On the day of his wedding to Meng Jingwei, he had gone missing, so he hadn't had the chance to brief Tang Si and the others.
To his surprise, the kid still kept calling her "Little Chili."
"It's been over two years of calling her 'Little Chili,' haven't I gotten used to it? Hahaha." Tang Si threw his head back and laughed, but under Qing Muye's intimidating presence, he could only obediently change his address. "Hello, second sister-in-law."
Meng Jingwei suppressed a smile and waved her hand. "Alright, you guys get some rest quickly. We're leaving."
"Bye, Sister Wei."
"Bye, Little Chili, second brother." Tang Si ultimately hadn't managed to change his appellation for Meng Jingwei.
Qing Muye didn't bother to correct him and led Meng Jingwei downstairs.
In the Hidden Clan, the marketplace had specific operating hours. On weekdays, it closed at 9:30 PM, and lights out was at 10 PM.
Consequently, after 10 PM, the bustling streets of the Hidden Clan became quiet and silent, forming a stark contrast to the liveliness and prosperity of the daytime.
Shi Ran looked at the man beside her and pointed to her room. "Um, I... I'm going to sleep."
"Okay, goodnight. Call me if you need anything."
With that, Tang Si turned and entered his room. Shi Ran also returned to hers.
In the room, Qing Muye had ordered all daily necessities and clothes to be prepared, all washed and brand new.
After washing up, Shi Ran lay on the bed. She held the new mobile phone Qing Muye had given her, but aside from making and receiving calls, she didn't know how to use any other functions.
Bored, she could only lie on the bed and stare at the ceiling.
Gradually, some supernatural stories surfaced in her mind, such as scenes from movies about Xiangxi corpse herders or rural teachers.
As she thought, she became more and more frightened.
Suddenly, the room was brightly illuminated. Shi Ran's heart leaped with fear, and she trembled.
Just as she thought she was hallucinating, the surroundings flashed again. She couldn't hold back anymore and immediately got out of bed, ran out of the house, and went to the next door, knocking on Tang Si's door.
"Tang Si, open the door."
She called out.
Within seconds, she heard the bolt being drawn back, and then the door opened. Tang Si looked at Shi Ran, standing in front of him with a pale face. Before he could speak, a muffled thunderclap boomed.
"Ah!!"
Shi Ran's hair stood on end from fright. Without thinking, she lunged into Tang Si's arms, hugging him tightly and trembling in his embrace.
The suddenness of the scene left Tang Si stunned.
Immediately, his eyes lit up, and a smile played on his lips. He raised a hand and patted her back. "It's just thunder, don't be afraid."
The little woman who had been shaking uncontrollably in his arms suddenly quieted down.
After a while, she pushed Tang Si away and took a step back. "So... so sorry, I... I just... got a little scared."
Thinking about how tightly she had just held Tang Si, Shi Ran felt her face flush.
But it was truly not intentional.
She was already afraid of thunder and easily scared of the dark. After coming to the Hidden Clan, she couldn't help but imagine supernatural stories like the Xiangxi corpse herders.
Although the weather was just right, Shi Ran was not only pale but also covered in sweat, clearly not faking it.
Tang Si couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy. "You..."
He was about to ask Shi Ran if she would consider him accompanying her when he heard Shi Ran say, "Can I... can I sleep here? You, you, don't misunderstand, I'll sleep on the floor, and you sleep on the bed, okay?"
Tang Si: "..."
Yes, of course, that was fine.
It couldn't have been better.
Although he was overjoyed internally, he didn't show it too obviously.