There are still three minutes until the intermission begins, but Shang Qi’s dressing room is chaotic.
Chuzheng squeezes through the crowd and immediately spots Shang Shanyu.
The little girl’s face is deathly pale, clutching her bleeding arm. The floor is strewn with various items, and amidst the mess, a talisman paper lies at Shang Shanyu’s feet, seemingly with a lock of hair trapped within.
Shang Qi stands opposite her, his expression indifferent, as if the whole spectacle has nothing to do with him.
"Teacher Shang, it’s about to begin..." A staff member timidly reminds him.
Shang Qi nods, "Take her out."
"How is that possible!" Shang Shanyu shrieks, "Why are you fine? How can you be fine!! It’s impossible!"
The staff exchange uneasy glances.
The little girl had suddenly rushed in; they wanted to get her out, but Teacher Shang stopped them.
When they saw her again, she was clutching her injured arm, looking extremely pale, while glaring at Teacher Shang with intense resentment.
Anyone unaware might think Teacher Shang had done something inappropriate to her.
Chuzheng sees the talisman paper and understands what’s happening.
Shang Shanyu is not a stranger to Shang Qi; he considers the Shang family and lets her approach him.
He Jin selecting Shang Shanyu, who holds hatred for her own brother, to get close to Shang Qi was truly a strategic move.
Unfortunately...
The talisman paper didn’t seem to have an effect.
The staff attempt to take Shang Shanyu out, but she refuses. Considering her distinguished attire, the staff hesitate to be too forceful, fearing repercussions.
"Notify Mr. Shang to come and get her," Shang Qi instructs his bodyguard.
The bodyguard immediately takes action.
Shang Qi walks out, but after a couple of steps, he stops, goes back, and picks up the talisman paper from the floor.
Shang Qi puts the item away, sees Chuzheng standing amidst the crowd, and bends down to pat her: "I’m going on stage."
Chuzheng nods, her little paw pats his hand.
Shang Qi leaves with the escort of the staff. Once he’s gone, people begin murmuring quietly.
"Who’s that little girl?"
"Didn’t you see they look somewhat alike? She must be a relative of Teacher Shang."
"Hey, but the little girl appeared so fierce... She was yelling at Teacher Shang. Dresses nicely, yet so unruly."
"Kids these days are all spoiled."
"If I were Teacher Shang, I would’ve slapped her ages ago—no respect whatsoever."
-
Shang Shanyu is escorted out of the backstage and forbidden from re-entering.
Her arm is injured, still bleeding, and she cries sorrowfully.
Why did this happen!
He clearly stated that as long as Shang Qi came into contact with the talisman paper, it would work... So why didn’t it?
Shang Shanyu curses He Jin while crying.
It takes a while for her to think of calling someone to save her.
Just as she dials, everything goes black, and the next second, there’s a sharp pain in her neck, causing her to faint.
Du Pei catches Shang Shanyu from behind, swiftly dragging her into a nearby empty corner.
Chuzheng follows him in; Du Pei grits his teeth: "I’m truly unlucky—just came to a concert and now I’m stuck doing this bizarre thing with a cat."
"If I get caught, you won’t escape either!! I’ll definitely expose you, let the state dissect you!!"
Chuzheng: "..."
How can you be so malicious!
Even dare to harm someone as weak and helpless as me.
Malicious Du Pei: "Tell me first, are you a monster!"
Chuzheng quickly types two words—not really.
Du Pei: "Then what are you?"
—Immortals.
Chuzheng starts spouting nonsense.
Du Pei: "... Ugh, if you’re immortal, then I’m Buddha!"
—You’re amazing.
Chuzheng applauds him enthusiastically.
Du Pei: "..."
Du Pei avoids the backstage staff, taking Shang Shanyu to where He Jin is kept. After tying her up, Du Pei squats on the ground, panting.
This is exhausting.
Even more than having a conversation about life with a beauty... more thrilling!
Chuzheng squats beside him, tapping her phone with a paw.
—Can you hypnotize?
"Of course, that’s child’s play for me."
—Hypnotize He Jin.
"Why should I? Are you ordering me around?"
—Will you do it or not?
"..."
Du Pei is quite curious about Chuzheng now, although hesitant, he eventually agrees.
"You go outside and keep watch."
—No one will come. Don’t worry.
"..."
Du Pei’s feeling uneasy; not only is he doing such a thing with a cat, the cat’s confident assurance that no one will notice just feels bizarre.
He Jin is unconscious now, first they need to wake him.
Du Pei first warns Chuzheng: "Hypnosis isn’t as magical as it is shown on TV. It might not work, I’ll just give it a try."
He Jin being uncooperative as a patient makes it even harder.
—Mm.
Du Pei isn’t wrong; it’s indeed hard to hypnotize, so He Jin keeps getting woken up, knocked out, woken up, knocked out...hypnotizing when his awareness is weakest and hazy.
Du Pei: "..."
Sorry, he didn’t realize it could work like this! Seems all his prior learning was useless.
Typically, it wouldn’t work, but Chuzheng secretly assisted, making Du Pei’s hypnosis ultimately successful.
-
Chuzheng’s questions seem odd to Du Pei, but He Jin’s answers were even more shocking.
After a few questions, Du Pei is covered in goosebumps; every hair stands on end.
Chuzheng has been curious about what He Jin was doing with those cats, and now has the answer.
During a trip, He Jin found a booklet in a remote mountainous area that contains illustrations of various talisman papers and some strange magic.
He Jin took it back and slowly studied it; when he found that the drawn talismans worked, he was ecstatic.
But to draw these talismans, fresh cat blood was needed.
Before the cat dies, the talisman paper must be drawn; otherwise, it’s useless.
He Jin wasn’t a professional, so he had to draw each talisman many times, naturally wasting many cats.
And the talisman just now was meant to send Shang Qi into a frenzy.
With media present at the concert along with a live broadcast, if Shang Qi lost control publicly, or harmed someone, how would the consequences unfold?
If Shang Qi’s attack power was too great, even if someone accidentally killed him on-site, there wouldn’t be significant repercussions.
Of course, He Jin didn’t intend to kill Shang Qi.
What he wanted was Shang Qi’s aura of resentment.
In He Jin’s words: the aura of resentment surrounding Shang Qi could greatly enhance his own powers.
Conveniently aiding Shang Yucheng in solving problems—why not?
Du Pei, with goosebumps all over, full of disgust: "People with superstitions at least pursue inherited traditions; what does he count as?"
Corrupted sorcery?
This is terrifying! Darn!
Report to the authorities!
Must report!
He dared to scheme against Shang Qi! He’s a specimen he had painstakingly brought back!
Hold on... He has no evidence, even if investigated it’d only count as animal abuse.