“What exactly is that thing?”
Chen Xuanqiu fixed her gaze intently upon the eerie black mist.
Driven by humanity’s inherent fear of the unknown, she instinctively yearned to flee, yet the circumstances of the gathering made escape impossible.
“Uncle Chen, have a cigarette.”
Fu Yao politely offered his premium cigarettes as he approached, his body faintly shrouded in a mysterious black mist that was unsettling to behold.
Chen Xuanqiu recoiled like a mouse spotting a cat.
She desperately squeezed sideways, her entire body nearly pressing into her mother Melissa’s embrace.
“Qiu, what’s wrong?” Melissa asked, bewildered.
The others, too, turned their gazes towards them.
“N-nothing… I’m fine,” Chen Xuanqiu stammered in response.
Despite her efforts to appear composed, her body trembled slightly.
“Brother-in-law, am I really that scary?” Fu Yao asked, a wry smile touching his lips.
“I’m just feeling a bit unwell; it’s not like I have a contagious disease.”
The elder Fu couple found it amusing, their smiles evident.
The Chen family, however, couldn’t bring themselves to laugh, their expressions clouding over as they recalled Chen Xuanqiu’s recent illness.
Chen Xuanqiu braced herself, sitting upright.
She knew her erratic behavior could easily lead her family to misunderstand.
The conversation that followed was relatively harmonious.
Fu Fawu offered no direct verbal apology, instead continually bringing up the new contract, seemingly hoping to gloss over past issues.
The Chen family understood their disadvantage and didn’t push their luck.
After all, the Fu family was influential and wealthy; they weren’t obligated to make Chen Xuanzhu their daughter-in-law, as only Fu Yao truly adored her.
Naturally, the Fu family also understood that this alone wouldn’t suffice.
Business was business, and personal relationships were separate.
Jiang Yunmei promptly produced a box and handed it to Chen Xuanzhu.
Inside lay an exquisite diamond necklace.
Chen Xuanzhu had no desire to accept such an ambiguously meaningful gift.
However, she couldn’t resist the Fu family’s overwhelming enthusiasm, ultimately accepting it with reluctance.
Chen Xuanqiu felt like an outsider.
Her sole concern was whether the eerie black mist would harm her, but it proved to be an unnecessary worry; the substance clung solely to Fu Yao, never once leaving his side.
‘Could Fu Yao’s discomfort be linked to that thing?’ Chen Xuanqiu suddenly wondered.
She briefly considered offering a warning but feared being dismissed as insane, ultimately deciding against it.
Soon, the servants had prepared dinner.
The two families gathered around the large, circular dining table.
Chen Xuanqiu scanned the array of dishes on the table, noting an abundance of delicacies from both land and sea.
With twenty to thirty dishes laid out, it was evident the Fu family had spared no expense, demonstrating their sincerity that evening.
At the center of the table was a hotpot of sliced lamb.
Thin cuts of lamb were submerged into a clear, sweet radish broth, creating a rich yet not greasy aroma that instantly whetted one’s appetite.
Chen Xuanqiu’s mouth watered at the sight.
She instinctively picked up a piece and placed it in her mouth, her taste buds immediately blossoming with a flavor and texture that was utterly captivating.
“Xiao Qiu, that’s lamb,” Chen Xuanzhu suddenly remarked from beside her.
“I know, why?” Chen Xuanqiu countered, a touch of confusion in her voice.
“Didn’t you used to never eat lamb?” Chen Xuanzhu asked, a slight frown creasing her brow.
Chen Degao and his wife also looked at their ‘son,’ their faces reflecting bewilderment.
“Oh… ah… what?”
The look of blissful enjoyment on Chen Xuanqiu’s face slowly faded, replaced by utter bewilderment. She had accounted for countless possibilities, but never anticipated being exposed by a simple dietary habit — the inherent flaw of lacking the original host’s memories.
“It’s fine, our chef specially prepared this lamb; it has very little gamey smell,” Jiang Yunmei quickly interjected, trying to smooth things over.
The Chen family, however, clearly didn’t heed her words, their faces still etched with unresolved worry.
Indeed, Chen Xuanqiu’s behavior that evening had been exceptionally abnormal.
Chen Xuanqiu, already a startled bird, felt her heart pound uncontrollably, and it seemed to never settle down thereafter.
****
After dinner, the three members of the Fu family invited the four members of the Chen family for a stroll.
They departed the villa together.
Chen Xuanqiu kept to herself, a slight distance away, for she was genuinely afraid of the black mist.
Situated in a semi-rural area, the Fu family’s estate had sparse street lighting.
Once they ventured into the green belt, they were enveloped by tree shadows, making visibility dim and indistinct.
Chen Xuanqiu walked at the very front, followed by her parents.
Behind them were the elder Fu couple, while her ‘sister’ by circumstance walked with Fu Yao at the very rear.
Concerned for her sister, Chen Xuanqiu glanced back occasionally.
The two families continued their walk along the dimly lit green belt.
As they walked, and walked, Chen Xuanqiu lost count of how many times she’d looked back.
The people behind her continued to chat and laugh as usual, yet a strange sensation suddenly arose within her, an unsettling feeling that something was amiss.
Chen Xuanqiu frowned, pondering for a moment.
Suddenly, her entire body jolted, and her face turned deathly pale. She finally understood the problem: at some point, an additional person had appeared behind them…
Chen Xuanqiu cautiously peered behind her.
She saw a woman trailing Fu Yao, her long hair disheveled, her appearance unkempt. The woman’s feet didn’t move, yet her body eerily floated forward. Due to the dim light, her face was indistinct.
Chen Xuanqiu’s scalp tingled, and she forgot to move her feet.
Her mother bumped into her from behind.
Chen Xuanqiu was currently quite light and slender, and her mother’s bump sent her sprawling to the ground.
Yet, she felt no pain whatsoever.
“Oh dear! Qiu! I’m so sorry, are you alright?”
Melissa was startled and quickly moved to help her ‘son’ up, while the others also hurried forward to inquire.
Chen Xuanqiu was mechanically helped to her feet by her mother.
Her round, clear eyes remained fixed on the shadow at the very back, and dense cold sweat beaded on her forehead. By now, she had clearly discerned the ‘woman’s’ appearance.
The woman appeared to be a translucent phantom, emanating black mist identical to that surrounding Fu Yao.
Only her bloodshot eyes seemed unnervingly solid and clear, glowing with a faint crimson light in the night, betraying boundless resentment.
‘A ghost! It’s a ghost again!’
Chen Xuanqiu’s legs turned to jelly, and her entire body began to tremble violently.
“Qiu, what’s wrong?” Melissa asked with concern, sensing that her ‘son’ was acting strangely.
“N-nothing… nothing at all,” Chen Xuanqiu stammered, shivering.
Melissa’s expression grew even more serious.
She was now certain that her ‘son’s’ mental state was not normal.
Chen Xuanqiu’s soul trembled with fear.
She turned and walked away, leaving behind a group of bewildered individuals.
Overwhelmed by extreme fear, Chen Xuanqiu dared not look back for the next stretch of time.
After walking a bit further, the two families paused by the river to rest.
Only then did Chen Xuanqiu summon the courage to look behind her, a glance that nearly scared her to death. The female ghost was now completely plastered to Fu Yao’s back, her hands clasped around his neck, and her face buried in his throat, breathing deeply, much like a greedy addict.
Chen Xuanqiu observed that with each breath the female ghost took, the eerie black mist surrounding Fu Yao entered her nostrils.
As the ghost’s form gradually solidified, the mist around Fu Yao steadily diminished, a constant exchange between them.
“Ugh!”
Just then, Fu Yao uncomfortably twisted his neck.
“Fu Yao, what’s wrong?” Jiang Yunmei asked with concern from beside him, having heard her son’s distressed sound.
“I’m not sure why, but my shoulders suddenly feel sore and achy, as if I’m carrying dozens of pounds,” Fu Yao said, forcing a smile.
Chen Xuanqiu paused for a moment upon hearing this.
She hadn’t expected ordinary people could sense it when tormented by a ghost.
“If you’re not feeling well, let’s head back,” Chen Degao suggested from nearby.
“It’s fine, Uncle Chen! We’re already out; I want to get some more fresh air,” Fu Yao insisted stubbornly.
Having finally found an opportunity to spend time with Chen Xuanzhu, he wouldn’t give it up so easily.
“Qiu, come with me, your mother has something to tell you.”
Melissa finally lost her patience and led her ‘son’ away by the hand.
Chen Xuanqiu naturally knew her mother had grown suspicious.
However, she had no means to resist, so she could only follow mechanically.
“Tell your mother, have you seen something again?”
Once the ‘mother and son’ pair reached a secluded spot, Melissa finally asked.
“N-no… no,” Chen Xuanqiu denied without a moment’s hesitation.
She had no desire to re-enter a hospital; even if she miraculously wasn’t exposed, she’d likely spend the rest of her life in a psychiatric ward, as she currently had no way to prove what she was seeing.
“Qiu, I know you’re scared, but you have to trust your mother. No matter what happens, I won’t let you get hurt, so please don’t hide things from me, okay?” Melissa pleaded, her voice almost begging.
“Truly, I’m really fine.”
After a long silence, Chen Xuanqiu shook her head. She believed her mother’s words, but the problem was that she wasn’t the ‘real’ Chen Xuanqiu. She couldn’t imagine how parents would react to a lone spirit inhabiting their son’s body.
Melissa sighed.
She didn’t want to push her ‘son’ any further, so she simply returned to rejoin the rest of the family.
When Chen Xuanqiu saw Fu Yao again, she noticed that the black mist around him had been almost entirely absorbed by the female ghost.
However, the ghost showed no intention of letting go.
‘This female ghost isn’t going to cling to Fu Yao for his entire life, is she?’ Chen Xuanqiu suddenly thought, a strange idea crossing her mind.
If that were the case, the poor man would be truly unlucky.
‘Never mind, what does it have to do with me?’
Chen Xuanqiu then dismissed the thought, deciding she was overthinking. Fu Yao wasn’t her own parents, so why bother with such idle concerns?
‘Wait, that’s not right. The Fu family’s reason for cooperating with the Chen family is because Fu Yao has fallen for my ‘sister.’’
‘If something were to happen to this guy, would the cooperative relationship still continue?’ Chen Xuanqiu suddenly realized the crux of the problem, and her heart tightened once more. ‘It seems the life of a ‘simp’ is more important than I thought.’
‘What should I do? Should I speak up? But if I do, what if my parents send me to the hospital?’
Chen Xuanqiu was instantly caught in a dilemma.
Just then, the female ghost moved.
She released Fu Yao’s neck, floated back about ten feet, and then extended her hands forward in a pushing gesture.
Chen Xuanqiu glanced at the swift-flowing river below.
She knew that if Fu Yao were pushed in, he would surely die in the dark of night.
Chen Xuanqiu could no longer hold back.
She shouted, “Fu Yao, look out! Someone’s going to push you!”
Upon hearing her voice, everyone looked towards Fu Yao, then turned their bewildered gazes to Chen Xuanqiu, wondering who could possibly be pushing him.
The female ghost was also startled by the shout.
She slowly turned her head.
“Who’s going to push me?” Fu Yao asked, instinctively stepping back two paces.
Chen Xuanqiu, however, had no energy to answer.
She saw the female ghost slowly floating towards her, the resentment in its eyes terrifyingly palpable.