Chapter 51: A Morning of Mischief and a Mystery Solved

Xia Zhiquiu scoffed at his words. She wasn’t merely awake; she was seething with indignation, the sight of that scoundrel’s face only fueling her rage.

It took a good while for Xia Zhiquiu to compose herself. She stretched languidly, yet the moment she sensed the young man’s lingering gaze, she shot him a sharp glare.

“I’m going to change. Don’t you dare peek!”

Xia Zhiquiu’s delicate feet lightly padded in her slippers as she carried a set of clothes to the bathroom door, poking her head out to issue her warning.

Bai Hao, observing her, merely found Aunt Xia utterly adorable. Could her overly cautious behavior actually be an invitation, a subtle hope that he might indeed do something?

“Aunt Xia, rest assured, I absolutely won’t peek.”

Having delivered his assurance, the young man then mumbled an additional remark.

“I generally prefer to gaze openly.”

Xia Zhiquiu, of course, caught the latter half of his sentence, her beautiful face flushing crimson as she instantly flung a slipper directly at the young man’s face!

“Go to hell!”

With a resounding bang, she slammed the bathroom door tightly shut.

Bai Hao stared at the slipper on the floor, a contemplative frown settling on his face. It had seemed rather fragrant just now, he mused. Ugh, that was verging on perverted…

The moment Xia Zhiquiu emerged, having changed and completed her morning ablutions, a fervent glint immediately sparked in Bai Hao’s eyes.

Today, Aunt Xia had forgone her usual glamorous attire, opting instead for a simple beige, form-fitting knit top paired with casual trousers.

Even so, her voluptuous figure stretched the simple outfit taut, accentuating her alluring, shapely curves.

What truly made Bai Hao’s eyes light up, however, was Aunt Xia’s choice to wear her hair in a high ponytail, which lent her an air of dashing confidence while simultaneously making her incredibly alluring…

Xia Zhiquiu, of course, noticed the young man’s roguish gaze, and a faint, peculiar sense of shame unexpectedly bloomed within her, though she swiftly regained her composure.

‘I’m dressed so properly, she thought. It must be this fellow’s mind twisting things again!’

With that thought, Xia Zhiquiu let out a cold snort and delivered a playful punch to the young man’s head.

“If you keep looking, I’ll gouge out your eyes!”

Hearing her threat, Bai Hao merely pursed his lips.

“Aunt Xia, you’re so domineering,” he retorted. “You’re beautiful, yet you won’t even allow people to admire you? Is there no justice left in the world?”

At his words, Xia Zhiquiu’s lovely face flushed scarlet.

“Stop your glib talk. It’s time to go find Gu Xin and the others.”

***

Soon after, the pair arrived at Gu Chen and Gu Xin’s home. Once Xia Zhiquiu had relayed Bai Hao’s deductions to the siblings, Gu Chen promptly responded.

“Then, Brother Hao, Aunt Xia, let’s go there now.”

Bai Hao nodded at his suggestion. However, on their way, the young man stealthily tried to toy with the beautiful mature woman’s delicate hand, savoring the illicit thrill of such transgression…

Middle Bridge, a structure completed just five years prior, had already become a crucial thoroughfare linking the two banks of the river.

Gu Xin gazed at the bridge, her mind drifting back in memory.

“I did pass by this bridge when I went to my classmate’s house to play back then,” she mused. “Is that Echoing Vengeful Spirit truly here?”

Bai Hao offered no reply. Instead, he simply walked beneath the bridge, his brow furrowing as he examined the massive piers.

He had detected no fluctuations of eerie energy, which made him wonder if their suspicions had been misplaced.

However, Bai Hao quickly discerned a crucial detail and turned to Gu Xin, posing a question.

“Did you come under the bridge that night?”

Gu Xin paused, startled by his question, then suddenly recalled something important.

“I remember now!” she exclaimed. “That night, as I was passing by, a pendant fell off. It was a gift from my brother, so I came under the bridge to search for it.”

Upon hearing this, Bai Hao nodded in confirmation.

“Then there’s no mistake,” Bai Hao confirmed. “The Echoing Vengeful Spirit is indeed here. Its formation was too recent, however, leaving it with insufficient power to bewitch passersby during the day.”

“Even at night, she can only intermittently bewitch those who venture closest. This explains why no one else has fallen victim for such a long time.”

Hearing this, Gu Xin’s small face drooped, and she couldn’t help but lament.

“Ah? I’m just too unlucky, aren’t I?”

Observing her dismay, Gu Chen interjected.

“So, since it’s confirmed to be here,” he proposed, “is it simply a matter of retrieving Wu Ping’s remains and laying her peacefully to rest?”

Bai Hao nodded, then turned his gaze towards Aunt Xia, who stood beside him.

Xia Zhiquiu retrieved her phone, speaking as she did so.

“If that’s the case, it’s simple,” she stated. “I’ll report the matter on TNS right now, and they’ll arrange for personnel to come and handle it.”

Shortly thereafter, police officers arrived with a team. After all, this situation not only involved an eerie object but also a murder case from several years prior, making it impossible for the authorities to disregard.

The subsequent matters no longer required Bai Hao and the others’ intervention; Wu Ping’s remains would be entrusted to her family, ensuring she could be laid peacefully to rest.

And once all these matters had finally settled, the troubles afflicting Gu Xin would, quite naturally, resolve themselves.

With everything concluded, everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief. Xia Zhiquiu picked up her phone, glanced at the time, and then offered a suggestion.

“It’s getting late. Let’s find somewhere to eat first.”

Gu Chen nodded at her words, then turned to address both Bai Hao and Xia Zhiquiu.

“Aunt Xia, Brother Hao, it’s thanks to you two that this matter was resolved. Let me treat you to this meal.”

Xia Zhiquiu chuckled softly at his offer, then replied with a hint of exasperation.

“Forget it,” she said. “You’re both still high school students. You call me Auntie; how could I possibly let you foot the bill?”

Gu Chen was about to protest further, but at that moment, Bai Hao clapped a hand onto the young man’s shoulder.

“Alright, stop arguing. Listen to Aunt Xia.”

As he spoke, Bai Hao even shot Xia Zhiquiu a quick wink, but she pointedly ignored him.

The four then proceeded to a Chinese restaurant. Xia Zhiquiu took the menu, perused it briefly, then passed it to Gu Chen and his sister.

“What do you want to eat? Order whatever you like.”

Gu Chen and his sister, ever so polite, simply ordered a few of the least expensive dishes before passing the menu to Bai Hao.

“Brother Hao, you order.”

Bai Hao, however, showed no such restraint when ordering. He simply picked whatever looked nutritious, for he was wealthy! And Aunt Xia, being his wife, naturally had no need to consider the cost.

Furthermore, he felt that despite Aunt Xia possessing a fantastic and supple figure, she was still too light and ought to gain a little more weight.

Just then, four new guests arrived at a nearby table. Bai Hao keenly observed Aunt Xia’s expression subtly shift after their arrival, despite her adept attempts to conceal it.

Seeing this, Bai Hao discreetly glanced at the group at the adjacent table: an elderly man and woman, accompanied by a couple in their thirties. They were chatting and laughing, evidently a family.

This observation caused Bai Hao to fall into a thoughtful silence.

At this precise moment, Xia Zhiquiu rose from her seat and announced.

“I’m going to the restroom. You all start eating in a bit; no need to wait for me.”

With that, Aunt Xia gracefully rose and walked towards the restroom. Her stunning beauty, of course, drew admiring glances from passersby, and the man at the adjacent table was no exception.

Witnessing this, Bai Hao naturally lost all inclination to continue ordering. After handing the completed menu to the waiter, he addressed Gu Chen and his sister.

“I’m also going to the restroom. You two go ahead and eat.”

Gu Chen and Gu Xin exchanged bewildered glances, both sensing that something was subtly amiss.

Meanwhile, upon reaching the restroom, Bai Hao discovered that Aunt Xia hadn’t actually gone inside; instead, she was merely washing her face at the sink.

Her voluptuous form was slightly bent, causing the lines of her trousers to pull even tighter, appearing as though they might burst at the seams.

Witnessing this, Bai Hao stepped forward, on the verge of playing a mischievous prank, but he suddenly froze, an inexplicable tightness gripping his heart.

“Aunt Xia, why are you crying?”