In the courtyard. 0

A dim lantern swayed gently on the treetop, casting mottled light and shadows across the ground.0

A hunched old man struggled to draw water from the well.0

His frail frame was bony and gaunt, his disheveled hair hanging over tattered clothes. It was just a bucket of water, but it seemed to require every ounce of strength he had. His veined hands gripped the rope tightly, trembling under the strain, sweat dripping from his forehead as he pulled. 0

His hand slipped and the bucket plummeted back into the depths of the well with a loud splash. He staggered, nearly toppling over the edge.  0

Panic flashed in his cloudy eyes. 0

Hu— Hu—0

With labored breaths, he steadied himself, preparing to try again. Just as he reached for the rope, an icy voice sounded, “I heard you’re being dishonest again. What trick is it this time? Suicide? Or hunger strike?”0

The old man froze, and without turning his head round, he said in a hoarse voice, “What? Did you come here to laugh at me again?”0

Chi Cangmei stood watching in the distance, her gaze as sharp and cold as a knife. “You’re just a useless thing...0