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Mrs. Qiao took the fruit basket and placed it on the table. She turned to look at Qiao Ziyuan, her expression less anxious than before. "The situation remains the same, but..."

She was about to mention the matter of hiring a master.

But Qiao Tianxin interrupted, deeply concerned. "Fengxu, I heard from your father that you were shot while apprehending a criminal?"

Upon hearing the news, Qiao Tianxin had been worried sick. He and Ah Zhi had grown up together as children from influential families, and Zhou Fengxu was like a child he had watched grow up. It was only because of Qiao Ziyuan's situation that he hadn't visited the Zhou family sooner.

"Yes, that did happen," Zhou Fengxu recalled the incident where he was shot and the protective amulet burned to ashes. The memory was still vivid in his mind.

In that moment, even if he had wanted to disbelief it, he had remained silent.

Actions spoke louder than words.

It was because of this incident that he had decided to visit the hospital.

"Uncle, do you believe in mysticism?"

If this were in the past, Qiao Tianxin would certainly not have believed it. However, he had personally witnessed the malevolent aura surrounding Qiao Ziyuan. Nevertheless, he decided to tease him.

"I won't go into whether I believe in the supernatural or not. I remember when you joined the police force, you always said that an upright person has nothing to fear, that one's integrity can vanquish even gods and demons."

"Aren't you still dwelling on old stories?" Zhou Fengxu smiled wryly, reminiscing about their younger days when they had just graduated from the police academy – a time when they were at their most idealistic, with a past they would rather not revisit.

Qiao Tianxin chuckled. "It's not easy for me to forget the antics of you kids."

"Uncle, I know you've never been one to believe in superstitions, but for Ziyuan's sake, why not give anything hopeful a try?" Zhou Fengxu stated his intention.

Qiao Tianxin fell silent, then spoke after a while. "I'll be honest with you, I too was astounded by the mystical today."

He recounted what had happened in the hospital room. Then, he sighed.

"In the past, we'd say that the older generation's belief in superstitions made them outdated. I never thought I'd find myself believing in such things one day. Prejudice really does do harm."

Qiao's mother placed the washed fruits on the table. "You have no idea how incredible this young lady is. With a simple swipe of her hand, she made visible what we couldn't normally see. If your Uncle Qiao hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed it either."

As she spoke, worry creased her face as she gazed at the young man lying in bed and sighed.

"If only we knew earlier, believed in mysticism sooner, perhaps Ziyuan would have awakened by now."

"You didn't listen to Master Chu? As long as the charm is protected, Ziyuan will eventually wake up," Qiao Tianxin reproached himself but chose to comfort his wife first.

"Charms? What do they look like?"

Zhou Fengxu seemed to recall something. There was only one person he knew who was fond of drawing charms, right?

"Charms? What do they appear as?"

Qiao's mother lifted the light blanket covering Qiao Ziyuan. Upon seeing the familiar symbols, Zhou Fengxu couldn't help but smile.

She...

Was truly enthusiastic.

Chu Yuening followed the address and found herself on the old street. Seeing the tightly shut door of a tile-roofed cottage, she surveyed her surroundings and peered through the window from outside.

The dark room was illuminated by moonlight, revealing a luxurious leather sofa in the center, an upscale coffee table, a fifty-inch television, and a vintage, golden-colored sound system nearby.

Even the small windows were adorned with intricately embroidered curtains.

How could such an incongruous and valuable decoration be found in this humble shack?

Scanning the room without spotting anyone, Chu Yuening glanced at the direction of Ah Shui's house and was about to consult his horoscope for clues.

From behind, a voice called out, "Hey, pretty lady, looking for Meng Zhou?"

Chu Yuening turned around to see a man in a vest and shorts, holding a lunch box under his arm, clearly just finished with his work.

"Meng Zhou?" she asked, puzzled.

"New name," he replied, effortlessly mentioning Meng Zhou's nickname. "You must be looking for Ah Shui, right? I've told him a million times to use his real name when meeting people outside!"

Chu Yuening nodded in agreement. "Yes."

"He's not home. I heard he went to Lan Kwai Fong. You should head there to find him."

"Thank you." Chu Yuening observed the surroundings, noticing the cramped row of tiny houses. "Are you neighbors?"

The man replied, "Yes, we're not just neighbors but also colleagues. We both drive delivery trucks with Meng Zhou."

He then glanced at Meng Zhou's dilapidated house and sighed, "But he has better luck than me. Lately, he must have struck it rich because he bought a BMW. I suppose he'll be moving out soon; once you have money, you buy a decent place, and we won't be neighbors anymore."

After Chu Yuening finished her question, she waved goodbye and walked to the curb to hail a taxi. Just as a red cab pulled over, a traffic officer on a motorbike followed closely behind.

The taxi driver was near tears, "Officer, aren't you tired from chasing me for half an hour?"

The traffic cop took an alcohol tester from his motorcycle's storage compartment and held it up to the driver. Behind his helmet's visor, his expression was resolute, "I am tired, but even so, you still need to blow into this first."

Realizing he couldn't escape, the taxi driver resigned himself to fate. As he closed his eyes, he caught sight of the girl who had caused his predicament standing by the roadside. Suddenly energized, he pointed at Chu Yuening and cursed, "You wicked girl! If you've got the guts, never ride in an uncle's taxi again!"

Right then, a taxi stopped, and Chu Yuening opened the door, winking at him before giving a small smile. "If I don't want to ride, I won't!"

With that, she slammed the door shut.

The taxi driver watched Chu Yuening disappear into the distance, seething with anger. He took out his frustration on the alcohol tester, forcefully blowing into it.

The traffic officer grasped the taxi driver's shoulder through his shirt. "Congratulations, you've been caught for drunk driving."

Lan Kwai Fong is located in Central, renowned for its strip of distinctive bars.

Upon arrival, Chu Yuening was immediately dazzled by the vibrant neon lights illuminating the alley of bars, each entrance crowded with people.

There were stylish guys with afros and tight outfits paired with flared pants, as well as trendy girls donning Asian-inspired makeup, clustering together in groups, linking arms and reveling in high spirits.