Evil As Humans

Chapter 220: Beloved

In the “Lonely” courtyard, Qi Xin casually chose a “Lonely” to lean on and rest.

The “Lonely” that was used as a cushion dared not speak up. It obediently lay there, curling its soft limbs into a ball. In the small courtyard where the seasons mixed, Qi Xin leisurely passed the time, appearing somewhat content.

“Why don’t you go help that cub?” A voice abruptly interjected.

The Lonely cats perked up at the news, but upon confirming the speaker, they lazily returned to their original positions.

A woman stood at the entrance of the courtyard, draped in a snow-white knitted cloak that almost swallowed her whole. The cloak was made of thick and rigid threads, resembling miniature human arms. Half of the woman’s face was hidden behind the cloak, making her features indistinct.

Qi Xin: “I’ve taught him everything he needs to know. If he’s willing to devote himself to humans, then let him go.”

“I’m asking why ‘you’ don’t go.” The woman’s lips curled up while she spoke with a voice as gentle as water. “After finally finding the cub of Fear, it should be properly taken care of.”

Qi Xin: “Properly taken care of? I don’t intend to risk my life for him… especially when you’re the opponent. I’m not that foolish.”

“Love” quietly stood by the door, without responding.

Qi Xin rolled her eyes unreservedly. Love had been hitting the gap with its body, too weak at that point to maintain control over humans for long periods of time. Now, it could not only control humans but also use them as vessels, carrying fragments of itself to walk on the Other Side.

Right now, there was no difference between it and Qi Xin.

“Just eating ‘Joy’ alone wouldn’t give you this kind of power,” Qi Xin said. “Is it because of that broken net of yours? What have you done?”

“Even if I tell you, you won’t easily change your stance,” Love gently replied. “I’m just giving you a reminder. It’s a good habit to leave room for possibilities. I hope you can persevere with it.”

Qi Xin absentmindedly played with the cat’s soft limbs, lowering her gaze.

This was a self-reflection.

On the night when “Fear” fell a thousand years ago, “Sorrow” concealed its true form. Qi Xin, as one of the oldest and most powerful Primordial Elementals, could only be found by other Elementals if she intentionally revealed herself. The only exception was “Satisfaction”. Since then, Qi Xin could only manipulate a tiny portion of her body to walk on the Other Side. She wouldn’t obey Love’s orders or deliberately oppose them; she was just barely getting by.

For Love, she was ultimately an uncertain factor.

“I see. Leaving room for possibilities. No wonder you came to warn me in person.”

Qi Xin’s tone remained steady.

“Don’t worry, no matter how the cub and you end up fighting, ‘I’ won’t intervene.”

It was hard to say whether that thing was a proper cub, but even without Love’s assurance, Qi Xin wouldn’t act recklessly.

Love bowed her head towards Qi Xin, performing a human-like gesture. A strand of soft black hair peeked out from under the cloak, slightly curled at the ends. Then she turned around and walked towards the exit of the small courtyard.

“Hey.”

Qi Xin released her grip on the cat’s soft limbs.

“I mean, as long as you choose the wrong path, whether you dance ballet or crawl forward, wrong is wrong.”

Love turned around; the pale end of her cloak engulfed in white mist.

“Who says there is so much right or wrong?”

She spoke softly.

“According to your words, humans shouldn’t overcome diseases and slow down aging. They shouldn’t prevent natural disasters and research methods to increase productivity? It’s ‘right’ for nature to take its course. Survival of the fittest and all, right? I can’t achieve perfection all at once, that’s all.”

Qi Xin laughed out loud. “You really are the most human-like, even in the aspect of self-righteousness—just as long as the purpose is benevolent, the resulting losses can be ignored?”

“I will atone.” Love’s voice became softer. “After everything is over, I will take responsibility for the chaos on the Other Side that has lasted for thousands of years.”

Qi Xin: “Taking responsibility isn’t just empty words. Let me make it clear: you still have a chance now—the cub of Fear has self-awareness. You can negotiate with him and find alternative solutions.”

Love’s voice grew fainter. “It was born in the human world. It has no sense of belonging to the Other Side. Giving absolute power to ‘outsiders’ is truly foolish.”

Qi Xin shook her head and remained silent.

She looked at the “Lonely” cats not far away. The Lonely cats still had ample food supply. Several larger ones were using tablecloths to wrap up newborn Lonely cats, guiding them to feed.

This scene used to be commonplace, but now it could probably only be seen in a few select groups, like the “Lonely” cats.

“Forget it.” Qi Xin sighed. “You can go now.”

“No need to worry. That cub still helped me, and I have a better solution now.” Love pulled down her hood. “It will be a flawless, perfect solution.”

……

“You, Unit 9—aren’t you the best at finding missing people?” Hu Tao said dreamily.

Huang Jin’s face turned as dark as the bottom of a pot. The surroundings were silent and white, and he was already annoyed by the flashes outside. Upon hearing that there were more dangers than fortunes outside, he wished he could escape on the spot.

How could the legendary Great Celestial Master not even control his own ghost! Moreover, even if the ghost was looking for someone, if it were really following the spirit contract, it should have found Yin Ren. How did this ghost end up coming their way?

Wait, could it be…

Huang Jin stared at Zhong Chengshuo in disbelief. He had just felt that Zhong Chengshuo’s bag seemed to have more flesh and blood than theirs, bulging and full.

Thinking that Yin Ren was highly likely to be here, Huang Jin’s emotions quickly calmed down again. With Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo by their side, even if something still happened, he was afraid he would be doomed anyway.

Lu Xiaohe held her mother tightly, not moving at all, almost biting her lips until they bled. At her feet, white threads were sneakily crawling around, trying to entangle Lu Xioahe’s unconscious mother.

“What happened outside?” Zhong Chengshuo asked straightforwardly. “We need accurate information to develop a search plan.”

Hu Tao’s tone was solemn. “This is someone else’s territory, and you trespassed. The people outside are going to be eaten by Elementals. But you are different—you are my acquaintances, and at least you can keep your lives.”

“Thank you.” Zhong Chengshuo looked at the face that was nothing but broken flesh. “Do you have any photos or something of the person you’re looking for?”

Hu Tao paused, as if she hadn’t considered this question before, and had no answer for a moment.

At the same time, Zhong Chengshuo’s mind raced at high speed. Countless threads crawled over his feet and slowly moved away.

Why is she searching for someone?

Love was stuck in the cracks and couldn’t act freely. Even if it exerted its power, Hu Tao was just a ghost. How could she possibly resist the Fear cub? If Hu Tao only used her abilities to locate Yin Ren and summon the Elementals to besiege them, Zhong Chengshuo could somewhat understand. Giving Hu Tao power, allowing her to attack Unit 9, and then granting her what she wanted afterward seemed reasonable.

But now, Hu Tao was only accompanying them to find the missing person she cared about, not directly attacking them.

It was too strange, almost like…

[Buying time.] Yin Ren muttered loudly in Zhong Chengshuo’s mind.

[I understand.] Zhong Chengshuo reassured him by patting the backpack.

“Well, I figured it out. I know how to help you find the person.” Hu Tao pondered for a long time, pushing aside her blood-soaked hair. “You can meet him. Isn’t that enough?”

Immediately, a tidal wave of memories flooded into everyone’s minds from Hu Tao. It was probably Love’s power helping out. Instead of materializing, these memories instantly penetrated everyone’s consciousness.

A living Hu Tao was reading a book in her bedroom. Her complexion was rosy, and her hair was fluffy and clean, shimmering with a beautiful luster. A woman in her fifties was sitting by the bed, making a phone call.

At that time, the decoration of the house had a rustic warmth and was filled with the aroma of fireworks.

Hu Tao got tired of reading and put down the book, hugging the waist of the woman beside her. “Mom.”

“Your aunt just said, don’t go out these days. It’s chaotic outside. Children are missing, and there’s trouble everywhere. I don’t know what’s going on.” Hu Tao’s mother hung up the phone and stroked her daughter’s hair. “Luckily, your father and I came over. Otherwise, I would be worried sick.”

“We also have A’Shen here. We have a lot of people, so we’re not afraid.” Hu Tao smiled happily.

“Wife, taste it. Your mother said you should eat light food during pregnancy. I didn’t dare to put too much salt.”

Before Hu Tao could respond, a young man entered the bedroom carrying a bowl of spare rib soup.

The man wasn’t particularly handsome, with dark skin and slightly chubby, but he had thick eyebrows and big eyes and a well-proportioned appearance. He glanced at Hu Tao’s mother with a smile, showing a hint of nervousness.

“I’ll taste it!” Hu Tao sat up. Her body barely showed any signs of pregnancy.

She took a sip of the soup from the man’s spoon and nodded in satisfaction. “It’s very flavorful. A’Shen, you’re really good at cooking.”

The young man smiled, his brows curving. “Of course! I picked the best meat!”

After speaking, he hesitated and looked at Hu Tao’s mother for a while. Finally, he mustered up the courage and kissed his wife on the forehead.

Hu Tao’s mother looked at the man with an affectionate smile. “Xiao Shen, if you’re tired, you can rest. I’ll take care of the soup.”

“No need, I can cook.” A’Shen quickly waved his hand. “It’ll be ready in a moment. You can rest.”

Hu Tao’s mother continued to smile gently. “My hands are free. How about I go out and buy some groceries? It’s been restless recently. Just for these few days, police cars have come seven or eight times—all sorts of things happening.”

A’Shen: “It’s chaotic outside. I’ll go with you this afternoon.”

“What a good boy.”

As the two of them were chatting, suddenly a banging sound came from outside the door, indicating an unwelcome visitor. A’Shen made a hand gesture to Hu Tao, indicating that she should stay in the bedroom. Then he grabbed a knife from the table. “Who is it?”

“Open the door!” An elderly man shouted from outside. “It’s me, Lao Hu. I was attacked by a lunatic outside!”

A’Shen leaned in to look through the peephole for a few moments and quickly opened the door. Upon hearing that her father was in trouble, Hu Tao couldn’t help herself and walked out of the bedroom, looking concerned in the living room.

Creak.

The heavy security door opened, and the frail old man was shoved inside. He was covered in blood, gasping in pain.

“Lao Hu!” “Dad!” Hu Tao’s mother and Hu Tao exclaimed almost simultaneously.

Hu Tao’s father fell to the ground, revealing the assailant behind him—a burly man with bulging eyes and a blood-stained knife in his hand. He immediately rushed into the house, closed the security door, and blocked the kitchen entrance.

“Mom, take Hu Tao to the bedroom!” A’Shen shouted. “I’ll save Dad!”

Hu Tao’s mother almost collapsed, but upon hearing those words, she seemed to regain her strength. She firmly grabbed Hu Tao’s wrist and dragged her toward the bedroom. “Daughter, daughter, hide and call the police!”

Hu Tao’s mother’s eyes were filled with tears. She locked the bedroom door and dragged the bedside tables and chairs in front of it. But that wasn’t enough. After blocking the bedroom, she pulled Hu Tao into the master bathroom and locked the door from the inside.

Unfortunately, there were few things in the bathroom that could be used to block the door. Hu Tao’s mother could only protect Hu Tao with her own body. Her body was stiff, and her hands and feet were ice-cold. Her breathing became rapid and frightening.

Hu Tao frantically dialed the phone, calling 110 and then 120. She called every emergency number she could think of. Then she curled up next to her mother by the toilet, clinging to her tightly.

There’s a killer in the house. Save us.

My father is seriously injured. Save us.

The scenes from action movies were deceiving. There were no angry shouts or screams coming from the living room, only the muffled sounds of bodies colliding and heavy objects falling. Mixed within were the groans of an elderly man. Those sounds passed through layers of doors and were barely audible in the bathroom. Every second felt like torture, cutting through her skin like a knife.

Hu Tao looked at the frosted glass door of the bathroom with tears streaming down her cheeks. Her mother was beside her, and she didn’t dare cry too loudly, fearing it would overwhelm the emotions of the elderly woman.

Just a few minutes ago, this home was peaceful. Soup was stewing in the kitchen, and the rice cooker was cooking rice. Both her parents and her beloved were by her side. It should have been the safest place in the world.

Finally, the strange noises in the living room stopped.

Hu Tao’s whole body shivered. She held her mother tightly, her gaze fixed on the glass door of the bathroom, as if it were the last line of defense in the world.

“It’s alright, it’s alright!” A familiar but weak voice came from the living room. “Mom, wife… Ah, why won’t this door open?”

Just as Hu Tao was about to get up, her mother held her back.

“I’ll go and check.” She gently touched her daughter’s hair. “You stay here. Don’t go anywhere.”

After saying that, Hu Tao’s mother cautiously left the bathroom.

Hu Tao sat in the gap between the toilet and the bathtub, listening to her mother’s conversation with her beloved. She could smell the scent of peaches and the fragrance of shampoo in her hair. Outside the small bathroom window, the weather was unusually gloomy. Dark clouds gathered together, like a massive vortex.

Thump, thump, thump. Her heart pounded frantically.

Outside the door, the conversation between her mother and her beloved gradually became calmer. Another voice joined in, seemingly a police officer or doctor who came to inquire. Mixed within the conversation were the sounds of her mother slowly moving heavy objects.

Finally, there was the heavy sound of the security door being closed. The sound of movement ceased, and it seemed that her mother had successfully reached the living room, remembering to close the door behind her.

The normal conversation voices weren’t loud, and now Hu Tao couldn’t hear anything clearly anymore.

Is everything… alright?

Great, we’re safe. She knew it all along. This was the safest place in the world.

“Mom? A’Shen? I’m coming out!” Hu Tao shouted loudly when there was no response from the bedroom for a while. “How’s Dad? Did the ambulance take him away?”

There was silence in response.

What’s going on?

Why is no one answering?

Just as Hu Tao was about to worry, she saw her mother’s figure faintly through the frosted glass. Black hair, ivory skin, red clothes were turned into vague blocks by the frosted glass.

“Mom…” Hu Tao breathed a sigh of relief and reached out her hand toward the bedroom door.

…Huh?

Was Mom wearing red today?

“Mom?” Hu Tao’s voice was hoarse and trembling. “A’Shen? Dad? Mom?”

Still, no one answered, and the figure of her mother disappeared from the door. Only the sound of slippers stepping on the floor could be heard as a string of footsteps left the bedroom.

Hu Tao’s mind was in chaos. It must be her own imagination. A’Shen and she were childhood friends. They had known each other since they were young, and their families were also friends. A’Shen said everything was fine, so what could possibly go wrong?

With her eyes closed, Hu Tao eventually opened the door.

She saw a large amount of blood.

The warm wooden floor was stained with blood. The carefully selected furniture she had chosen was scattered all over the place. The soft bedding was pulled apart, no different from when she had left, contrasting sharply with the strong smell of blood.

Drip, drip. Something was making noise in the living room.

Hu Tao swallowed her saliva and held back her sobs as she cautiously peeked into the living room.

The kitchen door was tightly shut and stained with blood with the aroma of meat soup seeped out from the gap. The living room was a mess, and the glass coffee table was shattered. Potted plants were knocked over, and the TV hung crookedly on the wall, exposing vein-like wiring. The walls and the floor were splattered with red stains.

The crazed man was gone; her parents were gone; only her beloved was… mopping the floor.

Drip, drip. The old mop wiped over the bloodstains, leaving behind a pale red mark.

Even though Hu Tao wasn’t wearing shoes, her footsteps were silent. But A’Shen seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. He stopped mopping, wiped the sweat off his face, and said, “Darling.”

There were still traces of blood on his face that hadn’t been cleaned.

With ups and downs, her brain didn’t know how to explain everything in front of her, nor did it know whether to be nervous or relaxed.

“Mom, Dad…?”

“Your dad’s wound looks scary, but it’s not serious. Your mom went to the hospital with him.” A’Shen smiled. “Were you scared by the bloodstains? It was on your mom’s body. She just went to the bedroom to get two sets of clean clothes.”

Hu Tao stared at her husband blankly.

“Don’t be afraid. That guy earlier was just drunk and caused harm. The police took him away. It’s alright, darling. You should go and rest for a while. Don’t stress yourself.”

“Why…” Hu Tao swallowed her saliva, forcing herself to fight off dizziness. “Why didn’t Mom say anything to me before she left?”

“Dad was bleeding heavily, so there was no time.” A’Shen stopped mopping and turned his face to her. “I told you, you got scared for no reason. Look, you’re just overthinking again, aren’t you?”

Hu Tao tried to lift the corners of her mouth, but her face seemed frozen, completely unresponsive.

It was like desperately trying to believe that everything was fine, and the person she trusted the most assured her that nothing was wrong. She should believe him. How she wished she could believe him. But why couldn’t she calm down no matter what?

The door to the windowsill was open, and the gentle breeze swayed the curtains. The door to the bedroom was open, revealing a glimpse of the chaos inside. Only the kitchen door was tightly shut, with two distinct blood handprints on it.

It was like a black hole, crazily drawing Hu Tao’s attention.

Light seeped into the living room through the gap in the door, but it seemed to be obstructed by something, casting intermittent shadows. The simmering sound of soup, accompanied by the faint noise of the stove, normality mixed with the abnormal, making Hu Tao uneasy to the point of feeling cold.

“The kitchen door.”

Hu Tao murmured.

“Why is the kitchen door closed so tightly? A’Shen, I want to have a bowl of soup…”

A’Shen’s expression changed slightly. “Mm, I’ll serve it for you. You take a break.”

“There’s so much blood in the bedroom, I don’t want to lie down.” She looked into his eyes. “I’ll serve it myself.”

With that said, when her husband wasn’t paying attention, Hu Tao rushed into the kitchen. A’Shen didn’t stop her; he stood there leaning on the mop, showing a hint of helplessness on his face.

The door slowly opened.

Her mother’s terrified face exploded like a bomb, instantly shattering Hu Tao’s thoughts—

Behind the bathroom door was a scene of chaos. On the other side of the bedroom door stood her husband.

The rest of them were behind the kitchen door.

Her mother’s throat had been slit, and her pale-colored nightgown was dyed blood-red. She tightly covered the wound with her hand, but the wound was too deep. Her mother’s eyes were wide open, filled with fear, her mouth unable to close, as if she wanted to scream something.

Her lifeless body was stacked on top of her father’s corpse. The skin on Hu Tao’s father, beyond the bloodstains, was a terrifying pale. He curled up his body, like a piece of decoration in this kitchen. The look of surprise still remained on his face, unable to recover from the peaceful days.

Hu Tao attempted to find some signs of breathing on her parents’ bodies, but she couldn’t find any.

There were more below.

The intruder was lying at the bottom. His neck was twisted in a strange manner, and his bulging eyes were fixed in a certain direction. Madness filled his brows, while tears stained his eyeballs.

The pool of blood spread along the kitchen tiles. In the reflection of the black and red mess, a pot of soup bubbled, emitting white steam.

Maybe she should faint, Hu Tao thought. Her head throbbed with pain, her lips felt numb, and her limbs were paralyzed as if they didn’t exist, yet she was awake, still standing in the same spot, forced to witness this nightmarish scene.

Just this morning, she was complaining to her father about eating too many fried dough sticks, saying it was bad for his health. Just a moment ago, she was tightly hugging her mother, with her mother’s warmth and scent still lingering in her embrace.

How could they not be here anymore?

“Why aren’t you serving the soup?” A’Shen asked softly.

Instinctively, Hu Tao took a few steps back and bumped into her husband’s embrace. That familiar warmth now made her heart pound, and Hu Tao almost screamed in horror.

“Are you afraid of all this?” A’Shen grabbed Hu Tao’s shoulders and pulled her towards him. “I can’t help it either. It’s your parents’ fault.”

Hu Tao’s lips trembled, and she wanted to call the police, but her hands couldn’t grasp the phone. The phone had fallen into the pool of blood, stained with black and red.

“I killed that scum. I had hidden everything perfectly and even sent the police away. Just think about it, that scumbag came into our home with a knife! If it were in ○ country, I could have killed him legally.”

A’Shen tightened his grip on Hu Tao’s shoulders, his words even pleading.

“But your dad kept looking at me with those eyes… as if I had done something wrong.”

Hu Tao opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

“He would have definitely reported me if he went out. Honey, think about it. If I’m caught and thrown in prison, our child will never hold their head up high for the rest of their life. He’s supposed to be your biological father, but he stood on the side of the criminal! He definitely doesn’t love you!”

“Let me go…” Hu Tao murmured.

“Your mom, too. She insisted on looking when she saw the kitchen door closed. This is our home. Can’t she mind her own business? After she saw it, her reaction was the same as your dad’s—she completely disregarded our family, our child.”

A’Shen’s tone carried even more grievance.

“After all these years, they know how much I love you and know I would never do anything to hurt you. But it’s okay, honey. Even if your parents don’t care about you and our child, I’m here. I’ll take good care of you in the future, ah.”

Lunatic.

Hu Tao sluggishly thought.

This must be a nightmare, it must be.

Anyway… Anyway, pretend that everything is fine for now and find an opportunity to escape. Hu Tao’s body trembled uncontrollably, but she swallowed her screams, forced back her tears, and squeezed out an awkward smile. “Okay.”

“I knew it. The mother of my child understands me the most.” A’Shen kissed her forehead. “You can serve the soup yourself. I’ll clean up the house first.”

With that, he bent down and picked up the phone that Hu Tao had dropped in the pool of blood.

Hu Tao opened the lid of the pot, and the rich aroma of meat filled the air. With trembling hands, she grabbed a spoon and slowly ladled the soup into a bowl. Later, she would call A’Shen over and throw the hot soup at him… then find an opportunity to open the security door and escape.

Yes, that’s what she would do. She couldn’t cry; she couldn’t break down. She had to smile.

The sound of the iron spoon touching the enamel pot rim rang crisply. Hu Tao took cautious steps, almost tripping over the arm of the burly man sprawled out on the floor.

She couldn’t afford any mistakes. Hu Tao tried to squeeze out the last remnants of rationality. She crouched down and moved the man’s arm—his hand reaching out desperately, as if trying to grab something.

Hu Tao followed his arm and saw the huge refrigerator in the corner. The refrigerator door wasn’t closed properly, with a plastic bag caught in the seal.

It was the door they usually used to store frozen goods. Hu Tao didn’t cook much; it was mostly A’Shen who organized it.

Don’t be nosy.

But…

‘Don’t be nosy,’ she thought.

But…

Hu Tao felt like the string in her mind was about to snap. Her parents’ bodies lay at her feet, while scalding hot soup sat in the pot. Countless dark thoughts bubbled up like foam in the soup, bubbling and disturbing her peace of mind.

She had to escape, but she also wanted answers.

Coincidentally, A’Shen had his back turned, tidying up the sofa. Various thoughts crawled over Hu Tao’s body like ants. She took a deep breath and couldn’t hold it back any longer, quietly inching towards the refrigerator.

This was the last door, she thought.

The refrigerator door silently swung open, releasing a gust of cold air. Behind the last door, there were pork bones, fish meat, and steaks stored. Seeing these ordinary things, Hu Tao breathed a sigh of relief for a brief moment. She composed herself and carefully placed the frozen goods back.

Something fell out of the package of pork bones.

Hu Tao grabbed the small piece of flesh-like object in her hand. She was about to put it back when her movements abruptly stopped.

It was a human finger, Judging by its size, it clearly belonged to a child. And judging by its frozen state, the small piece of flesh had been frozen for more than just a day.

[It’s chaotic outside, children are missing, and there’s trouble. I don’t know what’s going on.] Her mother’s words echoed in her mind.

Hu Tao felt like she had fallen into an icy abyss.

She turned her head and looked into the frenzied and desperate eyes of the burly man. Next to those eyes, there were another pair of feet wearing slippers.

“Why are you suddenly curious about the refrigerator? Didn’t I say that I’ll take care of the kitchen?” A’Shen sighed repeatedly. “…Ah, did you see that? It’s my fault. I didn’t clean up properly, so that man came knocking on our door.”

He glanced at the pot of soup.

“As expected of my wife, I thought we had used it all. I’ll tidy up the fridge later to avoid leaving anything that shouldn’t be there.”

“Why?” Hu Tao didn’t even know what tone her words had when she spoke. She knelt beside the fridge, her mind on the verge of shutting down.

A’Shen smiled again. “They say you are what you eat, and I like little girls, so I want you to eat more.”

Hu Tao couldn’t keep her balance, and one of her hands pressed into the nearby pool of blood.

“And I can hear voices. If I kill them, the gods will reward me. By consuming them, you will surely be blessed too… honey.”

The strong scent of the meat soup made Hu Tao vomit instantly. The vomit slid into the blood, juxtaposed against the familiar kitchen. Hu Tao felt like she was about to go insane in the next second.

Forget about hot soup and calling for help. She just wanted to escape, to flee from this absurd place.

If this was a nightmare, why hadn’t she woken up yet?

“Morning sickness, huh? Honey, you’re really suffering.” A’Shen leaned towards her, reaching out with a gentle and soothing tone. “Come…”

Instinctively, Hu Tao avoided him, slapping his hand away.

Blood splattered.

A’Shen froze, looking at his own hand with disbelief. “Did you hit me?”

“Lunatic.” Hu Tao choked, her pajamas stained with vomit and blood. “Lunatic, lunatic…”

The man’s face slowly turned red, anger evident in his brows and eyes. “I’m doing this for your own good! I explained it all just now. How can you say such things?”

“Stay away from me!” Hu Tao looked at the bowl of hot soup.

It sat on the stove while she sat paralyzed in front of the refrigerator. It was too far away, she couldn’t stand up, and she didn’t want to touch it again. Thinking about how she had tasted a spoonful before, she began to vomit uncontrollably.

Her husband squatted in front of her. A’Shen himself picked up the bowl of soup, now holding an extra spoon. His face carried the usual sense of aggrievement and tolerance, as if they had just had a normal argument.

“Don’t make a fuss,” he said. “Have some soup and rest. You’re pregnant now, and your emotions are unstable… Once you calm down, we can talk again.”

Hu Tao shook her head frantically. She wanted to stand up, but she had no strength. She wanted to scream, but her throat was convulsing, and her husband had already taken away her phone.

The hot soup approached her lips, and Hu Tao quickly turned her head. Whether it was her own movement or her husband’s force, she ended up with a cut on her face.

“Take a sip, come on.”

Ignoring the blood on the spoon, A’Shen took a deep breath, and his eyes were filled with tender light.

“Just take a sip, and we’ll make up. Honey, you can’t really be angry at me, can you? We’ve known each other for so many years.”

He extended the spoon once again.

Time and time again, Hu Tao frantically avoided it, her face becoming bloodied and mangled. Each time she dodged, her husband’s face grew more suspicious. In the end, he suddenly realized something, stood up, put down the spoon, and picked up a knife.

“I wondered why you wouldn’t forgive me,” he said, looking at Hu Tao’s blood-drenched face, his voice filled with anger.

“You’re not my wife. You’re a monster. Don’t use my wife’s face—”

With a swift motion, he raised the knife and brought it down.

In Hu Tao’s final field of vision, she was surrounded by boundless blood-red. She could see the bodies of her parents, lying close together, and the kitchen ceiling she had chosen with anticipation. But occupying most of her sight was her childhood sweetheart, her husband.

His cheeks were clean, with just a little bit of blood splattered on them. He stared straight into her eyes with a focused gaze.

……

“Later, he escaped, and the police couldn’t catch him. After signing a spirit contract with Yin Ren, I went to look for him several times myself, but I found nothing—according to the police records, he was considered a fugitive.”

The memories were long, but they were absorbed in an instant.

Hu Tao floated before the members of Unit 9 with a smile on her face.

“Now you know what he looks like.”

Kinky Thoughts:

Umm, WTF? 

Well, it turns out Hu Tao’s past is pretty gruesome… This explains a lot of why she became a fierce vengeful ghost.

Sometimes I forget that this novel is part horror.