Chapter 32: Chapter 32: Those Who Know Too Much Don’t Live Long
Sitting idly by, just playing it safe, might grant a moment of peace, but what about later?
As these thoughts crossed her mind, a new idea began to form. Zhao Nuanyue had to start planning for the future.
Seeing that Zhao Nuanyang was asleep, Zhao Nuanyue crept out of the room. She went to the corner of the Dragon King Temple’s wall and dug up a few duck eggs. Then she ran to the outskirts of the village, found a hidden spot, and secretly started a fire to boil them.
Then, she hurried over to the cowshed to give the eggs to the old men.
Hua Yusen, who was cleaning the elders’ wounds, heard footsteps outside. Startled, he quickly vaulted over the wall to hide.
"Who’s there?" a tense, low voice called out. "Who is it in the middle of the night?"
Zhao Nuanyue moved nimbly, hopping over the fence.
"Don’t be afraid. I’m one of the youths sent to Nianqiao Village," Zhao Nuanyue whispered. "Here, take these. I secretly boiled five duck eggs for you."
With that, Zhao Nuanyue handed one of the five duck eggs to each of the five men.
Before the men could react, Zhao Nuanyue had already nimbly vaulted back over the wall and was gone.
She came and went in a flash.
The five elders exchanged bewildered glances, feeling the warmth of the eggs in their palms. ’Who was that young lady? What does she want?’
The men didn’t know Zhao Nuanyue, but Hua Yusen, who had been eavesdropping from his hiding spot behind the wall, recognized her voice instantly.
So, the young woman was Zhao Nuanyue—the very same girl whose face had flashed through his mind on several occasions.
’She’s an incredibly shrewd girl with strong self-preservation instincts,’ he thought. ’Coming here to deliver duck eggs can’t be just an act of kindness. She must have another motive.’
Still, Hua Yusen couldn’t think of any motive for Zhao Nuanyue to harm these men.
’Could she have also realized that some of these five men were once people of importance?’
Hua Yusen wasn’t sure what to think, so he decided to observe Zhao Nuanyue more closely from now on. After all, they were living together now, which made it very convenient.
With food and someone looking after them, the elders’ condition improved slightly. At night, they huddled together for warmth. With dry straw packed over and under them, they didn’t feel too cold. It was bearable.
Zhao Nuanyue and Hua Yusen arrived near the Dragon King Temple, one after the other.
"Zhao Nuanyue, what’s your purpose in getting close to those men?" Hua Yusen demanded. ’This mission is too important,’ he thought. ’I can’t afford any mistakes.’
Zhao Nuanyue had slowed her pace on purpose, hoping Hua Yusen would catch up. This way, she could talk to him about working together. The situation was grim, and trying to handle it alone was incredibly difficult. If she had someone to cooperate with, things would be much easier.
"It’s you!" Zhao Nuanyue feigned surprise, as if just recognizing him. "You’re pretending to be one of the sent-down youths. What are *you* doing here?"
"I asked you first. You answer first," Hua Yusen said domineeringly, taking a few steps to close the distance between them. "If you don’t, I’ll have to resort to some... unsavory methods to make you talk."
He knew a hundred ways of forcing a confession, a hundred ways to make her break.
Even though he couldn’t see her clearly in the dark, Hua Yusen could hear the tension in Zhao Nuanyue’s voice.
"First of all, I feel sorry for those men. They’re old and in a pitiful state. Since I have the means, I want to help them," Zhao Nuanyue answered, then deliberately stopped talking.
"And secondly?" Hua Yusen pressed. "Since you’ve already guessed who I am, there’s no need to be secretive."
"Hah! Fine. Let’s be frank, then," Zhao Nuanyue nodded. "I believe some of those five men are very important people..."
Before Zhao Nuanyue could say more, a figure blurred. Hua Yusen was suddenly in front of her, his hand clamped around her throat.
Zhao Nuanyue gasped in shock, struggling instinctively.
But Hua Yusen’s voice, cold and sinister, came from right above her. "People who know too much don’t tend to live very long."
Though her heart hammered with fear, Zhao Nuanyue knew Hua Yusen was a man of principle. She believed that as long as she didn’t defy him, he wouldn’t kill her just to silence her.
"But what if I can help you?" Zhao Nuanyue said, mustering her courage. "It’s better to have a helper for some things."
"You’re quite direct," Hua Yusen said with a chuckle, releasing his grip. "Since you’re the one proposing it, I suppose we can consider cooperation."
Hearing the word "cooperation," Zhao Nuanyue smiled. This was exactly what she had been waiting for him to say. There was a world of difference between her bringing it up and him being the one to suggest it. Now, she could seize the initiative.
"Cooperation... how would we cooperate? And what’s in it for me? After all, this sort of thing is very risky," Zhao Nuanyue asked, her large, round, lovely eyes fixed on Hua Yusen. "Besides, I’m just an ordinary girl. I can’t give you any guarantees. I can only say I’ll do what I can, like secretly bringing them food like I did today."
"That’s more than enough. I don’t need you to do any fighting or killing. You just need to provide them with food and look after them," Hua Yusen said with an understanding nod. "Until they receive the justice they deserve, you just need to do these things in secret. Don’t let anyone see you. Learn to protect yourself."
"I can do all that," Zhao Nuanyue said confidently. "And I’m able to provide enough food, because I know how to fish. My skills are excellent. Now, are you going to tell me what I get out of this? Your willingness to cooperate proves you’ve already investigated my background. You know I’m in no position to make selfless sacrifices. My own difficult situation shows that I need help, too—maybe not right now, but I definitely will in the future."
It was true; Hua Yusen had indeed investigated Zhao Nuanyue’s background. After her image had flashed through his mind time and again, how could he possibly be at ease without finding out everything about this woman?
Fortunately, the investigation hadn’t turned up anything particularly suspicious. Zhao Nuanyue was just a pitiful girl.
Back home in Jincheng City, she had a stepfather, who now had a new child with her mother. They probably couldn’t be bothered with Zhao Nuanyue and Zhao Nuanyang anymore, and they certainly wouldn’t be offering them any help in the future. Everything Zhao Nuanyue had said was for one purpose: to get a promise from him that he would help them leave this place one day.
’That’s simple enough,’ he thought. ’But only on the condition that she helps me complete this mission.’
’Zhao Nuanyue is just a weak woman struggling to survive, so it’s reasonable for her to make such a demand. It’s a fair exchange, a partnership.’
"I agree to your condition," Hua Yusen nodded. "I can promise that if you need help in the future, I will help you—provided you don’t break the law. I understand what you’re asking for. You want me to have your back, to help you get back to the city. However, I don’t think you want to return to Jincheng City just yet. Even if you did go back, you’d have no place for yourselves in that home."
Hearing Hua Yusen say this, Zhao Nuanyue fell silent.
