Taboo Mage - Chapter 120 - She Died

I carefully described to Xu-Jie the scent I noticed at Lin Huan’s home. After listening, Xu-Jie looked puzzled, taking a while to respond.

Thinking my initial description might have been lacking, I added, “I don’t really know how to describe it, but it was a strange yet pleasant smell.”

Xu-Jie glanced at me, twirling a glass in her hand, and teased, “What perfume is it? I think you might have encountered a fox spirit.”

“How did you know?” I exclaimed, surprised. It was only after I spoke that I realized it might have been inappropriate.

True to form, Xu-Jie slid her chair closer and asked with a grin where exactly I met this fox spirit.

Frowning, I told her about meeting a beautiful woman on the flight back from Shenyang. Although she was divorced, it didn’t show at all from her appearance.

After hearing my story, Xu-Jie smacked me on the head, “You must be crazy! Nine times out of ten, women like her are scammers!”

“But…”

“But what? Are you waiting for her to scam you out of everything before you realize it? I’ve seen all kinds of women in my life, and yet I’m still not fooled!”

Xu-Jie gave me a look of exasperation. I laughed it off, thinking to myself that such women weren’t my type anyway, but somehow, she’d managed to completely enchant Uncle Lin.

After saying goodbye to Xu-Jie, I drove home. As soon as I walked through the door, Lin Huan rushed toward me, shouting, “Boss, something terrible happened at my house!”

I pushed him away, “Everything was fine when I was there this morning. What could have happened?”

“That woman… she died.”

“What did you say?”

I was shocked. That woman… dead? It was all so sudden. This morning, I’d seen her alive and well, even trying to seduce me.

How could she possibly be dead in less than a day?

Without giving me time for an explanation, Lin Huan dragged me with him, and we drove straight back to his house.

As soon as the car entered the community, Lin Huan jumped out and ran towards his home. I followed behind, noticing a strange scent in the air and looked up at the building where Lin Huan lived.

There were swirling dark clouds above the building, like those just before a summer storm, thick and densely packed.

It was the first time I’d seen such a scene. Although I could clearly sense an eerie atmosphere in that building, I couldn’t quite pinpoint what was wrong.

Thinking it over, I walked inside while taking out my phone to call Jue Chi.

Lin Huan lived in an old community building with no elevator, so I had to climb the stairs. By the time I reached the third floor, I heard the sound of something breaking above, accompanied by shouting.

I hurriedly made my way up. A crowd had already gathered in front of Lin Huan’s apartment. I pushed through to see Lin Huan holding a teapot, angrily yelling, “That woman died on her own, what does that have to do with me? Don’t push everything on me!”

“You bastard! If it weren’t for your disgraceful behavior, would Xiao Meng have taken her own life?”

Uncle Lin stood in the living room, shouting and throwing a vase nearby.

The crowd watching scattered, murmuring that Lin Huan had assaulted his stepmother, and the woman, feeling desperate, turned on the gas while Uncle Lin was out buying groceries.

So, it was the gas… that explains the pungent smell I noticed at the door.

Lin Huan deftly dodged the attack, shouting back, “You old fool! You’ve been so bewitched by that fox spirit, you’re not even yourself anymore! I bet you’d be pleased to see this family fall apart!”

The father and son continued their heated argument, one standing in the living room, the other by the entrance.

I rolled my eyes helplessly. Family issues should be handled behind closed doors. Making a scene like this in front of everyone only turns them into a laughingstock.

Suddenly, a familiar voice came from inside the room, “Stop arguing, it’s all my fault…”

I was momentarily stunned as I watched Xiao Meng, the woman who had thrown the Lin Family into chaos, emerge from the bedroom. She looked pale and weak, leaning against the wall for support.

Uncle Lin nearly leapt off the ground, rushing to Xiao Meng’s side to care for her tenderly, as if she were a precious treasure.

The people around gasped in astonishment, clearly excited by this new twist in the drama, making them even more eager spectators.

I, too, was curious. Wasn’t she supposed to be dead? How was she standing there like nothing happened? But now wasn’t the time to get caught up in curiosity.

I squeezed through the crowd at the door, dispersing them, then pulled Lin Huan into the room.

Uncle Lin helped Xiao Meng to the couch, fussing over her with tea and fruit, while Lin Huan, hands on his hips, paced angrily around the living room.

Given this family matter, it wasn’t right for me to get involved. I was contemplating an excuse to leave when Lin Huan and Uncle Lin started arguing again.

Uncle Lin, naturally unwilling to be lectured by his own son, especially in front of the woman he adored, sparked another dispute between the two.

Under the circumstances, I couldn’t leave, nor could I intervene, so I sat on the sofa, looking around aimlessly.

I couldn’t help but be drawn to the woman sitting nearby. To be fair, she possessed a certain fatal attraction for men.

This morning, she had been captivating and seductive, and now she exuded a frail beauty akin to a delicate flower. She embodied the two extremes of feminine allure.

For such a woman to be with Uncle Lin, it was either true love or something unspeakable going on behind the scenes.

The woman seemed to sense my gaze and turned to smile at me, saying, “I’m sorry for causing such a scene, Mr. Gu.”

“No worries, you get used to it,” I replied with a smile, waving her off.

Her expression shifted slightly but quickly softened again as she covered her mouth to cough. Uncle Lin immediately stopped arguing and rushed over to comfort his wife.

Just as the situation was growing awkward, the doorbell rang. Seeing that no one in the family seemed inclined to answer it, I stood up to do it myself.