When I arrived at the door of my mentor's villa, I hadn't even pressed the doorbell before the door swung open.
"You're here. Come on in."
Walking inside, I thought I was mentally prepared, but the scene that greeted me still left me stunned.
"Sir, was your house just ransacked by robbers?"
The room was a mess, with papers flying everywhere and items strewn about in disarray. It was a complete contrast to the tidy and orderly house I remembered from before.
"Stop teasing me, kid. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have turned my house upside down like this."
He turned around and shot me an annoyed look before returning to the book on his desk.
I stuck out my tongue at him playfully. "You were clearly off on vacation before. Now you're blaming me? That's not how jokes work, you know."
I walked over and sat across from him. Watching him keep his head down, deeply engrossed in the book, I craned my neck to sneak a look. Noticing my curiosity, he quickly lifted the book to block my view.
Despite his quick reaction, I caught a glimpse of the cover—a design featuring two fish chasing each other, one black and one white, forming a yin-yang symbol. There were also some unfamiliar characters beside it. The design seemed oddly familiar. I realized it was the same pattern as the one on the jade pendant.
Could it be that my mentor's interest in me had been about the jade pendant all along?
Ning Manwan and my mentor had both said things that planted seeds of doubt in my mind. Who could I trust?
For a moment, I was at a loss, unable to discern who was genuinely helping me and who might be plotting against me.
"Xiao Liu, Xiao Liu…" My mentor snapped me out of my thoughts with a sharp slap on my cheek.
I winced in pain and glared at him. "What are you doing? Can't you just talk instead of getting physical?"
"Stop overthinking and get ready. We're going somewhere."
Hearing that he wanted to take me out, I felt conflicted. I hadn't been to work in days due to my illness. If I skipped work any longer, I might lose my job.
"But I've been absent from work for so long. If I don't go back soon, I might get fired."
Even though I'd once thought about quitting out of fear, my job was my only source of income. Without it, I'd probably end up on the streets.
"Pick one—your job or your life."
Of course, I'd choose my life.
It wasn't until we boarded the long-distance bus that I realized I hadn't even asked where he was taking me.
"Sir, where are we going?" I asked.
Instead of answering, he shifted in his seat, found a comfortable position, and dozed off.
His sudden coldness was disconcerting. The curious stares from people around us made me reluctant to press him further. So, I decided to follow his example and take a nap.
Half-asleep, I felt someone tapping my shoulder. I opened my eyes to see a stunning woman in front of me. Her low-cut top revealed ample curves, and her smoky makeup accentuated her alluring features.
Gulp.
I swallowed hard several times, staring dumbfounded at her beauty as heat rose to my face. Then I felt a warm liquid dripping from my nose.
"You okay, handsome?" The woman asked with a playful smile.
Her melodious voice snapped me back to reality. Wiping my nose with a hand, I realized it was blood. Embarrassed, I scrambled to grab some tissues to stop the nosebleed.
"Sorry, I've been… uh… feeling under the weather lately," I mumbled, coming up with a lousy excuse.
The woman chuckled, covering her mouth. "Handsome, is this yours?"
She held out a silver phone. It looked familiar, and I instinctively checked my pocket, finding it empty. Awkwardly, I scratched my head and smiled as I took the phone.
"Thanks! I didn't notice I dropped it."
She shook her head. "Just be careful next time. Not everyone will be as kind as me."
I couldn't take my eyes off her. She was the perfect contradiction: a devilishly alluring figure paired with a gentle and kind demeanor.
"If you keep staring at her like that, you'll get kicked off the bus for being a creep," my mentor suddenly quipped.
I quickly averted my gaze, my face burning red.
When the bus finally stopped, my mentor led me off. I thought I'd finally find out why we were here, but after a few streets, he flagged down a taxi, and we embarked on another long journey.
During the ride, my mentor stayed silent. Bored, I settled into a comfortable position and drifted off to sleep. When I woke up, the car was bumping along a muddy road. It must have rained recently because the path was rough, and the tires struggled to find traction.
Looking at the increasingly remote surroundings, I grew more puzzled. "Sir, where exactly are you taking me?"
"You'll see when we get there."
My mentor remained cryptic throughout the journey. I couldn't help but wonder what he had planned. But I never expected that when we finally got out of the car, we'd be standing on the edge of a cliff, surrounded by endless mountains.
"Sir, what are we doing here?"
This place was in the middle of nowhere. Was he planning to kill me and dispose of my body?
My mentor shot me a disdainful look. "What kind of expression is that? Do you know how much effort I went through to find this place, all because of your half-human, half-ghost state?"
"Half-human, half-ghost?" I stared at him in disbelief. I was still alive—how could I be half-ghost?
"Have you not noticed? Recently, you've started to dislike daylight. Your body temperature has dropped. No matter how much rest you get, your eyes remain sunken. You look no different from a wandering soul."
Hearing his words, I felt a chill. He was right—those were all symptoms I had noticed. At first, I thought it was related to Ye Cha, but now it seemed there was more to it.
"Can coming here change my condition?" I asked.
Who knows if this state might silently turn me into a ghost? I didn't want to die so inexplicably.
"Why else would I bring you all the way out here?"