Seeing so many people closing in, Ah Du felt a pang of guilt and grabbed Yun Shang’s hand. Perhaps he shouldn’t have fought back just now.
He thought he should have acted like before, letting himself be beaten and scolded. But now… what should he do?
“These people are so scary! Are you afraid, host?” the system said with a mischievous grin.
“You’re really dramatic,” Yun Shang rolled her eyes in her mind.
“What’s going on? My brother and I were just picking wild fruits in the mountains. Those children started it first. Do adults really need to intervene in kids’ quarrels?”
Yun Shang held Ah Du’s hand tightly, looking at the villagers’ murky, greedy eyes, feeling a sudden, inexplicable disgust.
“Your brother hit my child! There must be an explanation!”
A lecherous middle-aged man leered at Yun Shang. He had long wanted to get closer, but in the past, he had fallen while trying to climb over a wall and was in pain for days.
Now, driven by the same greedy desire, he hadn’t expected to be hit by a stone. Looking closely, it was the same little brat again!
Ah Du released Yun Shang’s hand and squatted, picking up several stones—the one just thrown had been his.
He couldn’t stand it anymore. Why were these people all so disgusting? When he had first been brought to this village, he had often thought of running away.
But every attempt had been caught, sometimes by this very man. And now, this man was looking at his sister with such a vile gaze. An unexplainable hatred surged in him.
“Host, look! The male lead already knows how to protect you at such a young age! Seems like I don’t even need to intervene!” the system said cheerfully.
“You little brat, you’re impossible! You didn’t even cry when your father died right in front of you!”
The middle-aged man, struck by a stone, now burned with shame and anger at Ah Du’s scornful, resentful gaze. He pointed at Yun Shang and cursed violently.
“This girl’s appearance is strange. Probably some runaway concubine from a rich family! Our village is small and can’t hold you. We’ll capture you and hand you over to the authorities—maybe we can get some silver for it!”
Once he spoke, the villagers’ courage swelled. Their thoughts ran wild—they didn’t care about the girl’s identity.
They had harbored ill intentions the moment she arrived. Now, that feeling could no longer be restrained.
Seeing the group closing in, Ah Du clenched his fists.
He hated that he couldn’t grow faster, that he couldn’t protect himself, that he couldn’t protect his sister.
“System, hurry! It’s your turn to act!”
Yun Shang wrapped Ah Du in her arms and thoughtfully covered his eyes.
In an instant, a fierce wind blew. The sun, which had been bright moments ago, was swallowed by dark clouds.
If it were just an ordinary wind, it would be one thing—but this was no ordinary wind. The villagers, scattered in small groups, were swept off the mountain. Some were killed instantly; others broke arms and legs.
After that, Yun Shang and Ah Du disappeared, never returning to their old home. The villagers, unwilling to give up, searched the mountains, but dared not go deep, fearing wild beasts. They found no trace of the two.
In the depths of the forest, a small wooden house appeared. Yun Shang leisurely swung on a swing, while Ah Du sat obediently inside, practicing calligraphy. By now, he could recognize and write many characters, all taught by Yun Shang.
He didn’t know what had happened that day and didn’t wish to know. All he knew was that life with Yun Shang was undisturbed and happy.
He could sense that Yun Shang held many secrets—he didn’t know when the forest cabin had appeared, nor where their daily food and clothing came from. It seemed to appear out of nowhere.
Two years passed in the blink of an eye. Ah Du had grown taller and stronger, while Yun Shang had not changed a bit.
“Host, have these two years been pleasant?”
That day, Yun Shang was casually picking wildflowers in the mountains.
“Having you here, it’s naturally good,” she said, praising the system. Indeed, without it, she could never have so easily punished the villagers or lived safely and comfortably in the mountains for so long.
Ah Du had grown slowly stronger, no longer the frail boy he had once been.
Time to move the story forward, then.
Yun Shang plucked a small white wildflower, gently tugging at its soft petals.
Ah Du, as usual, was practicing calligraphy, but today he felt an unusual unease.
He hadn’t felt this way in a long time. Life with Yun Shang had always been peaceful. Today, she went to pick wildflowers but hadn’t returned.
Just as he was feeling anxious, a loud splash echoed—someone seemed to have fallen into the water.
Ah Du hurriedly put down his brush and ran outside, spotting an old man in black thrashing in a distant stream. He appeared to have rolled down the mountain and landed there.
Ah Du’s unease deepened. This old man felt strange.
He had lived with Yun Shang for two years and had never seen anyone dare approach. Who was this odd old man?
“Young man, help me! Please save me!”
The old man’s eyes were sharp; he spotted Ah Du and cried for help. But his hands and nails were blackened, giving him a strange, unsettling appearance.
Ah Du approached but didn’t immediately help. Now a young adolescent, he was no longer helpless. He merely stood at the stream’s edge, watching.
Having studied with Yun Shang for so long, he wasn’t naive. Seeing the old man’s blackened hands and nails, he instinctively knew this was no ordinary person.
“Quickly, young man! Help me up! I fell and my legs are broken!”
The old man tried to grab the bank and stand, but his legs hurt too much.
Ah Du had already observed him. This body was perfect as a test subject. If he dared ignore him, he would pay dearly in the future.
Ah Du ignored the old man’s pleas, furrowing his brow and stepping back. A strange scent came from the man—he clearly felt like trouble.
Without Yun Shang, he felt lost, unsure how to act. And this old man was truly peculiar.