“Pei Lezhi?” Lin Zhao blinked in surprise, looking at the panting girl in front of her. “What are you doing here?”
Pei Lezhi’s cheeks were flushed, sweat had dampened the stray hairs at her temples, sticking to her skin. She complained irritably, “I was going to ask you! Didn’t we agree to go together after school?”
“I went to Class One to find you, but you were nowhere to be seen. I asked your classmates, and they said you had already left. You didn’t even wait for me!”
Lin Zhao’s mind was still preoccupied with the people on the bus—she had no energy to argue with Pei Lezhi. She only said casually, “I had something to do, so I left in a hurry.”
“You had something to do?”
Pei Lezhi clearly didn’t believe her. She squinted and scrutinized Lin Zhao up and down, suspicious. “Lin Zhao, tell me the truth. Are you hiding something from me?”
“I’ll tell you when I have time.” Lin Zhao had no patience to explain and brushed her hand aside, heading for the street corner.
But Pei Lezhi moved faster. She grabbed Lin Zhao’s wrist with surprising strength. “No way! You have to tell me now! Otherwise, I’ll tell Uncle Lin that you skipped class to fight someone!”
“Stop it!” Lin Zhao was exasperated and angry. She turned to glare at her. “I really have something to do. I don’t have time to explain!”
Pei Lezhi saw the seriousness in her eyes. She didn’t seem to be lying, so she loosened her grip slightly but still refused to let go. “Fine. Then take me with you. If you don’t, I’m going to your house to find Uncle Lin!”
Lin Zhao had no choice but to relent. If things escalated to Lin Zhenhai, it would not only waste time but also create unnecessary trouble.
She gritted her teeth, glared sharply at Pei Lezhi, and finally compromised: “Follow me. Don’t run off, don’t make a sound. Everything I say goes. Got it?”
“Got it!”
Pei Lezhi immediately grinned, patting her chest. “I won’t cause you any trouble!”
Lin Zhao ignored her, scanning the street corner quickly, and raised her hand to stop a taxi slowly driving by.
The two of them hurried into the back seat. Lin Zhao pointed at the bus moving ahead and spoke urgently to the driver: “Follow that bus in front!”
The driver glanced in the rearview mirror at the two breathless girls and teased, “Little ladies, what are you doing? Following a bus is boring. Tell me your destination, and I can get you there faster and cheaper than following that bus.”
“No need. Just follow that bus,” Lin Zhao said, her gaze fixed firmly on the vehicle ahead.
Seeing the insistence, the driver didn’t argue. After all, a paying customer is a paying customer. He nodded, stepped on the gas, and maintained a steady distance behind the bus.
The taxi fell into silence. Pei Lezhi looked out the window at the rapidly passing street and glanced at Lin Zhao’s tense profile. She was puzzled but wisely didn’t ask more questions.
Lin Zhao’s eyes never left the bus, her fingers clutching her clothes tightly.
Gu Zhuoxiao was not someone to be underestimated. His methods with Xu Ning were vicious and cruel. His deliberate following of Xu Ning onto the bus this time certainly had ill intentions.
Ten minutes later, the bus slowly pulled over.
Lin Zhao’s heart leapt into her throat as she fixed her gaze on the bus doors.
The area was extremely secluded, surrounded by old residential buildings. Not a single pedestrian passed by, let alone surveillance cameras.
Her heartbeat quickened, almost bursting from her chest.
The bus doors creaked open. Xu Ning stepped off first, walking briskly toward the alley ahead.
Then Gu Zhuoxiao got off. His hands were in his pockets, and his unreadable smile made Lin Zhao uneasy.
The surprising thing was Gu Zhuoxiao didn’t follow Xu Ning as she expected. Instead, he turned in the opposite direction.
Something was wrong—very wrong.
Lin Zhao furrowed her brows. Gu Zhuoxiao had painstakingly followed Xu Ning. How could he suddenly turn away in such a place?
What was he plotting?
“Driver, follow that boy up ahead!” Lin Zhao blurted instinctively.
The driver hesitated. “Little lady, this place is really secluded. If you go further in, it’s all dead ends. If there’s danger—”
“I’ll pay extra,” Lin Zhao interrupted.
“Alright!” The driver immediately turned the wheel, chasing the direction Gu Zhuoxiao had gone, joking as he drove, “Don’t worry. My driving is solid; we’ll catch up safely.”
Pei Lezhi saw what happened. She tugged at Lin Zhao’s arm, whispering, “I thought you didn’t like Gu Zhuoxiao anymore? Why are we following him? And this place is so remote—what exactly are we doing?”
Lin Zhao’s eyes locked onto Gu Zhuoxiao’s retreating figure. Watching him turn into a narrow alley, she said coldly, “It’s complicated. You’ll understand soon enough.”
The taxi stopped at the alley entrance. The driver looked at the dark passage and urged, “Little ladies, where do you want to get off? I still have other orders, don’t want to waste my time.”
Pei Lezhi didn’t wait for Lin Zhao to answer. She pulled several crisp bills from her pocket and held them toward the driver, lifting her chin. “Driver, please wait. Is this enough?”
The driver’s eyes lit up, and he bowed repeatedly. “Enough! No problem! Don’t worry, even if it’s until tomorrow, I can wait!”
Lin Zhao ignored their conversation, her gaze locked on the alley entrance. Her heart was racing.
Time ticked slowly in the quiet alley.
Pei Lezhi grew nervous, clutching Lin Zhao’s arm, not daring to breathe, eyes fixed on the entrance.
Just as Lin Zhao felt she might lose her patience, a figure appeared from the alley.
A man, wearing a black baseball cap pulled low, a mask covering his face, only his eyes visible.
Dressed all in black, blending into the surroundings, he moved lightly, heading straight toward where Xu Ning had gone.
Lin Zhao’s pupils constricted sharply.
“Pei Lezhi, stay in the car. Don’t come out.” Her words barely finished when she pushed open the door and followed closely behind the man.
Pei Lezhi jumped, instinctively wanting to call out.
She looked at Lin Zhao’s disappearing figure, then at the dark alley, gritted her teeth, and cautiously followed.
Lin Zhao lightened her steps, keeping her eyes on the man. Cold sweat formed in her palms. She dared not get too close and had to use the scattered objects along the road for cover, inching after him.
The man moved quickly, turning sharply into the alley Xu Ning had gone into.
Lin Zhao accelerated, almost running, entering the alley.
As he neared Xu Ning, Lin Zhao seized the moment under the alley’s dim streetlight, pushing him into a narrower alley beside them.
The man didn’t expect anyone to jump out mid-path. Off-balance, he stumbled into the alley, slamming his back hard against the wall with a dull “thud,” gritting his teeth in pain and cursing under his breath.
This alley was even narrower than the others. High walls blocked almost all daylight, and the two figures could barely be seen.
Lin Zhao didn’t hesitate, rushing in and using her back to block the alley’s exit, completely cutting off his retreat.
“What did that person tell you?” Her voice was icy, void of warmth, echoing through the narrow passage.
The man took a long moment to recover, rubbing his sore back. He stepped back cautiously, keeping some distance. “Who are you? Where did you come from, little girl? How dare you meddle in my business?”
“Who I am doesn’t matter.”
Her tone remained cold. “I’m asking again—what did that person tell you?”
The man finally reacted, his voice turning vicious. “None of your business! Get out of my way or don’t blame me for being rude!”
“Business?” Lin Zhao sneered. “Did he offer you a reward? Money? I can double it—just tell me what he said to you. What did he tell you to do to that girl?”
The man snorted disdainfully. “Stop bluffing, little girl. Can you even afford that? You’re just a student, how much money could you have? Don’t mess with me—get lost!”
“I can pay if you tell me the truth,” Lin Zhao said without hesitation.
With money-hungry people, temptation often works better than threats. “I have no reason to lie. Tell me—how much do you want? As long as you say everything, the money is yours immediately.”
The man hesitated. Only the sound of their breathing filled the alley. Just as Lin Zhao thought he would cave, he suddenly growled impatiently: “I don’t know what you’re talking about. You must have the wrong person. I was just passing by, wanted to smoke. I don’t understand a word of what you’re saying.”
With that, he stepped toward the alley exit, assuming Lin Zhao was just a girl and not strong enough to stop him.
“Trying to run?” Lin Zhao already have an idea who is it.
Gu Zhuoxiao