Chapter 94: Joyful Wedding, Mourning Cry 25
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It wasn’t until An Nanyuan returned to the kitchen that he finally snapped back to reality.
The variety show celebrity looked puzzled, “Aren’t you going to find Brother Yan? Why do you look so disoriented? What happened?”
In the kitchen, a pot of chicken soup simmering on the wood-burning stove filled the room with warmth and aroma. The steam wafted into the air, warming the chilled skin that the night breeze had left cold.
An Nanyuan blinked his eyes, and his previously blurred vision cleared. His racing thoughts gradually settled amid the warmth and the sounds of laughter around him.
As if he had moved from hell back to the world of the living.
Faced with the curious gaze of the variety show celebrity, An Nanyuan hesitated, “Yang…”
He wanted to say that he had seen a skeleton outside and that he had mistaken the boss, Yang Yun, for a horrifying corpse.
But when the words reached his lips, he paused and just shook his head, “Nothing, it was too dark outside, and I got spooked.”
The variety show celebrity immediately burst into laughter, playfully teasing, “Come on, Brother An, your courage is really lacking.”
“The chicken soup is ready over here, come help plate the dishes and take them to the dining room.”
An Nanyuan absentmindedly replied, “Coming.”
Not only An Nanyuan but also the viewers watching his livestream were terrified.
[OMG, I almost had a heart attack. People can be so terrifying, they can scare you to death. How did that rural farmstay stand in such a dark place? I couldn’t see that there was a person there at all. My heart is still pounding.]
[You’re lucky! Right when a creepy ghostly face suddenly appeared on the screen, my mom walked in and started talking to me. I was almost scared to death. My mind went blank for several seconds, and all I could do was scream. Just now, I finally came to my senses, and my mom said I screamed like a pig about to be slaughtered. Crying Pig.jpg.]
[My little brother, that little rascal!! I was walking around with my tablet while watching the show, already scared by that ghostly face, heart racing. Then he suddenly jumped out from a corner in our house to scare me! I swear, I nearly departed from this beautiful world!!!]
[Shivering, luckily I was watching this show from under my blanket, and my room had the lights on. Ha, haha, I’m not scared at all! QAQ]
[…After watching it, I quietly turned on all the lights in my house. Indeed, only brightness can provide a sense of safety! Just now, I didn’t have the lights on while sitting on the floor playing with my phone. After seeing that scene, I started doubting that there were those things hiding in the darkness around me. It’s just unbelievable.]
[I think you got it wrong. An Nanyuan suddenly turned around earlier because the lighting changed abruptly, and his camera refocused, right? It’s because of this that the imaging went awry, creating the eerie effect with the boss. If you shine a flashlight from below on your chin, you can see a similar ghostly face.]
[I don’t think so. I’m one of those sensitive types, so I’m quite certain that what I saw just now was not an image distortion of a human face. That was definitely a ghostly face – pallid, white eyes, and a blood-stained visage. When I saw that ghostly face, I shivered all over, as if I was in a morgue myself.]
[When I saw that scene, I jumped in surprise, and my jade safety charm necklace around my neck hit the table and shattered. But it wasn’t supposed to break that easily. I have a weird feeling, like, could I have really seen a ghost?]
[I have a concerning theory… Many of the new viewers who have recently started following this show might not know, but us long-time viewers do. This show is creepy! Right from the first episode, it’s been full of eerie occurrences. Ordinary houses become haunted, and a simple rainstorm leads to giant rats. So, did we really misinterpret what we saw just now?]
[Crying, didn’t Brother say he was going to find Brother Yan? Please, find Brother Yan and bring him back quickly. Brother Yan hasn’t started his split-screen, and we don’t know where he is. My goodness, I’m so worried! Waaah.]
[Well, the boss seemed pretty decent afterward. He helped Brother up and seemed genuinely concerned. Moreover, he looked perfectly normal in the later footage, so we probably just misinterpreted it earlier. I think this boss seems very straightforward, not like a ghost.]
[…When ghosts want to harm people, they don’t usually just show up at their door and say, “Hey, I’m a ghost, here to harm you.” They’d likely try to disguise themselves, right? Anyway, I still think that boss is pretty strange. When I saw him in Brother Yan’s split-screen during the day, I found him peculiar, his expressions seemed very distorted, not something a normal human could make.]
An Nanyuan, originally trembling hands took out his phone to check the messages from his fans, to reassure them and let them know he was okay. However, he was surprised to see that the barrage was filled with mentions of boss Yang Yun, and many people were urgently advising him to find Yan Shixun.
Oh, right, I was supposed to go out to find Brother Yan.
An Nanyuan’s mind, which had been frozen in fear, started working again, and he remembered his initial intention of leaving the kitchen to go to the yard.
But as he recalled the quick look around the yard just now, he realized that Yan Shixun wasn’t in the yard at all.
Where did Brother Yan go?
A question mark formed above An Nanyuan’s head.
But behind him, Zhao Zhen and the others were already urging An Nanyuan to come quickly to serve the chicken soup. An Nanyuan had no choice but to hurriedly respond and walk over.
I’ll find Brother Yan after I’ve served the dishes; after all, we need to get Brother Yan to come and eat.
With this thought, An Nanyuan quickly pushed the matter to the back of his mind.
……
The kitchen was filled with the sounds of laughter and warmth, but behind the wall’s crack, the atmosphere between the two brothers was tense.
After parting ways with An Nanyuan, Yang Yun had originally intended to walk to the backyard to tend to his flowerbed.
However, after just a few steps, he was abruptly pulled into the shadow beside the adjacent wall by Yang Tu.
“Tu ah, what’s going on?”
When Yang Yun saw the stern expression on Yang Tu’s face, the once cheerful smile on his face gradually faded.
“Brother, you have to tell me the truth.” Yang Tu’s eyes were bloodshot, and he held onto Yang Yun’s collar tightly, pulling it upwards. His hands, accustomed to farm work, possessed considerable strength, he could almost suffocate Yang Yun. It was evident that he wasn’t joking.
“Those… those…” Yang Tu’s trembling hand pointed in the direction of the entrance to the rural farmstay as he struggled to voice his question fully, “What is buried beneath the flowerbed at the rural farmstay?”
Yang Yun’s mouth, which had previously carried a smile, slowly straightened into a firm line.
“Tu…” Yang Yun sighed as if he were letting out a breath, calling out to Yang Tu, “I’ve always seen you as my little brother, my best friend, someone I’m grateful to have in my life. We’ve had a relationship for over twenty years, and I don’t want anything to happen between us.”
Yang Yun didn’t pull away from Yang Tu’s grip on his collar, even though the rough fabric had already left a red mark on his neck, with the skin deeply indented and not yet rebounded. He seemed almost oblivious to the pain, continuing to talk to Yang Tu.
“Tu, if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have seen such a vast world, and I wouldn’t have been able to open the rural farmstay, making the people in the village envy me and my mother. But, it’s also because I left the village that my mother didn’t have anyone to turn to for help and just went like that.”
Yang Yun sighed and continued, “I know about this matter, and I don’t blame you. So, let me handle it on my own, you shouldn’t get involved.”
“Don’t ask any more questions, Tu, it’s for your own good.”
Yang Yun slowly grasped the hand with which Yang Tu was holding his collar, exerting tremendous force and forcibly prying open his fingers, one by one. “Listen to me. I won’t harm you. Mr. Yan and the others are leaving tomorrow. When it’s early in the morning, you should leave with them, return to Jia Village, and take good care of your Second Uncle and your grandfather. Work on developing the village.”
“As for the Family Tomb Village… you shouldn’t come here anymore.”
Yang Tu’s eyes were filled with bloodshot veins, tears welled up, and his whole body trembled incessantly.
He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end, he just stood there, turning his head to watch Yang Yun’s retreating figure.
“Brother,” he called out.
Yang Yun stopped in his tracks, but he didn’t turn around.
“Then tell me, you had a reason for what you did.”
Yang Tu, as if wanting to grasp something at the last moment, sought confirmation from Yang Yun, “Those… those people, they have their damn reasons, right? Just tell me, and I’ll believe you.”
Yang Yun simply raised his hand in a shake, then continued walking away, “Leave tomorrow, Yang Tu, go back to your life.”
Not far behind Yang Tu, near a corner of the wall, the flowerbed was dug open, soil turned over, petals scattered on the ground, and the flowers pushed down into the dirt, looking disheveled and chaotic.
The plant roots were intertwined.
But with the dim light emanating from the building, you could see a pale face sticking out from the brown soil.
The eyes on that head were wide open, and the expression on the face was one of disbelief.
The plant roots delved into the opening, green tendrils piercing into the person’s eyeballs, nose, mouth, emerging from their ears, and then plunging deeply back into the soil. At the very top of the plant, vibrant flowers bloomed.
The entire root system firmly gripped the person’s head, turning it into their sustenance and producing the most beautiful flowers that attracted the village girls who came to pick them.
It wasn’t until Yang Yun’s figure had walked far away, no longer visible, that Yang Tu’s scorching tears finally rolled from his eyes.
He glanced at the body with the disturbed soil, unable to bear it any longer, and leaned against the wall, retching violently.
……
While the guests and the audience were curious about where Yan Shixun was, he had already entered a room.
However, it wasn’t his own room.
It was Ye Li’s.
The tall, slender man raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in his narrow eyes, as he looked down at Yan Shixun’s hand, which had grabbed his arm and pulled him into the room.
“As a grown man for a long time, should I expect something when I see such a hint?”
Ye Li’s deep, cold voice softened as he teased, with laughter he couldn’t contain. “Everyone is in the yard and the kitchen, and there’s no one else here. And you dragged me into my room when no one is watching… when you could have just asked me in the yard if you needed something, couldn’t you?”
Like a mountain peak covered in perpetual snow melting under a spring breeze, the accumulated snowflakes turned into spring water, flowing along the steep and towering mountain range. The stream was clear and sparkling, making a melodious sound, much like unstoppable good spirits.
So, the words that Yan Shixun had originally intended to say got stuck in his throat and he couldn’t bring himself to speak.
Yan Shixun: “…”
“When we get back, out of consideration for our acquaintance, I can pay for you to see a doctor about your brain.”
Yan Shixun smiled wryly. “Where did you learn this way of thinking? Has no one ever punched you in all these years? Forgive me for being straightforward, but the last person who hinted at something like this to me ended up getting beaten up and dumped in an alley. Or maybe you’re just curious about this kind of experience and want to give it a try?”
The amusement in Ye Li’s eyes deepened with Yan Shixun’s words.
Distance and politeness were the most terrifying.
Because it meant that the other person didn’t care about you at all. Even getting angry was meaningless, and it was more reasonable to treat it as if they were air.
As long as there was emotion, no matter what that emotion was, it meant that the other person’s defenses had been breached to some extent, and they had made room for your presence.
“Because for a very long time, you’re the only ‘person’ who has the privilege to speak to me.”
Ye Li smiled and said, “But if you want, we can give it a try.”
Yan Shixun made no effort to hide his irritability and rolled his eyes at Ye Li.
However, because he needed something from Ye Li at the moment, Yan Shixun had to suppress his inner irritability and the impulse to hit someone. He forcibly adjusted his mood and expression.
When he clenched his fists, lowered his head, and a few seconds later, relaxed his fists and raised his head, he appeared completely calm, just like usual. There was no sign of any extra emotions on his handsome face as he calmly looked at Ye Li.
Ye Li continued to gaze at Yan Shixun, never once letting his eyes shift away from him.
The amused smile on Ye Li’s stern face deepened, as he found Yan Shixun’s rapid change of expression quite cute.
The exorcist from the mortal realm… it was truly interesting to him. He didn’t want to miss any of the expressions, even a second delay felt like a huge loss.
Seeing Yan Shixun’s expression return to one of formality and etiquette, Ye Li’s gaze appeared somewhat regretful, as if he hadn’t had enough of Yan Shixun’s vivid expressions just now.
Yan Shixun who had noticed this: “…”
He thought that this person named Ye Li must have some sort of big issue, he could even become friends with Zhang Wubing.
But Yan Shixun didn’t forget his purpose. He quickly set aside his internal musings and spoke earnestly to Ye Li, “In short, I’m seeking your help.”
It was already nighttime, and dawn was approaching quickly. Time was running out, so Yan Shixun didn’t waste any words. He succinctly explained his plan and needs to Ye Li. It sounded quite sincere.
If someone with a soft heart were listening, they might even agree right away.
Yan Shixun didn’t mention the situation with Officer Chen and the official authorities. He primarily focused on the unusual events he had witnessed in the Family Tomb Village earlier in the day. He explained these anomalies to Ye Li, and, with a precise and composed analysis, he outlined the potential consequences of these anomalies.
“Family Tomb Village is no longer safe. Although it appears fine for now, I fear that staying here any longer could lead to dangerous situations.”
Yan Shixun said calmly. “I’ve already informed Zhang Wubing that everyone will leave Family Tomb Village at dawn. We’ll return to Jia Village by crossing the mountains.”
“Once we arrive in Jia Village, the entire production team will stay put, and I will return to Family Tomb Village.”
“I’ve planned to have the Taoists from Haiyun Temple assist me in protecting the crew. But to account for the possibility that the Taoists from Haiyun Temple may not arrive in Jia Village on time tomorrow morning, I need a contingency plan.”
Yan Shixun looked at Ye Li and let him see the sincerity in his eyes. “I know you’re not just an assistant director or someone of similar stature. Although I don’t know the full extent of what you’re hiding, I’m certain your abilities are not inferior to any of the Taoists from Haiyun Temple.”
“So, I’d like to ask you,” Yan Shixun said solemnly. “During the time when I’m not with the rest of the production team, in case of unexpected events, could you protect them?”
Ye Li raised a sharp, arched eyebrow, clearly surprised.
In Ye Li’s perspective, Yan Shixun feared neither heaven nor earth, slaying malevolent deities before his very eyes. It seemed as if nothing could shake or frighten him.
But now, Yan Shixun was seeking his help?
So Yan Shixun just brought himself to the room for a chat…
In the brief span of less than a second, Ye Li’s thoughts went through several twists and turns, and he understood everything. A knowing expression appeared in his cold and stern eyes.
Ye Li stretched out his long legs and sat down in the rattan chair by the French window.
His pair of long, powerful legs crossing revealed the imposing pressure they brought. He raised his well-defined hand to support his chin, assuming a sincere and attentive posture.
But the sharp aura was terrifying.
“For a long time, there have been many people seeking my help. They don’t know my name, but they know of my existence, so they have been incessantly begging, day and night. However, I have never responded to any of them.”
“I also briefly thought that maybe I was too demanding of those who sought my help, and perhaps I should be more inclined towards humanity or be gentler. So many years ago, I visited the mortal world to see if I was mistaken.”
“Crimes were reexamined, wronged spirits wailed about their grievances in life. The restless souls cried until dawn, while human hearts were in turmoil.”
“I walked the earth and extended my hand to people.”
“Unfortunately, my conclusion is this – the mortal world does not qualify for my response.”
Ye Li’s low, magnetic voice carried a hint of a smile. “And now, you are seeking my help, hoping for my response. Wanting me to protect other living beings, shelter them.”
“Since you want me to personally break my limits, then.”
Ye Li raised his hand to Yan Shixun, his clearly articulated knuckles facing up, his palm spread open, as if he wanted Yan Shixun to place something in his hand. “Give me a reason to respond to you.”
The exorcist of the mortal world.
Persuade me.
Make me willingly give my power to you, let me descend upon you, let me hear if there is still a possibility of salvation and help in this human world.
Neither justice nor life can move Ye Li.
For a thousand years, he has waded through rivers of blood, his robes soaked in blood, making his heart heavier with every step.
He has watched dynasties rise and fall, life and death alternate, vengeful spirits and restless ghosts wail like drums. Evil spirits cry in the mountains of blades and seas of fire.
But the mortal realm remains indifferent.
While people do evil, the exorcists turn a blind eye.
Vengeful spirits mourn, but the exorcists act with a swift hand.
The remaining kindness of Ye Li towards the mortal world had long been worn away over the millennia, becoming cold and devoid of emotion.
The heavens and earth, along with gods and spirits, showed no mercy, treating all living beings as mere straw dogs.
However, he did give the world a chance once.
Ye Li had once descended from his lofty palace and stepped into the mortal realm.
But the hand he extended received only contempt and resentment.
Ye Li had completely lost his faith in the mortal world, believing it to be beyond salvation. Though people lived, they made him feel like a vengeful spirit. The mortal world, beloved by the grand Dao of heaven and earth, had turned into a realm of evil spirits and hell.
Just as he withdrew his indifferent hand, a piece of candy was placed into his palm by a young boy with cold and innocent fingers.
[I have two candies, but I don’t want to share the strawberry-flavored one with you.]
At that moment, Ye Li sat on the edge of the marketplace, wearing a straw hat. However, under the scorching sun, no one in the bustling market was willing to approach him with a kind gesture.
It was not until the young boy’s cold yet determined voice came from above his head.
Ye Li raised his eyes slightly, and what he saw was a poorly dressed youth with fair skin, a hint of dust on his cheek. But this dust only added a wild and carefree touch to the youth’s already handsome face, as if in this world, there was no place the young boy couldn’t reach and no day he couldn’t survive.
The young man didn’t have a strong body, it seemed he didn’t live a prosperous life.
However, the young boy handed him a candy.
One of the only two candies he had.
It seemed the young boy could see the coldness and disappointment in Ye Li’s demeanor. He handed that poorly wrapped candy, emitting the scent of cheap industrial flavoring, into Ye Li’s palm. Then, he gently unfolded Ye Li’s slender fingers, one by one, allowing Ye Li to hold onto that candy.
[Don’t always think about dying. Isn’t it nice to have a piece of candy to enjoy? Look, my parents abandoned me here and ran away, but I didn’t think about dying, did I?]
The young boy raised his chin at Ye Li: [Apple flavor is delicious too; don’t be picky.]
At that moment, Ye Li’s throat moved up and down. He hadn’t expected to encounter such an extraordinary young boy.
Few people had the qualifications and fate to see him.
But in the eyes of those who did see him, his image was always one of a cruel, battered figure covered in blood and knife wounds. So, they would just gasp and quickly leave.
Only this young boy walked up to him and encouraged him to live on.
Although the young boy’s guess was entirely different from the reality, Ye Li still raised an eyebrow and chuckled, asking him, [Aren’t you afraid of me?]
In Ye Li’s eyes, the young boy had not only the human side but also a terrifying aspect of malevolence. Those eerie ghostly energies traveled along the young boy’s bones, ribs, and meridians, invading his soul and body.
It was as if malevolent spirits had taken root in him.
Ye Li knew that perhaps this young boy wouldn’t live for too long.
People with malevolent spirits taking root rarely lived to a natural old age. While these ghostly energies could help them become formidable exorcists, they would also erode their vitality. Even those around them would face misfortune.
Just like what the young boy said about being abandoned by his parents.
Perhaps the next time he entered the human world, the young boy would already be deceased.
Ye Li had a thought as he held the young boy’s wrist.
[This is a return gift for this candy.] Ye Li said briefly. He smiled for a moment. [I owe no one any karma of gods or ghosts. Other beings cannot bear the consequences of having karmic connections with me.]
The young boy looked surprised, then suddenly stared at Ye Li with eyes as round as a black cat’s.
[There are ghosts all around you.]
Ye Li was surprised.
But he listened to the young boy’s earnest suggestion: [Go see the fortune-teller in the marketplace. He seems to have some real skills and isn’t a fraud. Have him help you exorcise the ghosts, and you’ll be able to live in peace.]
[To make sure you stay alive, let’s make a deal: the next time I meet you, I’ll give you the strawberry-flavored candy – if I can still have candy by then.]
……
Yan Shixun lowered his gaze and looked at the hand that Ye Li had extended to him.
The light shone on his eyelashes, casting a shadow below his eyes.
Ye Li didn’t rush Yan Shixun, he simply waited silently.
However, there was one thing he didn’t say.
He was just seeking a reason from Yan Shixun, a reason to convince him to protect the lives of others, aside from Yan Shixun.
However, he did not refuse to respond to Yan Shixun himself.
I’m still looking forward to the taste of that strawberry candy… so I’m waiting for you to remember and place that strawberry candy in my palm.
For my existence, for you to live, for our reunion.
Just when Ye Li thought that Yan Shixun had no other words and didn’t know how to persuade himself, Yan Shixun finally made a move.
Yan Shixun took a step forward and placed his own palm into Ye Li’s hand.
As the warm, dry touch landed in his palm, Ye Li felt a spark instantly ignite, melting all the icebergs and snow-capped peaks into a river of spring water, submerging him.
Ye Li’s cold fingers twitched, almost wanting to grip Yan Shixun’s hand like that.
Just like many years ago when he held that piece of candy.
“I won’t persuade you because exorcism is not without danger. Many people who do the same thing as me have been killed by ghosts during exorcisms. This is not ordinary help. Your actions must be driven by your own will.”
Yan Shixun’s tone remained calm and serious as he said, “However, this is my request, and I am actively creating a karmic connection with you. It is a yin-yang covenant between us.”
“My will compels me to go back and protect the safety of everyone in the production team. If you help me fulfill my will, then as the closed loop of this karmic bond, I will repay this favor to you after this matter.”
Yan Shixun locked eyes with Ye Li, allowing him to see his earnestness and sincerity. “I owe you one.”
“Therefore, you can make any request to me to repay this karmic debt.”
As Yan Shixun’s words fell, the room fell into silence.
No one spoke.
However, Ye Li tilted his head back. His long black hair, which had been scattered on his shoulders, slid down. His Adam’s apple moved up and down several times, as if he were suppressing something.
Thump…
Thump…
Ye Li could clearly hear his own heart pounding strongly in his chest. His entire body was set ablaze with warm blood, dispelling centuries of coldness and disappointment.
Look, this is the exorcist of the mortal realm.
This is his exorcist.
Ye Li sighed in his heart, and a smile with warmth graced his pale lips. He was unwilling to even blink his eyes, not wanting to miss the opportunity to gaze so closely at Yan Shixun.
“Alright.”
Ye Li chuckled softly, his strong chest quivering.
He slowly took Yan Shixun’s hand into his palm, slender fingers sliding into the gaps between Yan Shixun’s, intertwining their fingers tightly before Yan Shixun could react.
“The reason you’ve given.”
Ye Li lowered his eyes slightly, a smile playing on his lips. “Surpasses countless others in the mortal realm.”
“I have no reason to refuse.”
Yan Shixun should have been happy because he achieved his goal, but he felt the coldness of Ye Li’s touch between their intertwined fingers, which made him uncomfortable. He furrowed his brows, wondering what Ye Li was up to.
However, Ye Li didn’t take advantage of the situation. He released Yan Shixun’s hand gracefully at the edge of Yan Shixun’s patience, then stood up from the rattan chair, slightly bending forward to meet Yan Shixun’s gaze.
He smiled and said, “Don’t worry.”
“Your will and your thoughts will conquer all.”
“I am always here, waiting to hear your call.”
……
When An Nanyuan originally found Yan Shixun, he noticed that he looked extremely peculiar.
Yan Shixun’s originally sharp and unrestrained eyes now displayed confusion. There was a mix of disdain and bewilderment in his expression, making him look like a young boy receiving a love letter for the first time, holding the letter but unsure how to react, unable to decipher the words within.
After all, before this, Yan Shixun had never even had the concept of love or admiration in his mind. For him, these things were distant and unreal.
An Nanyuan kept turning his head, looking strangely and his nosy gaze went towards Yan Shixun’s direction.
But Yan Shixun, who was usually incredibly perceptive and could almost sense someone’s gaze on him from the very first glance, was now unresponsive, as if he were still lost in his own thoughts.
An Nanyuan grew increasingly curious and couldn’t help but wonder what had happened to Yan Shixun during the time he disappeared.
Finally, unable to contain his curiosity, he asked, “Brother Yan, did you just go listen to a fan’s confession?”
Yan Shixun: “…?”
He turned his expressionless gaze slowly towards An Nanyuan.
An Nanyuan quickly changed the topic with a meaningful look, “Brother Yan, you turned off the split-screen. Your fans are getting anxious; they’ve all come over here to ask me to convince you to turn it back on.”
Yan Shixun nonchalantly snorted, “Why watch the split-screen? Let them go to bed early. Don’t they have no work or school tomorrow? Staying up so late will harm their vitality. Even immortals won’t be able to save them.”
With each word Yan Shixun uttered, An Nanyuan felt like an arrow had pierced his heart and kneecaps.
The viewers who were watching the split-screen also experienced the same feelings.
Initially, when they found Yan Shixun, they were excited.
However, as Yan Shixun spoke, their heads hung lower, and some even seemed on the verge of tears.
[Stop scolding, stop scolding, sobs sobs, I’m going to bed now.]
[My first time being a fan, and my idol scolded me, I’m still so happy.]
An Nanyuan clenched his fist against his mouth and pretended to cough. “B-Brother Yan, your scolding covers a broad area.”
Yan Shixun gazed expressionlessly at An Nanyuan.
An Nanyuan: “…..What Brother Yan said is correct!”
When the two entered the dining room, the guests had already prepared dinner and set it on the table.
The rich aroma of chicken soup filled the air. The golden-brown roast chicken with chestnuts emitted a tempting fragrance. Beneath the warm lighting, the table was laden with a variety of dishes that looked both hearty and heartwarming.
The guests, who had been consecutively frightened throughout the day, were now completely relaxed. They chatted, laughed, and bursts of laughter broke out among them.
However, at the edge of the table, Yang Tu hung his head, gazing absentmindedly at the white rice grains in his bowl, not participating in the conversations and laughter of the others.
The guests assumed Yang Tu was feeling homesick or tired. After all, quite a lot had happened that day, and Yang Tu had been taking care of the boss, Yang Yun, when he wasn’t feeling well. Young people often felt exhausted and lacked energy when they were hungry.
So, after Yan Shixun took his seat, the guests immediately began to enjoy their meal, eagerly reaching for the chicken soup, providing great material for the show in front of the cameras.
“A bowl of soup before the meal is even better than becoming an immortal,” the variety show celebrity sighed contentedly after sipping the warm soup, appearing as if he had transcended desire.
“Young brother Yang Tu, you should try it too.”
The variety show celebrity had the task of livening up the atmosphere of the show, and he had a high level of emotional intelligence and perception. When he saw Yang Tu looking unenthusiastic and disinterested, he proactively ladled a bowl of soup and offered it to him. “The chicken from the rural farmstay is truly exceptional. Even those of us with limited culinary skills can make such delicious chicken soup.”
Yang Tu weakly thanked the variety show celebrity and accepted the soup but remained motionless.
Throughout dinner, he hardly touched his chopsticks and only managed to pick at a few bites of vegetables. He then hurriedly claimed to be full and left the dining room.
Yan Shixun quietly noticed all of Yang Tu’s reactions.
“As I’m sure Xiao Bing has informed everyone, I’d like to emphasize it once more.”
At the end of dinner, Yan Shixun spoke in a calm voice to the group, “Tonight, no matter what sounds you hear or what you see outside the windows, do not go outside and, above all, do not leave the courtyard of the rural farmstay. Lock the doors, sleep until daybreak, and then we will depart for Jia Village.”
Because of Yan Shixun’s seriousness, the smiles on the faces of the group disappeared momentarily.
Everyone nodded solemnly and said, “Don’t worry, Brother Yan. Even if it’s Brother Yan knocking on the door, I won’t open it until morning.”
The guests quickly returned to their rooms after cleaning up, following Yan Shixun’s instructions to pack their belongings and leave them in a convenient place to grab and go.
The production’s crew members also departed shortly after, positioning the main live streaming equipment in front of the French windows of the guests’ rooms and adjusting the angles. Following Yan Shixun’s instructions, no one was left outside the doors to watch over.
As everyone was on high alert, Yan Shixun was not in his room.
He went to find Yang Tu.
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