Host, Please Be Honest! What Exactly Are You?

Chapter 621  A Good Change

The next day, Clem Shi woke up and was amazed to see his wife waking up with a vibrant smile on her lips. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"Good Morning, my love."

Clem Shi stared at his wife, wondering if he was still dreaming or not. It's been a long, very long time since he saw her so relaxed and happy.

Has she finally realized the silliness of her earlier ways?

Did she finally realize that all her anxiety was solely because she wasn't prepared for the stress that comes along with motherhood?

Not everyone is ready for the commitment a child brings. Some parents get burned out sooner than one expects. And this could lead to a long period of sleep deprivation. Clem Shi's eyes snapped open, feeling a thunderous drum beat wildly in his chest. Soon, he found himself rolling the sheets with her, having the most intense session of adult gymnastics he has had in a while. The God of Science knows that he loved his wife. He loved her with every fiber of her being. Her scent, her body, her smell… It's been a long time since he felt her warmth.

Fearing he'll be late for work, he hastily jumped out of bed, humming like a man who just conquered the world. After breakfast, he hastily kissed Liana and his son, waving at them while driving off to work.

But when he was a distance away from the door, he looked at his rear mirror, feeling that his wife's current expression was a little strange. Well, he's probably over thinking things, especially seeing her smile return in a split second. Going to work, he felt his whole day was a mess. He was accidentally spilling his tea… making mistakes on his work and even kicking his legs and hitting his hands against several objects.

Something wasn't right. He could feel it in his gut.

It was already dark, despite it being 5 PM. Driving home, all he could think of was that smile on his wife's face.

He more than anyone wanted her to change. He has wished and hoped for her to change. And to be honest, he should be happy for her sudden change this morning.

However, would he be a bad husband if he said her overnight change made him suspicious?

.

After rushing upstairs with all his might, Clem Shi paused. The bedroom swung in an otherworldly matter, silvery light that seemed to pulse with each ragged breath he took.

She's here. A gush of relief suddenly engulfed his being. But after shooting his hand out, desperately seeking Liana's warmth, he found only the cold, mocking emptiness of rumpled sheets staring back at him.

Whoosh!

He pulled them off to see a fake wig and pillows underneath.

"Liana?" The name tore frighteningly from his throat.

At this moment, the world spun and swayed before his very eyes. "LIANA!!!"

… Silence was all he received. Oppressive, suffocating silence.

Clem Shi's mind reeled, a whirlpool of fear and confusion. 'Something was definitely wrong.' Terribly, horrifyingly wrong. The air itself felt charged, electric with an unseen menace that made his skin crawl and his breath catch.

Just then, a thought came to mind, making him lurch from the bedroom, bare feet slapping against the hardwood floor. Each step sent shockwaves of dread up his spine, but Clem Shi dared not stop. The hallway stretched before him, a yawning chasm of shadows and whispers.

"Liana?" he called again, his voice a trembling whisper. "Little Hai?"

The nursery door loomed ahead, a portal to either salvation or damnation. Clem Shi's hand shook as he reached for the knob, his palm slick with cold sweat. The door creaked open, the sound piercing the night like a scream.

Empty. The crib stood abandoned, blankets twisted and discarded like shed skin. Clem Shi's heart clenched, a vise of panic squeezing the air from his lungs. His eyes darted wildly around the room, seeking, pleading for any sign of his family.

Where are they? Where is his family?

The curtains billowed, like ghostly fingers beckoning him towards the open window facing the backyard. The night air rushed in, carrying with it the faint sound of... giggling?

Where they—

Clem Shi scrambled out the window, suddenly feeling a surge of adrenaline pump into his body. There was a thick vine, maze-like plant that crossed against this bedroom to the roof.

All Clem Shi could feel was the thundering of his heart, the icy grip of fear around his throat. He climbed, each rung bringing him closer to the haunting melody drifting from above.

But—As he reached the roof's edge, the giggling… it suddenly stopped. Liana?

The sudden silence was deafening, pressing against his eardrums like a physical force. What's going on? What's going on?

Clem Shi pulled himself up, his eyes scanning the rooftop frantically.

There, by the far edge – Liana.

Relief again flooded through him for a split second before horror crashed back in. What is she holding?

Liana stood precariously close to the roof's edge, her white nightgown whipping around her like angry spirits in the wind. And just as he suspected, in her arms, she cradled Little Hai, but her grip was all wrong – too tight, too rigid.

"Liana," Clem Shi breathed, his voice barely audible over the pounding of blood in his ears.

She turned, and Clem Shi's world tilted on its axis. This isn't his Liana. Clem Shi thought.

The woman before him wore his wife's face, but her eyes... God of Science, her eyes.... They were vast and empty, like black holes threatening to devour everything in their path. Including their son.

"He's not ours, Brother Shi," Liana's voice slithered across the rooftop, alien and cold. "This thing…" She paused in disgust. "It's not our Little Hai."

Why does she keep saying this? Pain sparked in Clem Shu's eyes.

Each word was a dagger, slicing through Clem Shi's heart. He took a shaky step forward, his hands raised in supplication. "Liana, please. Open your eyes and see. That there is our handsome boy. Do you remember how you pushed him out of your–"

"LIES!" Liana's scream shattered the atmosphere, causing Clem Shi to flinch. "All lies! "Do you recall our vows, Brother Shi? To love and to protect? To believe and to trust?" I, your wife and a mother, am telling you that this is not our boy!! It's a PUPPET! It told me so itself."

Puppet?

The word echoed in Clem Shi's mind, stirring something deep and primal within him. Clen Chi has always had a fear for puppets, despite not knowing why. He felt he and puppets had some past, but for the life of him, he couldn't recall why he was so frightened by them.

Puppet? The baby told her that himself? Can babies even talk?

Clearly, this was postpartum psychosis, it had to be. The alternative was too terrifying to contemplate.

.

"Liana, baby, you're not well," Clem Shi pleaded, inching closer. Every fiber of his being screamed at him to rush forward, to snatch Little Hai from her arms. But the wild, unpredictable look in Liana's eyes kept him at bay. One wrong move and... he couldn't bear to finish the thought.

Liana's laugh was a broken, jagged thing. "Not well? Oh, Brother Shi. I've never seen more clearly." Believe her!

She looked down at Little Hai, who had begun to fuss in her too-tight grip. In a place where Clem Shi couldn't see, the little monster stared at her with vicious eyes. Soon, it changed its eyes to a soft hue, warm and inviting that looked very similar to her son. However, Liana didn't buy it. After several months undergoing physical and psychological torture, dont think a simple googly eye move would ever stray her from her goal.

"Shh, little imposter. Your tricks won't work on me."

Clem Shi's gaze darted between Liana's face and Little Hai. The baby's distress was palpable, his tiny face scrunched in confusion and fear. .

"Liana, listen to me," Clem Shi's voice was low, urgent. He was truly at his wits end but dared not give up.

"Liana, my love, please look at me… That is our son. Our Little Hai. Remember the day he was born?"

Instantly, countless memories flooded through the couple's mind.

"Do you remember how we dressed him up for the first time and you giggled, saying he looked like a little fat man? How you cried when you first laid your eyes on him, and even swore to give him the best in life no matter what."

Tears trickled down Liana's cheeks the more she listened.

It was because of that promise and her love that she was going above and beyond to find her SON.

However, her darling husband would never believe her, and this made her cold.

It would be a lie to say that she wasn't emotional right now.

For a heartbeat, something flickered in Liana's eyes – A flash of warmth, of recognition. Did his words finally get to her?