By the time Qi Si arrived at his old family home in the countryside, it was already noon.
He got out of the taxi and headed straight for the old house, following his memory.
Along the way, he passed a few villagers working here and there. Most were strangers, and they stole glances at the unexpected visitor.
A few looked familiar. They whispered among themselves, "That's the one who killed his parents, then wiped out his whole family..."
The countryside of this era had entered its twilight years. All that remained were scattered bricks and withered grass, like flakes of skin and white hair, along with endless loneliness and desolation.
Qi Si hadn't been back in a long time, but he quickly picked out the two-story house that had been renovated six years ago among the crooked, ramshackle old homes.
He walked up and tried to fit his key into the lock. It wouldn't go in, and he realized the door had a new lock.
Things had gotten interesting. Qi Si pulled a thin wire from his wristband and picked the lock.
It was mealtime. A whole family sat around the dining table inside, while a child of about three or four sat in a toy car, driving back and forth beside the door.
The moment Qi Si pushed his way in, everyone visibly froze.
Several adults were the first to react. They got to their feet and headed toward the door with hostile expressions.
Before they could roll up their sleeves, Qi Si had already grabbed the child beside him by the collar and tucked him under his arm. With a faintly amused smile, he said, "I don't remember ever selling or renting out this house."
Perhaps they had finally remembered who he was. Perhaps the way he was