Chapter 37

After seeing off the Wu family's guests, the four members of the Chen family returned to find Li Mang still feasting at the dining table. The four of them exchanged glances, taken aback.

"Hehe, Zishan, you stay with Young Master Li for a while. I have something to attend to!" Chen Hui maintained a smile on his face, but inside he was troubled. He still couldn't figure out Li Mang's identity, yet he had to keep addressing him as Young Master, which felt very awkward.

"Alright!" Chen Zishan responded, gritting her teeth.

"What do you want to do now!" Chen Zishan looked at Li Mang with a cold expression.

"Eat, of course. You don't seem to have eaten enough either. Why don't we eat together!" Li Mang feigned ignorance. How could he leave just because it was polite? Tonight, he even planned to stay overnight at the Chen residence, waiting for Yang Fan to take over the mission tomorrow. Once that happened, he would be off the hook for whatever happened. But for now, he had to guard the Chen family and ensure the safety of the treasure.

"You..." Chen Zishan was truly exasperated. If Li Mang hadn't saved her tonight, she would have already had the bodyguards remove him.

In the backyard, the atmosphere was tense.

A woman dressed as a servant was tied to a chair, her head hanging limply, and her body showed no signs of life. Looking closer, her eyes had been gouged out, leaving hollow, eerie sockets. Blood was rapidly seeping from the sockets, staining her body red.

"What is going on here!" Chen Hui's face was pale, his anger burning, and his brows furrowed. He hadn't expected such a disturbance to occur after he had just seen off the Wu family.

"Boss, we don't know what happened. We were all guarding outside, and when we heard the screams, we rushed in immediately, but it was already like this!" Two bodyguards, trembling and pale, knelt on the ground.

"Are you saying it was a ghost!" Chen Hui laughed in anger, then coldly demanded, "Didn't you check the surveillance footage?"

"This room is used for dealing with bandits, so to prevent information leaks, there are no surveillance cameras inside, but there are in the corridor outside." A subordinate reported.

"Then why haven't you checked it yet!" Chen Hui shouted in anger, his agitation revealing his inner tension and fear.

"Boss, the surveillance footage shows that no one entered the room during that time!" The bodyguard reporting back sounded panicked.

"What did you say?" Chen Hui stared at him, his anger rising. He was beginning to suspect that one of his bodyguards was a mole.

"Boss, I'm telling the truth. You can check the surveillance footage yourself." The bodyguard, knowing his boss didn't believe him, opened the tablet and handed it to Chen Hui. If he hadn't seen the footage himself, he wouldn't have believed it either.

As Chen Hui watched, his anger gradually turned to shock. The tablet fell to the ground as he realized that no one had entered the room. The screams had started suddenly, and the scene was as it was now.

It was already spring, but the weather in Chengdu was still chilly at night. The bodyguards in the room shivered simultaneously. The death of the servant could not be described as merely strange; it was outright eerie.

"Take the body away!" Chen Hui waved his hand weakly, his face grim as he left the backyard. Did the world have ghosts and gods? Chen Hui believed it did. Since a divine artifact that could predict the future existed, why couldn't ghosts and gods exist?

He didn't know what had killed the servant, but it was clearly a murder to silence her, and it seemed to be a warning to the Chen family. This made him extremely uneasy. The malfunctioning Hummer, the mysterious death of the servant, and a series of bizarre omens seemed to foreshadow something.

Seeing Chen Hui return with a pale face, Chen Zishan couldn't help but worry and asked anxiously, "Dad, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. You continue chatting. I'll go upstairs first." Chen Hui responded absentmindedly and then went upstairs alone, his back looking dejected.

"Li Mang, why don't you go home first? You can see that we have a lot of trouble to deal with!" Chen Zishan used a pleading tone, her father's behavior making her feel uneasy.

Li Mang couldn't deny that this was what he feared. He felt a bit soft-hearted but knew he couldn't agree, so he looked troubled.

"Young Master Li, it's already late. Why don't you stay overnight here?" Chen Zining's voice came before Li Mang could respond. She was coming down the stairs, wearing a white nightgown that exposed much of her fair skin, making Li Mang's eyes linger.

However, when he heard her words, he shifted his surprised gaze to her delicate face, pondering her intentions, and his eyes gradually narrowed.

Chen Zining's attitude toward him had never been good. This smart girl was wary of him and had tested him multiple times, intentionally or unintentionally.

Now, just by changing clothes, she seemed like a different person, inviting Li Mang to stay overnight at the villa, which was truly baffling. While he felt relieved, a sense of unease filled his heart.

The Chen family had a treasure that could predict the future, which was almost confirmed. Now, Chen Zining had kept him, possibly because the treasure had foreseen something would happen tonight.

Li Mang didn't know whether to be happy or sad. He was glad the mission was finally underway, but he was also worried about the unknown dangers he would face. Could his mediocre skills save the day?

Chen Zishan was initially surprised but then agreed without objection, despite her many questions.

"Hehe, such a beautiful villa, it's the first time I've stayed in one. If I miss this chance, won't I have to wait until the next life? I'll accept your offer." Li Mang smiled.

"Alright, Young Master Li, please follow me upstairs. I'll show you to the guest room." Chen Zining smiled invitingly.

"Thank you, Miss Chen." Li Mang was not overly polite, as both sides understood each other's intentions, and further politeness would be pretentious.

Following Chen Zining, Li Mang could smell the faint scent of her shower gel, which was refreshing and pleasant. However, he noticed that her skin was rather pale, especially her face, though it was hard to see under the bright lights.

"Miss Chen, you don't seem to be in good health." Li Mang asked with concern.

"It's an old ailment from my childhood." Chen Zining replied nonchalantly.

"Oh." Li Mang responded softly, his face showing thought.

He was led to a luxuriously decorated suite with a living room, bedroom, and bathroom, fully equipped with appliances and furniture. The opulence of the decor far exceeded that of a five-star hotel suite, revealing the Chen family's wealth.

Li Mang marveled as he wandered around the living room and then entered the bedroom to rest, lying on the spotless bed without even taking a shower. Honestly, his body and clothes were not clean, having worked all day. If he could, he would have taken a comfortable shower. But to avoid any compromising photos, he decided against it.

In the Chen family's study, the four members gathered, and the large TV on the wall showed the scene in Li Mang's room.

"Who is this Li Mang? He's very cautious!" Mrs. Chen remarked in surprise.

"I don't know if he's good, but at least he's not bad." Chen Zining shook her head.

"Zining, what did you see?" Chen Zishan asked, voicing her doubts. Chen Hui and his wife also looked at her.

"Someone will break into our house tonight. Li Mang will deal with them, so I kept him here. Unfortunately, I couldn't see the final outcome, so I don't know if keeping him was right or wrong." Chen Zining looked worried.

She didn't mention that the Chen family villa would witness a major bloodbath tonight.

...

PS: Thank you, M Hu, for the tip. I'll owe you the extra chapter for now. This section has been rewritten several times, and I hope you can accept it. Any suggestions can be posted in the book review section, or you can join the QQ group to communicate directly with the author. The group number is 362104434.