A debt-ridden tycoon inherits a luxury mansion, but the tenants are not human.

Chapter 7 Orchids and Life, Forever United

Chen Mo pushed open the door and went in.

There were several rows of iron shelves in the room, with plastic storage boxes on them, each with a label.

He looked at each of the iron frames one by one. The writing on the labels was clear: unearthed from the Wanda Plaza construction site, April 16, 2026, number 001-050.

He found the corresponding box and reached out to open it.

Inside were some odds and ends: rusted copper coins, broken porcelain shards, a few buttons, a broken wooden comb. He used his phone's flashlight to search through them one by one.

There is no ring.

His heart began to beat uncontrollably.

He opened several boxes next to him, rummaging through them faster and faster. They were all full of junk, not a single silver piece inside.

Is the ring not here? Or has it been moved?

Sweat began to bead on his forehead, and just then, the mark under his collarbone suddenly felt hot.

It wasn't scalding, but rather a warm sensation like being ignited, like blood suddenly rushing in one direction.

Chen Mo subconsciously looked up and glanced at the corner of the room.

There was a separate safe there, half a meter high, standing quietly in the corner.

He walked over.

Under the power of spiritual vision, a rich, silvery-white halo surrounded the safe.

The ring is inside.

He crouched down and stared at the fingerprint lock on the safe.

Modern design, cannot be pried open with wire.

He stared at the lock for a few seconds, then, as if possessed, reached out and gently pressed his hand on the cold metal surface of the safe.

He hasn't unlocked the memories yet, but he still wants to try.

The moment my fingertips touched it, there was no memory of what happened.

But a strong desire, one that did not belong to him, welled up in his heart.

Find it.

We must find it.

The thought was so intense that it made his vision go black. Ripples spread across the metal surface of the safe, and an illusion appeared of a hand wearing a silver ring caressing his lover's cheek.

The illusion shattered, leaving only a voice echoing in my mind: Find it... find it...

Chen Mo abruptly pulled his hand back and leaned against the wall, panting heavily.

That was... Lin Xiulan's obsession, which directly invaded his consciousness?

He composed himself and looked at the safe again.

It's impossible to pry it open by force; the only way is through a password or fingerprint.

He looked around the room, his gaze landing on the desk against the wall. He walked over and opened the drawer, which contained some documents and stationery. He then opened the bottom drawer and found a notebook.

He took it out and opened it; it was a record of safekeeping.

Turn to yesterday's page:

On April 16, 2026, a batch of 47 artifacts unearthed from the Wanda Plaza construction site were received. These included 46 ordinary cultural relics and 1 special item (a silver ring, suspected to be a Republic of China-era wedding ring with inscriptions on the inside). The special item, designated TJ001, was stored in safe number 3.

Below is a line of handwritten text: "Engraved on the ring, 'Orchid and Life, Forever United.'" There appears to be a strong magnetic field reaction; further testing is needed.

that's it!

Chen Mo closed his notebook, his heart pounding.

The ring is in this iron box, but he can't get it.

He stared intently at the safe, his mind racing.

"Who are you?"

A cold, icy female voice came from the doorway.

I froze, my neck felt like it was rusted, and I slowly turned it around.

A middle-aged woman in a white coat and glasses stood at the door, her eyes like those of a surgeon.

It’s over.

"How did you get in?" She walked in and pressed the switch with a snap.

The lights suddenly blazed on, so bright I couldn't open my eyes.

"I..." My throat went dry, and my mind went blank.

"Speak." She moved closer to me, her gaze sweeping between the notebook in my hand and the safe, her face darkening further. "Or I'll call the police."

I took a breath and decided to stop making things up.

"I'm looking for a ring." I met her gaze. "It's silver, and it's engraved with 'Orchid and Life, Forever United.'"

The woman's eyes sharpened: "How do you know about engraving?"

"Because it belonged to a woman named Lin Xiulan. She passed away in 1998 and was searching for this ring until her death." Chen Mo's voice was a little hoarse. "I know it sounds absurd, but it's true. I just want to... take a look for her."

The woman looked at him silently, her wariness not lessened, but rather increased with scrutiny and inquiry.

She neither immediately believed nor immediately denied it. Instead, she walked around him to the safe, carefully examined the lock, and confirmed that there were no signs of forced entry.

Then, she looked back at Chen Mo, as if assessing an extremely unstable experimental subject.

"Is the magnetic field reaction you mentioned related to this?" she asked.

Chen Mo was taken aback for a moment, then nodded: "Yes."

The woman stared at him for a full half minute, so long that Chen Mo thought she was about to pull out her phone any second.

Finally, she said, "Stand in the corner and put your hands where I can see them."

Chen Mo did as instructed.

The woman then squatted down, entered a long password, and pressed her fingerprint.

Click.

The safe door popped open.

She took out a transparent evidence bag from it, which contained a silver ring.

It's very fine and old, with scratches and signs of oxidation on the surface, but under the light, you can still see its original luster.

The woman didn't hand him the ring; instead, she held up the bag herself and showed it to him.

Is this it?

"Yes."

Chen Mo stared at the ring, unable to look away.

"Can I... touch it?" he pleaded.

"No," the woman refused firmly. "This is an unearthed artifact."

"Just once," Chen Mo's voice trembled. "Please."

The woman frowned as she looked at him, noticing the genuineness in his eyes, and finally relented, but with a condition: "Only through the bag, with one finger."

"it is good."

Chen Mo walked over, extended his index finger, and carefully touched the ring through a thin layer of plastic.

A cool touch.

At the very moment their fingertips touched.

boom!

The entire world collapsed before his eyes, replaced by countless fragments of light and shadow.

Autumn, 1975. In the park, her young husband placed a ring on her finger and said with a smile, "Xiulan, as long as this ring is here, our hearts will always be together."

In 1983, in the delivery room, she was covered in sweat, holding her husband's hand. The ring on her ring finger was digging into his palm. Her husband stroked the ring, looked at their newborn son, and said, "When our son grows up, I'll get him one too."

In 1998, at a department store, she lay on the floor, her fingertip just centimeters from the ring under the counter, yet it felt like an entire world separated them. She cried out in desperation, "That's my wedding ring, I can't lose it!"

In 1998, at the hospital, she was emaciated, holding her husband's hand, her voice barely audible: "Ah Sheng... I'm sorry... I lost the ring..."

"It's alright, Xiulan, it's not important."

"It's important." Tears slid down her dry cheeks. "You said... as long as the ring is there, my heart is there..."

"My heart will always be with you." The husband placed her hand on his chest. "Can you feel it? It will always beat for you."

She closed her eyes, her last words as soft as a sigh:

"But...I want to see it one more time..."

The images in my memory have faded.

Chen Mo suddenly opened his eyes, his vision blurry. He raised his hand to wipe his face and realized that his face was wet.

It wasn't his tears.

It belongs to Lin Xiulan.

He returned the ring to the woman, his voice hoarse: "Thank you."

The woman took the evidence bag, her eyes filled with complex emotions as she looked at the tear stains on his face. She remained silent for a long time before saying, "My name is Li Jing, and I'm the person in charge here. According to the rules, it should be kept here and sealed."

"I know."

"But if... the family can provide valid proof, they can apply to take it back." Li Jing looked at him. "Do you have one? A marriage certificate, a household registration book, any document that can prove the relationship."

Chen Mo shook his head: "I didn't. I don't even know where her family is."

Li Jing nodded, put the ring back in the safe, and locked it.

She stood up, took a business card from her desk drawer, and handed it to Chen Mo: "This is my phone number. If you find the family, you can follow the procedure."

"Thanks."

"Now, please leave." Li Jing's tone returned to its professional coldness. "I can pretend that what happened today never happened, but if it happens again, I will personally take you to the police station."

Chen Mo nodded and turned to walk out.

As he reached the door, Li Jing called out to him, "Wait."

He turned around.

"That Lin Xiulan..." Li Jing hesitated for a moment, "She really... waited her whole life?"

"Wait until you die."

Li Jing was silent for a few seconds, then waved her hand: "Let's go, let's go through the main gate. If the security guard asks, just say you were the one I asked to deliver the documents."

……

Chen Mo didn't know how he got back to Qing Shi Lane.

He pushed open the door of the old house, and Di Ling was standing in the center of the main room, waiting for him.

"Found it?" The spirit's voice echoed in my mind.

"Found it, but can't get it back." Chen Mo went into the house and closed the door. "Only a family member can claim it, and I can't find it."

The spirit remained silent for a few seconds.

Sometimes, finding it is the end.

"What do you mean?"

"Her obsession is finding the ring, not taking it back," Di Ling said. "It's enough for her to know that this thing still exists in the world and hasn't been completely forgotten."

Chen Mo sat down wearily at the octagonal table, burying his face in his arms.

"I saw her memories," he said in a low voice. "She really loved her husband."

"Hmm." The spirit's response was just one word, devoid of any extra emotion.

Chen Mo looked up: "Have I completed my mission?"

"Calculate."

As soon as he finished speaking, the mark under Chen Mo's collarbone suddenly burned, sending a sharp pain through him.

He groaned in pain and reached out to touch it, discovering that the dark blue mark was expanding, transforming from an irregular bruise into a light blue pattern resembling a closed eye.

At the same time, he felt that he had an extra program in his mind that he could call up at any time.

"Memory Touch Ability Unlocked." The Earth Spirit's voice rang out. "From now on, when you touch relics, you will be able to see the three most important memories of the deceased. But remember, every time you use it, you will be overwhelmed by the other person's emotions."

Chen Mo nodded; he had already experienced it.

The old grandfather clock in the main room struck twelve.

Di Ling turned around and walked towards the basement.

"The next obsession will be triggered in three days." It stopped at the top of the stairs. "This time, the tenant... is a celebrity."

"celebrity?"

"A celebrity who's been dead for ten years," Di Ling paused, "is still waiting for an apology."

After saying that, the clay figure disappeared into the darkness.

Chen Mo sat there, took out the Book of Obsessions, and turned to a new page.

The ink slowly appeared:

Obsession No. 08 - An Unfinished Farewell

Client: Su Wanqing (female, passed away in 2016)

Occupation before death: actor, singer