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墨書 Inktalez
Ye Xiaohan instantly became alert, quietly getting out of bed and stealthily making her way outside in the dark.
Following the faint sound, she found a messy pile of grass in the bamboo grove of the backyard. In front of the pile, there was a trace on the grass, not naturally formed but rather an imprint left by some creature passing through.
Tracing the short patch of grass, Ye Xiaohan speculated about the general direction and wound her way through until she arrived at a familiar courtyard—the main yard where they lived.
Hiding in the shadow of a rock barrier, Ye Xiaohan peered out and indeed saw a dark figure moving past her room, stopping in front of Liu Qi's bed.
Recently, it had been hot, and to allow for ventilation, they kept their windows open while sleeping. Liu Qi's window was also ajar. Especially after the recent theft incident, Ye Xiaohan had deliberately placed several plates of snacks on the table to lure out that strange cake thief.
The dark figure moved to Liu Qi's window and paused, cautiously looking around. Not sensing any danger, it carefully tiptoed and picked up a plate from the table before running off.
Ye Xiaohan concealed herself and quickly followed. It was just past fifteen; the moonlight was bright enough for her to see that the shadow was a girl about Liu Qi's age.
Where did this child come from? How did she climb over such a high wall? Who is she? Why is this child sneaking into someone else's house at night to steal food? Where are her parents?
A series of questions flooded Ye Xiaohan's mind as she watched the girl stop in a corner, clutching the plate and devouring its contents. In her haste, the girl nearly choked but dared not make a sound. She covered her mouth with her hand, afraid to move.
Even when Liu's family was poor, Liu Qi had always been well taken care of. There were always treats saved for her, even if it was just a not-so-sweet sweet potato.
Unable to bear it any longer, Ye Xiaohan felt that as both a doctor and an adult, she could not stand by while a child suffered right in front of her.
Just as she was about to step out, a hand suddenly reached over and grabbed her.
Startled, Ye Xiaohan instinctively resisted, aiming for the person's eyes. Before she could make contact, she was caught. Seeing that she was still struggling, the person held her body with one hand and covered her mouth with the other, leaning close to whisper in her ear, "Don't make a sound. It's me—Liu Bei."
Ye Xiaohan's shout that had risen to her throat abruptly halted with a sharp turn. She adjusted her breathing before lowering her voice to say, "What are you doing? You scared me half to death!"
"Just now, I heard some noise and came out to check. I didn't expect you to be out here too," said Liu Bei quietly.
Ye Xiaohan then noticed that Liu Bei was dressed neatly, unlike someone who had just been startled awake: "You haven't slept at all? Just waiting to catch a thief?"
"Yeah." Liu Bei kept his eyes fixed ahead, ensuring the girl stayed within his line of sight. "I can't sleep until I'm sure the house is safe."
So you won't sleep until the danger is eliminated? Aren't you afraid of ghosts? Ye Xiaohan wanted to ask Liu Bei but somehow held back.
"Fool," Ye Xiaohan muttered softly, but Liu Bei didn't catch it. "What did you say?"
"Nothing." Ye Xiaohan rolled her eyes at him. "Why are you stopping me? You saw it too; there's no ghost. The one stealing the pastries is that girl. She seems a bit off, so I'm going to check it out."
"Don't act rashly. Look closely; she hasn't finished all the pastries." To conceal their presence, and since Liu Bei had just tried to stop her, they were standing very close together, with most of Ye Xiaohan's body nestled in Liu Bei's embrace.
Liu Bei was entirely focused on the child across from them and didn't realize how inappropriate this was. If Ye Xiaohan pointed it out, it would only make things more awkward.
Ye Xiaohan had to remind herself to relax and ignore her own presence.
"Huh? Is she planning to take the leftover pastries back with her? Earlier, when she came to steal some, it was three before this. She can't possibly survive on just these few pastries, can she?" Ye Xiaohan was startled by her sudden thought.
A plate piled high with pastries contained only a dozen or so pieces; it was impossible for someone to fill their stomach with just a few snacks. However, seeing how ravenously the girl had eaten earlier made it seem like she was truly starving.
Liu Bei spoke quietly, "Besides taking them back to eat slowly, there are other possibilities."
"Huh?" Ye Xiaohan reacted quickly; Liu Bei's reminder sparked an understanding in her. "You mean she has accomplices and is taking the leftovers to them?"
Liu Bei nodded. "That's highly likely."
"We should follow her and see what's going on," Ye Xiaohan said.
"I'll go with you," Liu Bei replied, uneasy. He couldn't let Ye Xiaohan go alone; no one could guarantee what might happen ahead, and he didn't want to witness any accidents.
Ye Xiaohan didn't argue, silently agreeing.
The girl ate a few pieces and then pulled out what seemed to be a handkerchief, carefully wrapping the remaining pastries before placing the empty plate in a corner.
Her actions were filled with anxiety, evoking sympathy in those who watched.
The two followed the girl through a series of twists and turns. She seemed very familiar with the house, almost as if it were her own. Only in a few areas that Ye Xiaohan had renovated did she appear hesitant, slowing down for a moment before quickly moving on.
The girl arrived at an empty room. Once inside, she crouched down and felt around for a while before lifting a floor tile and slipping underneath.
It turned out there was an Underground Chamber in this house.
Ye Xiaohan and Liu Bei exchanged surprised glances. Although they hadn't renovated the entire house, they had done some updates, and the design plans still existed—there was no mention of a basement.
The previous owner had never brought it up either; judging by his fearful demeanor, he likely didn't know about it. It was strange that while all past owners were unaware of this secret, a girl knew about it so well.
Liu Bei jumped down first, signaling for Ye Xiaohan to follow him. The chamber was small, allowing only one person to pass at a time. After walking a few steps, they saw a faint flickering light ahead, and Ye Xiaohan understood they had reached their destination.
In the dim chamber, a broken bowl held just enough oil for a small flame that flickered precariously, threatening to extinguish at any moment.
A set of iron bars divided the chamber in two. On one side sat two people: an emaciated old man trapped behind the bars and the girl outside.
Upon seeing newcomers, both the old man and the girl were startled. The girl rushed to the iron bars, reaching out to embrace the old man. He hurriedly wrapped his arms around her, trembling all over as his murky eyes darted anxiously toward Ye Xiaohan.
Ye Xiaohan was concerned that further provoking them might escalate the situation, so she motioned for 6 Bei to step back. In moments like this, a strong adult man could exert more pressure, as their greater aggressiveness could easily instill a sense of crisis in others.
She lowered her voice as much as possible and gently said, "Don't be afraid. I'm not a bad person; I won't hurt you. Look, I have nothing on me."
Her professional demeanor as a doctor allowed her to quickly gauge the psychology of the elderly man and the young girl before her. It was essential to first calm their emotions.
Perhaps it was her gentle tone that made them unconsciously relax. The old man and the girl gradually settled down, with the girl hiding in the old man's embrace, occasionally stealing glances at Ye Xiaohan.
"What are you?" After the initial panic subsided, the old man asked, his voice trembling and hoarse—a sign of someone who had not spoken to others for a long time.
Ye Xiaohan revealed her identity: "I am the owner of this house. You are currently in my home. As for this person," she gestured toward 6 Bei, pondering how to introduce him appropriately but ultimately decided to keep it vague, "he also lives here."
6 Bei glanced at her from behind.
Upon hearing Ye Xiaohan's words, a look of pain crossed the old man's weathered face as he closed his eyes and fell silent.
Seeing him like this, Ye Xiaohan understood that he must have endured experiences too profound to articulate.
She refrained from pressing further and simply stood quietly with 6 Bei at a distance, giving the old man time to regain his composure.
The ground was littered with various items; some were barely recognizable while others were tattered and discarded in a corner.
Ye Xiaohan found remnants of pastries on the floor, along with a few relatively intact pieces set aside, seemingly saved for later use to sustain life’s minimum energy needs.
This suggested that they had indeed consumed an entire plate of Osmanthus Cake to survive for three days.
Ye Xiaohan felt a growing curiosity about the identities of these two individuals and why they had been imprisoned in the Underground Chamber.
The old man took a moment before slowly opening his eyes. "Young lady, when did you buy this house?"
"About a month ago," Ye Xiaohan replied, sensing that the old man was willing to share his story.
He asked again, "Did you buy it from a man with the surname Li?"
"No," Ye Xiaohan thought for a moment and guessed that the old man was referring to the previous owner, someone from long ago before the house had gained its reputation as a 'Haunted House.' "Sir, this house has changed hands several times over the years. The owner you mentioned must have been quite some time ago."
The old man's expression grew more pained, his voice trembling. "What a tragedy! How could our Li Family encounter such a debt collector! It has brought ruin upon my family, leaving us worse than dead!"
"Sir, what is your connection to that owner?" Ye Xiaohan asked gently, trying not to touch upon the old man's sorrow.
The old man sighed deeply. "Young lady, I have lived for decades and pride myself on my ability to judge character. When I saw you, I knew you were a good person."
Ye Xiaohan nodded silently. "Sir, you have a keen eye. I may not excel in many things, but I am genuinely kind-hearted; my life's mission is to save lives and help those in need."
If life goes smoothly, she added silently in her mind.
The old man looked at her as if he could see someone else's figure through her, his eyes lighting up with a glimmer of hope. "Good child, you are a good child! I once had a daughter who was just like you—beautiful and kind-hearted. But fate was cruel; she ended up encountering such a heartless beast!"
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