Chapter 18: The Secret Hidden by Uncle Sun

One day, Xu Hanfeng discovered a room at the very back of the first floor in Old Man Sun’s house. The door was not only locked but also boarded shut with wooden planks, as if he were terrified that something might escape from within.

He pulled hard on the door, but it remained immovable, as if sealed tight by an invisible force. He pressed his ear against the door, holding his breath to listen, but there was nothing—like a stone sinking into the ocean, he heard absolutely nothing.

Xu Hanfeng quietly shared this discovery with me. My heart gave a sudden jolt, an ominous premonition rising within me, and I immediately understood the significance of what he was telling me.

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and focused my energy to sense the secrets behind that door. A moment later, I opened my eyes slowly and nodded firmly at Xu Hanfeng. "Boss, it is exactly as you suspected."

Xu Hanfeng pondered for a moment, a flash of determination in his eyes. "Linyu, don't ask for now, and don't speak of it. We must act with caution and adapt to the circumstances."

Days passed like a white horse galloping past a crack in the wall, and in the blink of an eye, our food supplies were nearly exhausted. I looked at the bottom of the rice bin and calculated silently. If it weren't for our arrival, the water and supplies would have been enough for Old Man Sun and little Huihui to live peacefully for several months.

But now, with the weight of our four people added, the food supply had shrunk from months to weeks.

Old Man Sun looked at the empty rice bin and let out a long sigh. I walked over and asked softly, "Old Man Sun, are there any shops or supermarkets nearby? We need to find a way to replenish our supplies."

Old Man Sun shook his head, his brows furrowed. "The surrounding area is empty, and I don't have any stock left either. However..." He hesitated, as if he had some unspeakable difficulty.

Jiang Hanchuan, being impatient, urged him as soon as he heard the word "however," "Old Man Sun, don't keep us in suspense, just tell us! It’s killing us!"

Old Man Sun looked up at us, then glanced at little Huihui playing in the living room. "I have an old house outside the city with some food left. But it’s quite far; it might take us several days to walk there. Besides, there are too many monsters along the way, and it's filled with danger."

Hearing this, we felt a slight sense of relief. At least there was food to look forward to.

Xu Hanfeng’s voice was low and firm: "Old Man Sun, as long as there is food, that’s good. Don't worry about the monsters you mentioned; you have us."

Jiang Hanchuan, upon hearing there was food, was so excited he danced with joy. "Old Man Sun, don't be afraid! Our boss is incredibly capable. Those monsters are nothing; he takes them out one by one, easy and breezy!"

However, upon hearing Jiang Hanchuan’s words, Old Man Sun did not show any joy at all. Instead, he looked troubled, a flicker of imperceptible anxiety crossing his eyes.

I caught this subtle change in his expression. I muttered to myself that it seemed this house really did hide some unspeakable secret. A secret that might be related to that tightly locked door.

The four of us immediately packed our bags, feeling both nervous and determined, ready to set off for the old house Old Man Sun had described. But Old Man Sun acted as if a giant stone were pressing on his heart; his movements were sluggish as he packed, his eyes wandering, and his distracted manner made us suspicious.

Jiang Hanchuan and Luo Yucheng were simple-minded and didn't think too deeply, assuming the old man was just reluctant to leave a home that held countless memories. Only Xu Hanfeng and I understood that Old Man Sun was harboring an unknown secret.

The next morning, just as the sky began to turn pale, we scrambled up and placed our neatly packed luggage in the center of the living room.

But in the living room, the figures of Old Man Sun and little Huihui had vanished like morning mist. Luo Yucheng’s brows knitted together, her worry plain to see, as she called out loudly in the house: "Old Man Sun, little Huihui, we are packed and ready to go!" Her voice faded, but the house remained dead silent—so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Luo Yucheng’s eyes scanned us, an ominous feeling settling in her heart like clouds obscuring the sun. She hurriedly ran upstairs. *Thump, thump, thump*—the knocking echoed in the empty hallway. "Old Man Sun! Old Man Sun!" Her voice carried a mixture of anxiety and unease.

Before long, a low, raspy voice came through the door crack: "My young friends, thank you for keeping this old man company these past few days, and thank you for playing with Huihui. We won't be going. You all should leave quickly."

When these words were spoken, my heart skipped a beat. The food in the house was already gone; if they stayed, wouldn't they just be waiting for death?

I couldn't help myself and shouted, "Old Man Sun, there is no food left in the house. What will you eat if you stay? And what about little Huihui? She’s still so young!"

The mention of little Huihui seemed to touch the softest part of Old Man Sun’s heart. He slowly opened the bedroom door, his brows tightly locked.

"My young friends, I have seen over these past few days that you are all kind-hearted people. I... I have a request for you." With that, Old Man Sun’s knees buckled, and he prepared to kneel before us.

Luo Yucheng was quick to react and caught him. "Old Man Sun, why do you have to do this? We have you to thank for taking us in and providing us with food and shelter these past few days! Just tell us what you need, and we will certainly agree!"

Old Man Sun looked into Luo Yucheng’s clear, sincere eyes, his own eyes reddening. "Thank you, thank you... I am old and cannot walk far anymore. I beg you to take Huihui with you. She... she is still just a child."

When little Huihui heard this, she looked as if she had been struck by lightning. She immediately hugged Old Man Sun’s leg, tears streaming down her face like broken beads. "Grandpa, I won't go. I want to be with you."

Old Man Sun looked at little Huihui with kindness, his eyes filled with reluctance. "Huihui, Grandpa is old and can no longer take care of you. If you go with these big brothers and sisters, perhaps you can find a better place of refuge."

Little Huihui shook her head, clutching his leg tightly, crying inconsolably. "I won't go, I won't go."

Old Man Sun suddenly became stern, as if he were a different person. "Why are you being so disobedient? Grandpa doesn't want you anymore! Go! Leave quickly!" He tried to pry her hands away and push her toward Luo Yucheng.

At this moment, Xu Hanfeng, who had been silent, finally spoke. His voice was calm and deep: "Old Man Sun, the reason you refuse to leave—does it have to do with... what is inside that room?" He pointed toward the mysterious, forbidden door.

When Old Man Sun heard Xu Hanfeng’s words, his body trembled slightly. He muttered to himself, "It is none of your concern. Leave, go quickly! Don't cause trouble for me here!"

Xu Hanfeng’s gaze was as firm as iron as he said sternly, "Old Man Sun, stop hiding it. If you refuse to say, I will break in myself and see exactly what is going on."

Old Man Sun was clearly flustered. He stumbled down the stairs, trying to stop Xu Hanfeng, and shouted in terror, "No, no, young friend Xu, I beg you, let us be!" With that, his lips trembled slightly.