The advisor expected Ye Shaohua to argue—or at least defend herself.
Instead, the girl simply nodded and checked her phone.
“Professor,” Ye Shaohua said calmly, “if there’s nothing else, I’ll head to class now.”
“Go ahead.” The advisor waved her off, already refocusing on her paperwork. She had no interest in dissecting Ye Shaohua’s behavior.
The next class was a double lecture session, shared with another group of students—including Cui Hao and Xu Yilin.
By the time Ye Shaohua arrived, the room was nearly full. Only a few seats remained, all in the dreaded front row.
She walked forward without hesitation.
The middle seats were still open, but a girl blocked the aisle, pretending not to notice her.
“Excuse me,” Ye Shaohua said, tapping the desk.
The girl finally—slowly—shifted aside with exaggerated reluctance.
As soon as Ye Shaohua sat down, the male student beside her recoiled as if she were contagious, scrambling two seats away.
Snickers erupted from behind them.
The two-hour lecture passed quickly.
Cui Hao and Xu Yilin were campus celebrities—especially Cui Hao, the student council president. When he and Ye Shaohua had dated, many had envied her.
Now that their breakup was public knowledge, the stares directed at Ye Shaohua grew bolder.
After class, some students rushed to the cafeteria while others lingered, hoping to catch a glimpse of the golden couple.
The same girl who’d blocked Ye Shaohua’s path earlier now deliberately barred her exit, shifting subtly each time she tried to pass.
After several attempts, Ye Shaohua locked eyes with her.
Memory surfaced: this was Su Xian, one of her former roommates—and a secret admirer of Cui Hao.
Once, the original Ye Shaohua had woken at night to see a female ghost perched on Su Xian’s bed. Her screams earned no sympathy—only accusations of being “dramatic” or “seeking attention.”
The grudge had festered since.
“Ye Shaohua,” Su Xian sneered, chin raised, “this is the 21st century. Save your superstitious nonsense. Don’t drag our class’s reputation down with your craziness.”
A few classmates murmured in agreement.
Ye Shaohua studied the dark circles under Su Xian’s eyes.
“Your parents longed for a son, but their ancestors left no virtue to grant one. You have three sisters—though one was given away at birth. At five, you narrowly escaped death. Lately, you’ve felt a dragging pain in your waist, waking gasping from nightmares. It’ll worsen… until exhaustion kills you.”
The room fell silent.
One roommate laughed nervously. “Ignore her! Su Xian only has two sisters—this lunatic’s making things up!”
But Su Xian’s face drained of color. She stepped aside, trembling.
Ye Shaohua walked past without another word.
“Su Xian?” her roommate teased. “Don’t tell me you actually believed that psycho?”
Su Xian forced a smile but said nothing.
Because Ye Shaohua was right.
She did have a third sister—a baby given away at birth. No one knew. Not her friends, not even her neighbors.
How could Ye Shaohua know?
Unless… she really could see things.
The thought chilled her to the core.
…
Meanwhile, Ye Shaohua left campus, heading to purchase more cinnabar and talisman paper.
Her funds were limited, but after discovering her unnatural talent for crafting effective talismans, she needed supplies—either for self-defense or to sell.
How did I end up a broke mystic? she lamented silently.
Over the next few days, Lin Weiwei avoided her—though Ye Shaohua spotted her twice, glowing with some secret joy.
Rumors spread in their old neighborhood: Lin Weiwei had befriended a wealthy benefactor who drove a sports car. The gossip left the locals buzzing with envy.
Ye Shaohua paid no mind.
At home, she replaced the bathroom mirror (the original now lay in a box, sealed with talismans). She wasn’t taking chances, even if the entity seemed terrified of her.
Ning Zhou, meanwhile, had spent days patrolling the neighborhood, desperate to find “the master” again.
Today, luck struck.
“Master!” He sprinted toward her, nearly tripping in his excitement. “I’ve been searching everywhere for you!”
Ye Shaohua eyed the swirling black miasma above his head. “Let’s talk somewhere else.”
Ning Zhou’s jaw dropped. She knew before I even spoke!
After thanking her for the previous help, he confessed his real plea:
“My grandfather won’t wake up. The doctors hinted we need… other experts. Master Ye, if you can save him, I’ll reward you beyond measure!”
Ye Shaohua studied the villa they arrived at. “I’ll try.”
Ning Zhou nearly wept with relief.
“Dad! Mom!” he called as they entered. “I brought the master—”
“Quiet,” his mother hissed, eyeing Ye Shaohua’s youthful appearance skeptically. “Master Ku is performing the exorcism now.”
