Something Is Not Quite Right

That night.

The streetlights after evening self-study stretched their shadows—one long, one short.

Lin Mo and Xie Yuling walked side by side, silence thickening between them.

The girl was lost in thought, kicking an innocent pebble along the path. As the stone rolled, her lips pursed tighter.

The incident at noon was like a tiny splinter—not fatal, but irritating enough to throw her off balance.

Confront him?

Even she found the idea absurd, but emotions weren’t so easily reasoned away.

Lin Mo stayed quiet, slowing his pace to match her sulky strides.

After all, he was the one who’d messed up the arrangements.

So now, Xie Yuling had no choice but to stew in her own frustration.

When they reached the apartment building, Xie Yuling finally broke her silence, her voice muffled as if half-asleep. "Mom said we’re having late-night snacks tonight."

Her tone was flat, like she was reciting lines, but her eyes flickered toward Lin Mo’s face.

"Sure," Lin Mo replied briskly, a hint of amusement in his voice.

The expected refusal never came, and Xie Yuling exhaled inwardly.

She scoffed quietly, a barely audible huff escaping her nose before she spun around and bolted up the stairs, her footsteps clattering faster than usual.

Lin Mo watched her flustered retreat with amusement, following at a leisurely pace.

Click.

The moment Xie Yuling pushed open the door, she froze in the entryway, her backpack thudding to the floor.

"Mom! What happened?!" Her voice was sharp, trembling on the verge of tears.

Lin Mo frowned as soon as he stepped inside.

Only then did his spiritual sense focus precisely on Auntie Zheng.

The living room lights were dim, casting Zheng Yuan in a weary slump on the sofa. Her usually gentle face now bore traces of distress—a faint swelling at her temple and a prominent bruise across one cheekbone.

The injuries looked like they could’ve come from a fall… or a hit.

He bent to pick up the fallen backpack, setting it casually on the armrest before cutting through the heavy silence with a steady voice.

"Auntie, what happened? Who hurt you?"

Zheng Yuan was well-liked, and the neighbors always looked out for her. Lin Mo couldn’t imagine anyone laying a hand on her.

Seeing the panic on the kids’ faces, Zheng Yuan forced a weak smile and waved a hand dismissively. She pointed toward the threshold of the balcony.

"I slipped. Lost my footing and hit my face."

The explanation eased some of Xie Yuling’s dread, but irritation quickly took its place.

"Mom, did you walk around right after mopping again? How many times have I told you not to do that?"

"Not really..." Zheng Yuan hesitated, trying to recall. "I usually don’t mop at night."

Lin Mo’s gaze swept over the tiles near the balcony—clean and dry, without a trace of moisture.

His eyes darkened, but he kept silent.

"Auntie, stay put. I’ll go downstairs and get some of my family’s medicinal wine. It’s great for bruises and circulation."

"Oh, don’t trouble yourself, Xiao Mo. Just rest for a bit."

Lin Mo waved without turning back, already disappearing out the door.

Within minutes, he returned with an unlabeled brown glass bottle.

Instead of applying it himself, he handed it to Xie Yuling, who was still hovering by the sofa.

"Help your mom with this. Be gentle. And don’t bother cooking—I’ll grab some skewers and fried noodles from Old Baldie downstairs. Be back soon."

His instructions were smooth, leaving no room for argument.

Xie Yuling took the bottle on reflex, her earlier pettiness forgotten, replaced by an odd sense of reassurance.

She didn’t mind handling this—in fact, it felt right.

"This really isn’t necessary..."

Zheng Yuan tried to stand, but Xie Yuling pressed her back onto the sofa.

"Enough, Mom!"

She unscrewed the cap, and the pungent scent of medicinal oil filled the air.

"Just sit still and let me take care of it."

The oil was cool against her palms. Xie Yuling warmed it between her hands before gently massaging it into the bruise on her mother’s cheek, careful not to press too hard.

"Mom, where’s the protective charm Lin Mo gave you? Did you not have it on?"

"Huh?"

Zheng Yuan blinked, then smacked her thigh. "It’s in the pocket of the clothes I changed out of earlier!"

A thought struck her, and her expression shifted.

"Could it be... because I wasn’t wearing it that I fell?"

Xie Yuling’s stomach lurched. That sounded about right—but she couldn’t say so outright, not wanting to scare her mom. Instead, she soothed,

"Just keep it on you from now on. Better safe than sorry. I’ve been wearing mine, and I’ve been fine."

Middle-aged women tended to believe in such things, and Zheng Yuan nodded fervently.

"It must be! I was just walking through the living room—the floor wasn’t even wet! How could I have slipped so badly?"

Downstairs, Lin Mo headed to Old Baldie’s stall for their late-night order.

But his spiritual sense remained locked onto Zheng Yuan.

With the protective charm in place before, he’d never noticed anything amiss.

Yet the moment she’d taken it off, this happened.

Back in the apartment, he’d detected a faint, wispy red energy drifting in the air, seeping into Zheng Yuan’s body.

Nothing good, that much was certain.

Fortunately, Xie Yuling was sharp enough to remember the charm.

Half an hour later, Lin Mo returned with the food.

"Xiao Mo, that family remedy of yours works wonders. The pain’s already gone."

Zheng Yuan looked far better than before.

Of course. There was no "family remedy"—just Lin Mo’s spiritual energy.

A simple infusion into the oil had turned it into something extraordinary.

"Glad it helped. Keep this bottle here—I’ve got more at home."

As he spoke, he unpacked the takeout boxes.

Noticing Xie Yuling’s hesitant expression, Lin Mo gave her hand a subtle pat and a nod when Zheng Yuan wasn’t looking.

Xie Yuling didn’t understand why he’d done that, but it inexplicably calmed her. She sat down properly to eat.

With Lin Mo there, the red energy was kept at bay, unable to affect Zheng Yuan.

After this meal, he’d deal with whatever demonic nuisance was lurking.

But first, he’d remind Xie Yuling to make sure her mom kept the charm on.

Once they’d eaten their fill, Zheng Yuan excused herself to rest.

After the fall, she still felt off and decided to turn in early.

Only after her mother’s bedroom door closed did Xie Yuling whisper, "Something’s wrong, isn’t it?"

Lin Mo nodded. "A little. That’s why the charm needs to stay on."

Xie Yuling bobbed her head emphatically.

"Are you going to do something about it? Will it be dangerous?"

Her eyes were wide with worry.

Lin Mo chuckled. "If it can’t even break through the charm, how dangerous could it be?"