Sinisterium Pawnshop: Exclusive to Malevolent Objects

　　"Of course, I'll come to pick you up right away." Xie Yao agreed readily.

　　Putting down the phone, Lu Fei rubbed his face, got up, washed up, and changed into clean clothes.

　　Soon after.

　　An elegant and graceful figure, exuding a strong feminine charm, walked into the Sinisterium Pawnshop.

　　"Miss Xie."

　　Lu Fei stood up, feeling a sudden brightness in front of his eyes.

　　Xie Yao was still in an elegant white dress, but her whole aura had completely changed.

　　Her eyes were dark and bright, her lips full and rosy, and her skin was naturally smooth and fair, like satin. The white dress accentuated her graceful figure, and even with light makeup, she looked charming and radiant.

　　The pearl earrings, like dewdrops in the early morning, adorned both sides of her face, making her look like a white rose about to bloom. She exuded a mature feminine charm while maintaining her innocence.

　　If you didn't look closely, it was hard to notice the faint signs of fatigue in her expression.

　　"It seems Miss Xie is in good spirits," Lu Fei said with a smile.

　　"I have to thank Manager Lu; otherwise, I wouldn't have had the chance to pull myself out of the mire." Xie Yao smiled, her expression a bit complex.

　　Lu Fei was actually very curious about what had happened with her fiancé and why he would do such a thing to her. But it was her private matter, and he didn't feel it was right to ask too many questions.

　　"Please, Manager Lu."

　　Lu Fei closed the door and walked down the street with Xie Yao.

　　Antique Street was a pedestrian street, so there was no parking. Xie Yao's car was parked outside.

　　Her appearance attracted many envious glances for Lu Fei.

　　Only Liu Fugui showed a look of understanding: "No wonder you needed a day off, there was a rendezvous with a beauty... But is one day enough?"

　　Xie Yao's car was a very low-key white Mercedes-Benz, and inside there was a faint, pleasant fragrance of perfume.

　　She drove Lu Fei through the bustling city streets, heading further and further into the suburbs.

　　Lu Fei found it somewhat strange.

　　Could it be that her family elders liked quiet and lived in a remote place?

　　On the way, Xie Yao was unusually silent, her fair and slender hands gripping the steering wheel, her eyes fixed on the road ahead, leaving Lu Fei with a view of her delicate profile, wondering what she was thinking.

　　Lu Fei didn't feel comfortable asking more questions, so he closed his eyes to rest, letting her drive him away.

　　"Manager Lu, we're here."

　　After a long time, the car stopped, and Xie Yao's pleasant voice rang out.

　　Lu Fei opened his eyes and looked out the car window.

　　The air was fresh, with green mountains and clear waters, creating a landscape of beautiful scenery. However—

　　Among the verdant pine and cypress trees, tombstones could be faintly seen.

　　"A cemetery?" Lu Fei was startled.

　　Xie Yao led Lu Fei to a well-located grave, her expression apologetic.

　　"I'm sorry, Shopkeeper Lu, my grandfather has passed away. On the way here, I was thinking about how to explain it to you, but I didn't know how to start."

　　"Passed away? Then how could he ask you to find Sinisterium Pawnshop?" Lu Fei was greatly disappointed.

　　"My grandfather gave me the business card before he passed away, telling me to go to the Antique Street and look for Sinisterium Pawnshop if I ever encountered any malevolent objects," Xie Yao explained, feeling even more apologetic. "At the time, I didn't think much about it and just kept the card as a memento from him. Later, because of that necklace made of human bones, I remembered it again."

　　At that time, she had only tried it on a whim, not expecting Lu Fei to really save her.

　　Afterward, she made an effort to learn more about Sinisterium Pawnshop and found out what kind of entity it truly was.

　　The cemetery was tranquil.

　　This grave was large, far from the other tombs, enjoying solitude, with a river nearby and mountains in the distance, offering an open view ahead.

　　The feng shui was excellent; the location had clearly been carefully chosen.

　　Lu Fei looked at the gravestone, silent.

　　He had thought he might find some clues related to his grandfather, but he was disappointed again.

　　"I'm really sorry, Manager Lu. Could you tell me why you were looking for my grandfather? Maybe I can help you," Xie Yao said, feeling very guilty and wanting to do something to make it up.

　　Lu Fei was silent for a while before speaking slowly, "I'm looking for my grandfather."

　　"What?" Xie Yao was startled, "Didn't you say that Old Manager Lu went on a long trip?"

　　"That's right. After he left three years ago, he never returned. I've been searching for him, and I thought I would find some clues here with your grandfather."

　　"I'm really sorry... I understand the feeling of losing a loved one. I should have told you earlier, but at that time, I was so eager to resolve the trouble..."

　　"It's different. At least your grandfather is clearly buried here. As for my grandfather, we don't know where he is or if he's alive or dead."

　　Lu Fei gave a self-deprecating smile, not blaming Xie Yao at all, but rather waving it off lightly.

　　"Miss Xie, don't think too much about it. This has nothing to do with you. My grandfather deliberately hid from me; he doesn't want me to find him."

　　"It's just that I've never been very obedient. From childhood to now, I've done many things against his wishes, so one more doesn't matter."

　　Hearing this, Xie Yao felt even more uncomfortable.

　　"In the end, it's my fault. Let me handle the investigation. I know some people who are very good at tracking."

　　"That would be great," Lu Fei said with some surprise. He could tell that Xie Yao came from a distinguished family and should have a lot of connections. Having her find someone to help would be much more effective than him asking around blindly.

　　But he didn't like owing people favors for nothing. Looking around, he asked, "Miss Xie, did you choose the location for this grave?"

　　"My grandfather chose it himself. He said being buried here would bring prosperity to the descendants and protect me, ensuring my safety," Xie Yao gently brushed away the fallen leaves in front of the tombstone and smiled, "After he passed away, although I frequently encountered some trouble, I always managed to turn bad luck into good and overcome the difficulties."

　　"I often think that maybe it really is my grandfather protecting me."

　　This time, with the necklace of human bones, if not for her grandfather giving her that business card on his deathbed, she might have become a puppet without self-awareness.

　　Lu Fei shook his head and said, "No, the feng shui of this graveyard is clearly harmful to the descendants."

　　"What?" Xie Yao was shocked, her black eyes staring at Lu Fei, "How can that be? Mr. Lu, are you mistaken? My maternal grandfather raised me. He is my only family, he would never harm me!"

　　This certainty was like how Lu Fei also absolutely trusted his own grandfather.

　　"That's strange then." Lu Fei pointed towards the woods on both sides of the grave, "Miss Xie, who planted those roses in the woods?"

　　Xie Yao looked in the direction he was pointing. There were several large bunches of roses between the trees, their dark green vines spreading out in all directions, some even climbing up the tree trunks, growing quite vigorously.

　　It was May, the season when roses were in full bloom. Large patches of pink and white flowers bloomed brightly, and as the wind blew, petals floated down, creating a stunning sight.

　　She said doubtfully, "There were no flowers here when my grandfather was buried, and I didn't allow anyone to plant flowers around here. They must be wild roses."

　　"Roses are beautiful, but their vines are thorny. With thorny vines surrounding the grave, even the best feng shui is ruined," Lu Fei frowned, "Think about it, if you were poked by needles every day, would you feel comfortable?"