Welcome to the Bizarre Games

Chapter 537 Family
Who is it?

Before Zhou You could react, a woman in her forties, dressed in rich clothes, rushed out the door and hugged him tightly.

"My son, why are you only coming back now? I thought something had happened to you, and I was just about to take your father to report it to the authorities."

Looking at the woman with snot and tears streaming down her face, seemingly both heartbroken and overjoyed, Zhou You felt completely unfamiliar with her.

To be fair, his parents died early, and his only memory of them was a blurry old photograph. His grandfather was a notoriously stubborn and bad-tempered old man who used corporal punishment far more than patient persuasion in disciplining his children.

Therefore, he has basically never experienced what 'concern' is from childhood to adulthood.

But now.

This unfamiliar woman embraced his body, calling out "child" with heartfelt affection.

It felt unfamiliar and uncomfortable.

But perhaps due to the influence of this world, he couldn't muster the slightest feeling of disgust.

Seeing that the woman had cried herself to sleep, Zhou You gently pushed her away with a polite smile.

The woman looked up and said, somewhat puzzled.

"My son, what's wrong with you?"

Just then, the woodcutter beside him explained.

"It seems that Dalang hit his head when he went out to catch rabbits; I'm a little unsure now."

As soon as she finished speaking, the woman anxiously touched Zhou You's head again.

"You bumped your head, son. Should we call a doctor? Or should we go to the Taoist temple and invite a couple of Taoist priests over? We don't want it to leave any lasting effects!"

Zhou You maintained his usual business-like smile and softly declined.

"Don't worry, um, that..."

After hesitating for a few seconds, he ultimately didn't call out "Mother," but instead used a substitute.

"I'm fine, just a little groggy. I should rest for a few days and I'll be fine."

The woman looked at him with concern, and seeing that his expression did not seem to be feigning, she reluctantly gave in.

"Alright, my child, you've never liked seeing doctors since you were little. But you have to promise your mother that you must tell me if you feel unwell. You've only been married a short time, so don't cause any trouble. Our Zhou family is counting on you to leave a legacy."

Zhou You nodded in agreement.

Then, the woman looked at the middle-aged woodcutter.

She wiped away her tears, then suddenly broke into a bright smile and said.

"Brother Zhang, thank you so much! Otherwise, what would have happened to Dalang?"

The middle-aged woodcutter quickly declined.

"Sister-in-law, you don't need to be so polite. I just met him on the way and brought him back. Besides, Dalang is kind to everyone and has helped me a lot. It's nothing at all."

Even so, the woman still called over a servant and gave him instructions.

"I can't let you make a wasted trip. Here's what I'll do: go to the storeroom and get five taels of silver. Consider it a treat for you, Third Brother, to some drinks."

"Sister-in-law, you're too kind of me."

"If you refuse this token of our appreciation, Third Brother, it would make our family seem stingy."

After going back and forth like this for a while, the middle-aged woodcutter finally left happily with the silver in his hand, while the woman turned to look at Zhou You, her face becoming even more kind.

"You'er, your father is still waiting for you. He was so worried when he heard you were missing that he couldn't even take care of his business. If you're alright, why don't you go over there now and put his mind at ease?"

—You'er must be this body's nickname. It seems that not only its identity, but also its past experiences have been carefully crafted by this silence.

But the problem is
What is he planning?
Zhou You looked the woman over again.

Perhaps because he had a child late in life, his eyes were full of doting affection, and his expression was so vivid that it was impossible to tell that there was anything wrong with him.
It's obvious that he's just an ordinary person.

Seeing that Zhou You did not reply, the lady asked with great concern.

"You'er, is that you?"

Seeing that the other party was about to call a doctor again, Zhou You quickly said.

"No, I'm fine. Let's hurry over there so as not to keep them waiting."

"You child, were you always this polite?" The woman shook her head, but still led Zhou You into the inner room.

—This mansion is indeed not large, at least not compared to the Hidden King's houses which are measured in acres. However, it is still a wealthy family, and the decoration is quite exquisite, showing that a lot of thought has been put into it.

Before long, the two arrived at the main room. The woman did not knock but pushed the door open and went in.

"My lord, You'er is back, and she's alright..."

As he spoke, a man who had been pacing anxiously in the center of the room suddenly raised his head upon hearing this.

"You'er's back!?? How is he?!"

At that moment, Zhou You also saw the man's face.

He had an ordinary face and wore a brocade robe, but he didn't have the 'majesty of someone who has been in a high position for a long time'. He was more like a shrewd businessman who had been in the business world for a long time.

However, despite the surprise, he quickly remembered his identity, coughed twice, and then sat back down in his chair.

"What kind of behavior is this! Although my Zhou family is not a scholarly family, we have produced a few scholars in the past. You're always wandering around outside, you've completely disgraced us! Guards, drag him away and give him a few lashes so he'll learn his lesson!"

However, neither the servants nor the women moved.

These people all looked at Zhou You with the same mocking gaze.

Of course, given Zhou You's physique, let alone a whip, even a cane might not leave a mark, so he simply nodded in agreement.

"You're right, nothing can be accomplished without rules, whether it's a family, a country, or the world. Shall I go down and receive my punishment?"

Unexpectedly.

Upon hearing this, 'Old Master Zhou's' eyes widened like a bull's.

To be more precise...

This person now sees Zhou You as if he's seen a sow fly into the sky—thinking he's just seeing an illusion.

"You little brat, when did you become so obedient? Don't you usually just lie on the ground begging for mercy?"

Zhou You was stunned for a moment, then felt a bit dumbfounded.

Um... Is this guy really that lazy?

Fortunately, the woman whispered a few words in 'Old Master Zhou's' ear.

Then, just like the woman had reacted, the head of the household immediately jumped up.

"What? You bumped your head? You'd better go see a doctor right now!!!"

This time it was the woman who was comforting them.

"You'er has never liked seeing doctors since he was little. He starts crying and fussing as soon as he enters a clinic, as you know. Besides, he himself says he's fine. Let's see him for a few days first, and if it doesn't improve, then we'll take him to the clinic."

These words were spoken softly to Old Master Zhou, but Zhou You still heard them clearly.

Then, he sighed softly again. He had a happy family and was loved by his parents.
This silence... it really gave him a good identity.

As if to cover up his embarrassment, Old Master Zhou coughed twice and then sat down again.

"Alright, since you're injured, I'll remember this lash. Where are you all? Didn't you see the young master hit his head? Hurry up and help him back to his room to rest!"

Several maids immediately ran over, took Zhou You's hand, and prepared to lead him out of the room.

Zhou You agreed, but after leaving the house and getting away from his 'parents' sight, he smiled and shook his head, shaking off those arms.

"Young Master, what's wrong?"

The waitress was clearly puzzled, but Zhou You simply smiled and said...

"No need to take such good care of me. Just tell me where the room is. I need to walk around more and get some fresh air now."

The other person wanted to say something more, but when they saw Zhou You's calm eyes, they suddenly froze for some reason.

Then, she subconsciously let go of his hand.

So the girls quickly and hesitantly accepted it, and it wasn't until Zhou You had walked quite a distance that someone whispered something.

"That's strange. Was the young master like this before?"

Zhou You also knew that his actions were far too conspicuous.

Of course, he didn't care at all—after all, he had never forgotten his important business.

I went through all this trouble to find this place so that I could kill Silent and complete the main storyline, not to play house with these people.

although
He gave a wry smile.

—I am quite envious.

Shaking his head to clear his mind of unnecessary thoughts, Zhou You quickly looked around and frowned.

He walked over to the root beam and rubbed it with his thumb.

The problem is simple.

It's too new.

I had asked the woodcutter before—the Zhou family has lived in the city for seventy or eighty years. The house was bought by the great-grandfather's generation, so it must be at least fifty or sixty years old now.

The pillar looked as new as if it had just been erected last week.

Have you had any renovations done recently?
Zhou You immediately denied his own guess.

wrong.

This isn't modern times; renovations always leave traces. But this house is completely seamless; you can't see a single trace.

That would be.
But at that moment, an unusual sensation suddenly came from my fingertips.

It's like a greasy, plump, yet incredibly smooth skin; it's not particularly uncomfortable, but it makes your hair stand on end.

However, this feeling was fleeting.

Upon closer inspection, the pillars appeared to be made of wood, and even when Zhou You used a little force to tap inside, there were no problems.

illusion?

Just kidding, I've been on edge ever since I entered this hellhole, how could I possibly have any illusions?
But what is that thing?
However, seeing the strange looks from the servants around him, Zhou You simply shook his head and left the place.

His, or rather the original owner's, house was located at the very back of this mansion.

It is said that this "eldest son of the Zhou family" is the most playful person. He has not read much of the classics, but often hangs out with a bunch of wandering knights. So, wooden figures, swords, spears, clubs and the like can be seen everywhere in this courtyard.

It’s just that.

Judging from the various marks and the grip marks from the guns and clubs, this guy's skills are basically all flashy but ineffective. At most, he's a bit better than the average person at street fighting, but if it really comes down to a life-or-death struggle, he's probably no better than a soldier who's been on the battlefield a few times.

But then he shook his head and smiled bitterly.

That's ridiculous! After my father passes away, my family can easily inherit the shop. We can live off our savings without doing anything and become wealthy. Why would we need to fight with those江湖人士 (jianghu figures)?
Wait a minute!

Zhou You took a deep breath and pressed his temples hard.

After a while, he slowly vomited it out.

Something is wrong.

Very wrong.

When he was walking with the woodcutter before, he only felt a strange sense of familiarity. However, now, in less than half a day, he had actually developed a sense of identification with this identity.
He had seen this before, even a very long time ago.

When he first entered the Black Book, the script about escaping from Building No. 4 had influenced his mind in this way.

but now.
The level of erosion is more than a hundred times stronger than it was back then!
Are these two from the same source? Or is Building No. 4 itself a fragment of this silence?
His mind became increasingly chaotic, but with perseverance, it was eventually dispelled by the Heavenly Dragon bloodline.

However, the same problem still exists.

—This stuff is penetrating more and more intensely, how much longer can I hold out?

Honestly, Zhou You has a real urge right now to pull out a towering cliff and chop everything around him down.

Fortunately, he still retains some rationality and knows that in this unknown situation, recklessly using force will only hasten his death.

So he patted his face and silently repeated to himself, "I am Zhou You, from modern society, a disciple of Du Xin Xuan Yuan. I am not the eldest son of a jade shop, nor am I some idle wandering knight." Only then did he step inside.

There were few servants in the courtyard, but it was well-maintained. Weapons were neatly arranged against the wall, and fallen leaves had been swept away—it wasn't spotless, but it was at least hundreds of times better than someone's old doghouse.

Zhou You walked step by step to the door and then pushed it open.

Sunlight streamed in from outside, illuminating the equally neat and clean house.

It's not small, but it's not big either. Just like the ones I've seen before, both the furnishings and decorations are very exquisite and thoughtfully done.

However, that's not what caught Zhou You's attention.

A woman was sitting at a table inside the room.

Her appearance was far from stunningly beautiful, but she was still quite elegant and refined. At this moment, she was wearing a plain white dress, and even though she was just sitting there, she still appeared gentle and graceful.

Upon seeing Zhou You, the girl immediately stood up in surprise, but she quickly realized her lapse in composure, straightened her clothes, and then gave a curtsy.

Then, he opened his mouth.

The voice was warm and gentle, like the song of a nightingale, yet it also carried the softness and elegance of a woman from the water towns of southern China.

"My husband, you're back?"

?

Xianggong?

The term was so novel that Zhou You couldn't help but turn around to look behind him—to see if he was greeting someone else.

But then, he suddenly came to his senses.

Talk about it.
Probably, it seems, perhaps, should.
I'm wrong, it's this guy, he seems to have a wife?

For a moment, Zhou You was also speechless.

Damn, you've really done a great job, Silence. Not only are you assigning parents to single people, but you're also assigning wives to them?
(End of this chapter)