Chapter 33: Another You

Upon hearing such words, Tanya regained her usual calm. Yet, as information about her old nemesis echoed in her ears, she could not help but feel a surge of emotion, an impulse to recklessly dash inside and finally lay eyes upon the true face of the person who had murdered her.

It was only after Chu Ning’s persuasion that she managed to recover her rationality, though her heart still harbored discontent. After all, this was her own home—how could she tolerate outsiders usurping it?

“What should we do next?”

Upon learning that someone might be inside, Tanya took the initiative to seek Chu Ning’s opinion. At present, Chu Ning truly was reliable in certain ways, such as resolving matters by force.

But there were also things that gave one a headache—sometimes he would act manic, spouting nonsense, which was equally troublesome.

“No rush. My mind is a bit muddled right now; I need to sort things out. Once we clarify the existing doubts, it won’t be too late to deal with whoever is inside. Anyway, they’re in there—they can’t escape our sight.”

Chu Ning lifted the bag of vegetables in his hand and shook it before Tanya, narrowing his eyes dangerously as he scrutinized her. “Tell me—what’s the story behind this bag of vegetables? Explain it clearly!”

Faced with Chu Ning’s interrogative stance, Tanya was a little at a loss. What was so strange about it? Was he having another episode?

“What about this bag? Is there something inside you don’t like? If so, I’m truly sorry! Next time, let me know in advance and I’ll be more careful.”

Tanya pondered for a moment and gave her simple guess. In her heart, she silently complained about Chu Ning’s unpredictable moods; he really was a difficult person to deal with.

“Don’t deflect! I’m asking you—when was this bag of vegetables purchased?” Chu Ning’s expression turned sour. He was certain that Tanya hadn’t left his line of sight since before entering the building, which made the origin of this bag highly suspicious.

Where did it come from? He clearly remembered that when Tanya walked out of the supermarket, she wasn’t carrying anything.

Moreover, Tanya had entered the building ahead of him. Given the time he wasted opening the door, she would have had plenty of time to climb from the ground floor to the sixth. Why, then, did she appear at the door later than him? What had she done during that interval?

Chu Ning couldn’t help but overthink. As an outstanding man, both wealthy and attractive, he was a prime target for ruthless criminals. He had ample reason to suspect Tanya might be colluding with others to set a trap for him.

“Unbelievable! I bought this bag at the supermarket. Shopping for groceries in the rain has been my habit for a long time—don’t you remember?” Tanya was growing irritated. Being interrogated like a criminal was truly unpleasant!

Chu Ning scrutinized Tanya’s expression, finding no sign of deceit. He stroked his chin, pondering the situation. Why did their accounts diverge so sharply?

Was the person he saw really Tanya?

“Are you absolutely certain about what you said?” Chu Ning asked Tanya seriously, his expression anything but playful.

“I swear I’m not lying! Why won’t you believe me?” Tanya replied impatiently, her voice rising a bit. Remembering that someone else might be in her home, she tried hard to control her volume.

Chu Ning regarded her with amusement. “Do you believe I just saw another you?”

The hallway fell silent for a long moment. Tanya smacked her lips, at a loss for words. The world was truly strange—she had seen another Chu Ning at the northern villa, yet in the end, Chu Ning hadn’t believed her.

Instead, he had questioned her honesty, stubbornly insisting she was delusional!

If she were in the same situation, she would certainly choose to believe Chu Ning. Tanya thought that one should treat the mentally ill with understanding and compassion.

“I believe you,” Tanya said, gazing into Chu Ning’s dark eyes. She could see her own expression reflected there—though a bit insincere, for deep down she was unwilling to accept his ramblings.

After all, their relationship was merely transactional. Groups bound by interest were always the most tenuous, yet also the most resilient. It was impossible for them to become completely open and trusting after only a few days.

“When I saw you leave the supermarket, you walked out empty-handed, having bought nothing. You entered the hallway ahead of me, yet appeared at your door after I did! Think about it—really think it over.”

Chu Ning didn’t pursue the matter further. He knew how fragile their connection was; there was no need to say more. Tanya clearly didn’t trust him—her false expression made that obvious.

“Could you describe it in detail?” Tanya took a deep breath, beginning to suspect she might have encountered something supernatural. If she thought with ordinary logic, Chu Ning’s words were wholly untrustworthy.

Yet, in this bizarre world, the supernatural played an important role, forcing Tanya to consider such possibilities. People often attributed the unknown to spirits and ghosts.

“No problem, just as you wish.” Chu Ning shrugged indifferently and patiently recounted his experience, which differed completely from Tanya’s.

After listening carefully to Chu Ning’s account, Tanya drew a deep breath, her face pale as she gazed at him, her heart pounding.

Had she become a ghost again? The absurd notion quickly fell apart. From Chu Ning’s description, she realized their experiences were entirely different; this alone didn’t frighten her.

However, the trajectory of the other Tanya’s actions was identical to her own on the day she was killed, except for one detail: the vegetables in Chu Ning’s hand.

“Beef, cabbage, coriander… all the same. It’s exactly the same as what I bought that day—not a single thing out of place!”

Tanya muttered, head bowed. The coincidence was uncanny! She had no habit of buying identical foods, even if taste preferences led to some repetition, there would always be some differences.

These vegetables seemed as if they’d been stamped from the same mold. She furrowed her brow, recalling the process of shopping, but to her dismay, the entire process had vanished—she remembered only the result, the bag of vegetables in her hand.

She couldn’t believe there was nothing suspicious going on. Who was orchestrating all of this, unseen? She cast a sidelong glance at the nonchalant Chu Ning, but quickly dismissed him as a suspect.

If Chu Ning were behind it, he’d have no reason to tell her, would he?