In the Water

So that's how it is...

Bai Yanliang was now certain that the Jiang Li who had fled earlier was the real one.

The reason wasn't because of what he had told Li Yuejun—that Jiang Li's behavior was strange.

His suspicion of the "Jiang Li" on the sofa had taken root the very moment the other Jiang Li appeared by the stairs.

It wasn't that he had seen through some supernatural disguise; rather, in Bai Yanliang's view, seeing an identical version of oneself would naturally trigger a flight response in any human being.

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

So, where had that Jiang Li hidden herself now?

Right now, she was all alone and in grave, grave danger...

"Miss Li, could you please help me investigate something? I just remembered something very important that I need to attend to." Bai Yanliang offered Li Yuejun an apologetic smile.

Li Yuejun was stunned. She hadn't even fully recovered from the revelation that Jiang Li might be a "ghost" before hearing his request.

She stared blankly at Bai Yanliang and gave an instinctive nod.

"Please..."

Bai Yanliang leaned in close to Li Yuejun and whispered a few words. Her expression grew increasingly bizarre, yet she still nodded, though the way she looked at him was now filled with strange apprehension.

"Then, I'll see you at six."

Bai Yanliang waved his hand and walked toward a corner without looking back. Li Yuejun watched his retreating figure, her face turning pale.

After all, the place he was heading toward... was the emergency exit staircase.

Staff break area, restroom.

Zhang Wen's hair was disheveled and her face was covered in water. The basin was overflowing, and she kept listlessly cupping water in her hands, letting it spill everywhere.

"Sister Wen..."

Zhang Wen paused, turned her head, and suddenly grinned. "Oh, little Jiang."

Jiang Chaojie was her colleague, but not just an ordinary one.

This twenty-something-year-old young man had been pursuing her for nearly a month.

But... there were things Jiang Chaojie didn't know, such as the fact that Zhang Wen had always been Ding Lei's mistress.

"Is there something you need?" Zhang Wen turned away, no longer looking at him.

"Sister Wen... actually, I..." Jiang Chaojie's face was pale, yet tinged with excitement. "Actually, I saw it... about the landlady..."

Zhang Wen's body stiffened. She turned her head and said coldly, "What nonsense are you spouting?"

Jiang Chaojie's expression was strange, a mix of fear and excitement. "I... I understand... Sister Wen, I know it's useless to tell you anything, but... Sister Wen, you must remember... I like you. I like you more than anyone else!"

Jiang Chaojie left. Zhang Wen watched his back in silence until he disappeared around the corner.

Then, she leaned over, her arms stiff as she cupped water and splashed it onto her face.

Following that, she lowered her head, expressionless, and quietly stared at her own blurred reflection in the basin.

However... the face in the basin was not her face at all!

It was another woman... her complexion bloated and pale, her eyes filled with deep-seated resentment...

Zhang Wen's lips curled, and like a madwoman, she reached out to touch the face on the water's surface, whispering, "Qiao'er, don't be afraid. Sister will avenge you... Sister will definitely avenge you..."

Wu Jiayi was a waitress.

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

"The landlady has been missing for almost a week now, and they still haven't found her. Sigh..." Wu Jiayi whispered while washing up.

Many people didn't know that the staff at Ruyi Inn had a two-and-a-half-hour break after lunch. As long as they didn't make a racket, they could do whatever they wanted, which was already a very good perk.

Naturally, most people used these two hours for a nap.

Wu Jiayi did, and so did Zhang Xiaohong.

Hearing Wu Jiayi's words, Zhang Xiaohong looked dismissive.

"Hmph, if you ask me, it's better that she's gone. That menopausal old woman couldn't bear children and had a vicious temper. If she caught you over some minor issue the boss didn't even care about, you'd get an earful of abuse. Now that she's missing, everyone can finally have some peace and quiet."

"Shh... don't talk behind people's backs..." Wu Jiayi held up a finger and whispered.

"You, you're just too soft-hearted." Zhang Xiaohong grabbed her towel and walked into her room while speaking. "I'm going to take a nap. See you later."

Wu Jiayi watched her figure disappear behind the door and shook her head slightly.

Just then, she caught a glimpse of the mirror on the wall above the sink and saw a black shadow slip into Zhang Xiaohong's room.

Terrified, she hurriedly rubbed her eyes and looked back at Zhang Xiaohong's room.

There was no movement at all.

"Am I... too tired?"

Wu Jiayi muttered, feeling a chill run through her entire body, and hurriedly clutched her belongings as she retreated into her room.

"Tsk... how strange."

Zhang Xiaohong tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep no matter how hard she tried.

Furthermore, it was September, and September in Yingcheng was usually when the "autumn tiger" heat was at its most vicious, yet strangely, lying in bed today, she felt a bone-deep chill.

Because of this, she had not only turned off the fan but even pulled a thin quilt over herself, yet even so, she still felt a coldness that seeped into her very bones.

Zhang Xiaohong wrapped the quilt tighter around herself once more, finally sensing that something was wrong.

"Who got my quilt wet?"

She rolled over and climbed up, throwing back the quilt to stare at her bed with growing suspicion.

From the quilt to the bedsheets, everything was completely soaked through!

"Damn it, who did this! Who splashed water on my bed! Don't let me catch you!" Zhang Xiaohong was in her thirties and had a very fiery temper; she immediately pointed at the wall and began to curse, though she had no idea who she was cursing.

However, when she stepped off the bed and onto the floor, a "plop" sound rang out.

Zhang Xiaohong looked down in confusion, and was instantly struck dumb.

This... what was going on?

Why... was there water everywhere in the room!

"Did a water pipe burst?"

Zhang Xiaohong turned her head to look around, searching everywhere for the source of the water.

Yet, even after checking every corner, she could not find where the water was coming from at all.

Zhang Xiaohong began to feel a sense of alarm and uncertainty.

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

This thought popped into Zhang Xiaohong's mind, but when she tried to move her feet, she realized just how bizarre the situation was.

The water beneath her feet was unnaturally heavy!

Although it wasn't deep, only reaching her ankles, it made it impossible for her to lift her legs!

Zhang Xiaohong panicked; fear spread rapidly like a lit flame, quickly filling the depths of her heart.

"Wh-what is going on! Help! Is anyone there? Someone save me!"

Her shrill scream pierced through the walls; logically, it should have carried quite far, enough for the entire hotel to hear.

But... at this moment, the world was deathly silent.

Zhang Xiaohong trembled all over, droplets of water dripping down from her thighs. This extreme, eerie situation had pushed her to the brink of a breakdown.

Just then, a drop of water quietly landed on her forehead, giving Zhang Xiaohong a jolt of terror.

Subconsciously, she raised her head to look at the ceiling.

Instantly!

Her eyes widened to their limit, all the color drained from her face, and her throat let out a choked, whimpering sound, unable to utter another word...