Transformed into a heartthrob's simp, every day is a battleground.

Chapter 61 I'll Die Tonight

“But since you weren’t born in the village and didn’t receive your mother’s blessing, you can just call me cousin,” Yan Yu continued.

Yan Xun feigned disinterest, seemingly unconvinced that Yan Yu's supposedly benevolent mother possessed such extraordinary powers. "...Cousin," Yan Xun said after a moment's thought, "wouldn't this be considered feudal superstition?"

In the movie, Yan Xun is a "brat" who has just come of age and is a troublesome teenager. Saying such things is in line with his character.

Yan Yu wasn't angry when he heard this; he simply made a "shh" gesture.

“You say you’re fine in front of me.”

"Everyone in the village believes this, so never say it in front of other people in the village."

He was almost 10 years older than Yan Xun in the movie, and he knew that this was a bit hard for city people to understand, so he didn't care.

The more amiable he appeared, the more uncertain Yan Xun felt inside.

If Yan Yu had been enraged by his words, Yan Xun would have thought he was easier to deal with.

The two wandered around the village aimlessly until they arrived at the village store.

It was called a convenience store, but it was actually a small supermarket. The storefront was inconspicuous, probably because they thought not many people would come. The lighting inside wasn't very bright either; at least when Yan Xun looked over, it seemed pitch black.

"If there's anything you want to buy, you can buy it here," Yan Yu said. "Basic snacks and drinks, as well as some daily necessities, are all available."

Yan Xun looked the village supermarket, called "Xiaoxiao Supermarket," up and down.

The shop owner sat behind the counter. He glanced at Yan Xun, then at Yan Yu who followed him in. "These are the college students from the village?"

"This is my cousin," Yan Yu introduced him again, as usual.

“I knew it.” The shop owner was young, no more than 30 years old, with a toothpick in his mouth, looking at Yan Xun and Yan Yu. “When have you ever been so enthusiastic?”

"Hey, little brother, take whatever you want, and put it on your brother's tab."

Yan Xun walked to the freezer, took out a can of cola, and asked, "I heard that a streamer came here before?"

"A live streamer?" The boss bit his toothpick. "There is one."

"You're just standing here with a camera, pretending to be a ghost and taking pictures." He didn't take any money, gesturing for Yan Xun to take it and put it on Yan Yu's tab later.

There was no QR code on the counter; the cash register was placed behind it. The counter was piled high with goods, and Yan Xun couldn't see if there was a barcode scanner.

"How long did he film in the village?" Yan Xun opened a can of cola and took a sip. "I saw that he filmed many episodes."

"The soil in the village is so red, is it really because too many people are buried underneath, as he said?"

The boss was amused by his silly remark.

"You actually believe him when he says that?" The shopkeeper glanced at Yan Xun sideways. "Besides, couldn't you have asked your cousin about these things?"

“My cousin said he’s never seen this person before.” Yan Xun still remembered what the anchor said when Sun Zhao asked Yan Yu if he had seen him in the car. He stared at his boss and said, “He said he usually stays in his room and doesn’t come out.”

"I really like this streamer!"

"He felt as if he could truly touch those mysterious worlds..."

Yan Xun was young, an age when he was interested in these mysterious phenomena, so his questions didn't seem out of place.

The boss was getting a little impatient. He didn't look at Yan Yu behind Yan Xun. "It was just a lie to you kids."

"There's no such thing as so much mystical stuff."

"The red soil is because someone was buried underground..." The shopkeeper glanced at Yan Xun, "How old are you? You still believe in this?"

Yan Yu chimed in at this point, "Although I've never met him, the old folks in the village have told me about it."

"They said there was someone taking pictures of them with a device, which was very annoying."

He thought for a moment, then said to Yan Xun, "That Sun Zhao doesn't seem like a good person to me either."

"You'd better not trust him too much."

Yan Xun: "..."

“What a coincidence, we just happened to run into each other by the roadside.” Yan Yu seemed to have a deep-seated prejudice against Sun Zhao. “I think maybe he was waiting for you on purpose.”

"No way!" Yan Xun put on a "how could that be?" expression. "How did he know we would pass by there?"

"Perhaps he had his eye on you while you were out there."

Yan Yu said, "You should have heard the legend that Wusheng Village encountered an earth dragon turning over a hundred years ago."

Yan Xun nodded; the anchor had mentioned that as well.

"Although most of them are handed over to museums, many people have old things passed down from their ancestors at home. The villagers also believe in the Mother Goddess, who is the deity who has supported them, so they will entrust any good things to the Mother Goddess for safekeeping."

"Many of them are old, good things passed down from generation to generation."

“Over the years, many villagers have left Wusheng Village. Sometimes, if they let it slip, bad people will come knocking on their door.”

Yan Yu's words implied that Sun Zhao was a villain who had come for the treasures of Wusheng Village.

“You’re young, and your parents probably haven’t encountered anyone with such malicious intentions before,” Yan Yu said, looking at Yan Xun. “So it’s normal that you’ll be deceived by him.”

The boss, who was listening nearby, nodded and said, "Young man, what your brother said makes sense."

“Especially now there aren’t many young and middle-aged people in the village, mostly old men and women, so people with ill intentions often come to our door.”

"Fortunately, our Wusheng Village isn't that easy to find."

Yan Xun hesitated greatly after hearing what the two said, as if he couldn't believe that the enthusiastic and cheerful Sun Zhao was actually a bad person with such intentions!

Seeing Yan Xun's hesitation, Yan Yu continued, "If you don't believe me, why don't we give it a try?"

How do we test it?

Yan Yu glanced at the shop owner behind the counter and said, "Let's talk outside."

The boss looked speechless and waved them away.

After the two left Xiaoxiao Supermarket, Yan Yu whispered, "You can stay in my room tonight."

"If Sun Zhao really has bad intentions, he will take action tonight."

"Those treasures are all enshrined in the Cimu Hall."

Yan Xun hadn't expected Yan Yu's plan to be like this. Although he hadn't received the complete script, he felt that things shouldn't have developed this way...?

But the opportunity to spend the night at Cimu Hall was right in front of him. Yan Xun didn't want to give it up, but he also didn't want to agree to Yan Yu's request too quickly. What if this decision would make him see something he shouldn't see and trigger his death flag?

He decided to go back first and test the waters to see if the others knew what would happen tonight.

He made an excuse, saying he would go back and think about it first.

Yan Yu wasn't surprised by his refusal. He simply nodded and said that Yan Xun could come before 6 p.m., but if he came any later, Cimu Hall would have to close its doors to visitors.

……

Upon returning to the Yan family home, Yan Xun immediately spotted Gu Jia sitting on a stone bench.

Upon seeing him, the other person immediately strode forward—

"You can't go out tonight."

"what?"

“If you go out tonight, you’ll die,” Gu Jia said to him seriously.