Cooperate? My heart still pounded with lingering dread, and my gut churned with rage. If I had anything heavy in my hands, I would swing it and smash this creature—who kept shifting between Officer Wu and Hou Dayong—into unrecognizable pulp.

“What in the hell are you?” I managed to ask, trying to smother the towering inferno of anger in my chest.

“Don’t be so angry, okay? We’re old friends. We even had lunch together once. Have you forgotten?”

Ah, speaking of the past, I recalled the very first day of school. If this non-human, non-ghostly fellow hadn't invited me to his villa to look at stamps, I probably wouldn't have so many stories now. Ultimately, my sister’s and my current plight were all thanks to him.

“Every injustice has its source, and every debt has its creditor. Let’s settle things today. Why couldn't the Public Security Bureau trace you or Bai Huaqian? Why did the record show 'no such person,' and why did they send me to a mental institution?” I listed the recent events, preparing to demand clear answers from him.

“Hahahaha! Because we aren’t human in the first place, how could they possibly track us!” Hou Dayong (Well, Officer Wu’s identity has been settled; Hou Dayong is back in our narrative. Let’s just call him Hou Dayong from now on) chuckled, as if the disgusting incident just moments ago had never happened, and two old friends were simply catching up over old times.

Hearing that only fueled my fury. “My sister’s Gu poison, that was Bai Huaqian’s doing?”

Hou Dayong nodded, walked over to the cold storage unit, and leaned against the wall with one hand. “Didn’t you see her that night in Miao Village?”

“Where is my sister now?”

“She’s with Li Xiaoshu. He has abducted your sister.”

Abducted? The idea of Li Xiaoshu holding my sister hostage didn't entirely sit right with me. What was his motive? Li Xiaohao used the Gu poison because I could help him get the stamp album, holding my sister hostage to force my cooperation. What objective could Li Xiaoshu possibly have in kidnapping my sister? Neither my sister nor I held any value to him.

But if I said his disappearance had nothing to do with him, what evidence did I have? I couldn't produce any. The analysis had already been clear enough: my sister’s disappearance was inextricably linked to him.

Uncertain how to handle the current situation, I sat down on the floor, silent, lost in thought.

“It’s actually quite simple. As long as you both come with me to find Li Xiaoshu, I will help you rescue your sister from his clutches. You help me secure the item Xiaohao wants, and everything will be flawless.”

Making a pact with the devil always demands a hefty price. I felt the small vial tucked inside my clothing—I’d kept it close ever since Granny handed it to me. Once I find my sister, I will immediately administer the antidote. However, she was now miles away, and I had no idea when we might reunite.

Seeing my head bowed in silence, Wang Jue sat beside me and said, “Xiaoyu, we’ve been friends, and we’ve faced life and death together. I understand how you feel right now. No one else can grasp the deep bond of blood; whatever decision you make, I will support you.” I patted his shoulder and clasped his hands tightly.

My sister’s Gu poison was administered by Bai Huaqian. Although she was in Li Xiaoshu’s hands, the activation of the poison was still controlled by Li Xiaohao's side. If I wanted to clear my name in the feud between these two brothers, it seemed unlikely. Furthermore, Li Xiaoshu and my sister remained completely out of contact. If I refused him, I might never see my sister again; if I agreed, perhaps there would be room to maneuver after finding her.

Sigh, time cannot be reversed, and life has no rehearsals. Having come this far, I could only follow the flow of events and wait to see how things developed.