### Chapter 1 Dreamland (4)
That little wooden statue with the creepily weird smile had been tucked away in his pocket for a solid seven days. Even when he changed clothes, he’d sneak it back into his pocket when Wang Xue wasn’t looking.
He was now a well-known writer, and even if he didn’t update for half a month or a month, nobody would bat an eye—not even a reason to fabricate!
This time, he pretended he needed to chill at the beach for some inspiration, wanting to get as far away from the bustling metropolis as possible to find his inner peace.
Yes, even with the mysterious appearance of that little sculpture and the nightmare of an incinerated cover featuring the Cold Moon Witch, his faith in family remained unshaken.
After all these years, he and Wang Xue had always leaned on each other, their relationship as stable as a table with three legs. Plus, with Lin Xiao, their clever and adorable daughter, he thought life had been smooth sailing aside from some bumps in the gaming road.
Even the minor mishaps were more like a drop in the ocean.
He had never envisioned himself as a gifted writer. If it weren’t for Wang Xue giving him that first chance, he probably wouldn’t be where he was today—on the verge of literary stardom!
So when he pitched his plan to Wang Xue, he felt a twinge of guilt. After all, she was the one always managing their daughter’s education while he had been the laid-back dad. Now he was leaving home, but he promised to come back with meticulously prepared gifts.
Wang Xue smiled and nodded in agreement.
On the day he left, Lin Xiao was clutching his legs, sobbing her heart out, refusing to let Daddy go.
Lin Nan had to soothe her with sweet promises of a fun-filled week together when he returned, and only then did she reluctantly release him, tears still streaming.
When he arrived at the airport and settled in the waiting lounge, his hand accidentally brushed against the pocket holding the little wooden statue.
He found it strange that despite being made of wood, it had an oddly chilly feel to it, like a piece of deep-sea jade that refused to warm up in human hands.
He wanted to examine it thoroughly but didn’t want to draw attention in the crowded airport. So he waited until he was at the beach hotel laid out like a starfish on the bed before pulling out the statue.
Wait a second… why isn’t it smiling anymore?
Lin Nan shot up in panic. He distinctly remembered it grinning menacingly when he first saw it, but now it was frowning like it had just received a bad Yelp review.
This thing was seriously creepy.
Was there some hidden mechanism that controlled its expressions?
He searched the smooth surface thoroughly, finding no seams—clearly a single carving.
So he couldn’t explain why its expression had changed.
Perhaps there was only one answer: this little statue had become sentient.
After thinking about it for ages, he finally sank into a deep sleep.
The next morning, he strolled to the beach, and with a gentle morning breeze, he stretched his arms wide, trying to fling away all his worries.
He pulled out the statue again, and it had a smirk! Lin Nan almost didn’t believe his eyes; he felt as if it was mocking him, saying, “Coward! Go on, hit me!”
Hit you? I’ll just throw you away!
He dashed into the shallow surf and flung the little statue far, far away.
“Splash,” he watched as it landed on the water’s surface and disappeared.
Finally, peace! He’d return to his stable writer’s life, free from the obnoxious little trinket.
After all these years, he was used to a systematic writing routine. Yes, write a bestseller here, a blockbuster there, his name was poised to enter the Literary Hall of Fame. He had been working towards that!
So, if only he’d discarded this bothersome artifact sooner, he wouldn’t have been so worked up that he needed to flee the city for some zen time!
But as he turned to head back, he found the damp little statue had returned to his pocket.
Great! Just great! How is it still hanging around?
He pulled it out again and threw it far away, clutching his pocket tightly, determined not to let it return.
Unfortunately, it was like a skin rash—it just wouldn’t go away!
This time it appeared directly in his palm.
Lin Nan sprinted like a madman to the hotel lobby, attracting shocked stares from passersby.
For Pete’s sake, it’s just a chunk of wood; don’t you fear fire?!
He snagged a box of matches from the front desk and grabbed some cardboard from the trash for optimal burnage.
Finding a deserted corner, he lit the fire, grinning with a touch of satisfaction, “This’ll teach you, you pesky little thing!”
As the flames roared, he tossed the little statue into the fire.
He expected it to sizzle and perish, but mere seconds after tossing it in, the flames surprisingly extinguished.
Lin Nan, “…”
After that, he tried countless methods—flushing it, chopping it up with a kn*fe, even wrapping it in oil and setting it ablaze.
Even when the statue was wrecked, it would always miraculously reappear after a while, its expression still dripping with mockery as if laughing at Lin Nan’s futile attempts.
At that moment, the last strand of his sanity snapped.
You annoying little pest! Why won’t you leave me alone? What did I ever do to you? Spill it already!
Lin Nan screamed, smashing everything in the room until it looked like a hurricane had passed through, the floor a complete disaster.
A hotel staff member heard the commotion and swiped in, shocked by Lin Nan’s crazed expression—so startled they didn’t even bother to ask questions before scurrying out!
Before long, police sirens blared outside the hotel.
Lin Nan was taken to the station for questioning.
He stared at his feet, unsure how to explain that this whole fiasco was all because of a pesky little wooden statue in his pocket.
After about half a day, Wang Xue rushed in to bail him out, paying the damages as family—and finally, he was free to go.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay! You’ve probably been too wound up lately; writing is stressful. I get it.”
“No, that’s not it…”
He reached for the little statue to explain, but was taken aback to find it gone.
Holy moly! That tiny, irreplaceable menace had vanished the moment Wang Xue showed up! It really felt like he was seeing ghosts!
