Chapter 47: A Coffin in the Milk Tea Shop

Qiu Yiyao sat on the back seat of the motorcycle. Turning her head, she saw Bai Lixuan standing at the doorway, with Xiao Hei by his side. Even after the motorcycle had driven some distance away, the man and dog remained in their previous positions, standing still.

The vehicle moved from the desolate outskirts into the bustling city. While waiting at a red light, Qiu Yiyao noticed a group gathered by the roadside, pointing and whispering toward the opposite side of the street. Curious, she followed their gaze.

There, she saw a bubble tea shop adorned with several large flower baskets at the entrance. A few girls in uniforms stood outside handing out flyers. So, was this a newly opened store?

In the city, Qiu Yiyao would have eagerly welcomed such promotional events for new shops. But in this strange town, she felt everything was a trap, designed to lure people like them into a snare.

As the motorcycle slowly moved forward, her eyes swept over the girls. Suddenly, she spotted a familiar face—a woman with chestnut hair. Why was she here? Was she working at the bubble tea shop?

“Stop the bike, I want to get off,” Qiu Yiyao said abruptly.

Hearing this, Bai Peiyu hastily pulled over to the roadside. Without waiting for questions, she removed her helmet and dashed toward the bubble tea shop. “You go ahead. I have something to take care of.”

The flower baskets drew nearer, and amidst the crowd, the chestnut-haired woman stood out clearly. Panting, Qiu Yiyao approached and reached out to tap the woman’s shoulder. “Finally found you.”

But as the woman turned her face, Qiu Yiyao froze. How could this be? It was a stranger—flat features, sprinkled with freckles, and apart from the long hair, nothing matched.

“Come in for a cup of bubble tea? We’re having a half-price grand opening today,” the woman said politely, handing Qiu Yiyao a flyer. “Take a look inside.”

Qiu Yiyao glanced down at the flyer. Its bright red background seemed like a splash of blood. Unconsciously, she wiped it, only to notice the red seemed to flow and a metallic scent wafted up. Was that blood?

Startled, she looked up—there was no one beside her. No girls in uniform, no onlookers.

Behind her, the bubble tea shop’s door stood wide open, with two white silk ribbons hanging at the entrance. In the center lay a coffin.

A cold wind swept past, carrying fallen leaves that brushed against her face.

Qiu Yiyao knew it was another trick to scare her.

She cursed silently, crushed the flyer in her hand, and spat on the ground. “Bah, trying to scare me again? Not a chance.”

Striding inside, she approached the coffin. A faint, elusive fragrance drifted in the air.

Qiu Yiyao was certain someone familiar lay inside.

But she refused to be frightened. It was all an illusion—what was there to fear?

With that thought, she pushed hard on the coffin lid. After a dull thud, the lid fell to the floor.

Inside lay a girl in white.

Seeing the familiar face, Qiu Yiyao remained unfazed.

It was herself.

Calmly, she bent down and reached out to touch the face in the coffin. “Weren’t you supposed to be dead? Your face is still so red.”

She even tapped the flat chest beneath the white garment. “You couldn’t get a little enhancement before you died? What bad luck.”

Straightening up, she kicked the coffin hard. “Next time, get me a coffin made of finer wood, okay? Are you that poor? Or just stingy?”

Returning outside, Qiu Yiyao looked up at the sky. Dark clouds churned as raindrops began to sting her face.

Pointing upward, she shouted, “It’s always raining. When will you flood this town already? Then I’ll be impressed.”

No sooner had she finished speaking than the clouds parted suddenly, and blinding sunlight forced her to squint.

“Coward,” she muttered, rubbing her eyes.

A sharp voice pierced her ears. She instinctively covered her ears.

Someone nudged her arm. “Miss, are you okay?”

Opening her eyes, she saw the woman in uniform.

“I’m fine. Just had a dream,” Qiu Yiyao said lightly, turning to enter the shop. She pointed at the digital menu above the counter. “Two cups of pearl milk tea and a lemon juice, please.”

…

Grandma Wang was still in the hospital and had not returned. Qiu Shengming was busy in the kitchen, drenched in sweat from the heat.

Seeing Bai Peiyu return carrying a large watermelon, he looked surprised. “Where did you get such a big watermelon? It must have been expensive.”

“It wasn’t bought,” Qiu Yiyao handed the lemon juice to Qiu Shengming and smirked at Bai Peiyu. “This guy grew it himself.”

Qiu Shengming looked even more puzzled.

Bai Peiyu said calmly, “We’ll see when we cut it open. Not sure if it’s ripe yet.”

Leaving the kitchen, Qiu Yiyao carried the pearl milk tea into the bedroom.

She opened her computer and tentatively tried to access the forum again, hoping to get in. But the familiar words on the screen only deepened her frustration.

She had planned to shake off Bai Peiyu and sneak out, but he stuck close like a personal bodyguard.

The town had few people, but she was just an ordinary person with no way to access the residents’ information.

No one was willing to tell her which of them had arrived in the same train carriage with her.

What to do?

Qiu Yiyao anxiously pounded her head.

Old Yu’s whereabouts were unknown—whether he was truly in custody or had been secretly dealt with by those spirits.

The other survivors, if they didn’t find a way to destroy the creatures’ lair, would soon become victims themselves.

And the special person mentioned in the posts—who could that be?

At one point, Qiu Yiyao suspected it might be herself, but upon reflection, she found it unlikely. She had a common blood type, wasn’t especially intelligent, had an unimpressive figure, and a bad temper. If she were the special person, it would be too far-fetched.

She took a long sip of the milk tea and finished it with a satisfied burp. Just then, Qiu Shengming called from outside to eat.

Looking at her round belly, Qiu Yiyao resignedly agreed and went out.

On the table sat a dish of meat, a vegetable dish, and a large pot of tomato soup.

“It’s been a busy day. Let’s eat like this for now. I’ll buy more groceries tonight. They say there’s going to be heavy rain in the next couple of days,” Qiu Shengming said, placing a large piece of egg into Qiu Yiyao’s bowl. “Eat more eggs.”

“Okay,” she replied, stirring her bowl absentmindedly while pondering what to do next.

“Yiyao, why aren’t you eating? Is it too salty?” Qiu Shengming asked, tasting the egg himself.

“Not salty.”

Qiu Yiyao picked up her bowl and shoveled rice into her mouth, casually asking, “By the way, Dad, do you know anyone working at the police station? I want to find someone.”