Chapter 14: Possession (Part 3)
Lin Banxia once heard a saying:
“At that time, she was young and didn’t know that the gifts of fate had already been marked with a price in the dark.”
This saying fit Cheng Yuliu perfectly.
Cheng Yuliu used her secret to escape poverty. By all rights, she should have been happy. She now lived in a grand mansion that was once too extravagant even to dream of, ate exquisite food, and wore luxurious clothes. However, Cheng Yuliu found herself feeling less and less joy. It wasn’t that she was being pretentious—her happiness seemed to be drained by some invisible force. No matter how desperately she spent money, she could never reclaim even a fraction of the pleasure she once felt.
“At first, it was only a few thousand,” Cheng Yuliu said casually, “and I was thrilled. Later, I won millions, but I couldn’t feel anything anymore.”
The two listened quietly without interrupting.
“But at least my husband still loves me,” Cheng Yuliu continued with a smile. “He truly loves me, and his family does as well. I’m an orphan, but his parents love me like their own daughter. We had a smart, beautiful child; everything was perfect…”
Although money no longer brought her happiness, her warm family eased her inner turmoil. She began devoting more energy to her husband and child and distanced herself from her secret. By that time, Cheng Yuliu could sense something hidden within that secret—something she couldn’t explain but instinctively knew was dangerous.
But could someone trapped in a swamp really leave so easily?
Cheng Yuliu lit another cigarette. Her gaunt face appeared particularly menacing in the flickering candlelight and the swirling smoke. She squinted at the shapeless mass of flesh on the ground, her red lips pressing into a harsh line as she laughed. “It’s a shame, though. I misjudged him.”
“He cheated.”
Her husband cheated? Despite her wealth, he had an affair. Cheng Yuliu still couldn’t understand why he fell for a woman with no redeeming qualities. This woman was even older than her, with no money or beauty, yet her husband acted as if he were possessed, completely infatuated, even wanting to divorce Cheng Yuliu.
Cheng Yuliu broke down. She cursed at first, then later begged. She pleaded with her husband not to leave her. She even turned to his parents, hoping they would help.
But to her surprise, no one stood by her.
Her child, who had always been distant, looked at her with cold disdain, saying he hated his mother, hiding behind his father without any hesitation. Her husband’s mother, while verbally reproaching her son, told Cheng Yuliu to let go. She said that when a man’s heart changes, no force could bring him back. She told her to think positively, saying Cheng Yuliu was still young and could find another husband even after the divorce.
With a seemingly kind smile, her mother-in-law comforted Cheng Yuliu. But that familiar, kind face now looked twisted like a devil’s. Cheng Yuliu sat numbly on the floor, her ears ringing. This was her home, her family, yet everything seemed so unfamiliar, as if she had never truly owned any of it.
“If you want a divorce, everything and the child stays with me,” Cheng Yuliu struggled to say.
“With you? Why should they stay with you?” The usually gentle gaze of her husband vanished as he looked at her like she was dirt. “All your winnings came after we married, so it’s marital property. And you still want to take it all?” He laughed mockingly, throwing a divorce agreement in her face. “Sign it soon, or I have other ways to deal with you.”
Cheng Yuliu’s tears had dried. She looked at him blankly, like a puppet. “Why? Why?”
“Why?” he scoffed. “Who could live with a freak like you, never turning on the lights after dark, only going out when it’s overcast? Are you a vampire? Living with someone like you would drive anyone crazy.”
Cheng Yuliu fell silent.
Then, he left with their child, leaving her alone in the house. Before leaving, he told her to sign the papers soon so they could complete the formalities. The house wasn’t hers to keep; he intended to live there. He’d give her a portion of the savings, but once she took the money, she had to leave immediately.
That day, Cheng Yuliu sat alone in the house for a long, long time.
The large, empty room felt like a cavern, filled with the howling cold wind that wouldn’t stop. The murmurs in her ears grew louder and louder, and she felt as though someone were whispering gently to her, saying, “Don’t cry. I’m here with you.” It said, “Just tell me; otherwise, they’ll leave you.” It said, “What are you hesitating for? If you keep waiting, you’ll lose everything.”
Cheng Yuliu had heard this voice countless times. It was the voice that had given her everything she had now.
She staggered to her feet, fumbling her way to the light switch in the living room. She hadn’t turned on a light in a very long time—not that she didn’t want to, but that she didn’t dare.
With a quiet click, the switch turned, and bright light filled the living room. The brightness felt as though it burned her skin. She wrapped her arms around herself and let out a piercing scream, crouching down slowly. The shadow cast by the light formed a black pit beneath her, like a hole ready to swallow her. The shadow, which should have been flat, began writhing and struggling before slowly rising off the ground, taking on the shape of a human behind her.
With tears streaming down her face, Cheng Yuliu didn’t dare look back, curling up like a frightened animal.
Then she heard a voice, identical to her own, coming from behind, softly asking, “What do you wish for?”
After a moment’s silence, Cheng Yuliu spoke numbly, “I want my family to never be separated.”
The voice replied, “Alright.”
And then, everything vanished, as if the voice had only been a figment of her imagination.
Cheng Yuliu wiped away her tears and forced a painful smile.
No one knew that she had a shadow capable of granting wishes. As long as she made a wish to it, her desires would come true. Wealth, beauty, a handsome husband, and a lovely child—she had it all. But when she made her wishes, she had forgotten to ask for a happy family.
Gradually, however, her wishes took away all sense of joy she could feel. No matter how astronomical the numbers in her bank account grew or how others praised her beauty, she couldn’t lift her lips in even the smallest smile.
After making her wish, Cheng Yuliu called her husband, suggesting they go on a trip together. He initially refused, but she threatened him, saying she would die in front of him if he didn’t come. Fearing she would do something extreme, he reluctantly agreed for the whole family.
Although they agreed to her request, they didn’t want to ride in the same car as her. So, for this final journey, Cheng Yuliu drove alone, speeding down the highway. The scenery around her twisted and distorted from the speed. The window was down, and the cold night wind slapped against her face. She felt like she was on a road meant for one, unable to turn back or stop, heading toward a collision that was the only way to make it end.
In a brief moment of distraction, a massive crash sounded behind her, jolting Cheng Yuliu back to reality. Through her rearview mirror, she saw an out-of-control truck and smoke billowing up into the night. The smoke swirled in the darkness, taking on the faint shape of a slender, shadowy figure, coldly gazing down at the ground.
Cheng Yuliu slammed on the brakes, skidding to a stop in the emergency lane. She flung open the car door and stumbled back towards the scene, where chaos lay before her eyes.
The truck lay toppled in front of her, its heavy container tilted to one side. Beneath it was a familiar car, crushed beyond recognition, its height reduced to a mere twenty centimeters—no one could survive such a scene.
Cheng Yuliu slowly collapsed to the ground, her gaze tilting upward to the pitch-black sky. The heavens bore no light, as dark as her shadow, coldly staring back at her.
Rescue workers arrived swiftly and extracted the severely mangled bodies from the wreckage. Cheng Yuliu stood nearby, watching as they placed the bodies into body bags and loaded them into a vehicle, preparing to drive away. Unable to bear it any longer, she broke down, sobbing uncontrollably, muttering that it was all her fault. If only she hadn’t insisted on going out, they wouldn’t have died, and they could have stayed together forever.
The police helped her into their car and took her off the highway, intending to hand her over to her relatives. However, upon checking her records, they discovered that Cheng Yuliu had no other relatives. She was an orphan; her husband’s family had been her only kin.
“I want to go to the funeral home,” Cheng Yuliu suddenly stopped crying, her expression hollow and fixed, as if in a trance, insisting that she must go to the funeral home.
The police, feeling sympathetic and seeing that she wouldn’t be dissuaded, reluctantly escorted her there for her safety.
Upon arriving at the funeral home, they saw the vehicle carrying the bodies parked outside, its door open. The faces of the people standing nearby were grim.
Cheng Yuliu saw the disarray inside the vehicle, where pieces of flesh were strewn across the cabin. Yet this time, she smiled—a strange, twisted smile. She finally understood that this accident had not been a coincidence.
The shadow had once again granted her wish—to keep the family together forever.
But within that family, there was no place for Cheng Yuliu.
—
Author’s Note:
Song Qingluo: “So, after hearing this story, what are your thoughts?”
Lin Banxia: “N-no… please, no…”
Song Qingluo: “?”
Lin Banxia: “Don’t… don’t get married?”
Song Qingluo: “…”
