That night, Che Xiayun had a dream.
She dreamed she had returned to that day, at the end of the road by the wall, clutching Zhang Youcheng’s ankle tightly, only to release her grip the moment he pulled out a shard of glass to stab her.
Zhang Youcheng’s eerie laughter echoed in her ears, and Che Xiayun’s thoughts grew sluggish. Why couldn’t she control herself anymore?
She wanted to chase after him, but her feet refused to move.
As she watched Zhang Youcheng carry Ma Qingyu over the top of the wall and disappear, Che Xiayun suddenly understood: the original host would probably have made this choice.
Che Xiayun stepped aside to make way for Dark Eight, who had caught up. “Go after them quickly. If you can’t save her, I’ll hold you responsible.”
“Mm.”
Dark Eight nodded firmly, agilely scaled the wall, and leaped down.
Watching Dark Eight’s figure vanish over the wall, Che Xiayun felt a heaviness in her chest. Anger and helplessness flushed her face, and her glands throbbed faintly with pain.
The security team arrived not long after. It was then that Che Xiayun realized that whenever she encountered Zhang Youcheng, no matter what choice she made, she would be fighting alone.
If she chased after him, it would be just like what she had experienced in reality.
If she didn’t chase and sent the dark guard instead, even if she stayed in the alpha isolation zone, she wouldn’t necessarily be safe. The other dark guards were still some time away from arriving from home, and if someone wanted to eliminate her, this gap would undoubtedly be the perfect opportunity.
The security team split into two groups: one stayed behind to maintain order, while the other gave chase. Che Xiayun leaned against the wall alone, watching the bustling crowd like an outsider.
After the medical staff carried Dark Seven away, the leader of the second security team, who had stayed behind, dusted off his hands and approached her, resting his hand on the electric baton at his waist. “Are you still in your estrus cycle?”
Che Xiayun glanced at his dark, stern face and nodded faintly.
Seeing no signs of aggression in her, the second team leader pointed to the other side. “Then come back to the room with us for now. The police will handle things here.”
Che Xiayun remained silent, taking two steps forward and falling in behind him.
The rest of the second security team closed in around her. Che Xiayun tilted her head to look at the people beside her, her expression displeased. “What’s the meaning of this?”
The second team leader glanced around and smiled. “It’s just a habit. Some alphas in their estrus cycle can be very aggressive, so everyone has to be cautious.”
Che Xiayun snorted lightly. “I’m not like that.”
The second team leader waved his hand. “Stay here and wait for someone to repair the barbed wire. I’ll escort her back myself.”
The others quickly dispersed and did not follow.
The atmosphere felt off.
How strange. These team members didn’t even offer basic concerns like, “Captain, are you sure you can handle it alone?” or “Be careful, Captain.” It was as if they were completely obedient to the captain, without a hint of dissent.
Che Xiayun stared at the broad back of the security captain in front of her, noticing his hand resting on the electric baton at all times. Wasn’t this too cautious? Although she knew that most alphas in their estrus cycle had volatile tempers and struggled to control their destructive urges, most tended to smash objects rather than suddenly attack people.
It seemed she couldn’t escape this ordeal after all.
As expected, as soon as they returned to the villa, the second team leader locked the door behind him. Before leaving, he only said, “We’ll notify you as soon as there’s any news.”
Che Xiayun circled the room but found nothing unusual except for the restored window by the open kitchen. Could it be that this person just wanted to lock themselves inside the house?
Returning to the living room, Che Xiayun paced back and forth, unable to make sense of it. She had only been gone for a short while, yet the pried-open window had already been repaired, quite efficient. But instead of fixing the window and locking themselves in, wouldn’t it have been faster to just call the captain of the second security team to handle it?
Though she thought this, her body and mind were completely out of sync. The irritable alpha in her heat directly started smashing things, tearing the living room to shreds. Aside from the snacks on the coffee table and the suitcase, furniture fragments were scattered everywhere.
After the destruction, she felt much better inside, but worry still filled her heart. With nowhere to sit, she leaned against the kitchen counter, lost in thought.
Before long, the doorbell rang, indicating a visitor, and the door was opened from the outside.
Ma Mingzhe walked in behind the security guard, his expression somber.
Che Xiayun looked at him and asked urgently, “What about Ma Qingyu?”
Ma Mingzhe shook his head. “Not found yet. You don’t need to blame yourself either. It happened suddenly, none of us expected something like this to occur.”
Noticing the mess in the living room, Che Xiayun bit her lip and said softly, “I’m sorry, it’s my fault too.”
Ma Mingzhe stood at the entrance without stepping further inside, gazing at her with an expressionless face. “It’s fine. Rest well and take care of yourself. I’ll have someone replace all this with new furniture later.”
After saying this, he turned to leave.
Che Xiayun hurried after him a couple of steps. “I’m sorry.”
Ma Mingzhe glanced back at her. “Let’s wait. We shouldn’t be so pessimistic. Qingyu is blessed she should return safely.”
Che Xiayun nodded firmly. “Yes, she’ll be fine.”
Ma Mingzhe turned away. “I’ll go now. I need to keep an eye on the police investigation.”
He had come quickly and left just as fast. The security guard stood silently to the side, barely noticeable from start to finish.
Che Xiayun’s intuition told her that something was off about Ma Mingzhe too, but on the surface, nothing seemed amiss. He was still the stern, steady elder, his words and actions almost flawless.
So what exactly was wrong?
Trapped inside the villa with no way out, Che Xiayun grew increasingly anxious. Still, she guessed that Ma Qingyu was likely not in mortal danger, though other aspects were hard to say.
In her dreams, at every turning point of the storyline, it was the original host making the choices. She had no idea what the final outcome or direction would be.
Half an hour later, Ma Mingzhe called her via the villa’s landline to inform her that the police had found Ma Qingyu. She was generally unharmed but in poor spirits, with some minor injuries. Her clothes were disheveled when she was found, and she might have been assaulted by the perpetrator. The specifics would depend on the forensic examination.
After hanging up, Che Xiayun rubbed her forehead. So, the police had found her first. Could it be that Zhang Youcheng had taken An Ba to replace her in that role?
Couldn’t the other shadow guards locate Ma Qingyu without her? Had Zhang Youcheng also stripped An Ba of her equipment?
As she was lost in thought, a firm knock sounded at the door, followed by a voice from outside, “Hello, we’re here to replace your furniture. Would it be convenient for us to come in now?”
Che Xiayun raised her voice and replied, “Yes.”
Three burly men in blue uniforms and black baseball caps filed in, followed by a security guard in uniform.
Che Xiayun sat on the stairs, watching as the workers gradually cleared out the damaged furniture. As they drew closer until they were only two or three meters away one of them, holding a vacuum cleaner and bending down to sweep up wood chips and dust, approached her with his head lowered.
Oh no, these assassins are here way too fast.
Che Xiayun was frantic inside, but the original host remained motionless on the stairs, like a fish on a chopping block, having given up all resistance.
Just as the worker with the vacuum cleaner closed in, a hidden guard suddenly emerged from an unnoticed corner, pushing past the worker to approach Che Xiayun. “Young Master, I have something to report to you.”
Che Xiayun glanced at her in surprise, then stood up and leaned in to listen. “Mm, go ahead.”
The guard shot a sidelong glance at the nearby worker. “Sir, could you please clean over there? We have private matters to discuss.”
The worker looked up at the two of them, then reluctantly stepped aside. “Alright, alright.”
The guard leaned close to Che Xiayun’s ear. “Young Master, these people might be assassins. Be careful.”
Che Xiayun nodded slightly. “I understand.”
Seeing the guard openly standing by Che Xiayun’s side, the worker didn’t dare act recklessly, fearing there might be other hidden guards nearby ready to stab them in the back.
Although they couldn’t eliminate Che Xiayun in one go, according to the mission requirements, they at least had to teach her a lesson which was simple enough.
Under the watchful eyes of the two, the workers didn’t linger. After bringing in the new furniture, they left. The guard immediately let out a huge sigh of relief and stuck out her tongue. “Thank goodness they’re gone. If it had really come to a fight, I probably couldn’t have taken even one of them.”
Che Xiayun walked over to the new furniture, inhaling the faint smell of formaldehyde in the air, which made her somewhat uncomfortable. “Which number are you?”
The guard replied, “Twelve. They all call me Little Twelve.”
Che Xiayun picked up a cup and weighed it in her hand. “Mm, I thought so. You don’t look much older than me.”
The guard took out a small device and reminded her, “It might be poisoned. Don’t drink anything yet. Let me test it first.”
Che Xiayun handed her the cup. “That’s exactly what I was thinking.”
After testing the water and the cup, they indeed found poison. Once the inspection was complete, both of them relaxed considerably.
However, Che Xiayun began to feel an odd warmth spreading through her body, and a faint red haze gradually clouded her vision. She wasn’t sure if it was due to her estrus cycle, but she felt an itch around her gland swollen and hot, as if something were about to burst forth.
Breathing in the formaldehyde-laden air, she grew increasingly hot and itchy. Unable to bear it, she reached back and tore off the suppressant patch on her nape, then turned to the guard. “Could you go upstairs and get me some suppressants? I think my estrus is flaring up again.”
“Right away.”
Seeing her condition worsen, the guard immediately rushed upstairs to fetch the suppressants.
After the hidden guard left, Che Xiayun was so hot she couldn’t stand it for even a second. Staggering against the wall, she made her way into the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and splashed her face with cold water several times. She even opened the showerhead and let the cold water pour over her head, yet she still couldn’t suppress the surging heat inside her. This overwhelming, unbearable heat seemed even fiercer than her usual feverish episodes, rushing straight to her mind like a wildfire sweeping across a plain. A sea of blood and crimson flooded her vision, devouring the last shreds of her rationality.
The hidden guard returned with the suppressant just in time to see her in this state and rushed over anxiously to support her. “Young Mistress!”
But the dream had already ended. Che Xiayun abruptly opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. The room was still pitch-dark, as if it were the middle of the night, yet the scenes from the dream felt so vivid, as if she had truly experienced them herself.
In the end, what had truly been fatal was the volatile toxin mixed in with the formaldehyde. Who would have thought?
If she hadn’t chased after them, the outcome might have been even worse. Che Xiayun took a moment to feel the pain from her injuries and immediately decided it was worth it. Moreover, Ma Qingyu had also benefited she hadn’t been defiled as in the dream. A win-win situation. A good deal.
After calculating the pros and cons, Che Xiayun closed her eyes contentedly and soon drifted back to sleep.
But in this world, what ifs don’t exist.