Spoiled by Eight Uncles (Lily)

The rescue boats lit up the water in the night, searching and scooping as time passed.

The middle-aged lady, now restrained, continued to shriek, “My daughter... my daughter...” Yet after half an hour searching, nothing seemed to come up. Someone said that the girl may have been dragged under the current, and had sunk to the bottom of the river.

Either way, there was no way she was still alive...

“Ugh, if that lady hadn't meddled just now... her daughter might have been found...” “Alright, stop talking about it. She just lost her daughter, that's a pretty big deal...” The middle-aged woman's chest ached as she listened.

No, how could it have been her fault? She had just been anxious. Any mother would have done the same in a situation like this.

She hadn't asked for Blake to save her, either. Why hadn't he saved her daughter, and gone back for her instead! The woman was overcome with remorse and guilt she could barely breathe, running to Blake and beginning to hit and kick at him: “Why didn’t you save my daughter first! Why did you rescue a dried-up corpse! Why did you save me!” “You're evil, you should be dead! My daughter's only sixteen, but you didn’t save her! You should be dead!” The middle-aged lady shrieked loudly, yelling bloody murder at Blake.

Lilly clenched her fists. “Unreasonable! Unreasonable! You're being absolutely ridiculous!” Her father was far from deserving to be dead! Lilly did not get it. Her father had tried so hard to save everyone, why was it his fault now? Blake pushed Lilly behind him gently, his expression cold.

He could understand the pain of losing one’s daughter— come to think of it, he would be just as overwhelmed if his dear Lilly was gone.

But understanding was one thing. That didn’t mean he was going to be blamed for it.

Blake grabbed the woman's palm, outstretched and ready to slap Lilly. He shoved her away. “Il won't blame you for this, seeing as your daughter's nowhere to be found.” The woman refused to back down still. The man that had helped Bettany look after Lilly just now shouted, “Are you done making a scene?” “Did he not go down to try saving everyone? Did he not run into trouble on the water as well?” “Who do you think you are, asking for someone to sacrifice their life for your daughter's! Is your daughter's life somehow worth more than that of others” now?” The woman bit her lip. So what if it was? The point was that her daughter was gone now! “Did | beg him though?” The woman had seemingly lost it, shouting such a thing.

Everyone else did not know what to say.

Someone piped up, “It's truly your daughter's demise to have a mother like you! No wonder she offed herself.” “Exactly! Who says that? He jumped in to save your daughter, and you're still saying all that.” The woman broke down for real this time, sobbing loudly as she screamed, “What the hell are you talking about! My daughter's already gone, and you're speaking of her like this! Did he save her? No, he didn’t! You're all evil, saying things like this...” She flailed her arms as she spoke, trying to hit the crowd.

Polly was not having any of that. She hid in Lilly's shoulder, squawking, “You evil woman, fall on that big bottom of yours!” Just as the words rang through the air, the woman really lost her footing and slipped and fell to the ground.

Her head hit the ground hard, putting her in a kneeling position to the person that she had just hit.

Both Lilly and Blake were rendered speechless by it.

Polly herself was terrified at the sight, scrambling to appease Lilly at once.

Blake scooped Lilly up. “Let's go!” The authorities had finished recording his statement, and he had also left his number with them.

There was no point in staying here anymore.

Before leaving, Blake cast one last glance at the corpse lying by the shore.

The tarp covering his face had been blown open, exposing his bloated, pale face.

Blake's heart lurched in fear at the sight— The man’s pupils were looking at him! Just now in the water, they had been rolled backwards.

When he was ashore, they were wide open and staring in front of him.

And now...

The pupils had somehow turned over! Blake was speechless Lilly asked, “Dad, what's up?” Blake asked, “Where's your Master?” Lilly responded, “He’s back underground. Said that there was someone coming for an inspection...” Blake did not say anything more. He pushed Bettany along, returning home.

Bettany asked anxiously, “Are you alright?” Blake did not show much emotion, only mumbling, “I'm fine.” Bettany, “Why were you struggling in the water for so long, then?” She had been on the walkway by the riverbank when everyone was crowding by the shore, and could see that Blake had been struggling in the water for quite a while.

Blake wrung his T-shirt out. “The water weeds were a pain.” Bettany could not help but nag, “Well, don’t be so rash next time! It's so late in the night, how terrifying! You can’t see anything, what if you had run into something in the water? Blake was speechless.

Bettany was referring to branches, or rocks in the water.

Blake thought of the thing that had grabbed his ankles just now.

Once he was home, Blake took off his soaked clothes to reveal his firm, broad chest. He checked himself for wounds in the mirror, and saw nothing strange.

There was just a purple-green handprint on his ankle...

“Tss..” Blake touched the mark. It felt cold.

It seemed like he would have to go looking for his dear Lilly after he was done showering.

Just as he was in the middle of his thought, a knock sounded on the door. Blake wrapped himself up in a towel, cracking the door open slightly.

Lilly stood outside the door, looking to the left and right before whispering, “Dad...” Blake opened the door for her to come in.

“What's the matter, my darling child?” He asked.

Lilly was holding a wooden sword around the length of a palm. She was clad in yellow robes, and was holding a paper amulet in her other hand.

God knows when she'd bought all that...

Lilly said, “Dad, I'm here to exorcize you!” Blake: “Uh... hang on.” He hadn't showered yet.

Lilly nodded. “Don’t run a bath!” Blake gestured an ‘ok’ sign at her. He had never liked taking baths anyways.

The sound of water came through the bathroom. Lilly was still worried, and called out. “Daddy?” Blake's voice rang through. “Mmm?” Lilly stopped worrying. “Nothing, just checking if you're alive.” Blake was speechless.

Within thirty seconds, Lilly called out again. “Daddy?” Blake thought to himself ...I'm still alive.

Another thirty seconds passed. “Daddy?” Blake was speechless The door opened with a creak, and Blake stood in the doorway with a bemused expression.

He was clad in a bathrobe, tossing the towel he had used just now into the laundry basket as he said, “My dear child, this is the fastest Daddy's ever taken a shower.

Lilly thought, Uh...

She asked, “Are you clean, then?” Blake was speechless.

What did you think?!