Siheyuan, integrating everything, cultivating the city

In his heart, there was an invisible sense of oppression that was getting stronger and stronger. He suddenly realized that he no longer knew clearly what his wife was thinking. Why was she so calm? Did she know something, or was she deliberately hiding something? If she was really lying, how should Li Xiangqian face it?

He felt a tightness in his chest, as if the feeling of uneasiness was getting deeper and deeper. Why hadn't he considered this possibility from the beginning? He had always held on to a fantasy that things would have a perfect ending, and even tried to suppress all his worries and fears with the comfort of his wife. However, the unspeakable anxiety and uneasiness in his heart had not dissipated, but became more obvious.

"Let's go look for it." Li Xiangqian suddenly spoke, his voice low and firm.

Song Wen nodded, seemingly unaware of the change in his heart, and just followed him silently. She never said anything else, and Li Xiangqian knew that she must be able to feel the increasingly heavy emotions in him.

As they walked, they came to the west of the town, an area of ​​old houses that had once been inhabited. Today, most of the houses have been abandoned, and occasionally a few families can still be seen living there, with windows that always look a little shabby and weeds growing in front of the doors.

Li Xiangqian stopped and stood in front of the gate of an abandoned yard. There was no light in the yard, and everything seemed dead. He was familiar with this place. When he was a child, he played hide-and-seek here with a few friends. At that time, there were still some people living here. Now, there are only empty yards left, and time seems to have frozen here, and nothing has changed.

"Li Xiangqian?" Song Wen's voice was a little low, with a hint of confusion.

He did not answer, but just stared at the old yard, his thoughts drifting away. He suddenly remembered many things in the past, his former home, the laughter and joy in the past, and even those details that he had long forgotten. He couldn't help but think of some memories from his childhood: the family sat together to eat, his mother cooked her best dishes, and his father laughed beside him. At that time, Li Xiangqian always felt that the world was so simple and nothing could go wrong. But now, it seems that everything is no longer so clear, and he began to doubt whether the home that was once full of warmth is still the same as he remembered.

Song Wen's eyes fell quietly on his face. She noticed some confusion and anxiety in his eyes, so she said softly, "Let's look for it, maybe we can find some clues."

Li Xiangqian finally came to his senses and nodded. "Let's go in and take a look."

They pushed open the gate and walked into the empty courtyard. There were some weeds in the yard, and the air was filled with a stale smell. Li Xiangqian stopped here for a moment, and suddenly felt an inexplicable chill, as if something wrong was quietly approaching. His heartbeat accelerated, and the scene in front of him became blurred.

Li Xiangqian's steps gradually became heavy. Although he tried to look calm, he could no longer conceal his inner turmoil. Every step seemed to be stepping on the beating of his own heart, dull and uneasy. He knew that he had come to a fork in the road, and everything in front of him might not be as simple as it seemed.

Song Wen walked beside him, not in a hurry, but her eyes were always paying attention to Li Xiangqian's changes. She noticed his strangeness, as if there was an indescribable tension spreading, and she herself began to feel a little inexplicable pressure. She once thought that she could stay calm, but the air at this time made her a little breathless.

Li Xiangqian suddenly stopped and turned to look at Song Wen behind him, "Do you think this is... really the place we should look for?"

Song Wen was stunned for a moment, and doubts rose in her heart again. She had always thought that Li Xiangqian was still so determined, but at this moment, she felt his hesitation, the kind of uneasiness she had never felt before. She swallowed and whispered: "I... I don't know." She thought she could give him some support and strength, but now she realized that she couldn't give any definite answer.

Li Xiangqian's mood became heavier. The yard in front of him seemed to be twisted in an instant. The smell of old bricks and weeds on the wall seemed to devour everything in him. He looked past Song Wen and looked into the depths of the yard. The shadows there seemed deeper than usual, as if hiding some unknown secret.

"Should we...really go in?" Li Xiangqian's voice trembled a little.

Song Wen frowned tightly, and she stood there with a slightly hesitant look. She was not timid, but facing the unusual silence in front of her, she was also filled with uneasiness. Her intuition told her that this place seemed to hint at something.

"Maybe we should go back." She whispered, with a hint of hesitation in her eyes, "After all, this place doesn't look like... the place we are looking for."

But Li Xiangqian did not respond. He continued to stare into the depths of the courtyard. Those dark corners seemed to be the center of some mystery, calling him to move forward unconsciously. With every step he took, the sense of oppression in the air became stronger, as if the vague uneasiness had completely taken over his body.

Li Xiangqian suddenly felt his throat dry. He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. He knew that no matter what the reason was, this place seemed to no longer be a simple ordinary courtyard. Here, perhaps the truth they had been avoiding was hidden. Perhaps his fear made everything distorted, but the voice in his heart was urging him to move forward all the time.

"Let's go in and take a look." Li Xiangqian suddenly spoke, his tone firmer. He himself was not sure what made him make such a decision, but it seemed that there was an invisible force pushing him.

Song Wen looked at him with mixed emotions in her eyes. She wanted to dissuade him and tell him to think it over again, but seeing the determination in Li Xiangqian's eyes, she hesitated and finally did not speak. She knew that he was not making decisions for others, but fighting against his own fear. And she might be the company that would allow him to breathe a sigh of relief.

The two walked into the yard together. The smell of soil, rotten wood, and growing weeds intertwined in the air, making people feel a kind of oppressive dullness. Li Qianqian's pace quickened. His eyes no longer stayed around, but focused on the front. It seemed that with every step he took, his heart had less doubt and more certainty. His heart beat a little faster, and that hurried feeling seemed to tell him that there was an answer ahead.