Without another word, she grabbed Xia Liang and went straight into a mall. After finding a random store, Wu Lan went into the dressing room to change.

Xia Liang hadn't waited more than a few minutes when Wu Lan came out dressed in casual clothes. Without her uniform, she gave off a completely different vibe. Her casual outfit concealed her shapely figure, making her seem less mature and adding a touch of cuteness. Looking at her now, Xia Liang couldn't help but remember Wu Lan when she was still a student.

Having swapped her high heels for flats, she was now a head shorter than Xia Liang. She trotted over and patted him on the arm.

"What are you staring at? Haven't you seen a beautiful woman before? Help me with my luggage! Let's go eat!"

He thought her face looked a bit flushed, perhaps just from the lighting, but he didn't pay it much mind. He took the luggage and let Wu Lan pull him out of the clothing store.

The two were starving and didn't want to walk any further. They found a hot pot restaurant in the mall and went inside.

Halfway through the meal, Xia Liang excused himself to use the restroom, intending to pay the bill on his way. However, he was told that it had been settled right after they had ordered. Xia Liang recalled that just after they had ordered, Wu Lan had also gone to the restroom, claiming her socks weren't on right after changing shoes. He realized now that she must have paid the bill then.

Xia Liang couldn't help but shake his head. The meal wasn't expensive, only three points.

Shaking his head slightly, he returned to their table to see Wu Lan looking at him with a smile. No need to even think about it; she must have planned this.

Xia Liang wasn't one to make a fuss, so he simply asked, "How long are you staying in Shangjing this time? I'll treat you and show you around later!"

Hearing this, Wu Lan immediately brightened up. "Yes, yes! I took some time off, so I'll be in Shangjing for two or three weeks! I have nothing planned at all!"

They made their plans, and seeing that Wu Lan looked tired, Xia Liang took her home.

After saying their goodbyes, Xia Liang resumed his work. He arrived at his next destination to pick up a young girl wearing a JK uniform with her hair in twin ponytails.

As soon as she got in the car, Xia Liang sensed something was off about her.

"Mister, are we leaving?" the twin-ponytailed girl asked from the back seat.

"Yes, heading out now."

Xia Liang glanced at the girl one more time before driving toward the destination.

Upon arriving, the girl didn't get out of the car. Instead, she said, "Mister, could you come up with me?"

Go up with her? What does she mean by that? Xia Liang turned to make sure she wasn't joking.

"If you don't walk me to my door, I'll give you a bad review!" the girl pouted.

Xia Liang chuckled. "Alright, then."

He wasn't really afraid of a bad review; he just thought the girl was acting strangely.

Soon, they were in the elevator, and Xia Liang walked her to her apartment door. He turned and took the elevator down without a second thought; he was surrounded by too many pretty girls to linger for any one in particular.

As she listened to the sound of the elevator descending, Mu Xiaoying entered her room, feeling a sudden wave of despair.

"Sigh, if only he had talked to me a little more, maybe my life would have turned out different..."

Mu Xiaoying returned to her room and tested the strength of a nylon rope. Then, she slung the rope over the railing on her balcony and tied both ends into a dead knot. Finally, she stood up on a stool, took one last look at the scenery outside, drew a deep breath, closed her eyes, and kicked the stool away.

「At that moment.」

Xia Liang had just reached the ground floor.

Something's not right. That girl just now seemed really off.

He looked up toward Mu Xiaoying's apartment, his brow furrowed. Why would a girl like her buy such a long nylon rope? And that look on her face... could she be tired of life? Thinking of ending it all?

Putting the clues together, Xia Liang felt a growing sense of unease. When he glanced up again, he saw her—Mu Xiaoying, standing on a stool on her balcony!

This is bad!

He spun around and sprinted back into the building, heading straight for Mu Xiaoying's apartment!

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

Mu Xiaoying's door was locked tight and wouldn't budge!

"Mu Xiaoying!"

"Open the door!"

TICK-TOCK!

TICK-TOCK! Time flowed like sand through an hourglass!

The door remained shut. There was no sound from inside. This gave Xia Liang a terrible feeling and confirmed his suspicions. Technically, I could just kick the security door down. But that would be too extreme... Forget it. Saving a life is an emergency; there's no time to overthink things.

Xia Liang took a few steps back and turned his head toward the corridor window.

The 23rd floor! You can see the clouds from up here... It's terrifyingly high!

Xia Liang stood by the window, took a deep breath, and climbed out.

That's it! I'll get into her apartment from the outside. Besides, I've done something like this before.

He grabbed onto the crevices of the building's facade, found his footing on the protruding ledges, and began inching his way toward Mu Xiaoying's balcony.

He glanced down. The objects on the ground below had shrunk, but his heart remained calm. Anyway, it's not like I can die from a fall.

"Everyone, look! Something's happening up there!"

"There's a man climbing on the building, twenty-something floors up!"

A few elderly people who were strolling around downstairs suddenly spotted Xia Liang. They craned their necks, pointing and chattering among themselves.

"Why is he climbing on the outside?"

"Isn't he afraid of falling to his death?"

"Oh, I bet he was cheating with someone and got caught!"

"Yes, that must be it!"

"He was with another man's wife when the husband came home suddenly, so he had to hide outside..."

The crowd's imagination was boundlessly rich, and they quickly concocted what they felt was a perfectly reasonable explanation for Xia Liang's actions.

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