Chapter 14

Perhaps his father found him annoying, threw him away, and he ended up being carried away by wolves.

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Fang Ji's heart skipped a beat. He elbowed and attempted to ram into the person behind him, but his strike missed. The person behind him caught his wrist and pressed down on the back of his neck, causing Fang Ji to suddenly eat dirt. He struggled and muttered in frustration, "Qin Lang! Damn it, let go!"

The person called Qin Lang behind him suddenly chuckled. He pulled Fang Ji up by his arm, brushing off the dirt from his body. While doing so, he laughed, "Sorry, sorry!"

Fang Ji gritted his teeth and moved his shoulder. He turned around and grabbed Qin Lang by the collar, his voice stern, "How dare you come here?!"

Qin Lang laughed, "I saw that the thing I left last time is still here. I was worried about you."

"Eight or nine out of ten people here remember your face. Are you courting death?!"

"Don't worry, I'm being cautious. This time is different from last time. Even if I'm discovered, I can escape!" Qin Lang said, "You still haven't told me why you didn't come last time."

"It's nothing. I had something to deal with and couldn't get away," Fang Ji stared into his eyes and redirected the conversation, "Even if we don't encounter anyone, there are wild wolves in this forest. Don't do anything reckless again!" As he spoke, he suddenly remembered something and took an envelope from his pocket, slapping it against Qin Lang's chest, "My sister wrote you a letter."

Qin Lang was taken aback, accepting the letter and staring at it in surprise. His expression was a bit bewildered, "For me?"

"She also warned me not to open and read it," Fang Ji's expression became complicated for a moment, "I must ask, did you hide something from me about last year?"

Qin Lang laughed, "If you don't believe me, go ask your sister!" He had just put the letter in his pocket when his face inexplicably grew warm. He looked up and saw Fang Ji's lips tightly pursed. Qin Lang's motion paused, he hesitated for a moment, then took out the letter and handed it to Fang Ji, "Anyway, she doesn't know. How about you take a look first? I promise not to tell her."

Fang Ji sharply turned his head, shaking his hand at him, "No! Take it away quickly!"

Qin Lang's lips curled up, and he said, "I really don't get you two." After pausing for a moment, he asked again, "How is she doing now?"

"Not very well. Although I want to bring her out as soon as possible, I'm afraid of what happened last time," Fang Ji's face darkened, "This time, we absolutely cannot make any mistakes."

"In a few more days, I'll be eligible for firearms training," Qin Lang patted his shoulder, "Besides, with you by her side, she can rest assured. As for her health, she can recover after she comes out."

Fang Ji forced a smile, his face easing slightly, "You're right."

"In that case, I'll come back in two weeks. If you need anything, leave me a note," Qin Lang said, turning to leave.

Fang Ji grabbed his sleeve and said, "Wait, there's one more thing."

Qin Lang blinked, "What?"

"I want you to help me investigate someone."

When Fang Ji returned, it was nearly dawn. He saw Lin Lang still asleep in bed, which surprised him a bit. He approached quietly, lying down beside him, and ended up sleeping until midday.

When Fang Ji woke up, the space beside him was empty. He sat up and caught a glimpse of a figure at the bedside. When he looked closely, he saw Lin Lang sitting stiffly on a chair, his eye sockets slightly swollen, as if he had been staring at Fang Ji. Their gazes met in mid-air. Lin Lang blinked, hurriedly looked away, and got up to leave.

Fang Ji was puzzled and called out to him, "Lin Lang?"

His voice was a bit hoarse, but not too quiet to be unheard. However, Lin Lang didn't react and simply walked out. Fang Ji quickly got up, washed his face, and saw that Lin Lang had already set the table for breakfast. He put down his utensils and turned to leave, but Fang Ji grabbed the hem of his clothes and asked, "Aren't you eating?"

Lin Lang didn't look at him, only answered from deep within his throat, "I'm not hungry."

"Did you have lunch already?"

Lin Lang pursed his lips and seemed unwilling to speak. He tugged at his clothes, trying to free them. Fang Ji reached out and held his wrist, leaned over to look at his face, and saw that Lin Lang's face was tense. Fang Ji spoke softly, "Why are you upset? Did someone bother you? Should I go beat them up for you?"

Lin Lang turned his head away, avoiding his gaze, and said in a low voice, "No."

"Is your wound hurting again? Let me take a look..." Fang Ji reached out to pull at his collar, but Lin Lang pushed his hand away and stepped back a few steps.

Fang Ji saw that Lin Lang's face was clouded, and his heart skipped a beat. "Lin Lang, what's wrong with you?!"

Lin Lang stared at him with intensity, his lips tightly pressed together, as if suppressing his emotions with all his might.

"Did I hurt you just now? I..."

"Leave me alone," Lin Lang said abruptly, then turned his face away, not looking at Fang Ji anymore, and walked out into the courtyard.

Fang Ji's expression changed, and he quickly followed. Just then, the courtyard door was kicked open from the outside with a loud bang. Feng You rushed in, his forehead covered in sweat, and exclaimed as he walked, "Fang, Fang Ji! Hurry and come... ah—!"

Before he could finish his sentence, he ran straight into Lin Lang's dark expression, which frightened him and made him shout in alarm. Lin Lang raised his eyelids and cast a cold glance at him, his eyes filled with hostility, as if he might rush forward to strangle him any second.

Fortunately, Fang Ji followed right behind and came out. He looked at Feng You, who was supporting himself on the door as if he was about to collapse, and quickly stepped between them, asking, "Brother Feng? Why are you here?"

Feng You's expression relaxed a bit, and he tightly pulled Fang Ji's hand, panting as he said, "Fang... Fang Ji, hurry and come to my house. Old Lady Wang is mourning at our place, saying that her son has disappeared. No matter how my dad explains it, she doesn't believe him. She said that if she doesn't see you today, she'll bang her head against our house until she dies! You need to come over quickly with me!"

Fang Ji lowered his eyes and a faint smile appeared on his lips. He spoke in a gentle tone, "Don't worry, brother Feng. If she really wanted to see her son, why would she bang her head against your house? She's just trying to scare people."

"That's true," Feng You's expression eased further, and he asked again, "My dad said Wang Quan got attacked by wolves. But she refuses to believe it. Fang Ji, this can't be true, right?!"

Fang Ji's tone was calm, "It's true."

Feng You's mouth gaped open in disbelief, and he stared at Fang Ji's face, "How... how did he suddenly get attacked by wolves when everything was fine?!" As he spoke, he discreetly glanced at Lin Lang behind Fang Ji, only to find that Lin Lang had been staring at him the whole time. Their gazes collided, startling Feng You. He quickly looked down and forced a dry laugh, "Maybe... maybe they couldn't find food on the mountain, so they came down on their own. That Wang Quan, he's truly out of luck!" He hastily grabbed the hem of Fang Ji's clothes, "Fang Ji, since that old lady insists on seeing you, you should hurry and go with me. My dad is being held back by her, and he can't go anywhere!"

Fang Ji agreed with a nod and turned to look at Lin Lang. Lin Lang lowered his head, avoiding his gaze, and then turned to go back into the house.

Feng You quickly pulled Fang Ji away, and once they had left the courtyard and walked for a while, he finally let out a long breath, his voice shaking as he asked, "Hey, Fang Ji, that guy was glaring at me like he wanted to kill me, right? He's seriously creepy! You live with that guy all day long, hasn't he ever hit you?"

"No, he's always so quiet. We have nothing to talk about, but we coexist peacefully."

"Damn it! I'm truly amazed by you!" Feng You paused for a moment, craned his neck to look around and make sure no one was nearby. Then he continued, "You know, if Wang Quan really was killed by wolves, it might have been him who did it! Everyone knows this, and I even told Old Lady Wang. But she still doesn't believe it. If you ask me, she just refuses to admit her son is dead!"

Fang Ji was taken aback, "You're saying who?!"

"Lin Lang!" Seeing Fang Ji's puzzled expression, Feng You's heart skipped a beat. He straightened up a bit and continued, "Don't you know? Let me tell you, when his mother died, he was just a little kid. Maybe his dad found him too annoying, so he threw him out, and then he got carried away by wolves! It was the dead of winter, snowing heavily, and the wolves couldn't find food in the woods, so they came to the village to steal chickens. We all thought he was dead for sure. But guess what happened?! A few years later, someone stumbled upon him in the woods. He was naked, holding a half-dead deer, and he was eating it. The deer had a hole in its neck, blood dripping, and its legs were still twitching. That person was so scared, they screamed. Lin Lang looked up, and the blood was flowing down from his mouth, Fang... Fang Ji?!"

Feng You saw Fang Ji's face turn frighteningly pale and panicked. He quickly grabbed him, "Fang Ji! What's wrong with you?"

Fang Ji seemed to snap out of his daze and his voice trembled slightly, "I'm... I'm fine. What happened later?"

"Well, after that..." Feng You eyed Fang Ji's complexion, thought for a moment, and then reluctantly continued, "That person was scared out of their wits. They ran down the mountain like they were rolling, and even wet their pants. At night, they lit a fire and claimed they had seen a ghost. It caused quite a scene. His dad brought in an exorcist from outside, burned a bunch of talismans, and that's how he managed to survive!"

"No... I mean, what happened to Lin Lang later? Why did he come back?"

"Well, a few years ago, his dad fell seriously ill. His legs stopped working, and he couldn't move. No one was taking care of him. So, my dad dragged that kid back. At that time, he would bite anyone who came near him. Many people couldn't control him. Luckily, when he saw his dying dad, he suddenly stopped causing trouble. But habits are hard to change. He still acted like a crazy dog, crawling on all fours and eating raw meat. My dad beat him to within an inch of his life, even breaking a stick over him. It took a lot of effort to change him. To be honest, he's still got the nature of a wild animal deep down. He's like a rabid dog every day. Fortunately, his dad keeps him in line. Otherwise, how would we deal with him?!"

Fang Ji pressed his lips together and didn't speak for a moment.

Seeing Fang Ji's pale face, Feng You held onto his shoulder tightly, "Fang Ji, there are some things they're afraid to tell you, fearing you might get scared and run away. But I'm different... Maybe you should pack up and stay at the hotel or... well..." His gaze wavered a bit, and he stammered, "If you don't mind, you can stay with... with me for a while. If you're embarrassed to say it, I can talk to my dad. What do you think?"

However, Fang Ji remained silent, walking with his head down. Feng You thought he might have been scared speechless and was about to console him, when suddenly, a wailing sound came from up ahead.

Fang Ji followed the sound and said, "Is that coming from your house?"

"Damn it! Hasn't she finished mourning yet?!" Feng You's heart raced, realizing he had wasted quite some time. He quickly grabbed Fang Ji and rushed in.

Old Lady Wang was sitting on the ground, her white hair disheveled and tangled. She stared vacantly into empty space, her face covered in a dead-like grayness, as if her insides had already withered away, leaving only an outer shell of a person.

Feng Bao Nan was half-kneeling in front of her, his brows furrowed, and he said, "You were seriously ill back then. How could I say it?!"

"You said he just went out," Old Lady Wang's eyes turned a bluish hue, her voice weak as she continued, "I asked you for my son..."

Just then, footsteps sounded behind her. Old Lady Wang looked up and saw Fang Ji walking in. Her eyes instantly lit up, and she struggled to her feet, stumbling toward him. Fang Ji caught her and gazed down at her face, speaking gently, "Granny, are you feeling better?"

Old Lady Wang clutched his sleeve tightly, her voice trembling, "Doctor Fang! Feng's surname said you know where my son is!"

Fang Ji's expression stiffened, and his gaze darkened. "I'm sorry, Granny. Wang Quan disappeared after he recovered."

Old Lady Wang stared at him, her eyes locked onto his face. "Where... where did he go?!"

"After he recovered, he said he wanted to clear his mind on the mountain, and I haven't seen him since then."

Old Lady Wang's eyes suddenly widened, and she seemed to be frozen in place. She stared blankly ahead, her cheeks twitching, and murmured, "On the mountain... on the mountain..."

Suddenly, her gaze shifted, as if she remembered something. A smile appeared on her face. "Yes! On the mountain!" Her eyes lit up, and she grabbed Fang Ji's hand tightly, a hint of joy in her expression. "Doctor Fang, why did I just remember? Quan'er once ran to the mountain when he was little after arguing with his father. He wouldn't come back unless I coaxed him. No one else could coax him! I... I should go there!"

(Tn: 'er' is a suffix used by people you are close with, out of love.)

Seeing that she was losing her sanity, Feng Bao Nan spoke harshly, "Why wouldn't he have returned from the mountain by now? He's grown up. He must have been attacked by wolves!"

"No! You're lying!" Old Lady Wang covered her ears with her hands, shouting hoarsely, "You liar!"

"Whether you believe me or not, it doesn't matter. He's never coming back! Those who go up the mountain and don't return, what happens to them in the end? You've lived this long, aren't you aware?"

"Shut up! You know nothing! Quan'er will definitely come back!" Old Lady Wang glared at Feng Bao Nan with resentment, then suddenly sneered, "Unlike your useless sons who ran away once they grew up! Do they even acknowledge you as their father?!"

"You!" Feng Bao Nan hadn't expected her to say something like that. His face turned dark, "Let me tell you! Your son was killed by wolves! Even if you go up the mountain to look, you won't find him! You better give up on that hope!"

Old Lady Wang shouted at the top of her lungs, trying to drown out his words with her voice. She lunged at Feng Bao Nan like a madwoman, her fists aimed straight at his face. Feng Bao Nan's eyes turned red, and he raised his hand to shove her away, scolding, "Get lost! Get the hell out of here!"

Old Lady Wang stumbled back a few steps, clutching the wall for support as she panted heavily. Fang Ji hurriedly grabbed her arm, trying to calm her down. "Granny! Please calm down! Your son is fine! Don't worry, I'll figure something out for you, okay?"

Old Lady Wang's gaze flickered slightly. She turned to look into Fang Ji's eyes. "Do you know? Is he really okay?"

Fang Ji earnestly said, "Yes, he's definitely fine. He finally recovered from his illness and wanted to get some fresh air. How about this, I'll take you to find him another day. How does that sound?"

Old Lady Wang's nose tingled, and her throat choked up. She hurriedly said, "Okay, okay!" and burst into tears again. Fang Ji supported her as they walked outside, casting a signal to Feng Bao Nan to reassure him.

Once they were out of Feng's house, Old Lady Wang continued talking as she walked. "Doctor Fang, I believe you! You cured my illness! I trust you! I don't believe that Feng guy's nonsense!" She leaned in closer to Fang Ji's ear, speaking in a hushed voice, "Let me tell you, Quan'er is a good boy! They don't understand. Quan'er only listens to me. He won't listen to others. That's why they think he's disobedient. But he's not!"

A smile crept onto Fang Ji's face. "Granny, a mother knows her child best. If you say so, then it must be true!"

Old Lady Wang blushed slightly and smiled sheepishly. After walking for a while, she looked up at the rising mountains. The smile on her face gradually faded, and she muttered, "Doctor Fang, why did Quan'er go somewhere without leaving me a note?"

"Perhaps he left in a hurry and didn't have time," Fang Ji said. "By the way, Granny, what was Wang Quan's usual occupation?"

As he finished speaking, Old Lady Wang's complexion changed, and she nervously pulled her hand back, stammering, "He... he was..."

Fang Ji halted his steps and fixed his gaze on her eyes, speaking softly, "Granny, take your time, I'm listening."

Old Lady Wang fiddled with her fingers, her gaze shifting. "He didn't... he didn't do much."

"He didn't do much?" Fang Ji asked. "So, he stayed in the village all day and didn't go out?"

Old Lady Wang choked up, "Well... not exactly."

Fang Ji's expression stiffened for a moment, but he quickly put on a smile. "So, who did he interact with? Do you have their names or contact information? Maybe he was called away for something and left in a hurry without leaving a message. I can help you make a call and find out, so he can give you some peace of mind. How does that sound?"

"No! It's not possible! He always tells me when he leaves the village!"

Fang Ji narrowed his eyes. "So, what did he do when he went out? Do you know, Granny?"

Old Lady Wang's face turned pale in an instant, and she subconsciously took a step back. "He... he was doing good things! These things... someone has to do them! If no one does them, the village will be in trouble!" Her confidence wavered slightly as she continued, "Without women, there won't be children. Without women and children, men won't stay! Yes, he was doing good things! If women were a bit smarter, maybe they wouldn't..."

Fang Ji's gaze turned sharp, and his smile vanished completely. He grabbed her arm firmly and pulled her closer, his voice cold. "Granny, you know, don't you? Tell me, and I'll take you to find him!"

Old Lady Wang staggered and looked into Fang Ji's eyes. Her heart raced, and she quickly said, "No! No! He didn't do anything! He was always in the village!"

Fang Ji felt like he was grinding his teeth into dust. His tone turned even colder, tinged with a hint of menace. "Granny, how could you be so confused? He can only be considered alive if he went out to do something. If he didn't leave the village, that means he was eaten by wolves on the mountain, isn't that right?"

"No! Quan'er is fine!" Old Lady Wang's pupils contracted, and she struggled to pull her hand back, her voice hoarse. "You... you're lying to me too! All of you are lying to me!"

Fang Ji's eyes turned cold, and he looked beyond her shoulders, focusing on the cliff behind her.