At twenty, she learned about Qiao Wan. She watched helplessly as he openly and lavishly pursued Qiao Wan, exchanged some petty bickering with him, and then humbly lowered her head in submission.
At twenty-one, she saw him with his arm around another woman, and for months she dreamed of nothing but calling his name, begging him not to leave.
At twenty-two, although she orchestrated a kidnapping, it was to save him, and she took a brick to the head from the kidnappers in the process.
Over the past four years, she had been tirelessly devoted, giving her all without complaint.
Such a woman, full of schemes and calculation, had only ever stumbled over him, and he rather enjoyed that.
He even thought that if he gave her just a little sweetness, she would be willing to give up her life for him.
A woman so desperately in love with him probably would not be content to remain merely a secret mistress.
She had played a game of playing hard to get that he saw through at a glance.
Still, how could she possibly be willing to truly end things here.
He had originally thought that even if he grew tired of her after a few more years, he would give her a generous settlement, so she would not be left badly off.
But this woman had only grown more disobedient with time, learning these low-class tricks and even plotting with Shen Yi.
Very well, let her clearly understand that using such schemes on him would not work.
Rong Yuchuan opened his eyes, cold and stern.
Li Qin glanced at him through the rearview mirror and asked, “Master Rong, do we still need to contact Miss Shen in the near future? She no longer has her phone…”
“No need. There is no need to contact her again from now on.” She would come begging to him.
Rong Yuchuan’s gaze was certain and merciless.
At the Qiao residence.
In the attic.
“Have you taken care of the matter I asked you to handle?”
The woman’s voice was gentle and slow, yet laced with sinister ruthlessness.
“Rest assured. When have I ever failed to carry out your instructions properly?”
“Then act out the next part of the play well for me! That brother of yours is not so easy to deal with!”
“What a truly venomous little woman! If he is not easy to deal with, hasn’t he still been spun around by you? Still, you really do not worry about my safety at all! What will happen if I am discovered later?”
“Then you can simply return to your main family branch. Would that not be good?”
“That absolutely will not do!”
At the evening banquet.
Qiao Wan descended slowly from the second floor, her long wavy hair the color of dusk, a golden diamond crown upon her head, and a white dress flowing around her.
Her figure was slender and slight, as if she were born with a frail constitution, resembling a delicate willow swaying in the wind, appearing very weak.
A beautiful, fragile woman like this would always attract a crowd of protectors wherever she went.
This time was no exception.
A group of wealthy young heirs surrounded her, yet none dared to act too presumptuously.
Everyone in their circle knew that this daughter of the Qiao family, Qiao Wan, was already the chosen future daughter-in-law of the Rong family, the leading business powerhouse in Beicheng.
Moreover, the Rong family’s future head had openly pursued Qiao Wan for two years.
No one dared to openly snatch someone from Rong Yuchuan!
A stir erupted at the entrance.
Rong Yuchuan had entered.
A favored son of heaven, every gesture radiating an innate nobility and pride, he was the focus of attention wherever he went.
All eyes turned to him.
The banquet fell silent for a moment.
Qiao Wan hurried forward to meet him, a smile on her face, gentle and entirely charming with a touch of playful coquetry. “A Yu, you are here!”
Rong Yuchuan paused. “Mm. Did you rest well last night?”
As soon as he asked this, he himself froze for an instant, suddenly recalling that Shen Chuhe had suffered nightmares all night long.
Qiao Wan shook her head. “I did not sleep well at all last night. I kept dreaming of those people! I am so scared! Those people were terrifying!”
“Come, sit down and talk!”
Rong Yuchuan took her hand and casually sat with her on the sofa in the main hall, then carefully picked up a plate of dessert from the side and handed it to her.
Qiao Wan paused, then smiled. “A Yu, have you forgotten? I do not eat chocolate desserts!”
What Rong Yuchuan held in his hand was precisely a chocolate mousse cake.
He frowned. “Is that so? I seem to have forgotten.”
Chocolate… seemed to be someone else’s favorite.
His lips pressed together slightly, and his muddled mind suddenly cleared. Shen Chuhe loved this flavor.
Thinking of this, he tossed the dessert in his hand into the trash bin with a sharp “thud,” without a moment’s hesitation.
Qiao Wan continued to smile, though her eyes seemed to go hollow for an instant, only for a brief moment.
“Do you know where those people came from?”
Qiao Wan shook her head in disappointment. “I do not know! A Yu, have you not caught them yet?”
Rong Yuchuan did not answer.
Qiao Wan had studied art abroad for two years.
She was originally supposed to return ten days ago, but he had been unable to reach her no matter how he tried, which was why he began investigating her whereabouts.
But that group of people… seemed to have appeared out of nowhere and then vanished just as completely, and to this day he had still not traced their origins.
He curved his lips into a smile. “Let us not talk about this. Now that you are back, what are your plans?”
“A Yu, I thought you wanted me to return. Everyone believes… that we will get married.”
“Mm.” Rong Yuchuan gave a soft reply. “I remember, I told you before…”
“A Yu! I do not want to hear it!”
Rong Yuchuan fell silent and did not continue. “All right, I will not say it.”
“Father is about to arrive. I need to greet the guests with Father. A Yu, sit for a while, and I will come keep you company later.”
Rong Yuchuan nodded and was about to speak when a bright voice cut in.
“Hey! You really are here!”
Qiao Wan exchanged a greeting with the newcomer and then left.
Rong Yuchuan turned his head. “Miss Jiang, is something the matter?”
The newcomer was Jiang Yining. “Do not misunderstand, I am not looking for you! Where is Shen Chuhe? Did she not come with you?”
“No.”
“Then where is she?”
“Dead.” Rong Yuchuan’s gaze turned sharp. “Miss Jiang, it would be best not to associate with her.”
“What are you saying? How could she be dead? That day you snatched her away and took her with you, what did you do? How could she be dead? Where exactly is she?”
Rong Yuchuan’s irritation was plainly visible. Unwilling to argue with her, he was about to leave when a scream rang out, echoing through the entire main hall of the Qiao residence.
It was Qiao Wan.
And the sound came from the second floor.
Shen Chuhe crawled out of the sack, still dazed.
She remembered lying in a hospital bed, where a nurse told her that no one had renewed her hospital fees and demanded payment.
The little over one thousand yuan she had on her had also vanished.
It was probably that bastard Rong Yuchuan who had taken it.
Just as she was about to walk out of the ward, a woman built like an ox suddenly entered and blocked her path, pressing down on her head and asking, “Are you Shen Chuhe?”
Shen Chuhe shook her head vigorously, but the woman had already seen her medical record.
“Shen Chuhe.”
Three large characters, glaringly obvious.
She was not even given a chance to speak. Just as she was about to scream, her mouth was stuffed with something. She tried to run, only to be yanked back by brute force.
She struggled, but that woman’s strength was overwhelming.
Her resistance was like an ant trying to shake an elephant.
The woman did not say much. Without another word, she began stripping Shen Chuhe of her clothes, leaving her with nothing to cover her body except the most essential undergarments.
This was a hospital, with surveillance cameras everywhere. Who exactly could be so brazen and unrestrained?
In both her previous life and this one, Shen Chuhe had never endured such humiliation! Tears streamed down her face as she twisted her body in resistance, kicking out hard with her legs and landing several blows on the woman.
But it was useless.
Seeing her cry, the woman seemed to feel some pity, and she pursed her lips. “That girl is too vicious! To even strip someone naked like this! Fine, since we are both women, I will do you a favor!”
With that, she draped her own faded yellowish white shirt over Shen Chuhe.
“I only did this horrifying thing because I had no other choice. Do not blame me!”
The woman had large bones and a heavy build.
Though the shirt still left Shen Chuhe somewhat exposed, it covered what needed to be covered.
Having something was better than having nothing!