Chapter 197: The Walking Dead

Su Yan walked out of the school gates.

Ma Chulong and Ma Chulan were waiting for her.

"Su Yan, Su Mo didn't do anything to you, did she?" Ma Chulan had clearly learned everything from Ma Chulong.

Ma Chulong gave a disdainful laugh. "With her looking like a half-human, half-ghost, what could she possibly do to Su Yan?"

"I know she can't beat Su Yan. I mean, will she go to the police and tell them about being kidnapped by human traffickers?" Ma Chulan explained earnestly, while sighing inwardly.

A perfectly good girl had turned into this state simply because of jealousy and hatred.

"No." Su Yan's answer was very certain.

A person as prideful as Su Mo would never allow anyone to know she had been kidnapped by traffickers.

"That's good. Su Yan, what do you plan to do next? Why not just give her a quick end?"

They could all see that the current Su Mo was nothing more than a walking corpse, her soul forcibly nailed into her flesh.

"That question is for Big Brother to answer. We can't touch Su Mo yet. Su Mo is just bait; what we truly need to find is who is behind all of this."

After Ma Chulong finished speaking, he looked directly at Su Yan.

Su Yan nodded.

Ma Chulan realized it instantly. "Then we'll lure the snake out of its hole."

"Brother Ma, help me with something." Su Yan took the initiative to speak, and Ma Chulong naturally felt obligated to help.

"What is it?"

"Go to Su Mo's house and bring Su Qiang out."

The current Su Mo had completely lost her human emotions, so Su Yan naturally wouldn't let Su Qiang remain in danger.

However, if she and her father went directly to Li Qiuhua, Li Qiuhua would certainly not agree, so she had to use extraordinary means.

"Alright. I'll go now."

This was an easy task for Ma Chulong.

***

Li Qiuhua returned home from the police station, looking completely lost.

Su Mo had been missing for six days, and even the police in charge of the search had told her to prepare herself mentally.

Looking at Wang Shusheng lying half-dead on the kang, and then thinking of the whereabouts unknown Su Mo, her emotions collapsed.

She sobbed uncontrollably.

When she realized the house was too quiet, she discovered that Su Qiang was not there yet.

Ever since she had brought Su Qiang to her side, the little one had visibly grown thinner and cried all day long.

Sometimes she truly wanted to die, but it was only because of her son that she was able to persevere.

"Qiangqiang?"

She rose in a panic to search for Su Qiang in the other room.

If anything happened to Su Qiang, she wouldn't live!

When she walked into the west room and saw a strange man inside, she let out a terrified scream.

Su Qiang was being held in his arms, his eyes tightly shut.

"Who are you? What are you going to do to my son?"

After the brief moment of terror, she grabbed a nearby broom and roared.

"I am the person here to save your son." Ma Chulong had thought this through on his way over; if he took Su Qiang away without telling this woman, she would likely cause a scene at the police station again, which would be troublesome. That was why he had stayed here to wait for her return.

"Nonsense! Put my son down immediately and get out of my house! Otherwise... otherwise, I'll fight you to the death!" Li Qiuhua's eyes turned red; she was truly desperate.

However, Ma Chulong said only one sentence, and she instantly fell silent.

"Wait a moment, Su Mo will be back soon."

"What did you say? How do you know?" Li Qiuhua's voice trembled with agitation.

Ma Chulong increased his volume. "I will only say this once, listen carefully. Su Qiang and Su Mo have clashing birth charts. When Su Mo returns, Su Qiang will be in danger. I am not taking Su Qiang because I want to steal your son; I am placing him by his father's side for these few days..."

Hearing this, Li Qiuhua suddenly understood something and shouted angrily, "You were sent by Su Jianguo to steal my son, weren't you?"

To think he would lie to her about clashing birth charts—did he really take her for a fool?!

"Li Qiuhua, do you not want your son's life anymore?" Ma Chulong's reprimand carried a natural authority.

Su Mo should be returning any moment; he had to leave before she arrived.

Li Qiuhua's heart shuddered, and she was actually intimidated by him.

After all, what mother doesn't care about her own child?

"Su Qiang is with his father; you can pick him up whenever you want. If I haven't miscalculated, Su Mo will be back very soon, and there won't be time to delay." As the heir of a clan, Ma Chulong's presence was naturally imposing.

At this moment, Li Qiuhua hesitated.

Seeing her attitude soften, Ma Chulong picked up Su Qiang and walked toward the exit.

As he passed Li Qiuhua, he felt a flicker of compassion.

Regardless of her grievances with Su Yan, she was, after all, a living person.

He took out a talisman and handed it to her.

"You must keep this on your person at all times. It cannot leave your body for twenty-four hours, and you must not let Su Mo see it, otherwise, your life will also be in jeopardy."

Before Li Qiuhua could react, Ma Chulong had already placed the talisman in her hand and strode away.

Li Qiuhua stood frozen in place, an ominous premonition rising in her heart.

Before she could fully recover her senses, a voice actually came from the courtyard.

"Mom, I'm back."

Only Su Mo would call her Mom, but this voice was so strange it made her scalp tingle.

That man was right; her daughter really had come back!

For some reason, her brain hadn't caught up yet, but her hands hurriedly shoved the talisman deep into her pocket.

When she finally saw Su Mo, her brain went numb, leaving nothing but terror.

The person in front of her was indeed her daughter, but that pale face was no different from the dead people she had seen before.

"Mo Mo, you're finally back. You scared Mom to death. Where on earth have you been all these days?"

Li Qiuhua broke into sobs again, wanting to hug Su Mo.

But Su Mo stopped her with an extremely eerie gaze.

"I am fine. Why are you crying?"

A chill raced from the soles of Li Qiuhua's feet to the top of her head, and her crying stopped abruptly.

"I... I was just worried about you."

Su Mo walked into the east room with mechanical steps, glanced at Wang Shusheng, and then walked into the west room.

Li Qiuhua even breathed cautiously; she was actually trembling with fear toward the current Su Mo.

"Where is Qiangqiang?"

Su Mo's question nearly made her heart jump out of her chest.

Li Qiuhua finally believed some of what Ma Chulong had said, because the current Su Mo was simply like a different person.

"You were missing these past few days, and I was so busy looking for you that I didn't have time to look after Qiangqiang, so I sent him to his grandmother's place first."

Li Qiuhua didn't even dare to reveal Su Qiang's true whereabouts.

Su Mo did not press further, seemingly believing her explanation.

"Um, Mo Mo, Mom sees that you don't look well. Are you feeling unwell anywhere? Do you need to go to the hospital?" Li Qiuhua asked with a trembling voice.

"No need."

"Then, I'll go cook for you. You must be hungry." After saying this, Li Qiuhua exited the room as fast as possible. Only when she reached the courtyard could she breathe normally, and her face and body were already drenched in sweat.

(End of Chapter)