Chapter 270: The Sister-in-law's Fear

Inside the room, it was quiet and silent.

The young girl, who had covered her face with the quilt, was shy but still obediently extended her other small, snow-white foot.

Luo Zijun held it in his hand and gently rubbed it a few times.

At this moment, it was already dark outside the window.

Luo Zijun let go, tucked the quilt in for the young girl on the bed, and said, "Miss Yang, it is getting late. You should rest well. After I return and discuss this with my master, I will come to visit again."

Having said that, he prepared to take his leave along with Bai Qingtong.

Yang Wenfang hurriedly revealed her face from the quilt, her tone somewhat fearful as she pleaded, "Young Master Luo, Qingtong, could you please stay with me a little longer?"

Bai Qingtong looked at her and was about to agree when Luo Zijun asked, "Is Miss Yang very afraid?"

With a sobbing tone, Yang Wenfang said tremblingly, "During this period, I... I have nightmares every night. It's so terrifying..."

"Oh?"

Luo Zijun's gaze flickered as he asked, "Does Miss Yang remember what kind of nightmares you have?"

Yang Wenfang's eyes were filled with fear, and her body trembled as she said, "Blood... there is blood everywhere... there are monsters..."

"What kind of monsters?"

Luo Zijun asked.

Yang Wenfang shook her head tremblingly: "I... I forgot..."

Luo Zijun did not press further; he glanced outside the window and said, "Alright, we will stay with you a little longer."

The two sat in the room for a while longer.

Bai Qingtong sat by the bedside, holding Yang Wenfang's hand and whispering words of comfort.

It was around the Hour of the Bo when the two finally bid farewell and left.

By now, the night outside had grown thick.

The small courtyard was pitch black.

In the night sky, there were only a few dim stars.

Luo Zijun and Bai Qingtong exited the small courtyard, helped close the courtyard gate, and continued walking toward the outside of the mansion.

The entire Yang Mansion was silent and still.

At this moment, Bai Qingtong finally could not help but ask, "Brother-in-law, what exactly did you see?"

Luo Zijun glanced around, his expression becoming somewhat grave, and he whispered, "Uncle Yang and Aunt Lan said that Miss Yang has been lying in bed this whole time and hasn't gone out. However, I just discovered that there is some debris under her fingernails, and there are some thin calluses that have just formed on the soles of her feet. Clearly, she has not only been going out frequently lately, but she has also been doing so barefoot."

Bai Qingtong was stunned, her face full of astonishment: "Are you saying that Uncle Yang, Aunt Lan, and Wenfang are all lying to us? Why?"

Luo Zijun looked at the darkness ahead and said, "It is not necessarily that they are lying."

Once these words were spoken, Bai Qingtong became even more confused.

Luo Zijun looked at her, his dark pupils as deep as the night, and the words he spoke made her shudder in fear: "Perhaps Miss Yang sneaks out every night, and no one knows, including herself."

Bai Qingtong opened her mouth, and her face suddenly began to turn pale.

At this moment, she suddenly felt the night wind was a bit cold and the surroundings were somewhat eerie, so she hurriedly moved closer to him, pressing against his body, and said with a trembling tone, "Brother-in-law, you... don't scare me..."

Luo Zijun did not speak again; he stopped, turned his head, and looked at that dark and silent small courtyard.

Bai Qingtong also turned to look, her body trembling as she pressed even closer to him, saying, "Brother-in-law, why would Wenfang sneak out barefoot every night?"

Luo Zijun shrugged, as if joking: "Perhaps she was hungry at night and snuck out to find something to eat."

Bai Qingtong was taken aback.

"Caw—"

At this moment, a night bird suddenly flew over their heads, letting out a strange cry.

Bai Qingtong was immediately startled, let out a cry of "Ah," and hurriedly threw herself into his arms, grabbing hold of him.

Luo Zijun was speechless: "If you are afraid, you should go home. It is only the Hour of the Bo, and the night is still long."

Bai Qingtong immediately shook her head, still holding him tightly: "I won't... with Brother-in-law here, I... I am not afraid."

Luo Zijun felt somewhat uncomfortable being held by her soft, delicate body, and catching the faint, unique fragrance of a young girl on her, he looked at her delicate face and watery eyes raised just inches away, and could not help but feel his heart rate accelerate, so he hurriedly said, "Let go..."

"No, who told Brother-in-law to deliberately scare me..."

Bai Qingtong continued to hold him, refusing to let go.

Luo Zijun gave a "cough, cough" and said, "Men and women should not touch when handing things over, let alone the fact that we are brother-in-law and sister-in-law. You doing this..."

"But a brother-in-law should protect his sister-in-law!"

Bai Qingtong immediately interrupted him, her face flushed red, and she glared at him with her face tilted up, adding, "In Brother-in-law's heart, which is more important: the rules, or the safety of your sister-in-law?"

Luo Zijun was just about to speak,

Luo Zijun: "..."

Bai Qingtong froze for a moment, suddenly realized what was happening, hurriedly loosened her arms, backed away from his embrace, and then looked up at him with a face full of crimson.

"Uh... the moon is really round tonight."

Luo Zijun looked up at the night sky.

However, the night sky was pitch black, the stars were dim, and the moon had long since hidden behind the clouds, nowhere to be seen.

"Where is the moon?"

Bai Qingtong also looked up, helping to change the subject.

Luo Zijun gazed at the night sky and said, "In my eyes, and also in my heart. Although others cannot see it, it is always there."

Bai Qingtong's gaze turned to him, and she said, "Who is the moon Brother-in-law speaks of? Is it that senior sister of yours who is as beautiful as the moon?"

Luo Zijun withdrew his gaze and said, "The moon I speak of is not a person; it is a kind of light."

Bai Qingtong asked again, "Then who is Brother-in-law's light? Is it that brilliant senior sister of yours?"

"Quiet, don't speak anymore."

Luo Zijun did not intend to speak with her again; he walked to a large tree in a corner nearby and turned his gaze toward that silent small courtyard.

Bai Qingtong followed him over, and her gaze also looked over there.

The night grew thicker.

Soon, it reached the hour of the third watch.

In the night sky, a silver moon quietly poked half its cheek out from behind dark clouds, as if it were a cold eye, secretly watching them.

"Meow—"

At this very moment, a black wild cat jumped onto the roof and let out a cry, its pair of emerald eyes flickering with an eerie light under the dim moonlight.

"Brother-in-law, I..."

"Shh..."

Just as Bai Qingtong was about to speak, Luo Zijun stopped her, his gaze fixed tightly on the small courtyard ahead.

However, after a long while passed, still nothing unusual occurred.

Bai Qingtong finally could not help it, and said shyly, "Brother-in-law, I... I want to... relieve myself..."

Luo Zijun was speechless and said, "Go ahead."

Bai Qingtong glanced at the surrounding darkness, reached out to grab his sleeve, and said, "I... I'm afraid..."

She used to be quite bold, but tonight she was truly frightened.

This atmosphere, combined with the things her brother-in-law had just said, was too bizarre.

Luo Zijun looked ahead and said, "Then just squat down and relieve yourself here; I won't look at you."

"..."

Bai Qingtong was stunned for a moment, her face flushed red; after hesitating for a while, she had no choice but to walk a few steps behind, stop in the flower bushes by the wall, and say, "Brother-in-law, you are not allowed to turn your head."

Luo Zijun said, "Mm."

Although Bai Qingtong was shy, she could no longer hold it in; she glanced at him a few more times, then had no choice but to untie her sash and squat down with a red face.

But because she was too nervous and shy, she could not urinate for a long time.

"Meow—"

At this moment, the black cat on the roof suddenly cried out again, then lowered its head, its emerald gaze looking down at the courtyard below the house.

"Sss—"

At this time, Luo Zijun suddenly heard a sound coming from the flower bushes behind him.

Bai Qingtong immediately covered her face and lowered her head tightly.

"Creak..."

At this very moment, the wooden door of the small courtyard in front actually opened slowly.

Then, a figure slowly walked out from inside the door and appeared under the moonlight outside.

Looking closely, it was actually Yang Wenfang, completely naked and wearing no clothes at all!

At this moment, Yang Wenfang had empty eyes and a dull expression on her face; she stood blankly at the doorway for a while, then suddenly turned around and walked toward the path on the left.

Bai Qingtong, squatting in the flower bushes, was stunned with fear upon seeing this scene.

Luo Zijun turned his head, placed a finger on his lips to signal her not to make any sound, and then quietly followed.

Bai Qingtong also hurriedly stood up, put on her dress, and followed behind.

Just as Luo Zijun was tracking her, a soft and cold little hand suddenly reached out from behind and grabbed him tightly, seemingly still trembling.

Luo Zijun turned his head to look; his sister-in-law's face had already turned white with fear.

Luo Zijun deliberately leaned into her ear and whispered, "You just finished urinating; you touched me without washing your hands?"

Bai Qingtong was stunned for a moment, immediately glared at him, and her other hand also suddenly grabbed his wrist tightly, with the look of "I insist on touching you."

The two continued to follow behind.

Yang Wenfang had a dull expression and continued walking barefoot toward the garden in the back.

"Meow—"

At this very moment, the wild cat that had just been standing on the roof suddenly jumped onto the nearby courtyard wall, looking at her with a puzzled gaze.

Hearing the cry, Yang Wenfang suddenly stopped her steps, raised her head, and looked at the wild cat.

The wild cat tilted its head, stared at her for a few moments, then withdrew its gaze, preparing to leave.

But at this very moment, with a "whoosh," Yang Wenfang actually rushed over in a flash, then sprang up and grabbed the wild cat that had suddenly been startled and leaped into the air!

The wild cat did not escape and was grabbed by the throat by her.

"Woo—"

The wild cat struggled in terror.

Yang Wenfang landed on the ground, looked down, and suddenly lowered her head, beginning to tear into it and swallow in large mouthfuls.

The wild cat screamed miserably in pain, but because its throat was gripped, it could only emit hoarse and short whimpers; soon its body was bitten open, and it breathed its last!

"Crunch... crunch..."

Yang Wenfang was completely naked, her long hair disheveled, standing under the wall corner, holding the wild cat's corpse in both hands, her mouth full of fresh blood, the bones crunching as she chewed.

Bai Qingtong watched this terrifying scene, her eyes wide with fright, her face drained of color.

Luo Zijun took her and hid in the shadows of the corner behind, holding her trembling, delicate body in his arms, one hand gently stroking the hair on her back, silently comforting her.

He was afraid this girl would not be able to help but cry out.

This scene, let alone her, even he, who had already seen ghosts and monsters, felt his hair stand on end.

A delicate young girl who had been bedridden for many days suddenly went out quietly in the middle of the night while naked, then jumped several meters high and directly devoured a wild cat alive!

And it was her childhood friend, at that.

In such a situation, how could she not be shocked, how could she not be terrified?

Very quickly, Yang Wenfang finished eating the entire corpse of the wild cat, then licked her fingers with a lingering sense of satisfaction until the bloodstains on them were all licked clean, only then did she continue walking forward.

She walked toward the back gate of the manor, seemingly preparing to go out.

At this very moment, Luo Zijun finally knew what was left behind in the young girl's fingernails, and finally knew why there was a thin layer of calluses on the soles of her feet.

Of course, he also knew why she could go days without eating or drinking yet not feel hungry at all.

Because every late night, she would go out alone, quietly, to forage for food.

(End of this chapter)