Lin Qiutong's words stunned everyone present.
Shen Qiwen stared at her in disbelief, his bloodshot eyes filled with pain and sorrow. "Why?"
Lin Qiutong laughed aloud. "You ask why? You are a wanted criminal now. If I follow you, won't I become a wanted criminal too? I'll stay in Jinghua City. Even if I'm a rat crossing the street, everyone will shout at me, but it's better than following you everywhere, hiding and seeking!"
Shen Qiwen became anxious. "You don't have to follow me around. I've already made arrangements. We can..."
Before he could finish, Lin Qiutong interrupted him. "When will you understand? I don't love you at all. I don't want to be with you, let alone start a family with you. This child..."
Lin Qiutong gestured to her lower abdomen. "If you hadn't knelt before me and begged me to keep him, if I hadn't planned to use him to get Ah Yan, I wouldn't have kept him!"
A suffocating pain gripped Shen Qiwen's chest. In the past, he loved to see Lin Qiutong smile, always feeling that when she smiled, all the gloom in the world would dissipate.
But now, her smile looked so twisted and ferocious.
"Shen Qiwen, I really didn't expect you to escape from prison, but you should know very well that you can't escape. So... if you really love me, help me kill Song Qinian. As long as you kill her, all my pain will be..."
Before Lin Qiutong could finish speaking, Shen Chi Yan's hand was already around her neck. "You dare!!!"
Lin Qiutong looked up and met Shen Chi Yan's sinister and terrifying dark eyes. She couldn't breathe, her face turning red. Yet, she reached out and gently caressed Shen Chi Yan's arm. "Ah Yan, kill me. I have no regrets dying at your hands."
Gao Kunlun trembled with anger beside them. "Lin Qiutong, cutting your wrist, jumping off a building, or drinking pesticide, anything is fine, but don't come and harm my boss and the young madam."
Shen Chi Yan violently threw Lin Qiutong away, looking at her as if she were an ant. "You are not even worthy of me making a move!"
He then looked coldly at Shen Qiwen. "I'll say it again. I've brought the person for you. Release Qi Qi and Qin Qin, and I'll hand her over to you. You can settle your grievances yourselves."
Shen Qiwen looked at Lin Qiutong without speaking. His face was hidden in the shadows, his expression unreadable. No one knew what he was thinking.
Shen Chi Yan's heart sank. He warned coldly, "You should know very well, if Qi Qi gets hurt, whether you are caught by the police or escape, I will not let Lin Qiutong and the child in her womb go."
Shen Qiwen knew Song Qinian was Shen Chi Yan's weakness.
Similarly, Shen Chi Yan knew Lin Qiutong was Shen Qiwen's weakness.
The siren of police cars grew louder. Qiao Yongsi anxiously said to Shen Qiwen, "Mr. Qiwen, hurry up and leave. If you don't go now, it will be too late."
Shen Qiwen clenched his fists tightly. Then, he said to Shen Chi Yan, "Fine. As long as you take Tong Tong to those two boats, I'll release Song Qinian and Shen Keqin."
Shen Qiwen had only one thought: he wanted to die with Lin Qiutong, even if he had to die.
In this life, besides Lin Qiutong, he had no other desires.
Therefore, even if Lin Qiutong didn't like him, as long as he could keep her, he would be content.
Seeing Shen Chi Yan look at her, Lin Qiutong shook her head, her face pale and unsightly. "No, I'm not leaving. Ah Yan, I'm not leaving!"
Shen Chi Yan didn't speak. Instead, he gave Gao Kunlun a look. Gao Kunlun, understanding, took off his tie, bound Lin Qiutong's hands, and escorted her to the boat.
Lin Qiutong struggled furiously. He directly carried her and placed her on the boat.
"No... I'm not leaving!"
Gao Kunlun snorted. "Didn't you want to leave with him before? People can't be so inconsistent!"
Shen Chi Yan's eyes were full of Song Qinian. Noticing her pale complexion, he asked anxiously, "Qi Qi, what's wrong?"
The cut on Song Qinian's arm had already bled a lot, but she didn't want Shen Chi Yan to worry, so she shook her head. "I'm fine!"
Shen Chi Yan glared angrily at Shen Qiwen. "Release her!"
Shen Qiwen gave Qiao Yongsi a look. Qiao Yongsi released Shen Keqin and pushed her roughly. Shen Keqin stumbled, almost falling to the ground.
"Hey... why did you only release me? Release my sister-in-law too!"
Shen Qiwen looked at Shen Chi Yan's cold and imposing handsome face and said, "To prevent you from going back on your word, I will release Song Qinian when I board the boat."
Shen Qiwen was furious. "Shen Qiwen, you scoundrel!"
Shen Keqin was also furious and yelled, "Shen Qiwen, you liar, are you even a man? You'd better release my sister-in-law quickly!"
Shen Qiwen didn't speak, forcing Song Qinian toward the boat.
Song Qinian remained silent, her mind constantly calculating.
She knew very well that Shen Chi Yan would release Shen Qiwen and Lin Qiutong for her safety.
But after all the hardship she endured to clear her father's name and send Shen Qiwen to prison, how could she stand by and watch them get away with it?
Just as Shen Qiwen was about to board the boat, the plainclothes police finally arrived.
They drew their guns and aimed at Shen Qiwen. The sniper also aimed a red laser at Shen Qiwen's forehead.
Shen Qiwen hid behind Song Qinian. Neither the sniper nor the police dared to fire.
"Shen Chi Yan, I see you really don't care about Song Qinian's life anymore!"
Shen Qiwen's knife was already at Song Qinian's throat, the sharp blade cutting her fair skin.
Seeing the bright red blood, Shen Chi Yan's eyes widened in rage. "Calm down! The police were not called by me!"
"Then tell them to all step back! Let me and Tong Tong leave!"
"Okay!"
Shen Chi Yan turned to the police officer in charge. "Fall back!"
"Mr. Shen... if we miss this chance to catch him, I'm afraid..."
"Don't you see he's holding my wife hostage? Are you going to risk my wife's life to catch a criminal? Fall back. If anything happens to my wife, none of you will have an easy time!"
At any time, the hostage's safety came first.
Let alone Song Qinian being Shen Chi Yan's wife and the Shen family's eldest grandson's wife, even if she were an ordinary person, her safety would be paramount.
Everyone took a few steps back.
Shen Qiwen, holding Song Qinian hostage, boarded the boat. As Song Qinian pondered how to stop them, Lin Qiutong had somehow broken free from the tie binding her hands and viciously choked Song Qinian with the tie.
"Song Qinian, go to hell!"