The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 240. Trade

Chapter 240: 240. Trade

Shen Qinglan was teaching Jingjing how to paint when her phone rang. She picked it up and saw it was Yan Shengyu calling.

"Yan Shengyu."

"Shen Qinglan, have you seen Ya Xi?" As soon as the call connected, Yan Shengyu asked.

"No, what’s wrong with Ya Xi?"

"Today she said she was going to meet a friend, but she hasn’t come back yet. I’ve tried calling her, but her phone is turned off. I also called a few of her close classmates, and they all said they haven’t seen her today."

"Don’t panic just yet. Did she tell you who she was going to see today?"

When asked, Yan Shengyu suddenly remembered, "She said she was meeting Yu Xiaoxuan to go eat somewhere."

"I’ll call Xiao Xuan now and see where they are."

After hanging up, Shen Qinglan immediately tried to call Yu Xiaoxuan, only to find that her phone was also turned off. Frowning, she then called Han Yi, who was on a business trip in Country F, and he was baffled when he received the call from Shen Qinglan.

"Little sister-in-law, I’m abroad right now, what’s wrong with Xiao Xuan?"

"It’s nothing, I just wanted to ask her something. I couldn’t reach her just now, and I thought you might be with her," Shen Qinglan said calmly.

Han Yi was not too worried, "Maybe she’s in the restroom, or still sleeping. She has the day off today. Or I could try calling her now."

"No need, I’ll try again later."

After the call, Shen Qinglan’s face turned grave. She was certain that Yu Xiaoxuan and Ya Xi must have run into trouble.

"Jingjing, auntie has to leave for a bit, can you stay here alone for a while? Uncle will come back later," Shen Qinglan told Jingjing as she went over to her.

Today, Sister-in-law Zhang’s younger son was sick, so she took him to the hospital and left her daughter with Shen Qinglan, asking her to look after her.

Jingjing was an obedient and well-behaved child. Hearing Shen Qinglan’s words, she nodded, "Okay. Will auntie be back soon?"

"Yes, auntie will be back very soon. If uncle comes back, can you tell him for me?"

"Okay. Auntie, please come back quickly."

"Sure." Shen Qinglan reached out to gently touch Jingjing’s head, "Such a good girl."

As soon as Shen Qinglan stepped outside, the tenderness on her face was replaced by a grim seriousness. She drove her car swiftly, arriving at the villa to find that Jin Enxi and the others hadn’t gone to bed yet.

"An, what brings you here?" Cissily asked, curious to see Shen Qinglan.

"Ya Xi and Yu Xiaoxuan have gone missing. Enxi, can you track their phones and see where they are right now?"

Hearing this, Jin Enxi realized the gravity of the situation. He booted up his computer, and Shen Qinglan read out two sets of numbers. After Jin Enxi tapped a few keys, two small red dots appeared on the screen, moving along.

"They are together, currently on Ding’an Road," said Jin Enxi, before adding, "An, aren’t you being a little too sensitive?"

Shen Qinglan’s expression did not ease in the slightest; she stared at the screen, "I’m heading out to find them now. Keep me updated on their location."

"Got it." Jin Enxi gave an okay sign.

"An, I’ll go with you," Eden stood up.

"Keep an eye on Xu Nuo, don’t let her run away," Shen Qinglan said before leaving the house.

Shen Qinglan drove the car and quickly caught up to the location indicated by the cell phone signal. However, when she saw the vehicle, her face turned very ugly, and she could now confirm with one hundred percent certainty that Ya Xi and Yu Xiaoxuan really had an accident.

"Enxi, can you find out the exact location of Ya Xi and Yu Xiaoxuan now?" Looking at the garbage truck in front of her, Shen Qinglan’s face was cold.

"Sorry, An, there’s no tracking device on them, I can’t do it. Give me some time, I’ll ask around the underworld and see if they’ve encountered someone from that circle."

After hanging up the phone, Shen Qinglan called Yan Shengyu, "Has Ya Xi returned home?"

As soon as this was asked, Yan Shengyu’s heart sank to the bottom, "Did Ya Xi disappear?"

Shen Qinglan was silent, "Sorry, I can’t find Ya Xi and Yu Xiaoxuan right now. If you get any strange calls, you have to tell me."

"Do you suspect that Ya Xi has been kidnapped?"

"It’s not certain yet, but the possibility is very high. Xiao Xuan was with her."

After hanging up the phone, the gloom in Shen Qinglan’s heart was heavy, and she was waiting.

**

When Yu Xiaoxuan woke up, it was in a moving vehicle, rushing at high speed. It was a cargo truck, and the two of them were thrown in the back. Only she and Ya Xi were in the truck’s compartment.

Ya Xi was lying on her legs, still unconscious, and her head was still very dizzy; it took a long time for her to gradually come around.

As her mind cleared, the situation became clearer. She didn’t understand why Wu Qian had drugged the water, nor where they were being taken.

She moved her arm and found it was tied tightly, her legs were tied as well, and she couldn’t move at all. There was tape over her mouth. Shifting her bottom, Ya Xi’s head fell from her leg onto the floor of the truck compartment, hitting hard and actually waking her up.

Ya Xi opened her eyes, confused. Seeing Yu Xiaoxuan, she tried to speak, but found herself bound and gagged, unable to say anything.

Her eyes were filled with panic. Yu Xiaoxuan shook her head, signaling her not to panic.

Yu Xiaoxuan had no idea who had taken them away and where they were being taken to. Although she was very frightened herself, she instinctively calmed down when she saw the panic in Ya Xi’s eyes. She was older than Ya Xi, and if even she panicked, wouldn’t Ya Xi be even more frightened?

She remembered Shen Qinglan mentioning that Ya Xi had severe asthma and couldn’t get too excited. Without the ability to speak, Yu Xiaoxuan could only comfort Ya Xi with her eyes.

Ya Xi gradually calmed down and leaned on Yu Xiaoxuan.

The vehicle sped along the road, initially smoothly, but the ride gradually became bumpy, and Ya Xi and Yu Xiaoxuan were jostled until they felt like vomiting.

After an unknown duration, the vehicle finally stopped. The back of the truck was opened, and several strange faces appeared in front of Yu Xiaoxuan and Ya Xi - one Asian face and two Western faces.

Without a word, the two Western men dragged Ya Xi and Yu Xiaoxuan out of the truck compartment. Before they could get a clear view of their surroundings, their eyes were covered, and then they were stuffed into the backseat of another vehicle, which once again started moving.

A man was sitting in the backseat, and the three men were talking. However, they weren’t speaking English, and Yu Xiaoxuan and Ya Xi couldn’t understand anything. Only vaguely did they seem to hear Shen Qinglan’s name.

Yu Xiaoxuan’s heart sank more and more. At first, she thought these people kidnapped her and Ya Xi for money, but now it seemed she might have been wrong from the start. If she wasn’t mistaken, their target was Shen Qinglan.

**

Shen Qinglan had been waiting for a call, but by the time it was daylight, she still hadn’t received any call. She went back to the villa directly, without saying a word, entered the secret room, and yanked the lying Xu Nuo up from the ground, "Speak, where are Ya Xi and Yu Xiaoxuan?"

Xu Nuo half-opened her eyes, glanced at Shen Qinglan, and her lips curled slightly, "I won’t tell you."

Even Xu Nuo hadn’t expected Wu Qian to act so swiftly this time.

Shen Qinglan’s face was cold as she slapped Xu Nuo across the face. "If you don’t want to die, tell me."

"Just kill me," Xu Nuo spoke softly, not a single patch of unmarred skin left on her body. Jin Enxi and Cissily hadn’t held back at all in their beatings, and the only reason she was still breathing was that Shen Qinglan had given orders to keep her alive.

"If you don’t speak, I’ll kill Allen," Shen Qinglan said coldly. Seeing Xu Nuo’s eyes flicker, she continued, "You can choose not to believe me, but you may not know that Allen’s current condition is my doing. I killed him once before, and I can kill him a second time. This time, I assure you, he’ll be thoroughly dead."

"If you can, then do it," Xu Nuo said. Allen wouldn’t be so easy to kill if he had managed to survive this long. It wasn’t that Xu Nuo didn’t want to tell Shen Qinglan where Ya Xi and Yu Xiaoxuan were, it was that even she didn’t know. They had captured her and brought her here, cutting off all contact with the outside world, so naturally, she was unaware of where BK’s people had taken them.

"Eden, give her a taste of your latest research," Shen Qinglan ordered, throwing Xu Nuo onto the floor with an indifferent expression.

Eden hesitated, his new research still incomplete. If used on a person, it could easily cause significant damage to their nervous system.

"Xu Nuo, I forgot to tell you, Eden’s research isn’t mature. Using it on a person can cause irreversible damage to the nerves; one mistake and you can end up being an idiot, haha." Cissily interjected cheerfully, watching with leisure as Xu Nuo’s complexion changed at her words, feeling quite pleased.

This woman was too stubborn. They had tortured her for so many days, but any ordinary mercenary would have spoken by now. Yet, she had not uttered a single useful word.

"Ah, Allen never keeps useless people around. I just wonder if you will still be able to stay by his side once you’ve become an idiot." Jin Enxi said with a smile, understanding Shen Qinglan’s intentions.

Xu Nuo’s expression changed rapidly, but she remained silent.

Shen Qinglan shot Eden a look, and he went to the adjacent medical lab, returning shortly with a syringe in his hand.

The syringe contained a pale green liquid, clear and transparent, its color quite beautiful.

"This drug can put a person into a state of mental hypnosis for a short time, causing them to reveal everything they don’t wish to say, including memories buried deep in their minds. However, the side effects are severe, causing great damage to the brain’s nerves, and once administered, the effects are irreversible."

Eden crouched down, about to inject the liquid from the syringe into Xu Nuo’s arm.

"Wait." At the very moment the needle was about to pierce her skin, Xu Nuo finally shouted.

Eden set the syringe down, and Shen Qinglan looked at her, "Speak."

"I just had people hand them over to BK’s people, but where BK’s people took them, I have no idea."

"Who contacted BK’s people?" Ya Xi and Yu Xiaoxuan had disappeared yesterday, and Xu Nuo had been in their custody since then, making it impossible for her to have made the contact.

"Wu Qian," Xu Nuo uttered a name that surprised everyone.

"What was your purpose in kidnapping them?"

"I didn’t want to harm them. Their target is you, or rather, to be precise, your husband. But you two are too tough to deal with, so we had to take action against your friends. Shen Qinglan, they got dragged into this because of you," Xu Nuo said, her lips twitching into a smile.

Shen Qinglan’s eyes darkened, and she walked out of the secret room, with the others following, "Enxi, can you find out Wu Qian’s address?"

Jin Enxi shook her head. She had almost forgotten about that person; how could she know their whereabouts?

Shen Qinglan pressed her red lips tightly together, "Enxi, I need the internal transaction data from the Shi Gang within a day."

"An, are you thinking of..." Jin Enxi immediately understood. Although this course of action was the fastest, it could potentially anger the people of the Shi Gang.

Shi Gang, after all, is a local serpent in Jing City, and even though Shen Qinglan was the daughter of the Shen Family, if Shi Gang truly wanted to do something, they might not consider the face of the Shen Family.

"I don’t have that much time to wait," said Shen Qinglan. Since BK’s target was her yet they had not made contact up to now, it was clear that they intended to take Ya Xi and Yu Xiaoxuan out of the country before getting in touch with her.

If they were still within the country, things could possibly be resolved, but if they actually managed to take them out of the country, bringing them back would not be so easy.

And now, it seemed highly probable that Ya Xi and Yu Xiaoxuan were still in the country. Time was of the essence for her.

"Fine, give me half an hour," Jin Enxi said, unable to think of a better solution. Although this method was risky, it truly was the best approach at the moment.

During this half-hour, Shen Qinglan phoned Fu Hengyi, but she didn’t tell him that she was BK’s target. Instead, she just mentioned that Ya Xi had had a bit of a quarrel with her family and was now missing.

Fu Hengyi did not suspect anything, "You must also take good care of yourself and remember to have your meals on time," he instructed.

Shen Qinglan nodded, "I know."

**

"An, it’s done." Pressing the last key, Jin Enxi pulled out a USB drive from the computer and handed it to Shen Qinglan.

Shen Qinglan took it. The USB contained years of transaction records between Shi Gang and others, including some current officials in government positions. If this information were to leak, not only would Shi Gang be finished, but those associated with Shi Gang wouldn’t escape unscathed either.

Shen Qinglan took the few pages that Jin Enxi had printed out.

"An, let me go with you," Cissily stood up.

"Cissily, forget it, too many people know your face. It could cause trouble. It’s better if Eden follows An," someone interjected.

"Right, An, it’s too dangerous for you to go alone. Let us accompany you," Eden concurred.

"No need, Shi Feng won’t do anything to me. It’s best if I go alone." The more people who knew about this matter, the more likely Shi Feng was to act unfavorably.

Shen Qinglan insisted, so they could not do anything about it. The final decision was that Shen Qinglan would go to Shi Gang alone, with Eden and Cissily following at a distance, ready to provide support if needed.

When Shi Feng saw Shen Qinglan appear before him, he was surprised and smiled as he spoke, "Miss Shen, what brings you our way today?"

Shen Qinglan stood in the middle, with Shi Feng sitting above her, flanked by brothers from Shi Gang. Anan stood behind Shi Feng, in a protective stance.

"I wonder if what Boss Shi said before still holds weight?" Shen Qinglan asked calmly.

Shi Feng raised an eyebrow, "Oh? What did I say?"

Shen Qinglan didn’t believe Shi Feng had truly forgotten, but she repeated what Shi Feng had said before anyway.

Shi Feng’s fingers gently tapped on the table, "Miss Shen, when I, Shi, give my word, of course, it counts. I promised I would help you with one thing, and I definitely will. Tell me, what is it?"

"Good, Boss Shi is straightforward. I, Shen Qinglan, will also get straight to the point. My two friends have been taken by BK’s people, and I need to know in which direction they have gone."

The smile that had been on Shi Feng’s face faded as he listened to Shen Qinglan’s words, "Miss Shen, are you joking with me?"

"Do you think I’m joking with you, Boss Shi?"

Shi Feng’s expression darkened. The people from BK were all lunatics, and if he got involved with BK, it would mean a sizable trouble for Shi Gang as well.

"Miss Shen, since you can mention BK’s name, you must know what kind of existence they are. It’s true that we have many brothers in Shi Gang, but I also cherish their lives," said Shi Feng, effectively declining her request.

Shen Qinglan was not surprised by the results. People in the underworld valued loyalty and credibility, but that was based on not harming their own interests.

"You don’t need to confront them directly, just tell me their whereabouts."

"Miss Shen, to be honest, if it were up to me alone, even if it were killing and arson, I, Shi Feng, would do it for you. But this matter involves the brothers in the gang, and I, Shi Feng, must be responsible for their lives. I am unable to assist you in this matter."

Shen Qinglan’s expression remained unchanged as she took several pieces of paper out of her bag and tossed them to Shi Feng, "What if I add this to the equation?"

Anan took the papers, handed them to Shi Feng, who flipped through them casually. His disinterested expression instantly changed, "Where did you get these from?"

"Boss Shi doesn’t need to know where I got these from. You only need to help me with this matter, and I can give you this, and all of the remaining information as well. Plus, I can assure you that what I have here is the last copy in the world."

Shi Feng put down the papers, the shock on his face having disappeared. He looked at Shen Qinglan, "Aren’t you afraid that I’ll kill you? Once you’re dead, nobody else would know about these things, and I can resolve the trouble simply and effectively."

"No, you won’t," Shen Qinglan spoke, her expression calm, not the slightest bit influenced by Shi Feng’s intimidating gaze. "Boss Shi is a smart man and naturally knows what’s best for himself. If I hadn’t made adequate preparations, I wouldn’t have come here alone."

Right, that was Shi Feng’s concern. Not to mention that Shen Qinglan belonged to the Shen Family and was the daughter-in-law of the Fu Family, harming her would mean dealing with both the Shen Family and the Fu Family. What was even more important was that Shen Qinglan herself didn’t seem to be a simple character.

Shi Feng’s fingers began to gently tap the table again. Although it looked like the same action as before, Shen Qinglan could hear a subtle difference, her mouth curving into a slight smile.

As expected, Shi Feng said, "Fine, I can agree to this matter, but I will only help you find the person. The Shi Gang will not get involved in the rescue."

A faint smile flashed in Shen Qinglan’s eyes, "Deal." She tossed a USB drive to Shi Feng, "This contains all the information you want, with absolutely no backups."

Shi Feng caught it, looking at Shen Qinglan with a pondering gaze, "You’re giving me the USB now. Aren’t you afraid I’ll go back on my word?"

"Would Boss Shi be someone to ruin his own reputation?" Shen Qinglan countered.

Shi Feng laughed heartily, "Very well, Miss Shen, I must admit I admire your courage and boldness. If it weren’t for our opposing identities and standpoints, perhaps we could have become friends."

Shen Qinglan did not respond.

Shen Qinglan sent photos of Ya Xi and Yu Xiaoxuan to Shi Feng, "I hope Boss Shi can give me a satisfactory reply before sunset today."

Shi Feng agreed, and he would not go back on his word. After making several phone calls, Shen Qinglan sat quietly in the lobby waiting.

Shi Feng, observing Shen Qinglan’s composure, once again felt it was a pity in his heart—if only Shen Qinglan were part of the Shi Gang, how could the gang not grow stronger?

The Shi Gang truly lived up to being the biggest gang in Beijing. An hour later, news came in. Yu Xiaoxuan’s car was found at the entrance of an alley in Northern City, and in a basement rental room deep in the alley, Wu Qian was found dead in her home, preliminarily judged to be a homicide. In Wu Qian’s room, the bags belonging to Yu Xiaoxuan and Ya Xi were discovered.

Shen Qinglan rushed to the scene and seeing Wu Qian’s unpeaceful death, felt a heavier gloom in her heart. It was obviously an act of BK’s people. Were Yu Xiaoxuan and Ya Xi still safe now?

"Boss, we’ve found their trail," Anan walked in and said to Shi Feng.

Shen Qinglan looked over, Anan repeated the words, and Shen Qinglan left immediately.

"Boss, do you really believe this woman won’t leak these things out?" Not to mention leaking them, just having a copy in Shen Qinglan’s hands to threaten them to do her bidding was a good option.

Shi Feng’s eyes were deep. "I believe her. Keep this information safe. It’s our leverage, but isn’t it also leverage over certain other people? With control over this information, our Shi Gang won’t have to be limited by others." By saying this, it seemed Shen Qinglan had inadvertently helped him.

Shen Qinglan drove a rugged off-road vehicle, performing excellently on the road. She briefed Jin Enxi on the situation.

"An, they are heading towards the border. Based on their speed, they should have already crossed the border by now. But according to the Shi Gang, it seems they took a long pause en route."

"No matter what they intend to do, we must rescue the person first."

Shen Qinglan hung up the phone, pressed her foot down on the accelerator, and the car once again sped freely down the road.

She had just left the Jing City District when Shen Qinglan’s cellphone rang again, an unfamiliar number. Her eyes changed color as she pressed the call button, "Shen Qinglan, your friend is in our hands. You have four hours to get to Xinluo, or your friend is dead," the stranger’s voice said, simple and direct.

Shen Qinglan glanced at the time, it was still 10 a.m. Four hours—that was impossible. It would take at least six hours to drive to Xinluo, there was simply no way to make it there in the allotted time.

"Four hours won’t be possible, make it six," Shen Qinglan attempted to negotiate, her main goal was to buy time. Her cellphone was equipped with a tracking device; if given enough time, Jin Enxi would be able to locate the source of the signal.

"Shen Qinglan, I’m not bargaining with you. Of course, you can come to collect your friend’s body after six hours," he stated bluntly.

"How can I be sure my friend is still safe?" Shen Qinglan’s eyes darkened as she demanded.

The man put the phone next to Yu Xiaoxuan’s mouth, tearing off the tape covering it.

"Qinglan." Yu Xiaoxuan’s voice came from the other end of the phone. Shen Qinglan listened closely. Apart from fear, Yu Xiaoxuan’s voice didn’t sound weak, suggesting she hadn’t been substantially harmed yet.

Shen Qinglan felt slightly relieved.

The man took the phone back, "So, have you decided? Your friend is still whole. If you keep dragging your feet, I can’t guarantee that will continue."

"Fine, four hours. I’ll be in Xinluo."

"Indeed, a straightforward person. Remember, come alone. Bring one extra person, and I kill one," the man spoke with a chilling tone, leaving no room for doubt that he was serious.

"Understood," Shen Qinglan acknowledged, just as she was about to continue the conversation, the call disconnected abruptly.

The call had been too brief for Jin Enxi to track the signal’s origin.

After hanging up, Shen Qinglan stopped the car, waiting for those following her, Eden and Cissily, to catch up. Seeing Shen Qinglan stop, Eden and Cissily naturally came to a halt as well.

"Give me what you’re carrying," Shen Qinglan said directly. Everyone clearly knew what she was referring to.

"An, you can’t go alone, it’s too dangerous," Eden disagreed.

"I can’t gamble with the lives of Yu Xiaoxuan and Ya Xi; I am their target."

Eden and Shen Qinglan locked gazes, and eventually, he conceded under her steady stare, taking the item out from beneath the seat.

"An." Cissily caught Shen Qinglan’s hand, her gaze filled with worry.

"Don’t worry."

Shen Qinglan sped off, quickly leaving Eden and the others behind.

**

In a hotel in Beijing, a woman received a message. The kidnapped victims included not only Yu Xiaoxuan but also Ya Xi, and her lips curled into an amused smile.

"It seems the game has become more interesting due to an unexpected twist," she said, swirling a glass of wine in her hand. She took a sip, smiled, and then took out her cellphone and dialed a string of numbers.

Zhao Jiaqing, upon seeing her daughter not returning and unable to reach her by phone, finally realized something was wrong. She called Yan Shengyu, who was evasive in his responses.

"Sheng Yu, tell me the truth, is Xiao Xi in trouble?"

Yan Shengyu slightly turned his face away, not daring to meet Zhao Jiaqing’s gaze, "Mom, you’re overthinking it. I’ve already called Xiao Xi, and she’s just having too much fun, wanting to stay at a friend’s place for a few days. She’ll be back in a couple of days."

"Then why can’t I get through to Xiao Xi’s phone?"

"It’s already late, she’s probably asleep. You know she likes to turn off her phone when she sleeps."

Zhao Jiaqing thought that made sense and suppressed the unease in her heart, saying, "Call Xiao Xi tomorrow and tell her to come back quickly. She’s grown up now; it’s not right for her to keep staying at someone else’s house."

"Alright, alright, I know. I’ll pick her up tomorrow. Now that the college entrance exam is over, it’s normal for her to want to have fun." Yan Shengyu put his arm around Zhao Jiaqing’s shoulder and led her into the bedroom, "Mom, it’s getting late. You should go to bed too."

"Okay. Remember to pick her up tomorrow."

"Sure." Yan Shengyu pacified Zhao Jiaqing and left the room. The look of relief on his face vanished; he had already called Shen Qinglan but hadn’t gotten through. Shen Qinglan only left him one message, saying she would definitely bring Xiao Xi back.

Yan Shengyu naturally understood what that meant.

Xiao Xi, Shen Qinglan, you both must come back safely.

**

Shen Qinglan’s car was speeding down the road, headed toward Xinluo City.

Three and a half hours later, Shen Qinglan finally saw the Xinluo City gas station. She called the person back, expecting it not to go through, but surprisingly the call connected.

"I’ve arrived at the Xinluo Toll Station. Where do I go from here?"

"Miss Shen is indeed punctual. We are in Qinghe Town, Xinluo City," the man said, glancing at his wristwatch. "You have one hour."

"Okay."

Xinluo City is near the border of LG, and Qinghe Town is even closer to the border of Z. Shen Qinglan remembered seeing a geography book before; if her memory served her correctly, Qinghe Town was a small and remote town with a sparse population and underdeveloped economy. However, because it was near LG, DP activities were rather frequent.

As the car entered the town, Shen Qinglan made a point to check the time: it was two twenty in the afternoon, ten minutes shy of the time they mentioned.

Her phone rang again, and Shen Qinglan answered, "Now get out of the car and walk forward five hundred meters."

Shen Qinglan did as instructed, leaving the car behind and walking forward. As she walked, she surveyed the surrounding environment.

The area was surrounded by forests, with limited visibility. There weren’t many people around; Shen Qinglan encountered only an old woman on her way, hunched over and leaning on a cane. Shen Qinglan tried to strike up a conversation, but the old woman seemed not to understand her words, so Shen Qinglan had no choice but to give up.

After walking five hundred meters, what appeared before Shen Qinglan was a wooden house, indistinguishable from the local architectural style, with the door open. Shen Qinglan entered and then saw Xiao Xi and Yu Xiaoxuan, bound and thrown on the floor.

Shen Qinglan’s first instinct was to quickly assess the two, and seeing they were unharmed apart from looking a bit disheveled, she turned her attention to the three men standing there—one with an Eastern face, two with Western faces, and the tattoos on their arms caught her attention.

That symbol belonged to the BK group.

The man with the Eastern face, upon seeing Shen Qinglan, looked past her, not seeing anyone else, and applauded, "Miss Shen is indeed Miss Shen, truly bold."

Yu Xiaoxuan and Xiao Xi’s eyes lit up when they saw Shen Qinglan; Xiao Xi even started to cry.

Shen Qinglan smiled at them.

The two Western men, upon seeing Shen Qinglan’s arrival, pulled out Qs from their waistbands, aiming the muzzles at the heads of Xiao Xi and Yu Xiaoxuan. Their eyes widened in terror.

Even though Yu Xiaoxuan had seen props on set, she did not believe for a second that what was now pointed at her head was fake.

"I’ve arrived; you can let them go now," Shen Qinglan glanced at Yu Xiaoxuan and Ya Xi as she spoke.

The man chuckled, "Since you’re here, why the hurry to leave?" Seeing Shen Qinglan’s hand rested at her lower back, the man gestured with his hands, "Miss Shen, I must insist that you do not take anything out. My companions here are quite timid and might get scared. A shaky hand could accidentally press something it shouldn’t..."

Shen Qinglan lowered her hand, "What exactly do you want?"

The man smiled, "Miss Shen, we don’t want anything specific; we just want to invite you to be a guest at our place."

Shen Qinglan glanced at Yu Xiaoxuan and Ya Xi, who were securely tied up, and said with a hint of sarcasm, "Is this your idea of hospitality?"

"Well, Miss Shen is notoriously hard to invite, so we had to resort to this method. Please forgive us," he replied.

Shen Qinglan looked at them and said calmly, "I can go with you, but you must release my two friends."

No, Qinglan, don’t do it.

Upon hearing this, Yu Xiaoxuan shook her head desperately, and Ya Xi also shook her head continuously. It was clear they were specifically targeting Shen Qinglan, and they even had Q. If Shen Qinglan went with them, would she still have a chance to come back alive?

Shen Qinglan looked at them, lightly shaking her head to signal that they shouldn’t worry.

"Miss Shen, I believe in your sincerity, but I’m not so sure about your capabilities. So, to reassure me, please drink this," the man said as he presented a cup to Shen Qinglan.

"Don’t worry, there’s nothing in it except for some sleeping medicine," the man added.

Yu Xiaoxuan started shaking her head even more violently, twisting her body, trying to stop Shen Qinglan.

**

Han Yi returned from a banquet with a business partner and called Yu Xiaoxuan but couldn’t get through. He didn’t pay it much attention, assuming she was just busy. However, not long afterward, he received a call from Linda, who said she couldn’t reach Yu Xiaoxuan either and had not found her at her home.

Han Yi recalled Shen Qinglan calling him to inquire about Yu Xiaoxuan, and a feeling of unease settled in his heart. After hanging up the phone, he tried calling Yu Xiaoxuan again, still to no avail. When he called Shen Qinglan, the line was busy.

After ten minutes, it was still busy. Han Yi had a bad feeling and immediately bought a ticket to return to his country, cancelling all upcoming business meetings.

Once back home, he went to Yu Xiaoxuan’s house first, but no one was there, and her car was missing as well. He tried calling Shen Qinglan again without success, so he reluctantly called Fu Hengyi.

"You’re saying Yu Xiaoxuan is also missing?"

"What do you mean ’also’? Who else is missing?"

Fu Hengyi pursed his lips, "Ya Xi."

"Not just that, I can’t get ahold of my little sister-in-law. Hengyi, I’m worried that something has happened to all three of them," Han Yi said gravely.

Fu Hengyi also considered this possibility, his face darkened, "You go check out a few places where Yu Xiaoxuan usually hangs out."

Han Yi acknowledged with a grunt and was about to leave when his assistant called, informing him that Yu Xiaoxuan’s car had been found in Northern City, and alongside it, was the body of a woman.

His face paled, nearly mistaking the accelerator for the brake, "Who is the corpse?"

"It’s unclear; the police are investigating and I can’t get in. But from the clothes and body shape, it doesn’t look like Miss Yu."

Relief washed over Han Yi for a moment, but the assistant’s next words caused his heart to race once again.