Chapter 2 The Bride of the Mountain God of Koko Village... Is it me?

Yu Naixin was on high alert when she suddenly saw something appear in front of her. Her first thought was to make it disappear as soon as possible.

With a thought from Yu Naixin, these words, flowing like blood, disappeared from her sight.

However, Yu Naixin quickly realized that the people making those comments on the screen in front of her were likely the ones mentioned in the terms and conditions of the "Heartbeat 1000%" program.

"audience".

Yu Naixin quickly tested it a few times and confirmed her guess: the interface of this light screen bullet screen could be controlled and hidden at will in her mind.

To some extent, her life was in the hands of these viewers. Yu Naixin pulled up the bullet comments and looked at them carefully.

Then she discovered that the audience's attitude towards her, the new female guest, was, to put it mildly, unfriendly.

Aside from numerous comments filled with malice and wishing for her death, all that remained were discussions about her appearance, with considerable overlap between the two.

[The lighting was too dim, I didn't see her clearly at first, but this new female guest is actually so cute!]

What a delicate and beautiful face! Like a glass doll~ Hehe, it would be especially beautiful if she were broken and shattered~

It's not easy to encounter such a good-looking guest on a TV show. I hope the male guest in her segment will be kind to her and give her a beautiful way to die.

[She's so petite, did the production team bring in a minor? Isn't "Heartbeat 1000%" supposed to prohibit minors from participating?]

Yu Naixin: "..."

The cacophony of your playing is so chaotic, I think you're still a minor!

In terms of looks, Yu Naixin is definitely a top-tier sweet girl. Her small, delicate face is as fair and smooth as fine porcelain. Her big, bright, almond-shaped eyes are moist and sparkling. Her nose is small and straight, and her lips are exquisite and alluring. Her features are beautiful and charming.

He is indeed quite short, only 1.53 meters tall, and looks much younger than his age.

But she really is an adult!

To be honest, having just experienced face-to-face, and even hand-in-hand, close contact with terrifying monsters and demons, Yu Naixin really felt that the comments in the live chat that wished for her tragic death were not enough.

There was no real impact.

Yu Naixin scanned these comments, and her biggest feeling was—regret.

She had been hoping that the viewers in the live stream might reveal some information that could help her win over the male guest or help her understand this ghost romance show and increase her chances of survival, but nothing came of it.

However, it's not too surprising. She's just a new female guest, so new that she's definitely at the lowest level in terms of access. She's probably been blocked from all the non-public information from the production team.

Yu Naixin's subtle actions were no secret to the viewers in the live broadcast room.

[Oh wow, I thought this new female guest looked so delicate and weak that she'd definitely die a horrible death early on. Turns out she's got some brains; she noticed the hidden rules of the live chat so quickly.]

[This is hilarious! She's actually trying to get help from us?!]

[If it weren't for... I'd almost tipped the male guest. This paper figure seems incredibly weak. Can't we just get rid of this female guest already?]

Even if she notices it, it's useless. She can't see at least 80% of the comments in the live stream right now, and she can't see what we're saying either. She's just like a headless fly.

[Isn't it good to be like a headless fly? I love watching the show's guests get completely fooled by their targets, hahaha!]

With a soft sigh in her heart, Yu Naixin ignored the viewers on the other side of the screen who had no idea whether they were human or ghost, or what kind of creature they were.

She temporarily turned off the live chat program and carefully examined the village lights in front of her.

Since she inexplicably transmigrated into this dating reality show, this is the first time Yu Naixin has seen a scene that isn't so gloomy and terrifying.

She couldn't take her eyes off the window of the house closest to her.

...Could someone be living in here?

Yu Naixin really wants to meet her kind.

This at least proves that in this bizarre world, there are not only monsters like the three male guests she encountered, but also ordinary humans like her who can survive!

Noticing the longing in Yu Naixin's eyes, the paper doll boy suddenly gripped her hand much tighter.

"Miss Yu!" The paper-figure boy looked at Yu Naixin anxiously, his expression extremely tense. "Do you...do you like those flames?"

The cold hand gripped Yu Naixin's left hand tightly, the chill almost seeping into her bones, making her entire arm numb with cold.

Yu Naixin quickly averted her gaze: "Huh? Ah! Of course not! How could that be, hahaha!"

With an awkward yet polite smile, she quickly changed the subject, asking, "Do you live in this village? I think your village is nice! The parents must have a very good relationship and be very loving and happy, right? No, I wanted to ask what your village's name is?"

Since it's supposed to be a dating reality show, it needs a venue.

The village in front of us, at a glance, appears to be quite large, with many houses, a certain set design, and an environment and atmosphere that perfectly match the style of the production team. It's probably the one.

Yu Naixin wanted to learn more about the venue.

At least... it can be used to escape.

Paper doll boy: "...?"

A look of bewilderment appeared on the paper doll boy's face.

He knew that Yu Naixin came here from outside. Do people from outside always talk like that?

Although he still couldn't quite understand many of the words in Yu Naixin's speech, the paper doll boy understood that Yu Naixin wanted to ask what the name of the village was.

“Cocoon Village.” The paper-figure boy’s voice was clear, low, and slightly hoarse as he replied, “This village is a giant cocoon.”

**********

Upon entering the village, Yu Naixin discovered that not only was there no one outside, but there wasn't even a dog, a bird, or a mosquito.

It was truly a state of utter silence.

The paper doll boy holding Yu Naixin's hand didn't make a sound as he moved.

In such an eerily quiet environment, Yu Naixin's every step was particularly noticeable, making a rustling sound as she stepped on the sand and grass.

Even though Yu Naixin had tried her best to be as quiet as possible, even to the point of moving in unison, the results were minimal.

She cautiously glanced around. The houses in the village were monotonous and indistinct, while just a few meters from the edge of the outermost houses, there was a thick, almost tangible, gray fog.

The gray fog seemed to have no boundaries, not only surrounding the entire village from all four directions, but also firmly shrouding the sky above the village.

Not a single ray of light fell from the dome.

Yu Naixin felt she could understand why the paper doll boy said the village was a giant cocoon.

She is now like an insignificant speck of dust trapped in a cocoon.

The paper doll boy led Yu Naixin across most of the village.

He finally stopped in front of an old house in a corner of the village.

The paper doll boy still didn't let go of Yu Naixin's hand. With a creak, he skillfully opened the heavy wooden door with his other free hand.

In the dim light streaming through the window of the neighboring house, Yu Naixin saw a house filled to the brim with... clothes.

Wardrobes were placed on the ground, clothes racks hung on the walls, and even clotheslines hung from the ceiling, all covered with ancient costumes that matched the style of the three male guests in this dating reality show.

It has all four seasons, and caters to men, women, young and old.

Looking at the scene that resembled a fashion showroom, Yu Naixin couldn't help but exclaim softly, "My goodness, it's so beautiful..."

Having been here for so long, Yu Naixin's eyes have already adjusted to the dim light.

Although she couldn't see the details clearly, she could tell that every piece of clothing here was quite well-designed, with pleasing highlights in terms of cut, style, tailoring, and embroidery.

Just like the footsteps before, no matter how soft Yu Naixin's voice was, the paper doll boy could still hear it clearly in the quiet of the night.

In an instant, the paper boy seemed to have been greatly stimulated, and his whole body trembled violently, his paper body making a brief rustling sound in the air.

The wind made Yu Naixin's heart sink.

...What did she trigger?!

Yu Naixin wasn't sure if it was just her imagination, but she felt that the cold aura emanating from the paper doll boy had become much stronger after he opened the wooden door of the old house.

At this moment, the paper boy was surrounded by a faint gray-white aura, and his distinct black and white features became more vivid and full. At first glance, he looked just like a living person.

"Miss Yu!" The paper-figure boy stared intently at Yu Naixin, his eyes shining with an unprecedented brightness. "You really think... these clothes are beautiful?"

His eyes held a mixture of trepidation and anticipation, his expression carrying a certain reverence, as if he were awaiting a life-or-death trial.

"That's exactly what I think..." Yu Naixin forced herself to speak, not avoiding the burning, almost boiling gaze of the paper doll boy, almost whispering her true feelings, "It's very beautiful..."

The next second, Yu Naixin saw that a single tear actually flowed from the ink-painted eyes of the paper boy!

"Thank you! Thank you, Miss Yu! Thank you so much!" The paper-figure boy's voice choked with emotion, both surprised and delighted. "You...you're the first person to say that the clothes I made are beautiful!"

At this moment, the paper boy no longer seemed like a sinister and terrifying ghost, but rather a child who had finally received praise and was so excited that he was at a loss for what to do.

His tone became much lighter: "The villagers all think I'm unlucky, saying that the clothes I make are full of bad luck. Except for the times I make clothes to welcome the mountain god's bride, they won't even glance at them..."

"But I really love tailoring and making clothes!"

"I've been working hard, constantly improving my skills, wanting to gain recognition from others... Finally! Finally, today I met you, the first person to appreciate me!"

Before she could even rejoice at having clearly won over the favor she was looking for, Yu Naixin had a very bad feeling when she heard words like "mountain god" and "bride".

If you take into account the background of Cocoon Village and the identities of the three male guests...

"That..." Yu Naixin's voice trembled, "This time, the mountain god's bride... is it me?"

A note from the author:

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