Chapter 19: Showing Mercy to a Man Is a Fatal Blow to Yourself

At eight o’clock in the evening, under the crescent moon, Gu Congli, bored with his homework, looked out the window.

He saw Gu Congshuang and Ye Bei parting ways. As he turned away, he noticed several shadowy figures lurking near his sister.

He watched them, eating an apple, noticing their strange behavior—they seemed to be watching his sister.

Why were they standing there so silently?

Suddenly, it hit him.

He shouted, “No!”

Gu Congli ran downstairs, but only saw Grandma Yi Yun asleep on a pile of herbs in the car. The scent of herbs made him drowsy.

“Sister!”

“Brother-in-law!” He circled the car but didn’t see them.

“Strange, weren’t they just here?”

He woke Yi Yun, who looked at him blankly. He took her upstairs, but Gu Congshuang was still gone.

Over ten minutes had passed; she hadn’t returned.

He rushed into the nearby alley, but it was empty.

“Strange! Where are they?”

In the dim light, he saw footprints on the ground, then drag marks.

He followed the tracks, but they led to a grassy area, too overgrown to see clearly at night.

He returned to the car. His sister usually parked at Old Guo’s empty lot. Now, the car was parked by the road, motionless.

Something was wrong.

He rushed upstairs to tell Li Yuqin.

“Maybe she went to a friend’s house?” Li Yuqin worried.

Gu Qinshan shook his head, “Impossible. She rarely has friends. It’s late, and her engagement is tomorrow. We need to call Ye Bei.”

They didn’t have a phone, but their neighbor did.

He called the Ye family. Ye Chuan said Ye Bei hadn’t returned.

Gu Qinshan was worried, explaining everything. Ye Chuan, impatient, sensed something was wrong.

“I’ll be there soon!” he said, hanging up.

Li Yuqin touched her twitching eyelid.

A twitching left eye means wealth, a twitching right eye…

She hoped Gu Congshuang would return home safely.

They went out to search. This was different from Yi Yun’s disappearance; this was like losing a fortune.

Gu Congshuang woke up groggily, a bright light shining on her, making her nauseous.

“What happened?” She remembered saying goodbye to Ye Bei and then feeling a tap on her shoulder. She’d fainted.

She was tied to a chair, unable to move, her mouth sealed with black tape.

She had just escaped the original plot and was now kidnapped?

“Don’t move! Or I’ll slash your face!”

A sharp voice said.

A man in a black scarf, his eyes shifty, entered, holding a knife.

“Mmmmph… mmmmph!” She couldn’t speak.

Fear welled up. She was terrified.

If they wanted money, they could take it, but not her.

Who had she offended? Liu Guoqiang? She regretted not finishing him off. She thought she’d be safe with Ye Bei, but she hadn’t been ruthless enough.

Showing mercy to a man was a fatal blow to herself.

The knife pressed against her forehead, icy cold.

Another man, similarly dressed, entered and tore at her clothes.

“Such a pretty girl. Such smooth skin,” he said.

Gu Congshuang felt nauseous, watching them tear her clothes, unable to move.

Just as she felt hopeless, a beam of light shone on the thugs’ faces, forcing them to shield their eyes.

The light disappeared, followed by the roar of a powerful engine. The window shattered.

A white car, like a Transformer, crashed through the window, smashing a hole in the wall.

Gu Congshuang fell to the ground, seeing Ye Bei in the driver’s seat.

Was this real? This explosive scene—was it CGI? Her editor’s mind took over; she was assessing the special effects.

Amazing! So expensive!

The car stopped, leaving tire marks. Ye Bei was thrown back by the impact.

“Let her go!” Ye Bei pointed a revolver at the thugs, his face grim, blood on his lip, looking like a ruthless killer.

The thugs were stunned. The knife fell from the one’s hand.

“Run!”

They fled, surprised by the armed man. They were just petty thugs.

“Run, and I’ll shoot!”

“Get down! If you move, I’ll shoot!” The thugs fell to the ground.

“Please don’t shoot! I have a wife and children!”

Ye Bei wiped the blood from his lip, opened the car door.

Gu Congshuang watched him approach, her eyes welling up.

It was tears of relief.

Ye Bei carefully removed the tape, hurting her, but she didn’t cry out. He untied her and helped her up.

Gu Congshuang hugged him, tears streaming down her face, “I thought I’d never see you again.”

“Don’t be afraid. I’ll always protect you.”

He patted her shoulder.

“Don’t move, or I’ll shoot!”

The thugs didn’t dare move. Ye Bei tied them up.

Gu Congshuang checked Ye Bei’s injuries.

“Are you okay? Driving like that… I was so worried!”

“I’m fine. As long as you’re okay… I’m…” Ye Bei couldn’t finish his boast.

“Is that a real gun?” Gu Congshuang asked, looking at the gun.

“Fake.”

The thugs were furious.

“The army doesn’t provide them. It’s a toy gun. I didn’t expect those fools to fall for it.”