Reborn as a Fake Heiress Marrying the Tycoon-Chapter 1124: Madman

In the next moment, the two of them were entwined in a kiss, a kiss that seemed to seal the fate of the night—it was destined to be anything but restful.

Meanwhile, in the neighboring house, Jiang Nan, who had already gone to bed, was jolted awake by the chorus of incessant barking outside.

Restless and uneasy, she had been sleeping poorly for days, and tonight was no exception. Every time she thought about Jiang Yao’s two incidents of scaling the wall to sneak into Gu Zi’s house, her heart tightened with dread. Instinct told her that Jiang Yao’s motives hadn’t been as simple as theft.

But then again, so much time had passed. Surely Jiang Yao wouldn’t still be investigating, would he? Then again, who could say for sure?

The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became, until sleep was completely out of the question. Throwing off her covers with a huff, she got up, dressed hastily, grabbed a kerosene lamp, and stepped out into the night.

The darkness cloaked everything around her, but she made her way, determined, toward the deeper end of the alley. Finally, she stopped before a derelict residence, its entrance marked by a tattered white lantern swaying eerily in the breeze.

Slowly, she reached out and pushed the creaking door open...

...

The next day, Gu Zi woke up very late. Thankfully, Su Shen had taken the children to school that morning, and fortunately, she only had classes in the afternoon. That left her with just enough time to recover her strength.

By the afternoon, Gu Zi arrived at the university right on schedule. After her lecture, she made her way to the office to meet with her class advisor, where she happened to run into Zhao Ling as well.

The advisor handed them a thick file and spoke with a weighty tone, "This is confidential material—a collaboration between the school and the government. You two are responsible for editing and translating it. Be meticulous, and absolutely ensure that nothing leaks."

Gu Zi listened attentively, maintaining a composed and professional demeanor. Zhao Ling, standing beside her, also appeared studiously focused. Once they accepted the assignment and stepped out into the hallway, Zhao Ling spoke up almost immediately, a nervous urgency in her voice.

"I fought hard for this opportunity for my own sake," Zhao Ling said. "It wasn’t meant as an attack on you. I hope you understand."

Gu Zi shrugged nonchalantly. "When did I ever say you were targeting me?" she asked, her tone light but laced with a hint of disdain. "Instead of wasting your energy worrying about things like that, maybe focus a little more on doing the job you worked so hard to get."

With that, Gu Zi turned and walked off, not interested in prolonging the conversation.

Zhao Ling’s sudden urge to explain herself was nothing more than a transparent attempt to manage her reputation—clearly terrified that others might accuse her of backstabbing to snatch the opportunity.

If she needed to play politics over something this trivial, it was simply exhausting. Gu Zi clutched the files and left without a second glance. Behind her, Zhao Ling gripped her own documents tightly, glaring resentfully at Gu Zi’s retreating figure.

...

Gu Zi’s classes ended early that day, which meant she could head home ahead of schedule. Since Su Shen was picking up the children, Gu Zi only needed to get herself home.

However, as soon as she stepped off the bus, she caught the unmistakable murmur of gossip swirling around the neighborhood.

"You mean that abandoned house across from Jiang Yao’s old place? The one with the white lantern out front?" someone said. "It’s been deserted for years, hasn’t it? Ever since Jiang Yao’s wife died, no one’s been able to sell those properties. Even now that Jiang Yao’s back, he doesn’t live there. So how could anyone be inside?"

"Exactly! That’s why they’re saying it’s some crazy person," another chimed in. "I heard they’re chained up with iron, completely deranged and terrifying to look at!"

Just then, someone emerged from the alley with a sneer, bringing the latest update.

"It’s all Jiang Yao’s crap," he scoffed. "There’s no lunatic, nothing at all! He’s just talking nonsense!"

Gu Zi’s eyes sharpened. Without hesitation, she darted into the alleyway. As she passed her own front door, she noticed two police vehicles parked across the street. Ignoring them, she continued deeper into the narrow lane.

Normally deserted, the alley was now packed with curious onlookers. Inside the taped-off police line, Jiang Yao was animatedly explaining himself to the officers, his face a mask of desperation.

"There really was someone in there! A lunatic!" he insisted. "All they could do was make these awful noises—couldn’t speak properly! I swear!"

But the officers were already losing their patience. One of them barked, "Jiang Yao, you causing trouble and ending up at the station is nothing new. But this? Making up ghost stories to waste our time? Do you take us for fools? We’ve searched the place three or four times already—there’s not even a living rat in there, let alone a lunatic! And you said they were chained up? What, did the chains grow legs and run off? Enough of this. We’re pulling out. This is a complete waste of resources."

The officers began rolling up the caution tape and preparing to leave. Jiang Yao stood frozen, at a complete loss. He had been inside earlier, had seen nothing, no trace at all. But he was certain—he had seen someone last night.

Had he...seen a ghost? A mad ghost?

Scanning the crowd, Gu Zi’s gaze soon landed on Jiang Nan. Unlike the bustling, rubbernecking neighbors, Jiang Nan blended into the scene, clutching a basket of groceries as if she had just returned from the market.

At the moment the police announced they were leaving, a strange, chilling smile played across her lips. She didn’t bother to hide it, either—perhaps thinking no one would notice.

Gu Zi’s heart sank.

It seemed her suspicions had been right all along. There was something deeply wrong with that abandoned house.

She recalled that evening when Jiang Yao had broken free from Chen Xi’s grip and had come to her house, desperate to search for something. She had pointed him toward that dilapidated house, the one marked by the white lantern, suggesting it might hold the clues he was searching for.

Clearly, Jiang Yao had gone to investigate last night and stumbled upon something—someone—terribly wrong.

And now, with the police finding nothing, there was only one explanation: whoever—or whatever—had been hidden inside had been moved before they arrived.

Not wanting to risk Jiang Nan spotting her, Gu Zi turned silently on her heel and made her way back home.