Chapter 9: The Web Tightens
Meeting so many new people at once, Little Sister didn’t suspect for a second that her "brother" had been replaced.
Zhou Wen bought groceries at the market, and that evening, Mother Chen cooked a lavish feast.
The four of us—Zhou Wen, Little Sister, Mother Chen, and I—gathered around the table. Zhou Wen excused himself, saying he’d start factory work tomorrow, and told Little Sister to listen to me and "Auntie" while he earned money for her treatment.
After dinner, Zhou Wen went upstairs to rest. Since I’d claimed Mother Chen as my aunt, she stayed with me on the first floor.
Little Sister chased after her "brother," chattering: "Last time I asked, you said we couldn’t afford a wife—but Sister Wu obviously doesn’t care about money! Back home, guys your age are married already. You should go for it!"
"If you weren’t interested, you wouldn’t keep bringing her up!"
Predictably, Mother Chen set aside her grief to ask bluntly: "You and Xiao Wu really weren’t together?"
I sighed. "If we were, I’d finally have found someone to marry. You think I’d be this calm if I’d lost him?"
"Do I look like a woman who just lost her man?"
Tearing into a chicken leg, I added: "Auntie, take the bedroom next door. The other half of this floor used to be a noodle shop rental. It’s empty now."
They clearly weren’t hurting for money, but I explained anyway—no need to offend potential benefactors.
Mother Chen sighed. "Xiao Wu was unlucky. I don’t know how to thank you. Without you, his passing... would’ve been much worse."
Mid-conversation, the security monitor showed a stranger lurking outside.
I showed Mother Chen the feed, then hurried upstairs to fetch Zhou Wen.
Tenants came and went, keeping the watcher from entering.
Zhou Wen’s knuckles cracked as he identified the man. "Their scout."
I gripped his arm. "You’re technically still police, right?"
"Technically? I’m fully qualified."
"Then act like Chen Chengwu—a delivery guy turned factory worker."
"Ignore him. He’s here for Little Sister. I saw him at the rehab center."
"Leave tomorrow masked. I’ve collected rent here for years—you think I don’t have ways to handle pests?"
Zhou Wen hesitated, but Mother Chen cut in: "Listen to your Sister Wu. Avenging your siblings, seeking justice for those girls—that’s our duty. As a teacher. As a coroner."
"I trust her to protect us."
After exchanging WeChat, Zhou Wen reluctantly returned upstairs to prepare.
The next morning, Little Sister and I saw him off at the village entrance.
On our way back, the stalker reappeared—boldly leering, as if ready to snatch her.
Trembling, Little Sister hid behind me.
I nodded toward the men playing cards outside the convenience store.
They swaggered over, threw the creep to the ground, and beat him bloody.
"Like what you see, punk? Go home and jerk off to your phone. Touch our village rose, and we’ll bury you."