The man: “…”
The man with a mole could not stifle the laugh that escaped. “Our young friend is really funny when he talks.”
Even the man with the buzz cut could not fight the urge to comment, “He’s grown up with a silver spoon in his mouth. Money isn’t a concept he understands, or how hard life is for those at the bottom.”
Xiao Jiu heard their conversation. Pretending to be heroic, he said, “My mother bought me a cell phone and laptop years ago. I did not bring them with me, that’s all. How poor are you? Don’t worry. I’ll ask mother to give you one when we get home. What do you think?”
“…”
The man: “Not interested.”
“…” Xiao Jiu gaped at his father, utterly furious. How could he remain so calm in his captive situation? Xiao Jiu could not take it anymore, so he pinched his father’s thigh. He did not use much strength, just enough for it to hurt.
The man frowned but did not respond. He would not stoop so low as to hurt a child.
–
In the villa…
After Qin Shu finished with the guards, she quickly entered the villa, looking for her husband.
The Ye brothers disregarded their injuries and hurried after the Young Madam. Their Young Master had to be somewhere in the villa.
Ten minutes later…
The villa was not very big. After spending ten minutes searching the entire villa, there was still no sign of the Fourth Young Master.
“Why isn’t the Fourth Young Master in the villa? We saw him enter just now. Why is there no sign of him?”
“I couldn’t find any trace of the Young Master either. Could the Young Master have left on his own?”
Qin Shu’s search had turned up nothing. She could find neither hide nor hair of her beloved husband. Not even a shadow of his presence remained. The more she listened to Fu Tingyu’s subordinates, the more it felt like something was off.
Long Xiao must not have restricted his freedom if she had allowed Fu Tingyu to come and go as he pleased.
Even if Fu Tingyu could not recognize the Ye brothers, there was no reason for him to shoot down a request they had made on her behalf.
What was going on?
She leaned against the balcony’s railing, overlooking the villa’s backyard. Her eyes landed on the back gate, which was wide open, and a thought crossed her mind.
With the ease that would have made a cat proud, she flipped over the railing, landing steadily on her feet in the backyard three metres below.
She followed the cobblestone path to the back door and realized it connected to the main road. The door must not have been in use since a thick coating of dust clung to the gates. Upon a closer inspection, she noticed several footprints leading out the door before abruptly disappearing. The footprints were too large for a woman… so there had to be other men with Fu Tingyu.
Although the footprints were messy, they were all intact. While some of the tracks overlapped, each was still distinguishable from the other.
Therefore, Fu Tingyu must have left voluntarily rather than forcibly.
With her husband’s martial strength, why would he leave with others so easily?
Was he threatened into leaving with them?
“Young Madam Fu, what are you looking at?” Ye Qing walked over and saw a few rows of footprints on the ground. “Did the Fourth Young Master leave through the back door?”
“Yes,” Qin Shu answered. Turning to Ye Qing, she asked, “Where is Long Xiao now?”
“She’s at Yang Jin’s villa,” Ye Qing said.
Qin Shu frowned. Long Xiao was with Yang Jin?
Then who could have taken Fu Tingyu away?
Qin Shu stared at the footprints that stopped at Bluestone Road, lost in thought. “Let’s go back,” she said. It was about time she checked on Xiao Jiu, who was waiting for her in the car.
“Yes, Young Madam Fu,” Ye Qing responded, excusing himself. He still needed to check on the conditions of his brothers.
Qin Shu took a few steps, suddenly spinning on her heel to glance behind. Obvious tire tracks were leading away from the villa.
She was still too late.
She soon arrived at the villa’s entrance, where she parked her car. Qin Shu saw her car keys sitting on the driver’s seat upon opening the door. Panic arched its ugly head as she swept the car’s back seat with her searching gaze. Where was Xiao Jiu?
Her heart jumped to her throat. She scanned her immediate surroundings, but she did not see her son. Qin Shu felt her legs grow weak.
It took everything she had to calm herself. She could not afford to panic.
She had left Xiao Jiu in the car, instructing him to lock doors and windows using her car keys. If someone had kidnapped him, they would have had to break the windows to get him. Since they were intact, Xiao Jiu must have gotten out of the car himself.
President Ba was not in the car either, so he should have carried him along wherever he had gone.
Why would he voluntarily step out of the car, leaving the car keys on the driver’s seat? Why would he… Unless?
She shot to her feet, a possibility forming in her mind. Perhaps Xiao Jiu had seen his father exiting via the villa’s backdoor and rushed to him, leaving together in the car parked outside.
From what Qin Shu understood of her son’s personality, it was a distinct possibility.
Few could have tricked Xiao Jiu otherwise. He was too smart to fall for some hastily put together scam or kidnapping. Although Xiao Jiu only possessed Bronze-level martial skills, he was not someone an ordinary person could beat.
With her son’s impeccable intelligence, it would not surprise her if he managed to think up a way to sneak on board with his father.
That’s right! Hadn’t she given her son a phone for a reason like this?
Qin Shu’s phone was in her hand before she could finish her thought. She dialled her son’s number, waiting for the line to connect. However, it was not Xiao Jiu who answered but Ye Luo. “Young Madam Fu, is something the matter?”
Hearing Ye Luo’s voice, Qin Shu knew that her son didn’t have his cell phone on him. “Xiao Jiu is missing.”
Ye Luo was shocked to the core. “Was he kidnapped?”
“I think he left with his father. We’ll talk when I get back.”
Qin Shu hung up, massaging the bridge of her nose as she felt a migraine building. “Xiao Jiu, please stay safe. Don’t get yourself into trouble while your father has no memory of you,” she murmured to herself.
Dialling Ye Qing’s number, she ordered, “Keep an eye on Long Xiao and Yang Jin.”
Ye Qing: “Got it, Madam Fu.”
At this moment, she received a call from Ye Xiao.
“Madam Fu, they have decided to announce the position of Long Xiao’s successor tomorrow.”
“So soon?” Qin Shu had not expected Yang Quan to be so anxious. If she exposed them tomorrow, would it implicate Fu Tingyu?
Fu Tingyu was still in their hands.
“Last night, Yang Quan and Long Qing came in and told me what the doctor said to them. They said I couldn’t be cured and won’t live for more than a few days. They suggested that I give up my position before the inevitable.” Ye Xiao could do nothing but nod his acquiescence.
Qin Shu paused, considered the issue, and said, “We’ll do as they suggest and play by ear.”
Ye Xiao replied, “Understood, Young Madam Fu.”
Qin Shu hung up the phone and drove away.
She was about to return to the hotel when she made the split-second decision to drive toward Yang Jin’s villa instead.
–
When Long Xiao regained consciousness, she came face to face with Yang Jin hovering over her. Without thinking, she slapped him. “Utterly shameless!”
Yang Jin had no time to dodge, only responding after he had received Long Xiao’s ruthless slap. A crisp ‘Pa’ sound echoed in the silence of the room.
She had not used her full strength in that slap. It was not because she did not want to, but rather she still felt groggy. The drug’s effects had not completely dissipated.
Yang Jin viciously grinned as he grabbed hold of Long Xiao’s flailing hands, exerting some force to stop her struggling.
“So what If I’m shameless? The woman I want is still out of reach, but here you are, ready and waiting. Why shouldn’t I get what I want?”
Long Xiao gritted her teeth so hard that she drew blood. It flowed out of her mouth and down the side of her lips. Not once did she let up her fierce glare trained at Yang Jin.
“As long as you behave, I can help you tie that man to your side forever. Of course, you’ll have to do as I say and let me have my fill of fun.”
