Chapter 16: Truly Her Nemesis!

What’s going on? Could it be that these three eerie beings actually consider Duoduo their family? April was stunned for a long moment before she finally came to her senses. Thinking about their attitude toward Duoduo, she suddenly felt maybe there was still hope for her!

Duoduo waved to the three eerie beings and, following their guidance, headed toward Room 16.

The door to Room 16 was wide open.

Stepping inside, Duoduo’s eyes first fell upon the pristine white walls and spotless tiled floor.

At the doorway stood an elderly man of about sixty, dressed in a traditional Zhongshan suit. He was slender, his back straight and proud like a pine tree. With his chin slightly raised, he looked down on Duoduo with an air of haughty disdain.

“So, you’re my new granddaughter?”

Duoduo’s eyes brightened. She lifted her delicate, fair face and called out sweetly, “Grandpa!”

The old man glanced at her and gave a faint hum in response.

Whoever set the rules for this checkpoint must have lost their mind—arranging a ‘family exchange.’ It would have been fine to swap in someone useful, but instead, they brought him a little girl. Such a tiny child—what use could she possibly be? She wasn’t even as hardworking as his previous daughter!

The old man scowled at Duoduo, his eyes filled with disdain.

But when his gaze fell on the ghost doll she was holding, his eyes widened in shock.

“What… what is this?”

“Grandpa, her name is Ugly Ugly.”

Duoduo smiled sweetly at him and lifted the doll toward his face. The old man recoiled a step in fright.

“What Ugly Ugly, Meimei—this is clearly a…”

An S-level eerie being!

He didn’t finish his sentence. The old man remembered this little doll had been swapped from Room 1. To survive three days there was no small feat. Could it be that she had a powerful backer—someone even General Ling dared not provoke?

At the thought, the old man immediately changed his demeanor. He grasped his hair and took off the top of his skull, then bowed to Duoduo with gentlemanly respect.

“I’m sorry for not recognizing a great talent. Please forgive me.”

“Eh?”

Duoduo tilted her head curiously at the old man. Seeing the hole in his head, she quickly snatched the skullcap from his hand.

“Grandpa, put your hat back on so you don’t catch a cold!”

The old man blinked and looked up at Duoduo. This little ancestor was actually caring for him—it seemed his earlier show of weakness had worked. That way, he wouldn’t anger whatever powerful force was behind her.

“Old Xu, who’s come?”

An aged voice suddenly came from inside.

Duoduo peeked inside curiously. A woman in her early sixties slowly emerged from the room. Upon seeing Duoduo, she frowned with disdain.

“So young, barely even…”

Before she could finish, Old Xu Hétáng covered her mouth.

He glanced at Duoduo and smiled wryly.

“I’m going to talk to your grandmother. You can watch TV outside for now.”

“All right!” Duoduo nodded obediently.

As the two elders went inside, Duoduo sat on the sofa holding the doll, picking up the remote to turn on a drama. To avoid disturbing the elders, she kept the volume very low.

Meanwhile, Xu Hétáng pulled Xie Fangyun back into the bedroom. He glanced outside the door, relieved to see Duoduo had not followed.

Xie Fangyun took her hand away and shot him an unhappy glare.

“Why did you cover my mouth?”

“I’m telling you, that little one outside is no ordinary child. Did you see the doll she’s holding? That’s an S-level eerie being. She survived three days in Room 1—who knows what kind of backing she has? Even if she doesn’t, that doll alone is beyond what the two of us, as A-level eerie beings, can handle.”

“What? She actually…”

Xie Fangyun stopped mid-sentence, eyes wide in shock. Remembering how close she had come to speaking out loud, she patted her chest nervously.

“Good thing you stopped me, or I’d be done for!”

“Yeah, who would’ve thought the family exchange would bring us a little ancestor? Let’s be extra careful these next three days,” Xu Hétáng said.

The two weren’t particularly cruel eerie beings, just that their home got messy easily and they needed someone diligent to help out. Now that this little ancestor had arrived, the cleaning duties would inevitably fall to Xu Hétáng.

“The housework’s on you. I’m a bit of a neat freak, so clean carefully.”

“Why me? You’re part of this family too. Why don’t you clean?” Xu Hétáng protested.

“I’m not as agile as I used to be. Otherwise, do you think I’d let you have all the chances to show off in front of the little ancestor?”

“You like showing off so much? Fine, I’ll give you the chance!”

Their bickering grew louder and louder until it finally caught Duoduo’s attention.

She slid off the sofa, clutching Ugly Ugly, and dashed to the bedroom door.

Inside, the two elders were red-faced from arguing.

She trotted over, gently tugging Xie Fangyun’s hand.

“Grandpa, Grandma, please don’t fight, okay?”

Click!

As soon as Duoduo’s words fell, Xie Fangyun’s arm suddenly dislocated.

She instinctively wanted to curse, but when she looked down at the doll in Duoduo’s arms, the curse caught in her throat.

“Grandma, why is your hand making that clicking sound?”

“It’s nothing, don’t worry!”

Xie Fangyun took a deep breath and, with a pained expression, raised her other hand to pop her arm back in place.

Another “click.”

Duoduo’s wide eyes sparkled with delight.

“Grandma’s hand can sing! That’s so cool!”

Cool my foot!

Xie Fangyun rolled her eyes, nearly fainting from frustration. This little ancestor was truly her nemesis!

“Fine, for the sake of the little ancestor, I won’t argue with you. It’s just cleaning—let’s each do half a day, fair and square!”

Xu Hétáng’s voice suddenly reached Xie Fangyun’s ears.

She rolled her eyes and agreed.

“Fine, you do today’s cleaning.”

“No way, I’m afraid you’ll slack off. You do it today,” Xu Hétáng retorted.

Just as they were about to start arguing again, Duoduo gently tugged on Xu Hétáng’s sleeve.

“Grandpa, please don’t fight!”

“I’m not fighting with her, hmph!” Xu Hétáng snorted and turned his head away.

Xie Fangyun crossed her hands on her hips in anger.

“Who wants to fight with you?”

“Duoduo, give Grandma a hug and calm down.”

Duoduo raised her arms and hugged Xie Fangyun’s legs.

With two quick clicks, Xie Fangyun suddenly knelt before Duoduo.

Startled, Duoduo hurried to pull her up.

“Grandma, why are you kneeling?”

As she pulled, Xie Fangyun’s arm came loose again.

Looking down at Duoduo, tears streamed from her eyes.