Shooting dolls is a kind of witchcraft. Shi Mu had only seen it in palace fighting dramas. She never expected that in this modern, technologically advanced society, such sorcery would happen to her.
Enduring the pain, she used her fingertips to fumble with the phone, closed her eyes, and whispered, "I'm fine. Take good care of Lingling."
Shi Mu ended the call abruptly, fearing that Xia Hang on the other end might sense something was wrong.
She tried to get up from the ground but couldn't move.
Footsteps echoed outside, coming closer and closer. With great effort, she lifted her neck. In her blurred vision, she saw Fu Yunshen walking slowly toward her.
The living room reeked of blood. When the young man saw Shi Mu lying on the floor—her clothes torn, her body covered in wounds—his pupils contracted sharply. He dropped everything and rushed over to lift her.
"Fu Yunshen, you're back…" she murmured, like a dying insect clinging to her last breath.
"Yeah," Fu Yunshen replied, picking up the phone with his beautiful fingers and dialing the emergency number.
Shi Mu raised her hand to grasp his, a fierce light burning in her eyes. She said in a hoarse but steady voice, "Take me back to the Shi family."
Fu Yunshen's eyes darkened. Without another word, he hung up the call and carried her on his back.
Outside, the evening was warm. A leaf from the locust tree at the entrance had turned yellow.
Autumn had arrived.
As she lay on his back, the boy's scent comforted her. Shi Mu tightened her arms around Fu Yunshen's neck, buried her face into his shoulder, and inhaled his unique fragrance greedily. Her wounds hurt. Her heart ached with such intensity that she went numb. She couldn't even cry.
"Fu Yunshen, they want me dead…" Shi Mu couldn't understand. They were her blood relatives. Why would they do this? She had already severed ties with the family. She didn't even want revenge. Yet her act of fleeing was deemed cowardice and gave them an excuse to hurt her without restraint.
Shi Mu bit her lip, almost drawing blood.
They soon arrived at the Shi household. Black cloths draped the entrance. Several wreaths lay inside. Shi Mu looked up at the house with a blank expression.
Fu Yunshen set her down, preparing to support her, but Shi Mu held up a hand to stop him. "Wait for me here. I'll go in alone."
The young man frowned. As if he hadn't heard her, he just held her hand tightly.