TNIBFT -Chapter 57 Tracking on a Snowy Night

Ye Yunting turned to look at his younger sister. At this moment, Ye Shuangxue was curling her small body, her back facing him.

Silent.

Ye Yunting knew she wasn’t asleep. She must be upset.

He knew his sister too well. Recently, Ye Shuangxue had been increasingly concerned about Ye Tian. She contradicted him every day, yet carefully considered his feelings at every turn. Ever since the day she decided to leave, her heart must have already accepted Ye Tian.

“Shuangxue.”

Ye Yunting spoke.

The room was quiet; no one responded.

Seeing his sister’s tiny figure curled up, Ye Yunting tried to comfort her: “Even if he’s gone, you still have me and Xiao Jiang.”

Silence.

No reply.

Ye Yunting had never seen his sister react this way. The old Ye Shuangxue, whenever something displeased her or made her unhappy, would roar like a little crazy lion—never silently hurt.

Just as he was about to speak again, a choked sob came from the darkness.

A childish, suppressed sound.

Hearing his sister cry, Ye Yunting felt a pang in his nose. He grabbed a blanket and stood up: “Wait for me, I’ll be back soon.”

“Big brother.”

“Brother…”

Xiao Jiang sat up, looking at Ye Yunting in his padded jacket. He didn’t know what his brother was going to do, but it was already late, and the outside was dangerous.

Ye Shuangxue also turned her little face, tears glinting in the dark as she looked at Ye Yunting: “It’s better that he’s gone. I never liked him anyway.”

“You’re not allowed to go after him!”

Ye Yunting lowered his head, silent for a moment: “It’s my fault!”

“Ye Tian asked me to call him ‘Dad.’ I never treated him kindly. He must have left because of me. It’s my responsibility to apologize. Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon.”

Having said that, Ye Yunting put on his coat and without another word, plunged into the pitch-black night.

The howling north wind didn’t make him feel cold.

The darkness didn’t seem so frightening anymore. Clenching his fists, Ye Yunting narrowed his eyes and looked into the distance. He had to find Ye Tian and ask why he was leaving.

Not for himself—he demanded Ye Tian stay for the sake of his younger siblings.

With a step, the snow sank underfoot, thick enough to cover his ankles. Ye Yunting sprinted along the footprints and finally saw Ye Tian enter Widow Zhang’s house.

…

At Widow Zhang’s house.

Ye Tian stood outside the door, took a deep breath, mustering courage, and reached out to gently push: “Creak!”

The wooden door opened easily. As expected, it had been left unlocked for him.

Ye Tian crept inside, then left the door ajar behind him. Inside, the firewood blazed warmly. As soon as he stepped in, he saw Widow Zhang emerging from the inner room in a bright red padded jacket.

Seeing Ye Tian, she shyly and coquettishly said: “You’re here?”

She twisted her waist and walked toward him, naturally wrapping her arms around him, trying to pull him inside.

What happened inside the room… that was paid content; Ye Tian could guess just by thinking.

He wriggled out of Widow Zhang’s arms awkwardly: “No rush.”

“No rush,” she echoed.

He wondered if Shen Jie had arrived yet.

Ye Tian panicked inwardly. He could not afford to fail in this little scheme—if Shen Jie didn’t catch him, he couldn’t let himself be caught instead.

The key problem: Widow Zhang was terribly ugly.

Even with money, she would never yield!

“What time is it now?”

Widow Zhang spoke as she reached up to unbutton her collar, looking at Ye Tian seductively: “You’re not in a hurry, but I am.”

Good grief.

This woman wasn’t just ugly—she was like a wolf ready to pounce.

Ye Tian broke into a cold sweat, tugging at the corner of his mouth: “I need to use the bathroom first, wait a moment.”

After speaking, Ye Tian ignored Widow Zhang’s reaction, blew out the candle on the table, and bolted. Shen Jie was a vicious, scheming type—he never suffered losses himself; only others did.

After the recent events, he hated Ye Tian to the core. If he ever got the chance, he would make him pay dearly.

Ye Tian crouched in the corner of Widow Zhang’s house.

A few minutes later, a shadow approached the door cautiously. Shen Jie had planned to climb over the wall to peek inside, but out of breath, he couldn’t manage it. When he turned, he noticed the main gate slightly ajar, leaving a narrow gap.

His eyes lit up with joy as he slipped into the yard.

Ye Tian quickly went over and quietly locked the gate from the outside.

Hooked!

A mischievous grin spread across Ye Tian’s face in the darkness. He crouched by the door, waiting for the villagers to naturally catch the thief.

Not far away, in a shadowed corner, a tiny figure was watching Ye Tian.

Meanwhile, inside Widow Zhang’s house, it was pitch black—so dark that one couldn’t see a hand in front of their face.

The faint glow of the charcoal fire barely outlined a human figure. Seeing someone enter, Widow Zhang immediately twisted around and stood up, flicking her fingers elegantly: “Where have you been?”

“Are you scared?”

She pressed against Shen Jie as she spoke.

Huh?

Shen Jie’s mind went blank. He was only fourteen. This was the first time in his life he’d been this close to a woman. She smelled… so good… so soft…

Wait—this wasn’t the time to think like that. Shen Jie’s face flushed red as he finally realized what was happening.

Widow Zhang had mistaken him for Ye Tian. But where was Ye Tian?

Besides, he had already caused a commotion in the village to catch or frame Ye Tian. Tonight, he had also stolen a few women’s bellybands, which were still in his arms, not even warmed yet.

What should he do?

No, he had to leave immediately.

Shen Jie pushed Widow Zhang away and turned to run.

Widow Zhang had been waiting all night. There was no way she would let Ye Tian slip away. Her son, Zhang Fan, still depended on Ye Tian for his school fees. This wasn’t the time to let go easily.

“My little rascal, don’t be shy,” Widow Zhang continued, lunging to wrap her arms around Shen Jie’s thigh.

Shen Jie broke out in a cold sweat.

But he couldn’t reveal himself now, so he could only push Widow Zhang away awkwardly.

They struggled violently. “Rip!”—a crisp tearing sound.

Shen Jie’s clothing was ripped.

In the darkness, he felt a sudden chill on his thigh. Before he could react, he heard a voice outside: “Right here.”

“Look, there are footprints at the door. The thief must be at Widow Zhang’s house.”

The voices drew closer.

Shen Jie panicked, using all his strength to shove Widow Zhang away. “Boom!”—a muffled thud.

Widow Zhang covered the back of her head. “Ouch!”

“Someone’s killing!”

Shen Jie’s eyes fell on the blue package on the table. His mind raced with thoughts of the hundred taels Ye Tian had mentioned. He was desperate for money. With it, he could immediately enter the Lord of the City’s mansion and reunite with his biological father.

He could escape his current life and seize supreme power.

Driven by desire, Shen Jie grabbed the package and rushed for the door.

The gate wasn’t locked. He still had time.

But as he reached the yard gate to open it, he froze. No matter how he tried, the gate wouldn’t budge. Shen Jie’s head buzzed. Outside, the footsteps grew closer. His first reaction was to toss the package aside and hide.

He ducked into an empty water jar in the corner.

“Open the door!”

“Open the door!”

Outside, firelight flickered, casting a red glow across the snow. The loud banging terrified Widow Zhang. She put on her clothes and stepped outside, blood staining her head.

Someone outside shouted: “If you don’t open the door, we’ll break it down!”