Chapter 74: Gold and Jade on the Outside

It seemed they had indeed found the right place—this was Yang Huishu’s residence.

Huo Yan knocked a few more times, his force still as strong as before, the sound echoing through the dark corridor. In the livestream, Little Lamb appeared even more anxious; the knocking was so aggressive, and in such a dilapidated, nearly abandoned residential block, anyone would be frightened. Yet her stream did not stop. Clutching her phone, her face full of terror, she slowly edged toward the door. The camera was so close that her own face filled the entire screen, making it impossible to see the background of her home. It was only apparent that after leaving her previous room, the surroundings became dim, as if no lights had been turned on.

Her fans in the comment section were obviously growing nervous. Ning Shuyi noticed someone commenting that even Little Lamb’s breathing sounded tense and fearful, and some began to ask where she was and whether they could help her call the police.

At the same time, perhaps out of sheer curiosity, the number of viewers in Little Lamb’s livestream started to climb rapidly. The sudden tension on her end drew in a crowd of onlookers.

Huo Yan continued knocking while Yang Huishu, though visibly nervous and scared, did not rush to the door to inquire. Instead, she dawdled even more.

Could it be that she realized her predicament had drawn in so many viewers, making her livestream numbers soar, and was using this chance to stir up some hype?

Ning Shuyi, watching Yang Huishu’s every move in the livestream, could not help but entertain such a thought.

Normally, a woman living alone who faced sudden knocking at night would naturally feel anxious, wanting to ensure her own safety, and would try to quickly send the visitor away or seek help from friends, even call the police.

Yet Yang Huishu, though tense, kept her eyes glued to the skyrocketing viewer count, procrastinating, neither answering the door nor seeking help.

If Ning Shuyi’s guess was correct, Yang Huishu was truly willing to do anything for fame.

Perhaps due to repeated prompting in the livestream comments, Yang Huishu finally moved again. In the dim light, only her wide, darting eyes could be seen on screen, filled with panic.

“Who is it?” At last, a woman’s voice came from behind the door.

“Police! Yang Huishu, please open the door!” Huo Yan stamped his foot; the corridor’s sensor light was clearly broken. He took out his phone, turned on the flashlight, and shone it on his badge, holding it up to the peephole so the person inside could see clearly.

His response was not only heard by Yang Huishu on the other side but also by everyone in the livestream. Exclamation marks immediately flooded the comment section. Some reminded her not to let her guard down just because someone claimed to be the police—what if someone was impersonating an officer with ill intentions?

Upon hearing Huo Yan’s words, however, Yang Huishu’s expression visibly changed. Her earlier nervousness had been more of uncertainty and suspicion; now she was truly flustered.

While the viewers continued warning her to beware—after all, why would the police suddenly show up at someone’s door at night without reason—Yang Huishu abruptly ended the livestream.

The once lively screen instantly went black, leaving only an “offline” notice.

Ning Shuyi slipped her phone back into her pocket. At the same time, the door opened.

The rickety security door creaked open. Yang Huishu stood there in the same clothes she’d worn in her livestream, phone in hand, visibly trembling.

Huo Yan pulled the door open wider to prevent Yang Huishu from second-guessing and slamming it shut, while also holding his badge forward so she could see it clearly. “Yang Huishu, we’re from the W City Public Security Bureau’s Criminal Investigation Team. There’s a case we need you to come with us to assist in investigating.”

At this moment, Yang Huishu looked nothing like the ethereal figure she portrayed online. Perhaps it was due to the lack of beauty filters, or maybe she was simply terrified. Her complexion was deathly pale, and she seemed on the verge of tears, entirely different from the otherworldly charm she usually cultivated.

“I…I need to change my clothes…” she stammered, her body quivering as she spoke.

Ning Shuyi stepped forward and nodded at her. “Alright, I’ll go in with you.”

Yang Huishu clearly disliked this arrangement, but she knew she had no room to bargain. She said nothing more and silently turned to head inside.

Ning Shuyi followed her, feeling along the wall by the door until she found the light switch. With a click, the once pitch-black living room was illuminated by a dim, yellowish glow.

The light came from a single energy-saving bulb dangling from the ceiling—far from bright, but enough to illuminate the room. Everyone at the door was taken aback.

The apartment was very small, just one bedroom and one living area, no more than fifty square meters. The floor was battered concrete, covered with a layer of old linoleum, its pattern long faded and torn in several places. The walls were rough with whitewash, cracked and peeling in various spots, either from age or dampness. Piles of clutter lay scattered in the corners.

Ning Shuyi was surprised. In researching this case, she had watched many episodes of Little Lamb’s videos, and the surroundings there—just like in the recent livestream—always seemed minimalist and clean. In one video, sunlight streamed through a French window, casting shadows of fluttering curtains on a pristine white wall—an environment one would expect in a small villa.

Even if not a villa, no one would ever imagine such squalor and dilapidation.

When she followed Yang Huishu into the single bedroom, Ning Shuyi suddenly understood.

There was indeed more here than met the eye.

The room, which should have served as a bedroom, was more accurately described as a small recording studio. In one corner stood a single bed piled high with various items, while the area by the window had been meticulously decorated with backgrounds—elegant and carefully arranged—even the walls had been freshly painted and one section papered.

Nearby were a projector and two fill lights.