Chapter Summaries

Cheng Sirong released three songs written by Su Li, and they surged to the top of the music charts while earning him widespread acclaim. Su Li absorbed the listeners’ emotional energy and saw the flower on his Eye of Emotion half-open, bringing Yuan closer to solidifying.

• Cheng Sirong’s performance of “Later” moved listeners to tears, and the song rapidly climbed the rankings.
• Listeners praised “Painted Heart” and “Kiss Everywhere,” impressed by Su Li’s ability to write songs in different styles.
• Singers, composers, and entertainment companies reacted with shock and jealousy as they sought to contact Su Li’s manager, Zhou Jing.
• By evening, Su Li’s three songs held the top three places on the season chart, and his Feibo following surpassed seven million.
• Cheng Sirong thanked Su Li publicly, and Su Li sensed the listeners’ emotional energy as the flower on his Eye of Emotion opened halfway.

Su Li auditioned for Director Tian Zhang’s drama and won the role of Xiao Mo after delivering a chilling performance. A few days later, he arrived on set to shoot character photos and began getting ready in his dressing room.

• Cheng Sirong received Su Li’s offer of another song for next month, and Gao Yiqing urged her to accept.
• Zhou Jing explained the demands of Director Tian’s drama as she accompanied Su Li to audition for Xiao Mo.
• Su Li performed a threatening scene that impressed Tian Zhang and secured him the role.
• Rumors about Su Li joining the drama spread on Feibo, and Zhou Jing discussed the upcoming filming schedule with him.
• Su Li and Zheng Xing arrived on set for character photos, where a staff member led Su Li to his dressing room.
• Su Li waited in the dressing room until the makeup artist and stylist arrived.

Su Li’s costume photos impressed the crew and fans, and he discovered that Yuan would soon be able to take physical form. On the first day of filming, Su Li sensed powerful malevolent ghosts at the historic residence and met lead actor Shi Yunle.

• Su Li wore pale-blue historical robes for costume photos, and the crew praised his looks and camera presence.
• The production team posted the cast announcement and costume photos, prompting fans and Su Li’s friends to compliment him.
• Yuan revealed his face to Su Li and said he would soon be able to make his body solid; Su Li asked him to become his personal assistant.
• Su Li arrived at the historic filming residence and sensed heavy ghostly energy, while Zheng Xing warned that a powerful presence there surpassed Mirror Ghost.
• Shi Yunle praised Su Li’s songwriting, exchanged WeChat details with him, and offered to help him with acting.

Su Li learned that the filming estate was haunted by spirits tied to a general’s household, then witnessed Yang Qi fall into the lake under suspicious circumstances. After impressing the crew with his acting, he agreed to write the show’s theme song and finished a draft on the spot.

• Shi Yunle’s assistant told Su Li and Shi Yunle that the estate had belonged to a General Yin whose household was mysteriously wiped out, and that tourists had died there.
• Zheng Xing told Su Li that he and the Headless Female Ghost had caught resentful spirits who said they were servants killed by the general’s wife after she became a vicious ghost.
• On the second day of filming, Yang Qi fell from the bridge into the lake during a scene, and Su Li told Zheng Xing they would return that night to investigate what had caused it.
• Su Li delivered an excellent scene, prompting a veteran actor to praise his talent and Shi Yunle to highlight his songwriting.
• Director Tian asked Su Li to write a theme song for the show, and Su Li agreed, wrote for a little over ten minutes, and handed the finished draft to Tian Zhang.

Su Li captured the vicious ghosts in the lake and learned how the General's wife became a ghost. The steward revealed that she had vowed revenge after her child was poisoned, and that deaths in the manor began soon after her suicide.

• Tian Zhang chose Su Li's song "True Hero" as the theme song for Scheming for the Realm and said he would select its singer.
• Su Li checked Feibo, replied to friends in a group chat, and posted a selfie after filming.
• Su Li and Zheng Xing returned to the bridge at night, where Zheng Xing bound the lake ghosts and Su Li turned them into Soul Crystals.
• Su Li gave Soul Crystals to Zheng Xing and Headless Female Ghost, then asked the steward about the General's wife.
• The steward said the wife's child had been poisoned by the general's favorite concubine, and the general had ignored her pleas and ordered her maid killed.
• The steward said the wife killed herself in red clothes and vowed to become a vicious ghost; a few days later, someone in the manor died.

Su Li learned that Xie Zhirou had been sustaining her unstable son’s soul with the estate’s ghostly energy, then stabilized him and recruited her. After collecting the estate’s resentful souls, Su Li returned to the hotel and fell asleep listening to Yuan.

• The butler told Su Li how Xie Zhirou had avenged herself on the general and was using the estate’s energy to preserve her son.
• Su Li found a hidden chamber beneath Xie Zhirou’s quarters and discovered the unstable soul of her child, Xuan’er.
• Su Li used his power to stabilize the boy’s soul, and Xie Zhirou reunited with him and named him Xie Tingxuan.
• Xie Zhirou agreed to work for Su Li and helped him gather the estate’s remaining resentful souls.
• Su Li returned to the hotel, told Yuan he had not helped Xie Zhirou out of kindness, and fell asleep as Yuan told him stories.

Su Li’s new songs for Cheng Sirong topped the charts again, and he wrapped filming at Director Tian’s manor. After seeing online attacks against Chen Zhuo, Su Li invited his friends to a meal.

• Shi Yunle and Yang Qi told Su Li that the manor had felt eerie and that something had dragged Yang Qi into the water.
• Cheng Sirong released Su Li’s songs “Courage” and “Ningxia,” which won praise and dominated the Music Chart.
• Fans speculated that Su Li had written the songs for someone he liked, and Su Li privately thought of Yuan.
• Su Li wrapped filming, attended the crew’s send-off party, and posted a group photo on Feibo.
• Su Li saw gossip accounts attack Chen Zhuo and invited their four-person group chat to a meal.

Su Li gave Chen Zhuo two songs, “Fairy Tale” and “Back-to-Back Embrace,” and guided him through recording them for release. After Chen Zhuo’s manager tried to secure songs for the rest of the group, Su Li made clear he had written for Chen Zhuo because they were friends.

• At a barbecue dinner, Su Li offered Chen Zhuo two songs, and Chen Zhuo agreed to sing them and share revenue with Su Li.
• A few days later, Su Li arrived at Chen Zhuo’s company to help record the songs, prompting online speculation and jealousy among the DX Boy Group members.
• The manager told the group that Chen Zhuo’s success could benefit them, and the members hoped he would ask Su Li for songs on their behalf.
• Chen Zhuo worked hard for a week to record “Fairy Tale” and “Back-to-Back Embrace,” while Su Li encouraged him.
• After recording, the manager asked Su Li to write for Chen Zhuo’s groupmates, but Su Li said he wrote for Chen Zhuo because he was his friend.
• Chen Zhuo thanked Su Li for believing in him, and Su Li affirmed that Chen Zhuo had talent.

Chen Zhuo released two songs written by Su Li, and listeners were moved by his performances. The songs won widespread praise online, with many saying Chen Zhuo’s vocal skills had reached a new level.

• Chen Zhuo announced that his two solo songs, written by Su Li, would be released the next day, sparking mixed reactions online.
• Li Lin listened to “Fairy Tale” and was so moved by Chen Zhuo’s singing that he and his coworker ended up sobbing together.
• Listeners praised Chen Zhuo’s performance of “Fairy Tale,” and Chen Zhuo silently celebrated that he had done Su Li’s song justice.
• Li Lin listened to “Back-to-Back Embrace,” admired its arrangement and Chen Zhuo’s delivery, and downloaded it as his ringtone.
• Both songs topped Feibo’s trending searches, and commenters praised Chen Zhuo’s vocals while calling Su Li a depression-inducing composer.

Chen Zhuo defended Su Li from his jealous groupmates, while Su Li attended a promotional event for “Scheming for the Realm” that drew widespread attention to his looks and theme song. After the drama premiered, viewers praised Su Li’s acting as the Prince of Qi and wondered whether his character was hiding something.

• Chen Zhuo rebuffed He You and the other group members when they asked him to introduce them to Su Li, then left to buy Su Li gifts.
• Tian Zhang invited Su Li to the promotional event for “Scheming for the Realm,” where Su Li introduced himself as Xiao Mo, the Prince of Qi, and said he had written and composed the theme song.
• Zhang Chengfang performed “True Hero” at the event, and the audience and online fans praised the song and looked forward to the drama.
• The promotional event made headlines across Feibo, and Su Li admired the photos of himself with Yuan in the car.
• When “Scheming for the Realm” premiered with its first three episodes on Yiguo, viewers praised Su Li’s acting and speculated about the Prince of Qi’s true nature.

Su Li learned that a deleted Feibo post described ghosts in Huai Village and accepted an invitation to film a variety show there. He met Director Wang to discuss the trip, while the chapter ended with Wang explaining that the guests would stay in the village.

• Tian Zhang and the crew celebrated the ratings and view counts for "Scheming for the Realm."
• Zheng Xing showed Su Li a saved post and video of Ghost Soldiers Borrowing the Road in Huai Village, and Yuan confirmed the footage was real.
• Su Li accepted Zhou Jing's invitation to join Wang Xiang's new variety show, which would be filmed in Huai Village, and told Zheng Xing to bring Tan Qian.
• Wang Xiang visited Su Li's studio and described the show, saying his employee had checked the village and its accommodations.
• Su Li asked whether Wang Xiang's employee had stayed overnight, and Wang Xiang said the production team would arrange empty houses for the guests.

Su Li joined Wang Xiang’s new livestream variety show, “Life in the Peach Blossom Spring,” in Huai Village and reunited with Chen Zhuo. After greeting the other guests, Su Li singled out the little-known actor Lin Chuan with an unexpectedly knowing smile.

• Wang Xiang asked Su Li what guests he wanted for the variety show, and Su Li left the choices to him before having Tan Qian escort him out.
• Wang Xiang announced “Life in the Peach Blossom Spring” as a livestream show without revealing its guest list in advance.
• Su Li arrived in Huai Village as the final guest and was greeted excitedly by Chen Zhuo, who said the director had invited him because Su Li was joining.
• Su Li met the other guests, including Han Xuan'er, Xin Lin, Pang Yifan, and Lin Chuan.
• Su Li told Lin Chuan he looked forward to learning from him, making the other guests wonder why he treated the newly debuted actor differently.

Lin Chuan joined Wang Xiang’s variety show as a Demon-Exorcism Bureau operative tasked with investigating Huai Village and observing Su Li. After the livestream began, the guests drew houses, and Su Li settled into a spacious courtyard house with help from Zheng Xing and Tan Qian.

• Lin Chuan recalled that the Demon-Exorcism Bureau had sent him to investigate Huai Village and learn more about Su Li, whose past encounters with ghosts had alarmed the Bureau.
• Wang Xiang started the livestream, introduced the guests, and announced that they would spend three days in Huai Village.
• Wang Xiang had each guest draw a slip to determine their house, and Su Li noticed that his slip had a different texture from the others.
• Su Li took Zheng Xing and Tan Qian to a spacious house with a large courtyard and inspected its locust tree, well, and rooms.
• Zheng Xing and Tan Qian began arranging the house while Su Li drank chilled sour plum drink and offered some to the cameraman.

Su Li and Chen Zhuo reunited at Su Li’s courtyard before the artists were assigned to cook their own dinner without assistant help. Chen Zhuo stopped Han Xuan’er from using the task as an excuse to get close to Su Li, and he left warning Su Li to be careful of her.

• Chen Zhuo found Su Li’s courtyard, chatted with him, and learned that Zheng Xing and Tan Qian were ghosts working as his assistants.
• At the village square, Wang Xiang announced that the artists had to cook dinner themselves, though assistants could teach them and wash vegetables.
• Han Xuan’er asked to eat at Su Li’s place, but Chen Zhuo pointed out that she was older than Su Li and told her to seek help from the crew instead.
• Chen Zhuo shielded Su Li from Han Xuan’er and left with him, prompting a flood of viewer comments and online clips of their exchange.
• Before returning to his courtyard, Chen Zhuo warned Su Li that Han Xuan’er was up to no good; Su Li reassured him, and Chen Zhuo ran off blushing.

Su Li cooked for the crew and invited Chen Zhuo to eat with him, while Han Xuan'er plotted to make Su Li fall for her. After dark, Su Li and his ghosts confronted the haunting in his courtyard and suspected Huai Village's residents knew more than they admitted.

• Su Li cooked a meal, shared it with Zheng Xing and Tan Qian, and welcomed Chen Zhuo and Xiao Qian when they arrived with their own dishes.
• After the livestream ended, Han Xuan'er became angry over Chen Zhuo and Su Li and decided to make Su Li fall for her, then reject him.
• Lin Chuan and his assistant discussed the ghostly energy in the village and decided to keep observing Su Li before acting.
• Su Li went outside with Zheng Xing and Tan Qian and saw human heads and ghosts in the locust tree, a presence rising from the well, and a corpse-like figure over the swing.
• Su Li concluded the courtyard was a useful place to refine more things and wondered whether the villagers knew about the deaths and hauntings in Huai Village.

Su Li and Zheng Xing cleared the ghosts from the courtyard, then Su Li visited Chen Zhuo and removed a resentful spirit from his room. As the livestream drew attention to Su Li’s friendship with Chen Zhuo, Lin Chuan prepared to scout the forest where he suspected most of Huai Village’s ghosts had gathered.

• Zheng Xing and Tan Qian revealed their ghost forms and helped Su Li capture the courtyard’s ghosts in the Ghost Ring.
• Su Li brought breakfast to Chen Zhuo, found a resentful spirit in his room, and drew it into the Ghost Ring.
• Xiao Qian arrived as the livestream began, and Chen Zhuo proudly told viewers that Su Li had brought him breakfast.
• Xin Lin, Pang Yifan, and Han Xuan'er reacted to Su Li’s growing popularity and his closeness with Chen Zhuo.
• Lin Chuan and a Demon-Suppression Bureau assistant planned to scout the forest beyond Huai Village, and Lin Chuan realized Su Li had likely cleared the courtyard alone.

Su Li drew the task of looking after a villager’s cats and won their trust while caring for them. The elderly woman then warned him to avoid the village’s largest courtyard, stay inside after dark, and not remain in the village for long.

• Han Xuan'er tried to trade her pig-feeding task for Su Li’s cat-care task, but Su Li refused and Chen Zhuo criticized her.
• Su Li went to an elderly villager’s home, where three wary cats gradually warmed to him.
• The elderly woman fed the cats and told Su Li she considered them family.
• The elderly woman quietly warned Su Li to avoid the largest courtyard with a pagoda tree, never go outside after dark, and leave the village soon.

Su Li and Chen Zhuo finished their tasks and went to buy groceries, while Su Li continued to suspect that Huai Village was hiding something. The chapter left them at the market, where Han Xuan'er approached Su Li again.

• Yuan told Su Li that ghosts had killed the old lady’s son and grandson and would kill anyone who traveled more than five li beyond the village.
• Su Li finished his task, then helped Chen Zhuo calm the unruly geese so Chen Zhuo could complete his task.
• Su Li and Chen Zhuo were the first guests to finish, and the director gave each guest a hundred yuan to spend on groceries.
• At the market, Su Li warned Chen Zhuo not to ask about Huai Village or its chief after hearing how prosperous the village was.
• Su Li and Chen Zhuo continued shopping, and Han Xuan'er appeared at a meat stall and greeted Su Li.

Su Li drew attention to Lin Chuan, then received a visit from him and revealed that he knew Lin Chuan belonged to the Demon-Suppression Bureau. The Bureau’s team leader decided they should try to recruit Su Li, while Chen Zhuo vowed to protect Su Li from Han Xuan’er.

• Su Li asked Lin Chuan to add him on WeChat, leaving the other guests wondering why he had singled Lin Chuan out.
• Lin Chuan visited Su Li with homemade dumplings to gauge his attitude, and Su Li treated him warmly while acknowledging the courtyard’s pagoda tree.
• Su Li told Zheng Xing that Lin Chuan was from the Demon-Suppression Bureau and had come to investigate Huai Village and assess him.
• Lin Chuan’s team leader heard their conversation through a listening device and urged Lin Chuan to try winning Su Li over as an ally.
• Chen Zhuo told An Hui and Your Sister Cheng that Su Li had destroyed a ghost in his room and complained that Han Xuan’er kept clinging to Su Li.

Su Li’s popularity surged after viewers saw his villainous role in “Scheming for the Realm,” and Yuan became tangible, allowing the two to confess their affection and kiss. At the livestream’s afternoon fishing task, Su Li revealed he was no longer single, while Han Xuan’er plotted to get close to him and exploit the chance to pair up.

• Viewers praised Su Li’s performance as Prince Qi, and his popularity and trending topics rose.
• Yuan became tangible, and Su Li joyfully embraced and kissed him; they promised to stay together.
• At the resumed livestream, Su Li told Chen Zhuo he was no longer single, startling him.
• Wang Xiang announced a fishing task whose winner would choose a teammate for the next day.
• Han Xuan’er resolved to team up with Su Li or spread dating rumors to tie him to her.