Chapter 10: Her Bizarre Behavior

Inside the room, Shen Zhiyin wore grotesque makeup—her face caked with thick white powder, cheeks smeared with bright red blush, and eyes heavily shadowed in dark, smoky hues, as if she were dressed for a theatrical performance.

She had changed into a qipao she once owned, weeping while performing strange, ritualistic movements. Her entire demeanor seemed detached from the modern era.

Mrs. Shen, startled by her daughter’s horrifying appearance, screamed. Yet Shen Zhiyin remained oblivious, lost in her own world. The howling wind outside echoed her eerie, mournful cries.

Terrified yet worried, Mrs. Shen gathered her courage and rushed in, shaking her daughter’s arm. “Zhiyin! Wake up! Don’t scare me!”

Shen Zhiyin violently shoved her away. The force sent Mrs. Shen sprawling to the floor. Stunned, she stared at her daughter, whose eyes now glared at her with unrecognizable malice.

“Zhiyin… what’s wrong with you?” Mrs. Shen stammered, tears welling.

“Get out!” Shen Zhiyin snarled, her voice hoarse and distorted—nothing like her own.

Mrs. Shen froze. Suddenly, Yan Qiao’s earlier warning flashed through her mind: “Evil spirit possession.”

Shivering, Mrs. Shen scrambled out of the room and called Yan Jue.

Midnight

Yan Jue, still awake from worry, answered immediately. “Mother Shen! Is Zhiyin okay?”

“She’s… possessed! Bring your sister—now!” Mrs. Shen pleaded, her voice trembling.

“We’re on our way. Don’t provoke her!”

Yan Jue threw on his jacket and raced to Yan Qiao’s room. She opened the door, calm as ever.

“Zhiyin’s in trouble. Help her,” Yan Jue urged.

“Payment comes from her family,” Yan Qiao stated bluntly.

“Done.”

The commotion drew Yan Hao, Yan Chen, and Su Min. Upon hearing the plan, Su Min insisted on joining, but Yan Qiao refused. “Stay home.”

Su Min relented but ordered her sons: “Protect your sister!”

As they hurried out, Li Xun’s voice cut through the night. “May I accompany you?”

Yan Qiao paused, then nodded. The Yan brothers exchanged uneasy glances but said nothing.

At the Shen Residence

Mrs. Shen opened the door, her face pale with fear. “She’s upstairs… I don’t know how to describe it.”

Shen Guohao stood in the living room, stunned to see Li Xun.

Yan Qiao asked coolly, “What exactly did she do?”

Mrs. Shen recounted the details, her voice shaking.

Yan Qiao nodded. “I’ll see her.”

The group climbed the stairs, the air thick with an unnatural chill. Yan Hao rubbed his arms, grateful for the warm protective talisman in his pocket.

From Shen Zhiyin’s room, low, haunting sobs echoed.

Yan Hao grimaced. “Why does that sound like… ghost crying?”