The older generation always said that if you suddenly find yourself unable to reach the end of a staircase and kept walking the same paths, you've encountered the Hanging Soul Staircase.
The solution was if it wasn't too high, you could just pee in place or jump down through the gaps in the staircase.
As I fell, the feeling of being enveloped by cold air instantly dissipated.
I relaxed considerably and let out a light breath, relieved.
My wrist was immediately grabbed by a hand as cold as ice, scaring me out of my wits, "Big sister, spare my life, I didn't mean to trick you with a stuntman puppet, don't kill me..."
"It's me, what's wrong, Su Wan?" Granny Wu asked oddly.
I trembled even more in fear upon seeing Granny Wu, "No... nothing, I was just going downstairs to the toilet... and scared of the dark..."
I was really scared, Granny Wu wouldn't be in cahoots with that monster, would she?
You're… afraid of the dark? The Su Family heir afraid… of the dark?" Granny Wu had a face that just couldn't accept it.
My legs continued to tremble disgracefully, along with my chattering teeth, "I'm just cowardly, I'm going back to my room now."
Granny Wu, I'm more afraid of you than the dark...
Can you let go of my hand that you're holding? I want to get back to Yu Longting's side.
"Next time you go to the toilet, remember to bring a lamp, be careful not to fall in," Granny Wu gave me her kerosene lamp.
I took the kerosene lamp, looking nowhere in particular.
I dashed back to my room in a flash, flopping onto the bed.
My whole body was heaving for breath, making loud breathing sounds.
Yu Longting wrapped his arms around me, "What's wrong? You ran like you've just finished a marathon. Did you see a ghost?"
"Worse... worse than a ghost, I encountered a man-eating monster, it almost possessed me." I clung to him tightly, my body shaking like a sieve.
Yu Longting gently patted my back, softly kissing my forehead, soothing me bit by bit, "That can't be, Granny Wu is Granny Mi, who specializes in exorcising evil spirits. Could her house have a monster?"
"But... that thing was in the attic of this house, it suddenly flew down and trapped me on the staircase, even saying I was its reincarnation, I ... sob sob sob ... was my past life a fox... it can't be that miserable..." I felt like if I looked in a mirror right now, my face would definitely be ashen.
All I could think of was Su Xiaomin after his transformation, that fluffy fox head.
Yu Longting chuckled, "How could you possibly be related to a fox, even if it were in a past life, it's impossible. Foxes are what I hate the most in my life. If you had even a whiff of fox about you, I could never lose myself to you."
"Then what... what was that? The mass of fox-shaped black air that burst down from the attic said so…"
I raised my head, looking at him, still frightened.
Yu Longting gazed into my eyes, his expression gradually softening, moved close to kiss the tip of my nose, then slowly to my lips, "Probably just a delusional fox, don't worry about it talking nonsense. Wanwan, why didn't you call me to save you? My true body is with you, available at any moment."
"I did call, but you... seemed not to hear..." I murmured slightly aggrieved.
Yu Longting's eyes became solemn, he patted my head and pressed it into the crook of his neck, "She must have set a barrier, it's my fault, I didn't protect you well. I should have accompanied you to the toilet earlier."
Why should Yu Longting accompany me to the toilet? But then?
Thinking back on the terrifying experience, having Yu Longting accompany me seemed not so embarrassing after all.
Being embarrassed is better than losing my life.
I nodded, mumbling a soft "Yeah."
"Alright, you rest now, get some sleep; I'll handle this," Yu Longting pulled the blanket over me, wrapping me into a cocoon, "I'll hold you while we sleep. If the monster comes, it will have to go through me first."
"Wait, there's another issue." Flushed with embarrassment yet touched by his tender words, I managed to poke my head out.
Yu Longting: "?" ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ novel⟡fire.net
"That... the monster said our Dumpling, once born, would be a blend of Demon Eye and Spiritual Eye?" I asked quietly.
Yu Longting nodded, "Yes, if I consume those eyes, not only would my injuries heal, I'd also instantly become a True Dragon."
"Daddy, you can eat my eyes." A feeble, tiny voice came from my belly.
I suddenly broke out in a cold sweat, unsure whether to be horrified or touched.
Why had Little Dumpling woken up at that moment and eavesdropped on our conversation, out of the blue?
I really needed to give birth soon; otherwise, he's there in my belly,
always eavesdropping!
Yu Longting gently touched my stomach, forcing Little Dumpling back to sleep, and kissed my forehead, "Wanwan, this really is a bug. I'll give you my Life Token, and if I show any tendency in that regard, you can crush the Life Token to protect Dumpling."
"Oh, so you're treating your Life Token as a patch to fix a bug?" I rolled my eyes, "You're not giving it to me; keep it safe, or else I'll get upset with you. Then Dumpling and I will both ignore you..."
"Hahaha, Wanwan, even if you trust me, you shouldn't fail to protect yourself," Yu Longting laughed.
I couldn't be bothered with him, and just laid my head on his chest and fell asleep.
Sleepiness overtook me quickly and, half-asleep, I heard a resigned sigh and felt a weight on my head as Yu Longting placed his hand there, steadying my body's center of gravity.
Resting against his heart, completely enveloped and affectionately held as I slept, indeed made me feel a lot more at peace.
The fear from encountering a ghost hitting wall on the stairs, was completely dispelled.
It's just that the aftermath was quite severe.
The next morning, my neck had seriously stiffened up!
My neck was so sore I couldn't move it, and my whole shoulder was stiff.
I pounded on my back, sore from the waist up, as I got up.
There sat Yu Longting on the chair opposite the bed, holding a charred Patchwork Man, his glossy fingertips rhythmically tapping on it,
"Monsters are scary? Are you afraid of monsters? My Wanwan, is it you who fears monsters, or is it the monsters that fear you?"
"You knew all along, huh?" I said, slightly embarrassed, tugging at the blanket.
Yu Longting's neat fingers propped against his head, his eyes gleaming with a playful, challenging look, "I knew."
"At that moment, she was about to seize me; I was just defending myself. You wouldn't want her to harm me, right?" I cleared my throat and gave him a dry laugh.
Having been terrified yesterday, my mind now clear, I carefully thought it over.
That wisp of black energy was extremely powerful, but it seemed to fear the flames' scorching.
In my rush to escape, I didn't know what had ultimately become of her.
Yu Longting appeared before me in the blink of an eye, cradling my head, "Yes, you did well, last night's troublemaker was completely crushed by you."
His tone was so tender and entangled, yet for some reason, it carried a sharp murderous aura, but I knew it was not directed at me.
Groggily raising my head, I was startled by his cold expression.
Seeing Yu Longting's devastating aura, I guessed he was angry at the monster that had attacked me last night, although there seemed no sign of him lashing out just yet.
Was Yu Longting sulking on his own?
I could only get up bewildered to wash up and went to Granny Wu's place for breakfast.
The atmosphere at breakfast was peculiarly tense.
It was so quiet that only the sound of clinking dishes and utensils could be heard.
Wu Zhenglin seemed oblivious, his carefree nature not noticing anything.
Groggily swallowing half a bowl of porridge, with a steamed bun clenched in his mouth, he rushed off to school with his backpack.
At the breakfast table, only three people were left.
"Granny Wu, something from your attic came out yesterday," Yu Longting mentioned with a chilling smile, casually bringing it up, yet every word seemed to carry ice shards.
The atmosphere at the table was even more terrifying than the wet, chilly, and gloomy staircase last night.