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Ding Li finally settled down, and under the influence of the medication, she fell into a deep sleep. Watching her sleep without the previous expression of pain brought a slight sense of relief to Ye Chenfeng. He planned to wait until Ding Li felt better before considering her discharge from the hospital.
Hospitals are not suitable places to linger unless there is a serious illness; the heavy atmosphere can be quite oppressive.
He didn’t notice the old man squatting in the corner by the wall as he casually opened the door and stepped outside. To his surprise, he found the same old man sitting on a bench at the entrance, unwilling to leave the ward.
Ye Chenfeng walked over and sat beside him.
A chilling aura enveloped him as he drew closer. Although he didn’t smoke, he had prepared a pack of cigarettes in his pocket. This was advice given to him by his friends: in society, one must learn to navigate through connections.
Cigarettes build bridges, and alcohol paves the way.
Even though they were still in college, it was akin to their first station in life, where older students often smoked.
Just like the security guard at the entrance, who was also a chain smoker.
The cigarettes in Ye Chenfeng's pocket were leftover from his last encounter with that guard.
Now, he lit two cigarettes—one for himself and handed the other to the old man.
“Here you go, sir.”
The old man smiled and took the cigarette, savoring a puff with delight.
Patients and their families passing by Ding Li’s ward noticed Ye Chenfeng smoking alone with another cigarette resting on the bench. The smoke quickly wafted towards them, and they initially thought they had seen wrong. Upon closer inspection, their faces filled with surprise as they hurriedly left.
The old man took a drag from his cigarette and chuckled, “It’s been a long time since I’ve had a smoke. Thank you, young man.”
"Old man, why are you out here?" Ye Chenfeng took a deep drag from his cigarette and exhaled the smoke. He flicked the ash into the trash can beside the bench, maintaining a calm demeanor as he glanced at the pristine white wall in front of him, quietly asking.
"Hey, hey, you're different from others. You have something on you that scares me."
Ye Chenfeng noticed that Ding Li didn't bring the Ghost-Collecting Gourd. It wasn't that he was unaware of the unimaginable things that existed in a place like a hospital; it was simply that he had rushed out without it.
"I don't have anything you should be afraid of!"
"Your aura."
"Aura?" Ye Chenfeng felt a bit frustrated.
"An aura is something you can't see. I feel a sense of pressure when you appear," the old man said, instinctively shifting his position to create more distance between himself and Ye Chenfeng.
Ye Chenfeng couldn't help but smile inwardly, thinking that only ghosts would fear him; no human ever claimed to be afraid of themselves.
"Old man, if I tell you I have the ability to help you fulfill your unfulfilled wish, would you be willing to share your story with me?"
Seeing Ye Chenfeng's sincere and serious expression, the old man hesitated and asked, "Can you really help me fulfill my unfulfilled wish?"
"I can," Ye Chenfeng nodded in agreement. Just as he was about to continue speaking, he suddenly felt his phone vibrate violently. At the same time, a sharp pain pierced through him from deep within, as if he had been pricked by a needle. He furrowed his brow slightly and instinctively placed his hand over his heart, feeling increasingly uneasy.
The corridor was bustling with people.
Among them were patients and their families, and amidst this crowd, a strange figure had appeared without anyone noticing when it happened.
The figure was coming down the stairs, its outline blurry and somewhat familiar. From a distance, it waved at him, as if gesturing something. Ye Chenfeng squinted to get a better look, but the figure vanished again.
"Something happened at home; you should go check," the old man said as he stood up and walked toward the door of the ward. "You can rest assured here! She will be fine."
Something happened at home? Ye Chenfeng felt a surge of panic. He grabbed his phone and dialed his home landline, but after several attempts, no one answered. His heart sank, and without having the chance to thank the old man, he hurriedly ran toward the hospital entrance.
When it comes to the dead, one must believe.
Sometimes, their feelings are more accurate than those of the living.
Most people cannot hear what the dead say, but Ye Chenfeng could because he was different. He was a Taoist, albeit a fake one who practiced with unkempt hair.
Ye Chenfeng sprinted down the road, continuously dialing his home number.
Finally, someone picked up the phone.
"Hello..." Ye Chenfeng shouted into the receiver.
There was silence on the other end; it felt as if the person answering was mute. They picked up the call but couldn't utter a word, just listening quietly.
Ye Chenfeng grew anxious and asked again, "Speak up; don’t stay silent."
"We're going to play a game. If you lose, you will hand over their souls to me. If you win, I will automatically leave your life."
The voice was definitely not Xiang'er’s, nor was it his mother's or father's.
The voice sounded terrifying, making Ye Chenfeng feel uneasy all over, a chilling sound that sent shivers down his spine.
"Who are you, and why are you challenging me?" Ye Chenfeng asked as he walked, glancing repeatedly to see if the bus was coming.
The bus never arrived, and the voice on the phone faded away.
"Damn it."
Ye Chenfeng cursed under his breath. Unable to wait for the bus any longer, he decided to take a taxi home.
Just as he was about to reach home, his phone rang.
"Ye Chenfeng! Ye Chenfeng! Your mother... our family is finished." Ye Dad's voice was filled with despair, trembling with fear and incoherence.
"How is that possible? Dad, today isn't April Fool's Day. Don't joke with me. Seriously, if Mom finds out you're messing with me like this, she'll be furious."
The call disconnected.
Ye Dad didn't clarify whether it was a joke or not.
Ye Chenfeng stared blankly at his phone. He muttered to himself, "How could this be? What’s going on today? It must be nothing! I’m just overthinking it; that must have been a joke." But this self-deceptive thought was quickly overturned.
If the old man in the hospital who was reluctant to leave believed something had happened at home, then could what was said on the phone really be true?
"Master, can you drive a little faster?"
The taxi driver nodded slightly, increased the speed, but still had to pay attention to traffic rules. Finally, under Ye Chenfeng's impatient urging, he reluctantly took a shortcut.
When Ye Chenfeng arrived home, he knew something was wrong even before stepping through the door.
He saw the red warning tape right at the entrance of his building, along with several unfamiliar faces maintaining order. The strangers, all dressed in uniforms and looking serious, made him uneasy; he had no idea what had happened here.
"Excuse me, I am Ye Chenfeng, a resident of this unit," he said, presenting his identification. Under their scrutinizing gaze, he informed them of his floor and apartment number before being allowed to enter.
One of the people following him casually asked, "Are you Ye Chenfeng?"
"Yes."
"When did you leave home today?"
The tone was clearly interrogative, which angered Ye Chenfeng. He stopped and looked directly at the person. "Can you please tell me what has happened in my home?"
"It's serious. Please accept my condolences and stay strong," the interrogator said gently, patting his shoulder in a gesture of comfort.
Upon hearing this, Ye Chenfeng felt a sinking feeling in his heart. He couldn't help but wonder if something had happened to Xiang'er. He never imagined that it would be someone so close to him in trouble. When he saw Xiang'er inside being questioned as well, a sharp pain shot through his heart again.
Ye Chenfeng spotted his father, who looked significantly older after just half a day; his hair had turned gray at the temples. His father's face was ashen, expression blank, and eyes hollow as he sat weakly on the sofa.
Ye Chenfeng did not see his mother, which made him increasingly anxious.
The person who had come in with him pointed towards his parents' bedroom and then led the way forward. As they walked, they said, "Please stay strong; we will get to the bottom of this."
In the parents' bedroom, everything was clean and tidy, if not for the charred skeleton on the bed. One might have truly believed that nothing had happened here.
But the sight of the burnt skeleton invaded Ye Chenfeng's vision, and in that moment, he felt a heart-wrenching pain.
His feet felt heavy, unable to take a step forward as he stared blankly at the charred remains on the bed, witnessing an incomprehensible scene.
The bedding on the bed was intact, yet the person had been burned beyond recognition. Scientific analysis yielded results that were hard to believe.
After examination, the forensic expert confirmed that it was fire originating from within the body that had caused Ye Mom's death.
How could this be possible? It was too bizarre.
Ye Chenfeng wanted to move closer, but he was forcibly pulled away by someone who insisted on preserving the scene.
He saw Xiang'er.
Xiang'er bit her lip tightly, her head bowed, trembling all over.
"Chenfeng Brother, I don't know. I really don't know what happened," she stammered in a flurry of words before Ye Chenfeng could even ask her anything.
Ye Chenfeng glanced at her indifferently and remained silent as he sat down beside Ye Dad. The two of them shared a tacit understanding, sitting in silence as they awaited further questioning. They were informed that the charred body would be taken away for detailed examination.
“Dad... I'm sorry.” Ye Chenfeng looked at his father, who now had strands of gray hair and new wrinkles on his face. He swallowed hard several times, struggling to hold back tears as he apologized. At the same time, he couldn't shake off the feeling that his mother's incident was somehow connected to Ding Li's attack at the large supermarket.
Ding Li had been attacked for no reason, suffering burns on her palm that led to a miscarriage.
The only witness at the scene was Sun Xianger.
When the incident involving his mother occurred, Sun Xianger was also at home.
What exactly was her problem? Ye Chenfeng's sharp gaze fell upon Sun Xianger, who had her head lowered and was trembling all over.
Feeling his attention, Sun Xianger hurriedly turned her head away, unable to meet Ye Chenfeng's eyes due to her guilt.
She must have something to hide.
The investigation results indicated that Sun Xianger had repeatedly insisted she saw an invisible person in the house. Her excuses and her inability to look him in the eye were clear signs of guilt according to mind-reading principles.
Moreover, Ye Chenfeng could see fear in her eyes.
What was Sun Xianger afraid of?
Could it be that there really was an invisible person in the house?
Ye Chenfeng advised his father not to stay at home and suggested temporarily sending Sun Xianger to a welfare institution.
Once he sorted out Sun Xianger's situation, he planned to inform a few friends about what had happened at home and what had occurred with Ding Li.
Ye Mom's body had been taken away.
Under Ye Chenfeng's insistence, Ye Dad reluctantly left the house and went to stay with a friend.
With the help of the street office, Sun Xianger quickly made her way to the welfare home.
Ye Chenfeng needed to uncover the truth behind his mother's death and the strange evil fire that had emerged from within his body. He also had to take care of Ding Li. Having already lost one close relative, he couldn't bear to lose Ding Li as well.
The Ye Family's incident had thrown the neighborhood into a state of panic, with people whispering in fear.
Chinese people love to gossip and often turn trivial matters into sensational stories filled with drama.
Regarding Ye Mom, the bored residents of the neighborhood spun a web of theories, debating fiercely as if it were a formal debate.
The woman selling tea eggs spoke seriously, "That child from the Ye Family is quite eerie. He went missing for a while and then suddenly returned, looking different!"
The Zhang Family Daughter-in-Law, who sold small goods at a stall, chimed in with conviction, "I agree. The death of Ye Family's mother was suspicious. I heard she had been dead for a long time but still lived here with them for a while."
Bystander A, who had come to buy tea eggs, was surprised and casually asked, "Can dead people walk?"
"Walking is one thing. During those days when Ye Family's mother was around, you wouldn't believe it—the cats in the neighborhood all gathered at their door and howled like crazy. It nearly gave me a heart attack," Shen Granny from the neighborhood recounted animatedly.
Li Granny, who was out shopping for vegetables, looked frightened as she said, "This is sinister. The neighborhood will never be peaceful again; such things are too terrifying."
"It is indeed eerie. I've never heard of anything like it. The fire could burn on its own, igniting from within the organs! I heard that the Ye Family's matriarch's insides turned to ashes," another voice added.
"Ugh! That's horrifying! I don't want to hear any more; I need to hurry home and summon Zhong Kui to ward off evil spirits."
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