Chapter 164

Chapter 164: You’re Afraid of Everything, So Why Are You Here?

Yu Zhi Yi went along at once, saying softly: “Alright, there is no river. I was only asking, please don’t be angry.”

The old woman shot her a chilly, creepy look and warned: “Young miss, don’t say what you shouldn’t say. Be careful, trouble comes from the mouth.”

After a short walk, the two of them stopped in front of a thatched hut.

Although it was a thatched hut, it covered a large area, about seventy to eighty square meters, and it looked shabby and worn. Even the wooden door only rested loosely inside the frame instead of being fixed like other houses.

The old woman suddenly put on a smile and said: “You will stay here tonight.”

Yu Zhi Yi looked at the dark gap along the door and said calmly: “Alright.”

As soon as she spoke, the door creaked open from the inside and another old woman stepped out to ask with a grin: “Seventh Aunt, is this the guest who will stay at my house tonight?”

Seventh Aunt answered with a cheerful laugh: “Yes. She is for the Da Li household. Make sure you treat her well.”

The cloudy gaze of the Da Li matriarch slid over Yu Zhi Yi from head to toe and fixed greedily on her face. She chuckled and said: “Don’t worry, Seventh Aunt. I will take very good care of her and make her never want to leave our village.”

Seventh Aunt’s smile grew wider as she urged Yu Zhi Yi forward with a push: “Go on, miss. Don’t worry. The Da Li family are good people. They will host you well.”

Yu Zhi Yi stumbled and, in the blink of an eye, found herself inside.

No lamps were lit, and the light was dim, yet it was strangely easy to see everything in the house. In the main room, three people sat waiting: three men from three generations, old, middle-aged, and young. All three turned to stare straight at Yu Zhi Yi.

The middle-aged man suddenly grinned and said: “Miss, we have a spare room. I can take you there.”

Yu Zhi Yi raised a brow and answered evenly: “Better let Auntie lead the way. Men and women should keep a proper distance.”

The man’s face fell.

But the Da Li matriarch only kept smiling as she said: “Alright, alright, I will take you. Come, this way.”

Yu Zhi Yi followed behind her.

Though this family lived in a thatched hut, they had many rooms. After leaving the main room and walking inward, there were at least three rooms on this side alone, and the other side seemed to have the same layout.

Yu Zhi Yi asked in a mild voice: “Auntie, the man who spoke just now is your son, right?”

The Da Li matriarch paused and turned to look at her. Her eyes had stark whites and pupils, yet they looked oddly cloudy as she snapped: “What are you after? Have you taken a liking to my son?”

Yu Zhi Yi didn’t answer and instead asked: “That little boy, is he your grandson?”

At the mention of her grandson, the old woman forgot her anger and smiled proudly: “My sweet grandson. He is the best.”

Yu Zhi Yi pressed a little: “Then… where is your daughter-in-law?”

The old woman’s smile vanished. She glared and said coldly: “Don’t ask what you shouldn’t ask.”

Yu Zhi Yi shrugged and said nothing more.

Soon, the Da Li matriarch led her to a room and said curtly: “Here it is.”

Her cloudy eyes held on Yu Zhi Yi as she warned: “After nightfall, don’t run around, and don’t open any doors at random. Spend the night and leave early tomorrow.”

With that, she turned to go.

There were no inner doors in the hut. Rooms were separated only by cloth curtains, which gave no sense of safety at all. Yu Zhi Yi gave the half-length curtain one bland glance, then stepped inside.

Although it was part of the same hut, this room looked even poorer than the outside. It wasn’t meant for people to live in. It was a storage room. There was no bed, only some dry straw piled in a corner, along with a messy heap of farm tools.

Yu Zhi Yi let her eyes sweep the room in a slow circle, and her gaze suddenly stopped on one spot.

Meanwhile, in another house in Cao South Village, the village head welcomed You Bing Yue and the other five inside. Saying no house had that many empty rooms, he split them up.

Du Zi Heng wanted to stay with You Bing Yue, but Bing Yue chose Ou Yang Shuo. Ou Yang Shuo couldn’t hide the smile tugging at his lips. Du Zi Heng felt both hurt and anxious. He turned and noticed that his friend Li Chang Huai also wore an ugly look.

Thinking Li Chang Huai had sensed something wrong, Du Zi Heng said quickly: “I have a Peace Talisman drawn by Zhi Yi. As long as the three of us don’t split up, none of you will be in danger.”

Li Chang Huai frowned at him and said: “Brother You Lin, I may be clueless about love, but I must say this: you are too fickle.”

He went on, voice cold but steady: “Miss You is a very good person, yet you can still bear to make her sad. If you are not ready to give her happiness, then stay away from her. The world does not have only one man like you. Maybe if she leaves you, she will be even happier.”

Du Zi Heng stammered: “Brother Li, you…”

Li Chang Huai said bluntly: “Yes, I like Miss You. From the first moment I saw her, I was moved by her independence and courage. I am not like you. If I like someone, my parents will not oppose me. I can give her the happiness you cannot.”

Just then, someone knocked on the window. Without thinking much, Li Chang Huai and Liu Fei Yang walked over.

Du Zi Heng’s face changed and he shouted: “Don’t open it! It might be something evil!”

But he was too late. Li Chang Huai had already pushed the window open. Seeing Ou Yang Shuo standing outside, Li Chang Huai sneered and said: “Brother You Lin, since you are so afraid of death, why did you come along?”

Liu Fei Yang smiled a little and said: “Maybe he thinks Miss You still has feelings for him, so he followed to make her give up for good.”

Li Chang Huai nodded, very sure: “Exactly. If Miss You sees him being such a coward, she won’t like him anymore.”

Du Zi Heng frowned hard. [Something isn’t right.]

Outside the window, Ou Yang Shuo said calmly: “One of you go protect Miss You. I will go take a look around.”

They treated him with respect. Liu Fei Yang asked: “Young Master Ou Yang, did you find something wrong?”

Ou Yang Shuo said: “A heavy wave of yin energy covered the whole village, but once I came in I couldn’t feel it anymore. I need to check why.”

Li Chang Huai nodded in understanding and said: “Please go, Young Master Ou Yang. Among us, my martial arts are the best. I will protect Miss You.”

Ou Yang Shuo looked a little displeased but said nothing. Du Zi Heng didn’t even get a chance to speak before the duty to guard the girl he liked fell to someone else. He tried to follow, but Li Chang Huai gave him a look of annoyance and said: “Brother You Lin, since you are scared of this and that, don’t come along, in case your courage gets scared to pieces.”

Li Chang Huai soon reached the house where You Bing Yue was staying. This household had two spare rooms, so You Bing Yue and Ou Yang Shuo each had one. As Li Chang Huai arrived, You Bing Yue happened to step to the doorway.

Li Chang Huai paused and asked: “Miss You, where are you going?”

You Bing Yue answered coolly: “I came to investigate the case, so of course I need to look around.”