Lin Fan sat in the car, looking through the gift bag from Qin's mother, which contained a set of gold jewelry. She picked out a bracelet and put it on, then put the rest back in the bag. "It's too valuable."

At a red light, Qin Feng pressed the brake, took her hand to examine the bracelet, and said, "This bracelet looks nice." He then took a box from his pocket, pulled out a ring, and slipped it onto Lin Fan's ring finger. "Wear it."

As the light turned green, he drove off. Lin Fan glanced at the ring on her hand. "Did you buy this? It's pretty. When did you get it?"

"I found it in my mom's jewelry box," Qin Feng said. "We'll go buy you one next time."

"No, no," Lin Fan quickly said. "I don't really like wearing rings."

"You have to wear this one."

Lin Fan noticed a ring on Qin Feng's hand too, and she blinked, feeling like she had discovered something significant. Aren't rings supposed to be for weddings? What did Qin Feng mean by this?

At home, Qin Feng put down the keys. "You should sleep in the master bedroom."

Lin Fan felt a bit uneasy. "Isn't that inappropriate?"

Qin Feng sat on the sofa in the living room, checking emails on his phone. "What's inappropriate?"

Lin Fan put the fruits in the fridge and cleaned out the spoiled ones. "It's just not appropriate. We're not married yet—"

"You aren't of legal marriage age yet." Qin Feng put down his phone and looked at Lin Fan. "Come here."

Lin Fan closed the fridge door and walked over. "What?"

Qin Feng pulled her into his arms and kissed her. Lin Fan, caught off guard, went weak in the knees. Qin Feng carried her to the bedroom and closed the door. Without turning on the light, he started undressing. His kisses were warm and wet. Lin Fan panted. "Qin Feng?"

Qin Feng undressed Lin Fan's dress. "I've missed you."

Lin Fan felt hot from his kisses. They were together, so what was he missing? It wasn't until he entered her that Lin Fan realized what he meant. It was too intense; she grabbed Qin Feng's shoulders. "Slower."

Qin Feng held her waist and kissed her. "Does it feel good? Hmm?"

Lin Fan didn't respond, biting her lip and panting. "...the curtains...aren't drawn."

"The lights are off. They can't see from outside."

For the past few years, Qin Feng had lived like a monk, abstaining from desires. But after being with Lin Fan, he couldn't get enough. He slowed down, savoring Lin Fan, and pulled her hand away from her mouth. "Don't hold back. If you want to moan, moan."

Lin Fan let out a soft moan. "Hmm."

Qin Feng chuckled, kissing the corner of her mouth, and thrust deeply. "Fan Fan."

Lin Fan suddenly climaxed, screaming, and it took her a while to come back to her senses. Qin Feng continued until she climaxed a second time before he finished. Lin Fan curled up under him, groaning. Qin Feng got up to draw the curtains, then turned on the light and put on a robe. "Want to take a shower?"

Lin Fan curled up under the blanket, silent. Qin Feng was startled and quickly pulled the blanket back, seeing Lin Fan already asleep, her breathing steady. Qin Feng lay down beside her, holding her close and stroking her hair.

Lin Fan, feeling uncomfortable, frowned and swatted his hand away. "Bad—"

Then she turned over and continued sleeping. She was truly exhausted. Qin Feng went to shower and came back to bed, and Lin Fan quickly snuggled into his arms.

Lin Fan soon started school. Qin Feng took her to the school she had insisted on because it offered boarding. Now, it had become a tricky issue. Qin Feng didn't want Lin Fan to stay in the dorm, but he didn't know how to say it.

"The school is half an hour from our home. The bus ride is convenient. Maybe you shouldn't stay in the dorm."

Lin Fan looked at him, finding him an overindulgent older man. "The dorm is convenient."

"Isn't home convenient? With your personality..."

Lin Fan couldn't find a better reason. "If I stay home, I won't focus on studying."

Qin Feng: "..."

"You kiss me whenever you want, regardless of the occasion."

The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

Qin Feng: "..."

Lin Fan said, "Right?"

Qin Feng: "At home, I can help you with your studies. If you encounter any problems, I can assist you."

Who knows if that help would end up on the bed? Lin Fan shook her head. "I still want to stay in the dorm. I'll come home on weekends."

Qin Feng frowned and tapped the steering wheel. "Alright then."

He first took Lin Fan to register and later brought her daily necessities. Qin Feng, as her guardian, even entered the dorm building. The dormitory wasn't great; it had four beds in a room, with bunk beds.

Qin Feng looked around and frowned. "The dorm conditions are terrible."

"I heard from Auntie that you also attended high school here," Lin Fan said. "Did you stay in the dorm too?"

"Is it the same for boys and girls?" Qin Feng helped Lin Fan make the bed. "Boys can rough it, but girls should have better conditions. If it's really bad, come home. We have space."

Lin Fan shook her head firmly, determined not to go back.

Qin Feng started to wonder if he had scared her by being too intense. After making the bed, other parents came in to settle their kids. One parent greeted Qin Feng. "Bringing your child?"

Qin Feng nodded.

The middle-aged woman looked at Lin Fan and then at Qin Feng. "Is your child also in the third year of high school?"

"Yes."

"Did she skip a grade?"

Qin Feng looked at Lin Fan and then at the girl frowning in the middle of the room. "No."

"She looks so young, but you also look young."

The girl was muttering, "Mom, I want to go home. I don't want to stay in the dorm."

Her mother patiently explained, and the girl kept glancing at Qin Feng. It was rare to see such a handsome parent. He was incredibly handsome, but he looked a bit stern.

Qin Feng pulled Lin Fan over. "You start class tomorrow. Let's go out to eat."

Lin Fan quickly grabbed her backpack and followed Qin Feng out.

There were many restaurants near the school. Qin Feng found one and handed Lin Fan the menu. His gaze was heavy, staring at Lin Fan. After ordering, she looked up. "What are you looking at?"

"It's easy to have conflicts with others in the dorm. If you get into trouble, who will help you?"

"I won't get into conflicts with others."

Qin Feng wanted to persuade her to stay home, but seeing her determination, he said, "Then you must come home on weekends and call me at least once a day. Eat on time. If the cafeteria food is bad, eat outside. I can bring you food if needed."

"We'll see."

Qin Feng handed her a cafeteria card. "I put some money on it for you. Pick the good food."

Lin Fan nodded. "Okay."

When the dishes arrived, Qin Feng served her some soup. "Don't talk too much with the boys."

Lin Fan focused on eating. "Okay."

She was too young, and there were many temptations. Although she hadn't seen any good-looking boys during registration, she was still worried.

"Drink the soup."

Lin Fan drank the soup and looked up. "You should eat too. Oh, and smoke less."

Qin Feng gave her some meat, feeling that dating a young girl had its downsides. "It's okay if you don't get along with your classmates. Just ignore them. If you have any issues, call me. You have someone to back you up; don't suffer."

"Any news about Ouyang Yu?" Lin Fan asked, changing the topic.

"No."

Qin Feng suspected Ouyang Yu was dead.

"Have they identified the seven skeletons?"

"Not yet."

"One of them is my mom, but I still don't understand how my dad was there. He died in Jiangcheng, and I cremated him."

"Liu Song mentioned that the setup is a Yin Sha, which is very harmful to the homeowner. All descendants would die tragically. Maybe that's why he stayed in your old home? Too much resentment?"

Lin Fan frowned. "Yin Sha?"

"Yes."

"Why would my grandmother set up something so malicious?" Lin Fan asked.

"Maybe Ouyang Yu deceived her into thinking it was good for your family," Qin Feng replied.

Another possibility was that Meng Jiu’s daughter had died, leaving Lin Fan as the only descendant. To protect Lin Fan, Meng Jiu might have sacrificed Lin Chengwei. Though Lin Chengwei wasn’t related by blood, he was included in their family tree.

Qin Feng said, "Your past life might have been affected by this setup. The Yin Sha is vicious. Even someone like your father, who wasn’t related by blood, was affected. Imagine the impact on you, living in that environment."

Lin Fan swallowed her rice and drank some soup. "What does Ouyang Yu want?"

You. Qin Feng didn’t say the word out loud. Instead, he refilled her soup bowl. "Eat up. Ouyang Yu hasn’t been caught yet, so be cautious. Living outside, without me around, take care of yourself."

Lin Fan looked up. "Then I’ll go back home."

Qin Feng responded, "Alright, I’ll pack your things."

Lin Fan gave a dry laugh. "I was joking."

After finishing the meal, Qin Feng dropped Lin Fan back at school. He leaned against his car at the school gate and smoked a cigarette before driving away, feeling a sense of emptiness.

His mother called him. Qin Feng answered, "Mom."

"Where’s Fan Fan?" she asked.

"Sent her to school. She’s staying in the dorm."

His mother sighed. "So you’re alone again? Poor lonely old man. With so many young boys at school, your old self might not be as attractive. If Fan Fan leaves you, you’ll be even more miserable."

Qin Feng: "..."

"Come home tonight. It’s not easy being alone."

"Then—" Qin Feng started.

"Oh, and bring a watermelon. Your dad wants some, and I don’t feel like going downstairs."

Such a loving mother!

---

In Jiangcheng, November had already ushered in early winter. Lin Xiu, dressed in a down jacket, rushed into the hospital carrying breakfast, heading straight for the elevator. The sudden warmth made her skin tingle. Rubbing her face, she moved closer to wait for the elevator, watching the minutes tick by as the elevator stayed stuck.

The hospital had originally installed two elevators, but one had always been out of service. Ever since Lin Xiu had started working there, the second elevator had never been operational. She stomped her feet, checking the time and realizing she was about to be late, so she took the stairs. Her workplace was on the tenth floor. By the time she reached the third floor, she went out to try her luck with the elevator again, but luck wasn’t on her side. She continued up the stairs, believing that each step would help her lose weight, until she reached the seventh floor. There were no lights in the stairwell, just sunlight streaming in through the windows. The floor seemed to have blood on it.

Puzzled, she continued upward, finding more blood as she went. The blood had started to congeal. When she reached the eighth-floor landing, she saw a woman lying on the ground. The woman's upper clothes were torn off, her pale skin glaring in the sunlight, and there was a gaping hole in her chest, blood flowing out of her.

Lin Xiu recoiled, grabbing the handrail for support. Despite having seen many patients and corpses, the gruesome scene still made her scalp tingle. Her lips trembled, and she let out a piercing scream that echoed through the stairwell.