Chapter 118: Something Happened to the Little Neighbor

Chapter 118: Chapter 118: Something Happened to the Little Neighbor

The Wei family wanted to drive her back, but Deng Yuyuan refused.

They had originally hoped Tuantuan could persuade her to stay. Unexpectedly, upon hearing that her mother was returning to her rented little house, the girl got so excited that she only clamored to be taken along. She even pulled a small raincoat out of her little backpack and, using sheer brute force, managed to yank it over her head and put it on.

Wei Shu was curious about what was so appealing about that place. Tuantuan put her hands on her hips and declared, "Because Mom is there, of course!"

Tuantuan was very smart. She knew that the others were worried that if the rain got heavier, it would be hard for her mother to come back. So, if Tuantuan went with her mother, even if they couldn’t come back, it wouldn’t matter—because Tuantuan would be right by her mother’s side!

Unfortunately, Tuantuan’s proposal was ruthlessly rejected by Deng Yuyuan. The little raincoat she had just put on was taken off by Deng Yuyuan, who then made Tuantuan fold it herself and put it back in her backpack.

Tuantuan was heartbroken. Sniffling and whining, she obediently folded her little raincoat.

The Wei family couldn’t change Deng Yuyuan’s mind, so they specially brought her a large umbrella and a flashlight, telling her to be careful on the road. Deng Yuyuan opened the umbrella and dashed out of their sight.

Actually, the adult male clothing set was still unredeemed in the farm system’s shop and could be taken out at any time. However, Deng Yuyuan needed to find an appropriate moment for it to appear. Rather than changing clothes in some random alleyway in the pouring rain just to save a bit of travel time, it was better to run straight back to her rented room. That way, she would also have time to study the physical accessories of the set and come up with reasonable excuses to prove that she had either made them herself or had them custom-ordered.

Halfway there, the rain started pouring heavier. There was hardly anyone on the road, and every household had their doors and windows shut tight. The street was dark and damp, illuminated by almost nothing but the faint beam of her flashlight.

Deng Yuyuan silently turned off the flashlight. It was pitch black, with only faint silhouettes barely visible in the darkness. She quickly redeemed a raincoat from the farm system’s shop and put it on, then propped her umbrella back up. With the rain this heavy and no one around to see, she wasn’t going to foolishly let herself get soaked.

In the alleyway, she could clearly hear the sounds of people inside their houses complaining about roof leaks, as well as the muffled thuds of rainwater dripping into basins and buckets.

When Deng Yuyuan arrived at her door, her excellent eyesight allowed her to spot a carrying pole and bamboo baskets scattered haphazardly in front of her neighbor’s door. Deng Yuyuan was utterly bewildered. Something was incredibly wrong here.

She unlocked her door and first brought her little neighbor’s belongings inside. It was only when she picked up the bamboo baskets that she felt their heavy weight—the bowls and utensils inside hadn’t been taken out, and they were somewhat scattered due to the baskets being carelessly tossed aside.

Deng Yuyuan put these things away and pounded furiously on her little neighbor’s door. KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! "Hey! Is anyone there? Are you home? Say something!"

The door opposite Deng Yuyuan’s opened first. A burly man came out, yelling and cursing at the top of his lungs, "What’s all that racket?! It’s the middle of the night! Are you going to let people sleep or not?!"

Deng Yuyuan wiped the rainwater from her face. Desperate for any information, she asked, "Mister, something’s not right at my friend’s door. I’m worried about her, so I had to knock like this. Did you see her come out during the day?"

The burly man sneered. "Who has the free time to stay indoors during the day like you little ladies? I was busy working! If you make any more noise, don’t blame me for slapping you! If you’re really that worried, then bust her door down and force your way in if you have the guts!"

His words were crude, but they made sense. The burly man had just given Deng Yuyuan an idea. If her little neighbor had merely gone out for an errand, the worst that could happen was that Deng Yuyuan would have to help reinstall the door. But if something really had happened to her, forcing her way in could be a matter of life and death!

Deng Yuyuan took a few steps back, did a quick warm-up on the spot, and delivered a fierce kick to the door. The wooden door tottered precariously in the wind and rain. Deng Yuyuan simply reached a hand in, and the door swung open.

She turned her head and issued a harsh warning to the burly man, who was still standing at his doorway, dumbfounded. "What, you’re still not going back inside? I don’t need to make any more noise now. If you keep standing there watching the show, I’ll gouge your eyeballs out and kick them around like a ball!"

BANG! Having witnessed Deng Yuyuan’s sheer strength, the burly man didn’t say a single word and slammed his door shut at lightning speed.

The little neighbor’s room was a complete mess. The floor was covered in muddy water, and the dirty trail snaked all the way to the bed. A figure was lying stiffly on the tattered blanket, seemingly unconscious.

Deng Yuyuan took out her flashlight and turned it on. The little neighbor’s face was flushed, though she didn’t seem to have a severe fever. There were scrapes all over her limbs, suggesting she had crawled across the floor. Her crippled foot was horribly swollen, looking deformed and ugly.

At this critical moment, the AI customer service popped up to remind Deng Yuyuan: [Her injured foot has suffered secondary trauma.]

Deng Yuyuan stepped forward and shook her awake.

"Mmm, hello, neighbor," the little neighbor mumbled deliriously in her sleep. "I’ll treat you to a big bowl of tea... remember to close the door for me."

Deng Yuyuan held up five fingers and waved them in front of her eyes. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Five—" The little neighbor shuddered, completely jolted awake by the cold wind. "Was my door blown open by the wind?!" She tried to get up from the bed but, after struggling for a moment, slumped back down.

Deng Yuyuan rubbed her nose. "I broke it. I’ll fix it for you tomorrow. I saw your things scattered all over the ground outside and was worried something happened to you, so I forced my way in."

The little neighbor breathed a sigh of relief. "It’s okay. I have a curtain in my wardrobe. If you could just take it out and hang it over the doorway, that would be fine. Thank you for caring."

"Don’t mention it." Deng Yuyuan stepped closer, gauging the best way to pick her up. "However, I suggest you sleep over at my place. The wind and rain will blow right in here; you won’t be able to sleep well."

The little neighbor waved her hands repeatedly in refusal, but Deng Yuyuan had already scooped her up in her arms. "You can wrap your arms around my neck," Deng Yuyuan told her, holding her with one arm while reopening the umbrella with the other.

The little neighbor stared blankly at Deng Yuyuan’s slender yet sturdy arms. This was exactly how one would hold a baby...

Once they returned to Deng Yuyuan’s room and the lights were turned on, her eyes couldn’t help but widen. Could this really still be a room in the shared courtyard? It was like a whole other world, as magical as the Water Curtain Cave in "Journey to the West". A beautiful nightstand lamp sat by the bed. The texture of the blanket beneath her was smoother than her own skin, and the mattress was exceptionally soft and thick—lying on it felt as if she were sinking into a cloud. The four walls were draped with curtains covered in interesting patterns. There were very few pieces of furniture, but each one was finely crafted and made of extraordinary materials.

Wu Ying’s whole body tensed up. After injuring herself to the point of being unable to walk earlier today, she had crawled to her bed. It went without saying how dirty her body was, and she feared she would stain Deng Yuyuan’s immaculate bed.

"Dirty... I’m dirty!" she whispered at first, but upon realizing that Deng Yuyuan hadn’t grasped the issue, she raised her voice.

Deng Yuyuan looked a little conflicted. "But it’s not convenient to take a bath right now. I’ll just wipe your body down for you."

"No, I mean, I’m getting your bed dirty. I should sleep on the floor. If you could just grab the blanket from my bed and put it on the ground, that would be enough."