When Qiao Zhiwei turned around, she saw He Gang, who was creeping toward her with a sly grin. She immediately asked, “What are you doing?”
“I’m lending you the money.”
Qiao Zhiwei was startled. “How do you know about this?”
He Gang chuckled. “I care about you, of course I pay attention to your every move.”
Seeing him get closer, Qiao Zhiwei took two steps back. “He Gang, I’m about to marry Huo Jingnian, so you’d better not do anything foolish.”
He Gang smiled. “So what?”
He raised his hand, and several men quickly emerged from behind him. Qiao Zhiwei felt everything go black as someone shoved a sack over her head.
When she opened her eyes again, she found herself thrown onto a pile of hay. Seeing He Gang’s face looming over her, she struggled backward, finally regaining her composure. “Can you hold on a second? Let’s talk this through.”
He Gang, seeing she didn’t resist and spoke in a gentle tone, immediately grinned. “Alright, go ahead.”
“I’m about to get married. What we’re doing is inappropriate you know Huo Jingnian’s temper,” she said, trying to keep her tone soft so as not to provoke him.
He Gang smirked. “I don’t think you’d be foolish enough to tell Huo Jingnian about what happened between us. Besides, after following Huo Jingchen for so many years, I don’t believe you’re still completely innocent. So one more time or one less, as long as you don’t say anything, Huo Jingnian will never find out.”
After he spoke, seeing Qiao Zhiwei remain silent, he leaned in closer. But just as he got near, Qiao Zhiwei held her breath and shoved the mud she had clenched in her hand hard into his eyes.
“My eyes!”
He Gang recoiled in pain, covering his face with both hands. Taking advantage of the moment, Qiao Zhiwei removed her high heels and slammed the heel into his forehead.
Stars exploded in his vision. “You… you little…!” he roared.
He tried to move toward her, but with his vision blocked and direction off, he took another hit from her heel.
He Gang completely lost control and shouted, “Everyone, get in here!”
Just then, Qiao Zhiwei said, “If they come in, we both die together.”
He Gang had never thought that gentle, seemingly weak Qiao Zhiwei could be so cunning. If she had resisted violently like last time, he would have been on guard, leaving no chance for a sneak attack.
But now, fearing his thugs would ruin his plan, he had sent them far away. No one could hear his cries for help.
Seeing him rubbing his eyes frantically with no one outside, Qiao Zhiwei delivered another heavy kick to his head with her heel.
He Gang felt his head buzzing. He lunged in the direction of the attack but hit nothing.
Qiao Zhiwei, afraid he might recover and find her, didn’t make a sound. With their strength so mismatched, if he caught her, she’d either be killed or seriously injured.
She didn’t dare linger to confront him, fearing his men might return. Slowly, she made her way to the door, quickly unlatching it, and ran with all her might.
Outside, it was pitch black. There was no paved road, just weeds and trees all around. She had no idea where she was. With no stars to guide her, she ran barefoot as fast as she could.
Her only thought was to put as much distance between herself and He Gang as possible.
After running for a long while and hearing no pursuit, she gradually stopped to observe her surroundings.
Finally, she ran toward the shadowy shapes of a row of houses…
Meanwhile, Qiao Zhilan, by midnight, still hadn’t seen Qiao Zhiwei return. Restless, she went to her room and tried calling her uncle’s house.
No one answered for a long time.
Worried, Qiao Zhilan changed clothes and shoes and went to her uncle’s house.
At the door, she saw there was no light inside and had a bad feeling. She knocked urgently.
After a while, Qiao Wanxia’s voice came, “Who is it?”
“Qiao Zhilan.”
Seeing Qiao Zhilan, Qiao Wanxia complained, “Do you know that my dad waited for your sister until midnight before lying down? If she didn’t want to come, she should’ve said so. We’ve been waiting all this time for nothing.”
“What? My sister didn’t come?” Qiao Zhilan was shocked.
“Yes,” Qiao Wanxia replied, still groggy from sleep.
Without another word, Qiao Zhilan turned and ran back home, quickly calling Huo Jingnian.
Since it was late at night, she had to redial three times before someone answered.
“Please help me find Brother Jingnian and tell him I have an emergency here.”
Soon, she heard Huo Jingnian’s voice. “Hello?”
“Brother Jingnian, around 8 PM tonight, my sister received a call from our uncle to go to his house to discuss something. She still hasn’t returned. I went there myself, and my cousin said she never went. I suspect something happened to her because she would never go out so late without telling anyone.”
Qiao Zhilan spoke urgently in one breath, and Huo Jingnian immediately became alert.
“Wait for me.”
“Okay.”
About twenty minutes later, Qiao Zhilan heard a car outside. She ran to the door and saw Huo Brother Jingniantting out of the car.
She went ahead, opened the gate, and welcomed him in.
Huo Jingnian sat in the living room with a serious expression. “Tell me the full story carefully, step by step.”
Qiao Zhilan quickly explained about the ransom letter her father had received.
After hearing everything, Huo Jingnian immediately stood and said, “We’re going to your uncle’s house right now.”
Qiao Zhilan nodded and followed him. Soon, they reached Qiao Luwen’s house.
She knocked on the door again.
This time, when Qiao Wanxia came out, she was even more annoyed. “I told you, your sister didn’t come, and now you’re here. Can people even sleep?”
“Then come with us to find her,” Huo Jingnian said in a low, commanding voice, instantly wiping the sleepiness from Qiao Wanxia’s face.
“H-Huo… Captain, what are you doing here?”
“Open the door.”
Qiao Wanxia felt his voice carried an undeniable authority, compelling her to comply. But she quickly regained her composure. She wasn’t his subordinate and had no reason to fear him. “My parents just went to bed.”
Huo Jingnian looked at her. “Your cousin went to discuss matters with your father and hasn’t returned until now. Zhilan came here saying she never even went, but I suspect you’re hiding her.”
“That’s slander!”
Huo Jingnian sneered. “If not, given your relationship and the arrangements tonight, why would she go missing and you not only stay calm but sleep soundly?”
Qiao Wanxia: !!!
She opened the door. “Fine, come in and look for yourselves.”
Huo Jingnian and Qiao Zhilan entered together.
In the living room, Qiao Wanxia turned on the lights and loudly called, “Dad, Mom, Captain Huo is here!”
Actually, Qiao Luwen hadn’t slept either. Hearing Huo Jingnian’s name, he sat up in surprise, quickly dressed, and rushed to the living room.