Ye Zhen’s description of her dream was brief, but after the previous night, Zhou Jiayu keenly sensed she was hiding details.

“Eaten by dogs? How exactly?” Shen Yiqiong asked.

“I… failed in the dogfighting ring… and got eaten,” Ye Zhen said vaguely, clearly reluctant to elaborate.

Lin Zhushui merely gave a faint “mm,” his detached demeanor hinting at something unspoken, noticeable to everyone at the table.

Seeing Lin Zhushui’s silence, Ye Zhen’s face betrayed a flicker of impatience. If this were an ordinary feng shui master, she might’ve lost her temper, but facing the untouchable Lin Zhushui, she forced down her frustration, managing a strained smile. “Mr. Lin, when can we resolve this?”

Lin Zhushui, who’d only sipped some porridge for breakfast, said, “After breakfast, take me to where you buried the dogs.”

Ye Zhen looked puzzled. “The place where we buried the dogs? Why there?”

Lin Zhushui didn’t bother explaining. “Just go.”

Ye Zhen nodded in agreement.

“Oh, and one more thing,” Lin Zhushui added. “Make sure to feed the dogs in the cage this morning. Use the best meat.”

Ye Zhen quickly pulled out her phone and called the kennel, instructing them to feed the dogs properly. The keeper on the other end sounded nervous, but Ye Zhen was impatient. “If you’re too scared, just toss the food near the cage and push it in with a stick. If you can’t handle it, I’ll replace you.”

The keeper reluctantly agreed, and Ye Zhen hung up, smiling ingratiatingly at Lin Zhushui. “Mr. Lin, I’ve told them to feed the dogs. When can we head out?”

“When we’re full,” Lin Zhushui replied, his calm contrasting sharply with Ye Zhen’s anxiety.

Though Ye Zhen was far from likable, the food was excellent. Zhou Jiayu ate a basket of soup dumplings, some porridge, shrimp dumplings, and a few silver-thread rolls before feeling satisfied. While eating, he kept an eye on Ye Zhen’s uncle, who barely touched the food, seemingly uninterested. He sipped some porridge, ate a little, and then set down his chopsticks, falling silent.

Their eyes met briefly, and Zhou Jiayu saw none of the previous night’s ferocity—just a deep, night-like darkness.

“Let’s go,” Lin Zhushui said around 9:30, once everyone had finished eating.

Ye Zhen, visibly relieved, stood up. “The place where we buried the dogs is right by the kennel. We can drive there—it’s very close…”

Lin Zhushui nodded.

Half an hour later, they arrived at the so-called burial site, which was actually a foul-smelling garbage dump. The heat made the stench nauseating, with trash and sewage lining the path, making it a place no one wanted to approach.

Ye Zhen’s eyes betrayed undisguised disgust as she covered her nose and mouth. “Mr. Lin, this is it.”

Lin Zhushui’s expression had been cold since stepping out of the car, and now his tone was icy. “You didn’t even bother burying them?”

Ye Zhen looked embarrassed. “Well… there were too many dead dogs. Burying them was too much trouble.” It was a flimsy excuse, but Zhou Jiayu knew the real reason: the dogs’ bodies weren’t buried because they’d been smashed and fed to other dogs. Only scraps remained, tossed into the dump with household waste—no surprise there.

Before Lin Zhushui could respond, Lin Jue sneered at Ye Zhen. “The more people I meet, the more I like dogs.”

Ye Zhen’s face flushed with embarrassment, but she bit her lip, not daring to retort. She knew angering Lin Jue could ruin her chances.

The dump was revolting. Inside, they found several dog corpses, all small and emaciated, covered in wounds—likely rejected breeds too weak to be fed to others.

Lin Zhushui walked deeper into the dump, then pulled a thumb-sized bead from his pocket and lit it with a lighter.

The bead, once ignited, released a faint sandalwood scent—not strong, but enough to mask the dump’s stench, letting Zhou Jiayu breathe easier.

Shen Yiqiong, looking like he’d swallowed something vile, glared at Ye Zhen as if she were a fly, keeping his distance.

The bead’s ashes fell onto the polluted ground. Lin Zhushui murmured something softly, then paused, bending down to brush away loose soil from a small mound.

Beneath it was a dog’s skull, black as ink with a faint sheen, looking more like a crafted artifact than a bone.

“What is that?!” Ye Zhen gasped, stumbling back a few steps.

Lin Zhushui’s expression remained impassive. He dug out the skull and carefully wiped it clean with a cloth.

He’d mentioned wanting something from this place, and it seemed this skull was it.

“Zhushui, what is it?” Lin Jue asked, puzzled.

“Ever heard of a Yin Dog?” Lin Zhushui said.

“I have,” Lin Jue replied. “The legend of evil spirits on the Yellow Springs Road that devour human souls?” She seemed to realize something, her lips parting briefly before she stopped, glancing at Ye Zhen thoughtfully and pursing her lips.

“Mr. Lin, is this what’s causing the trouble?” Ye Zhen asked nervously.

Lin Zhushui gave a noncommittal “mm,” his slender fingers gently stroking the black skull, creating an oddly beautiful scene.

“So, I’m fine now?” Ye Zhen asked, her tone heavy with skepticism, as if the process seemed too easy.

“Of course not,” Lin Zhushui said. “There are two things you need to do.”

“What?” Ye Zhen asked.

“First, shut down the kennel. No more involvement in dogfighting,” Lin Zhushui said.

Faced with her life at stake, Ye Zhen abandoned her hobby quickly, nodding eagerly. “And the second thing?”

The second thing caught everyone off guard. Lin Zhushui said, “Kill the dogs in the cage.”

Ye Zhen’s eyes widened. “But when I killed a few before, I kept having nightmares. If I kill them all now, won’t it…”

“If you don’t trust me, you can keep them,” Lin Zhushui said.

Ye Zhen clearly didn’t want to keep the monstrous dogs. Her expression was conflicted, but she finally said, “Mr. Lin, I trust you, but I’m still uneasy. Could you stay a few more days?”

Zhou Jiayu expected Lin Zhushui to refuse, but to his surprise, he agreed. “Fine.”

Ye Zhen sighed in relief.

Even Lin Jue looked puzzled, clearly unsure why Lin Zhushui was being so accommodating.

Ye Zhen, on the other hand, beamed with relief. “Mr. Lin, since it’s settled, let’s get out of here. This place is filthy.”

The group turned to leave.

Shen Yiqiong whispered to Zhou Jiayu, “Why’s the Master helping Ye Zhen?”

Zhou Jiayu replied, “Are you sure he’s helping her?”

Shen Yiqiong frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I think the Sir made some kind of deal with those dogs,” Zhou Jiayu said.

Shen Yiqiong fell silent, recalling how Lin Zhushui had crouched in the cage the previous day, seemingly conversing with the dogs.

“If that’s true,” Shen Yiqiong said, “I’m dying to know what kind of deal he made.”

Not just Shen Yiqiong—everyone was curious, but with Ye Zhen present, they held their questions back.

Back at the Ye estate, Ye Zhen proposed dealing with the monstrous dogs in the cage, tactfully asking Lin Zhushui for the best method.

“Electrocution,” Lin Zhushui said. “One fatal shock. The more pain you inflict, the longer their resentment lingers.”

Ye Zhen agreed, immediately arranging it, and asked if Lin Zhushui wanted to be present.

Lin Zhushui nodded, indicating he would go.

Lin Jue, however, wasn’t having it. “Zhushui, you go. I’m staying—it’s too hot to bother.” Though she mentioned the heat, it was likely she didn’t want to witness the dogs’ execution.

“Alright,” Lin Zhushui said, turning to his disciples. “Are you coming?”

The disciples didn’t dare be as bold as Lin Jue, though their faces showed reluctance, especially young Shen Yiqiong, who looked grim but said he’d go.

At the kennel, Ye Zhen’s hired executioners arrived, armed to the teeth as if hunting large predators rather than killing dogs.

Standing before the cage, Zhou Jiayu saw the black-haired monstrous dogs again. Perhaps it was his imagination, but compared to yesterday, they seemed less hostile, exuding a strange calm, as if they’d fulfilled some purpose.

Lin Zhushui stood at the cage door, lightly tapping the bars with his finger. “Go in peace.”

The lead dog slowly approached, its human-like eyes gazing steadily at those outside. Its black pupils were serene, almost profound.

Ye Zhen couldn’t meet its gaze, looking away. “Mr. Lin, can we start?”

“Mm,” Lin Zhushui said.

The workers, armed with high-voltage stun guns, approached the cage and unlocked it. Ye Zhen stepped back, clearly fearing the dogs might rush out. But, to everyone’s surprise, the dogs remained eerily calm, squatting in place, watching the workers indifferently, showing no intent to resist.

Ye Zhen sensed something off in the silence. She glanced at the dogs, locking eyes with one. Its abyss-like gaze sent shivers down her spine, unleashing her suppressed fear. She screamed, “Kill them! Hurry up and kill them!”

The workers acted.

The stun guns struck the dogs, eliciting shrill cries as they collapsed, twitching briefly before going still.

One by one, like reaping wheat, dozens of dogs fell. Until their final moments, they didn’t move, as if they’d become lifeless statues. If not for their cries, they might’ve seemed inanimate.

At some point, Ye Zhen, unwilling to watch, turned away. Her eyes held no trace of compassion or pity—only relief.

To her, these mutated dogs were a burden, and shedding them brought her joy, which seemed natural enough.

The last dog fell, the slaughter eerily silent, like a mute film. The workers’ anticipated resistance never came. Satisfied, they removed their protective gear.

“Mr. Lin, what should we do with the bodies?” Ye Zhen asked.

“Bury them properly,” Lin Zhushui said.

Ye Zhen nodded, instructing her men to find a burial site. After a pause, she whispered, “Mr. Lin, can we cremate them?”

Lin Zhushui said, “Yes.”

Clearly, Ye Zhen wasn’t taking chances, wanting the cleanest solution. Cremation ensured no surprises, and she seemed pleased with the thought.

That night, the nightmares Ye Zhen feared didn’t come. She slept deeply, as if freed from a curse.

In contrast, Zhou Jiayu couldn’t sleep. Instead of going to bed, he stood on the balcony smoking. The day’s scene—the fallen dogs merging with the fighting dogs from his dream—stirred an inexplicable irritability in him.

“Still up?” Lin Zhushui’s voice came from behind.

Zhou Jiayu turned, surprised. “Sir?”

“What are you doing?” Lin Zhushui walked slowly to his side.

“Nothing, just thinking about today,” Zhou Jiayu said. “Sir, didn’t Ye Zhen bring this all on herself?”

“Of course she did,” Lin Zhushui said, pausing before addressing Zhou Jiayu’s unspoken question. “You’re wondering why I’m helping her?”

Zhou Jiayu nodded. “Sir, last night, I had a dream…”

“What did you dream?” Lin Zhushui asked.

Zhou Jiayu sighed, recounting the dream slowly. When he reached the part about the fighting dogs’ corpses being turned into feed, his disgust boiled over, his tone laced with anger. “Isn’t she just reaping what she sowed? Dogfighting’s bad enough, but treating their bodies like that after they’re dead—”

“Go on,” Lin Zhushui said.

Zhou Jiayu’s eyes blazed. “And she doesn’t even think she’s wrong! All she cares about is herself, even after seeing those dogs!” His emotions surged, and a dark thought flashed through his mind—he wanted Ye Zhen dead. Just then, Lin Zhushui slapped his forehead lightly, startling him. The act cooled his emotions, and Zhou Jiayu realized something was off. His anger had been so intense it bordered on irrational, unlike his usual self.

“What… what’s wrong with me?” Zhou Jiayu asked, clutching his forehead.

“Just empathy,” Lin Zhushui said. “With your constitution, strong emotions in certain situations can easily affect you.”

Zhou Jiayu swallowed hard.

Lin Zhushui extended his hand toward Zhou Jiayu.

Zhou Jiayu stared at it for a moment, then fumbled in his pocket, pulling out a cigarette and placing it in Lin Zhushui’s hand.

Lin Zhushui’s expression froze briefly, and he said with a near-sigh, “Your hand.”

Zhou Jiayu blinked. “Hand?”

Lin Zhushui: “…Your hand.”

Zhou Jiayu finally realized what Lin Zhushui meant, quickly wiping the sweat from his palm and cautiously placing his hand in Lin Zhushui’s.

Lin Zhushui gripped Zhou Jiayu’s hand. Their skin touched, and though Lin Zhushui’s hand was, as always, cool, that chill soon turned into a steady warmth, relaxing Zhou Jiayu’s body.

“The world rarely bends to our wishes,” Lin Zhushui said, his voice calm but soothing. “This was their choice.”

“Them… you mean those mutated dogs?” Zhou Jiayu asked.

Lin Zhushui nodded, enveloping Zhou Jiayu’s hand with both of his, gently rubbing it. “Once some things begin, they never truly end.”

Zhou Jiayu felt a bit lost, but the warmth of Lin Zhushui’s touch melted his irritability away, leaving his heart filled with indescribable emotions. “Sir, I’m getting sleepy,” he said.

“Go sleep,” Lin Zhushui said, releasing his hand.

Freed, Zhou Jiayu felt a pang of loss. “Goodnight, Sir.”

“Goodnight,” Lin Zhushui replied.

That night, Zhou Jiayu had no nightmares, but his sleep was restless, waking and dozing until dawn’s light crept in.

The next morning, Ye Zhen was strikingly vibrant compared to the previous day. Sitting at the breakfast table, she ate heartily with a cheerful smile, even greeting Zhou Jiayu.

Zhou Jiayu, too fed up to maintain even surface courtesy, merely glanced at her, not bothering to respond. With his mild temperament acting this way, Lin Jue and Shen Yiqiong were even colder, treating Ye Zhen like she didn’t exist. But Ye Zhen seemed unbothered—her biggest worry was resolved, and others’ opinions didn’t matter.

Halfway through breakfast, Ye Zhen, mid-bite of bread, suddenly clutched her mouth, her throat convulsing. She stumbled to the bathroom, where loud retching soon echoed, audible even in the dining room.

Normally, Zhou Jiayu might’ve checked on her, considering she was a young woman, but everyone’s opinion of Ye Zhen was so low that no one moved to see what was wrong.

Ten minutes later, Ye Zhen emerged, pale, with water droplets on her face, likely from washing it.

“Why’d I suddenly throw up?” she muttered. “Is something wrong with the food?”

No one responded.

Ye Zhen sipped some milk to soothe her throat. Zhou Jiayu assumed she’d stop eating, but moments later, she resumed devouring her food, looking ravenous.

Zhou Jiayu sensed something off, quickly pinpointing the source—Ye Zhen’s uncle, sitting beside her. Usually expressionless during the day, he was now gazing at his niece with a gentle, chilling intensity.

Noticing Zhou Jiayu’s stare, the uncle slowly turned, their eyes meeting. Zhou Jiayu’s breath caught—the man’s eyes were yellow, strikingly beautiful but distinctly non-human, like those of a canine. Yet they shifted back to black so quickly Zhou Jiayu wondered if he’d hallucinated.

“So hungry,” Ye Zhen said, still eating, oblivious to anything amiss. “I haven’t had an appetite like this in ages. Mr. Lin, thank you so much. If you hadn’t fixed this, I wouldn’t be able to eat.”

Lin Zhushui said nothing, taking a small sip of his milk.

The breakfast, which should’ve had leftovers, was entirely consumed by Ye Zhen. Even then, she licked her lips, muttering about still being hungry.

Her uncle, as if anticipating this, slowly said to a servant, “Bring it.”

The servant went to the kitchen and returned with a medium-rare steak, blood still clinging to it, the meat pink inside when cut—appetizing to some.

Ye Zhen’s eyes lit up, a smile spreading across her face. “Uncle, how’d you know I wanted meat?”

He didn’t answer, only saying, “Eat.”

Ye Zhen grabbed her knife and fork, cutting the tender beef into chunks and shoving them into her mouth, her face radiating bliss.

Everyone at the table noticed Ye Zhen’s odd behavior. Lin Jue looked at her with shock but stayed silent until Ye Zhen finished the plate-sized steak, patted her stomach contentedly, and left the table. Only then did she ask Lin Zhushui.

Lin Zhushui’s fingers tapped lightly on the table, his lips parting as he said casually, “No big deal. She’s just pregnant.”

“Pregnant?” Lin Jue said, incredulous. “Whose child?”

Lin Zhushui raised an eyebrow. “How would I know? You’d have to ask Ye Zhen herself.”

Though he said this, everyone sensed something was wrong, and Zhou Jiayu was certain Ye Zhen’s strangeness was tied to the slaughtered dogs…

__
Author’s Note:

Lin Zhushui: Hand it over.

Zhou Jiayu obediently offers his hand.

Lin Zhushui: I meant the cigarette.

Zhou Jiayu: …

Lin Zhushui: Kidding. I meant your hand.

Zhou Jiayu puffs up like an angry pufferfish.