Chapter 176: What a damn demon god—just a shady, unorthodox trick at first glance

Ah!

Zhang Xuemei woke up drenched in sweat from a nightmare, seeing the old, yellowed ceiling before her, the air filled with a foul moldy smell.

A little critter squeaked as it crawled across the ceiling beams, as if mocking her current situation.

"What are you yelling for, you old slut? Without a man you'll die, right? You insist on blaming my son—how shameless!"

Next door, an old woman's nagging voice rang out; one could hear her impatience, and she wasn't any happier despite gaining a cheap daughter-in-law.

"Alright, stop talking; if the neighbors hear, they'll laugh at us behind our backs."

Another elderly man's voice chimed in, hoarse and unpleasant, like a broken bellows.

These are Director Zhou's parents.

Zhang Xuemei clenched the sheets in resentment, glaring hatefully at the wall covered with old newspapers.

Those two old fogies next door, one playing bad cop, the other good cop—don't think she doesn't know; they're nothing good!

If it weren't for Lu Mingyuan being so ruthless, she wouldn't have been fired from the factory!

She had given all her savings to her daughter; with the daughter's space gone, she had nowhere to turn but to rely on Director Zhou, ending up in this sorry state!

In her heart, everyone owes her!

Even though she's carrying the Zhou family's child, this household acts indifferent, making her do odd jobs without a thought for her being pregnant!

Director Zhou still hasn't come back this late; who knows which widow's house he's gone to fool around in!

Damn it, if she'd known he was such scum earlier, she never would have let lust blind her, cheated with him, and rolled in the sheets!

Now her reputation as a fallen woman has spread; acquaintances now avoid her, and she's ruined both socially and in name.

Thinking of her recent dream, her daughter was chased and beaten by a group of people in white coats wielding rolling pins, covered in blood and pleading for help......

Lost in thought, night brings dreams; dreams are the opposite.

It must be the opposite—her daughter was taken home by her son-in-law, the family's belongings moved out, and the son-in-law has no evidence, so he wouldn't suspect the daughter!

After dawn, she'll try to go out again, heading to the Railway Bureau staff quarters to visit her daughter!

Zhang Xuemei endured her inner anxiety, forcing herself to sleep.

But try as she might, she just couldn't fall asleep.

Whether it was the hard bed, the moldy smell, the little critter scurrying overhead squeaking, or the snoring from the thin wall next door, each made her days feel like years.

She really wanted to slap her past self—why give up being a fine Mrs. Lu to foolishly steal someone else's man......

Regret tormented her inwardly to the extreme.

In a daze, she recalled how, years ago, she had come to the capital in a sorry state, arrived at the Lu household, and that troubling figure of hers stood on the stairs above, gazing down at her with interest......

That night, for the mother and daughter who were in different states of mind but the same situation, it was especially hard to endure.

But for the original mother and daughter, as well as for Lu Xiu Bai and his grandson, it was silent smoke, a time of hunting.

Shen Man slept especially sweetly that night.

She also had a lovely dream: blossoms clustered, a pair of swans—one large, one small, with pure white feathers—gliding across the lake.

Upon noticing her, they swam forward, one behind the other, to display a beautiful dance for her.

Finally, the two swans, remarkably human-like, tapped her head with their beaks, then swam side by side, emitting cheerful calls——

"Ah ya ah ya."

"Hahaha."

Shen Man unconsciously smiled, rubbed her flat belly, and thought the swans' calls sounded just like laughter.

Just as she was strolling leisurely amid the beautiful floral scenery, the scene suddenly changed.

A thick black mist surged toward her; unprepared, she instinctively stepped back, missed her footing, and fell into the icy lake.

The feeling of suffocation combined with her innate survival instinct made her kick her legs instinctively, struggling to reach the surface.

At her ankle, a cold, slick tentacle clung tightly to her......

A chilling, evil thought climbed up from her ankle, as if someone whispered in her ear:

"Die, I want you to die."

"You can't escape me, my dear sister."

"O mighty demon god, I pledge to fall into darkness forever, to be your most faithful follower, begging you to grant me the power to slay gods......"

So noisy.

Severely oxygen-deprived, Shen Man could bear it no longer; half-conscious, she recalled the move a man had taught her, gathered strength, and kicked out.

"Ah——"

Her ankle loosened at once, and Shen Man shot toward the surface like a fish.

Pah, what dear sister.

You want her dead?

She'll do the opposite of what they wish!

She intends to live well, to live beautifully!

What a damn demon god—just a shady, unorthodox trick at first glance.

No wonder......

"Wake up, daughter-in-law, wake up quickly—you're having a nightmare, wake up!"

Jiang Ye's sleep was light; originally he feared pressing on his own wife, but instead he found his wife drenched in sweat, obviously caught in a nightmare.

Anyone who often has nightmares knows this is bad: either you quickly realize it yourself and wake after becoming lucid, or you need external help to wake.

"What time is it?"

Shen Man's voice was hoarse, like a little duck.

Clearly, before sleeping, they hadn't done anything—just pure cuddling, hugging, kissing, and sleeping.

It's 2 a. m., I'll go get you warm water, add some honey—first sit up and lean against the headboard, take it easy.

Jiang Ye glanced at his watch, which he normally never takes off.

This is the first time since they married and shared a bed that his wife has had a nightmare.

He couldn't not take it seriously; he had to take it seriously!

Okay.

Shen Man wiped her forehead; indeed, she was sweating a lot.

The sticky feeling on her skin was uncomfortable.

The dream was still vivid in her mind, and she suddenly shivered.

She gazed pleadingly at the busy man, like a lost fawn, pitiful and helpless.

Drink.

Jiang Ye moved quickly; darkness had no effect on him whatsoever.

Worried his wife might be scared, he also lit two candles.

In an instant, the room was filled with bright candlelight.

Gurgle-gurgle.

Shen Man downed a cup of warm honey water in one gulp.

It was sweet, and her mood eased a little.

What did you dream about? Why are you so scared?

Jiang Ye sighed, took the empty cup and put it on the bedside table, then went to get warm water to wipe his wife's body.

Otherwise, given his wife's cleanliness-loving nature, she definitely wouldn't be able to sleep the rest of the night.

The dream started out fine—lots of flowers, and two white swans, and the swans even danced for me.....

Shen Man propped her cheek with one hand, lying on the bed, and told the man about her dream.

When she got to the latter part, she became upset and complained:

"What a damn demon god—obviously some unorthodox, hackneyed thing."

"And that black mist, cursing me in all sorts of ways—I want to curse her into becoming a toad! Croak, croak, croak along with that damn demon god......"

Jiang Ye listened attentively; hearing his wife's childish complaints, he nodded and agreed, mainly to go along with her to let her vent.

As for that demon god and black mist, he felt a bit uneasy inside, but didn't show it.

Hopefully, he's just overthinking it.