Chapter 17

Gu Yunqing?

Isn't he dead?

Who got his phone?

Is the person on the other end of the line human or a ghost? Several thoughts flashed through Zhang Yangxu's mind; he decisively extinguished the screen and hung up the phone.

Outside the perimeter wall, the sound of pattering footsteps grew increasingly dense.

Zhang Yangxu already had some understanding of this large residence with the "He Fu" plaque; it was home to a wealthy family, and the mansion employed a significant number of servants and maids. Every time the old master went out, he was surrounded by people, and he returned with a large crowd as well.

Listening to the sound of the crowd heading toward the main gate, Zhang Yangxu gripped his phone and walked along the wall toward the side gate. He was not the type of person who wouldn't turn back until he hit a brick wall; since he couldn't find Ye Miaozhu, he would stop looking. Even if this impulsive woman were willing to cooperate with him, it would likely do more harm than good.

He hadn't walked more than a few steps when his phone vibrated again.

This vibration was short and sharp; it wasn't a ringtone, but a new message notification. Zhang Yangxu unlocked the screen and looked down; he had just received a new text message. Sender: 【Gu Yunqing】

Message content: 【Do you really think I'm dead?】

Immediately after, another new text message was sent over:

【You've been played by Seeing Seeing Ning Zhe.】

"Gu Yunqing isn't dead?"

"I've been played by Seeing Seeing Ning Zhe?"

Looking at the content of the two messages on the phone screen, Zhang Yangxu's expression turned ugly.

Given the known situation that a "ghost" capable of stealing identities and disguising itself as a living person was wandering within He Family Village, Zhang Yangxu naturally wouldn't easily believe the one-sided story told by these two short messages; he maintained full vigilance.

But while remaining vigilant against the "Gu Yunqing" on the other end of the line—whoever or whatever they were—Zhang Yangxu also tried to recall his interactions with Seeing Seeing Ning Zhe and the others.

"These two messages are indeed suspicious, but isn't Seeing Seeing Ning Zhe also suspicious? At the very least, I have never actually seen Gu Yunqing's corpse myself. All the claims that Gu Yunqing was already dead, that he died by the river just like Xie Sining... I have never seen any of that with my own eyes."

Once the seed of doubt was planted, it immediately began to take root and sprout.

Zhang Yangxu held the phone in one hand and brushed against the perimeter wall with the other as he walked forward, recalling the entire course of his interactions with Seeing Seeing Ning Zhe and the others.

"Seeing Seeing Ning Zhe is not a trustworthy person. He is suspected of killing Lin Zhiyuan and hiding his body. Even if I try to interpret his character in the best possible light and conclude that Lin Zhiyuan wasn't killed by him, Seeing Seeing Ning Zhe is at the very least a madman with no reverence for human life. He will use the deaths of others to achieve his own goals without any bottom line. He is a lunatic."

And, a lunatic with a terrifyingly high IQ.

"Feng Yushu, I have some understanding of this woman as well. In her youth, she was kept in the boudoir by her family, and after marrying, she was pampered by her husband; she has never suffered any hardships. Having lived a life of luxury for so long, she is like a canary that has never left its cage, easily yielding to true violence. Therefore, Feng Yushu's words cannot be trusted either. This woman has long since been tamed by Seeing Seeing Ning Zhe to obey his every word, to the point where she hasn't even noticed Seeing Seeing Ning Zhe's subtle, gradual conditioning of her obedience, just like training a dog."

Both Seeing Seeing Ning Zhe and Feng Yushu are untrustworthy, so what about Ye Miaozhu?

The intense emotion Ye Miaozhu showed regarding Gu Yunqing's death didn't seem like an act. If such agitation were displayed upon the passing of a loved one, it would naturally be very genuine, but the problem is...

"Is the relationship between Gu Yunqing and Ye Miaozhu really that close? Close enough that Ye Miaozhu would give up on her own life because of his death?"

Zhang Yangxu couldn't be sure, because they were all just strangers who had met by chance. According to the information he knew, Gu Yunqing and Ye Miaozhu were just classmates who had traveled to the countryside together from the same medical university to gain internship experience.

The two might be a couple or something else, but if they were merely a couple or even just classmates, then Ye Miaozhu's previous extreme emotions seemed a bit "over-the-top," like a pampered young man who cries and screams for an emergency appointment at a top-tier hospital the moment he gets a slight scratch on his hand.

So...

"Trust Ye Miaozhu? Or trust this 'Gu Yunqing'?" Zhang Yangxu hesitated.

He was clearly aware that the person on the other end of the line was very likely the fierce ghost skilled at donning human skin to lure others toward death, and it was even possible that Seeing Seeing Ning Zhe was simply holding Gu Yunqing's phone to set a trap for him. But it could not be denied that while the possibility of the other party being the real Gu Yunqing was very small, it was definitely not zero.

At this moment, the phone in his hand vibrated again, and a new text message was sent over:

【I can probably guess what you're worried about; you're worried that I'm the ghost who stole Gu Yunqing's identity.】

【Your worry is not without reason, but time is tight now; we can't drag this out any longer.】

【You can ask me some questions to test my identity, but be quick.】

【Because the Serpent God is about to go mad.】

"What?!" Zhang Yangxu's nerves immediately tightened. He hurriedly typed a reply, asking: 【What do you mean? The Serpent God is going to go mad again?】

The other party was silent for about 2 minutes before a new message finally came through: 【Let's confirm each other's identities first.】

【You suspect I'm a ghost disguised as Gu Yunqing, but how do I know you aren't one?】

Zhang Yangxu didn't delay any longer and quickly edited a few questions to send to the other side.

Based on his previous experience interacting with the Xie Sining disguised by the ghost, the questions Zhang Yangxu sent were all ones that satisfied the condition of "I think Gu Yunqing should know the answer, but I don't know the answer myself." When answering these types of questions, the Xie Sining disguised by the ghost had appeared to have a computer program-like bug, freezing up.

Thus, Zhang Yangxu asked several professional questions regarding clinical medicine, while Gu Yunqing sent over several professional questions in the field of real estate.

Both sides provided answers very quickly.

Although Zhang Yangxu couldn't judge whether Gu Yunqing's answers were correct due to the mismatch in expertise, the fluency of the answers themselves was enough to prove the other party's identity.

"He should be the real Gu Yunqing." Zhang Yangxu let out a sigh of relief and sent a message asking: 【What does it mean for the Serpent God to go mad? Tell me specifically what's going on.】

Gu Yunqing: 【Let's talk in person.】

Zhang Yangxu: 【Fine, where are you?】

Gu Yunqing: 【Outside the perimeter wall of the He family mansion. Walk a bit further forward, and you'll see me once you open the gate.】

So close? Zhang Yangxu was immediately puzzled. Since the distance was so close, why would Gu Yunqing use such a cumbersome method of calling and texting to communicate with him? Meeting in person would obviously be more convenient.

But then he thought about it—it was true, just as Gu Yunqing said: he suspected the other was a ghost, but how did he know the other wasn't thinking the same of him?

Thinking of this, Zhang Yangxu lightened his footsteps and cautiously walked along the perimeter wall to the side gate of the He family mansion, tentatively knocking on the door three times.

Knock, knock, knock—

There were three knocks from outside the door in response.

Zhang Yangxu let out a sigh of relief and opened the door, only to see a young man whose clothes were soaked through standing in front of the door, holding a phone that had also been soaked by water.

"Mr. Zhang, I'm very happy to see you again," Gu Yunqing said with a smile.

(End of chapter)