You said you would make games by yourself, but how did you become the richest man by doing nothing?

#533 - The gap in the cafeteria

Tang Yin frowned slightly after hearing Hua Lu's words, a hint of doubt flashing in his mind. He originally thought Hua Lu was a prophet who could foresee the future, but now it seemed that was not the case.

"Ah, is that so? I thought you were a prophet," Tang Yin blurted out, his tone tinged with disappointment.

Hua Lu was slightly stunned upon hearing this, then shook her head, her tone becoming serious: "Our Hua family is not a family of guardians."

This sentence was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, stirring up ripples in Tang Yin's heart. He couldn't help but ask, "What do you mean by a family of guardians?"

Hua Lu's eyes flashed with a complex look, as if hesitating how to answer. She gently bit her lower lip and said, "...That, this matter is a bit complicated."

Tang Yin noticed the change in Hua Lu's expression and pondered to himself. Hua Lu's thinking was obviously not as open as Wang Lina's, and she probably wouldn't answer such questions easily. He decided to change the subject and try to ease the atmosphere.

"That... um, sorry," Tang Yin cleared his throat, "Your clothes are very unique, are you some kind of clergy?"

Hua Lu was wearing a simple, ancient-style robe, which indeed gave people a mysterious feeling. Hearing Tang Yin's question, an awkward expression appeared on her face, and she softly replied, "That... I'm not anyone important."

Just then, Wang Lina interjected, "Tang Yin, don't bully Miss Hua Lu."

Tang Yin was startled and quickly waved his hand to explain, "Ah, I didn't mean that. Sorry, Miss Hua Lu."

Unexpectedly, this sentence caused an even greater reaction from Hua Lu. Her face instantly turned red, and she stammered, "H-ho oh oh, s-suddenly calling me by my name."

Tang Yin realized his mistake and apologized in a fluster, "Ah... S-sorry..."

He cursed inwardly, carelessly calling Hua Lu by her name along with Wang Lina, and now he had misspoke.

Hua Lu seemed to notice Tang Yin's embarrassment and said softly, "It's nothing, don't mind it."

Tang Yin laughed awkwardly, trying to ease the atmosphere, "Oops, sorry, hahaha."

Wang Lina watched this scene, a sly look flashing in her eyes, and asked, "What's going on? What's this atmosphere?"

Tang Yin was speechless and could only say helplessly, "Hey, how am I supposed to answer that?"

The atmosphere became a little delicate for a moment. Hua Lu seemed to feel a little uncomfortable and turned to Xiao Mie and said, "L-let's go back, Xiao Mie."

Xiao Mie pouted, looking unwilling, "...I haven't played enough yet."

Hua Lu looked at the setting sun outside the window and said softly, "Is that so? Then you must come back before dusk."

After speaking, Hua Lu nodded slightly to everyone and left the cafeteria with Xiao Mie. Her back looked particularly lonely in the sunset, as if carrying some unspeakable weight.

Wang Lina watched Hua Lu leave, then turned around, a mischievous smile on her face, "What do you think? She's very cute, right? And she has a mysterious aura?"

Tang Yin was taken aback and subconsciously replied, "Is that so?"

Wang Lina blinked and asked, "Who's cute?"

Tang Yin realized what she was doing and said helplessly, "That's my line."

Wang Lina persisted, continuing, "Ha... As expected of a beauty, she's a beautiful girl no matter how old she is."

Tang Yin heard the hook in Wang Lina's words, thinking that this was a blatant trap. But he couldn't help but take the bait and asked curiously, "I'm hooked, um, how old is she?"

Wang Lina gave a mysterious smile and said, "I don't know, she shouldn't be over thirty, but she's definitely older than me."

"That's quite unexpected," Tang Yin muttered to himself, his voice tinged with surprise.

Wang Lina sat opposite him, a mysterious smile on her face. She leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice and said, "Right? Like a legal loli."

Tang Yin was amused by this analogy and was about to continue to ask about Hua Lu. "By the way, she..."

However, his words were interrupted by a sudden voice.

"Hello."

Tang Yin turned his head at the sound and saw several familiar figures appearing at the entrance of the cafeteria. It was the high school students. The sunlight shone in from behind them, outlining their silhouettes with a golden edge.

Qin Ming took the lead and walked in, his eyes directly landing on Chen Xiang. "Mom, is this a good time?"

Chen Xiang's face immediately lit up with a loving smile when she saw her son. "Oh, Qin Ming, Xiao Mei is here too."

Gao Mei followed behind Qin Ming, her eyes scanning the room before finally settling on Tang Yin. Her brow furrowed slightly, her tone tinged with displeasure: "It's you again?"

Tang Yin chuckled inwardly upon hearing this. He deliberately pretended to be serious and repeated, "Yeah, it's me again."

Gao Mei was angered by his obviously teasing attitude. She put her hands on her hips and glared at Tang Yin, saying, "Are you messing with me?"

Tang Yin couldn't help but snicker at Gao Mei's puffed-up appearance. "I am messing with you," he replied silently in his heart. But on the surface, he still pretended to be nonchalant and said, "What's wrong, Xiao... Gao Mei."

Gao Mei keenly caught the pause in Tang Yin's words, and her eyes narrowed instantly. "You were about to call me Xiao Mei, weren't you? We just met, right? Do you have any common sense?"

Tang Yin was amused by Gao Mei's reaction and said with feigned seriousness, "C-calm down, a berserker-type heroine is definitely not popular."

Gao Mei's expression became even more complicated upon hearing this. She bit her lip, as if suppressing some emotion. "You're messing with me again...! I have something to say to you!"

Tang Yin looked at Gao Mei's angry appearance and thought to himself, "You're the one without common sense, aren't you?" But he didn't say this out loud. Instead, he sat up straight and watched her silently, waiting for her next words.

Gao Mei took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind, and said, "Don't cling to Sister Lina. Sister Lina is so busy, can't you even take care of yourself!"

Tang Yin was a little baffled by Gao Mei's sudden accusation and subconsciously asked, "Is that so?"

Wang Lina smiled awkwardly at the scene, trying to ease the atmosphere, "Um~ um... It's really nothing... But..."

However, Gao Mei didn't give Wang Lina a chance to finish. She continued, "Even if Sister Lina has time, so what? Don't you know the difference between men and women? You're already an adult, don't you know you need to keep an appropriate distance!??"

Tang Yin listened and nodded, pretending to be thoughtful, saying, "Seems to make a little sense."

Gao Mei's momentum grew even stronger when she saw that Tang Yin seemed to agree with her point of view. She pointed at Tang Yin, raising her voice a few notches, "Then get as far away as possible! You treacherous and filthy adult!!"

Tang Yin looked at Gao Mei's face, which was red with anger, and laughed inwardly. He deliberately put on an apologetic look and said, "Yes, yes, yes, I'm a filthy old man."

Gao Mei was speechless with anger at Tang Yin's obviously perfunctory attitude and could only choke out one word: "You--!"

Just then, Qin Ming couldn't stand it any longer. He gently patted Gao Mei on the shoulder and said, "Xiao Mei, is this what you came here to say...?" Then, he turned to Chen Xiang, his tone becoming serious, "By the way, Mom, Gang-ge has something to tell you."

Chen Xiang immediately put away the smile on her face and looked serious when she heard her son mention "Gang-ge." "What is it?"

Qin Ming took a deep breath and said, "Everyone needs to rest early during this time, so it's better to prepare lunch boxes early."

Chen Xiang's face showed a look of realization after listening. "Oh, right... I'll go cook now..." As she said that, she was about to get up and leave.

But Qin Ming reached out and stopped his mother, "There's one more thing." He turned to Tang Yin and took out a small object from his pocket, "Tang Yin, this is for you."

Tang Yin looked at the thing in Qin Ming's hand, a trace of doubt flashing in his eyes. "Eh, for me?"

Tang Yin originally wanted to continue teasing Gao Mei, admiring her cute, puffed-up appearance, but Qin Ming's next words caught him off guard.

Qin Ming took a key out of his pocket and handed it to Tang Yin. This was a key to a spherical lock, slightly old in appearance, with some wear marks on the surface and no key ring decoration. Under the light, the key exuded a kind of vicissitudes and mysterious luster.

"This is the key to the student dormitory. Gang-ge persuaded Granny Rong to get it," Qin Ming explained, his voice tinged with apology.

Tang Yin took the key, frowned slightly, and asked in confusion, "Eh, why?"

Qin Ming sighed lightly, a hint of guilt in his eyes, "Sorry for letting you sleep in the cage this morning, those are his exact words."

Tang Yin looked down at the key in his hand, and a warm current surged in his heart. He said softly, "That's so considerate..."

Chen Xiang, who was beside him, showed a gratified smile on her face when she heard this conversation. Her eyes flickered with the light of hope, "Is that so? As long as he's here, we can definitely get through this."

Qin Ming's eyes flashed with a complex emotion when he heard his mother's words. He was just about to say something, "Mom, you really--"

However, Chen Xiang seemed to realize that she had let something slip and hurriedly interrupted, "Ah, cooking, cooking!" With an awkward smile, she quickly walked into the kitchen, leaving everyone in the room looking at each other.

Qin Ming sighed helplessly as he watched his mother leave. He turned to Tang Yin and said apologetically, "Sorry for the trouble."

Tang Yin shrugged, pretending to be ignorant, "Did something happen? I'm just an ignorant out-of-towner."

This was obviously a lie, and even Tang Yin himself felt a little guilty. Anyone with eyes could probably see the subtle feelings between Madam Chen Xiang and Zhao Gang.

Qin Ming gave Tang Yin a grateful look, "Thank you." Then, he turned to Gao Mei, his tone becoming serious, "By the way, Xiao Mei, don't lose your temper just because the other person is from out of town."

Gao Mei immediately bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on upon hearing this. Her eyes widened, and she said in disbelief, "Lose my temper? Brother, he'll cause you trouble!"

Qin Ming shook his head helplessly, "...You're thinking too much."

Gao Mei seemed to be angered by her brother's attitude. She bit her lip, a look of stubbornness flashing in her eyes. "...Ugh... A-anyway! Since you have nothing to do with the banquet, then leave as soon as possible!?" She pointed at Tang Yin, her tone filled with obvious hostility.

Qin Ming's face darkened upon hearing this, and he sternly shouted, "Xiao Mei, don't say that!"

Gao Mei was startled by her brother's sudden stern attitude and asked aggrievedly, "...Why..."

Qin Ming took a deep breath, his tone softening a little, but still with an undeniable firmness, "Tang Yin is also a victim, don't say such heartless things."

Gao Mei's eyes instantly filled with tears upon hearing this. She stomped her foot and shouted angrily, "Whatever! Brother is an idiot!!"

Qin Ming was at a loss by his sister's reaction. He frowned, his tone tinged with annoyance, "Enough, what's going on!"

Xiao Mie, who was on the side, looked back and forth between the two sides with a helpless expression, watching this sudden sibling dispute. Her round eyes were full of confusion, as if she was thinking about why adults were always so complicated.

Tang Yin stood aside, watching the farce in front of him, and sighed inwardly, "Don't fight over me! There's a cute little girl watching!" His eyes involuntarily fell on Xiao Mie, and that innocent expression made him feel a surge of protectiveness.

Putting this aside for the moment, it seems that Wang Lina was right, it is really dangerous to leave now for them, so Xiao Mei's suggestion would be regarded as heartless.

Is there really no way out?

Anyway, Tang Yin now has his own room at least. He has been thinking about the village and this series of events, but he has not considered his personal safety. He must formally thank Zhao Gang.

"Okay, okay, calm down, everyone." Wang Lina's voice was like a gentle tranquilizer, slowly injected into this tense space. She turned to Gao Mei, her smile even brighter, "Xiao Mei, let's play a game together?"

Gao Mei's originally tense face relaxed slightly, and confusion replaced anger, "...What game?"

Wang Lina blinked, and said mysteriously, "Visiting the Chimei God."

Gao Mei frowned, her confusion deepened, "Now? Why?"

Wang Lina's eyes turned to Xiao Mie, who was looking blank on the side, and her tone suddenly became serious, "A correct demonstration must be given to Xiao Mie."

Xiao Mie tilted her head and asked a cute question when she heard her name, "Mie... ?"

Gao Mei sighed and said helplessly, "...Okay, Sister Lina, you're starting to get hung up on this kind of thing again."

Wang Lina chuckled after hearing this, "Ehehe, I guess." Her tone was tinged with playfulness, but also hid some unfathomable meaning.

Just then, Tang Yin suddenly noticed a glass of plain water next to him. He subconsciously picked up the teacup, but found that the water was already cold. Just as he was about to put down the cup, a detail caught his attention.

There was a peculiar pattern on the bottom of the cup, which looked like some kind of family crest. The outline of the pattern was clear, and it seemed to be carefully drawn with glaze. Tang Yin frowned slightly, and a sense of unease arose in his heart.

"Qin Ming, what is this pattern...?" Tang Yin asked.

Upon hearing this, Qin Ming's gaze fell on the pattern, and his expression instantly turned gloomy. "Ah... This is the family crest of the elder of Baifeng Village. It's best to throw away this tableware." His tone was full of sarcasm and disgust, as if the pattern represented some unpleasant memory.

Tang Yin keenly captured the resentment in Qin Ming's tone. He secretly speculated that this pattern was likely the family crest of the Qin family who had exiled Qin Ming and his mother. A complex story hidden behind this peaceful village seemed to be slowly surfacing.

Just then, Gao Mei brought a chair and sat down in front of Wang Lina. The atmosphere between the two suddenly became a bit mysterious and unpredictable.

A hint of excitement flashed in Wang Lina's eyes, "I'm playing the male lead?"

Gao Mei nodded, "Yes."

"Alright, let's begin then." Wang Lina took a deep breath, as if to enter some kind of role.

The next scene felt both familiar and strange to Tang Yin. Wang Lina and Gao Mei began to sing a song while clapping their hands, like performing a tea-picking song or a clapping game. Their movements were uniform: hands together, clapping knees, hands together, clapping each other's hands... This rhythm seemed to have a strange magic, making people unconsciously want to follow.

At first, Tang Yin thought it was just a simple imitation game. However, when he carefully listened to the melody of the song, a chill suddenly ran down his spine. This melody, this rhythm, was exactly the same as the broadcast he had heard at the village entrance yesterday morning!