Chapter 93: Single Men and Women

Ye Ziqiu used the flashlight on her phone to illuminate the area for Lin Jian. Fortunately, he didn’t disappoint and successfully flipped the tripped circuit breaker back on!

CLICK!

All the lights in the house instantly flared to life.

"PHEW..."

Ye Ziqiu finally breathed a sigh of relief. The pitch-black darkness had been incredibly oppressive. If Lin Jian hadn’t been here with her, she probably would have broken down.

However, as the room brightened, she immediately noticed a puddle of blood in the living room!

Fortunately, there wasn’t much of it, and it had already begun to coagulate.

"Blood!" Ye Ziqiu cried out in panic.

"It’s fine. The killer probably left it. He suffered a minor injury."

Lin Jian spoke as he hurried into the bathroom to fetch a basin and a rag. He quickly scrubbed the bloodstains off the floor.

Aside from the blood and the mess on the coffee table that had been kicked over, the house showed no other signs of a struggle. Ye Ziqiu didn’t overthink it. Since there wasn’t much blood, it just looked like a normal wound.

After wiping the floor clean, the two of them tidied up the coffee table.

"Huh? Is this yours?"

As Lin Jian picked up the cigarette butts from the floor, Ye Ziqiu, who was wiping the coffee table, suddenly picked up a very old rouge compact. It looked like something from the sixties or seventies, though it was exquisitely crafted.

"Not mine. It probably belongs to that guy. I’ll throw it away later!"

Lin Jian glanced at it. His Thought instantly saw through the compact, revealing over a dozen small, dark, and mushy black pills inside, looking somewhat like traditional herbal medicine.

It was likely the medicine taken by that Young Master.

"Oh. Then throw it away quickly."

Ye Ziqiu didn’t even bother opening it. Hearing that it belonged to the killer completely killed any interest she had.

Lin Jian took the box and tossed it into the trash bag.

A moment later, once they had finished cleaning up, Ye Ziqiu suddenly grabbed the hem of Lin Jian’s shirt again.

"Are you still scared?" Lin Jian asked with a smile.

"I’m worried there might be someone upstairs too. Why don’t we... why don’t we check all the rooms? I just can’t feel at ease otherwise."

The villa was massive. It spanned two floors and had five bedrooms alone, along with a walk-in closet upstairs, a utility room downstairs, and plenty of other spaces. If someone was actually hiding inside, it would be terrifying.

"All right, let’s do a sweep of the place."

Even though he already knew the house was completely empty, Lin Jian still led her through every room on the first floor. He even meticulously checked the windows to make sure none had been pried open. Afterward, they inspected the second floor just as thoroughly.

Once the inspection was complete, Ye Ziqiu finally seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

Just then, Lin Jian pondered for a moment and asked, "Did you buy this villa, or are you renting it?"

"I’m renting it." Ye Ziqiu explained, "I used to stay in hotels, but it felt too inconvenient. So, I asked Xue’Er to help me rent a villa here. I don’t actually own a house in the country."

"How long is the lease?" Lin Jian pressed.

"It’s a one-year lease. Why do you ask?" Ye Ziqiu replied.

Lin Jian said thoughtfully, "This house is too big, and there’s too much landscaping around here. You wouldn’t even be able to spot someone hiding in the bushes. The property management might be decent, but there are far too many security loopholes.

"Besides, don’t you think this house is just too big for one person?"

"But... I’ve already signed the lease. If I don’t live here, where else would I go?"

"How about we find somewhere else to stay?" Lin Jian reminded her, "The fact that the killer found you here means this location has already been compromised. This batch of assassins might have failed, but there’s no guarantee they won’t send another wave!

"So, we’d be better off pulling a disappearing act. We can just sublet this villa to someone else."

"Then where will we stay?"

Ye Ziqiu followed his train of thought. If this place had really been targeted, it definitely wasn’t safe to stay here anymore.

"I’ll find us a new place tomorrow. All you have to do is show up—you won’t even have to lift a finger to move your luggage!"

Ye Ziqiu considered it for a moment before nodding. "Okay, I’ll follow your lead!"

With that said, she shifted uncomfortably on the couch. The two of them were still sitting side by side, and she was somehow still clutching the hem of Lin Jian’s shirt.

Seeing her fidget, Lin Jian glanced at the time. It was nearing midnight. He smiled and said, "You should head upstairs and get some rest. It’s okay, I’ll be right down here."

"I’m not sleepy. I just... I just need to use the bathroom..." Ye Ziqiu’s face flushed bright red as she spoke.

"Then you should..." Lin Jian almost told her to just go ahead. But swallowing his words, he stood up instead. "Come with me. I’ll go upstairs and check it one more time for you, okay?"

"Mhm." Touched by Lin Jian’s consideration, Ye Ziqiu nodded repeatedly. She was simply too terrified to go alone.

The two headed upstairs together. Lin Jian pushed open the bathroom door, peeked inside, and said, "It’s all clear. You can go in."

"Are you sure there’s no one outside the window?" Ye Ziqiu asked worriedly.

Lin Jian stared at her blankly for a second before cheekily blinking at her. "Well, how about I go in with you? You won’t be scared if I’m right beside you!"

"Get lost." Ye Ziqiu gave him a light shove, hurried into the bathroom, and locked the door tight behind her.

Lin Jian couldn’t help but chuckle. Usually, this stunning beauty was the company’s resident ice queen. Who wouldn’t be intimidated by her? But right now, she was as timid as a frightened little rabbit—an incredibly endearing sight.

But on second thought, if an assassin had broken into your house to murder you, only to vanish into the night leaving behind a puddle of blood, wouldn’t you be terrified too?

Ye Ziqiu’s reaction was completely normal for a regular girl. It was actually Lin Jian whose guts were growing by the day. It perfectly embodied the old saying: skill breeds courage.

Ye Ziqiu quickly finished up her business. The moment she stepped out, she immediately grabbed the hem of Lin Jian’s shirt again.

"Aren’t you going to sleep?" Lin Jian asked, exasperated.

"But... but..." Ye Ziqiu pleaded anxiously, "If we move to a new place tomorrow, let’s find a high-rise apartment. I wouldn’t have to worry about the windows if we’re on a higher floor."

She was terrified that someone might be lurking outside right now. Because they were on such a low floor, an assassin could easily scale the walls to reach the second-story windows. However, if they lived on the twentieth floor or higher, the killer would never be able to climb up—unless he could fly!

"That makes sense." Lin Jian nodded. He took her hand and said, "Come on, I’ll walk you to your room. I’ll head back downstairs once you fall asleep."

"No," Ye Ziqiu said anxiously.

"You’re scared, but you don’t want me to stay with you?" Lin Jian asked, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

"That’s not it. I mean... even after I fall asleep, don’t go back downstairs."

Ye Ziqiu’s face turned beet red. Right now, Lin Jian was like a towering mountain—a reliable shelter where she could find refuge from the storm and finally relax. With him around, she wouldn’t be afraid.

"Ahem. All right then. Whatever you say!"

Lin Jian’s heart was already pounding wildly in his chest. He thought, "A stunning beauty is actually asking me to sleep in her room? Did I just strike the jackpot?"

"Mhm! I’ll go get you a quilt. I’ll sleep on the bed, and you can sleep on the floor. My room has a carpet, so it won’t be too cold."

As excited as a little bunny, Ye Ziqiu dragged Lin Jian by the hand and hurried downstairs!

Lin Jian’s face instantly darkened. He complained inwardly, "Ah, so I’m stuck sleeping on the floor?"

Ye Ziqiu pretended not to notice his gloomy expression, secretly giggling to herself. In fact, seeing him look so deflated completely eased her lingering anxiety.

A short while later, the two of them carried the bedding back up to the second-floor bedroom. Ye Ziqiu personally set up his makeshift bed right next to hers on the floor!

Once everything was ready, Ye Ziqiu smiled brightly. "My brave Mr. Lin Jian, I have absolute faith in your character. After all, someone once boasted on the phone that his morals were unquestionably noble. Tonight is the perfect time to put that noble character to the test!"

"Test my ass! Uncle Lin is going to serve up some justice right now!"

Just as Ye Ziqiu was blabbering away, Lin Jian suddenly swept her off her feet, wrapped an arm around her waist, and tossed her right onto the bed! Then, he pounced on top of her, pinning her down by her arms!

However, in that exact moment, as their eyes met, they both caught a fleeting spark of undeniable desire in each other’s gaze!