Chapter 57

The little episode before school finally ended with Qingyao using all her strength to push Hu Yuanfei away, then flinging herself into Xiao’s arms and weeping bitterly while uttering countless "I love yous" and kisses.

Once she recovered, Qingyao hastily grabbed the hands of her older brother and sister and bolted straight into the campus without looking back. She probably wouldn't make such a request ever again; it was so embarrassing, truly so embarrassing.

Completely oblivious to the fact that he had been disliked, Hu Yuanfei watched Qingyao's energetic retreating figure with a cryptic smile and said proudly to Lang Xiao, "Did you see that? Our cub really likes me."

Lang Xiao was full of question marks, wishing to know if he had any idea what he was talking about. Wasn't he the one who had just scared Qingyao half to death? She had taken a long time to comfort her.

"You... Never mind, as long as you're happy."

Lang Xiao gave up on trying to persuade him; let him immerse himself in the illusion of being the cub's favorite.

"Let's head back, there are customers at the door."

Hearing that business had arrived, Hu Yuanfei immediately dashed back to the shop.

In the dead of summer, when mice and cockroaches ran rampant, there were many more customers dropping by. Their local reputation had slowly built up over time, and this year, as soon as people noticed the slightest sign of pests at home, they would immediately hire them to pay a visit, avoiding the dreadful scenario of catching them once cockroaches were crawling all over the floor.

Aside from catching mice and cockroaches, they now offered an additional pest control service. In summer, kitchens and bathrooms were always prone to breeding small flying insects. These bugs were no weaker than mosquitoes in their reproductive capacity, yet window screens simply couldn't keep them out. It was fine during the day, but as soon as night fell and a light was turned on, the flying insects would frantically hurl themselves against the lamps and walls, leaving a blanket of corpses on the floor by morning.

This sight was even more repulsive than encountering cockroaches.

Moreover, these flying insects bit people, leaving behind clusters of welts that caused as much headache as an allergic reaction.

Regardless of the species, as long as it was an insect, there was nothing these two demons couldn't handle. Faced with such orders, they never flinched and took them all, the prices being the same anyway.

After working for a while, the two demons no longer needed to revert to their original beast forms to work stealthily at night as they used to. Now, when catching mice, they could even perform the stunt of catching them bare-handed right in front of the customers, securing a hit every single time.

This skill left the customers utterly dumbfounded. A row of mice laid out before their eyes was quite a shock, making them extremely generous when paying the bill.

Catching flying insects was a bit more troublesome, but the customers wouldn't notice them secretly using demonic power; as long as the goal was achieved, it was fine.

Taking advantage of the time Qingyao was at school, the two demons split up to work at customers' homes. They could basically wrap things up in a single morning, and by two o'clock in the afternoon, both had already returned.

Summer was the peak season for business, and the two could take at least two orders a day, sometimes four or five, earning nearly one hundred thousand a month. In the off-season, they still brought in thirty to forty thousand a month. Coupled with occasional metaphysics-related gigs, by the end of the year, each had saved three to four hundred thousand in their respective hands.

With money in hand, there was no panic. As long as they didn't think about buying a house, their lives were quite affluent.

Hu Yuanfei no longer agonized over the meaning or significance of money; as long as he was happy, that was all that mattered.

After finishing up, the two returned to the shop to reunite. Scarcely had Hu Yuanfei sat down for a moment than he began urging Lang Xiao. "Isn't it almost time to pick Qingyao up from school? We need to get moving quickly."

Lang Xiao checked the time and found that there was still nearly an hour before Qingyao's school let out, nowhere near the "almost time" Hu Yuanfei claimed.

"If you want to go, go ahead."

The summer sun was blazing outside, and even the grandpas and grandmas who usually arrived earliest to pick up their grandchildren hadn't shown up at the kindergarten gates yet. After gazing out for a while, Hu Yuanfei dismissed the thought and slumped listlessly in his chair. Why was time passing so slowly? It had already been many hours since he last saw Qingyao, and he wondered how she was doing in kindergarten today.

Having barely waited out the time, Hu Yuanfei eagerly dragged Lang Xiao to seize the best spot well in advance, ensuring they would be the very first to see Qingyao when she came out.

However, after Qingyao emerged with the Class One-A queue, she didn't rush toward them immediately. She stood beside Teacher Meng without moving, as if waiting for something. Even though she saw them, she merely gave a wave.

Hu Yuanfei crossed the boundary line and moved close to Qingyao. "Qingyao, school's out. Why aren't you coming over? Let's go home."

Qinglai, who was standing beside Qingyao, took a couple of steps forward to answer for her. "Qingyao said she wants to see Teacher Meng's child, so she's waiting a bit before going back."

Qingyao nodded vigorously, her hand still clutching the hem of Teacher Meng's skirt.

As it turned out, Teacher Meng also had a child, a year and a half younger than the kids in the toddler class, not yet of school age, and currently being looked after by family members. While parents waited for their children after school, Teacher Meng's family would also bring the child to the school gates to wait for her to finish work.

During the midday nap, Qingyao had overheard Teacher Meng and the childcare worker chatting quietly nearby. She hadn't been fully asleep and caught parts of the conversation between the teachers.

Teacher Meng's child was fine in every aspect except for one major flaw: she still couldn't walk at a year and a half old, whereas other children could walk quite steadily by that age. Teacher Meng was so worried she couldn't sleep. During the summer vacation, she and her family had taken the child to a specialist in a big city for a check-up. The child's development was normal, her legs were strong, she could crawl extremely fast, and she was very robust—she just couldn't walk. Supported by others, she could take a couple of steps, but the moment her hands were let go, her feet seemed rooted to the ground.

The doctors felt the child might be overly cautious or lacked a sense of security, suggesting they use a baby walker to practice walking more often, but even after a month with the walker, the child still wouldn't let go.

"If all else fails, try another hospital. There are pediatric hospitals in the south that are quite good," Aunt Wang, the childcare worker, advised. "She's still young, there's a very good chance she can be cured."

Teacher Meng sighed. "That's what I think too. I originally planned to resign this semester; this is a critical period for the child, and I really can't let go of my worries. But my family advised me not to be too rash, and the principal has talked to me several times as well, so I can't just quit outright. What do you think I should do?"

The two teachers beside her sighed along with her, offering gentle words of comfort.

"Maybe she'll just outgrow it when she's a bit older. There have been cases like that before."

"Yeah, don't be too anxious. Didn't the doctor say her body is fine?" Aunt Wang mused. "Do you think she might have run into some evil entity? Otherwise, why not find a master to take a look?"

Teacher Meng let out an exclamation; she had never considered that possibility.

Hearing the words "evil entity," Qingyao groggily opened her eyes and looked at Teacher Meng, faintly hearing the sound of clanking chains around her, coupled with a chilling aura emanating from her body. Qingyao woke up a bit more, sat up, and tried to get a closer look.

Yet, upon seeing her wake up, the three women who had been talking immediately stopped. Aunt Wang stood up and walked over.

「Qingyao, are you awake? Do you want to sleep a bit more?」

Qingyao shook her head, put on her shoes to get off the bed, proactively approached Teacher Meng, and held out her hands. Teacher Meng beamed with joy and picked her up, prompting jealous glares from the other two teachers.

Teacher Meng carried her off to wash her face and re-braided her hair.

Without mentioning her child, that faint, strange aura around her vanished once more.

Qingyao didn't hear the sound of chains again either; it was as if it had merely been an illusion.

"Teacher Meng, do you have a child too?" Qingyao asked.

Teacher Meng nodded, her voice soft. "Yes, a little younger sister, a year and a half younger than you. Her name is Xiaoyu."

"Why doesn't little sister come to school?"

"She's still too small. When she grows as big as you, she'll come. By then, when you're in the senior class, you'll be her senior."

Qingyao blinked. "Can I see the little sister?"

Teacher Meng was slightly surprised, but still smiled and said, "Of course. When school lets out, my mother will bring her to pick me up. If you wait a bit before leaving, you'll be able to see her."

"Yay! Then Teacher Meng, wait for me."

Thus, when dismissal time arrived, Qingyao stayed by Teacher Meng's side and didn't leave right away.

Knowing she wanted to see the teacher's daughter, Hu Yuanfei and Lang Xiao also accompanied her and waited by her side.

Teachers usually left relatively late, and her family arrived a bit late as well. Soon, the majority of the departing children had gone, and the area outside the kindergarten gates quieted down.

Before long, an elderly woman with perm short hair and a neat appearance arrived at the gates carrying a child. The child in her arms was chubby, her face bearing a striking resemblance to Teacher Meng's, and looked very spirited. The moment she spotted Teacher Meng, she immediately reached out, wanting to be held.

Teacher Meng smiled as she took her, then squatted down to let Qingyao look at her daughter.

"Xiaoyu, say hello to Big Sister Qingyao."

The little girl shook her chubby hands and chortled, her cheeks even displaying two dimples, looking exceedingly cute.

Qingyao pinched her little hand, tilting her head to stare closely at the child.

As she looked, her gaze drifted downward, settling on the child's feet. The little girl was wearing a pair of pink shoes, her feet small and plump. Around her ankles, however, an invisible iron chain was bound, plunging deep into the ground below, as if something beneath the earth was tethering her.

Qingyao didn't understand what this was. She reached out and tugged at it, only to feel a wave of icy coldness rushing from beneath her fingertips, so cold she couldn't help shivering.

Hu Yuanfei, standing nearby, abruptly grabbed her shoulders and hoisted her up.

Qingyao's hands left the iron chain, and her body hung suspended in mid-air. This sudden movement caused Teacher Meng to raise her eyes in surprise.

Hu Yuanfei met her gaze for a moment before awkwardly letting go. "I saw Qingyao reaching for the little sister's feet and was afraid she'd hurt your daughter."

Teacher Meng smiled. "It's fine, Qingyao is just playing with Xiaoyu. She's very sensible and won't hurt her younger sister." With that, she took Qingyao's hand and placed it on her daughter's instep.

Unwilling to give up, Qingyao reached for the iron chain again. This time, she forced herself not to let go, grabbing the chain and pulling upward.

The iron chain buried deep in the ground was actually pulled upward by a fraction. Yet, as the chain moved, the little girl who had just been smiling began to cry uncomfortably with her mouth open.

Puzzled, Teacher Meng patted the child's back. "What's wrong? Good girl Xiaoyu, don't cry, don't cry."

At this point, Hu Yuanfei also noticed the presence of the shackles. Frowning, he channeled his demonic power into his hands and, alongside Qingyao, gave the chain another tug. The chain was yanked out by a large section once more, yet the bottom still stretched to an unknown depth. Hu Yuanfei let his demonic power follow the chain deep into the earth.

This probe felt as though it was piercing through the Earth's core, yet he still couldn't reach the bottom.

The deeper it went, the heavier the icy-cold force became, until gradually Hu Yuanfei found himself struggling to sustain it. Such a bizarre phenomenon had never occurred before. Just as he was about to withdraw his hand, a hand rested on his shoulder, and a vast, overwhelming demonic power intervened, seamlessly picking up right where he had left off and continuing downward.

Hu Yuanfei exchanged glances with Lang Xiao beside him. He naturally withdrew his hand, then scooped up Qingyao, bringing her closer to Xiaoyu. Their overlapping hands—one big, one small—gently patted Xiaoyu's back. The crying child seemed comforted, gradually calming down as her fluctuating soul slowly steadied.