Liu Hai listened attentively, growing more uneasy as the conversation continued. How could something happen so suddenly? Children don’t just vanish without a trace—there had to be more to the story. He had no idea who could be responsible, but he was certain it wasn’t Zhang Nu. Zhang Nu had his principles and would never resort to something . Besides, Zhang Nu had been with him the entire time, and he could vouch for that, though revealing it to the others wasn’t an option.
"Jun Hao’s parents, please don’t lose hope," Liu Hai said, trying to comfort them. "No one could have foreseen something . It’s a strange and tragic event, but we are all working hard to help you find your child. Rest assured, everyone is doing their best to investigate, and I believe we’ll find the children soon."
"How can you even have the nerve to say something like that to us?" the woman cried out, her voice filled with anger and grief. "This is all your fault! If you hadn’t brought that outsider into the village, none of this would’ve happened to our child. The village chief warned us not to let any outsiders in, saying it would lead to the village’s destruction. But you didn’t listen! You insisted on bringing Zhang Nu back, and now look what’s happened! My child is missing! Tell me, how am I supposed to get my child back?"
Tears flowed down her face as she spoke, her grief evident. She looked as though she would rush to Zhang Nu and demand answers, convinced he was responsible for their tragedy.
Liu Hai, however, felt their accusations were completely unfounded. This had nothing to do with Zhang Nu. Zhang Nu hadn’t done anything wrong, so why were they blaming him for everything that had happened?
"Why are you so certain that Zhang Nu is responsible?" Liu Hai asked, his voice steady. "Did anyone actually see him do anything? Since Zhang Nu left the village, he hasn't returned. How could he possibly be involved in this? There must be some other explanation for what's happened."
But the villagers looked at Liu Hai suspiciously. It was as if his defense of Zhang Nu only deepened their doubts. Normally, anyone would assume Zhang Nu was responsible, so why was Liu Hai so adamant that Zhang Nu had nothing to do with it?
Hearing the question, Liu Hai’s heart skipped a beat. He realized that his earlier words might have raised suspicions, and now they were scrutinizing him more closely. But there was no way he could simply admit that Zhang Nu had been with him as it would only make things worse.
"Granny, think about it," Liu Hai replied, trying to sound as calm as possible. "If Zhang Nu were really the one behind all of this, why didn’t anything happen while he was in the village? Why is it only after he left that these strange things started happening? Doesn’t it seem more like someone is trying to frame him?"
The old woman paused, considering his explanation. What Liu Hai said did make some sense, but something about it still didn’t sit right with her. Why was Liu Hai so quick to defend Zhang Nu with such certainty?
Before she could respond, another villager interrupted angrily, "Granny, don’t trust him! He’s the one who sheltered Zhang Nu. They’re working together! He’d love nothing more than to see this village destroyed! How can he possibly be on our side?"
The old woman’s gaze hardened as she looked at Liu Hai, conflicted. For the first time, she began to doubt whether keeping him in the village had been the right decision. Even if Liu Hai wasn’t the one who would bring destruction to the village, his close connection to Zhang Nu was troubling.