Life in siheyuan era

This was an open park. Zhou Zhiyuan found a secluded spot, parked his bicycle, and sat on a blue stone, playing with the copper ball in his hand.

He was waiting for that mysterious creature to come to his door. When his palm struck its claw and he felt the soft elasticity, he knew that the creature hadn't suffered much damage.

If the creature wanted this copper ball, it would definitely track him.

Making this deduction, he couldn't bring the creature to his home. So, he sat on the blue stone, waiting and pondering the causes and consequences.

This copper ball had fallen from Hu Biao's body. After he obtained it, he didn't pay much attention, simply carrying it as a long-range weapon.

Just now, throwing the copper ball was merely to explore the path, to test whether Chengzi could find a way out by following it.

The copper ball bounced back, possibly hitting the mysterious creature. The creature felt pain, cried out, and upon discovering the copper ball bouncing back, hurriedly chased after it, only to be struck again by his palm blade, causing it to cry out again. Finding itself unable to defeat him, it hurriedly fled.

From this, it could be inferred that this mysterious creature had low combat power and was timid, yet it possessed the ability to create enclosed spaces.

He was wary of this enclosed space, even more afraid that it would harm his family and friends. Teacher Luo, Zhang Yong, and Han Xue lived in that high-rise building. He had to find a way to resolve this mysterious creature as soon as possible.

But he thought back and forth, unsure how to solve it. The mysterious creature's speed was too fast, jumping down from a thirty-meter-high building as if walking on flat ground, and darkness was its domain. Such a mysterious creature, even mobilizing the army, might not be able to find it.

Thinking of this, he sighed softly, lifted the copper ball, and carefully observed it. In the moonlight, this copper ball resembled a copper mirror, once again reflecting one of his eyes.

This copper ball was polished too smoothly, not only reflecting his eye but also revealing two green lights suddenly appearing behind him, followed by a low cry: "Meow..."

Hearing this cry, Zhou Zhiyuan put away the copper ball and turned around in surprise, seeing a creature standing not far away, emitting another cry towards him: "Meow..."

Looking at this pitch-black creature, Zhou Zhiyuan thought in astonishment, "A black cat."

He hadn't expected the mysterious creature to be a cat, with a small head, a thin and bony body, only about twenty centimeters long, and a pair of large green eyes emitting two bright green lights, looking at the copper ball in his hand, hesitatingly looking towards Zhou Zhiyuan.

Two pairs of eyes met, and Zhou Zhiyuan saw a trace of fear in those two green lights. After pondering for a moment, he raised the copper ball and slowly said: "You want this copper ball?"

"Meow..." The black cat responded, suddenly standing up and clasping its two paws together, bowing to him several times.

Seeing this scene, Zhou Zhiyuan was greatly surprised. The black cat could not only understand his words but could also make pleading gestures.

"This is a spirit cat."

Zhou Zhiyuan thought to himself, then asked: "Did you create the enclosed space?"

Zhou Zhiyuan threw the copper ball in his hand, and it rolled to the black cat's feet.

The black cat looked at the copper ball in front of it, then looked up at him, raised its paws and bowed several times, opened its mouth to bite the copper ball, and turned to walk forward.

Taking a few steps, it looked back at him. Zhou Zhiyuan raised his hand and waved. The black cat turned its head back and disappeared with a whoosh.

Looking at that darkness, Zhou Zhiyuan asked himself: "Is this over just like that?"

Then he chuckled, got up, walked to his bicycle, and rode home.

He was very careful along the way, stopping and going, observing several times, confirming that the black cat was not following him. Arriving at Ping'an Hutong, he observed again, and then he confidently pushed his bicycle into the courtyard. Just as he walked into the middle courtyard, he saw Sha Zhu opening the door and calling out: "Zhiyuan, come inside to discuss something."

Sha Zhu didn't care that it was already past ten o'clock, shouting at the top of his lungs. Zhou Zhiyuan replied: "I'll say a word to my parents first before coming over."

Sha Zhu laughed: "Indeed a filial son."

After saying this, he turned and went inside. Zhou Zhiyuan then walked into his parents' room.

Zhou Dehou and Lin Shurong wouldn't sleep until he returned. Seeing him walk into the room, Lin Shurong asked: "What does Sha Zhu want from you?"

"Maybe it's about the blind date?" Zhou Zhiyuan guessed.

Zhou Dehou said in a deep voice: "What do you know about such things?"

Lin Shurong sighed: "Neither of my two sons has a girlfriend, yet they have to worry about others."

Zhou Zhiyuan laughed: "We're all neighbors. Sha Zhu asked me to help him advise, so it's hard to refuse. Dad, Mom, don't wait for me, go to sleep early."

Zhou Dehou said: "Dad just filled the thermos in your room with hot water. Wash up before going to sleep."

"Okay." Zhou Zhiyuan said in a Beijing accent, turning to walk outside, arriving at Sha Zhu's room, and sitting down at the table to talk to him.

Sha Zhu said happily: "Qin Jingru will enter the city around one o'clock tomorrow afternoon. Qin Huairu will bring her to the Steel Factory to meet me. I'll take her to see a movie. When we come back in the evening, we'll have a meal at home. Can you come back early?"

Sha Zhu knew that Zhou Zhiyuan was going to visit his comrade's parents tomorrow.

Zhou Zhiyuan asked strangely: "Why is it arranged like this?"

Sha Zhu replied embarrassedly: "Eating outside is too wasteful, and Yushui has something to do and can't accompany me."

Zhou Zhiyuan asked in a deep voice: "Is this Qin Huairu's idea?"

"Yushui can't go, so I arranged it like this."

Sha Zhu said this, but Zhou Zhiyuan didn't believe him, asking faintly: "Can you watch an outdoor movie during the day?"

"The movie is being shown for the first time, and it needs to be tested. Tomorrow, the young workers will work overtime, and the factory leaders have arranged for everyone to watch it. If Yushui didn't have something to do, I would have asked Yushui to go see the movie together."

Sha Zhu didn't answer the question directly, and kept mentioning He Yushui. Zhou Zhiyuan asked strangely: "What's wrong with He Yushui?"

Hearing him ask, Sha Zhu immediately replied: "Tomorrow night, Wang Aimin will take Yushui to his home to meet his parents."

Hearing this news, Zhou Zhiyuan laughed: "Is this going to be settled?"

"That's the idea." Sha Zhu replied.

Then he said: "Zhiyuan, you should advise Yushui that Wang Aimin is not suitable."

Hearing this, Zhou Zhiyuan looked at Sha Zhu in surprise, shaking his head gently and saying: "You, her brother, can't persuade her. Would my persuasion be useful?"

Saying this, Zhou Zhiyuan suddenly reacted, and said in a low voice: "Brother Zhu, I'm not suitable." His words had a double meaning.

Sha Zhu sighed and said: "Yushui is a good girl, beautiful and talented, and her work is also good. If she likes you, she will also become diligent, which is better than that Doctor Shen, right?"

Sha Zhu knew about Doctor Shen, so it seemed he had talked with He Yushui. This idea was planted by Han Xue. He Yushui took it seriously, believing that Zhou Zhiyuan was pursuing that Doctor Shen.

Perhaps this was He Yushui's excuse to dispel Sha Zhu's thoughts, or perhaps He Yushui really thought so. But no matter the reason, Zhou Zhiyuan thought it was all good, sighing and saying: "When you like someone, even knowing it's like a moth flying into a flame, you just like them."

He used these words to completely eliminate Sha Zhu's thoughts. He had no thoughts about He Yushui.

Sha Zhu sighed and replied sadly: "Yes, what's the use of liking someone if they don't like you?"

Hearing this, Zhou Zhiyuan's heart stirred, but he absolutely couldn't encourage Sha Zhu to bravely pursue her at this time. He could only change the subject, "Let's not talk about these discouraging words. You still need to prepare well for tomorrow's blind date."

Sha Zhu sighed again, replying weakly: "I've made new clothes, bought a pair of leather shoes, what else do I need to prepare?"

"I think going to the Steel Factory to watch a movie is still not suitable. It's not that you should be afraid of bad things, but you should be afraid of bad people. It's not worth it to be sabotaged by someone."

Zhou Zhiyuan fulfilled his obligation to remind him, but Sha Zhu didn't think so, replying: "No one can sabotage me. Qin Jingru has a rural household registration, and she can't wait to marry into the city. This is her only chance."

"Just like Qin Huairu, if she didn't have a rural household registration, would she have married Jia Dongxu? Alas, Jia Dongxu had dog shit luck, marrying Qin Huairu but not having the good fortune to enjoy it."

Sha Zhu sighed with emotion, but Zhou Zhiyuan couldn't seize this good opportunity. If he encouraged Sha Zhu to pursue Qin Huairu, Sha Zhu would encourage him to pursue He Yushui. The situation that he had worked so hard to create would instantly collapse.

Zhou Zhiyuan understood that Sha Zhu had already made up his mind. Under the guise of tomorrow's blind date, he wanted to talk to him about He Yushui.

And when He Yushui went to Wang Aimin's house tomorrow, when she walked into the Wang family, their matter would be basically settled.

Sha Zhu wanted to make a final effort, but unfortunately, Zhou Zhiyuan already had someone he liked, so he could only give up this idea. The two chatted for a while, and Zhou Zhiyuan bid farewell and left. Walking out of Sha Zhu's room, he turned around and saw He Yushui standing by the window, looking at him.

A smile appeared on Zhou Zhiyuan's face, and he raised his left hand, giving a thumbs up, meaning he wished her success. Then he turned and walked towards his own room, as he still had to meet Mo Youji early tomorrow morning.

The black cat incident was too mysterious, and he could only go to Mo Youji to inquire.

There was a clue here, Liu Wenxiang encountered a strange thing in Fangshan, as if he was trapped in a bag.

He heard about this at noon, and in the evening, he was trapped in an enclosed space. The strangest thing was that the enclosed space was created by the black cat. It admitted it. This kind of mysterious thing was unbelievable.