No! The terrifying face that sent chills down her spine wasn’t there. That face—the kidnapper’s face!

Kuang Xingran noticed Mu Wan’s pale complexion and her expression of utter horror, as if she had seen a ghost. Concerned, she quickly got up and walked to her side. “Wan wan, what’s wrong? Don’t scare me like this.”

Large beads of sweat dripped from Mu Wan’s forehead. Kuang Xingran had never seen her in such a state. Mu Wan pinched her palm, forcing herself to calm down. She stepped out of the nail salon and looked around. After confirming that there was no sign of that person nearby, the panic in her heart eased slightly. However, her heart still pounded uncontrollably.

She gave Kuang Xingran a weak smile. “Xingran, I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can stay with you today. I want to go home.”

Without hesitation, Kuang Xingran wiped off the thin layer of nail gel from her own fingers, grabbed her bag, and said, “Let’s go. I’ll drive you.”

Given Mu Wan’s current state, she didn’t dare let her go home alone.

“Okay.” Mu Wan still wasn’t sure if she had imagined it earlier. But even the thought that the kidnapper might appear earlier in this life filled her with a desperate need to return home—a place she believed was safe.

—

Kuang Xingran dropped Mu Wan off at her apartment complex’s parking garage. Lowering the car window, she asked worriedly, “Wan wan, are you sure you don’t want to go to the hospital for a check-up? You really didn’t look well in the car.”

During the drive, Mu Wan had clutched her bag tightly, constantly looking over her shoulder as if afraid someone was following them.

Mu Wan shook her head, masking her unease. “It’s just that I didn’t dress warmly enough. I’ll be fine after lying down for a bit.”

She knew her symptoms were from severe PTSD, stemming from trauma. Since she couldn’t explain her rebirth, she had no way to let anyone else know what was really happening.

Kuang Xingran frowned slightly—after all, the nail salon had been quite warm—but she didn’t press the issue. “Alright, get some rest. Call me immediately if you need anything.”

“Okay.” After watching Mu Wan enter the elevator, Kuang Xingran immediately called Kuang Ye.

The moment Kuang Ye answered, he assumed Xingran had found out about the estrangement paperwork and was calling to hold him accountable. He started to explain, but Xingran interrupted him.

“Brother, where are you now?”

“What happened?”

“Wan wan isn’t feeling well. I dropped her off at the apartment. If you’re out, hurry back home.”

Kuang Ye’s tone instantly turned serious. “Got it. I’m on my way.”

—

When Mu Wan got back to the apartment, she didn’t even change her clothes. She went straight upstairs and curled into a cocoon under her blanket. Her cold, trembling body finally began to warm.

She repeated to herself, It can’t be. It’s not the kidnapper. He shouldn’t appear for another two years.

But the painful memories surged forth uncontrollably, flooding her mind. Her grip on the blanket tightened until her knuckles turned white, and phantom pain spread through her body.

“Shuyu, help me! I’ve been kidnapped. Call the police. Tell my dad!”
“Stupid girl, hiding a phone on you? The hand you used to press it—I’ll chop it off and send it to your grandfather as a gift.”
“What are you saying? My grandfather has been—Ahhhh!”

Blood-soaked memories consumed every inch of her being. Mu Wan felt as though she was back in that dark basement, bound to a chair, with shadows engulfing her limbs, her body, and finally, her entire self. She sank into unending darkness.

“It hurts. It hurts so much. Dad, Mom, Gege—it hurts.”
“Save me. Please, save me.”
“Ah Ye… Ah Ye!”

When Kuang Ye rushed home, the first thing he saw was a pair of shoes carelessly left in the entryway. His expression turned grave. Wan wan loved tidiness—she never left her shoes out like this.

Practically bolting upstairs, he pushed open the bedroom door to find Mu Wan cocooned in blankets on the bed. Her pillow was soaked with tears, cold sweat poured from her forehead, and she muttered uneasily in her sleep, her voice tinged with despair. It was as though she was trapped in a terrible nightmare.

His heart clenched painfully as if it were being crushed. “Wan wan, Wan wan…” he called softly, walking over and crouching by the bed.

Mu Wan, lost in her abyss, seemed to latch onto the sound of his voice like a lifeline. Her eyes flew open, and the moment she saw Kuang Ye, she threw herself into his arms, clutching him tightly.

She kept repeating his name, “Ah Ye, Ah Ye, Ah Ye…”

Kuang Ye’s eyes filled with anguish. In his arms, Wanwan felt fragile, as though she might shatter with the slightest touch. He gently patted her back, over and over, until her trembling finally subsided. After about ten minutes, she loosened her grip and pulled back slightly.

He wiped away her tears with his thumb, his voice infinitely tender. “Baby, what’s wrong?”

Even though she released her embrace, Mu Wan didn’t let go of his hand. Hearing his concern, she tightened her grip on him instinctively. Her lips trembled, and for a moment, she seemed ready to tell him everything. But in the end, she lowered her gaze, her expression frantic and uncertain.

“Nothing… I just had a bad dream.”

Kuang Ye’s eyes flickered with thought. Xingran had told him that Wanwan had been terrified earlier, even before the nightmare. There was no way her current state was just from a dream.

Softening his tone even further, he coaxed, “What kind of bad dream? Tell me, maybe it’ll make you feel better.”

Mu Wan’s body trembled slightly again. After a long silence, she finally spoke in a hoarse voice. “I dreamed a devil took me away.”
“Mom, Dad, Gege, and you… none of you could find me.”
“It was so dark. The devil came at me with a knife, and I was so scared…”

As she recounted the nightmare, her face grew paler and her eyes started to look vacant.

“That’s enough. Don’t say any more, Wan wan. If you’re scared, don’t think about it. It was just a dream,” Kuang Ye interrupted her gently, pulling her into his arms again to comfort her.

“Wan wan, don’t be afraid. I’m here. I’ll always be here.”

“Ah Ye, don’t let go of me. Never let go of me for the rest of our lives.”

“I promise. I’ll never let go. Not for a lifetime.”