Chapter 76: A Pampered Wife

By the time Tan Xueci and the others rushed to the scene, Lan Ke had already been violently pinned to the ground by Xiao An, a massive, bloody puncture wound gouged into his neck.

Hearing the commotion, Father and Mother Xiao rushed outside. The moment they saw the horrifying state Xiao An was in, they realized their son was completely dead and their plan had utterly failed. Mother Xiao’s entire body trembled violently; she nearly fainted from grief as she collapsed onto the ground, sobbing hysterically, “Son! My son!”

Xiao An was the only child of the Xiao family, born to them late in life. Father and Mother Xiao had cherished him like their very lifeblood, and they simply could not withstand a blow of this magnitude.

“Xiao An,” Mother Xiao knelt on the ground, her face drenched in tears as she desperately reached her hand out toward him. “Xiao An, it’s Mother. Speak to Mother, please…”

However, Xiao An had already lost his mind to bloodlust; his only instinct was to tear Lan Ke apart. Having transformed into a ghost, he failed to recognize his own parents. His corpse-spotted face lunged abruptly toward Mother Xiao, his sharp fangs still dripping with bits of Lan Ke’s bloody flesh.

Mother Xiao completely blacked out from terror. Father Xiao, similarly horrified by his son’s monstrous apparition, frantically bellowed for the bodyguards to step in.

He Xunye casually raised his hand. The pitch-black flames swirling in his palm shot toward Xiao An like striking vipers.

Screaming in absolute agony as the dark fire incinerated his form, Xiao An’s ghost released its grip on Lan Ke. In a mere instant, he was burned to absolute ash, leaving only his resentful, agonized shriek echoing through the night.

Lan Ke lay collapsed on the ground, his eyes already beginning to lose focus as he hovered on the brink of death. He Xunye merely watched with cold, detached eyes, making no move to intervene.

In truth, even if Xiao An hadn’t attacked him, Lan Ke’s demise was merely a matter of time. Whether it was stealing someone else’s life force or shifting a death curse onto another, both were highly malevolent practices. How could one dabble in such dark arts without facing a severe, absolute backlash?

Furthermore, Lan Ke was merely a ordinary mortal who had stumbled upon these forbidden rituals by chance; he wasn’t like Daoist Master Fan, who possessed specific underhanded methods to evade the karmic rebound.

“You…” Blood continuously bubbled from Lan Ke’s lips. Staring fixedly at Tan Xueci, his breathing grew shallow and ragged. His eyes bloodshot, he wheezed from where he crawled on the ground, “Do you know… who taught me those methods?”

Tan Xueci froze. Before Lan Ke could utter another word, he spat out a massive glob of black blood and breathed his last.

Yet, despite Lan Ke leaving the sentence unfinished, Tan Xueci had already guessed the answer. Aside from that specific individual, it couldn’t possibly be anyone else.

Earlier that evening, Tan Yanning received a message from Gao Ying while he was at school, ordering him to return home. Ever since He Sui informed him that Tan Xueci was dead, he hadn’t set foot in the Tan estate.

Initially, Gao Ying’s messages were filled with tender concern, fretting over whether he was adjusting well to the school dorms without anyone to properly tend to him. However, as he continuously offered evasive excuses to avoid returning, Gao Ying’s patience clearly began to wear thin.

It had been this way since his childhood. He was required to seamlessly fulfill Gao Ying’s meticulous fantasies from head to toe. The moment he deviated from her expectations in the slightest, she would abruptly turn freezing cold toward him.

While she maintained a perfectly pleasant facade on the surface—leaving outsiders with the impression that she cherished him just as much as before—anyone trapped within her immediate radius could instantly sense the profound, chilling shift in her demeanor.

As a young child, he had been entirely unable to handle her emotional withdrawal. Every single time he was subjected to Gao Ying’s cold shoulder, he harbored an intense urge to drop to his knees and beg for her forgiveness.

He would frantically rack his brain, desperately wondering exactly what error he had committed. Was his posture insufficiently poised when greeting the Xiao family matriarch at the gala? Or was his recent examination score not flawless enough?

It truly seemed that no matter what heights he achieved, he could never grant her absolute satisfaction.

After dispatching the message to Tan Yanning, Gao Ying walked toward the family shrine. Kneeling flat against the prayer mat, she lifted her eyes to stare blankly at the deity statue resting before her.

When she first heard rumors regarding the profound efficacy of this specific deity, she had fiercely disregarded Tan Chong’s intense objections to seek it out. It was only upon arriving at the location that she discovered it was a thoroughly dilapidated, abandoned temple, the deity statue completely blanketed in thick layers of cobwebs.

Gazing upon the ruins, she had been on the absolute verge of despair, assuming she had been thoroughly deceived. Yet, with her child still desperately sick and having run entirely out of options, she nonetheless executed three deep kowtows before the statue. Reaching for the dust-covered fortune cylinder, she gave it a firm shake to draw a single slip.

Who could have foreseen that specific moment would mark the absolute genesis of her destiny?

Following her child’s eventual passing, she had suffered an absolute psychological breakdown. Every single night, she dreamt of engaging in a fierce tug-of-war against the King of Hell, desperate to drag her precious A-Yan back to the mortal realm. Yet, she was entirely powerless. She traveled to Qilian Temple to kowtow until her forehead bled, and she desperately implored the He family for aid, yet absolutely no entity across heaven or earth could grant her assistance.

She was similarly unable to relocate the nomadic Daoist priest who had initially instructed her. Left with no other recourse, she ultimately commissioned individuals to manually transport this specific deity statue back from the ruined temple.

She offered prayers day and night, desperately hoping the deity might return her child to her arms. Subsequently, she combed through numerous orphanages, desperate to locate a suitable vessel—a search that eventually led her straight to Tan Yanning.

Tan Yanning’s precise birth character chart was identical to Tan Xueci’s. There simply shouldn’t exist that many individuals possessing an absolute Yin chart across the mortal realm; she firmly believed this was an absolute divine sign from the heavens, dictating that hope still remained.

Thus, she bestowed the exact name of her deceased child upon Tan Yanning, deeply hoping her precious son’s soul might attach itself to the boy’s form and return to life.

Initially, she had been rather satisfied with Tan Yanning. The boy was exceptionally intelligent, mastering various disciplines with incredible speed, and his overall temperament bore a striking resemblance to her child.

Gradually, however, she began to discern the subtle fractures in his facade.

Tan Yanning firmly believed he was concealing his true nature perfectly; yet, he was merely a young child, and his underlying malice was entirely transparent to her eyes.

She was well aware of Tan Yanning’s intense jealousy toward Tan Xueci, aware of the petty trickeries he covertly orchestrated against him, and fully cognizant that Tan Yanning was by no means a gentle soul.

A profound disappointment settled deep within her heart—he was, after all, not her true A-Yan. Yet, exactly what recourse did she possess?

Furthermore, given that she had already adopted two children, Tan Chong would absolutely never permit her to continue her search. She could only accept her grim fate, maintaining a perfectly pleasant mother-son facade on the surface to pass the days.

At the very least, possessing a child was infinitely better than having none at all; perhaps one day, her true son might finally journey back home.

Recently, Tan Xueci had participated in a reality variety program, and she had watched the broadcast meticulously from beginning to end. She was forced to acknowledge that Tan Xueci’s essence bore an uncanny resemblance to her precious A-Yan—even if their external personalities appeared entirely polarized.

Tan Xueci was incredibly gentle; yet, when he escorted the others to flee for their lives during the program, despite his spine appearing exceptionally slight and fragile, he projected an aura that was immensely powerful and unyielding.

When Tan Xueci had become separated from the main group, the production crew’s cameras had somehow managed to capture his precise movements. Even if the scenario had been a structured segment orchestrated by the program, his raw reactions certainly weren’t entirely born of mere acting.

Throughout her entire life, she had only ever encountered two children who possessed such an unyielding, resilient spirit. One was her own biological child, who had lain confined to a hospital bed while being ruthlessly ravaged by systemic lupus erythematosus, yet had never once uttered a single complaint of pain to her.

Instead, he would frequently stroke the back of her hand to offer sweet comfort, murmuring that the moment his health recovered, he would accompany his mother outdoors. He promised to escort her to a vast multitude of destinations, even murmuring, “I might even be able to attend a proper school. Mother, will you come to campus to attend the parent-teacher conferences for me?”

He had devoured a vast library of literature, yet he had never once set foot inside a formal school classroom. He was entirely distinct from a little illiterate youth like Tan Xueci.

Tan Xueci simply harbored a fierce grievance over the fact that others possessed opportunities he was denied; it was purely out of spite that he clamored to attend school, rather than possessing a genuine, intrinsic love for academics. Her biological child, by contrast, had truly and deeply yearned for an education.

Every single time her son watched Tan Shangli depart for school, his eyes would overflow with intense envy. Sensing his longing, Tan Xueci would frantically run off to borrow his eldest brother’s textbooks to present to him, assuming he simply desired the physical books.

Her son was fully aware that his constitution was fragile, cognizant that his lifespan would likely span a mere decade at best; yet, he had never once voiced a single complaint, choosing instead to weave beautiful illusions for his mother to ease the profound ache in her heart.

Gao Ying lifted her eyes.

The only other child who mirrored that spirit was Tan Xueci.

Back then, when she had physically severed Tan Xueci’s body into fragments before manually fusing them back together, his immediate reaction wasn’t to unleash a torrent of fury against her. Instead, he had simply huddled flat against the floor, clutching his small face while sobbing softly for a brief duration. The moment the intense agony receded, noting that she was similarly weeping, he had timidly crawled over to stare up at her with wide eyes, softly inquiring, “Mother, what’s wrong?” while desperately trying to burrow his form into her embrace.

Gao Ying’s complexion turned completely bloodless. Her entire body letting out a violent shudder, she retrieved a brazier and began to incinerate joss paper and spirit garments for her deceased child.

She frequently wondered: if she had simply abstained from adopting Tan Xueci, would her biological child have been permitted to survive just a little bit longer?

Yet, absolutely no entity could grant her an answer to that query. There existed no medicine for regret across the mortal realm; what was gone was gone for eternity. Her precious A-Yan… if he were still drawing breath today, exactly how magnificent would he have become?

He undoubtedly would have far outshined Tan Yanning.

Tan Yanning had promised Gao Ying that he would return home, yet he didn’t arrive at the estate until half past one in the morning. By then, Gao Ying had already retired for the evening, and the household staff had similarly gone to sleep. Shrouded within the dim shadows of the night, he journeyed completely alone toward the family shrine.

During his childhood, Gao Ying had forced him to bow before this specific deity statue to claim it as his godfather. Yet, he possessed absolutely zero inkling of what the statue actually looked like; he had consistently performed his prostrations while kneeling entirely outside the closed doors of the shrine.

He had never once stepped foot inside the interior of this specific room. Aside from Nanny Zhang and Tan Chong, Gao Ying absolutely prohibited any individual from entering.

Tan Yanning had gone to extraordinary lengths to covertly secure the key, subsequently commissioning a duplicate copy. Taking a deep, ragged breath, his heart hammered a frantic rhythm against his ribs.

He felt as though the space lurking beyond the boundary of this door mirrored Pandora’s box, likely housing a dark truth he held absolutely no right to perceive. Yet, for reasons he couldn’t comprehend, an insatiable urge to look had completely consumed him tonight, entirely beyond his capacity to control.

A person’s ultimate destiny was invariably decided by a multitude of these precise, fleeting instances.

Tan Yanning unlocked the door to the shrine. Lifting his head to peer inside, his gaze instantly locked in absolute, paralyzed horror.

The deity statue before him possessed long, flowing hair that cascaded all the way down to touch the floor. Its physical structure was exceptionally massive, its head practically pressing flat against the main rafters of the ceiling. The illumination within the shrine was incredibly faint and ghostly; while he was unable to discern the precise features of the statue’s face, he could clearly see a specific spirit tablet enshrined directly alongside it.

Inscribed upon its surface were the words:

The Spirit of My Beloved Son, Tan Yanning.

His face deathly pale, Tan Yanning stumbled blindly away from the Tan estate. Even as the faint echo of a voice seemed to call out to him from the darkness behind, he refused to turn his head a single fraction.

When he initially heard He Sui rambling about rituals regarding body-double substitutions and death-shifting, he hadn’t fully embraced the claims. He had subsequently utilized various covert channels to meticulously research numerous methodologies regarding the dark arts. Noting that a vast multitude of individuals had mysteriously perished across the capital recently, he strongly suspected the Xiao family was actively executing a life-swap ritual—with Lan Ke serving as one of their primary targets.

Consequently, he had utilized an anonymous online forum to establish contact alongside Lan Ke, directly inquiring: Are you truly content to remain a mere pawn in their calculations? Why not attempt to turn the tables against them entirely?

Lan Ke possessed an immense streak of audacity and had instantly agreed to the proposition; after all, this represented a monumental opportunity to elevate his social status that he would likely only encounter once throughout his entire lifespan.

Tan Yanning’s hands were completely ice-cold as he wrenched open his car door. The moment he slid into the driver’s seat, his phone erupted with a call from his personal assistant.

He had instructed his assistant to maintain a meticulous watch over the precise movements of Lan Ke and Xiao An. The assistant hastily informed him that absolute chaos had erupted over at the Xiao estate; it appeared both Xiao An and Lan Ke had violently perished just moments ago.

Tan Yanning collapsed flat against the steering wheel, cold sweat seeping profusely from his forehead. Within the dim, shadowed confines of the vehicle cabin, his pupils trembled violently as he began to neurotically gnaw on his own fingertips, practically chewing the flesh until it bled.

Although his specific gambit had failed to reach fruition, judging by the horrific trajectory of the situation, there truly did exist a concrete methodology to shift death onto another across this world.

He Sui hadn’t deceived him.

The Tan family had once possessed a child… named Tan Yanning. Regardless of whether it was himself or Tan Xueci, both of them were merely cheap replacements—or rather, mere sacrificial scapegoats engineered to serve that deceased child.

No wonder Gao Ying treated them with such chilling detachment. No wonder he had never once experienced a trace of genuine maternal warmth from her form; every single time Gao Ying wrapped her arms around his frame to tenderly stroke his head, a profound layer of goosebumps would invariably ripple across his skin.

As it turned out, that specific gaze was entirely reserved for mourning a dead child.

His face completely bloodless, a dark, ominous glint swirled within Tan Yanning’s eyes. He suddenly delivered a violent smash against the steering wheel before bursting into a manic chuckle; yet, his features were entirely incapable of forming a genuine expression of mirth, appearing intensely twisted and hideous to an extreme degree.

The vast, encompassing shroud of the night seemed entirely capable of concealing every single ounce of sin across the world. He had absolutely zero comprehension of what his own mind was currently orchestrating.

His entire consciousness completely untethered, he navigated his vehicle forward entirely at random, unconsciously operating the car until he arrived within the immediate perimeter of the Xiao estate.

Lifting his dull, lifeless eyes, his gaze unexpectedly landed squarely onto Tan Xueci’s form—the youth currently preparing to cross the street.

Tan Yanning’s palms were completely slicked in a thick layer of nervous sweat. He gave the steering wheel a violent jerk, his gaze turning abruptly murderous as he accelerated the vehicle straight toward Tan Xueci’s position.

The physical distance between them was exceptionally slight; executing a vehicular collision would require a mere handful of seconds at most. Yet, the brief duration felt as though it were being infinitely stretched out. It was only in this precise instant that he finally noted the tall, imposing man holding a long-handled black umbrella positioned directly behind Tan Xueci. The man’s deathly pale face was largely obscured beneath the canopy of the umbrella, leaving only his heavily saturated, crimson lips visible—radiating a volatile aura of pure ghostly energy.

It mirrored that specific evening precisely.

Within that exact, fleeting second, a massive cargo truck suddenly careened out from the adjacent intersection. Tan Yanning held absolutely zero time to execute a reaction before his vehicle was violently T-boned and launched into the air, the entire car flipping completely upside down. Thoroughly dazed and disoriented, his frame was pinned flat beneath the crushed roof of the driver’s seat, his vision completely occluded by a thick mist of blood.

He could faintly discern the frantic footsteps of individuals moving around outside the wreckage, some desperately dialing emergency services while others screamed for an ambulance. Suddenly, an individual let out a horrific shriek of absolute terror, prompting the entire crowd to instantly scatter in a frantic stampede.

What’s happening… Tan Yanning struggled to lift his head, the blood cascading from his scalp pouring straight into his eyes. Don’t leave.

Save me.

However, the dark silhouettes of the crowd drifted further and further from his position. The only entity remaining within his line of sight was the explosive burst of roaring flames—the fire burning with an intense, raging ferocity, the coloration turning an absolute shade of pitch-black as it crawled from his legs straight up his torso.

Enveloped within the dark flames, his eyes seemed to finally lock squarely with that tall man’s pitch-black gaze. The man was actively smiling down at him.

He resembled a literal demon emerging straight from the depths of purgatory.

The entire sequence of events had unfolded with absolute, jarring suddenness. From Tan Xueci’s perspective, a vehicle had simply appeared to lose absolute control, hurtling straight toward his position like a missile. Before he could even formulate a reaction, a massive cargo truck had violently blindsided the car, a towering inferno instantly erupting into the night sky.

Thoroughly terrified, Tan Xueci buried his face straight into He Xunye’s chest. It was only when his eyes caught a glimpse of the license plate that he managed to recognize the vehicle as belonging to Tan Yanning.

The firefighting units and medical personnel quickly converged on the scene. Tan Yanning’s face and head were completely coated in a thick layer of blood, his lower torso thoroughly saturated in crimson. His legs had initially been pinned flat beneath the collapsed framework of the driver’s seat before being directly subjected to the roaring fire; even if he managed to preserve his life, he was absolutely destined to face a double amputation.

Tan Yanning’s legs had yet to be fully extracted from the vehicle wreckage. As he lay flat against the concrete, his vision severely blurred by thick, dark blood, he could faintly discern the outline of Tan Xueci’s face lurking within his field of view.

“Second Brother…” Tan Yanning’s lips twitched with absolute imperceptibility.

Tan Xueci took a small step closer, lowering his eyes to gaze down at his broken form.

Every single inch of Tan Yanning’s body was locked in excruciating agony, a mixture of tears and fresh blood continuously cascading down his face. Locking eyes with Tan Xueci, his mind suddenly flashed back to a specific instance during their childhood when Tan Xueci had similarly tilted his head downward to look at him in this exact fashion.

Back then, he had only recently arrived at the Tan estate and had been enrolled into an elite private academy. Every single classmate within his homeroom had either mastered the violin or possessed formal training in equestrian sports—luxuries he had never once encountered throughout his time at the orphanage, amenities he hadn’t even possessed the audacity to dream of.

Having only recently been adopted, he held absolutely zero time to master that vast multitude of disciplines, and his speech patterns even carried a slight, localized accent.

Several boys in his class frequently targeted him with cruel pranks, yet he could only swallow his grievances in absolute silence. He absolutely could not afford to be returned to the orphanage by the Tan family; he was fully aware he would never encounter a more affluent household.

Despite having only interacted alongside Gao Ying for a handful of days, he had already faintly discerned that she only harbored an affection for children who were exceptionally obedient and accomplished—and the definition of accomplishment she demanded was by no means ordinary.

She desired a child who mirrored her biological son perfectly—gentle, powerful, and flawless—a standard that was virtually impossible to locate across the mortal realm.

Gao Ying despised seeing him weep, and she similarly detested him acting like a common child by turning to her for assistance over trivial matters.

Consequently, he hadn’t dared to utter a single word. Even when those cruel children intentionally shoved him into the mud to thoroughly foul his clothes, he would quietly wash his garments within the school restrooms, desperately finding methods to dry the fabric before journeying back home.

Tan Chong川 was consistently thoroughly consumed by his corporate affairs; furthermore, he firmly believed the cultivation and upbringing of children fell entirely under his wife’s purview, while a man’s sole responsibility was to provide financial stability. Consequently, he never intervened in these matters, his involvement limited to signing the occasional report card.

As for Tan Shangli… his demeanor toward him appeared exceptionally polite and attentive on the surface, yet it was actually saturated in a profound, detached coldness.

Only Tan Xueci seemed to genuinely harbor a deep affection for his presence, frequently trailing after his form like a shadow and spending hours perched by the attic window waiting for him to return home.

On that specific afternoon, his eyes were thoroughly swollen from weeping. The moment he arrived home, he immediately scrambled into hiding, terrified of being spotted by the household staff. Father and Mother Tan were currently abroad on a corporate business trip, but if the servants noted his tears, they would undoubtedly report the matter to his mother.

He remained concealed until darkness completely blanketed the estate. Tan Xueci had likely spotted his silhouette from his perch in the attic, covertly slipping outside while cradling a small lantern to seek him out.

“A-Yan, A-Yan,” that brother who was the exact same age as him—and who consistently appeared incredibly dazed, resembling a small animal that had inadvertently wandered into a human settlement—called out in a soft whisper above his head. “Why are you crying? Who bullied you?”

Tan Yanning had been thoroughly startled by his sudden manifestation. Tan Xueci’s voice carried an eerie, delicate quality, and his exceptionally pale, clean face appeared uncanny beneath the dim glow of the lantern, leaving him to assume he had literally encountered a ghost.

“What on earth does it have to do with you?!” Noting that there were no onlookers present, Tan Yanning abandoned his polite facade, snapping at Tan Xueci with immense hostility.

Perhaps because his weeping had been exceptionally pathetic and his posture projected an aura of hollow bravado, Tan Xueci didn’t display a trace of anger or fear. Instead, he simply squatted down directly alongside his form, extending his hand to stroke his school backpack with a trace of envy before inquiring once more, “So exactly who bullied you?”

Tan Yanning remained squatted on the ground, his arms wrapped tightly around his knees as he pressed his lips into a rigid line. The query Tan Xueci had voiced was actually an incredibly rare luxury; a vast multitude of children who resided alongside their biological parents might never once hear a soul inquire ‘Exactly who bullied you?’ upon returning home after facing mistreatment.

As if simply giving voice to the name would instantly invoke a shield of absolute protection for your sake.

Tan Yanning originally harbored zero desire to engage alongside him; yet, the atmosphere within the Tan estate was far too suffocating. It felt as though every single individual harbored their own sinister secrets, every single sentence uttered nothing more than a calculated lie. He was consumed by a profound sense of terror. There were nights he would wake up in a cold sweat, feeling as though the historic mansion was entirely populated by ghosts, unable to discern a single genuine human being inside.

Since sharing the information alongside Tan Xueci wouldn’t trigger any negative repercussions regardless, he retrieved the class photograph he had brought home from school that afternoon, his finger pointing squarely toward the boy positioned in the center—an individual who appeared exceptionally lean, yet was actually highly adept in physical brawls.

The moment he concluded the action, a trace of regret washed over him, terrified Tan Xueci might run off to wag his tongue before Mother Tan. He abruptly scrambled to his feet, directing a fierce glare toward Tan Xueci before turning on his heel to depart.

Tan Xueci merely puckered his small face, entirely oblivious to the fact that Tan Yanning was glaring at him. Lost in his own silent calculations, he cradled his small lantern and journeyed back to his attic room.

To Tan Yanning’s absolute shock, when he arrived at school the following morning, he discovered that specific boy’s face was thoroughly black and blue. The boy had even lost one of his prominent front teeth; the moment he opened his mouth to speak, air would loudly whistle through the gap. The child was currently surrounded by his small posse of lackeys, his face twisted in absolute fury as he recounted how an unknown entity had thoroughly thrashed him the previous evening.

Given that they were mere primary school students of seven or eight years old, the overall visual presentation appeared intensely comical.

His lackeys simply scratched their heads in utter bewilderment, exchanging blank glances.

Every single one of them had journeyed straight home the previous afternoon, escorted back to their respective residences by private family drivers. How on earth was it structurally possible for someone to be attacked in their sleep while resting inside their own home?

Tan Yanning’s absolute first instinct was that Tan Xueci was undoubtedly the perpetrator. Heaven only knew exactly what underhanded methodology Tan Xueci had utilized to achieve the feat; yet, his second brother resembled a strange little spirit, and the prospect of his soul detaching from his physical form at night to wander the streets wasn’t outside the realm of possibility. If that were the case, delivering a thrashing to an individual wasn’t surprising in the slightest.

Regardless of the mechanics, that specific instance marked the absolute first time in his entire life an individual had stepped forward to protect him with such fierce, unquestioning bias. Tan Xueci hadn’t even bothered to inquire exactly how the child had mistreated him; a protection so absolute, so impulsive and resolute, mirrored the exact definition of family he had consistently yearned to possess.

Furthermore, Tan Xueci would consistently murmur to him that once he earned a vast fortune in the future, he would purchase a grand multitude of aquariums to house an endless array of tiny fish for him.

Every single time Tan Xueci concluded that specific declaration, he would invariably pause as a trace of conflict rippled across his face—fully cognizant that this A-Yan was fundamentally distinct from his original A-Yan. He never conflated their identities into a single individual. Consequently, he would turn to inquire exactly what specific items Tan Yanning favored, subsequently gnawing on his own fingertips while letting out a heavy sigh, murmuring that generating revenue was an intensely arduous endeavor.

At an incredibly tender age, he had already fully experienced the profound hardships associated with providing for a household.

There were instances where Tan Yanning intentionally orchestrated difficulties for him, demanding he purchase exceptionally exorbitant items; yet, Tan Xueci never displayed a trace of anger, his fingers migrating back to his mouth to gnaw on them with an escalating surge of melancholy as he promised the items would eventually be secured.

He firmly believed an elder brother was fundamentally obligated to purchase gifts for his younger sibling, simply because his original brother had consistently gifted him a vast abundance of pocket money in the past.

Tan Yanning was manually extracted from the wreckage by the emergency rescue personnel and carefully deposited onto a stretcher. His consciousness had already veered into an absolute blur; yet, tears continuously cascaded down his face, his voice intensely raspy as he spat out a venomous whisper: “You… you also merely viewed me as a replacement for him…”

Tan Xueci stood directly alongside the perimeter, observing the rescue operations in absolute silence. Previously, he had frequently fantasized about Tan Yanning accidentally tumbling into a massive septic tank and drowning to death; yet now that Tan Yanning had actually been subjected to a horrific vehicular accident, he didn’t experience the intense surge of satisfaction he had anticipated.

Perhaps it was because he had completely ceased to care about any of them. Simply managing the daily whims of his dead spirit husband consumed every ounce of his energy; how on earth could he find the time to actively harbor hatred toward an external entity?

“You are overthinking things,” Tan Xueci remarked, leaning his frame slightly closer to the stretcher. Beneath the dense shadows of the night, his pale cheeks appeared intensely beautiful and brooding, yet his gaze remained exceptionally serene as he stared down at Tan Yanning and murmured, “Do you truly believe you possess the right to be his replacement?”

Cold sweat completely blanketed Tan Yanning’s forehead. In an instant, his severely burned legs seemed to violently spasm. He had no idea whether he ought to experience a surge of relief over the revelation that an individual had truly abstained from viewing him as a mere cheap replacement, or whether he ought to be thoroughly crushed by the reality that Tan Xueci had never conflated his identity with another’s.

That realization effectively dictated that Tan Xueci’s past kindness toward him had been entirely genuine.

The specific items he had spent a lifetime desperately clawing to possess had never actually existed. He was fundamentally not that original Tan Yanning; his parents would never harbor a trace of genuine love for his form.

If that were the case, exactly what had he been fighting so fiercely to steal?

The ultimate climax of his desperate thievery was that his brother had completely discarded him as well.

“Brother…” In a single, fleeting second, Tan Yanning seemed to revert right back into that young child who had huddled in the shadows to quietly weep.

As the stretcher bore him further away from the vehicle wreckage to prevent any potential injuries from a secondary explosion, the roaring flames illuminating the car, the headlights of the surrounding vehicles, and the sharp beams of the emergency flashlights all converged across his form.

The illumination bathed his face in a brilliant, exposing glow; yet, it held absolutely zero trace of the profound warmth emitted by that small lantern from his childhood, instilling a deep sense of absolute terror within his soul.

Only now did the absolute reality of the situation finally penetrate his consciousness—he had been subjected to a horrific car crash, and his legs were likely facing an absolute amputation. A massive wave of pure panic completely enveloped his mind. His face deathly pale, tears poured uncontrollably from his eyes as he desperately reached his hand out toward Tan Xueci, screaming, “Second Brother… Second Brother…!!”

Yet, Tan Xueci merely offered a final, detached glance before turning on his heel without a single hint of hesitation, coiling his arms securely around the tall man’s arm as they journeyed away from the scene.

Before his consciousness completely faded into absolute oblivion, Tan Yanning suddenly recalled a specific sight he had encountered during a past instance of ghost-wall entrapment—an elderly matriarch weeping bitterly by the roadside while incinerating joss paper. Two distinct paper effigies had been positioned directly alongside her form, both bearing the name ‘Tan Yanning’ inscribed across their chests. One paper effigy had been thoroughly drenched by her falling tears, while the other was actively being consumed by a roaring fire.

An intense, bone-chilling dread violently erupted within his heart. That tall man… seemed to possess absolute knowledge regarding every single facet of their fates.

He Xunye wasn’t actually privy to that many intricate details; he had simply discerned that the name ‘Tan Yanning’ held an absolute attachment to two distinct destiny charts—one governed by water, and the other governed by fire.

Logically speaking, given that the original Tan Yanning had already perished via drowning, yet this specific vessel remained drawing breath, it dictated that he was fundamentally destined to undergo an ordeal by fire.

Lan Ke was the secondary male lead for the production crew of The Spider. Following his sudden demise, the scheduled filming for the evening was naturally rendered entirely impossible to execute. Furthermore, during the transition between filming locations that night, a vast multitude of background actors—aside from Tan Xueci—had similarly run afoul of a ghost-wall trap, remaining thoroughly lost for a significant duration before managing to locate the set.

The director was completely overwhelmed, pacing back and forth while chain-smoking a dense succession of cigarettes. He hastily issued an absolute directive halting all production activities for the subsequent three days, instructing the crew to await further updates.

The moment Lu Xi emerged from the interior of the Xiao residence, he immediately parted ways alongside Tan Xueci’s group. Tan Xueci subsequently accompanied He Xunye back to their private residence.

He, Lu Xi, and Jin Chen shared a small private chat group. The sudden deaths of Lan Ke and Xiao An were entirely impossible to suppress from the public eye; furthermore, a massive vehicular accident had erupted directly alongside the perimeter, transforming the situation into an incredibly high-profile incident—particularly given Lan Ke’s status as a rising celebrity.

A mere half hour later, the news of Lan Ke’s passing had already violently claimed the absolute top spot across the trending search metrics.

The moment Jin Chen noted the updates, he hastily posted a query within the group chat. Lu Xi subsequently provided a meticulous, comprehensive breakdown of the entire sequence of events. Jin Chen froze on the spot, remaining entirely silent for a significant duration before offering a highly complex, weighted comment: “I was always aware that his absolute greatest aspiration was to exist as a wealthy young master.”

Lan Ke had been accidentally switched at birth. For the initial three years of his life, he had resided alongside an incredibly affluent family.

While the household didn’t technically qualify as a top-tier wealthy elite, they nonetheless retained a small army of private nannies and a personal driver. His biological parents’ household wasn’t particularly impoverished either; they were a standard working-class family, the combined monthly income of the couple hovering around ten thousand yuan—a lifestyle that was neither arduous nor extravagant.

The moment both families discovered the hospital error, they had executed a perfectly calm, mutual swap of the infants, completely devoid of any legal friction or disputes.

However, Lan Ke possessed an incredibly sharp memory. He had permanently retained the recollection of being meticulously tended to by private nannies during his toddler years—particularly a specific nanny who possessed an exceptionally sweet tongue, consistently addressing his form as ‘Young Master’. Consequently, a firm belief that his true destiny was to exist as a young master became permanently anchored within his mind.

Throughout the subsequent decades, he had continuously ruminated over that specific memory. Every single time his eyes landed onto a classmate who possessed an incredibly privileged background, a fierce conviction that he was fundamentally entitled to navigate that exact brand of existence would violently flare up.

Following his entry into the entertainment industry, the sheer opulence and blinding vanity of the vanity fair completely obscured his clarity of mind. Over the years, he had aligned himself alongside a succession of prominent financial backers, desperate to reclaim the lifestyle he firmly believed had been stolen from his grasp.

Back when he was still a member of a male idol group, he had already entered into a kept arrangement. His benefactor at the time hadn’t been Xiao An, but rather an aging corporate executive who was older than his own biological father.

The moment Jin Chen discovered the arrangement, he had delivered a fierce thrashing to Lan Ke. The youth was a mere twenty-one or twenty-two years old at the time; exactly why on earth was he so intent on thoroughly destroying his own future?

He had taken immense care to completely avoid striking Lan Ke’s face during the altercation; yet, physical brawls were entirely impossible to control with absolute precision, and his knuckles had inadvertently scraped against the boy’s cheekbone.

As fate would have it, that specific financial benefactor happened to be exceptionally fastidious. Combined with the reality that a fresh batch of companions had recently caught his eye, he had immediately discarded Lan Ke. Lan Ke had evidently harbored an intense, burning resentment over the incident, eventually culminating in his decision to drug Jin Chen.

“In all honesty, his biological parents treated him incredibly well,” Jin Chen let out a heavy sigh. “The moment he expressed a desire to enter the entertainment industry, his family went so far as to liquidate their residential property simply to fund his tuition at a prestigious performing arts academy. They likely harbored a profound sense of guilt toward him, given that they were the ones who initially noted the physical discrepancy in the infant and proactively initiated the search. Had they simply abstained from launching that search back then, Lan Ke might have actually been permitted to fulfill his grand dream.”

Tan Xueci lay completely sprawled flat against the mattress, listening to the audio playback with wide, unblinking eyes, entirely at a loss for words.

Lifting his head to peer out at the brilliant moonlight illuminating the night sky, an inexplicable surge of faint terror suddenly rippled through his chest. Forcefully coiling his arms around He Xunye’s arm, he burrowed his entire frame deep into the man’s embrace, holding onto him with absolute tenacity.

“What’s wrong, Baby?” He Xunye extended his massive arms to securely cradle him against his chest, pulling the heavy duvet tight around his form until only his small face remained exposed before tenderly stroking his head.

He had originally been engaged in grading his wife’s homework assignments. A specific Whac-A-Mole mobile application Tan Xueci frequently indulged in had recently unveiled a series of brand-new levels; every single stage featured a vast multitude of moles possessing entirely distinct colorations, requiring the player to manually calculate exactly how many moles of each specific color had been struck.

His mathematical calculations were incredibly clumsy, inducing a sudden, powerful urge to dedicate himself to academics. Throughout the subsequent days, he had continuously pestered He Xunye to instruct him on standard addition and subtraction metrics within the scope of one hundred.

“I don’t know,” Tan Xueci murmured against He Xunye’s chest, his voice incredibly muffled as he whispered, “I simply feel a bit scared.”

Every single individual seemed to have completely lost their minds, ruthlessly orchestrating harm against others simply to fulfill their own dark desires or foolish whims. A continuous succession of deaths kept erupting, and an escalating multitude of individuals were transforming into ghosts. The reality filled his soul with a profound sense of dread—as if a day might eventually manifest where every single living soul across the world would transform into a ghost. He utterly despised the prospect.

He fondly recalled their past time on the production set of Entanglement, where everyone would comfortably huddle together outside the hotel perimeter to feast on spicy fire noodles. He cherished their time filming the reality variety program, where the evening lamps would be lit and the entire cast would gather around the warm hearth inside the main communal hall.

Jin Chen and Lu Xi would be actively engaged in intense gaming sessions, while Qin Shuyao would alternate between chatting alongside Chen Qing’s group and staring down at whatever web novel had caught her eye—occasionally letting out a bizarre, cackling laugh.

Zhang Chenghao would prepare a vast abundance of exquisite delicacies for them, and he would comfortably sprawl flat against He Xunye’s chest to gorge himself on the treats. The moment a profound wave of drowsiness washed over him, he would simply drift into a peaceful slumber amidst the soothing hum of their overlapping voices. He never experienced a single shred of terror while asleep, fully cognizant that his husband was meticulously watching over his form directly alongside him.

He loved how Grandpa Wang would relentlessly and verbosely share videos from relationships experts alongside him on a daily basis, frequently inquiring exactly when he planned to journey to the hospital while presenting him with delicious pork ribs. He even took pleasure in sitting directly alongside He Pinglan, watching her manually craft spirit tablets while the cloth doll sprinted back and forth across the room.

He would simply cross paths alongside them for a brief duration before comfortably journeying back home alongside his husband when night fell, spending a brief window playing Whac-A-Mole before engaging in intimate acts and drifting off to sleep.

He deeply yearned to navigate that exact brand of existence.

Tan Xueci let out a soft, tiny sniffle. Displaying a rare trace of absolute restraint, He Xunye refrained from launching into his usual frantic behavior or voicing any suggestive banter. Securely locking the youth within his embrace, he lowered his head to press a tender kiss against the crown of his hair, remaining entirely silent for a significant duration.

A dark, unfathomable glint swirled within the fierce ghost’s eyes as he murmured, “A day like that will absolutely manifest. I have told you previously—absolutely any item your heart desires, I will hand it to you.”

Tan Xueci simply assumed He Xunye was offering sweet words to coax him, completely refraining from analyzing the statement any further.

Another prominent actor within his production crew had violently perished; had a scenario like this erupted in the past, the public would have undoubtedly labeled his presence as an absolute jinx. Yet, on this specific occasion, absolutely zero rumors of the sort manifested.

The underlying rationale was simple: the sheer volume of individuals perishing across the city recently was far too staggering, and the number of citizens running afox of ghostly encounters was equally massive. The sudden passing of a mere actor within a filming crew was completely insignificant by comparison.

[User_ID_382]: Can anyone relate? Last night I woke up to utilize the restroom and felt as though the toilet bowl was severely clogged. When I reached down to clear the obstruction, I manually extracted a massive clump of human hair—and a literal human head was attached directly to the bottom of it! The flesh was thoroughly waterlogged, pale, and bloated, and it was actively smiling straight up at me! I was so thoroughly terrified I dropped it straight back into the bowl and spent the subsequent ten minutes frantically flushing the chain…

[User_ID_921]: Don’t even get me started. My household includes a small canine and a one-year-old son, both of whom are historically exceptionally rowdy. Last night, the entire house suddenly fell dead silent. I cast a sweeping glance around the room and discovered both of them were staring fixedly at the exact same corner of the wall. My husband is currently away on a corporate business trip, so I was so thoroughly terrified I snatched my child in one hand and the dog in the other, sprinting straight back to my parents’ residence.

[User_ID_104]: Simply managing to locate your family members dictates you possess incredible luck. Seriously, my biological uncle ran afoul of a ghost at his corporate office a few days ago. He frantically sprinted back home to seek out his wife and child; halfway through their family dinner, he suddenly noted that both his wife and child possessed absolutely zero facial features… He was so thoroughly terrified he is currently still confined to a hospital bed.

[User_ID_552]: Who on earth still possesses the audacity to journey to a hospital these days? Last month I suffered a severe bone fracture and was admitted for inpatient care. In the dead of night, while floating in a daze, I faintly sensed an entity manually caressing my foot. I blinked my eyes open to assess the situation and noted a figure clad in a white lab coat; assuming it was merely a nurse executing the standard nightly rounds, I simply closed my eyes to return to sleep. Yet, the entity continued to caress my foot. A sudden surge of fury washed over me, and just as I prepared to launch into a verbal tirade, I realized it was a literal female ghost clad in white garments, her tongue significantly longer than my entire lifespan! I let out a horrific shriek of absolute terror, thoroughly startling the ghost to the point where she frantically bolted from the room. I immediately discharged myself from the facility the following morning to journey back home…

Tan Xueci cupped his small face in his hands, lounging flat across the mattress while meticulously scrolling through his smartphone, devouring the endless accounts of ghostly encounters circulating across the internet forums. He had been completely listless throughout the subsequent days, his usual intake of three full bowls of rice drastically reducing to a single bowl.

As he continued to scroll through his device later that evening, he suddenly sensed a strange physical movement lurking beneath the duvet. Shrieking in soft terror, he delivered several fierce kicks against the obstruction before violently wrenching the duvet aside—only to lock eyes squarely with He Xunye’s face.

He Xunye had securely coiled his arms around his legs, burying his entire face flat against his flesh.

“Exactly what do you think you are doing?!” Tan Xueci’s cheeks instantly flushed a violent crimson. He desperately tried to adjust his legs to break free from his grip, yet his limbs were firmly pinned flat against the mattress by He Xunye’s heavy palms.

The amusement was thoroughly anchored within the fierce ghost’s dark, brooding peach-blossom eyes. Noting that his wife had been actively ignoring his presence, he seemed to be proactively seeking a reward, burying his face deeper against his skin to offer a sweet nuzzle before curving his lips wide. His voice was intensely raspy as he murmured, “I simply harbored a desire to press a series of kisses against Little Xue.”

The reality that Tan Xueci was displeased infused his own soul with an immense wave of restless agitation. Whenever he found himself trapped within a foul mood, as long as his precious baby stepped forward to offer a sweet lick, his spirits would instantly soar; perhaps his baby similarly harbored a secret yearning to be meticulously licked by his form.

Every single facet of his existence belonged entirely to his baby; yet, Tan Xueci consistently seemed exceptionally reluctant to utilize his form.

Furthermore, Tan Xueci had yet to fully settle accounts alongside him regarding the reality that another one of the ghost’s fingers had mysteriously manifested inside his abdomen at some unknown point.

He Xunye was genuinely, meticulously harvesting tiny fragments of his own physical corpse piece by piece simply to feed them to him. He was completely terrified He Xunye might eventually attempt to stuff his member straight into his mouth, forcing his abdomen to permanently house a malevolent ghost’s member; consequently, he had spent the subsequent nights firmly clamping his hand over his mouth while sleeping.

Tan Xueci suddenly found He Xunye’s entire presence intensely frustrating. Reaching out with a swift motion, he violently yanked the entire duvet away from He Xunye’s frame, coiling the fabric securely around his own body. Given that he was forced to navigate such intense terror while sleeping, exactly what right did this dead spirit possess to comfortably enjoy a night’s rest?

He had meticulously arranged two separate duvets across the mattress; whenever the ambient temperature felt excessively cold, he would manually migrate over to the alternative bundle to sleep. Yet, He Xunye would invariably trail after his form like a shadow—he had truly never encountered a ghost who possessed such an insatiable streak of clinginess.

Turning his back fully toward He Xunye, Tan Xueci let out a sharp, angry huff, entirely resolved to ignore his presence.

“Little Xue,” He Xunye murmured. Left without a single shred of bedding to cover his form, and given that he currently wore absolutely zero clothing, he bore an uncanny resemblance to an elite male model who had been thoroughly utilized by his master before being instantly stripped of his garments and cast out of the room.

Coiling his arms around his wife’s waist through the barrier of the duvet, the fierce ghost rested his chin flat against the youth’s shoulder, murmuring in a low tone, “Little Xue.”

Tan Xueci completely ignored his entreaties, appearing fiercely resolved to freeze him to death. Left with no other alternative, the fierce ghost could only securely lock him within his embrace, spending the entirety of the night staring fixedly at the back of his wife’s dark head.

When Tan Xueci blinked his eyes open the following morning, he discovered the dead spirit had spent the entire night sleeping directly alongside his form without a single thread of clothing or a sliver of bedding covering his frame. The minor remnant of his conscience gave a painful twinge, leaving him to wonder if his behavior had indeed been a bit too harsh.

Then again, it was incredibly fortunate that He Xunye was already a dead spirit; a dead spirit was exceptionally resilient against mistreatment. Had he been gifted a living husband instead, he would have undoubtedly managed to drive the man to his grave within a handful of days.

He Xunye appeared to still be floating within a daze, having yet to fully awaken. Tan Xueci swallowed a tiny lump of saliva, covertly creeping closer to extend his hand to caress his form—tracing a continuous line from his prominent chest muscles straight down to his defined abdominals, before lightly stroking his ice-cold thighs and knees.

Just as his hand began to migrate toward the perimeter of his rear, He Xunye awakened with absolute, flawless timing. The fierce ghost’s peach-blossom eyes carried a beautiful, misty quality as he lay flat against the mattress, a soft smile playing across his lips as he gazed up at him.

Tan Xueci found himself thoroughly enticed by the visual display. Clamping his hands firmly around He Xunye’s neck, he straddled his frame with a swift motion before lowering his head to press a fierce kiss against his lips.

The fierce ghost’s eyes flashed with an intense, dark crimson glint, appearing profoundly uncanny; yet, Tan Xueci experienced an inexplicable surge of intense satisfaction. Every single time He Xunye transformed into an incredibly obedient entity who permitted him to kiss his form at will, his sense of personal triumph would violently flare up.

The sheer, overwhelming power of the fierce ghost served as the absolute catalyst to fulfill his own desire for absolute conquest.

Only now did Tan Xueci finally discern that he was actually a rather wicked individual; he took immense pleasure in watching He Xunye transform into a perfectly submissive entity beneath his hands.

His cognitive processes were exceptionally smooth and streamlined; whenever he encountered a frustrating scenario, the negative emotions would quickly slide right out of his mind. He had completely ceased to ruminate over the grim events of the past few days; yet, He Xunye by contrast appeared deeply preoccupied by a heavy weight of silent contemplation.

Furthermore, He Xunye didn’t remain permanently anchored to his side on a continuous basis. There were instances where he would venture outdoors entirely on his own, and the moment he returned to the residence, he would immediately coil his arms around his frame to deliver a succession of deep kisses and tight embraces, lightly squeezing his small rear before presenting him with various gifts.

Tan Xueci was subjected to such an intense barrage of kisses that his entire frame was forced to arch backward.

He had never once formulated an intention to inquire exactly what specific tasks He Xunye was orchestrating outdoors. It wasn’t that he lacked proper concern for his dead spirit husband; rather, he firmly believed that as long as his husband didn’t genuinely perish far away from home, there was absolutely zero necessity to pry.

Recently, the intensity of He Xunye’s kisses had escalated to an incredible degree, his hands frequently pinching his waist with significant force. Finding the shift a bit peculiar, a sudden surge of mild curiosity finally rippled through his mind, rendering him eager to decipher exactly what specific tasks He Xunye was dedicating his days to while outdoors.

Yet, every single time he attempted to broach the topic, He Xunye would invariably unleash a torrent of suggestive banter that left his eyes thoroughly swimming in tears of sheer frustration.

Thoroughly deflated by his antics, he could only stomp away in a huff; it was only after creating significant distance between himself and He Xunye that his spirits would manage to puff back up.

Noting that a vast multitude of citizens were actively engaging in intense discussions regarding their personal ghostly encounters across the internet forums, and given that the forums historically tolerated conversations spanning absolutely any discipline, he decided to anonymously draft a thread of his own.

Tan Xueci’s online handle was registered as ‘He_Little_Lamb’. Because he would occasionally get into fierce text battles alongside other netizens across the platform, he had meticulously resolved to maliciously assign any digital blame straight to the He family estate, ensuring no entity could ever trace the digital footprint back to his own person.

[Original_Poster]: Husband is consistently absent from the residence during the day. Exactly what specific methodology can I utilize to decipher what tasks he is orchestrating while outdoors on a daily basis?

The netizens occupying the forum historically harbored an immense passion for devouring this specific brand of relationship gossip, and a handful of individuals quickly posted a series of replies beneath his thread.

[Floor_1]: ??? Absent from the residence? Exactly what specific timeframe are we talking about here—is he absent during the day, or is he missing during the dead of night?

[Original_Poster]: He is consistently absent during the day.

[Floor_5]: Ah, does he not possess a standard corporate desk job during the day?

Tan Xueci lay completely sprawled flat across the mattress, the brilliant white illumination of his smartphone screen perfectly mirroring the puckered, intensely concentrated expression across his small face.

[Original_Poster]: Husband does not possess a job.

The trajectory of the discussion gradually began to veer into a highly skewed territory.

[Floor_8]: He doesn’t have a job? Then exactly who is generating the household revenue? Or are you both simply huddling inside the residence while freeloading off your respective parents?

[Original_Poster]: I am the one who works. I am manually providing financial support for Husband, but Husband similarly presents me with a vast abundance of currency. I do not comprehend what the term ‘freeloading off parents’ dictates.

[Floor_10]: Hold on, hold on, hold on. Let me get this straight—your husband doesn’t work, forces you to provide financial support for his existence, yet he nonetheless vanishes from the residence during the day to journey to some unknown destination without ever offering an explanation to you???

The puckered lines across Tan Xueci’s face gradually smoothed out. He firmly believed this specific netizen was exceptionally astute, having seamlessly grasped the absolute core of his dilemma in a single flash.

[Original_Poster]: Precisely. The situation mirrors your description exactly.

[Floor_12]: Then what exactly transpires the moment he returns to the residence at night? Have you noted any specific anomalies or suspicious behaviors?

Tan Xueci gnawed on his fingertip as he lost himself in thought. There don’t actually seem to be any distinct anomalies… his behavior is limited to continuously pressing deep kisses against my form, as if he simply can never obtain a sufficient fill of my lips.

[Original_Poster]: There are zero anomalies. Husband consistently purchases a vast abundance of exquisite delicacies for me to feast on.

[Floor_16]: Wow, absolutely classic.

[Floor_17]: Is the OP genuinely this dense or simply putting on an act? The red flags are screaming in your face, and you truly fail to see it?

Tan Xueci held absolutely zero comprehension regarding exactly what specific concepts they were implying; furthermore, he was entirely unable to recognize that many complex Chinese characters, utilizing the device’s automated audio text-to-speech function to process the thread.

He didn’t dare to adjust the volume too high; He Xunye was currently manually laundering his garments inside the adjacent washroom, and he was intensely terrified his husband might overhear the audio playback. Kneeling flat against the mattress while sticking his rear high into the air, he exerted immense effort to press his small face directly against the smartphone screen.

[Floor_23]: Uh, let’s just lay the cards on the table here—your husband is likely involved in an external romantic relationship, hun.

[Original_Poster]: Exactly what concepts are you articulating? Husband is naturally involved in a romantic relationship—the two of us have been actively dating for several months already.

[Floor_26]: ……

[Floor_32]: I’m losing my mind. As it turns out, it was a literal shotgun wedding.

[Floor_36]: ? Is the OP’s reading comprehension level genuinely serious right now? Your primary school language grades must have never once touched a passing mark. They are explicitly telling you your husband is stepping out on you—can your brain process what that means?

Tan Xueci instantly sat straight up on the mattress. His small face turning thoroughly dark and ominous, he held absolutely zero comprehension as to why these individuals were directing such venomous, malicious declarations toward his situation.

He and his husband were clearly navigating an incredibly blissful, perfect dynamic.

[Original_Poster]: Husband would never step out on me. Husband loves me the absolute most across the world; please cease making that brand of declaration.

The thread quickly mutated into a massive, coordinated digital mockery targeted squarely at Tan Xueci’s expense, with numerous netizens actively tagging their personal friends to journey to the thread to witness the spectacle.

[Floor_62]: Look at this, guys—a literal living specimen of a thoroughly brainwashed, pampered wife.

[Floor_83]: It’s been an absolute eternity since I’ve encountered a pampered wife who possesses such an incredibly pure, unadulterated flavor. Every single sentence involves her whining about her ‘husband’; who knows, your husband might be acting as another person’s husband while outdoors. I’m dying of laughter.jpg

[Floor_103]: The OP appears to be exceptionally young. Exactly what utility exists in him claiming to love you with his mouth? The reality that he returns to the residence at night while bearing gifts simply dictates his conscience is plagued by guilt, fully cognizant that he has executed a severe betrayal against your trust.

[Floor_162]: Seriously, enough is enough. You are exhausting yourself generating revenue day in and day out to provide financial support for a man, only for him to turn around and step out on you alongside another individual—yet you are still sitting here chanting ‘husband, husband’. Journey back home, child; from my perspective, you are a literal mental patient. Don’t tell me you are currently manually scrubbing your husband’s undergarments while simultaneously typing out these replies.

Tan Xueci was so thoroughly frantic that his small face flushed a brilliant crimson. His typing speed was entirely unable to compete alongside the rapid-fire responses of these seasoned netizens, requiring several agonizing minutes simply to dispatch a single sentence.

[Original_Poster]: You are rambling entirely at random. Husband is currently manually laundering my undergarments for me.

He was clearly an incredibly blissful, cherished wife.

Yet, given that his response had required such a significant duration to manifest, and considering the highly specific nature of his defense, the surrounding onlookers became increasingly convinced that his psychological defenses had been thoroughly shattered and he was merely engaging in hollow bravado to save face.

[User_ID_238]: Unexpectedly, I actually experience a trace of pity for him.

[User_ID_327]: Respect a person’s independent destiny. I wish you a prosperous future involving three consecutive children in a single birth.

[User_ID_673]: I was already thoroughly irritated by my own ghostly encounters today, only to be forced to scroll past this brand of thread. Give me a second, I’m tracking down your location to settle accounts.

Tan Xueci let out a pathetic ‘wah’ before bursting into a torrent of tears. Humbly hurling his smartphone straight across the mattress, he began to frantically roll his body back and forth across the bed in sheer, unadulterated frustration.

Hearing the chaotic commotion erupting from the bedroom, He Xunye initially abstained from investigating. Tan Xueci would occasionally emit soft whines whenever he ran into a wall while playing Whac-A-Mole, so the ghost simply remained inside the washroom to conclude laundering his wife’s undergarments first.

Yet, a sudden succession of heavy thuds, frantic scuffles, and rapid rustling sounds echoed into the space. Unable to decipher exactly what chaos was unfolding, he stepped out of the washroom to investigate.

Lifting his eyes to peer toward the mattress, he discovered his wife was nowhere to be seen; only a highly voluminous, puffy bulge structure remained visible beneath the duvet.

The tiny bulge executed a series of frantic twitches before Tan Xueci’s thoroughly disheveled, messy black hair emerged from the opening. His physical frame was currently clad in that exact maid uniform the ghostly sales associate had forcefully pressured him into purchasing during their past shopping trip.

The hemline of the skirt was far too short; Tan Xueci extended his small hands to forcefully yank the fabric downward, yet the effort did absolutely nothing to obscure the upper parameters of his snow-white, voluptuous thighs. The structural arrangement allowed a clear glimpse of the two black lace garters securely fastened around his limbs, the tight elastic compressing the soft flesh of his thighs into a prominent, alluring bulge that instantly commanded an observer’s hand to reach out and caress.

Abandoning his futile attempts to adjust the garment, his strikingly beautiful face was thoroughly suffused in a soft pink glow, his lips appearing slightly red and swollen as he blinked his wide eyes toward He Xunye. Kneeling flat against the mattress, he whispered in a tiny, delicate voice:

“Sir, Sir… have you seen my husband anywhere?”

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