Everyone who learned the truth was somewhat shocked. At this moment, Zhong Shengwan also belatedly understood why he alone had been "specially taken care of" by the vengeful spirit that night.
Presumably, during the day, when everyone was gathered around "Xiaoxiao", teasing and playing with her, only he and Pei Yu had remained cold - eyed spectators, never stepping forward. Moreover, he had even bluntly said that he didn't like that child...
As for why Pei Yu had been spared...
Zhong Shengwan silently glanced at Pei Yu, who was sitting calmly beside him.
Perhaps it was because this man was naturally extremely brave. Coupled with his unfathomable and inscrutable demeanor, showing no emotions, even the vengeful spirit didn't dare to test him...
At this moment, An Peng and Zhang Yushu were completely on the verge of collapse!
"Y - you don't come near!! How... How could you be Xiaoxiao?!"
The color instantly drained from An Peng's face. Her lips trembled, but she couldn't utter a clear syllable!
A great sense of absurdity and coldness intertwined in her heart, making her shiver all over, and even her teeth began to chatter uncontrollably!
The daughter she had carried in her womb for ten months and carefully raised was actually the nightmare she hated and feared the most?!
A strong sense of nausea and dizziness swept over her. An Peng was on the verge of fainting!
Shi Qiu's cold gaze had always been fixed on An Peng's face. When she saw the pained look on her face, the corner of her mouth slowly curled up into a hideous smile.
She was indeed taking revenge.
"Aren't you most disgusted when Zhang Yushu talks to me? Now I've integrated into your lives and been with you day and night," she said, then suddenly pinched her voice high, deliberately elongating the tone to imitate Xiaoxiao's usual soft voice, and laughed, "Daddy... Mommy... Hahaha..."
Shi Qiu's shoulders shook violently, and her laughter was terrifying and shrill!
Seeing this, everyone got goosebumps. It was hard to associate the terrifying female ghost in front of them with the shy and timid little girl in the illusion!
An Peng was almost driven crazy! She covered her ears and wanted to look at Zhang Yushu for support, but her neck was so stiff with fear that she couldn't turn it... Everything she had known was silently collapsing and falling at this moment.
Shi Qiu's way of taking revenge was truly... extremely vicious!
Many of the disciples present were also shocked by this truth. They couldn't help but look at Zhang Yushu, the man who doted on his daughter so much.
Different from the screaming An Peng, Zhang Yushu was now in a state of dead silence.
He seemed to have been suddenly drained of all his strength. His straight shoulders slumped, and his empty eyes wandered between the small figure on the ground and Shi Qiu - this was the child on whom he had poured countless love and expectations.
He had once worried about Xiaoxiao's quietness and been confused by the occasional look in her eyes that was not like that of a child, but he had never imagined... the truth was so unbearable!
His child had disappeared from the world like this, as if she had never existed.
Zhang Yushu staggered half a step and reached out to support the decaying wooden pillar beside him to barely stand firm.
He couldn't resent An Peng because of his guilt, so now he could only look at her with anger and grief.
After a long silence, he said word by word:
"An Peng, I really regret meeting you."
These words were like the last straw that broke the camel's back. An Peng's face instantly turned as pale as paper. The fear and annoyance that had been building up over the years erupted at this moment. She suddenly shouted back sharply:
"Zhang Yushu, do you think you're innocent?!"
"You've repeatedly accused me just because you know I have feelings for you! If you hadn't often pretended to be kind and interacted with Shi Qiu, how could I have been jealous and targeted her?!"
"I'm the murderer, but you're not a good person either. It was you and me together who killed Shi Qiu!"
"All of this... is your just deserts!"
The couple who had been in love for several years fell apart at this moment. One stood there stiffly like a puppet, and the other was on the verge of collapse, jointly facing the cruelest consequence bred by their past sins!
An Peng suddenly wiped away her tears and sneered:
"Zhang Yushu, do you really think I can't live without you? Even if I leave you, I still have my father..."
Before she could finish her sentence, Pei Yu interrupted her with a half - smile.
"Once the news of your murder of Shi Qiu spreads, your father's act of bribing the government to cover up the case won't be able to be hidden. He may not even be able to save himself, let alone you?"
An Peng's smile suddenly froze. A look of confusion and despair finally appeared on her face!
In the past, she had been so glorious. She could get whatever she wanted in the village. Even after killing someone, she could still grow up safely and freely.
But this time, there was really no one behind her...
Shen Cuiyu silently stared at Shi Qiu. The more intensely the couple quarreled, the wider the arc of Shi Qiu's lips became, and the more her surrounding resentment boiled, almost becoming tangible.
As if sensing Shen Cuiyu's gaze, Shi Qiu slowly turned her head towards her in a rather stiff posture.
The moment their eyes met, a bone - chilling sense of satisfaction appeared on that terrifying face.
"Celestial Master," Shi Qiu slowly said, her voice hoarse and cold, "Seeing them like this... I've never felt so happy in my heart!"
Her gaze swept over the shivering and helpless An Peng, and the corner of her mouth curled up in a cold arc.
"I just want her to taste the feeling of being alienated by all and having no one to rely on."
These words reminded Shen Cuiyu of that night when Shi Qiu had cried to her beside the ancient well, vowing to make An Peng as miserable as herself.
And Shi Qiu was indeed carrying out her revenge step by step - now An Peng had lost her child, implicated her natal family, and even her husband had grown to dislike her.
And all of this was just the beginning.
Shi Qiu's gaze was far - reaching. Suddenly, she remembered that in the past, after being bullied, the only person she could turn to was her father. But her father was naturally timid and would only hold his head and repeat, "Just bear it. It will pass," "Taking a loss is a blessing"...
"My father always said that taking a loss is a blessing," Shi Qiu said in a flat tone. There was no resentment in her voice, only a bone - deep exhaustion and understanding. "I believed it at that time. Now I understand that it was because he was unable to protect me. Apart from using these words to fob me off and comfort himself, he had no other choice."
She paused slightly, as if self - mocking or relieved: "I don't resent him. I'm just... a little unwilling."
Her gaze finally landed on the distraught Zhang Yushu.
There was not a trace of romantic love in that look. Shi Qiu had always been indifferent to Zhang Yushu, whether in life or in death.
However, during the few years when she had existed as "Xiaoxiao", she had experienced the unreserved care of a father - whenever Xiaoxiao was wronged, Zhang Yushu would always step forward and never let her endure silently. That real and clumsy fatherly love was the warmth she had never experienced in her poor and short life.
It was this stolen and inappropriate warmth that now turned into the sharpest dagger, stabbing her soul with excruciating pain.
The more distinct the contrast, the more deeply engraved the past coldness became.