Inside the dimly lit villa.
The howls of some unidentified creature mingled with what sounded like a lullaby, drifting intermittently into Xie Mi's ears.
Suddenly, a shadow darted in front of her. The person held a clock and swung it before her eyes.
An eerie voice rang out.
"Listen. Once I count to three, you'll be hypnotized."
"One, two..."
At the same time, an icy hand suddenly seized Xie Mi's ankle.
The eerie voice reached the third number at that exact moment.
"Three!"
Xie Mi went rigid. Then her eyes rolled back, and she toppled straight backward.
Xie Lian's eyes lit up as he held the hypnosis clock.
"It worked!"
Lying on the floor with her hand around Xie Mi's ankle, Li Meiyan rejoiced.
"It wor-wait! Ow, fuck!!"
Li Meiyan's scream tore through the air.
Because Xie Mi had fallen straight backward and landed heavily right on top of her.
She'd nearly given her a concussion.
"Mom!"
Startled, Xie Lian hurried forward to push Xie Mi off. But the moment he touched her arm, she backhanded him twice.
Smack! Smack!
Xie Lian's head buzzed, and the slaps left him seeing stars.
And she wasn't done yet.
"Cat landing! Whirlwind kick! Crow rides a plane!!"
Xie Mi sprang off the floor with a kip-up, grabbed Xie Lian by the collar, and unleashed a wild barrage of punches and kicks.
She slapped Xie Lian so hard he could practically see his great-grandmother flickering before his eyes, and he howled.
"Mom! Save me! Mom-"
Li Meiyan scrambled up from the floor. She was about to rush over to help, but Xie Mi's crazed appearance frightened her back.
After two seconds of consideration, she decided discretion was the better part of valor.
She smiled ingratiatingly. "If you hit him, you can't hit me too,