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

Chapter 617

Has Xiaoliang discovered it?

Tang Yin's gaze flicked over Tong Xiaoliang, who was casually blowing on his hot tea. His gaze, however, seemed to pierce through a person's skin and reach their very soul. "Whether he's human or wolf, he must have figured out I'm a Protector, right?" Tang Yin felt a surge of anxiety, yet he maintained a calm demeanor. He didn't speak, even slowing his breathing.

How did this guy find out?
Tang Yin's gaze inadvertently shifted to Wang Lina. She hadn't let Tong Xiaoliang go upstairs alone... Did this mean she had also discovered Tong Xiaoliang's danger? This seemingly carefree teenager was probably more difficult to deal with than anyone else.

Perhaps, Tang Yin should check his identity.

...Damn, what a headache.

Just as Tang Yin was lost in thought, he heard soft footsteps on the stairs. The three people from the Qin family finally came downstairs.

Qin Ming walked in front, his expression as calm as usual, but his brows were slightly furrowed, as if something was on his mind. Chen Xiang followed closely behind, her face showing a hint of fatigue, but her eyes were gentle. Qin Yi, on the other hand, lowered his head, his lips tightly pursed, and his whole body was filled with repressed emotions.

The three of them walked back to their seats silently without saying a word.

Tang Yin's gaze fell on Qin Yi. This normally cynical young man now had a serious expression. At first glance, he bore a striking resemblance to Qin Ming—brothers indeed.

"...The atmosphere is too depressing. I'll go make some dessert." Chen Xiang broke the silence. Her voice was gentle, but with a hint of tired sigh.

A moment later, Chen Xiang brought out a snack that Tang Yin had never seen before - a bowl of steaming gray-brown paste with a fragrant aroma.

"What is this?" Tang Yin frowned and couldn't help asking.

"Ah, is it barley porridge? I miss it so much." Wang Lina answered first, with a hint of nostalgia in her tone.

Tang Yin took a spoonful and found it surprisingly sweet, but the most striking thing about it was its aroma - warm and rich, as if it could dispel all the coldness.

Xia Hui added in a low voice, "...This is fried barley flour, right? It's made by frying barley flour and then adding hot water to cook it."

As the aroma filled the room, the tension between the group seemed to dissipate bit by bit. The atmosphere gradually relaxed, and whispers of conversation began to rise again. Before they knew it, time had slipped towards five in the afternoon.

However, Zhao Gang still did not come back.

Tang Yin volunteered to stay and help Chen Xiang wash the dishes, but was met with Qin Yi's undisguised hostility.

"Don't stare at me like that." Tang Yin sighed, wiping a plate casually, his tone filled with helplessness, "I wouldn't go so far as to attack a widow whose son is already in high school."

Chen Xiang was stunned for a moment, then smiled softly, turned around and patted Tang Yin's shoulder: "Tang Yin, you should go back today."

However, Qin Yi's tone was stinging: "Just fall into the paddy field."

Tang Yin didn't take it seriously and waved his hand: "Hahaha, goodbye."

After leaving, Tang Yin's mood did not relax. He felt something was wrong... What on earth had the mother and her two children discussed upstairs today?
Deep in the thick fog, the coldness grew stronger. Tang Yin walked forward while thinking.

A thick fog filled the air. Tang Yin had just stepped onto the path when he unexpectedly encountered three students. Tong Xiaoliang stood at the front, his hands in his pockets, a wide smile on his face, as if he had anticipated Tang Yin's presence. Gao Mei stood to the side, her arms folded, a cold expression and a complex gaze. Qin Ming stood silently at the back, his head slightly lowered, a hint of fatigue between his brows.

"Ah, Uncle Tang, is it over so early today?" Tong Xiaoliang spoke first, his tone light and cheerful, as if he was chatting, but Tang Yin could feel his sharp eyes staring at him.

"... Finish your talk quickly and go back." Gao Mei said in a light tone, as if she didn't want to say anything more.

Qin Ming took a step forward and whispered, "Sorry, can you take up a moment?"

Tang Yin stopped and looked up at him: "Is there something you want to talk to me about?"

Qin Ming nodded slightly, his tone calm: "First of all, I must thank you." He spoke briefly, but with sincerity.

"Thank you?" Tang Yin raised his eyebrows, seeming a little surprised.

"You stopped Qin Yi yesterday, right? He has already told me." Qin Ming looked directly at Tang Yin. Although his tone was gentle, there seemed to be a test in his eyes.

Tang Yin shrugged and gave a helpless smile: "Hey, have I even told you about this?"

"Nothing, don't mind it." Qin Ming waved his hand, frowning slightly, his tone filled with gratitude, "Thanks to your words, he calmed down. Although your way of expression was a bit... inappropriate."

"I'm truly sorry," Tang Yin smiled, a hint of teasing in his tone, "In that situation, I couldn't think of any other words that would anger him."

"I understand." Qin Ming nodded, but his eyes became deeper.

"What are you talking about?" Gao Mei, standing aside, couldn't help but interrupt, her eyes full of confusion.

"It should be a small yellow terrier, right?" Tong Xiaoliang interrupted with a sly smile on his face.

"...Don't make wild guesses," Tang Yin sighed. "His straightforward nature is certainly quite good, but whether at the banquet or outside of it, he doesn't have a very clear position."

"Yeah," Qin Ming nodded, his tone revealing a hint of helplessness, "That's why I wanted to tell him to think before acting, but Mom..."

"Did she say anything?" Tang Yin asked, with a hint of inquiry in his tone.

Qin Ming was silent for a moment, then shook his head and lowered his voice: "...I just said some boring things, but it should be able to calm Qin Yi down."

**It seems he doesn't want to talk about this topic any more.** Tang Yin thought to himself, and did not continue to ask, but changed the subject: "Well, anyway, is this all you said at that time?"

"That's it," Qin Ming said in a steady tone, but with a hint of subtle alienation. "I hope you don't doubt us."

"That's right!" Gao Mei suddenly interrupted, raising her chin with a hint of provocation in her tone, "Brother would never do anything bad! It's probably you who's more suspicious!"

"Ha," Tong Xiaoliang chuckled, his eyes fixed on Tang Yin, his tone teasing, "But in Uncle Tang's eyes, Xiaomei and I are also suspicious, right?"

Tang Yin didn't answer, his gaze sweeping over the group. A faint smile played on his face, but his inner vigilance grew. "That's what I wanted to say," Qin Ming interrupted. His expression was serious, as if he was deliberately drawing a line between the two.

"That's not true. I'm the one who's useless. I'm obviously an adult." Tang Yin laughed at himself with a wry smile. There was helplessness in his tone, but his eyes swept across the people present thoughtfully.

"Ha, now only Xiaomei's grandfather is capable. There's nothing we can do about it. When it's foggy, everyone is powerless." Tong Xiaoliang shrugged, his hands in his pockets, his tone nonchalant, but with a hint of heaviness.

Tang Yin raised his eyebrows and looked at him sideways: "So you can say such serious words."

"Okay, let's go back." Qin Ming interrupted their conversation and looked at Tang Yin calmly, with a hint of meaningful reminder in his tone, "Tang Yin, you should be careful too."

Tang Yin nodded and was about to say goodbye when he felt a burning gaze fixed on him. He turned and saw Gao Mei standing there, staring at him intently, her eyes so cold they seemed to penetrate the thick fog.

"What do you mean by 'already tried'?" Gao Mei suddenly spoke, her tone calm, yet it made people feel an inexplicable sense of oppression.

Tang Yin was slightly startled, alarm bells blaring in his heart. "What is she talking about? Tried?" Instantly, countless thoughts raced through his mind, and then a sudden realization hit him—could it be the same line he'd used to trick Qin Yi last night?
"...Ah, that, could it be that Xiaomei was there and heard us talking yesterday?" Tang Yin asked tentatively, while trying to appear more natural.

This makes sense, after all, Hualu also overheard the conversation last night.

However, Tong Xiaoliang smiled with interest and asked lightly, "The three of us went back early yesterday. Did you go back alone to look for him?"

Qin Ming and Tong Xiaoliang both looked puzzled at this, clearly completely unaware. Gao Mei didn't respond, but simply stood there in silence. The atmosphere suddenly became subtle and tense.

"...Xiaomei?" Tang Yin called out again tentatively, with a hint of anxiety.

However, he immediately regretted it the next second.

Gao Mei's mouth suddenly curved strangely, as if painted with a cold arc. Her voice lowered a few notes, carrying an indescribable chill: "Really? So it's rebirth? You've been reborn several times, right?"

Instantly, Tang Yin's heart sank, and cold sweat trickled down his back. His gaze fixed on Gao Mei's face. That twisted smile lingered in his ears like a demon's whisper.

"......!" Qin Ming's face suddenly changed, and he shouted harshly: "Xiaomei!"

The next moment, Gao Mei's expression seemed to be blown away by a gust of wind, returning to her usual cold expression. She blinked, tilted her head and looked at Qin Ming, her tone full of confusion: "...Oh, what's wrong?"

Qin Ming took a deep breath, stepped forward and took her hand, his tone gentle but unquestionable: "Let's go, let's go back together."

"Wait, what happened just now?" Tang Yin's face was gloomy, his eyes fixed on Gao Mei. His intuition told him that the moment just now was definitely not an illusion.

"Uncle Tang." Tong Xiaoliang suddenly stood in front of Tang Yin, his usual smile on his face, but his tone was lowered a bit, with an irrefutable force, "This is our secret, it should have nothing to do with the banquet. Don't delve into it, go back to sleep."

"...What do you mean?" Tang Yin frowned and said in a low voice, "Are you talking about Xiaomei's appearance just now?"

Tong Xiaoliang didn't answer, but only stepped closer to his sight, his smile unchanged, yet he felt an inexplicable sense of oppression. A thick fog slowly dissipated between them, as if isolating all the truth.

"During yesterday's banquet, Xiaomei suddenly became very strange, right?" Tang Yin's voice was low, as if he was talking to himself, but his eyes were fixed on Tong Xiaoliang's face.

That's right, it was when Hua Lu mentioned the word "god." Tang Yin clearly remembered Gao Mei's strange change in that instant, as if her entire expression was engulfed by some indescribable emotion.

"Don't get to the bottom of this." Tong Xiaoliang's tone was filled with a hint of impatience, but he hid it well. He raised his head and gave Tang Yin a meaningful smile. "Goodbye, Uncle Tang. Do your best tonight~"

He turned and left casually, but these light words were like a bomb, landing accurately in Tang Yin's heart.

**Keep working hard tonight... Xiaoliang has figured out my identity.** Tang Yin stood there, watching the three people gradually disappear into the thick fog, his brows furrowed tighter and tighter.

Who should I trust? No, who is the normal person?
"It's really complicated and bizarre." A soft voice sounded behind Tang Yin, interrupting his thoughts.

Tang Yin turned around suddenly and saw Hua Lu standing in the mist, looking at him with her head tilted, a faint smile on her face.

"You're the one who's acting weird, aren't you?" Tang Yin's tone darkened, his brows furrowed slightly. "What are you doing here?!"

"You came home very late yesterday." Hualu walked up gently, her eyes showing some concern, "I was worried that you didn't make it in time."

Tang Yin was stunned for a moment, then he felt a bit amused and helpless: "So it's for this?"

"Come to think of it," Hualu's tone suddenly became thoughtful, "Gao Mei's illness doesn't seem to be healed yet."

"Not recovered yet?" Tang Yin keenly caught the key point of this sentence, and his eyes suddenly became serious.

"...Well, Gao Mei was troubled by the death of her parents." Hua Lu lowered her head and lowered her voice, as if recalling something she didn't want to talk about. "Some people even said that she was possessed by the wolf god."

"...possessed by a wolf god?" Tang Yin's eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of surprise in his tone, "I've only heard of being possessed by a fox...but it's not impossible."

"The Wolf God will not possess humans." Hua Lu raised her head, her tone was firm, and there was a hint of complex emotions in her eyes.

"Is that so?" Tang Yin narrowed his eyes, his tone hesitant, "I don't think I quite understand..."

"Well, no, well, how should I put it," Hualu paused, as if weighing her words, "if this happens too often, it will be troublesome."

Her expression grew serious, and she spoke softly, "Whether it's the Wolf God or any other guardian beast, they're all close to being gods. Even the Yellow Springs Wolf's godhood is on the same level."

"Before summoning the great gods to descend, corresponding rituals must be prepared. The gods will not possess people so easily." Hua Lu's voice was soft, but with a majesty that was difficult to ignore.

Tang Yin nodded, thoughtfully. So that's how it is. If those famous gods could possess humans at will, it would be very strange...

He suddenly felt that while Hualu's words made sense, they seemed to conceal something important. His gaze lingered on Hualu's face for a moment, silent but secretly wary. The fog thickened, and the truth seemed to be obscured by layers of mist.

(End of this chapter)