Chang Dong said, "No, listen to me—!" Ye Liuxi replied, "What else is there to say? I'm not exactly hard of hearing. I understand every word, every subtle implication, every well-intentioned nuance, every point of difficulty—what more do you have to add?" Chang Dong was left speechless by her sharp tone. "Are you all right now? If so, I'll go to bed—I'm feeling rather tired." Ye Liuxi got onto the bed, lay down, pulled the blanket over herself, and turned toward the wall, showing off her back to the world. Honestly, Chang Dong's point was valid, but once the window paper had been broken, no amount of smoothing could make it appear whole again. As for stepping back? Fine—then I'll return the starting line to you, and I'll cooperate. Ye Liuxi gritted her teeth, her mind filled with vivid images: ——find a man who utterly surpasses Chang Dong in every way, walk past him with arms around him and embraces, making him regretfully clutching his handkerchief and crying. — Memory recovery revealed that the so-called former lover was entirely fictional. Chang Dong came to find her holding a bouquet of roses, gently plucking each petal until the entire flower was stripped bare. Then he asked her, "Chang Dong, do you think I'm someone who would go back for a second chance?" ... In short, she was not pleased. — The next day, Ye Liuxi swapped accommodations with Gao Shen, citing a perfectly reasonable reason: Ding Liu had already woken up, and having a same-gender companion would be more convenient for her care. Gao Shen had no objections, simply packed up his belongings and moved into the shared room. His arrival was warmly welcomed by Fei Tang. Fei Tang even enthusiastically remarked, "This is quite interesting—now all the roommates are men, just like the student dorm days! Oh, and even the gatekeeper chickens are males..." He paused mid-sentence, as Gao Shen gave him a look that clearly conveyed: "Are you really missing something?" Then, the freshness and energy of Fei Tang began to fade: Changdong had never been a talkative person, and Gao Shen was even more reserved, causing Zhen Shanhe to seem listless and sluggish, as if struck by chickenpox. Fei Tang felt that, by temperament, he should actually be a woman. He wanted to live in the girls' dormitory. What's going on with today's men? Are they all obsessed with playing the "I love you, but I can't quite say it" game? Quietly giving their all—hoping to move someone, or perhaps just to move themselves? Ye Liuxi was furious: "What's up with you and Gao Shen?" Ding Liu said: "Oh, my head... Xi-jie, I just don't want to talk about all those stressful people—I'm going to have a headache!" Goodness, there's even someone here who's using their head as a weapon. Ye Liuxi said: "Just say what you dislike directly—don't waste everyone's time. Some people are so stubborn; they only give you looks, and you simply can't understand them. Or they just go off and find someone else entirely, killing their hopes." Ding Liu said: "I'd really like to, but Dong-guo doesn't see me that way." Honestly, this young lady started out with Dong's heart in mind—Ye Liuxi said with a hint of meaning: "Then keep up the good work." Ding Liu huffed: "Who doesn't have some self-respect? Where in the world is there no beautiful grass to choose "Yexiaoxi smiled: 'When did I ever take someone over?' Ding Liu said: 'Isn't it obvious?' She strained her voice to imitate Changdong: 'Liu Xi... Liu Xi...' 'When we were in the remote village, Dongguang used to sleep right next to you—how natural was that? How could he not have gone and shared a bed with Fei Tang? And during those two days when he didn't eat or drink, we brought meals over, and he barely lifted his eyelids—yet as soon as you touched him, he'd appear, so obedient... You're a bit reserved and shy, aren't you? But, Xi-jie, what about the ones who are openly expressive, always talking about their romantic feelings—can you really bear that? Don't think I'm too bold—my whole upbringing was in a music hall.' Yexiaoxi tried to smile: 'What kind of reserved and shy person are you talking about?' 'Exactly like Dongguang—someone who doesn't easily express emotions, who holds them in, and only acts when everything is secure. But once he truly decides on you, just wait—there's no way he'll stray. He'll never cheat Xi, don't you think people shouldn't be treated so casually? He's simply not on the same level as my Dong brother, is he? No, I must tell you—now—right now—on this matter. I'm a bit excited. Leaf Liu quickly stopped her: "Wait, take it easy. We can talk about it later." "But now—just on this point—I'd like to say it right now. I'll calm down first." Ding Liu closed her eyes and silently repeated to herself several times, "calm and composed," then opened them again. "My paternal uncle has a deep debt to my father—he helped cover the hospitalization and medical expenses when my father was seriously ill. My father feels deeply grateful and has asked my uncle to serve as his personal bodyguard. That's quite thoughtful of the young man—full of gratitude and integrity. But I won't say that out loud, for fear of making you excited. Right now, everything hinges on my well-being. As for me, when I first saw him, I was struck by his appearance—full of youthful charm—and I kept calling him 'Shen-gong' several times, both in front of and behind others. But he never treated me as special "I never realized she was so fluent with her words before. I really wanted to go up and give her a good twist of her mouth." "One day, I accidentally overheard my godfather talking to him, saying that when I grow up, he'd like to have me married to him. Do you understand, Xi-jie? In this day and age, my godfather still wants to arrange marriages!" "Then, Gao Shen suddenly... started treating me so well, always thinking of me, never arguing back, quietly doing everything. Xi-jie..." Her tone was a bit excited, and Ye Liuxi gently reminded her, "Stay calm, take care of your chest, breathe deeply three times before speaking." Even with the deep breaths, when Ding Liu spoke again, her tone was less excited and sounded rather flat. "Is this really interesting? Is he marrying my godfather, or is he marrying me? Honestly, if he had stood up to my godfather back then, saying he loved someone and wanted to make his own choice, I'd have respected him as a real man. Now, what is this?" — That day passed quietly yet slowly. Ding Liu woke up and then fell asleep several times, always needing someone nearby. Ye Liuxi hardly left the house, but from the fragments of conversation he heard outside, he learned that Chang Dong and Fei Tang had gone to the market. Gao Shen stayed behind and brought lunch in the afternoon; when he entered the room and saw Ding Liu asleep, he sighed deeply in relief. Ye Liuxi suddenly realized: if Ding Liu were awake, he would probably have set down his meal and left immediately. Ding Liu, in fact, knew he didn’t wanted to see him. In the evening, the atmosphere grew lively. Fei Tang brought in dinner and shared it with them, talking nonstop. “It’s harder to buy gasoline than to buy weapons on the black market. My brother gave me a thick stack of gold sheets, and only managed to get two drums—both of poor quality, full of sludge. This fuel damages the cars…” “And there’s a small cinema showing a classic romance film, *Sweet Home*. "I asked if there were any films about demons, spirits, or monsters—turns out, they were even treating me harshly. We've already struggled so much, and now you want to see more about ghosts and goblins?" It was fair they were upset—audiences always look for magic and excitement in films. Who has the patience to watch the ordinary, the mundane, the very real, the goblins and spirits? Aren't there enough of them right here in the interior provinces? Ye Lu glanced at him sideways. "Didn't you find anything that truly interested you?" Fei Tang brightened up. "Actually, yes! I spotted a golden clasp—probably from a蹀躞belt—dating back to a dynasty before the Tang. There's also a pair of Tang tri-color figurines of court ladies, though they're missing limbs. But that's no problem—once we package them up as the 'Eastern Venus,' selling them won't be difficult. Sister Xi, can we sell the mountain river collection?" How did it start out as a conversation about selling chickens? Fei Tang said, "We're short on capital—what we can gather is what we can manage. Dong's money is reserved for purchasing supplies. The only valuable asset I have is my phone, which I can't sell here at a good price. But I heard at the tea pavilion recently that there was a chicken flu outbreak here—most of the chickens have nearly died off." He mused that, with things becoming rarer, now might just be the most valuable time for the town of Shanshanhe. As he was speaking, Chang Dong entered. Ye Liuxi lowered his eyebrows, as if not noticing, but he clearly heard every word. He asked about Ding Liu's condition. Ding Liu replied, "She's doing fine now, but Dong, I'm genuinely worried about what comes next. After all, it's a head wound—how could she just walk away unscathed? I keep thinking about all those terrifying things: blood clots pressing on nerves, early-onset dementia—something that's surely waiting for her down the road." Changdong was also a bit worried, but he couldn’t let her have her way—so he changed the subject: “Now that you’re the eldest, go ahead and make your requests. Once you’re able to get out of bed in a couple of days, we’ll stop giving you special attention…” As he said this, he suddenly remembered that these words had been said by Ye Liuxi, and couldn’t help glancing at her. She was looking down, her hair falling over her face, so that he couldn’t see her face clearly. Ding Liu suddenly heard a deep, resonant thud as the floor gave way, jolting her completely awake: "Xi-jie?" Ye Liuxi shouted, "Don't get up! Turn on the light!" The ground was covered in wild grass—tough, with sharp edges, so vividly alive that it seemed to move and react instantly, wrapping around anyone it encountered with relentless speed and strength. It was now tightly ensnaring her legs, waist, wrists, and even her neck. Ding Liu sat up, too frightened to look at her head, and used both hands and feet to crawl to the foot of the bed, pulling at the lamp cord. One tug didn't work, two tugs still failed. "Xi-jie! There's no power!" No reply came. Ding Liu's mind buzzed with urgency. As she reached for the bed, her feet barely touched the edge when she felt the grass tips—cold and rising upward—brush against her. She thought it was a snake, recoiled as if electrified, and with no sight of what was happening, her entire body bristled with gooseflesh. She cried out, "Is anyone there?" From afar, a deep, resonant roar answered Ding Liu pushed herself up, kicked open the window, and was about to shout for help when suddenly a person swung down from the window, sending her blood rushing to her brain. Fortunately, the person spoke first: "It's me. Where's Liu Xi?" "Xi sister got up and fell to the ground." "I'll take care of this here—you go up to the upper room first." Chang Dong slid in beside her, making out the general position of Ye Liu Xi's bed, then stepped briskly over and quickly lay down on the bed, one hand gripping the bed frame tightly while the other reached down beneath the mattress. As soon as he felt the grass, he pulled it swiftly and tossed it aside—every movement had to be quick; any delay and he would be ensnared himself, with dire consequences. He soon found Ye Liu Xi's body, nearly wrapped in grass like a mummy. Chang Dong roughly located her head, then pulled at the grass covering her mouth and nose, tugging twice, until finally he heard her gasp and cough. The wild grass kept surging upward. Chang Dong couldn’t manage anymore—he used both hands to tear the grass away from her shoulders, freeing her arms. “Hold on to me, quickly!” Ye Liuxi nodded, wrapping one arm around Chang Dong’s neck and using the other to swiftly pull at the grass entangling him. Eventually, Chang Dong used one arm to wrap tightly around her waist and roared, “Get up!” With all his strength, he rolled backward onto his back. Ye Liuxi, with her other hand, naturally settled onto his shoulder, and heard the continuous snapping sounds—she was actually pulled and carried out of the tangled mass of grass by his sheer force. Chang Dong said, "It's the same here. As soon as the mountain river calls out, I wake up, but just as I get out of bed, I'm dragged down... I came from the roof—the whole yard is filled with them..." The black grass blades, swaying in sweeping waves, still rising upward... The bed frame suddenly tilts, and Chang Dong realizes: "Quick, get up to the roof."