As expected, Ji Yao was turned away at the door.
She didn’t feel particularly upset and returned to the bench.
She wanted to know when Xie Bing would come out.
But she ended up waiting until almost nightfall. She had ordered takeout for lunch and still hadn’t seen anyone emerge.
It wasn’t until Shi Rui came to take over the shift and tried to confront her again that Ji Yao stood up and moved farther away.
She had learned her lesson there was no need to provoke a confrontation.
Especially after the information she had gathered throughout the day made her hesitant to act recklessly.
Because whether she had done it or not, no one would believe her anymore her reputation was completely ruined!
While waiting, Ji Yao received several more calls. Most were from people she didn’t recognize, who mumbled some meaningless small talk.
It was purely a way to pass the time and get a sense of the life “she” was currently living.
She was deeply afraid that her once-clean body had been tainted by this intruder.
Fortunately, the information she gathered didn’t leave her too disheartened.
It seemed probably.
Nothing significant had happened, though there were quite a few ambiguous relationships.
Still, there was no need to keep any of these people around.
The phone had dual SIM cards. Ji Yao kept the one she originally used and removed the other, snapping it into several pieces before tossing it into the trash.
Then, she returned to hide near Shi Yu’s hospital room.
When she finally saw Xie Bing come out, Ji Yao tensed up completely.
She hadn’t been mistaken, it really was a supernatural entity. She just didn’t know to what extent Xie Bing had been affected.
Based on what she had learned in the otherworld, she could usually identify the type of supernatural being she encountered, but this one.
Was beyond her knowledge.
It didn’t resemble any she had seen or studied before.
She couldn’t even figure out how it had come into existence.
But one thing was certain, it was nothing good.
Hiding in the shadows, Ji Yao wasn’t sure if Xie Bing would notice her. Probably not, and even if she did, it wouldn’t matter.
No one knew what was really going on in her mind, so as long as she kept a straight face, everything would be fine.
Except…
The bright pink down jacket she was wearing was a bit too conspicuous.
Wherever she went, people stared, it was like a massive social embarrassment.
But Ji Yao didn’t dare take it off because it had started snowing outside. She planned to say a few words to Shi Yu and then head back.
After a torturous night, she had no energy left for resistance.
All she wanted was to warn Shi Yu.
While Shi Rui was away fetching water, she gently knocked on Shi Yu’s door.
She knocked for a while, but there was no response from inside. Ji Yao’s heart began to race, and she was about to force the door open when it was pulled open from the inside. Through the crack, she caught a glimpse of Panpan’s little face.
Panpan only resembled her by about thirty percent, she looked more like Shi Yu.
Seeing the child born of “herself” and Shi Yu, Ji Yao felt a complicated mix of emotions.
It was as if “she” had cheated on herself. The five hazy years in the otherworld felt like a dream.
Now that she had woken up, she had gone from being a vibrant young female alpha to a despicable, divorced female alpha.
And clearly, the child didn’t belong to her either.
“Mommy,” Panpan called out softly, her voice gentle, as if afraid of disturbing Shi Yu.
Her big eyes darted around before she motioned for Ji Yao to crouch down.
“Mommy, Uncle said you made Mommy angry, so we can’t let you in.”
Ji Yao paused, unsure how to converse with the little girl. Should she ask if the child knew about her and Shi Yu’s divorce, or…
Never mind.
That wasn’t important. She just wanted to see if Shi Yu had been affected by that ghostly entity.
“Panpan, be a good girl, let.”
The word “Mommy” felt awkward and hard to say. Fortunately, Panpan finished for her: “Does Mommy want to come in?”
“No, you can’t.”
“Uncle and Mommy both told me you’re not allowed to come in and make Mommy angry.”
“Uh!”
Dealing with a child was tricky, but Ji Yao didn’t want to give up. Just as she was thinking of a solution, the door swung open from the inside, and Shi Yu stepped out, hands behind her back.
She pulled Panpan inside and shut the door, leaving Ji Yao outside.
“Shi Yu!”
Ji Yao tried to soften her tone, hoping Shi Yu would be more receptive to her voice, but she received no response. Instead, she saw Shi Yu raise a glass defensively.
Ji Yao froze, a bitter feeling stirring inside her.
She realized it was truly difficult for her and Shi Yu to coexist peacefully.
A wave of disappointment washed over her. Taking a deep breath, Ji Yao tried to keep it brief: “I don’t know if you’ll believe me, but I have to say a few things.”
“The person who married you wasn’t me.”
“The one who hurt you all these years wasn’t me either.”
“And that female alpha who came to see you earlier, she’s not a good person!”
With each sentence Ji Yao spoke, Shi Yu’s expression grew darker. By the time she finished, Shi Yu nearly threw the glass at her.
Ji Yao dodged lightly and heard Shi Yu say, “Stop pretending in front of me.”
“Is this amusing?”
“If you love acting so much, I can recommend you for an audition.”
Shi Yu had no patience for her, and Ji Yao couldn’t blame her. Based on the memories she recalled, Shi Yu had no reason to treat her kindly or with patience.
But that wasn’t the most pressing matter right now.
“If you don’t believe me, we can talk about it later. Right now!”
“I have something more important to tell you.”
Yet, as soon as Ji Yao finished speaking, Shi Yu let out a scornful laugh.
Something more important?
After years of being together, Shi Yu knew exactly what Ji Yao considered “important.”
It was always about money, fame, and marking her.
Even when Shi Yu was pregnant with Panpan.
Shi Yu had tried to satisfy the first two demands to end their marriage, but Ji Yao was never satisfied.
She was like a leech, clinging relentlessly.
The thought of their past marriage brought uncontrollable pain, spreading through Shi Yu’s heart. She gripped the glass tightly, unaware that the cheap material could easily shatter.
This immediately put Ji Yao on high alert.
Just as she had suspected, Xie Bing’s prolonged stay in the hospital room had affected Shi Yu to some extent.
The problem was, Ji Yao still didn’t understand the nature of the entity attached to Xie Bing.
Nor was she entirely sure what had triggered Shi Yu’s emotional state.
In her view, such a toxic and unhealthy marriage couldn’t continue. But priorities mattered, and right now, Shi Yu’s well-being and the influence Xie Bing had brought were the most urgent concerns.
Recalling what she had learned in the otherworld, Ji Yao began forming hand seals discreetly by her side.
In the blink of an eye, just as Shi Yu was about to hurl the glass at her, Ji Yao, with her free hand, grabbed the glass while her other hand, forming a hand seal, lightly tapped Shi Yu’s forehead.
She still remembered how Shi Yu, with red-rimmed eyes, had told her not to touch her. Shi Yu was holding the glass.
But the glass was too small, and inevitably, Ji Yao’s fingers brushed against Shi Yu’s.
Watching Shi Yu’s expression darken drastically, Ji Yao withdrew her hand and said apologetically, “I’m sorry.”
Yet the atmosphere didn’t ease with her apology. Shi Yu stared at her with an unreadable expression, then after a long pause, shifted her gaze upward, observing the strange posture of Ji Yao’s middle finger overlapping her index finger.
Enraged, Shi Yu struck Ji Yao’s hand away with the glass.
“Get away from me.” The icy words were spoken, and at that moment, Ji Yao’s eyes widened as she noticed a faint pink hue on Shi Yu’s head.
It was as if Ji Yao heard those words, yet didn’t.
Because aside from Shi Yu’s presence, she seemed to sense another person.
And something ghostly.
Alarm bells rang in her mind. Ji Yao grabbed Shi Yu’s wrist, pulling her into the hospital room, then released her, closed the door securely, and stood guard outside.
Fully focused, she awaited the arrival of that person, Xie Bing.
She was so absorbed that she completely missed Shi Yu’s distress.
The places where Ji Yao had touched her made Shi Yu feel nauseated even at a glance. She rubbed them fiercely.
Her strength was immense, and in no time, the skin turned red.
The fact that she was in the same room as Ji Yao pushed Shi Yu to the brink.
Over the past few decades, omegas had indeed gained status comparable to alphas, but the innate suppression from the soul remained undeniable.
Defensive pheromones emanated from her, not as sweet as during a heat cycle, but carrying an indescribable, irritating scent like something cloyingly bitter.
Ji Yao’s tense nerves relaxed slightly with the change in pheromones, allowing her to glance at Shi Yu.
The glass had been crushed in Shi Yu’s grip, yet she seemed oblivious to the pain, clenching the shards tightly in her palm.
Blood trickled through her fingers.
Ji Yao’s heart skipped a beat.
Instinctively, she thought of her hand seal.
It might be broken by Shi Yu’s blood.