By the time Si Jiangchen drove me to the Future Water World on the outskirts of Beijing, it was almost noon.
The bright sunlight filtered through the forest, leaving mottled golden dots on the grayish - blue cement path. They swayed gently with the gentle breeze in the forest.
"Ms. Du, hello!"
Ma Su greeted me in front of the hotel. When she saw Si Jiangchen and Si Tong following behind me, she was immediately startled. "… Mr. Si, why are you here too?"
"Don't mind us."
Si Jiangchen was wearing a casual short - sleeved floral T - shirt. Holding Si Tong's hand, he had a gentle smile on his face. He didn't look at all like the domineering president of the Fir Group on normal days!
… Instead, he looked like an old man taking a stroll with his grandchild by the sea.
"I'm just the driver today. You guys go about your business."
Si Jiangchen raised his eyebrows slightly. "I'll take my son around for a look."
"Then I'll find a staff member from the program crew to accompany Mr. Si."
Ma Su had a good relationship with the director here. She also had a selfish motive. She wanted the director to have a chance to get in touch with Si Jiangchen.
"You don't need to worry about us. First, solve your own problems."
Si Jiangchen still had a faint smile, but Ma Su couldn't help shivering.
Watching Si Jiangchen holding Si Tong's hand to look at the jellyfish raised in the glass curtain wall of the hotel lobby, I motioned for Ma Su to follow me out of the hotel into the natural light.
Ma Su's situation was not optimistic. There was a dark aura lingering around her, floating in and out of her mouth and nose in thin threads. That's why she coughed from time to time.
She wasn't possessed by evil spirits at this moment. It was just that her life was coming to an end, and her fortune was about to decline from prosperity. It was the sign of decline in her body.
"Take me to the room where Shao Lili disappeared."
On the way here, Ma Su had already told me about the situation of Shao Lili's disappearance. I roughly understood her situation... She should have been bewitched by a ghost and fallen into an illusion.
This illusion might not be inside the hotel, but I had to start by taking a look at the room she hadn't checked into yet.
When Ma Su took me upstairs, a cameraman actually followed us to film.
"Ah... I'm really sorry, Ms. Du."
Seeing me frown slightly, Ma Su immediately showed a look of apology on her face. "Due to the negligence of our company's artist, the program director is very angry and has demanded compensation from Tao Ran. So, I... I asked them to film the video of us looking for someone. Don't worry, it's not a live broadcast. We'll edit it later."
"Do you want me to be on camera?!"
I took two steps back to avoid the cameraman's lens. "If you had told me earlier that there would be filming, I wouldn't have come!"
Years of fleeing had made me used to hiding. I didn't want to be exposed under any camera, which would make me feel insecure.
"I think Sister Xiao He is very photogenic!"
Si Tong was being held by Si Jiangchen. His little face was pressed against the glass. While looking at the jellyfish swimming like umbrellas under the gorgeous lights, he murmured softly, but his voice was just loud enough for us to hear.
"She's much cuter than those girl - group stars! Right, Dad?"
He even found an ally.
Si Jiangchen glanced at me and let out his usual deep vibration from his nose. "Well... Xiao He is the cutest."
"Let's go, go, go..."
I didn't expect them to cooperate so well. I was so embarrassed that even my ears turned red. I didn't have time to think about the camera anymore. I just followed the staff into the elevator!
The layout on the fourth floor wasn't all guest rooms. More than half of it was a gym.
Two artists from Tao Ran Media lived next to the gym. You could see the infinity indoor swimming pool just by walking half a corridor. The water flowing down from the swimming pool hung outside the hotel like a rushing waterfall.
The environment was really nice. I wondered why Shao Lili was so picky. Did all stars have this problem?
While thinking, I pushed open the room assigned to Shao Lili.
As soon as the door opened, a cold gust of wind blew over, with a faint stench mixed in...
Following that faint stench, I slowly walked to the floor - to - ceiling wardrobe in the guest room. The source of the stench was behind these two wardrobe doors.
"Sister Su Su, you guys stand back a bit!"
I was afraid that there might be something evil inside. Ma Su was already on the verge of death. If she was affected, she might bleed from all seven orifices and die immediately!
"Okay!!"
Ma Su stepped back a bit, but the cameraman got closer.
I looked back at him, and he suddenly took out five or six pendants from his T - shirt. There were Buddha statues, Avalokitesvara statues, and crosses... In short, the amulets he had covered almost all religions.
I couldn't help rolling my eyes in my heart. I took out a small yellow triangular talisman from my pocket and slapped it into his hand.
Then, I pulled open the wardrobe door with a "swish".
A stronger stench rushed towards my face. There were two white bathrobes hanging in the wardrobe. At the moment I opened the door, a pale human face appeared at the collar of the bathrobe, as if a person wearing a bathrobe was hanging in the wardrobe on a hanger...
"Ahh!!"
The cameraman behind didn't expect such a shock when the wardrobe was opened. Even though he had high professional qualities, he was so scared that he took two steps back and almost fell to the ground.
"Humph! Little thing, trying to act like a ghost!"
Amid the cameraman's scream, I had already made my move. I made a binding spell for demons and slapped it over.
"Squeak, squeak, squeak!!"
That pale strange face suddenly let out a shrill scream. Light - yellow long hair suddenly covered its entire face, and its nose instantly became pointed, turning into a beast's face.
The white bathrobe trembled. There was something inside rushing around trying to get out, but it was trapped in the clothes by my binding spell and couldn't move. The furry pointed face with a pair of bean - like black eyes suddenly stared at me menacingly, with a green light in them!
"Bold commoner! The great immortal is here, and you still dare to be so presumptuous!"
That small, pointy - headed thing was extremely arrogant. Even though it was trapped by me with no way out, it still dared to curse. "Little witch, be careful or the great immortal will capture you back to the cave and make you the wife of the mountain bandit leader!"
Oh, well! It gave itself away!
While thinking in my heart, I didn't hesitate at all. I grabbed the thing by the neck and pulled it out of the bathrobe!
"Tell me... where is the girl who was supposed to live here?"
I slightly tightened my fingers, and immediately the thing let out "squeaking" cries and struggled.
Now, not only the cameraman could see, but even Ma Su, who was standing far away, could see the small animal I was holding in my hand. It was about a foot long, with a long tail and light - yellow fur all over its body. It was struggling like a twisted rope in my hand.
"My God!! What... what is that?!"
Ma Su couldn't help letting out a small scream.
"Don't worry. It's just a useless weasel!!" The corner of my mouth couldn't help twitching. "I recognize it."