After brushing the golden paint off his body with a ball of steel wool, Qiao Yuan boiled a pot of hot water and took two pounds of chocolate balls with him. He then set off according to Jia Hong's instructions.
As it was a long way off, Qiao Yuan chose to take a taxi this time.
About half an hour later, Qiao Yuan finally arrived outside the residential area that Jia Hong had mentioned.
The address was a little remote, already at the juncture between the urban and rural.
At a glance, it was easy to see that this was an old residential area. There were only four or five short buildings inside. The walls surrounding the area, which were about 8 feet tall, had long been mottled and yellowed, the tops of which were full of shards of glass.
Advertisements for locks and children could be seen everywhere.
Inside the wall, there were many trees growing luxuriantly, and the chirping of cicadas could be heard.
The shops outside the community were all closed, and a conspicuous white paper was pasted on all their doors.
After watching for a while, he only saw a few elderly people walking in and out. Qiao Yuan took out his phone and said, "I'm here. Where are you?"
Jia Hong: [Building 3, 4th floor, Room 401.]
"Okay, I'll be there soon," Qiao Yuan replied.
Qiao Yuan put his phone away. He didn't step into the residential area immediately. Instead, he walked around its perimeter.
There was an old security guard who seemed to have lost his teeth standing guard at the gate. There was not a single car coming in and out for a long time. It seemed that there were not many people living inside.
Finally, Qiao Yuan found a rusty iron door around the back of the wall.
The iron gate looked like it had been closed for a long time, to the point that it might have never been opened. Only a small door was opened to allow the electric car to pass through.
This was the first time he was actively searching for a spirit, so it was better to be careful. He had to observe the nearby escape routes first, so even if he couldn't defeat them, he could still leave safely.
Energy points were important, but one's life was also very precious. For a stranger, it was possible to risk it, but only up to a point.
After spending half an hour, Qiao Yuan finally arrived at the main entrance and briefly inquired about the situation there.
Through the old man, he found out that there was indeed a mother and son living in Unit 401 on the fourth floor. They had been living there for more than ten years.
The owner's name was Jia Hong, and other than that, there was no other special information.
...
He then entered the district.
When he arrived at Building 3, a strange smell was faintly discernible.
It was the smell of a woman's perfume. Qiao Yuan didn't know what type of perfume it was since he wasn't well-versed in this area, but it was a little too pungent.
He went to the fourth floor alone and knocked on the door of Room 401.
"Thump, thump, thump~"
The iron door made a loud noise.
Creak~
The door opened, and a charming woman with red lipstick appeared in front of Qiao Yuan.
'This mature figure... Amazing!'
A person's first impression was often determined by their appearance. From the first time he saw this woman, there was a voice in Qiao Yuan's mind telling him:
He was craving her body!
This signal continued to be transmitted from his brain.
She was completely different from Li Xiaoling's cold and aloof appearance. This woman was indeed something.
Jia Hong couldn't be blamed for being confused.
Qiao Yuan opened the thermos and took a sip of hot water.
[Cultivation +1]
Only then did the voice in his mind ease up a little. This was the benefit of increasing his cultivation.
All of his attributes were improving, which was different from the Indestructible Diamond Body, which focused on defense.
His cultivation had increased as a whole, although very little at a time!
"Who are you?"
The woman at the door revealed a charming and seductive smile.
Qiao Yuan picked up the thermos and took another sip of hot water, looking at the charming woman in a red apron.
"I'm Jia Hong's friend. He hasn't been to work for a few days, so I'm here to see him," Qiao Yuan replied with an innocent smile.
"Oh... Then come in."
The woman welcomed Qiao Yuan warmly and closed the door behind her.
...
"Hubby, your friend is here."
The woman called out to him in a seductive voice, which made Qiao Yuan's soul go numb. Then the woman took out some food from the refrigerator and cooked for him.
Qiao Yuan once again sighed in his heart. Indeed, Jia Hong wasn't to blame. He had just made a mistake that any ordinary man would make.
The living room wasn't that big. There were some fresh fruits on the table, and all the household appliances were covered with a white floral dust-proof cloth. The air was filled with the smell of a woman's perfume. It was obvious that this family was very warm.
Qiao Yuan's gaze shifted to the wall.
A family photo was hung on the wall. Just as Jia Hong had said, the photo only had a photo of his so-called girlfriend and an old man.
It was as if he had been replaced!
However, one of the family photos caught Qiao Yuan's attention. There were three people in it.
They should be a family of three.
There was a young old man, a middle-aged man in a shirt, and a little girl in front of them who was about ten years old.
The little girl looked similar to the woman who opened the door. This family photo must have been taken a long time ago.
There was no trace of photoshopping at all.
Just then, the woman walked out of the kitchen, holding a vegetable knife in her hand while looking at Qiao Yuan with a smile.
...
He didn't know if the knife was stained with tomato juice or something else, but it looked like blood.
When she noticed Qiao Yuan's gaze on the family portrait, the woman came to Qiao Yuan's side and explained with a smile, "That is my favorite family photo. I was only 14 years old back then, and I was so carefree and happy."
"It's a pity... I can't go back in time. In the blink of an eye, more than ten years have passed, and my father has also passed away from illness. I'm also old."
The woman's eyes were full of memories, sighing that time was unforgiving.
She was the perfect housewife.
But...
Qiao Yuan glanced at the knife from the corner of his eye. The knife, which was stained with bright red liquid, was only a palm's width away from his waist.
As the woman sighed, the knife kept shaking slightly, making Qiao Yuan's kidney hurt.
The two of them were so close to each other that the position of the knife wasn't strange at all, given their proximity. The question is if it was intentional or not.
"No, sister, you're still very beautiful now."
Qiao Yuan flattered her with a smile.
...
The woman's face blushed, making her look even more flirtatious. She quickly waved her hands, as if she was very shy.
"No, no, little brother, you're such a sweet talker. Big sister is already old."
There was nothing abnormal in her words, which made her actions even more charming.
But...
The vegetable knife in her hand kept swaying in front of Qiao Yuan's face. He could even feel the swoosh of cold air from the knife.
Qiao Yuan's eyelids twitched. He wouldn't be surprised if the woman were to slash at his face in the next second.
But that did not happen.
The woman walked back into the kitchen with the knife, and everything returned to normal.
At the door of the bedroom, a head popped out. It was a man who was waving at him with an anxious look.
...
He entered the bedroom.
The first person he saw was Jia Hong, who was wearing a coat. At this moment, he was carefully closing the door. Throughout the entire process, he held his breath, not even daring to breathe loudly. Cold sweat appeared on his forehead.
Finally... He closed the door.
"Brother, did you help me call the police?!" Jia Hong looked at Qiao Yuan as if he was holding onto a life-saving straw.
It was not difficult to see the fear on his thin and dispirited face.
"I did."
Qiao Yuan nodded.
He definitely wouldn't call the police, so he could only comfort him like this. If he couldn't even solve it himself, it would be useless even if the police came.
Jia Hong patted his chest and wiped off the sweat on his forehead. He could finally heave a sigh of relief.
If he had not been trapped at home and unable to call the police, he would not have tried to find his group members.
If he hadn't been trapped in his home and was unable to call the police himself, he would have never asked for help from one of his group members.
"Brother, it's all thanks to you this time. When the police come and catch it, I'll definitely thank you!"
Jia Hong looked at Qiao Yuan with grateful eyes.
Looking at Jia Hong, who was thin and haggard, and the dark circles under his eyes, as if he had been squeezed dry, it wasn't hard for Qiao Yuan to imagine what had happened.
...
"Can I take a look at the app?"
Qiao Yuan asked.
Jia Hong was surprised, but he still took out his phone and handed it to Qiao Yuan.
"It's all because of this trashy app! I'll definitely report it when I leave this place!"
Jia Hong cursed.
Qiao Yuan checked it. From the information on the order, he had indeed found the woman's photo.
Qiao Yuan then scanned the QR code and saved the app on his phone.
Just as Jia Hong was wondering why Qiao Yuan would do this, there was a knock on the door.
"Honey, time to eat."
"Be good, be good, okay?"
Upon hearing this, Jia Hong's body trembled once more. He wrapped his coat around himself and swallowed his saliva.
Creak~
The door opened.
Half of the woman's body was exposed. She still had an intoxicating smile on her face. Although, just like before... her right hand was still holding the bloody knife.
"Hubby, you don't want me to say it a second time, do you?"
It was clearly a very gentle tone, but when it reached Jia Hong's ears, it became a curse.
A vicious curse!
Jia Hong squeezed out a bitter face and unwillingly replied.
The two of them walked out of the bedroom one after another.
Then... Two men and a woman sat down at the small dining table.
Qiao Yuan and Jia Hong's wife sat together. Jia Hong was even more reserved than a guest, and his face was constantly sweating.
He was even more terrified!
The table was filled with hot dishes.
"Hubby, these are yours. You have to finish them, or I'll be unhappy."
The woman smiled as she placed a bowl of goji berries in front of Jia Hong.
Then, he scooped a bowl of hot rice for Jia Hong and Qiao Yuan.
"You're a guest, so you can eat first."
The woman said with a smile.
Qiao Yuan looked down.
The rice had been carefully shaped into a round ball, and a pair of chopsticks was inserted in the middle of it.
'A pair of chopsticks that were inserted into the rice?'
'Interesting.'
[E/N] Leaving chopsticks upright is a taboo in Chinese culture because it's similar to how they offer incense to the dead.