Zhou Jing rushed out of the dining room like a whirlwind carrying anger and resentment, the air she created seeming to carry a chill.
The moment she slammed the door and left, the dining room seemed to be frozen in place.
A deathly silence fell instantly. The lively atmosphere was stripped away completely, leaving only a desolate stillness.
On the dining table, a few dim yellow lamps emitted a faint and flickering light, as if they might go out at any moment.
The light shone weakly on the leftovers, revealing the food's faded appearance and the dried-up broth on the plate, a sad footnote to this unpleasant meal.
The air seemed to be frozen, heavy and stagnant, each breath like thick paste, tightly enveloping everyone's bodies, so oppressive that it felt as if a thousand-pound boulder was pressing on their chests, and each breath required great effort, as if pulling on heavy shackles, producing a dull sound.
Xia Xiong's face was as if covered by a layer of frost, his expression terrifyingly solemn.
His gaze slowly shifted from the doorway to the bowl and chopsticks in his hands.
Then, with a slow and deliberate yet ceremonial motion, he neatly placed the bowls and chopsticks on one side of the plate, each movement as if he had used all his strength.
After doing all this, he raised his head, his eyes sharp as an eagle's, staring straight at Xia Wan as if trying to see through her.
His voice was deep and hoarse, as if squeezed from the depths of his throat, yet it carried an innate and unquestionable authority: "Wanwan, do you know something?"
In Xia Xiong's mind, the scene from just now kept replaying like a movie. Every word Xia Wan said, seemingly casual, was actually full of hidden meaning; each word was like a sharp hook, tugging at everyone's nerves.
Adding to the strangeness of Zhou Jing's reaction—first panicking, then fleeing in haste—this series of actions was too suspicious. The seasoned Xia Xiong instinctively sensed that there must be a huge secret hidden behind it, and Xia Wan was likely the key figure who knew the truth.
When Xia Wan heard her grandfather's question, her heart skipped a beat, as if an invisible hand had suddenly gripped her heart, making her gasp for breath.
Her mind raced, but her first thought was that she absolutely could not reveal the existence of the system.
The moment this idea appeared, it stood like an unbreakable barrier in her mind.
After all, a system, something beyond common sense, sounds utterly absurd. To outsiders, it's nothing short of a fantasy, and anyone who hears it would think she's mentally deranged.
In her panic, Xia Wan's eyes involuntarily turned to her father, Xia Jianguo.
His eyes were filled with anxiety and helplessness, like a fawn trapped in a hunter's snare, trembling in the darkness, desperately searching for a glimmer of hope to escape.
Her lips trembled slightly, yet she pressed them tightly together, afraid that she might accidentally reveal the unspeakable secret.
Xia Jianguo had been secretly watching his daughter's movements. The moment Xia Wan's eyes met his, he understood the deeper meaning behind her distress signal.
He leaned forward slightly and coughed lightly, trying to break the suffocating tension with the sound.
At the same time, his brain was like a high-speed machine, rapidly organizing language.
He knew all too well that this topic was too sensitive, and that the slightest misstep could lead to even greater chaos.
After careful consideration, Xia Jianguo slowly spoke, his voice not loud, but it was heard very clearly in the quiet dining room.
His tone carried a clear hesitation, as if even he himself was unsure whether he should say such a thing: "Dad, don't you think Xia Shuhua... she's like a completely different person..."
These words were like a bombshell, instantly creating a storm in everyone's hearts. The once quiet dining room seemed to be injected with a powerful electric current, and everyone's emotions were ignited in an instant.
"A different person? What does that mean?" Xia Shuyu's face was full of doubt, her brows furrowed into a deep frown, as if she wanted to lock away all her confusion with these deep wrinkles.
Her eyes were filled with confusion as she scanned the faces of the crowd, as if searching for an answer to a puzzle. Her hands clenched unconsciously, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force.
Xia Shuqin echoed, her voice trembling slightly, filled with fear, as if shrouded in an invisible terror.
"Brother, explain yourself clearly. How did Shuhua become a different person? Could she be possessed by something?"
As she spoke, she involuntarily shivered, her body trembling slightly, and a deep fear filled her eyes, as if that terrifying "thing" was lurking in some dark corner, watching them. She instinctively moved closer to the person beside her, trying to gain a sense of security from them.
Xia Wan opened her mouth, wanting to explain, but her throat felt like it was tightly choked by a wad of cotton, and she couldn't utter a single word.
She knew in her heart that the existence of the system was too bizarre. Even if she tried her best to explain everything, she would probably only be regarded as crazy and be questioned and rejected by everyone.
However, upon hearing her second aunt's unintentional guess, Xia Wan couldn't help but feel a ripple in her heart; it wasn't far from the truth. Wasn't the so-called "body snatching" similar to being possessed?
"I don't know the specifics either; this is only the second time I've met her," Xia Jianguo said, half-jokingly.
He lowered his head slightly, avoiding the probing gazes of the crowd, and continued, "However, she is completely different from the person you described before. I heard from the village elders that there is a kind of soul-possession technique, which says that after a person dies, their soul will be forcibly taken over by another soul. However, these days, such things are too mysterious, and I can't be sure if it's true."
A long silence fell over everyone. The explanation was too shocking, far beyond their comprehension, and difficult to accept at first. The air in the dining room seemed to freeze again as everyone was lost in their own thoughts, processing this astonishing news.
The family seemed to be trapped in an invisible predicament, surrounded by an impenetrable high wall, with no way out.
Everyone's face was filled with confusion and worry, as if shrouded in a thick haze, with no glimmer of hope in sight.
After a long while, Xia Xiong let out a long, heavy sigh, as if it carried the weight of the entire family's rise and fall, its glory and its hardships.
He slowly raised his head, his gaze resolute as he looked at everyone, breaking the suffocating silence: "Let's put this matter aside for now. The most urgent task is to deal with Guo Guanghua. I've already had someone check the list Wanwan provided, and they are indeed all servants of the Guo family. I've also arranged for people to deal with them, and I expect to have results by tomorrow."
Xia Wan nodded slightly upon hearing this, a hint of determination flashing in her eyes.
She knew that as long as Guo Guanghua was not eliminated, the danger to her family would not be over.
The fact that Xia Shuhua was possessed is like a time bomb, which could explode at any moment and drag the whole family into an even deeper abyss.
This night was destined to be a sleepless one, with everyone tossing and turning in the darkness, worried about their unknown fate.
In the darkness, only the occasional sound of the wind outside the window seemed to be softly lamenting for this family in distress.
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