She’s a Passerby, But Can See the Protagonist’s Halo

How should one describe the scene Yan just witnessed on Ye Ping'an?

To put it simply, above his head was a glowing "Interstellar Live Stream," and Yan watched in astonishment as continuous "bullet comments" floated in front of Ye Ping'an.

It was as if bubbles were appearing out of thin air, refreshing right before her eyes.

Of course, since Yan had turned her head to look, the comments she saw were actually reversed.

With the halo above his head and the bullet comments floating in front of him, Ye Ping'an looked like a character from a video game in Yan's eyes—his name displayed above his head, with thought bubbles constantly popping up.

"Pure-blood," "Galactic Expansion," these were a few key phrases Yan caught, and they kept swirling in her mind.

Just how far in the future is this interstellar era? Have they already interbred with other races, to the point where pure-blooded Huaxia people are rare?

Yan felt like she had taken on too much information.

Unfortunately, with people both in front and behind her, she couldn't safely vent her thoughts to Zhu Jue at the moment.

Walking behind Zhu Jue and Yan, Ye Ping'an had no idea what Yan had just glimpsed when she turned her head.

He was calmly running his live stream, not responding to any of the comments from his audience.

This interstellar live stream had been unexpectedly bound to him after his college entrance exams.

When it first happened, Ye Ping'an felt no joy whatsoever. Interstellar? That sounded like a distant future era, with technology far beyond what they had now.

If they could already create a live stream system that transmitted back to Earth, they must have mastered some level of time-space technology. What if his live stream accidentally revealed too much about Earth today? What if a future army arrived one day? With Earth's current level of civilization, wouldn't that be disastrous?

He could end up becoming a traitor to the planet!

With this fear in mind, Ye Ping'an procrastinated until the very last day of his newbie streamer mission period to finally start his live stream. And what did he stream? His home. He didn't even step outside.

He half-heartedly streamed his daily life—cooking, eating, watching TV—without saying a word.

But to his utter surprise, this haphazard live stream attracted a large audience, and they were thoroughly entertained.

"Wow, it's been so long since I've seen such an authentic Ancient Earth streamer! This house layout, the retro decor, and all these antique tools that are still functional! Rich guy!"

"I thought it was another holographic simulation, but it's real! What company is backing this new streamer? This must have cost millions of star credits, right?"

"Please, streamer, that cat figurine isn't holographically printed, is it? Can you share the Starnet link? I want one too! Or did you find these antiques somewhere?"

When Ye Ping'an saw these comments, he was completely dumbfounded.

What the heck?

Not only did he think no one would watch, but now there were so many viewers, and they were enthusiastically discussing his furniture and appliances, analyzing Ancient Earth customs. Even his electric fan sparked awe among the audience.

His first reaction was, "System, did you buy interstellar bots for me?"

What's so interesting about this? His home was just an ordinary 90s-style retro decor. Why were they so amazed by him stir-frying on a gas stove, leaving a flood of "Wow!!!" comments?

Because he had no idea what the interstellar era on the other side of the live stream was like, despite the live stream system assistant's many assurances, Ye Ping'an remained extremely cautious.

According to the interstellar live stream system assistant, the future interstellar era was separated from the present by a thousand years.

Due to wars, cosmic disasters, and other reasons, Earth's history had experienced a break, and much of its heritage had been lost.

Although the interstellar era now saw the integration of multiple races, the ancient Earth lineage had merged into the cosmic population. The Huaxia people, a subgroup of Earthlings, had spread across the galaxy, leaving their mark everywhere.

Today, as the birthplace of the Earthling lineage, the Milky Way's Ancient Earth had become a hot topic for interstellar archaeology. Young Earthlings were increasingly eager to learn about their history and stories.

Thus, specially developed live stream systems were randomly sent back to Ancient Earth through time-space jumps.

And Ye Ping'an was one of the chosen "ancients."

The people of the future had no intention of altering the past. Any change to the timeline, the flutter of a butterfly's wings, could trigger a cosmic storm.

The first rule of live streaming: History must not be changed.

Therefore, the rewards Ye Ping'an earned from his live stream, including viewer donations, could not be converted into futuristic technology or products.

This was why he still relied on his phone for live streaming today.

Holding up a phone to live stream on the street inevitably led to people asking which platform he was on and what his username was.

Especially if someone he knew saw him, they might secretly search for him later.

Up until now, Ye Ping'an had not converted any of the gifts or donations from his interstellar live stream into anything tangible.

According to the live stream assistant, because technology beyond the current civilization level was prohibited, and each time-space transmission required an enormous amount of energy, even if he wanted to exchange for something ordinary from the interstellar era, the gifts he received weren't enough to cover the cost.

In short, all he could do was cash out and spend the money.

In other novels, the protagonist would get a live stream system, exchange futuristic technology, hand it over to the nation, and rise to the top of society.

For Ye Ping'an, that wasn't happening.

He actually felt relieved. If the system's explanation was accurate—that cross-dimensional delivery required massive energy and was strictly regulated—Ye Ping'an felt reassured.

Great! He could just coast through his live streams. There was no risk of a future army suddenly invading, and he wouldn't become a traitor to Earth!

Since the donations would only turn into money, which was more than enough for a lifetime, he could just casually stream his school and surroundings. Coasting was the way to go!

Every month, he completed the minimum required streaming hours. As for the comments, he ignored them, offered no explanations, and simply treated them as entertainment, adding a bit of fun to his daily life.

At first, since he was at home after his college entrance exams, he only streamed his daily life indoors to minimize risks. As a result, some interstellar viewers speculated that he was a history-loving tycoon who had built himself a retro Ancient Earth home.

But as Ye Ping'an gradually ventured outside and started streaming randomly on the streets, the speculations in the live stream comments became increasingly wild.

Like right now—

"Is this really a live stream from Ancient Earth? I've heard about the special projects from the Time-Space Bureau. Is this for real?"

"Is this a newly built Ancient Earth restoration site? My stars, where did the organizers find so many pure-blooded Huaxia people?"

"Double-checked, and it's definitely a live stream. It's not a holographic simulation, is it?"

Guess all you want! He wasn't going to say a word.

Ye Ping'an weaved through the crowd in the neighborhood, following his roommates as they waited at a traffic light to return to campus. The silent electric cars, scooters, and bicycles around them once again sparked excited discussions among the interstellar live stream audience.

At the school gate, Ye Ping'an waved his hand, indicating that he would continue streaming while walking. Zhu Jue wanted to accompany his girlfriend on a stroll, so only Xiao Qingnang and Yuan Ye headed back together.

After the meal, everyone went their separate ways. Yan and Zhu Jue took a familiar, less-traveled path on campus for their walk.

Because they wanted to talk privately, the couple had become experts at finding quiet routes on campus—except for the one leading to Mingzhi Hall.

Yan's steps were a bit heavy today. She felt like she had absorbed too much information, to the point where her brain felt overloaded.

"Zhu Jue, I'm so tired," Yan complained as they held hands.

At this, Zhu Jue stopped, pursed his lips, and crouched down. "I'll carry you."

Yan glanced around, confirming that there weren't many fellow students on this path, then wrapped her arms around Zhu Jue's neck and effortlessly climbed onto his back.

Zhu Jue carried his girlfriend with ease, though he walked slowly. Yan's body pressed against his tense back, her chin resting on his shoulder.

As he walked, Yan continued to chatter nonstop, her voice soft against his ear.

"I feel like the world is just too dangerous."

"Lin Fan and Xiao Qingnang seem like good people, Chu Shen is alright too, but Ye Ping'an and Yuan Ye still need to be careful."

"Compared to people from the past, those connected to the future are even scarier, right?"

"Sister Lin Lu is amazing. She’s only a year or two older than us, but she’s already the CEO of such a big company."

Her warm breath brushed against his ear, making Zhu Jue's earlobe turn even redder. He occasionally hummed in response, silently listening to his childhood friend Yan vent her frustrations.

He knew she just needed a place to pour out her worries.

As Yan spoke, her voice grew softer until she eventually stopped. Her cheek pressed against Zhu Jue's neck, their body heat mingling, and through their closeness, they could feel each other's heartbeat.

"Jue Jue?" she called out softly.

"I'm here," Zhu Jue replied, his voice steady and calm.

"Mmm," Yan let out a muffled hum, tightening her arms around him.

"I'll always be here," Zhu Jue's voice was as firm as ever.

Yan's hair brushed against his neck, sending a slight tickle through him.

"I know," Yan murmured, her slender neck tilting as she suddenly planted a kiss on his cheek.

"You have to stay with me forever and ever."

In this world, only Zhu Jue knew her secrets, shared her burdens, and unconditionally stood by her side.

As long as he was with her, she wasn’t alone.

Zhu Jue's face instantly flushed red, his entire body burning with warmth. To avoid being seen, he had been carrying Yan on his back along this path several times, but now he felt like he had endless energy coursing through him.

"I want to get down," Yan suddenly realized she had been on Zhu Jue's back for quite a while.

The two of them held hands again, the evening breeze rustling through the trees. Their intertwined hands felt warm, and Yan's mood lightened once more.

After a few steps, she began to skip and twirl, only to be caught by Zhu Jue's arm around her waist. The Five Emperor Coins in her small bag jingled lightly, and Zhu Jue couldn’t help but smile.

Yan swung their arms as they walked. As long as they were together, dealing with the so-called "halo people" was something they had been doing for over a decade.

It was just a little more now, but she could handle it—so easy!

The two of them took a different path, and suddenly Yan's phone rang.

"Huh?" They stopped, and Yan pulled out her phone from her bag. It was unusual for her to receive calls at this hour.

She glanced at the caller ID—it was Ding Ling. She was surprised. Could something urgent have happened with her ghostly roommate? Or was there an issue at Mingzhi Hall?

Yan quickly answered, "Ding Ling, what's up?"

On the other end, Ding Ling's tone was unusually serious.

"Yan, have you finished dinner?"

"Yeah, I’m already back at school. What’s wrong?" Hearing Ding Ling's tone, Yan felt a bit nervous.

"Shen Hui, the senior you met at Mingzhi Hall, said she spotted a female ghost on campus. Her aura is strong, wearing a blood-red wedding dress, likely a Red Bride ghost."

"What? A Red Bride ghost?" Yan's expression changed.

What the heck? Aren’t there already enough ghosts on campus? How did a Red Bride ghost suddenly show up?

"Yes, I’m heading back to campus now. Shen Hui and the others aren’t exactly fighters—they’re more like scholarly types. If you’re free, could you check around the school?"

"If it’s just an ordinary ghost, it’s fine, but a Red Bride ghost might harbor deep resentment toward someone or something on campus, which could lead to serious trouble."

"Got it," Yan replied, dazed, wondering if she should just come clean.

All she had was a set of Five Emperor Coins. If they really ran into a Red Bride ghost, she and Zhu Jue wouldn’t stand a chance.

She really wasn’t some inheritor of mystical powers, okay?

"I’m on my way back…" Ding Ling didn’t finish her sentence before the call abruptly cut off, as if the signal had dropped.

Yan stiffly turned to Zhu Jue. "Ding Ling said there’s a ghost in a wedding dress on campus, possibly a Red Bride ghost, and she wants me to check it out."

This was clearly supernatural territory. Shouldn’t they call someone with actual supernatural abilities to handle this?

Yan quickly ran through her mental list of the nine "halo people" in the dorms, and the only one who seemed remotely qualified was Yi Zhi.

But… would psychic powers even work on ghosts?

And how was she supposed to get Yi Zhi to come out?

"With the scholarly energy concentrated on campus, even a vengeful ghost wouldn’t be able to harm ordinary students," Zhu Jue said.

At that moment, they were standing at a crossroads leading to Mingzhi Hall, and Yan’s mind was racing.

Just then, a crimson figure appeared in their line of sight.

Damn, speak of the devil!

But as Yan looked closer, she frowned. "Huh?"

Yan’s lips parted slightly. The figure in the blood-red wedding dress had a familiar set of words floating above her head:

[Girl’s Dressing System]

The golden halo of the words contrasted sharply with the red wedding dress, and Yan suddenly felt a surge of confidence.

It’s a person, not a Red Bride ghost. We’re safe!

But the ghostly appearance… Yan couldn’t help but wonder—was Yuan Ye actually a girl disguised as a guy?

And how had Yuan Ye managed to change into such a full outfit, complete with a wig and hairpins, in such a short time after they’d just returned to campus from dinner?

Behind the "ghost," Yan spotted another familiar figure—or rather, ghost.

It was Shen Hui, dressed in a traditional qipao with wide sleeves, chasing after the "ghostly" Yuan Ye.

Yuan Ye was utterly distraught.

"Damn it, damn it! I’m going to destroy this stupid system! I @#￥%…"

This was the 10,081st time Yuan Ye had lost his temper since being bound to the Girl’s Dressing System.

As a straight, normal, and thoroughly heterosexual young man, Yuan Ye had always been teased for his delicate, fair appearance, often mistaken for a girl. But deep down, he was a genuine, no-nonsense guy.

To maintain his image, he usually kept up a reserved, introverted facade, even though inside he was seething every time someone teased him.

But ever since he was inexplicably bound to this "Girl’s Dressing System," his temper had skyrocketed tenfold.

In a way, his mother’s lifelong dream of having a daughter had come true, as he was now frequently forced to dress in full female attire.

Right now, he was in the middle of a sudden dressing competition task.

The Girl’s Dressing System, according to the idiotic system itself, was originally an unfinished dress-up game from another world, abandoned due to funding issues. Somehow, it had ended up in this world with new buffs.

As the unwilling host, Yuan Ye was required to complete tasks by dressing up in specific outfits and visiting designated locations to "check in" and compete.

Like now, just after finishing a big meal with his roommates, he was suddenly given a task. The system, in its infinite "kindness," required him to check in at a place on campus called Mingzhi Hall.

The dressing theme for this competition? Red Bride Ghost.

Previous tasks had included themes like "Noble Lady," "Maid," and "High School Girl," and the system would always send him to places where other girls dressed in similar themes were present, forcing him to compete with them without their knowledge.

Yuan Ye was at a loss for words with this ridiculous system.

If he won the competition, the dressing attributes would temporarily enhance his abilities. For example, the "Noble Lady" theme would briefly increase his knowledge of aristocratic etiquette and history, the "Maid" theme taught him household chores, and the "High School Girl" theme gave him a crash course in high school subjects.

But now, after completing the "Red Bride Ghost" competition at Mingzhi Hall, Yuan Ye could feel a chilling aura emanating from his body.

Holy crap! This ghost buff really made him feel like a ghost for a moment.

When he first saw the "Red Bride Ghost" requirement, Yuan Ye had a bad feeling. At least the previous competitions were against humans, but this time it was against actual ghosts!

And as a living, breathing man, he had actually managed to win the competition dressed as a female ghost.

When he encountered the ghost in the qipao, he felt as if two huge flashes of light hit him, accompanied by what seemed like applause and cheers in his ears.

Tags like 【Horror】【Scary】【Thriller】【Vengeful Ghost】floated before his eyes, and then the damn system declared his victory in the competition.

The whole process was absurd and bizarre, utterly ridiculous.

Whether the qipao ghost was unwilling to accept defeat or something else, she actually started chasing after him.

At that moment, Yuan Ye, still fully dressed in his blood-red bridal gown, hadn’t even taken off his outfit when he spotted two familiar figures at the turn ahead.

It was his roommate Zhu Jue and his girlfriend Yan.

This was truly the heavens conspiring against him!

What could be more embarrassing than running into your roommate while cross-dressing?

Although Yuan Ye was confident that the couple wouldn’t recognize him in his current state, there was still a ghost chasing him. What the hell was he supposed to do? He couldn’t let them get caught up in his mess!

Yuan Ye, holding up the hem of his dress, couldn’t help but glance back.

Wait, the qipao ghost suddenly stopped? What did that mean? Was she not chasing him anymore because she saw other people?

No, Yuan Ye noticed that the qipao ghost now looked delighted. “My lord,” she said, bowing in the direction of Zhu Jue and Yan before turning and leaving.

Yuan Ye was stunned. What was going on?

Weren’t there just her, a ghost, and the three of them? Why did she bow to them?

“My lord?” What kind of ancient title was that?

He didn’t have time to dwell on it. With the ghost no longer chasing him, Yuan Ye quickly turned into a small path and jumped into the woods beside it. It was already dark, and he frantically called out to the damn system, demanding that it remove the buff on him immediately.

If it weren’t for today’s events, he would never have imagined that there was a ghost in his school—a ghost that had been around for at least a hundred years.

Could he even defeat her? Once the buff wore off, he was just a weakling.

Yan ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‍and Zhu Jue watched as Yuan Ye, dressed as a blood-red bridal ghost, rushed past them.

Yan scratched her head, watching the golden halo disappear into the woods, getting farther and farther away until it seemed to vanish completely.

“Seems like it’s over,” she said.

Zhu Jue nodded. “As long as it’s not a ghost, it’s fine.”

“But if Yuan Ye could be mistaken for a red-dressed vengeful ghost by Shen Hui, then that must be the effect of the costume system, right?” Yan rubbed her chin. She had originally thought the costume system wasn’t very dangerous, but now it seemed she needed to reevaluate its threat level.

The two of them did nothing, and the matter was already resolved. Yan and Zhu Jue walked back leisurely.

Yan returned to the dorm and went to take a shower. Meanwhile, Ding Ling, who had received a message from Shen Hui, hurried back to the school.

At that moment, a ghost king and a century-old ghost were in the small woods where the red-dressed vengeful ghost had disappeared.

“As expected of Lady Yan, her timing was impeccable. I was about to lose the red-dressed vengeful ghost when Lady Yan and Lord Zhu Jue appeared just in time to block its path,” Shen Hui said with deep admiration.

“To avoid any unnecessary exposure, I retreated and didn’t hear anything. By the time I returned, the red-dressed vengeful ghost had completely disappeared, and Lady Yan had already left.”

Ding Ling extended her hand, sensing the lingering ghostly aura in the area. After closing her eyes for a moment, she opened them and smiled.

“I can’t feel even a trace of ghostly energy. If you hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t have believed a red-dressed vengeful ghost had been here.”

“As expected of Yan, handling things so cleanly and swiftly,” she said with respect and awe.

A red-dressed vengeful ghost was a being capable of ascending to the level of a ghost king. Shen Hui, a ghost for over a hundred years, had only dared to chase it. Yet, in the blink of an eye, without disturbing the surroundings or leaving any traces of a fight in the woods, Yan had silently dealt with the powerful ghost.

Strong, incredibly strong!

Ding Ling took out her phone and sent Yan a message.

【Ding Ling】: [Thumbs up] Thanks to Yan, a potential disaster was averted.

On the other end, Yan, who had just finished showering and was drying her hair, stared at the message for a while.

After some thought, she decided to be honest with Ding Ling.

【Yan】: I didn’t do anything. She just ran into the woods and disappeared.

Ding Ling replied instantly.

【Ding Ling】: Mhm, you didn’t do anything. I know you didn’t do anything.

She put down her phone, still marveling to Shen Hui, “Yan’s personality is really something…”

“With her effortlessly resolving the red-dressed vengeful ghost without causing any major harm to the campus or society, it’s another great achievement.”

Yet Yan insisted she had done nothing, blatantly lying about it.

Ding Ling was deeply moved. She knew Yan was doing this for her sake.

As the current head of the Special Cases Unit at Bin University, a major incident like the sudden appearance of a red-dressed vengeful ghost on campus while she was away to retrieve something could easily be seen as a setup, a plot against her in her absence.

A flash of malice crossed Ding Ling’s pale face. Ever since her revival, many had been watching her with suspicion, believing that non-humans like her were inherently untrustworthy.

If Yan hadn’t been there today, and she hadn’t made it back in time, the red-dressed vengeful ghost could have caused significant casualties on campus. As the main person responsible for Bin University, she would have taken the fall.

A red-dressed vengeful ghost? She had thoroughly scanned every corner of the campus long ago. How could one suddenly appear out of nowhere?

She needed to investigate thoroughly. Who was trying to set her up?

Had her revival finally stirred something in the coffins of those who couldn’t stand her existence?

A dense ghostly aura gathered invisibly around Ding Ling, the ghost king. She touched the item stored in a treasure box in her backpack, and the malice in her eyes dissipated, replaced by warmth.

She owed Yan another huge favor. She needed to take on more missions to see what good things she could exchange for in the treasure vault.

Just as Yan said, she hadn’t done anything.

Those of the Mystic Vein did not involve themselves in karma. Yan had deliberately kept a low profile, and Ding Ling would help her stay hidden.

Ding Ling knew that some factions within the Mystic Vein viewed demons and ghosts as inherently evil, dedicating themselves to exorcising and slaying them. Yan had helped her multiple times, and the debt of gratitude was becoming immeasurable.

At that moment, she murmured, “As the saying goes, ‘The ultimate person has no self, the divine person has no merit, the sage has no name.’ Yan’s every action now aligns perfectly with this ancient wisdom.”

Suddenly, Ding Ling had an epiphany. “This is… entering the Dao.”

The ultimate person, seeking no merit or fame, was precisely the realm of entering the Dao.

The ultimate person, the divine person, and the sage were the three great realms of cultivation, realms that countless people spent their entire lives trying to reach.

Yan, at such a young age, had already touched the threshold of such a realm.

This required talent, cultivation, and a pure heart, but most importantly, a touch of elusive fortune.

Touching this threshold alone was enough to overshadow all other cultivators of her generation.

This explained why Yan had so effortlessly dealt with the ghost.

To someone who had entered the Dao, even a vengeful ghost was nothing more than a trivial matter, easily dispelling its resentment and ghostly energy.

Ding Ling realized her perspective had been too narrow. Within the Mystic Vein, those who had touched this threshold could be counted on one hand, and most of them were likely ancient beings.

For someone as young as Yan to have reached this level, she wasn’t just overshadowing her peers—she was overshadowing all cultivators of this era.

No wonder Yan kept such a low profile. In a world filled with fame and power struggles, the Mystic Vein was no exception. If her true abilities were exposed too early, she would inevitably be dragged into the conflicts between factions.

Ding Ling and Shen Hui made another round of the campus before returning to the dorm. Yan was leisurely drying her hair with a hairdryer.

Seeing this, Ding Ling felt even more respect. For someone like Yan, a simple spell could have solved the problem instantly, yet she chose to handle it like an ordinary person.

This was the essence of returning to simplicity, the Dao in its purest form. Every action Yan took was a manifestation of the Dao!