Chapter 19

No need for Qiao Chuchu to remind anyone—hearing the voice in their minds, everyone’s expression changed in unison. Jiang Manwen was really bold to bring in a group of scammers to the villa to pick out their targets. Were they not afraid of getting caught?

Oh, maybe they weren’t afraid, relying on Jiang Manwen‘s identity not being exposed, so they felt invincible.

Well, too bad. They already knew.

Tong Zhichen had clearly prepared for this banquet. He walked over to a corner, made a phone call, and when he returned, he reassured everyone, “Our villa’s security is top-notch, so don’t worry about safety. I’ll take care of everything.”

With those words, everyone relaxed.

But Qiao Chuchu wasn’t convinced: 【How good could it be? The other side is a group of scammers!】

Qiao Cen, worried that things might get violent later, asked, “Are you sure there’s no problem?”

“Everyone here today is not just anyone,” Tong Zhichen said with meaning, “They will protect everyone’s safety.”

When he said “everyone,” he meant the staff—waiters, nannies, gardeners, chefs, drivers, etc. These weren’t ordinary people, they were all hired muscle.

Qiao Chuchu was shocked: 【Wait, what’s going on? Tong Zhichen’s storyline suddenly changed. Does he already know his wife is fake? Is this banquet part of his plan to catch the whole gang?!】

【Nice, he even hired so many musclemen. I guess I don’t have to worry about safety anymore.】

She felt reassured and continued watching the drama unfold.

But Tong Zhichen was still anxious. He wanted to know the whereabouts of the real Jiang Manwen so he could proceed with the next step of his plan.

He stopped in front of Qiao Chuchu, “Chuchu, may I ask what your first impression of my wife, Jiang Manwen, is?”

Qiao Chuchu, happily enjoying the gossip, felt the gaze of the crowd and pointed to herself, “Me?”

【Do I know Tong Zhichen that well? Why is he asking me such a question?】

Tong Zhichen pretended not to hear, “Yes.”

“Oh, uh, let me think,” Qiao Chuchu hesitated for a moment, then squeezed out a few words, “She’s pretty, beautiful.”

【The real Jiang Manwen is naturally beautiful, more elegant than this fake one, but sadly, she’s suffering right now.】

Tong Zhichen’s heart sank, but at the same time, hope surged. His Manwen was still alive—just suffering. Once he caught those responsible, he wouldn’t let them off easily!

“Thank you for your opinion of my wife. She’ll be happy to hear it,” Tong Zhichen said. “My wife is a fashion designer, and she’s very talented. All of these clothes are designs of hers. If you like this style, you can ask my wife to design for you.”

He flipped through the design sketches on his phone. Qiao Chuchu glanced at them and agreed, “Okay, thank you. I’ll keep that in mind.”

【Looking at it this way, Tong Zhichen does love his wife, but not enough. After so long, he’s just now realizing that the person by his side is fake. Too bad… he still hasn’t found the real Jiang Manwen.】

【Where is the real Jiang Manwen?】

【Oh my God, the real Jiang Manwen is being held captive abroad. But a month ago, because of a clothing design competition, they secretly transported her back. They make her draw designs every day, and she only gets one meal a day. How pitiful.】

【She’s being held at…】

【At the underground basement of the Yueyue neighborhood villa.】

The Yueyue neighborhood was a villa under Jiang Manwen’s name. It was a place they used to live when they were in college, but after graduation, they rarely visited it.

They had hidden her there!

Bang!!!

Tong Zhichen’s hand clenched into a fist and slammed onto the table, making a loud, sharp sound.

Qiao Chuchu was startled: 【What the heck? What’s gotten into Tong Zhichen? That scared me.】

Tong Zhichen quickly apologized, “Sorry, I just remembered something really annoying. I’ll step out for a moment.”

He walked away quickly, and Lin Lin, seeing this, followed closely behind. “Should we call the police now?”

“No, we’ll call the police after we rescue Manwen,” Tong Zhichen replied. “Keep a close eye on those scammers, capture them one by one, and lock them up. Especially ‘Jiang Manwen’ and her lover Du Lan—don’t let them get away!”

“Okay, I understand.” Lin Lin hurriedly asked, “What are you going to do?”

Tong Zhichen said, “I’m going to rescue Manwen. I’ll bring her back safely!”

—

The group of scammers still didn’t know their plan had been exposed. They were in the villa’s front hall discussing their next move, debating who would be the next unlucky victim.

Jiang Manwen carefully went over the identities of the people present, then licked her lips and said, “I personally like the young guy here, Qiao Cen. He’s handsome, wealthy, and looks like a fool who’s never been in a relationship. He’s easy to deceive.”

If it weren’t for her current identity as Jiang Manwen, and the fact that it would take a long time for her to recover from surgery, she would’ve wanted to deceive Qiao Cen herself.

“This target’s pretty good, I’ll take this one,” said the woman in the red dress. “I just made a deal and I’m free right now. His name’s Qiao Cen, right? Okay, I’ll take a good look at him later.”

The others also picked their targets. At that moment, someone asked, “Where’s Brother Li? Has anyone seen him?”

“I saw him go to the restroom just now. He hasn’t come back.”

“Don’t wait for him. We’ll go ahead and perform the show.”

The three people in matching outfits went out first, heading to the lawn stage in the backyard to perform according to the previously rehearsed program.

On the surface, they were performing, but in reality, they were sizing up their prey.

Unfortunately, Qiao Cen was their target.

While sneaking a bite of pork belly, Qiao Cen felt a deep, lingering gaze on him. He looked up, and the woman in the red dress on stage threw him a seductive wink.

Instantly, Qiao Cen shivered, almost spitting out the pork belly in his mouth.

“Cough, cough, cough—”

Qiao Chuchu patted him. “Are you okay? Take your time eating.”

【Poor little Qiao Cen. He’s the first to be targeted by these scammers. At least, unlike Tong Zhichen, this woman is actually a real woman.】

Qiao Cen coughed even harder. Even though she was a real woman, he didn’t want to get involved with her!

Please, don’t look at him!

The three people performing on stage froze in unison. What was that sound?

—

Jiang Manwen waved her hand, signaling for people to leave. “If you understand, go prepare. What are you standing around here for?”

Although others weren’t happy with her attitude, they still left. After all, she was the key contributor to this whole scheme!

The remaining people left the room, each going off to do their own thing.

Tong Zhichen’s hired thugs were lurking in the shadows, keeping a close eye on the scammers’ movements. Every time someone strayed alone, they swiftly took action, knocking them out one by one.

Inside the room, Jiang Manwen and Du Lan were still caught up in their intimate moment, completely unaware of what was happening outside. When the door was violently pushed open and a team of staff rushed in, they were stunned.

“I didn’t call for any service! Who let you in? Get out right now!”

The two of them, caught in an unseemly embrace, looked completely unprepared.

Lin Lin waved his hand. “Capture them!”

—

Brother Li, who had just come out of the restroom, happened to stumble upon the scene. Realizing the danger, he quickly hid.

They had planned this operation so meticulously—how could it go wrong? Was there a mole?

Brother Li couldn’t figure it out and didn’t have time to think. He just wanted to escape as soon as possible.

He knocked out one of the staff members, changed clothes, and prepared to flee amidst the chaos. But just as he reached the backyard lawn, he heard a strange sound.

【Ah, here’s another one that slipped through the cracks. Can’t let him get away.】

Qiao Chuchu was about to make her move when she saw the people around her suddenly scatter.

Brother Li looked up to see a sea of dark figures rushing toward him, followed by agonized cries that echoed through the entire backyard.