I hadn’t slept a wink all night, fear coiling around me like a venomous snake, squeezing so tightly that I could hardly breathe.
Li Qiang’s call, the disappearance of Wang Jun and Zhao Lei—each piece felt like a heavy stone, pressing down on me until I was nearly suffocating.
Was the nightmare from five years ago really coming back to haunt me?
I dared not think about it, yet I couldn’t help but do so.
The morning sunlight filtered through the curtains into the room, but it brought no warmth; instead, it made me feel even colder.
I forced myself to shake off the gloom, washed up, and changed clothes, trying hard to put on a façade of ease.
Standing in front of the mirror, I looked at my haggard reflection and managed a bitter smile.
In just a few short days, I felt as if I had aged ten years.
Li Wei emerged from the bedroom, her expression filled with concern as she asked what was wrong.
I mustered a weak smile and told her I was fine, just that I hadn’t slept well last night.
I didn’t want to worry her, nor did I want to drag her into this whirlpool of trouble.
Breakfast was suffocatingly silent; we both sat in quietude, with only the clinking of cutlery echoing in the room.
After seeing Li Wei off, I immediately dialed the private investigator’s number.
“Hello, it’s me,” my voice came out low and hoarse. “Any news?”
On the other end of the line, the investigator replied, “Not yet. Wang Jun and Zhao Lei have vanished without a trace; it’s as if they’ve evaporated.”
My heart sank suddenly, a sense of foreboding washing over me.
"Keep searching," I said through clenched teeth. "We have to find them no matter what."
After hanging up the phone, I paced back and forth in my room, feeling restless and anxious.
I tried to calm myself down, thinking about what to do next.
I knew I had to find Wang Jun and Zhao Lei before things got worse, to uncover the truth behind it all.
Time ticked by, and my anxiety grew stronger with each passing second.
By evening, I dragged my weary body home.
A strange black sedan was parked downstairs, looking particularly out of place under the dim streetlights.
A shadow flickered inside the car, and my heart sank again.
A sense of dread surged within me; I felt as if I were being stalked by a wild beast.
I hurried into the hallway, my heart racing as if something were chasing me from behind.
A chill ran down my spine, and the hairs on my neck stood on end.
Once inside my home, I noticed a new Anonymous Letter on the doorknob.
The black letters seemed like a curse from hell, piercing my eyes with their intensity.
The content of the letter was even more threatening than before, directly naming my wife, Li Wei.
My anger erupted instantly, a chill racing from my feet to the top of my head.
I gripped the anonymous letter tightly, my knuckles turning white.
I burst into the room where Li Wei was sitting on the sofa, reading a book.
Seeing my pale face and terrified expression, she quickly asked what had happened.
I handed her the anonymous letter, and her face turned ashen, her lips trembling, unable to utter a word.
Suddenly, Li Wei pointed at the curtains. "Look, there seems to be a reflection over there."
My heart sank; we realized someone was watching us.
I immediately walked to the window and yanked the curtains open. Outside was pitch black; there was nothing there.
"Did I see it wrong?" Li Wei's voice trembled with fear.
I shook my head; my instincts told me we were being targeted.
We began to search the room meticulously, leaving no corner unchecked.
We rummaged through every drawer, inspected all the furniture, and even looked under the bed.
Finally, behind the bookshelf, we discovered a tiny camera.
It disguised itself well; if not for the careful observation, it would have been nearly impossible to detect.
Li Wei's emotions completely shattered. She held onto me tightly, crying like a child.
"I'm scared. I don't want to lose you," she sobbed. "Let's call the police, please."
My heart was filled with anger and helplessness as I comforted her, assuring her that everything would be alright.
Though I hesitated, I ultimately agreed to Li Wei's request.
We dialed the police again, reporting the incident and providing the surveillance footage as evidence.
The operator's monotonous script filled me with a sense of despair.
I knew that even with a report, there was no guarantee we could catch the mastermind behind this.
But I had to do it—for Li Wei, for our precarious life.
After hanging up the phone, I gazed out at the pitch-black night sky, a deep unease swelling within me.
I understood that this was merely the calm before the storm; the real crisis lay ahead.
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