"Where are you going?" asked Chen Yuxuan while stuffing his face with chips.
It had been three weeks since Li Xue found Chen Yuxuan, and this lazy spirit got a weird attraction towards chips.
"I'm going to my cousin's house. We're going to discuss where to go during the summer break," Li Xue replied, her voice tinged with exasperation. This spirit had done nothing but laze around and eat since his arrival. God knew where he was even getting those chips from! She sighed, already feeling drained. "I'm off now. Bye."
"..."
Li Xue walked, and walked, and walked some more. Eventually, her patience snapped. "Why the hell are you following me!?" she screamed, her frustration echoing down the street. The surrounding pedestrians jumped, startled, and gave her strange looks. Her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment, and she immediately bolted away, muttering, "Great, now they think I'm insane."
"You're my master. I have to follow you no matter what," Chen Yuxuan said, floating leisurely behind her as though her reaction was the most normal thing in the world.
Li Xue gritted her teeth and refused to respond. She was embarrassed enough already. She quickened her pace and soon reached Chen Yi's home. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and stepped inside. This house had been like a second home to her growing up, and the sense of familiarity was comforting.
A woman appeared in front of her, her features sharp and radiant. Her healthy, light brown hair was tied up in a neat bun, and despite the slight wrinkles on her forehead, she looked stunningly beautiful.
"Hello, Auntie!" Li Xue greeted warmly, a bright smile lighting up her face.
"A'Li! How long has it been? You haven't come to visit me in so long," Auntie exclaimed, her joy evident. It was clear she adored Li Xue.
"School's been tough, and I've been buried in my studies," Li Xue explained sheepishly.
"I understand. Go on, Chen Yi and Hua Rong are in Chen Yi's room," Auntie said with a smile, stepping aside. Li Xue nodded and made her way to the room.
She flung the door open with a loud, "Hello!"
Chen Yi jolted, startled by her sudden entrance. The book he was reading slipped from his hands and landed on the floor. Hua Rong, who had been dozing off on the bed, groaned and sat up, her expression dark with annoyance.
"Li. Xue," Hua Rong hissed, her voice dripping with irritation.
"Oh, hush, Hua Rong. We're here to plan, not nap. Now get up," Li Xue said, completely ignoring the death glare she was receiving. She plopped herself onto Chen Yi's study table and swung her legs nonchalantly.
Chen Yi opened his mouth, likely to reprimand her for the intrusion, but decided against it. Instead, he sighed and offered, "How about we go to the mountains this year?"
"The mountains?" Hua Rong raised an eyebrow. "It'll be hot and buggy. No thanks."
"Oh, please! Like your idea of a beach trip is any better," Chen Yi retorted. "You just want to sunbathe all day."
"At least the beach is fun! You can swim, build sandcastles—"
"We're not five," Chen Yi interrupted, rolling his eyes.
The bickering continued, escalating in volume. Li Xue pinched the bridge of her nose. "Enough, both of you! We'll pick somewhere else if you can't agree."
As they argued, Hua Rong's gaze shifted to the jade hanging from Li Xue's neck. "What's that?" she asked, intrigued. "It's beautiful."
Li Xue stiffened. "Oh, just… a trinket," she said evasively, her hand moving instinctively to cover it.
"Can I see it?" Hua Rong leaned closer, her curiosity piqued.
"No!" Li Xue blurted, startling Hua Rong. At her side, Chen Yuxuan glared icily, his voice a low growl only Li Xue could hear. "Don't you dare."
Li Xue's mouth twitched. "It's… fragile," she stammered, trying to think of an excuse.
Hua Rong frowned, suspicion flickering in her eyes. "Fragile, huh? Let me just take a quick look—"
Before Li Xue could stop her, Hua Rong lunged and snatched the jade from her neck. The moment her fingers touched it, her eyes widened in shock as she suddenly saw Chen Yuxuan floating beside them.
"W-Who the hell is that?!" Hua Rong shrieked, stumbling back. Li Xue lunged to get hold of the jade but the jade slipped from her grasp, and in the chaos, it tumbled through the air.
"No!" Li Xue cried, lunging for it again. She missed, and the jade bounced off Chen Yi's hand before crashing to the ground. The room went eerily silent as the jade not being shattered but having a crack. Giving out a black color like it had been withered.
Chen Yuxuan's face paled. "You idiots! Do you have any idea what you've done?!"
Before Chen Yuxuan could say more a laughter filled the room.
A dark, oppressive energy filled the room, and black Qi began swirling around them. The air grew cold, and an ominous laugh echoed from the broken jade.
"Fools," a chilling voice sneered. "You've set me free."
The Qi coalesced into a shadowy figure with glowing red eyes. "For centuries, I've been imprisoned within that cursed jade. But now, thanks to your clumsiness, I'm free to roam the world once more."
Chen Yuxuan stepped forward, his usual calm replaced by panic. "You… You can't be here!"
The figure chuckled darkly. "Oh, but I am. And don't worry—I won't kill you. Not yet, anyway. Consider this your reward for freeing me." With that, the figure dissipated, leaving behind an unsettling silence.
Chen Yuxuan turned to the others, his expression grim. "This is bad. Really bad."
Li Xue gulped, her heart racing. "What… What do we do now?"
"We survive," Chen Yuxuan said, his voice grave. "If we can."
"What do you mean 'if we can?'" Li Xue yelled, "Chen Yuxuan! Tell us!"
"Who the hell is he? What is he?" Hua Rong yelped.
"Li. Xue." Chen Yi words filled with rage came out and Li Xue jolted, "Explain." He glared at her.