So he was in the room after all.

A feeling of wrongness arose in Wen Rusheng’s heart, but his mind was somewhat sluggish. Before he could react, he had already pushed open the door.

The moment his front foot entered, the door behind him closed with a creak.

Wen Rusheng whirled around and lunged to pull at the door.

“Eighth Uncle.” A soft voice came from behind.

Wen Rusheng spun around abruptly. What met his eyes was the young woman’s flower-like smiling face.

“You, you don’t come closer!” Wen Rusheng’s back pressed against the door with nowhere to retreat, his face frightened deathly pale.

“Why is Eighth Uncle so afraid?” Wen Hao asked with a smile.

Wen Rusheng’s teeth chattered as he forced himself to say: “I… I’m not afraid, just feeling a bit unwell… Why is Ah Hao in Feng’er’s room?”

He couldn’t show that he knew she was a demon, or else the demon would reveal her true form and devour him!

Wen Hao smiled gracefully: “Eighth Uncle asks why I’m here? There aren’t many foods I enjoy eating anymore, so I came to take a look.”

Wen Rusheng’s legs went soft and he nearly collapsed to the ground, desperately pulling at the door.

The door didn’t budge an inch.

“Let me out, let me out quickly—” Wen Rusheng completely broke down, shouting hoarsely.

A slightly cool hand patted his shoulder.

“If Eighth Uncle keeps shouting, I’ll devour you.”

Wen Rusheng’s crying stopped abruptly as he stared fixedly at the approaching white-robed young woman.

“You, you, you… really are a demon?”

Wen Hao shook her head gently: “Eighth Uncle jests. Where would you find a demon as beautiful as me?”

Wen Rusheng dropped to the floor with a thud.

Confirmed—she was a demon!

Rumor had it that demons especially loved possessing beautiful young women to have a good appearance with which to bewitch people.

Seeing Wen Rusheng frightened like this, Wen Hao’s mood was complex.

The abnormality she had deeply loathed in her previous life had become her greatest assistance in this life.

This paternal uncle of hers was particularly timid and afraid of ghosts.

On a certain evening in her previous life, she had encountered her somewhat drunk paternal uncle in the garden and heard a thought from his heart: “This garden is so big, could there be ghosts?”

She had been stunned at the time.

She had heard countless malicious or kind thoughts from people’s hearts, yet this was the first time she’d heard such a thing.

Because of this, she had a deep impression of this paternal uncle’s timidity and fear of ghosts.

“Eighth Uncle, let’s go talk in the west room. The floor is cold.”

The west room was arranged as a study—the place where Wen Feng usually studied.

Wen Rusheng sat on the floor staring blankly at Wen Hao walking into the west room, then suddenly lunged to pull the door.

The door actually opened, and a deathly pale face appeared before his eyes.

Wen Rusheng was so terrified his voice stuck in his throat as he stumbled into the west room.

Wen Hao sat in a rose chair, pointing to a low couch on one side: “Eighth Uncle, please sit.”

Wen Rusheng tremblingly sat down supporting himself on the edge of the couch, not daring to let his gaze fall on Wen Hao’s face.

“Eighth Uncle truly fears me.”

Wen Rusheng glanced at Wen Hao, then hastily withdrew his gaze as if pricked by a needle, crying: “Ah Hao, what exactly do you want?”

If she wanted to eat him, she would have opened her bloody maw by now—why would she still have him sit?

“As the saying goes, if you haven’t done wrong, you needn’t fear ghosts knocking at your door.” Wen Hao rested her hand on the chair’s armrest, her manner leisurely. “What wrong has Eighth Uncle done that makes you so afraid of me?”

The day after tomorrow would be the day Father took action. At this time, he must have already instructed her paternal uncle.

“I, I—” Wen Rusheng’s mouth opened but couldn’t speak.

“Eighth Uncle, look at me when you speak.”

Wen Rusheng kept his head lowered, not daring to look.

Wen Hao slapped the table.

Wen Rusheng startled and trembled, obediently looking over.

The candlelight blurred the young woman’s expression, making her seem even more unworldly.

“Eighth Uncle wants to harm my mother.” The young woman toyed with her fingers, her tone certain.

Her fingers were slender and delicate, her bright red fingernails seeming to flash with the gleam of blood under the lamplight.

Wen Rusheng’s pupils contracted as he recalled the scene from last night under the moonlight—the young woman sitting in a tree crunching away as she ate her own fingers.

He tumbled from the low couch, kneeling on the floor.

“I, I haven’t…”

“Truly not?” Wen Hao stood and walked before him.

Wen Rusheng stared at the floor where his vision held a snow-white hem and bright red embroidered shoes.

He seemed to have a paralysis spell cast on him, frozen and not daring to move.

“But I heard it from Eighth Uncle’s heart.” Wen Hao enunciated each word.

Wen Rusheng’s head jerked up, his expression utterly horrified.

Wen Hao laughed self-mockingly.

In her previous life, even though she couldn’t speak, she had carefully concealed this secret, afraid people would discover her strange abnormality.

Now having lost this ability, she could easily speak of it to frighten people.

“What does Eighth Uncle plan to do?” Wen Hao asked in a soft, gentle voice.

Wen Rusheng’s whole body bristled with goosebumps as he stammered: “What, what does Ah Hao want me to do?”

Wen Hao crouched down, looking directly into his eyes, enunciating each word: “As long as Eighth Uncle tells the truth, that’s enough.”

How simple, yet how laughable.

These people—if any one of them had spoken a single truth, Grandmother wouldn’t have died of anger, and Mother wouldn’t have gone mad and foolish.

But not a single person told the truth.

Thinking of these things, Wen Hao’s expression turned ice-cold, her gaze on Wen Rusheng like looking at a dead man.

“I’ll tell the truth, I’ll tell the truth!” Wen Rusheng was frightened by Wen Hao’s gaze, nodding like a pecking chicken.

Wen Hao sat down again, asking with a half-smile: “Eighth Uncle wouldn’t go complain to my father, would you? Saying I’m a man-eating demon?”

Wen Rusheng’s expression stiffened, looking at the smiling young woman with even greater terror.

She knew!

“Eighth Uncle doesn’t understand my father.” The young woman played with the dark hair falling by her cheek. “He doesn’t believe in such things.”

Wen Rusheng nearly cried from grievance.

Yes, his cousin didn’t believe!

“So Eighth Uncle shouldn’t think about such useless things. As long as you don’t harm my mother, naturally I won’t come for you.”

Wen Rusheng nodded desperately.

“Then Eighth Uncle should hurry back and rest.”

Wen Rusheng felt as if he’d received a great pardon. He scrambled up to run outside, but suddenly stopped at the doorway, turned around, and asked carefully: “Ah Hao… where is Feng’er?”

Wen Hao was momentarily speechless.

It really wasn’t easy—he’d remembered his son this quickly.

“Eighth Uncle need not worry about Eleventh Brother. He’s fine.”

“Please let Feng’er go. His skin is too rough—he won’t taste good…”

Wen Hao smiled: “I’m not picky about food.”

Wen Rusheng closed his eyes and said in a trembling voice: “Then let me replace Feng’er. Feng’er hasn’t married yet.”

“Eighth Uncle, don’t be nervous. As long as you don’t harm my mother, Eleventh Brother will definitely be able to participate in the spring examinations on time.”

The courage Wen Rusheng had just mustered for his son’s sake dissipated by more than half: “There’s, there’s only five days left until the spring examinations begin—”

“As long as Eighth Uncle doesn’t harm my mother within five days, you father and son will be safe and smooth.” A flash of mockery crossed Wen Hao’s lips. “When Eleventh Brother’s name appears on the honors list, his fortune might be even greater than my father’s. At that time, Eighth Uncle will be a respected old master living in comfort and ease.”

Wen Rusheng’s expression was dazed as he walked out with unsteady steps.

The door opened without wind, revealing endless darkness.

Wen Hao stood for a moment in the now-quiet room, then returned to Luoying Residence without a sound.

Immersed in the steaming wooden tub, only then did she completely relax.

“Miss, did you hide Wen Feng somewhere?” Baozhu asked curiously as she ladled water to rinse Wen Hao’s hair.