Chapter 10: Sorrow Cannot Be Replaced

When Old Ma's eyes met Xia Wuyou’s, a sudden wave of terror swept over his entire face.

"You... who are you...?" he stammered, his eyes bloodshot with fear, his lips trembling as he forced out the question.

Xia Wuyou, hearing his voice, looked over at him. Her excitement instantly drained away, leaving her face ashen white the moment she saw his face.

It was as if she had seen something terrifying—she darted behind Su Tianmu, trembling with fright.

"What’s wrong?" Su Tianmu asked, though he already knew the answer.

Xia Wuyou herself didn’t know what was happening. She couldn’t understand the source of this paralyzing fear that emanated from the man before her. Yet the terror was irresistible—so real it grew stronger by the second, until she could barely catch her breath.

Her face paled further, and as the suffocating sensation intensified, she clawed desperately at her own neck, as if trying to tear away whatever invisible force was strangling her.

Meanwhile, Old Ma had yet to recover from his own shock. He averted his eyes, hoping to escape as quickly as possible. Without a word, he turned to leave, desperate to flee this place.

"Old Ma, I’m sorry, but my friend isn’t feeling well. Could we rest here for a while?" Su Tianmu asked. He had wanted Xia Wuyou to help confirm his suspicions, but he hadn’t anticipated such a violent reaction from her. Clearly, the remnant spiritual consciousness lingering within Xia Wuyou had not fully dissipated—and it was responding strongly to Old Ma.

Xia Wuyou now understood Su Tianmu’s intention. When he had messaged her, he’d only said she should come pick him up.

"Are you alright? Can you hold on?" Su Tianmu turned and asked her quietly.

"I’ll manage," Xia Wuyou replied with effort. Now that she understood the situation, she was better prepared and looked much steadier than when she’d first arrived.

Old Ma was clearly reluctant but had no reason to refuse. He turned his head away, avoiding Xia Wuyou’s gaze as much as possible. "Fine. Come with me," he muttered.

Su Tianmu, who had just left the villa, now led Xia Wuyou back inside. Worried she might have further unexpected reactions to Xu Kexin’s former residence, he gripped her hand tightly, unwilling to let her face those overwhelming emotions alone.

"I think there’s something wrong with this man," Xia Wuyou whispered, clutching Su Tianmu’s hand. "Just now, I felt an overwhelming fear toward him. If my intuition is right, he’s the one who kidnapped and killed Xu Kexin!"

"I know. That’s why I asked you to help. I’m sorry I didn’t warn you in advance and scared you," Su Tianmu apologized, feeling both guilty and concerned. "When we get back, I’ll treat you to a big meal."

Xia Wuyou shot him a glare, only now realizing she’d been tricked. She’d spent the whole time overly excited, thinking Su Tianmu had invited her out on a date.

Never mind, business first. She’d settle this score later.

Old Ma led them to a secluded wing, which appeared to be a guest house. The estate was vast, and this building stood at some distance from the main house, separated by trees and flowerbeds. It felt like an independent space.

"Captain Su, you can rest here," Old Ma said, not meeting their eyes and making to leave at once.

Su Tianmu reached out, grabbing Old Ma before he could slip away. He wasn’t about to let such a good opportunity pass.

"Wait, I still have a few questions I need to confirm with you."

He glanced back at Xia Wuyou, who was already searching the "familiar surroundings" for clues.

As they’d walked through the villa, the spiritual residue clinging to Xia Wuyou had grown stronger and more agitated.

The fragments of the vengeful spirit seemed to gather from all directions, forming a concentrated, powerful consciousness in that familiar place.

Suddenly, "she" saw the pile of construction materials stacked haphazardly in the yard outside the guest house, and Xia Wuyou’s whole body began to tremble.

There was a heap of electrical wiring and hardware—leftovers from recent repairs after old circuits in the villa had posed several safety hazards. Old Ma had hired workers to redo all the wiring, but the surplus materials hadn’t yet been cleared away.

In a flash, Xia Wuyou darted into the yard like a bolt of lightning, as if propelled by some unseen force.

"She... she...!" Old Ma stammered, frozen in terror at the sight, unable to move.

Even Su Tianmu was startled. Until now, Xia Wuyou could only see things others couldn’t—but this time was different. She had lent her very body to "her."

Xia Wuyou became like another person, moving lightly toward the pile of scrap. She crouched down, searching for something among the debris.

Suddenly, she drew out a long length of electrical wire and, standing up, walked back toward the house.

Old Ma was so pale, he looked as though all the blood had drained from his face—anyone who didn’t know better would think he’d just been splattered with white paint.

"Xia Wuyou," or rather the spirit within her, stood before Old Ma, her eyes vacant and unfocused. Without a word, she lifted the wire and began winding it around her neck, one loop after another.

"What are you doing?" Old Ma cried, voice trembling, reaching out a shaking hand to stop her.

"Help me, Uncle Ma...!" A little girl’s voice suddenly spoke from Xia Wuyou’s lips. As she spoke, her hands moved faster, wrapping the wire ever tighter around her throat.

Hearing that young girl’s voice and watching her strangle herself with the wire, Old Ma broke down completely.

He fell to his knees, sobbing uncontrollably. "Stop! Please, stop, child, I beg you! It’s my fault! I didn’t mean to! Please, stop!"

He knelt before Xia Wuyou, his whole body collapsing onto the ground in despair.

Seeing this, Su Tianmu rushed forward in alarm, grabbing Xia Wuyou and restraining her hands with all his strength.

No one knew how much time passed before calm was restored.

Old Ma now sat with his head bowed, his face etched with grief. He might not have fully understood what had just happened, but he knew he could no longer hide the truth. Perhaps his own conscience would not allow him to bear the weight of his guilt any longer.

"It was hatred," he finally said.

"My daughter was ill for a long time. I used to ask for leave from my boss because of her illness, but I never let my work fall behind. Still, he couldn’t understand my situation. Every time I asked, I did so in fear, and he always made it clear he didn’t want to let me go."

Now, Old Ma seemed much calmer, as if he had finally laid down a heavy burden.

"Last time, my daughter was critically ill in the hospital. But because the villa’s wiring failed, Xu Li demanded I come back to fix it. I told him how dangerous my daughter’s condition was, but he wouldn’t listen..."

At this, his composure broke and he began to weep again.

"It was my own weakness for not refusing! I thought stepping away for a moment wouldn’t matter—but who could have known... I didn’t even get to see my daughter one last time!"

Su Tianmu looked at the devastated man before him, unsure how to comfort him.

"But that’s not a reason to commit murder," he said quietly.

"I never meant to hurt Xinxin. I just wanted Xu Li to taste the pain of losing a child, to frighten him a little! I never thought he would actually call the police. In my panic, I made a terrible mistake!"

Su Tianmu gazed at him, unsure whether to pity him or not.

Perhaps Xu Li would never realize that it was his own character that brought about his daughter's death.