Chapter 4

Chapter 4

At the time, I figured Ling Ling’s cousin must have been tricked by some man. Or maybe someone had used some special method on her-hypnosis, drugs, something like that.

“You need to call the police!”

To my surprise, Ling Ling looked panicked and shook her head again and again.

“We can’t.”

According to Ling Ling, her cousin had been like this for more than a month, and the whole family was worried sick.

They’d started looking into whether she’d gotten cursed somewhere, or whether she’d run into some kind of scam ring.

“She works at an insurance company. Her life is really stable-nine to five every day-and her social circle is just those same few people.”

“And my cousin’s a total homebody. Most of the time, she goes straight home after work. At night, she’ll go on walks with my aunt.”

“Judging by the timing, she’s nine weeks pregnant. A little over two months ago, my grandma-my cousin’s grandmother-got sick and was hospitalized. My cousin was raised by her when she was little, so she went to the hospital to keep her company every day.”

“If there had been some strange man constantly around her in her daily life, there’s no way he wouldn’t have left any trace at all. They even checked the surveillance footage and found nothing.”

Ling Ling quietly craned her neck to glance toward the corner of the café. Seeing her cousin with her head lowered, quietly drinking her coffee, she let out a breath of relief.

“My cousin also said she took Shen Haixin to visit Grandma. During that period, she said the two of them went to the hospital together every day.”

“This whole thing is really strange. Before May twentieth-the day my cousin says they got engaged-she was completely normal. She talked to us normally, and she never mentioned Shen Haixin’s name.”

“A person can’t just wake up one day and go crazy, right? She imagined so many things, and they’re all so detailed. And you saw her stomach-”

Ling Ling looked like her head was about to split. She raised both hands and knocked hard against her own skull.

“Qiao Moyu, please help me think of something. I’m begging you.”

“I really can’t bear to see my cousin like this. She’s lost so much weight. Look at the state she’s in. I’m afraid if this keeps going, she really will lose her mind.”

Just listening to it was making me feel a little insane too.

“This is way too unscientific.”

Ling Ling’s eyes widened.

“You’re an Earth Master. You’ve caught snake demons, fought water monkeys, and can’t you even summon lightning? And you’re talking to me about science?”

She hesitated for a moment, then asked tentatively, “Is it because you want money?”

My heart gave a small stir.

Ling Ling looked completely sincere.

“How much do you charge? I know the people who come to you for help from outside all offer really high prices.”

“My cousin’s family is ordinary, but my uncle and aunt only have one child. For her, they’d be willing to pay any amount.”

“Oh, come on-”

Here we go. The bargaining had begun.

I waved a hand and declined. “We’re roommates. Your cousin is basically my cousin. Why talk about money?”

Ling Ling breathed a sigh of relief, then jumped over and hugged me, planting a fierce kiss on my cheek.

“I knew it, Master Qiao. You’re the best.”

“You’re incredibly capable, beautiful, and kind. There’s nothing in this world you can’t handle. Now I can relax!”

Me: …