Chapter 163: Who’s in the Stairwell?
Miss Huang, the suspected lover accompanying the owner, looked at Xu Youyou with great wariness, intentionally positioning herself between the two as though it was casual.
Xu Youyou didn’t pay much attention to her little scheme, casually saying, “Mr. Sun, you’re too kind.”
The original owner, however, was insistent, “Miss Xu, please give me your bank account number. I’d like to properly thank you.”
If it weren’t for Xu Youyou repeatedly raising the price, he wouldn’t have been able to sell at this price, so he wanted to give her a commission according to the rules.
Xu Youyou didn’t expect this person to still be so meticulous even though he was about to go abroad. As expected, she noticed the brief flash of displeasure in Miss Huang’s eyes. Miss Huang even reached out to tug at his sleeve, but the original owner ignored her.
Suddenly, the bodyguard took a few steps toward the large potted plant behind Xu Youyou. The white-haired young man hiding behind the pot, startled, immediately turned and ran, leaving everyone with a hasty glimpse of his fleeing back.
“Boss, someone’s eavesdropping. It looks like that cousin from the Gu family,” the bodyguard said.
Xu Youyou nodded nonchalantly to acknowledge this. This person had been like this in both past and present lives—good at sneaky little tricks, always avoiding the good stuff, and never missing a chance to make reports. After thinking for a moment, Xu Youyou subtly pointed at her phone to Xu Fang.
Xu Fang immediately understood. While the others weren’t paying attention, she quietly activated the phone’s voice recorder.
The original owner was still urging Xu Youyou to provide her bank account number, but Xu Youyou once again firmly declined, “There’s no need for that. I’m not part of any scheme, and I’m not short on a little money.”
The original owner said, “Miss Xu, you really are someone who doesn’t care for wealth and luxury.”
He had originally prepared tens of millions as a thank you but hadn’t expected Xu Youyou to turn it down.
Xu Youyou found this statement strange, but she just smiled and was about to take her leave.
However, the original owner still hadn’t realized Xu Youyou’s displeasure and, still smiling, asked, “Miss Xu, do you have time later? I really want to thank you. If you don’t want the money, would you let me treat you to a meal?”
Xu Youyou glanced at Miss Huang, who had become even more guarded, and, not wanting to be too involved with the original owner, directly said, “I already have plans.”
She found another excuse to leave and didn’t notice the sudden change in the original owner’s expression as she turned to leave.
Once in her car, Xu Youyou cuddled her dog, Guai Guai, and casually instructed Xu Fang, “Contact a few more agents. I have a feeling today’s agents are being dishonest.”
Xu Fang’s eyes were fixed on the road ahead, and she slowed the car down slightly, speaking without turning her head, “Boss, I also feel something’s off. They’re definitely hiding something, but I can’t put my finger on it. If you look closely, Mr. Sun and Miss Huang seem a bit strange too.”
Xu Youyou’s instincts matched Xu Fang’s, but for the moment, she couldn’t quite figure out what these agents were up to.
Suddenly, Guai Guai barked, “Woof woof! There’s the smell of a dead body in that villa.”
Xu Youyou’s hand, which had been petting the dog’s head, froze. She hadn’t considered such a possibility and lowered her voice to ask, “Baby, why did you suddenly say that?”
Xu Fang wasn’t surprised by Xu Youyou talking to her dog. After all, not everyone could understand what dogs said, and Xu Youyou had always had this habit.
Guai Guai continued, “Woof woof, while you were bidding, I wandered around the villa. It seemed to be in the stairwell, and the smell was really strong.”
Dogs have sensitive noses, unlike humans, and Xu Youyou had been in the villa for so long without noticing any unusual smells.
Xu Fang’s phone suddenly rang, and she answered the call through her Bluetooth earphone. Two minutes later, she turned to ask, “Boss, another real estate agency just contacted me. They said there’s a villa nearby that’s urgently for sale. They’re asking if you have time to take a look.”
Xu Youyou nodded. Since it was still early in the day and she didn’t have work, she had plenty of time to wander and look around.
This time, the real estate agents were two women: one in her thirties, very capable and businesslike, and the other in her twenties, still displaying the inexperience of youth.
“Miss Xu, this villa for urgent sale is a bit special. I need to explain the situation. Originally, the house was lived in by an elderly couple. The younger generation mostly lives abroad. The elderly woman passed away last month due to illness, and the younger generation has already emigrated. The owner is returning to the country and plans to leave at the end of the month. Since it’s an urgent sale, many people are reluctant to buy a house where someone has died, which is why the price is lower,” the older agent patiently explained the situation.
Xu Youyou nodded casually, thinking that every house she had encountered recently seemed to involve someone leaving the country. She asked with apparent disinterest, “Is the villa at Zixi Courtyard listed with your agency?”
The agent’s expression shifted slightly. She asked, “Miss Xu, are you interested in that house?”
“Why? Is there something wrong with that villa?” Xu Youyou asked.
The agent nodded, saying, “That house is considered unlucky.”
“Why’s that?” Xu Youyou asked.
The agent explained, “About half a year ago, the female owner went out for a trip and accidentally fell into the sea. Her body was never recovered. After that, the house has been making strange noises. Several feng shui masters were hired, but they couldn’t improve the situation. The male owner couldn’t continue living there, so he decided to sell the house and move abroad.”
Xu Youyou froze for a moment and then smiled, saying, “You guys are really well-informed. I thought I might get a bargain.”
The agent continued, “Speaking of which, the female owner’s father even posted a reward. He wants to recover his daughter’s body. Anyone who retrieves her body will be rewarded with twenty million in cash.”
Xu Youyou couldn’t help but feel a bit emotional. “Seems like this father really loves his daughter.”
The agent responded, “Apparently, she was their only child. After the couple divorced, the father never remarried and raised her alone. It took a long time for her to grow up, and after she married, this tragic accident happened. The villa was actually a wedding gift from her father. Luckily, he bought it before the housing prices went up, so it wasn’t as expensive as it is now.”
Xu Youyou asked, “Since the daughter passed away, didn’t the father suspect the son-in-law?”
The agent, clearly knowledgeable about the matter, lowered her voice and said, “This case caused quite a stir. But the police have investigated it many times. Apparently, the female owner had a hobby of sea fishing. On the day she went missing, the surveillance cameras in the villa recorded her clearly, and even footage of her on the boat. It was definitely an accidental fall into the water. The male owner was working at his company that day and had an alibi.”
Xu Youyou furrowed her brows. She couldn’t quite understand. If the female owner really did die while sea fishing, then who was the body in the villa’s stairwell?
