After sitting down, the group began to reminisce about their high school days, and Cen Yu, being an outsider, listened attentively.

Pei Hengyun doesn't talk much. He only responds politely when people bring up topics like "I remember you two used to be very close" or "How come Pei Hengyun, who used to be the sports representative, is now an art teacher?"

Seemingly worried that Cen Yu would be bored, Pei Hengyun would occasionally glance at Cen Yu while speaking, and if he noticed that Cen Yu's bowl was empty, he would put some food on his plate.

Everyone present was a seasoned veteran of the working world, and they immediately realized that the relationship between the two was unusual.

He Yongning was sitting to Pei Hengjun's right. When Cen Yu was observing the group of people, their eyes met for a moment.

He Yongning immediately turned his gaze away. Cen Yu felt bored and said to Pei Hengjun, "I'm going out for some fresh air," then said goodbye to the others and left the farmhouse.

...

He stood outside the farmhouse and lit a cigarette from his pocket.

Perhaps because it was past lunchtime and things were less busy, the owner of the farmhouse restaurant happened to come outside for a smoke. The two were not far apart, and the owner looked at Cen Yu while smoking.

After being stared at for a while, Cen Yu finally couldn't help but ask, "Have you looked enough?"

The shop owner was also surprised that Cen Yu would suddenly speak up, and immediately gave an awkward laugh, "...I just thought you looked familiar."

Cen Yu, with a cigarette between his fingers, said, "I've never been here before."

The boss, with a cigarette dangling from his mouth, spoke indistinctly, his expression one of utter bewilderment. "...But you really do look familiar."

When a minor character in a horror novel repeatedly utters this keyword, it can only mean one thing—

There's a plot point here.

Cen Yu looked at the boss. "Really? Have you seen someone who looks a lot like me before?" he joked. "Or do I really look that common?"

"No, not exactly." The boss slapped his forehead. "I just feel like you're very familiar to me."

It seems things won't work out with the boss.

Cen Yu thought it was just like a puzzle game where an NPC keeps giving you the same information but can't give you any more answers. That means you have to explore it yourself.

The cigarette in his hand was already half burned. "Where is Pei Hengyun's house? I mean the one that was destroyed by the mudslide."

The boss's expression immediately relaxed when he saw that there was a question he could answer.

He pointed the way for Cen Yu, a cigarette dangling from his lips.

"Just follow this road, and you'll see a small shop. Then turn uphill, and after passing a cornfield, you'll reach Pei Hengyun's house."

...

Pei Hengyun's home cannot truly be described as a home.

The house in front of us was almost a ruin. Although some people helped to clear part of it, the area had been overrun with rubble, mud, and weeds because it had been uninhabited for a long time.

Cen Yu stood at the door of Pei Hengjun's house.

Perhaps because it was a landslide that caused a mudslide, although the debris mixed with mud rushed into Pei Hengyun's house and destroyed half of the house, the remaining half was still teetering on the brink of collapse... Cen Yu watched for a while and was about to climb in.

Then I heard footsteps behind me.

When he turned around, he saw Pei Hengyun, panting heavily, as if he had run all the way there.

"Xiao Yu." Pei Hengyun immediately came over, looking very worried. "Why did you come here all by yourself?"

He seemed to realize his tone had been too harsh, and immediately softened it.

"...If I hadn't asked the owner of the farmhouse, I wouldn't have known you were here."

He turned to look at the dilapidated building in front of him, then at Cen Yu, "It's very dangerous here."

What are you doing here?

Cen Yu looked at Pei Hengyun in front of her and saw that the other party had a concerned expression and seemed to be really worried that something might happen to her here.

Of course, he wouldn't say that he came here to investigate the truth and try his luck looking for clues. Instead, he took out his phone and said to Pei Hengyun, "Don't you think this place is perfect for a live broadcast?"

"I'll do a live stream in the middle of the night, the show will definitely be a hit."

Pei Hengyun stared intently at Cen Yu until he heard Cen Yu say that it was for the live broadcast, at which point his expression relaxed slightly.

"But this is too dangerous."

Pei Hengyun looked at Cen Yu with concern, "We'd better go back first."

Didn't you come back later?

Cen Yu heard He Yongning's familiar voice and saw him standing on the cobblestone path next to Pei Hengjun's house. It seemed that he had come with Pei Hengjun... When he met Cen Yu's gaze, he nodded.

"Even if you're that dedicated, I won't give you a better recommendation spot."

"..." I hope you'll still be alive to speak a week from now.

Cen Yu thought to himself.

Realizing that his solo adventure had been a failure, he almost suspected that it was part of the plot to prevent him from learning the truth sooner.

So, under Pei Hengyun's persuasion, he had no choice but to leave the old house.

He looked at the destroyed windows of the old house and realized that he was standing in what appeared to be a bedroom.

Ignoring Pei Hengyun's advice, he went straight to the destroyed window and leaned over to examine the decorations inside more closely.

The ground was covered in mud and pebbles, the things inside the house were scattered everywhere, and there were cracks in the walls. Then Cen Yu saw some posters of basketball stars pasted on them...

He turned to look at Pei Hengyun, who was looking at him with concern, and asked, "You liked sports that much in high school?"

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!