Intimate time.
Jennifer sat on Li Dan's lap. Crossing her hands, she lifted her shirt to reveal a black bra and a large expanse of fair, delicate skin. Her hands then moved behind her back to undo the clasp, her alluring gaze making her intentions obvious.
Usually, she always called him baby, baby.
Li Dan had refused at first, but it was simply too hard to refuse, so he went along with Jennifer's wishes.
Jennifer gently stroked Li Dan's head with one hand and looked down at him. He seemed like a newborn puppy, bobbing his head around, and a trace of maternal affection appeared in her eyes.
"Baby, slow down. It's all yours. No one's going to take it from you."
Li Dan's mind told him he should not be doing this, but his body was more honest.
Upstairs, Emma cursed them for being shameless, yet her eyes never left the two of them.
Seeing Jennifer's slightly flushed face and blissful expression, she could not help wondering, was it really that pleasant?
Could this woman be putting on an act just to spite her?
The two did not go too far. After all, there was still someone upstairs who should not be seeing this.
The next day.
The sky was gloomy beneath drifting dark clouds. A light rain had fallen the night before, leaving the roads wet and slick.
Li Dan's destination was Georgia. It was not too far away, so he planned to travel by car.
The location was a remote town in Georgia.
Rather than drive himself or rent a car, Li Dan chose to hitch a ride.
A planned route was too rigid.
A shared ride might bring surprises.
At the entrance to Round Clam Town.
Li Dan waited until a gray MPV arrived. After he held up his sign, the car stopped in front of him.
A young man and woman got out of the car. They looked like a couple.
The man held out his hand in a friendly manner.
"Hi, I'm James. Are you Li Dan?"
"That's me." Li Dan did not exchange much small talk and immediately took out cash to pay on the spot.
When James saw the money, his smile brightened. He also introduced the woman.
"Her name is Kirsten, my wife."
It seemed Li Dan had guessed wrong. They were husband and wife, not boyfriend and girlfriend.
Kirsten smiled and greeted Li Dan, a simple introduction.
There was no need for further interaction. He was only catching a ride.
This time, Li Dan did not recognize them. He assumed they were just an ordinary married couple going on vacation.
The couple drove in the front while Li Dan sat in the back seat, watching the scenery.
The destination was nothing special.
But the scenery along the highway was beautiful. By noon, the dark clouds gradually dispersed, and the sun began to emerge.
James even played a song to liven things up.
It was a country folk song.
Li Dan did not enjoy that kind of music, so he put on his earphones and continued looking out the window.
They sped along the road.
On a whim, James turned onto a side road. He planned to head to the neighboring town and rent a small lodge nearby as their vacation spot.
Though there was not a soul within several kilometers of that cabin.
The main appeal was getting close to nature.
After removing his earphones and hearing their conversation, Li Dan suddenly had a bad feeling.
But it had nothing to do with him this time. After getting out of the car, he still needed to catch another ride and pass through a city before reaching his destination.
As for following the couple to save them or something, he decided against it.
Li Dan was a rather selfish person.
Besides, he did not know them. James was on a honeymoon trip with his wife. What would it mean for a stranger like Li Dan to suddenly interfere?
Of course, perhaps he was overthinking it.
Maybe this was just a simple trip for the couple.
How could they possibly run into ghosts or monsters so casually?
At the final stop.
After getting out of the car, Li Dan gave them a warning: if anything happened, run immediately and do not hesitate; if they heard knocking at the door, they should pretend they had not heard it, and so on.
It was a small piece of well-intentioned advice, the limit of what Li Dan was willing to do.
He spent the night in the city.
Early the next morning, Li Dan contacted the second driver. Nothing unexpected happened on the way this time.
At ten in the morning.
Li Dan got out of the car in the remote town. The first thing he did was find a hotel, then contact Rebecca.
While he waited.
He replied to someone's message—Heather, Jennifer's best friend.
Ever since Halloween, that woman had kept contacting him.
She often said things about wanting to visit Texas, or complained that a Black man was pursuing her and annoying her.
Whenever he was bored, Li Dan occasionally replied with a sentence or two to pass the time.
Only after hearing a knock at the door did he put down his phone and go answer it.
Outside the door.
Rebecca looked anxious. She had placed all sorts of hopes on this exorcist.
She imagined that he could subdue the evil spirit and free her younger brother and mother from its torment as soon as possible, but she was also afraid he might be a fraud.
The door soon opened.
When Rebecca saw his face and casual clothes, she was disappointed.
He did not look like an exorcist at all. He looked more like a traveler passing through.
Still clinging to hope, Rebecca asked.
"Hi, are you Li Dan?"
She hoped she had the wrong person, but Li Dan gave her a definite answer.
Rebecca repeatedly asked whether Li Dan truly could exorcise evil spirits.
Li Dan could tell that Rebecca's nerves were stretched to the breaking point. It seemed she had suffered quite a lot.
Growing somewhat impatient with her questions, he gave a small demonstration.
For example, one of Evil Spirit Wendigo's minor abilities.
He made a light object float in the air—a playing card.
Looking at the floating card, Rebecca seemed to convince herself.
"I'm sorry, sir. I shouldn't have doubted you. I'm just too scared. Do I really not need to pay any price?"
Li Dan said, "I already told you the price. That evil spirit."
Rebecca kept thanking Li Dan over and over.
Li Dan quickly stopped her and asked her to describe the evil spirit's appearance.
"Do you remember what she looked like?"
Rebecca carefully thought back after hearing his question.
"She always seemed to be in the darkness. I never saw her appear in the light. Her claws were very long. Once, I saw a black hand on the doorframe, right above my mother's head. At the time, I..."
Halfway through recalling it, Rebecca's expression suddenly turned terrified.
"No, no... I can't think about her. She'll find me."
Seeing how frazzled she was, Li Dan could only comfort her first.
"Didn't you say she only appears in the dark? It's daytime now. It's fine."
Rebecca repeated Li Dan's words. It's fine, it's fine... as though saying it could make her feel safe.
Li Dan had reason to suspect that Rebecca was losing her mind. Her mental state rivaled that of a psychiatric patient.
Fortunately, once she stopped remembering, Rebecca gradually returned to normal.
Li Dan suggested that Rebecca take him to her home.
"We'll have to wait a while. I need to pick up my brother from school first." Rebecca said that her mother was not mentally well either, so she and her boyfriend Brett usually took Martin to and from school.
Li Dan nodded upon hearing that. It was good that she had a boyfriend. He was not in a hurry.
Rebecca remained by the hotel window, basking in the sunlight.
Only light could make her feel safe.
Evil spirits only lurked in the shadows.
A friendly reminder: James and Kirsten are a married couple from the suspense horror story "The Strangers."
Before you continue