The ancient return was exposed by his sister's live stream.

Actually, he only finished carving this jade pendant this afternoon. It wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision; it was something he had prepared long ago. The last time Song Xinxue came to deliver fruit, he noticed that she didn't have any protective gear on her.

A young woman struggling alone in an unfamiliar city always needs some protection. Later, the winner gave her imperial jadeite, and he kept the scraps to carve a few amulets to give to those around him.

The incident with those two spirits today confirmed his judgment. Someone was after her, and their methods were underhanded.

This jade pendant is engraved with a magic array that can ward off evil, avert disasters, and reflect back any spells cast against the wearer. No matter what methods the opponent uses, they will be deflected back.

"Don't take off this jade pendant while wearing it," he instructed.

Song Xinxue nodded, hung the jade pendant around her neck, and placed it close to her body. The jade pendant was warm against her chest, as if a warm hand was gently warming it.

Chen Siyao brought out a bowl of cooked fish ball soup from the kitchen and invited everyone to sit down and eat. The fish balls were white and tender, the soup was clear, and it was sprinkled with chopped green onions, giving it a fragrant aroma.

"Delicious!" Chen Siyao took a bite, her eyes narrowing. "It tastes just like the ones my grandma used to make!"

Yang Wanqing also ate one and nodded repeatedly, "So fresh! It tastes so much better than what you buy outside!"

Watching them enjoy their meal, Song Xinxue felt a warmth in her heart. This was probably why she liked coming to this home.

It wasn't because of that person, although that was partly true. It was more because this home was warm, full of life, and filled with laughter. Unlike her rented room, which was cold and empty, where even her breath echoed when she was alone.

She lowered her head and took a sip of the soup; it was so delicious it made her eyebrows practically fly off.

Chen Hao sat opposite her, eating quietly. He glanced at the red string peeking out from around Song Xinxue's neck, a look of relief flashing in his eyes.

Fan Hai's apartment is located on the 18th floor of Building D.

Fan Hai sat on the ground, facing the evil statue and the extinguished oil lamp. He waited a long time, but nothing happened. The two "little devils" hadn't returned after they left. He sent Song Xinxue a message, but received no reply. He called, but her phone was off.

He waited another hour, finally losing his patience. He pulled out a small booklet—a book of sorcery he'd gotten from that charlatan years ago—and wanted to see if he'd made a mistake somewhere.

When he turned to the page with the incantation, he suddenly noticed a line of small print at the bottom that he hadn't seen before.

"Backlash of spells: If the target possesses a protective artifact or has an exceptionally strong destiny, the imp will suffer a backlash, and the caster will also be harmed."

Fan Hai's face changed instantly. He tried to stand up, but suddenly felt as if something heavy had hit his chest, and he fell backward, hitting the floor with the back of his head. The pain made him see stars. He opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out.

A chilling aura spread from his chest to his limbs, as if something was rampaging through his body.

He tried to get up, but his limbs wouldn't obey him. He could only lie on the ground, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling, watching the halo of light cast on the ceiling slowly turn into a distorted vortex.

He didn't know how much time had passed before the icy chill finally dissipated. He collapsed to the ground, drenched in sweat as if he had been pulled from the water. He gasped for breath and it took him a long time to finally manage to sit up.

He glanced down at his chest—there was nothing there. But he would never forget the feeling of something burrowing into his body.

He leaned against the wall to stand up, his legs still weak. He walked to the mirror and looked at his reflection. His face was pale, his eyes sunken, and his lips were purple, as if he had just recovered from a serious illness. Staring at himself in the mirror, he suddenly noticed a thin red line at the corner of his left eye, extending from the corner all the way to his temple.

He reached out and touched it; it didn't hurt, but the line was warm.

Fan Hai stood in front of the mirror, staring at the red line for a long time. Then he smiled, a soft, cold smile. "Song Xinxue, you wait. No matter who's behind you, I'm going to get you."

On a weekend morning, sunlight streamed into the living room through the French windows. Yuehen lay sprawled on the carpet, paws in the air, fast asleep like a ball of fluff. Chen Hao sat on the sofa, holding the ancient version of the *Classic of Mountains and Seas*, flipping to the page about the three-legged golden crow, and lingered there for a long time.

Chen Siyao ran down from the second floor, wearing a white T-shirt and light blue jeans, her hair tied in a high ponytail, radiating youthful energy. She ran up to Chen Hao and snatched the book from his hand.

"Brother, you're reading again! How many days have you been reading like this? You'll get moldy if you don't go out soon!"

Chen Hao looked up at her helplessly: "Where are we going?"

"Brother! You've been cooped up at home for three days! If you stay any longer, you'll grow mushrooms and get moldy!" She put her hands on her hips, puffed out her cheeks, and looked fierce, as if to say, "If you don't come out, I'm going to hit you."

Chen Hao rubbed his temples, his tone both helpless and indulgent: "It's nice to be at home in peace and quiet."

"What's so great about it!" Yang Wanqing chimed in, waving a phone that displayed a poster for a new product launch at a shopping mall. "Look at you! Your closet is full of plain black, gray, and white clothes. It's so dull!"

"You have to come out with us today, we'll go to the mall and buy you some trendy outfits!"

She paused, lowered her voice, and winked, "Besides, I heard that a new claw machine arcade opened in that mall, full of the latest celebrity-style plush toys. Yao Yao has been wanting to go for a while, and while she's at it, she'll give you a makeover, transforming you from a 'stay-at-home magician' into a 'supermodel'!"

Chen Hao tried to refuse, but Chen Siyao grabbed him and pulled him up, throwing on her coat: "Shopping! Buying clothes! Forget it, the itinerary is all planned out for you, it's all about being out and about! Let's go!"

Chen Siyao said matter-of-factly, "Look at you, you only have a few clothes in your closet. Qingqing and I will take you to buy some nice clothes today!"

Yang Wanqing, wearing a floral dress and with her hair down, smiled and chimed in, "Yeah, Brother Chen Hao, you're so handsome, it's a shame you don't dress up. Besides, you stay home all day, Yuehen is getting paler than you."

When Yuehen heard her name called, she looked up at them, then lay back down and continued sleeping.

Chen Hao looked at the two girls, who were as excited as if they were going on a spring outing, and sighed helplessly: "Fine."

Chen Siyao cheered and ran to get her bag. Yang Wanqing squatted down and ruffled Yuehen's hair: "Yuehen, be a good girl and watch the house. I'll bring you something delicious when I come back."