She really hadn’t left them so much as a single copper coin!
After finishing everything, she stood in the vast, silent garden of the Cheng residence, feeling the immense wealth filling her space. An overwhelming sense of triumph swept through her.
Riches, abundance, and an utterly reassuring sense of security.
She was becoming addicted to collecting. Even now, she was reluctant to stop.
But it was time to go back.
Time stood still inside her space, but now that she had returned to the outside world, time passed at the same rate as it did for the convoy. She had been gone for quite a while. Had the officials noticed?
…
When Zhan Haoting woke again, he found himself lying on an impossibly soft bed. The fragrance of Cheng Yao’s body mingled with the scent of flowers around him. Everything before his eyes was pitch-black. Her warmth seemed to linger in his palm, yet when he called her name, only a hollow echo answered him.
Why had she knocked him unconscious?
Why had she brought him here?
And why had she suddenly disappeared?
Countless questions surged through his mind, leaving him bewildered and confused.
She felt like sand slipping through his fingers. The harder he tried to hold on and see her clearly, the more she escaped through the gaps between his fingers.
The mysteries surrounding her were multiplying, yet he did not even know where to begin searching for answers. His heart felt empty and uneasy.
When Cheng Yao returned, she found him looking somewhat lost and helpless.
He wasn’t afraid of death. Rather, he didn’t know how to face her—mysterious and impossible to read, perhaps?
But she had no way to explain herself to him either.
The conditions outside were so harsh that if she hadn’t brought him into her space for treatment, he would never have survived, relying solely on Zhan Haochen and Xiao Fu to take turns carrying him.
To save him, she was willing to endure even his suspicion and estrangement. Even if he came to harbor murderous intent toward her and turned his heart away, she would accept it.
With that thought, she calmly walked over and took his hand.
“I’m back.”
As if startled, Zhan Haoting’s large hand trembled. After a long silence, he finally answered with a quiet “Mm.”
He had been alone here, surrounded by no sign of human life. Perhaps he was frightened too?
Cheng Yao parted her lips, but in the end, she said nothing.
“Let’s go outside.”
She had expected Zhan Haoting to ask, “Where is this place?” Instead, he merely replied, “All right.”
…
Zhan Qingrou had lost count of how many pots of ginger soup she had brewed. Her shoulders ached, and she could barely lift her hands anymore. When she truly couldn’t go on, she had Lady Zhan take over.
The people waiting for ginger soup were still lined up. They handed Hongxiu whatever goods they had available to trade, and Hongxiu sorted and stored everything by category.
Zhan Qingrou stepped aside and wiped the sweat from her forehead. Suddenly, she remembered that her sister-in-law had taken her elder brother away a long time ago.
This time, the process of applying medicine and giving him his medicine seemed to be taking unusually long.
Feeling puzzled and a little worried, she decided to go look for them.
But although the residence was dilapidated, it was large, with side rooms and smaller adjoining chambers. An icy wind blew through it, and rain leaked in everywhere. She was a little afraid.
After hesitating, she had only taken two steps when a roof tile fell right in front of her with a sharp crack.
She nearly jumped out of her skin.
A faint sobbing sound drifted through the wind. It sounded like the window lattice creaking as it swayed in the gusts—or perhaps like something breathing softly in the darkness. Either way, it was terrifying.
One of the people nearby shrank his neck and edged closer to his companion. When someone shot him a glare, however, he stiffened and dared not move again.
Rain continued pouring into the house, the cold seeping into their bones.
Yet no one dared complain, nor did anyone consider leaving. This haunted-looking place could at least shelter them from the rain for a while. Compared to the chill in their bodies, those faint, half-heard strange noises were nothing worth mentioning.
Zhan Qingrou felt gooseflesh rise along her arms. She rubbed them and turned toward the depths of the residence, eventually reaching a master bedroom.
There was hardly any furniture inside—only a wooden bed, half-collapsed on one side. The bedding had long since rotted into grayish-brown tufts of cotton. In the corner, several startled rats huddled together, their red eyes fixed on the newcomer for a moment before they darted into a hole in the wall, leaving behind a faint rustling sound.
She let out a shriek and backed out at once, then hurried to find Zhan Haochen.
This place was far too frightening!
At that moment, Zhan Haochen and Xiao Fu were both sweating coldly.
Cheng Yao had disappeared with Zhan Haoting for nearly half an hour, and no matter how many times they looked behind them, the two of them still had not returned.
If the officials discovered that Eldest Brother had vanished and accused him of fleeing to escape punishment, he truly would never be able to clear his name.
Just then, Zhan Qingrou came stumbling over, crying out as she ran. Zhan Haochen’s heart lurched, assuming that something terrible had happened to his elder brother.
But then he heard her sob, “Ninth Brother, this residence is so eerie. Do you think there might be something unclean here?”
Zhan Haochen’s pounding heart slowly settled. He replied irritably, “Abandoned residences are always full of yin energy. It’s pitch-black, so don’t go wandering around.”
“The houses here are different from those elsewhere…”
Zhan Haochen countered, “They’ve been abandoned for this long. Of course they’re not going to be the same.”
Zhan Qingrou was rendered speechless. Still, her mind had more or less returned to normal, and she remembered her elder brother.
“Ninth Brother, where are Eldest Brother and Sister-in-law?”
As she spoke, she craned her neck to peer behind him.
Zhan Haochen stepped in front of her. “They’re still changing his medicine. Don’t look around. Sister-in-law won’t be happy.”
Zhan Qingrou pouted and muttered unhappily, “I know she’s formidable now! No one dares offend her, and no one even dares say a word against her to her face.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Zhan Haochen glanced behind him. Still not seeing them, he grew increasingly anxious, so he deliberately kept talking to Zhan Qingrou to distract her.
“Sister-in-law isn’t just capable; she’s also the savior of our entire family. Quite a few sick people in the convoy recovered after drinking her ginger soup. Everyone sincerely respects her! Even you, Qingrou, have started calling her Sister-in-law, haven’t you?”
Zhan Qingrou still refused to admit it. “I’m only following everyone else. Otherwise, I’d look like I didn’t belong.”
Zhan Haochen was left speechless.
He thought to himself, You really are hopelessly straightforward! Luckily, Sister-in-law isn’t here, or just wait and see how she deals with you!
“Ninth Brother, why isn’t Eldest Brother better yet?” Zhan Qingrou rose onto her tiptoes and peered behind him. Then she called loudly, “Eldest Brother? Eldest Brother?”
Zhan Haochen and Xiao Fu shifted their positions again, blocking the area behind them completely.
“I told you Sister-in-law doesn’t like anyone else present while she’s treating Eldest Brother. Why aren’t you leaving?” Zhan Haochen frowned.
“I’m not an outsider.” Zhan Qingrou’s lips pushed into an even deeper pout.
They were being so secretive. What could possibly be so shameful?
Besides, it was only treating his wounds. Why wasn’t there even the slightest sound?
She had called out to Eldest Brother, yet he hadn’t answered her at all. Honestly!
Pretending to be unwilling, Zhan Qingrou turned and walked away. But after only two steps, she suddenly spun around and rushed back, trying to push Zhan Haochen aside so she could see what was behind him.
However, Zhan Haochen didn’t budge. To her, he was like a solid wall.
His voice rang sharply beside her ears. “I told you to stop fooling around. Can’t you understand? Do I really have to teach you a lesson before you’ll behave?”
Zhan Qingrou pouted miserably. “I’m only worried about Eldest Brother’s injuries. Fine, I won’t look. Why are you being so fierce?”
She turned around angrily to leave, never realizing that someone had appeared behind her at some point.
The moment she saw the figure, she screamed and leaped into the air.
