Courtyard House: First, kill the hypocrites, leave none alive.

The little girl in his arms was eerily quiet. Only her faint breathing and the occasional, barely suppressed sobs proved she was awake. Chen Feng's heart felt like it was being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, aching and aching. What had she gone through these past two months? How had she survived? The terror, the helplessness, the despair…

He dared not ask, at least not now.

As dawn broke, the greyish-white light began to dispel the deep darkness of the night. They had left the most densely populated core of the shantytown and reached its edge, where the shacks were sparser and the streets were slightly more orderly. Ahead, they could vaguely see the outline of the main road, as well as early-rising rickshaws and a few scattered pedestrians.

Chen Feng stopped in a corner filled with construction waste, put Xiao Yu down, and let her stand against the wall. As soon as Xiao Yu's feet touched the ground, her legs went weak, and Chen Feng quickly supported her.

"Xiaoyu, can you walk?" he asked in a low voice, his voice hoarse and gentle without him even realizing it.

Xiaoyu looked up at him and nodded. Her face was so dirty that her features were indistinguishable, but in the morning light, her eyes finally showed a faint, living light, though she was still terrified.

Chen Feng pulled a small cloth bag from his pocket, inside which were things he had prepared beforehand—two fake work IDs, a few kilograms of national grain coupons, and some loose change. He had obtained the IDs on the black market through Shouhou's connections; the photos were blurry, and the names were fake, but the official seal and format were sufficient to pass a routine check. He handed one to Xiaoyu: "Take this. If anyone asks, just say you're my sister, visiting from the countryside, and that you're sick. I'm taking you to see a doctor. Remember the name on it, Chen Xiaoyun."

Xiaoyu took the piece of cardboard, looked down at it, then looked up at him. Her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she just gripped the document tighter and nodded.

Chen Feng took a deep breath and took Xiaoyu's hand. Her hand was icy cold, so thin it was just skin and bones. He squeezed it tightly, as if trying to transfer his warmth and strength to her. "Don't be afraid, stay with your brother."

They walked onto the main road. The streets were still relatively quiet in the early morning, with few pedestrians, most hurrying along. Occasionally, patrolling police officers would pass by on bicycles, and Chen Feng would immediately lower his head, slow his pace, and pull Xiaoyu closer to him, shielding her from most of her body. Fortunately, the police didn't seem to pay much attention to this pair of "country folk" who looked like ordinary siblings.

After walking for more than twenty minutes, Chen Feng led Xiao Yu into a relatively quiet alley, where there were several inconspicuous guesthouses. He chose one with a sign that read "State-run Third Guesthouse" and the oldest-looking facade, and went inside.

Behind the counter sat a middle-aged woman yawning, knitting by the light of a kerosene lamp. Hearing footsteps, she looked up and sleepily sized up the "brother and sister"—the brother was wearing faded old work clothes, looking travel-worn, his face haggard but his eyes bright; the sister was wrapped in an obviously ill-fitting men's coat, her head down, her hair disheveled, her small face too dirty to see clearly, and her body was trembling slightly.

"A hotel?" the woman asked lazily, her knitting needles still moving.

"Yes, I'll get you a room." Chen Feng handed over two work IDs and some money, trying to keep his voice steady. "My sister came from our hometown and got sick on the way. She wants to rest for a couple of days."

The woman took the documents, flipped through them casually, then glanced at Xiaoyu's appearance and pursed her lips: "Sick? I hope it's not some kind of infectious disease."

"No, I just got tired on the way and caught a cold," Chen Feng quickly explained, handing over two more food coupons. "Could you please arrange a quiet room for me, sister?"

Upon seeing the food coupons, the woman's expression softened. She put away her documents and money, and pulled out a key with a wooden tag from a drawer: "The innermost room on the second floor, 203. Get your own hot water from the boiler room. The toilet is on the first floor. The main door is locked at nine o'clock at night."

"Thank you, big sister."

Chen Feng took the keys and helped Xiao Yu up to the second floor. The wooden stairs creaked. The corridor was dark and filled with a musty smell mixed with the odor of disinfectant. Room 203 was at the end of the corridor; the paint on the door was peeling, and the lock was rusty.

I opened the door and went inside. The room was small, containing only a wooden bed, a broken table, a chair, and a peeling washbasin stand. The window was small, covered with yellowed newspapers, and the light was dim. But at least there was a door and a lock, so it was safe for the time being.

Chen Feng locked the door behind him and bolted it. Then he turned around and looked at Xiaoyu, who was still standing in the middle of the room, looking somewhat lost.

"Xiaoyu..." His voice choked with emotion as he walked over step by step.

Xiaoyu looked up as he approached, her eyes unblinking, but tears unexpectedly streamed down her face, washing away the grime and leaving two clear streaks.

"Brother..." A faint, almost inaudible syllable escaped from her chapped lips.

With just that one sound, all the strength Chen Feng had built up crumbled instantly. He suddenly reached out and hugged his sister tightly in his arms again. This time, he could no longer hold back, and hot tears gushed out, dripping onto Xiaoyu's messy hair.

"Xiaoyu... Xiaoyu... Brother has found you... Brother is sorry... I'm sorry..." He was incoherent, only repeating these few words, his hands trembling as he held his sister tightly.

Xiaoyu finally burst into tears. It wasn't a loud wail, but a broken sob that had been suppressed for far too long, almost suffocating. Her small body trembled violently in Chen Feng's arms, as if she wanted to cry out all the fear, grievances, and despair of the past two months.

Chen Feng simply held her tighter, letting her cry, his hand clumsily stroking her back again and again, just like when she had nightmares as a child.

After an unknown amount of time, Xiaoyu's crying gradually subsided, turning into intermittent sobs, and her body slowly went limp, almost hanging on Chen Feng.

Chen Feng knew she was exhausted. He gently carried her to the bedside, fetched some cold water, and used the sleeve of his relatively clean undershirt to wet it, carefully wiping her face.

The cold water wiped away the tears, revealing a pale, bloodless face, thin with prominent cheekbones. The once round cheeks were sunken, the lips were dry and chapped, and only the eyes, after being washed by tears, still vaguely revealed their former contours, but they were filled with fear and exhaustion.

Chen Feng felt as if a dull knife was cutting into his heart. He gently wiped the grime from Xiao Yu's face and neck, revealing that familiar mole. The red string on her wrist was so dirty it was unrecognizable, yet it remained tied. He touched it lightly, but didn't untie it.

"Are you hungry? I'll go get you something to eat." He spoke very softly, afraid of disturbing her.

Xiaoyu nodded, her eyes fixed on him, unblinking, as if afraid he would disappear in the blink of an eye.

Chen Feng helped her lean against the headboard and wrapped her in the blanket. "Wait, I'll be back soon."