Volume One, Chapter Six: Could It Be Haunted?

Pei Yuan looked at her; this woman was becoming increasingly alluring. No wonder Ji Junxiao was utterly bewitched by her. The thought that she had slept with Ji Junxiao left a bitter taste in his mouth.

“Ranran, I know you've been wronged during this time. When I marry you, I will cherish you,” he promised.

Trusting a scoundrel’s words was even less reliable than believing in ghosts!

Lin Ranran smiled sweetly. “Cousin, I will be sure to ‘cherish’ you as well.”

She turned to leave. Just as she stepped out of the room, she heard Pei Yuan muttering behind her, “Head-over-heels fool—does she really think I care that much? If marrying her wouldn’t infuriate Ji Junxiao, would I bother? Damn it, worthless woman, what a waste.”

Lin Ranran paused, a glint of coldness flashing in her eyes.

Wait and see, you scoundrel. I’ll clean your house out!

Meanwhile, Lin Su'e was squatting on the floor, sorting through an old trunk and pulling out handfuls of gold and silver jewelry.

As Lin Ranran entered, her eyes were immediately drawn to her aunt’s trunk. The Pei family’s collection of gold and jewels seemed quite impressive—most of which, she suspected, were ill-gotten gains.

“Ranran, everything you’ve given me is here,” Lin Su'e said, bundling the items into a cloth and reminding her, “You must come get these back as soon as possible.”

“Don’t worry,” Lin Ranran replied with a smile.

Then, taking advantage of her aunt’s distraction, she focused her thoughts and instantly stored the trunk away in her own hidden space.

Afterwards, she strolled around the room, pretending to look about, and repeated the trick, storing away several more valuable pieces of furniture.

These things could fetch a nice price if sold as secondhand goods.

With that in mind, she took everything valuable into her space.

Lin Su'e stared, dumbfounded, as the house suddenly emptied out. “Am I seeing things? The coffee table, the desk, the chairs—where have they all gone? Ranran—Ranran—”

Lin Ranran approached with concern. “Auntie, what’s wrong?”

Breathing rapidly, Lin Su'e’s trembling finger pointed at the empty spots where the furniture once stood, her voice rising, “Ranran, the things in our house—they’re gone!”

“What do you mean, gone?” Lin Ranran played dumb.

“My trunk! The one with the jewelry and the family’s savings books!” Lin Su'e panicked, dashing to her room.

She burst inside, her desperate eyes sweeping the familiar corners. But the trunk holding the family’s entire wealth had vanished without a trace.

“No, no, I must be imagining things. Ranran, tell me the trunk is still here, please?”

Lin Su'e’s voice cracked with tears as she leaned weakly on Lin Ranran, who had followed her in.

Lin Ranran said, “Oh, Auntie, the trunk really is gone. But we didn’t hear a sound, and no one came inside.”

Lin Su'e’s legs buckled at that, and she mumbled over and over, “No, no, this must be a hallucination, it has to be!”

She simply couldn’t believe that such a large trunk could disappear right under her nose without a trace. After all, this was the military compound, always heavily guarded. What kind of thief would dare to steal from here?

“Oh no, Auntie, the things you gave me—I just left them on the table,” Lin Ranran suddenly exclaimed, dashing toward the living room.

Lin Su'e, paying no mind to her shaky legs, stumbled after her.

“Auntie! The things are gone, even the table is missing. The five hundred yuan and grain coupons cousin gave me were in that bundle!”

Standing in the middle of the empty living room, Lin Ranran pretended to wipe her eyes.

“No, maybe you put the money and coupons in your pocket?” Lin Su'e asked hopefully.

Lin Ranran cooperatively turned out all her pockets and spread her hands. “No, Auntie. Isn’t this all too strange? Could it be that a ghost took the things?”

“Don’t talk nonsense in broad daylight!” Lin Su'e scolded quickly.

“But it’s just so odd. The living room is almost bare. It doesn’t make any sense.”

“Enough! Stop that,” Lin Su'e tried to compose herself, but her trembling hands betrayed her fear.

“Maybe these things weren’t exactly acquired honestly. That’s why the ghosts took them,” Lin Ranran suggested.

Lin Su'e drew a deep breath, forcing calm. “No, Ranran. Don’t imagine things. We must be mistaken. Hurry, call your uncle, have him come home. Report it to the police—yes, call the police at once.”

“We mustn’t call the police, Auntie!” Lin Ranran hurriedly grabbed her arm, her face full of concern. “If these things are of questionable origin, wouldn’t calling the police get the Pei family in trouble? That would be disastrous.”

Lin Su'e’s expression tightened, and she hesitated. “Then… let’s call your uncle first.”

At that moment, Pei Yuan, hearing the commotion downstairs, hobbled down the stairs.

Faced with the half-empty house, he was stunned. “Mom, what happened here?”

Lin Ranran hurried to his side. “Cousin, something’s wrong! There must be a ghost—things have vanished into thin air!”

Pei Yuan frowned. “Don’t talk nonsense in broad daylight.”

Is this lovesick fool afraid of ghosts? She must be saying this on purpose to try to get close to me.

Lin Su’e looked at her son with hope. “An’er, look carefully—are our things really gone?”

Pei Yuan surveyed the room and confirmed, “Mom, the house really is half-empty. Were you planning to replace the furniture?”

“It’s over… it’s all true…” Lin Su'e’s legs gave out, and she collapsed to the floor in despair.

When Pei Zhongmou heard something strange had happened at home, he rushed back, anxious.

Stepping inside to see the empty rooms, he froze, blurting out, “What’s happened here? Are you planning to redecorate?”

Lin Su'e burst into tears. “Husband, Ranran and I were home the whole time, but the furniture just vanished. Do you think someone is targeting us?”

Lin Ranran chimed in, “In broad daylight—it’s like seeing a ghost. Uncle, maybe we should get a priest to drive away the spirits. Maybe then the things will return.”

“Nonsense!” Pei Zhongmou snapped, his face darkening.

Lin Ranran pouted, muttering, “I’m not making it up. Auntie Zhang next door spent all last night driving out ghosts.”

“Husband, you have to do something,” Lin Su'e sobbed, clutching his arm.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, Pei Zhongmou’s face changed and he rushed to the bedroom.

“The trunk—where is it?” Pei Zhongmou’s voice was laced with a rare urgency.

“It… it’s gone,” Lin Su'e replied weakly, on the verge of despair.

Pei Zhongmou trembled with rage. The things hidden at the bottom of that trunk—if exposed—would bring ruin to the Pei family. But this, of all things, was the one truth he could never speak aloud.