Sang Ning slowly pushed herself to her feet, tapping her legs to shake off the numbness.

“Lin Zehui,” she said coldly into the phone, “I already told you this at the hospital—if you’re not planning to use your eyes, go donate them.”

“I’m already married. Yes, married. And no, the groom isn’t you. Happy now?”

“From now on, you and your precious little Yue can stay together forever. May you two live happily ever after.”

On the other end of the call, Lin Zehui refused to give up.

“I don’t believe you. Where are you? I’m heading to Ping’an Apartment right now. Let’s talk face to face, okay? Ningning, I saw the photo you posted on your Moments. You can buy those things online. You’re just trying to make me jealous, aren’t you?”

Sang Ning snapped.

“Don’t bother going to Ping’an Apartment to look for me. I don’t ever want to see you again in this lifetime. We’re done. It’s over! Lin Zehui, roll as far away as you can and stop showing up in front of me!”

Then she opened WeChat, found his contact, and sent a voice message.

“Oh, and tell your little mistress to get lost too. What the hell does she think she is? Just because she sells herself doesn’t mean she’s suddenly somebody important.”

“Honestly, even a bundle of green onions couldn’t cover up that cheap smell coming off her.”

“When you go back tonight, I suggest you give her a proper wash with cooking wine and the whole kitchen treatment. Especially that mouth of hers.”

Seeing the “typing…” indicator appear on the screen, Sang Ning rolled her eyes.

With one swift swipe, she blocked him completely.

If it came down to returning the bride price, it wasn’t like she didn’t know where Lin Zehui’s family lived. She could just go there in the morning and settle it.

Thinking of that reminded her of the gold jewelry she still had at Ping’an Apartment.

Looks like she’d have to go back tonight after all.

Only then did she realize—

She was still standing in someone else’s home.

And she had just displayed that entire ferocious side of herself right in front of Gu Yezhou.

Would he think she had some sort of split personality?

“There are blankets in the cabinet,” Gu Yezhou said casually. “They were probably aired out a couple of days ago. Brand new—you can use them.”

He glanced at the time on his phone.

“It’s getting late. You should get some rest.”

“Wait.”

Sang Ning hesitated, the words about returning to Ping’an Apartment stuck in her throat.

He had already arranged everything for her—how could she suddenly say she needed to leave?

But remembering what Lin Zehui had said on the phone, her expression hardened.

“No. I need to go back to Ping’an Apartment tonight. Lin Zehui said he’s going there to find me.”

Gu Yezhou gave her a strange look.

Did she still want to reconcile with her ex?

At the thought, his grip on his phone tightened imperceptibly.

They were married now.

Which meant this woman was his.

The way he looked at her suddenly turned dangerous.

For a brief moment, Sang Ning felt a chill run down her spine.

Maybe… marrying a stranger today had been a terrible mistake.

Marriage wasn’t something to joke about.

Yet she had copied the plot of those ridiculous short dramas—grabbing a random man off the street and registering the marriage.

She swallowed and forced herself to stay calm.

“Lin Zehui said he was going to Ping’an Apartment.”

Gu Yezhou raised an eyebrow.

“You think his real reason isn’t to see you… but to return to the crime scene?”

Sang Ning nodded.

“That’s very possible. When we argued before, he would come coax me sometimes. But he’d never rush over this late at night. Especially not to Ping’an Apartment—he usually avoided coming there whenever he could.”

From her words, Gu Yezhou realized that she still viewed her ex with suspicion.

And if Lin Zehui was still a suspect—

That was all he needed to hear.

Inside the elevator.

Gu Yezhou said, “Since we’re going back anyway, why not bring all your clothes over too? It’ll be easier for changing and washing. I’ll install the washing machine and dryer tonight. You’ll have to put up with a bit of inconvenience these next few days—but at least it’ll be convenient for work.”

*Convenient?*

Sang Ning thought to herself.

The police station was literally across the street. She could walk there.

She’d even get an extra half hour of sleep every morning.

But she couldn’t bring herself to refuse.

Mostly because the look in Gu Yezhou’s eyes earlier had been… terrifying.

Lowering her head, she opened WeChat.

The moment she saw the screen, she rubbed her eyes in disbelief.

Was she hallucinating?

There were so many unread messages—but her phone hadn’t made a single sound.

After hurriedly posting about her marriage that afternoon, she hadn’t checked her phone again.

Now her Moments were flooded with congratulatory comments.

The likes alone were overwhelming.

For the first time, Sang Ning realized she apparently had so many friends.

Reading through the messages warmed her heart, and suddenly her nose stung with emotion.

The most eye-catching message came from **Professor Chen**:

*You little brat. You got married and didn’t even tell this old man.*

*When’s the wedding? I’m sitting at the main table. After all, I count as family from your side.*

Then came a message from **Mrs. Chen**:

*A-Ning, how could you make such a big decision without discussing it with the family?*

*What’s the man’s family background like? Do his parents treat you well?*

*When are you coming back to visit?*

Sang Ning replied to each message one by one.

But when she looked at the messages from the Chen couple, tears suddenly began rolling down her cheeks uncontrollably.

Through her blurry vision, a tissue appeared in front of her.

Sang Ning blinked in surprise.

A man… carrying tissues with him?

She accepted it and murmured her thanks.

By the time they arrived at Ping’an Apartment, most of the streetlights nearby had gone dark.

Sang Ning rarely came home this late.

“When I left yesterday, I didn’t realize it was this dark around here.”

Gu Yezhou said, “I checked the street surveillance earlier this evening. Most of it’s broken from lack of maintenance. Several of the lights are out too. And this entire apartment building is a safety hazard. Aside from the camera you installed outside your own door, there’s not a single security measure in the whole place.”

He frowned slightly.

“Even if you’re trying to save money, you should at least pick somewhere with surveillance cameras. A girl living in a place like this—it’s not safe.”

Sang Ning got out of the car and slammed the door shut.

“I’ve trained in combat,” she said stubbornly. “As long as it’s not someone professionally trained like you, I can handle one or two people just fine.”

Gu Yezhou let out a soft laugh but said nothing.

When they went upstairs, both of them instinctively lowered their footsteps.

The building was eerily quiet.

Aside from the loud snoring coming from one apartment on the first floor, there was no other sound.

When they reached Room 203, Sang Ning frowned.

“That’s strange. Lin Zehui said he was coming about ten minutes ago. He should’ve left by now. Did he just say it casually?”

Based on what she knew about him, if Lin Zehui said he was coming to see her—

He would definitely come.

In some ways, at least, he kept his word.

“Maybe he’s already here,” Gu Yezhou whispered, pointing toward the ceiling.

Sang Ning looked puzzled.

“But the third floor hasn’t been rented out. Why would he go up there?”

Gu Yezhou shook his head and made a quiet gesture.

Then he walked to the entryway and quickly turned off the lights.

In an instant, the entire room fell into darkness.

Sang Ning sat down on the sofa, her eyes wide open, but she still couldn’t adjust to the pitch-black surroundings.

She had lived with this kind of darkness for eighteen years.

Even now, when she slept, she kept a small bedside lamp on. When she closed her eyes and saw the faint shapes of her own irises, it reminded her—

She could see now.

Her fingers gripped the edges of the sofa tightly.

Then the cushion beside her sank slightly.

Gu Yezhou sat down next to her.

One of his hands gently wrapped around hers.

In a low voice, he said,

“I’m here.”

A moment later, Sang Ning heard faint footsteps from the stairwell next door.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Light.

Careful.

And getting closer… and closer to her door.