Chapter 35 The Bride in the Coffin
Shen Yuepo stood at the entrance of the mall, about to hail a taxi back to the Shen family, when her phone suddenly vibrated.
The name "Xiao Yizhou" was displayed on the screen.
Shen Yuepo raised an eyebrow slightly and pressed the answer button.
Xiao Yizhou's deep voice came through, carrying a rare hint of urgency:
"Miss Chen, I'm sorry to bother you. My friend's condition has suddenly worsened. Could you please go and see him now?"
Shen Yuepo looked up at the sky and said, "Okay." Then she gave her location.
"I'm nearby, I'll be there in ten minutes." Xiao Yizhou spoke very quickly and hung up the phone after he finished speaking.
Shen Yuepo stood quietly by the bustling street at the north gate of the mall, carrying a bag.
The old gray-blue Taoist robe had been replaced.
She was wearing a newly bought off-white ramie long shirt with a diagonal placket and Chinese knot buttons, paired with dark gray wide-leg trousers. The elegant colors made her skin look like jade.
Her long, black hair was simply tied back, giving her a cool and aloof demeanor.
It attracted the attention of passersby.
Ten minutes later, a black Maybach came to a smooth stop in front of her.
The car window rolled down, revealing Xiao Yizhou's sharply defined face.
He paused for a moment when his gaze fell on Shen Yuepo.
No longer wearing that old Taoist robe, the person before me, dressed in plain clothes, could not conceal the refined elegance in their bones.
That ethereal tranquility is completely out of place with the surrounding hustle and bustle, like a fairy stepping out of a traditional Chinese ink painting, carrying an aloofness untouched by worldly dust.
Even though Xiao Yizhou was used to seeing socialites in the capital, he couldn't help but let a pure look of amazement cross his eyes at this moment.
But this stunning moment was fleeting.
He quickly pushed open the door and got out of the car, walking a few steps to Shen Yuepo.
"Miss Shen, I'm sorry, this happened suddenly."
Xiao Yizhou's voice carried a barely perceptible urgency, clearly indicating that he was extremely anxious about his friend's situation.
His gaze naturally fell on the shopping bags with luxury brand logos in Shen Yuepo's hands.
Almost subconsciously, Xiao Yizhou reached out and took all the bags from Shen Yuepo's hands with remarkable ease.
His movements were fluid, exuding a gentlemanly demeanor ingrained in the bones of a scion of a prominent family, yet without appearing overly solicitous.
"Next time I come to a place like this to shop, I just need to give you the Xiao family's address, or have the shopkeeper write down my name."
He carried the bag and explained to her:
"They will deliver it directly to your home, so you don't have to carry it yourself."
This is a privilege reserved for top VIP clients, and it's a lifestyle that they're used to.
Shen Yuepo glanced at him, and did not refuse his offer to take the bag, but simply nodded and said, "Thank you."
Xiao Yizhou ignored her indifference, quickly opened the passenger door, and placed one hand protectively on the roof:
"Please get in the car."
The car was filled with a faint fragrance, and the seats were at just the right temperature.
Xiao Yizhou casually remarked, "The new clothes suit you very well."
Shen Yuepo paused in fastening the seatbelt, but did not reply.
As the car merged into traffic, Xiao Yizhou, with one hand on the steering wheel, handed over a brown paper bag with the other:
"Have something to eat first? I bet you haven't had lunch."
The paper bag contained still-warm osmanthus cake, its sweet aroma wafting through the air.
Shen Yuepo glanced down at it, accepted it, and softly thanked him.
She lowered her head and took a small bite. The sweet but not cloying taste melted on her tongue, and the fragrance of osmanthus lingered between her lips and teeth.
She couldn't help but widen her eyes slightly, a hint of pleasure even appearing on her brows.
If there was anything she would miss about the place down the mountain, it was probably the food.
Xiao Yizhou caught a glimpse of her subtly upturned lips out of the corner of his eye, and his tense shoulders relaxed almost imperceptibly.
Fortunately, the pastries he bought from a time-honored shop in the south of the city were to her liking.
"What exactly are your friend's symptoms?" Shen Yuepo swallowed the pastry, her usual cold tone returning to normal.
"Audiovisual hallucinations, visual hallucinations, he keeps saying there's a woman in a red wedding dress choking him."
He paused, "The strangest thing is... there really were finger marks on his neck."
A red wedding dress?
Upon hearing the descriptions of the red wedding dress and the choking, a hint of understanding flashed in Shen Yuepo's cold eyes.
"The bride in the coffin," she uttered in a flat voice.
Xiao Yizhou tightened his grip on the steering wheel. "Bride in a coffin? What does that mean?"
"A woman who was forced into a ghost marriage during her lifetime and was buried in a red wedding dress."
Shen Yuepo's gaze fell upon the fleeting street scene outside the window, his voice carrying a hint of indifferent coldness:
"It harbors intense resentment, especially towards the living, particularly young men whose birth dates clash with its own. It will haunt its prey, creating illusions to torment them, and ultimately sever their life force, dragging them into the underworld to keep them company."
Her words were calm, but their content was chilling.
Xiao Yizhou's expression grew even more grim, clearly indicating that his friend's situation matched perfectly.
A brief silence fell over the carriage, broken only by the low rumble of the engine and the hustle and bustle of the city outside the window.
Xiao Yizhou took a deep breath, breaking the silence, his voice low and suppressed: "Miss Shen, about Shen Yurou,"
He paused for a moment, then said, "The police haven't found any new key evidence yet."
“We’ve asked the Special Administration Bureau to intervene and secretly investigate Shen Yurou. There’s definitely something strange about her.”
He glanced at the aloof profile of the passenger in the corner of his eye and added:
"The methods of the Special Administration are different from what we ordinary people understand. They always find a way to find evidence or make her slip up on her own."
There was an unspoken meaning in his words—
Even if the other party possessed mystical abilities, they would spare no effort to seek justice for Xiao Wanxing.
After listening, Shen Yuepo seemed to understand the meaning behind his words, and she spoke:
"Don't worry about me, I will leave the Shen family sooner or later."
Xiao Yizhou chuckled softly, his Adam's apple bobbing in the shadows.
He should have known that someone like her was more clear-headed than anyone else.
The car drove into a high-end apartment complex with tight security in the city center.
After parking in the designated underground parking space, Xiao Yizhou quickly got out of the car and opened the door for Shen Yuepo.
"He's on the top floor."
Xiao Yizhou led Shen Yuepo to the private elevator and pressed the button for the top floor.
The elevator ascended rapidly, and the atmosphere in the cramped space grew increasingly heavy.
The elevator doors slid open silently.
The door to the penthouse apartment was wide open, and an extremely oppressive atmosphere permeated the space inside.
Several burly bodyguards in black suits stood guard at the entrance, their faces showing tension and a hint of barely perceptible fear.
Upon seeing Xiao Yizhou, they felt as if they had seen their pillar of support, and quickly nodded in acknowledgment: "Young Master Xiao."
One of the bodyguard leaders stepped forward and quickly whispered:
"Young Master Xiao, you've finally arrived. Young Master Lu has had another attack, worse than ever before. We... we can't control him! We have no choice but to lock him in the master bedroom."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a scream filled with extreme fear and pain erupted from the direction of the master bedroom deep in the corridor.
"Ah! Let me go! Get away! Get away from me!"
A chilling coldness suddenly surged out from the crack in the master bedroom door, instantly engulfing the entire entryway.
The bodyguards couldn't help but shiver and their faces turned pale.
Xiao Yizhou's expression was solemn. He stepped aside, his gaze fixed firmly on Shen Yuepo:
"Miss Chen, I'm begging you."
When Shen Yuepo pushed open the door, a heavy aura of yin energy rushed towards her.
She squinted and saw that the eldest young master of the Lu family was tied to a chair with restraints.
The veins on the man's long neck bulged, his expensive shirt was soaked with cold sweat, and his eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at the eerie figure in mid-air.
The figure was wearing a red wedding dress.
The wedding dress was old-fashioned and worn, embroidered with faded gold dragons and phoenixes.
Her long black hair cascaded down, covering most of her face, leaving only her pale jawline visible.
A pair of equally pale hands with sharp nails were tightly gripping the neck of Young Master Lu.
Although there was no actual physical contact, the skin on Lu Shao's neck strangely dented, revealing a bluish-purple finger mark.
"Miss Shen!"
Seeing his friend's pained expression, Xiao Yizhou lost his usual composure and spoke with urgency in his voice.
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