After bidding farewell to her classmates, Ning Jin got into the car, feigning concern, "Brother Qi Hui, is it really okay for you to sneak out like this? I'm worried that the Miss might blame you if she finds out."
Qi Hui smiled, reassuring her, "It's fine, the Miss won't find out anytime soon…"
Before he could finish speaking, Chi He's call came through.
Qi Hui's eyelids twitched, steadying himself before answering, "Sir—"
"You worthless scum! If anything happens to Chi Yu, I'll make sure you follow her to the grave!"
It had been many years since Qi Hui had heard Chi He this furious.
Even through the phone, he could vividly imagine the storm of rage that must have been consuming Chi He.
His throat tightened as he asked, "What happened to the Miss?"
Only silence answered him.
Chi He had already hung up.
Cold sweat crawled down Qi Hui's back.
He still remembered the last time Chi He had erupted like this—it was when Chi Yu had been kidnapped.
Qi Hui could almost foresee his fate—if he was lucky, he might just have to kneel in gratitude if Chi He decided to spare him after peeling the skin from his bones.
"Brother Qi Hui?" Ning Jin called his name several times before he finally responded, "Xiao Jin, I'll take you home."
Seeing his furrowed brow and recalling his earlier question, Ning Jin guessed that something must have happened to Chi Yu.
A twisted sense of glee flickered in her thoughts—she hoped that this time, Chi Yu would end up in the hospital for good, sparing her from causing any more trouble at school.
At the airport.
The moment the man stepped out of the boarding gate, the entire terminal went into a frenzy.
"It's Han Han! Aaaaaaah! Han Han, I love you!"
A crowd of fans, holding banners and glowing signs, surged toward Qi Chao.
Under the brim of his hat, his handsome brows raised slightly. Qi Chao sighed and lifted a hand, attempting to placate the rabid fans. "Sorry, you've got the wrong person."
Earlier on the plane, even the flight attendant had mistaken him and asked for an autograph.
He had borrowed a mask to cover up, yet here he was, being mistaken once again.
It was utterly absurd.
"Han Han's being playful~"
"Han Han, here's a letter I wrote for you, along with a handmade gift, please accept it!"
"Where's your manager?"
"Han Han, can you take off your mask? Omg, you're so handsome, I'm gonna faint~"
To prove his identity, Qi Chao had no choice but to lower his mask.
The moment his face—bearing a striking resemblance to the popular star Qi Han—was revealed, the once rowdy crowd of fans fell into a stunned silence.
Then, a heated discussion erupted.
"What the heck, we actually got the wrong person."
"Wow, he looks so much like Han Han, they could be real brothers."
"Honestly, I think he's even more handsome than Han Han. Is this what random good-looking people look like nowadays?"
"It's true! He's so hot, I feel weak in the knees. That nose, those jawlines—perfection."
Basked in praise, Qi Chao flashed a smile at the two young women and thanked them, earning even more shrieks of excitement.
Finally, after breaking free from the flashes of cameras, he glanced at his watch—10 PM.
A torrential downpour in the Imperial City had delayed his flight by six hours.
Originally, he could have deboarded and gone straight to report to Chi He, but now, that was impossible.
At this hour, he could only head to the hotel first.
Qi Chao hailed a cab and was just about to give the driver the destination when his phone rang.
It was Chi He.
Ever since one of the Chi family's key subsidiaries had been set up in the Imperial City, Qi Chao and his brothers had been stationed there, and it had already been two years since he last returned home.
His expression softened, and with a smile in his voice, he greeted, "Boss—"
But Chi He had no time for pleasantries, issuing a string of urgent orders.
"Yu'er is missing. It's the same group from five years ago. We've pinpointed a rough location. The city's leadership is in transition, and the police can't move too openly right now. You'll have to handle this yourself. The equipment is ready, and the car is parked outside the company."
As Chi He spoke, Qi Chao's expression shifted from lighthearted to grave.
Once he had absorbed the full weight of Chi He's words, he heard him deliver a final, heavy command: "Qi Chao, bring Yu'er back—unharmed."
Qi Chao responded confidently, "Don't worry, Boss. I guarantee not a single hair on the Miss's head will be touched."
Years ago, Chi He had handpicked four young boys from an orphanage to nurture.
Among the four, Qi Hui was the most composed, while Qi Chao was the most mischievous.
But over the years, it turned out that the seemingly steady Qi Hui was actually the least reliable. The one who had always seemed the most carefree, Qi Chao, had proven to be the one who could be counted on.
Chi Yu was jolted awake by a splash of cold water.
Her head was still fuzzy, droplets clinging to her eyelashes. She blinked several times before finally making out the figure before her.
One glance, and she almost screamed.
The source of her nightmares all these years was grinning down at her. "Hello again, little princess."
Chi Yu tried to flee, but found her hands and feet bound tightly.
She could only widen her eyes in terror as the man reached out to touch her face.
Revulsion churned in her stomach, and she turned her head to avoid his hand.
But the next moment, his palm came crashing down on her face, sending her sprawling to the ground.
"Bitch!" he snarled, kicking her savagely in the waist. "Just like your slut of a mother, you money-grubbing whore!"
Chi Yu curled into herself, enduring the brutal beating.
Five years ago, amidst unspeakable torment, she had learned that this man had once been her mother's first love.
Her mother, in pursuit of a wealthy life, had abandoned her deeply devoted lover and married into the Chi family.
The man's obsessive nature had led him to harass them for years, ceasing only after Chi Yu's mother died in a car accident.
After numerous failed business ventures, he had grown increasingly bitter, eventually setting his sights on Chi Yu.
But this time, he didn't plan to draw out her suffering.
Five years of imprisonment had fueled his maniacal rage, and now he lashed out at Chi Yu in a frenzy, purely for revenge.
As Chi Yu slipped in and out of consciousness from the pain, he doused her with cold water again, waking her.
He swept aside the wet hair sticking to her face, his voice unnervingly tender, "You really do look just like your mother—so beautiful."
Chi Yu's bloodied lips twisted into a scornful smile.
A bitter laugh escaped her, echoing through the desolate room, its sharp edge grating on the man's already frayed nerves.
"Shut up!" he slapped her across the face once more, gripping her chin with a sinister glint in his eyes. "What are you laughing at?"
Chi Yu spat blood in his face. "I'm laughing because you're a fool."
The man's first love had been Ning Jin's mother—what nonsense about looking like her?
His rage flared as he prepared to strike her again, but then he froze, eyes tracing the curve of her face.
Droplets of water slid down Chi Yu's porcelain skin, from her delicate cheek to her swan-like neck, disappearing beneath her collarbone.
Despite her injuries, her beauty remained intact—the blood on her lips only adding to her strange allure.
"That wretched woman threw away everything for power, trampling on my feelings!"
The recently demolished village was abandoned, with no one living for miles. There was no hope of anyone coming to save her.
Yet, giving up would mean certain death.
The men standing guard outside exchanged lewd glances as they listened to the sounds inside.
"Man, that girl just keeps getting prettier. Her screams are driving me crazy."
"Bet you a thousand bucks she's way better than the chicks in those KTV clubs."
"No kidding! That body, that skin so smooth you could squeeze water out of it—can't compare to those cheap girls."
Their vulgar banter was suddenly interrupted by a low voice from the side, "Hey, got a light?"
(Chapter ends.)