Ever since entering the village, Hu Jia had felt something was amiss, especially the villagers' demeanor, which didn't seem like a place plagued by zombies.
Initially, Hu Jia thought the villagers were wary of outsiders, as Xiao Tao had suggested. However, it wasn't until the appearance of Old Man Lu that Hu Jia became certain the villagers harbored a secret.
The reason was simple: remember what Xiao Tao was wearing.
A man's jacket!
Ignoring her arms, her face was also covered in scratches. Why did all the villagers act as if they couldn't see them, not even asking a single question?
Alright, even if they claimed it was too dark and they were blind, what about Old Man Lu? He had interacted closely with Xiao Tao, yet he showed no reaction.
Did all this not speak for itself?
"How did you hint to Ouyang? I saw him chatting quite happily with Old Man Lu," Lu Qingqing asked.
"If he can't figure out such a small clue, how can he claim to be an investigator?" Hu Jia replied nonchalantly.
Uh...
Lu Qingqing felt offended.
"Are you hungry?" Hu Jia always carried a small backpack with his memo pad. At this moment, he pulled out a meat patty from it.
"Wow..." Lu Qingqing's eyes lit up. She thought they'd go hungry tonight, but unexpectedly, there was something to eat.
She took two big bites, her mouth full, "By the way, where are they?" Lu Qingqing was referring to Ouyang Wen and Luo Wenwu.
"They'll have something to eat tonight. This was specifically saved for you," Hu Jia said with a smile. "Seeing your eyes fixed on the dishes, I knew you were hungry."
Lu Qingqing narrowed her eyes, humming, this guy was quite perceptive. It seemed his excuse to use the restroom was fake, and his real intention was to lure her out to share the patty.
Uh...
The word "lure" might not be accurate, but...
Never mind, she couldn't find a better word.
Returning to the room, Old Man Lu was clearing the table. Seeing them enter, Old Man Lu warmly greeted them, "It's getting late. I'll prepare a room for the young lady, and you boys can just squeeze in together."
Naturally, everyone had no objections to this arrangement. Since it was hot, Old Man Lu simply wiped down the cooling mat with a damp cloth, and that was it.
However, upon seeing the water used to wipe the mat, Lu Qingqing couldn't help but frown. The water was too dirty, dark and murky, looking like it had been used many times.
What was even more astonishing was that Old Man Lu didn't dare to discard the dirty water used to clean the cooling mat; he actually used it to wash dishes.
Uh...
A strong sense of unease washed over her. Fortunately, she hadn't eaten the food earlier.
"Grandpa Lu, this water has been used many times. Where is the nearest well? We're all strong men here, we can help you fetch water," Hu Jia thought that the old man, being elderly, couldn't carry much water, hence his frugality.
"Yes. Since we're staying here tonight, consider it our way of thanking the elder," Ouyang added.
"Oh dear, no, no. You are guests, how can you help the master of the house?" Old Man Lu repeatedly refused.
"Sir, please don't say that. They have plenty of strength," Lu Qingqing joined the persuasion, while Luo Wenwu was even more direct, picking up a water bucket and heading out.
"Ah... Little friends, you don't know, but our well is quite far, a fifteen-minute walk."
Upon hearing Old Man Lu's words, Luo Wenwu nonchalantly stated that it was no trouble at all.
"But," Old Man Lu seemed to want to say more, but he changed his mind at the last moment, "Forget it, forget it. We'll talk about fetching water tomorrow. This old man is also tired."
Watching Old Man Lu enter the room alone, everyone looked at each other. Since the old man was unwilling to say more, they decided to make do for the night.
However, standing before the cooling mat, Lu Qingqing, remembering the water, still felt somewhat uncomfortable. She touched it and felt a greasy residue.
"Use this to cover it," Hu Jia came in, holding a shirt.
"I'm not that fussy. I've slept on grass when handling cases in the wilderness before, so what's a dirty cooling mat?" Lu Qingqing pushed Hu Jia's hand away.
Hu Jia ignored her and directly spread the shirt on the cooling mat, "Sleeping on grass was due to lack of options. Now that we have options, treat yourself better."
Uh...
Hearing the sound of a door closing next door, Lu Qingqing's lips curved into a slight smile.
This was the first day of taking on the case, and Hu Jia was like a golden retriever right now, so warm!
...
Meanwhile, next door, Hu Jia and the other two looked at each other. They could squeeze in, but who would sleep in the middle?
"I want to stay away from him anyway!" Hu Jia declared.
"As if I'm eager to be close to you," Ouyang retorted.
"This guy has been dishonest since he was a child," Hu Jia glared fiercely at Ouyang.
"Oh? You're bringing up childhood? Hu Ergou, why don't you just throw away the memories of the past 20-odd years along with it," Ouyang's tone suddenly rose.
Uh oh!
Luo Wenwu, seeing Ouyang's demeanor, sensed impending disaster. "Alright, my brothers, my two brothers. You two are like a goat farting a sheep's smell – stylish and flashy. I'll sleep in the middle, I'll sleep in the middle, okay?"
Watching the two turn their backs to each other in a huff, Luo Wenwu sighed inwardly. What kind of karma was this, to be sleeping with these two brothers.
He, Li Yang, and Yu Yue all knew that Ouyang was most sensitive about his childhood; it was his absolute sore spot.
Unfortunately, Hu Jia didn't know, almost stirring up a hornet's nest.
The night passed without incident...
Silence reigned...
Snoring filled the air...
In a daze, Hu Jia heard the door of the main house open. His eyes snapped open.
There were only a few people staying in this house. Whoever went out would either be Old Man Lu or Lu Qingqing. But in the middle of the night, who would go out for no reason?
Hu Jia grew increasingly uneasy. He got up and shook Luo Wenwu beside him, but the guy was sleeping too soundly. As for Ouyang, Hu Jia glanced at him and decided against waking him.
Hu Jia tiptoed out of the bedroom. Indeed, the main gate of the small courtyard was wide open. Hu Jia glanced at Lu Qingqing's door; it was closed.
So, was it Old Man Lu who went out?
Considering the oddities in the village, Hu Jia decided to follow.
The moon in the misty rain was elusive. Walking through the dark village required some courage. Even though Hu Jia often handled night cases, being alone in an unfamiliar environment, especially one whose depths were unclear, caused a sense of dread to creep into one's heart.
Perhaps this fear stemmed from the pitch-black night, impossible to see one's hand in front of one's face; perhaps it came from the swaying tree shadows caused by the gentle breeze; perhaps it originated from one's own imaginings and various speculations.
Old Man Lu's figure was not clear, but judging by his movements, his steps were steady, showing none of the tottering gait of an old man.
From afar, Hu Jia watched Old Man Lu leap onto a small earthen slope. The moonlight fell upon him, and his robes fluttered in the wind, giving him an air of an enlightened hermit.
What was he up to?
Hu Jia hid behind a large tree. He saw Old Man Lu pull out a long sword from somewhere and begin to practice swordplay under the moon. Each move, each stance, was practiced and precise.
Practicing swordplay in the middle of the night?
What a peculiar hobby?
Just as Hu Jia was contemplating stepping forward to have a word with Old Man Lu, a scream pierced the night sky...
It was Lu Qingqing!