Before everything goes out

After dinner, it got even darker.

Before it got dark, the three of them packed their belongings and squeezed into the dilapidated house, which had collapsed down to just a few low walls.

As darkness fell, the surrounding darkness was blocked by the light of the burning fire, creating a patch of light.

In the light.

The three people and the dog sat around a low table, their expressions complex.

Li Fei could discern many indescribable emotions in their eyes.

Reluctance, anger.

The lingering grief, a faint sense of unreality, and unease about the future.

Come to think of it.

Before the disaster, the two had lived in Shuanghe Village for over twenty years.

Now, everything has suddenly collapsed, and they have no choice but to leave their hometown and embark on a path they never imagined.

Tonight is their last night in Shuanghe Village before they set off.

"If I hadn't transmigrated, the ending might have been different."

Staring at the firelight, Li Fei muttered to himself.

Whenever he thinks about this, he feels like there's something stuck in his throat.

I can't spit it out, and I can't swallow it down.

"I'm going to sleep at Lin Wen's house."

After sitting for a while, Li Fei made up his mind and stood up from the crooked, broken stool.

"That's not a good idea, it's safe for the three of us to be together..."

"Never mind, let him go."

Just as Niu San was about to stop her, She Qingqing interrupted him.

The two exchanged a glance and said nothing more, instead helping to prepare enough firewood.

See you tomorrow morning.

Holding firewood and carrying the nylon bag containing Lin Wen on his back, Li Fei stepped out of the half-open doorway.

Under their watchful eyes, he strode away, and only after his figure disappeared into the darkness did the two speak in hushed tones.

"Big Brother Niu, did you see that? It looks like he's carrying something in his pocket..."

"A head..."

"Is it Lin Wen's?"

"I didn't see it very clearly, but it should be it."

"Is he alright here?"

She Qingqing pointed to her own head, using it to represent Li Fei's mental state.

"There shouldn't be any major problems. Speaking of which, I also want to go home for one night, since I won't have the chance again anyway."

As he spoke, Niu San picked up his things and headed towards his home.

"Is it really necessary for two grown men?"

She Qingqing frowned slightly.

Watching Niu San's departing figure, she unconsciously looked in the direction of her own home.

My vision was blocked by darkness, and I couldn't see anything.

Since she couldn't see it, it saved her the trouble. She simply turned her gaze away and lay down.

I gazed at the night sky, lost in thought.

Soon, memories of Snake Seven surfaced in his mind.

In the farmhouse courtyard, she was whipped by Snake Seven for making a mistake. She gritted her teeth and forced back her tears.

Deep in the mountains and forests, a small, emerald-green snake fell from a tree, startling her so much that she screamed. That very night, the snake was stewed into soup by Snake Seven.

Stern, playful.

Various memories flashed by, but instead of feeling sad and nostalgic, She Qingqing shook her head vigorously, clearing the images from her mind.

"Father is not dead yet."

She was talking to herself, but her tone was unusually firm.

Perhaps it was a father-daughter connection, but at this moment, after a flurry of memories, a strong premonition unexpectedly reached its peak.

"What do you think, Er Tong?"

She reached out and gently rubbed the furry dog's head.

She was met with two clear barks.

"Woof woof~"

...

...

In the dark village.

Li Fei raised a flashlight and headed in the direction he remembered.

Having experienced that pitch-black undercurrent, he now walks in the darkness, and even with the light suppressed, he doesn't feel particularly afraid.

Instead, it evoked a sense of nostalgia.

He had walked this road many times.

On the first day after he transmigrated, Lin Wen took him sightseeing.

On the night their escape attempt failed, Bai Xiaowu also led him on a run.

At that time, he never imagined that ending up on this path would bring him such an indescribable and strange feeling.

"I'm back."

Li Fei mentally made this call to himself.

After passing through the courtyard and over the low wall, we arrived at the original location of the living room.

After looking around, he chose a relatively clean open space, cleared away the junk, lit a campfire, and then laid out his bed and lay down.

"It's really not used to this quiet."

Li Fei put his hands behind his head and couldn't help but sigh.

Although he has only lived here for half a month, he has unknowingly come to regard this place as his second "home".

And now, everything he knows...

The children's laughter and joy, as well as Lin Wen's ever-busy figure, have all vanished into thin air.

Inside the dilapidated hut, only a pile of twisted junk remained.

"I want those who did all this to pay the price they deserve."

A flicker of anger burned in Li Fei's eyes.

A life for a life, a debt for a debt—this is a matter of course.

revenge.

It wasn't just for himself, but also for Lin Wen and all the villagers of Shuanghe Village.

"Li Fei..."

As Li Fei was thinking this, he was interrupted by a muffled voice.

He was startled and turned around, only to find that no one was coming over.

"Li Fei".

The second sound is clearer.

Upon recognizing the familiar voice, he quickly got up and retrieved the nylon bag containing Lin Wen.

He placed his hand on the zipper, but hesitated and did not unzip it.

Is it a hallucination?

After a brief hesitation, he opened his pocket and found that Lin Wen had opened her eyes and was smiling at him.

Just like when the two first met.

However, that afternoon was sunny and bright, but tonight it's shrouded in darkness.

"Lin Wen..."

He opened his mouth, only to find his throat choked with emotion.

"Li Fei, can you promise me something?"

"Um."

"Help me find Xiao Wu, I want to see her."

"Um."

Li Fei nodded.

He wanted to say something more, but found that Lin Wen had already closed her eyes, as if she had fallen asleep, or perhaps she had never woken up at all.

"I would have done it even if you hadn't said anything."

Li Fei took Lin Wen out of his pocket, hugged her tightly, and curled her up into a ball.

This put his mind at ease.

Night deepened.

Holding Lin Wen in his arms, listening to the faint sounds of the campfire burning, drowsiness crept in, and his eyelids grew heavy.

He knew he was about to fall asleep, and so he lay in the middle of the ruins, drifting off to sleep in the cold midnight.