Chapter 133: The Vanished One

Because Chen Hao did not know Zhuge Taxue very well, he offered no opinion on Guo Yunhai’s analysis, choosing instead to observe the situation as it unfolded. Whether Zhuge Taxue was truly keeping secrets from them as Guo suggested or not, Chen Hao felt she surely had her reasons.

Therefore, Chen Hao did not rush to press the issue, leaving the time for his two friends, Zhuge Taxue and Guo Yunhai, to communicate and resolve the matter themselves.

Just as Chen Hao was about to get up and leave the private room to get some fresh air and smoke a cigarette, Zhuge Taxue called out to him, "Chen Hao! Wait a moment!"

Chen Hao turned back, feigning ignorance as he asked, "What? Is something the matter?"

Zhuge Taxue rolled her eyes. "Sit down!"

Chen Hao was in no hurry. With his usual leisurely pace, he returned to his seat, turned the chair around, rested his arms on the backrest, and propped his chin on his hands, staring intently at Zhuge Taxue.

His expression sent a chill down her spine. It felt as if Chen Hao were a hooligan and she were a lamb waiting to be slaughtered.

Shaking her head to dispel these chaotic thoughts, Zhuge Taxue spoke slowly to the two of them. "It is true, as you said, Big Guy, that there is a special reason I didn't want you to enter the forest."

"So that's how it is," Guo Yunhai nodded. "Then what exactly is going on? And why did you feel the need to hide it from us, Taxue?"

Zhuge Taxue took a deep breath. Instead of answering immediately, she wore a look of reminiscence and pulled a photograph from her pocket, examining it closely.

After a moment, she placed the photo on the table for Chen Hao and Guo Yunhai to see.

The photo was quite old and had begun to yellow. It featured three people: a pair of husband and wife dressed as farmers standing on either side, with a young child between them. The child wore a small red traditional Tang suit and a landlord-style cap. Although still young, it was clear from the features that the child was none other than Zhuge Taxue herself.

Even as a child, Zhuge Taxue had displayed peerless beauty. No matter how much she was dressed like a boy, her looks could not be concealed. This made Chen Hao scoff at the saying that girls change drastically as they grow up; among the girls he knew, whether it was Gu Mengyan or Fan Yirou, they had all been great beauties from childhood.

Zhuge Taxue was no exception. It seemed that true beauty could indeed withstand the test of time.

"Are these your adoptive parents?" Chen Hao asked.

Zhuge Taxue nodded. "Yes! Just an ordinary farming couple, aren't they? Although I wasn't their biological child, they treated me with all their heart. I think perhaps because they never had children of their own, they poured all their energy into me."

Despite their humble circumstances, they tried to give me the best of everything. Though, when it came to the "best," Kestar was very poor back then, and the only real luxuries were some meat products.

Moreover, they weren't like other farming couples who made their children work the fields. The two elders took on all the heavy labor themselves. The most I did was prepare meals at home, waiting for them to return.

They also scrimped and saved, pinning all their hopes on sending me to school in the city. They never hid the fact that I was adopted; from the time I was old enough to understand, they told me I was an orphan.

They told me more than once that my parents were important people from a big city. They said I had to study hard so that one day I could return to the city, because that was my root and my true home.

When I was young, I didn't understand much, but I took their words to heart, determined to return to the city. Only later did I realize that the talk of "roots" and "destinations" was all a lie. Go back a hundred or two hundred years, and all of our roots were in these great mountains and forests; all of our origins were in the soil.

"......" Chen Hao and Guo Yunhai remained silent, evidently agreeing with her sentiment. They did not interrupt her seemingly aimless introduction.

"Even though I dreamed of going to the big city, I still respected and cared for the two elders deeply. No matter what, whenever I was home, I would have meals ready for them after they returned from the fields.

"Of course, it was mostly my adoptive father who farmed; my adoptive mother primarily managed this teahouse. After that incident Chen Hao mentioned years ago, Kestar was no longer the desolate, unreachable place it had once been.

"People from all over began to arrive. Some were from our own country, but most were foreigners. At first, and indeed until today, we all believed those foreigners were truly drawn by the beautiful scenery of Kestar and intended to build an upscale villa district in the forest.

"The local residents living in Kestar were told by the government that we were not allowed to enter the forest without permission. They said the forest had been leased out and was now a private residential area; trespassing would be a violation of the law.

"The locals in Kestar were mostly farmers, honest people who followed the government's instructions. When this was announced, the government also provided some compensation to the residents. Since one's hands are tied when taking favors, and with the law to back it up, everyone followed the rules. No one ever dared to step into that forest.

"Because of the increase in foreigners, business at my mother's teahouse gradually improved. I'm not boasting, but because Kestar was largely undeveloped, the tea produced here was completely natural and fresh—truly top-tier. Every batch my mother picked was the best of the best.

"Those foreigners would taste the tea and heap praise upon it, which made our business thrive. But then, some accidents began to happen here..."

Finally reaching the main point, Chen Hao and Guo Yunhai adjusted their postures, preparing to listen intently.

"Things remained peaceful for a few years, and as the foreigners brought money to the area, people's lives improved. But some began to get restless.

"They felt that, no matter what, Kestar was part of our country. Even if the forest was leased out, they were the true masters of this land, and the foreigners were merely tenants. There was no reason why the masters shouldn't be allowed inside.

"So, some of the bolder young men in the village decided to enter the forest to take a look. They just wanted to see what the foreigners' villas looked like so they could brag to the others in the village.

"Some young men gathered their courage and snuck into the forest under the cover of night. They didn't encounter the resistance they expected because, aside from the first two years, the guards around the forest had gradually been withdrawn. In truth, anyone could enter freely.

"Those who entered returned shortly after, wide-eyed, constantly boasting about how beautiful and luxurious the foreigners' villas were.

"The funny thing was, almost everyone described the villas differently. Some said the villas were five stories high, while others said they weren't villas at all, but massive buildings dozens of stories tall.

"I was still young then, and hearing their stories made me very curious. I wanted to know who was telling the truth. So, in private, I secretly begged my adoptive father to take me into the forest to see for myself.

"I begged him for a long time, but he never agreed. He knew very well what the consequences would be if we were discovered by the foreigners or