After dinner, Yuanyuan played for a while before falling asleep. Sister Yan suggested taking them around the village for a walk to help digest the food.
“Lige and Xi Zhou, you’re both from the city, right? Our village may not compare to the city, but the villagers here are very warm and friendly.”
“Sister Yan, is this really okay? And Yuanyuan is alone at home.”
No matter how you look at it, this was still the apocalypse—yet they were casually strolling around the village?
“So fussy. Do we have to lock you up before you feel safe?” Qin Bo said with a sour face, reluctantly heading out with them.
Qin Yi locked the door, then scratched his head honestly. “Our village isn’t big. Whenever guests come, we usually bring them to meet the village chief.
Since you’re Yan Zi’s guests—and even a big celebrity—the chief will definitely be happy to meet you. It’s also a chance for you to learn about our village.”
Lige lowered her head, deep in thought. Bringing guests to the village chief… this was her first time encountering such a custom.
“You’ve been so kind—we should go meet him.”
Xi Zhou seemed quite interested in the village. With a gentle and polite smile on his handsome face, he agreed before Lige could speak.
The situation was still unclear. If these people had any intentions, it would likely happen tonight. Unlike him, Lige couldn’t relax. She quietly kept her fruit knife within easy reach.
Qin Yi and Sister Yan walked ahead, briefly introducing the village. It had a small population but was extremely united, with very few people leaving.
All in all, there were only about two hundred households. From the village entrance—where Sister Yan lived—to the village chief’s house at the end, there were only ten short streets, each with just over a dozen homes.
Perhaps word had spread about the guests—many villagers were heading toward the chief’s house. Their clothes weren’t exactly clean, but they were only slightly dirty—nothing like the ragged state people were in during the apocalypse.
“Qin Yi, where’s the coat you were wearing this morning?” Sister Yan suddenly noticed it was missing.
“I left it at the chief’s house,” Qin Yi said.
“So did mine,” Qin Bo added, pointing to himself. “We’ll grab them later.”
Qin Yi nodded, and Sister Yan didn’t press further, though her gaze unconsciously drifted backward.
The man and woman behind them walked leisurely, calmly observing the houses as if they were tourists.
Her hand tightened and tightened again as she gradually made up her mind.
Lige appeared to be sightseeing, but she never fully let her guard down.
Having seen too much cruelty in the apocalypse, a village this peaceful felt unnatural. If it had been run-down and chaotic, she would’ve felt more at ease.
After a while, she casually asked, “Sister Yan, it seems like there aren’t many women or children in the village.”
Among all the villagers heading to the chief’s house, almost all were men. Aside from Sister Yan and herself, she had seen fewer than five women along the way.
Sister Yan’s already tense body stiffened further, and she cast a pleading look at Qin Yi.
“Women and children shouldn’t go out at night—it’s dangerous. You should also sleep early later and not wander around,” Qin Yi said.
As if they weren’t the ones who brought her out in the first place.
Lige silently noted it, planning to ask Xi Zhou later—his perception was far sharper than hers.
As if sensing her thoughts, Xi Zhou leaned slightly closer and whispered in a voice only she could hear:
“Don’t eat anything later. Don’t drink the water either.”
Hmm?
She instinctively turned her head, but only saw his cold profile. He had already straightened up, looking ahead as if nothing had happened.
The village chief’s house had a much larger courtyard. By the time they arrived, many people were already gathered there.
Remembering that Yuanyuan had said Qin Yi and Qin Bo were here eating meat, Lige deliberately glanced into the kitchen as they passed by.
A large black pot sat over the fire, while a woman beside it kept feeding in firewood. The pot bubbled, releasing a rich aroma of meat.
Even in the apocalypse, this lifestyle was far better than most. Still, it was decent of the chief to let the villagers share the meat.
Before Lige could take a closer look, a villager entering from outside casually shut the kitchen door.
Under the flickering firelight, the woman tending the fire looked numb, mechanically feeding wood into the flames. Tears silently dripped from her eyes onto the ground.
In the shadows lay a wide chopping board, piled with large chunks of meat, blood still seeping out.
“Don’t look at what you shouldn’t see.”
A cold voice sounded by her ear.
Lige snapped back to her senses, her mind clearing as cold sweat broke out on her back.
“What do you mean?” she asked urgently, grabbing Xi Zhou’s hand.
His gaze flickered briefly to their clasped hands before he forcefully pulled away, raising an eyebrow with a hint of mockery.
“What? Are you scared?”
“I just feel… uncomfortable,” Lige said, slipping her hand into her pocket. “We’re on the same boat. Information should be shared.”
Her face had only been pale for a moment before returning to calm, and she even tried to bargain with him.
Xi Zhou couldn’t help but regard her a little more highly—but only a little.
“I don’t think you’re in a position to stand on equal footing with me yet. If you want people to take you seriously, show your strength—don’t fall into traps so easily.”
What an awful man.
Lige kicked a stone on the ground in frustration. Did she really look that weak? From the beginning, she had kept her knife within reach—she just hadn’t said it out loud.
The calm before a storm is always deceptive.
This seemingly peaceful village clearly didn’t belong in a post-apocalyptic world.
Those cheerful, laughing villagers… were deeply unsettling.
As soon as they entered the courtyard, Qin Yi and Qin Bo waved to Sister Yan. “We’re going to get water for Yongzi. You take them to meet the chief first.”
“Yongzi is Yuanyuan’s uncle too, like Qin Bo. He’s been staying at the chief’s house these past few days to help out,” Sister Yan explained.
“Lige, Xi Zhou, come in with me.”
Seeing the two unfamiliar faces behind Sister Yan, the villagers automatically made way for them.
The village chief was drinking tea in the living room—a man in his forties. Like the other villagers, he seemed simple and approachable.
“Chief, these are guests from my home. I’ve brought them here,” Sister Yan said respectfully, stepping aside.
“Hello, Chief. I’m Lige, and this is Xi Zhou,” Lige introduced them briefly.
“Lige and Xi Zhou, right? Please sit. I’ll have someone bring you some water.”
Before he finished speaking, Xi Zhou casually sat down on a nearby chair, casting a faintly amused glance at the cup on the chief’s table.
His attitude was indifferent and somewhat rude—but paired with his noble aura, flawless face, and elegant movements, everything he did somehow felt natural.
Lige sat down expressionlessly beside him, seeing nothing wrong with it.