Sheng Kaiwei leaned back, hands clasped across his chest, his gaze sweeping over the crowd with an air of detached superiority.
Everyone looked to Wu Qing, anticipating her next move.
Wu Qing smiled faintly and spread her hands to announce, "The ghost wasn't caught correctly today. Please, guests, enjoy your meal."
Relieved, Wu Qing vanished from their sight as soon as she finished speaking.
She knew the dining table would soon erupt into arguments, and she didn't want her ears contaminated. It was best to make a swift exit.
After Wu Qing left, Sheng Kaiwei exploded.
He stood up and slammed the table, pointing at his teammates who hadn't voted for Lian Yun, or worse, had voted for him, and shouted, "Are you idiots?! I told you I'm not the ghost!"
Someone couldn't hold back and retorted, "It doesn't matter who it is. We didn't see the lighthouse incident. Besides, Ning Wei explained it so convincingly, who knew she'd lie?"
"Exactly!" Sheng Kaiwei slammed the table again. "Lian Yun and Ning Wei are the two ghosts in this castle. Be wary of both of them today, and tomorrow at noon, report Ning Wei directly!"
Sheng Kaiwei was practically jumping with anxiety. If Ning Wei hadn't meddled today, things wouldn't have turned out like this.
He fixated on Ning Wei and Lian Yun. His humiliation today wouldn't go unaddressed. He had to make everyone realize Ning Wei and Lian Yun were in cahoots, that they were both ghosts!
"Don't you understand?" he bellowed when he saw the lack of reaction.
At this, the tall male servant stepped forward and gently reminded him, "Please, guest, speak more softly. It is time for dining."
Sheng Kaiwei shot the servant a glare before sitting down to eat.
He took a vicious bite of his steak, channeling his frustration into strength. He had a tough battle ahead today and needed to be prepared.
Seeing that he had finally stopped ranting, the others also began to eat heartily.
What happened at noon today had indeed surprised many of them. They hadn't expected Ning Wei to insist Sheng Kaiwei was the ghost, only for Wu Qing to reveal she was lying.
Earlier that morning, when they learned Ning Wei had led her teammates to eliminate three werewolves, they had been shocked and had even idolized Ning Wei.
But after what happened at noon, they were now confused, unsure if Ning Wei was on the guest's side or the werewolves'.
Of all the people present, the one most shocked by the events of noon was the ghost.
First, a newly developed subordinate had been exposed. Before they could even lament that, Ning Wei had jumped in to strongly defend Lian Yun. Something must have happened between them that the ghost didn't know about. They needed to have a good chat with Lian Yun when the opportunity arose.
Then there was Sheng Kaiwei's accusation that Ning Wei was also a ghost, inadvertently shifting the blame.
Now, among the guests present, aside from Ning Wei's die-hard fans and teammates, anyone else who didn't understand the situation probably believed Sheng Kaiwei's words.
This was good. With two ghosts having distinct targets, it made their own actions much easier.
After finishing lunch with their own thoughts swirling, Sheng Kaiwei quickly signaled his teammates and they left the hall.
Ning Wei wasn't idle either. She called her team over, urging them to drag the sofas together to form a circle for a meeting.
"Lian Yun, come here," Ning Wei called to Lian Yun, who was still seated.
Once everyone was settled, Ning Wei looked at Lian Yun. She hadn't had a chance to explain the noon incident to her teammates yet. The support she received today was entirely due to their trust.
Compared to Sheng Kaiwei's group of fools, Ning Wei believed her teammates had already guessed the truth, including Lian Yun's real identity.
So, she intended to reveal it, but since it involved Lian Yun, she needed to ask for her opinion first.
Ning Wei looked at Lian Yun, "Why don't you explain it to everyone?"
Lian Yun nodded without hesitation. She owed her life today to Ning Wei and her team's unconditional support. Therefore, both ethically and morally, she should tell the truth.
She stood up, faced everyone, and bowed apologetically, "I'm sorry, everyone. The ghost killed by the werewolves last night… it was me!"
No one seemed surprised. Tang Tang looked at Ning Wei, "What exactly are you thinking? Hurry up and tell us, we're all bewildered."
Ning Wei stood up and looked around, "I'll go check if anyone is eavesdropping first."
She was uneasy, so she walked around the hall and even went upstairs to check, ensuring there was truly no one, human or ghost, present.
After her inspection, she came back downstairs, gathered with them, and explained her cooperation with Lian Yun. She also analyzed the rule that ghosts couldn't attack guests during the day.
"But what about tomorrow? We can't always protect Lian Yun. There are four more days, and Sheng Kaiwei will definitely try to get rid of Lian Yun," Yuan Yuan voiced her concern.
Ning Wei lying to protect Lian Yun today had, in a way, confirmed Lian Yun's identity. More than that, she had implicated herself.
If Sheng Kaiwei insisted tomorrow that Ning Wei was the ghost, it would be for the best, as it would allow Lian Yun to be protected for another day.
"Everyone, don't worry. I already know how to turn a guest into a ghost. I'll make my move tonight, striking first. I'll turn Sheng Kaiwei into a ghost, and tomorrow, you just need to report him to the butler," Lian Yun had already planned.
Everyone heard this and thought it was a viable solution.
"Actually, playing this game until today, I still don't quite understand the relationship between the werewolves, the ghosts, and the guests," Wang Jing said quietly.
She actually wanted Lian Yun, as a ghost, to clarify their doubts. Due to their different identities, the information they received would be vastly different.
With a living ghost right in front of them, it was their style to extract as much information as possible.
Hearing Wang Jing's words, Lian Yun also pondered whether she should tell everyone about her conversation with the other ghost.
She looked around. These were the people who had supported her at noon. But her gaze finally settled on Ning Wei.
"All I know so far is that ghosts can only act at night and can only open the door for werewolves to harm guests. I don't know anything else for now," Lian Yun ultimately concealed the information revealed by the ghost.
Ning Wei's lips remained expressionless, and her thoughts were unreadable. It was unclear whether she believed Lian Yun.
Lian Yun felt a pang of regret. Ning Wei and her team had helped her so much, whether as guests or ghosts, they didn't guard her like Sheng Kaiwei's group.
But thinking of the ghost's instructions, Lian Yun couldn't bring herself to speak the truth.
She could only console herself, telling herself she had only hidden the implications behind the ghost's identity. This information wasn't important to everyone, as in the end... in the end, they would all end up with the same identity as her.
"Then what do we do next?" Zhu Yilian asked, having sorted out the events of noon, inquiring about the next steps.
"With such a beautiful afternoon, of course, we sleep," Ning Wei answered with certainty.