "A bit off? This is straight-up supernatural! Can a normal person's head just fall off like that?"
"Is it because he's missing his head?" Gu Wuji pondered for a moment, stating what should have been obvious to anyone.
Despite this, Cheng Jia's gaze towards Gu Wuji was still filled with awe. In his eyes, Gu Wuji must have had a formidable plan, knowing exactly how to deal with this supernatural entity. Even if what he said sounded like nonsense, it must have had some profound meaning behind it.
In reality, Gu Wuji had no idea how to proceed. He simply had some experience from encountering similar situations before, coupled with some unconventional thinking...
Surveying his surroundings, he noticed a skull lying on the ground nearby. Without a hint of concern, he walked over and picked it up under Cheng Jia's horrified gaze, facing its half-rotted visage directly.
Bloodshot eyes bulged out, eerily fixing on him, as the black, blood-stained hair grew longer, subtly entwining around his arms.
"Master Gu, the head, the head..." Cheng Jia's trembling voice clearly betrayed his fear, his knees weak and shaking uncontrollably, barely able to remain standing. But seeing Gu Wuji's calm expression, his fear was instantly dispelled.
Even the previously terrifying head now seemed like nothing more than a trivial toy in Gu Wuji's hands.
Since Master Gu remained so composed, there must not be any problem! He couldn't help but inch closer to Gu Wuji, yet fearing to anger the master, he struggled to maintain a delicate distance, lightly touching Gu Wuji's clothes with his fingertips... as if this could offer him some magical protection.
Gu Wuji walked to the front door of the vehicle, pulled it open, and then... directly placed the head on the headless body, his movements exceptionally natural and smooth, as if simply closing a kettle lid.
Watching from afar, Cheng Jia's admiration grew even stronger. Truly worthy of Master Gu!
"Alright, is there anything else you need help with now?" Gu Wuji spoke as if he had just done a great deed, looking at the ghostly driver with a compassionate gaze, encouragingly saying, "Don't worry, just speak up about your needs, I won't look down on you for your disability."
After all, since heads are so easy to come off, calling the other person disabled... is there really a problem with being a disabled ghost? Gu Wuji found this reasoning very logical and felt even more eager to help the driver before him.
When the ghostly driver saw the sympathy in Gu Wuji's eyes, he froze for a moment, then seemed to be angered, blood vessels bulging in his eyes, his eyes turning crimson, and filthy blood continuously pouring from his facial orifices.
"Ah, it seems like you, Uncle Driver, should also take a rest. Late-night fatigue driving has already worn you out like this," Gu Wuji said, patting the ghostly driver's shoulder, showing genuine concern. "Even though earning money is important, your health is equally crucial. Chairman Mao once said, 'Health is the foundation of revolution.'"
He felt these ghostly drivers were really struggling, and he felt he was being exceptionally kind tonight, comforting so many souls. This Uncle Driver here, judging by his age and attire, must be from the 1960s, someone who had likely memorized Chairman Mao's quotations. His words would surely be an inspiration to him.
The ghostly driver's grip on the steering wheel was almost about to burst.
A sound of shattering came from the side, and Gu Wuji turned to see a crack appearing in the rearview mirror. In the reflection, he saw himself without a head, his neck smoothly severed, exposing the skeletal bones and blood gushing out.
Upon closer inspection, he noticed that the ghostly driver in the mirror was wearing his own head on his neck! The familiar face bore a sinister smile, resembling a seductive ghost capable of ensnaring souls.
Gu Wuji's body tensed up instantly, finally feeling afraid.
The ghostly spirit, upon witnessing this scene, revealed a malicious and brazen smile, its tongue a bright red, and menacingly licked its snow-white teeth.
Standing behind them, Cheng Jia couldn't hear their conversation at all. For some reason, he saw a look of vengeance fulfilled on the face of the evil ghost... it must be his imagination!
"Hmm, it seems like I can try roles like this in the future too. It's much more promising than playing adventurous college students who act recklessly," Gu Wuji murmured to himself, then couldn't help but glance at the ghostly face in the mirror a few times, nodding with increasing satisfaction.
Ghost: "???"
Is this mirror meant for you to contemplate your future career paths?! What's wrong with this human!
"Alright, if everything's fine now, we'll be on our way," Gu Wuji said cheerfully to the driver. "Until next time!"
With a wave, he and Cheng Jia walked away briskly, no longer hindered by any ghostly presence, the mist ahead dissipating.
As his words faded, the ghostly driver glanced over reluctantly, but knowing this person was utterly unaffected... completely devoid of the emotion of fear, he realized he had no power over him! Instead, his resentment from the fatal accident seemed to dissipate somewhat, and he even regained some memories from his past life. If his children, left behind, had grown up safely, they would likely be around the same age as this young man.
How long had it been since he had a normal conversation with someone... the ghostly driver shook his head, feeling a slight softening of his hardened heart. Slowly, he drove into the mist, unnoticed, the dark aura surrounding him gradually fading away.
"Now that things should be sorted out, your phone signal should be back. If you can't find your way, you can call someone to pick you up," Gu Wuji said, feeling extremely good after doing a good deed. Even when he looked at Cheng Jia, his expression was warm and friendly, with moonlight gently casting its glow behind him.
Cheng Jia suddenly felt overwhelmed with gratitude. Although he didn't know exactly what Gu Wuji had done, it must have been something incredible to drive away that terrifying ghost!
Perhaps it was the imposing aura from cultivation novels! Without lifting a finger, he had already sent the petty villains fleeing in panic.
---
After coming out of that yin-yang space, Cheng Jia, weakened by the shock, was taken directly to the hospital by his family. He vowed to personally come and express his gratitude after leaving the hospital.
This incident didn't cause much stir in the outside world, partly because the Cheng family restricted some information, but mainly because the next day, an even bigger news broke out.
Xu Mingjun unexpectedly posted an apology video on his Weibo. He was afraid that just posting text would make others think his account was hacked, and then he said some strange things that displeased Gu Wuji, so he sincerely made a video.
The video vividly expressed Xu Mingjun's strong desire to survive. He confessed to deliberately causing conflicts with Gu Wuji because of jealousy over roles he had obtained, spreading rumors detrimental to Gu Wuji, and other things.
The details were so explicit that even his fans didn't know how to defend him anymore, and countless fans unsubscribed in an instant.
At the end of the video, Xu Mingjun tearfully vowed to mend his ways and become a better person. Only a few die-hard fans insisted that their idol must have been coerced. Perhaps Gu Wuji had resorted to despicable means to threaten Xu Mingjun into doing this just to clear his own name. Without detailed evidence, they refused to believe otherwise.
Even Gu Wuji was puzzled by what he saw. Although Xu Mingjun had previously sworn to go back and clarify things, this clarification seemed too intense. Xu Mingjun even appeared as if he feared being silenced if he didn't speak well, with a facial expression oozing flattery.
Was he really that terrifying in Xu Mingjun's eyes?
For a moment, the entire Weibo community was shocked, especially the crew members. They couldn't wrap their heads around why Xu Mingjun would do something so self-destructive. Was he insane? Even if he were willing, Mr. Xiao Cheng would never allow the situation to escalate like this.
However, soon enough, a crew member claiming they couldn't stand by any longer emerged and leaked the surveillance footage from the set that day, completely confirming the authenticity of Xu Mingjun's statements.
The die-hard fans who had fiercely defended Xu Mingjun were left speechless. Others began to feel that everything appeared to be back to normal. It was speculated that Xu Mingjun had probably anticipated someone coming forward to expose the truth, so he preemptively apologized to salvage some of his image. Although it seemed unlikely for him to have any chance of redemption now, given the circumstances, his close relationship with Mr. Xiao Cheng...
But then they noticed that all the water army hired to smear Gu Wuji had disappeared, and the trending topics had all been taken down, replaced by news of Gu Wuji's true behavior on set.
As for Xu Mingjun, countless scandals began to surface, including sabotaging seniors, rejecting gifts from fans, and even rumors of past patronage, completely shattering his image.
Anyone with a brain could see that the tide had turned. The crew members immediately came forward to verify that all of this was true.
In no time, Gu Wuji's online reputation took a complete turn. From being seen as an arrogant newcomer, he became known as someone who deeply respected the elderly, loved the young, and had impeccable character, someone who couldn't defend himself against wrongful accusations.
If it were an ordinary person marketing such a "white lotus" persona, they would probably crash and burn quickly. But Gu Wuji was naturally like this (except for being wronged), making it hard for people to find any evidence to discredit him. They only saw Gu Wuji as a breath of fresh air in the cutthroat entertainment industry.
Coupled with Gu Wuji's outstanding looks, not only did many old fans come back, but he also attracted a large number of new fans who were captivated by his charm.
Those who thought he was going to bid farewell to the entertainment industry were left dumbfounded.
The online turmoil had no impact on Gu Wuji's life whatsoever.
Thanks to Cheng Jia's instructions to the crew, Gu Wuji's role regained its proper screen time, and after shooting for another ten days or so, his pay was increased tenfold from the original contract. Cheng Jia even personally funded a deal for Gu Wuji to receive thirty percent of the box office revenue after the film's release.
The entire film's promotion also revolved around Gu Wuji.
As for Xu Mingjun, with all the scandals surfacing and his previous conflict with Cheng Jia, he didn't dare to stay any longer and packed up his bags to leave.
Just when things were settling down and Gu Wuji was about to showcase his culinary skills once again, he was pulled into a new parallel world.