Chapter 11

It wasn’t just Yue Yin who had a restless night.

The next day at school, Shen Baozhu returned to classes.

As she chatted with her close friend Li Jiaojiao, she couldn’t help but bring up the events of the previous day.

Shen Baozhu complained, “Yue Yin never used to be like this. Even if I misunderstood her, she’d never get angry.”

How had Yueyin become so aggressive? In the past, she had always responded to Shen Baozhu’s accusations with quiet endurance, never treating her with such cold defiance.

Shen Baozhu didn’t know that Yue Yin’s original personality had been shaped by a family tragedy, leading to her timid and self-effacing nature. She had been a child living under someone else’s roof, silently bearing every slight and insult, even from Shen Baozhu, the legitimate daughter of the Shen family.

But Yue Yin was different now.

Her background was mysterious, and she seemed to become stronger when challenged – her sanity was questionable as well.

When Li Jiaojiao heard the full story, she was shocked. “Yue Yin dared to insult you? Where does she get the nerve?”

“Her comfortable life right now is entirely thanks to your uncle, yet she dares to bite the hand that feeds her,” she added indignantly.

Shen Baozhu shook her head, though she hesitated as she said, “No, it’s my fault. I misunderstood Yue Yin.”

She felt somewhat wronged – she had meant well. Why couldn’t Yue Yin just explain things nicely? Why had she resorted to hurtful words?

Then, a new worry crossed Shen Baozhu’s mind. “Could she be upset because Aunt Bai attended my competition instead of staying with her?”

Was Yue Yin angry because Shen Baozhu had monopolized Aunt Bai’s attention, especially when she had been kidnapped? Aunt Bai had decided to accompany Shen Baozhu to the dance competition rather than rushing back to be with her, reasoning that Yue Yin would be fine.

With a sigh, Shen Baozhu said, “It’s my fault. I should have realized that Yue Yin might have needed Aunt Bai’s support after the kidnapping…”

Li Jiaojiao comforted her. “How could this be your fault? Your stepmother made her own choice.”

Rolling her eyes, she added disdainfully, “Forget about it. Yue Yin’s just jealous of you.”

“She’s always shrinking into the corner, acting like everyone’s out to get her, when really, she’s the one with bad luck. Why should you be to blame?”

“She’s pretty cunning too. When you took time off from school, she somehow managed to cozy up to Jiang Suliu and even became his deskmate.”

Shen Baozhu’s eyes widened in surprise. “Yue Yin? Jiang Suliu?”

Everyone at their school knew who Jiang Suliu was.

He was the school’s untouchable genius, always scoring miles ahead of the second-highest student, the top of the grade without question. He was the heir to a prominent family and possessed striking good looks. Even Shen Baozhu knew who he was.

She had been focused on her dance competition for the past few days, so she hadn’t heard anything about this.

“Yes, and honestly, Baozhu, you’re too kindhearted. Neither your stepmother nor your stepsister is any good.”

“You’re the real daughter of the Shen family. Don’t let them influence you.”

…

Meanwhile, the scheming Yue Yin was simply trying to catch up on sleep.

Dragged into a nightmare by the ghost of a school uniform girl, she had only fallen asleep at 4 a.m., and she had to be up by 7 a.m., leaving her exhausted. She wasn’t exactly a model student, so catching up on sleep during class didn’t faze her at all.

The day passed quickly.

After a full day of classes, even though she hadn’t paid attention, sitting in a classroom all day had left her drained.

When the final bell rang, Yue Yin yawned as she made her way out, heading to the neighboring classroom to wait for Shen Baozhu.

Both of them attended the same school, but they were in different classes. When Shen Baozhu missed school, Yue Yin commuted alone, but when she was there, they went home together.

She waited at the classroom door, growing bored, and glanced inside, only to find that Shen Baozhu wasn’t there.

Grabbing the nearest student, she asked, “Where’s Shen Baozhu?”

The student looked surprised. “Shen Baozhu? She left early today.”

Just then, Shen Baozhu’s friend Li Jiaojiao walked out and was equally surprised to see Yue Yin. “You’re still here?”

Li Jiaojiao’s expression was filled with pity as she added, “Baozhu came to school this afternoon, but she had something urgent and left early. She said to tell you that the driver took her home, so you’ll have to walk.”

Other students who hadn’t yet left exchanged sympathetic glances as they overheard this, their gazes carrying hints of mockery.

Shen Baozhu was driven to and from school in a private car, and when she was in school, Yue Yin could hitch a ride. But when Baozhu wasn’t around, Yue Yin had no such luxury and had to walk.

Everyone at school knew that while Shen Baozhu was treated like a precious gem, Yue Yin was left on her own, like a weed.

Now, with Shen Baozhu gone and the driver dismissed, Yue Yin’s awkward status in the family was clear for all to see.

People stared at her, some sneering, others waiting to see her reaction.

Yue Yin scratched her head, looked up at the sky, and pulled out her phone, dialing her new “little brother.”

“Do you know where I can buy a car?” she asked. Being new to Earth, she wasn’t very familiar with such things.

Jiang Suliu, who had just left school, raised an eyebrow. “Is Miss Yue Yin looking to buy a car?”

Under the watchful gazes of curious students, Yue Yin walked away, replying, “I need to hire a driver too. Will that take long?” After all, she had just received a hefty sum of ten million recently, so spending was not an issue.

Jiang Suliu chuckled. “That won’t be necessary, Miss Yue Yin.”

A few minutes later, a lineup of luxury cars – Pagani, Bentley, Rolls-Royce, and Maybach – arrived at the school entrance, leaving everyone stunned.

As Jiang Suliu himself stepped out and opened a door for her, he asked, “Miss Yue Yin, which car would you like?”

The fleet of luxury cars disappeared into the distance, leaving the sympathy and condescension behind as everyone watched in disbelief.

…

When Yue Yin returned home, she was met with an unexpected scene of chaos. The place reeked of blood, and screams echoed through the house.

Assuming the paranormal organization had released something again, she found a terrified young Shen.

He grabbed her, exclaiming, “Yue yin! Zhang Sao’s gone mad! Mom got hit in the head and is on her way to the hospital!”

Yue Yin was momentarily stunned.

After a bit of questioning, she realized, “Ah, so Shen Baozhu had brought Zhang Sao home today.”

Apparently, Shen Baozhu had left school early to bring her back from the hospital. While there, Zhang Sao had seemed fine – though she had lost a lot of weight, with a thin frame and bandages around her head, she was still able to slander Yue Yin in front of Shen Baozhu, her spirit seemingly intact.

No one expected that as soon as she stepped foot into the Shen household, she would turn violent.

Ravenous for raw meat, she brandished a knife, chasing after Shen Baozhu, terrifying everyone.

In an attempt to protect Shen Baozhu, Bai Xiulian had ended up with a nasty gash on her head. Even the security guards couldn’t handle Zhang Sao, one of them had been bitten so badly he needed rabies shots.

The entire community was in an uproar.

Upon learning that Zhang Sao had returned home, Yue Yin foresaw this exact scenario.

There was something sinister lurking within Zhang Sao, classified as at least a B-rank entity by Captain Li and others.

It had killed countless people in the past, and tearing apart a few more wasn’t out of the question.

In the hospital, it had merely tormented Zhang Sao, leaving her sleepless and uneasy, as Yue Yin had commanded.

The real issue was that Shen Baozhu – a rare pure soul according to the book – had brought her back home.

This kind of purity was irresistible to spirits, often driving them to the brink of madness. Spending too much time with Shen Baozhu would naturally have driven Zhang Sao’s ‘spirits’ over the edge.

Without a word, Yue Yin went upstairs, noticing something unusual upon entering the living room.

Seated at the dining table, Zhang Sao was hunched over, surrounded by raw meat, shoveling it into her mouth.

To Shen’s eyes, Zhang Sao was alone, but Yue Yin saw the ghastly shadow clinging to her back.

The emaciated figure had limbs like shriveled twigs, and a head almost the size of a football, with hollow eye sockets dominating its face.

It leaned into Zhang Sao’s ear, whispering, “Eat more, eat until you’re full.”

“More, you need more. Go for the eyes – those are the best.”

The creature’s crooked mouth curled with anticipation, revealing rows of sharp, red teeth.

“Yes, hunger, endless hunger.”

Yue Yin observed this monstrous scene, expression unchanged.

She casually picked up the table knife and walked straight toward Mrs. Zhang.

Shen Baozhu let out a scream, yelling, “Yue Yin, what are you doing?”

Shen Xiaodi nearly jumped in alarm, exclaiming, “Sis, come back! That old witch, Mrs. Zhang, never liked you. She might use this chance to bite you!”

Ignoring their concerns, Yue Yin kept walking.

Mrs. Zhang, who had been ravenously devouring her meal, seemed to sense the approaching danger. Slowly, she looked up, her eyes bloodshot and her expression vacant, filled with exhaustion. Her eyes betrayed a painful compulsion to keep eating, driven by the monster’s threatening control, leaving her powerless to stop.

Her face twisted with a struggle between terror and greed.

“Meat… I need to eat meat.”

“I’m so hungry… so, so hungry…”

“Don’t hit me, please… I’ll eat, I’ll eat.”

Yue Yin fixed her gaze on Mrs. Zhang, her pupils turning entirely black. Through the darkness, she saw an infinite, star-studded cosmos—a mysterious universe, seductive yet teeming with hidden malice and dread.

Mrs. Zhang froze mid-bite, staring blankly at the girl approaching her. Her ears filled with the trembling shrieks of the lurking monster, now filled with horror.

“She has returned!!”

“The Great Deity… the Embodiment of Death…”

Yue Yin’s arrival seemed to restore some sense to the monster, previously overwhelmed by Shen Baozhu’s pure aura.

The creature cowered, its disturbingly large eyes blinking like a fearful little goblin. It whimpered in a small, feeble voice, “Master… my revered master…”

As it spoke, it slyly dug its claws into Mrs. Zhang, urging her to continue eating.

Such is the nature of malevolent spirits.

They are gluttonous and deceitful, prone to manipulation and cannibalistic savagery, embodying all that is malicious.

Reluctantly, it persisted, speaking with feigned sincerity, “Oh, Great Master, I admire you so deeply. When you summoned me that night, I came without hesitation.”

“See, I’m punishing her for you. This wretched woman, not long ago, she badmouthed you to others.”

Yue Yin watched the creature in silence, her expression unchanging.

When it finished, she said softly, “I told you not to harm others.”

“What you’re doing only brings trouble for me.”