【I have a haunted house】Chapter 6: The Beauty’s Makeup

The haunted house at Nick’s establishment contained only two main scenes: the "Zombie Resurrection Night" and "Ghost Marriage."

The "Zombie Resurrection Night" had been criticized as utterly ineffective by the black phone, and Nick, in a moment of introspection, recognized the flaws within the scene. It was clear that, to properly execute it, at least three staff members were needed for the full effect.

"Xiao Wan, today’s theme is Ghost Marriage. I’ll go adjust the background music, but while you’re playing the ghost, remember to block your ears. Also, I’ll do your makeup today."

"Boss, you can do makeup?" Xiao Wan chuckled mischievously. "Well, alright, just don’t turn me into some hideous creature."

"Don’t worry, I’ll make you so beautiful it will leave people breathless."

They entered the makeup room, where Nick gently positioned Xiao Wan in front of the mirror. His hand caressed her face softly.

"Using the primary talent skill—Embalming Beauty."

As Nick looked at the youthful, radiant girl in the mirror, a series of memories, not his own, began to flood his mind. They were chaotic and disorganized, encompassing not only color theory and makeup techniques but also knowledge on oral science, human anatomy, skeletal structure, and even mortuary science.

"Boss, are you even good at makeup?" Thirty seconds had passed, and Xiao Wan, sitting in front of the mirror, could feel the unfamiliar warmth on her face. Her heart pounded in her chest as she watched herself being worked on, a sense of shame creeping over her for no reason.

"A good makeup artist designs different styles for different face shapes. Xiao Wan, you’ve got a great foundation." After activating the Embalming Beauty skill, Xiao Wan now appeared to him as a "corpse" in his eyes, devoid of any other thoughts.

"The foundation is too flat, the blush is too bright and glaring, and where’s the lipstick?" Nick muttered, beginning to mix the colors himself. His movements were fluid and his fingers nimble; his ability to distinguish colors was exceptional, and it was hard to believe that this was the same person who had never bothered with personal grooming.

Xiao Wan was astonished at the spectacle in front of her—he was mixing and matching colors as if it were the most natural thing in the world. She had never heard of such a thing before!

"Boss, I think you don’t need to be so strict with yourself. The haunted house is so dark, the visitors won’t be able to see much anyway..."

"Stop talking nonsense, don’t move." Before Xiao Wan could finish, Nick had already applied the foundation and was now expertly applying eyeshadow.

In just a few strokes, a simple eyeshadow transformed Xiao Wan’s aura, adding a touch of cold elegance and mystery.

Xiao Wan had originally wanted to argue, but upon seeing herself in the mirror, her mouth slowly opened in awe. Every woman has a love for beauty.

"The pure cherry red is too flat, lacking in dimension, but once combined with the Hibiscus Purple, everything changes. The two colors blend seamlessly, as if they were meant for each other," Nick explained casually as he dabbed some blush onto the back of his hand.

"Boss, what are you doing?"

"Our haunted house’s cheap blush is overly bright and saturated to create a dramatic effect, but I’m blending it on my hand first," Nick replied softly. After a moment, the blush indeed became much smoother, with a subtle, almost ethereal shimmer.

By now, Xiao Wan’s mouth had formed a perfect "O" shape. "You’ve been hiding your skills, haven’t you? Where did you learn all this?"

"I know plenty of things. Beauty and hairstyling are just my hobbies," Nick smiled faintly, feeling a surge of joy. The strange, unfamiliar memories in his mind confirmed once again that the mobile game had indeed influenced reality.

In just ten minutes, Nick had completed her makeup. "Take a look in the mirror, are you satisfied?"

When Xiao Wan gazed into the mirror, it felt as though a thin veil had been lifted. The person staring back at her seemed to have stepped out of a painting, carrying the grace of an ancient Eastern woman. Yet, there was something subtly unsettling about it.

Staring at herself, Xiao Wan stood up instinctively. Her expression shifted from shock to enchantment, before suddenly shivering.

"Boss, I’ve never looked this beautiful before. Is that really me in the mirror?"

"Of course."

"But…" She hesitated and reached her hand toward the mirror. "Why does it feel like I’m looking at a corpse?"

Xiao Wan’s words made Nick draw in a sharp breath. He finally understood what was off.

The Embalming Beauty skill was meant to preserve and enhance the deceased’s beauty. The makeup he had applied was never intended for the living.

"Stop staring, the park is about to open. Go change, head to the second-floor Ghost Marriage scene, and don’t forget to wear the Bluetooth headset. Follow my instructions." Nick changed the subject and dismissed Xiao Wan. He used the remaining time to work on the paper figures and dolls in the Ghost Marriage scene. Under the influence of the Embalming Beauty skill, the paper figures seemed to come to life, their deadness now tinged with a subtle vitality.

"That’ll do for now. I’ll redo the paintwork when I have time."

Nick packed up his kit and rushed downstairs. As he neared the entrance of the haunted house, he overheard the sounds of the visitors outside.

"You got tricked by that evil, smoky bastard too?"

"Shit! My phone screen shattered, what do you think?"

"You guys are lucky, I literally dropped my pants. My hand slipped, and that thing popped up on the screen! It scared the crap out of me. I jumped straight up like a fish, and my parents heard the noise and thought I was having a nightmare. They rushed over to see. Shit! I wasn’t wearing anything, just holding a roll of toilet paper, and my parents were left completely dumbfounded!"

Listening to the visitors’ complaints, Nick barely contained his laughter, taking a deep breath to maintain a serious expression as he pushed open the haunted house door.

"Welcome to my haunted house."

Seeing the long line of visitors, all armed with excitement, Nick couldn’t help but smile.

"Xiao Chen, starting early with the long line, huh? Impressive." A staff member from the nearby carousel remarked, surprised. He had approached to greet Nick, only to realize that the visitors’ mood was rather unusual.

"Just the usual. Mostly, the visitors seem to enjoy it," Nick shrugged, opening the barricade.

"Who enjoys it? You shameless bastard!"

"I’m here for trouble, not for sightseeing!"

"Found the culprit! You’re the one who posted that short video last night, right? Where’s my knife? Where’s my knife?"

The visitors were overly enthusiastic, and the scene was on the brink of chaos. Nick quickly spoke up. "Since you’re all here, why not come in and experience it for yourself? The best way to calm your fears is to stimulate your senses. Fight fire with fire—let yourself become numb. I admit, the short video from last night was a bit thoughtless on my part. To make up for it, all tickets for the haunted house today will be half off. Don’t miss out!"