Chapter 2: The Eerie Buddha Statue

Li Fuling had slept exceptionally well, better than ever before.

It wasn’t until early the next morning, when sunlight filtered through the gap in the curtains and brushed against his eyelids, that he finally opened his eyes.

The breakfast table still only had the three of them.

Madam Yu continuously served him dishes, while Shen Hai asked if he had slept well. Li Fuling answered each question one by one.

Around nine o’clock, the sound of a car engine came from the courtyard.

A middle-aged man wearing a Chinese tunic suit, with an elegant and scholarly demeanor, entered the living room led by the butler.

Madam Yu gently took Li Fuling’s hand and guided him forward, saying softly, A-Ling, call him Uncle Nie.

Li Fuling looked up and obediently called out, Hello, Uncle Nie.

Nie Wangqiu looked down at him, his gaze lingering on Li Fuling’s delicate, timid face for a moment, a complex emotion flashing deep in his eyes.

He reached out and gently stroked Li Fuling’s hair with his warm palm. Hello, A-Ling.

The Lineage Inclusion Ceremony was simple yet solemn.

Nie Wangqiu presided over all the proceedings. In the faint scent of incense and candles, he had Li Fuling face the direction of the Shen family ancestors and respectfully kowtow three times.

His name was solemnly written in the Family Tree Book.

Kneeling on the meditation cushion, Li Fuling secretly glanced upward and clearly saw four names in the Family Tree Book:

Shen Hai, Yu Yao, Shen Jici, Shen Fuling.

He silently repeated in his heart: Shen Jici.

This must be that nominal older brother. His name sounded so virtuous—compassionate and gentle—yet the person himself was… so despicable.

He hadn’t seen him all morning, likely because the injury on his backside hadn’t fully healed. This inexplicably eased Li Fuling’s mind.

In the afternoon, a photographer was invited to take the first family portrait.

The background was the most impressive bookshelf wall in the living room.

Shen Hai and Madam Yu sat in the middle, Li Fuling was arranged to stand beside Shen Hai, while Shen Jici stood stiff-faced next to Madam Yu.

Alright, look at the camera, smile—

The photographer tried hard to lighten the mood.

Li Fuling pressed his lips together, forcing the corners of his mouth upward into a slightly restrained smile.

As for Shen Jici, he kept his lips tightly sealed, stubbornly looking away from the camera, his entire face screaming uncooperative.

The servants waiting nearby whispered among themselves, their words drifting into Li Fuling’s ears:

What a happy family. Even though the young master looks serious, he still seems quite adorable.

Yes, the master and madam are such a perfect match, and both young masters are so handsome. This photo will surely turn out beautifully…

…

After the photoshoot, Shen Hai took Li Fuling’s documents to complete the school enrollment procedures.

Everything went smoothly. Li Fuling would be enrolled in the best Huangying Middle School, starting eighth grade, coincidentally attending the same school as Shen Jici, who was entering ninth grade.

In the evening, Li Fuling was organizing his new backpack in his room.

It had been specially chosen for him by Madam Yu, with a pattern he really liked—a cute capybara.

Unable to contain his joy, he rolled around on the bed several times.

Just as Li Fuling finished washing up and was about to rest, the butler gently knocked on his door, saying the master wanted to see him in the study.

He followed the butler down the empty corridor, his heart fluttering nervously.

The study door was slightly ajar, warm yellow light seeping through. He pushed it open gently and saw Shen Hai sitting behind the large desk, fiddling with a string of dark Buddhist prayer beads.

Shen Hai looked up, a benevolent smile spreading across his face as he beckoned, Ah Ling, you’re here. Don’t be nervous, come to your father.

Li Fuling approached as instructed. Shen Hai set down his prayer beads and took the boy’s slightly cold hand in his warm, large one. I’ll take you somewhere to familiarize you with the place.

Holding his hand, Shen Hai led him through several dimly lit corridors, their footsteps muffled by the thick carpet on the stairs.

They arrived at an inconspicuous corner on the top floor of the villa, where a dark wooden door stood tightly closed, contrasting sharply with the modern decor surrounding it.

Shen Hai pushed the door open.

A heavy, aged scent of sandalwood washed over them, mingled with the smells of wood and dust.

The room wasn’t dirty or messy—on the contrary, it was exceptionally tidy, yet permeated with an indescribable sense of stagnation.

The lighting was extremely dim, with no electric lights on. Only a few thick white candles flickered on a low table in the center of the room and along the southern wall.

Li Fuling’s gaze was involuntarily drawn to the southern wall.

There stood an intricately crafted wooden structure resembling a shrine, its workmanship complex and antiquated.

Enshrined within was a statue of Buddha. In the dim candlelight, he couldn’t clearly make out its full form, vaguely sensing it might be Guanyin, yet the bodhisattva’s posture seemed different from conventional depictions, its face appearing both blurred and compassionate in the shadows.

What made his heart tighten slightly more was that dark substances seemed to extend outward from the statue’s body, shimmering with a subtle, eerie glow under the candlelight.

Ah Ling, Shen Hai’s voice sounded particularly deep in the silence, kneel down first, kowtow three times, then offer three sticks of incense.

His tone remained gentle.

Remembering the ceremony from the family registry induction that morning, Li Fuling followed the procedure, reverently kneeling on the meditation cushion to kowtow, then accepting three already-lit incense sticks from Shen Hai.

The incense smoke curled upward, intensifying the fragrance. Carefully, he inserted the incense into the bronze censer filled with ash before the shrine.

Very good.

Shen Hai stood behind him, the candlelight casting his elongated shadow. This is our Shen family’s Guardian Deity, protecting our household’s peace and career success. Since you’ve become a child of the Shen family, from now on, your first task every morning upon waking must be to come here and devoutly offer three sticks of incense. Do you understand?

A flicker of doubt crossed Li Fuling’s mind.

Why would such an affluent, prominent family maintain such a secretive and… slightly eerie tradition? Did Shen Jici also need to come here daily to offer incense?

But looking into Shen Hai’s eyes, which appeared especially profound in the candlelight, he ultimately swallowed all his questions and simply nodded obediently, Yes, Father.

Only then did a satisfied expression appear on Shen Hai’s face.

Without another word, he stepped forward, brushed his clothes, and solemnly knelt on the meditation cushion himself, kowtowing three times with utmost devotion before offering three fresh sticks of incense.

The swirling incense smoke enveloped the statue, making it appear even more hazy and mysterious.

Standing quietly to the side, Li Fuling watched silently, feeling that the sandalwood fragrance now carried an inexplicable weight.

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