Courtyard House: Starting with handing over the keys, the state helps me abuse birds.

It was very late at night.

Most of the houses in the courtyard were dark, and even the wind had stopped blowing.

But the lights were still on in Yi Zhonghai's room.

The old incandescent bulb hung from the rafters, its yellowish light casting long, distorted shadows on the people inside.

The doors and windows were tightly shut, and the curtains were drawn tight, leaving not even a crack.

Inside, however, the room was full of people.

Yi Zhonghai sat in the main seat, his back ramrod straight, his hands crossed on his lap, exuding an air of "being in charge." However, his eyes lacked the composure he displayed during the day; instead, they held an unyielding shadow.

To his left was a deaf old lady.

She huddled in the chair, wrapped in a thick cotton-padded coat, her face wrinkled like a dried orange peel, her eyes half-closed, looking old and frail, but the occasional glimpse when she opened them revealed a cold, piercing light.

On the right is Jia Zhangshi.

She didn't eat sunflower seeds today. She was clutching the hem of her clothes in her hand, her knuckles were white, and the fat on her face looked particularly ferocious under the light, but it couldn't stop twitching slightly.

Sha Zhu and Xu Damao sat near the door, heads down, not saying a word, rubbing their hands together as if they couldn't wash something off their hands.

Liu Haizhong was the most restless, shifting his position on the stool. He tried to speak several times, but then swallowed his words.

Yan Bugui huddled in the corner, his glasses reflecting the light, his eyes darting around as if he were doing calculations, but he couldn't figure it out no matter how he tried.

"Have you seen everything clearly?"

Yi Zhonghai lowered his voice and spoke.

"I saw it clearly." Liu Haizhong immediately replied, his voice weak, "The lights in his room were off a long time ago, and he... should be asleep."

"Should?" Madam Jia looked up abruptly, her voice shrill for a moment before quickly lowering again. "You're telling me 'should'? That kid's acting...off!"

The room fell silent for a moment.

The phrase "something's not right" seemed to strike a nerve with everyone.

Sha Zhu's throat moved, and he finally whispered, "His... the way he looked at people today, it wasn't like he was looking at people at all."

"What does it look like?" Yan Bugui asked instinctively.

Sha Zhu paused for a moment, then lowered his voice even further: "Like looking at meat."

Upon hearing this, Madam Jia Zhang felt a chill run down her spine.

The chill that ran through her heart when she rushed back into the house with the stick in her arms during the day still hasn't dissipated.

"I told you so," Jia Zhangshi gritted her teeth. "That boy has changed! He used to be so deferential to everyone. Now? Just one look at me and my legs go weak!"

Liu Haizhong wiped the sweat from his forehead and nodded vigorously: "Yes, yes, yes! I also think he's like... a completely different person."

"It's not like it."

The deaf old lady, who hadn't spoken much until now, suddenly opened her mouth.

Her voice was very soft, yet it sounded like fingernails scraping against wood, sending chills down one's spine.

"He was never one to be easy to deal with."

The people in the room all turned to look at her.

Yi Zhonghai leaned forward slightly, his tone softening: "Grandma, what...do you mean by that?"

The deaf old woman snorted, her eyelids drooping, as if she were recalling something or bringing up old grievances.

"Have you forgotten?"

"Back when that couple was still alive, who was in charge of this courtyard?"

This statement did not name anyone.

But everyone inside understood.

Liu Haizhong's expression changed, and he muttered under his breath, "Back then... they were quite capable of causing trouble."

"Can you cause trouble?" the deaf old woman sneered. "That's called having prestige."

The moment those four words were uttered, the air in the room noticeably tightened.

Yi Zhonghai's fingers tightened subconsciously.

"He's well-known in his workplace and respected in the compound. When someone has a problem, who's the first person they turn to?" the deaf old woman said slowly. "It's not you, Yi Zhonghai."

Yi Zhonghai did not respond.

Because that's the truth.

During those years, when the original owner's parents were still alive, whenever there was any official business, dispute, or evaluation in the courtyard, people's first reaction was not "to find the old man," but rather "to ask the Xie couple."

They are reasonable.

They also take things very seriously.

More importantly, they don't buy into the "human touch" mentality.

For some people, this is the biggest threat.

"And then?" Yan Bugui asked in a low voice, as if he already knew the answer.

The deaf old woman's lips curled up very slightly.

"Later, they went to attend to their business."

She emphasized the words "serious business".

Madam Jia couldn't help but interject, her voice trembling: "But...but who knew something like that would happen?"

"Something happened?" The deaf old woman slowly raised her eyes, glanced at her, and said, "If it were really an accident, why are you panicking today?"

Madam Jia felt a chill run down her spine from that look. She opened her mouth, but dared not say anything more.

The room fell silent again.

The light bulb made a "zzzz" sound and flickered, startling Liu Haizhong so much that he almost jumped off the stool.

"I said..." Liu Haizhong said in a low voice, "That kid mentioned his parents today...did something come to mind?"

"So what if I remember?" Yi Zhonghai finally spoke, his tone turning cold. "What happened back then is long gone."

"It's settled?" Yan Bugui pushed up his glasses, cautiously. "But what about the compensation..."

He hadn't finished speaking.

The deaf old lady tapped her cane lightly on the ground.

"Smack."

His silence immediately shut Yan Bugui up.

"This isn't your business to settle accounts," the deaf old woman said calmly. "Just remember one thing: if that kid continues to live, it won't benefit anyone."

That's a very blunt statement.

It was enough to silence everyone in the room.

Sha Zhu's hand visibly trembled.

"Maybe...we should take another look?" he whispered. "What if he's faking it? What if—"

"What if what?" Jia Zhangshi suddenly looked up, her eyes red, "What if he actually finds something? Will you cover for us?"

Sha Zhu fell silent.

He's not exactly bright, but he's not stupid either.

He still gets chills when he thinks about the look Xie Weihong gave him during the day.

That's not bluffing.

That felt like someone who really dared to take action.

Yi Zhonghai took a deep breath, as if he had finally made up his mind.

"We can't delay any longer."

He looked at the deaf old woman.

The deaf old lady nodded slowly.

"I confirmed he's sound asleep tonight." Her voice was eerily calm. "Tomorrow night."

"Tomorrow night?" Liu Haizhong swallowed.

"Go in tomorrow night," the deaf old woman said, enunciating each word clearly. "Have the rope ready, and I've checked the beam; it's sturdy."

Jia Zhangshi's breathing became noticeably rapid.

"Just...just say he's having second thoughts." Her voice tightened. "Anyway, given his parents' situation, it's understandable that he has some kind of grudge."

Yan Bugui added in a low voice, "Don't leave any traces inside."

"Traces?" the deaf old woman sneered. "You think this is the first time?"

These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over everyone's heads.

No one spoke anymore.

This wasn't a "spur-of-the-moment decision"; it was something they were very familiar with.

Yi Zhonghai concluded with a low but unequivocal voice: "No one is allowed to back down on this matter."

"For the sake of stability in the hospital, and for... our own sake."

Under the lamplight, several people nodded silently.

Fear, guilt, and ruthlessness intertwined in the air of this room.

What they didn't know was that it was right above their heads.

In the shadow of the roof.

Xie Weihong was squatting there.

The night wind rustled the hem of his clothes, and he seemed to melt into the darkness, his breathing so light it was almost inhuman.

His divine sense enveloped the entire room, and he could clearly hear every word spoken, every pause, and every guilty gasp.

There was no anger on his face.

There was only one almost calm confirmation.

It turned out to be the case.

The deaths of the original owner's parents were not so simple; they were inextricably linked to the birds in the courtyard.

He slowly raised his head, glanced at the dark night sky, and a very faint smile appeared on his lips.

"You want to hang me?"

"That's really... a convenient idea."

Xie Weihong said softly to herself.

"How can I not reciprocate with a gift? I'd be doing a disservice to all of you old acquaintances at this table."

The shadow on the rooftop flashed by.

Meanwhile, the people inside were still whispering and discussing how to make sure everything went perfectly "tomorrow night".