Mo Yidong could sense different energies flowing through the room, among which two of them were quite similar to Xia Yuās aura.
To his eyes, the flow of energy was like threads, each differing in color and shape, much like reading a personās pulse.
The brightness and wear of the threads indicated how well or poorly someone had been doing lately.
Such a method was hard to explain to outsiders.
Most times, when asked, people would simply avoid the topic.
Following the threads, Mo Yidong led Zhang Wenshan to a secluded room in the corner of the top floor.
The door inside was blocked by piles of clutter, which explained why Sars couldnāt find the childās hiding place.
āWhat are you doing here?ā
āThereās a door here. Mo Yidong says the little one is hiding inside.ā
Shangguan Xiawan and Xia Yu had already searched the rooms along the hallway without finding any trace of the child.
As they reached the upper floor, they saw the two boys moving the clutter.
āLet me help.ā
Xia Yu noticed the injury on Mo Yidongās wrist and worried that lifting heavy things might tear the wound open.
But as soon as she stepped forward, the two boys rejected her.
āItās not much. Thereās a lot of dust here. You girls should stay back so you donāt dirty your dresses.ā
āSister Xiao Xia, letās just stand here.ā
āā¦Alright.ā
Xia Yu hesitated for a few seconds before agreeing, turning to stand beside Shangguan Xiawan, nervously watching Mo Yidongās bandaged arm.
For a moment, she forgot her current identity, still thinking of herself as the schoolgirl Xia Yu who occasionally chatted with Mo Yidong and Zhang Wenshan.
After turning into a girl, the unfamiliarity and discomfort started to surface in small details like these.
āThis sideās cleared. Want to go in and take a look?ā
Zhang Wenshan covered his nose with a napkin and pushed the door open.
Just by the hallwayās light, they could see layers of thick dust inside.
On the floor, dust-covered footprints extended further in, showing that the person they were looking for was indeed inside.
Zhang Wenshan reached the wall switch by the door and tried pushing the buttons up and down, but nothing happened.
āThis room probably hasnāt been noticed by the owners. It hasnāt been used in a long time, so the lightās likely been broken for ages.ā
Mo Yidong said this as everyone pulled out their phones, switching on the flashlight function before entering and searching for the childās whereabouts.
Inside, there were wooden shelves arranged vertically, a dusty desk piled with items, and even bedding, mops, and plastic buckets scattered aboutāit was clearly being used as a storage room.
Right after Zhang Wenshan opened the door, Mo Yidong noticed a subtle change in the color of the threads inside the room.
They turned vivid, almost the color of blood.
He had a bad feeling.
Shangguan Xiawan had only asked a simple question about the childās appearance, ignoring a crucial detail.
How many days had the child been missing?
Two people were using their flashlights as a coverāMo Yidong and Xia Yu exchanged glances, both clearly aware that the child was hiding beneath the dust-laden desk.
Just as Shangguan Xiawan moved closer, a flash of bright red suddenly lunged at her.
Hearing the noise, Mo Yidong immediately grabbed a heavy object nearby and threw it toward the red figure.
Everyone only heard the sound of the object hitting something and someone falling to the ground in the darkness.
Dust scattered in the air.
Shangguan Xiawan coughed a few times from the choking dust, unable to see what had attacked her from behind.
Mo Yidong hurriedly said:
āQuick, come here.ā
About two meters away from where the figure was knocked down, Xia Yu clearly saw the silver-haired child in front of her, wearing tattered clothes, barefoot, struggling to lift the clutter in front of them.
The childās eyes glowed red, and their young face showed a fierce expression, not only resenting the intrusion but seemingly seeing those present as prey.
As a member of the blood clan, Xia Yu didnāt have as pure a bloodline as this child.
Her heart gradually tightened.
Her mind began to wonder why she was alone here.
āDonāt just stareā¦ā
Mo Yidongās words snapped Xia Yu back to reality.
She locked eyes with the child, whose gaze was brighter and more vivid than hers, as if stained with blood.
Even the four fangs protruding from their mouth were sharper than Xia Yuās, and a faint but distinct scent of blood wafted from the child.
This kid had fed on bloodā¦
Too many questions flooded Xia Yuās mind.
One thing she could be sure of was that the owner of this house had deliberately placed the estate deep in the mountains to hide this child.
Who exactly had hidden them here?
With doubts swirling, Xia Yu ignored Mo Yidongās objections.
The moment the child opened their mouth to pounce on her, she immediately raised her right arm.
A sudden sting made her frown, and accompanied by unwanted words in her mind, her vision began to blur with illusions, as if she were about to faint.
Images from the past flashed in her mind.
āLet me go! I donāt want to stay here!ā
Suddenly, familiar yet childish voices echoed in her ears.
Xia Yu seemed to have heard them before and experienced this scene.
Was she hallucinating?
She heard the silver-haired child angrily shout at someone.
āLet me go! I donāt want to stay here!ā
On the floor knelt a silver-haired child, crying and begging to be let out.
Their knees were scraped raw, and their thin arms bore bruises in purple and blue.
āI spent money raising you, so you can earn me some cash! Whatās the problem!?ā
āI donāt want to stay here. I want to go back to Grandmaāsā¦ā
The silver-haired childās eyes brimmed with tears as they glared fiercely at the man reeking of smoke before them.
āYour grandma took in your mom and raised you, but now your grandmaās dead. You can only stay with me, got it?ā
The man yanked the childās hair roughly, leaning close to hiss into their ear.
The child was too weak to break free from the manās grip.
Apart from some scrapes on the face, old wounds were reopening.
āTchā¦ Why are you a boy again? When will you finally turn into a woman, hmm? Speak upā¦ā
The man clicked his tongue when the child hung their head in silence.
āWhen you never change again, youāll go earn money for me, understand?ā
When she couldnāt hold on any longer, Xia Yu wondered why she had come into this world and what meaning there was to livingā¦
āIām sorry, I didnāt mean toā¦ā
The silver-haired child bit Xia Yuās arm for a moment.
Feeling something, they immediately released her.
Their fierce aura weakened, replaced by panic and helplessness.
Xia Yu hadnāt even reacted yet when a tall young man tightly grabbed her hands from behind and quietly ordered her to stay put.
Mo Yidong frowned, looking at Xia Yu who sat motionless on the ground, head bowed low, oblivious to the bleeding on her wrist.
She seemed like a puppet, lifeless and abandoned.
He wanted to go over, but the child in his hands looked even more dangerous.
Shangguan Xiawan gently placed a hand on Qin Yixiaās shoulder, but the latter quickly recoiled.
In the darkness, her expression was unreadable, only her slight trembling shoulders betraying her fear of the surroundings.
Not daring to approach, Shangguan Xiawan quickly called another person over to check the situation.
āBrother Mo Yidong, Sister Xiao Xia looks a bit strangeā¦ā