Yuyin walked straight toward the nightstand in the corner of the room. A single glance was all it took for her to identify the source of the problem.
Sitting on Sheng Feijin’s nightstand was an anime figurine. The moment she entered, the figurine seemed to leer at her, its body glowing with a faint, eerie green light, with strange, smeared marks lingering on its palms.
As Yuyin reached out to take it, Sheng Feijin snatched it away aggressively. "Don't touch that. That’s my girl."
"Your 'girl' is about to drain every bit of your vitality. You’d be better off finding someone who actually breathes," Yuyin teased.
"What?" Sheng Feijin’s grip loosened slightly. He didn't believe a word of it; he had kept this figurine with him for nearly two years, taking it even to school. It was impossible for there to be anything wrong with it.
"I said, your figurine isn't clean." Yuyin repeated herself.
The "girl" in Sheng Feijin's hands should have been holding a sword. Those suspicious marks on its palms were bloodstains. If a blood-stained figurine isn't treated in time, the blood seeps into the material, causing it to become tainted with malevolent energy. Over time, it feeds on the owner’s essence.
More importantly, the release date of this figurine clashed with Sheng Feijin’s zodiac sign.
Sheng Feijin glanced downstairs before shouting at Yuyin irritably, "What isn't clean about it? I wash it every day, and Song Lian brought it back for me from overseas. No one else has even touched it."
"This thing has killed someone. It’s condensed with malice. If you just take it out and burn it, you’ll be fine." Upon hearing that Song Lian was involved, Yuyin couldn't help but shoot a glance in his direction.
"Xu Weiying, where did you find this lunatic? Can’t she see this is a limited-edition figurine? She wants me to burn it? I’d sooner chop her up!" Sheng Feijin hadn’t expected her to be so bold; his fists were clenched.
Calling himself "I" in such a tone in front of her—this kid’s attitude really needed an adjustment.
"If you don't believe me, go find a UV lamp and shine it on there. The blood on this figurine shouldn't be more than a month old, and it’s the blood of a minor."
Having said this, Yuyin went downstairs to retrieve her things. She didn't want to provoke the Sheng Family’s hot-headed third son just yet.
Song Lian sat on the sofa, having clearly heard the exchange. Seeing Sheng Feijin’s stubborn refusal to believe her, he glared at him.
Sheng Feijin was very obedient to Song Lian. Trembling, he hurriedly called the nanny to find a UV light, desperate to verify if there were bloodstains on the figurine. Yuyin hadn't expected that someone as devilish as Sheng Feijin would be so afraid of Song Lian.
Yuyin went downstairs to retrieve her backpack and phone from beside the sofa. She caught a glimpse of Song Lian’s gaze following her. Xu Weiying and Sheng Feiyan noticed as well, both wearing different expressions.
Song Lian saw Yuyin and reminded her, "Ms. Yuyin, you had a phone call earlier."
She looked down and saw it was from the hospital, along with a message notifying her to pick up the DNA test results. Yuyin looked back, sensing that Song Lian’s words were a subtle reminder of something.
"Are you leaving already? Please forgive my brother’s attitude; he’s been like this since he was a child." Sheng Feiyan’s expression seemed uneasy, as if she were holding back something.
Yuyin didn't think much of it and picked up her bag, packing her compass and phone. "Yes. He thinks I’m a fraud. Tell him to keep his windows ventilated these next few days, and give his 'girl' a few extra washes."
"I will remind him." Sheng Feiyan personally saw Yuyin out, blocking Song Lian’s line of sight.
Yuyin found her expression strange. She had no designs on Song Lian, so Sheng Feiyan’s hostility was baffling.
As they were leaving, Xu Weiying, thinking of the convenience, walked over and asked, "Mr. Song, didn't you say you would give us a ride?"
"My apologies, something has come up." Song Lian went back on his word; he wanted to find Sheng Feijin and get to the bottom of why there was blood on the figurine.
Xu Weiying frowned, feeling disappointed.
A patrol car was parked at the entrance of the Sheng estate. Yuyin realized it was the same security guard who had brought them there. She intentionally smiled at Song Lian in front of Sheng Feiyan. "Mr. Song, next time you give someone a gift, make sure it’s cleaned up first."
Song Lian rubbed his temples, feeling that the situation was suspicious.
Sheng Feiyan’s smile froze; she was clearly displeased by their exchange. Having heard that the Cheng Family was searching everywhere for Yuyin, she secretly sent a message to Gao Zixia.
After leaving the Sheng estate, the two hailed a taxi back to the city. Xu Weiying had been sullen, but after receiving her payment from Sheng Feijin, she was beaming, as if she had just won millions.
"Cousin, do you think Song Lian had something to do with that figurine?"
"I don't know. I’m a fortune teller, not a god."
"Can’t you tell?" Xu Weiying’s curiosity was piqued.
Yuyin sighed. Everything related to Song Lian was indeed difficult to divine; the man seemed shrouded in a veil. She was quite curious about the circumstances under which Song Lian would give a figurine tainted by a homicide to Sheng Feijin.
On the way back, Xu Weiying told Yuyin that while Sheng Feijin had all sorts of flaws, he was incredibly obedient to Song Lian. Years ago, Mrs. Sheng, Lin Qin, had saved a drowning child in a park—that child was Song Lian. Since then, the relationship between Song Lian and the Sheng Family had grown very close. Song Lian doted on Sheng Feijin, repaying the debt of gratitude to Lin Qin through her son.
The Sheng Family pampered their young master above all else. He rarely attended school, having private tutors for everything. Yachts and helicopters were his playthings, and he lived in extreme luxury.
After listening, Yuyin thought it would be a shame not to earn money from the wealthy.
"Weiying, you’re on good terms with him. When you have time, ask him if he’s willing to let me read his fortune. Even if it doesn't guarantee a long life, I can guarantee he’ll live at least another three years."
Xu Weiying’s eyes lit up. She was desperate to make money and would take any job, especially those involving the wealthy, as the tips were generous. "Cousin, if this deal goes through, the payout will be huge. You have no idea how powerful it would be to get on the good side of the Sheng Family." Xu Weiying spoke smugly, as if she had already secured a connection.
Yuyin slapped her lightly. "Have some backbone. You can rely on yourself."
"I’d starve if I relied on myself. You have no idea how useless I am..." Knowing Yuyin’s prowess, Xu Weiying only wanted to follow her and enjoy the benefits.
Not long after leaving the Sheng estate, the road they had taken ran into trouble. The taxi driver slammed on the brakes, causing both women to bump their heads, and they complained in frustration.
"Driver, what’s going on?" Xu Weiying rubbed her head, complaining. If it weren't for the fact that the driver was bald and didn't look like someone to mess with, she would have tried to extort him.
The driver turned around and gave them an apologetic smile. "I’m sorry. It looks like there’s been a car accident ahead. How about I take a detour?"
Yuyin looked ahead and saw a fork in the road that had very little traffic. The soil looked freshly turned, as if it were a newly paved road.
"Driver, that road is new. I don't think it’s open to traffic yet."
"It’s fine. I’ve taken it several times in the last few days; it’s quite smooth." The driver started to make a U-turn, wanting to save time.
Yuyin looked up and saw that the road was indeed not open; there wasn't a single traffic camera or road sign in sight. A sense of unease rose in her heart. She took out a copper coin and glanced at the road ahead. "Driver, don't be in such a rush. The road ahead will clear up soon."
"What would a young girl like you know? I’ve been driving for over a decade. Usually, a pile-up involving three or four cars takes at least half an hour to clear. I’ll take you via Tonghe Road instead; I’ll refund the extra fare." The driver was growing impatient and, ignoring their protests, started the U-turn.
The road the driver called Tonghe Road was filled with dust. The newly planted trees nearby were blown askew, and the road was littered with broken branches.
"Driver, do you want money, or do you want your life?" Yuyin asked, her voice dropping to a low, cold tone.