Chapter 36: Delivering a Gift Upstairs, Meeting Xu Xin Again

Chapter 36: Delivering a Gift Upstairs, Meeting Xu Xin Again

The Mother's gaze at Ji Yan was tender, yet her tone carried a sharp, murderous edge.

"Child, if only one could live between your mother and your grandmother, and the knife is in your hand, who would you stab?"

Danger!!

Hearing this Death Question, Ji Yan immediately felt a headache coming on.

But one must be tactful—know what to say to whom.

Pretending to struggle briefly with the dilemma, Ji Yan answered earnestly, "If there really is no other choice, I would save my mother."

The Mother's smile widened at his words.

"So, my good son, you wouldn’t hesitate to stab that old hag of a grandmother to death, right?"

Ji Yan found it difficult to speak, wary of verbal traps or hidden Danger Zones, so he simply nodded in silent agreement.

He quickly changed the subject. "Does Mother have any plans for me today?"

"Mommy is in a very good mood. Just take this box upstairs for me."

"She’s one of Mommy’s Good Sisters. Remember to be sweet with your words—she lives on the 8th Floor. If you get along well, few in this apartment will dare touch you in the future."

The Mother smiled as she handed him an exquisite box.

Clearly, this Mission from the Mother was purely a favor.

At the mention of "Good Sisters" and "8th Floor," Ji Yan’s heart skipped a beat.

He tentatively asked, "It’s not Room 801, is it?"

The Mother looked surprised. "Oh? Have you met that Elder Sister already?"

"Isn’t she beautiful? You haven’t fallen head over heels for her, have you?"

"..."

Ji Yan forced a hollow smile.

"Actually, she really did ‘enchant’ me."

Looking at the box in his hand, Ji Yan’s expression turned as uncomfortable as if he were constipated.

The Landlord had warned him to keep his distance from that woman named Xu Xin, but now, maintaining that distance was outright impossible!

"What’s inside this box?"

"Just some skincare products."

"In this apartment, Mommy and your Sister Xu are the only Good Sisters. We share everything with each other."

The Mother rested her chin on her hand, smiling meaningfully at Ji Yan. "My son is so charming—maybe you can even win her over and make her Mommy’s daughter-in-law."

"Mother sure knows how to joke."

Ji Yan laughed along, though his smile was strained.

"Mother, I’ll go take care of this now."

With no desire to continue the conversation, Ji Yan excused himself and left the room.

As Ji Yan departed, the Supernatural Entity Mother turned her gaze back to the gray, lifeless world outside the window.

Her smile faded.

After a long pause, she muttered coldly, "Hmph, so that woman met him first..."

"Has she set her sights on my son?"

---

Outside the room, Ji Yan weighed the box in his hand.

It was light.

But unease gnawed at him.

"Just a coincidence?"

"Or is this another scheme targeting me?"

He couldn’t help but think this way—that woman, Xu Xin, was the most cunning, scheming person he’d ever met!

He carefully ran his hands over the box.

The Hidden Information Panel suddenly appeared:

[Good Sisters? In this blood-soaked apartment built from flesh and bone, such a fantastical notion doesn’t exist. Only filthy deals remain.]

[As for what kind of deal... care to guess if this box really contains skincare products?]

"Right, this feels more like it."

"What kind of sisterly bond exists in the Eerie World? Even a dog wouldn’t believe that!"

But Ji Yan couldn’t help grinding his teeth.

Another riddle?

Does this Talent have to speak in riddles every single day, or else it feels uncomfortable?

He thought piecing together two Talent Fragments would eliminate this flaw, but it seems the bad habit remains.

Over at Grandmother’s room, there was no sign of the door opening—Liu Yitong was still in the middle of receiving her mission.

Ji Yan didn’t pay it much mind and headed out to complete his task.

Soon, Ji Yan arrived on the 8th floor.

In the corridor, he ran into the Bandaged Supernatural Entity again—the Landlord’s assistant, the apartment manager.

Its body was still wrapped in layers of blood-stained bandages, looking at a glance like a walking mummy.

It stood in front of Room 804, holding a report form.

Then it closed the door and sealed it shut.

"Residents of Room 804: A domestic bloodbath occurred. The drunken father killed his wife and son before slitting his own throat. The adopted daughter has been taken in by Miss Xu from Room 801."

Ji Yan listened, rubbing his nose but saying nothing.

The Bandaged Supernatural Entity, however, noticed Ji Yan and closed the report. "I didn’t expect you to actually survive."

"The Landlord mentioned you to me once. Not many outsider tenants earn a word of praise from the Old Man."

Ji Yan curled his lip, not considering it much of an honor. That old geezer was a sly one too. "How did he praise me?"

"He said you’re a child blessed by the Goddess of Luck, always turning calamity into fortune. He hopes such favor will extend to the apartment as well."

"...What a wonderful compliment from the Old Man."

After exchanging a few perfunctory words, Ji Yan stepped past the Bandaged Supernatural Entity and knocked on the door of Room 804.

The door opened—but it wasn’t Xu Xin who answered. Instead, it was Zhong Yi, the elder twin sister from last night.

"Why you?"

They spoke simultaneously.

Zhong Yi paused, then continued, "My mission today involves Room 804. I came to interact."

Ji Yan stared at her. "What a coincidence. So does mine."

"Tell me, how can things align so perfectly?"

Ji Yan’s retort made it clear—even a fool could see something was off.

This elder twin sister wasn’t as simple and honest as she appeared.

Some of what she said last night was clearly mixed with lies.

Zhong Yi stepped aside, avoiding his gaze. "You should focus on your mission."

With that, she slipped away.

Ji Yan swept a glance around before stepping inside.

Just like at night, the living room showed no sign of Xu Xin—only the faint swaying of a nightgown.

The difference was, there was now a girl in white sitting on the sofa.

She was completely absorbed in the TV, though the screen displayed nothing but static snow.

"Xi Xi?" Ji Yan recognized the Ghostly Child at first glance.

Now, she was nothing like the filthy, mucus-covered entity from last night.

Though she had indirectly saved him, the memory of her tearing off her own mother’s head still sent chills down his spine.

Xi Xi didn’t turn her head, her attention entirely on the TV as she muttered to herself, "So tragic. They’re all dead."

It was unclear whether she was talking about the TV or herself.

A sudden coldness crept up his back. Ji Yan turned his head—and there it was. That familiar, beautiful face.

But perhaps it was just his imagination—Ji Yan couldn't shake the feeling that Xu Xin's body seemed more transparent and unreal today than usual.

"What's the matter? We only said goodbye last night, and here you are again today."

"Could it be that you've grown infatuated with your elder sister?"

Xu Xin's tall figure leaned slightly forward, her smile carrying an ambiguous meaning.

"Miss Xu, Mother asked me to deliver this to you."

Ji Yan held out the delicate box in his hand, forcing a stiff smile.

Xu Xin didn’t take it. Instead, she asked, "Did your mother tell you what’s inside?"

Ji Yan shook his head. "No, and I’d rather not know."

"Open it for me. I’m actually quite curious myself."

"Your mother can be quite mischievous sometimes—always sending up little pranks to scare me."

Xu Xin gestured for him to open it. Ji Yan hesitated for a moment before slowly lifting the lid.

When he saw what was inside, his expression faltered slightly.

"This…"