PWE – Chapter 44 Don’t run! You know you can’t outrun me!

“Go ahead and try hitting me then,” Xiao Wange said coldly, her face full of mockery.

“You—”

“Gao Yi, forget it. Don’t scare the child,” Qin Xiuwan tugged at Xu Gao Yi’s arm and shook her head at him.

She lifted her eyes toward Xiao Wange and even offered an apology.

Xiao Wange studied her for a moment. Things she hadn’t noticed earlier suddenly became clear.

With a quiet sigh, she said, “Comrade, since you’re a good person, I’ll do you a favor. Your family is about to face a great disaster. Maybe right now you think I’m talking nonsense, that I’m cursing you—but in less than three days, it will come. If you don’t know what to do then, come find me. My name is Xiao Wange, from Danshui Village.”

When Qin Xiuwan heard this, her first reaction wasn’t disbelief—it was shock and fear. A strange, instinctive fear, as though Xiao Wange’s words might really be true.

“You talk nonsense, and your son talks nonsense too! He must’ve learned it from you! Comrade, instead of teaching your son this kind of rubbish, you’d better teach him something proper!”

Xu Gao Yi glared darkly at Xiao Wange, his voice harsh and commanding.

After scolding her, he helped Qin Xiuwan along. “Let’s go up the mountain. Ignore them.”

Qin Xiuwan’s mind was dazed. She glanced once more at Xiao Wange but said nothing, letting Xu Gao Yi lead her up the stone steps.

Xiao Wange watched the two ghosts—one large, one small—floating behind them. Her brow furrowed slightly, and her expression darkened.

“Mom,” little Zhao Zhao tugged her sleeve softly. “Will those ghosts hurt Auntie?”

That auntie was a good person. He didn’t want her to get hurt.

“Not for now,” Xiao Wange replied, glancing down at him. “Their resentment hasn’t reached its peak yet. When it does, they’ll make their move. But…”

She gave a cold smile, glancing at Xu Gao Yi’s back. “He talks about believing in science—so why is he wearing a protective talisman?”

If not for that talisman, he would’ve been dead already.

Wen Feilan floated closer, surprised. “That man has a talisman? But I didn’t sense it.”

“You wouldn’t,” Xiao Wange said. “That talisman was drawn by a powerful master. A charm from such a person can’t be easily sensed by ordinary ghosts. I didn’t notice it at first either—only just now.”

“He wears a talisman yet preaches about materialism? What a hypocrite,” Wen Feilan muttered.

Then she looked down at her grandson’s bleeding palm, her expression full of pain and anger. The man hadn’t even apologized.

Xiao Wange’s eyes flicked toward the boy’s hand. Her gaze turned cold and sharp.

She suddenly lifted her right foot, hooked a small stone with her toe, and flicked her leg forward.

The stone shot through the air and struck Xu Gao Yi’s calf.

He grunted in pain, his leg buckling as he fell to the ground with a thud.

Xiao Wange sneered, stepped forward, and looked down at him. “Oh my, fell down, did you? And that hand—hurt too?”

His palm had hit the ground on a sharp twig, piercing the skin.

He was just cursing whoever had left that twig there when Xiao Wange walked up.

Her mocking tone made his blood boil.

He clenched his teeth, wanting to retort, but the pain in both his leg and palm was unbearable.

His palm stung, his leg throbbed sharply—he felt dizzy from the pain.

He glared up at her, eyes full of resentment and fury.

Xiao Wange just gave a light, contemptuous laugh, withdrew her gaze, and strolled up the mountain as if nothing had happened.

Zhan Zeyan, holding Zhao Zhao, passed Xu Gao Yi and gave him a cold look before walking on.

Qin Xiuwan wanted to ask Zhan Zeyan to help her husband up, but before she could speak, he was already gone.

She bit her lip, clutching her pregnant belly. “Gao Yi, can you get up by yourself?”

Sweat beaded on his forehead.

He forced a gentle smile. “I can. Just give me a moment.”

Looking at her reminded him of that woman. They were both useless. Still, Qin Xiuwan had one advantage—she had a rich father. And that rich father had given him a life everyone envied.

But soon, things would get even better.

Xu Gao Yi was going to rise above everyone—to become a big boss who no longer had to bow and scrape.

Life in the Qin household, always watching his in-laws’ faces, had become unbearable.

He’d had enough. He wanted out.

And his plans—his carefully plotted plans—were finally about to succeed.

Qin Xiuwan, oblivious to his thoughts, looked at his bleeding palm and began to cry, her eyes full of worry.

Her tears only made him more disgusted. Useless woman—always crying. What bad luck!

——

At the entrance of the mountainside temple.

Zhan Zeyan set Zhao Zhao down and said to Xiao Wange, “There’s a pavilion beside this temple. You can see half the mountain’s view from there. Want to take the boy to have a look?”

She nodded. “Sure.”

Taking Zhao Zhao’s little hand, she led him down the stone path.

Zhan Zeyan watched their retreating backs, his eyes softening.

When they disappeared from sight, he turned and entered the temple.

The temple wasn’t large, but not small either. After several turns, he finally spotted He Xiuyan.

He Xiuyan, dressed in a Taoist robe, was just about to go down the mountain to find Xiao Wange.

He hadn’t seen her in days. Last night, he’d run into some difficulties studying Daoist techniques, and since today’s weather was pleasant, he thought it’d be a good time to visit her—with a few bills tucked into his robe.

But the moment he opened the door, he froze at the sight of a terrifyingly familiar face.

His expression darkened instantly.

He turned to run.

But before he could get far, a hand caught his shoulder.

“Don’t bother,” Zhan Zeyan said coldly. “You know you can’t outrun me.”

He Xiuyan frowned deeply, both frustrated and helpless.

He spun around, glaring. “What do you want? Don’t tell me you came to persuade me to go back again! Save your breath—I’m not going back. I’m staying here. I’ll spend the rest of my life here!”

Zhan Zeyan’s brows knit tighter. “Looks like you’ve been thoroughly bewitched. You stayed for that so-called ‘Master,’ didn’t you? He Xiuyan, that ‘Master’ is just a fraud! Can’t you see through her tricks? You’ve lived too sheltered a life—you don’t understand how wicked people can be! Go home before you’re deceived any further!”

“Zhan Zeyan!” He Xiuyan exploded in anger.

“How dare you call her a fraud! She hasn’t cheated me out of money or taken advantage of me—how is she a fraud?”

“That’s because she’s playing the long game,” Zhan Zeyan said coolly. “Once you’re completely under her spell, she’ll start asking for money. It’s happened before—there was a case just like this in Hong Kong.”

“Enough!” He Xiuyan waved him off furiously. “Say whatever you want, I’m not leaving! In my eyes, she’s a good person—a fairy! You talk about scams? Ha! I wish she would trick me like that. If she wanted my body, I’d be laughing in my sleep!”

Zhan Zeyan: “…”

His face darkened, voice turning cold. “You’re completely delusional. That woman’s deceit must be extraordinary if she’s got you this far. He Xiuyan, I’ve already given my word to the commander—to bring that fraud to justice and—”

“Comrade Xiao…”

A clear voice suddenly interrupted him.

He froze, then turned sharply toward the sound.

When he saw Xiao Wange walking over hand in hand with Zhao Zhao, his brows furrowed in shock.

Had she just called out to He Xiuyan? So they knew each other?

“Comrade Xiao!” He Xiuyan’s face lit up in delight.

He hurried toward her, voice full of excitement. “I can’t believe you came up the mountain! Were you looking for me? I was actually planning to visit you today!”

Xiao Wange gave him a faint glance. “We came up for the scenery, and thought we’d stop by to see you.”

Then she turned toward the stunned Zhan Zeyan. “So the person you were looking for—was him?”

Zhan Zeyan pressed his lips together tightly.

His expression grew complicated as he glanced between the two of them.

So this “Master” He Xiuyan admired so much… was actually his wife.

What were the odds?

And then he remembered what He Xiuyan had said earlier—his face immediately turned stormy.

That bastard was lusting after his wife!