The landlord has multiple personalities and wants everyone to pay him.

Ye Shu's room was indeed not very big.

A small earthen bed that occupies almost half the room is the absolute main feature, while the remaining space is barely filled by an old-fashioned wardrobe, a wooden desk, and a homemade bookshelf simply nailed together from a few thick planks.

The bookshelf was crammed full, but upon closer inspection, most of the books were textbooks with curled edges and all sorts of supplementary books, with very few actual extracurricular reading materials, telling the story of the owner's youth, which was once filled with academic work.

The two entered the house one after the other. Before entering, Zhi Qiu saw the black and white photo on the dresser.

The photo shows a middle-aged woman with gentle eyes and a serene smile. Her gaze seems to transcend time, quietly watching the person who has arrived.

Zhi Qiu looked at the photo, then glanced at Ye Shu's retreating figure walking ahead, seemingly understanding something, but didn't speak immediately. Only after the two had entered the house, the door gently closing behind them, cutting off the faint sound of the television from the living room, did she softly ask in the room's unique quiet, a blend of old books, wood, and a hint of dust:

"Little Shu, who is that person in the photo on the cabinet by the door...?"

Ye Shuzheng casually pulled up the only wooden chair in front of the desk, and without pausing, sat down naturally, his gaze not even looking towards the door:

"My mom."

There were no extra explanations, no words like "dear" or "deceased," just two simple words that contained all the information.

Zhi Qiu could actually guess it, since she had never heard Ye Shu talk about his mother since she met him.

She stood by the kang (a heated brick bed), looking at Ye Shu's calm profile. His reaction was too quick and too normal, which only made the things that might be hidden beneath that calmness even more unsettling.

She hesitated for a moment, seemingly choosing her words carefully, before continuing to ask:

"Then...why...did Auntie leave?"

Ye Shu sat in the chair, leaning back slightly, her gaze fixed on the small kang (heated brick bed) in front of her.

The sunlight streaming through the window shone directly on half of his face, outlining a clear yet expressionless profile. He paused for two or three seconds, as if recalling something, or perhaps organizing his thoughts, before speaking, his voice still steady:

"I got sick, cancer. When it was diagnosed, it was already in its late stages."

His narrative was so concise it was almost icy; there was no description of the process, no exaggeration of the pain, only the name of the disease and its outcome. But it was precisely this starkness, stripped of all embellishment and emotion, that made the weight of those words so profound.

He seemed to be talking about someone else's affairs, but his overly calm tone itself was a deep-seated wound that had been digested over a long period of time.

Zhi Qiu listened quietly.

She didn't show excessive sympathy or sadness; instead, her gentle eyes gazed at Ye Shu with increasing depth.

She could tell that, despite his calm tone and expressionless face, his usually clear and bright eyes dimmed for a moment when he mentioned the word "late stage".

It was a sorrow that had settled over the years, a sorrow hidden deep beneath the calm surface of the sea.

Seeing Ye Shu like this, Zhi Qiu felt a pang of pain in her heart.

She immediately realized that this topic should not be explored any further, at least not now.

She turned around, reached out and touched the small kang (heated brick bed) beside her, feeling the coolness of the fabric and the stiff straw mat underneath. A hint of curious doubt appeared on her face, and her tone became lighter:

"This kang...why doesn't it feel warm to the touch? Aren't people saying that kangs in the north are really warm to sleep on in winter?"

Hearing her question, Ye Shu's calm facade softened slightly, and she chuckled as she said:

"You still need to burn firewood to get it hot, sister. Do you think it's a nuclear-powered kang (heated brick bed) that's always hot?"

Zhi Qiu was amused by his statement and asked, following his lead:

"When will it get hot?"

"Wait a minute."

Ye Shu pointed out the window, towards the kitchen:

"It'll be time to make lunch soon. Once the stove is lit, the kang (heated brick bed) will naturally warm up."

Zhi Qiu sat down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), her gaze sweeping across the small room, finally settling on the homemade bookshelf that was crammed full.

Most of the books on the bookshelf were old, and the writing on the spines was somewhat blurred.

She got up, walked to the bookshelf, and looked with great interest at these companions that had accompanied Ye Shu through her youth. She casually picked up an old textbook with a tattered cover from a pile of "Five-Year College Entrance Examination and Three-Year Simulation" and "High School Mathematics Compilation".

Turning the yellowed pages, she saw dense notes and highlights drawn with a highlighter. A slight smile played on her lips.

"Little Shu, you used to be such a good student?"

Ye Shu sat in the chair, watching Zhi Qiu flip through his old textbooks. Feeling a bit nostalgic, he mumbled an "um." Just as he was about to say something modest, he heard a soft "click."

A light blue letter, its edges already somewhat rough from being folded in half, slipped from the open pages of the book and floated gently to the ground at Zhi Qiu's feet.

Ye Shu looked at the blue letter and felt it looked familiar, but couldn't remember what it was for a moment, so she didn't pay it any mind.

Zhi Qiu bent down and picked up the paper. She assumed it was some notes or draft tucked inside a book, so she unfolded it and casually glanced at the surface.

Then, the gentle, curious smile on her face froze on her lips at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Ye Shu immediately noticed the subtle change in Zhi Qiu's expression—a mixture of surprise, amusement, and something else he couldn't quite decipher, yet which sent a chill down his spine. His ominous premonition grew stronger, and he couldn't help but speak, his voice a little dry:

"...What's wrong? What is it?"

Zhi Qiu did not answer immediately.

She slowly unfolded the paper completely, looked down and examined it carefully for two seconds to confirm its contents.

Then, she slowly raised her head, holding the light blue letter in her hand, and turned to Ye Shu.

The smile on her face seemed to soften again, even more so than before, but Ye Shu felt as if the temperature in the room had dropped several degrees in an instant.

"Little Shu, my younger brother."

Zhi Qiu's voice remained gentle and melodious, even tinged with curiosity. She walked slowly and deliberately to Ye Shu, bending down slightly to bring them close enough to see each of his eyelashes clearly.

"I have a question for you..."

She waved the letter in her hand, her smile impeccable, yet it reminded Ye Shu of a predator locking onto its prey.

"Who is Yunyun...?"