Velvet Chains of a Tycoon

Bro, Sister-in-law came looking for me at the clinic this afternoon... Qin Ran briefly explained what Du Xiaomei had come to talk about.

Just ignore her. She's been out partying for two days and didn't even stay at her parents' place—I have no idea where she went.

On the other end of the line, Qin Jian spoke indifferently: "She thinks I'm clueless and wants me to walk away from everything in a divorce. Does she really take me for a fool? If she wants a divorce, fine! But it won't be fake—it'll be real!"

Qin Ran refrained from commenting on her brother's marriage. "Bro, if you've made up your mind, make sure you consult someone who knows their stuff. That house only came cheap because you took care of those people for ten years. Don't let anyone get away with not paying a cent for it."

"I know. I just called Cheng Fei. She has a friend who's a lawyer, and she said she'd help me look into it."

Qin Jian sounded weary as he continued: "In a divorce, she'll definitely take some assets from me, but there's no way I'm walking away empty-handed."

Their marriage had barely lasted two years, and now it was falling apart due to unforeseen circumstances. Qin Ran didn't know what to say. Besides, she was only twenty-one, with no prior dating experience—what did she know about marriage?

After hanging up, Qin Ran lifted her head, feeling a bit drained, when she noticed a woman sitting next to her crying while talking on the phone.

"Business trip, business trip? Your secretary is pregnant from all these 'business trips,' and you still call it work? Do you think I'm stupid?"

Qin Ran: "..."

See, this is why young women these days are reluctant to date or get married. Whether it's men or women, if they don't genuinely commit to a relationship, why bother entering the confines of marriage?

That's why when Qin Ran and Lu Sheng got married, they agreed upfront that it would be a marriage of convenience. Neither of them intended to take the relationship seriously.

When Qin Ran returned to the Eastern River villa, Lu Sheng was already waiting for her at home.

The spacious villa was illuminated by an elegant crystal chandelier. On the beige leather sofa, Lu Sheng lounged comfortably, legs crossed, scrolling through his tablet.

Qin Ran changed her shoes and walked in. "Lu, you're back early today?"

"Early?" Lu Sheng glanced at his watch. "It's already nine o'clock. Isn't it more like you're late?"

Qin Ran felt a little sheepish. "The bus was running slow. After eight, buses only come every fifteen minutes. I missed one right after getting off the subway."

Lu Sheng set aside his tablet. "I heard the lake is nice. Lots of people go for walks there at night. Want to join me for a stroll?"

"A stroll?"

Qin Ran instinctively shook her head. "I just walked back from the bus stop—it took ten minutes. I've already had my exercise for the day. You can go by yourself."

The walk from the subway to the bus stop took ten minutes, and from the bus stop to the villa, another ten. So, she walked forty minutes round-trip each day—plenty of exercise.

Seeing her reluctance, Lu Sheng lost interest. "I don't know anyone in this neighborhood. What's the point of walking alone? Forget it."

Qin Ran hesitated before saying, "Well… I'll keep you company and take a quick look around the lake."

Lu Sheng looked at her in surprise. "Didn't you just say you walked for ten minutes?"

Qin Ran brushed it off. "Ten minutes isn't much. I'm young—I could walk two hours a day and still call it light exercise."

Truthfully, she felt awkward refusing him, especially since he'd moved into the supposedly haunted house with her. Though his reason for moving in was purely curiosity about ghosts, the gesture warmed her heart. Having someone else in such a large house felt better than living alone—even though she wasn't afraid of ghosts, she dreaded loneliness.

They grabbed their phones and headed out. Before leaving, Qin Ran reminded Lu Sheng to lock the gate.

Lu Sheng chuckled. "What's the point of locking it? We barely own anything worth stealing, and the owner's stuff is too big for thieves to carry off."

Still, he locked the gate behind them.

Holding their phones, they strolled along the tree-lined path lit by eerie green streetlights, following signs toward the lake.

Unbeknownst to them, less than five minutes after they left, someone opened their gate with a key. A figure dressed in black slipped quietly into the yard, pulled out another key, and unlocked the door to the first-floor hall. After checking inside, he took out his phone to make a call.

"Boss, someone's moved in. I saw a charger and a woman's handbag in the living room."

The man on the other end asked, "Is that so? Can we arrange something for tonight?"

The intruder, worried the residents might return soon, quickly exited, locking the door behind him. "Tonight's too rushed. I haven't prepared any props, and I haven't informed my guys yet."

"When's the earliest you can be ready?"

He glanced toward the upper floors. "At least three days. We need props—just wearing black doesn't make us look like ghosts."

"Alright, get everything ready as soon as possible. Today's Monday, so we'll execute the plan in three days…"

Yang Cheng hung up, a sinister smile spreading across his face. Qin Ran, greedy for money, dared to take on a job testing a haunted house for 100,000 yuan a month? Testing, testing—I'll test her myself. And for free! She won't see a single penny from me!

By the time Qin Ran and Lu Sheng reached the lake, they found it bustling with activity. It seemed the entire community gathered there in the evenings. People were strolling, barbecuing, and fishing. Lu Sheng was particularly intrigued by the barbecue scene, and they approached, intending to buy some. However, they learned the grill owners had brought their own equipment. Despite this, the residents warmly welcomed the newcomers, handing over two skewers of grilled lamb.

"You made the right choice moving here. Our neighborhood has great air quality and scenery—the only downside is the distance from the city center. But it's perfect for retirement!"

A nearby person laughed. "Such a young couple—they're not thinking about retirement yet, are they?"

Qin Ran, nibbling on her skewer, asked casually, "I heard this neighborhood is haunted?"

The grilling uncle waved dismissively. "Haunted? You must mean Building 4. That's because the owner offended someone in business. What does that have to do with ghosts?"

Qin Ran nodded thoughtfully. "So, Building 4 isn't actually haunted, right?"

The man paused, eyeing her curiously. "Young lady, which building do you live in?"

Qin Ran smiled. "We live in Building 4."

The lively chatter around them abruptly fell silent. The grilling uncle's face turned pale.

"Building 4? Aren't you afraid of ghosts?!"