Strange sounds echoed from the well—a boiling, bubbling noise mixed with low whispers.

It was as if millions of souls were struggling at the bottom, trying to break free from their bonds and find release.

Around the well, black mold spots spread out silently, like the tentacles of a Demon.

They not only covered the well’s walls but also gradually encroached upon the surrounding ground, every inch exuding a sinister aura.

The patches of mold seemed to be alive. They squirmed slightly, sometimes clustering together, sometimes drifting apart,

as if performing some ancient ritual or relaying a message from the abyss.

The air was thick with a damp, putrid smell—a mixture of sulfur and the strange scent of unknown plants.

Every breath felt like it was chipping away at the edge of one’s sanity.

"What’s in there? Sister Butterfly, do you have any inside info?"

a fan asked tentatively.

After all, Butterfly was an administrator for Si Haowen’s number one fan group.

To be an admin in that group, you first had to spend a huge amount of money on Si Haowen, buying all sorts of merchandise.

Furthermore, you had to be completely loyal and deeply trusted by Si Haowen himself.

She might even have his personal contact information.

"I... I don’t know."

Butterfly swallowed hard.

Because Butterfly was closest to the well, she could keenly feel a terrifying chill emanating from its dark depths.

An unprecedented, bone-deep cold was silently spreading out. It wasn’t like the crisp chill of winter;

it was more like a gloom from the abyss that could pierce through clothing and seep straight into one’s soul.

This chill was like countless tiny ice blades tracing the lines of her skin,

silently invading every pore, seeping into her blood, and weaving through her muscle fibers,

before finally taking root in her very marrow, bringing an indescribable, piercing pain.

With such a bizarre well on the property, it was impossible that any normal person could live here.

’But why would Si Haowen leave such a strange well in this beautiful villa?’

SPLASH... SPLASH...

The sounds from the well, which had been faint and muffled, suddenly became exceptionally clear.

They echoed in the quiet air like the magnificent crash of distant ocean waves against the shore, creating the illusion

that they were standing beside a vast, boundless sea.

This sudden change made everyone present hold their breath.

"Ah! What is that thing?"

Many of the fans leaped back, screaming in terror and covering their mouths.

Before their terrified eyes, a dark figure began to sway in the well water,

like some unknown creature from the deep sea that had finally broken free to explore the world of light.

As the shadow came into focus, a pale, twisted head appeared before them.

It floated silently on the water’s surface, its eyes closed and its face peaceful, yet it radiated a deathly stillness that did not belong to this world.

Then, a neck slowly emerged from beneath the head, followed by a broad back.

A sharp suit clung tightly to the seemingly human-shaped body,

but its bizarre entrance robbed it of any dignity or elegance.

It simply stood there in the well’s opening, its back to the crowd.

The reporters carrying live-streaming equipment already sensed that something was terribly wrong.

Some decisively shouldered their gear and began backing slowly toward the courtyard exit.

Others, after a moment’s hesitation, chose views and popularity over their equipment.

They left their cameras running and bolted from the villa.

No one was a fool; there was clearly something unnatural about that well.

There might be something terrifying inside it.

Most importantly, they had more faith in Chu He, the leaders of the Great Xia Empire, and the Defense Team.

A celebrity might seem glamorous in the eyes of ordinary people,

earning more in a day than they could in a lifetime.

But in the eyes of the true upper echelon, he was just a performer.

Therefore, Chu He and the Great Xia Empire’s Defense Team would have no reason to go to all this trouble to take down a pop idol,

unless that pop idol actually had some serious problems.

Chu He could single-handedly go head-to-head with the White Elephant Empire, so why would he care about a mere pop idol?

Unfortunately, the fans, already in a state of frenzied devotion, were completely unable to see the reality of the situation.

More and more water gushed from the mouth of the well, splashing in all directions.

The water that sprayed onto the ground was pitch-black.

Bubbles constantly rose to the surface of the viscous black liquid, popping with a GLUG-GLUG sound.

It was only then that the fans who had stormed the villa finally understood where the GLUG-GLUG noise was coming from.

The figure in the suit slowly rose from the water and stood there, ramrod straight.

It stopped moving only when its knees were fully visible above the well’s opening.

"How could there be a person hiding at the bottom of that well?"

"Hiding? You’re an idiot. What kind of person can hide at the bottom of a well and emerge with bubbling water?"

"Why aren’t those fans running? That thing is obviously an Evil Spirit! The water coming out is a thick, black liquid."

The live stream’s comment section instantly exploded like a tidal wave.

"We should run! The temperature in this villa is dropping. I think the thing that came out of the well is an Evil Spirit."

one girl said, her voice trembling.

"Good point. Let’s get out of here."

another girl chimed in.

"But don’t you guys think that silhouette looks a lot like Si Haowen?"

Just as panic began to spread among the girls,

the heavyweight girl named Butterfly spoke up.

"It does... It really does look like him."

one girl said in surprise, carefully studying the figure standing in the well with its back to them.

"Si Haowen... I think it really is Si Haowen! I saw him in person when I went to meet him at the airport. It’s him, it has to be him."

One after another, the girls grew excited, waving their arms and speaking incoherently.

"Of course I’m Si Haowen."

The figure in the suit slowly turned around.

He looked exactly like the pop idol Si Haowen.

"I give up. Are these fans completely irrational?

He crawled out of a well that was just bubbling over,

but there isn’t a single drop of water on him. How are these fans not suspicious?"

"I’ve already called the Defense Team for them."

"Forget trying to save them. Sit back and enjoy life."

Many viewers in the live stream chat were sweating in front of their screens. The scene unfolding was just too bizarre.

Some netizens had tuned in just for the drama,

but they found the drama had turned into a horror movie.

"But wasn’t Si Haowen arrested? How can he be here in this villa?"

One girl voiced her question. Among the fans present,

not everyone was completely captivated by the scene. Some of them still had a grip on their senses.

"Si Haowen must have anticipated his fate and made arrangements.

But he didn’t abandon us! He stayed here in this villa, waiting for us to come."

The heavyweight girl named Butterfly’s eyes turned red. Her voice was strained and hoarse, as if constricted by her own flesh, as she shrieked.

"Is Si Haowen using his last glimmer of light to bring us warmth one more time?"

"Si Haowen, you’re so foolish! You should have run away!"

"As long as you’re here, we’ll follow you forever! Hurry and leave before the Defense Team gets here!"

"Yeah, hurry and go! It’ll be too late soon!"

"Si Haowen, why are you so foolish? You’re our guardian Angel! You shouldn’t stay in a dark place like the Great Xia Empire!"

’But why do I feel like something is off?’

Some fans, stirred up by Butterfly’s words, instantly lost all reason,

ready to rush forward and sacrifice themselves for Si Haowen.

But many other fans felt that something was increasingly wrong.

Because Si Haowen just stood in the well, smiling, his face as white as a sheet of paper.

’But isn’t the well deep? It’s not like there’s a floor in there, right?’

’How is he standing there?’