chapter 10
The damp, musty smell crept into her nose, and she frowned slightly.
Tilting her head, Gu Qingning’s calm gaze swept around the surroundings.
Dust coated the floor, and several large iron racks were piled high with miscellaneous items. The only open space was in the left corner against the wall.
Gu Qingning walked over. The corner was now empty — the bedding she’d once used to sleep on the floor, and even her backpack, were both gone.
Her long lashes drooped, and the corner of her rosy lips lifted into a faintly amused smile.
Interesting.
She hadn’t even returned yet, and the show had already started without her.
Her gaze shifted to a large sledgehammer resting on one of the racks.
Moments later, she stepped out of the warehouse with the heavy hammer in hand.
Relying on her memory, Gu Qingning avoided the servants and climbed through a window to the second floor.
The floor-to-ceiling window was left slightly ajar for ventilation — not completely closed.
Gu Qingning pushed it open and strolled into the bedroom unhurriedly.
Her relaxed demeanor could have fooled anyone into thinking she was just wandering through a garden.
The bedroom was enormous, filled with ostentatious luxury.
Her eyes lingered briefly on the wedding photo hanging on the wall — the man’s expression was stern and reserved, while the woman smiled blissfully, clutching his arm. At a glance, they did look rather well-matched.
Too bad they both wore such hypocritical faces.
She looked away, casually setting the hammer on the dressing table before beginning to wander around the room.
Outside, meanwhile—
The butler was running all over the estate looking for her, nearly wearing out his legs.
He questioned several servants, but they all said they hadn’t seen Gu Qingning.
“Mrs. Lin, have you seen Miss Qingning?” he asked, panting.
“Gu Qingning?” Mrs. Lin frowned, her tone dripping with disdain. “Didn’t she disappear?”
“Miss Qingning came back just now — but the moment I turned around, she was gone again,” the butler replied.
Mrs. Lin’s sharp, mean face flickered with surprise. “She came back?”
That mute girl had returned? She’d better hurry and tell Madam.
The butler nodded, wiping the sweat from his forehead. “No idea where she went. I’ve looked everywhere.”
“Why not just check the security cameras? You’re wasting time,” Mrs. Lin said carelessly.
Her words snapped him out of his panic.
Of course — the surveillance footage!
He slapped his forehead. Miss Qingning had startled him so much that he’d completely forgotten.
He rushed off toward the monitoring room. Mrs. Lin, her curiosity piqued, quickly followed. “I’ll come with you.”
Halfway there, they heard someone shouting anxiously from down the hall.
The butler stopped, and a young security guard came running up, face as pale as paper.
“Butler! Something’s wrong!” he cried, nearly tripping over himself.
“I just checked the cameras — I saw Gu Qingning take a big hammer from the warehouse and then climb through a window to the second floor!”
“A hammer?”
The butler’s head buzzed loudly.
“Why didn’t you say something sooner?” he barked.
“I—I was in the restroom!” the young man said miserably.
How could he have known that the timid Miss Gu would suddenly grow so bold?
“Which window did she climb through?” Mrs. Lin asked sharply.
“T-The one… to Madam’s bedroom,” the young man stammered.
Mrs. Lin’s face turned ashen. This was bad.
She spun around and bolted for the stairs, the fat at her waist jiggling with each step.
“Useless fool,” the butler scolded, hurrying after her.
When they reached the second floor, everything was eerily quiet.
Too quiet — which only made it more alarming.
Ignoring everything else, the butler pulled out a spare key and fumbled at the lock.
“Hurry up!” Mrs. Lin urged.
The door opened, and the two of them burst into the bedroom.
But there was no chaos, no broken furniture, no sign of destruction. Everything was perfectly in place.
They looked at each other, confused.
“Were you looking for me?”
The icy voice came from the side — cold and bone-deep, like a call from the depths of hell.
Both the butler and Mrs. Lin shuddered violently and turned their heads.
There stood Gu Qingning, emerging slowly from the walk-in closet, a jewelry box in her arms.
