The rain stopped and started again, and Hua Zhi gradually fell asleep to the pattering sound.
She was particular about beds and slept restlessly whenever she changed to a new one. Tossing and turning, she dreamed of things she hadn’t recalled in a long time.
The car entered the winding mountain road. When the phone rang, she glanced at the number, tapped a few times on the screen, and answered the call.
"Sis, it’s me."
In the enclosed space, the voice on the other end was as gentle as ever.
"What is it?"
"Sis, according to your itinerary, you should be on the mountain road by now, right?"
"What are you trying to say?"
"'Hua Clan’s leader, Hua Linzhi, dies in a car crash during a self-drive vacation'—how does that headline sound?"
She stepped on the brake, but as expected, the brake she had used earlier when entering the mountain road failed to respond.
"Don’t bother, it’s useless. We calculated it all beforehand—the brakes were only meant to last until you entered the mountain road." The gentle voice twisted with excitement. "Hua Linzhi, aren’t you supposed to be amazing? Show me one more time how you’ll escape this death trap!"
"Ms. Xu must be with you. Thank her for sending me off on my final journey." Ms. Xu, her mother—if she hadn’t booked the flight tickets or persuaded her to take this vacation, she wouldn’t be here today. Of course, she had also played along with the plan.
"There’s more! Without my two uncles, we wouldn’t have had the nerve. Don’t you realize how many people covet your position? If you’d just let them skim some profits, we could’ve all prospered together. But you had to rotate the heads of the lucrative departments every year, making sure no one could benefit. No wonder Uncle says you’re heartless! Even if you’ve turned the company into an iron fortress and earned endless praise, what does it matter? Every relative hates you—do you even know how much we despise you?"
Her hands tightened on the steering wheel, but she maintained a steady grip. There was no trace of resentment or anger on her face—only a faint smile. "Do you think someone as sharp as me would’ve missed your hatred?"
The other end fell silent, then erupted shrilly, "You knew all along? You didn’t actually go up the mountain road?"
"I did."
"Then why are you—"
"What’s the point of living like this? Working tirelessly to earn money, only to raise a pack of ungrateful wolves who plot against my life. Might as well end it all together."
"What do you mean?"
What did she mean? She chuckled. "Don’t you know? This is a live broadcast. Hua Linqi, you’ve just publicly confessed to plotting your own sister’s murder. Don’t expect anyone to bail you out—they won’t have the chance. Oh, and I forgot to mention—before I left, I made a will. The entire Hua Group is to be donated, not a single cent left. That includes everything under my name: the house you’re living in now, the old family home—all of it. Everything you schemed so hard to obtain… is gone."After a scream of losing control, another voice came through the phone, 'Hua Linzhi!" Why don’t you just die? Go die!"
"Don’t worry, Mom. I’ve always been obedient—I’ll be dead soon." The car sped up, and she turned the wheel more sharply. "One last reminder before I go: that young man you’re keeping is already married. He has a daughter, and his wife is pregnant again. Congratulations—you’ve picked another winner."
She ended the call, glanced at the live stream viewer count nearing seven figures, released the steering wheel, and waved casually. "Don’t end up a failure like me."Like a bystander, Hua Zhi watched the car tumble down the cliff, flames shooting skyward.
To live in glory and die in a blaze—that’s not a wasted life, Hua Zhi thought self-mockingly. But it’s not raining now, so where is that loud sound of water coming from?
Water? Before she could fully shake off the dream, Hua Zhi had already rolled out of bed, eyes still closed.
Moving silently, she padded barefoot to the sewing basket, took a pair of scissors, and tiptoed behind the screen. Covering Bao Xia’s mouth, she whispered in her ear, "It’s me. Stay quiet."
Bao Xia, nearly frightened out of her wits, nodded repeatedly. Though unsure what was happening, she scrambled out of bed as soon as Hua Zhi released her, trying to shield her mistress behind her.
Hua Zhi patted her shoulder and stepped out from behind her. Listening at the door, she heard no further movement, but she was certain she hadn’t misheard earlier—that sound was unmistakably something heavy falling into water.
At night, the guards patrolled in two shifts, but the inner courtyard had covered corridors, so they wouldn’t need to walk in the rain. Even if someone had taken a shortcut and slipped, they wouldn’t have stumbled repeatedly—the Hua family trained its people better than that. Unless… something had happened.
Hua Zhi gently cracked the door open a sliver. By the dim light of the corridor lanterns, she could vaguely make out several dark shapes in the courtyard.
She observed every visible spot with silent intensity but found no suspicious figures. The lack of obvious threats only heightened her alarm—she’d rather face a disorganized mob than a calm, highly skilled intruder.
Years of physical idleness had eroded her former abilities; all she could rely on now was the intruder’s unfamiliarity with her and her own relatively cool head.
Closing the door without a sound, she exhaled softly and walked to the dressing table. From the jewelry box, she selected two hairpins. One she pinned inside her inner robe, concealed by the outer layer; the other she tucked into her right sleeve, where her fingers could easily grasp it.
These were custom-made from her designs—simple in style but with a small spring clip at the tip to prevent snagging hair when worn, yet secure when hidden. Her past experiences had ingrained caution in her, leading her to subtly modify everyday items. Sadly, most had been confiscated; this hairpin survived only because she’d hidden it early in a secret compartment.
Though she had little confidence in confronting the intruder, she couldn’t do nothing. If the enemy moved room by room, picking them off one by one, they’d all be doomed. Better to take a chance.
Returning the scissors, she heard Bao Xia’s relieved sigh, but then Hua Zhi whispered, "Cooperate with me."
Bao Xia’s face flushed with anxiety. She longed to ask what her mistress planned but feared disrupting things, so she suppressed her questions and returned to her small bed behind the screen, sitting restlessly and straining to hear Hua Zhi’s instructions.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Hua Zhi closed her eyes to steady her breath. When she spoke again, her voice carried a hint of sleepiness. "Bao Xia."
Bao Xia jolted, clutching her chest as she replied, "Miss, I’m here."
Rising, Bao Xia moved toward the room.
"Light the lamp," Hua Zhi said with a yawn. "Has the rain picked up again?"Bao Xia lit the lamp and saw her young lady pointing at the window. Understanding the gesture, her face turned pale. Gritting her teeth, she cooperated by walking to the window and pushing it open a bit higher. "This servant thinks it's smaller than before we slept."
"Smaller? Why did I just hear the sound of water growing louder?"
PS: You can update now, la la la! You can also ask for monthly votes, la la la! Girls, continue to love Kong Kong! Love fiercely, love passionately! The next chapter will undergo major revisions and will be posted later.
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