Chapter 26

Yue Yin didn’t dwell on the matter—there were plenty of tasks on the Spirit Forum, and missing this one wasn’t a big deal. After saying goodbye to Jiang Suliu, she decided to head home and play video games.

Upon entering the Shen family home, she was surprised to find two unexpected people waiting for her.

Standing inside was Bai Xiulian, who had been away from the house for several days. She seemed agitated and was engaged in a heated conversation with a middle-aged man.

“Hao Ping, it’s my fault for not stopping Baozhu. Zhou Huai’an came to take her to school, and I didn’t think…” Bai Xiulian said anxiously.

Shen Hao Ping, his hand resting on her shoulder, suppressed his impatience as he attempted to reassure her, “I understand, but right now, the priority is finding Baozhu.”

“Yes…” Bai Xiulian muttered.

Hearing bits of their conversation, Yue Yin turned her attention to the man standing beside Bai Xiulian. It suddenly hit her—this man was her stepfather.

Her stepfather, Shen Hao Ping, had a refined appearance. He looked kind and gentle, with glasses that made him seem approachable. His company had expanded overseas, and he had been traveling abroad for business over the past few months. His sudden return and the seriousness on his face suggested something bad had happened.

Shen Hao Ping and Bai Xiulian were engaged in a tense conversation, both deeply worried, while Shen Xiaodi stood quietly to the side, head bowed, not daring to speak.

The moment Yue Yin stepped into the room, Shen Hao Ping’s gaze sharply fixed on her.

Sensing his scrutinizing look, Yue Yin casually lifted her eyes, meeting his gaze with calm confidence.

Shen Hao Ping was momentarily taken aback by her steady response. He furrowed his brow, surprised. This daughter of Xiulian’s had been kidnapped as a child and only returned to the Shen family after many years. It seemed the time spent in the outside world had negatively influenced her personality. She was always timid at home, speaking softly and avoiding eye contact.

Before, when he had looked at her like this, Yue Yin would quickly lower her head, nervous and uneasy. But now, there was no hesitation. She stared back at him directly, her dark eyes even carrying a hint of amusement.

What had changed in the two months he’d been away?

Unaware of her husband’s assessment of their daughter, Bai Xiulian’s eyes brightened when she saw Yue Yin return.

Rushing over, she grabbed Yue Yin’s arm, bombarding her with questions, “Yue Yin, where have you been? Why are you coming home so late and not answering your phone? Do you have any idea how worried we were?”

Although her words were those of a concerned mother, the tone was more accusatory, filled with frustration rather than genuine worry for Yue Yin’s safety.

Yue Yin dropped her schoolbag inside the house and raised an eyebrow at Bai Xiulian’s agitation.

She hadn’t seen Bai Xiulian for several days since the incident with Zhou Huai’an, when he had failed to exorcise the malevolent spirit from Auntie Zhang.

Zhou Huai’an had been injured by the malevolent spirit lingering around Zhang’s housekeeper, and both Bai Xiulian and Shen Baozhu had been terrified. Fearing an attack by the spirit, they had immediately moved to another property for safety.

Bai Xiulian hadn’t been concerned about Yue Yin staying in the same house as a malevolent spirit. So why had she suddenly returned and taken an interest in Yue Yin coming home late?

As expected, Bai Xiulian wasted no time in following up with the real issue, “Do you know where Baozhu is?”

Shen Baozhu, a dance major with health issues and frequent competitions, didn’t attend school regularly. Her classes were often intermittent, so it wasn’t unusual for her to miss a day or two. She had already taken time off from school for the past few days, and her absence today hadn’t raised any alarms with her teachers, who assumed she was simply continuing her leave.

It wasn’t until the afternoon, when Bai Xiulian couldn’t reach Shen Baozhu, that she contacted her daughter’s homeroom teacher and realized something was wrong.

Shen Baozhu was the apple of the Shen family’s eye, doted on and cherished above all. Bai Xiulian had gone so far as to give up accompanying her husband on business trips to support her daughter’s dance competitions, even neglecting her own biological children in favor of Shen Baozhu.

So, Baozhu’s disappearance was a significant matter for the Shen family. Bai Xiulian was frantic, and Shen Hao Ping had taken the first available flight back home.

The Shen family quickly leveraged their connections to reach out to the police.

The authorities had already opened a case. Zhou Huai’an was in a coma at the hospital, and the three people who had accompanied him had died in horrifying ways, leaving the Shen family on edge.

Shen Hao Ping tried to contact the Metaphysical Society for help, but they had already lost several disciples to this malevolent entity and knew its power. They had no intention of getting involved further.

With Zhou Huai’an, the only one who could help them, unconscious, the rest of the Metaphysical Society had little patience for the Shen family, let alone any willingness to help find Shen Baozhu.

They did, however, direct Shen Hao Ping to the Paranormal Incident Management Department, where he reported Shen Baozhu’s disappearance. But Captain Li and his team were busy investigating two A-level malevolent spirit cases. Tracking them down would take time, and they couldn’t immediately focus on finding Shen Baozhu.

There was even doubt whether Shen Baozhu was still alive. After all, malevolent entities devoured their victims entirely, leaving no trace. Although no body was found, no one ruled out the possibility that Baozhu was already dead.

When Shen Hao Ping heard this, his face turned pale.

He knew his daughter’s special constitution made her particularly attractive to spirits and malevolent forces, which considered her a feast. If everyone else had died, was his daughter still alive?

Shen Hao Ping wasn’t sure, and this uncertainty only added to his growing frustration.

Bai Xiulian was also deeply troubled. For years, she had taken great care of her stepdaughter, even prioritizing her participation in dance competitions over the kidnapping of her own biological daughter.

Despite all her precautions, Shen Baozhu had still fallen into danger.

Feeling bitter, Bai Xiulian saw her husband’s grim expression, and her gaze fell on Yue Yin, who had just come home, carefree and unbothered. She couldn’t help but complain, “Yue Yin, you and Baozhu go to the same school. Didn’t you notice she didn’t attend class today?”

Before Yue Yin could respond, Shen Xiaodi couldn’t hold back and interjected, “Mom, why are you blaming Second Sister?”

Being young, Shen Xiaodi was unaware of Baozhu’s disappearance. To him, it simply seemed like Baozhu was out playing, and his parents were unfairly scolding Yue Yin.

He shouted, “It’s not Second Sister’s job to monitor Baozhu! She didn’t go to school on her own.”

His outburst stunned everyone.

Shen Hao Ping quickly stepped in, “This is a matter for the adults. Stay out of it, Xiaodi. Go to your room.”

Shen Xiaodi jumped off the couch, defiantly replying, “I won’t!”

Bai Xiulian hurried to calm him, “Xiaodi, how can you talk back to your father? Apologize immediately.”

But Xiaodi, face flushed with anger, retorted, “But am I wrong?”

Yue Yin had remained silent up to this point, watching the drama unfold with calm detachment. Finally, she spoke, “Shen Xiaodi, go to your room.”

Hesitant, Shen Xiaodi glanced between Yue Yin and his father before finally, with red eyes, leaving the room.

Once he was gone, Bai Xiulian rubbed her temples, sighing, “Xiaodi doesn’t know about Baozhu yet.”

She turned back to Yue Yin, her frustration evident. “If you had noticed earlier that Baozhu was missing from school, we could have found out about her disappearance sooner.”

While Bai Xiulian spoke, Shen Hao Ping remained silent, his eyes carefully observing his stepdaughter, trying to gauge her reaction.

He noticed that Yue Yin’s expression remained indifferent, showing no surprise at the news of Baozhu’s disappearance. This made him suspicious—had Yue Yin known about her stepsister’s disappearance all along and just kept quiet?

The thought only deepened his seriousness.

Yue Yin, unaware of Shen Hao Ping’s suspicions, wouldn’t have cared even if she knew.

She raised an eyebrow and looked at Bai Xiulian with amusement. “What’s wrong with you? Why should I be keeping an eye on Shen Baozhu at school?”

Wasn’t it inevitable that Baozhu would disappear?

Knowing full well she lacked the ability and understanding that her special constitution attracted malevolent spirits, she still blindly trusted that Zhou Huai’an would protect her, recklessly sneaking into the school to find her so-called best friend.

Yet, the next day, her friend, Chen Jiaojiao, attended school as usual, while Baozhu, who acted recklessly, had disappeared instead.

Hearing Yue Yin’s blunt words, Bai Xiulian’s eyes filled with tears, and Shen Hao Ping frowned deeply.

His voice dropped in tone. “Yue Yin, is that how you speak to your mother? She’s worried about your safety.”

Checking his watch, he added disapprovingly, “And regardless of Baozhu’s situation, you should be focusing on your studies. It’s late, and students should be prioritizing their education.”

Yue Yin ignored him completely.

She continued to stare at Bai Xiulian, raising her eyebrows in amusement. “Shen Baozhu didn’t go to school. How is that any of my business? Did I make her disappear? Why are you questioning me?”

Bai Xiulian was taken aback, shocked at Yue Yin’s audacity, and quickly looked at her husband for support.

As expected, Shen Hao Ping’s face darkened, his suspicions resurfacing.

He narrowed his eyes and snapped, “Yue Yin, what’s your problem?!” His frustration boiled over—Baozhu’s life was at stake, yet Yue Yin remained unaffected, even showing a hint of satisfaction, which only fueled his anger.

Shen Hao Ping, as the true head of the Shen family, had long held a position of authority. Despite his gentle exterior, he exuded a natural sense of command, and when he was serious, even Bai Xiulian and Shen Xiaodi dared not cross him. Yue Yin, as an outsider in the family, had always been the least likely to challenge him.

But this time, as Shen Hao Ping glared at Yue Yin, she didn’t flinch.

Instead, she blinked and suddenly said, “Mom, have you finished sorting out my father’s inheritance shares?”

Shen Hao Ping was stunned, his expression visibly darkening.

Bai Xiulian froze, finally recalling the issue from before.

When Yue Yin had brought up the inheritance last time, Bai Xiulian had stormed off in a panic, assuming it was just an offhand comment. She had been relieved when Yue Yin didn’t pursue the matter, thinking it was over. But now, Yue Yin had brought it up again, clearly expecting the inheritance paperwork to be in order.

Bai Xiulian looked hurt, unable to believe this was the same well-behaved daughter she once knew.

She spoke with a pained expression, “Yue Yin, how can you think of money all the time? Don’t you trust your mother?”

Yue Yin looked surprised. “Mom, you’re hilarious. Haven’t I made it obvious enough?”

She pretended not to notice Bai Xiulian’s nervous expression, thoughtfully remarking, “Dad said that villa in the West District was meant for me. It’s been so many years—who knows what it looks like now?”

Shen Hao Ping finally realized that Yue Yin had been deliberately ignoring him several times, and he also understood that her sudden mention of the inheritance was a calculated move meant for his benefit.

Enraged, he laughed coldly, repeating, “Good, good, good! Miss Yue Yin, the Shen family has provided for you, treated you equally, and sent you to the best schools. And this is how you think of us? You believe we’re after your small sum of money?”

Without even glancing at her, he turned to Bai Xiulian, who stood frozen in shock, and said, “This is the fine daughter you’ve raised. Go and calculate the money we’ve been holding for her all these years. Return every last penny!”

“And make sure no one outside spreads rumors that the Shen family embezzled Miss Yue Yin’s money!”

Shen Hao Ping spoke with a calm demeanor, his tone filled with disdain, as if he truly didn’t care about Yue Yin’s wealth.

The tension in the room became suffocating. The household staff nearby were too scared to leave, only daring to eavesdrop from inside the house. Bai Xiulian, overwhelmed by fear and regret, was at a loss. Shen Hao Ping maintained his superior tone, but Yue Yin just smiled faintly and said, “Alright, but make sure you follow through.”

The Shen family knew better than she did how much inheritance Yue Shaoqiang had left behind. Yue Yin wasn’t interested in calculating it herself, nor was she in the mood.

She simply added, “If even one cent is missing, I’ll be extremely upset. And if I get upset, you’ll be in a lot of pain.”

Yue Yin blinked and smiled sweetly, “You wouldn’t want to know just how painful it could be.”

Shen Hao Ping scoffed, mocking her, “Such big talk from Miss Yue Yin.”

He thought Yue Yin was being incredibly naïve.

She was just an orphan, trying to challenge him. After so many years, who even knew how much money Yue Shaoqiang had left behind?

Since Yue Yin wasn’t yet eighteen, she couldn’t manage her own finances, so her guardian, Bai Xiulian, controlled it.

As for how the money had been spent—on tuition, living expenses, even the costs incurred searching for Moon Yin over the years—who could say for sure?

Yue Yin glanced at him and lazily said, “I suggest you don’t provoke me. I’m in a bad mood today.”

She felt nothing but overwhelming disgust.

In the little game she had been playing called “Come to Earth and Be Human,” Yue Yin had been playing the role of a model citizen.

She went to school, attended classes, did her homework, never broke the law, and even adhered to the regulations of the Paranormal Incident Management Department when preaching… As an evil god, she was playing the role of the most ordinary high school student.

But none of this was because Yue Yin was particularly kind or had some absurd desire to protect Earth, nor was she bound by any global rules.

She did all of this because she found it amusing.

Earth was her playground, and she had enjoyed the game immensely.

But now, Yue Yin was getting bored.

After all, she had never been a benevolent god.

Today, she might be in the mood to play games. Tomorrow, if she felt differently, she could simply destroy the Earth.