Xu Xiaolin glanced at Liang Zichen and finally nodded. "Wang Shen, then you can follow behind me. After we get the diary, your little follower might have already bought me some water." After saying that, Xu Xiaolin gave Wang Shen a playful smile.

Wang Shen simply shook his head slightly, then sighed, and followed Xu Xiaolin back into the dark alleyway.

"Why don't they install more streetlights here?" Wang Shen asked, following behind Xu Xiaolin and looking at the dark alley.

“Captain Wang, you’ve had it too easy. You don’t know what life is like for us poor folks. Besides, it’s a hassle to install streetlights in an old neighborhood like this. We’ve all gotten used to walking through these dark alleyways.” Xu Xiaolin said as she led Wang Shen around, turning left and right, showing how familiar she was with the area.

Although Wang Shen was much stronger than Xu Xiaolin, in such alleyways, if you didn't keep up, you would really lose them.

"You seem quite familiar with this place? I remember you moved away from here when you were very young."

Xu Xiaolin heard Wang Shen's words but didn't answer immediately. After walking silently for a while, she said, "People all have the idea of ​​returning to their roots, and I'm no exception. Whenever I miss my mother and sister, I secretly come back to visit. I've even lost count of how many times I've been back, so the roads here have never felt unfamiliar." After saying this, Xu Xiaolin seemed to slow her pace, then raised her head high and looked up at the sky.

At the same time, Wang Shen glanced at the sky; the moon was still obscured by thick clouds. In the darkness, Wang Shen could vaguely see Xu Xiaolin wiping her cheek. Actually, Wang Shen understood Xu Xiaolin's feelings. He also knew he had said the wrong thing, so for the rest of the journey, Wang Shen and Xu Xiaolin remained silent.

Wang Shen followed Xu Xiaolin, winding through the alleyways for several minutes, until they finally stopped in front of an old house.

"Is this the house?" Wang Shen glanced at the house standing in front of him. The exterior was still concrete, without even the most basic tiles. Next to the front door was a window with an aluminum security grille. The house was indeed quite old, as large patches of rust had formed on the metal door frame.

"Ah!" To everyone's surprise, Xu Xiaolin not only didn't answer Wang Shen's question, but instead shouted at that moment. In this quiet alley, anyone would be startled by this sudden shout.

"What's wrong?" Wang Shen asked, his gaze still fixed on Xu Xiaolin, his brows slightly furrowed.

Xu Xiaolin didn't answer Wang Shen's question. She just kept her head down, holding her bag in one hand while frantically rummaging through its contents with the other. After searching for a while, Xu Xiaolin looked up at Wang Shen, her eyes filled with apology for what she had done wrong.

Seeing Xu Xiaolin's expression, Wang Shen frowned and asked, "Did you forget your keys?"

Xu Xiaolin smiled at Wang Shen, then nodded with a smile on her face.

Then Wang Shen sighed heavily and said, "Then I'll have to go back and get it." After saying that, Wang Shen turned around and walked out in the opposite direction.

"What's your hurry!" Unexpectedly, Xu Xiaolin's angry shout came from behind.

Wang Shen was taken aback and immediately turned to look at Xu Xiaolin.

Xu Xiaolin puffed out her cheeks in anger and said to Wang Shen, "Sure enough, all men are the same. They're all smiles when they're useful, but they turn their backs on you when they're not."

This time, Wang Shen didn't pay much attention to Xu Xiaolin's unreasonable behavior. Instead, he followed up on Xu Xiaolin's words and asked, "Are all men the same? Then what use are you to her, Lin Su?"

The night was too dark for Wang Shen to see Xu Xiaolin's expression after hearing the question. However, Xu Xiaolin remained silent for quite a while.

Finally, Xu Xiaolin slowly said, "It is precisely because he is different from you that I like him."

Wang Shen did not press further, but simply nodded.

After standing there for a while, Xu Xiaolin turned around and took two more steps closer to the front door of the house.

"Didn't you not have the key?" Wang Shen asked from behind, noticing Xu Xiaolin's actions.

Xu Xiaolin ignored Wang Shen's words, perhaps feeling offended. She walked to the door and, with all her might, tiptoed in her high heels. Then, she stretched out her hand and slowly touched the top edge of the door frame.

Unfortunately, Xu Xiaolin's height was simply not tall enough. After several attempts, Xu Xiaolin was unable to find what she wanted.

Wang Shen stood behind Xu Xiaolin, watching her movements, and seemed to understand what she wanted to do. Wang Shen walked to Xu Xiaolin's side, patted her on the shoulder, and said, "Let me do it."

Xu Xiaolin paused for a moment, then continued with her work.

"Writer Xu, I misspoke just now, please forgive me," Wang Shen said to Xu Xiaolin, his tone carrying a hint of pleading for forgiveness.

Hearing Wang Shen's words, Xu Xiaolin finally lowered her hand completely. She took two steps back, watching as Wang Shen's hand easily touched the top edge of the door frame. Soon after, Wang Shen found the key hidden on the top edge of the door frame. He held the key in his hand and waved it in front of Xu Xiaolin.

"If you hadn't made me lose my composure this time, I could have gotten the key by myself," Xu Xiaolin said, tilting her head as if she was still upset about what had just happened.

"Yes, yes, I misspoke just now." Wang Shen smiled and apologized again.

Wang Shen waved the key in his hand again and said, "Then I'll open the door first?"

Xu Xiaolin glanced at Wang Shen and hummed in agreement.

After receiving Xu Xiaolin's permission, Wang Shen turned and inserted the key into the lock. He gently turned the key, and the door opened easily. He pulled the door open slightly. Perhaps due to its age, the door opened with a loud noise. The sharp, metallic scraping sound added an annoying symphony to the quiet night.

Finally, Wang Shen opened the door completely. He stepped aside, gesturing for Xu Xiaolin to go in first.

Xu Xiaolin glanced at Wang Shen and then entered the dark room. Xu Xiaolin was very familiar with her house; even in complete darkness, she was able to accurately walk to the light switch.

Xu Xiaolin fumbled around on the wall for a bit, found the switch accurately, and pressed it. Wang Shen stood not far from Xu Xiaolin, but he could only hear the sound of the switch turning on; no light came on.

Wang Shen turned on his phone's flashlight, illuminating an area ahead, and walked towards Xu Xiaolin. "What's wrong?" Wang Shen asked.