Lin Xihang's voice grew increasingly tense as Zhao Yan insisted on coming over, trembling, "You really don't mess around, I know martial arts, ordinary people can't get close."
Seeing his persuasion was useless, Lin Xihang shouted to bolster his courage and stood up.
Before he could make a move, Zhao Yan pressed his head down, forcefully pinning him onto the bed.
Her right hand brushed past his ear as she executed a bed-slam.
As Zhao Yan's head drew closer.
His face turned as red as a monkey's backside, and he stammered, "Y-you don't force it, if you force it, then I can only, only, comply!"
Zhao Yan said, "You talk too much." She looked at the trash can under the bed and couldn't understand why a grown man used so much tissue.
It had even clogged the trash can.
Not wanting to think further, she pulled out many sheets of tissue, crumpled them into a ball, and stuffed them into Lin Xihang's mouth.
She pushed his head and with a strong pull, yanked out the sheet he was pinned under.
She quickly wrapped Lin Xihang in the sheet, tying a perfect bow on his chest.
Seeing Lin Xihang wrapped up like a mummy, she nodded in satisfaction.
Lin Xihang let out muffled sounds towards Zhao Yan.
"Shh, it's getting closer," Zhao Yan placed a finger to her lips.
Lin Xihang writhed on the bed like a maggot, trying to get off.
In an instant, Zhao Yan yanked him back, pressing a hand to his chest with a very serious expression.
"If you make any more noise or move again, I'll chop you off, so you can practice the Bixie Sword Manual!" Zhao Yan made a scissor gesture.
"Understand?"
Frightened, Lin Xihang nodded at Zhao Yan.
Seeing he was no longer making muffled sounds, Zhao Yan picked up the prepared pot soot and vigorously rubbed it on his face.
"With pot soot on your face, that thing won't be able to see you."
"Don't panic, I'm here!"
Zhao Yan grabbed the sheet at Lin Xihang's chest and effortlessly slung him over her shoulder.
Lin Xihang's eyes widened; this woman was so strong.
He was tossed off the bed like a bowling ball by Zhao Yan.
Immediately after, he couldn't see where Zhao Yan went.
Admittedly, Zhao Yan had wrapped him so tightly in the sheet that he lowered his head and bit at the other end of the bow, only to find he couldn't untie it.
He couldn't help but curse under his breath.
With a "creak" sound.
Hearing this, Lin Xihang stopped chewing and turned his head to the left.
He saw the previously closed door being opened.
He had thought Zhao Yan was going to abandon him and leave alone.
If she really left, he wouldn't be able to untie the sheet and would have to sleep under the bed for the night.
"Is this her prank?"
"She specifically wrapped me in a sheet, afraid I'd catch a chill at night?"
"How 'heartwarming'!"
Lin Xihang was about to wriggle out from under the bed.
Soon, he sensed something was wrong, the "pitter-patter" footsteps in his ear growing closer.
If Zhao Yan were leaving, she should have opened the door wider, enough for at least one person to pass.
But the door was opened, yet only a crack.
With a "click," the light above went out, and after three seconds, the light returned.
He strained his head to the side, and because he was under the bed, he could only see one person walking towards the bedside.
Even so, he could tell.
This was a woman, wearing a pair of old red cotton shoes.
Lin Xihang's anger grew; he should have objected to his mother letting a mentally ill person into the house, it was very dangerous.
He had no idea what Zhao Yan was doing.
Seeing the woman approaching him, Lin Xihang began to wriggle his body.
Just as Lin Xihang's head was about to emerge from under the bed.
Those old red cotton shoes suddenly dropped down. Lin Xihang quickly wriggled back, watching helplessly as the old red cotton shoes grazed his forehead.
He had narrowly avoided being stepped on.
He cursed inwardly, vowing that tomorrow morning, no matter how much his mother persuaded him, he would send this lunatic Zhao Yan to a mental hospital.
This was the first time in his life he had been toyed with like this.
He decided not to come out, wanting to see what else this mental patient intended to do.
With a belly full of fire, Lin Xihang looked at the slight indentation under the bed, realizing the woman had clearly sat on the bed.
Looking at those old red cotton shoes, Lin Xihang inwardly scoffed at how old-fashioned they were.
What kind of prank was this, wearing old cotton shoes?
The more he looked, the more Lin Xihang's expression changed.
He noticed the direction of those old red cotton shoes was wrong.
Logically, if a person sat on a bed, their toes would face forward, and their heels would be behind.
But this woman's toes were facing him, and her heels were facing forward.
Looking further, he realized this woman wasn't Zhao Yan at all.
The woman's feet were very thin, as thin as paper.
Lin Xihang's eyes widened, and he felt a chill creep from his feet to the crown of his head.
Cold sweat broke out on his back.
To achieve such a bizarre posture, this woman's feet would have to be twisted at a ninety-degree angle.
"She wasn't lying to me, there really is such a thing!"
Lin Xihang subconsciously swallowed, and fragments of horror movies he had seen before flooded his mind.
He began to overthink.
The more he thought, the more scared he became.
Those old red cotton shoes suddenly moved, and the indentation on the bed suddenly tightened upwards.
Had that woman stood up?
Lin Xihang gritted his teeth, his gaze fixed ahead.
He saw the legs in the old red cotton shoes begin to straighten.
"Go quickly, go quickly!"
Lin Xihang prayed inwardly, if she could just leave, he would never doubt that master again.
What made him nervous was that the heels of the old cotton shoes were starting to point towards him, with the toes facing forward.
His mind immediately conjured the image of this woman turning to face him.
Then he saw the woman's knees gradually bend.
Those knees slowly knelt on the ground.
He saw the woman's upper body slowly lean downwards.
His heart was pounding wildly, as if a small deer was desperately beating against his chest.
Following that, his entire body tensed up; his knees, which had been able to wriggle, now felt numb.
"Master Zhao, hurry up, I won't call you a lunatic anymore."
"I admit I spoke a bit too loudly just now."
He felt his heart skip a beat, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead from nervousness.
He was terrified and dared not look any further, closing his eyes.
Finding no movement, he opened his eyes.
He saw the woman's face was directly in front of him.
Lin Xihang's eyes met hers, so close he could smell the woman's decaying scent.
Terrified, he clamped his hand over his mouth, preventing himself from screaming.
The woman's face was blank, devoid of any features.
Lin Xihang was so scared he wanted to cry out.
The woman's face moved from side to side, her neck unnaturally long as she leaned towards him, her forehead touching his shoulder.
He dared not move at all, and the woman seemed not to see him.
Lin Xihang remembered Zhao Yan's words: smear this on your face, and the evil spirit won't see you.
He wished he could slap himself; how could such a beautiful woman be a liar?
If only he had believed her sooner.
The more he looked, the more Lin Xihang realized he was wrong.
It wasn't the woman's feet that were twisted at ninety degrees, but her neck.