"This old woman has lived for most of her life, and the only place she's ever seen a house this big is on TV," exclaimed Grandma Qiu as Qiu Xi opened the courtyard gate.
"That's right. After living our whole lives, we never expected that at our age, close to the grave, we'd still get to live with our granddaughter and enjoy ourselves," Grandpa Qiu followed behind, his eyes scanning everywhere.
"This courtyard is really nice!"
"And look at that little pavilion over there, it's so different from our small flat."
"Grandpa, Grandma, come, I'll show you inside."
Qiu Xi watched the two elders smiling, their wrinkles becoming more noticeable. She herself was happy. If Grandpa and Grandma could live happily here, then a major concern in her heart could be put to rest.
"Alright, let's go inside and see."
Qiu Xi led them in. "Okay."
"Such a large living room, won't it be hard to clean!" Upon entering, the two elders stared at the vast living room and murmured to themselves. It wasn't that they were being overly surprised; it was simply that their previous dwelling couldn't compare to this. Just this one living room was likely more than half the area of their old place.
Qiu Xi walked ahead, holding her grandmother's hand and explaining, "Grandma, you don't have to worry about that. Someone will come to clean regularly."
"Is that so..."
"Come, I'll take you to see the others."
"Okay..."
And so, Qiu Xi, ignoring the others present, started touring with the two elders. The elderly couple could be said to be experiencing such a luxurious residence for the first time in their lives, their mouths agape since they entered.
"Xiao Xi, you let your Grandpa and I rest for a while. We won't go upstairs; we need to catch our breath." After being rushed around and not getting enough rest, the elders had little energy left after the initial tour.
"Okay, then let's go sit for a bit and have some water to rest."
"Mm."
"Dad, Mom, Xiao Ge, how is it?" Just as they arrived, Qiu Ge came running down from upstairs excitedly.
"Sis! This is too big!"
"But I've already picked out my room." Qiu Ge finished speaking in one breath without even pausing.
"Alright."
"Dad, Mom, what about you?"
"The two of us won't go running around anymore. We'll pick a room downstairs so we can keep an eye on Grandpa and Grandma." The couple had also looked around, and it was indeed very nice, but they chose a room downstairs.
"Mm."
"Aunt, you and Cousin pick your own rooms." So many rooms, so much freedom. Uncle was busy and couldn't make it.
"Oh, Mom, the furniture and decorations I bought earlier are all in the warehouse. Once we've rested, you and Dad can look after them." Her own room was done up according to the style in Jinhai City, and she had already asked people to arrange it. She had asked the family before, but everyone said they wanted to see it first before deciding, so she hadn't touched anything.
"Alright, you little manager, you're done here. Go take care of your own things." Mother Qiu looked at her daughter, whose mouth hadn't stopped since they entered. She wasn't tired of talking, but Mother Qiu was tired of listening.
"Okay..."
"Pfft~"
"Sis, look at what you're saying. Xiao Xi is so wronged." Huang Xianyi, who was contemplating the villa next door, couldn't help but chuckle at her slightly wronged niece.
"I haven't even said anything!" Mother Qiu glared at her sister. "Take Xuan Ming to look at the rooms. Don't just stand here."
"Got it!" Huang Xianyi smiled and, pulling her son along, immediately walked away.
"Mom, then you handle it yourself. I won't interfere!" Mother Qiu nodded. "Go ahead."
Qiu Xi nodded and returned to her room. She still had homework to finish! As soon as Mother Qiu saw her daughter leave, she immediately headed towards her workspace. This was something she had specifically requested; her current business ventures required a proper studio here. If it grew bigger and stronger in the future, she would also be someone who "worked remotely" from here! Over time, Mother Qiu's ambition had "inflated" day by day! However, none of that mattered anymore; they weren't relying on these things for a living now. Their daughter would occasionally provide a large sum of money, making their lives incredibly comfortable!
...
While everyone was lost in their own thoughts, Qiu Xi was busily working in her small study. Qiu Xi, who had planned to start studying the materials provided by Teacher Su after resting, had just taken the materials out of her pocket when she received a video call from Liang Yunfei.
"Xiao Feifei, what made you think of calling me?" As soon as Qiu Xi spoke, Liang Yunfei's face darkened.
"Did you forget, or did you drag me onto a sinking ship!" She was here toiling away, studying like a madwoman, working 996 and even that was an understatement. Ever since she returned, her father, knowing her little aspirations, hadn't let her rest for a moment. She was well on her way to paying hefty tuition fees. Yet, the moment she found a chance to update on her progress, this person said that to her. Wasn't this a terrible teammate, a betraying teammate!
"Ahem!"
"How could that be!" Speaking of which, Qiu Xi felt a little guilty. She had been too busy lately, and she had put Xiao Feifei's matter aside, planning to talk about it after school started. So, at first, she was a bit stunned.
Liang Yunfei stared. "How could that not be?" The drawn-out single sentence made Qiu Xi feel even guiltier.
"Xiao Feifei, let's get straight to the point!" Helpless, Qiu Xi tried to divert her friend's attention.
"Right! I'm looking for you for a serious matter!" It was also a coincidence that Liang Yunfei did indeed have something important to discuss with Qiu Xi. So when Qiu Xi said that, she immediately forgot about settling scores.
"Mm, hurry up and tell me, I'm listening." Seeing the danger averted, Qiu Xi immediately cooperated enthusiastically.
"It's just that I recently encountered a strange person..."
"A strange person? How strange?" Seeing that Qiu Xi had fallen into thought and remained silent, Qiu Xi prompted herself.
"Strange clothes, and strange behavior!" Liang Yunfei thought for a moment and summarized it in one sentence. Then, after a pause, she continued, "I met this person at the city library recently." For a week, whenever her father wasn't free to take her, Liang Yunfei would go to the city library herself to cram. "At first, I didn't pay much attention, but recently this person would pop up from time to time, always mumbling. What's strange is that what they mumbled was exactly what I wanted to know."
"For this reason, I've observed this person carefully for several days."
Qiu Xi was curious. "And then?"
"The strange thing is, I didn't find anything..." This was what frustrated Liang Yunfei the most. Finding nothing made her heart itch with curiosity, eager to know the answer, but in the end, there was nothing. It was as if all of this were just a coincidence. Qiu Xi was also puzzled. Could it really just be Xiao Feifei's illusion? Or was it just a coincidence? However, with so many coincidences, was that possible?
"Xiao Feifei, how old does this person look?"
"Can't tell clearly. They have a scruffy beard and dress very casually. They look quite old, but their voice doesn't sound that old..."
"In short, it's... contradictory!"
"This..." That was truly bizarre!
"Xiao Feifei, listen to me. Next time you go to the library, bring someone with you and directly confront the person." It's important to guard against others, even if one doesn't intend harm. Whether they are human or ghost, knowing the truth will bring peace of mind.
"This... is it okay?" The reason Liang Yunfei didn't tell her family but chose to tell Qiu Xi was twofold. Firstly, although the person was strange, much of what they said coincided with Qiu Xi's own thoughts, making her believe they were talented. Secondly, she privately felt that this person didn't seem like a bad person. Qiu Xi thought about it and understood, so she changed her approach.
"Then how about we do it more gently? You still bring someone with you, but we'll be a bit softer. You can directly question them clearly." "This way, if we can elicit something, it would be best. If we get nothing, then they are suspicious, and we should avoid them in the future."
Liang Yunfei listened and nodded. "Okay, I'll try it this week." Xiao Xi was right; there are always a thousand days for a thief but never a thousand days for a guard. It's the same in this matter, so it's only right for her to find out the truth. The city library is such a large place, and if she brings someone and is prepared, there shouldn't be any danger.
"Mm."
"Don't worry. In your words, they should just be a normal eccentric person."
"Mm!"