She didn’t stop until she reached her door.

Then came a series of sharp knocks—thud, thud, thud.

Inside, Sang Ning’s heart leapt into her throat. In the darkness, she clutched Gu Yezhou’s arm tightly.

She was just afraid of the dark.

Maybe it was the effect of those three words he’d said earlier, but a faint sense of calm settled over her.

And yet, her mind refused to cooperate, conjuring up scene after scene from horror films—every terrifying image she’d ever seen.

Back when she lived alone, she’d never been afraid. So why tonight?

Was it because of the man beside her?

Maybe it really was true—once you have someone to rely on, you also gain something to fear.

The knocking went on for quite a while before it finally stopped. As if confirming no one was home, the footsteps outside moved on a couple of paces.

Then, a sound came from the apartment next door.

“He went in,” Sang Ning whispered. “Could he be the killer?”

They were so close she could catch the faint, clean scent of soap lingering on him.

“Stay here. I’ll take a look.”

Gu Yezhou rose quietly, moving to the door and gently turning the handle.

The moment he stepped out, he slipped swiftly toward Room 204 next door.

Inside, it was pitch-black. Only a sliver of moonlight spilled through the window.

Gu Yezhou’s night vision was excellent. By that dim glow, he instantly locked onto the man’s position.

He moved soundlessly, heading straight into Shi Li’s bedroom.

Just as the man reached for the wardrobe, a shadow appeared beside him—silent and sudden.

Before he could react, a heavy blow struck the back of his neck.

The man staggered. Gu Yezhou caught him before he fell and began dragging him outside.

Even though the movement was minimal, in the dead silence of the night, every sound seemed amplified.

The man’s leather shoes scraped against the floor, the grating noise enough to make one’s teeth ache.

Hearing the disturbance, Sang Ning frowned in confusion. The detectives she’d worked with would usually subdue a suspect and immediately start questioning them—so why was there only the sound of footsteps next door?

She moved to the door without turning on the lights, switched on her phone’s flashlight, and shone it toward Room 204.

What she saw made her eyelid twitch.

Gu Yezhou was dragging a man out like a dead dog.

In an instant, her mind filled with images of a murderer disposing of a body—same quiet night, same dragging motion, quietly getting rid of the corpse…

No one would ever know.

“Get me a cloth,” Gu Yezhou whispered.

Sang Ning immediately hurried to the dining table, grabbed a rag, and handed it to him.

In the dim light, she watched as Gu Yezhou stuffed it into the man’s mouth. Then he grabbed her scarf from the coat rack and tied the man’s legs together.

The man’s hands were cuffed behind his back, the metal glinting faintly in the moonlight.

“Shouldn’t we call the police?” Sang Ning blurted.

The moment the words left her mouth, she realized—

They *were* the police.

Still, watching his methods, she genuinely felt like calling them.

“I’ve already notified Xiao Zhang. There should be another one upstairs.”

Sang Ning blinked in surprise. “How do you know?”

When it came to hearing, she had absolute confidence. She’d heard everything when Gu Yezhou subdued the man next door—but upstairs?

She looked up at the pitch-black ceiling. Not a sound.

“Stay here and watch him. I’ll check upstairs.”

With that brief instruction, Gu Yezhou turned and left, not even giving her a chance to respond.

Sang Ning stared after him, her flashlight beam drifting back to the man on the ground.

The moment she saw his face clearly, she sucked in a sharp breath.

“Li Xiaoqiang? What is he doing here?!”

Buzz—

The phone in Li Xiaoqiang’s pocket vibrated.

Sang Ning crouched down, pulled it out, and checked the screen. It wasn’t a call—it was a text message.

**Lin: Got it yet?**

Scrolling up, she saw Li Xiaoqiang’s reply:

**Knocked. She’s not home.**

So there really was someone upstairs.

Sang Ning leaned silently against the doorframe, staring at the rows of dark, empty apartments surrounding her.

Then—

A metallic clang rang out from above, followed by the sound of something being knocked over.

No voices. Just running footsteps—and the dull, heavy thuds of fists hitting flesh.

Had Gu Yezhou caught him?

Sang Ning wanted to go check, but she still had to watch Li Xiaoqiang. For a moment, she was stuck—unable to move.

The commotion upstairs dragged on until a familiar voice finally broke through:

“Do you even know who I am? Cross me, and you’ll never set foot in Yancheng again!”

Arrogant. Overbearing.

Sang Ning looked at the messages on the phone, then listened to the voice above.

How could she not recognize it?

If it wasn’t Lin Zehui, then who else?

Soon, police sirens wailed outside Ping’an Apartments, their shrill cries cutting through the night. A few of the remaining residents turned on their lights, but no one dared open their doors to look.

Xiao Zhang came upstairs and took the unconscious Li Xiaoqiang away.

Sang Ning followed to the stairwell—and froze.

Gu Yezhou was dragging a man down the stairs by one leg.

Step by step.

The man cursed loudly, “You dare treat me like this? I’ll make sure you don’t live to see tomorrow!”

“Ow—easy, easy!”

“Bro, please—stop pulling! I’m begging you, bro…”

The threats quickly dissolved into desperate pleas.

Sang Ning had heard that Gu Yezhou was a brilliant detective, known for solving countless complex cases—even cold ones.

She’d also heard he had a strange temperament and was frequently the subject of complaints.

Now she understood why.

Put this in a TV drama, and anyone would say—

*You’re the real villain here, aren’t you?!*

“Ningning?”

Sang Ning was still staring as Lin Zehui was dragged down like a lifeless sack, momentarily unable to react.

Lin Zehui lit up with surprise. “Ningning? It’s really you?”

He pointed at Gu Yezhou’s back. “Quick—arrest this guy! He assaulted me! I’m pressing charges!”

Thinking she would help him, his tone grew bolder.

Gu Yezhou’s movements paused. His dark eyes lifted to Sang Ning.

She choked on her words.

What was she supposed to say?

*That’s my ex—go easy on him?*

No chance.

This scumbag? She’d long wanted to throw a sack over his head and beat him senseless.

“Why are you here?” Sang Ning avoided Gu Yezhou’s gaze and looked down at the man on the floor.

Lin Zehui winced in pain, yet managed to sound aggrieved. “Ningning, I just missed you so much. You blocked me—I had no choice but to come find you. You even said you weren’t home. You lied to me again! You weren’t like this before…”

Sang Ning felt a wave of disgust.

Coldly, she said, “You really came just to see me?”

Gu Yezhou, meanwhile, couldn’t hide the hostility of a man facing a romantic rival.

More importantly—

The things inside the room Lin Zehui had been in…