Chapter Thirty-Three: The Intent to Kill

Although Shen Chang’an was only a little annoyed that Chen Mengchen would question his preferences, faced with her seemingly genuine eagerness to try him out, he faltered. He was the epitome of an untouchable, pure-hearted ice-cold Adonis—he had to maintain his composure.

“Let’s go. Didn’t you say you’d treat me to a meal?”

“Oh, right! Food first—only with a full stomach can we get things done.” Chen Mengchen grinned slyly.

For a moment, Shen Chang’an couldn’t tell if he was going for a meal or if he was about to become the meal.

All in all, after walking for a while, Shen Chang’an led Chen Mengchen into a hotpot restaurant.

“This place? I thought you’d pick somewhere fancy,” she commented.

Shen Chang’an shrugged. “I’m here to eat, not to make a scene. Besides, wild boars can’t handle fine feed—at those high-end places, I’d lose any appetite for food, and we’d both just end up suffering.”

Chen Mengchen pondered a moment, then replied, “Anything under a hundred thousand isn’t suffering for me.”

Shen Chang’an’s face twitched. “All the more reason not to go—otherwise, I’d be the only one suffering.”

Chen Mengchen didn’t mind and immediately buried herself in the menu with him.

“How about duck intestines—do you like those?”

“Aren’t we getting shrimp paste?”

“Don’t forget beef tripe, that’s a must.”

“Let’s get some meat, lamb rolls sound good…”

After a round of ordering, they handed the menu to the waiter and settled in to wait for their food.

“So, what else is on your mind?” As soon as the waiter left, Shen Chang’an got straight to the point.

“How did you know?” Chen Mengchen looked at him in surprise.

He sighed. “You bought a place next to mine. It can’t be just to see me and have a chat, right? You’re not… well…” He paused, scrutinizing her. “You’re not, are you?”

She avoided his gaze and coughed, “You’re right, there’s something else.”

Shen Chang’an was skeptical. “Go on then, let’s hear it.”

“Actually, it’s not about me—it’s my brother…”

Chen Mengchen’s family included an older brother. Unlike her lively, impulsive nature, her brother was always steady and reliable. The family was grooming him as the successor, while she was left to her own devices.

When she reported the incident with the mountain fiend, the first to get wind of it wasn’t her father, but her brother. Having sneaked out alone and nearly ended up in trouble, she dared not tell her parents—so she confided in her brother for help.

Her brother, sharp as ever, had picked up on something crucial: the mountain fiend had been dealt with.

After learning this, her brother agreed to plead on her behalf—but only if she would introduce him to this mysterious expert. Chen Mengchen figured that wouldn’t be a problem and agreed.

“So, your brother wants to meet me?” Shen Chang’an frowned slightly. “Do you know why?”

She thought for a moment. “Probably because of that haunted mall project he’s working on.”

“Haunted mall?”

She nodded. “He acquired a plot downtown and has been developing a large shopping center, which was about to open. Then word got out that it was haunted. People started panicking, and many businesses are on the fence now… He’s invested a lot, so it must be related.”

“You still believe in that sort of thing? Ghosts?”

“Why not? Didn’t I just… Wait, you’re the one who killed the mountain fiend and drew that talisman—how could you not believe?”

Shen Chang’an shook his head. “It’s not that I don’t believe, just that in this day and age, it’s rare to encounter ghosts. What are the odds? First, the mountain fiend, and now this…”

He trailed off, suddenly at a loss—hadn’t he just run into both within a day? How could he explain that, in this modern world, he’d encountered so many supernatural incidents in just a few days?

“It doesn’t add up. All this time, I’ve seen nothing, and now, in just a few days, so many strange things keep happening.” His scalp tingled as he remembered last night’s dream, a vague unease settling in his heart.

“Could it have something to do with that book…”

He shuddered at the thought. That cursed book was sinister beyond words, and he wanted nothing more to do with it.

“Hey? Are you going to meet my brother or not?” Chen Mengchen raised her voice as Shen Chang’an continued to hesitate.

He snapped out of it and replied instinctively, “No.”

“Why not? Just go see, figure out if it’s really haunted—my brother just wants some reassurance.”

“It’s not that…” he began, but at that moment, he caught sight of a wandering spirit outside the restaurant. It only lingered for a moment before dissipating.

Startled, he heard shouts rising outside.

“Something’s happened!”

“Someone fell!”

“Oh, how tragic!”

“What a sin…”

Shen Chang’an and Chen Mengchen exchanged glances, then quickly went outside.

“What happened?” Shen Chang’an grabbed a bystander and asked.

“Didn’t you hear? Someone fell inside—dead, just awful, their head was smashed to bits…”

The man spoke in a thick local accent, but after living here for some time, Shen Chang’an understood.

Chen Mengchen stood staring in the direction of the accident, lost in thought.

Seeing her unsettled, Shen Chang’an gave her a gentle tug. “What’s wrong?”

She was silent for a long while before slowly pointing, “That spot—it’s less than ten meters from my brother’s mall.”

Blood rushed to Shen Chang’an’s head. His fingers twitched unconsciously, itching to grab his saber. But his hand closed on empty air—he had nothing.

After a long pause, he let out a self-mocking laugh and said, “Tomorrow, we’ll go see your brother.”

“You’ll go?” Chen Mengchen was surprised.

He nodded, and in his eyes, a barely perceptible glint of killing intent flickered. “I want to see what kind of creature dares to kill here…”