Chapter 55: Giving Up She listened to the scolding, her heart in turmoil, hiding far away behind a big tree. When the old lady finally tired from beating and grumbling while carrying a small basket out, Xie Hua carefully approached the small dilapidated house. A large iron lock hung on the door, which looked even more solid than the door itself. Following Luo Yingbai’s instructions, Xie Hua drew a simple pattern on the lock, and it immediately opened. She picked it up and found it was surprisingly light, not actually made of iron.
Xie Hua entered and heard a terrified voice ask, “Who? Who’s there?!” She saw Liao Zhong was tied up like a zongzi, thrown in the corner.
Afraid the old lady would return, she quickly rushed over to untie him, whispering, “I’m here to take you away. Don’t make a sound.” Hearing the word “go,” Liao Zhong trembled and reflexively said, “I won’t go, I won’t go. Don’t hit me. I really won’t dare to leave again!” His timid appearance was far from the person Xie Hua remembered. A nameless anger rose in her heart, and she said, “Look carefully, it’s me! Weren’t you shouting about wanting to go home? I’ve come to take you back. If you don’t want to go, I’ll leave by myself!” Liao Zhong’s cry stopped, and he looked up to carefully examine Xie Hua. Realizing it was truly her, he was almost on the verge of tears and said, “I’ll go, I’ll go. Xiao Hua, thank you! I was wrong before. When we get out, I will definitely…” Xie Hua forcefully tore the tape from his body and whispered, “Stop talking nonsense. Let’s go quickly.”
After leaving the door, Liao Zhong anxiously said, “What should we do? How do we proceed? This place is particularly eerie, and it’s not easy to get out.”
A hint of unease flashed across Liao Zhong’s face: “You saw everything just now?”
Xie Hua softly responded with a “hmm”.
