Chapter 76: A Deadly Coincidence

Although there had been some distance between the Emperor and me after what happened last time, neither of us are the type to hold grudges, so after that day, things quickly returned to our usual banter and laughter.

The Emperor truly hadn’t taken that incident to heart, but deep inside, I couldn’t help but worry about him. At that moment, with a grin, the Emperor threw an arm around my neck and declared jubilantly, “Tonight, your big brother here is going to be a general! Soon, I’ll have Sister Dan introduce you to one of her friends.”

I chuckled and, pretending nothing was amiss, joked as always, “Emperor, you’d better practice your push-ups, or your back won’t last through the night.”

He instantly protested, pounding his waist and boasting, “Solid as steel!”

I didn’t intend to stop the Emperor from going to a hotel with Wang Dan, because I knew no matter what I said, he would never believe me. The only way was to let him see for himself just how dangerous Wang Dan was—only then would he truly accept the truth.

This did mean the Emperor might be in some danger, but it was the only option. So I decided that tonight, after they left together, I would secretly follow and observe just what tricks Wang Dan had up her sleeve.

My heart was full of confusion. I couldn't understand how Wang Dan had changed so much, nor why she would want to harm the Emperor when their relationship had always been good.

That afternoon, I skipped half a day of classes and found a quiet hotel outside school. Following the Maoshan secret manual’s instructions, I spent the whole afternoon drawing thirteen Six Ding Six Jia Demon-Slaying Talismans, just in case.

Drawing talismans is an essential skill for a Daoist in exorcising spirits and demons. It’s not exactly hard, nor is it simple—you must complete the stroke in a single breath and recite the right incantations. The untalented might practice for three years and barely manage one, while the gifted could master it in three weeks. As for someone like me, born with the rare Nine Yin Veins, learning to draw a talisman took less than thirty minutes.

By the time I finished and left the hotel, it was already past six in the evening. I called the Emperor to ask where he was—he replied that he and Wang Dan were out for dinner and asked if I needed anything.

I quickly made up an excuse about forgetting my dorm key, saying Jiang Chao and Liu Dong had gone to an internet café, so I couldn’t get in and wanted to borrow his key.

The Emperor immediately told me he was at MacJack’s outside school and that I should come get the key, but I replied it was unnecessary since I’d just seen Liu Dong come back.

After hanging up, I rushed to hide outside MacJack’s. Around seven, the Emperor and Wang Dan emerged and got into a taxi. I flagged another taxi, handed the driver fifty yuan, and told him to follow their car. Eventually, they got off at a plaza more than ten miles away and went into a cinema.

I was speechless—were all couples this boring now? Going out for dinner and a movie before getting a hotel room—why not just get straight to the point?

The movie was some idol romance I had zero interest in. I didn’t want to go in, but worried Wang Dan might do something to the Emperor inside, so I quietly bought a ticket and followed.

Until the movie ended, Wang Dan did nothing out of the ordinary, which finally put me at ease.

It was nearly ten when they came out. Again, they hailed a taxi, and I hurried to get another, trailing them from behind.

This time, they rode far—over an hour. I was baffled; wasn’t this just about getting a room? Why go so far? They were practically leaving the city center.

But when I looked out the window, my heart gave a violent jolt.

I was all too familiar with the surroundings—this was exactly where Bai Rushuang had brought me yesterday: Riverside Road.

“Could it be…?”

A suspicion flashed through my mind, but I quickly shook my head—how could there be such a coincidence in this world?

But fate has a way of bringing about what you fear. Sure enough, Bai Rushuang led the Emperor straight to the very hotel I’d stayed at the previous night.

I followed them quietly and heard the hotel owner say to Wang Dan, “Oh, it’s you again, miss. The room you rented last time is just about up.”

Without a word, Wang Dan took out a hundred-yuan note and handed it over. “We forgot our IDs, can you make an exception?”

This kind of third-rate hotel never checks IDs too strictly, and with an extra forty slipped in, the owner agreed without hesitation. At Wang Dan’s request, she chose the very room where I’d seen the stillborn the night before.

In that instant, all the doubts in my mind found their answer: Wang Dan had taken a semester off last term because she’d been pregnant. For whatever reason, she hadn’t gone to the hospital, and the pregnancy dragged on over seven months. Maybe, fearing the truth would come out, she chose this secluded hotel to induce the miscarriage herself.

At that thought, goosebumps erupted all over me. Wang Dan had always seemed like a decent girl—I never could have imagined her doing something like this. Now, she must be haunted by the spirit of her unborn child. That explained the cold aura and shadowed brow I’d seen on her.

But why drag the Emperor into this? Could he be the child’s father? That was impossible—I knew him too well. There was no way he’d slept with Wang Dan last term. If he wasn’t the father, then who was?

A wave of pity for the Emperor welled up in me—after four years of chasing his goddess, she’d finally agreed to date him and even spend a night together, only for him to end up a “surprise father.” Worse still, the “child” was a vengeful spirit. The thought alone made my scalp prickle with fear.

As I was about to sneak into the hotel, a familiar voice sounded beside me: “You again? What are you doing here?”

I turned and saw Bai Rushuang frowning at me, still cradling an oversized tub of popcorn in her hands.

At the sight of her, my heart gave an inexplicable flutter. Yesterday, I’d met her in the car and hadn’t gotten a clear look, but now, standing before me, I could take in her features in detail.

She wore a short, white down jacket, white silk leggings, and little white boots. Her short hair brushed her neck, her skin was pale as snow, her features delicate as a fairy’s. The way she absentmindedly stuffed popcorn into her mouth was so impish it made me want to run over and bite her cheek.

Seeing me stare, Bai Rushuang frowned, “What are you looking at? Want some popcorn?” With innocent sincerity, she offered the tub to me.

I smiled awkwardly, “No, just surprised to run into you here again.”

Her expression turned displeased. “What’s with you? Didn’t I tell you yesterday this place isn’t clean? Why are you back?”

Knowing she was a fellow practitioner with some skill, I didn’t hide anything. “I didn’t want to come either, but two of my friends checked into this hotel tonight—the very room I stayed in last night.”

At this, Bai Rushuang’s face changed instantly. She spun around and said, “Come with me.” When I didn’t move, she stopped and frowned, “What’s your name?”

“Wu Dao,” I replied instinctively.

“Alright, Wu Dao, follow me,” she said, running over to her parked Golf. Soon, a sleek drone rose slowly from inside the car.