Chapter 157: Fire, Destruction, and Ruthlessness
This was supposed to be a perfect wedding—a wedding that filled him with anticipation.
Several days later, Liang Xiaoluo had awakened from her fainting spell. However, her relief was short-lived. The moment she woke up, unknown people had taken her away. Now, she was confined in a room like a criminal. Day after day, she was locked away, with meals delivered by strangers who refused to answer her questions.
They wouldn't tell her where she was or why she was being held captive.
Despite being well-fed and cared for, Liang Xiaoluo's unease grew by the day. On the second day of her confinement, she resisted fiercely, even threatening to take her own life.
It was then that her father, Liang Hui, along with Lin Meiling and Lin Xue, appeared. But their answers only deepened her confusion.
"Dad, do you really not know who brought us here?" This was a question Xiaoluo repeated every day, desperately seeking the truth.
Liang Hui, already guilt-ridden, forced himself to maintain his facade. He shook his head and said firmly, "I don't know. After the fire, when we climbed down, we were immediately blindfolded and couldn't see who took us."
Even as he spoke, his heart trembled with unease. In his mind, he kept replaying the memory of that night—the fire, and the man who had risked his life to save Xiaoluo: Ye Tianlin.
Half a day later, Tianlin had instructed them to tell Xiaoluo nothing about what happened. "Stay here for a few days," he'd warned, "or those who wish to harm you won't hesitate."
Though Liang Hui initially resisted, Tianlin's stern threats, coupled with his selfless act of saving Xiaoluo, left Liang Hui with no choice but to cooperate.
"And no one saw who saved me?" Xiaoluo asked again, unsure if her memory was a dream or reality.
"No one," Liang Hui replied, avoiding her gaze.
Frustrated, Xiaoluo turned to Lin Meiling and Lin Xue. "What about you two? Did you see anything?"
Lin Xue, unable to suppress her irritation after days of confinement, blurted, "I saw—"
"What did you see?" Xiaoluo grabbed her sister's hand, her eyes filled with hope.
"She saw nothing!" Lin Meiling quickly interrupted, pulling Lin Xue behind her. Her forced smile betrayed her unease.
"But, Second Mom, Xue just said she saw something," Xiaoluo insisted, her suspicions growing.
"You misheard her. Xue, tell your sister you saw nothing," Meiling said, nudging Lin Xue with her elbow.
"I… I saw nothing," Lin Xue stammered, her voice unconvincing.
"Xue…" Xiaoluo's instincts screamed that her family was hiding something.
At that moment, three burly men burst into the room. "Hey, time's up!" one of them barked. "Our boss says you've had enough family time for today."
Before Xiaoluo could react, the men forcibly dragged Liang Hui, Lin Meiling, and Lin Xue out of the room.
"Dad! Second Mom! Xue!" Xiaoluo screamed, chasing after them. But the door slammed shut in her face, and the lock clicked into place. Once again, she was left alone in her prison.
For eight days, Xiaoluo endured the same torment. She was given half an hour daily to see her family before being plunged back into solitude. Despair clawed at her as she devised a plan to escape.
That evening, she sat by the door, her heart pounding as she prepared for her chance. Sweat soaked her palms as she gripped her knees, waiting for the familiar sound of footsteps.
Three. Two. One.
The door creaked open as a maid entered with her dinner. Summoning all her strength, Xiaoluo charged forward, slamming into the maid and knocking her aside.
To her surprise, the maid was frail and easily overpowered. Normally, it was burly men who delivered her meals. Was this a deliberate change? Was someone allowing her to escape?
She didn't have time to question it. Darting down the hallway, she searched frantically for her father and the others.
"Stop her! She's escaping!" the maid screamed behind her.
Her heart raced as she sprinted through the corridors, dodging pursuers. But her path was blocked—men appeared in front of her and behind her, leaving her trapped in a corner.
"Please, let me go," she begged, her voice trembling. "I'll do anything you ask. Just don't lock me up anymore. I can't live like this."
A greasy-looking man stepped forward from the crowd, his face glistening with oil and malice. "Oh? Anything?" he sneered.
Xiaoluo froze as she recognized her father and the others being dragged into the room. They were bruised and battered, their faces contorted in pain.
"Dad! Second Mom! Xue!" she cried, lunging forward. But the guards grabbed her, holding her back.
The greasy man, whom the others called "Boss Ming," smirked. "Your father begged me to save you. He even promised you to me as payment. But once you woke up, he tried to back out. That's not how I do business."
"Is that true?" Xiaoluo asked, looking at her father. Liang Hui lowered his head, unable to meet her gaze.
"Fine," Xiaoluo said, her voice steady. "I'll do it. I'll be your woman if you let my family go."
Her words silenced the room. Even Ming seemed taken aback. "What did you say?" he asked, as if unsure he'd heard correctly.
"I said I'll do whatever you want. Just let them go," Xiaoluo repeated.
Her declaration was not one of submission, but a statement of resolve—a woman sacrificing everything to protect her family.