lissa Greenwood’s face was grim. "Why did it take you so long? What kind of tricks are you pulling again?"
"Nothing, really. I went door-to-door asking. So people wouldn’t even open their doors. It’s so late, who would dare take in strangers so easily?" Yolanda Greenwood used the cover of night to hide the subtle hints of her lying expression.
"Two won and a child—what are they afraid of?" Yet lissa’s cautiousness surpassed Yolanda’s expectations.
"I think you’re just up to sothing sneaky again. Did you already call Noah Coldson and have him set up an ambush at that shelter?" lissa asked, venomously.
"I didn’t! I honestly didn’t," Yolanda denied vehently.
"Yeah, right. I’ll believe that when I see ghosts," lissa barked as she flung the rear car door open and yelled at Yolanda, "Co over here and grab the bag."
Yolanda hesitated for a mont. "This bag is so heavy, carrying it around would be inconvenient. Just leave it in the car; it’s safe here."
She had thought lissa would ask for so money but hadn’t expected it to be the bag. Could it contain sothing incredibly precious?
"Stop babbling. When I say carry it, you carry it. Hurry up!" lissa’s emotions were clearly on edge.
Not wanting to provoke lissa further, Yolanda had no choice but to struggle with the heavy bag. "Fine, let’s go. I’ll take you there."
"No way." lissa stood her ground, coldly replying, "You’re not taking us to the house you just visited. Find another family. We’ll start over, and I’ll co with you."
"lissa Greenwood, can’t you trust just once? I really didn’t pull any tricks. It’s not easy finding soone willing to take us in." Yolanda’s tone was full of frustration.
"Stop wasting ti. Get moving and find soone else," lissa’s tone left no room for negotiation.
She held Little Gabriel and walked ahead to another house, then signaled for Yolanda to go up and ask.
"Hello, is anyone ho?" Yolanda shouted loudly.
After waiting for a mont, no one ca out. Yolanda turned back to lissa. "At this ti of night, most people are asleep. Should we maybe..."
"Stop your nonsense. Keep shouting," lissa stubbornly refused to change her mind.
Yolanda had no choice but to keep shouting, "Hello, we’re passing through and would like to stay overnight. Is that okay?"
After a few more shouts, the noise had riled up the dogs in the neighboring yards, finally prompting soone to co out.
"Who’s there? What do you want?"
"Brother, hello! We’d like to borrow shelter for the night," Yolanda said quickly.
lissa chuckled twice from behind, "Brother, it’s just the two of us won and a child. You could at least..."
"Get lost, get lost! Who knows what kind of people you are? Don’t shout anymore, or don’t bla for being impolite!" The man swore grumpily as he slamd the door.
Yolanda looked back helplessly.
"Keep looking," lissa said gruffly.
And so, they visited several more hos, but none agreed. It was late, and an abrupt appearance like theirs was undeniably suspicious, even if they were only two won.
lissa gradually lost her patience, becoming increasingly agitated.
Yolanda had an idea and decided to lead lissa back to the house she had visited earlier. After all, lissa didn’t know this was the sa place.
Seeing the light still on inside the house, Yolanda shouted directly to prevent the man from exposing her plan, "Is anyone ho? We’d like to borrow shelter for the night. Could we stay here?"
The man inside had thought he had been tricked and was just considering calling his family back when he heard Yolanda’s shout.
The phrasing of Yolanda’s request seed a bit strange to him, but he stepped outside, puzzled.
"Brother, hello! We’re passing through this village and looking for a place to rest," Yolanda quickly spoke up.
lissa joined in from behind, "Brother, we’re just two won and a child. Don’t worry, there’s absolutely no danger. Please let us stay the night."
After so thought, she hurriedly added, "We can pay you—one thousand yuan. Would that work?"
The man stepped forward, carefully inspecting Yolanda and casting a cautious glance at lissa before finally opening his door. "Co in."
"Thank you, brother. Thank you so much!" Yolanda said gratefully.
"Thank you, brother," lissa added, though her gaze lingered on the man. She couldn’t help but feel his odd stare on her. She quietly kept her guard up.
Upon entering the house, they saw a table set with an entire spread of dishes, but only one bowl of rice and a single pair of chopsticks.
lissa frowned. "Brother, is it just you living here?"
"Mm-hm, my family’s visiting relatives tonight—just here," the man mumbled, keeping his head down to avoid eting lissa’s gaze.
lissa glanced back at the full table again and smiled faintly. "Brother, you’re eating quite well—so many dishes just for yourself."
The man’s forehead beaded with nervous sweat; he stamred, unable to respond.
Yolanda leaned closer to lissa and murmured, "This family seems well-off, probably one of the wealthier hos in the village."
"Ha!" lissa scoffed derisively.
"Have you eaten yet?" the man asked hesitantly. "Would you like to join ?"
"Sure, we haven’t had dinner yet," Yolanda quickly answered. "Thank you, brother."
She turned to lissa. "Let’s eat a bit. You know the saying—food is the essence of life. Not eating is out of the question."
lissa, who was indeed famished, nodded. "Alright then. Thank you, brother."
Yolanda had already grabbed Little Gabriel’s bottle and formula, preparing so milk for him.
Considering how long it had been, the adults were certainly hungry by now, but Little Gabriel oddly hadn’t cried or fussed—a detail that made Yolanda uneasy.
She quickly prepared the formula and reached out to hold Little Gabriel. "Hand the baby over to ; I’ll feed him."
"I’ll do it," lissa snapped, grabbing the bottle and roughly pushing it into Little Gabriel’s mouth.
The man watched tensely, glancing nervously between lissa and Yolanda before awkwardly offering so reassurance. "This little baby is so adorable, and so well-behaved—not a single fuss."
"Exactly. This child never cries," lissa said sharply, a cryptic smile pulling at the corners of her lips.
She noticed Little Gabriel finally drinking the milk and bluntly shoved the bottle into his arms. "Hold it and drink yourself."
Surprisingly, Little Gabriel grasped the bottle firmly and drank peacefully, looking both obedient and endearing.
"What a smart little one!" The man exclaid, glancing impressed toward Yolanda.
lissa’s suspicions flared again. Why did it seem like the man sohow knew the child was Yolanda’s and not hers?
She threw a wary look toward both of them.
"Let’s have dinner while the food’s still warm," the man suggested, clearly hungry himself.
lissa and Yolanda approached the table, though lissa refrained from eating first. Instead, her eyes darted between the man and Yolanda, waiting for them to take the first bites.
Yolanda quickly understood lissa’s intent and started eating, followed shortly by the man.
lissa kept track of which dishes the other two had eaten from before joining in, cautiously sampling only small portions from each dish as though fearing they’d tampered with the food.
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