Accustomed to Su Huo's gentle and serene demeanor, it was the first time witnessing her flustered state, resembling a startled kitten.
Gu Beixian found it amusing, lifting the corners of his lips and teasing her, "You got yourself in, and now you can't push your way out."
Su Huo's ears turned red, "That's impossible."
He chuckled more deeply, "Next time, I'll record it with my phone, so you can't deny it."
Embarrassed, Su Huo quickly turned away and grabbed a shirt from the bedside table to put on. In her haste, she didn't notice that she had buttoned it incorrectly.
Watching her slender figure hurriedly dressing, Gu Beixian's mind, however, conjured up her appearance from last night's dreams.
Unknown to what terrifying thing she had dreamt, she curled up into a small ball, trembling.
He pulled her into his arms, comforting her, but she murmured the words "Brother Yao" with closed eyes.
Unable to recall how many times this had happened, how deep must the love be to remain so unforgettable?
As for that Brother Yao, he had investigated for a long time but found nothing.
When asked last time, she avoided answering.
Silencing his smiling expression, Gu Beixian picked up a watch and casually said, "I might return very late tonight. Help me find an excuse with Grandma."
Su Huo's buttoning hands paused.
Knowing he would return late was to accompany Chu Suosuo at the hospital.
Feeling humiliated, she was on the verge of tears, a needle-prick sensation in her heart.
After a long pause, she finally spoke, "I'll talk to Grandma about the divorce. I appreciate your sacrifice."
Gu Beixian looked at her meaningfully, "You've also endured a lot."
After finishing breakfast, the driver from the old mansion took Su Huo to Gu Baozhai.
A busy day.
By the time she finished work, Su Huo received a call from the driver, "Madam, my car was hit by a drunk driver. I have to wait for the police to handle it. Can you take a taxi home?"
"Alright."
Carrying her bag, Su Huo walked out of the antique street.
Around the corner, two men caught up with her, blocking her way.
One tall and thin man spoke, "Are you Su Huo? Please come with us."
Su Huo scrutinized the two men warily. In their late twenties, wearing sunglasses at night, they seemed suspicious, emitting a faint odor of earthiness.
Feeling uneasy, she asked, "Where to?"
The tall man said, "There's an ancient painting that needs your help with restoration. Rest assured, we mean no harm, and the payment will be according to market rates."
Su Huo breathed a sigh of relief, "Deliver the painting to my workplace."
The other bald man sneered, "Why waste time talking? Let's just take her."
Upon hearing this, Su Huo started running.
Before she could run far, the bald man grabbed her arm and pulled her into a black car parked on the side of the road.
The car started.
The tall man found Su Huo's phone in her bag, saying, "Make a call to your family. Tell them you're going out with friends for a few days, so they won't worry."
Instinctively wanting to call Gu Beixian, she thought again that he had to be at the hospital with Chu Suosuo and wouldn't have time for her. So, she decided to call her mother.
Instructing the tall man to find her mother's number, Su Huo called her.
"Mom, I'm going out with friends for a few days. Remember to take your diabetes medication on time..."
Before she could finish, the tall man took the phone and turned it off.
He took out a piece of black cloth, blindfolding Su Huo.
The car seemed to drive for a very long time before finally stopping.
Su Huo was taken to an old building.
Climbing the stairs to the third floor.
Opening the door, a large red table was placed in the middle, with a safe on it.
The tall man approached, opened the safe, and took out the painting.
The painting, about one and a half meters long, was very old, severely damaged, with many areas lacking in artistic expression, requiring touch-ups.
Staring at the painting, Su Huo recognized it upon closer inspection. It was a reclusive scene by "Yuan Sijia" Wang Meng.
The most expensive painting by Wang Meng was once auctioned for four hundred million.
If this painting was restored well, it would fetch at least tens of millions at auction. No wonder these two took the risk of bringing her here.
The tall man asked, "Miss Su, how long will it take to repair this painting?"
"The painting is large, severely damaged, and lacks significant artistic expression. It will take at least half a month."
"Alright, what tools and materials do you need? Write it down, and we'll go prepare."
Su Huo picked up a pen and wrote down the materials on paper, handing it to them.
The tall man took it, saying, "We'll go prepare. Rest well."
Su Huo nodded.
As the two left, the door clicked shut.
Su Huo glanced around.
The room had a bathroom, a bed, a table, and chairs—all evidently prepared in advance.
Outside the window, not far away, were continuous mountains, desolate and unfamiliar. Sparse lights could be vaguely seen, indicating a considerable distance from the city.
With a growling stomach, Su Huo grabbed a pack of instant noodles, took a few bites, drank some water, and after freshening up, lay down on the bed.
The surroundings were unusually silent, yet she couldn't fall asleep.
Having gone missing, would Gu Beixian be worried?
Unlikely.
His eyes were only on Chu Suosuo; he might be at the hospital with her right now.
Thinking of Gu Beixian rushing to the hospital in a hurry after Chu Suosuo's suicide attempt, Su Huo's heart felt like it was filled with stones, causing a painful sensation.
Tossing and turning, she couldn't find sleep until the late hours.
Getting up to use the bathroom, she suddenly heard faint movements outside.
Pressing her ear against the door crack, she heard the tall man shout, "Baldy, what are you doing?"
Baldy lowered his voice, "Can't sleep, just checking if that girl is behaving. You think she, a little girl, can restore our painting? If she ruins something worth millions or even billions, the boss will blame us."
"The boss sent someone to inquire. Her grandfather is the 'Restoration Maestro' Su Wenmai, who personally taught her from childhood to adulthood. There are rumors that many of the paintings he restored in his later years were mostly done by this girl."
"In that case, I feel reassured." Baldy grinned, "This little girl looks so enchanting. Brother, aren't you tempted?"
The tall man scolded, "Put away your frivolous thoughts. Restoring the painting is crucial. Once we sell it and get our share, how many women do you think you can find?"
"Spending money on women, there are thousands to choose from, tens of thousands to taste. Can any compare to her? After she finishes restoring the painting, I might make a move. She's so damn beautiful, white and tender, big watery eyes. It makes me itch all over."
The tall man fell silent for a moment and said, "Fine. But do not touch her until the painting is restored."
"Got it."
Su Huo felt disgusted.
Indeed, a group of unruly people!
Listening until the two men walked away, she tried to forcefully pull the door handle, but it was locked from the outside, and there were no handy tools to pick the lock.
She went to the window and looked down; they were on the third floor. Jumping out wasn't realistic, especially with a yard below that housed a large wolfhound. If she ran, the dog would bark.
Her only hope was external assistance.
On the way here, when the tall man asked her to call her mom, she reminded her mom to take her diabetes medication on time. It was a hint that she was in danger because her mom didn't actually have diabetes.
I wonder if she can figure it out?
The next day, Su Huo began cleaning the painting, removing the paint.
Busy for three days, as the day for completing the painting approached, she started feeling increasingly anxious.
Even at night, she couldn't sleep peacefully. Several times, she heard Baldy pacing outside her door late at night.
One night, just as she was starting to feel a bit drowsy, she suddenly heard barking outside and hurried footsteps.
Su Huo jolted awake and began putting on her clothes.
The door creaked open, and the tall man rushed in, grabbing her wrist and pulling her outside, while Baldy went to collect the painting.
As they reached the doorway, a group of people came rushing up the stairs.
The leading man, dressed in black, tall and handsome with deep-set eyes, was Gu Beixian. Following him were a group of well-equipped police officers.
Surprise surged in Su Huo's heart like a tsunami. She could hardly believe her eyes, staring at the man, and tremblingly asked, "Is it really you, Beixian?"
"It's me." Gu Beixian stepped forward quickly, and the tall man, grabbing her, moved towards the window.
Su Huo hadn't reacted yet when a knife suddenly appeared around her neck.
The tall man pressed the knife against her neck, shouting at the police, "Drop your guns! Step back! Otherwise, I'll stab her to death!"
The blade pierced the flesh, and Su Huo winced in pain.
Gu Beixian clenched his fists in an instant, his eyes turning red as he stared at her, suppressing his anger, "Quickly, put down your guns! Everyone, step outside!"
The police exchanged glances with him, bending down to place their guns on the ground and stepping back.
Baldy lifted his foot and kicked the gun into a corner.
The tall man shoved Su Huo onto the windowsill, "Jump quickly!"
Su Huo clung to the window frame, hands gripping tightly, afraid to jump. This was the third floor, and even if she survived the fall, she would be seriously injured.
"Jump! You won't die!" Impatient, the tall man grabbed her arm and attempted to jump down.
In the blink of an eye, a gunshot rang out, and a scream echoed through the night!