The moment passed.
Zhang Weiyu stepped back first, his hand leaving Zhou Yiran's waist as if the contact had never happened. His expression returned to its usual calm distance, the brief flicker of something softer already gone.
"Watch your step," he said evenly.
Zhou Yiran straightened immediately, forcing her breathing to steady. "I will." But her pulse was still too fast.
Secretary Xu cleared his throat quietly beside them, breaking the silence that had stretched a little too long. "We should move," he said, voice controlled. "If the intruder heard that noise, they already know where we are."
Zhang Weiyu nodded once. "Agreed."
He turned back toward the corridor ahead, raising the flashlight slightly. The beam cut across the damp stone walls, revealing more scratches along the surface thin, deliberate marks that hadn't been there before.
Zhou Yiran noticed them instantly. "Wait."
Both men stopped.
She stepped closer to the wall, running her fingers lightly across the rough stone.
"These marks… they're fresh."
Xu Shen frowned. "The same pattern?"
"Not exactly," she said quietly.
Zhang Weiyu moved beside her, studying the wall carefully.
The scratches formed a narrow line along the stone, almost like arrows pointing deeper into the passage. Xu Shen crossed his arms. "They're guiding us."
"Or misleading us," Zhang Weiyu replied calmly.
Zhou Yiran stepped back slowly.."They want us to keep moving."
Xu Shen's eyes hardened slightly.
"Which means we should assume the next area is prepared."
Zhang Weiyu glanced down the corridor again.."Prepared how?"
"Ambush," Xu Shen said simply.
A quiet tension settled between the three of them..Zhou Yiran shifted her grip on the pistol. "Then we shouldn't walk straight into it."
Xu Shen gave a small nod of approval. "Exactly."
Zhang Weiyu looked at her. "You have a suggestion?"
For a moment, Zhou Yiran hesitated.
Not because she didn't have an idea.
Because she knew both men were watching her carefully. Testing her. Finally she said quietly,."If someone wants us to go one way…" She pointed toward the scratches on the wall.
"…then maybe we should check the other direction first."
Xu Shen tilted his head slightly.
"You think there's another passage?"
"There's always another passage in this house," Zhou Yiran replied.
Zhang Weiyu watched her a moment longer.
Then he turned the flashlight toward the opposite wall..There...Half hidden behind a crumbling section of stone.
A narrow opening. Xu Shen let out a quiet breath. "Well."
He looked at Zhou Yiran. "Seems you were right."
Zhang Weiyu stepped closer to the opening, examining it carefully.
Dust covered most of the edges.
But the center... Was clear.
Someone had passed through recently.
"Not abandoned," he said.
Xu Shen lifted his pistol again. "Which means we're not alone down here."
Zhou Yiran felt the familiar tension tightening in her chest again.
The corridor suddenly felt smaller.
Darker. "Do we follow it?" she asked.
Zhang Weiyu didn't answer immediately.
Instead he looked between the two passages. The marked path.And the hidden one.
Finally he said, "They want us to choose."
Xu Shen gave a quiet, humorless chuckle.
"Then let's choose the option they didn't expect." Zhang Weiyu stepped toward the narrow opening. "We take the hidden passage."
Zhou Yiran nodded slowly.
Xu Shen moved behind them, keeping watch on the corridor they were leaving. "Stay close," he said.
The three of them slipped through the narrow opening one by one.
Inside...The air changed immediately..Colder.
Still.
The tunnel was tighter than the previous corridor, forcing them to walk single file. Zhang Weiyu in front.
Zhou Yiran in the middle.
Xu Shen behind.
Their footsteps echoed softly.
Then... A faint sound drifted through the darkness ahead. Not metal And Not footsteps.A voice.Quiet.
Almost like someone whispering.
Zhou Yiran stopped instantly. "Did you hear that?"
Xu Shen's voice dropped low.."Yes."
Zhang Weiyu didn't turn around. But his posture had gone completely still.
The whisper came again.
Soft...Unclear.
But definitely human.
And it was coming from somewhere deeper inside the tunnel.
Zhou Yiran's fingers tightened around her weapon. "Someone's down here."
Xu Shen replied quietly behind her. "Yes."
A short pause.
Then Zhang Weiyu said one calm sentence.
"Let's find out who."
And the three of them continued forward into the darkness.
The tunnel tightened the farther they moved.
Stone walls pressed close on both sides, rough and damp. The ceiling lowered enough that Zhang Weiyu had to tilt his head slightly as he walked. The air smelled of rust and old water. And the whisper came again...Soft.
Almost swallowed by the tunnel.
Zhou Yiran stopped breathing for a second.
"There," she whispered.
Xu Shen's voice came from behind her, controlled but alert. "I hear it."
Zhang Weiyu slowed but didn't stop walking. His flashlight beam cut forward through the narrow darkness, illuminating uneven stone and patches of damp moss.
"Voice," he said quietly. "Male."
Zhou Yiran listened again. This time the whisper sounded clearer. Not words exactly more like someone muttering to themselves.
"Maybe they're injured," she murmured.
Xu Shen disagreed immediately. "Or bait."
Zhang Weiyu spoke without turning around.
"Assume trap." They continued moving.Step by step. The whisper grew louder.
Zhou Yiran's pulse hammered harder with every meter. Her mind kept replaying the chase from earlier the intruder's shadow, the gunfire, the blood on the floor.
But this voice didn't sound like the intruder.
It sounded… different...Unsteady.
Then the tunnel curved sharply.
Zhang Weiyu stopped.
He raised his hand. Both Zhou Yiran and Xu Shen froze instantly. The flashlight beam slid slowly around the bend.And landed on a figure.
A man sat slumped against the stone wall.
Hands bound behind him. Head hanging forward. For a moment, none of them spoke.
Xu Shen broke the silence first. "That's not the intruder."
"No," Zhang Weiyu said calmly.
Zhou Yiran stepped slightly forward, squinting into the dim light.
The man looked weak. Pale. Dirt streaked across his face. And blood stained the sleeve of his jacket. "Help…" the man croaked suddenly.
His voice was barely audible.
Xu Shen's grip tightened on his weapon. "Don't move," he warned. The man lifted his head slowly. His eyes were unfocused.
"I… thought you wouldn't find me…"
Zhou Yiran frowned. "Who are you?"
The man tried to laugh. It came out as a cough. "You're already… too late."
Xu Shen stepped closer but kept distance.
"Who tied you up?"
The man's breathing grew uneven.
"They said… you would come…"
Zhang Weiyu's voice turned colder. "Who said that?"
The man's gaze drifted toward Zhou Yiran.
Directly toward her. "They told me… to wait for the girl." The tunnel went silent.
Zhou Yiran felt a chill run down her spine.
"For me?" she asked quietly.
The man nodded weakly. "Yes…"
Xu Shen's expression hardened. "Who?"
The man's lips trembled.
Before he could answer... A sharp metallic click echoed somewhere behind them.
All three turned instantly.
Xu Shen's voice dropped."That wasn't here before."
Zhang Weiyu's flashlight snapped toward the tunnel entrance they had used.
For a moment...Nothing....Then. A shadow moved across the stone wall.
Fast....Controlled....Gone.
Xu Shen swore under his breath. "They followed us."
Zhou Yiran turned back to the injured man.
"Who is down here?" she demanded.
The man shook his head weakly.
"They're watching…"
"From where?" Xu Shen pressed.
The man swallowed painfully."Everywhere…"
Then his eyes widened suddenly.
Not at Zhou Yiran...Not at Xu Shen.
Behind them.
"Behind you...!"
Xu Shen spun.
A gunshot exploded in the narrow tunnel.
The sound was deafening. Stone chips burst from the wall beside Zhang Weiyu's shoulder.
Xu Shen fired back instantly. Two sharp shots echoed through the corridor.
The shadow at the far end disappeared again. Zhou Yiran's heart slammed against her ribs. "They're blocking the exit," Xu Shen said. Zhang Weiyu's voice remained calm but colder than before.
"Then we're not chasing them."
Zhou Yiran looked at him sharply. "We're not?"
"No." He turned back toward the bound man on the ground. "Because whoever tied him up…"
Zhang Weiyu's eyes narrowed. "…wanted us to find him."
The man let out a weak breath.
"You… still don't understand…"
Zhou Yiran crouched beside him.."Understand what?"
The man whispered something so quietly she almost missed it. "The mansion…"
A pause.
"…is already theirs."
Silence filled the tunnel.
Behind them...
Footsteps echoed faintly in the dark.
The footsteps were faint...Slow...Deliberate.
Echoing somewhere beyond the tunnel entrance behind them. No one spoke for a moment. Xu Shen's pistol remained raised, his stance shifting slightly so he stood between Zhou Yiran and the dark corridor behind them. Even injured, his posture was steady, trained.
"Distance?" he asked quietly.
Zhang Weiyu tilted his head, listening.
"Far enough," he said. "For now."
Zhou Yiran was still crouched beside the bound man. His breathing had grown weaker, uneven. Up close she could see bruising along his jaw and the deep marks around his wrists where the ropes had been tightened too hard.
"They didn't tie you here for nothing," she said calmly. "Who are you?"
The man swallowed, struggling to focus his eyes. "My name… doesn't matter."
Xu Shen spoke from behind her. "It matters to us."
The man gave a faint, bitter smile. "They said… you'd say that."
Zhou Yiran frowned slightly. "They?"
The man looked at her again.
"Yes… the ones watching."
Zhang Weiyu stepped closer now, crouching down so his eyes were level with the prisoner's. His expression was completely composed. "Let's try again," he said quietly. "Who brought you here?"
The man hesitated.His gaze shifted between the three of them.Then he whispered,
"The one with the knife."
Xu Shen's eyes narrowed immediately. "The intruder."
The man nodded weakly. "They dragged me through the tunnels… tied me here…"
Zhou Yiran leaned closer. "Why?"
The man's lips trembled slightly. "To deliver a message."
Zhang Weiyu didn't react outwardly, but something in his gaze sharpened. "What message?"
The man turned his head slowly toward Zhou Yiran again. "For her."
The air in the tunnel grew heavier.
Zhou Yiran's voice remained steady. "What message?"
The man swallowed. "They said… if you reached this point… it means you're starting to remember."
Xu Shen frowned. "Remember what?"
But the man shook his head weakly.
"I don't know… they didn't say."
Zhou Yiran studied his face carefully.
"You're lying."
The man closed his eyes briefly. "No… I just… don't understand it."
Zhang Weiyu stood slowly again.
"And the people chasing us?" he asked. "Are they the same group?"
The man hesitated again. Then he nodded.
"Yes."
Xu Shen exhaled quietly. "How many?"
"I saw three… maybe four."
Xu Shen's voice lowered.
"Then we shouldn't stay here."
Zhang Weiyu agreed immediately. "Correct."
He looked down at the prisoner. "Can you walk?"
The man gave a weak laugh. "No."
Xu Shen cursed softly under his breath.
"Then we leave him."
Zhou Yiran looked up sharply. "Wait."
Xu Shen's tone remained practical.
"If we carry him, we slow down. If they're behind us "
"I know," she said quietly.
She turned back to the man. "Is there another exit?"
The man nodded faintly. "Yes…"
He lifted his chin weakly toward the deeper tunnel ahead.
"Further down… old staircase… leads to the east wing cellar."
Zhang Weiyu considered this.
Xu Shen spoke again. "Sir, if we keep moving deeper we lose our main exit."
"Which might already be blocked," Zhang Weiyu replied calmly.
Xu Shen didn't argue.
Zhou Yiran cut the ropes around the prisoner's wrists quickly.
"You're coming with us," she said.
The man blinked weakly. "Why?"
She stood up. "Because whoever left you here wanted you alive."
Xu Shen stepped forward, lifting the man to his feet despite the protest of his injured side.
"Lean on me," he said shortly.
The man staggered slightly but managed to stand.
From behind them..
The footsteps returned.
Closer this time.
And clearer.
Not hiding anymore.
Zhou Yiran looked back into the darkness.
"Secretary Xu…"
"I hear them," he said quietly.
Zhang Weiyu turned his flashlight toward the deeper tunnel ahead. "Then we move."
Zhou Yiran hesitated only a second before following. Xu Shen supported the prisoner as they moved quickly down the narrow passage.
Behind them...
Another gunshot echoed through the corridor. Stone shattered against the wall beside Zhou Yiran's shoulder.
Xu Shen fired back instantly.
"Move!" he shouted.
They ran deeper into the tunnel.
And somewhere behind them..
A voice called out from the darkness.
Calm and Cold.
Almost amused.
"Miss Zhou…"
Zhou Yiran froze for half a second. "…don't run."
The voice echoed through the tunnel.
"We're not done talking yet."
Xu Shen grabbed her arm and pulled her forward again. "Don't listen," he said sharply.
But Zhou Yiran's heart was already pounding harder..Because the voice behind them sounded familiar.
And that was the most dangerous thing of all.
The voice echoed through the tunnel long after the words faded.
"Miss Zhou… don't run."
Zhou Yiran's chest tightened. The sound of it crawled under her skin—calm, controlled, almost amused. Too calm for someone chasing them through a dark underground passage.
Xu Shen's grip tightened around her wrist, pulling her forward again. "Keep moving," he said sharply. Zhang Weiyu didn't even look back. His flashlight beam remained steady as he led them deeper into the tunnel.
Behind them, footsteps quickened. Not rushing.But closing the distance.
Zhou Yiran forced herself to run, though the uneven stone floor made every step dangerous. Xu Shen supported the injured prisoner with one arm while holding his pistol in the other, his movements precise despite the strain. Another gunshot exploded behind them. Stone shattered along the wall beside Zhang Weiyu.
Xu Shen fired back instantly without turning fully. Two sharp shots rang through the tunnel.
"Did you hit them?" Zhou Yiran asked breathlessly.
"No time to check," Xu Shen replied.
"Just keep moving."
The tunnel sloped downward slightly before turning sharply left. Zhang Weiyu slowed at the corner, raising a hand. "Stop."
They halted immediately.
Ahead of them, the passage opened into a wider chamber larger than the previous corridors. The ceiling rose several meters high, and an old iron staircase spiraled upward along the far wall.
Zhou Yiran exhaled. "The staircase."
The prisoner nodded weakly.
"Yes… east wing… cellar…"
Xu Shen shifted his weight, clearly feeling the strain now. "Sir," he said quietly. "We can get out through there."
Zhang Weiyu studied the staircase carefully.
Too carefully.
Zhou Yiran noticed immediately. "What is it?"
His voice remained calm. "It's too easy."
Xu Shen followed his gaze. "You think they're waiting above?"
"Possibly."
Another sound echoed behind them. Footsteps...Closer now.
Zhou Yiran turned. A shadow appeared at the far end of the tunnel they had just come from.
Tall and Still....Watching them.
Her pulse spiked. "That's him."
Xu Shen raised his weapon again.
"Get to the stairs," he ordered.
But the figure didn't advance.
Instead, the voice came again.clearer this time.
"You made it farther than expected."
The tone carried mild approval. Almost like a teacher observing students.
Zhang Weiyu stepped slightly in front of Zhou Yiran without speaking.
The figure tilted his head slightly in the darkness.
"You shouldn't run from conversations, Miss Zhou."
Zhou Yiran felt anger spark through the fear.
"You started the gunfight," she shot back.
A quiet chuckle echoed through the chamber.
"True."
Xu Shen's patience snapped.
"Last warning," he said coldly. "Step forward and identify yourself."
The figure remained motionless. "No."
Zhang Weiyu spoke for the first time since the voice appeared.."What do you want?"
Silence followed. Then the figure answered calmly.
"Confirmation."
"Of what?" Zhou Yiran asked.
"That she's still the same person."
The words landed heavily.
Zhou Yiran's heart skipped.
Zhang Weiyu's eyes hardened slightly.
Xu Shen fired.
The gunshot exploded through the chamber.
The bullet struck the stone wall beside the figure...But the shadow was already gone.
Vanished into the darkness.
Xu Shen cursed under his breath. "Damn it."
Zhang Weiyu lowered the flashlight slowly.
"He wasn't trying to fight."
Zhou Yiran stared into the empty corridor.
"No," she whispered.
"He was watching."
Xu Shen looked toward the staircase again.
"Then we should leave before he decides to come back."
Zhang Weiyu nodded once. "Agreed."
He turned toward the iron stairs.
"Up."
Xu Shen helped the injured prisoner climb first while Zhou Yiran followed close behind. Zhang Weiyu remained at the bottom until they reached the halfway point, scanning the darkness one last time.
The tunnel below was silent again...Empty.
But the echo of that voice still lingered in Zhou Yiran's mind...Confirmation.
As they climbed into the cellar above, one thought refused to leave her.
The intruder hadn't tried to stop them.
He had only come to see her.
And that meant this game was far from over.