"Wake up!! Zhou Jianan! Wake up!" My boyfriend shook me roughly and impatiently shouted my name.

At first glance at his dark as the bottom of a pot face, I actually felt a sense of relief.

"What's wrong with you?" He frowned and asked.

"It's nothing, just had a nightmare, you go back to sleep." I wiped the cold sweat from my forehead, picked up my phone and left the room.

The nightmare I just had left me feeling lingering fear, as if it was some kind of omen.

I quickly found the number Master Qingning had left me and dialed it.

"What was that dream about?" As soon as the call connected, I asked urgently.

"Did you see it all?" Master Qingning's tone was indifferent, "If you continue to eat that thing, that dream will be the result."

Remembering the situation in the dream, I was so scared that I almost cried: "What should I do now? Go to the hospital?"

"What hospital? Nannan, are you feeling unwell?" Aunt Yu suddenly appeared behind me, as if preparing breakfast.

I stood frozen in place, unsure if I should respond or hang up the phone.

In my headphones came Master Qingning's voice: "Is she the relative who gave you the pickled pearls to eat?"

My brain almost short-circuited, I dared not answer, nor did I hang up.

Seeing that I didn't react, Aunt Yu wasn't upset either, wiping her hands on her apron, she said:"When you finish eating that jar of pickled pearls, you'll have to go back to our hometown with my son tomorrow."

Almost simultaneously, Master Qingning on the other end of the phone said softly: "If the eggs in your belly have already formed, she may forcefully take you back to the nest."

8 (Paid content)

"Nannan, who are you talking to on the phone?" Aunt Yu smiled and stepped forward, reaching for my phone tucked against my ear.

The cold and aged fingers brushed across my cheek, giving me goosebumps.

I snapped back to reality, hung up the phone, and put the phone back in my pocket.

The cold and slippery feeling of the side of my face was still there, seeming to carry a hint of fishy smell.

"Aunt Yu, my friend has an emergency, I have to go to the hospital now."

I didn't even dare to look at her, explained incoherently and rushed out of the door.

The early morning of early autumn already had a hint of chill in the air.

I left the residential complex in one breath, got a taxi, and went to the nearest hospital.

Sitting in the car, my heart that had been pounding wildly just calmed down a bit.

"Ding—" My phone rang, it was Master Qingning.

"Where are you now?"

"I'm out, on the way to the hospital." My voice was hoarse, that extreme feeling of thirst was always present.

The voice on the phone was still calm: "It's useless, the hospital won't be able to find anything."

"Impossible!" Suddenly my voice rose, even the driver glanced at me through the rearview mirror.

I quickly lowered my voice: "How can they not find anything?!"

She paused, then said softly: "You may have to agree to go back to the old house with her."

Her words were like throwing a bomb in my brain.

Before I could react, she continued: "There may be other girls with egg embryos implanted there, and besides..."

"What does that have to do with me?! I can't go back with her!" I shouted almost hysterically, ignoring the driver's astonished gaze.

Master Qingning seemed to chuckle, slowly adding the second half of the sentence: "Moreover, only by returning to the Fish Woman's nest, can you get rid of the embryos in your belly."

I was very angry at her indifferent attitude, but could only grit my teeth.

Until the dry throat exuded a strong smell of blood, she faintly said:

"I'll go with you, contact me when you've made up your mind.

"But you don't have much time left."

With that, she hung up the phone.