Unable to hear the noise and footsteps from the inner room while asleep, he didn’t know when a pair of tender hands had draped a thin blanket over him, then quickly left.

One after another, guests in pitch-black suits and with solemn faces entered from outside, crossed the courtyard piled with snow, passed by the sleeping youth under the eaves, and entered the house.

Some paused briefly to pay their respects before leaving, while others, full of various intentions, lingered in the hall, whispering among themselves and casting looks of disgust at the young man under the eaves outside.

And so, as the night deepened, the snow in the courtyard appeared even whiter under the moonlight.

Snowflakes swirled outside the door, the sound of an engine approached, then stopped.

A pitch-black Grand Cherokee braked suddenly, stopping at the entrance. After a brief silence, the car door was pushed open from inside.

The newcomer was also dressed in a black suit, but his build was excessively burly. Both the middle-aged man and the young man behind him wore black suits, their skin tanned as if scorched by the sun, appearing dark even in the night.

“Is this the place?” The young assistant looked up at the open door.

The middle-aged man, looking somewhat somber, pulled out an old business card from the inner pocket of his suit, checked the address on it, and said in a low voice, “This is the address he left us. It’s here.”

After speaking, he put away the business card and entered with his assistant.

Stepping on the snow, they saw, illuminated by the hall lights, the funeral wreaths placed on both sides of the courtyard before them.

The middle-aged man’s gaze passed through the hall and landed on the faintly visible mourning hall, finally confirming the news of his friend’s death, and he couldn’t help but sigh in sorrow.

As he passed under the eaves, he noticed the young man sleeping in the cold, and gently patted his shoulder: “Sorry to disturb you.”

At the touch of the hand, William Carter woke from his deep sleep, realizing he had dozed off without knowing when.

He opened his eyes in surprise, only then noticing the night that had fallen and the snow that had started to fall again.

Unable to help himself, he took a deep breath of the cold air, rubbed his slightly feverish face, and thought he was probably going to catch a cold.

Then, he noticed the thin blanket over him and couldn’t help but smile wryly.

He, who should have been the one taking care of her, ended up being cared for by her instead? What an unqualified elder he was.

“Hello.” The burly middle-aged man greeted him in a low voice, standing against the light.

Only now did William Carter truly wake from his daze and notice the guests he had left waiting.

“Ah, sorry, I must have dozed off.” He forced a smile, put away the blanket, and stood up from the chair. “Are you here for the funeral?”

As he spoke, he carefully sized up the visitors, realizing he had never seen them among his uncle’s friends.

Though they stood against the light, he could clearly see the middle-aged man’s face, and the burn scars remaining on his neck.

It seemed he had suffered a serious fire; the blurred burn marks extended from beneath his collar to his chin, looking particularly fierce.

But what caught his attention most was the tattoo on the man’s right hand—a complex tattoo extended from the right sleeve but abruptly ended at the wrist, making it impossible to see the full design.

This discovery made his pupils involuntarily tremble. Such tattoos and scars made it hard to associate the man with ordinary people.

Compared to ordinary people, he looked more like a gangster.

Moreover, he was over two meters tall, burly, and when he looked down at William Carter against the dim light, he exuded a strong sense of oppression.

Although he didn’t know what William Carter was thinking, the middle-aged man seemed to notice something, paused in confusion, but quickly recovered and asked in a low voice, “Is this Dr. Lu Fei Tie Lu’s home?”

William Carter nodded, forcing a smile: “Yes, my uncle and aunt passed away a few days ago.”

“That’s truly unfortunate. My condolences.”

Instead, the middle-aged man offered gentle comfort: “My friend and I were both former patients of Dr. Lu. Because we’ve been working far away, we arrived late. Please forgive us.”

As he spoke, he took out a business card and handed it over with both hands: “My surname is York. May I ask yours?”

William Carter was momentarily stunned, then quickly accepted the card with both hands: “My surname is Zhou, William Carter.”

Without having time to look at the card, he put it in his pocket and patted the dust off his sleeve. “The mourning hall is inside, please follow me.”

As they passed through the hall, he once again felt the looks of disgust cast at him by those people.

Forcing down his discomfort, he managed a smile at his uncle’s relatives, only to receive even more disdainful stares.

He frowned slightly, and to avoid making a scene in front of the guests, led them quickly through the hall and into the mourning room.

Seeing the photos of his uncle and aunt again, he couldn’t help but sigh. His uncle and aunt had been kind to others for decades—how could they have such a pack of heartless relatives?