Si Teng (Rattan) – CH 080

Chapter 80

Qin Fang guessed who it was, and his scalp tingled for a moment, but he had to turn around. It was Si Teng, staring at him coldly, exactly as in his dream, wearing a waisted trench coat and black boots.

Qin Fang gritted his teeth and tried to find something to say. “This dress… looks really nice on you, really cool…”

Yan Furui inwardly criticized Qin Fang. Even though he’d never acted before, he knew how terrible that line must be…

“Why are you here?”

“Walk…walking.”

Si Teng sneered and looked at Yan Furui again. “You’re here for a stroll too?”

Yan Furui said nothing but rather consciously moved aside, further away from Qin Fang, implying. “I’m not familiar with him.”

Qin Fang couldn’t continue his story. After a moment’s hesitation, he finally got straight to the point. “Si Teng, Bai Ying might be up there. Is she…borrowing Mrs. Wan’s body?”

“Yes, but how else could she have created one in just one night?”

His previous suspicions were so easily confirmed, Qin Fang didn’t know whether to breathe a sigh of relief or have a tense heartbeat. “So…is Madam Wan still alive, or…dead?”

Si Teng didn’t say anything. Qin Fang remained silent for a moment before saying, “I understand.”

Yan Furui looked at Qin Fang and then at Si Teng and couldn’t help but blurt out, “Ms. Si Teng, this is murder. What are you going to do with Miss Bai Ying? If even you can’t control her, won’t she harm many people?”

Si Teng said, “I think I can still control her. At least in terms of demonic power, she can’t match me.”

Yan Furui was surprised. “Didn’t you give her half?”

Si Teng stared at him, her tone tinged with sarcasm. “If it were you, would you be so honest as to give her exactly half of your demonic power and let her chase you and fight?”

Yan Furui was speechless.

He understood. Miss Si Teng might not be able to bear all the demonic power and must share some. However, out of fear of Bai Ying, she wouldn’t willingly create an uncontrollable “enemy” for herself. As the saying went, if you didn’t work for it yourself, heaven and earth would punish you. It was only natural to keep some for yourself…

Yan Furui grumbled inwardly. “You were the one who said ‘half’ before. If you had said ‘a little half,’ I wouldn’t have bothered asking.”

As long as Si Teng could still control Bai Ying, Qin Fang breathed a sigh of relief and subconsciously looked upstairs. “Have you… seen her?”

Si Teng paused for a moment, then shook her head. “I just got here too. Bai Ying just found a host. Barring any unexpected events, she’ll be resting for a while. I followed Mr. Wan to the store, pretending to be a customer, and chatted with him casually. I even got to know him. Come to think of it, I helped pick out Bai Ying’s clothes.”

Qin Fang sighed. “He said Bai Ying has been watching TV since she came back, much like you… back then. What are you going to do with Bai Ying?”

Si Teng was silent for a moment.

What should she do with Bai Ying? She hadn’t figured it out herself. She didn’t want to merge with her, but were they just going to go their separate ways? Bai Ying’s personality seemed very different from years ago. There was no telling if she’d be a nuisance if she let her out. Kill Bai Ying? She hadn’t even considered it…

Perhaps, until a final decision was made, Bai Ying should remain under her control.

Si Teng paused. “After all, it’s been years since we last met. I don’t know how Bai Ying will react. I don’t know if she’ll come to blows with me the moment we meet, like she did back then. If a fight really breaks out…”

Yan Furui added hastily, “If a fight really breaks out, don’t get that man and little girl involved. They’re so pitiful; their mother is gone.”

Qin Fang thought for a moment. “To be safe, let’s get those who don’t care away first. Si Teng and I will go up together. I’ve talked to Mr. Wan before, and it’s easy to find an excuse to get him and his daughter out. Si Teng, even if you and Bai Ying fight, don’t make too much noise, and don’t tear down the building.”

He walked toward the building. After two steps, he realized Si Teng hadn’t caught up with him. He turned back and asked, “Coming?”

Si Teng sighed, then looked at Yan Furui and whispered, “That’s all I have to say.”

Yan Furui hesitated and only spoke up after Si Teng had gone a long way. Then, unwillingly, he offered a defense. “Qin Fang dragged me here.”

***

The door opened, revealing Mr. Wan’s suspicious face. He had seen the man and woman through the peephole before opening the door, especially Qin Fang, the kindhearted man who had called the police last night. But how could they have come together so coincidentally to knock on his door?

Si Teng smiled at Mr. Wan. “Is your wife here?”

Your wife? She must be asking for his wife, but why did it sound so strange? Before Mr. Wan could say anything, his daughter, Nannan, could be heard from behind. “Dad, Dad…”

The voice abruptly stopped. Turning back, he saw that Nannan was frightened by the strangers and timidly huddled in a corner, her mouth shut.

Mr. Wan gave the two an apologetic smile, then turned to embrace Nannan. “Where’s Mommy? Nannan doesn’t want to watch TV with Mommy anymore?”

“Mommy’s getting changed, and she won’t let me watch, and she won’t hold me.”

Her face was filled with grievance, and when she said, “she won’t hold me,” tears practically welled up in her eyes. Qin Fang felt a pang of pain. She was just a child; you’d think she didn’t understand, but she was actually more sensitive to the changing emotions of others than anyone else. Even though it was just a casual “she won’t hold me,” she must have felt something inside.

Looking at Mr. Wan’s expression, he seemed quite skeptical of their visit. How could he discreetly send the father and daughter away? Qin Fang was having a headache when he suddenly heard the sound of high heels in the living room.

Mr. Wan’s house was tiled, and the sound of pointed heels hitting the floor was particularly piercing. Qin Fang felt a chill in his heart and subconsciously took a step back. When he looked up again, he met the almost empty gaze of a woman.

This was Mrs. Wan, no, Bai Ying.

She must be dissatisfied with her appearance. Mrs. Wan’s figure was slightly plump, and squeezed into the simple silk cheongsam, she looked a bit bloated. She had no time to find shoes that matched the color and style of the cheongsam, so she slipped on a pair of pink, peep-toe patent leather high heels, which looked incredibly strange.

Mr. Wan clearly felt that this outfit was too embarrassing. He opened his mouth, but whether it was because his wife had just been in a car accident and it was unbearable to be upset, or because he was concerned about the presence of others, he swallowed what he wanted to say.

For a moment, the room was eerily quiet. Only Nannan remained cheerful. She trotted over to Bai Ying, tilted her head, and grasped her hand. “Mom!”

Only then did Bai Ying’s eyes flicker. She slowly turned her head towards Si Teng and said, “Long time no see.”

Was it because her bones weren’t used to manipulating this unfamiliar body yet? The stiff tone and movements were unnerving. Nannan pouted and almost started crying because she felt left out. Mr. Wan was the only one in the group to react. He looked from Si Teng to his wife in surprise. “You… know each other?”

Si Teng smiled. “Do you mind if we talk privately?”

Bai Ying’s lips curled up slowly, like a slow-motion scene. “Come in.”

With that, she shook Nannan’s hand off. Nannan watched her eagerly as she walked inside. Finally, weeping, she came to Mr. Wan, who choked up. “Don’t cry, Nannan. Daddy’s taking you downstairs. Let’s go get ice cream.”

Since the visitor was an “acquaintance” of his wife’s, Mr. Wan put aside his earlier suspicions. He carried his daughter and prepared to leave, debating whether to show hospitality by pouring Qin Fang a glass of water or something. Just as he hesitated, Si Teng turned and gestured to Qin Fang. “You go down first.”

Qin Fang agreed, but he was worried. As he left, he couldn’t help but look back several times. Mr. Wan had been waiting for the door to close. Seeing how slow he was, he understood a little and smiled, carrying his daughter away first. By the time Qin Fang emerged, Mr. Wan and the others were gone.

Qin Fang didn’t care. When he reached the elevator, he looked down from the window on the side wall. This was the highest floor. Down below, Yan Furui, looking rather small, was idly circling his car. Qin Fang felt amused and was about to lean out to wave when he heard a muffled thud overhead.

Qin Fang looked up. The noise came from the floor above, but going up further would likely lead to the rooftop. He glanced around. In the corner ahead was a door leading to the stairwell. It was ajar, as if someone had just opened it. Qin Fang walked over and pushed it open. Only then did he discover there were stairs leading to the rooftop. The security door on the rooftop was also open, swaying in the draft from above.

Had someone gone up there? What was that muffled noise? Qin Fang was hesitating when a small figure scurried past the door, wearing white stockings, red leather shoes with bows, and a plaid miniskirt that swayed.

Nannan? Where was Mr. Wan? It would be dangerous for such a young child to run around on the rooftop. Qin Fang didn’t think twice before taking a few steps forward. “Nannan?”

The rooftop had a clear view, save for a locked storage room. The wind picked up, and the sun shone brightly, its brightness a bit blinding, yet its silence eerie. Qin Fang slowly turned toward the back of the storage room and asked, “Nannan?”

The first thing he saw were two feet: the feet of a reclining person, in leather shoes size 40. Was this Mr. Wan?

Qin Fang’s head buzzed, and his heart sank. He froze in place, barely daring to turn around. Time seemed to stand still at that moment. His heartbeat grew louder, and amidst the thumping, Nannan’s pigtailed head slowly poked out from the corner of the wall.

***

After Bai Ying entered the room, she sat stiffly on the sofa, her eyes fixed on the TV screen, her face flickering in the bright light.

Si Teng stopped a meter away, eyeing her cautiously and warily. What did Bai Ying mean by this? Was she doing it on purpose? After such a long separation and so much going on, didn’t she have anything to say?

“Bai Ying?”

She didn’t respond, staring blankly at the TV screen, not even a trace of sarcasm or disdain on her face. Si Teng felt a foreboding. She slowly turned to face Bai Ying, her eyes suddenly falling on the buttons of her cheongsam.

There was a sharp wrinkle on Bai Ying’s front; she’d buttoned it wrong!

Si Teng’s gaze suddenly narrowed. How could Bai Ying, such a discerning person, make such a mistake? She practically rushed over to Mrs. Wan, grabbed her by the collar, and lifted her up. “Who are you? Where’s Bai Ying?”

Mrs. Wan’s face remained blank and vacant. Her head drooped to the side in confusion after being lifted like that.

Si Teng’s hands trembled slightly, and many past events flashed through her mind:

—When she met Mr. Wan at the store, he said his wife had been “holding their daughter” while watching TV…

—When she first saw “Bai Ying,” her eyes were empty, and she remained silent. It wasn’t until the little girl approached and took her hand that she turned her head and said, “Long time no see…”

—After the little girl left, “Bai Ying” remained completely silent. She was like a puppet, speaking only briefly when controlled, but once the controller left, she collapsed without a second thought…

Mrs. Wan was not Bai Ying!

Si Teng felt the blood rushing to her head. She shoved Mrs. Wan down, her hands clenched tightly. After a second or two of freezing, she suddenly realized what was happening and practically rushed to the window. Looking down, she saw Yan Furui sitting by the flower bed, lost in thought. Si Teng yelled, “Yan Furui, where’s Qin Fang?”

Si Teng was too far away; Yan Furui heard her but couldn’t quite make it out. He looked up and gestured at her. Si Teng was so anxious she almost jumped out the window. She caught sight of several more residents heading that way, so she held herself back and took the elevator down. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, Yan Furui was still looking up, bewildered. Si Teng rushed over and asked him, “Which direction did Qin Fang go?”

Yan Furui was frightened by her expression and stuttered, “Qin Fang… didn’t come out.”

Si Teng was furious. “Didn’t he come down with Mr. Wan? Were you even watching? You were down here…”

A loud bang sounded behind them, as if something had crashed down from above, shaking the ground. Si Teng didn’t move. Yan Furui stared blankly at what was behind her, his lips growing paler as they moved. After a pause, a chaotic scream from a resident rose, and figures began to appear from the upper windows.

The noise behind them grew louder, and Yan Furui began to tremble. Si Teng remained motionless and asked, “Who is it?”