When Yan Changqing returned to his room, he suddenly realized something was off.
There was such a loud noise from the Madam’s room earlier, how could Ji Tingting still dare to walk out alone, and not even ask what happened to him?
"Uncle He, did you hear anything just now?"
"No?" He Xuexing asked, full of doubt, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
Given the soundproofing of this room, there was no reason not to hear the noise outside, and even if he couldn't hear it, he should have felt the shaking of the floor.
An illusion? Or was each room an independent area, and other rooms couldn't perceive it?
He couldn't figure it out, so he took a hot shower first, and then returned to the room wrapped in a bath towel.
He Xuexing, who was sleeping on the upper bunk, saw this scene and his eyes widened.
The bath towel didn't cover all of Yan Changqing's skin; his well-defined chest and abdominal muscles were faintly visible on his upper body, and his strong muscles appeared even more powerful as he moved.
Yan Changqing didn't look very strong when he was dressed; his muscles weren't the bodybuilding type, so it was normal for most people not to notice.
"Little brother, you're quite good at hiding, aren't you? A martial artist?" He Xuexing casually asked, as if interested.
Yan Changqing made sure the door was locked, and his footsteps paused slightly when he heard He Xuexing's words.
"How is that possible? How could a paralyzed patient like me train?" Yan Changqing showed a harmless smile, "When I came to this strange place, I was already in this body. Perhaps it's a compensation given to me because of my years of paralysis."
"Oh, you should have said so earlier, you scared me to death." He Xuexing patted his chest, looking still shaken, "I thought a monster from the castle had disguised itself as you and sneaked in. I almost jumped out of bed and ran."
"I knew Uncle He was an old hand, with more schemes than anyone."
"Hey—I don't agree with that." He Xuexing suddenly sat up, "When it comes to schemes, I admit defeat; I can't compare to you."
The two took the opportunity to lay things bare, and He Xuexing also dispelled many doubts. In just two short sentences, Yan Changqing revealed information that only He Xuexing knew, so he naturally no longer suspected that Yan Changqing was a monster in disguise.
After the lights were turned off, the room fell into darkness. It was already past midnight, and after the day's events, both were mentally exhausted and had no desire to continue talking.
He Xuexing lay in bed, his mind a mess. He wanted to sleep, but was also a little scared, and his spirit was excited.
At some point, a slight snore came from the lower bunk, as if he had already fallen asleep, and He Xuexing couldn't help but smile bitterly. It's good to be young.
As he tossed and turned, He Xuexing's consciousness gradually drifted into sleep, vaguely recalling many things.
He thought of himself falling into a strange world, where there were many murderous monsters, and his own life and death were uncertain.
He also thought of his daughter. She was very outstanding, had extraordinary talent from a young age, and was very independent, making him proud. He just didn't know if she knew something had happened to him.
However, he would rather his daughter never find out, and he didn't want to involve her in danger.
Finally, there was Yan Changqing in the lower bunk; this person was more complex than he imagined.
Normal people know that a patient paralyzed in bed, whose body has not been exercised for years, will suffer muscle atrophy, and may even need constant massage to keep the muscles from decaying.
Yan Changqing had been paralyzed for twelve years, but he not only recovered his health but also developed a muscular physique, and it was clear at a glance that these were practical muscles, not just for show.
Although Yan Changqing himself said that after entering this strange world, he recovered his health and gained a strong physique.
But why?
Just because you're a paralyzed patient?
Then why not me? Why didn't it give me a young body, but you instead?
It wasn't just this that was suspicious, but also his bold and meticulous way of acting, which was not something a cripple paralyzed for twelve years could do.
It wasn't just intellectually, but more so experientially. Honestly, even he, who had been struggling in society for decades, couldn't reach his level.
And given his real-life circumstances, he probably rarely interacted with people, let alone had social relationships.
He Xuexing even suspected that Yan Changqing might actually be on the side of the castle, used to disrupt and divide them.
In that case, wouldn't Ning Xiaona, who testified for him, also be his accomplice?
While this theory made sense, there were still many loopholes.
The biggest loophole was, if Yan Changqing really lied, why didn't he fabricate a convincing lie, saying he was paralyzed in bed and then a medical miracle happened after he came here?
Wouldn't that be like putting a "Please suspect me" label on his own head?
A current suddenly flashed through He Xuexing's mind.
Perhaps, he didn't want to lie, but rather, because of Ning Xiaona's presence, he had to tell the truth?
He Xuexing felt he had found a clue and became excited.
However, the excitement quickly vanished, because this precisely confirmed that everything Yan Changqing said was true, whether it was the paralysis or the medical miracle.
Thump thump thump—
Just as he was lost in thought, a knock suddenly came from the door.
He Xuexing, who was half-asleep, instantly woke up. He subconsciously glanced at the wall clock; it was around 3 AM.
Thump thump thump—
Seeing no movement from inside the room, the knocking sound came again.
He Xuexing didn't get out of bed immediately. He grabbed the handrail by the bed and craned his head to look down at the lower bunk.
Moonlight shone into the room through the window, so the room wasn't pitch black. He could see Yan Changqing's still-sleeping face.
He can sleep that soundly? He Xuexing muttered to himself, and then the knocking sound came for the third time.
He was just about to softly wake Yan Changqing, but saw that Yan Changqing didn't even open his eyes, but simply placed his right index finger in front of his mouth, making a "shush" gesture.
So this guy was pretending to sleep. How could this young man be like a little fox, even more cunning than me? He Xuexing felt his already thinning hair on his bald spot would become even balder.
Thump thump thump—
The person outside seemed to be getting impatient; the knocking became more intense and frequent.
He Xuexing's face was pale. The noise was too loud; it clearly wasn't their companion, and if it were, their companion would have already spoken up.
There was a monster frantically knocking on their door. The thought made He Xuexing break out in a cold sweat, fearing that the monster at the door would suddenly break in.
He crouched down, not daring to make a sound, but ready to jump off the bed at any moment.
Strangely, no matter how hard the monster knocked, the door remained motionless, only the sound was deafening.
He didn't know how long it had been, but the knocking finally stopped, and there was no more movement from the door.
The ticking of the clock echoed in his ears. Just as He Xuexing thought everything was fine.
The next scene made He Xuexing's relaxed heart jump back into his throat.
The doorknob was turning!
He Xuexing didn't remember if he had locked the door. He felt like his breathing was about to stop.
Fortunately, the door was indeed locked. After failing to turn it, the monster at the door finally seemed to give up.
Suddenly, a sharp, high-pitched screech almost pierced the eardrums of the two people in the room. The sound was like sharp claws scratching on a blackboard.
He Xuexing covered his ears with both hands, bit his tongue, and lay prostrate on the bed, not daring to make a sound.
Fortunately, this time it didn't last long, and finally there was no more movement from outside the door.
He Xuexing felt cold sweat pouring down his body, drenched. He cautiously looked down and saw Yan Changqing doing a carp jump to the floor, without making a sound.
Then he moved nimbly and pressed his ear against the door, beginning to listen to the movements outside.