"How often do you meet her?" Gu Yining pressed, her voice firm.
The man didn't hesitate, spilling the details. "It's not fixed; we used to meet weekly, but now that the Gu family patriarch is unwell, she has to stay home to care for him. Today was the first time in about a month since I last saw her."
Gu Yining narrowed her eyes, keeping the knife steady against his throat. "Do you have any photos or videos of your time together?"
For a moment, the man hesitated, his mind racing. "N-no… I didn't take any," he stammered, sweat trickling down his forehead.
"Are you sure about that? You know exactly what I'm asking. It's not uncommon for men like you to indulge in a bit of voyeurism. If you didn't record anything, then you'll help me get it next time. If you did, send it to me now, and you can go free," she declared, laying out her terms.
The man, realizing the gravity of the situation, quickly calculated his options. If he had recorded something, it would be easier to simply send it to her rather than face the consequences. "I do have a tendency for that kind of thing, but the recordings were taken without her consent. It's illegal, so please don't put me in a difficult position," he pleaded.
"Your actions are illegal to begin with. If you don't want to spend time in prison, you better hand it over," Gu Yining shot back, her voice icy.
"Uh… it's in my phone pocket. I'll send it to you," he admitted, his bravado slipping. "You're so beautiful; why are you being so fierce? Is it because I'm not to your liking? If we got together, I could willingly share all of this with you. A girl shouldn't use force to resolve problems; how will you ever find a husband?" he added, trying to defuse the tension with a half-hearted joke.
Gu Yining didn't appreciate his comment. She delivered a swift kick to his stomach, causing him to double over in pain. "Mind your own business! Besides, I have a husband, so I don't need your advice. Now send it!"
"Alright, alright!" he gasped, reaching for his phone. He unlocked it and opened his photo gallery, but as he handed it over, he attempted to seize the knife from her grip.
Gu Yining, distracted by her focus on the phone, failed to react quickly enough.
The sharp blade grazed her arm, slicing through her skin and causing crimson blood to ooze from the wound.
Ignoring the pain, Gu Yining swiftly pocketed the phone and retreated, gracefully maneuvering behind the man. She delivered a hard kick to his backside.
He stumbled forward, crashing to the ground with a cry of pain. "Ah!" he yelled, landing face-first in the dirt.
The knife slipped from his grasp and clattered to the ground, rolling toward the edge of the valley.
Gu Yining shot a cold glance at the disheveled man before stepping back and jumping into her car. She started the engine, ready to make her escape.
"Hey! You can't just leave me here! Where is this place? How am I supposed to get back? If you won't drive me, at least leave my phone!" he shouted, his voice filled with desperation.
"If you hadn't tried to stab me, I might have considered giving you a ride back, but you ruined that chance all by yourself. Good luck surviving on your own!" Gu Yining shot back, a chilling smile gracing her lips as she rolled up the window.
With a swift press of the accelerator, she sped away, leaving the man behind, fuming and pacing in frustration. "What bad luck! I can't believe I ran into a woman like that," he muttered to himself, his voice laced with annoyance.
As Gu Yining drove back to the city, darkness enveloped the streets. She pulled into an internet café, quickly backing up the video and photos onto a password-protected USB drive.
This leverage was something she intended to keep close to her chest, only to be used when the time was right.
After securing the files, she returned to her mansion and tended to her wound, wrapping her arm with bandages.
Settling onto the couch, she tried calling Fu Hanyan, but her attempts were met with voicemail—his phone was still off.
Logically, he should have arrived overseas by now, so why was he still unavailable? Concern gnawed at her insides as she wondered about his situation.
With her mind racing, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Gu Yining pulled out her phone again, scrolling through her contacts, her fingers hesitating over Fu Hanyan's name.
"Where are you?" she murmured to herself, the unease creeping into her heart. The mysteries surrounding his absence and her recent confrontation loomed large, intertwining in a web of uncertainty and danger.
Despite the adrenaline from her earlier encounter, a sense of dread settled in her chest. She had gained valuable information, but at what cost? As she sat in the dim light of her living room, she couldn't shake the feeling that the storm was far from over.