37: Chapter 37: Something Happened 37: Chapter 37: Something Happened Liu Hun poured a glass of water for Du Yueling and said, “I’d like to talk with you for a while.”

“About what?” Du Yueling glanced at Liu Hun, then hurriedly averted her eyes as if she were a thief.

She didn’t know why she sometimes felt relaxed in front of this man and other times very tense.

“Do you know what happened at the temple gate just now?” Liu Hun asked Du Yueling.

Now, facing Du Yueling, he felt much calmer; after all, it was a big deal.

Du Yueling rubbed her shoe against the ground and nodded, saying, “Just a monster, right?”

“Do you really think that’s a monster?

Just a little trick to reassure the villagers, to make them feel safe sending their children to school.

You’re a college student; can’t you see through it?” Liu Hun was somewhat anxious, his tone becoming a bit heavy.

He really disliked people pretending to be ignorant.

“Fine, it’s a person.

I don’t know why you’re doing this.

Maybe it’s a village custom, or for some other reason.

In any case, it has nothing to do with me.” Du Yueling looked at Liu Hun, tossed out this line, and then avoided his gaze again.

“Then let me tell you what’s going on.” Liu Hun said, recounting the whole story to Du Yueling, and then asked her, “You sleepwalk at night, so the dark shadow Mao’er saw earlier was you.

This also explains why you were sleeping with the kids but woke up on the haystack outside the next morning.”

Hearing Liu Hun’s words, Du Yueling suddenly trembled all over and bit her lower lip tightly, not speaking for a long time.

“I may not have gone to school, but I’m not stupid.

When you woke up from the haystack that day, I wanted to talk to you, but you clearly avoided the topic.

Last night’s incident once again proved you do sleepwalk.

Furthermore, Sister Lan said this happens from childhood to adulthood; you should know yourself.

Why didn’t you tell me?” Liu Hun spoke directly, realizing these words might hurt Du Yueling, but he couldn’t let her keep evading it.

Last night’s incident could happen again.

In the future, the mountain’s wolves, tigers, poisonous snakes, insects, or even the villagers’ dug pits could kill Du Yueling during sleepwalking.

“Since you know everything, what else is there for me to say?

How should I say it?

I’m not a normal person; I sleepwalk, I’m a monster.

Is this enough?!

I’ve run all the way here, yet I can’t escape.

Will I only be left alone after I’m dead?” Du Yueling shouted at Liu Hun with reddened eyes.

Her hidden affliction had been exposed, exposing old scars and bringing her bloody past back to the forefront, causing a mental breakdown.

Du Yueling’s lips trembled, and tears streamed down her cheeks.

She pushed Liu Hun away and tried to leave the room.

She ran a couple of steps, suddenly feeling her arm being grabbed, and then she was pulled by a tremendous force into Liu Hun’s embrace.

“What… what are you doing?

Let go of me!” Du Yueling’s heart panicked, struggling to break free from Liu Hun’s embrace.

Liu Hun held Du Yueling tightly, refusing to let go despite her struggles, until she was too weak to continue resisting.

Then he said to her, “Ms.

Du, I don’t want to take advantage of you; I just don’t know how to calm you down.

Before, I raised a lamb that got frightened, and this was the method I used to calm it.

So…

you can hit or scold me later; I’ll accept it.”

Exhausted, after venting her inner affliction, Du Yueling naturally leaned her head on Liu Hun’s shoulder.

She had experienced breakdowns when her hidden affliction was exposed, facing only a dark and cold wall alone.

After gathering herself, she buried the hidden affliction deeper, feigning strength to rejoin society until the next exposure and subsequent breakdown.

Today, right now, things seemed different.

Du Yueling could feel this man’s gentle and strong arms and heard the steady, rhythmic heartbeat.

She suddenly understood he was a man both inside and out, as resolute as this land, capable of carrying more than just his own fate.

“I just really wish I were a little lamb…” Du Yueling murmured, turning her mouth slightly askew, leaning on Liu Hun’s shoulder, and closing her eyes.

At this moment, Liu Hun’s heart was pounding anxiously, just like a lame donkey pulling a cart, feeling it might fall into a ditch at any moment.

Even he didn’t know why he acted this way; it seemed instinctual, and after doing it, he felt a tinge of sweetness mixed with his anxiety.

Perhaps it was like swallowing pure honey without water straight into his mouth.

“Du…

Ms.

Du…” Liu Hun felt as if Du Yueling hadn’t reacted for a long time.

He gently called her name twice, then slightly lowered his head to see…

she was standing and actually asleep?!

Liu Hun had never experienced emotional collapse, nor did he know the extreme exhaustion following it.

Looking at the soundly sleeping Du Yueling, he gently moved and managed to get her onto the bed.

“Phew!” Liu Hun let out a long breath, then carefully drew one hand out.

Just as he was about to extract the other hand…

oh no!

Du Yueling turned over and hugged the hand Liu Hun was about to pull out to her neck, and then, cuddling her face against it, fell back asleep.

Liu Hun finally realized Mao’er was right.

Du Yueling did resemble a cat when sleeping, always snuggling up against something comfortable.

What was he to do?

Liu Hun thought it over and decided to let Du Yueling have a good sleep.

After all, there were no kids coming to school, so there was no need to worry about anyone seeing.

The sun slowly set in the west, and Liu Hun sat on the bed, dozing off.

He wasn’t sure when he woke up with a sore waist from sitting, stretched his arms, and suddenly noticed—Du Yueling was gone.

Startled, Liu Hun stood up, just stepping out the door, when he saw Du Yueling coming over, holding two plates.

She said to him, “You’re awake?

Time to eat.”

Liu Hun felt as if a water bucket was swinging in his heart as he sat at the table.

He took a few bites and raised his head, intending to speak to Du Yueling, only to find she was watching him.

As their eyes met, Du Yueling smiled; her dimples immediately emitted a charming light, saying, “Thank you for earlier; I felt very warm.” After speaking, Du Yueling lowered her head, and her voice became a little somber, “I… plan to leave soon.”

“What?

Leave?

Why leave?

If it is something I…” Liu Hun truly didn’t understand what Du Yueling was thinking.

He was speaking, but Du Yueling interrupted him.

“It has nothing to do with you.

In fact, I should be thanking you.

It’s just that…

I always thought if I left my previous environment and avoided everything from before, my illness would heal, but I didn’t expect it to be the same.

The first attack was the time Mao’er saw me.

At first, I still held out hope and didn’t dare to sleep deeply.

Last night, I was too tired and fell into a deep sleep, and it happened again.” Du Yueling smiled slightly at Liu Hun, but this smile bore profound helplessness.

“I can heal!

I promise to cure your illness!

I hope you’ll stay!” Liu Hun said sincerely to Du Yueling.

For the first time, he felt something emerging from the muddy field in his heart that he wished to hold on to.

“You’re a very good person.

My illness isn’t ordinary sleepwalking; it’s a rare condition similar to it, which even a psychiatry professor at Harvard Medical School couldn’t cure.” As Du Yueling spoke, her smile faded, replaced by deep sadness.

“Whenever I’m in a new environment, there’s a period when I don’t have attacks.

Once familiar, it starts again, the longer I stay, the more frequent the attacks.

Eventually, terrible things happen.

This village is peaceful, full of life and vigor.

I love it here dearly, but…

I don’t want to harm anyone here…

including you.”

Liu Hun wasn’t in the mood to guess the meaning behind Du Yueling’s words.

With determined eyes, he said to her, “Ms.

Du, I know I’m not better than some top-notch professors.

But I promise to heal you, so you can stay here in peace.

Three days!

Just three days!

This is my promise as a man!

Please eat first; I’ll go get the medicine.”

After speaking, Liu Hun got up from the table and went into his room.

He was certain he could cure Du Yueling’s illness, but he needed to gather some herbs for the show.

During these three days, Liu Hun used the excuse of giving Du Yueling palm acupressure massage to let Qi Force circle throughout her body.

Du Yueling felt tranquil and peaceful, and the anxiety, tension, and inexplicable fears that had once plagued her disappeared.

“Hey…

hahaha…”

“Why are you laughing?

Is something wrong?” Liu Hun, holding onto Du Yueling’s hand, suddenly heard her laugh, which made him a bit nervous.

Du Yueling looked at Liu Hun and said, “I used to laugh to hide my sadness from others.

Now I laugh because I’m genuinely happy…

Ha…

haha…

Why such a serious expression?

Are you nervous to see a teacher?

You’re not my student.”

“Are you…

planning to stay?” Liu Hun still couldn’t understand what Du Yueling was saying, like trying to catch a loach in muddy water, slippery and unclear.

What mattered most to him was if Du Yueling would stay.

Du Yueling smiled a silly smile, her dimples deepening, nodded slightly and said, “I said I love it here.

Now I feel like the nightmares encircling me are gone.

So, I have even less reason to leave.”

“Brother Hun!

Brother Hun!

Something big has happened!

Where are you?” Gazi’s sharp voice suddenly rang out in the temple, as startling as a firecracker.

Liu Hun hurriedly let go of Du Yueling’s hand and walked out of the courtyard to ask Gazi, “Gazi, what’s going on?

What’s happened?”

“Brother Hun, you need to come with me!

Widow Cheng…

no, Aunt Cheng has drunk pesticide!” Gazi said, rushing up to grab Liu Hun.