The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 226. Punishment (One More Update)

Chapter 226: 226. Punishment (One More Update)

Seeing Jin Enxi genuinely interested, especially when she heard the word "we" in her speech, Li Xitong instantly became excited. It was even better that they had more people. As long as Shen Qinglan was abducted, once she was out, they could reveal to the outside world that Shen Qinglan had been kidnapped. As for what happened after the kidnapping, how would anyone else know? And...

Her eyes shifted, Shen Qinglan was so beautiful, and there were definitely men among those kidnappers. It would be natural if something happened later. The more Li Xitong thought about it, the more she felt she was clever, having come up with such a brilliant, double-edged plan.

"Shen Qinglan is indeed skilled, but after all, she is a woman, a ’daughter.’ Her skills are merely for self-defense. I believe you have more than one person. Just send a few more people, and capturing her would be a piece of cake," Li Xitong slowly said, seeing Jin Enxi’s face wavering between interest and hesitation, she continued.

"I can lure her to a secluded place for you to make your move, ensuring no one discovers us. My request is simple, just let me go."

Jin Enxi seemed persuaded, looking at Li Xitong, "Do you have a grudge against Shen Qinglan?"

Li Xitong’s expression stiffened, a flash of hatred in her eyes. More than a grudge, it was a deep-seated hatred. If it weren’t for Shen Qinglan, would she even be kidnapped right now?

"I hate her. If it weren’t for her, I would still be the Shen Family’s young mistress, and not thrown out like a homeless dog."

Oh, the resentment is pretty strong. Jin Enxi thought, looking at Li Xitong curiously, "Since you have a grudge against Shen Qinglan, why would she come out with you?"

"Of course, she would." Li Xitong hurriedly said, worried that Jin Enxi wouldn’t believe her, she explained, "Although I don’t get along with Shen Qinglan, tricking her into coming out isn’t difficult. If you don’t believe me, you can secretly follow me. Since you could kidnap me the first time, doing it a second time surely wouldn’t be hard. If I don’t manage to deceive Shen Qinglan, you can just capture me again, right?"

Jin Enxi nodded upon hearing this, "That makes sense, capturing you really isn’t troublesome. Your suggestion isn’t bad, we’ll consider it."

Li Xitong’s eyes brightened, looking at Jin Enxi expectantly, "Does that mean you could let me go now? I promise not to run."

Jin Enxi scoffed disdainfully, "Could you even escape?" Despite it being just an ordinary garage, with Li Xitong’s capabilities, she didn’t look down on her, but even opening the garage door was impossible for her.

The lock here was the newest model, superficially, it was an ordinary luxury villa, but internally, it was fraught with mechanisms. An outsider could hardly enter, this was her carefully crafted base developed over nearly two months.

Li Xitong inwardly seethed with hatred, but dared not speak out, as her life was still in Jin Enxi’s hands. Although the woman in front of her had a doll-like face, Li Xitong instinctively sensed that this woman was ruthless and it was better she obeyed.

"It doesn’t matter if you don’t let me go, but could you at least give me something to eat? I’ve been starving for two days now." Li Xitong’s eyes followed the bowl in Jin Enxi’s hands, not understanding why the porridge in it smelled so fragrant.

Jin Enxi smiled sweetly, easily nodding, "Of course, it was meant for you to eat." She squatted down, and Li Xitong, thinking Jin Enxi was about to feed her, quickly opened her mouth.

Haha, wishful thinking there, thinking that I’d serve you a meal.

Then, Li Xitong helplessly watched as Jin Enxi placed the bowl of porridge three meters away from her. If she wanted to eat, she had to crawl over.

"You’ve placed it too far, I can’t reach it," Li Xitong said, troubled.

Jin Enxi’s expression changed, "Can’t reach? Then figure it out yourself." She huffed coldly and walked out of the garage.

Li Xitong’s face turned pale; the sudden change in Jin Enxi’s demeanor caught her off guard—they had been conversing amicably just a moment ago.

"This woman sure is dramatic, and still dragging An down even now," Jin Enxi complained to Eden, displeased, upon returning to her room.

"You knew she was dramatic, yet you talked with her for so long? I thought the two of you were having a pleasant chat," Eden said, looking at a medical report without lifting his head.

"I was just curious, but this woman is still so uninspired. I say, just get rid of her, saves us the eyesore."

"An wouldn’t agree. Just keep her locked up for a few days, don’t mind her, and make sure she doesn’t die," Eden responded.

"Eden, what are you looking at?" Jin Enxi, after talking without any response from him, curiously glanced at the text, but couldn’t understand it.

"It’s An’s grandfather’s medical case. The old man hasn’t woken up, and I’m trying to figure out what might be wrong."

Jin Enxi understood then, it was about An; no wonder Eden was so attentive.

Jin Enxi glanced at the surveillance footage, seeing Li Xitong maintaining the same posture she had when she left. She sneered, not eating just meant she wasn’t desperate enough yet. She wondered how long she could last.

Li Xitong was indeed nearing her breaking point. Staring at the bowl of porridge, she estimated the distance between herself and it, realizing that crawling was the only option. She glanced at the clean-looking floor, which would still have dust, and such posture was too unbecoming. Li Xitong shifted her gaze, trying her best not to look at the porridge.

But the tantalizing aroma lingered at the tip of her nose, her stomach growled louder, and her vision started to blacken. She endured, but upon another growl of her stomach, she gave in and shuffled her bottom.

"I thought you had more pride," Jin Enxi watched as Li Xitong shifted her bottom, scoffing disdainfully.

Li Xitong, finally reaching the porridge, couldn’t eat it. Trying to bend over, she couldn’t reach it; she attempted to break the ropes on her hands, but the more she struggled, the tighter they became.

Frowning deeply, after another stomach growl, Li Xitong steeled herself, knelt, then lay down, licking the porridge from the bowl like a dog.

The porridge had been simmered for a long time, perfectly cooked to a soft, glutinous texture, better tasting than Li Xitong had anticipated. She didn’t know what ingredients were added, but it smelled and tasted delightful.

She quickly finished the bowl of porridge, even licking the bowl clean. There was some porridge smeared on the corner of her mouth, and Li Xitong extended her tongue, trying to lick it off. She glanced at the empty bowl on the ground unsatisfied. The bowl was too small; the bit of porridge was hardly enough to fill her.

"Hahaha." Jin Enxi watched Li Xitong eating with amusement, laughing heartily, "Eden, look at how she was eating just now, it’s hilarious." She rubbed her belly, "I’m going to send this video to An, hahaha."

Eden looked at her speechlessly, completely baffled by her sense of humor.

After Jin Enxi had her fill of laughter, she turned to Eden, "Eden, does that stuff you mentioned really work? Just that small amount, is it effective for her?"

Eden nodded, "It’s absolutely addictive, even more so than the strongest addictive substance, DP. Unless her self-control is extraordinary, quitting is impossible."

Jin Enxi immediately felt relieved. With Li Xitong’s self-discipline, she could only be an addict for the rest of her life.

Li Xitong had no idea that the bowl of porridge she had just eaten contained such a lethal substance.

Shen Qinglan’s phone rang. She picked it up and saw it was from Jin Enxi, a video of Li Xitong eating. Watching the wasteful Li Xitong, Shen Qinglan’s face showed no emotion. After viewing it, she deleted the video.

"Qinglan, you should rest a while," Wen Xiyao looked at the dark shadows under Shen Qinglan’s eyes with concern. She knew Shen Qinglan had been blaming herself for not taking good care of Old Sir Shen, allowing Li Xitong to take advantage.

Shen Qinglan shook her head, "No need, I’m not tired."

"You’re not tired? Do you want to see what you look like right now? Shen Qinglan, go back and sleep right now, or I will call Fu Hengyi right away. After all, if it weren’t for him, you wouldn’t have left the sickroom," Shen Junyu had just returned from the attending doctor’s office, and hearing this, he immediately got angry.

Shen Qinglan looked at her angry brother and said nothing.

Seeing her cold eyes, Shen Junyu immediately lost his temper, softening his voice, "Lanlan, why don’t you go back and take a nap? I’m here with Grandpa; I promise not to leave his side and won’t let anything happen to him."

"Qinglan, your brother is right, go rest for a bit. If you keep this up, you’ll collapse before Grandpa wakes up. How heartbroken he would be if he saw you like this," Wen Xiyao also persuaded, exchanging a glance with Shen Junyu, she put her arm around Shen Qinglan’s shoulder and started to lead her away, "Come on, I’ll take you back to rest."

This time, Shen Qinglan did not resist and obediently stood up, following Wen Xiyao out of the hospital. Shen Junyu breathed a sigh of relief; if Shen Qinglan continued to overexert herself, he couldn’t stand it much longer either.

He had to take care of Old Sir Shen’s health, manage Shen Qinglan’s emotions, keep Old Sir Fu and his mother in the dark, and on top of that, he was still trying to track down Li Xitong. Li Xitong had created a huge mess, and this time Shen Junyu was not going to let her go.

Wen Xiyao drove Shen Qinglan back to Jiangxin Garden. After making sure Shen Qinglan had fallen asleep, she drove back to the company. These past few days, with the affairs of the Shen family, she had accumulated a lot of work, especially the project this year in cooperation with the Junlan Group, which was previously managed by Shen Junyu. Now that Shen Junyu couldn’t take care of it, she had to step in and take charge.

Shen Qinglan slept for less than three hours before she woke up and called Eden to inquire about the old man’s condition.

"An, take me to the hospital to see Grandpa tonight, I want to see for myself," Eden said.

"Okay," Shen Qinglan replied, hanging up the phone and immediately getting out of bed to go to the hospital. Just as she reached the hospital entrance, she saw Fu Hengyi getting out of a car.

Their eyes met, and Shen Qinglan was startled; she had not expected to see Fu Hengyi here.

Fu Hengyi walked over, "What, you’re surprised to see me?"

"Why are you here?" Shen Qinglan asked.

"If it wasn’t for Jun Yu calling me, were you planning to keep it from me and handle everything alone?" They had just talked on the phone yesterday, and yet she hadn’t mentioned any of this to him.

"I can handle it alone," Shen Qinglan explained, most importantly, she didn’t want Fu Hengyi to feel guilty.

"Qinglan, I’m your husband, I can take on anything for you. So you don’t have to be so strong," Fu Hengyu said softly.

Shen Qinglan slightly lowered her head, a flicker of a smile crossing her eyes, "I was wrong, it won’t happen again."

Seeing the dark circles under her eyes and that she clearly hadn’t rested well, he felt very distressed, "Let me take care of Grandpa, you go back and rest well."

"No need," Shen Qinglan shook her head, "I just came from home, I’ve had enough sleep. I can’t sleep now, let’s go upstairs and see Grandpa first,"

Though Fu Hengyi was distressed, he didn’t want to force her and accompanied her to Old Sir Shen’s sickroom. Only Shen Junyu was there; seeing him, Shen Qinglan glared harshly at her brother.

Shen Junyu touched his nose and avoided his sister’s gaze, feeling very worried about her recent state. He didn’t want Grandpa to wake up and find his sister had collapsed. He still vividly remembered how deeply Shen Qinglan had been affected when their grandmother had died.

Exchanging a glance with Fu Hengyi, Shen Junyu spoke up, "Well, Lanlan, I have to step out for a bit, I’ll leave you and Hengyi here."

Shen Qinglan didn’t even look at him and walked straight to Old Sir Shen’s side, sitting down and grasping his hand.

Fu Hengyi stood behind her, his hand on her shoulder, "Don’t worry, Grandpa will be alright."

"Fu Hengyi, do you think if I had been more careful that day, Grandpa wouldn’t have ended up like this?" Shen Qinglan spoke softly, regretting leaving the sickroom that allowed Li Xitong the opportunity.

"Qinglan, this isn’t your fault," Fu Hengyi said gently.

Shen Qinglan remained silent.

That night, because Fu Hengyi insisted, Shen Qinglan went home with Fu Hengyi to rest, leaving Old Sir Shen’s side to Shen Junyu and Shen Qian.

Chu Yunrong was still abroad and had not returned, and the family had not told her yet.

Because Old Sir Fu didn’t yet know about Old Sir Shen’s illness, Fu Hengyi didn’t return to the compound but took Shen Qinglan back to their own home instead.

"Qinglan, get some good sleep first, perhaps Grandpa will wake up tomorrow," Fu Hengyi said tenderly as he held Shen Qinglan in his arms, where she nestled into his familiar embrace and gradually closed her eyes.

Watching the sleeping Shen Qinglan, Fu Hengyi tenderly touched her somewhat thin face, tucked her in, then quietly stood and went to the study.

The next morning when Shen Qinglan got up, Fu Hengyi was already gone, she thought he had returned to the army, so Shen Qinglan didn’t dwell on it and went to the hospital after having breakfast.

"Thank you, Dr. Mu, I entrust my grandfather to you," as Shen Qinglan approached the door of the ward, she overheard Shen Junyu’s grateful voice. When she entered, she noticed several unfamiliar people in the room and Fu Hengyi was also there.

Fu Hengyi didn’t greet her but escorted the strangers out first.

"Brother, who were those people?" Shen Qinglan asked.

Shen Junyu had a faint smile on his face, "That’s the renowned neurologist, Mu Xi, who came to treat our grandfather today. I had asked for his help a few times before, but unfortunately, he had been abroad for academic exchanges, and he just returned today, picked up by Hengyi."

Shen Qinglan was slightly taken aback; Fu Hengyi had gone to pick him up?

After sending the people away, Fu Hengyi came back, saw Shen Qinglan daydreaming, and gave her a slight smile, "Did you have breakfast?"

Returning to her senses, Shen Qinglan nodded at Fu Hengyi, "Yes, I had breakfast. Did you arrange for Dr. Mu to come?" It wasn’t a coincidence that he came back at the same time Dr. Mu returned to the country.

Fu Hengyi smiled slightly and did not deny it; he had contacted Dr. Mu after receiving a call from Shen Junyu yesterday. Dr. Mu had owed him a favor, and since he asked this time, Dr. Mu had to come back no matter what.

"Dr. Mu already said that Grandpa doesn’t have any major issues and will wake up in a couple of days. Can you rest easy now?" Fu Hengyi asked.

"Thank you, Fu Hengyi."

Fu Hengyi reached out, tapped Shen Qinglan’s forehead gently, "Thanking me, hm?"

Shen Qinglan curled her lips, "Hm, indeed unnecessary."

Fu Hengyi returned to the army that afternoon; being able to come back for a day had already been a squeeze in his schedule.

The following evening, Old Sir Shen truly woke up. Though he couldn’t speak yet, at least he opened his eyes, and Shen Qinglan held his hand, watching him in silence.

Old Sir Shen, seeing Shen Qinglan like this, squeezed her hand firmly, comforting his granddaughter.

Shen Rang learned that the old man had awakened and rushed over, but didn’t enter the ward, standing at the door and glancing inside from time to time.

"Second Uncle, Grandpa just woke up and can’t even talk now, you all go back first," Shen Junyu said.

Shen Rang waved his hand, "Don’t mind us, I’ll just stand here, not going in."

Seeing him insist, Shen Junyu didn’t push further and turned back into the ward.

**

Jin Enxi brought a bowl of porridge to Li Xitong every day, to keep her from starving.

"What do you all want from me after having me bound up all these days?" Li Xitong asked. It was already the fifth day since she had been abducted, the ropes had been untied, and she had tried to escape, but like Jin Enxi said, she couldn’t open the door at all. She tried to scream for help, but even when her voice went hoarse, no one responded.

Other than during meal times, she hardly saw anyone else, and she felt she was really going mad.

Jin Enxi set down the porridge, smiling amiably without talking, and turned to leave. Li Xitong grabbed her, Zi’an Jin Enxi looked over and quickly let go of her hands, having attacked Jin Enxi just two days after being untied, only to be beaten up by Jin Enxi before she could land a blow.

"Well, about the suggestion I made the other day, have you considered it? I could help you lure Shen Qinglan out. Kidnapping her is definitely more valuable than kidnapping me," Li Xitong was still not giving up.

Jin Enxi smiled amiably, very kindly, "Just drink the porridge."

"Wait, if you guys want money, I can give it to you. Really, five million, not a cent less. Just let me go, and I can even help you lure Shen Qinglan out so you can make more money. That’s a good deal, isn’t it?"

Jin Enxi halted her steps and shrugged, "Your suggestion is indeed good, but do you know what kind of family the Shen Family is? Besides, we’ve investigated, and Shen Qinglan’s husband is the eldest grandson of the Fu Family. With the Fu Family alongside the Shen Family, we wouldn’t dare to provoke them. So, you’d better just stay here obediently. Oh, by the way, we called your family yesterday and asked for a million, do you know what they said?"

"What?" Li Xitong asked unconsciously.

"A man who claimed to be your father said they had no money and told us to do whatever we wanted, even if it meant killing you," Jin Enxi said, smiling as she watched Li Xitong’s face fall.

Li Xitong tugged at the corners of her mouth, "I’ve never had a good relationship with my parents. You’ve got the wrong person. I can give you money; all my family’s money is in my hands. Just let me go, and I’ll act as if nothing happened, I won’t expose you."

Jin Enxi clicked her tongue, "You think after seeing my face, I would let you go back alive?"

Li Xitong’s face changed, "What do you mean? Murder is illegal."

"Ha-ha, you’re really funny. Who told you I was going to kill you?" Jin Enxi laughed heartily as if she had heard a hilarious joke.

After laughing enough, Jin Enxi stopped and looked at Li Xitong, "Don’t worry, you’ll soon find out what will happen to you." After speaking, she turned to leave, then paused halfway, "Oh, by the way, did you know? Men over in Africa really like Asian beauties, especially ones like you."

The blood drained from Li Xitong’s face in an instant, and she looked at Jin Enxi in horror, especially when she saw the smile at the corner of Jin Enxi’s mouth, backing away several steps.

Jin Enxi was pleased and walked out of the garage.

It took a long time for Li Xitong to recover from the shock Jin Enxi had given her. She suddenly sat on the ground, seemingly unable to accept her fate. The porridge on the ground was still aromatic, but instead of drinking it, she picked it up and threw it towards the corner, where the scalding porridge scattered everywhere, its rich scent spreading throughout the garage.

Jin Enxi, watching Li Xitong’s actions, had an even broader smile, "Perfect for testing the drug’s potency."

Inside the garage, Li Xitong paced restlessly, occasionally glancing at the porridge on the ground.

The porridge had cooled down, but the air still was filled with its faint aroma. She sniffed the air, her groaning stomach getting louder.

She seemed to feel the cold, wrapped her arms around herself, and sat directly on the ground, burying her head between her knees, trembling slightly.

"Jeez, this drug is impressive. It’s only been a short time but the reaction is so intense. Eden, I now understand why KING and his lot are so desperate to get their hands on this stuff. If it gets out on the market, many people will never be able to quit in their lifetimes," Jin Enxi remarked as she observed Li Xitong’s reaction.

Jin Enxi was suddenly glad that this thing had not been obtained by people from BK.

Eden was seeing its effects on a person for the first time. When Jin Enxi had suggested that they test the plant extract on Li Xitong, Eden had only used a tiny amount. This small amount, if it were ordinary DP, wouldn’t be enough to cause addiction in such a short time. However, looking at Li Xitong’s current state, she was clearly behaving like a drug addict who had been using for a long time.

"This is just the beginning; her reactions should become starkly apparent later on," Eden spoke up.

"Eden, destroy this stuff," Jin Enxi said gravely. Her baby face was all seriousness.

Eden nodded. The addictive nature of this plant extract was much higher than he had initially anticipated.

"I’m going to destroy it right now," as he said this, he turned to leave.

"Wait," Jin Enxi called him back, "leave me just a little, just enough to control Li Xitong’s dose."

Eden nodded, "Alright."

Jin Enxi turned back to continue observing Li Xitong’s condition.

Li Xitong wiped away her tears, yawned from exhaustion, but her eyes intently watched the porridge scattered on the ground. Even without much understanding, she realized something was wrong with her body, and these past days, she hasn’t eaten anything besides that bowl of porridge.

Her gaze was filled with resentment. Although her mind was hazy, she clearly recognized that these people had kidnapped her not for money but for revenge.

"So, how does it taste?" Jin Enxi came in again with a bowl of porridge. Seeing Jin Enxi, Li Xitong wished she could pounce on her and bite her to death, but she was too weak, hungry, and tormented by the drug addiction, that she could only glare at Jin Enxi. If looks could kill, Jin Enxi would have been hacked to pieces by now.

Jin Enxi crouched down before her, smiling warmly, "Is the special something I prepared for you flavorful enough? I’m telling you, this is a unique treasure in the world, many people want it but can’t get it. You should feel honored to be the first to taste it."

"How much did Shen Qinglan give you all?" Li Xitong’s voice came out through clenched teeth.

Jin Enxi raised an eyebrow, surprised that the drug had made this woman smarter—could this stuff actually make people more perceptive? She didn’t respond to Li Xitong’s question, instead placing the porridge on the ground, "This is prepared for you."

Seeing Li Xitong thinking about kicking it over, Jin Enxi spoke calmly, "You can kick it over again, but if it lands on the ground this time, you’ll lick it clean like a dog."

Li Xitong halted her foot, yet still kicked the porridge over in front of her.

Jin Enxi simply smiled carelessly and stood up, "Well, since you like playing a dog, suit yourself."

"Let me go, you bastards," Li Xitong yelled after Jin Enxi, but her footsteps never paused; she just walked away.