The atmosphere inside the van suddenly grew oppressive.
The veins stood out on Lin Mu's hand as he gripped his phone. In a voice he tried to keep under control, he asked,
"What about her manager and assistant?"
Zhang Hen replied, "She was following me alone. That woman's got some nerve."
Lin Mu took a deep breath and asked, "Who told you to do that?"
Zhang Hen said in confusion, "Wasn't it you, Brother Mu? You said that if she followed me instead, I should handle it according to the rules."
Fat Tiger glanced at Lin Mu's face from the side and drove slowly and carefully.
Hao Jian, sitting in the back, started to ask something, but Fat Tiger stopped him with a sharp look over his shoulder.
Lin Mu snapped, "I told you to shake her off! Who told you to take her to Lost Forest?"
That was how they dealt with other paparazzi who had bad intentions. When had he ever told him to treat Junior Feng that way?!
Lin Mu turned to look out the window. It was already past ten at night, and Feng Bingbing was alone in Lost Forest, where the mountain paths were steep.
"I'm sorry, Brother Mu. I misunderstood."
Zhang Hen seemed to realize he'd messed up.
"Go back and get her out of there. Now!"
Lin Mu said.
"Brother Mu, um, I'm already at the hotel entrance."
At that moment, someone by the roadside waved at the van. It was Zhang Hen.
"..."
Lin Mu shoved the door open and got out. Fat Tiger jumped. "Brother Mu, slow down! The van hasn't stopped yet!"
"Brother Mu."
Zhang Hen lowered his head, knowing he'd botched the job.
Lin Mu's chest heaved. He grabbed Zhang Hen and got into the van, then said to Hao Jian,
"Go back first. I'll contact you later."
"Oh."
Hao Jian could tell something was off about Brother Long's mood. Wisely, he said nothing and got out.
Lin Mu told Fat Tiger, "I'll drive."
Fat Tiger quickly switched seats with him.
Rumble!
Lin Mu started the van and drove onto the road. Its engine roared as if it couldn't take the strain. He overtook every car in his way and headed toward Muren Mountain.
"Oh, right, Brother Mu. When I shook Feng Bingbing off, I think I saw her phone fall into a puddle."
Zhang Hen spoke again in the silent van.
"Damn!"
Fat Tiger muttered and hurriedly buckled his seat belt.
Sure enough, the van sped up again, tearing down the highway through the night like a street racer.
An hour later.
Muren Mountain, Lost Forest.
The place was lush with green hills and clear water, dense undergrowth, and thick woods.
By day, it was a lovely spot for an outing.
But at night, with no lights at all, few people dared to enter.
It was far too easy to get lost.
Local legend had it that Lost Forest was the lair of fox demons.
During the day, when yang energy was strong, fox demons didn't dare appear.
Only at night did they come out. If they found a lost human alone, they would eat her and take her shape.
"It's all just a legend. There are no fox demons. No fox demons. No—ow!"
At that moment, a slender figure used a branch as a walking stick as she stumbled aimlessly through the pitch-black woods.
She kept glancing around as she walked, muttering to herself the whole time.
Distracted, she tripped over a rock and nearly fell. She clutched her ankle and sucked in a sharp breath.
The girl finally managed to straighten up and look at the sky. There wasn't even a moon.
It was so dark all around her.
Her phone had fallen into the water and gone completely dead. She couldn't even call for help.
Feeling her way along, she sat on a large rock and looked at the deep, dark woods around her.
Coo-coo.
Drip.
Strange sounds came from nearby now and then. They sounded like an owl, or maybe a toad. It was also possible that—
It was a fox demon?
"Sis Wanqing, Xiao Zhu, I'm sorry. I won't do it again. Please come find me."
The mountain air was much colder than in the city at night. Feng Bingbing hugged herself, shivering slightly as she murmured under her breath.
After the show finished filming, Feng Bingbing had ditched Zhou Wanqing and Xiao Zhu and run out of Jiangrong Satellite TV alone to follow Dawei Tianlong.
She wanted to find out whether that guy was really her senior.
And sure enough, she'd seen her senior's figure across from Jiangrong Satellite TV.
They'd been childhood friends, and she'd spent three years with him at university, secretly crushing on him.
Feng Bingbing was certain she couldn't possibly have mistaken him!
But her senior had vanished without a trace.
Feng Bingbing thought the whole thing was strange. She couldn't understand why her senior was avoiding her.
But she'd never been the type to give up easily.
After searching the area again, she'd run into a pervert on the road who tried to harass her. Before she could even act, a man had chased him away.
After thanking the man, Feng Bingbing continued searching the area for her senior.
But she soon realized that the man who had helped her seemed to be following her.
She had a feeling this man had something to do with her senior.
So, incredibly bold as ever, she turned around and walked straight toward him.
The man was startled and immediately turned to leave.
Feng Bingbing chased after him.
When she saw him get into a car and drive off, Feng Bingbing hailed a taxi and followed him.
She followed him all the way to Muren Mountain and wasn't afraid to go in after him.
Who could have guessed that once they reached the woods, the man would suddenly disappear?
And she would get lost.
Worst of all, her phone had fallen into a puddle. When she fished it out, it wouldn't turn on.
She'd been walking for over an hour and still couldn't find her way out of the forest.
Alone in the mountains in the dead of night, Feng Bingbing finally felt a little afraid as she remembered the tales of fox demons on Muren Mountain.
After walking around for ages without getting out, she simply stopped and sat down.
Hugging herself, she called out to the darkness around her:
"Fox demon, come out. If you want to eat me, then go ahead. But you have to promise me that after you take my shape, you won't hurt anyone. You have to treat my parents well.
"Remember to call my mom every other day. Ever since she divorced my dad, she's been like a little kid.
"My dad's the same. They both need me to comfort them.
"And Sis Wanqing. She's over thirty and still hasn't dated anyone. Since you have magic, could you help her find a suitable man when you have time?
"And Xiao Zhu. Remember to remind her to eat less. If she keeps eating, that girl's going to get as fat as a pig.
"And..."
Feng Bingbing bent over, rested her chin on her knees, and gently bobbed her head. Her expression softened.
"And my senior. If you take my shape, you have to fulfill my wish. You have to treat my senior well, and if possible—
"Have lots of children.
"The first one, boy or girl, will be called Lin Xiaopao, because my senior loves running away too much.
"The second one, if it's a boy, will be called Lin Dà Mù, because my senior's a big block of wood.
"If it's a girl, she'll be called Lin Xiaobing, because she'll definitely be as pretty as me.
"The third one—
"I haven't thought of a name for the third one yet. After you eat me, take your time and think of one yourself.
"All right, come on."
Just then, a familiar voice came from behind Feng Bingbing:
"What are you talking about?"
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