Thinking of how she had curled up in the pitch-black private room, her heart in agony, with no one to help, tears streamed down Wei Xiaoxiao’s face. “Dad, Mom, I’m sorry. It was all my fault for making you worry! I shouldn’t have snuck out that night. I didn’t listen to you, and I didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye… I was unfilial!”
“No, no, your mom and dad don’t blame you. Xiaoxiao, be good, don’t cry…” Wei Mother’s voice choked into sobs midway, and she turned to bury herself in her husband’s arms, shedding silent tears.
Wei Father patted his wife, looked at his daughter, and secretly wiped away his own tears.
This should have been a touching scene, but Chu Yi popped up with a stern face, ruining the mood. “You buried Wei Xiaoxiao’s bones under the peach tree, right? Who taught you to set up this Peach Blossom Evil Formation? Did you know there would be consequences like today?”
Wei Father and Wei Mother stiffened. After witnessing Chu Yi’s thunderous methods, they knew he was leagues above Master Zhang. They dared to hurl abuse at Master Zhang, but against Chu Yi, they lacked even the courage to resist, so they could only stay silent.
Did they think silence would suffice?
Chu Yi could clearly see their guilty expressions and said coldly, “The Peach Blossom Evil grows by stimulating people’s lust and greed. This peach tree has been in Bar Street for years, harming countless people. All that sinful force will backlash onto Wei Xiaoxiao in the end. I doubt she’ll be able to reincarnate as a human next life.”
The Wei couple panicked at his words and exchanged terrified glances, unsure what to do.
Wei Xiaoxiao, however, furrowed her brows. “If not human, then what?”
She was still a young girl. Having been hoodwinked by the Peach Blossom Evil for years, she hadn’t truly grown up. Her question seemed more curious than fearful.
“Pigs, dogs, cows, sheep—even earthworms, toads, spiders, insects…” Chu Yi knew exactly how to play on a young girl’s mind. The last few were utterly unacceptable to her, and Wei Xiaoxiao’s little face paled in fright.
“I don’t want to be an insect!”
Wei Mother was also terrified and quickly said, “Master, we’ll tell the truth. Please help our daughter!”
Wei Father no longer dared to hide anything and confessed everything from start to finish. “When Xiaoxiao passed unexpectedly, a middle-aged man approached us. He said since Xiaoxiao was a girl who hadn’t married, by ancient clan rules, she couldn’t be buried in the ancestral grave. Having received her parents’ grace but not repaid with filial piety, she was unfilial. Without a yin marriage, her soul would become one of those Lonely Ghosts and Wild Ghosts.
Though she died of a heart attack, she wasn’t supposed to die that day. She snuck out and died unjustly, full of resentment at the end. If such a soul were caught by yin attendants, it would surely be thrown into the eighteenth layer of hell to suffer endless torment…”
Wei Xiaoxiao frowned deeply. “Dad, those are clearly feudal superstitions. How could you two, both college graduates, believe that?!”
Wei Father glanced at Wei Xiaoxiao. With her ghost right in front of him now, saying such things—was that really scientific?
Wei Father said, “We checked the classics; many places really have such clan rules… You were afraid of the dark and ghosts as a kid, crying for Mom and Dad in the middle of the night. How could we let you suffer alone?”
In the end, parental love prevailed; better to believe it was true.
Seeing her husband struggling, Wei Mother wiped her tears and continued. “That man told us to arrange a yin marriage for Xiaoxiao. He said the peach tree in this yard was thriving, so she could stay here to nurture her soul and wait for her fated one.”
Mrs. Li couldn’t hold back anymore and retorted, “What fated one? I think you were just coveting our Yun Kai!”
Wei Mother didn’t deny it this time. Coveting or not, things had already turned out this way.
Wei Xiaoxiao recalled her one-sided infatuation and blushed in shame. “I’m sorry, it was all my fault for causing you trouble…”
She had known Li Yunkai since she was little. The boy was handsome, always surrounded by friends who followed his every call. She both envied and admired him.
As they grew up, though not close, she always held good feelings for him and never thought beyond that. Until one time outside school, two little thugs harassed her, nearly triggering her heart condition. Li Yunkai appeared like a prince on a white horse, chasing them off and carrying her to the school infirmary…
From then on, her feelings for Li Yunkai changed. He was ambiguous toward her too—always teasing her with a smile when they met, touching her face, even joking once about making her his girlfriend.
Knowing her time was short, she finally mustered the courage to try once. Even if the outcome was bad, at least she tried. But she truly hadn’t meant to drag him down with her life…
The Li couple initially thought it was their son heroically saving the wrong person, but hearing the latter part made them uncomfortable.
They couldn’t really blame a naive, inexperienced young girl with little romantic history. Who at that age didn’t fantasize, thinking love conquered all?
Their son had flirted and made empty promises—that behavior was pretty scummy…
“But Yun Kai didn’t do anything to you. Isn’t it too much to ask him to accompany you?” Mrs. Li thought of her son and rallied her defenses again.
Wei Xiaoxiao jumped in fright and hurriedly explained, “It wasn’t me! I didn’t want to harm him. I’ll release him right now…”
She separated half her soul body, and a Light Ball emerged from her hand, making her form even more transparent.
But the Li Hongming couple didn’t dare take it and turned to Chu Yi for help. “Master Chu…”
“Call his name, and he’ll follow you. Master Zhang will handle the rest. Once at the hospital, return the soul and put this on his wrist. He’s been out of body too long; without stabilizing it, he’ll likely attract ghosts in the future.”
Chu Yi flipped his hand, producing the familiar red rope.
Li Hongming took it respectfully, thanked him profusely, then called Li Yunkai’s name with his wife. Sure enough, the Light Ball detached from Wei Xiaoxiao and wobbled after them.
Li Hongming didn’t forget Master Zhang and had the bodyguards, who had returned seeing no danger, carry the unconscious Zhang Jue.
Master Zhang nodded complexly to Chu Yi and left.
Chu Yi then said to Mu Jiajun and Ouyang Yuyuan, “You two go too. You’re his friends; more people means better care.”
It wasn’t really that; he had noticed their guilt and wanted them to feel involved. That way, facing Li Yun Kai later would be like sharing a life-and-death bond with a close friend.
Mu Jiajun and Ouyang Yuyuan didn’t suspect a thing, agreed, and hurriedly chased after Uncle Li and the others.
“You’re not leaving?” Chu Yi raised a brow at Yu Qingxian, who hadn’t budged.
He felt a bit guilty. Sending off Mu Jiajun and Ouyang Yuyuan was also to temporarily avoid President Yu. For some reason, their vibes felt off when together.
He could handle his own awkwardness, but why was President Yu awkward too?
