1.
I, Her Majesty the Ghost Queen, have decided to livestream matchmaking readings.
Big Sister Sadako crawled out of the TV and lay at my feet. “Your Majesty, matchmaking is the Matchmaker’s job. Why are we doing it for them?”
I swept my gaze over the ghosts, cleared my throat, and said solemnly, “Ever since I watched *She Went Missing*, I’ve been shocked by how many people die unjustly because of ill-matched relationships. According to an incomplete tally, 133,000 people who died tragic deaths for love have refused reincarnation, and their runaway souls have become evil spirits bent on revenge! This is bad for society’s stability and unity! So I’ve promised that the Underworld will do its part to help bring destined couples together and leave the living world free of resentment!”
My impassioned speech moved the ghosts to bow their heads to the floor. “Your Majesty is so benevolent! This servant is willing to follow you and share your burdens!”
Some of the female ghosts were moved to tears. The one crying the loudest was Sở Nhân Mỹ.
“If only this servant had met someone as good as Your Majesty sooner. Then I wouldn’t have ended up a vengeful ghost and made such a terrible mistake!”
I smiled faintly and modestly accepted all the credit and praise.
I wasn’t about to tell them I was jealous of those fortune-telling Taoist priests next door. They made a fortune, while we worked our tails off ushering spirits along and exorcising demons, only to earn a fraction of what they did.
Ahem… The Underworld is terribly poor. The dead need to eat, too.
The Underworld is crawling with evil spirits, and we don’t even have enough cells. Where are we supposed to get the money to build more?
The Underworld’s expenses have long since outstripped its income. If we didn’t find a solution, we wouldn’t even have enough to pay the ghost guards.
2
And so, the livestream room “Her Majesty’s Matchmaking Readings” was launched.
Three free readings a day quickly attracted a crowd.
You have to give a little to get a little. I offered three free readings, and in return I didn’t have to worry about advertising or running out of viewers. Heh… heh… heh.
I’d been kidnapped by a bunch of people after what happened with the Pure Cousin, but who did they think I was? How could a little thing like that faze me?
Afterward, I met with my old husband, the Ghost King, but he was soon busy up to his ears again, so I kept the matchmaking livestream going.
Today, I got in touch with a university student named Miên Miên.
“Hello, Your Majesty. Today I’m going on a blind date with someone. Could you tell me if he’s the one for me?”
Before I could say a word, the viewers flooded the chat with comments.
“Seriously? She doesn’t even look twenty. Isn’t this a little inappropriate?”
“Hey, young lady, don’t be so shortsighted. Focus on your studies and think about marriage later. There are plenty of men out there!”
Miên Miên blushed. “My mom introduced us. She said he’s only a few years older than me and already has a career. If I let this chance pass, who knows… Besides, I don’t want to upset her.”
The girl rubbed her hands together, a little embarrassed. “Your Majesty, you don’t know this, but my parents divorced years ago. This is the first time I’ve seen my mom since then.”
Just as everyone in the chat was wishing the mother and daughter well, I let out a cold laugh. “You’re a dutiful daughter who wants to get along with your mother. But here’s the problem: if you do what she says, you’ll die tonight!”
The girl panicked and dropped her phone, which hit the ground hard.
3
[Holy crap, that’s terrifying! What kind of ghost story is the streamer telling?]
[Exactly! That’s no way to get popular. You shouldn’t drive a wedge between a mother and daughter.]
[What is this “Her Majesty’s Matchmaking Readings” anyway? This is obviously just a scam to get famous.]
I couldn’t be bothered to respond. I just smiled calmly. “Miên Miên, your mother looked down on your father for being poor, so right after you were born, she ran off with the bricklayer from your village. She hasn’t cared about you in all these years, has she?”
Miên Miên nodded, then shook her head. “Y-Yes… but no! How did you know?”
I smiled. “I also know she suddenly got in touch with you a week ago, and before she’d even asked how you were, she was already trying to set you up with a boyfriend…”
Miên Miên suddenly cut me off, defending her mother. “Please don’t talk about my mom like that. She didn’t leave because Dad was poor, and she wasn’t indifferent to me. She had her reasons!”
The viewers started arguing among themselves, too.
[No mother doesn’t love her child. Maybe her circumstances are a little better now, and she wants to make it up to her?]
[At most, she sees that her daughter’s grown up and wants someone to take care of her in her old age. Why would she want her dead like the streamer said?]
I couldn’t understand why there were so many fools in the world these days. Some people’s wickedness went beyond anything anyone could imagine.
I didn’t beat around the bush. I quickly told her the truth. “Your mother really did find you a decent match, but unfortunately… the man is dead. Your mother wants to kill you so you can be married to him in a ghost wedding! The groom’s family will pay her 300,000 yuan for it!”
My words left everyone dumbfounded. Miên Miên was so angry she trembled, unable to speak. “You… you… you…”
I waved a hand. “Aren’t you at the place where your stepfather works right now? Think about it: why arrange such a lovely date in the middle of nowhere? Don’t go inside. Block your mother’s number, find a bush, and crouch down there until the truth comes out!”
Of course, Miên Miên didn’t believe me. But she wanted to know the truth so she could prove me wrong. “Fine, I’ll do what you say. I’ll even livestream it so everyone can watch!”
4
Miên Miên found a dense bush and hid inside it. On the other side of the screen, the viewers all held their breath, not saying a word for fear of missing the show.
Half an hour passed in a flash. Miên Miên was growing impatient and was about to crawl out when a man and a woman emerged from the woods, both looking flustered.
“That little brat won’t answer my calls and even blocked my number? Could she have found out?”
“No way. She’s so stupid and trusts me completely. How could she figure anything out?”
“No, you need to contact her again! Otherwise, we’ll have to go to her school and look for her. This is a three-hundred-thousand-yuan deal!”
“Don’t worry. The first thing we’ll do with the money from the ghost wedding with the Lý family is buy a car for our son!”
The two of them walked farther and farther away.
All around was quiet. Hidden in the bushes, Miên Miên bit her lip hard as tears streamed down her face. Even through the screen, I could feel her heart breaking.
Suddenly, the screen went dark and the connection was cut.
[Aaaaaah, did something happen? Don’t tell me those two scumbags caught her! This is so scary!]
[Call the police! I recorded the whole thing. It can be used as evidence!]
Just then, I got a private message from Miên Miên: “Thank you, Your Majesty, for helping me see the true face of the woman I’ve always missed so much!”
I briefly explained Miên Miên’s situation to the viewers, then connected with the next person.
As soon as a young man with purple-dyed hair appeared on the screen, a smirk tugging at his lips, the livestream chat erupted with excitement.
[It’s Địa Ngục Ca Ca! Where have you been lately? You haven’t been online in ages!]
[Địa Ngục Ca Ca, look at me! When are you going to go on a date with me?]
I went to school during the day and squeezed in livestreams whenever I could. At night, while everyone else slept, I had to return to Minh phủ to handle official business and capture wandering souls. I had no idea that Địa Ngục Ca Ca was an online celebrity.
But thanks to the little ghosts beside me who loved scrolling through short videos and the flood of fans entering the livestream, I quickly learned who he was.
The young man went by Địa Ngục Ca Ca online and was only in his twenties. He was handsome and had a little money, so he was quite the womanizer.
Still, he never hid his womanizing ways from his fans. He even edited together videos of himself dating different girls and posted them online, then let his fans vote on which girl was the prettiest.
His behavior was clearly that of a scumbag, but to his fans, it made him seem handsome and refreshingly genuine!
The places where he went on dates with the girls were also popular check-in spots for netizens.
But lately, he’d been online very rarely, and he hadn’t posted any new dating videos with pretty girls in two months.
Địa Ngục Ca Ca adjusted the camera, bringing his handsome features into even clearer view. He was incredibly captivating.
He looked at me with smiling eyes full of deep affection. “Hello, Your Majesty. I’ve met a girl. Could you tell me if she’s my destined love?”
A hint of embarrassment crossed his flirtatious face. “I’ve never met a girl as simple and kind as she is! All she wants is me!”
Just as everyone was marveling that a girl had managed to win over a playboy, I shook my head sympathetically. “You two aren’t meant to be.”
Then I nodded. “But she really does care about… your life!”
The comments exploded!