I'm usually timid, and I was almost startled to scream.

Turning around, I saw an old man with a stooped body.

Bai Ling glared at him fiercely and said impatiently, "What's your hurry? Believe it or not, I'll tell my grandma?"

The old man let go of us as if he was electrocuted and smiled obsequiously.

Bai Ling pulled me away and said that this old man was mentally unstable and told me to stay away from him in the future.

I was still frightened, but I couldn't help but wonder what Bai Ling meant when she said "What's your hurry?"

We arrived in front of an impressive courtyard, and Bai Ling rushed in excitedly.

"Grandma, I'm back!"

A white-haired old lady with a cane approached and hugged Bai Ling tightly.

"My Ling'er is back, I missed you so much."

Grandma Bai had a kind and gentle expression, dressed in ancient clothing, and even had a hairpin in her hair. She looked like a character from a historical drama.

She smiled and waved at me, "You must be Ling'er's boyfriend, come in and let me take a look at you."

I walked into the courtyard, feeling overwhelmed, and greeted Grandma Bai cautiously.

Grandma Bai looked me up and down and said with satisfaction, "You look talented, Ling'er really has good taste."

Bai Ling smiled and said, "Of course, my taste can't be wrong."

Grandma Bai held our hands and kindly said, "Let's have a meal first, I'm sure you both must be hungry."

During the meal, Grandma Bai warmly served vegetables and chatted with me.

Surprisingly, she didn't ask about my income or property, but only asked about my family and social interactions.

After learning that I was an orphan, Grandma Bai wiped her tears with a handkerchief and sorrowfully said, "You and Ling'er are both unfortunate children."

The atmosphere at the dinner table became solemn, and I secretly vowed to take good care of Bai Ling for the rest of my life.

After dinner, I sat in the courtyard playing with my phone. When I opened the chat box to send a message to Liu Fei, I realized that he had already blocked me.

Liu Fei was my friend who I grew up with in the welfare home. We were like brothers.

Unlike me, Liu Fei was handsome, generous, and changed girlfriends frequently.

Two months ago, he told me he found true love, borrowed fifty thousand yuan from me, and went on a trip with his girlfriend.

After that, he didn't reply to my messages or answer my calls.

If it weren't for seeing his posts on social media, I would have thought something had happened to him.

I felt uneasy in my heart. Our twenty-year friendship couldn't withstand a mere fifty thousand yuan.

Sitting there lost in my thoughts, I suddenly realized it was already dark when Bai Ling called me into the house.

In the countryside, people go to bed early. After washing up, Bai Ling urged me to go to sleep.

She broke free from my hand and said with a smile, "I'm going to sleep with my grandma. You'll have the room all to yourself these few days."

I reluctantly entered the room. Perhaps I was tired from walking in the morning, as I fell asleep soon after my head touched the pillow.

I woke up in the middle of the night with an urgent need to urinate and hastily walked towards the toilet.

The yard was silent, with only the echo of my footsteps.

With the flickering light from my phone, the shifting and changing shadows created an eerie atmosphere.

After quickly using the toilet, I planned to return to my room when something reflective in the corner caught my attention.

Driven by curiosity, I walked over and picked it up. After taking a careful look, my heart almost leaped out of my chest.

It was an exquisitely crafted ring with a skull relief on the outer circle and the initials "LF" on the inner circle.

This was the birthday gift I gave to Liu Fei!

How could it appear here? Did Liu Fei also come here?

Just as I put the ring in my pocket, a chilling voice came from behind me:

"What are you doing there?"

I froze, and two cold shivers ran from the soles of my feet to the back of my head.

This wasn't Grandma Bai or Bai Ling's voice!