That night, no, that wasn’t it. They were only focused on their own eating and drinking, completely ignoring Nini.
From that day on, Mom and Dad never got close to Nini again.
These things left a deep mark on Nini’s heart.
A habit that’s been kept for so long can’t just be forgotten overnight.
Li Qiao gently stroked Nini’s hair.
“Stay quietly in the room, don’t go out, okay?”
“Okay. Can you help me get my mom and dad back, big sister?” The little girl looked at her with hopeful eyes.
Li Qiao’s heart softened in an instant.
“Okay.”
After stepping out, Li Qiao studied the photo hanging in the living room.
A family of three, happy and complete.
Li Qiao smiled and said, “Mr. Lin really loves his wife and daughter.”
“Of course, they are my most beloved wife and daughter.”
Lin Hangxing showed a relaxed smile.
“Not necessarily.”
“Teacher, what do you mean by that?” Lin Hangxing’s smile froze slightly as Li Qiao’s gaze swept past him.
Li Wei, sitting on the dining chair, had a hint of irritation showing between her brows.
After Su Yan noticed Li Wei’s hostility, he looked wary, constantly keeping an eye on Lin Hangxing.
This family was very strange.
Li Qiao: “She’s not on the same level as you. She’s too lacking in character and doesn’t even know enough to restrain the habits she had when she was a malevolent spirit.”
The smile on Lin Hangxing’s face vanished completely in an instant, while Li Wei’s expression gradually turned ferocious.
“Holy crap, Qiao Qiao, they… they’re not human?”
“You’re not a teacher.”
Lin Hangxing held Li Wei’s shoulder, and she gradually returned to normal.
“Su Yan, have you ever heard of a legend called the Birthday Spin?”
“No, what’s the Birthday Spin?”
“Legend has it that on a person’s birthday, if they are physically weak, their soul becomes unstable. The soul of the person having the birthday will spin into another world. A malevolent spirit in that world will then hijack their soul. If the evil spirit fancies their body, it will take over and become them.”
Su Yan couldn’t help but shudder.
Taken over by an evil spirit.
He was so scared. He moved to stand behind Li Qiao.
“Who… who exactly are you? How do you know so much? The Birthday Spin, in the eyes of many humans, is just a legend. No one has ever taken it seriously. How do you know about it?”
“Because I’m not an ordinary person, silly.” Li Qiao’s smiling face looked very punchable in their eyes.
“What do you want? Our souls have taken over their bodies. If we die, they won’t be able to come back either,” Lin Hangxing said provocatively.
“Why are you wasting words with her? Her soul smells delicious,” Li Wei said maliciously.
Su Yan shook Li Qiao’s arm and pointed at them. “Destroy them. Destroy them all.”
“You’re asking for it.”
Li Wei shouted angrily.
Li Qiao laughed mockingly. “Overestimating yourselves. Living inside human bodies, you still want to use evil spirit techniques? Looks like you’re not using your brains. Today, your granny here is going to teach you a good lesson on what it means to beat the lemon tea out of someone.”
Before their astonished eyes, Li Qiao pulled out that little bell-adorned red umbrella from her pocket. With a twirl, she handed it to Su Yan.
“Whip them hard with this.”
“Th-this… won’t kill them, will it?”
Su Yan examined the red umbrella. Is Qiao Qiao’s pocket a bottomless treasure bag? How does she have everything in there?
She patted Su Yan’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, this is a dharma tool. It will make their souls ache, but their bodies will be fine.”
“Alrighty then.”
“You… don’t come closer! You… ouch!… ah…”
“B*tch! How dare you hit me! Ah—”
The two started off arrogant and insolent, but now they were like rats in the street, getting beaten so badly.
Their screams grew louder and louder.
Li Qiao sat on a chair, cracking and eating sunflower seeds. Little Nini from the bedroom carefully ran out.
When the two saw Nini, they yelled, “Nini, save your dad…”
“Nini, good daughter, your mom is dying! Hurry and save your mom! Mom will buy you a little cake tomorrow!”
Their souls hurt so, so much.
It felt like being torn apart by five horses!
Nini timidly shrank into Li Qiao’s embrace. “Big sister, when can my real mom and dad come back?”
“Very soon. But before that, Nini needs to bring big sister the most precious thing your family of three has. Only then can your mom and dad come back.”
“The most precious thing?”
Nini scratched her head, then suddenly remembered.
She walked over to the wall, took down the family photo of the three of them, and happily handed it to Li Qiao.
“Big sister, this is our most precious thing.”
“Indeed it is.”
Li Qiao took the photo and gently pinched Nini’s little cheek. As for Lin Hangxing and Li Wei, they lay motionless on the floor, barely alive and utterly pitiful.
Su Yan smiled smugly. “Qiao Qiao, should we continue? These two losers are nothing.”
“Nini… save me.”
Lin Hangxing called out weakly.
Nini stayed close to Li Qiao and mustered her courage. “You are not my mom and dad. My real mom and dad love me the most. Give me back my mom and dad!”
“I told you to kill her earlier, but you didn’t listen… now you’ve ruined our plan,” Li Wei murmured weakly.
“Stubborn idiots.”
Li Qiao threw out two talisman papers. With two piercing screams, the evil spirits’ souls were forced out. Li Qiao trapped them. No matter how they howled and screamed, she didn’t care.
She wanted them to watch with their own eyes how Lin Hangxing and Li Wei would return.
“Watch carefully.”
Nini held the photo album. Li Qiao chanted a mantra. As the talisman papers spun faster, two souls appeared. Before the malevolent spirits’ resentful gazes, they had no choice but to watch as the original souls returned to their bodies.
“You should die! You should die—”
“Su Yan, open the umbrella and capture them.”
“Got it.”
The red umbrella opened, the little bells jingled, and the evil spirits were captured!
Li Qiao was very satisfied with Su Yan’s handling. Seeing her approving look, Su Yan raised his head with great pride.
“Dad? Mom?”
“Nini!”
“Nini… oh, Nini…”
“Wahhh! It really is Mom and Dad!”
The family of three hugged each other, tears streaming down their faces. Even Su Yan felt his eyes getting misty watching them.
So annoying. A tough guy wouldn’t cry.
But—
Li Qiao handed him a tissue. Su Yan awkwardly took it and wiped his eyes. “So moving. Way too moving.”
Li Qiao glanced at Su Yan, a complicated look on her face.
“Master, thank you. Thank you so much for saving us!” Lin Hangxing and Li Wei both knelt down to express their gratitude.
“No need for thanks. I did this because of Nini.”
Nini smiled shyly, a little embarrassed.
But Lin Hangxing and his wife were truly grateful to Li Qiao. If it weren’t for her, they would probably have been stuck in that other place forever, never able to reunite with Nini.
“Master… why did this happen to us?”
“Weak physical condition allowed the evil spirits to invade. Normally, you should exercise more and avoid staying up late,” Li Qiao reminded them.
“Okay, okay. We will.”
After it was all settled, Li Qiao and Su Yan left. As they went downstairs, a powerful wave of merit washed over Li Qiao again, making her feel very happy.
“Oh, by the way, what was the urgent matter you wanted to see me about?”
“I suspect my dad has run into a female ghost. I need you to go check on him.”
