The party ended at midnight.
Lin Haoran walked Jiang Yue to her car like a perfect gentleman, holding an umbrella over her head even though it wasn't raining. His hand rested on her lower back—possessive, guiding.
She wanted to break every finger.
"I had a wonderful time tonight," he said, opening her car door. "I hope we can do this again soon."
"I'd like that." Jiang Yue smiled sweetly. "Thank you for inviting me."
"Anything for you." He leaned in close, his breath warm against her ear. "You're special, Jiang Yue. I knew it from the moment I saw you."
*You knew my net worth from the moment you saw me*, she corrected silently.
She let him kiss her cheek before sliding into the car. As she drove away, she watched him shrink in the rearview mirror—still waving, still smiling, still playing the role of Prince Charming.
The moment she turned the corner, her smile dropped.
She pulled out her phone and dialed Feng Yichen.
"Done," she said. "I got everything. Project Lotus, victim names, his whole operation."
"How bad?"
"Worse than we thought. He's killed at least five women. Maybe more."
Silence on the other end.
"Come to the Bureau. Now."
---
Forty minutes later, Jiang Yue sat in a conference room with Feng Yichen and three senior Bureau agents. The USB drive's contents were projected on a large screen.
Names. Photos. Dates. Methods.
Five confirmed victims. Three more suspected.
"Chen Meihua, electronics heiress. Married Lin Haoran's cousin six years ago. Died in a 'car accident' after signing over her shares." Feng Yichen clicked to the next slide. "Wang Yiling, real estate fortune. Broke off engagement after discovering discrepancies in family accounts. Disappeared. Body never found."
Jiang Yue stared at the faces of the dead women.
They were all beautiful. All wealthy. All trusting.
All just like her.
"The Lin family has been doing this for at least two generations," Feng Yichen continued. "Lin Haoran's father married into money, inherited everything when his wife died 'suddenly,' then trained his son to do the same."
"His mother," Jiang Yue said quietly. "Lin Haoran's mother was a victim too?"
"First one we know of. The original blueprint."
The room fell silent.
Jiang Yue thought about Lin Haoran growing up in that mansion, learning from his father how to charm women, how to lie, how to kill. He never had a chance to be anything else.
Did that make her feel sorry for him?
Not even a little.
"What about legal action?" one of the senior agents asked. "This evidence could put them away for life."
"Half of it was obtained illegally," another agent replied. "The recordings, the computer files—none of it would be admissible. And the Lin family has judges in their pocket. We've seen what happens when people try to take them down through courts."
"So we do what we do best," Feng Yichen said. "We take them down ourselves."
All eyes turned to Jiang Yue.
"Lin Haoran and his father are guilty of multiple murders. They qualify for the Boundary Keeper's list." Feng Yichen's voice was steady. "But taking them out now would be premature. We need to dismantle their network first. Cut off their resources, expose their crimes publicly, then deliver the final blow."
Jiang Yue nodded. "I agree. I want them to lose everything before they lose their lives. I want them to suffer like their victims suffered."
"That's the plan then." Feng Yichen stood. "Jiang Yue continues undercover. Gathers more evidence. Identifies everyone in their network. When the time is right, we bring the whole thing crashing down."
The meeting adjourned.
---
Feng Yichen found her on the Bureau's rooftop an hour later.
She was leaning against the railing, staring at the city lights below. The wind whipped her hair around her face, but she didn't seem to notice.
"You okay?" he asked, standing beside her.
"Five women," she said without looking at him. "At least five. And I was supposed to be number six."
"But you weren't. You came back."
"Why me?" She finally turned to face him. "Why did I get a second chance when they didn't? Chen Meihua, Wang Yiling, Zhao Lianhua—they were all innocent. They all deserved to live. Why am I the one who gets to come back and get revenge?"
Feng Yichen was quiet for a moment.
"I asked myself the same thing after my accident," he admitted. "My sister was in the car with me. I died for four minutes and came back. She died instantly and stayed dead."
Jiang Yue's expression softened. "I'm sorry."
"I spent years wondering why. Why me and not her? What made me special?" He shook his head. "I never found an answer. But I did find a purpose."
"The Bureau?"
"Helping people like us. People caught between worlds. People who've seen too much to go back to normal life." He looked at her intently. "You came back for a reason, Jiang Yue. Maybe it's revenge. Maybe it's justice. Maybe it's something bigger. But don't waste time questioning why you're alive. Just make it count."
She held his gaze for a long moment.
Something passed between them—understanding, connection, the recognition of two people who had touched death and returned changed.
"Thank you," she said quietly.
"Don't thank me yet." He pulled out his phone. "We have work to do. The Boundary Keeper doesn't accept emotional moments as payment."
She almost laughed. Almost.
---
The next target was a man named Director Huang Zhiwei.
Child trafficking. Fifteen years. Hundreds of victims.
Protected by connections in the education department that made him untouchable by law.
"He runs a private boarding school for orphans," Feng Yichen explained as they drove toward the outskirts of the city. "On paper, it's a charity. In reality, he sells kids to the highest bidder."
Jiang Yue's hands tightened on her knees.
In her previous life, she had donated to children's charities. She had attended galas, written checks, smiled for photos.
She never knew monsters like this existed right under her nose.
"How do we get to him?"
"The school has a fundraiser tonight. High security, invitation only. But I got us in." He handed her an invitation card. "You're a wealthy donor looking to make a large contribution. I'm your assistant."
"And once we're inside?"
"Find Huang Zhiwei. Get him alone. Do what needs to be done."
Simple. Clean. Deadly.
---
The Golden Future Academy looked beautiful from the outside.
Manicured gardens, elegant buildings, children's artwork displayed in the windows. Signs proclaimed values like "Hope," "Growth," and "Family."
It made Jiang Yue sick.
The fundraiser was held in the main auditorium—champagne, canapés, and wealthy donors patting themselves on the back for their generosity. Nobody knew they were funding a monster.
Jiang Yue spotted Director Huang immediately.
He was a small man in his fifties, with a round face and kind eyes that crinkled when he smiled. He moved through the crowd like a beloved grandfather, shaking hands and accepting praise.
"That's him?" she murmured to Feng Yichen.
"Don't let appearances fool you. He's personally responsible for over three hundred children disappearing."
Three hundred.
Jiang Yue's vision went red for a moment.
She took a breath. Focused. She couldn't lose control here.
"I'll approach him," she said. "Create an opportunity."
"I'll be nearby. Signal if you need backup."
She grabbed a glass of champagne and walked toward her target.
---
"Director Huang! What a pleasure to finally meet you!"
Jiang Yue's voice was bright, enthusiastic—the perfect wealthy socialite looking for a cause to support.
Huang Zhiwei turned, his grandfatherly smile widening. "And you are...?"
"Jiang Yue. My family runs Jiang Pharmaceuticals. I've heard such wonderful things about your work with orphans."
Recognition flickered in his eyes. Jiang Pharmaceuticals. Billions. Potential.
"Miss Jiang! Of course, of course! Your family's reputation precedes you." He took her hand warmly. "I'm honored you could attend our little gathering."
"I wanted to see the children's artwork myself. It's so moving." She gestured at the displays. "These children are lucky to have someone who cares so much about them."
The lie tasted like poison on her tongue.
"We do our best." Huang patted her hand. "Every child deserves a loving home. That's our mission here at Golden Future."
*Loving homes you sell them to*, Jiang Yue thought. *After taking payment from the worst kinds of buyers.*
"I'd love to discuss a substantial donation," she said. "Perhaps somewhere more private? I have some... specific interests I'd like to discuss."
Something shifted in Huang's expression.
Specific interests. Private discussion. Large donation.
He thought she was a buyer.
"Of course, Miss Jiang. My office is just down the hall. Much quieter there."
He led her away from the crowd.
Feng Yichen watched them go, his hand moving to the weapon concealed under his jacket.
---
Huang Zhiwei's office was exactly what you'd expect from a charity director.
Children's drawings on the walls. Family photos on the desk. Awards and certificates displayed prominently.
All fake. All camouflage.
"Please, sit." Huang gestured to a chair. "Now, what specific interests did you have in mind?"
Jiang Yue didn't sit.
"I know what you really do here, Director Huang."
His smile froze.
"I'm sorry?"
"The children. Where they really go. Who pays for them." She stepped closer. "I know everything."
The kindly grandfather mask cracked.
Underneath was something cold and calculating.
"I don't know what you're talking about." His hand moved toward a button under his desk. "I think you should leave."
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."
Jiang Yue moved fast—faster than she'd ever moved in her previous life. Bureau training kicked in automatically. In three seconds, she had crossed the room, grabbed his wrist, and twisted it behind his back.
He yelped in pain and surprise.
"Three hundred children," she said coldly. "That's how many you've sold. How many families you've destroyed. How many lives you've ruined."
"You can't prove anything—"
"I don't need to prove anything." She leaned close to his ear. "I'm not the police, Director. I'm something much worse."
Fear finally registered in his eyes.
"Who—who are you?"
"I'm the person who decides whether you live or die." She pulled out the knife Feng Yichen had given her. "And I've already made my decision."
The door opened. Feng Yichen stepped in, blocking any escape.
Huang Zhiwei looked between them, understanding dawning.
"Please," he begged. "I have money. I have connections. Whatever you want—"
"I want those children back," Jiang Yue cut him off. "I want their families to have peace. I want the years of trauma and suffering undone. Can you give me that?"
He couldn't answer.
"Then you have nothing I want."
The knife moved.
Quick. Clean. Final.
Huang Zhiwei crumpled to the floor, his grandfather mask gone forever.
---
They made it look like a heart attack.
Bureau cleaners arrived within minutes, erasing any evidence of foul play. By tomorrow, Director Huang Zhiwei would be mourned as a beloved charity worker who died suddenly at his own fundraiser.
Nobody would ever know the truth.
Except the children he'd hurt. They would feel it somehow—a weight lifted, a monster vanquished.
In the car driving back to the Bureau, Jiang Yue felt the familiar cold brush of the Boundary Keeper's presence.
**"ANOTHER SOUL DELIVERED. YOUR DEBT DECREASES."**
Soul count: 3/100.
Ninety-seven to go.
"You did well tonight," Feng Yichen said. "Three kills in one week. You're adapting faster than anyone I've seen."
"Is that a compliment or a concern?"
"Both." He glanced at her. "Just don't lose yourself in this. The kills get easier. That's when you need to be careful."
Jiang Yue stared out the window at the passing city lights.
Each light was a home. Each home held people who had no idea about the darkness lurking around them. They slept peacefully while monsters walked among them.
But now there was someone hunting those monsters back.
"I won't lose myself," she said quietly. "I know exactly who I am."
*I'm the woman they killed.*
*I'm the nightmare they created.*
*And I'm just getting started.*
Her phone buzzed. A text from Xu Meilin:
*"Yue Yue! Lin Haoran said you two had a great time at the party! He's totally into you! When can we celebrate? ♡♡♡"*
Jiang Yue typed back:
*"Soon. Very soon. (◕‿◕)"*
She meant it differently than Xu Meilin would understand.
Soon, the celebration would begin.
Just not the kind anyone expected.
END OF CHAPTER 4
Next Chapter Preview:
*Lin Haoran makes his next move, inviting Jiang Yue to meet his father. But the elder Lin is far more dangerous than his son—and he's already suspicious. Meanwhile, Zhao Lianhua's ghost delivers a warning: something ancient is stirring beneath the city, drawn by the blood Jiang Yue has spilled. The hunter is about to become the hunted.*