Vol. 2 - Chapter 495 - Shadows Behind the Smile

“You’re all that quick to clear Madam Fu of suspicion?”

When Zhang Nu and the others heard Lin Xiao’s words, they all turned to look at him, eyes filled with doubt. They didn’t understand why Lin Xiao would say that—after all, Madam Fu had only stayed for less than a minute before leaving. What could be suspicious about that?

“Lin Xiao, did you even hear what Ling Xi said clearly?” Zhang Nu frowned. “Madam Fu barely stayed for a minute. She couldn’t have heard anything.”

Lin Xiao nodded. “Outwardly, yes—she probably didn’t hear anything of substance. But what if she is a YaoGuai? Then what she can perceive isn’t limited to what a normal person could.”

He paused, his tone more serious.

“And don’t forget, she’s Madam Fu. If she wanted to plant anything around the Fu household, no one could stop her. If she were truly a YaoGuai, she’d already have everything set up to monitor us. Do you really think she’d be foolish enough to let anything slip out of her control?”

Zhang Nu couldn’t deny it. Lin Xiao’s words made a strange amount of sense. Somehow, he always seemed to hit right at the heart of the matter. If that was the case… then none of them could be fully cleared. Everyone was a suspect—everyone except for Patron Fu himself.

Patron Fu seemed to be genuinely unaware of the truth. He had shown real panic upon learning there might be a YaoGuai.

“Alright, then we’ll keep Madam Fu as a potential suspect,” Zhang Nu said. “She still might be the YaoGuai. What about the rest of you? Any new findings?”

Zhao Yang and the others shook their heads. They had observed the courtyard thoroughly but hadn’t noticed anyone acting unusually.

Except for one person—Patron Fu’s son.

“There was one individual who stood out, Patron Fu’s son,” Zhao Yang said. “He seems completely indifferent to everything. He either spends time with Madam Fu or sits alone in the pavilion, spacing out.”

When Zhao Yang added his thoughts, everyone was taken aback. A six– or seven-year-old child was supposed to be energetic and lively. But this one was oddly obedient—eerily calm.

“If what Zhao Yang said is true,” Zhang Nu responded. “Then, we should definitely keep a close eye on the child. A child of that age should be active, not quietly sitting off to the side. That’s not normal.”

Everyone nodded in agreement. Zhang Nu’s reasoning was sound, but they still lacked evidence. Without proof, there was little they could do. All they could do now was keep watching and narrow their focus to just Madam Fu and her son.

“Since we’ve narrowed it down to two key individuals, let’s concentrate our attention on them,” Zhao Yang said. “If I were a YaoGuai, I’d definitely choose one of them to possess. That way, I’d never have to worry about wealth or status again.”

Zhao Yang’s comment drew nods of agreement all around.

If that was the case, they were in for some trouble. Both Madam Fu and her son were prominent figures in the household. If either of them truly was the YaoGuai, they would need to be extremely careful.

“No matter what happens, everyone must protect themselves,” Zhang Nu warned. “We can’t let the YaoGuai get the upper hand.”

Everyone nodded and soon returned to their rooms to rest.

But what none of them realized was that the YaoGuai already knew everything. Every word they’d spoken that day had been overheard.

Hidden in the shadows, the YaoGuai listened, amusement curling at their lips. Zhang Nu and the others, they had to admit, weren’t entirely clueless. They’d deduced quite a bit.

Unfortunately, while their reasoning was sound, they still lacked hard evidence. Whether they could actually uncover the truth remained to be seen. If not, they’d eventually be forced to leave empty-handed.

The YaoGuai had hidden well—if they were still found out, then that would truly be a failure.

“YaoGuai catchers... let’s see what you’ve got.”

Back in the courtyard, Zhang Nu and the others were still unaware that their every move had already been exposed. They continued their quiet investigation, believing the YaoGuai knew nothing.

…

The next morning, Zhang Nu was up early, training in the courtyard to strengthen his body.

That was when Madam Fu arrived. She looked as though she had something urgent to say.

As she entered, she spotted Zhang Nu, dripping with sweat.

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