The black-clad man wandered around the upstairs rooms for a while but found no trace of Ye Lan. Empty-handed, he descended the spiral staircase.
*Damn it, she should be home. What’s going on? Did the intel get it wrong?*
He adjusted his windbreaker’s hood. Even though he knew there were no surveillance cameras in the house, professional habit made him cautious—a habit that had saved him countless times in impossible missions.
Even though the house seemed empty, a skilled assassin never left traces. That was basic professionalism.
As he walked downstairs, the creaky wooden steps amplified his footsteps, sending an eerie chill down his spine.
Just then, a mountain gust howled through the house. When he reached the bottom, he froze—his shoes were gone.
Instantly alert, he tightened his grip on his pistol, scanning the surroundings. Cold sweat soaked his back.
Soon, he noticed a trail of small, child-like white footprints leading to a dim corner speckled with faint sunlight.
*The intel never mentioned a kid living here…*
Confused, his instincts screamed at him to leave. But curiosity overpowered his so-called professionalism.
Cautiously, he followed the footprints. The hallway narrowed, the light dimmed, until he could only see by his phone’s flashlight.
After five or six steps, he finally spotted his shoes.
But they were covered in a revolting mix of red and white filth, glistening sickly under the phone’s light—like maggots writhing in minced flesh.
The stench of blood and damp soil hit him. He instinctively covered his nose, sweat pouring down his back. An unsettling feeling crept over him—like something with bloodshot eyes was watching him from behind.
The footprints stopped here. The filth seemed to mock him, hinting that this "normal" villa housed something monstrous.
He wanted to flee. He didn’t even want those shoes anymore. But leaving them behind would expose his presence. A professional assassin didn’t make such amateur mistakes—no matter how disgusting the evidence was.
Bending down, his phone’s light reflected off a mirror, glaring into his eyes. He flinched—and that’s when he saw it.
In the mirror, above his own head, a bloodied figure hung upside down, its hair disheveled. Then—it let out a hollow, rattling *giggle*.
It was *laughing*.
"WHAT THE F—?!"
The man hurled the shoes aside and bolted for the back door, fleeing the villa without a second glance.
Only after the assassin was long gone did Ren Yuanhao emerge from the hidden door, laughing hysterically.
"Yuanhao! Are you okay?" Ye Lan rushed over, throwing herself into his arms. "I was so worried!"
"I’m fine. And I doubt anyone’s gonna dare come here again." He flashed a mischievous grin.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Ren Yuanhao explained his prank in detail. Ye Lan pouted. "After hearing that, *I* don’t even wanna stay here anymore!"
"You’re not a kid. What’s there to be scared of?" he teased.
Ye Lan frowned, pulling out her phone to call her housekeeper, warning her not to come for a while and mentioning she’d be "laying low" elsewhere.
"Great. Now I’ve dragged you into this too." Ren Yuanhao sighed apologetically.
Ye Lan just smiled. "I don’t have Shen Lanni’s martial arts or Yang Lingxue’s family backing. So, you’re responsible for me now."
"Wow, you’re really taking this for granted, huh?"
"Damn right I am."
The mood shifted subtly. Ren Yuanhao quickly reeled it back—*Dude, we just survived an assassination attempt. Stay focused!*
"Alright, I’m heading back to my hometown to lay low. If you wanna come along—"
"I’m in! When do we leave? I’ll pack right now!"
Before he could finish, Ye Lan was already buzzing with excitement, like a bride-to-be rushing to her Maldives wedding.
"Oh! What do your parents like? I’ve got some premium liquor, jewelry, hairpins… What patterns do they prefer? Should I dress modestly or more elegantly?"
Ren Yuanhao stared, deadpan, as she rambled like a fiancée meeting her in-laws for the first time.
"Uh, Miss Ye? We’re *escaping danger*, not going on vacation. Calm down."
He decided to reel her back to reality. "Also, I need to find someone else first. You coming with me or staying?"
"With you, obviously! Oh, I gotta drop Ah Huang at the pet hotel too."
Ren Yuanhao’s thoughts turned to Cheng Li. He didn’t know the rules of her organization or how she could break free. She was his childhood friend—the only girl who’d ever stood up for him back then. He’d already decided: no matter what, he’d pull her out of that mess.
Luckily, she wasn’t in too deep yet.
As Ye Lan packed and double-checked her security systems, he dialed Cheng Li’s number.
*"Sorry, the number you dialed is currently switched off. Please try again later—"*
*—Well, this complicates things. Where the hell do I find her now?*