“Zhang Nu, what are you doing here?” Liu Hai asked sternly. “Weren’t you supposed to leave? Why have you come back?”
Liu Hai’s tone was firm, almost confrontational, as though Zhang Nu’s presence was unwelcome. Zhang Nu, taken aback, stared at Liu Hai, confused by the sudden change in attitude. Only yesterday, their relationship seemed strong—why was Liu Hai behaving this way now?
“Liu Hai, what’s going on with you? What are you saying?” Zhang Nu asked, his voice full of confusion. “I came back to investigate what happened last night. We still have unfinished business here. Why would I leave so easily?”
Liu Hai listened, growing more convinced that something was wrong. Although he and Zhang Nu did have unfinished tasks, Zhang Nu had never spoken so vaguely before.
“What unfinished business are you talking about?” Liu Hai replied sharply. “I only took you in because I pitied you. But now, you dare return? You know full well that the elder said outsiders in the village will bring ruin to us.”
“If you keep showing up, you’re deliberately bringing disaster upon our village. I took you in out of kindness, and this is how you repay me?” Liu Hai spoke with moral conviction, positioning himself on the high ground.
He was certain that this was a test set up by the village chief, so he showed no signs of faltering. Meanwhile, the elderly woman nearby nodded in agreement with Liu Hai’s words. His firm stance convinced her that Zhang Nu was not involved in the events of the previous night, as he hadn’t visited Liu Hai’s house after all. However, she knew that some questions remained unanswered, and it wasn’t time to draw conclusions just yet.
As Liu Hai listened, he became more convinced that Zhang Nu's words were growing increasingly nonsensical. It was becoming clear to him that this wasn't the real Zhang Nu, but rather someone sent by the village chief to test him. The real reason he and Zhang Nu knew each other was due to the deadly game they had both been involved in, not because they had any shared purpose in the village. The story this person was spinning sounded more and more absurd.
“What are you rambling about?” Liu Hai asked sharply. “What secret could this village possibly hold? I’ve lived here for years and never heard anything about it. How could you know anything?”
“What exactly are you here for? If you don’t explain yourself, I’m not letting you off so easily,” Liu Hai continued, his tone growing stern. It was clear he was beginning to doubt Zhang Nu and even resent his presence.
The elderly woman, observing the exchange, was satisfied with Liu Hai’s ignorance and nodded approvingly. It was time to move on. She still needed to gather the rest of the villagers to search for the missing children.
“Fine,” Zhang Nu said. “Believe whatever you want. But know this, I have never harbored any ill will toward this village.”
“I came here today only to understand what happened last night. I didn’t leave the village. I’ve spent the whole night watching. I saw the village lit up late into the night, and that’s why I came to ask you what happened.”
“But now that you’ve misunderstood my intentions, I have nothing more to say. I’ll leave.”
After Zhang Nu finished speaking, he turned and left without hesitation, and Liu Hai made no attempt to stop him. He was certain that the person standing before him was not the real Zhang Nu but rather a decoy sent by the village to test him. What surprised Liu Hai, however, was how convincing the impersonation was. The mimicry was nearly flawless, down to Zhang Nu’s tone and manner of speech.
Had Liu Hai not known Zhang Nu so well, he might have fallen for the trick. If he had been deceived, both he and Zhang Nu would have been caught by the villagers. Watching the figure of the fake Zhang Nu fade into the distance, Liu Hai finally let out a sigh of relief.
The appearance of this impostor only confirmed what Liu Hai had suspected all along: something was deeply wrong with the village. It reinforced his belief that there was more to this place than met the eye. Determined not to let down Zhang Nu, Liu Hai resolved to uncover the secrets lurking behind the village's facade.
Later, he would head to the mountains to search for the missing children, making sure not to let anyone see through his plans.