After being kicked out of the wealthy family along with her yandere childhood friend

"The kitten caught a mouse and put it in the old man's bowl, saying it was a date."

The phone rang, and Bai Tao was so startled that she rolled off the sofa.

As a result, he was stuck in the incredibly narrow gap between the sofa and the coffee table, unable to move.

Bai Tao remained suspended in mid-air for two seconds, stunned.

Then he laughed out loud.

Good heavens, there's really nothing I can do.

The house was so small that she couldn't even roll onto the ground; she got stuck halfway down.

"Hahahaha..."

Bai Tao laughed several times, but as she laughed, she realized that her state was somewhat off.

She felt like she was going crazy.

Bai Tao struggled out of the gap using both hands and feet, grabbed her phone and looked at it: eight o'clock.

The locksmith was on time and was already waiting at the door.

Bai Tao opened the door, and the craftsman was a middle-aged man in his forties, carrying a toolbox. He came in and started working.

They were very efficient, replacing the new lock in about ten minutes, and even taught Bai Tao how to use it.

"Young lady, do you live alone?"

The master asked casually.

Bai Tao smiled and said, "Mm."

The driver didn't ask any more questions, took the money, and left.

Before leaving, she said "Be careful," which warmed Bai Tao's heart.

After changing the lock, Bai Tao took out her phone to check the time, and then decided to take the subway to the villa's entrance and wait there.

Waiting for the sun to set.

She can no longer enter the villa area. Although the security guard at the gate looked at her with some sympathy, rules are rules. If you're not a homeowner, you can't even touch the gate.

Bai Tao found a shady spot and squatted down.

I don't know when Pei Jin was kicked out of the house. My memories of my past life are a bit blurry. I only remember that it was probably in the last two days.

She had to stay here at all times and couldn't miss it.

At noon, the sun was so strong it made people dizzy.

Bai Tao ordered takeout, squatted under the shade of a tree, held up a parasol, and continued to wait.

The takeout was a bowl of cold noodles, which she ate while squatting on the ground.

People passing by looked at her strangely, some even with a hint of pity. Bai Tao pretended not to see them, slurping her cold noodles while staring at the entrance of the villa area.

Wait until your back aches.

Wait until your back hurts.

After squatting until my butt was numb, and changing positions seven or eight times, finally—it was three o'clock in the afternoon.

The gate to the villa complex opened, and a tall, slender figure emerged, dragging a suitcase.

Bai Tao's eyes lit up instantly.

Pei Jin.

Standing at 187cm tall, wearing a black short-sleeved shirt and black wide-leg casual pants, he looked like he stepped out of a magazine—clean, aloof, and unapproachable.

He held the handle of his suitcase with one hand, and the veins on the back of his hand were slightly bulging.

He covered his neck with his other hand and slowly turned his head, probably because his neck was uncomfortable.

He frowned, looking quite impatient.

That handsome face, aloof yet charismatic, made him seem arrogant, as if the whole world owed him something.

White Peach hid behind the tree, holding her breath, only showing half of her head.

Pei Jin walked out the door, took out his phone and glanced at it, his brows furrowing even more.

I don't know what bothered him when he saw something on his phone, but he stuffed it into his pocket, dragged his suitcase, and walked to the right.

They turned right.

Bai Tao quickly peeked out from behind the tree and quietly followed.

When she reached the entrance of an alley, she turned in, and the next second, the world spun around her.

A large hand grabbed her neck, the veins on the hand clearly visible, and slammed her against the wall.

Bai Tao's back slammed into the hard brick wall, and the pain made her vision go black.

"Ah—Pei Jin! Cough cough…It's me! Let go of me!"

Pei Jin's strength was outrageous. He usually looked quite thin, but he was incredibly strong. Bai Tao could even see the outline of his muscles under his short sleeves.

Bai Tao was being lifted up by the neck, as if she were nailed to the wall, with only her toes barely touching the ground.

She felt increasingly short of breath, her vision began to darken, and her ears were ringing. Just when she thought she was really going to die there, the hand gripping her neck suddenly loosened its grip.

Bai Tao's legs went weak, and she slid down the wall, landing on the ground with a thud.

His knee slammed into the gravel in the alley, a sharp pain shot through him, and tears welled up uncontrollably in his eyes.

She looked up.

Pei Jin was looking down at her coldly.

Those gloomy eyes were filled with frustration and confusion.

He was also a fake young master, and it was one thing for him to be kicked out of the house, but this inexplicable woman, Bai Tao, had been doing some baffling things since yesterday.

Why are they best friends? Are they very close?

Now they're even tracking me down?

Pei Jin's lips moved slightly, his voice as cold as ice:

"Don't follow me."

After saying that, Pei Jin picked up his suitcase, turned around and left the alley without looking back.

The black figure disappeared at the alley entrance, clean and efficient, just like the man himself, leaving no room for retreat.

Bai Tao slumped to the ground, panting heavily.

She reached up and touched her neck; it stung, clearly red from being pinched.

I was filled with lingering fear.

She almost thought she was going to die.

Bai Tao closed her eyes, a huge question mark popping into her mind:

How exactly did that woman in her past life manage to pick up Pei Jin?

Did they already know each other?

Otherwise, given Pei Jin's temper, who would dare to get close to him?

She sat there for a while, waiting for her heartbeat to gradually calm down, before she leaned against the wall and staggered to her feet.

My scraped elbow and palm started to ache in waves.

She lifted her trouser leg and looked inside; sure enough, her knee was also scraped, with many chafing marks that looked painful.

The late emperor passed away before completing his great undertaking.

He died before achieving his goal.

Bai Tao limped along, leaning against the wall, and walked into a pharmacy by the roadside.

There was a young female intern in the pharmacy, dozing off behind the counter. Her white uniform was a little too big for her, and her ponytail was tied high, making her look very young.

Hearing the door open, the little girl suddenly looked up and rubbed her eyes.

When she saw the beautiful woman leaning against the doorframe, covered in injuries and with red eyes, she instantly snapped out of her daze and quickly ran to greet her.

"Sister! What's wrong? Are you alright?"

The little girl's voice was soft and sweet, filled with genuine anxiety.

Bai Tao shook her head, wanting to say "It's nothing," but something seemed to be stuck in her throat, and she could only manage a hoarse "Mmm."

Without saying a word, the little girl helped Bai Tao sit down on a stool in the shop, then squatted down and carefully picked out the pebbles from Bai Tao's wound, and then carefully disinfected it with alcohol and iodine.

The moment the alcohol touched the wound, Bai Tao gasped in pain, but bit her lip and remained silent.

The little girl gently blew on the cloth as she wiped it, as if she were soothing a child.

"It doesn't hurt anymore, it doesn't hurt anymore, it'll be over soon."

Bai Tao looked at her serious profile and suddenly felt a lump in her throat.

After treating the wound, she turned around and went to the shelf to take a bunch of things that Bai Tao might need, such as band-aids, cold medicine, fever reducers, anti-inflammatory drugs, iodine swabs, and gauze. She neatly packed them into a small bag, and then helped Bai Tao out the door.

"Sister, do you live alone? Remember to change your dressings on time when you get back, and don't get your wound wet. Remember to take your medicine if you get a fever."

Bai Tao stood at the entrance of the pharmacy, almost crying with emotion at the sight of the little girl.

She turned her head, smiled at the little girl, her eyes were red-rimmed, but the smile was very sincere.

"Thank you, little sister."

The little girl was startled by the smile and waved her hand blankly.

"No...you're welcome, goodbye sister."

Bai Tao turned around, took a deep breath, and felt that her injuries didn't hurt as much anymore.

She took out her phone and used navigation; it was only a seven-minute walk from here to her basement apartment.

It's quite close.

Bai Tao put her phone back in her pocket, picked up the medicine bag, and slowly walked back.

As he walked, he cursed Pei Jin in his heart.

Son of a bitch.

I've always been like this since I was a child. I don't like to play with people and I don't have many friends.

Bai Tao remembers clearly that when everyone was young and didn't have to attend so many tutoring classes and extracurricular activities, she tried to go play with Pei Jin several times.

She took her doll to him, but Pei Jin didn't even glance at it.

She took the cookies to him, but Pei Jin turned and left.

She chased after him, trying to tug at his sleeve, but Pei Jin shook her off.

Back then, the kids in the neighborhood all said Pei Jin didn't have a mother because she never went out and no one had ever seen her. Everyone thought he was strange, and over time, no one wanted to play with him anymore.

White peaches are also included.

She stopped going after that.

Who would have thought that someone who ignored you as a child would almost get strangled to death as an adult?

Bai Tao touched her still slightly aching neck and gave a wry smile.

Seven minutes later, Bai Tao returned to the basement.

The moment she pushed open the iron gate, she wrinkled her nose.

The basement, which wasn't usually this damp, suddenly became stuffy and humid for some reason, with a smell of earth in the air, as if it were about to rain.

Bai Tao went inside, turned on the light, and looked at the two palm-sized windows.

I quickly tore off a few tissues, folded them into long strips, and stuck them in the crack of the window glass.

This is what Wang Jianguo taught her: if the tissue gets wet, it means the window is leaking and you have to find a solution quickly.

After finishing, Bai Tao drew the curtains.

It was called a curtain, but it was actually just a small piece of cloth that she had nailed up above the window last night.

It's not too big or too small; it's just right to block out the outside.

The basement went dark the moment the curtains were drawn. The overhead light bulb flickered, casting dappled shadows on the walls.

Bai Tao looked down at her bandaged knee and suddenly found it a little funny.

No matter what happens, she will never let herself be thrown into the sea again.

Bai Tao limped to the sofa, carefully sat down, put her injured leg on the coffee table, and let out a long breath.

The phone screen lit up briefly.

It was a message from Wang Jianguo.

Hey beautiful, are you happy with the apartment? Feel free to contact me anytime if you have any questions!

Bai Tao stared at the message for two seconds, then typed two words.

【OK, thanks.】

After sending the message, she put her phone aside, leaned back on the sofa, and closed her eyes.

A muffled clap of thunder came from afar outside the window.

Bai Tao shuddered and curled up into a ball.

She frowned and glanced out the window, where a sliver of dim light shone through the curtains.

Then, with a whoosh—

The rain pounded down relentlessly, pounding against the small basement window with a loud crackling sound, like firecrackers, sending chills down one's spine.

Bai Tao felt that she had never been afraid of thunder before, but now that she was alone in this small basement, she suddenly felt like she was in a horror movie.

The damp smell in the basement was even stronger; the mixture of mud and cement wasn't exactly unpleasant, but it just made people feel suffocated.

Bai Tao buried herself deeper into the blanket, curling up into a ball.

The blanket was brought from the Bai family home; it still had a faint, sweet fragrance that washed away the smell of rain and the earthy odor, giving her a little sense of security in the damp basement.

The next second, a series of hurried footsteps and the rustling of plastic sheeting came from the basement corridor, probably from someone taking off their raincoat.

Bai Tao pricked up her ears and heard two boys talking in the corridor.

"Holy crap, it's hailing! Luckily we got back quickly!"

"What are you doing standing at the door?"

"Let me see, I've never seen hail before."

"What's so interesting? Come on in. Let me tell you, some hailstones the size of eggs can kill people, I'm not kidding."

The sound gradually faded, ending with a muffled slam of a door closing.

The corridor fell silent again, with only the patter of rain outside.

Bai Tao buried her face in the blanket, and after ten seconds, she clenched her fists and gave her pink blanket a good beating.

"Aa ...

After finishing, she collapsed onto the sofa, panting heavily.

Then she sighed and resignedly stood up.

Pei Jin.

Pei Jin doesn't have a place to stay yet.

He was picked up by that little girl in his past life, but when did that little girl find him?

If she doesn't go to find Pei Jin now, what if he dies?

Hailstorms can really kill people. If Pei Jin dies...

She really has to say goodbye to those luxury goods she loves.

Bai Tao gritted her teeth, rummaged through her suitcase for her parasol, and pushed open the door.

In the corridor, a dim, motion-activated light illuminated the wet footprints and water stains on the ground.

There was an electric scooter parked in the aisle, covered by a double raincoat, with two helmets on top of it.

The footprints on the ground were winding and led all the way to the tightly closed door diagonally opposite Bai Tao.

Bai Tao took a deep breath, walked over, and knocked on the door.

"Knock knock knock".

There had been sounds of chatting and laughing inside, but the moment the door was knocked on, the sounds stopped instantly.

There was a two-second silence.

Bai Tao tapped it twice more.

"Knock knock".

A young male voice came from inside, tinged with wariness.

Who is it?

Bai Tao was a little nervous, her voice trembling slightly.

"Hello, I'm your new neighbor."

Hearing that it was a girl's voice, the people inside visibly relaxed a bit.

Footsteps approached from afar, and the door clicked open.

A person stood inside the door, looking to be about twenty-five or twenty-six years old. He was wearing a gray loungewear T-shirt, his hair was half-dry, and he had regular, delicate features with a youthful air about him.

Bai Tao was stunned when she saw the other person's appearance.

So handsome?

Do guys who live in basements all look like this now?

The person opposite was also taken aback. Such a beautiful woman? She seemed completely out of place in this damp, dark, and old basement.

The two of them stared at each other for two seconds, completely bewildered.

Just then, a large, well-defined hand reached out and lazily wrapped around the boy's waist.

Immediately afterwards, another handsome, rugged face appeared from behind, its chin resting on the shoulder of the person in front.

Bai Tao's eyes widened instantly.

Is it a dual-male lead story?

One was handsome and refined, the other rugged and dashing. The scene, the atmosphere, the...

Bai Tao suddenly realized that it was impolite to stare at someone like that, so she quickly lowered her head, her gaze falling on her toes, and the tips of her ears turning slightly red.

"Hi, I'd like to borrow your raincoats and helmets. My friend is still outside, and I'm worried about him, so I'd like to go out and look for him."

The handsome young man in front turned around and glanced at He Yilong behind him.

He Yilong raised an eyebrow slightly, his gaze passing over He Fan's shoulder to examine Bai Tao by the door.

Bai Tao felt the scrutinizing gaze, quickly pointed to her room, and continued speaking.

"I live in that room. I can leave you my ID card as collateral. I will definitely come back. I'm not a scammer."

I just moved here and haven't had a chance to buy these things yet...

If the hail damages your raincoat, I will replace it with a new one.

He Fan turned around and glanced at He Yilong again.

He Yilong was silent for two seconds, then nodded slightly.

He Fan handed over the raincoat and helmet in a gentle tone.

"It's alright, you can use it first. You don't need to leave your ID card as collateral, we're neighbors."

We're all living in basements, there's no need to make things difficult for each other.

Bai Tao accepted the raincoat and helmet, thanking them repeatedly.

Because it was a double raincoat, it was worn by her alone, and a long piece of it was trailing behind.

She put on her helmet, fastened the buttons, and walked to the entrance of the building.

The wind, carrying a drizzle, blew in through the building entrance, making it feel chilly.

Bai Tao looked up and glanced at it.

It was 6 p.m. in the summer, but it was as dark as midnight.

The air was thick with the smell of rain and earth, making it hard to breathe.

Small hailstones were still falling outside, hitting the puddles and splashing water.

Bai Tao gritted her teeth, stomped her foot, steeled her resolve, opened her umbrella, and rushed into the rain.

The umbrella was being pelted loudly by the hailstones, which bounced off it and landed on the ground, hopping twice before stopping.

Bai Taoliang walked close to the wall, using the eaves for shelter to avoid being hit by the hail.

Fortunately, she was dressed warmly; the double raincoat covered her completely, and the helmet protected her head, so the hail didn't hurt much when it hit her, although the sound was frightening.

Pei Jin, this is the last time I'll try to win your favor.

If you don't know what's good for you this time, I...I will find another way out!

We really need to find another way out!

Bai Tao was agonizing over this on the sofa for a long time.

She's figured it out. If she could have a second chance at life, as long as she's honest and hardworking, she could work for the rest of her life.

But she'll never get rich this way!

Her favorite Chanel, Balenciaga, and Hermès brands will have to say goodbye to her forever.

That won't do.

Therefore, for her wealth and glory, she is determined to give it her all.

Just one.

Bai Tao first navigated to the pharmacy she had visited during the day, and then started searching in the direction where Pei Jin had disappeared.

During the day, the road didn't seem particularly eerie, but at night, after the rain, the streetlights were dim, the old houses on both sides were pitch black, and the light coming through the windows was sparse. You could hardly see a single person on the whole street.

That alleyway, during the day it just looks a bit dilapidated, but at night it's eerie and desolate, like the kind of alleyway a horror movie protagonist would recklessly walk into.

The only street lamp stood at the entrance of the alley, emitting a dim, yellowish light. It was barely enough to see the road ahead, let alone illuminate it.

Bai Tao shrank her neck and forced herself to walk inside.

"Pei Jin—Pei Jin—Where are you—"

Her voice echoed briefly in the alley before being swallowed by the sound of rain.

The alley was deserted, except for the sound of rain and her own footsteps, splashing and echoing in the puddles.

Bai Tao took out her phone and made a voice call to Pei Jin.

"Beep—beep—beep—"

No one answered.

She made another call.

Still no one answered.

Row.

She took a deep breath and continued walking inside.

As she passed an alleyway intersection, Bai Tao subconsciously glanced to her left.

To the left is a plastic shed, about two or three meters wide, with several large garbage cans piled up next to it. It's all dark, and you can't see anything at all.

The plastic sheeting of the awning rustled and billowed in the wind, making Bai Tao's hair stand on end.

She glanced at it quickly, turned her head, and ran off at a faster pace.

"Pei Jin!"

The rain was still heavy, but the hail gradually stopped.

Bai Tao has already circled this area three times.

Water got into my shoes, and with every step I took I could feel my socks soaking wet and clinging to my feet.

The hem of her raincoat was covered in mud and water, heavy and cold. Her calves began to ache, and she felt a bone-chilling cold creeping into them.

In this heavy rain, there wasn't even a dog in sight.

She returned to that crossroads.

As usual, I glanced to the left. There was a reflective bicycle shed and trash cans, but it was all pitch black, and I couldn't see anything.

After confirming that she still couldn't see anything, Bai Tao turned around and took two steps—"Bang!"

I heard the sound of a plastic bottle hitting the ground behind me, a sound that was particularly crisp in the rainy night.

Bai Tao's feet were rooted to the spot.

My heart skipped a beat, then started pounding wildly, as if it were about to jump out of my throat.

"Who?"

Her voice trembled, clearly choked with sobs, and goosebumps rose all over her body.

Good heavens, is she really going to die so soon in this lifetime?

She usually loves watching horror movie reviews, but now, standing in this dark alley, with the rain pouring down and the streetlights dim, all the horror movie scenes suddenly flooded her mind.

These narrow alleys are where murderers are most likely to emerge.

Bai Tao's legs began to weaken, and tears welled up in her eyes, blurring her vision.

"Pei Jin... is that you?"

She called out tentatively.

No one responded.

The rain was so loud it sounded like the whole world was pouring water down on it.

Bai Tao gritted her teeth, and a thought suddenly flashed through her mind.

She picked up her phone, pointed it at the dark alley entrance, and pressed the shutter button.

Thanks to the phone's amazing night vision and flash, although she couldn't see anything clearly for a moment when the flash went off and all she could see was a blinding white light, at least she took a picture.

Bai Tao opened the photo album tremblingly, her heart pounding in her throat.

"Oh God, please, please don't let a murderer with a knife appear at her the next second!" she cried as she opened the photo.

enlarge.

In the photo, behind the trash can, a human leg is visible through the gap between the trash can and the wall. The knee is slightly bent, and the trouser leg is wet from the rain and clings to the calf.

Bai Tao's blood instantly turned cold.

On a dark and windy night, people are killing people and setting fires.

When a person is extremely scared, they cannot move even if they want to.

She felt as if her legs were filled with lead, her feet were nailed to the ground, and every cell in her body wanted to run away, but her body remained motionless.

A dead man.

She instinctively thought it was a corpse.

Then her gaze fell on the foot of that leg.

They were a pair of black sneakers with white lines on the upper. The design was simple and clean, and despite the heavy rain, the shoes were indeed clean, as if they had just been worn.

Bai Tao stared at the shoes for two seconds.

Pei Jin's shoes.

It's Pei Jin.