Siheyuan: I live next door to Xu Damao, my last name is Cao

At this moment, in the house which was originally so quiet as if the air had been sucked out of it and made people feel suffocated, there was suddenly a rapid and heavy knock on the door.

This sudden sound instantly broke the extremely depressing atmosphere in the house.

Sha Zhu was sitting at the table, his brows tightly furrowed, his face full of annoyance and impatience.

After hearing the knock on the door, he raised his head abruptly and shouted at the top of his voice: "Who is it? Leave me alone!"

The roar was filled with such rage that it seemed as if it could blow the roof off. It echoed in this small house and made the windows rattle slightly.

However, a familiar and annoying voice came from outside the house: "Silly Zhu, it's me, Xu Damao."

When Sha Zhu heard the voice, his heart skipped a beat, as if a stone had been thrown into a calm lake, causing layers of uneasy ripples.

A bad premonition arose spontaneously, like a cold snake, slowly crawling up his spine, making him shiver involuntarily.

Sha Zhu immediately became alert, his sharp nerves were like a taut bowstring, ready to deal with possible danger at any time.

Sha Zhu thought to himself: Why did Xu Damao come to me? This guy always caused me trouble, like a lingering fly, always buzzing around me and causing trouble.

Xu Damao has never had any good intentions. Every time he appears, nothing good happens. Is he planning something bad again this time?

Thinking of this, Sha Zhu's face became even gloomier, and his face was like the sky before a storm, covered with dark clouds.

He stood up from the stool in an unpleasant manner, with obvious impatience in his movements, and the stool made a harsh sound on the ground.

Sha Zhu hurriedly put on his shoes, dragged his feet, and walked slowly towards the door with a heart full of confusion and vigilance.

With a creaky sound, the shabby wooden door was finally opened. The sound was particularly harsh in the silence.

Xu Damao's face, which looked slightly haggard but with a hint of cunning, appeared in front of Sha Zhu without any warning.

Xu Damao's face still had a bit of paleness as if he had just recovered from a serious illness. It was the color of dead leaves hit by frost in winter, completely lifeless.

However, there was an elusive light flickering in his eyes, like a will-o'-the-wisp flickering in the darkness, seemingly faint but revealing an unsettling mystery.

Some time ago, Xu Damao was hospitalized due to illness. In the white ward filled with the smell of disinfectant, he spent a long and painful time. Every day, he struggled with the pain and his resentment towards Sha Zhu.

After being discharged from the hospital, he stayed at home and recuperated.

During this period, his father Xu Fugui would go to the factory to show movies for him every day so that he could rest and recuperate.

Xu Damao also followed Cao Wei's advice and stayed at home to recuperate.

In that small room, he looked at the sky outside the window every day, from sunrise to sunset, and the anger in his heart continued to burn under the surface calm.

After a month or two of careful care, I finally recovered.

During this seemingly peaceful recuperation process, he was always filled with anger and deep hatred. Like a hibernating poisonous snake, he lurked and endured silently, just waiting for the perfect opportunity to avenge his previous shame.

Day after day, night after night, Xu Damao's hateful eyes were always fixed on every move in the yard, not missing any possible flaws.

He was like a cheetah hiding in the dark, quietly observing every move and expression of his prey. Whether it was the idle chatter of people in the yard or the occasional quarrel, he listened carefully, trying to find useful information from it.

However, what made Xu Damao feel frustrated was that Sha Zhu had been very honest in the courtyard during this period and had hardly revealed any clues that he could exploit.

Although Xu Damao was extremely anxious and his anger was growing day by day, facing such a flawless opponent, he was helpless for a moment and had no choice but to continue to endure and wait silently.

The days of waiting were like a blunt knife, constantly sharpening Xu Damao's patience, but also making his hatred more unforgettable.

Time passed quietly, and just when he was almost in despair, the god of fate seemed to finally favor him.

Just today, a sudden storm broke the original tranquility.

I saw Sha Zhu flying into a rage in the yard for some unknown reason. He was so furious that his eyes were wide open as if they were about to spit fire, and he kept muttering something that was difficult for others to hear. Those words sounded like curses squeezed out from between his teeth, full of anger and unwillingness.

After some inquiries, I found out that this was because Cao Wei came back with his girlfriend Yu Li, and Sha Zhu wanted to take revenge on Cao Wei under the pretext of helping Yan Jiecheng to get revenge.

But unexpectedly, Yan Jiecheng ignored him completely.

Xu Damao hid in the corner and saw it all.

His eyes widened with excitement, his heart beat faster involuntarily, and an indescribable feeling of excitement surged in his heart - the opportunity he had been waiting for finally came!

It felt like he had been groping in the dark for a long time and finally saw a ray of light. He seemed to have seen the scene of Sha Zhu struggling in pain under his calculations, and his heart was filled with the pleasure of revenge.

Later, when Sha Zhu angrily slammed the door and went home, Xu Damao quietly walked to the window and looked through the slightly open window.

Xu Damao saw Sha Zhu sitting at the table, drinking one glass of liquor after another, pouring it into his mouth as if it were free.

His movements were somewhat out of control and the wine spilled from the corners of his mouth, soaking his clothes, but he was completely unaware.

At this moment, a barely perceptible sneer appeared on Xu Damao's lips. That smile was like a devil in the dark night, revealing a kind of cruelty and complacency.

He knew very well that now was the best time to punish Sha Zhu.

So he took a deep breath, as if to absorb all the conspiracy and malice into his body, and then straightened his clothes.

Then, he walked towards the gate of Sha Zhu's house with brisk and firm steps.

Xu Damao stood at the door, his eyes somewhat evasive, not daring to look directly into Sha Zhu's sharp gaze, like a thief facing the scrutiny of the police.

His hands unconsciously rubbed the corners of his clothes; his movements were flustered and nervous, and the corners of his clothes became wrinkled as he rubbed them.

Sha Zhu frowned and looked Xu Damao up and down with suspicion, his eyes full of distrust.

His eyes were like two sharp knives, scanning back and forth over Xu Damao, trying to see through his disguise.

"Xu Damao, why did you come to see me?"

Sha Zhu's voice was low and hoarse, with a questioning tone, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth.

Xu Damao opened his mouth, wanting to say something but stopping himself. His lips trembled slightly, as if he had a thousand words to say but didn't know where to start.

A hint of hesitation flashed across Xu Damao's eyes, but was sharply captured by Sha Zhu.

After a long while, Xu Damao slowly said: "Shazhu, I... I actually..."

Xu Damao paused, as if he was mustering up his courage, then he took a deep breath. The sound of his inhalation was clearly audible in the silence, as if he wanted to exhale all his anxiety with this breath.

"I came here today to talk to you about my true feelings."

Sha Zhu snorted with disdain, his mouth corners slightly raised, revealing a mocking smile.

"Sincerely? What can you possibly have in your heart? Are you trying to scheme against me again? Don't I understand you? When have you ever spoken to me from the heart?"

Sha Zhu's words were full of disdain and suspicion, and his eyes revealed a deep disgust for Xu Damao.

A trace of embarrassment appeared on Xu Damao's face. He waved his hands quickly, with a hint of panic in his eyes.

"No, Shazhu, listen to me. We grew up together in this yard, but our relationship has always been like that of enemies. Those days are like a nightmare that has been haunting me. These days I have been lying in the hospital, and although my body is lying in bed and unable to move, my mind is not idle, thinking about many things in the past."

At this point, Xu Damao's eyes began to redden, as if the memories had touched his deepest emotions.

There was a glimmer of tears in his eyes, and the tears were swirling in his eye sockets, as if they would fall at any time.

Xu Damao secretly glanced at Sha Zhu, and seeing that Sha Zhu was still looking at him with suspicion, and even a bit more vigilance in his eyes, he continued speaking.

"Do you remember the fight we had when we were kids? Because I didn't beat you that time, I've been holding a grudge and feeling ashamed. Since then, I've been obsessed with how to beat you, and as a result, things have gotten worse and worse, and the hatred between us has gotten deeper and deeper."

Sha Zhu frowned even more tightly and stared at Xu Damao with suspicion in his eyes.

"Just because of this? You have been picking on me for so many years? Don't use this as an excuse. Who knows what you are up to?"

Sha Zhu's voice rose a few notches, with obvious distrust in his tone.

His brows were like two small mountains, tightly squeezed together, and the look in his eyes was sharper, as if he wanted to penetrate Xu Damao's soul and find out the conspiracy behind him.

Xu Damao wiped away the nonexistent tears and said in a sobbing voice, "Yes, Silly Zhu. Now that I have suffered so much and walked through the gates of hell, I have finally figured it out. Those were all impulsive actions when I was a child. Now that I am like this, what else is there to fight for? I don't want to live with all this hatred anymore. It's too tiring. Besides, I don't want the yard to be in turmoil because of our affairs."

His voice was a little choked, like a wronged person expressing his pain.

There was a sense of helplessness and fatigue in Xu Damao's eyes, as if he had really let go of the hatred of the past.

Sha Zhu scratched his head. Although he felt that Xu Damao's words made some sense, his doubts did not diminish.

He thought: Why did Xu Damao suddenly change his character? There must be something wrong. This guy has never been a good person, how could he let go of his hatred so easily?

"Humph, you say it lightly, but who knows if you really mean it."

There was still doubt in Sha Zhu's words. His eyes were fixed on Xu Damao, not missing any change in expression on his face.

Seeing that Sha Zhu still didn't believe it, Xu Damao became a little anxious. He took a step forward, looking as anxious as a suspect who was eager to prove his innocence.

"Silly Zhu, I have really figured it out. Look at me now, my health is not good, what is there to fight for? I just hope to live a peaceful life in the future. The grudges we had in the past are like a nightmare, and I don't want to be trapped in it anymore."

Xu Da Maomao's eyes were full of sincerity, and that sincerity was like a clear spring, seemingly crystal clear, but there might be undercurrents hidden deep inside.

Sha Zhu looked at Xu Damao's anxious look and felt a little shaken.

He looked into Xu Damao's eyes, trying to find a flaw in them, but Xu Damao's eyes looked so sincere that made him a little confused.

"Do you really think so? I don't believe you can let it go so easily."

Sha Zhu's tone softened a little, but his doubts still existed.

It was as if there were two little people fighting in his heart, one telling him to trust Xu Damao, while the other kept reminding him to stay vigilant.

Xu Damao raised his hand and swore: "Shazhu, if I lied to you, I would die a miserable death and my descendants would be extinct! I really want to reconcile with you, and let's just pretend that what happened in the past never happened."

There was a determination in his eyes, as if he was really willing to use his life to prove his sincerity.

Sha Zhu was silent for a while. He still had some doubts in his heart, but Xu Damao's appearance made him feel that maybe he really had changed.

Moreover, Xu Damao has made such a vicious oath, I believe he would not dare to break it.

It seems that Xu Damao really wants to resolve the past grievances.

Thinking about it this way, Sha Zhu felt very proud.

This Xu Damao really deserves to be punished. It seems that the lesson I gave him before was not enough. I have to give him a good beating to solve the problem.

Now that he can take the initiative to make peace, it can be considered as giving himself a way out.

"Then tell me, what are you going to do in the future?"

Xu Damao's eyes flashed with an imperceptible light, and he quickly said, "Shazhu, let's live in peace from now on. If there is anything I can do to help you, I will definitely help you. Let's not care about the past right or wrong, and start over."

His words were full of sincerity, and that sincerity was like a piece of sugar coating, covering up his sinister intentions.

Sha Zhu looked at Xu Damao, and his expression softened a little, but still with a hint of caution: "I hope you are sincere. If I find out that you have any bad intentions, I will not let you go."

Xu Damao was overjoyed when he heard this, but he still kept a sincere expression on his face: "Shazhu, don't worry. I'm sincere this time, let's shake hands and make peace."

As he spoke, he stretched out his hand.

Sha Zhu hesitated for a moment, but finally reached out and held Xu Damao's hand: "Okay, I hope you keep your word."

His hand tightly held Xu Damao's hand. The handshake seemed friendly, but both sides could feel the strength in each other's hands, as if they were engaged in a silent contest.

Xu Damao held Sha Zhu's hand tightly, tears flashing in his eyes: "Sha Zhu, thank you for believing in me. Let's not fight anymore and live a good life."

Sha Zhu nodded. He felt that Xu Damao might have really thought it through this time.

But he didn't know that he had walked step by step into the trap carefully designed by Xu Damao.

Xu Damao was secretly proud of himself, thinking that when Sha Zhu completely let down his guard, he would punish him according to Cao Wei's method and let him taste the pain.

And Sha Zhu naively thought that the feud in the yard had come to an end, but he didn't know that a bigger storm was quietly brewing. A conspiracy was slowly approaching him like a shadow in the darkness.

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