A village is a village—the first rooster’s crow comes earlier than any alarm clock. Luo Ren almost instantly flipped out of bed, his eyes opening only after he’d sat up.

If time were abundant, he could carefully investigate and feign compliance, but last night’s vision had given him an ominous premonition. If Yi Wansan was in dire straits, Mu Dai and Cao Yanhua certainly couldn’t be faring any better. Since every minute counted, he had no time to be nice.

Washing up, getting dressed, and packing his bag took no more than five minutes. He pushed the door open to find the rain still falling, though much lighter now, having changed from the previous downpour to a gentle drizzle.

However, Qingshan had mentioned last night that there was an old village saying: “Either it doesn’t rain at all, or it rains for seven days straight.” One should never underestimate light rain. Many mountainsides that could withstand a deluge might ultimately collapse under the seemingly gentle, continuous drizzle that followed.

Just as floods may only overturn stones while dripping water can penetrate rock, heroes might survive a hail of bullets only to be felled by a delicate blade coated with rouge. People often escape environments they fear and face head-on, yet cannot avoid tripping on level ground or capsizing in a ditch.

Luo Ren felt that a sense of unassuming danger was spreading all around him, carried by this rain.

Qingshan emerged from his room, toothbrush cup in hand, yawning as he pushed the door open. Tomorrow was the wedding, and today they needed to set up canopies and flower arches in the threshing ground—he had already spoken with the men of the village last night, emphasizing the need to rise early today.

But seeing Luo Ren, he was startled. Noticing his packed bag, he couldn’t help asking: “Leaving?”

He had already given up hope that his cousin Dabun would return for the wedding, and now he felt that these so-called friends of his cousin were truly mysterious: one after another, were they just here for free lodging?

Luo Ren said, “I have business.”

He asked Qingshan for directions to Cao Jinhua’s house and strode off in the rain.

Cao Jinhua’s mother had died early. Only her father and brother remained at home. A few years ago, her brother had married and had a child, finally bringing some life and warmth back to the quiet three-room house.

Because she needed to help Qingshan, she had also risen early today. The stove was hot, and smoke was curling from the chimney into the rain. The dining table was small, and Cao Jinhua, being tall and sturdy, sat with bent legs on a small stool, feeling cramped.

During the meal, her father began rambling about Qingshan’s wedding, but his true intention lay elsewhere. The topic quickly turned to her, going back and forth through the same three points.

First, blaming Beijing.

—”Beijing is such a big city with millions of people, how could there not be someone suitable for you?”

Then, blaming Cao Tudun.

—”That little rascal from the Cao family, if I see him, I’ll skin him alive!”

Finally, blaming fate.

—”It’s all fate! Your mother died early, and I had no support. I should never have agreed to let you go to the big city. Haven’t seen you make any money, just wasting your years…”

These words ignited a fire in Cao Jinhua’s heart.

“Don’t always talk about marriage, marriage, marriage. Can’t a woman have pursuits other than marriage? Can’t she have self-worth beyond that?”

Her sister-in-law, who was breastfeeding her son, sighed inwardly: This elder sister is talking nonsense again. Women are born to get married, aren’t they?

Jinhua’s father looked bewildered. Terms like “pursuit” and “worth” were too abstract for him.

“What do you mean by ‘wasting years’? Time is for creating value. Your perspective shouldn’t be so narrow, only seeing people aging but not seeing how I’ve changed over the years.”

The sister-in-law continued sighing inwardly: What change? Didn’t you just get older?

Jinhua’s father remained confused: What does “narrow” mean?

Cao Jinhua was so frustrated. No wonder she didn’t like coming home—they couldn’t even have a meaningful conversation. She’d better say something they could understand.

She aggressively pointed at the main door: “Can you stop nagging about this? How many times have I said I’ll keep an eye out? It also depends on fate. Men don’t just fall from the sky. Do you think if you shout outside, one will come to the door? Huh?”

A brief silence followed. Wood cracked in the stove with a pop, and the porridge in the large iron pot bubbled and churned.

The light at the doorway suddenly dimmed.

Luo Ren stood at the entrance, his gaze sweeping across everyone’s faces before quickly locking onto his target: “Cao Jinhua?”

Cao Jinhua was bewildered: “Huh?”

“Can I have a word with you in private?”

“Oh.”

Cao Jinhua walked out in a daze, leading Luo Ren to her room. No matter who he was, it was better than enduring idle chatter at the dining table.

The sister-in-law, recovering from her initial shock, saw the look of surprise and joy on Jinhua’s father’s face, then watched Cao Jinhua’s retreating back. She didn’t feel happy; instead, a sour feeling suddenly rose in her heart, and a sound escaped her nose.

“Hmph.”

Once inside the room, Cao Jinhua came to her senses: “Who are you?”

Luo Ren didn’t want to waste words with her. His expression darkened: “A few days ago, at Qingshan’s house, did you talk with two people, a man and a woman?”

Of course, the impression was deep! They were her future clients.

Wait, if he was asking about these two people, could he be the “brother” they both had mentioned?

Cao Jinhua’s eyes brightened: “Are you Henry?”

Luo Ren frowned: “I heard you talked for a long time. What about?”

“Insurance.”

“Insurance?”

“Yes, life protection. Each of us living in this world will encounter certain risks, so…”

Irritation rose in Luo Ren’s heart. He stepped forward, grabbed Cao Jinhua’s collar, and slammed her against the wall.

Cao Jinhua’s flow of words died in her throat. Her mind went blank. This morning was truly one of the most turbulent and bizarre moments in her life, comparable to when Cao Tudun had climbed onto the roof at dusk to bang a basin.

Luo Ren sneered: “Risks are everywhere. Have you bought insurance for yourself?”

Cao Jinhua felt fearful. When this man had first appeared at the door saying, “Can I have a word with you?” his attitude had seemed calm. But now, his entire being was shrouded in shadow, his eyes cold. It wouldn’t be surprising if he pulled out a knife next.

She might be in trouble, Cao Jinhua thought.

The company had provided safety training for agents. In such situations, don’t panic, cooperate, be compliant, prioritize personal safety, and minimize danger.

She stammered: “I… I have. This way… clients will be more convinced… If we don’t… don’t buy it ourselves, how can we make clients believe?”

Luo Ren’s brows knotted into a lump: Mu Dai and Yi Wansan had traveled such a long distance to get here, sat with her for most of the day, just to discuss insurance?

“If… if you don’t believe me, I have… promotional materials here…”

Cao Jinhua carefully shifted her body within Luo Ren’s grip, reaching for her bag. Seeing Luo Ren’s expression change, she immediately withdrew her hand: “There’s nothing else in my bag, no spray or knife. You can check it yourself if you don’t believe me…”

Luo Ren stared at her for a moment, then reached into her bag and pulled out a stack of documents in plastic folders.

He flipped through them briefly—all were business materials: insurance product introductions, lump-sum versus annual payment rates, scripts, business development processes. Cao Jinhua had studied them carefully; many scripts had red lines underneath with self-motivational notes.

—One failure doesn’t mean anything. Don’t be discouraged.

—Success requires endurance!

—One day, those who look down on me will see me in a new light.

Luo Ren reassessed Cao Jinhua, then looked at her bag again.

A deliberately cultivated appearance of prosperity. Her bag was a poor-quality knockoff, her clothes mass-market items. Life in the big city wasn’t easy for a woman from a mountain village. It was admirable that she hadn’t lost her spirit or gone astray.

If she hadn’t harmed Mu Dai, if they had only discussed insurance, then his treatment of her was indeed inappropriate.

Luo Ren released his grip and stepped back two paces: “You only talked about insurance?”

Cao Jinhua sensed his softening attitude and much gentler tone. Her heart lightened, and she quickly nodded: “Really.”

She looked through her phone to show him: “Later, that girl gave me a number, saying her brother managed all her money…”

As she found the number, she suddenly realized something and thought, “Oh no,” but it was too late.

A triple blow.

The feeling was like being clawed at by three eagles, and before recovering, being pierced by an arrow through the heart.

Luo Ren wanted to smile; the corner of his mouth twitched slightly before he suppressed it.

Cao Jinhua saw this but dared not make a sound. She suddenly felt that the person before her wasn’t bad.

Luo Ren asked her: “And then?”

There was no “then,” Cao Jinhua answered honestly. The girl wanted to meet the bride, so Qingshan had Seventh Aunt take her in. They had talked for a sentence or two before coming out—she had nothing else to do, so she went home.

That was the whole story.

Luo Ren pondered for a moment. Shadows moved across the frosted glass window as Cao Jinhua’s sister-in-law, nursing her child, stood on tiptoe trying to peek inside: What relationship did this man have with her elder sister? Hopefully none.

“I’m sorry, it seems I’ve made a mistake.”

Cao Jinhua looked at him in surprise, taking a moment to react before hastily waving her hand: “It’s fine, it’s fine.”

Her expectations of Luo Ren were low. She was already thankful he hadn’t stabbed her; for him to apologize was almost tearfully moving.

Luo Ren smiled, turned, and left. As he opened the door, the sister-in-law quickly turned away, cooing at her child with feigned nonchalance.

Luo Ren dropped a comment: “Don’t let the child get rained on.”

The sister-in-law said nothing, watching him walk away before rushing into the room in a few steps, bombarding Cao Jinhua with questions: “Elder sister, who is he? Did he come specifically to find you?”

Cao Jinhua lowered her head, organizing her business materials without answering. Only when pressed did she finally say: “Nobody important.”

—

Passing by the threshing ground, Luo Ren found it bustling with activity. Almost all the able-bodied men in the village were there, driving stakes, erecting poles, and binding supports. Men stood at elevated positions, unfurling large red cloths that added blocks of red to the gray backdrop of sky and earth.

Luo Ren sat down at the edge of the threshing ground. A group of children ran past, screaming and laughing. The leader dragged a broken umbrella, its ribs jutting out, leaving irregular marks on the ground.

It was the umbrella he had discarded.

Luo Ren smiled slightly, lowered his head, and slowly closed his eyes, urging his thoughts to turn inward.

The noisier his surroundings, the quieter his mind became.

Cao Family Village should just be an ordinary village.

Setting aside Cao Yanhua, Mu Dai, and Yi Wansan had arrived here with barely any time to make enemies or grudges. They hadn’t even declared their stance or revealed their intentions.

Mu Dai had spoken with the bride Yafeng very briefly, with Seventh Aunt present the entire time. This meeting was merely a cursory glance and introduction, with no opportunity to exchange secrets or rescue anyone.

How could things have gone wrong? And with three people in succession.

Unless everything had been planned. Someone had lured them here, then made their move. Cao Yanhua, Mu Dai, and Yi Wansan perhaps hadn’t even known they had enemies until the moment they were in trouble.

Who was the opponent?

The Cheetah?

It didn’t seem like it. This wasn’t the Cheetah’s style. The Cheetah would want him to watch everything unfold, helpless to intervene. She would even tell him the plan in advance, everything laid bare in broad daylight, crystal clear.

The Lethal Sliver?

Perhaps. Starting with Xiang Silan, signs of deliberate collaboration with the Lethal Sliver had emerged. However, Xiang Silan’s cunning was limited, and her scheme had many flaws.

This silver might be evolving.

But what was intriguing was how this sliver knew that Mu Dai and the others were enemies? Could Shen Gun’s speculation be correct—could the slivers communicate with each other?

More importantly, who possessed this sliver now?

—

Qingshan’s house was quiet. Seventh Aunt sat at the entrance with her sewing basket, mending a pair of pants.

The men had all gone to work. Someone needed to stay home with the bride.

However, the old woman’s eyesight and hearing weren’t what they used to be.

Luo Ren silently dropped down from the wall at the back of the courtyard. Seventh Aunt, her back to him, continued threading her needle, completely unaware.

Of course, it wouldn’t matter if she noticed—he could easily subdue her. He just preferred not to use force against an elderly woman.

The bride’s room was easy to identify, with colorful paper-cut dragons and phoenixes on the wooden door. Through the glass, he could vaguely see a figure inside, bent over, seemingly busy with something.

The door wasn’t bolted. Luo Ren quickly slipped inside. Yafeng was sitting on the footboard at the end of the bed, leaning down, gently caressing a pair of red wedding shoes on the floor.

Hearing movement, she raised her head in confusion.

Her eyes seemed vacant. Seeing a stranger, she didn’t appear particularly surprised, hesitantly asking: “Who are you?”

Luo Ren slowly approached Yafeng.

Kidnapped? She seemed both like it and not.

She appeared to be a simple, harmless girl, timid and helpless, making him almost reluctant to frighten or speak harshly to her.

Luo Ren crouched before her and said, “I’m looking for people.”

“Looking for people?”

“First, there was a chubby man named Cao Yanhua, Qingshan’s cousin. Then, a young woman who was brought in by the Seventh Aunt to speak with you briefly.”

Yafeng’s expression gradually changed. Her eyes slowly regained focus, her breathing became rapid, her chest heaving violently. She looked fearfully at the window, then back at Luo Ren, and said softly: “You should leave.”

“You should leave quickly, don’t look for them anymore, or… it will be too late.”