Feng Yushu

A strange, shrill scream that sounded like a mix of crying and laughter sent a jolt through Ning Zhe. Before his brain could even process it, his body instinctively spun around and kicked out toward the direction of the sound.

He steadied his gaze and saw the owner of that voice had been knocked to the ground, curled up in pain with both hands clutching their abdomen.

"A living person, of all things." Ning Zhe let out a sigh of relief.

Inside the Ancestral Hall behind him, Zhang Yangxu and the female OL, startled by the noise, were already walking toward the side gate.

Knowing he had been exposed, Ning Zhe stopped thinking about leaving and quickly scanned the person who had suddenly appeared outside the door and been kicked over by him.

She was a middle-aged woman, appearing to be around thirty or forty years old, though this estimate might not be accurate because she was adorned with numerous pieces of expensive, flashy jewelry, and her clothing was magnificent and bright.

Her pearl necklace featured pearls that were perfectly round and lustrous, and the crystal-clear white jade bracelet on her left hand likely carried a price tag in a display case higher than the demolition compensation for Ning Zhe's old house. Her long, jet-black, silky hair was meticulously pinned up with a gold-inlaid Wutong Hairpin, and her snow-white, delicate skin was free of any wrinkles, clearly having seen little sun. On her right hand was a string of polished, translucent Bodhi Seed beads, suggesting she might be a Buddhist.

She wore a dark purple tight-fitting long dress, with a pink-purple waist wrap embroidered with exquisite lace tied around her waist; the meticulous design and tailoring perfectly accentuated a full, mature, and feminine physique. Her round oval face held a graceful expression as beautiful as a lotus blossom, with refined features that were dignified and elegant.

...All of this pointed to a pampered, leisurely noblewoman who had been well-maintained. People with good living conditions always age slowly, so Ning Zhe couldn't be sure how old this noblewoman actually was; she looked thirty, but she could be forty, or perhaps even over seventy.

Hearing Zhang Yangxu's footsteps approaching from behind, Ning Zhe gently patted the woman's shoulder: "I'm sorry, are you alright?"

Although that kick had been an instinctive reaction, due to the narrowness of the Ancestral Hall's side gate, Ning Zhe hadn't been able to use his full strength. He felt that the kick would have caused, at most, a minor impact to her abdominal cavity, not enough to damage her internal organs or cause internal bleeding.

His calculations for such things were always precise. Back in elementary school, Ning Zhe could beat the unruly kids who provoked him until they were black and blue, yet he would perfectly control every external injury to be nothing more than a surface bruise, never once letting things escalate. This time was no exception.

A moment later, the bejeweled and graceful noblewoman struggled to climb up from the stone slab path, leaning against the wall while panting heavily, clutching her stomach.

"You... why did you hit me the moment we met..." The noblewoman's voice was faint from abdominal pain, but unexpectedly, she didn't lash out at him.

"I am truly sorry. You appeared behind me without a sound, and I thought it was those inhuman He Family members trying to ambush me from behind. I overreacted," Ning Zhe apologized sincerely and repeatedly.

"It's okay, it's okay..." The woman shook her head repeatedly: "I understand. In a weird place like this, everyone's nerves are on edge. I don't blame you, I don't blame you..."

Ning Zhe noticed that the look she gave him was very complex. Her pale face revealed unease about this strange, unfamiliar place, and her slightly pursed lips showed lingering fear of the youngster who had just struck her. But more than that, there was the joy and relief of finally seeing another living person after being terrified for so long.

This woman has a timid personality and lacks her own opinions. After being beaten by me, not only did she show no hostility or disgust, but she actively tried to excuse my mistake and curry favor, attempting to win my goodwill. Ning Zhe quickly dissected the noblewoman's personality traits in his mind.

He then turned around and greeted Zhang Yangxu, who had reached the side gate: "Hello, Director Zhang. I didn't expect to see you here. My name is Ning Zhe, a senior year student at Taoyuan City No. 1 High School."

"Hello, I am Zhang Yangxu," Zhang Yangxu said indifferently.

"I am Director Zhang's legal advisor, my name is Xie Sining," the woman following behind Zhang Yangxu said in a relatively more cheerful tone.

Zhang Yangxu's gaze swept quickly over the woman leaning against the wall and Ning Zhe, looking somewhat surprised: "Lady Bai is here too... Ning Zhe, is it? Do you know me?"

"Who in the world doesn't know you? You are being modest, Director Zhang. At the very least, there aren't many people in Qinzhou who don't know you," Ning Zhe smiled lightly: "It was thanks to you that I took leave from school to return to my hometown. I originally thought I would become a demolition beneficiary and spend my days happily collecting rent, but who knew that as soon as I opened my eyes, I would end up in this weird place."

Zhang Yangxu nodded slightly: "I see."

He hadn't expected that Ning Zhe was actually a local from Ancient Tablet Town.

Ning Zhe pointed his chin at the noblewoman leaning against the wall and asked: "You just called her Lady Bai. Is this lady surnamed Bai? Do you know her, Director Zhang?"

Zhang Yangxu didn't speak, and the legal advisor Xie Sining, standing behind him, stepped in to introduce her: "This is Lady Feng Yushu, the wife of Mr. Bai Fugui, the largest shareholder of the New Homeland Group. Mr. Bai and Director Zhang both had their eyes on this area of Ancient Tablet Town, and both sides wanted to secure the development contract for this region. Our two companies are currently in a competitive relationship."

"I see." Ning Zhe smiled slightly at Xie Sining: "But in a place like this, business relationships don't seem to have much meaning."

Zhang Yangxu also smiled: "Indeed, they have no meaning."

In the outside world, he, Zhang Yangxu, might be a prominent figure worth hundreds of billions with extensive connections across all walks of life. But in this isolated little village, a weird place filled with strange and supernatural occurrences, he was nothing more than a middle-aged man with a potbelly and a thinning hairline.

This was the reason he was willing to have an equal conversation with Ning Zhe.

Here, Ning Zhe was not a high school "grind" who stayed up late every night doing practice problems, but a strong, energetic adult male.

Ning Zhe walked to the wall and reached out to Feng Yushu, who was covered in gold and jade, to pull her up: "Madam, how did you get here?"

Feng Yushu endured the abdominal pain and patted the dust off her dress, saying somewhat reservedly: "I came to Ancient Tablet Town with my husband and my daughter. He is usually busy with work and rarely at home. This time, we wanted to take advantage of the site bidding opportunity to have the family get together in the countryside to get some fresh air, play, and see the scenery, but I didn't expect..."

She didn't expect that a sudden anomaly would occur, dragging her into this weird place called He Family Village.

"Then what about your husband and daughter? Did they come here too?" Ning Zhe pressed.

Feng Yushu shook her head: "No, I searched for a long time in the village yesterday and broke several taboos, but I couldn't find them. It seems I am the only one who stumbled in here."

"Alright, I understand." Ning Zhe nodded with satisfaction. With this, he had a basic understanding of the situation of the people in front of him.

Meeting living people in a place like this was generally a good thing, but beneath the harmonious facade of huddling together for warmth, the actual situation was far from harmonious.

Behind Zhang Yangxu, the legal advisor Xie Sining's phone vibrated slightly. She calmly unlocked the screen and took a quick glance. It was a text message sent to her by "Director Zhang":

"Ning Zhe was the one who flipped the calendar. He arrived earlier than all of us. Watch out for him."