Chapter Nineteen: The Corpse-Spotted Ghost Doll

When Old Liao suddenly shouted, everyone was stunned. Su Jin, who had been sobbing and clutching her clothes, was startled into silence. I looked at Old Liao’s ashen face and asked him in a low voice, “Old Liao, even if we can’t make a deal, isn’t it unnecessary to be so ruthless?”

Old Liao sneered. “If we aren’t ruthless, do you want us to get killed by them? In the business of dealing with the dead, any hidden detail could cost someone their life. If you two won’t be honest with us, please leave.”

Wang Mei’s expression gradually darkened. She bowed her head, silently picking at her fingers, then gritted her teeth. “Since you two are experts, there’s no need to hide the truth. I hope you’ll keep what I’m about to tell you confidential.” She gently stroked Su Jin’s hair. “Su Jin is a child fated to suffer. After her success in palace dramas, she caught the eye of a popular young actor in the industry. Unsurprisingly, they fell in love, but only in secret. She was a girl longing for affection, willing to give everything to the one she loved, so she gave herself to him completely.”

Su Jin looked up at her, a trace of sadness flickering in her beautiful eyes. Wang Mei smiled and caressed her face before continuing, “Later, Jin’er became pregnant. The man's PR team negotiated to exchange their marketing resources for her abortion, severing all ties. We had no choice. For the sake of Jin’er’s future, she had to give up her child and her love…”

“I don’t understand why he’s with Tian Tian,” Su Jin finally spoke, clenching her fists, her body trembling slightly. This was the first normal conversation we’d had with her all day. Yet something was wrong—her tears faded, and her gaze grew cold and venomous. We could vaguely see, wrapped around her exposed abdomen, a greenish ghost infant.

The ghost infant giggled, its claws shaking Su Jin’s belly, brazenly displaying its fierce fangs. It then opened its mouth wide and bit down hard on Su Jin’s pale skin. Su Jin seemed utterly oblivious to the pain, allowing the ghost infant to suck freely from her body. Its teeth dug into her flesh, and corpse-like bruises, about two or three centimeters long, began to spread across her abdomen.

Old Liao and I immediately understood the origin of the two large corpse spots on Su Jin’s body. The ghost infant suddenly looked up, its pitch-black eyes fixed on the three of us, mouth curling to reveal sharp teeth. Tilting its head toward Wang Mei, its tongue and fangs hissed, giggling, “Hee hee, you look delicious too. I’m hungry, hee hee, I’m hungry!”

The grotesque ghost infant gripped Su Jin’s belly, its legs and head twisted at an unnatural angle, standing upside down as it spoke to Wang Mei. It released Su Jin, kicked off with its legs, and launched itself straight at Wang Mei.

Terrified, Wang Mei collapsed onto the floor, frantically retreating backward, her mouth trembling, unable to speak. The ghost’s claws reached for her abdomen. Old Liao, sensing danger, stepped forward, snatched a stack of talismans from the table, dipped one into the teapot’s water, and chanted, “If a man comes, paper separates him; if a ghost comes, mountains stand between. A thousand evils can’t break through, ten thousand can’t unravel!” He slapped a talisman onto Wang Mei’s belly. The little ghost giggled as it touched the charm, recoiling as if scalded.

It circled back around Su Jin’s waist, yawned, and dissolved into a cloud of black smoke, slipping into Su Jin’s abdomen.

Old Liao looked at Wang Mei with a grim face, gathered his talismans, and demanded in a low voice, “How much are you hiding from us? Do you know the truth about this ghost infant?”

Wang Mei shook her head, trembling, slipping into a manic state. “It’s Tian Tian—it has to be her! She summoned the little ghost to harm us, I’m sure of it! When I took Su Jin to the hospital for the abortion, she followed us. She wanted us dead!”

I helped Wang Mei up and seated her in a chair, poured her a cup of hot tea to calm her, and gestured to Old Liao to let her rest. My gaze fell on Su Jin’s belly; the corpse spots had grown another two or three centimeters, and faint green scratch marks from the ghost infant were visible on both sides of her waist.

Wang Mei gulped down two cups of hot tea, ignoring the scalding temperature. She seemed a bit steadier, and said, “You must help us. Tian Tian definitely wants us dead. We came from the same company—how could she be so vicious?”

Old Liao handed her a stack of talismans. “These are ghost-repelling charms. They’ll keep spirits away for a while. When they expire, they’ll burn themselves out. Make sure to replace them promptly. Go home for now. Tomorrow afternoon, we’ll come to your agency and see exactly what kind of person Tian Tian is.” Old Liao stood at the door, making it clear they should leave. Wang Mei dragged her limp legs out step by step. As Su Jin passed me, she whispered in my ear, her voice barely audible, “Please, save my child.”

After they left, I sat on the bench, heart pounding, and let out a long sigh. Old Liao gulped his tea. “Luckily, that ghost infant isn’t fully formed yet. If it were, my charms might not have held him back. Baiyun Temple specializes in star geomancy and the five elements, and has little tradition of ghost-catching. I only know the basics. Fortunately, it worked for now.”

“Are we still taking this case?”

“Of course! Once word gets out, abandoning it halfway would ruin our reputation. Besides, this isn’t a client short on money. We’ll make good profit. Does your Yin-Yang embroidery include ghost-slaying designs? Maybe tattooing is more direct.”

“We do, but I think this ghost infant isn’t simply here to harm Su Jin. Before she left, Su Jin asked me to save her child.”

Old Liao furrowed his brow. “This is more complicated than it seems. There’s one key person we haven’t contacted yet.”

“That heartless man!” we both said at once.

“Tomorrow, everything will be revealed. If this ghost infant truly intends harm, we must ensure its soul is scattered.”