In the Water

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Bai Yanliang was now certain that the Jiang Li who had just run away was the real Jiang Li.

It wasn't because, as he had just told Li Yuejun, there was something strange about Jiang Li's behavior.

His suspicions about the "Jiang Li" on the sofa had begun the moment he saw the other Jiang Li at the stairs.

It wasn't that he had seen through which one was real. In Bai Yanliang's view, running away was the natural human reaction to seeing an exact copy of yourself.

Clearly, that Jiang Li's reaction had been genuine.

So where had Jiang Li gone now?

Alone, she was in grave danger...

"Ms. Li, could you help me look into something? I just remembered there's something very important I need to do." Bai Yanliang gave Li Yuejun an apologetic smile.

Li Yuejun froze. She hadn't yet fully processed what Bai Yanliang had just told her—that Jiang Li might be a "ghost"—when she heard his request.

She stared blankly at Bai Yanliang and nodded without thinking.

"Please..."

Bai Yanliang moved closer to Li Yuejun and quietly said a few words to her. Her expression grew stranger and stranger, but she still nodded. She simply looked at Bai Yanliang oddly.

"Then I'll see you at six."

Bai Yanliang waved and headed toward a corner without looking back. Li Yuejun watched him go, her face pale.

After all, the place he was heading for... was the emergency exit stairwell.

Staff lounge, restroom.

Zhang Wen's hair was disheveled, and her face was wet. The sink was full of water as she scooped it up over and over, distractedly letting it spill everywhere.

"Sis Wen..."

Zhang Wen stopped and turned around. Then she suddenly grinned. "Oh, Xiao Jiang."

Jiang Chaojie was her coworker, but not just any coworker.

The young man, who was in his twenties, had been pursuing her for nearly a month.

But... there were some things Jiang Chaojie didn't know. For instance, Zhang Wen had been Ding Lei's mistress all along.

"What is it?" Zhang Wen turned away, no longer looking at him.

"Sis Wen... actually, I..." Jiang Chaojie's face was pale, but there was also excitement in his eyes. "Actually, I saw... something about the boss's wife..."

Zhang Wen stiffened. She turned to him and said coldly, "What are you talking about?"

Jiang Chaojie's expression was strange. He spoke as if he were both frightened and excited. "I... I understand... Sis Wen, I know there's no point in saying anything to you, but... Sis Wen, remember... I like you. I like you more than anyone else does!"

Jiang Chaojie left. Zhang Wen silently watched him go until he disappeared around the corner.

Then she bent down, stiffly scooped up some water, and splashed it onto her face.

Afterward, she lowered her head without expression and quietly looked at her blurred reflection in the basin.

But... the face in the basin wasn't hers at all!

It belonged to another woman... Her face was swollen and deathly pale, her eyes filled with resentment...

Zhang Wen's lips curled into a grin. As if she had gone mad, she reached out to touch the face on the water's surface and whispered, "Qiao'er, don't be afraid. Big Sis will avenge you... I'll make sure of it..."

Wu Jiayi was a waitress.

Zhang Xiaohong, who was with her, was one too.

"The boss's wife has been missing for almost a week, and they still haven't found her. Sigh..." Wu Jiayi said softly as she washed up.

Few people knew that the Ruyi Inn's waitstaff had a two-and-a-half-hour break after lunch. As long as they kept the noise down, they could do whatever they liked. It was a very generous arrangement.

Of course, most people spent those two hours taking a nap.

Wu Jiayi was one of them, and so was Zhang Xiaohong.

At Wu Jiayi's words, Zhang Xiaohong scoffed.

"Hmph. If you ask me, it's a good thing she's missing. That old woman's going through menopause, can't have children, and has a nasty temper. Even when the boss says something is no big deal, if she catches you, you're in for a scolding. Now that she's missing, everyone can finally have some peace and quiet."

"Shh... You shouldn't bad-mouth people behind their backs..." Wu Jiayi raised a finger to her lips and whispered.

"You're just too timid." Zhang Xiaohong picked up her towel and headed into the room. "I'm taking a nap. See you later."

Wu Jiayi watched her disappear through the doorway and shook her head slightly.

Just then, she happened to glance at the mirror on the wall above the washstand. She saw a shadow slip into Zhang Xiaohong's room.

Startled, she quickly rubbed her eyes and looked back at Zhang Xiaohong's room.

Nothing moved.

"Am I... just too tired?"

Wu Jiayi murmured. A chill ran through her, and she hurriedly gathered her things and went back to her room.

"Tsk... weird."

Zhang Xiaohong tossed and turned, but no matter what she did, she couldn't fall asleep.

It was September, and September in Yingcheng was still sweltering in the autumn heat. Yet, strangely, she felt cold all over as she lay in bed today.

She had not only turned off the fan but also pulled a thin blanket over herself. Even so, she still felt chilled to the bone.

Zhang Xiaohong tucked the blanket around herself again. At last, she realized something was wrong.

"Who got my blanket wet?"

She sat up, threw off the blanket, and stared at her bed in confusion.

The blanket and bedsheets were completely soaked!

"Damn it, who did this? Who poured water on my bed? Just let me catch you!" Zhang Xiaohong was in her thirties and had a fiery temper. She immediately pointed at the wall and started cursing, though she had no idea who she was cursing at.

But when she climbed out of bed and stepped onto the floor, there came a sudden "splash."

Zhang Xiaohong looked down in confusion and was instantly dumbfounded.

What... what was going on?

Why was there water all over the room?

"Did a pipe burst?"

Zhang Xiaohong looked around, searching for the source of the water.

She searched everywhere, but couldn't find where it was coming from.

Zhang Xiaohong began to grow uneasy.

Something was wrong... She had to get out. She had to leave the room!

The thought came to her, and when she tried to move, she realized just how strange things were.

The water beneath her feet was incredibly heavy!

It wasn't deep—only up to her ankles—but it still kept her from lifting her legs!

Zhang Xiaohong panicked. Fear spread through her like a spark catching fire, quickly filling her heart.

"W-what's going on? Help! Can anyone hear me? Please, help me!"

Her piercing voice should have carried a long way, perhaps even through the whole inn.

But... at that moment, the world was eerily silent.

Zhang Xiaohong trembled all over. Water trickled down her thighs, and the terrifying strangeness of it all pushed her to the brink of collapse.

Then a drop of water fell silently onto her forehead, making Zhang Xiaohong jump in fright.

She instinctively raised her head and looked at the ceiling.

In an instant!

Her eyes went wide. The color drained from her face, and all she could manage was a helpless, choking sound...