The Shattered Bond: A Fox Amulet's Ominous Sign

Are you suggesting there's a monster hidden in here?

I smirked and let out a light chuckle.

This relationship advisor named Evan had sharp features with piercing eyes and defined brows.

Despite being in his early twenties, he spoke with a directness that never minced words.

His high looks combined with his stern demeanor surprisingly made him very popular among netizens. It was said that his live stream never had fewer than ten thousand viewers.

His popularity was so high that even my best friend, Shelly, who loved watching handsome guys, followed him. It turned out that the "Evan" she kept talking about was actually him.

An anchor specializing in solving emotional issues accidentally saved a girl haunted by a ghost, and only then did his fans realize that the always stern-faced Evan was actually a Taoist disciple.

It seemed unreasonable, yet it made sense.

A handsome guy + relationship advisor + Taoist practitioner, what a fresh combination.

This novel niche quickly attracted thousands of diverse fans, and his live stream's popularity once soared into the top three of the monthly rankings.

Shelly told me that her "Evan" recently launched a new live stream project: emotions + Chinese birth chart.

The popularity soared even higher.

Because of this, I casually swiped my phone and entered his live stream.

But to directly say that my jade pendant had a problem right off the bat was a bit.

.. hasty, wasn't it?

The bullet comments, however, didn't share my doubts and were already excitedly discussing:

"Oh my gosh!

Could it be that we get to watch the anchor fight ghosts again from a first-person perspective?

So excited!"

"Me too, I already have goosebumps!

Anchor, hurry up and catch the ghost!

Love it!"

"Why does this anchor always encounter these superstitious things like demons and ghosts? I think it's just hype!

After the last ghost-catching live stream, his followers increased by millions. Isn't that enough?"

"I agree with the above. I think the anchor is just hyping things up. A good relationship advisor has now deviated to ghost-catching?

Ridiculous! Is he going to claim everyone has a ghost on them?

"

"But the anchor really saved that girl's life last time. Many of us saw it in the live stream!

"

"Live streams can have special effects and Photoshop. It looked like hype to me too!

"

Facing the continuous rolling of skeptical bullet comments, Evan's expression remained unchanged:

"If you believe me, take a picture of the link first."

My gaze shifted to the little yellow car in the lower left corner. The connection price had tripled in just a month.

In the era of traffic, anchors really make money.

Of course, I didn't believe his talk about demons and ghosts, but I was annoyed and thought of it as listening to a story for fun. I wanted to see how far he could spin it.

After paying, I reported my birthday and birth hour as required. Evan, with a cold face, took out a turtle shell from a drawer and started calculating with his other hand.

In just a moment, his calculating fingers stopped, and he looked up at me:

"Your birth chart shows a wealth destiny, favorable for wealth but not for marriage. You have no destined marriage.

"

I didn't really believe in ghosts and gods, especially through a screen. With all the special effects and AI high-tech, many things seen with one's own eyes might not be real.

Holding the thought of seeing him make a fool of himself, I covered my mouth in surprise:

"What?

! But my boyfriend and I are getting married in three days. The invitations have already been sent out.

"

That's also why, despite not liking exercise, I was at the gym trying to lose weight.

As soon as I finished speaking, the bullet comments started rolling:

"Haha, caught in a lie, right? I think the last ghost-catching live stream was also a fake to gain traffic!

"

"I support the above. Since then, this anchor's traffic has skyrocketed, making a fortune. I think it's all a joint hype!

"

"But, but I watched the whole thing last time.

It was too real! It didn't look fake at all!

I was so scared I couldn't sleep with the lights off!

I still believe in the anchor.

"

"Yeah! I also believe in the anchor. The ghost was too real, something AI effects couldn't achieve.

"

Evan glanced at the bullet comments but ignored them, continuing:

"Your fox spirit jade pendant was given by your boyfriend,

right?" "Yes."

"You've never kept pets like cats or dogs while you were together, right?"

He got that right.

I nodded again:

"I love cats and dogs, but my boyfriend doesn't like them, so we never kept any.

"

When we first got together, I brought home a stray kitten.

The kitten was only two months old, skinny and small, so I put it in a little cardboard box.

When Richard came home from work and found it, he got very angry, saying it was either the cat or him.

That night, it was raining and thundering, and he forced me to throw the kitten out.

His fearful yet cold-blooded reaction made him seem like a stranger to me.

Later, Richard explained that he had a severe allergy to cats and dogs, and the allergic reactions scared him.

That's why he reacted so strongly.

There are indeed many people allergic to animals, and my boyfriend happened to be one of them.

Evan asked again:

"Over the years, have you ever seen your boyfriend enter a temple or a Taoist shrine?"

I nodded again. The bullet comments started flooding with "scared" comments, while some people cursed:

"You guys are too gullible!

Not keeping pets might simply indicate a preference. Not everyone has to like cats and dogs.

And what's wrong with not going into temples or shrines? It could be a different belief or non-believer.

All of this makes sense! You guys are just being superstitious!"

Someone retorted:

"But the anchor got it right twice, didn't he?"

"The anchor's profile says he's a Taoist disciple. Plus, the last ghost-catching live stream seemed more real than gold. Just wait and see!"

The angry commenter got even angrier:

"Look at the girl's profile videos. It's clearly her home, and there's not a single video with cats or dogs. Even an outsider could guess she doesn't keep pets."

"And what's wrong with not worshipping at temples? I don't like going to those places either.

Does that mean I have a problem too?"

Most people were starting to be convinced.

Evan remained calm, but I was getting anxious.

I could understand Richard not liking pets, but his refusal to enter temples or shrines puzzled me.

Richard was a businessman.

He had statues of the God of Wealth at his company and home, offering incense and prayers every morning and evening.

This showed he wasn't a non-believer.

On the contrary, he strongly believed in ghosts and gods.

If the company's performance was poor, he would spend a lot of money to invite masters from abroad to perform rituals to improve the company's fortune.

But this superstitious man never stepped into a temple or shrine during our hikes, which baffled me.

I remembered one summer when it suddenly rained heavily during a hike.

The downpour was so intense that it was hard to keep our eyes open.

Everyone rushed to a nearby shrine, except Richard, who walked back the way we came.

Worried about catching a cold, I grabbed his hand and tried to pull him to the shrine.

But he forcefully shook me off, his angry shouts were drowned out by the pouring rain, making it hard to hear clearly.

He just told me to go and not to worry about him.

I was stunned, not understanding why he wouldn't take shelter in the shrine.

No matter how I persuaded him, he stubbornly walked in the rain.

Helpless, I followed him, step by step into the downpour.

We both fell ill after that, hospitalized for half a month.

Since then, my immune system has been weak, and I often get sick.

I blamed him for a long time, but he eventually won me over with gifts and sweet talk, and I let it go.

Evan knew even this. He really had some skills.

I was anxious:

"What is wrong with my boyfriend?"

Evan raised his eyes, his gaze intense:

"He is possessed by a fox spirit!"

To be precise, it was a fox demon.

He was nurturing a fox demon with his mortal body.

Cats and dogs have spiritual energy that can ward off evil, so of course, fox demons are afraid of them.

Your boyfriend isn't afraid of temples and monasteries, but of the monks and priests inside.

They possess spells and charms to subdue demons and exorcise spirits, so naturally, he is afraid.

As soon as Evan finished speaking, the livestream chat became even more lively.

"Is the host just making things up? I'm totally confused."

"This late at night, the host has successfully scared me again. I don't know if I'll be able to sleep tonight."

"I think the host is exaggerating. The person just came to vent, and you scared them with ghost stories. That's too much!"

"Exactly, that's really rude!"

Evan's livestream has always had two opposing factions arguing back and forth. Some believe, while others doubt.

Every time, the comments are filled with their disputes.

I also have some doubts.

If she said Richard had OCD or a mental illness, I might take him to the hospital for a check-up first thing tomorrow morning.

But talking about fox demons and spirits, isn't that something out of Chinese folklore or ghost stories?

It's really hard to believe.

Seeing my hesitation, Evan noticed my doubt and asked:

"You're an only child, right?"

"Yes."

"Your family of three all have birthdays in the same month, right?"

I was taken aback, not expecting him to ask about my parents. After thinking for a moment, I replied:

"My mom and I are in the same month, but my dad isn't."

The other viewers in the livestream mocked:

"Got it wrong, haha..."

"Talking so mystically, but still couldn't guess right! The host should stop deceiving people and end the stream!"

Some even weakly defended me:

"Didn't you see the host got so many things right?

It's understandable to guess wrong occasionally!"

Evan frowned, then quickly realized:

"I meant your lunar birthdays. Are all three of your lunar birthdays in the same month?"

If we're talking about lunar birthdays, then yes, we are all in the same month. But what does this have to do with today's issue?

I nodded in confusion.

Evan said:

"Your astrological chart indicates a wealth star, which doesn't appear alone.

Your family's destiny forms a rare astrological alignment, which is why they targeted you to seize your fortune."

I widened my eyes in disbelief, but Evan continued calmly:

"You can check under your boyfriend's pillow to see if there's a paper with your family's birth details. When you find it, don't make any sudden moves. Keep your phone with you, put on your earphones, and don't let him notice.

"

Everything that happened today completely shattered my understanding. Whether it's fabricated or real, are so many coincidences just coincidences?

If I don't get to the bottom of this, the knot in my heart will never be untied.

I also won't have the courage to walk down the aisle with him in three days.

After hesitating for just a few seconds,

I put on my Bluetooth earphones, grabbed my phone, and headed to the bedroom.

The livestream chat became even more lively, with more people joining:

"Ahhh!

Finally, a first-person perspective again!

Ahhh, Mom, I'm scared, but I still want to watch!

"

"Newbie here, is the first-person perspective scary?

"

"Of course! As an experienced viewer, I'm already holding my breath and hiding under the covers.

"

"Don't be ridiculous, you guys.

.. "

Cold sweat trickled down my back as I tried to stay calm, clutching my phone as I reached the bedroom door.

The bed was half-covered with a blanket, revealing a slightly messy sheet, but Richard was nowhere to be seen.

As I got closer, I heard the sound of water running from the bathroom.

I breathed a sigh of relief, realizing he was still showering.

I had thought of several excuses for searching the pillow, but it seemed I didn't need them.

With a clear goal, I picked up Richard's pillow and slowly unzipped it, the small sound of the zipper echoing in my ears.

I reached into the pillowcase, feeling around, but found nothing.

For a moment, I felt foolish for doubting my boyfriend of three years based on a stranger's words.

Just as I was about to pull my hand out, my fingers brushed against something thin like paper.

I froze,

my heart pounding so loudly it drowned out the sound of the shower.

The host was right again.

Goosebumps rose on my arms.

As I pulled out the small red paper packet, my hands trembled.

Just as I was about to open it, the water in the bathroom suddenly stopped.

I didn't have time to put the packet in my pajama pocket before a shadow loomed over me.

I gasped, nearly falling, but Richard caught me from behind.

He wasn't wearing a shirt, and with a slight smile, he looked down at me:

"Couldn't wait?"

My mind was racing, my heart pounding in my chest. I tentatively asked:

"I felt something hard in your pillow and found this paper packet. What's inside?"

I raised my hand, showing him the packet.

Richard's expression remained unchanged, perfectly normal:

"What else could it be? Remember when we went hiking, and you were mad at me for not praying at the temple?

I asked someone to get a blessed charm for you. They said putting it in the pillow would ensure good sleep and safety, so I secretly placed it there.

If you don't believe me, check your pillow; there's one in there too."

So that's what it was.

..

I silently breathed a sigh of relief,

but the coincidence was still frightening.

I glanced at my phone, where Evan pointed to his ear.

I made an excuse to get some water and went to the living room.

Evan said:

"Your boyfriend is lying."

I was taken aback and typed:

"Didn't you hear?

He said it's a blessed charm for me, and there's one in my pillow too. I just checked."

Evan frowned slightly and said something that sent chills down my spine:

"Your blessed charm lacks the proper symbols and seals.

It's a fake! Compare it to your boyfriend's; it will be different."

I took the paper packet from my pajama pocket and held it in my hand. It had a slight weight to it.

It was indeed different from my blessed charm.

I opened the packet, revealing a yellow paper with symbols and three white paper slips with my and my parents' names and birth dates.

I froze, my body stiffening, and the packet slipped from my hand, scattering the papers on the floor.

The chat went wild:

"Holy crap! This is terrifying! The host was right again!"

"Ahhh! It's so late, I'm scared! Her boyfriend definitely has a plot! Run, girl, run!"

"This is so creepy! Why would he hide her parents' birth details under his pillow? Something's definitely wrong!"

"Oh my god, I'm too scared to even go to the bathroom now! Mom, help!"

Seeing this, I remembered how Richard always cared about my and my parents' health.

Whenever there was bad news from my hometown, he would call before I even thought of it.

Just then,

Richard walked over with two small items and handed them to me:

"These are health talismans that fell from my pillow. They ensure our parents' health and need to be placed with their birth details to be effective.

Here, take them."

The chatroom fell silent for a moment before erupting with comments:

"Holy crap! I knew it was just a coincidence!"

"Is the streamer nuts? Playing ghost tricks in the middle of the night. Report him!"

"Exactly! Talking about mythical fox spirits and all that superstitious nonsense. Report him for misleading the kids!"

Richard poured himself a glas