Jiang Nan Fang went to Zhou Jin Xiu's studio and didn't get home until past eleven at night.
After work, Zhou Jin Xiu was urged by a group of his friends to go out for the night. Jiang Nan Fang got out of the car alone at the entrance of the residential complex.
As she walked in, preparing her access card to swipe into the lobby, she unexpectedly encountered a familiar pair of figures at the entrance.
The man was tall and upright, dressed neatly and smartly. From behind, he bore a striking resemblance to Zhan Bei Jue.
She thought Zhan Bei Jue might have moved into the complex with a new companion.
Jiang Nan Fang muttered a curse under her breath and, before they noticed her, planned to slip away.
However, Ah Zhong had already spotted her. Seeing her about to leave, he quickly stepped forward, "Miss Jiang!"
It turned out to be Ah Zhong and Zhou Jin Bei.
Jiang Nan Fang stopped, her expression neutral as she looked at them. "What a coincidence. What are you two doing here so late?"
Ah Zhong caught up. "We're looking for a friend, but no one's answering their phone, and we can't get into the lobby."
"Miss Jiang, do you live here now? Could you do us a favor and let us go in with you?"
So that was it.
Jiang Nan Fang took out her access card.
The three of them entered the lobby together and then the elevator.
Jiang Nan Fang pressed the floor button and asked them which floor their friend lived on.
"Twenty," Zhou Jin Bei replied.
Such a coincidence?
Guan Lan International was a luxurious, single-unit-per-floor flat. Only one household lived on each floor.
Twenty clearly meant only that woman lived there.
She hadn't expected such a coincidence, that they were friends with Zhou Jin Bei.
But it had nothing to do with her, so Jiang Nan Fang didn't say much more.
Soon, the elevator reached the twentieth floor. Ah Zhong and Jiang Nan Fang said their goodbyes.
Watching their retreating figures, Jiang Nan Fang felt something was a bit off.
Recalling the strange scene she had witnessed in the parking lot a few hours earlier, she returned home. Ah Zhong's contact information was still in her WeChat contacts.
Out of curiosity, Jiang Nan Fang sent Ah Zhong a WeChat message.
"Did you find your friend?"
Naturally, she hadn't.
For the past two days, Zhou Jin Bei had been secretly following Fang Yuan.
Yesterday, she had seen her undergo surgery and thought the matter was almost resolved.
Who knew that after her father visited today, Fang Yuan had gone missing.
Zhou Jin Bei had tracked her father's phone and discovered his suspicious movements today. Fearing her father might act impulsively and cause an accident,
Zhou Jin Bei had dragged Ah Zhong, who had just finished work, back here.
Fang Yuan had disappeared from their sight for several hours, and Zhou Jin Bei was now extremely anxious.
Ah Zhong honestly told Jiang Nan Fang that he hadn't.
"Miss Jiang, how long have you lived here? Have you seen the woman who lives on the 20th floor?"
Jiang Nan Fang also answered truthfully that she had seen her.
She then recounted the strange encounter with her in the parking lot that afternoon to Ah Zhong.
It's over. It seemed Fang Yuan was truly in trouble.
Ah Zhong thanked Jiang Nan Fang and hurried back to the Zhou family with Zhou Jin Bei.
The night passed uneventfully.
The next morning, Jiang Nan Fang woke up and got ready.
Since there were no groceries at home, she needed to go shopping. At seven o'clock, she went out.
Unexpectedly, as the elevator arrived at the 20th floor, the door opened again.
The man who had been struggling with Fang Yuan in the parking lot that day appeared in her sight.
The man was pushing a large suitcase. He didn't make eye contact with Jiang Nan Fang throughout the encounter. He wore a baseball cap, pulled low over his eyes, looking shifty.
Considering the events of the past two days, Jiang Nan Fang knew something was wrong. She instinctively observed him quietly and followed him to the parking lot.
The man started his car and drove out. She followed at a distance.
She then called Ah Zhong.
Upon learning that Jiang Nan Fang was following Zhou's father, Ah Zhong feared something might happen.
After cautioning Jiang Nan Fang to be careful, he immediately called Zhan Bei Jue to request leave.
There was a project launch meeting today, a very important schedule. Why was he asking for leave now?
Zhan Bei Jue asked him what was so important.
Seeing that the situation was escalating, Ah Zhong dared not hide it from Zhan Bei Jue any longer. He told Zhan Bei Jue everything that had happened with Zhou's father recently and that Jiang Nan Fang was currently tracking him.
At the Zhan residence, Zhan Bei Jue frowned and put down his coffee cup.
"You're getting bolder and bolder. Why didn't you tell me about such a major incident earlier?"
"Where is Jiang Nan Fang now? Send me her location."
The morning rush hour hadn't started yet.
Zhou's father drove his car at high speed. Jiang Nan Fang followed closely, and soon they arrived in front of an inconspicuous residential building in the suburbs.
Zhou's father got out of the car, first threw the suitcase into the complex's garbage collection point, adjusted his hat, and stepped into the building.
Jiang Nan Fang took out her phone, took pictures of the environment around the garbage collection point, and then quietly followed him upstairs.
Reaching the fifth floor, Zhou's father stopped, took out his key, and opened the door.
Jiang Nan Fang hid at the turn of the stairs.
A moment later, the door opened. Jiang Nan Fang slipped to the door and heard a woman's pleading voice from inside.
"Please, let me go. I won't dare anymore, I'll never dare again!"
"I'll return all the money you spent on me, your car, your house. Let's just pretend we never met. Uncle, please be kind and let me go."
Zhou's father's violent voice came through.
"You dare to play me? You're hooking up with other young men behind my back? I seriously suspect those two children aren't even mine!"
"You want me to be a scapegoat? Fang Yuan, you are incredibly audacious!"
"I've lived for so many years, and no one has ever played me like this! I'm very angry right now. You think I'll just let you go? Impossible!"
"Then what do you want? I've already apologized to you, and I'll return the money you spent. You haven't lost anything. Do you really want me to die to atone?"
"Hmph, die? It's not that easy! You dare to betray me, and today I'll make you understand what it means to wish you were dead!"
Zhou's father's voice was sinister.
"You like that young man, and he likes you too, right? Call him, let him come over, let him come and save you!"
"I'd like to see how affectionate you two are in front of me. Give me your phone!"
"Didn't you already smash my phone? Uncle, please believe me, I didn't. I really didn't. I just met him..."
"Slap!"
A crisp slap echoed.
"Lie! I caught you red-handed, and you still dare to lie? Keep lying!"
"You ungrateful wretch, it's all my fault for being too good to you and spoiling you! Not a single truthful word, you deserve to be taught a lesson!"
As he spoke, there were sounds of heavy objects being dropped inside the room.
Fang Yuan's piercing screams made Jiang Nan Fang's hair stand on end. She quickly retreated to the stairwell and quietly called Ah Zhong.
"The situation is very grim. That man seems to be trying to kill the woman."
"What's your relationship? Can you call the police?"
"No!" Ah Zhong told Jiang Nan Fang as he drove his car at high speed.
"That's Zhou Jin Bei's father. Miss Jiang, please be merciful."
"Can you think of a way to stabilize the situation for now? I'll be there soon. We can't let anyone die!"