Ever since Yina Yin was born, the house has been in constant chaos.
Well, to be honest, even without Yina Yin, our home has always been a mess.
But after Yina Yin came along, that mess leveled up to total mayhem.
Sure, having the kids around makes things lively.
But after a while, all that noise does start to affect the sweet moments between Cecilia Gu and Charles Yin.
So, when Yina Yin turned three, Cecilia Gu took advantage of Vivian Jiang's birthday to pack up all three little troublemakers and send them off to Vivian's place in America.
At first, Vivian Jiang wasn't too keen on having three kids dropped on her doorstep.
But the moment she saw them, all her reluctance turned into joy, and she happily kept her three grandkids close.
With the kids sent off, Cecilia Gu and Charles Yin finally decided to go out for a stroll and enjoy some long-overdue alone time.
After talking it over, they decided not to bother with any famous sights or scenic rivers—just to wander wherever their feet took them.
So, with Alex and a few others, the two quietly said goodbye to the family and slipped out the door, keeping things low-key.
They had a convoy of just five cars, each packed with supplies.
Of course, if they needed anything urgently, it could be delivered right away.
But Cecilia wanted to keep things simple and low-key, so she decided not to bother for now.
After two days on the road, they arrived at a scenic spot with fresh air. Cecilia loved it and decided they'd rest there for the night.
The convoy kept moving along the highway, looking for a place to stay.
Eventually, they found themselves in a somewhat rundown village.
It was rundown compared to the bustling world outside.
Still, there were quite a few people living in the village.
As soon as the convoy entered the village, it caught everyone's attention.
After all, luxury cars are a rare sight in the village—especially five at once.
Assistant A got out first and asked around, then came back to report: "Boss, Madam, this village is called Zhao Family Village. There are about 320 locals—167 elderly, and the rest are young adults and children. Since the village is in the mountains, no one goes out to work; they live off the land and water here. The village is backed by several mountains and has a river in front, both unpolluted. The mountain vegetation is lush and produces a crop called 'Longevity Fruit,' and the river has plenty of fish, enough for everyone."
Cecilia turned to Charles and said, "That’s odd. Why are there so many elderly and so few young adults here? If people went out to work, I'd get it. But if no one leaves, why are there so few young adults—only about half?"
Charles raised an eyebrow and squeezed Cecilia’s fingers, laughing softly, "It is strange. Our convoy is all military SUVs, so we could get here, but regular cars couldn’t. This village really is a bit odd."
Cecilia said worriedly, "Maybe we shouldn’t stay here after all! Something just feels off."
Charles was about to reply when he saw a group of people heading their way.
He gently patted Cecilia’s hand and said, "They’re coming!"
Cecilia got out of the car with Charles and looked over at the group.
Leading the group was an elderly man with white hair and beard, followed by a bunch of other gray-haired men.
Cecilia couldn’t help but feel they all looked strangely alike.
The men looked stunned when they saw Cecilia and Charles, and a flash of greed flickered in their eyes.
Before Cecilia could get a good look, the man quickly put on a warm smile and said, "What a rare treat! We haven't had outsiders visit our village in years! May I ask what brings you two here...?"
Charles nodded and said, "We're just passing through. The weather's turning, so we hoped to camp here for the night. Don’t worry, we brought our own tents—just need a patch of ground."
The man quickly replied, "You’re our guests from afar! How could we be so rude? I’m the village chief of Zhao Family Village. I’ll find you a few empty houses—if you don’t mind, please stay!"
Charles smiled and nodded, then glanced at Assistant A, who quickly grabbed a few bags from the car and handed them to the chief, explaining, "Just a small token from our family—please don’t mind."
The chief happily accepted the gifts, saying, "You’re too kind!"
With the chief’s arrangement, Cecilia and her group were set up in a farmhouse near the river at the edge of the village.
The house was old and drafty, but since it was summer, they didn’t mind the breeze.
Assistant A and the others quickly tidied up the room. Cecilia and Charles stayed inside, while the rest camped out in the yard.
Being close to the river made it easy to fetch water. Soon, everyone was cooking, and delicious smells filled the yard.
The smell of their cooking must have attracted the neighbors—some kids snuck over, keeping their distance but staring at them.
Feeling motherly, Cecilia waved them over and gave each a bread roll and a donut.
The kids grabbed the snacks and scattered.
Strangely, after the kids brought the food home, none of their parents showed up.
Cecilia said to Charles, "Charles, I just feel like the people in this village are strange. I can’t put my finger on what’s weird, though."
Charles elegantly wiped his fingers, smirked, and said, "Did you notice how everyone here looks alike?"
Cecilia’s eyes widened, "You’re right! Now that you mention it, they really do look alike! It’s like they were all made from the same mold! If a family looks similar, that’s normal, but a whole village...?"
As she spoke, Cecilia got goosebumps. It was just creepy and bizarre.
Charles patted Cecilia’s hand and said, "Alright, we’re just passing through, so let’s not get involved. Didn’t the chief just tell us not to come out no matter what we hear?"
Cecilia nodded, "Alright. We didn’t bring many people this time, so safety comes first."
Charles gently tapped Cecilia’s nose but didn’t say anything more.
After dinner, Assistant A quietly came over and whispered to Charles, whose brow instantly furrowed. He said, "Cecilia’s here, so don’t cause trouble—but don’t be afraid of it either."
Assistant A instantly got the message, nodded, and left.
At bedtime, Cecilia noticed the bodyguards in the yard had armed themselves.
As Cecilia and Charles lay down, she couldn’t help but ask, "Is it dangerous here? Otherwise, why would Assistant A and the others...?"
Charles smiled dotingly, hugged Cecilia, and whispered in her ear, "Don’t worry, just sleep. I’ll handle everything else."
The moment Charles hugged her, all Cecilia’s tension melted away and she drifted off in his arms.
After coaxing Cecilia to sleep, Charles, who’d had his eyes closed, suddenly opened them.
From the center of the village, the sound of a woman crying could be heard off and on.
Assistant A had just reported: The reason the village was so lively today was that someone was about to give birth. It’s tradition here that any pregnant woman is sent to the central building to deliver. Until she gives birth, she’s not allowed to leave.
Charles sensed something was off about the village, so he told the bodyguards to step up security.
By the middle of the night, the cries of the woman in labor grew more intense, and the screams woke Cecilia from her sleep.
“What’s happening?” Cecilia shot up in bed, nervously looking north.
Charles quickly comforted her, “It’s nothing, go back to sleep. Someone’s having a baby in the village.”
Cecilia frowned, “Is this village really so backward? Why don’t they go to a hospital to give birth? It’s not totally isolated here, so why do something so important at home?”
Charles’s eyes flickered, then he kissed Cecilia’s forehead and said, “That’s exactly why we shouldn’t act rashly in such a strange village! There’s just a dozen of us, but there’s hundreds of them.”
Cecilia grabbed Charles’s sleeve, looking worried, “Charles, do you know something?”
Charles didn’t answer.
After so many years of marriage, Cecilia could easily read him. She asked, “You already know what’s weird about this village, don’t you?”
Charles sighed, “Oh, you...”
Cecilia sensed something was up and quickly asked, "So tell me—what’s going on? Everyone in this village is just so weird!"
I just had Assistant A investigate in secret. It’s not that this village can’t connect with the outside—they just don’t want to. Over a decade ago, a highway was built here, so people could leave anytime. But the villagers destroyed the road when no one was looking, cutting themselves off.
Cecilia was stunned. "Why?"
Charles answered calmly, "Because they’re hiding a bloody secret. You noticed everyone looks alike—it’s because everyone here is the result of generations of inbreeding."
Cecilia was speechless, not knowing what to say.
Inbreeding?
Terrifying.