Tomb raiding: A mere 20 is nothing!

"Clatter"

It was the crisp sound of a chess piece falling onto the chessboard.

It's like a drop of water falling into a lake of the heart, creating ripples that slowly spread outwards.

Shen Mingchao's words completely shattered their months-long charade.

In that situation, pretending seemed like a shortcut. At least they could still communicate with Shen Mingchao, instead of being shut out like others.

But now, this road has become a ticking time bomb.

Should we detonate this bomb?

They studied this problem many times, but ultimately failed because of fear.

This is truly something I've never seen before.

Even the Zhang family has moments of fear.

No, it should be said that the Zhang family members are also human beings, and should follow human nature, and feel fear and apprehension.

This is human nature.

Now it's alright, there's nothing to be afraid of. The girl is so understanding; she even lit the fuse for them.

Ugh--

I so wish this thunderbolt, like the one in Yucun, was a silent thunderbolt.

This is the cause they have sown, and whatever the result may be, they must accept it.

After a brief silence, Zhang Haike was the first to move. He took out an ordinary-looking box from his pocket, which contained a specially made plaster.

I stuck my finger in and scooped some into my palm, rubbed the paste until it melted, and then quickly applied it around my face.

About half a minute later, the edge of the human skin mask peeled off.

With a gentle lift, Zhang Haike peeled off the mask, revealing his true appearance to the air.

In other words, it's his original face.

That face, which had only been seen by Shen Mingchao, is now truly in the eyes of everyone.

When did it change?

Zhang Haike couldn't explain it, just as many people can't explain how a sapling gradually grows into a towering tree. This kind of change that is integrated into time is the most difficult for people to notice.

Only when he inadvertently heard others' slightly surprised tones did he suddenly realize the changes in himself.

[Huh? Hai Ke, you... seem to have changed.]

Hey! That mole under your eye is quite unique; it makes you look a lot more flamboyant.

[Finally, you're different from that Wu Xie guy. To be honest, Ke Ge, you look much better now.]

As these voices grew louder, Zhang Haike stood in front of the mirror, scrutinizing himself closely. Then he raised his hand and stroked the mole under his eye.

I could really feel the subtle granular texture.

Ah... things have really changed...

Zhang Haike stared at his reflection in the mirror for a long time before closing his eyes and letting out a long sigh.

With the facts laid bare, what is there left for him to refuse? He should recognize his own true nature.

His thoughts raced, and Zhang Haike raised his head to meet the girl's calm gaze. He wanted to say something to ease the tension, but when he opened his mouth, he found that a thousand words were stuck in his throat.

In the end, he could only force a smile and murmur, "Ming Dynasty..."

"What do you want?"

Shen Mingchao crossed his arms, feigning displeasure, and said coldly, "Shouldn't you give me an explanation?"

"I……"

Even the eloquent and persuasive head of the Zhang family, who was not from the main branch of the clan, had moments when hesitant to speak.

Shen Mingchao curled his lip and muttered sarcastically, "His smile is uglier than his crying."

"..." Zhang Haike's forced smile fell with this unpleasant remark, and after thinking it over, he could only squeeze out a dry and pale "I'm sorry."

To be honest, Shen Mingchao really wanted to retort: ​​"Don't do things you're sorry for in the future."

But there are priorities.

She glared at Zhang Haike, but didn't say anything more. Instead, she turned her gaze to the other two people and said irritably, "What are you daydreaming about? Are you addicted to pretending to be grandpa and grandma? Do I have to personally rip off your masks?"

"Oh." Zhang Qianjun nodded repeatedly, being exceptionally obedient, and took out the ointment, repeating Zhang Haike's actions from before.

The other one is much more despicable.

Zhang Haiyan swayed her slender waist and leaned closer, her eyes shining, and handed the box to Shen Mingchao, looking eager: "Okay."

Good my ass!

Shen Mingchao was so angry she laughed. Since the other party had shamelessly come forward, she didn't hold back and kicked him in the waist and abdomen with her knee.

She froze the next second.

Originally, she thought Zhang Haiyan would dodge, but unexpectedly, this person stood still and took the blow head-on without dodging or avoiding it.

But he regretted it as soon as he kicked her.

"Ouch~" Zhang Haiyan let out a dramatic cry, clutching her waist and taking a step back. She gave her a mournful look with her peach blossom eyes and said self-pityingly, "My life is so hard, why did I end up with such a violent wife? She kicks me so hard~~"

That's enough! She said that was enough!

Shen Mingchao wished he were deaf.

She quickly glanced around, thankfully no one was passing by. Her old habit of feeling embarrassed for others kicked in again. :)

Zhang Haiyan's shout made me feel like my knees weren't clean anymore.

She caught a glimpse of Zhang Qilan out of the corner of her eye, turned her head and said, "Brother, why don't we go to the ancient building and take a look? I really feel there's something wrong with your Zhang family's old graves. By the way, we have professionals here. If all else fails, they can fix the feng shui and offer some sacrifices or something."

The centenarian with amnesia tilted his head, looking as if he didn't understand but was listening intently.

That's enough! This is enough too!

Shen Mingchao sighed and turned her head back silently, reluctant to admit that she was charmed.

Despite their playful antics, the two moved quite quickly, and in no time, the two human skin masks fell off.

Shen Mingchao looked at the two people whose appearances had been restored.

Well, I hate to admit it, but their original faces are more pleasing to the eye than their old faces.

but--

Her gaze fell on Zhang Qianjun's face. There was a scar several centimeters long running across his smooth cheek, slightly red, clearly indicating that he had been injured recently and had not yet healed.

It seems their operation this time is indeed not simple.

"Your face..."

Meeting Shen Mingchao's concerned gaze, Zhang Qianjun smiled and shook his head, saying nonchalantly, "It's nothing. This little injury is no big deal for the Zhang family; it'll be fine in a few days."

The wound wasn't big, but she noticed something else: "You're still wearing a human skin mask even though your injury hasn't healed. Are you trying to leave a scar?"

No matter how well a human skin mask is made to fit the skin, there is still a layer of skin. Covering the wound like this will not only slow down the healing process, but may also cause serious infection and leave more severe scars.

She didn't believe that Zhang Qianjun didn't even know this basic common sense.

Zhang Haike, who was standing nearby, added, "I tried to persuade him, but he's stubborn and wouldn't listen."

Shen Mingchao probably never imagined that Zhang Haike's words would also apply to the other members of the Zhang family present.

For example, Zhang Haiyan.

Wang Can, Zhang Haixia, and Qi Qiu had actually arrived long ago, but they knew the seriousness of the matter and kept a distance, not going forward to disturb them.

But ever since Zhang Haiyan was kicked out, and Zhang Haixia twitched her nose and confirmed something, things changed.

He couldn't help but step forward, staring intently at Zhang Haiyan, and said with a grave expression, "You're injured, and badly."

His tone was unusually confident.

Holding the human skin mask, Zhang Haiyan was surprised when he heard those words. When he looked up and saw the speaker, his surprise was mixed with a complex mix of amusement and wariness.

He looked at this so-called "boyfriend," raised an eyebrow, and asked with interest, "How did you know?"