Chapter 33

Chapter 33

According to the young boy, if Su Yu had left to avoid Su Laoer, then his departure should have been planned.

Since he knew he would be away for a while, why would he leave without washing the dishes?

Normally, when people know they won’t be home for a short period, they make sure to wash the dishes and take out the trash. Moreover, when Su Yu disappeared, it was May, just as summer was approaching-a time when it was easy for insects to breed.

Nan Mu swept the beam of his flashlight across the floor until he located the trash can.

Inside were a few eggshells, some tissues, and instant breakfast packaging. It seemed that because Su Yu lived alone, he didn’t produce much trash, but he certainly hadn’t taken it out when he left. It looked more like he had placed the dishes in the sink after eating and then hurried away because something had come up. When he left, he must have intended to wash them when he returned!

Nan Mu went into the living room. There were some snacks on the coffee table, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

He went up to the second floor. At the top of the stairs, there was one room to the left and two to the right. Nan Mu pushed open one of the doors at random. As his flashlight swept across the room, he saw a photo of Su Yu hanging on the wall above the headboard.

This was likely Su Yu’s bedroom.

The duvet on the bed was a bit messy, which further convinced Nan Mu that Su Yu hadn’t planned his departure.

Nan Mu touched the nightstand, and his finger came away coated in a layer of dark dust. He walked over to the wardrobe and pulled it open; it was packed full of hanging clothes, and there were several items in the laundry basket on the floor.

Nan Mu stepped out and closed the door, then turned the knob of the room next door. A wedding photo of a couple hung on the wall; this was likely the bedroom of Su Yu’s parents. The bed was neatly made. Nan Mu didn’t enter and closed the door again. He headed straight for the room across the hall, pushed the door open, and found it was a study.

The study was as large as two bedrooms combined. The curtains on one side were already drawn, while the other side featured a protruding bay window, a design that seemed to incorporate the balcony into the room.

Nan Mu walked over to the bookshelf, where everything was neatly arranged. Many books were laid out on the desk alongside a laptop. The laptop was open, its keyboard covered in dust.

Nan Mu pressed the power button, but the computer didn’t turn on. He checked the outlet, only then realizing that the power had likely been cut due to unpaid bills.

He had no choice but to look through the items on the desk. In a drawer, he found a familiar kraft paper envelope-the large kind used for mailing documents. Nan Mu suddenly remembered seeing a similar envelope at Gu Zhishu’s house. However, unlike the one at Gu Zhishu’s, the seal on Su Yu’s envelope had been torn off. It had clearly contained something previously.

Nan Mu flipped the envelope over. There was no postmark, no address, and no sender. If Su Yu had intended to mail it, he wouldn’t have torn the seal. Since the seal was broken, it was obvious he was the recipient, and whoever gave it to him must have delivered it by hand.

What kind of important document was it? One that required the envelope to be sealed before being handed over? Was it Gu Zhishu who had given the letter to Su Yu?

Nan Mu pulled the drawer further out and saw a thick book pressed against the very bottom. He pulled it out and realized it was a photo album. It was filled with photos of Su Yu and his parents. It was clear the album had been well-preserved. From photos of Su Yu as a small child being held by his father at an amusement park to the final ones of his parents buying a cake to celebrate his graduation after the college entrance exams, the stack of photos formed a thick, cherished history.
Nan Mu carefully placed the photo album back in its original spot. Just then, he caught the faint, creaking sound of the iron gate being pushed open. Instinctively, he switched off his flashlight and moved a few steps through the darkness to the curved window, which had no curtains drawn. He leaned to the side and looked down.

He saw several dark silhouettes entering Su Yu’s yard from outside. Although the shadows quickly vanished from his line of sight, he could clearly hear the sound of a passcode being entered downstairs in the silent space.

Someone was trying to break into Su Yu’s house in the middle of the night, and they had the code!

Nan Mu felt a chill run down his spine, and his hands clenched into tight fists.

=

Nan Mu tiptoed to the study door and heard the deadbolt of the front door downstairs snap back.

He tucked the flashlight behind his waist and pulled a mask from his pocket, slipping it on. Whether it was Su Yu or someone else, he couldn’t afford to be discovered.

He heard the intruders enter the house, but they didn’t turn on the lights. Instead, they switched on flashlights. A beam of light flickered briefly at the bottom of the stairs before sweeping in another direction.

It wasn’t Su Yu.

Given his current condition, it was best to avoid a direct confrontation. He was still injured, and by the looks of it, there were at least three of them. The odds were heavily against him.

Nan Mu slowly retreated back into the study. He remembered the room had a window; if things went south, he could jump out and escape at any moment.

He gently pulled the study door shut, slipped behind the curtains, and cautiously pushed one of the windows open. As he scanned for an escape route, Wen Miao suddenly crossed his mind. He could certainly guarantee his own escape, but what about Wen Miao? His time here was limited, and the clues to get closer to the truth were right in front of him. If he let them leave now, who knew when he would get another chance like this?

In the future, he might never have such a perfect opportunity to get this close to the truth again.

Gritting his teeth, Nan Mu abandoned his plan to leave. He stepped out from behind the curtain and crept back to the side of the study door. Holding his breath, he pressed his ear against the wall and heard a faint noise. It was the sound of someone treading up the stairs, and from the sound of it, only one person was coming up.

Lucky. Nan Mu felt a surge of secret joy. Taking them down one by one was much easier than a one-on-three fight. He settled into a combat stance, like a leopard lurking in the dark, waiting for his prey to arrive. He had to strike true with a single blow.

The person followed the same pattern he had, opening the room closest to them first. Nan Mu felt a twinge of nerves; he was afraid this person would take too long and the others would follow them up. But the intruder, much like him, quickly realized there weren’t many clues in that room. He heard footsteps approaching his direction.

The sound grew closer. Nan Mu could now clearly distinguish the footfalls. They were very light, suggesting the person wasn’t heavy. This was good news for Nan Mu; the thinner someone was, the easier they were to subdue. As long as he controlled the takedown well, the sound of them hitting the floor wouldn’t be too loud, which would keep the accomplices downstairs from getting suspicious.

Only… weren’t these footsteps a bit too light and graceful? Before Nan Mu could think further, he heard the handle of the study door being turned from the outside. The person pulled the door open.