"You called me? I didn't call you!" Lin Zhao said, his face full of innocence.
If he didn't call me, was it a ghost? No, wait—Lin Zhao was possessed earlier. Now that he doesn't remember calling me, could it have been the ghost using his body to make the call?
I immediately asked, "Lin Zhao, do you remember how you got here? Today is Lin Xia's seventh day."
He thought for a moment before answering, "I was planning to go home after work, but Lin Huairen called me. He said he found footprints on the ceiling of Lin Xia's room. I tried calling you, but you didn't answer, so I came here alone."
As he finished speaking, Lin Zhao suddenly realized he hadn't seen the Lin couple yet. He tried to stand up but cried out in pain, sitting back down with an expression of shock as he stared at his hand.
"What happened to my hand? Why is my pinky broken?"
I coughed awkwardly. "Well, when I got here, you were possessed. To force the ghost out, I had no choice but to do that. Don't worry—if you get to the hospital in time, they should be able to fix it."
"Wasn't there another way? Did you have to break my pinky? Do you want me to live the rest of my life with nine fingers?"
Now that the numbness had worn off, the pain hit him full force, and Lin Zhao was crying out in agony.
I understood his reaction—after all, fingers are extremely sensitive.
At that moment, the Lin couple emerged from another room, supporting each other. They looked relieved to see me but wary when their eyes fell on Lin Zhao.
I guessed that Lin Zhao must have done something threatening while possessed, which explained their fear.
"Don't worry," I reassured them. "Lin Xia is gone now."
Once I was certain Lin Zhao wouldn't act out again, I sat down across from the Lin couple. Their expressions remained tense.
"Now that you've seen your daughter with your own eyes, there's no need for me to convince you of the supernatural. Her message was clear: she believes you abandoned her to die and wants to drag you down with her."
I kept a close eye on their reactions. Li Sisi looked heartbroken, but Lin Huairen's expression made me pause. There was something off—something I needed to dig into.
Just as I was about to question him, Lin Zhao groaned beside me. "Cunxi, I can't take it anymore. Take me to the hospital. We can talk later."
Seeing how much pain he was in, I decided to set aside my suspicions for now.
"Lin Xia's energy has dissipated. She won't return tonight. You can rest easy. I'll take Lin Zhao to the hospital."
As we left the building, the oppressive feeling of being watched lifted. The unnatural sense of someone's eyes boring into me finally disappeared.
In the car, Lin Zhao kept glancing nervously behind us.
"Why do you keep looking back? Did you see something?" I asked.
He shook his head, and I chose not to share my own concerns. "I didn't realize you cops could endure so much pain and still talk," I teased.
After dropping Lin Zhao at the hospital, I was about to head back to finish my work when someone I hadn't seen in a long time suddenly appeared: Ye Cha.
"That old man was right. You'd better not get involved in this case. Whatever is watching you from the shadows is far beyond your ability to handle right now."
"You've been quiet for so long, I thought you'd disappeared for good," I said. It had been weeks since I'd seen or heard from her, to the point where I'd started to wonder if she'd ever existed at all.
"I told you from the start: I need yin energy. That was part of our agreement when I decided to cooperate with you. Did you forget?"
Her reminder jogged my memory. She had indeed said she required yin energy as one of the conditions of our partnership.
"I've been to plenty of yin-heavy places lately. Haven't you noticed?" I countered.
As soon as I finished speaking, Ye Cha materialized fully before me. She wore her usual blood-red dress, but this time, I got a clear look at her face. Though pale and almost translucent, her beauty was undeniable.
I had thought Ning Manwan was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen, but Ye Cha's beauty surpassed hers. Where Ning Manwan was delicate and graceful, Ye Cha radiated strength and an almost masculine charisma.
Looking at her, I couldn't help but think of historical figures like Mulan or Empress Wu Zetian.
"That wasn't nearly enough. You'll need to do more," she said coldly. "If you won't, I'll take matters into my own hands."
Her domineering tone reminded me of how difficult she must have been in life. No wonder she likely drove away many of her admirers.
"Fine, I'll take care of it," I said with a sigh.
After calming her down, I realized it was too late to return to work. I called Yu Yishan to ask him to handle my unfinished tasks and stayed at the hospital to wait for Lin Zhao's family.
When Lin Zhao's relatives arrived, they completely ignored me. I quickly became an afterthought as they fussed over him.
Just as I was debating whether to say goodbye, my phone rang. To my surprise, it was Lin Huairen. His call caught me off guard, but remembering his earlier expressions, I felt it was worth hearing him out.
He invited me to dinner as a way of thanking me for saving his family. Curious, I accepted.
At the agreed-upon restaurant, I found Lin Huairen already waiting for me.
"Sorry I'm late—traffic was bad," I apologized.
"No problem. I was worried about my wife, but she's resting now. So, it's just me tonight," he said politely.
I nodded. "You're too kind. I was just helping Lin Zhao as promised."
After some small talk, he urged me to order, and I didn't hold back. After all, breaking the spiritual barrier at their house had cost me quite a bit. A meal was the least they could offer in return for saving their lives.
While waiting for the food, Lin Huairen excused himself to use the restroom. As he left, a server accidentally spilled oil on my clothes, prompting profuse apologies. Deciding not to make a fuss, I went to the restroom to clean up.
Just as I approached the door, I overheard a phone conversation from inside.
"…Sister Meng, I've done everything you asked. When will you fulfill your promise? I've carried out all your instructions…"
The words stopped me in my tracks. Sister Meng? Could Lin Huairen be involved in something far darker than I'd realized?