The Tycoon's Mysterious Darling Wife
Chapter 241. I eat

Chapter 241: 241. I eat

"The police found Miss Yu’s belongings at the scene, and I guess Miss Yu must have been here," the assistant said.

Han Yi’s face darkened, his eyes filled with deep concern.

Subsequently, the police interviewed the nearby residents and indeed, some mentioned seeing Wu Qian returning home with two girls who were dressed similarly to Yu Xiaoxuan and Ya Xi.

But no one saw when Yu Xiaoxuan and Ya Xi left.

Later, an old woman came forward, saying she had seen three men taking two girls away when she got up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. According to her description, it seemed to be Yu Xiaoxuan and Ya Xi, but it was too dark at the time and she was drowsy, so she didn’t get a clear look at the men or even notice which way they went.

After hearing the assistant’s report, Han Yi’s phone dropped to the ground with a snap. His heart sank, and his blood seemed to have stopped flowing. His hands trembling, he bent over to pick up his phone, but after several failed attempts, he just leaned despondently on the steering wheel.

"Yu Xiaoxuan, where are you now? I only left for two days and you’ve already gone off wandering. Should I have tied you to my belt so you’d be with me wherever I go?"

"Yu Xiaoxuan, you must be safe."

Han Yi drove aimlessly through the streets, hoping to catch a glimpse of that familiar figure suddenly appearing before him, smiling and saying, "Han Yi, are you looking for me?"

When Han Yi got home, it was already past midnight. Exhausted, he lay down and slept for less than four hours before getting up, getting dressed, and preparing to leave.

"Han Yi, I heard you even abandoned the partnership case in F country. What were you thinking rushing back here without a care?" Han Zhengshan was eating when he saw Han Yi and challenged him.

Han Yi gave him a cold glance and continued walking without stopping. "You’d better mind your own business."

Han Zhengshan was about to explode in anger, but Han Yi had already left, and he could only gasp for breath looking at the empty doorway.

**

Shen Qinglan stared at the glass of water before her, her expression unreadable. She was calculating the odds of attacking now, her gaze lingered for a second on the Western men’s thickly calloused hands, which clearly belonged to those accustomed to combat, and she quickly abandoned the idea.

The tough skin at the base of their thumbs indicated that they were used to fighting, and even with her skills, she was uncertain she could take down both men simultaneously, not to mention another man who was watching her intently.

"So, what will it be, Miss Shen? Have you made up your mind? My patience is running thin," the man urged.

"How do I know that you’ll definitely let them go after I drink this? The power isn’t in my hands, is it?" Shen Qinglan spoke softly.

The man laughed, "Miss Shen, you have no other choice but to trust us. Of course, you can choose not to trust us, but you’ll soon know the consequences of that choice."

With that, he gave a signal to the other two men, and one of them tore off the tape from Yu Xiaoxuan’s mouth.

With her mouth free, Yu Xiaoxuan immediately shouted to Shen Qinglan, "Qinglan, just go! Don’t worry about us. They’re after you; as long as you leave, we’ll be fine."

Shen Qinglan couldn’t leave; she hadn’t forgotten Wu Qian, who had died with eyes wide open. If she left, Yu Xiaoxuan and Ya Xi would indeed be doomed—there was nothing those from the Devil Base wouldn’t dare to do.

The man walked over, slapped Yu Xiaoxuan across the face, grabbed her hair, and forced the water from the cup into her mouth. Yu Xiaoxuan choked and coughed violently.

Shen Qinglan’s expression turned grim, "Stop it."

The man set the cup on the table and spread his hands, "Miss Shen, I didn’t lie to you. There’s nothing in the water but some sleeping pills. Your friend has already tested it for you, now can you feel at ease?"

Yu Xiaoxuan coughed until her cheeks grew red; combined with the swollen slap mark on her face and her smeared makeup, she appeared quite disheveled.

Shen Qinglan’s eyes were icily cold, her gaze at the man brimming with murderous intent. If it weren’t for Ya Xi and Yu Xiaoxuan being in the man’s control, these three would have probably turned into three cold corpses by now.

The man pulled out another bottle of sleeping pills from his pocket, "Miss Shen, can you feel at ease eating these now?"

Shen Qinglan did not take them, and seeing that Shen Qinglan was still motionless, the man grew somewhat impatient, "Since Miss Shen refuses to cooperate, then I can only prepare something nice for your friends."

With that, the man picked up a syringe from the side. The syringe was filled with a transparent liquid, and from his expression, Shen Qinglan knew that the contents of the syringe were definitely not anything benign.

"Which one should I give first?" The man’s gaze wandered between Yu Xiaoxuan and Ya Xi, seemingly unable to make up his mind. Yu Xiaoxuan’s vision began to blur as waves of dizziness washed over her; the man had said it was a sleeping pill, but she didn’t know what it actually was—the drug was potent and took effect very quickly.

Ya Xi’s eyes widened in terror, she did not cry, however.

"I’ll take it," Shen Qinglan finally spoke up.

The man laughed and set the syringe down, "Miss Shen could have just said so earlier. However, for safety, please remove any items you are carrying first."

Shen Qinglan’s eyes flickered slightly, "I don’t understand what you mean."

"No, you do."

Shen Qinglan locked eyes with the man; after a moment, she reached behind her waist, pulled out what was there and threw it on the ground.

Yu Xiaoxuan, who had already been groggy, suddenly became alert upon seeing what Shen Qinglan had removed, "Qinglan." Her voice was weak.

Shen Qinglan did not look at her, but kept her eyes on the man, and then pulled out a combat knife from her body, throwing it on the ground, "Is this sufficient?" It was indeed all the weapons she was carrying.

"Miss Shen, take off your wristwatch," the man remarked.

Shen Qinglan, expressionless, removed her wristwatch and threw it on the ground.

The man seemed satisfied, throwing the bottle of pills to Shen Qinglan, "This medicine is quite strong, I suggest Miss Shen take just one."

Shen Qinglan, without even looking at the bottle, poured out a pill and swallowed it.

While waiting for the drug to take effect, Shen Qinglan threw the bottle aside, "Now you can let them go."

The man smiled, "Naturally, we keep our word." He signaled two Western men with a look; the men untied Ya Xi and Yu Xiaoxuan, with Ya Xi struggling to support the now unconscious Yu Xiaoxuan, "Sister Xiaoxuan."

Although they were untied, guns were still aimed at their heads, preventing Shen Qinglan from making any rash moves.

Yu Xiaoxuan didn’t wake, relying on just Ya Xi who couldn’t support her alone, which meant they really couldn’t leave.

Shen Qinglan inwardly sighed at her misstep and glanced at the wristwatch on the ground, hoping Eden and his team would arrive soon.

The man threw a pair of handcuffs to Shen Qinglan, "Miss Shen, please put these on."

Shen Qinglan did not hesitate and cuffed herself, "We can go now."

The man nodded, about to wave to the other two to leave when his phone rang. He answered it, and Shen Qinglan noticed his gaze pause on Ya Xi, feeling a bad premonition.

"Understood," the man said, then hung up the phone.

"Take her with us," the man pointed at Ya Xi.

Shen Qinglan’s face changed, "Are you going back on your word?"

The man shrugged, "Miss Shen, it’s not that I don’t want to honor the agreement, but someone specifically requested to take her away. I’m just the executor."

Shen Qinglan’s body began to feel weak, knowing the drug was taking effect. Her vision blurred, and she shook her head, trying to stay conscious.

"Let me go, let me go, big sister, save me." Ya Xi struggled violently, but her strength was no match for two strong men.

Shen Qinglan tried to help her, but everything went dark, and she collapsed to the ground.

"Take them all except that one," the man said, and Ya Xi tried to scream but was knocked unconscious with a slap.

The three men took Ya Xi and Shen Qinglan out of the cabin, figured out the direction, and headed into the woods. Two Western men walked in front, and an Eastern man walked behind, carefully covering their tracks.

Less than two minutes after they left, the figures of Eden and Cissily appeared in the cabin. However, apart from the unconscious Yu Xiaoxuan and the items Shen Qinglan had dropped on the floor, there was no one else. Their expressions changed as they rushed out, but could not find any trace of where they had gone.

The man walked through the mountains, and about ten minutes later, they arrived at a clearing with a helicopter parked.

Eden and Cissily had yet to find their trail when they heard the sound of helicopter blades spinning, then saw a helicopter entering their line of sight.

"SHIT," Eden cursed, slamming his hand violently against a tree trunk.

"Quick, contact Enxi."

Eden snapped to his senses and called Jin Enxi, "Enxi, we lost them."

Jin Enxi immediately understood, typing a few times on the keyboard. A red blinking dot appeared on the screen, "They went towards Quansan."

"Hold on," Jin Enxi’s tone shifted, "The signal on An has disappeared."

The complexions of Eden and Cissily instantly darkened. A tracking device had been installed on Shen Qinglan; regardless of where she was, they could find her. Watching her being taken away, they hadn’t panicked, but now the signal had disappeared, meaning they had truly lost contact with Shen Qinglan.

Although they knew their destination was Quansan, the area was so vast it would be extremely difficult to find Shen Qinglan quickly.

On the helicopter, the man removed the earring from Shen Qinglan, smiled, and said, "Didn’t expect there to be a slip through the net." He glanced at the finely made earring, then with a flick of his wrist, the earring was tossed from the helicopter.

**

Fu Hengyi realized something was wrong the next day.

Yu Xiaoxuan had disappeared, and so had Ya Xi; the coincidence was too much. He couldn’t get in touch with Shen Qinglan. Amid his anxiety, he suddenly received a message on his phone, a video. He glanced at it and saw Shen Qinglan tied up and thrown on the ground, her condition unknown.

Along with the video, there was also a message: "Fu Hengyi, this is my gift to you. Your wife is indeed very beautiful. I will take good care of her." It was signed by KING.

Fu Hengyi’s blood ran cold instantly. His hands trembled slightly, his eyes frighteningly cold. Clutching his phone, he turned and headed to the Military Region leadership office.

The military leaders realized the gravity of the situation and approved Fu Hengyi’s leave. However, as an active soldier and also an officer, leaving the country wasn’t so simple.

Fu Hengyi called his direct superior, "Hengyi, I understand how you feel, but you are a soldier. You have your duties. I will arrange for someone to rescue your wife, but you must stay at your post."

Fu Hengyi was cold and stern, "I am a soldier, willing to lay down my life for the country without hesitation. But I am also a husband. My wife is in danger right now. If I can’t even save or protect my own wife, then what am I defending?"

The leader was silent, then after a moment said, "You can’t even confirm your wife’s exact location right now. Hold on for a moment, I’ll immediately contact the police and have them coordinate with you."

Fu Hengyi didn’t confirm or deny anything but hung up and directly drove away from the Military Region.

"Han Yi, are Andre and others still in Beijing filming?" Fu Hengyi called Han Yi, getting straight to the point.

Han Yi was still searching the streets for Yu Xiaoxuan and was momentarily caught off guard by Fu Hengyi’s words. Fu Hengyi asked again, "Han Yi, where is Andre right now?"

Han Yi finally snapped back, blurting out reflexively, "City South, the little sister-in-law’s tea house. They’ve been shooting there recently."

Fu Hengyi hung up and went straight to the tea house, but ended up missing him. Andre was not there. Fu Hengyi thought for a bit and went to Shangya Garden, but still, no one was there.

Just when Fu Hengyi was out of ideas, a series of numbers flashed in his mind. He took out his phone and dialed it.

Jin Enxi was discussing with Andre when she received Fu Hengyi’s call, "I am Shen Qinglan’s husband, Fu Hengyi. I’ve learned that Qinglan was taken by BK. Where are you now?"

Jin Enxi hesitated, exchanged a glance with Andre, who nodded, and then she gave the address.

Seeing Jin Enxi and Andre together didn’t surprise Fu Hengyi at all. The first time he saw Andre, he felt the silhouette was familiar but couldn’t recall it at the time. It was later that he remembered this man’s silhouette resembled the one he had seen in the rainforest with Shen Qinglan.

Later at Shen Qinglan’s birthday party when Andre appeared again, Fu Hengyi was quite certain that Shen Qinglan knew Andre from before.

"I know you have your own way of contacting each other. I hope you can tell me where Qinglan is now," Fu Hengyi said bluntly, without any nonsense.

Jin Enxi was silent. Andre spoke up, "Right now, we’ve also lost track of her. We only know that she was taken by BK people to Quansan, but the area is too vast, and we don’t know the exact location. Her tracking device was discovered."

Though Fu Hengyi had hoped they knew Qinglan’s exact location, hearing them say they didn’t was disappointing.

A hint of annoyance appeared in his eyes. If he had known it would come to this, he never would have announced his engagement so publicly. He hadn’t anticipated that BK would be bold enough to abduct someone from Beijing.

Seeing the wristwatch on Fu Hengyi’s hand, Jin Enxi’s eyes lit up suddenly and she spoke, "We might not be certain of Qinglan’s location, but you can find her."

Fu Hengyi looked at her, "What do you mean?"

Jin Enxi pointed at the watch on his hand, "There’s a tracking device inside this watch, though it only has a small range and can only sense within a certain distance. Yours is installed in the watch, Qinglan also has one. It used to be in a watch too, but it was too conspicuous, so I modified it and installed it in her necklace."

As they talked, Fu Hengyi suddenly remembered a day not long ago when he noticed Shen Qinglan started wearing a necklace. He had asked her about it at the time, and she said it was a whim.

He suddenly felt fortunate for her whim.

"How should I cooperate now?" Fu Hengyi asked.

"The sub-device on you cannot be activated on its own; now, our only hope is Qinglan. Moreover, this tracking device has a fatal flaw: it must be within two thousand meters to sense, and within five hundred meters to pinpoint the location. So, to find her, we still need to gradually narrow down the search area."

"Then we leave now," Fu Hengyi decided on the spot, unable to wait even a second longer.

"Wait, can you leave the territory of Country Z?" Andre asked him.

"I will handle that. Tomorrow afternoon at four o’clock, meet me in Qinghe Town in Country Z," Fu Hengyi said, stopping at the door, "Are the two girls who were taken away with Qinglan still with her?"

"No, the one named Yu Xiaoxuan has been found; she was just overfed with sleeping pills and is currently being taken to the hospital to have her stomach pumped. She is now in Xinluo City. Another named Ya Xi, we haven’t found; she might have been taken away too," Andre explained.

Fu Hengyi nodded, left the villa, made a call to Han Yi, then headed straight to the airport, bought the fastest flight, and then took a car back to the base.

"I need to go to Quansan," Fu Hengyi stated directly to the base leader.

The base leader, seeing Fu Hengyi return, already knew why. "No."

"I must go."

"Fu Hengyi, do you still realize that you’re a soldier?" the leader said with a face full of anger, "I’ve already analyzed the pros and cons of this matter with you, and I’ve contacted the police as well; they are trying their best to track your wife’s location. What you need to do now is to wait patiently."

Fu Hengyi’s expression turned grave, "If it were your wife who was captured today, could you still say the same?"

The leader’s expression stiffened, and he fell silent, perhaps unable to do as he preached.

"Shen Qinglan is my wife, and she became a target because of me; if I don’t go save her, how can I have the face to continue wearing this uniform?"

The leader’s expression softened a bit, and he spoke more gently, "Hengyi, I understand your feelings; If these people were still in the country, I would definitely agree to your rescue without hesitation, but they have already left the country, and this is not just a personal matter anymore; it could affect the diplomatic relations between our country and others."

What he left unsaid was that, before Fu Hengyi arrived, he had already called the higher-ups, reported the situation, and they had immediately contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, asking them to communicate, but no news had come yet.

"I request to go save my wife in a personal capacity, and my actions have nothing to do with my country," Fu Hengyi said resolutely.

The leader was shocked, "Fu Hengyi, do you know what you’re saying?"

"I do; I will take responsibility for my actions this time, and if by chance I’m discovered, I will make sure not to leave any evidence."

The leader’s face darkened, quietly observing Fu Hengyi.

"Let me think this over."

"I don’t have so much time."

"Fu Hengyi!" the leader pounded the table.

Fu Hengyi didn’t flinch.

After a long moment, the leader sighed, "I understand, I’ll give you an answer in half an hour."

Hearing this, Fu Hengyi turned and left the office.

The leader picked up the phone again and dialed a number.

**

When Shen Qinglan regained consciousness, she didn’t see Ya Xi, only herself confined in a room, her limbs bound tightly. She tried to move her wrists, finding the bindings very tight.

There seemed to be people whispering outside the room; after listening for a while, she could determine her current location was probably in Quansan because the people were speaking the local language. Although she couldn’t speak it, she roughly understood their meaning.

She was now very worried, not about her current plight, but for the safety of Ya Xi and Yu Xiaoxuan; before she lost consciousness, she remembered that those people wanted to take Ya Xi away. And what about Yu Xiaoxuan, was she still safe? These people dared to kill in Beijing; Yu Xiaoxuan’s situation might be even more dangerous than Ya Xi’s.

And before leaving, who was that phone call from, that the man said someone specifically wanted to take Ya Xi? Who was this person, and what was their purpose? Ya Xi belonged to the Yan Family, was it because of the Yan Family’s involvement?

Shen Qinglan couldn’t figure it out; the effects of the drug made her head still feel dizzy. She tilted her head and pressed down, only then did she realize her earrings were gone, a glint flashing in her eyes.

Shen Qinglan knew that with the earrings gone, other tracking devices on her body must also be gone. She didn’t check the necklace on her neck because she couldn’t be sure if there were surveillance devices installed in the room.

And Shen Qinglan’s judgment was correct; at that moment in the room next door, there indeed was someone observing her. Seeing her immediately reach for her ears upon waking up, he chuckled, "That earring indeed was problematic; without it, let’s see how they find her."

The speaker was an Asian-faced man, one of the men who had brought Shen Qinglan and the others back.

Standing next to this man was another man with a scar on his forehead, who, hearing the man’s words, said, "Even if they find their way here, it doesn’t matter. Fu Hengyi has caused us to lose many brothers; now, his wife is in our hands. Just let him come, and I will ensure he doesn’t return."

"Didn’t KING say he wanted to torture this woman badly? And also to record a video to send to Fu Hengyi? Then we can start now, right?"

The scar-faced man nodded, "KING said to take good care of this woman, but not to kill her."

"Alright," the man agreed, watching the screen with a cruel smile.

The door to the room opened, and Shen Qinglan looked at the incoming person; it was the Asian-faced man, "Miss Shen, you’re awake."

Shen Qinglan glanced at him coldly, sitting on the ground without speaking. She recently tried to stand but realized she had no strength in her body, knowing she must have been injected or fed something while unconscious.

Feeling no other abnormalities, she couldn’t yet determine the full effects of the drugs they had administered.

"Miss Shen, we invited you here with no other intention. Your husband, Fu Hengyi, has killed many of our brothers, and we cannot let this vendetta go unavenged. We couldn’t find him, so naturally, we had to find you," the man explained patiently, smiling as he sat down across from Shen Qinglan.

"Who are you collaborating with?" Shen Qinglan asked.

"What?" The man didn’t understand her meaning.

"Who was the last person to call you to take Ya Xi away, and what was their purpose?"

The man laughed, "Miss Shen, you can’t even protect yourself now and yet you still find time to worry about others’ lives and deaths. Should I say you’re incredibly bold, or should I say you’re needlessly concerned?"

"You already know I can’t protect myself and, if I’m not mistaken, KING doesn’t plan to let me leave here alive. Sooner or later, I’m going to die anyway, so what does it matter to me if you tell me?"

The man nodded seriously, "Miss Shen makes a very sensible point. Unfortunately, I don’t know who that person is. I’m just a functionary following orders from above."

What the man said was true, the last phone call had indeed been made by KING himself, but he was certain, it wasn’t actually KING’s own idea.

"What about my other friend? What have you done with her?"

"We let her go, of course. I’m a man of my word. I said we would release her and we did, but whether or not she could be found, that I don’t know."

After speaking, the man stood up and looked down at Shen Qinglan imposingly, "Miss Shen, enough with the chitchat. Now let’s start the main course."

Hearing this, Shen Qinglan kept a steady expression but sighed with relief internally. As long as they hadn’t touched Yu Xiaoxuan, Eden and Cissily would find her.

The Eastern man clapped his hands, and two men came in. They pulled Shen Qinglan up and took her out. Shen Qinglan then realized this place was similar to a torture chamber, a lot like the one recently partitioned off in Jin Enxi’s villa.

In the center of the room, there was a cross. They bound Shen Qinglan to it. From beginning to end, Shen Qinglan’s expression remained calm, without any sign of disturbance.

The Eastern man didn’t care, the real show hadn’t started yet. He took a whip down from the wall, swung his hand, and the whip landed on Shen Qinglan’s body.

Shen Qinglan let out a muffled moan, her eyes lowered, silent.

Seeing Shen Qinglan’s reaction, the Eastern man grew more interested. The whip kept falling on her skin, and Shen Qinglan could acutely feel the pain as the whip met her flesh. Gradually, sweat started to bead on her forehead, and her clothes were soaked with blood that seeped out.

Exhausted, the man stopped and looked at Shen Qinglan, who had been silent from the beginning, and clicked his tongue in wonder. This woman was no ordinary daughter of a wealthy family; he would believe it if she were said to be a trained spy, her endurance was even greater than some men.

At that moment, a tall woman walked in. She had a good figure, curvaceous, but there was a long scar on her face.

Seeing Shen Qinglan’s face, jealousy and hatred flashed through her eyes. The hatred was not aimed at her but at Fu Hengyi. In that operation, her lover had died in Z country.

She walked up to Shen Qinglan, lifted her head, "Such a beauty." Then, she turned to the man, "Don’t tell me you went easy on her because she’s beautiful. KING said to take good care of her."

The man shrugged, "If you think you can, go ahead."

The woman’s mouth curved slightly, and she punched Shen Qinglan in the abdomen. Shen Qinglan furrowed her brows but didn’t even grunt. Seeing this, the woman frowned, seeming somewhat dissatisfied, raised her fist, and punched Shen Qinglan again.

By the time the woman stopped, Shen Qinglan’s forehead was covered in sweat, but her expression remained cold and detached. These tactics were nothing new to her; she had already experienced them, even worse, at Devil Base. She wouldn’t be fazed by such methods.

"Never thought this woman would be such a tough nut to crack. But sending her current state to Fu Hengyi should be enough, right?"

The woman took out her phone and snapped several photos of Shen Qinglan.

In the photos, Shen Qinglan was covered in blood, and looked very disheveled.

"Wonder if Fu Hengyi will go crazy seeing these pictures?" the woman muttered to herself in English, believing Shen Qinglan understood what she was saying.

No matter what she said, Shen Qinglan remained silent, not even sparing them a glance, making it feel as if they were facing an emotionless, insensible puppet.

After talking for half a day and seeing that Shen Qinglan had no reaction, a flash of anger appeared in the woman’s eyes, "Stubborn, huh? You think you can hold out? Well, I’ll see how long you can last."

With that, the woman gestured for two men to take Shen Qinglan into a small, dark room, and once the door closed, the room plunged into darkness.

Having just endured torture, they assumed that Shen Qinglan couldn’t escape; this time, they didn’t bind her hands or feet. Shen Qinglan sat up and lifted her head to look at the only vent in the room, situated roughly two meters above the floor and quite small—about the size of a child’s head.

The door, made of thick metal, could only be opened from the outside.

The room was dark, lit only by a glimmer of light seeping through the vent, which seemed more like artificial light than natural.

Shen Qinglan immediately realized that this was a basement, intended for her psychological torment.

A mocking smile lifted the corners of her mouth. These were all the tricks they had.

Shen Qinglan moved her limbs a bit. It was hard to say whether it was fortunate or unfortunate, but the intense sweating from the torture had reduced some of the drug effects on her body.

Her injuries were superficial—probably so as not to kill her—the blows weren’t heavy, though the wounds looked terrifying, they hadn’t damaged her muscles or bones.

Feeling around, Shen Qinglan found a bed in the room. She lay down and then felt the necklace around her neck—a heart-shaped pendant with several small diamonds embedded. She gently pressed the central diamond, then closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep, overtaken by exhaustion.

When Shen Qinglan opened her eyes, it was still pitch black. She didn’t know whether it was day or night, but she estimated she had slept for about six hours. When she was brought into this small dark room, it had been sunny outside; it was likely only the early hours now.

Just woken, she felt no trace of sleepiness. Her mind was busy with thoughts of escape.

The tracking device on her body had a very limited range, and she wasn’t sure if it would be useful. Each day she stayed increased her danger. She also worried about Ya Xi; she hadn’t heard how he was doing. From her conversation with the man today, Shen Qinglan was certain that Yu Xiaoxuan was unharmed, and both Eden and Cissily were close by, undoubtedly safe.

The wounds on her body, untreated, throbbed with dull pain, and Shen Qinglan frowned, changing her position.

Someone brought her food daily through a small window—one piece of bread and a bottle of water. They varied the times of delivery, making it impossible to guess how many days she had been confined by the schedule of their deliveries.

The small room was silent except for her own breathing and heartbeat. For the first two days, Shen Qinglan spent most of her time sleeping, the only respite from the pain.

Starting the third day, Shen Qinglan slept less, probably because she had slept enough and could sleep no more. She didn’t know how long she’d been locked up but estimated that Eden and the rest should have reached Quansan by now, though whether or not they could find her there was uncertain.

Unable to sleep, memories began to resurface—like the young boy she met when kidnapped by human traffickers. She clearly remembered a small scar on his wrist, reportedly from a scald he suffered while playing, left untreated. Zhao Wei bore such a scar in the same place, though it was fainter—it was indeed a burn, but she still couldn’t be certain if Zhao Wei was the same boy. She had wanted to confirm this but was delayed.

Shen Qinglan still remembered that boy, the first person to offer her warmth during those tough times.

Perhaps it was the silence that made memories of the past even clearer, resurfacing in her mind and bringing a misty look to her eyes.

From her first visit to the Devil Base at age five, stabbing someone with a dagger at seven, carrying out her first mission at eleven, receiving the Red Spider Lily tattoo at thirteen, destroying the base at fifteen, returning to the Shen Family at sixteen, meeting Fu Hengyi and marrying him at twenty-one, and being proposed to by Fu Hengyi at twenty-two.

Life’s experiences played through her mind like movie scenes, over and over, making her recall many things she had once not wanted to remember, yet now they didn’t seem to hurt as much as before.