That night, after a day of recording, Nan Xian was so tired that her back ached, so she washed up early and went to bed.

Gazing at the flickering candlelight by her bedside, her drowsiness suddenly vanished for some reason, and she stared blankly into space.

She thought of the strange events that had happened recently, of the black snake, of Yu Lin, and of He Mingxiao's weak appearance during the day...

Nan Xian blinked, and subconsciously raised her hand to touch her chest, but found nothing.

Yes, the jade pendant is broken...

etc!

She sat up abruptly in bed and slapped her forehead in frustration.

She's been so busy these past few days that she completely forgot to tell [.h] about the jade pendant!

Although he said he was giving it to me, I could never really accept it. I always just considered it a loan, but I never expected that such a thing would happen.

Regardless, the jade pendant was a kind gesture from [.h]. Although she didn't break it intentionally, the root cause of the breakage was still herself, and Nan Xian felt very guilty and uneasy.

How should I begin to explain?

How will he react?

After much deliberation, she finally told him the whole story about the fox jade pendant breaking.

This was also the first time she had told someone about her dream.

Perhaps because they are separated by the internet and their understanding of each other is limited, and because she wears a facade, she doesn't need to worry about her public figure status attracting trouble—

She was finally able to pour out all the fear and anxiety that had been buried deep in her heart.

She started by recounting her first dream of a black snake, and continued until the day she experienced near-death by sleep paralysis.

After reading the [.h] text, I was silent for a moment, then sent a message saying "Wait a moment".

Nan Xian had considered many possible responses, but she was surprised by his reaction and was slightly taken aback.

She replied with an "OK," and then continued to wait anxiously.

A little while later, the other side sent a picture.

Lengquan Village is located in a remote area, and the village's network is not very good. Nan Xian clicked on the picture and watched it slowly load.

98%, 99%...

The moment the image appeared before her eyes, Nan Xian was horrified. Her hands trembled violently, and she almost threw her phone away.

On the screen, a snake with eerie green eyes and a jet-black body was coiled up, its head slightly raised, its forked tongue as red as blood.

At first glance, it looked almost exactly like the black snake in her dream.

That's why she was so frightened just now—it's no wonder she was startled to see the culprit who almost killed her!

Nan Xian calmed herself down and looked at the picture again.

Upon closer inspection, she discovered some clues and couldn't help but exclaim in surprise—it turned out to be a painting!

With bold strokes and delicate touches, the figures are lifelike and vivid.

She searched the painting but couldn't find a signature, which puzzled her. She didn't know who the artist was, but the painting skills were so exquisite that the artist must not be an ordinary person. Moreover, she had never seen the material of the paper before, and it looked like an old object that had been around for quite some time. Why was it that even the artist's name could not be left?

She exited the image and saw that [.h] had sent another message immediately afterward.

[.h: Look at this, isn't it similar to the black snake you dreamed about?]

Nan Xian replied: [At first glance, it looks quite similar, but the snake you posted looks very small. The black snake in my dream was enormous; if it stood upright, it might be as tall as a four- or five-story building, and it looked much fiercer than this.]

After she finished sending the message, she suddenly remembered something, her eyes lit up, and she quickly added: "Oh right, I remember once when it was chasing me, I glanced back and saw a long, vertical scar on its body that almost ran across its entire abdomen."

He Mingxiao, on the other end of the phone, frowned almost imperceptibly after seeing those words.

He put down his phone and turned his gaze to the computer.

A video call was running on the computer, and an elderly woman, nearly seventy years old, was sitting on the other end.

Her hair was completely white, as if covered with a layer of frost, her face was etched with wrinkles, and her large eyes had sunken deeply.

Although he looked old, he was still very energetic, with bright, dark eyes that occasionally revealed a shrewd glint.

He Mingxiao relayed Nan Xian's words to the old lady.

Upon hearing this, she narrowed her eyes and pondered for a moment. Suddenly, she thought of something, her expression changed slightly, and she immediately called over the servant boy to bring the tortoise shell.

He Mingxiao saw her kneeling on the ground, muttering incantations, and devoutly bowing several times in a certain direction before throwing the tortoise shell she was holding onto the ground.

She bent down and picked up the tortoise shell with her old, rough fingers. She closed her eyes slightly and muttered something to herself as she stroked the shell.

Suddenly, she sprang up as if she had been electrocuted, staring wide-eyed at the air, her lips moving but no sound coming out.

As He Mingxiao watched this scene, his brows furrowed into a deep frown.

Even though it was his first time experiencing divination, he could tell that this was not a good omen.

Sure enough, in the video, the old lady trembled again, then collapsed to the ground like a deflated balloon, clutching her chest and coughing violently, making a huge commotion as if she were coughing up her lungs.

The boy rushed over upon hearing the noise. Seeing her pale face, he cried out in alarm and quickly took out a talisman from his sleeve and lit it.

The talisman was quickly engulfed by the flames, turned to ashes, and dissolved into a cup of warm water.

The boy helped the old woman and fed her the talisman water.

The old lady's complexion gradually returned to normal. She took a breath, walked in front of the camera, and shook her head at He Mingxiao.

"Extremely ferocious, extremely ferocious!" She repeated "extremely ferocious" twice, her eyes still revealing lingering fear. "That demon has cultivated for at least a thousand years and has gained some power. This old woman is powerless and can't do anything to it... But if we can get Master Mingji of Faqing Temple to help, perhaps there is still a way to solve it."

He Mingxiao's expression remained calm and composed. Upon hearing this, he simply nodded slightly, said "Thank you for your hard work," and then hung up the call.

[.h] hadn't replied to the message yet, and Nan Xian waited and waited, gradually becoming sleepy. Just as she was drifting off to sleep, she suddenly heard a knock on the door.

She immediately came to her senses, puzzled: Who would come looking for her so late?

Could it be... that "mop spirit"?

The thought of this possibility filled her with joy—

During a break in filming today, she went up the back mountain alone and searched almost the entire mountain, but she still couldn't find the big tree that moved that night.

She called out in the mountains for a long time, but the "mop spirit" seemed to have vanished and did not appear.

If the animal skin painting hadn't been still safely stored in her suitcase, Nan Xian would have thought that the magical experience that night was just a dream.

She quickly put on her coat, not even bothering to put on her shoes properly, and hopped on one foot to open the door.

The person standing at the door was not the one she was expecting.

Looking at He Mingxiao, Nan Xian's smile quickly faded.

What are you doing here?

He Mingxiao's gaze fell on her bare left foot, and his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

He looked up and met her gaze, his expression very serious.

"I'll sleep with you."