Chapter 35 – Perverted Serial Killer

Ye Zhou stood under the eaves outside the restaurant, watching the rain pour down. The weather was poor as the New Year approached, but business at the restaurant and bar remained good.

He had been staying at the bar until late every day for the past few days, intentionally avoiding Guan Heng. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to resolve the issue, but after much thought, he realized he had no idea how to handle it. He seemed to have fallen in love with a perverted serial killer, unable to even perform a simple task like reporting him to the police. He was completely ensnared, with no way out. What astounded him most was that he never imagined he’d become someone devoid of moral principles, contemplating helping Guan Heng cover up his crimes, which went against everything he believed in.

However, no matter how troubled he felt, the problem would need to be addressed eventually. He wasn’t actually trying to avoid Guan Heng; he just had a lingering fear in his heart.

Anyone who discovered their neighbor and boyfriend might be a murderer would naturally be scared, right?

The bar was bustling with customers, but things weren’t hectic at the moment. Fang Ji pushed the door open and looked at Ye Zhou. “It’s already ten. Why haven’t you left yet?”

Ye Zhou gave a perfunctory response. “I’m leaving.”

Fang Ji could tell Ye Zhou was preoccupied and asked, “What’s wrong? Did you have a fight? You were fine before.”

“It’s not a fight,” Ye Zhou didn’t elaborate further. He and Fang Ji had been friends for over a decade, knowing each other inside and out. Even if he told Fang Ji everything in detail, Fang Ji would definitely keep it a secret. But Ye Zhou still didn’t intend to divulge the truth. Although confessing might provide some relief, he wasn’t willing to put Guan Heng at risk, not even a little bit. This demonstrated just how bad things had gotten; he lacked a moral compass.

Fang Ji asked again, “Another misunderstanding?”

Ye Zhou paused, then smiled bitterly. “I wish it was a misunderstanding.”

Ye Zhou didn’t want to discuss it further, so Fang Ji didn’t press the issue, simply patting Ye Zhou on the shoulder as consolation.

No matter how much Ye Zhou wanted to escape, he eventually had to return home. His avoidance of Guan Heng was too obvious; he couldn’t believe Guan Heng hadn’t noticed. Yet, surprisingly, Guan Heng hadn’t taken the initiative to seek him out since that day. Could it be…he had already discovered Ye Zhou entering his study?

Ye Zhou increasingly believed this to be the case. He had left the study in such a hurry that he couldn’t remember if he had returned everything to its original place. If Guan Heng found the study in disarray, he would surely suspect Ye Zhou.

So why hadn’t Guan Heng confronted him about it? Was he gambling on whether Ye Zhou would reveal his secrets? Or whether he would pose a threat?

Ye Zhou’s mind grew more chaotic the more he pondered. He took out his keys and unlocked the courtyard gate, intending to rush back home immediately like the previous few days to avoid encountering Guan Heng. Unfortunately, Ye Zhou’s luck tonight seemed to be lacking. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw Guan Heng standing in a corner, dressed in a raincoat, rain pants, and rubber boots, holding a shovel.

Guan Heng heard the sound of the gate opening and turned to look at Ye Zhou.

Ye Zhou couldn’t blame himself for overthinking; after all, a shovel was a common murder weapon in movies and TV shows. His heart skipped a beat, forcing a calm expression on his face, although his voice trembled slightly. “Guan Heng, what…what are you doing so late?”

After observing Ye Zhou for a moment, Guan Heng replied, “There have been severe storm warnings these past few days…”

Guan Heng was clearing weeds and mud from the courtyard to prevent waterlogging, as a flooded courtyard could cause problems and potentially flood the house as well.

However, due to the loud rain and the distance between them, Ye Zhou didn’t hear the latter part of Guan Heng’s explanation. He sensed something was amiss; something didn’t feel right. No matter what valid reason Guan Heng had, it was strange to see him standing in the courtyard late at night with a shovel.

“Oh,” Ye Zhou responded half-heartedly, now eager to leave. “Then I’ll head home first.”

Guan Heng continued to stare straight at him, his emotions inscrutable. Ye Zhou knew he had acted strangely these past few days, but he was running out of ways to pretend. As Ye Zhou took a step forward, Guan Heng suddenly called out, “Ye Zhou.”

Ye Zhou stopped, finding it hard to resist Guan Heng’s tone of voice, which seemed unusually lonely. In that instant, he softened and turned to look at Guan Heng.

Guan Heng approached him, still holding the shovel, as if he had something to say.

But to Ye Zhou, this eerie scene was terrifying! In that moment, his survival instincts took over; he couldn’t think of anything else and fled. “I have something to take care of. I’m leaving.”

As Guan Heng watched Ye Zhou’s fleeing back, his expression darkened.

Ye Zhou rushed home and closed the door, feeling temporarily safe but still anxious. He knew he had overreacted and wondered what Guan Heng must be thinking.

Suddenly, Ye Zhou felt conflicted. He was afraid, yet worried about Guan Heng getting angry, even considering sending a message to explain…

Ye Zhou ran his fingers through his hair in frustration, staring at the blank text box, ultimately deciding not to send anything. He tossed his phone back onto the table and headed upstairs to take a hot shower.

After his shower, Ye Zhou calmed down somewhat. He grabbed a beer from the fridge, sat down on the couch, and turned on the TV.

The news channels continued to focus on updates regarding the dismemberment case, repeating details of the crime while updating the police’s progress in apprehending the culprit. However, it seemed they still hadn’t found any breakthrough evidence. Reporters condemned the murderer while emphasizing the criminal’s genius, describing the level of brutality and coldness as horrifying. Ye Zhou watched the screen, unsure why he was so interested in this case. Perhaps subconsciously, he hoped the real culprit wasn’t Guan Heng, or perhaps he wished the murderer would be caught quickly, sparing him from this dilemma.

The rain intensified during the wee hours of the morning, prompting the meteorological bureau to issue heavy rain warnings overnight. Hazardous rainfall was expected to continue until the following morning, warning residents to be cautious when going out.

At midnight, Ye Zhou was awakened by the pouring rain, the sound of which resembled a waterfall.

Ye Zhou had already closed the windows, but it was still noisy. Just as he rolled over, a flash of light illuminated the room, followed by a deafening thunderclap. Boom!

Ye Zhou sat up in bed, not because he was frightened, but because the room had suddenly plunged into darkness.

A power outage?

Ye Zhou turned to look out the window. Through the rain-drenched glass, he could see faint light outside. No, the streetlights and lights from the opposite houses were still on; only his building had lost power.

Ye Zhou was bewildered for a moment, wondering if he was the only one experiencing a power outage.

Just then, the doorbell rang. Amidst the heavy rain and thunder, he could clearly hear Guan Heng’s voice. “Ye Zhou.”

Still groggy from being woken up, Ye Zhou didn’t think much, assuming that Guan Heng’s place must have also lost power. He grabbed his phone, turned on the flashlight, and went downstairs to find out what was happening.

The moment he opened the door, lightning streaked across the sky behind Guan Heng. After the flash of light, the surroundings were plunged into darkness once again.

Ye Zhou: “…”

This was a classic scenario—a dark night, strong winds, and a murder scene!!!

Ye Zhou instantly regretted opening the door. He hadn’t thought much about it earlier. In that split second, his peripheral vision caught sight of something in Guan Heng’s hand, which appeared to be a knife, nearly causing him to drop his phone in fright.

“The power went out. Are you alright?” Guan Heng looked down at Ye Zhou and took a step forward, only to find Ye Zhou stepping back, seemingly afraid of him.

Guan Heng stopped and narrowed his eyes dangerously.

The object in his hand was actually a wrench, as the circuit breaker had tripped. Both buildings shared an electrical panel, requiring both switches to be reset together. Although Guan Heng knew Ye Zhou had misunderstood, he deliberately didn’t explain himself to teach him a lesson. However, Ye Zhou’s repeated avoidance still irked him.

Thus, Guan Heng chuckled softly and took another step forward, intent on maintaining the image of a perverted serial killer. “What’s wrong? Are you scared of me?”

“No, I’m not…” Ye Zhou spoke hesitantly, instinctively taking a step back. His foot hit something, causing his hand to shake and his phone to fall to the ground, the screen quickly turning black.

The room fell into complete darkness, with only a faint light coming from outside the door. Ye Zhou was trapped, with nowhere to go. At that moment, the streetlight outside the courtyard seemed like a beacon guiding him to safety. Without thinking, his body reacted instinctively, and he unexpectedly rushed towards the door, escaping outside before Guan Heng could react.

Ye Zhou did successfully evade Guan Heng, but the next second, just as he was about to dash out the door, Guan Heng grabbed him from behind and pulled him back.

Guan Heng, after all, was trained, reacting faster than an average person.

The front door slammed shut in front of Ye Zhou’s eyes, and he immediately felt himself pushed against it by a forceful shove. The person behind him pressed against him tightly, his breath brushing against Ye Zhou’s neck. It was a position that made it difficult for him to struggle, no matter how much he tried.