The lights lit up one after another. The man who snuck into his room probably realized that there was no one in his room. He climbed out of the window and jumped into Pei Ruoqing's room.
Qi Xiu Zhu watched silently in the dark, his mind quickly thinking of a solution.
At this moment, in the room, Pei Ruoqing's gaze was like a sharp ice sword as it landed on the two uninvited guests in front of her. His hands were tied behind his back.
Chi Song, who was sharing the same room with him, was in no better situation than him. However, he did not have Pei Ruoqing's composure at all. He kept twisting his body and made cries for help.
Pei Ruoqing glared at him, signaling him to shut up. If it wasn't for his scream, he wouldn't have been captured so quickly.
"Big Brother, what should we do now? Everyone in the entire building has probably been woken up.”the shorter man said angrily. The man who was called Big Brother gritted his teeth." Take them as hostages and leave through the main door.”
"Alright." The man pulled out a dagger from the back of his waist and placed it against Pei Ruoqing's waist." Little fellow, I advise you to be obedient and not move. Cooperate well. Otherwise, if my hand trembles and hurts your kidney, you'll lose the rest of your 'sex' life.”
Pei Ruoqing stared at him mockingly. Her heart was filled with lava, but her gaze was as cold as ice.
The two of them pushed Pei Ruoqing and Chi Song to open the door. Shi Yunshu and Yi Shujue, who were wearing slippers, walked in. A few students followed behind them. Looking at Pei Ruoqing and Yi Shujue who were tied up, everyone except Shi Yunshu and Yi Shujue widened their eyes and covered their mouths to prevent themselves from exclaiming.
Shi Yunshu's gentle face also turned ugly. The worry and anger in his heart were all gathered at his fingertips and deeply embedded in his palm.
The owner of the homestay, who had rushed over later, was even more frightened when he saw this scene. He picked up his phone from behind the crowd and pressed three buttons while trembling.
Shi Yunshu looked at Pei Ruoqing from head to toe and heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that there were no obvious injuries. He looked at the two criminals opposite him and asked in a deep voice," What do you want? If it's money, please name a price?”
The short criminal holding Pei Ruoqing sneered." You can make the decision?”
"Yes, I can." There was no hesitation, but one could tell that he was confident.
The short man rolled his eyes and revealed a touch of greed. He grinned." Prepare 100,000 yuan in cash and a million yuan check for me immediately. Send them to the cave entrance on the opposite mountain before dawn tomorrow. Remember, don't call the police. Our lives are worthless. I wonder if these two's lives are as worthless as ours.”
"Okay, but you can't hurt anyone. If you hurt someone, you won't get a single cent of the money.”Shi Yunshu agreed to his request coldly.
The short man seemed to have thought of something as he chuckled. The dagger behind Pei Ruoqing's back quickly cut Pei Ruoqing's arm. Blood instantly flowed out. Pei Ruoqing's face was pale as she gritted her teeth and did not let herself make a sound.
A low cry came from the crowd, and Shi Yunshu's ten fingers, which were clenched into fists, were embedded deeper.
The short man raised his eyebrows gloomily." You still have to pay me if I hurt someone!”
"Friend, don't go too far." Yi Shujue couldn't help but say.
" Too much, that's because you haven't seen anything more outrageous…"
"Alright, Second Brother." Before the short man could finish speaking, the person called Big Brother spoke up," Don't waste time with them. We should get the money and leave.”
"Alright." The two of them did not waste any more words and carried Chi Song and Pei Ruoqing back to the main entrance. Shi Yunshu and the others followed them step by step. When they were out of the door, the short man shouted," Stop. If you take another step forward, I won't be stabbing your arm."”
Shi Yunshu stopped in his tracks, a storm brewing in his eyes.
This night was destined to be restless. The people who were lured here were no longer in the mood to sleep. They all gathered in the living room, waiting for further instructions.
"Do you have any ideas?" Yi Shujue walked to Shi Yunshu's side and asked in a low voice.
"Prepare the cash first and inform the local police to act in secret. Don't alert the enemy first.”
"You don't plan to tell your family?" Yi Shujue could not help but ask when he saw that his entire body was enveloped by a deep aura.
Shi Yunshu paused, and his cold face finally showed some weakness." I can't imagine what my father and Uncle-Master will do if they find out about this…"
"Yunshu, no one expected this today. Don't blame yourself too much. The most important thing now is to think of a way to rescue Xiao Ruo and Song Chi from the hands of those two criminals. Tell your family that they might have something you can't do.”
"Brother Shujue, please help me raise cash.”As he spoke, he took out a card from his bag and told him the password." There's more than 400,000 yuan in this card. Withdraw 100,000 yuan in cash. I'll think of a way to get a check.”
Yi Shujue didn't say anything more. He took the card and left the living room.
Shi Yunshu walked to the bathroom and took a deep breath. He steadied his trembling fingers before dialing the landline at home. Shi Yunshu and Mu Xiran had the habit of turning their phones to silent mode before they went to bed. It was very likely that no one would answer their calls.
If he was the one with Pei Ruoqing tonight, with his skills, he would not let them have their way even if he could not subdue them. He raised his hand and slapped himself hard. He looked at the person in the mirror mockingly. He said that he was selfish, but how could you not be selfish? In order to avoid suspicion and for the sake of reputation, you put him in danger. Is this what you care about?
The ringtone rang for a long time before someone finally picked up. Shi Yihong's blurry voice came from the other end." Hello.”
"Dad, I'm sorry." Shi Yunshu lowered his voice, afraid that if he was not careful, others would hear the fear in his heart.
"What happened?" Shi Yihong's tone became much more clear-headed.
"Ruo 'er has been kidnapped and her life is in danger.”He couldn't guarantee that the two criminals would keep their promises and would not kill the hostages after taking the money.
Shi Yunshu briefly explained what had happened and the kidnappers 'request. Shi Yihong was still calm and said," Give your Grandpa Pei a call and let him know. I'll discuss it with your Uncle-Master. He's in the system and has more connections than us to solve this kind of problem.”
"I'm sorry, I didn't protect him well…"
"Put away your self-blame. If you want to find someone, beat them back first.”Before Shi Yunshu could say anything else, Shi Yihong hung up the phone.
Shi Yunshu restrained his emotions and quickly thought about his next move. A few minutes later, Pei Yuan Shao called." Yunshu, cooperate with the local armed police. Their safety is the most important."”
"Yes."
At this moment, a person was slowly approaching the cave.
Pei Ruoqing did not feel fear after being caught. Instead, she felt anger towards the two of them. Pei Ruoqing's lips twitched speechlessly when she heard the groaning voices beside her. She usually thought that this classmate was bold when she saw his cold appearance. She did not expect him to be so timid.
What was the use of shouting now? It was a waste of energy!
The cave was very large, and it was obvious that it had been continuously excavated to its current size. The two criminals set up a pile of firewood in the middle of the cave, illuminating the basic appearance of the cave.
Pei Ruoqing quietly observed the surrounding environment. He was thrown to a corner by the short man and sat back to back with Chi Song. Fortunately, he was facing the entrance of the cave and could see the structure of the cave clearly.
" Gu gu gu..." A strange sound rang out, sounding very abrupt in this half-sealed cave. The short man kicked the rock wall and cursed in dialect. Then, he complained," Brother, we should get something to eat first. We haven't even had a full meal after escaping for a few days. Those bastards are like plaster. Isn't it just killing someone? If he didn't look down on us first, would we have made a move on him?”
The man who was called Big Brother entered the cave and leaned on the side with his eyes closed, turning a deaf ear to the noisy short man.
Pei Ruoqing's eyes flashed. The two of them did not seem to be as harmonious as they looked. The hand that was tied behind Pei Ruoqing's back moved a few times and the rope fell to the ground silently. He had specially trained in his previous life. This ordinary tying method was not difficult for him.
If he had not escaped, Chi Song would not have been in danger, and he would not have been tied up here. He carefully groped behind him, and his fingertips touched something.
"The two big brothers seem to have encountered some trouble and need some money to protect themselves.”
The man who was addressed as Big Brother opened his eyes and looked at Pei Ruoqing. The short man sneered," Why else would we kidnap you? As long as your family pays the ransom, we will naturally let you go.”
Pei Ruoqing smiled and said," Big brothers, don't worry. My family will definitely come to pay the ransom. I also have a longevity lock made of pure gold around my neck. How about I give it to you two big brothers? Please don't hurt us. Compared to cash and checks, gold is more suitable for you two big brothers.”
Chi Song looked at Pei Ruoqing strangely.
The short man and the man called Big Brother looked at each other. The man called Big Brother said," You don't have to worry. As long as your family pays the ransom, we will naturally let you go.”
"Big brothers, you've misunderstood. I just hope that you won't hurt us before my family pays the ransom. I don't have any other intentions. Moreover, I'm tied up by you two big brothers.”
The man who was addressed as Big Brother nodded at the short man. The short man stood up and walked towards Pei Ruoqing. The short man bent down and reached out to touch Pei Ruoqing's neck. Pei Ruoqing's eyes darkened slightly. She held a stone in her hand behind her back and smashed it at the short man's head. The short man instantly fainted. The man who was addressed as Big Brother immediately stood up and rushed towards Pei Ruoqing with a short knife. Pei Ruoqing quickly stood up. Just as the man was about to reach her, She threw the stone in her hand at the man. The man dodged, but he was still hit by the stone and fell to the ground. Pei Ruoqing quickly picked up the stone that had fallen to the side and threw it at the man who was about to get up from behind. The man swayed and fell to the ground. Chi Song was stunned by the change in the situation in front of him. He stared at Pei Ruoqing blankly until Pei Ruoqing untied him.
Looking at Pei Ruoqing's wound that had started to bleed again due to her actions, Chi Song bit his lip." Your arm is bleeding again.”
Pei Ruoqing looked at her wound indifferently." It's fine. Let's leave this place first.”
Chi Song nodded and walked in front. Pei Ruoqing followed behind Chi Song. Just as she exited the cave, she was grabbed by an arm and a dagger appeared on her neck. Chi Song heard the movement behind him and suddenly trembled. She turned around and cried out in shock, standing rooted to the spot.
Pei Ruoqing frowned and looked at Chi Song." Why aren't you running now? Are you staying here to wait for death?"”
"Pei…"
"Back to the homestay."
Chi Song glanced at Pei Ruoqing, gritted his teeth, and turned to run.
When she could no longer see Chi Song's back, Pei Ruoqing heaved a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the other party's target was not Chi Song. Otherwise, the one who was captured would be Chi Song, who was walking in front.
"What do you want, friend?"
The person behind her did not say a word. He tightened his grip on Pei Ruoqing's shoulders.
Pei Ruoqing pursed her lips and continued," Friend, please tell me what you want. I will do my best to satisfy you.”
"Student, please come with me. If you are obedient, I will not hurt you.”
The person behind him didn't make any movements. He opened his mouth and said the first sentence.
The night was always exceptionally quiet. Any sound would be amplified several times, so the sound behind him was exceptionally clear.
When Pei Ruoqing heard this familiar voice, she felt her entire body stiffen and her throat tighten. Her heart seemed to be pulled by thousands of threads, and a dense pain spread to her limbs.
At this moment, the world seemed to be exceptionally quiet. The intermittent chirping of cicadas could be heard not far away. Pei Ruoqing clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms." What if I don't go with you?"”After a long while, Pei Ruoqing finally spoke, but her voice was a little hoarse.
Pei Ruoqing laughed at herself and lowered her eyes. She still couldn't calm down.
"If I don't go with you, what will you do? Kill me? Lin Chuluo."
Lin Chuluo's body stiffened. How could this be? Ruoqing, he…
"Ruoqing, you, I…"
Lin Chu closed her eyes." Come with me, okay? I won't hurt you."”
Pei Ruoqing smiled brightly and whispered," Is that so?”
"I have a few questions that I don't quite understand. Can you help me resolve my doubts?”
"Alright, go ahead."
"You provided the medicine that day, right?”
Lin Chuluo remained silent. After a long while, she said,"Yes."?”
Pei Ruoqing closed her eyes." At that time, although I often went to bars, I never drank or hung out with others. My father and grandfather were still distant from each other. How did they know that I drank and fought, and that I often slept with others? They even believed me without a doubt.”
Lin Chuluo was silent for a moment before she said hoarsely," It's me. Back then, you were always deliberately angering your father. It wasn't difficult for me to fake these things and make them believe me.”
"Why did the Buried City's boss let you go so easily when you were captured? It can't be because of me, right?”
"He Yang is my man. I want to make sure that you trust and protect him.”
Pei Ruoqing blinked her wet eyelashes and continued to ask," The first time we met, and you saved me later on.”
"That's a coincidence."
"Can you tell me why?"
"I…I'm sorry."
Pei Ruoqing felt her throat tighten and she could barely speak.
"Ruoqing, I know you hate me, but can you come with me today?”
"You know what I hate the most. I won't go with you.”Pei Ruoqing slowly raised her hand and placed it on Lin Chuluo's hand that was holding the dagger. She exerted a little force and a line of blood immediately appeared on her neck. The line of blood coagulated and beads of blood slowly flowed down her neck. Lin Chuluo was shocked as she forcefully moved the dagger away." Pei Ruoqing, you…"
Lin Chu put down the dagger in her hand and took a few steps back.
Pei Ruoqing chuckled and turned to look at Lin Chuluo." Lin Chuluo, do you think I'm a fool?"”
Lin Chuluo looked up at Pei Ruoqing and lowered her head under her piercing gaze.
"I heard that Old Master Lin retired from the second line and became a hands-off manager. Young Master Lin went abroad to study, and the Lin Group also changed a batch of employees. Some shareholders also sold their shares to the second young master. But why do I remember that in my previous life, until my death, it was Old Master Lin and Young Master Lin who were managing the company?”
Pei Ruoqing looked straight at Lin Chuluo." I really don't understand. Why don't you help me clear my doubts, Young Master Lin?"”
Lin Chu avoided Pei Ruoqing's gaze and said hesitantly," But they are my father and brothers.”
"En, you're right. I forgot about that.”
Lin Chuluo's body stiffened for a moment.
Pei Ruoqing's lips curled up imperceptibly." Did they treat you as their son and younger brother?"”
Lin Chu Luo remained silent.
Pei Ruoqing continued," Let me ask you again. Did you really do those things?”
Lin Chu's eyes seemed to be wet." No, I only found out at the end. I…"
"Do you think they will let me go?" Pei Ruoqing continued.
"Ruoqing, I…"
"What do you mean you? Do you think that I, Pei Ruoqing, and the Pei family are weaklings? If you want to save someone, then so be it. Why are you still kidnapping me? Why are you looking at me?”
Lin Chuluo smiled gently. She glanced at Pei Ruoqing and turned to leave.
Pei Ruoqing curled her lips slightly and turned around to look at the nearby forest. There were many mosquitoes, and it was hard for Sir to follow them all the way.”
Qi Xiu Zhu was slightly startled. He walked out from the darkness and saw the blood on Pei Ruoqing's neck and the wound on her right arm. His eyes darkened.
"The local police force is at the foot of the mountain.”
He walked to the side of the cave, picked up the listening device, and handed it to Pei Ruoqing." This is for you. I might have to leave now. I can't walk with you guys on the road ahead." To be honest, I've been very relaxed and happy to be with you children during this period of time.”
Qi Xiuzhu quickly walked out of the cave, as if he would not be able to leave if he was late. Pei Ruoqing quickly called out," Wait.”
"I know you have a lot of questions. We'll meet again.”Qi Xiu Zhu turned his head. The flickering flames made his face look unreal.
There were many things in this world that couldn't be fulfilled just because you wanted to, just like Qi Xiuzhu. He had originally planned the time to leave, but he had underestimated Shi Yunshu's worry for Pei Ruoqing. Before he could step out of the cave, Shi Yunshu's figure appeared in front of him.
A gust of wind blew past her, and in the blink of an eye, Pei Ruoqing was hugged by Shi Yunshu." Brother…"
Shi Yunshu no longer cared about etiquette and reservation. He hugged her tightly in his arms. After a few hours of restlessness, he clearly realized that he could not bear to lose the person in his arms.
Pei Ruoqing could feel his uneasiness and worry. She obediently allowed him to hug her and reached out to climb onto his back, silently comforting him. The two of them formed their own world, and others could not integrate into it. Chi Song looked at the two people who acted as if there was no one else around with a surprised expression, and suddenly had a realization.
Qi Xiu Zhu let out an imperceptible sigh. He took a deep look at the two of them and silently retreated out of the cave.
However, before he could take the last step, the young man's cold voice rang out." Aren't you going home?”
Shi Yunshu held Pei Ruoqing's hand and turned around. Moonlight sneaked in from the cave entrance. The man stood still in his long robe. His figure was thin, but because of his words, he could not move anymore. He spat out three words," Second Uncle."”
It had been a few hours since they arrived at the police station from the cave. Pei Ruoqing, Chi Song, and Qi Xiuzhu, who had yet to leave, were all waiting in the waiting room for their statements.
Qi Xiu Zhu had not said a word after Shi Yunshu exposed his identity. He seemed to be in a very poor state of mind. There was a faint green color under his eyes. He lay down in the armchair, his head slightly tilted as if he was resting with his eyes closed.
Pei Ruoqing had a belly full of questions, but she knew that this was not a good time to speak. At this moment, Shi Yunshu came in with a few sets of breakfast. Qi Xiu Zhu slowly opened his eyes and looked at the young man who was smiling at him. He sighed helplessly in his heart.
Forget it, he couldn't dodge it anyway!
"The boss said that the porridge was just made in the morning.”Shi Yunshu asked as he handed one to Pei Ruoqing and placed the other two on the simple desk.
"How did you guess it was mine? You were only five when I left, right?”Qi Xiu Zhu took the breakfast from him and stared at him.
Shi Yunshu smiled gently and pushed Pei Ruoqing to the side to sit down. He watched as Pei Ruoqing ate two mouthfuls of food before he slowly said," You gave me an inexplicable sense of familiarity, so I began to observe you secretly. The more I observed, the more surprised I was.”
Qi Xiu Zhu held the bowl of porridge in his hand and listened to him quietly.
"You might not know it yourself, but some of your little tricks are very similar to my father's. For example, you like to use your index and middle fingers to tap the table or armrest when you're deep in thought, and you're also different from ordinary people when you hold chopsticks and pens, but like my dad, you're using your middle finger instead of your ring finger. But it really made me think that you were Second Martial Uncle, but you were at Qu Mountain.”
"That calligraphy exhibition, right?" Qi Xiu Zhu lowered his eyes and whispered.
"Yes, although it was just a spur of the moment, I grew up watching grandfather's handwriting. Your handwriting might not be exactly the same as grandfather's, but it has 70 - 80% charm. Moreover, I happened to have seen the words you wrote at that time.”
Get the cool door, cultivate the free body!
At that time, he had only subconsciously written the sentence he was most familiar with. These words had been hanging in the Shi family's study for a long time, and it was written by his teacher, Shi Yanjie.
Sixteen years, more than 5,800 days and nights, how many nights did he have to rely on the scenes and things he was once familiar with to survive. He had always followed the Shi family's rules. Every move of his was imprinted with the Shi family's traces. How could he not be familiar with them?
"I heard about your return from Dad about half a year ago. There are many things they don't want us to participate in, but they won't hide it either. Also, you may look gentle, but your style of doing things is very similar to Martial Uncle Pei's. You're both swift and decisive, and you're both careful and cautious.”
When he heard from the police that someone had already contacted the criminal before them and found out that it was Qi Xiuzhu, he was even more certain of his guess. Pei Ruoqing might not know Qi Xiuzhu's status in the Shi family, but he more or less knew a little. The son of the marshal, the disciple that his grandfather valued the most, the person that his aunt Shi Yuting was infatuated with. Both of them were enough to prove that he was extraordinary.
He didn't know exactly what had happened back then, but in this short half a month of interaction, he could feel that his second martial uncle was definitely not an extremely evil person.
"You've been deliberately getting close to us from the beginning, right?”Pei Ruoqing, who had put down her spoon, suddenly said.
Qi Xiuzhu did not look up." Yes."
"Why did you only come back now?" Pei Ruoqing looked at him. He didn't have much dislike for Ye Xiuzhu. In fact, he even felt a little close to him. However, after learning that he was the Martial Uncle Qi who had "resurrected from the dead", the intimacy became complicated.
He had the advantage of being reborn, and his father had never hidden these things from him, so he knew that whether it was his grandfather's death, his father's Ji Lijing, or his mother's depression, they were all related to the person in front of him. He really didn't understand what had happened to get him to where he was today.
Before Qi Xiuzhu could reply, the gently closed door was kicked open. The person who came in answered Pei Ruoqing's question on behalf of Qi Xiuzhu." What else could it be? Because he doesn't dare."
Before Qi Xiu Zhu could react, the person knocked the porridge out of his hand, grabbed his collar, and punched him in the face. He exerted force with his arm and pulled the person away from the chair. He threw the person to the ground fiercely, as if he felt that it was not enough. He raised his fist and was about to swing it down again.
Pei Ruoqing had yet to understand why his father would appear here and was shocked by his violent behavior. It was only when Shi Yunshu shouted that he seemed to wake up.
The police officers who heard the commotion immediately rushed in and shouted," Who's causing trouble here?”
Pei Ruoqing saw that his father had no intention of stopping. She could not care less and immediately went up to hug his arm." Dad, calm down."”
Pei Yuan Shao panted, his eyes red as he stared at the person on the ground who was in a sorry state. The long gray robe was stained with many stains, and the sticky look was very disgusting. It was the porridge that he had knocked out earlier.
Qi Xiu Zhu straightened his long robe and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. He slowly got up from the ground, his expression as calm as a pool of stagnant water, as if he could not feel the pain at all.
Looking at his indifferent appearance, Pei Yuan Shao only felt the fire in his heart rise again. He and his brother had been waiting for this person to come back on his own for the past six months. They were willing to give him a chance to clarify what had happened in the past, whether it was admitting his mistake or atoning for his sins.
However, what did this person do? He had disappeared the moment he returned and blocked all communication methods. Even if he used all means, he could only roughly know where he was, but he could not find him.
That was true. A person who had once gathered so much light in his body, no matter if it was talent or wisdom, few people could compare to him. Even if he had left his hometown for sixteen years, if he wanted to hide, how could he be found so easily?
But looking at that person who was once as bright as the moon, like a plum blossom in the snowy mountains, now like an old man who had reached the end of his life, Pei Yuan Shao could not tell whether he was more furious or more heartbroken.
"Yunshu, go sign the papers. We'll go back to the hotel.”Qi Xiu Zhu did not look at Pei Yuan Shao and said to Shi Yun Shu. After saying that, he lifted his feet and walked out of the door. However, he had only taken two steps when he fell back uncontrollably.
Pei Yuan Shao was instantly scared out of his wits. He quickly took two steps forward and caught Qi Xiu Zhu's falling body.”
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]