Reborn as the Villain's Wife, I Shine in 80s-Chapter 460 - 445 Sounds of Footsteps at Midnight

She opened her eyes and glanced to her side; her son was still fast asleep. She was eager to find the source of the sound, and in the next instant, she saw a shadowy figure standing by the window.

The shadow had its back to her, repeatedly murmuring, "Where is it?"

"Who are you?" Tian Sangsang threw back the covers. She couldn’t help but be drawn to that voice—it was gloomy and menacing, yet she felt an inexplicable pull she couldn’t resist.

"What thing?" She got out of bed, slowly approaching him.

"What do you think?" He turned around slowly, revealing an utterly horrifying face!

That face—it wasn’t a face at all!

"Ah!!" Accompanied by a piercing scream, Tian Sangsang jolted awake from her nightmare. She gasped for air in terror, beads of sweat breaking out on her forehead. "Ugh!" Her stomach churned; she sat up, covering her mouth and dry-heaving a few times.

She retched for a while but nothing came up. The air was eerily still. Rotating her gaze, she realized it was the middle of the night, and she was still in her own room. Uneasily, she looked towards the window. The night breeze fluttered the curtains slightly.

No shadow, no shadow—it seemed to have just been a nightmare.

She silently mulled over this, letting out a few breaths of relief, but suddenly, her entire body was enveloped in a chill.

Did she not close the window tonight?

She turned her head to look at the bed. Her son was still there. Then she whipped her gaze back to the window—nothing strange was there.

Was the window closed or not? Closed or not closed? How did it open just a crack?

Overcome with doubt, she lay back down, hugging her son’s soft little body tightly. She stroked his tender little face and kissed his fluffy head; her breathing calmed considerably.

"Mommy." The little figure in her arms suddenly spoke softly, his eyes gleaming in the darkness.

One small hand wrapped around her, and in a whisper, he said, "I hear footsteps."

Her breath froze, and Tian Sangsang’s body tensed. She clutched her son close and scanned the surroundings warily. That’s when she noticed the door was half-open, and a shadow was cast on the floor, showing a faintly elongated edge.

"Who? Who’s there?" Tian Sangsang shouted immediately, a dagger from her spatial space suddenly appearing in her hand.

It seemed the shadow had heard her voice. In a flash, it vanished completely.

"Yanyan, it’s okay now, don’t be scared." The next moment, Tian Sangsang jumped down from the bed and turned on the light.

Under the bright light, the room held no suspicious figures—only Tian Sangsang, pale-faced, and Meng Shuyan, staring at each other. She held the little one in her arms, reassured now that he was safe. "Do you still hear the footsteps?"

"Outside." Meng Shuyan lifted his head, his wet, glistening eyes staring at her.

"Stop!" Just then, an urgent male voice came from the yard. The voice was very familiar—it was Zhao Chun!

Tian Sangsang picked up Meng Shuyan and walked out, turning on the living room light and heading into the yard.

Zhao Chun was panting hard, bent slightly over, his hands resting on his knees. Struggling, he said, "He climbed over the wall and got away."

He walked closer and asked, "Are you two alright?"

Tian Sangsang nodded slowly.

Meng Shuyan spoke up from her arms, "Chun Zisu, there was a thief just now. He heard Mommy’s voice and ran away." The little one’s expression looked calm, but fear still lingered in his eyes—after all, he was just a child.

"It’s alright, Yanyan." Tian Sangsang kissed his cheek, and only then did his fear subside.

"I saw the thief. I scared him off." Zhao Chun reached out, speaking warmly, "Come here, don’t be afraid. Uncle’s got you now." The little one was held in Uncle’s arms, feeling steadier. Chun Zisu’s embrace wasn’t as soft as his mommy’s, but like a father’s, it made him feel safe.

"Come inside." Tian Sangsang stroked her son’s small head and invited Zhao Chun into the living room.

Zhao Chun carried Meng Shuyan to sit down in the living room, hesitating to speak. With Meng Shuyan around, he didn’t feel comfortable disclosing the details. Meng Shuyan eyed the two adults intently, his curiosity brimming, eager to hear their conversation. But neither said a word. The little one, frightened in the middle of the night, quickly grew drowsy and fell asleep groggily.

Tian Sangsang carefully took Meng Shuyan from Zhao Chun’s arms, planning to move him to the bedroom. Suddenly she remembered horror movies she had watched before. Separating now was the worst decision—the group should stay together. Otherwise, if Meng Shuyan were left alone in the bedroom, the next thing she’d hear might just be a scream.

Thus, she placed Meng Shuyan beside her and fetched a small blanket from the bedroom. After covering him up, she kissed his little forehead, finally at ease.

"Why are you here so late at night?" She looked at Zhao Chun, exasperated.

Zhao Chun scratched his head. "I couldn’t relax at night, so I thought to come check on you two. But just as I climbed over the wall from my yard to yours and steadied myself, I saw that shadow dash out of your house. I couldn’t catch him—he ran off." Taking a deep breath, he added, "It turns out there really was someone."

"I think now that we’ve caught him off guard, he might stay quiet for a while. But we should still be cautious." Tian Sangsang asked, "Did you see his face?"

"No." Zhao Chun shook his head regretfully. Thinking back, he said, "It was too dark. He was dressed in black robes, with fabric covering his face. He looked like an ancient assassin. But you could tell he was a man, taller than me, and very nimble. At the first sound of my shout, he vaulted over the wall and disappeared."

A nimble man... Tian Sangsang mulled this over. "Maybe it’s related to the Lushan case after all."

"It’s all my fault," Zhao Chun said regretfully. "I insisted on hiring a foreigner back then, and now this trouble has landed on us."

"Disasters, whether natural or human-made, are impossible to predict," Tian Sangsang glanced at him. "But don’t you care about your life? Stop climbing walls at night—you’ll provoke the criminals and end up dead."

Zhao Chun fell silent for a moment before answering, "I don’t mind. I’m just a man; there isn’t much that people would want from me. Why don’t you and Yanyan move back to the compound? There are sentries there watching over everything, and it’s much safer than here."

"Running away doesn’t solve anything." Her situation was irreversible; there was no returning. "And I definitely won’t leave a friend like you behind."

"So, should we just stay here and keep watch all night?" Zhao Chun rubbed his chin.

Tian Sangsang nodded, "The night is long—how about playing a game of talking to spirits?"

Zhao Chun coughed awkwardly, "I think eating instant noodles is a better idea."

"Instant noodles are unhealthy. Eating rice is better," Tian Sangsang said wistfully.

With a resigned sigh, Zhao Chun stood up and headed to the kitchen. "How about egg noodles?"

Tian Sangsang rubbed her belly. "Pickled vegetable noodles are more appetizing. Add some Little Chili while you’re at it; it’ll boost courage."

Zhao Chun: "... Fine!"

Zhao Chun personally whipped up a bowl of noodles—pickled vegetable rice noodles. The noodles sat in clear broth topped with a small pile of pickled vegetables, a few slices of Little Chili, and sprinkles of chopped scallions. Simple as it was, it looked appetizing.

Late into the night, both of them, now hungry from their fright, exchanged a glance and silently dug in.

Slurp-slurp-slurp—they ate with relish. Already asleep, Meng Shuyan was awakened by the alluring aroma. His misty eyes gazed at the two of them. He was fuming—Mommy and Chun Zisu were sneaking food without him!

"Mommy, Chun Zisu." The little one complained softly.

Zhao Chun paused mid-slurp and blinked, "Yanyan! You woke up! Are you hungry?" 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Meng Shuyan nodded his tiny head.

"There’s more. Uncle will get you a bowl."

Tian Sangsang watched Zhao Chun’s back and pinched her son’s cheek. "Was it the sound of us eating noodles that woke you up?"

Meng Shuyan’s cheeks turned pink. "It was the scent of the noodles that woke me up."

Tian Sangsang fed him a piece of pickled vegetable. "What a little foodie you are."

The next day, Guan Kunling brought results: "I’ve checked. All the loquats on the market are regular loquats; there’s no clue from that lead. There’s only one possibility left."

Both of them simultaneously thought of the Hua Family. So it’s only her basket of loquats that had issues—it must have been tampered with intentionally. Tian Sangsang furrowed her brows—seems she needed to meet Hua Zifeng.

Tian Sangsang knew Hua Zifeng would either be at home, at school, or at the food factory. Hoping for a stroke of luck, she went to Huarun Food Factory. She explained her purpose to the doorman, who went to notify someone. Shortly after, he returned with a smile, "Ms. Tian, you may go up."