The atmosphere around the dinner table turned tense the instant Yun Chun finished speaking.
Some things were primed to explode.
Lü Feng slammed his chopsticks down on the table, sending the bowls and dishes rattling with a crisp clatter. His eyes bulged as he bellowed in fury, “Lü Yun! What the hell do you mean by that?!”
She’d just said she only wanted a little, not much. And now she wanted it all?
Was she messing with him?
Did she really think he was scared of her?
She was just a little girl—what did he have to fear from her?
Yun Chun had anticipated Lü Feng’s outburst. The man was always like this—a few drinks in him and he thought he was the king of the hill. Her mother had always indulged him before, giving in to whatever he wanted. But Yun Chun wouldn’t. Not a flicker of fear showed on her face. Instead, the smile tugging at her lips deepened. “Lü Yun?”
Yun Chun rose languidly from her chair.
Towering over him now, she gazed down at Lü Feng with cool disdain. “Four years ago, I changed my surname to Yun. Single name, Chun. So who exactly is this Lü Yun you’re yelling at?”
Lü Feng ignored her words. “Change your name all you want. My blood runs in your veins—you’ll always be my daughter.”
“Speak for yourself.” Yun Chun wrinkled her nose in distaste. “The way you say it, I might just bleed myself dry.” She continued evenly, “Let’s stick to business and leave the rest out of it.”
Leaning on the back of her chair, Yun Chun arched an eyebrow toward Lu Zhi seated at the table. “Are you willing to hand over the money? That includes the gold bracelet on your wrist.”
Lu Zhi shrank back in her seat. “Th-this… this is something I bought with my own money.”
“Wasn’t it bought with the money from selling me off?”
Lu Zhi went quiet. “…No.”
Yun Chun lowered her eyes, realizing there was no point reasoning with them. She made one final check with Lü Feng. “You’re really not going to give it up?”
“Fine.”
Lü Feng grunted. “Five thousand.”
“You think that’s enough to shoo away a beggar?”
Yun Chun had no interest in arguing further. She pulled out her phone and dialed the number she’d keyed in before even stepping through the door.
The call rang once before being abruptly disconnected.
Lü Feng sneered at the sight. “Who are you calling? The cops? They don’t handle this kind of thing, and they won’t bother.”
Yun Chun didn’t try again. Instead, she slipped the phone into her pants pocket.
Of course she knew the police wouldn’t help.
This was a local custom—outside their jurisdiction.
Lü Feng pressed on. “No one else will stick their nose in it either. Five thousand is more than generous.”
His words had barely landed when a clamor erupted from outside. Lü Feng got to his feet and peered out, only to see a gang of burly men storm through the front gate. Clubs in hand, they smashed anything in their path.
The main room door was kicked open with a bang. Lu Zhi let out a shriek and scrambled behind Lü Feng. The two of them huddled together, trembling.
Yun Chun reached back, and the leader of the group silently handed over his club. He fixed Lü Feng and Lu Zhi with a hard stare that drew another yelp from Lu Zhi. She whispered frantically in Lü Feng’s ear.
Yun Chun hefted the club, testing its weight.
Lü Feng’s brows shot up as he snarled, “What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” He roared the words, but his eyes took in the five towering, intimidating figures—tattooed, with piercings in their lips, ears, and noses. Pretending he wasn’t afraid would have been a lie; his heart pounded.
Yun Chun replied coolly, “You forced the sale. Now I’m forcing the buyback.”
If Yun Chun had come alone, Lü Feng might have stuck to his bluster about five thousand and called it done. But these men were obviously her muscle. Swallowing hard, he said, “Little Yun, let’s talk this out like civilized people. You think your dad would screw you over? Tell you what—I’ll throw in another five thousand. How’s that sound?”
“I already tried talking nicely,” Yun Chun pointed out. “You refused. And ten thousand… do you really think that’s enough?”
With that, she shouldered past the men without a hint of hesitation, raised the club high, and brought it down on the glass pane with its garish sticker. She wasn’t just shattering glass—she was obliterating the last remnants of her tie to this house.
The pane exploded with a resounding crash.
The sound jolted not only Lü Feng and Lu Zhi but also the Village Chief and Lü Yanping, who came rushing over.
The pair froze for a couple of seconds before bolting into the house, one after the other.
Right then, Yun Chun said gravely to her crew, “Everything except the fridge and TV—go to town on it.”
They raised their clubs to comply when the Village Chief burst in, yelling, “Hold it! Hold it right there!”
He glanced at the glittering shards on the floor and barked, “Everyone stop! Just stop!”
Lü Yanping dashed to Yun Chun’s side. “Little Yun, are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” Yun Chun assured her, gently nudging Lü Yanping behind her for protection. “Aunt Ping, stay back—you don’t want to get hurt.”
Yun Chun turned to the man standing amid the group, arms spread wide in a placating gesture. With a smile, she called out, “Uncle, what brings you all the way over here?”
“Little Yun, this… we can sort it out peacefully. No need for violence.”
“Uncle, believe me, I’d prefer that too. But Lü Feng isn’t cooperating. If you can convince him to cough up every cent from selling my birth chart, I won’t lay a hand on anything.”
The Village Chief turned toward Lü Feng, but before he could speak, Lü Feng jumped in. “I already offered ten thousand. What more do you want?”
Yun Chun’s response was firm. “Everything.”
“Er Feng,” the Village Chief urged, “just give Little Yun the money already. You were dead wrong from the start—I haven’t even hauled you in for a talking-to yet! You sold her birth chart—that cash belongs to her. Look at the mess you’ve made. You really want her to trash the whole place?”
Lü Feng shot back, “If she does, I’m calling the cops.”
“Heh.” A scornful laugh escaped Lü Yanping. She strode forward, jabbing a finger at Lü Feng. “Go ahead, call them! Let’s see if the police stand with Little Yun or a piece of trash like you! Skip the furniture—bash him instead.”
She grabbed one corner of the table and started to flip it, but Yun Chun caught her hand.
“Aunt Ping,” Yun Chun said aloud, tugging her safely behind her again.
Heavens, Yun Chun had brought these guys in for a show of force and planned to vanish afterward—Lü Feng couldn’t touch them. But if Aunt Ping wrecked the table, he’d make her pay for it later.
Aunt Ping meant well, but she was too impulsive.
Shielding Aunt Ping, Yun Chun addressed the Village Chief. “Uncle, don’t think I’m disrespecting you. You saw his attitude for yourself. I just can’t stomach this anymore.”
As she spoke, Yun Chun lifted her right hand. She was about to drop it—signaling the men to resume—when Lu Zhi blurted out, “I’ll give it to you!”
She was genuinely terrified.
Those men had already smashed a few household items, and Lü Yanping’s threat to go straight for people lingered in her mind. If she held out any longer, the house would be destroyed.
Lü Feng opened his mouth to protest, but Yun Chun arched an eyebrow at him. He glanced at the hulking figures looming behind her, and all his rage and retorts died in his throat.
Lu Zhi hurried into the back room. A dozen seconds later, she returned with a bank card. Approaching Yun Chun, she said, “We bought the fridge and TV with our own money. Everything else—” Her hand shook as she slid off the gold bracelet and offered it along with the card. “—it’s all here.”
They’d blown the prior savings, figuring more cash was coming. The bracelet had required dipping into this fund when their own money ran short.
Yun Chun had no reason to doubt the woman at this point. She accepted the card and bracelet with a smile. “Would’ve been easier if you’d handed it over sooner. Now you’ve lost a windowpane for nothing.”
“The password?”
Lu Zhi recited six digits.
Yun Chun turned to Lü Feng, her voice cool and even. “I’m taking the money. Watch your step from now on—or the other pane goes too.”
~~~
Yun Chun didn’t head straight to the Lu Family in the neighboring village after leaving Lü Feng’s place. Instead, she had the men drive them into town.
They stopped at a local eatery for a meal. Over dinner, Yun Chun raised her glass to the group. “I’ve sent everyone’s share of the money—thanks for riding along with me.”
“We’re Sister Xing’s friends,” one replied. “No need to stand on ceremony.”
These were the reinforcements Yun Chun had gotten from Qin Xing.
She knew going alone would make it impossible to pry the cash from Lü Feng. Nosy villagers would play peacemaker, urging her to take whatever he offered since what was done was done. So before heading back, she’d made a point of asking Qin Xing for help.
Yun Chun knew plenty of folks in Radiance City, but Qin Xing’s picks were guaranteed solid.
“I’ve booked rooms at the guesthouse across the street. Head over after you eat and get some rest. That’s it for today—drive safe tomorrow. If you’ve got time later, let’s meet up for drinks in Radiance City.”
They all liked her well enough. Good pay, easy work—they chorused their agreement.
They dove back into the food and drinks, but Yun Chun only sipped hers, her mind turning over plans for the next day.
She’d held off on the Lu Family for two reasons: it was too late, and… she didn’t intend to bring this crew along.
These men were purely for scaring Lü Feng.
Whether Lu Qingxue’s parents would prove as stubborn and unreasonable as him, Yun Chun couldn’t say.
From her memories, Aunt Lu had always been kind, her voice soft and gentle. She hoped the years hadn’t changed that… and that it wouldn’t put her in an awkward spot.
Her phone buzzed—Yun Chun glanced at the screen and saw Qin Xing calling. Figuring she’d had enough to eat, she bid the group farewell and left the table to head back to the guesthouse first.
Lü Yanping had offered her a room at her place, but Yun Chun turned it down. She didn’t want too much entanglement; once she returned to Radiance City, Lü Feng would surely take out his frustrations on Aunt Ping. Rational people would see she had nothing to do with it, but was Lü Feng rational? Hardly.
Stepping out of the restaurant, Yun Chun answered the call. “Sister Xing.”
“Is it sorted?”
“Today’s business went off without a hitch. Thanks a bunch, Sister Xing.”
“For what? I didn’t tag along.” Qin Xing took a drag from her cigarette, exhaling a slow smoke ring. “What do you mean ‘today’s’? Something left for tomorrow?”
“Yeah, tomorrow I have to go to their place and trade the betrothal document for the money.” On the way back, Xu Lanmeng had replied to her message, explaining that only after retrieving the betrothal document could she divorce Lu Qingxue.
When Yun Chun went to see Qin Xing, she gave her a simple rundown of what had happened. Leaning against the balcony railing, Qin Xing took a final drag from her cigarette and watched the ember slowly fade into the darkness. “Will they give it to you?” she asked.
She worried it wouldn’t be that straightforward. After all, if they were willing to pay to make this go away, money wasn’t the problem—the sticking point was the document itself.
Yun Chun paused, then smiled. “I hope so.”
What else could she do if they refused? She’d already taken a week off work. She could just show up at their door every day until they handed it over.
They were Lu Qingxue’s parents, though. She could act shamelessly to a point, but she couldn’t push too far.
Otherwise, if Lu Qingxue found out and got upset, what if bad luck came knocking on her own door?
Tricky business.
Thinking of Lu Qingxue brought that soft, fluffball-like face to Yun Chun’s mind unbidden. She recalled the perfectly placed mole at the outer corner of her eye, and those willow-leaf eyes that carried a natural seductive charm.
Lu Qingxue’s eyes could speak volumes.
The line between gentle warmth and alluring seduction was simply whether she was smiling or not.
Right now, Yun Chun pictured her with eyes curved in a smile—like gently winding clear springs.
Her room was on the third floor, which meant climbing the stairs.
A cold gust of wind swept through, and Yun Chun glanced up without thinking…
There, on the second-floor landing, floated a figure in a flowing white dress, long hair drifting in the air… a “person.”
The crucial part?
She was hovering in midair.
Yun Chun couldn’t make out her face.
Lu Qingxue had prepared her somewhat for encounters like this, so she didn’t freak out over seeing a ghost. But this sudden apparition…
“Burp.”
She still startled herself into a hiccup.
Qin Xing picked up on it. “What happened?”
Yun Chun glanced back at the stairs. The white figure was gone. “Nothing,” she explained. “I just ate too much.”
Qin Xing: “…”
Why did it seem like Yun Chun wasn’t remotely bothered by any of this?
As if her real goal was just squeezing money out of Lü Feng—as long as he couldn’t live it up with that cash, whether the marriage contract got voided or not was beside the point?
Qin Xing stubbed her cigarette into the ashtray and sank onto the sofa. “Fine then. If they won’t hand it over, think about calling the cops. They might not meddle in marriage stuff, but they can at least help you get your property back.”
“Okay, got it. Thanks, Sister Xing. Dinner’s on me when I get back.”
After telling her to call anytime if anything came up, Qin Xing hung up.
By that point, Yun Chun had reached her room door.
Ghost or no ghost, she was checking in. She’d already shelled out the money—what was one more spirit among friends?
She had plenty hanging around anyway.
Swipe to unlock.
She stood in the hallway, card poised for the slot, when—
The door she’d left ajar creaked shut on its own. That fingernails-on-chalkboard screech set Yun Chun’s heart racing. She jammed the card in quick, then hit the light switch. Nothing. She flicked it again and again, but the light stayed dead.
Door sealed, hallway glow blocked. Just a thin sliver of light leaked under the frame.
No windows in the room yet. Once the hallway went dark, the only thing left was the faint red power indicator.
In the blackness, even that red glow dimmed, shrinking smaller and smaller.
The instant it winked out, an icy chill draped over Yun Chun’s back.
A breath ghosted her ear, cold as an ice cavern.
“The person you were just talking to on the phone… is that the one you wanted to offer yourself to before?”
