Lin Wanwan slowly opened her eyes, greeted by the sight of a shabby wooden hut. Confused, she looked around, and her memory gradually returned.
"You're awake, girl." A middle-aged woman came in with a bowl of porridge, a kind smile on her face. "My husband found you while fishing at sea yesterday and quickly rescued you."
Lin Wanwan gratefully accepted the porridge, thanking her repeatedly. The woman waved her hand with a beaming smile, advising her to rest well before leaving the room.
However, Lin Wanwan could never have imagined that behind this kindness hid a ridiculous conspiracy.
A few days later, the woman warmly took Lin Wanwan's hand, saying affectionately, "Wanwan, we didn't rescue you for anything in return. It's just that my son Awei is of age yet without a wife. How about marrying him? Awei is simple and honest; our whole family will treat you well!"
Lin Wanwan felt as if struck by lightning and stared in disbelief. She shook her head tremblingly: "No, auntie, I can't get married. I... I'm still too young..."
"What do you mean too young? I was your age when I could already carry a baby," the woman interrupted displeasedly, "Besides, you were floating alone at sea; who knows where you came from, maybe no one wants you..."
Despair and fear instantly engulfed Lin Wanwan. She fell to the ground, weeping uncontrollably, "No... please let me go... I beg you..."
However, her plea was met with a thud. Lin Wanwan, in utter despair, collapsed on the ground, tears blurring her vision.
She thought she had met kind-hearted people, only to fall into another trap. Thinking of her young uncle Zhou Shen, Lin Wanwan's tears broke through.
"Uncle... Wanwan is so scared... please come save me..."
In the dead of night, Lin Wanwan quietly got up and groped her way to the door. Unexpectedly, it was unlocked!
Overjoyed, she tiptoed out of the hut, running along the path. In the darkness, she heard footsteps and shouting coming closer behind her.
"Don't let her get away! Chase her!"
Lin Wanwan didn't dare to look back, running for her life. Suddenly, a large shadow blocked her path.
"Where are you going, girl?" The man sneered sinisterly, grabbing her wrist.
Lin Wanwan screamed and struggled, but she couldn't overcome the man's brute strength. She watched helplessly as she was dragged back to the hut, closing her eyes in despair.
The next day, the woman coldly pushed her into a small room and locked the door.
"Girl, just stay put. Running away is useless, you'll marry my son sooner or later."
Lin Wanwan sat on the ground, tears streaming down her face. She felt despair but was unwilling to resign herself to this fate. She began to play along, pretending to be willing to marry Awei to gain the trust of the fisherman couple.
A few days later, while the couple was out working, Lin Wanwan feigned an invitation to play hide and seek with Awei.
She called Awei over and said softly, "Awei, do you want to play a game?"
Awei blinked and nodded clumsily. Lin Wanwan smiled mysteriously, "This game is called hide and seek, it's really fun. You go outside and count, I'll hide, and then you come in and find me, okay?"
Awei agreed joyfully, humming a tune as he went out. Lin Wanwan quickly slipped into the fisherman couple's bedroom.
She frantically searched and finally found an old phone under a pillow. Trembling, she dialed a familiar number, muttering nervously, "Pick up, uncle, please pick up..."
After two rings, the call connected. Lin Wanwan was nearly overwhelmed with relief, but then she heard footsteps!
The fisherman couple had returned early!
Lin Wanwan panicked, hurriedly hung up the phone, and rushed back to the small hut.
Miles away, Zhou Shen was lost in thought looking at Lin Wanwan's photo. Since her disappearance, he had been drowning his sorrows in alcohol, looking haggard.
"Mr. Zhou." His assistant entered, hesitating, "We just received a strange call. Although the caller hung up after two seconds, we traced the number's location."
Zhou Shen's intuition told him this sudden call was related to Wanwan! Even with slim hopes, he was determined to pursue it.
"Where is it?" Zhou Shen stood up abruptly, his eyes burning with intensity.
"In a small fishing village in the Bohai Bay."
Zhou Shen felt a surge of excitement, his voice trembling, "Trace this number, get a helicopter, I want to go there immediately!"
Half an hour later, Zhou Corporation's helicopter landed on the sandy beach outside the village. Zhou Shen, accompanied by a team of bodyguards, proceeded to the fisherman's house.
"Did you rescue a girl a few days ago?" Zhou Shen asked coldly, his gaze piercing.
The fisherman couple glanced at each other, shaking their heads guiltily, "No, we don't know who you're talking about..."
Zhou Shen scoffed, gesturing with his hand. The bodyguards swarmed in, ignoring the couple's protests, and began searching the house.
A door was kicked open, and the sight in front of Zhou Shen shattered his heart.
Lin Wanwan was curled up in a corner, her clothes dirty and torn, covered in dust and blood. Her face was ashen, her eyes swollen as if she had been crying for a long time.
She seemed frightened by the sudden intrusion, trembling as she huddled tighter into the corner.
"Wanwan!" Zhou Shen's heart nearly stopped. He moved forward, trembling, unable to contain his emotions, "Wanwan, it's me, it's uncle..."
Lin Wanwan hesitantly looked up, her gaze slowly focusing on Zhou Shen's face. In a moment, tears broke through, and she threw herself into Zhou Shen's arms, crying hoarsely, "Uncle! Uncle..."
Zhou Shen tightly embraced her trembling body, wishing he could take all her suffering upon himself.
He took off his jacket, carefully wrapping it around Lin Wanwan, his movements gentle, fearing he might hurt her.
"Let's go, come home with uncle." Zhou Shen said tenderly yet firmly, carrying Lin Wanwan in his arms, striding out of the nightmarish hut.
Lin Wanwan looked up through her tearful eyes at Zhou Shen's resolute profile, her heart overflowing with tenderness. Despite her weakness, having her uncle by her side made her feel immensely secure.
The helicopter rose into the sky, the fishing village turning into a speck and eventually disappearing into the vast horizon.
Inside the cabin, Lin Wanwan nestled against Zhou Shen, listening to his steady heartbeat, and drifted to sleep. Zhou Shen tenderly stroked her hair, placing a devout kiss on her forehead.