Chapter 115: Laughter from Behind
“Did that person outside disguise their voice?”
Fang Xiaocao paused, a hint of doubt flickering in her mind.
The voice sounded unnatural, as if it had been deliberately altered.
Narrowing her eyes, she stared intently at the glass panel on the emergency exit door, cautiously retreating step by step.
She had a strong premonition—the person outside was going to enter the stairwell.
Moving silently, she climbed up from the first floor to the platform between the first and second floors, crouching there with a throwing knife clenched in her hand. She listened carefully for any movement from below.
The emergency exit door was slightly ajar. Unless the person was extremely thin, they would need to push the door open to enter, which would inevitably make a sound.
Thirty seconds passed.
“Creak—”
The sound of the door being pushed open echoed in the stairwell.
“Got you!” Fang Xiaocao thought, her body tensing.
Then, an unexpected voice followed.
“Young man, what are you doing?”
“If you’re not taking the elevator, I won’t wait for you.”
It was the voice of the old lady!
Fang Xiaocao’s pupils shrank—so, she was being followed!
She remained silent, holding her breath, waiting for the follower’s next move.
“Coming, coming! Sorry for the delay, Auntie.”
“I thought I heard something in here—I was worried my cat ran away.”
The slightly androgynous voice responded.
“Did they give up?”
Fang Xiaocao wondered.
“Creak—”
The sound of the door closing came, but she didn’t let down her guard.
This could be a trick—a feint to mislead her into thinking they had left.
For all she knew, they could still be waiting outside.
Taking a deep breath, she started climbing again.
She quickly ascended another half a flight of stairs to the landing between the second and third floors.
She hesitated for a moment but decided to climb another half-flight.
Now crouched between the second and third floors, she listened intently.
And then—
“Creak—”
Another door opened!
But this time, the sound didn’t come from below.
It came from above!
Cold sweat broke out on her back.
If the person was on the third floor… that meant—
They were already behind her!
At that moment, a chilling giggle echoed from behind.
“Hee-hee…”
The sound was eerie and demonic, making her hair stand on end.
Pure terror surged through her.
Without hesitation, she sprang up and bolted down the stairs!
She didn’t even dare to look back, afraid she’d see a face with sharp fangs and ghostly features.
She didn’t stop at the second floor.
She ran straight down to the first floor, bursting out of the stairwell and out the main entrance of the building.
She dashed toward her SUV, her heart pounding.
Just as she reached for the car door, she froze.
A chilling realization struck her.
“A bomb!”
“Could they have planted a bomb in my car?”
She instantly abandoned the SUV and sprinted toward the exit of the residential complex.
Running was always a safe option.
Better to be exhausted than dead.
She didn’t dare look back.
Whoever was behind her—enemy or not—was definitely not friendly.
No ally would try to scare her like that.
Despite the long distance, she ran the entire kilometer to the complex entrance in one breath.
As soon as she got there, a taxi happened to stop.
Without hesitation, she threw herself into the back seat, startling the driver.
“Driver, take me to the city police station!”
“I’ve been scammed!”
“I need to report it before they freeze my account!”
Panting heavily, she forced out the words.
The driver hesitated at first but, seeing her desperation, silently stepped on the gas.
The taxi sped off.
As they drove away, Fang Xiaocao finally glanced back through the window.
At the entrance of the complex, a slender figure wearing a baseball cap stood there, staring after her disappearing taxi.
Her eyes narrowed.
“That must be the one who was toying with me in the stairwell!”
She memorized the person’s silhouette, burning it into her mind.
“It’s a woman!”
“And that voice was disguised!”
“Could it be Han Xue?”
Her mind raced.
“If it’s her, how did she find me so quickly?”
A coincidence? No way.
It was too precise.
There had to be someone feeding her information.
“Han Xue has an accomplice.”
“And that accomplice has been watching me for a long time!”
The thought sent shivers down her spine.
She clenched her fists.
This person was dangerous.
They had followed her this closely without her ever realizing it.
Even the fact that she had just rented an SUV was known.
“They must have been tailing me the entire time!”
She felt a chill creep up her spine.
This wasn’t just an ordinary pursuer.
It was someone with skill.
Someone capable of shadowing her so closely, never giving away their presence.
The realization hit her like a hammer.
“This person is terrifying!”
A mix of fear and admiration settled in her heart.
She had always been careful, always stayed alert—yet she had never noticed she was being tracked.
Had it not been for Han Xue slipping up, she still wouldn’t have noticed.
“Who is this person?”
“And how much do they know about me?”
She clenched her jaw.
She had made a mistake.
Somehow, she had exposed herself.
And now, she was in real danger.
(End of Chapter 115)
