Xu Lin Yun took a step towards the outside, intending to call the police. If she delayed any longer, Su Qi might truly be in mortal danger.
Mo Yu, dazed from the slap, forgot the pain on her cheek as soon as she saw Xu Lin Yun heading out. She immediately blocked Xu Lin Yun's path, preventing her from leaving the lounge.
"Lin Yun, you can't go out!"
"Why! Are you crazy! Let me out!"
Ignoring Mo Yu's obstruction, Xu Lin Yun was desperate to call the police and have them find the missing Su Qi.
"Su Qi is not a kind person. Her methods are ruthless, at least more so than yours. I saw Su Qi at the press conference that day, and I know. I've lived this long, and I can judge people better than you. If Su Qi isn't eliminated, it will be difficult for you to marry Huo Ting Yun. Only when Su Qi is completely gone can you marry Huo Ting Yun as you wish!"
"Isn't there any other way? Must you harm someone!?"
Xu Lin Yun couldn't accept it. She stumbled back a few steps, her eyes red, covering her ears, unwilling to listen to Mo Yu's words, shaking her head desperately.
Mo Yu stepped forward and removed Xu Lin Yun's hands.
"This is Madam's wish. You must understand that Madam is doing this for your own good. Where is there a mother who doesn't love her daughter? Just bear with it to marry Huo Ting Yun smoothly."
Xu Lin Yun collapsed onto the ground, her body feeling as if all its strength had been drained.
This was the first and only time in her life that she had seen another side of this world.
She had believed the world was beautiful until this day, which shattered her perception of it completely.
Unable to bear such a change, Xu Lin Yun sat on the ground, clutching her head in pain.
"Lin Yun, don't be sad. Your family protected you too well before. Now that you've grown up, you need to learn to be ruthless to keep what you want."
"Master Huo! You're going in? That's too dangerous. You should call the police first and have them go in to find her!"
Gu Tang Xue followed Huo Ting Yun out of the film city and headed straight for the forest park. As soon as their car stopped at a side entrance, Huo Ting Yun got out, holding only a flashlight, and was about to enter the forest park.
Gu Tang Xue hurriedly stopped Huo Ting Yun.
This area was frequently frequented by wild animals, and Huo Ting Yun had just been bitten by a snake. If he went in rashly in his current condition, he might be eaten before he even found Su Qi.
"Call the police first, and call my assistant Lin Te. He will arrange everything."
Huo Ting Yun lowered his gaze to the ground, noticing clear footprints. It was likely that Su Qi had been taken from here.
The footprints were still visible, the ground was muddy. If the police arrived, too many people would trample over them, completely destroying any trace.
This was a forest park covering over ten thousand mu. How could they find any trace of Su Qi in such a vast expanse?
Huo Ting Yun rolled up his sleeves and, ignoring Gu Tang Xue's dissuasion, entered through the side gate.
Gu Tang Xue wanted to follow, but fear kept her rooted to the spot.
There was no time to ponder why Huo Ting Yun dared to venture into the forest park alone to find Su Qi. All Gu Tang Xue could do was what Huo Ting Yun had told her to do: call his assistant.
Lin Te rushed over the moment he received the call.
At this point, nearly ten minutes had passed since Huo Ting Yun entered the forest park.
Lin Te first calmed Gu Tang Xue's emotions, then called Huo Ting Yun, but his phone wouldn't connect. There was no dialing tone; it was directly cut off.
The man must have entered an area with no signal. With his life and whereabouts unknown, the only thing to do was send for rescue.
After calming Gu Tang Xue, Lin Te turned and used his phone to contact the rescue team.
Su Qi was awakened by the sound of flowing water.
She felt something licking her cheek.
When she opened her eyes, she was met with darkness. A small deer was crouching beside her, licking her cheek. Seeing that she had woken up, the deer stood up and quickly hid behind a tree.
In the dangerous forest, it was pitch black. Only through the moonlight could she vaguely make out that she was lying in a patch of grass, next to a rushing waterfall and river. If she had rolled over carelessly, she might have met her end.
Su Qi quickly scrambled onto safe ground using all four limbs, gasping for air.
Her head had been a bit fuzzy before, but now she was completely awake.
The scenes before she lost consciousness flashed through her mind.
Even if she were foolish, she understood that the person who arranged this could only be Mo Yu.
How malicious! To completely harm her, she had been thrown into this jungle without dirtying her own hands.
If she survived and got out, she would never let go of the person who wanted to kill her!
Su Qi bit her tongue. The sharp pain made her mind completely clear.
As she tried to stand up, the small deer beside her suddenly pricked up its ears as if it had heard something. The deer tried to nudge Su Qi's body, seemingly urging her to escape quickly.
As Su Qi stood up, before she could react, there was a rustling sound, and then from the grass, a golden-hued leopard emerged.
With its powerful body, its fur shimmered with a faint golden hue in the moonlight. Its eyes gleamed green, staring directly at Su Qi.
A leopard!
Su Qi had seen one in the zoo when she was a child. This leopard was now no more than two or three meters away from her.
This was a wide open grassland. If it were a thicket, she might have been able to climb a tree to temporarily escape danger.
Su Qi's breathing became rapid. She desperately wracked her brain, but only one method came to mind.
Of the thirty-six stratagems, running was the best!
Su Qi stumbled to her feet. The small deer beside her had already vanished.
The golden leopard did not follow, but instead kept its eyes fixed on Su Qi.
Su Qi stared into the leopard's eyes and slowly retreated, gradually increasing the distance between them.
She crouched down, picked up a stone, and held it in her hand. Seeing that the situation was right, she raised the stone and hurled it at the leopard's head.
The golden leopard let out a pained growl. By the time it recovered, Su Qi was already tens of meters away. She ran forward without looking back.
Leopards were the fastest among predators. Even at a hundred meters, they could easily catch up in less than a minute!
Su Qi plunged into the woods.
The terrain within the woods was complex, completely blocking out the moonlight, making it pitch black. She could only run blindly by feel.
Ah...
Su Qi cried out softly, tripped violently, and fell to the ground, even twisting her ankle.
The pain was excruciating, but the sound of the leopard's breathing was close, as if she would be eaten if she stopped.