"Dad, why are you back?" Su Jingwen returned to her family's private convalescent home and was surprised to see her father there first. Since her mother became a vegetative patient, her father had thrown almost all his energy into his official career. Even her mother's company was managed by Su Jingwen herself, and due to her mother's illness, the company's affairs were in utter chaos.
Yet her father never cared or visited the convalescent home much. Su Jingwen didn't know why he had come today.
"Hmph. If I didn't come, you'd still be messing things up. The house is full of all kinds of nonsense, and now you even believe in talismans? What's next—are you going to invite a shaman?" Su Jianzhong's face darkened, clearly displeased with his daughter.
Su Jingwen knew immediately Wang Peng had tattled. She despised this fool who looked good on the outside but was worthless inside. But she was also unhappy with her father for remaining silent and refusing to respond.
"What? You can't answer? Then throw all that nonsense out of the house right now," Su Jianzhong said sternly.
"Dad, what have you done since Mom got sick? You came to see her once when she was unconscious. Where have you been all these years? Look in your heart—do you think you've been fair to Mom? I know what I'm doing and don't need you to manage it. Mom never blamed you for keeping another woman outside, but have you ever thought about Mom?" Su Jingwen remained silent for a moment before bursting out.
"You—" Su Jianzhong's face flushed red then pale. He raised his hand to slap her but paused, seeing her stubborn, worn-out expression.
He knew he had no right to blame his daughter; he truly had failed his wife and daughter. His wife's company was now managed by Su Jingwen, and he hadn't helped much.
"Fine, I know I can't control you. I only hope this is the last time you indulge in superstition. Don't do this again—you're highly educated, shouldn't you understand? Don't let a street charlatan and your issues with Wang Peng mislead you. Remember, good advice is often harsh," Su Jianzhong said helplessly.
Su Jingwen sneered inwardly. She understood why her father wanted her to get close to Wang Peng. To advance further, he needed help from Wang Peng's father. Although Su Jianzhong was already a city mayor, the Su family only groomed certain people for higher positions. Without Su family support, if he didn't make connections soon, his career might stall at mayor forever.
In truth, Su Jianzhong thought this way. The Wang family's influence was no less than the Su family's. The Su family wasn't a top-tier family in the capital, so only a few promising candidates were nurtured. He was almost fifty and might fade from the family's sight if he didn't use external power. By relying on the Wang family, the patriarch might reevaluate his potential.
Though aware of her father's motives, Su Jingwen said nothing. Wang Peng looked handsome but was, in her eyes, just a decorated pillow—ugly inside. Calling him a flashy exterior with a rough, coarse core was no insult.
Seeing her turn and enter her mother's room, Su Jianzhong opened his mouth to say something but stopped. He understood his thoughts wouldn't help his daughter. After thinking, he followed in, standing at the door but lacking the courage to face his wife who had been comatose for three years.
On the bed lay a beautiful woman who looked only in her thirties. She resembled Su Jingwen somewhat but kept her eyes tightly closed, her brows slightly furrowed.
When Su Jingwen entered, the nurse sitting by the bed quickly stood, greeted her, and then left.
Looking at her still-unconscious mother, Su Jingwen's eyes reddened. Though she had never given up, she could never share her pain with anyone. Only in the quiet of night did she weep bitterly by her mother's bedside.
Taking out the spirit-clearing talisman Ye Mo sold her for twenty thousand yuan, Su Jingwen was somewhat dazed. Though she knew the talisman was likely a fraud, she couldn't suppress her excitement. It felt as if her mother would truly wake after using it.
Seeing her daughter deceive herself, Su Jianzhong shook his head but said nothing. He wanted to wait until she finished using the talisman before talking seriously.
Suddenly, Su Jingwen stood, took two steps back, raised her hand, and threw the spirit-clearing talisman toward her mother lying in bed, softly shouting the word "Lin."
Seeing his daughter act like a charlatan, Su Jianzhong felt no amusement, only unease and guilt. For her mother, even his highly educated daughter had started believing in such things.
But then Su Jianzhong thought his eyes were playing tricks. After his daughter threw the yellow talisman and said "Lin," it transformed into several white beams of light that penetrated his wife's body, scattering ash-like particles around.
If the room hadn't suddenly turned cool and the bright light didn't sting his eyes, he might have thought it was an illusion. What on earth was happening?
Su Jingwen was stunned too. She thought the talisman would land on her mother's blanket after she threw it and said the word, and then she would continue calling for her mother.
But things went far beyond her expectation. The thrown talisman transformed into cool white beams of light that entered her mother's body, and the talisman itself disappeared, leaving only small ash particles drifting down.
Su Jingwen felt her scalp tingle. She knew many charlatans used chemical tricks to fool people, but as a science top student, she couldn't explain this phenomenon with any chemistry. Could it be... that the talisman actually worked?
Thinking this might really be effective, Su Jingwen's hands trembled. If the talisman worked as the talisman master claimed, her mother should awaken soon.
Unable to contain her excitement, Su Jingwen rushed to her mother's bedside.