Spirit Reaper - Chapter 33

Chapter 33: This Is Not Your Home—I Will Take You to Your True Home…

“VROOM—!” The deafening roar of a sports car engine, accompanied by a sharp honk, nearly pierced Wuyi’s eardrums.

She carefully tucked away the red oil-paper umbrella containing Xu Li the ghost and walked toward the flashy red sports car with a look of helplessness, knocking on the driver’s window.

The tinted window rolled down, revealing Song Miao’s smug face.

“So, how’s my ride? Does it suit a master like ‘Master You’er’?”

“What kind of high-level immortal master drives such a conspicuous car? Are you worried people won’t think I’m a charlatan?” Wuyi teased. She tossed her gear into the front trunk and hopped into the passenger seat with the umbrella.

“Where’s Xu Li?”

“Right here, in the umbrella.” Wuyi shook it in front of Song Miao. “Did you expect her to float all the way there behind us? With the way you drive, she’d lose your taillights before you even shifted gears.”

“Hehe, true. You always think of everything, Wuyi.” Song Miao grinned and floored the accelerator. With a roar, the bright red car became a scarlet streak on the road.

…

Xu Li’s home was located in one of Lincheng’s famous villa complexes. Surrounded by mountains and water, the environment was top-tier, and security was tight enough to keep ordinary people out.

As they approached the destination, they saw three people pacing anxiously at the gate. Seeing the car, Xu Li’s manager stepped forward and tapped on the window.

“Put this on.” Wuyi handed a Horse Face mask to Song Miao while donning her own Bull Head mask.

“Ah, Master You’er! I finally get to meet you. I’m Lili’s manager, Xu Ming.” As soon as Wuyi stepped out, Xu Ming introduced himself and extended a hand.

“Hello.” Wuyi nodded politely, barely brushing his fingertips before retracting her hand.

“This is my assistant, Miss Song,” she introduced Song Miao. “She’s the one who’s been coordinating with you.”

“Hello, hello!” Xu Ming tried to shake Song Miao’s hand as well, but she skillfully dodged the gesture.

“Haha, Miss Song is quite shy,” Xu Ming laughed awkwardly. He then enthusiastically led them toward Xu Li’s villa, followed silently by Xu Li’s parents and younger brother.

Stepping inside, the scent of damp, musty soil hit Wuyi’s nose. The house was sealed tight, the air stagnant and uncomfortably hot. After opening the windows, the suffocating feeling subsided. Wuyi flicked on the lights; the harsh white glare was blinding, and it took her a moment to adjust.

The villa had three floors with minimalist decor, dominated by a black-and-white theme. Though it was a standard modern design, Wuyi found it inexplicably oppressive.

Xu Li had clearly been a neat freak. Everything was organized with surgical precision. But the more Wuyi looked, the more it felt “off.” This house looked like it hadn’t been lived in for a long time.

She turned to Xu Ming. “Mr. Xu, are you certain Xu Li only went missing recently? Don’t lie to me—it won’t help either of us.”

Xu Ming lowered his head, hesitating before stammering, “The Master is truly perceptive… Lili has indeed been unreachable for quite some time. She used to go ‘off the grid’ frequently, but she’d always turn up within two weeks. We didn’t take it seriously until nearly a month had passed…”

“That girl always loved seeking attention, even as a child. I didn’t think she’d still be doing it as an adult,” Xu Li’s father suddenly interjected, his face full of resentment. “Daughters are never as worry-free as sons. Look at my Yaozu—he never causes trouble. He’s so good; he even gave me a grandson this year… Ouch! Woman, why did you pinch me?”

“Mom, don’t stop me! Xu Li is in the wrong, why can’t I say it?” the younger brother chimed in. “When I got married, I asked her for a measly 100,000 Yuan for the bride price and she refused. Then she blamed us for not caring enough. Personally, I think the fact that we’re even spending energy looking for her is good enough…”

“Master, don’t listen to them,” Xu Li’s mother cut in with a strained smile. “We love Lili. We’re all very worried. Please, find her whereabouts.”

Great. Another family that favors the son (Yaozu) over the daughter, Wuyi thought, suppressing the urge to roll her eyes. She nodded coldly. “Take me to Xu Li’s bedroom.”

…

On the way upstairs, Song Miao whispered in Wuyi’s ear, “This villa has zero ‘human’ warmth. It’s stiff, like a showroom model home. It feels like Xu Li had no connection to this place at all. And her family… how can they be so cold-hearted?”

“Shh, less talking,” Wuyi signaled.

Upon entering the bedroom, Wuyi frowned. It wasn’t the warm, pink princess room from Xu Li’s memories. There were no beautiful dresses or plush toys. There was only an endless expanse of black, white, and gray—a rigid, almost clinical minimalist design. It felt more like a hotel suite than a home.

But one spot caught her eye.

It was a small dog house. The interior walls were painted a soft pink, the ceiling was pure white, and a crookedly hand-painted bone was centered above the entrance.

“Did Xu Li have a dog?” Wuyi recalled the puppy from the ghost’s dream.

“Er…” Xu Ming scratched his head. “As you know, managers don’t usually pry into an artist’s private life. I’m not sure.”

“I see. You two certainly had very ‘clear boundaries,'” Wuyi remarked sarcastically. How could a manager not even know their artist had a pet?

“Alright, everyone out. I need to set up an array. It involves trade secrets and cannot be viewed by outsiders.” Wuyi caught Song Miao’s eye. Song Miao immediately took the hint and began ushering the four people out.

“Master You’er doesn’t set up arrays lightly. She’s really going all out for Xu Li today,” Song Miao bluffed. “I’ll wait out here with you. We won’t damage anything. Finding her is the priority, right?”

With a mix of authority and moral pressure, Song Miao successfully cleared the room, leaving only Wuyi and the umbrella.

“Let me understand your past first, and then I’ll take you to your true home,” Wuyi whispered to the umbrella on the bed. “I know this isn’t it.”

Walking to the pink dog house, Wuyi found a broken collar. The gold-plated tag was engraved with two characters: “Xiao Tuan.” Beside it sat a bowl with stale kibble and a dried-up water basin.

So “Xiao Tuan” was the dog’s name? Wuyi wondered. But why did Xu Li forget her own name while remembering the dog’s?

Next to the bed was a photo of Xu Li sitting in a lush green field, holding a West Highland Terrier, laughing radiantly. The life in that photo was a stark contrast to the cold, gray room. It was as if the dog was her only support—wherever Xiao Tuan was, that was Xu Li’s home.

Wuyi looked into the nightstand drawer and froze. Fluoxetine, Mianserin, Trazodone, Agomelatine… the drawer was filled with antidepressants. Beneath them was a stack of medical records.

Lincheng First People’s Hospital – Psychiatric Dept. Name: Xu Li

Diagnosis: Moderate Depression (progressing to severe in later records).

Symptoms: Sleep disorder, recurring nightmares, neurasthenia, low energy, loss of interest…

Wuyi’s heart ached. She tossed the records aside and found a leather-bound book at the very bottom: Xu Li’s Diary.

To hide the noise from those outside, she turned on a portable Buddhist chanting machine she’d brought as a prop. Then, she began to flip through the diary, watching the forgotten past of Xu Li unfold before her eyes.