Chapter 27: Big Bro, You’re a Demon—A Real Demon!

“Oh really?” Tu Shanju’s lips curved into a mocking smile as she looked Liao Wu up and down.

Liao Wu didn’t recognize Tu Shanju, so he turned to Xie Shiyu and asked, “President Xie, and this is…?”

“My fiancée,” Xie Shiyu introduced simply.

Tu Shanju’s smile froze. She rubbed her ear awkwardly.

Why did those three words sound so hot when he said them?

Liao Wu, a director who had only gained fame in recent years and still hadn’t broken into the true upper circles, was clearly unaware of Xie Shiyu’s engagement.

So he looked visibly surprised. “Ah, so this is President Xie’s fiancée. Pardon my rudeness. My surname is Liao, given name Wu.”

Tu Shanju pulled a lollipop from her pocket, unwrapped it, popped it into her mouth, and drawled, “Liao family from Miao Village? Yeah, I’ve heard of you.”

The moment Liao Wu heard the words Miao Village Liao family, his pupils dilated in panic.

He instinctively took two steps back, clearly wanting to flee.

But—BANG!

The glass of the hotel’s entry ramp shattered. A woman in a white dress lay twisted unnaturally on the ground.

It was midnight. The only people on duty at the front desk were one receptionist and one security guard.

The receptionist screamed at the sight, eyes rolling back before she fainted.

The security guard trembled, baton in hand, frozen in fear.

And then—the woman on the ground suddenly twisted herself upright in an impossible, inverted pose and smiled grotesquely toward Liao Wu.

“Master.”

The horror of the moment could outdo any movie scene—this was real life.

The security guard screamed and promptly passed out.

Convenient. Tu Shanju wouldn’t even need to use her sleep charm now.

She exchanged a glance with Xie Shiyu.

He instinctively understood, immediately pulling out his phone to call an ambulance.

Tu Shanju flicked a talisman from her fingers—it floated lightly through the air and slapped neatly onto Yin Qing’s forehead.

In the blink of an eye, Yin Qing threw her head back and spat out a ball of black mist.

Xie Shiyu’s eyesight was sharp—he instantly realized it wasn’t gas but a mass of squirming black insects.

But just as the revulsion hit, everything went dark—his eyes covered by a cool, soft hand.

“Too gross. Don’t look.”

Tu Shanju crunched her lollipop and flicked another talisman at the swarm.

The moment the paper touched the bugs, it burst into blue flames and the insects ignited with a crackling sizzle.

Once they were nearly all burned, she lifted her hand from Xie Shiyu’s face.

Meeting his gaze, she froze a little, awkwardness flashing in her eyes.

Though she hadn’t physically touched him, they were standing unusually close. She could clearly smell the cedarwood scent on him.

It smelled so nice. She liked it.

Her subtle sniff didn’t escape Xie Shiyu’s attention.

He let out a soft chuckle.

Flustered, Tu Shanju took a step back and rubbed her nose, then glanced sideways—

Liao Wu was trying to slip away.

The moment she threw that talisman at Yin Qing, Liao Wu knew the situation had turned. Taking advantage of their distraction, he backed toward the fire escape.

The hotel’s fire stairs had a private exit—a back door often used by celebrities to dodge paparazzi during “late-night script discussions.” Few people knew it existed.

Now exposed, Liao Wu’s first instinct was to run.

Two steps. One step. Half a step.

Just as his fingers brushed the door handle, he smirked.

Tu Shanju made no move to stop him, simply crossing her arms and murmuring:

“Two steps. One step. Half a step…”

DUANG!

The fire door suddenly burst open with such force that it blew off its hinges and flattened Liao Wu beneath it.

Bai Yu barreled out, panic all over his face. The moment he saw Tu Shanju, he bolted toward her.

One of his hands was still in fox form—furry and white, trailing soft fur as he ran.

“Tu Shanju! Quick! I need to barter a knife! Save me! There’s a ghost after me!”

“AHHHHH! Yin Qing! She’s a ghost! She’s trying to grab me!”

“Wuwuwuwu—I want to go home to my mom and dad! I don’t want to be a celebrity anymore! The human world is terrifying! I’m so scared—!”

Tu Shanju: “……”

So this is the true nature of a fox demon, huh?

She couldn’t take it anymore. SMACK!

She smacked Bai Yu upside the head and yelled, exasperated, “Big bro, you’re a demon! A real demon! That’s just a corpse puppet controlled by a corpse worm—what are you scared of?!”

Bai Yu spun twice from the hit before coming to a stop. “Huh? She’s not a ghost?”

Tu Shanju jerked her chin toward the door. “Wanna go touch her and find out?”

Xie Shiyu raised a brow. That line… sounded oddly familiar.

Bai Yu’s head shook like a rattle drum. “Nope nope nope. Why would a corpse puppet come after me?! She even fed me those disgusting bugs today—good thing I’m a demon or I’d be doomed!”

He edged closer to Tu Shanju, refusing to look at the rotting Yin Qing.

He didn’t know what those bugs were, but they were definitely nothing good.

“She’s not the one after your life. She’s just a puppet—no thoughts of her own, only following orders.”

Bai Yu frowned. “Then who is? I get along with everyone. My dad always says, be smooth and courteous. I don’t have beef with anyone. Unless… someone found out my secret?”

Right then, a thud sounded from the direction of the fire escape.

“Ugh… damn it, that hurt!”

Bai Yu turned toward the noise.

Liao Wu groaned as he pushed the fire door off himself and staggered to his feet.

“Director Liao? What are you doing here? Wait—why were you under the fire door?”

Liao Wu: “……”

Tu Shanju covered her face—she couldn’t bear to watch this dumb fox anymore.

“He’s the one trying to kill you. He’s from the Liao family of Miao Village—evil Gu masters.”

Bai Yu froze in place.

“No way… that Liao family? The ones who breed all kinds of poisonous bugs for fun?”

Tu Shanju: “Yep. That’s the one. But don’t worry—he doesn’t know your identity. He doesn’t know the Bai family’s identity either. He just wants to gather some profitable ‘cattle and horses’—free labor to make him rich.”

“And he’s not just targeting Yin Qing. There are others in your circle who’ve already been marked.”

Not only celebrities either—two well-known agents had also fallen victim.

Fortunately, most of them were still savable.

Corpse worms are easy to control in actual corpses.

But if it’s a living person, the worms have to incubate inside for a while, gradually hollowing out the soul.

Once the soul is gone, the person becomes a shell—a puppet for the Gu master.

As for Yin Qing… she had been an accident.