"Don't be afraid," Ye Tiancheng whispered to the little fox, sensing its unease. "I think even if we just go in, we'll be fine." He tilted his head slightly, offering a gentle reassurance before leading the little fox further into the house.
The door to the house wasn't locked. With a simple push, it swung open. Ye Tiancheng harbored a suspicion that perhaps all the houses in this village were like this.
The little fox was also quite surprised by how easily the door opened, as it was beyond his expectations. However, as he followed Ye Tiancheng inside, his tension only grew.
Ye Tiancheng, holding the little fox's hand, entered the house. They passed through what seemed to be the main hall, the first room after the entrance, and then proceeded deeper inside. Room by room, they checked the others. Indeed, Ye Tiancheng's suspicions and guesses were correct; none of the houses they had searched contained any people.
This wasn't to say that there were no traces of habitation in these houses. But for some unknown reason, the people who resided in them were all absent during this time, a period when they should logically have been asleep.
Having confirmed his conjecture, Ye Tiancheng led the little fox out of the house and they resumed their search for Fatty's residence.
With Ye Tiancheng holding his hand, the little fox felt safe and gradually became less nervous. He then recalled how abnormal it was that the house they had just entered was empty.
"Brother Ye, the house we just entered seemed to be uninhabited. How could that be? Did you notice this, Brother Ye, and that's why you dared to enter so casually through the front door?"
Hearing the little fox's question, Ye Tiancheng began to explain, "At first, I wasn't entirely sure. I just had a hunch. After looking at so many houses and feeling no sign of people, it struck me as very strange, so I wanted to go in and confirm."
"And as it turned out, my guess was correct. There was no one inside. But this doesn't mean that these houses were empty. There were still signs of daily life, so the owners couldn't have been gone for too long."
"These houses are still inhabited, so I'm wondering why they would all leave their homes at a time when they should be resting."
The little fox also frowned and pondered for a moment. He couldn't quite figure it out, but he had a strong intuition. "I can't understand why it's like this either, but I have a bad feeling about it. I don't know why, Brother Ye, but could it be... that Brother Fatty is in trouble?"
Although he didn't want to admit it, the little fox had to voice his unease. He felt that ever since they entered this village, his heart rate had been abnormal, beating much faster than usual, which made him feel unsettled.
"I have that same feeling... Let's hurry. We need to find Fatty quickly. Fatty must not be harmed!" Ye Tiancheng shared the same sense of unease, though he hadn't voiced it. His actions, however, did betray a slight increase in his anxiety and restlessness.
The little fox was very understanding of Ye Tiancheng's feelings and also concerned about Fatty's safety. After a moment's thought, he suggested to Ye Tiancheng, "Brother Ye, how about this? We split up. It will be faster to search this way. After we agree on a meeting point, we can each search in a different direction and then meet back. If anything unexpected happens, I'll act accordingly."
"If I can't make it to our agreed meeting point, I'll find a way back to the waterside where we first arrived and try to meet up with you again, Brother Ye."
The little fox's suggestion was well-intentioned, so Ye Tiancheng didn't scold him. However, he didn't agree either. He shook his head sternly and said to the little fox, "That's absolutely out of the question. I disagree. In a place like this, we don't know what dangers we might encounter. If we split up, and something happens to you, I won't be able to help. What if I can't get there in time?"
"So, little fox, don't bring it up again. We must stay together. We've already lost contact with Fatty, and I can't afford to lose you too. If you... and Fatty, both of you are in trouble, what will I do then?"
The little fox understood Ye Tiancheng's concern. Since Ye Tiancheng disagreed with his idea, the little fox didn't insist further. "Alright then, I won't bring it up again. I'll search for Brother Fatty with you, Brother Ye."
Although the little fox had stated this, his earlier suggestion had made Ye Tiancheng unable to relax. He felt that something had happened to Fatty, and his heart was already filled with anxiety.
He even felt that it might be too late. But regardless of whether Fatty was still alive, Ye Tiancheng had to make this trip. If he was alive, he wanted to see him. If he was dead, he wanted to see his body.
However, given the current situation, if the little fox were to have any accident, Ye Tiancheng truly wouldn't be able to bear it. Therefore, he couldn't help but worry about the little fox. Even though the little fox had agreed not to mention separating again, Ye Tiancheng's grip on his hand tightened considerably.
The little fox could feel the sudden increase in strength in Ye Tiancheng's hand holding his, so much so that it was starting to hurt a little.
But the little fox also knew that it was his previous words that had made Ye Tiancheng so worried about him. Therefore, the little fox didn't cry out in pain or ask Ye Tiancheng to loosen his grip.
After wandering in the village for an unknown amount of time, the little fox suddenly fixed his gaze on a dilapidated earthen house. He tugged on Ye Tiancheng's hand, "Brother Ye, I think we've found it. It's this house. I feel like it's the one. Brother Fatty lived here."
Ye Tiancheng didn't doubt the little fox's words at all. Upon hearing this, he immediately pulled the little fox closer to the dilapidated earthen house. However, Ye Tiancheng didn't act too rashly. He first confirmed from the outside that, like the other houses, there was no one inside this one. Only then did Ye Tiancheng lead the little fox directly into the house.
After entering, they observed the interior of the house. This dwelling was indeed very simple, just as the little fox had described to Ye Tiancheng in his dream – a very run-down house.
Even the dining table the little fox had dreamt of was missing a leg, with bricks propping up its corner. There were several long benches by the table, and opposite the door, by the window, was a large earthen kang. Apart from these, there was hardly any other furniture in the room.
However, what drew more attention was that on the dining table inside the house, there were still several bowls and chopsticks with remnants of food, which had not been cleared away.
Ye Tiancheng and the little fox walked to the table to examine the situation. Just as he was intently observing the leftover food, he suddenly felt a tug on his hand, as if something had happened to the little fox beside him.
Startled, Ye Tiancheng quickly turned to look, pulling the little fox forcefully. He feared something was pulling the little fox, but fortunately, it wasn't the worst-case scenario, though it appeared very strange, leaving Ye Tiancheng puzzled about what had transpired.
Because upon turning back, Ye Tiancheng saw that the little fox's body had gone limp and collapsed, just as he had suddenly fainted while guiding him through the forest before.
Ye Tiancheng couldn't determine if the little fox's situation this time was the same as the previous one. However, Ye Tiancheng reacted quickly, catching the little fox with his other arm and then supporting him, picking him up. But he hesitated, unsure of what to do or how to arrange for the little fox.
He certainly couldn't leave. If he left the little fox here, and the person who lived in this house suddenly returned, it would be fine if it was Fatty, but what if it was those two imposters who looked like him and the little fox?
However, it seemed difficult to move around with a fainting little fox, and he still needed to find clues about Fatty as soon as possible, without knowing Fatty's current condition.
But Ye Tiancheng didn't have to hesitate for too long. Unlike the previous time when the little fox suddenly fainted, this time, not even a minute had passed since Ye Tiancheng picked him up, when the little fox suddenly opened his eyes, as if he had recovered. However, a look of obvious anxiety had appeared on his face.
The little fox was so anxious that he even forgot to control his volume. The moment he regained consciousness and saw Ye Tiancheng's face, he immediately reached out and grabbed Ye Tiancheng's collar.
He urgently said to Ye Tiancheng, "Brother Ye, I know where Fatty is kneeling. Brother Fatty seems to be in real trouble. Let's hurry, let's go find him. It's too late, it's too late!"
At this, Ye Tiancheng's expression completely changed. Although he had already had some vague premonitions in his heart, when the little fox said this, Ye Tiancheng felt his legs go weak, and he almost couldn't stand steady. His body swayed, and then he put the little fox down.
"Where is Fatty? Did you see him, little fox? Hurry and take me, let's go find him... Let's go find him!" Ye Tiancheng felt he couldn't bear this blow; he was on the verge of collapse, but he couldn't break down in front of the little fox, he had to force himself to hold on, but he could no longer maintain his composure.
"Okay, okay! Let's hurry, Brother Ye, hurry and follow me!" The little fox also jumped out of Ye Tiancheng's embrace in his haste and ran ahead.
Seeing the little fox run ahead, Ye Tiancheng didn't dare to delay any longer. He quickly took off after him, following closely behind the little fox. He absolutely dared not lose sight of the little fox. On one hand, he needed to follow the little fox to find Fatty as quickly as possible; on the other hand, Ye Tiancheng was now very worried about losing even the little fox.
Although this was their first time in this village, the little fox ran ahead with extreme urgency, as if he knew the way, heading desperately in one direction. He had seen something, but he wished he hadn't seen it, or rather, he wished it had never happened.