Chapter 10
A flurry of panicked voices erupted.
The excavator's metal arm, raised high in the air, hung like a guillotine poised above Gu Xi's head.
"Stop! Stop the machine!"
The sudden appearance of a screaming girl jolted the crowd, freezing everyone in place. Gasps rippled through the onlookers. Workers stepped back, unsure of what to do.
Gu Changan's heart nearly stopped when he recognized who it was.
"Xixi!"
In an instant, the usually composed businessman transformed into a frantic father. He bolted toward the danger zone, his polished shoes crunching through broken tiles and debris, reaching out to pull his daughter away.
"Get out of there! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!"
"I won't leave!" Gu Xi cried, clinging tightly to the splintered edge of the doorframe. Her knuckles were white, her voice ragged. "Dad, there's someone still inside!"
"What nonsense!" Gu Changan's voice cracked with fear and fury. He tried to drag her away by the arm, his grip trembling. "Come with me now!"
"No!" she shouted back, eyes blazing with a strange intensity that made him falter. "Listen to me! If I get hurt, people might believe it was just an accident. But if someone else dies in there, you'll be blamed, Dad—completely blamed."
Gu Changan's face went pale.
"Xixi—"
He turned sharply. "Zhang Yue, shut it down! Now!"
Zhang Yue hesitated.
He wasn't the only one stunned. The entire crew stood frozen. The machine operator had already seen the chaos unfolding and, with a flick of his wrist, pulled the brake. The mechanical shovel groaned to a halt just inches above Gu Xi's head.
A heavy silence followed. Dust hung in the air.
Gu Changan pulled his daughter to him and gripped her shoulders. "Are you insane?! What are you doing?"
"Dad," she said breathlessly, "you can't demolish this house."
"What are you talking about?" His voice cracked. "We already checked it. No one's inside."
She stared at him, a fire lit behind her eyes. "Dad, if no one was inside, then how did someone die in the demolition in the previous timeline?" she almost said—but bit her tongue.
If she blurted out she had memories from another life, no one would believe her.
Instead, she softened her voice and clutched his hand. "Please. Come with me. Just check one more time."
The building groaned under its own weight. The earlier impact from the excavator had already caused one side to partially collapse. As Gu Xi reached for the door, it fell forward with a crash.
Gu Changan hesitated, staring into the dark interior. A part of him wanted to dismiss it. A part of him screamed don't risk it.
"Xixi, this building's unstable. It's dangerous."
"Miss Gu," Zhang Yue stepped forward quickly, trying to mask his unease with concern. "We already went in earlier. There's nothing there."
Gu Xi turned to face him—and her expression changed.
All the fear, all the desperation vanished. In its place was a chilling, cold calm.
Her eyes met Zhang Yue's, and for a brief moment, her hatred was like a blade pressed against his throat.
Zhang Yue flinched.
In her past life, this man had whispered poison into her father's ear. It was under his advice that the demolition proceeded. It was his report that said the house was empty. It was his lies that led to a fatality—and to her father's arrest.
It was Zhang Yue who had betrayed the Gu family.
And Gu Xi had been blind to it all.
Not this time.
"Are you sure there's no one in this house?" she asked, her voice ice cold.
Zhang Yue opened his mouth—but nothing came out.
Gu Changan's eyes narrowed.
The tension grew so thick the air felt heavy.
Gu Xi turned back toward the door, not waiting for permission. "Then we're going to find out."