Translator: Cinder Translations
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After completing all his tasks, Jiang Cheng tiptoed to the now visible, real window, tossed the brush in his hand out, and kept his gaze fixed on it.
The brush traced a parabolic arc in the air before safely landing on the ground.
It didn't disintegrate or shatter in mid-air from some strange force, as Jiang Cheng had half-expected.
Furthermore, he found a rope next to the window.
One end of the rope was tied to a bent iron hook, while the other end hung down outside the window.
It seemed that the person trapped in the wardrobe had used this method to avoid the ghost on the first floor and sneak into the building to search.
"Bang."
The sudden sound behind him caught Jiang Cheng's attention. It came from the wardrobe. It seemed that the person inside had noticed something was wrong and was trying to open the door.
The sound was from the wardrobe door hitting the wooden table that blocked it.
Without delay, Jiang Cheng tested the rope for sturdiness, then swung one leg out of the window, took a deep breath, and shouted in the direction of the stairs, "Hurry up, someone is trapped in the wardrobe!"
Before his voice had even finished echoing, a figure appeared, rushing up the stairs at an almost blurry speed. Jiang Cheng pushed off the windowsill, slid down the rope, and landed smoothly outside.
After landing, Jiang Cheng pulled the rope back up, feeling a bit more secure.
The building remained silent for a few seconds before a loud crash broke the silence, likely from the wardrobe.
One of Jiang Cheng's earlier assumptions was confirmed.
The so-called safe house in the mission wasn't permanent and had its own set of restrictions.
For example, the wardrobe that appeared indestructible was only resilient against the first attack by the ghost within a specific time frame, like being able to withstand just one attack in a day.
Now that the conditions had changed, the safety of the wardrobe was no longer guaranteed.
Jiang Cheng crouched under the windowsill, quietly counting the time, waiting for things to settle down inside. He planned to climb back up using the rope to see if he could find the body of the mysterious person. Maybe he could uncover something valuable.
"Bang!"
A figure leapt from mid-air, smashing through several old window frames, with debris falling alongside.
The person clearly had excellent skills, landing on the ground with only a slight stumble. However, just as they steadied themselves and prepared to rise, they suddenly felt a cold gust of wind behind their head.
Then, everything went black.
Jiang Cheng dropped the half-split wooden stick he had been holding and squinted as he approached the unconscious Chen Xiaomeng, dragging her to a quiet, secluded spot.
Aside from a slight bump on the back of her head, Chen Xiaomeng had only some minor scrapes, likely from jumping out of the window.
Jiang Cheng thoroughly searched her but didn't find what he was looking for.
"Where is it?" Jiang Cheng muttered, feeling around again.
Finally, he felt a strange sensation through her clothes.
His eyes lit up.
After a while, Chen Xiaomeng gradually regained consciousness. When she opened her eyes, she saw Jiang Cheng's face, full of concern, beside her.
She shook her head, seemingly a bit disoriented from the earlier blow.
"Does your head still hurt?" Jiang Cheng kindly asked, bringing a bowl of water to her lips. "Just now, you were being chased by a ghost. Luckily, I saved you. You wanted to repay me by offering yourself, but I refused, and you tried to force me."
Chen Xiaomeng, still dazed, instinctively leaned forward to drink the water, but—
"Spit!"
Her expression suddenly changed, and she spat out the water. She opened her mouth and started breathing heavily, her face contorted in pain.
The water was boiling hot!
On the stove outside the door, a black kettle hissed with the sound of boiling water.
Chen Xiaomeng regained full consciousness.
Instead of immediately seeking revenge for the scalding water, she turned and began feeling around her body. After a moment, her face turned as cold as ice.
"Where is it?" She glared at Jiang Cheng.
Jiang Cheng looked completely innocent. "What are you talking about?"
"Don't play dumb! The photo!"
Earlier, Jiang Cheng had found a photo near Chen Xiaomeng's body. It looked very similar to the one Jiang Cheng had, showing two old people and their four sons.
But this one had seven people, with an additional woman.
Jiang Cheng deduced this photo was likely found by Chen Xiaomeng on the second floor.
The problem, however, was why, in the same building, the photo frame on the first floor only showed six people, while the photo on the second floor had an extra woman.
Jiang Cheng calmly pulled out the photo and waved it in front of her. "Where did you find this photo?"
"I don't know."
"Well, since you don't know, I won't return it to you," Jiang Cheng said, standing up and slowly walking toward the door, "I'll go ask the others."
"Fine," Chen Xiaomeng smiled instead of getting angry. Her eyes narrowed like a fox. "I also want to know what they'll do when they find out you have this."
Jiang Cheng's footsteps faltered for a moment.
Just as Chen Xiaomeng thought she had regained control of the situation, Jiang Cheng suddenly walked back and, without saying a word, bound her with a rope.
"What are you doing?" Chen Xiaomeng was shocked.
She prided herself on her abilities, but Jiang Cheng was too strong, and her injuries prevented her from resisting. Within moments, she was securely tied up.
Looking at Jiang Cheng's slightly amused expression, Chen Xiaomeng felt uneasy. "I warn you," she tried to sound confident, "killing teammates in a mission comes with consequences!"
She quickly added, "Inflicting harm against someone's will also has consequences!"
"I know," Jiang Cheng smirked. "I'm just going to stuff you back in there and wait for the ghost to deal with you while I go back upstairs to look for clues."
If anyone else had said this to her, Chen Xiaomeng might not have believed it, but the man before her was unpredictable, and she knew better than to take his words lightly.
For the first time, she felt fear in front of him.
"I can tell you about the photo," Chen Xiaomeng said. "But you have to promise to return it to me!"
"Sure," Jiang Cheng raised his hand dramatically, swearing to the ceiling, "I promise to return the photo to you. If I fail, may I, Wang Fu Gui, die with blood pouring from my seven orifices while doing a handstand!"
TL/N: Wang Fu Gui means a person blessed with prosperity and honor.
(End of the Chapter)
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