A gift from the departed

Only two family members could visit each bed at a time.

Under the complex gazes of Xiao He's grandparents and mother, filled with hope, worry, and reluctance, Qi Gu put on a blue disposable isolation gown and went through the second door with Huang Hongyuan to Xiao He's bedside.

Huang He was eight, a lively, cheerful little girl. Now she lay in her hospital bed with a pale face and disheveled long hair, yet the moment she saw Huang Hongyuan, she instinctively tried to brighten the mood, hoping to ease the worry of her father, whose face was anxious and whose eyes were swollen like walnuts.

"Dad, I feel much better today... When can I go home? I miss Grandma and Grandpa, and the little spotted dog at the auntie's downstairs." The little girl's eyes were clear and full of anticipation.

She had actually begun to suspect that she was seriously ill, but she did not want her family to worry too much about her.

"Okay... Once you're better, Xiao He, I'll take you to play with the auntie's little spotted dog downstairs." A smile showed in Huang Hongyuan's eyes, but beneath his mask, he was quietly sniffling.

"Hello, Xiao He." Qi Gu waited until the father and daughter had finished their private conversation before speaking.

Huang He turned her neck slightly and saw Qi Gu standing beside her. His build and appearance were entirely unfamiliar, but the eyes visible above his mask were especially fine and beautiful.

He's a good-looking young man, Huang He thought.

Her whole body hurt, as though countless blenders were running inside her at once, but she still smiled at this unfamiliar young man.

"Xiao He, I'd like to ask you a few things. Will you think them over and answer me carefully?" Qi Gu's usually calm voice softened a little.

Huang He said, "Okay."

"Where did you go before you got sick, and what did you do? Did you bring anything home without knowing where it came from?" Qi Gu asked.

The little girl thought very carefully. "I went to tutoring classes every day. Grandma picked me up in the afternoon, and we played with the little spotted dog downstairs while we waited for Mom and Dad to come home from work... That's all. I didn't pick anything up and bring it home. Mom says I should give anything I find to the police officers."

Her voice was childish, but she spoke every word earnestly.

"Then... before you started feeling unwell, Xiao He, did you notice anything unusual? You can tell me anything that seemed strange." Qi Gu reached out and rubbed the little girl's soft hair, temporarily dispersing some of the black energy causing her pain.

Huang He felt her head hurt less, and her thoughts became much clearer and more coherent. "I was playing with building blocks at home. Dad promised to build them with me on Saturday, and he told me to try by myself first... While I was building, I suddenly felt something stroke my head. I thought it was Grandma, so I called out, but when I turned around, there wasn't anyone behind me. Then I remembered Grandma was cooking in the kitchen. It was probably the wind, right?"

Qi Gu answered seriously, "Yes, it was the wind."

Then he told Huang Hongyuan, "I need to go to your home."

Understanding, Huang Hongyuan hurriedly fed Huang He a few bites of her favorite fruit, tucked her blanket in, and reminded her that she must tell the doctors or nurses if she felt unwell or needed anything, rather than endure it alone.

Only then did he reluctantly leave the ward, turning back every few steps.

In the changing room, the two quickly took off their isolation gowns and handed them over for the other family members to put on.

"Master Qi, how is our Xiao He... Is there still anything you can do?" Wang Li, who had not changed clothes, clutched Qi Gu's hand, glittering tears in her eyes.

"She can be cured, but we need to find what's harming her first," Qi Gu said. "Both of you should think about whether any new objects have appeared in your home lately... Xiao He is so weak now because something is drawing out her soul. This sort of soul-snatching often happens to young children. They frighten easily, making their souls easier for evil things to seize."

Wang Li immediately racked her brains, then shook her head earnestly. "Xiao He would never bring anything of unknown origin home. Last time she found a butterfly hair clip downstairs in our complex, she insisted on giving it to the police. I had to persuade her to hand it over to property management instead."

In the end, the couple took Qi Gu to their home on the Fourth Ring Road.

They lived in an old residential complex where property prices were high and the management was good. Some of the facilities were aging, but it still looked clean and tidy, and the feng shui was good too.

As they entered the complex, both the elderly sanitation worker and the security guard spoke to the couple, asking how Xiao He was doing, their words carrying no shortage of concern.

Clearly, Huang Hongyuan's family was well liked in the complex.

The couple walked ahead, leading the way for Qi Gu.

As they passed the lush green shrubs beneath the building, Qi Gu keenly spotted flecks of red among them, looking like scraps left behind after firecrackers had been set off.

Huang Hongyuan's home was on the eighth floor. Elegantly decorated and full of signs of everyday life, it was clearly a warm, loving home.

Qi Gu made a circuit of both floors, then met the couple's expectant gazes and shook his head. "Everything in the house is normal. I haven't seen any evil objects."

Wang Li immediately went limp. All her strength seemed to drain away in an instant, like a deflating balloon. "Then what... What do we do now? Could you look again, more carefully? Perhaps that thing has been hidden away?"

For Wang Li now, finding the evil object drawing away Huang He's soul meant finding hope for Huang He's recovery.

With that thought, she dragged her body, which felt as though it weighed thousands of pounds, straight toward the TV cabinet and began rummaging through everything again.

She tossed things out haphazardly, scattering them all over the floor.

A small, round wooden dog carving rolled to Qi Gu's feet and stopped.

Qi Gu lowered his gaze and saw a bright red scrap of paper stuck to one of the carving's eyes.

Gathering the little dog into his palm, Qi Gu asked, "Where did this come from?"

Wang Li turned back and frowned in thought for a moment. "It should be part of a set. A friend my mother made while square dancing gave them to Xiao He. That old lady was quite fond of Xiao He and brought her a new one every time she visited."

"But she passed away a little while ago. We were afraid Xiao He would be upset, so we haven't dared tell her," Huang Hongyuan added. "Is there something wrong with this little dog?"

"No, but... there are still five minutes before visiting time ends, so Xiao He's grandparents should still be in the ward. Call and ask them when Xiao He last saw that old lady."

As Qi Gu finished speaking, Wang Li and Huang Hongyuan both stiffened, his sudden words startling them into a cold sweat.