Tang Xuan felt as if he had been turned to stone. A chill swept through his body, and his phone clattered to the ground.
Dead... She's dead?!
The gaps in his memory plunged Tang Xuan into self - panic.
Lin Jingru seemed oblivious to anything strange and simply hung up his call.
Then how... How did he get here?!
Just as Tang Xuan began to wonder whether he was in reality or a dream, he suddenly noticed some money on the ground.
When he looked up again, the red - clad ghostly figure outside the door had vanished.
Tang Xuan hesitated for a moment. The allure of money made him convince himself that he had just had an optical illusion. He carefully got out of bed and reached for the thick stack of banknotes on the ground.
The moment he grabbed the money, Tang Xuan sniffed contentedly at the metallic smell of it.
"Money, so much money..."
Looking around, he saw that the thick stack of banknotes seemed to have appeared out of thin air, scattered all the way to the door. The drugs had muddled Tang Xuan's mind, making him overlook the eeriness. All he knew was to keep picking up the money.
Tang Xuan hugged the stack of banknotes and laughed maniacally at the sky, as if he had gone mad.
"So much money! Hahaha! No one can be richer than me!"
He picked up the money all the way to the door. Just as he was about to grab a bill, a shadow suddenly fell over his head.
He looked up along the shadow. The woman had a terrifying face, with bulging eyes still oozing blood, grinning at him blankly.
"Xuanxuan..."
Tang Xuan was so terrified that he couldn't move. Looking up from below, he could clearly see that Mengmeng was floating!
Realizing that he had encountered a ghost, Tang Xuan felt a chill run down his spine. He hugged the money tightly and backed into the room.
"Xuanxuan... I've found you..."
The woman's voice was ethereal, as if it wasn't coming from her mouth but from all directions.
Having done many bad deeds, Tang Xuan couldn't help but stutter.
"M - Mengmeng, what do you want from me... I didn't kill you..."
"You killed yourself. I didn't do anything..."
The more he spoke, the more timid he became, and his voice became as soft as a mosquito's buzz.
"Xuanxuan... Why are you with Ruru..."
The woman's voice was weak, but her tone suddenly rose several octaves, clearly angry at his betrayal.
Tang Xuan didn't dare to look at the woman's hideous face. He was forced back to the bedside by her, crawling and rolling.
"Mengmeng, how can you call it betrayal? My heart will always be with you, but I have to get married, right..."
The excuse sounded more and more lame. Tang Xuan forced a smile and nervously swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
The woman's ethereal laughter echoed through the villa. Tang Xuan felt a creepy sensation and instinctively grabbed the quilt on the bed.
"If you love me... Come down and accompany me..."
The woman stretched out her pale and bony hand. Tang Xuan angrily and fearfully threw a pillow at her and spat in disgust.
"Damn it! Who the hell wants to go down and accompany you! Stay away!"
Tang Xuan cursed. However, the pillow fell to the ground before it even touched Mengmeng, as if there was an invisible barrier protecting her.
Seeing this, Tang Xuan's pupils suddenly shrank. He climbed onto the bed and rolled twice to keep a distance from her. His voice trembled uncontrollably.
"Stay... Stay away. If you come any closer, I'll fight back!"
He groped around desperately for any weapon within reach. With his back against the wardrobe, he suddenly opened it, hoping to grab a hanger for self - defense. In the darkness, a woman's face covered in pus and with bulging eyes pressed directly towards him!
Qu Yan tightly grabbed his neck. "Tang Xuan, I'm going to kill you!"
Tang Xuan was so shocked that he fell backward, breaking free from Qu Yan's grip.
Mengmeng and Qu Yan were still closing in on him. As he was about to leave this troubled place with the money in his arms, he looked down and saw that the thick stack of banknotes had turned into black - and - white paper money.
"Ah!"
He was so frightened that his soul almost left his body. His crotch was wet, and yellow liquid dripped down his legs. Tang Xuan stumbled and huddled in a corner.
More and more little ghosts gathered. The excited growls of their bared teeth echoed in his ears. Tang Xuan was so scared that he hugged his head and cried.
"Please spare me... I'll never do it again... Waaaaaaaaaa!"
Qu Yan's cold smile was terrifying. The closer her hand got, the louder Tang Xuan's screams became. Tang Xuan's psychological defense completely collapsed.
"As long as you're alive... We'll always haunt you... Xuanxuan..."
Tang Xuan was so scared that he was almost paralyzed. His heart was about to jump out of his throat, and he didn't dare to look up at them.
"Please, spare me... I'll give you anything you want..."
Mengmeng excitedly bounced twice and floated closer. "Your life... Your life..."
"No, anything but my life..." Tang Xuan was stubborn with his words, but his limbs involuntarily curled up.
Seeing his cowardly appearance, Qu Yan felt extremely satisfied. She sarcastically goaded him.
"As long as you're alive, we'll haunt you until you die!
If you have the guts, go to jail! We'll find you anywhere in the world except in prison!"
Qu Yan's words gave Tang Xuan an idea. "Yes, prison... I can go to prison..."
Thinking about how deeply she had loved this man who was afraid of death and greedy for money, Qu Yan felt a pang of sadness in her heart. Her tone was still sarcastic, not sure if she was mocking him or herself.
"Tang Xuan, you may not believe it, but I was once pregnant with your child. But you killed it! Hahaha!"
Qu Yan's desolate laughter stabbed at Tang Xuan. His pupils suddenly went blank, and he mumbled something.
"Child... Child..."
Having a troubled family background, Tang Xuan had always longed for a child of his own.
But he had killed his own child with his own hands.
Suddenly, the cry of a baby echoed in his ears. Qu Yan's laughter and the baby's cry intertwined eerily, haunting him relentlessly.
"Just use your life to pay for my child's life!"
Qu Yan rushed in front of him. Just as her hand surrounded by black air touched Tang Xuan's neck, Tang Xuan rolled his eyes and fainted.
Qu Yan still held Tang Xuan's neck tightly, as if she really wanted to strangle him to death.
Lin Jingru took off her wig and quickly got off the mini - electric skateboard. She tore open the barrier between Qu Yan and Tang Xuan - a transparent glass - to stop her.
At the same time, Jiang Shang rushed out of the monitoring room.
"Qu Yan, if you kill him, your fate with your grandma will end in this lifetime."
Jiang Shang's words brought Qu Yan back to her senses. Qu Yan sat on the ground, staring at Tang Xuan, grinding her back teeth.
After a while, she finally cried out in relief.
"Grandma... My grandma doesn't have to live in fear anymore..."
Jiang Shang's eyes were filled with sourness. This grandmother - granddaughter pair had both been willing to sacrifice for each other, but unfortunately, life was unpredictable, and the dead could not be revived.
Now, all their efforts could only make Grandma Qu's heartache a little less painful.
Gu Siheng keenly noticed her low mood and handed her his handkerchief.
Jiang Shang wiped away her tears and looked around at the layout and the little ghosts. The small speakers hidden in the four corners of the room were still playing the baby's cry on a loop. Everything was so perfect.
From this day on, Tang Xuan's remaining life would be trapped in this endless nightmare, constantly jumping between guilt and fear.
He would be in a state where he couldn't live nor die.