Chapter 28: Phantom Shadow (Part Two)

Chen Aijia spoke slowly, "One day you'll understand just how formidable she is. For now, all you need to know is that Aunt Yu not only helps me look after my elders at home, but she also owns an animal shelter and an orphanage. You should show her respect from now on, do you understand? She's like family to me. If you don't treat her well, don't blame me for being harsh with you."

This was even stranger to Yang Changfeng. A woman with such an extraordinary background, working as a housekeeper in Chen Aijia's home, yet she had enough money to support both an animal shelter and an orphanage. He simply couldn't figure Aunt Yu out.

Chen Aijia didn't say much more to him. After eating some fruit, she said she needed to go upstairs to deal with some overdue paperwork, telling Yang Changfeng to rest on his own. Before heading up, she finally picked out a car key and tossed it to Yang Changfeng with a hint of schadenfreude in her smile, saying, "This car is yours now. Use it to commute—unless you don't want it, that's fine too."

Yang Changfeng couldn't help but feel frustrated. A car with four rings—could a mere security guard afford to drive one?

She was intent on stoking the tension between him and Wang Hu. But was that even necessary?

Chen Aijia shrugged, standing innocently at the top of the stairs, "Sorry, there's really nothing worse in the garage. Just make do. Good luck, and good night."

Just wait. Soon enough, you'll see that even a security guard who drives an Audi can be a king of soldiers.

Clutching the car key, Yang Changfeng mulled over his thoughts for a long while before returning to the guest room allotted to him, where he washed up and got ready for bed.

Not allowed upstairs? As if he cared.

If he really wanted to check up on her, did he need to go upstairs?

Too young and naïve!

The guest room itself wasn't lacking: a large bed, a desk and computer facing it, a few chairs by the door, and beyond them, a washroom that doubled as a bathroom.

The rich really do live in their own world, Yang Changfeng couldn't help but muse. It wasn't envy, just a sense of wonder.

After his shower, it was already past nine. Yang Changfeng was bored and restless. Ever since leaving the battlefield, he’d found it hard to adjust to a life where he didn’t have to stay alert even while sleeping.

He tossed and turned for ages, unable to fall asleep. Then he heard a faint sound outside. He jumped up, flung open the door, and rushed out—only to discover Chen Aijia in the living room, having a late-night snack.

She was eating macaroni, and turned her head to ask, "Want some?"

"No, thank you. You're too kind."

Yang Changfeng felt disappointed. Couldn't something come up to keep him busy?

Maybe he should scout out the company, see what Wang Hu and his gang were up to at night.

Chen Aijia found his behavior odd—almost unhinged. What was he up to?

She was in a good mood, making the rare effort to greet him, and this was the attitude she got?

So lazy and indifferent—it was as if he was the one owed something.

After a bit more tossing and turning, Yang Changfeng finally fell asleep quickly this time.

When another faint noise startled him awake, he glanced at the time—it was almost three in the morning.

What was Chen Aijia up to? Surely she wasn't having another midnight snack at this hour?

He felt a twinge of irritation—how was anyone supposed to sleep like this? He decided he needed to have a proper talk with Chen Aijia. Even if it was her house, she couldn’t be disturbing the peace all night.

He put on some clothes and stepped out. The living room was dark, the lights off, empty. Soft light from outside filtered in like moonlight, gently illuminating the room.

No movement.

Yang Changfeng shook his head, thinking maybe he was just too tense—maybe he was hearing things.

But as he turned to head back, he stopped short.

There really was a sound—it wasn't his imagination. It was coming from upstairs, very faint, but definitely there. It sounded like someone walking barefoot, shuffling slowly, almost dragging their feet. At that pace, it would take half an hour to cover ten meters.

A thief? Or...

Could there be something supernatural in Chen Aijia’s grand house?

He suddenly thought of Aunt Yu’s peculiar eyes, and a shiver ran down his spine. After hesitating, he decided to go and see for himself.

With such a prolonged, subtle disturbance, it definitely wasn’t just Chen Aijia doing something ordinary. Someone else had entered this mansion!

His adrenaline surging, Yang Changfeng took a deep breath and steeled himself, tiptoeing up the stairs.

As soon as he reached the top, he nearly jumped out of his skin, almost hitting his head on the ceiling.

At the head of the stairs stood a vague silhouette, bent over, moving as slowly as a snail in the hallway, shuffling a few centimeters every several seconds.

"Who’s there?"

Yang Changfeng leapt forward, nerves on edge from the eerie scene.

The figure seemed oblivious to his presence. Even when he stood right in front of her, she just veered aside and continued her slow, stooped progress.

It was Chen Aijia!

Yang Changfeng let out a breath of relief and barked, "Are you crazy? What are you doing in the middle of the night—"

He stopped mid-sentence. He saw that Chen Aijia was almost completely unclothed, wearing nothing but the thinnest, most intimate undergarments. Her skin, white as jade, was exposed to the air. Her hands moved slightly—one hanging as if holding something, the other swaying from side to side.

What was going on?

Was she possessed?

Yang Changfeng instinctively stepped back, his scalp tingling with dread.

Chen Aijia clearly hadn't noticed him at all. In fact, she seemed to have no awareness whatsoever.

After watching for a while, Yang Changfeng realized—she was "cleaning."

What was this?

Listening to her even, steady breathing, Yang Changfeng pressed himself against the wall. When she passed by, he reached out and grabbed her arm.

Her skin was ice cold, utterly lifeless.

She was sleepwalking!

It dawned on him that Chen Aijia was in the throes of a sleepwalking episode, dreaming she was cleaning while actually acting it out.

Who would have thought she had such a condition!

Now that he understood, Yang Changfeng was amused.

He took out his phone, turned on the corridor light, and filmed for a few minutes as evidence. Under the light, he noticed Chen Aijia’s tightly shut eyes and the sweat beading on her forehead, and he couldn’t help but feel a complicated emotion.

Unless the pressure was overwhelming, she wouldn’t be sleepwalking in the middle of the night.

Clearly, the situation at the company had left her physically and mentally exhausted.

He wondered if, when she lived alone before, this had ever happened. If she was this drained during the day and tormenting herself like this at night, how could her health not suffer?

He decided to go easier on her from now on. She might be a pain, but she was, after all, a woman.

Circling behind her, he placed a hand on her shoulder and hoisted her slender form with ease. Yang Changfeng carried her down the hallway, found the bedroom at the eastern end—with three walls of floor-to-ceiling windows and a large, messy bed—and figured this must be hers. He gently laid her down.

Just as he was about to let go, Chen Aijia’s eyes suddenly snapped open. A fierce look flashed across her face, and she slapped him hard.