Liu Rui and his wife Liu Xiao are both entertainers, usually very busy with work, and their child is taken care of by his mother. These past few days, his wife had some free time and returned home to accompany the child.
Yesterday, his mother fainted, and the house was in chaos. Everyone’s attention was focused on his mother and his older brother who was involved in the incident, so they overlooked Jia Jia’s unusual behavior. It was only today that his wife noticed the child was abnormally silent, always talking to the corner of the wall alone.
What was even more frightening was that Jia Jia, who had always been close to his grandmother, went into a frenzy when he saw his grandmother returning from the hospital. He screamed, attacked her, and even knocked over the soup she had specially prepared, scalding the Auntie at home before finally stopping.
Liu Xiao wanted to take him to the hospital, but the previously quiet child started screaming and throwing a tantrum again, even running to the third floor and locking himself on the balcony.
Now the child was squatting alone on the balcony, once again talking to himself while holding a toy.
When Liu Rui brought Qi Yuqiu home, Liu Xiao and Liu Rui’s mother were standing three meters away from the third-floor balcony. Liu Xiao was crying so hard she could barely stand, and Liu Rui’s mother stood nearby, looking utterly exhausted.
Seeing Liu Rui, Liu Xiao cried, “What should we do? Jia Jia won’t come out!”
Liu Rui’s mother wiped her tears. “It’s all my fault. I always thought Jia Jia was too quiet and didn’t pay enough attention. Who knew it would come to this?”
Liu Rui helped his wife sit down and then walked toward the balcony. The child, who had been playing with a plush rabbit with his back to the glass door, suddenly turned around. His face wore a strange smile, his eyes rolled upward, and he pressed himself tightly against the glass, startling Liu Rui into taking a step back.
“Ah Rui, let’s invite a psychologist to come to the house. If Jia Jia doesn’t want to go out, then he doesn’t have to,” Liu Xiao said, having regained some composure. She stopped crying but continued to sob.
Liu Rui’s mother agreed, “Yes, we can invite the doctor to come here. Xiao Rui, you know people, hurry up and make a call.”
Liu Rui looked at Qi Yuqiu.
Leaning against the railing by the staircase, Qi Yuqiu finally walked over to the group. Liu Xiao, also part of the entertainment industry, had naturally heard of him. She glanced at Liu Rui with a troubled expression.
Liu Rui patted her back reassuringly and quietly asked Qi Yuqiu, “What’s wrong with my son?”
Liu Xiao felt utterly confused. She tugged at Liu Rui’s sleeve, looking at him with a puzzled expression. Qi Yuqiu wasn’t a doctor—what was he doing here?
As Qi Yuqiu walked toward the balcony, Jia Jia, hiding behind the glass door, became agitated. He stood up, grabbed the plush rabbit, and hurled it at the glass door while screaming and shouting. In the process, he accidentally bumped into a nearby stool and fell to the ground with a loud thud.
Liu Xiao immediately screamed, struggling to stand up and grabbing Qi Yuqiu. “Don’t go over there, don’t go! Liu Rui, stop him! Jia Jia, don’t be afraid, Mommy is coming to save you!”
Liu Xiao, known as the elegant female goddess, completely lost her usual grace. She clung tightly to Qi Yuqiu’s arm, shouting and screaming, her face filled with heartache and desperation. She was even more hysterical than the child who had locked himself on the balcony.
Liu Rui also instinctively blocked Qi Yuqiu. As parents, they truly couldn’t bear to watch their child suffer.
Qi Yuqiu sighed and said, “If you want to save him, step aside.”
Liu Xiao cried, “What are you going to do? Liu Rui, get him out of here. Don’t touch my Jia Jia. We’ll call a doctor, the best doctor. I won’t act anymore. Jia Jia, Mommy will stay home with you from now on. Please get better soon, okay?”
“Calling a doctor won’t help,” Qi Yuqiu said calmly, pulling her arm away. “If we delay any longer, even if your child is saved, he’ll end up brain-damaged. Still want to stop me?”
Liu Xiao’s hand jerked back, and she looked lost. Trembling, she grabbed Liu Rui, tears streaming down her face. “Is he telling the truth? What’s wrong with Jia Jia?”
Liu Rui, who had remained silent until now, finally broke down, his eyes reddening as he comforted his wife. “Jia Jia is fine. He’ll be okay. Xiao Qi will save him. Don’t worry.”
As he spoke, tears welled up in his own eyes and began to fall.
The two stepped aside. Qi Yuqiu glanced at Liu Rui’s mother, who seemed to have fainted, then walked up to the glass door.
Jia Jia was crouched on the floor, his eyes rolled back, glaring fixedly at Qi Yuqiu. His nails scraped against the glass, producing a chilling sound.
Qi Yuqiu crouched down, tapped Jia Jia’s forehead through the glass with a curled finger, and Jia Jia stopped moving. His eyes rolled slightly, and he grinned eerily.
Qi Yuqiu saw that in the whites of both eyes, two different figures were reflected. He sneered knowingly, stood up, and said to Liu Rui, “Your son ended up like this because someone tampered with him, making him take on someone else’s misfortune. As long as we destroy the soul-transfer talisman used to swap their identities, he can return to normal.”
Liu Rui and Liu Xiao were stunned. Liu Rui already knew Qi Yuqiu was somewhat unusual, but he hadn’t held much hope when bringing him home. Liu Xiao looked even more bewildered, unable to understand how a minor celebrity like Qi Yuqiu could say such mystical things.
But as long as there was a chance to save their child, even the slightest hope, they were willing to accept any absurd explanation. Liu Xiao sobbed and was about to kneel before him. “Mr. Qi, as long as you can save my child, I’ll give you anything you want—money, resources, whatever I can manage. Please, I beg you!”
Qi Yuqiu raised a hand to stop her. “I will save him, of course. But if we don’t find the one who cast the curse, even if we save him this time, can you guarantee there won’t be a next?”
Only then did Liu Rui and Liu Xiao grasp the key point in his earlier words: their son had become like this because someone was harming him!
They were in the entertainment industry, a world of fame and fortune, where conflicts over resources were inevitable. Liu Rui had heard of people going to Southeast Asian countries to have their fortunes told or even casting curses on rivals. But why target a child? Why not come after the adults?
“To cast a soul-transfer curse, the perpetrator must know your son’s birth date and time, obtain his hair, nails, and tears, and keep the soul-transfer talisman nearby. It was likely done by someone close to your son,” Qi Yuqiu explained. He walked back to the glass door, felt around its surface, then pushed hard. The entire door shattered.
The little boy hiding inside agilely leaped away, baring his teeth fiercely at Qi Yuqiu.
Liu Xiao wanted to step forward but was stopped by Qi Yuqiu. She cried out agitatedly, “It must be Aunt Liu! Besides us, she and Jia Jia have the most contact. No wonder Jia Jia tried to knock over the soup to burn her. We’ve treated her so well—why would she want to harm my child!”
“Don’t get too worked up,” Qi Yuqiu said, taking out a calming talisman and handing it to Liu Xiao. “I’ll naturally find out who did it. Don’t worry.”
Liu Xiao took the slightly crumpled talisman paper and immediately felt a cool sensation spread throughout her body. Her anxious emotions instantly calmed, and she became much clearer-headed.
She looked down in surprise, noticing what seemed like a shimmering light passing over the talisman in her hand.
“Thank you,” Liu Xiao said, knowing the value of such a talisman. She wiped her tears, suddenly feeling as if she had taken a calming pill.
Qi Yuqiu walked onto the balcony. Jia Jia seemed to sense he was not to be trifled with—the eerie smile on his face turned to panic as he whimpered and shrank into the corner. Though Liu Rui and Liu Xiao were heartbroken, they did not step forward again.
Qi Yuqiu reached out and swiftly pressed the back of Jia Jia’s neck. The exorcism talisman in his palm pressed tightly against the child’s skin, and instantly, a wisp of Black Qi emerged.
Jia Jia let out a loud, pained cry, struggling but unable to move. Liu Rui held the sobbing Liu Xiao tightly. “It’s alright, it’s alright. Our son will be fine soon…”
As the black smoke drifted out, Jia Jia’s eyes slowly rolled back, finally revealing their dark pupils. His twisted expression also returned to calm.
Qi Yuqiu laid him flat on the floor, watching the wisp of Black Qi drift away. “Let’s go. Let’s see where that soul plate is hidden.”
Liu Xiao held back her tears, pulling a blanket over her son before letting Liu Rui support her as they followed Qi Yuqiu.
As the two reached the stairwell, they heard a noise behind them. Turning around, they saw Liu Rui’s mother had somehow suddenly fallen to the floor, knocking over a chair.
“Mom, are you alright?” Liu Rui quickly helped her up, asking with concern.
Liu Xiao, her face pale, said gently, “Mom, you just got out of the hospital. Don’t worry too much. Jia Jia will be fine.”
“It’s nothing, it’s nothing. You go ahead downstairs. My old bones aren’t as nimble anymore—I’ll just stay here and watch over Jia Jia.” As she spoke, she glanced at Qi Yuqiu.
Qi Yuqiu turned to look at her and suddenly smiled. “Better come down with us. Who knows—we might need your help.”