Jian Mubai and Lin Zhuyin had guessed that with Shen Chi Yan's capabilities, he would quickly find them.
What surprised them, however, was how fast Shen Chi Yan was, having already sealed off all escape routes.
Their original plan was to drive out of Jinghua City and then take a plane, but as they neared the highway exit, they saw a checkpoint and knew they couldn't leave.
Fortunately, Jian Mubai had anticipated this long ago and had another destination in mind.
Lin Zhuyin, in the back seat, had a grim expression. She kept staring out the window, lost in thought.
Shen Keqin, still unconscious, was in the passenger seat. Jian Mubai kept glancing at her while driving, worried she might fall out.
Upon reaching their safe house, Jian Mubai carried Shen Keqin into a room.
Looking at Shen Keqin's beautiful and delicate face, Jian Mubai sighed heavily. He knew that when she woke up, she would probably hate him.
Seeing that Shen Keqin was still asleep, Jian Mubai left the room to find Lin Zhuyin.
Lin Zhuyin sat blankly in the living room, her spirit seemingly drained, as if her soul had been ripped from her and Shen Liu Bai's home.
Jian Mubai boiled some water and poured it into a cup, bringing it to Lin Zhuyin. "A Yin, have some hot water."
Lin Zhuyin took the cup, lowered her head, and blew on the hot water. The steam rose, stinging her eyes and making them water.
After a long while, she finally spoke, "Mubai, we didn't do anything wrong. Why do we have to run?"
Yes, the one who had done wrong was Shen Zheng Cheng. They had merely made Shen Zheng Cheng pay the price he deserved. Why did they have to leave Jinghua City?
"Because there's no longer any reason for us to stay in Jinghua City."
Moreover, given Shen Chi Yan's personality, even if he knew Shen Zheng Cheng was wrong, they had deceived Shen Liu Bai and the Shen family. Shen Chi Yan would definitely not let them off the hook.
"No reason to stay in Jinghua City..."
Lin Zhuyin repeated the sentence over and over again.
"What about Qin Qin? Where do you plan to take her?"
Jian Mubai frowned, remaining silent. He knew it was only a matter of time before Shen Keqin found out. Once Shen Chi Yan investigated the events of that year, it would be impossible to keep it from Shen Keqin.
But the moment he saw Shen Keqin at Shen Liu Bai's house, his only thought was to take her away.
As for the future, he hadn't thought that far ahead.
He reached out and patted Lin Zhuyin's back. "It's getting late. You should get some rest."
Lin Zhuyin nodded and took out her phone to check it.
With Shen Chi Yan's involvement, all news about Shen Zheng Cheng was completely blocked.
Shen Liu Bai should know the truth by now. What was he doing?
Meanwhile, Shen Liu Bai returned home with the information Shen Chi Yan had gathered.
The house was no longer filled with that radiant and charming figure; it was just an empty space.
Lin Zhuyin disliked having her life disturbed, so they hadn't hired a housekeeper.
They always enjoyed cleaning the house together, cooking together, and tending to the garden together.
Back then, though there were only two of them, the house felt warm and lively, never empty.
Now, with just one person missing, the house felt as desolate as hell.
Suddenly, his attention was drawn to the sticky notes plastered on the refrigerator. He walked over and took one down.
"There's jam in the fridge. Remember to eat it."
He took down another.
"The stomach medicine is on the nightstand in the bedroom. Taking medicine isn't a long-term solution; it's best to take care of your stomach."
He took down all the sticky notes.
They were all Lin Zhuyin's reminders to him, just like when they first started dating and she used to tell him everything.
He opened the refrigerator and saw it was filled with his favorite jams, each with an expiration date marked.
He reached for a bottle of blueberry jam, his expression dark and complex.
What was this supposed to mean?
A slap followed by a sweet date?
If she wanted revenge, why wasn't she more thorough?
Did she think a few bottles of jam could make up for the harm she had caused him?
The moment he thought of Lin Zhuyin approaching him with the intention of destroying his family, the moment he thought of her lying beside him every night while plotting against them, his inner rage ignited.
"Bang..."
The blueberry jam in his hand was violently thrown to the ground, shattering the glass bottle and splattering jam everywhere.
Shen Liu Bai rarely lost his temper, not because he had a good temper, but because he was good at controlling himself.
However, Lin Zhuyin's betrayal and departure had made him feel an unprecedented fury. He took all the jam out of the refrigerator and smashed it on the floor.
With only the last bottle remaining, he hesitated to smash it, clutching the bottle and sinking to the ground in agony.
Lin Zhuyin!
How could you be so cruel!
His phone suddenly rang. He looked and saw it was Shen Chi Yan calling.
He composed himself and answered, "A Yan..."
"Brother, I've made some progress on what happened that year."
"I understand. I'll be right there."
After hanging up, he placed the last bottle of jam back in the refrigerator. Glancing at the mess on the floor, he left the villa without hesitation.
...
When Shen Keqin woke up again, the pain in the back of her neck made her groan. She instinctively reached up to touch her neck.
She heard the sound of a chain rattling.
She suddenly opened her eyes and found herself in an unfamiliar room, her hand bound by an iron chain.
At that moment, all the memories from before she fainted flooded back into her mind.
She saw Jian Mubai and Lin Zhuyin embracing, and they seemed to have conspired against her father. When she tried to call her elder brother, she was knocked unconscious.
Fine! Not only had those two harmed her father, but they had also kidnapped her!
Hmph, she wouldn't let them off the hook when she got out!
Shen Keqin struggled to break the chain, but her wrist was abraded and bleeding, and she couldn't free her hand.
Suddenly, the door was pushed open from the outside. Jian Mubai entered carrying fragrant dishes.
Seeing that Shen Keqin was awake and her wrist was red and raw, Jian Mubai frowned. He quickly put the food on the table, then pulled Shen Keqin's hand to examine it.
Seeing her wrist was broken and bleeding, Jian Mubai frowned. He fetched the first-aid kit and was about to disinfect and bandage it when Shen Keqin raised her hand and slapped him.
"Don't pretend. Let me go immediately, or my brother will never forgive you when he finds me."
As Shen Keqin moved, her wrist scraped against the chain again. The pain made her face turn pale, and cold sweat broke out on her forehead.
"Don't move, or you'll only hurt yourself more."
Shen Keqin was enraged and couldn't possibly listen to Jian Mubai. The mere sight of him now made her chest ache as if someone were gouging it with a knife.
Seeing Shen Keqin's continued resistance, Jian Mubai gave her a cold look. "If you keep struggling, I'll tie you to the bed."
Seeing his cold and terrifying gaze, Shen Keqin's tears welled up, and she broke down crying. "Go ahead, you've already kidnapped me. You can do whatever you want to torture me!"