Zhou Man hadn't slept well for two nights.
Whenever she closed her eyes, she saw He Guilan's ashen face.
Sometimes it was in a hospital ward, sometimes at the stairs in the Xu residence. In the most terrifying dream, she returned to the backyard of the Xu Family Old Residence. He Guilan stood beside the well, part of her right little finger missing, her neck crooked, asking why she wouldn't leave He Xiaoyun alone.
When Zhou Man jolted awake, her pillow was soaked.
Xu Chengyuan had been busy dealing with public opinion and the Special Investigation Bureau's inquiry these past two days. He had no attention to spare for her. Xu Mingji had kept her company for a while, but he was panicking himself and started crying after only a few words.
Zhou Man was unbearably irritated.
She used to love it when Xu Mingji cried.
Whenever Xu Mingji cried, Xu Chengyuan would soften, and everyone else would take their side.
Not anymore.
Now, whenever Xu Mingji cried, she only grew more agitated.
After Xu Zhihan woke up, tears no longer worked.
That was the most frightening part.
That afternoon, a servant at the Xu residence knocked on her door.
"Madam, sir would like you to come to the study."
Zhou Man's expression stiffened.
These days, nothing frightened her more than Xu Chengyuan asking to see her.
She was too deeply involved in everything that had happened lately. Xu Chengyuan hadn't said anything, but he must have begun to suspect her.
Zhou Man straightened her clothes and forced herself to go to the study.
Xu Chengyuan sat behind the desk, a document laid out before him.
His expression was grim.
After entering, Zhou Man managed a smile. "Chengyuan, what's wrong?"
Xu Chengyuan pushed the document toward her.
"Do you know this man?"
Zhou Man glanced down.
There was a name on the page.
Zhou Qiliang.
Her distant cousin.
Zhou Man's heart lurched, but she forced herself to look calm. "I vaguely remember him. We haven't been in touch for years. Why are you suddenly asking about him?"
Xu Chengyuan stared at her.
"Several batches of the medication Xu Zhihan took over the years passed through his company."
Zhou Man's fingers trembled slightly.
"Really? The family doctor has always handled those things. I don't know much about them."
Xu Chengyuan's gaze grew colder. "You don't know?"
Zhou Man looked up, her eyes quickly reddening. "Chengyuan, what are you saying? You suspect me of hurting Zhihan?"
Xu Chengyuan said nothing.
He had watched Zhou Man use this routine for years.
He had fallen for it before because he wanted to. Zhou Man was obedient and sensible. She could take care of the household for him and keep Xu Zhihan in a position where he wouldn't get in the way.
But now, Xu Zhihan was out of his control.
Everything they had suppressed was coming to the surface.
Xu Chengyuan could no longer treat Zhou Man's tears as proof of innocence.
He asked grimly, "How much do you really know about what happened to Xu An?"
Zhou Man went pale.
"I don't know anything."
"Zhou Man."
Xu Chengyuan lowered his voice.
"This is no time to play dumb. The Special Investigation Bureau has sealed off the basement, and something has happened to Zhao Huaide too. Xu Zhihan has his sights on you. If you keep hiding things from me, no one will save you when trouble comes."
Zhou Man's tears finally fell.
This time, half of them were genuine.
"I really didn't know Xu An would end up dead."
Xu Chengyuan's expression changed.
Realizing she had let something slip, Zhou Man immediately shut her mouth.
The study fell terrifyingly silent.
After a long while, Xu Chengyuan asked, "Who told you to go after him?"
Zhou Man's lips trembled. "I can't say."
Xu Chengyuan shot to his feet. "You still won't talk, even now?"
Frightened, Zhou Man stepped back.
Just then, the study light flickered.
Zhou Man went rigid.
It was happening again.
The temperature in the room slowly dropped.
A woman's faint sobbing came from beside the bookcase.
Xu Chengyuan sensed something was wrong too, and his expression darkened.
Zhou Man covered her ears, her voice shaking. "Stop crying, stop crying..."
Xu Chengyuan looked at her. "What do you see?"
Zhou Man didn't dare answer.
Outside the study, Xu Mingji had just reached the door.
He had come to find Zhou Man, but the sounds inside told him something was wrong. He raised his hand to knock, only to hear Zhou Man suddenly scream in desperation.
"He Guilan, I didn't kill you! You brought it on yourself by looking into Lin Wan!"
Xu Mingji's hand froze in midair.
Lin Wan.
She was Xu Zhihan's biological mother.
Xu Mingji's face slowly drained of color.
Inside, Zhou Man was close to breaking.
She saw He Guilan standing beside the bookcase, the strangulation mark deep around her neck. Her right hand hung at her side, blood dripping steadily from where her little finger was missing.
He Guilan didn't lunge at her.
She simply watched Zhou Man.
That was even more terrifying.
Zhou Man trembled. "Coming after me won't help. I wasn't the one who took your daughter away. It was Zhou Qiliang! He took the money and sent He Xiaoyun away!"
Xu Chengyuan seized on the key point. "He Xiaoyun is still alive?"
Zhou Man abruptly came to her senses.
She looked at Xu Chengyuan, her eyes filled with panic.
It was over.
She had said too much.
Outside the study, Xu Mingji had heard it all too.
He finally understood that Xu Zhihan hadn't been making things up when he mentioned He Guilan and He Xiaoyun at the hospital.
Zhou Man really knew.
She had even been involved.
A chill spread through Xu Mingji's heart.
If these things came to light, Zhou Man would be finished, and the Xu Family would keep crumbling. What would happen to him then? The Gu Family was already in trouble, his engagement was gone, and people were still attacking him online.
The Xu Family was the only thing he could still rely on.
But the Xu Family was rotting.
Xu Mingji took a step back, turned, and went downstairs.
For the first time, a clear thought took shape in his mind.
He couldn't stay tied to Zhou Man forever.
Inside the study, Xu Chengyuan picked up his phone and called his assistant.
"Look into Zhou Qiliang and He Xiaoyun."
Zhou Man's face was deathly pale. "Chengyuan!"
Xu Chengyuan looked at her coldly. "You'd better pray He Xiaoyun is already dead."
Zhou Man's legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the sofa.
The light returned to normal.
He Guilan's ghostly figure vanished.
But the chill lingered in the room.
What Xu Chengyuan didn't know was that at the far end of the hallway outside the study, a faint wisp of black energy slowly withdrew and slipped into the corner of the wall.
In the Special Investigation Bureau's medical room, Xu Zhihan leaned against the headboard and gently lowered his fingertips.
His face had grown a little paler, but his expression remained calm.
Lu Wenchuan stood beside him, watching him. "Did you just manipulate He Guilan's resentment?"
Xu Zhihan said flatly, "Borrowed it for a moment."
"You're here at the Special Investigation Bureau, and you can still borrow resentment from the Xu residence?"
"She owes me."
Watching him, Lu Wenchuan revised his assessment of Xu Zhihan's abilities once again.
This man was far more dangerous than what they had seen so far.
And far more softhearted than he was willing to admit.
He could have sent He Guilan straight after Zhou Man's life, yet he had only forced Zhou Man to reveal the truth.
Lu Wenchuan asked, "Why not let He Guilan do it herself?"
Xu Zhihan looked at the paper flower beside his bed.
After a few seconds, he said, "She still has a daughter."
Lu Wenchuan fell silent.
If He Guilan truly stained herself with Zhou Man's blood, even if she got her revenge, it would be difficult for her to leave untainted.
Xu Zhihan hated trouble, yet he had taken all of that into account.
Lu Wenchuan said softly, "Xu Zhihan."
"Hm?"
"You're pretty awkward about these things."
Xu Zhihan raised his eyes, his gaze turning colder. "Want to die?"
Lu Wenchuan smiled.
"Not just yet."
Xu Zhihan looked away.
Just then, the phone screen lit up.
Lu Wenchuan glanced at it. It was a message from a team member.
[Captain, we found He Xiaoyun. She's still alive, at the Neighboring City Psychiatric Sanatorium. Her condition is unknown.]
The smile faded from Lu Wenchuan's face.
Xu Zhihan saw the message too.
The medical room was silent for a few seconds.
Xu Zhihan put the paper flower in the drawer, his voice calm.
"Go get her."
Lu Wenchuan frowned. "You can't go out right now."
Xu Zhihan looked at him.
Lu Wenchuan immediately corrected himself. "I'll go."
Xu Zhihan said nothing.
Lu Wenchuan put away his phone, his tone turning serious.
"You stay here. I'll bring He Xiaoyun back."
Xu Zhihan watched him for a moment.
"Don't disturb her."
Lu Wenchuan paused, then smiled.
"All right. I'll listen to you."