Chapter 45

The house transfer went smoothly, Lu Yue did not set any traps in the contract terms, probably because he still needed Feng Yi to authenticate the leather goods, so he didn't play any tricks.

After Xue Lin completed the procedures, he left, showing no signs of reluctance this time.

This house in the Yexiu neighborhood had truly changed hands.

Since it was now in new hands, Feng Yi planned to move in officially.

He did not make large-scale changes to the house; he made minor adjustments to the interior decorations according to his preferences and habits. He replaced the appliances and furniture that needed changing, mostly opting for water-resistant furniture.

On the day of the official move, Feng Yi invited Wu Ji and Qian Feiyang to visit the new house and get familiar with the place. They were old friends, so there was no need to keep the move a secret. This was also a way to make things clear.

Wu Ji still had his heart set on the countryside villa and planned to take a good look this time.

As for Qian Feiyang, he was not interested in the house; he was curious about Feng Yi's special abilities. After hearing from Wu Ji about Feng Yi's olfactory talent, he had been curious ever since.

"Is it like in TV shows, where you work with police or detectives, and they call you to help with big cases, and you make money that way?"

Feng Yi: "...No."

If Qian Feiyang knew that Feng Yi initially used his super-sensitive sense of smell to catch mice, would he think it was low?

Feng Yi explained that he earned money by authenticating snake skins, working through commercial collaborations.

Upon hearing that it was just about authenticating snake skins, Qian Feiyang lost interest. But when Feng Yi mentioned that the house was close to a protected area with a great environment, he decided to take some photos.

When they arrived at the destination, both of them truly understood what Feng Yi meant by "a bit remote."

Wu Ji looked at the large house in front of him with a conflicted expression, "Although it's remote and has insects and snakes, the house is really nice. It has a large floor area and front and back yards. I like it!"

Feng Yi had already had the front yard tidied up, so it didn't look messy. The flowers in the flower beds were planted by Xue Lin, and Feng Yi didn't bother to replant new ones.

The front yard was for welcoming guests, while the back yard was Feng Yi's personal space. After all, he slept there every night. At home, he was comfortable.

Wu Ji looked at the back yard and said to Feng Yi, "Don't just tidy up the front yard; fix up the back yard too. Plant some insect-repelling plants; it will be safer."

Feng Yi: "...Okay."

In fact, there were already such plants, and there were quite a few, but he had pulled them all out.

However, he couldn't say that out loud.

Qian Feiyang was not interested in the house and helped Wu Ji place the appliances and items. During breaks, he opened his work bag, planning to take photos by the river.

"By the river? I'll go too!" Wu Ji said as he walked out, "Feng Yi, I don't see any mosquitoes here. Is it because it's daytime?"

When Feng Yi heard "mosquitoes," he remembered something Xue Lin had mentioned about living here.

"Wait a moment."

Feng Yi took out a first-aid kit containing some insect repellent and ointments, all suggested by Xue Lin.

"If you're going to the river, spray this insect repellent. There are mosquitoes there even during the day. Oh, this can also prevent tick bites," Feng Yi said.

Wu Ji and Qian Feiyang, who were about to leave, paused.

"Ticks... ticks?" Wu Ji stammered, "The ones that burrow into your skin and suck blood?"

Qian Feiyang, who was fiddling with his camera, also froze, looking at Feng Yi, waiting for his response.

They were so sensitive about ticks because of a news report from last week. Someone who didn't take proper precautions and went running in the wild in short sleeves and shorts ended up in the hospital with a fever, coughing up blood, and a reduced platelet count, diagnosed as a result of a tick bite.

Not everyone would encounter such a situation, but ticks are indeed vectors for many diseases, so it's better to be cautious.

Wu Ji and Qian Feiyang couldn't guarantee they would always be lucky, and the image of the tick after it had fed was still fresh in their minds. Just thinking about it made them shudder.

Feng Yi continued, "Don't be afraid, just spray this repellent. You're wearing long sleeves and pants today, so you should be fine. Even if you get bitten, there's a clinic nearby that specializes in treating tick bites, so it won't leave its head in your skin."

However, tick bites are more common in pets than in people. Of course, he didn't need to mention that, as it would scare them.

When it came to ticks, what Feng Yi remembered most was their Haller's organ, which they use to locate "prey." He had read about chemical receptors and vomeronasal organs when researching.

Feng Yi took out the repellent and saw the unnatural expressions on their faces.

Wu Ji retracted his foot, "Ah, I think it's better to tour your new house. It's too sunny to go out."

Qian Feiyang played with his camera, hesitated for a moment, and then put it away. The river view wasn't that attractive, and for nature photography, it was better to go to the Yexiu Mountain Scenic Area, where they regularly sprayed insect repellent.

"Doesn't the property management spray repellent by the river?" Wu Ji asked, puzzled.

"The property management sprays in the neighborhood and surrounding areas, but they spray less by the river. Now, the riverbank has strict regulations on insect repellent, so they don't dare to spray recklessly," Feng Yi explained.

Wu Ji... Wu Ji felt that the allure of the "countryside villa" had diminished.

Not only did he have to guard against snakes, but also ticks.

Scary.

But he was still very interested in such a large house.

While helping Feng Yi move items, Wu Ji examined the house's structure.

"Basement?"

When they went down to the basement, Feng Yi mentioned that there was a larger basement area, and Wu Ji got excited. Basements in movies and TV shows always had a mysterious aura. What would the basement of a villa in such a remote area be like?

Wu Ji stepped into the basement and, before he could explore, his eyes fell on a stack of books on a shelf.

"What's this?" Wu Ji picked up a book and flipped through it, his confusion deepening, "A survival manual?"

Looking at the other books on the shelf, most were about survival, flood and drought prevention, and various ways to handle emergencies.

"Why do you need these to live here?"

Wu Ji wasn't unintelligent; he understood the issue as soon as he saw the titles. He was just too shocked.

The house was too close to the river. Although the neighborhood was on higher ground, no one could guarantee absolute safety. When the water level rose, they had to prevent water from entering the basement, as mentioned in a brochure, with sandbags and pumps ready.

"Is the basement waterproof here?" Wu Ji muttered.

"The walls are definitely waterproof, but it's still dangerous during floods," Qian Feiyang said.

Wu Ji looked at Feng Yi with concern, "Bro, are you really moving to... such a place?"

"I really like it here. I've slept a few nights, and my sleep is particularly good," Feng Yi said.

Seeing that Feng Yi wasn't joking, Wu Ji stopped trying to persuade him.

"Alright."

He had given up on the dream of a countryside villa. Even if it wasn't by the river, it was still a dream. Beautiful stories only happen in TV shows.

In TV shows, people living close to nature often have cute animals visit, but in reality, you have to deal with snakes, insects, and rodents, and consider how to handle emergencies.

Now, Wu Ji believed that only extraordinary people could live comfortably in such a place.

The three of them had a self-service barbecue in the house to celebrate Feng Yi's new home.

After Wu Ji and Qian Feiyang left, Feng Yi tidied up a bit.

It was already dark, but Feng Yi didn't turn on the lights. He wanted to explore his eyes' capabilities and adapt to seeing in the dark.

Therefore, he didn't use lights at night.

The moon was bright tonight, but it made no difference to Feng Yi.

Under the dim moonlight, he laid out a mat, covered himself with a thin blanket, put on an eye mask and headphones, and listened to rock music, tapping his leg to the rhythm.

The scent of the plants around him was comforting. After clearing the lawn and transplanting a few more plants, it indeed smelled better. It was like using calming incense, greatly soothing his nerves.

Feng Yi was thinking about what other plants he could transplant to the back yard while drifting off to sleep. But after a while, he sat up, took off the eye mask, and went to the back yard wall.

Soon, a figure appeared on the wall.

It was a child around ten years old, climbing over the wall using the trees outside.

The child had just climbed over and was looking for a place to land when he sensed something was wrong.

Although the moonlight was good, it was still dim for most people. The child saw a figure standing in the yard, staring at him, and then reaching out...

"Ahhh!!!"

He screamed and climbed back over the wall.

Feng Yi had been worried the child might fall, so he had reached out to catch him, but the child was so scared that he climbed back over. However, from the sounds, he didn't fall.

The child was clearly an experienced climber.

Outside the yard, there were more children, clearly a group. The child who had climbed over the wall had scared the others with his sudden scream.

The child who climbed over was still saying, "There's a monster in the yard! It reached out to grab me! Run!!!"

Feng Yi, who could hear clearly from inside the yard, thought, "You're the monster!"

"You're all a bunch of little monsters!"

Feng Yi ignored them and went back to sleep, vaguely hearing the other children running away.

"Should we not go on our adventure today..."

"What does it look like... Do its eyes glow... Does it have fangs..."

After that, no more children came to disturb Feng Yi, and he slept until the sun woke him up.

The back yard was great, but the sun felt dry after a while.

He drank a bottle of water and tidied up his sleeping mat.

While preparing breakfast, Feng Yi smelled the scent of the children from last night.

He opened the front door and walked to the front yard.

Outside the gate, three children around ten years old were standing. The bravest one stepped a few steps into the yard, staring at Feng Yi from head to toe and even at his shadow, then sighed in relief and ran back, laughing.

"I told you, someone lives there, not a monster!"