Chapter 1125: Strike First

Chapter 1125: Strike First

That evening, Gu Zi tucked the children into bed early, then sat quietly with Su Shen in the house, waiting for Jiang Yao to arrive.

It wasn’t until the dead of night that Jiang Yao once again scaled the garden wall, slipping into the courtyard like a cat burglar. When he landed in the flowering crabapple tree, he nearly had a heart attack—his nerves frazzled, his palms sweaty.

But when he peered down and saw that the big, terrifying dog was nowhere in sight, he finally let out a breath of relief. Gu Zi must have taken the dog away, he thought.

Carefully shimmying down the tree, Jiang Yao approached the two waiting figures and whispered urgently, “I went to that old house last night, just like you told me. And you were right. There really was someone locked up under the offering table in the main hall—a lunatic, chained up with heavy iron links. I nearly jumped out of my skin! But then… the strangest thing happened. The more I looked, the more familiar the lunatic’s eyes seemed. It was like seeing an old acquaintance I hadn’t met in years.”

He frowned, still unsettled by the memory. “But the poor soul couldn’t speak—only babbled and gestured wildly. I figured I had no choice but to get the police involved, so I ran off to wait outside the police station overnight. And guess what? Today, when the police arrived to check, the lunatic was gone. Vanished! Not even a trace left behind—no sign that anyone or anything had ever lived there. Tell me, have I gone completely mad?”

Before Jiang Yao could take another step closer, Su Shen instinctively moved in front of Gu Zi, shielding her without a word.

Gu Zi, meanwhile, massaged her temples, feeling a headache coming on. Honestly, how could a grown man be so gullible? And not just gullible—slow. He found a lunatic and instead of alerting someone immediately, he ran off to wait all night at the police station, practically handing the culprit enough time to wipe away every shred of evidence.

Gu Zi couldn’t help but snap, “You can’t even hang onto living evidence. What am I supposed to say to you?”

Truthfully, Jiang Yao hadn’t fully believed Gu Zi’s theory at first. After all, when Li Mei had been alive, she hadn’t clashed with anyone in the village. Who could possibly have a motive to harm her? It was this very doubt that made him drag his feet—only investigating the house last night after much hesitation.

But now, after seeing it with his own eyes, he realized how sinister things really were. And the fact that the evidence had so neatly vanished only confirmed one thing: whoever was behind all this had gotten wind that someone was poking around.

Jiang Yao’s face was pale as he asked worriedly, “I know I was stupid. But what should we do now?”

Gu Zi fell silent, her brows knitting together in thought. After a long moment, she said, “We can’t just sit here and wait anymore. We need to strike first. I don’t think the culprit had time to get rid of the lunatic completely—they probably just moved them somewhere nearby. It’s impossible they took them far. You need to go back to the person’s house and search again.”

She hesitated, glancing at Jiang Yao with a hint of doubt. “But I’m worried… if I tell you who I suspect, and you happen to think highly of this person, you might refuse to believe me.”

Jiang Yao’s eyes sharpened, his voice suddenly fierce. “You know who it is, don’t you? Just tell me. No matter who it is, we’ll investigate!”

Seeing his determination, Gu Zi didn’t hesitate any longer. She lifted her hand and pointed toward the wall beside them. Her voice was low but firm. “The killer… is right next door. Jiang Nan.”

Jiang Yao had braced himself, fully expecting to be shocked. Yet hearing that name still hit him like a slap in the face. His first instinct was disbelief. “Impossible! How could it be Jiang Nan? She was Li Mei’s best friend. She would never hurt her. She’s helped me so many times!”

Gu Zi watched him coolly, thinking to herself that he was beyond saving. If Jiang Nan managed to kill him too, well, he’d have no one but his own stupidity to blame. She said coldly, “If you don’t believe me, don’t come back. Go investigate Li Mei’s death yourself.”

At this, Su Shen finally spoke, his voice calm but carrying weight. “You can know a person’s face but not their heart. Sometimes, the ones you trust most are the ones you should fear.”

Jiang Yao hesitated. Deep down, he still didn’t want to believe Jiang Nan could be involved. But thinking it over, he realized the couple had a point. After all, Gu Zi had been right about the house—there was something hidden there.

He made up his mind.

“I’ll go,” he said firmly. “But it’s been a long time since I was close to Jiang Nan. I don’t know her habits anymore, or when she comes and goes.”

Gu Zi had already anticipated this. She said, “From what I’ve learned, Jiang Nan leaves the house for about half an hour every afternoon to buy groceries. That window is your best bet.”

She explained further. Jiang Nan wasn’t someone who liked going out much—after all, she had two elderly in-laws at home to care for. Her father-in-law was bedridden after a stroke, and her mother-in-law had trouble walking.

If Jiang Yao tried sneaking around at night, it would be far riskier. Jiang Nan was more alert after dark. But during that afternoon window, when she slipped out for errands, the coast would be clear.

Jiang Yao nodded. “I understand. But what I don’t get is—why are you two willing to help me?”

Gu Zi looked him dead in the eye and said, “For the safety of myself and my family. Who could sleep peacefully knowing there’s a murderer living next door?”

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