TFS | Chapter 56

Qi Yue arrived at the parking lot and put the things in the back seat. As soon as the car started, the safety charm hanging in front of him began to sway as well.

He glanced at the yellow charm that kept swinging back and forth, and suddenly felt uneasy. A strange, panicked feeling welled up from his chest, as if something terrible had happened.

The feeling was bizarre. Qi Yue could not make sense of it, and he thought he must have been imagining things again. They had already agreed to meet each other’s parents tomorrow, and Ruanruan could not possibly lie to him at a time like this.

The young master smiled and shook his head, then drove over to the lane where his girlfriend was waiting. There was no one under the streetlights, silence lay beyond the car windows, and the sky was dark.

Qi Yue’s face darkened at once.

He called out to the car window, “Ruanruan…”

No one answered him. Qi Yue tightened his grip on the steering wheel slightly, his heartbeat quickening. But after thinking about it, he still felt it was impossible, so he comforted himself inwardly. Maybe she had suddenly remembered something she had forgotten to buy halfway here and had gone back to the supermarket. He took out his phone and started dialing.

He realized his hand was shaking a little. He pressed the screen several times, but there was no response. The expression on his face could no longer hold steady either. “…Stop messing around, okay? Ruanruan, don’t mess with me…”

The call would not go through. Qi Yue’s face grew even uglier. He slammed the steering wheel hard, then pushed open the car door and rushed out, shouting, “Ruanruan…”

He ran into the supermarket and searched around, but there was no one inside, nowhere, no one at all. Qi Yue braced his hands on his knees and gasped for breath. He looked at the nearby lane. It was empty, with no pedestrians and no cars. It was impossible for her to disappear so quickly. Someone must have been here. Someone must have taken her away…

His first instinct was Xu Zhou, but after thinking about it, he felt something was off. It could not have been Xu Zhou. They had already made things clear between them long ago, and Xu Zhou would never have ignored her wishes and forced her away.

Then Qi Yue thought of Jiang Rang. That guy had come looking for Ruanruan several times before. If those people had followed Jiang Rang’s trail and found Ruanruan, and then kidnapped her to take revenge on him…

He did not dare imagine the consequences. Sweat kept breaking out in the palm that was clutching his phone, and a trace of tension and unease showed in his dark eyes.

If that was really the case, he would rather… rather she was just playing with him, bullying him, watching him panic. He did not want her to have truly been taken away. Otherwise, he would not be able to endure it. He would really go crazy.

Qi Yue drew in a deep breath and barely managed to suppress the urge to lose control.

He wanted to calm himself down, but all that filled his mind were scenes of his girlfriend encountering misfortune. If this went on, he really would lose his mind.

…

So Qi Yue found the hotel where Jiang Rang was staying. The moment the door opened, Jiang Rang was quite surprised and even greeted him with a smile.

Qi Yue stepped forward and grabbed the collar of his shirt directly, then sent an unmerciful punch flying at his face. “Don’t tell me this has nothing to do with you.”

Jiang Rang could not dodge in time and took the punch squarely. His mouth immediately swelled up at the corner. He shoved the other man back, his face turning unpleasant as well. “What happened? I don’t even know what you’re talking about. You start fighting the second we meet, do you think I’m easy to bully?”

Qi Yue clenched his fist tightly, his gaze dark and fixed on him. “Stop pretending to be stupid. They followed you into the country. They were originally here to get revenge on you. Now you’re fine, but the one who disappeared is my girlfriend instead. How did they know her and find her? Don’t tell me this has absolutely nothing to do with you.”

Jiang Rang’s expression changed slightly. After a moment of silence, he looked up at him. “It’s not unreasonable for you to suspect me, but I can tell you clearly that this has nothing to do with me.”

“Nothing to do with you?” Qi Yue sneered. “Hah. If you hadn’t kept showing up at her door, would Ruanruan have disappeared? Don’t tell me you know nothing about their movements. Tell me, where are they exactly?”

Jiang Rang rubbed the painful corner of his mouth and looked up at him. “I don’t know the exact location either. I only know they once had a deal in a villa in the western suburbs…”

At those words, Qi Yue could no longer stand still. His first thought was to go to the western suburbs villa to find her. But at that moment, a video was sent to his phone.

Qi Yue’s breath caught, and he stood stiffly in place. It was an abandoned factory, the lighting dim. A woman lay on the floor, black hair spilling across her face. The exposed skin he could make out was deathly pale. Her hands were bound, and she lay motionless on the ground, her life or death unknown.

The moment he saw that scene, Qi Yue’s eyes went red. His fingers trembled as they lightly touched the screen, as if all the strength in his body had been drained away. In a very low voice, he kept calling her name, “Ruanruan, Ruanruan…”

The video played over and over. Qi Yue looked carefully at every corner he could see.

He really felt like he was about to go crazy, especially seeing his girlfriend lying helpless and pale on the ground in the video. He wanted nothing more than to rush in immediately and pull her into his arms.

“Ruanruan, don’t be afraid. I’ll be there very soon…” His eyes were red as he stared hard at the screen, careful and wary, as if if he blinked, the woman in the video would vanish.

The yellow-haired underling beside him could clearly feel how broken he was and hurriedly comforted him. “Boss, don’t panic yet. These people kidnapped sis-in-law and still sent you a video, which means sis-in-law is probably fine for now. They probably want you to pay ransom for her.”

He stamped his foot and urged him to pull himself together. “Boss, you can’t lose your head now. Otherwise, how are you going to save sis-in-law…”

Those words brought Qi Yue back to his senses a little. He came to himself, his voice hoarse and rough, almost breaking apart. “Right. You’re right. I can’t lose my head. Ruanruan will definitely be fine…”

Since they sent him a video, it meant they had a purpose. No matter whether they wanted money or something else, he could give it to them, as long as Ruanruan was safe.

Qi Yue looked at the screen and forced himself to calm down, then dialed the number to contact his people. He had quite a few men under him, and they could check the location from the video. There were not many abandoned factories nearby, and it was still close to the western suburbs. They would definitely find her.

Less than ten minutes later, a call came in. Hearing the hoarse, sinister voice on the other end of the line… Qi Yue’s fingers trembled a little, and he barely kept himself composed. “What do you want?”

The other side laughed softly. The tone was strange. Qi Yue heard a burst of very fast English coming through the phone, and translated roughly, it was…

“…Of course we want money. Five million in cash, packed into two suitcases…”

“…Come alone to Xijiang Factory at six o’clock tomorrow morning. Remember, don’t call the police, or your pretty girlfriend will definitely lose her life…”

Qi Yue agreed without hesitation. “Fine, I agree. But you have to guarantee that you won’t hurt her.”

The other side seemed not to have expected him to agree so readily. After a pause, they continued, “…Don’t worry, I don’t have any grudge against her. As long as you behave and do as you’re told, I promise she will be safely returned to your side…”

After saying that, the call ended. Qi Yue immediately had people prepare the ransom. Money was nothing. As long as they did not hurt Ruanruan, it did not matter how much they wanted.

The yellow-haired one followed beside him and asked hesitantly, “Boss, are you really planning to go over there alone? Those people won’t be so easy to shake off. This could very well be a trap…”

Qi Yue stared at the phone. “I know. The address that person gave is too easy. There will definitely be something else waiting.”

He turned around, his face dark. “Go find some brothers and have them keep an eye on Xijiang Factory in advance. Tomorrow, I’ll go in alone first. Remember, absolutely do not act rashly.”

He could not possibly go in with no precautions at all. That would leave him too passive. He could not tolerate anyone hurting her even a little, especially those bastards. He would not let them off.

“But wouldn’t that be a little too…”

Qi Yue barely suppressed the anxiety churning in his chest. “No buts. Just do what I said.”

He could not help clenching his fingers. So what if it was a trap? He could not gamble, and he did not dare gamble. If anything really happened to her, he would never forgive himself.

What was missing now was only time. Qi Yue gradually calmed down. They had gone to every length to kidnap Ruanruan, and it was all for profit. Profit was good, because that would make them understand how important Ruanruan was, and they would not dare hurt her so easily.

…He needed to hurry and arrange everything…

When Xu Linruan woke up, her hands were already bound. Sitting on the sofa at the head was a mixed-race man. Somehow, he had gone strange, staring at her with a peculiar look. “You’re really beautiful. No wonder that guy was willing to spend so much money on you…”

Xu Linruan’s bound limbs were somewhat stiff. She did not know what exactly this person wanted to do. She had heard him call Qi Yue, and she knew his purpose, but she still felt that things were not that simple. So she asked, “You kidnapped me, just for money?”

She did not think the man in front of her was the kind who would follow rules. He did not look short of money. Asking for money seemed more like a cover-up. His real purpose should have been to take revenge on Qi Yue.

The mixed-race man at the head smiled. He could understand some Chinese and could speak a little too. Although he was not fluent, it did not affect communication.

It was a long while before Xu Linruan heard him speak. “Of course not. It’s just that I can’t tell you yet, beautiful lady…”

After he finished speaking, the mixed-race man slowly stood up from the sofa. He circled Xu Linruan twice, his tone carrying a kind of sickly cheer. “…It’s a bit excessive to do this, but I’m sorry. Who told you to be that guy’s woman…”

Xu Linruan paused, instantly understanding his purpose.

She was just about to say something when the phone on the table suddenly buzzed. The mixed-race man lowered his head to look at it. A line of text appeared on the screen: “The money is ready. I’m coming over. No police.”

He smiled and waved behind him. Immediately, someone walked toward her. Xu Linruan’s pupils contracted slightly, and her bound hands tightened unconsciously.

She tried to dodge, but she was dragged into a black van. A camera was fixed at the front of the vehicle. She did not know what it was for. She struggled hard, but they knocked her out again, then stuffed her into the front passenger seat.