Chapter 63: Chapter 63: Unreasonable Malice

Chi Wan didn’t know why she had this feeling, but looking back, everything did seem connected, like one link in a chain leading to the next.

But just as Chi Yuanshan had said, who would hold such a huge grudge against their family?

It didn’t quite make sense to say Song Yangming was involved in the bankruptcy, since his entire family had practically been living off Chi Yuanshan.

But it was hard to say whether he’d been used by someone for the things that came after.

For some reason, the thought of Song Yangming brought a fleeting idea to Chi Wan’s mind, one so fast she couldn’t quite grasp it.

"No matter what, I simply won’t accept their invitation," Chi Yuanshan said, patting Chi Wan’s head. "Don’t worry. I’ll think of something. I’ll see if I can figure out why these people are coming after me. Maybe I’ll find some clues."

Song Yinghe tried to hide her frown, forcing herself to sound upbeat. "That’s right, Wanwan. Your father and I are telling you this, one, because you’re grown up enough to be part of our family’s decisions. But more importantly, we need you to be on your guard. We’re worried that if their covert tactics don’t work, they’ll start acting openly..."

As she spoke, she couldn’t help but sigh. "What a mess! Wanwan is at least with us for now, but once summer break is over, she’ll have to go back to school. How can I possibly rest easy then!"

Chi Wan smiled and squeezed Song Yinghe’s hand, speaking with deliberate exaggeration. "Don’t worry, Mom. Have you forgotten? I have Brother Xingye, the apocalyptic boss, acting as my ’guardian spirit’!

"Oh, you should have seen it! He just goes *SNAP*," she said, flicking her fingers, "and wow! As far as the eye can see, there are nothing but his vines and flowers! They’re so endless you can’t even see where they stop.

"With the ultimate cheat like him on my side, what is there to worry about? If I were in a novel, I’d totally be the chosen one~"

Chi Wan’s playful tone made her worried parents laugh.

Song Yinghe gently pinched her cheek. "The chosen one, huh? You, no matter how capable you become, will always be my precious baby girl. Mom knows Xiao Li is powerful, but he’s ultimately not in the same world as you. There will be times when he’s busy with his own things and can’t look out for you. I’m just afraid..."

Li Xingye had heard Chi Wan say his name and initially thought something was wrong.

He didn’t expect to arrive just in time to hear Chi Wan heap praise on him, but before he could even feel pleased about it, he heard Song Yinghe’s next words.

Li Xingye realized Chi Wan’s family must have run into some kind of trouble.

Before he could ask, Chi Wan spoke up. "He won’t have to, Mom. Even if Brother Xingye isn’t around, I’m so clever, who could possibly hurt me? Actually, Dad, you’re the one who needs to be careful lately. I’m worried that since their first plan failed, they’ll just try another."

Chi Yuanshan nodded. "I know. Your mom and I will stick to the orchard for the next couple of days and not go anywhere. After Xiao Li helps us with the harvest, we won’t have much reason to go out anyway. We have everything we need at home, so your mom and I are more than happy to take it easy."

"That’s right. We’ve worked so hard all these years just to give Wanwan a better life. Now, we can use this bankruptcy as an excuse to get some rest."

Chi Wan was amused by her mother’s words. "That’s true, you two haven’t had a real break in years. Once we sell the fruit... Hey, wait a minute. Mom, Dad, if they’re really dead set on ruining us, don’t you think they’ll try to cause trouble during the harvest?"

Chi Yuanshan waved a dismissive hand. "Perhaps. But if they actually show up, it’ll save us some trouble. You always wake up late, so you didn’t know the village chief and Liu Dali’s family already tried to cause problems at the orchard. They couldn’t even get through the mountain gate before they were trapped in the thorny brambles."

Recalling the scene, Song Yinghe covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a laugh. "I even went over to say hello, asking them why they’d decided to take a stroll through the brambles so early in the morning. They looked like they’d seen a ghost and kept insisting there was something strange about our orchard.

"So I just scared them a little for fun, saying it was all because of the past sins of Liu Dali and Liu Yaozu. The moment the brambles ’spit’ them out, they took off running without a single look back. Afterward, they started spreading rumors around the village that our orchard is haunted.

"Those two have been in cahoots for years; who knows how many shameful things they’ve done. Even their own family members have such a guilty conscience."

Chi Wan hadn’t heard this story before and laughed. "Haha, so it’s true, you have to get up early to see the good stuff. See? I told you Brother Xingye was amazing! He can stop those bad guys with just a few brambles."

Li Xingye had heard plenty of praise from Chi Wan to his face before, but for some reason, hearing her lavish him with compliments in front of her parents made him feel inexplicably... shy?

He silently swallowed the words he’d been about to say—to ask if Chi Wan needed his help.

’Ahem. It’s not that I want to keep listening to her praise, it’s just... it wouldn’t be right to interrupt their family’s serious discussion. Yes, that’s it.’

However, the family of three had already said most of what needed to be said. After helping Chi Yuanshan clear away the dishes, Chi Wan wandered out to the orchard for a walk to aid her digestion.

In the tranquil mountains, the chirp of cicadas echoed intermittently. Through the branches of the fruit trees, she could see a clear sky and twinkling stars.

Chi Wan stretched and muttered to herself, "Why are there always such twisted people, lurking in the shadows, spying on the good things others have, and just wanting to destroy it all?"

Hearing the first half of her sentence, Li Xingye flushed, thinking she had discovered him eavesdropping.

But when he heard the rest, he realized she wasn’t talking about him. He breathed a sigh of relief and said softly, "Perhaps some people’s malice is simply irrational."

By now, Chi Wan was used to Li Xingye’s sudden appearances, so she simply tilted her head. "Brother Xingye, do you run into this kind of irrational malice often, too?"

Li Xingye smiled. "You could say that. In the apocalypse, if you’re strong, people will envy you and fear you. If you’re weak, people will despise you and bully you.

"There are even people you’ve only met once who, simply because they didn’t get something they wanted, will redirect their anger toward those who did. If they’re weak, they’ll just curse you in secret. If they’re strong, they might try to seize it through trickery or force.

"The greatest source of malice is the malicious person themself. But as long as you’re strong enough, none of that malice can touch you."

Chi Wan listened quietly, then sighed after a long moment. "An elephant doesn’t care about the malice of a single tiny ant, but enough ants can still overwhelm an elephant."

Li Xingye froze.

Chi Wan snapped out of it and quickly explained, "That’s not what I meant. I just feel like..."

Li Xingye said gently, "Wanwan, you’re the one who’s right. After all, it’s always easier to destroy than to protect."

And to Chi Wan, the two words "strong enough" sounded far too abstract right now.