You said you were going to make games, how did you become the richest man without doing anything?

Chapter 552 Who disappeared?
The cafeteria was dimly lit, the sunlight outside the window seemingly blocked by some invisible barrier. Chen Xiang's slender figure stood at the kitchen counter, motionless like a statue. Her shadow, stretched long by the morning light, formed an eerie silhouette on the floor.

Tang Yin stood at the door, looking at the figure from behind, a chill inexplicably welling up in his heart. For some reason, Chen Xiang at this moment gave him an unusually distant feeling, as if there was an invisible film between them.

"Oh, good morning."

Chen Xiang slowly turned around, her voice almost deliberately calm. However, the calmness only lingered in her voice. Her eyes were bloodshot, as if she hadn't slept all night. Her thin cheeks were sunken, making her cheekbones stand out. The corners of her mouth were strained into a stiff smile that seemed ready to shatter at any moment. She looked like a building on the verge of collapse, teetering on the brink of collapse.

Although she tried her best to maintain her calmness on the surface, everyone could see that her inner confusion and sadness had not improved at all. Instead, they seemed to be fermenting and were about to break through a critical point.

"Mom, leave today's meal to me. Can you go and have a rest first?" Qin Ming stepped forward and gently held his mother's hand, his tone full of worry.

"Hey? I'm fine." Chen Xiang shook her head slightly and wanted to pull her hand back.

"Ah, I'll help too!" Wang Lina quickly interrupted, "I cook occasionally too!"

Since two people had already offered to help, Tang Yin felt that he should do something as well. However, considering the atmosphere at the scene, he decided to take Gao Mei away for the time being.

"Let's go." Tang Yin said softly.

Gao Mei followed him silently and left the cafeteria. The corridor was so quiet that they could hear each other's footsteps. Neither of them wanted to talk.

Tang Yin pondered as he walked: Yesterday, she had argued with Madam Chen Xiang, and there was also that failed escape plan. From this perspective, it seemed reasonable for Madam Chen Xiang to vote for her. With Gao Mei's strong personality, she would have been furious, right?

Keeping them at a distance might be a wise choice. However, now that he was alone with Gao Mei, Tang Yin found that he couldn't find a suitable topic to talk about. Moreover, before the day before yesterday, he was a thorn in her side.

Thinking back on Xiao Liang's words, although it was a bit baffling, he had indeed inadvertently entered Gao Mei's forbidden zone of love. Normally, it wouldn't matter if he made a joke, but in this tense atmosphere, it was better to be cautious.

"..."

Sensing a sharp gaze, Tang Yin turned his head and met Gao Mei's scrutinizing gaze. This feeling of being stared at made him feel uncomfortable, so it seemed he had no choice but to get straight to the point.

"Gao Mei." Tang Yin stopped.

"What's wrong?" Her voice sounded a little wary.

Tang Yin took a deep breath and decided to get straight to the point: "I won't beat around the bush. Are you a wolf?"

"No!" Gao Mei turned around abruptly, her voice filled with anger and hurt. Her hands were clenched into fists, her knuckles white, as if she was trying hard to suppress something.

Sunlight streamed through the corridor window onto the floor between them, creating a line of light and dark in the silent air. At this moment, time seemed to freeze.

There is no confusion. However, this is not the basis for judgment.

"You don't believe it?!" Gao Mei's voice was filled with excitement, her fingers tightly clenching the corner of her clothes, her knuckles turning white. "Brother Gang already checked my identity last night, and my innocence will be proven soon!"

Tang Yin stared at her silently, a hint of pity in his eyes. The sunlight filtered through the glass windows of the corridor, weaving a pale golden curtain between them, as if separating the two into different worlds.

"Shouldn't you have noticed?" Tang Yin's voice was low and gentle, as if he was treating a fragile object.

"Huh? What did you find?" Gao Mei frowned, her tone revealing confusion and a hint of uneasiness.

"If he were still alive, he should be in the cafeteria taking care of Madam Chen Xiang right now," Tang Yin said slowly, each word opening a bloody wound. "He came to the cafeteria as soon as he got up yesterday. Madam Chen Xiang needs care the most right now, but why isn't he here?"

Gao Mei's face turned pale in an instant, and her lips trembled slightly: "You are lying, this kind of thing..."

"Then let's go and take a look. Can you lead the way?"

Gao Mei lowered her head, her long hair obscuring her expression: "...I understand..."

Heavy footsteps echoed in the corridor as two people walked towards their destination, one in front of the other. An indescribable sense of oppression hung in the air, making even the morning sunlight seem particularly glaring.

Finally, they arrived at a dark brown wooden door. Gao Mei raised her hand and slammed her fist, her knuckles white, against the door. "Grandma Rong, are you up yet?!"

There was a brass lock on the door, which looked intact, with no signs of damage. The knocks were particularly loud in the silent corridor, but there was no response.

A few minutes later, footsteps were heard from the other side of the door. Granny Rong finally opened the door. She was wearing a gray cotton nightgown, her hair a bit disheveled. When she saw Tang Yin, a look of displeasure immediately crossed her face, and the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes deepened.

"Why you..." There was obvious resistance in her voice.

"I'm sorry, Madam Chen Xiang is not in a good mental state, and we don't have enough manpower." Tang Yin explained politely.

"What is Zhao Gang doing?" Grandma Rong's eyes suddenly became sharp.

"...Let's go find him now." There was a hint of heaviness in Tang Yin's tone.

"……Yeah?"

Granny Rong's expression gradually darkened, and a flicker of understanding flashed across her eyes. She seemed to have realized a possibility, and that possibility made her expression even uglier.

"If you need anything, you can come to me anytime." Tang Yin said at the right time.

"Okay, okay..." Granny Rong responded indifferently and then closed the door.

"Are you so considerate to every woman?" Gao Mei suddenly spoke with a hint of sarcasm in her tone.

Tang Yin smiled bitterly in his heart: Is my taste really that strong?

"Respecting elders and women is a basic gentleman's code of conduct," he replied calmly.

"Is it the same for Sister Lina?" Gao Mei's voice suddenly became sharp.

"I do have a good impression of her." Tang Yin admitted frankly.

"...No, that would make my brother too miserable." Gao Mei's voice suddenly softened, with a hint of heartache.

"Brother..." Tang Yin muttered the word silently, the image of Qin Ming emerging in his mind. In the morning light, their shadows intertwined on the floor, like some kind of inescapable fate. "What does 'pitiable' mean?" Tang Yin narrowed his eyes slightly, the sunlight casting a faint golden glow in his deep pupils.

Gao Mei lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously twisted together, her voice as thin as a mosquito: "Xiaoyi and Xiaoliang are both dead. My brother only has Aunt Chen Xiang and Sister Lina."

She raised her head, tears glistening in her eyes: "Besides, Sister Lina is the strongest among us. Every time we were bullied by the people and adults in Baifeng Village, she protected us..."

At this point, her voice suddenly became choked, as if she was suppressing some unspeakable emotions: “…Don’t take Sister Lina away.”

Tang Yin quietly looked at the stubborn girl before him, and something gradually dawned on him. The sunlight filtered through the window lattices in the corridor, casting mottled shadows on the floor, as if silently telling a story.

It's still unclear what her true attitude towards Wang Lina is, but it's clear that she's more dependent on her than expected. Although Qin Ming claims to have let go of this relationship, it's not so easy to let go of feelings.

Xiaomei was keenly aware of this. She also loved Wang Lina, which was why she hoped they could finally get married. However, from her perspective, this complex emotional entanglement must have been extremely tormenting.

"...I understand how you feel." Tang Yin said softly, with a hint of tenderness in his eyes.

Ultimately, the decision rests with Wang Lina. Judging by her dislike for the Hidden Mist Village, Xiaomei's wish is unlikely to be fulfilled. However, even Tang Yin couldn't truly fathom Wang Lina's innermost thoughts. Even who would survive was uncertain; at a time like this, any further speculation was pointless.

"In short, the most important thing is to end the banquet." Tang Yin's tone suddenly became serious.

He paused and continued, "Although I can't help much, if you have any troubles that are inconvenient to tell acquaintances, you can always come to me."

Gao Mei was stunned, and a blush suddenly appeared on her cheeks: "...Hey, w-what do you mean?"

"Nothing, I don't mean anything else," Tang Yin waved his hand, his tone calm, "It's just that you seem to have a lot of troubles."

The sunlight shone on Gao Mei's slightly red face, making her look a little uneasy. Tang Yin continued, "By the way, I actually think running away is also an option."

"...That kind of thing is impossible." Gao Mei's voice suddenly became cold, and a trace of fear flashed in her eyes.

"Huh? If that's the case, why did you run away?" Tang Yin keenly caught the abnormality in her tone.

Gao Mei's shoulders trembled slightly, and there was a hint of suppressed pain in her voice: "...It is because my escape failed that I can confirm this. We can't get out."

"Is that because you were accidentally injured?" Tang Yin asked tentatively.

"It wasn't an accident." Gao Mei's voice suddenly became unusually clear, each word coming out through gritted teeth. She raised her head, a frightening determination flashing in her eyes. In the sunlight, an indescribable gloom crept across her pale face, as if she were revealing some dark secret.

Tang Yin was silent for a moment, the morning light casting dappled shadows across his deep eyes. "Do you also believe in the existence of gods?" he suddenly asked, his voice so soft it seemed to be carried away by the morning breeze. He observed Gao Mei's reaction, feeling a faint sense that behind this seemingly simple question, perhaps lay a deeper secret about the village.

Gao Mei's body stiffened noticeably. She slowly turned her head with a hint of alertness in her eyes: "...What did you hear?" Her fingertips unconsciously twisted the corners of her clothes, which was her habitual action when she was nervous.

The air seemed to freeze for a few seconds, and even the birdsong in the morning seemed particularly harsh.

"That kind of thing doesn't exist. If you don't think that way, you can't do anything." Gao Mei's tone suddenly became unusually firm, as if she was trying to convince herself. As she spoke, her eyes stared straight ahead, as if avoiding something. Tang Yin noticed her eyelashes trembling slightly; it was clear that this topic had touched upon some hidden wound within her.

The atmosphere suddenly grew tense. Gao Mei didn't give Tang Yin a chance to question further. She turned and quickly walked towards the bungalow area. Her footsteps were particularly clear in the morning silence, as if she was leaving something behind. Seeing this, Tang Yin hurriedly followed, his leather shoes making a slight sound on the dew-soaked bluestone slabs.

“Ah… meow…”

A timid voice suddenly called out. Entering the bungalow area, they saw the mysterious girl, Xiaome, standing alone on the dew-soaked grass. She wore a slightly oversized white dress, the hem of which blew gently in the morning breeze, like a dandelion ready to float away. Her eyes were slightly red, and she looked as if she was about to burst into tears. Her slender figure seemed unusually fragile in the morning light.

"Good morning, what's wrong?" Tang Yin asked in a slow tone, trying to make his voice sound gentle and harmless.

"Mee..." Little Mee lowered his head, his voice as thin as a mosquito, like a frightened deer.

Gao Mei frowned, her tone filled with a hint of impatience: "...Be normal, it's not like you can't speak."

"Woo." Xiao Mee was frightened by the sudden scolding and shrank his neck, taking a half step back like a frightened little animal.

"That will scare her." Tang Yin said softly, then put on a relaxed expression and deliberately lowered his voice, "Look at me, good morning~"

“…Mee, mee…” Xiao Mee still responded in this strange way, as if this was her only way to communicate with the outside world.

It seemed like this wasn't going to work. Tang Yin glanced at Gao Mei, who looked impatient, and decided to change the subject: "...Where's the flower dew?"

Hearing this name, Xiao Mei's originally dim eyes suddenly lit up, like a lit star: "Sister?"

"Well, where is it?" Tang Yin asked, but a sense of unease inexplicably welled up in his heart.

"It hasn't come out yet..." Xiaome's voice became lower again, like dandelion fluff blown away by the wind.

"...Her house is right here." Gao Mei pointed to the house next to her, frowning slightly. In the morning light, the simple bungalow was shrouded in an eerie tranquility.

Tang Yin remembered that he had indeed been here yesterday. Back then, the sunlight had also slanted across the white walls of the house, casting long, thin shadows.

"Miss Hualu!" Tang Yin knocked hard on the door, raising his voice. The wooden door made a dull thud, but there was no response.

Tang Yin and Gao Mei glanced at each other, a hint of uneasiness flashing in their eyes. Could something have really happened?

But they soon discovered that the door was locked, which seemed to give them a glimmer of hope.

"Miss Hualu!" Tang Yin called out a few more times, but there was still no response. He hesitated for a moment, then pressed his ear to the door, holding his breath and listening carefully.

Suddenly, there was a rustling sound in the house, like the sound of cloth rubbing, or like something being dragged.

"She seems to be changing clothes." Tang Yin breathed a sigh of relief and said as he straightened up.

Gao Mei's frown deepened. "...So...as expected..." Her voice trembled, as if she had thought of something terrifying. In the morning light, a shadow of unease crossed her pale face, and a subtle glint of fear flashed in her eyes. The morning suddenly seemed unusually long, as if some unknown danger was quietly approaching.

(End of this chapter)