Chapter 200: The Village's Secret

Gary had long suspected that Xina wasn’t telling him the full truth. Based on what Canan had shared with him after escorting her that night, Xina had ventured deep into the forest, even though she was usually terrified of such things. There was something more to the story, and Gary’s instincts told him she was hiding something important. "What do you really want, Xina? Something happened when you went out with Canan, didn’t it?" Gary scrutinized her face closely, his sharp eyes catching the flicker of hesitation. Xina avoided his gaze, her voice barely above a whisper as she mumbled something unintelligible. Gary, however, wasn’t about to let her off that easily. He gently pinched her chin, tilting her face up until their eyes met. "Tell me," he insisted, his voice firm but not unkind. His intense blue eyes locked onto hers. Those grey eyes of Xina's—so bright yet now filled with nervous energy—darted away briefly, but he held her gaze. "You said yourself that you don’t want to be k