Chapter 22 - 1#

I pressed my lips together. From the time I woke up until now, I didn’t know how long had passed.

This feeling wasn’t entirely unfamiliar to me.

In my previous life, I had experienced something just as nerve-wracking. The difference was that back then, I was tied up and thrown into an old house. This time, my treatment was a little better—at least I could feel the softness beneath me, which meant I was probably lying on a bed.

Though I still couldn’t move my body freely, my consciousness gradually grew clearer. As the effects of the drug wore off a little, I tugged at my hands and realized they had been firmly bound with thick ropes.

“…Is… anyone there… hey——”

I forced myself to call out, but my voice came out hoarse and weak. After a few more tries, my throat felt dry and parched.

So there wasn’t even anyone watching me.

Compared to earlier, I was much calmer now. Maybe I had grown used to being tied up—experience breeds familiarity. I shifted into a slightly more comfortable position and tried to organize my thoughts. What made me uneasy was not knowing whether the kidnappers wanted a ransom or something else.

If it was a ransom, that would be easy enough. If it was something else… forgive my stupidity, but I didn’t have anything else on me worth coveting.

That time in my previous life happened during the sensitive period when the Ren family was changing leaders. At least then there was a reason. But this time, forget about being the head of the Ren Corporation—Old Madam Ren was still alive and kicking, and even if she weren’t, Third Master Ren, who seemed immortal, was still standing. In any case, it wouldn’t be me.

After thinking it over, I finally reached a slightly tragic conclusion—

Mister kidnapper, you’ve got the wrong person.

The room was airtight, letting in only the faintest sliver of light. When I looked up, everything was a blur of darkness. By the time I could move my body a bit more, I struggled to swing my legs forward, turned over, and suddenly felt my center of gravity drop.

“Bam——”

“Hiss…” I gasped in pain.

The door in front of me suddenly swung open.

The sudden brightness made me squint uncomfortably. When I tried to raise my hand to shield my eyes, I remembered both hands were still tightly bound behind my back. The newcomer stepped lightly. I struggled to turn over again, gritting my teeth and lifting my head—

For a moment, I felt as though I’d been hit hard. Dizziness set in, and even my stomach ached with a dull, indescribable pain.

When he came close enough to stand at my feet, I instinctively scooted backward.

How could it be…

His delicate, handsome face looked somewhat tired. He stared at me lying on the ground in a pathetic posture, then frowned slightly.

“Qiri, how could you be so careless,” he scolded lightly. Then he bent down, effortlessly scooped me up from the floor, and tossed me back onto the bed before I could even struggle.

My eyes wide, I stared at him in shock. “You…”

He was holding a bag and took out a lunchbox from inside. Turning to look at me, he said, “Hungry? Whatever they sell outside can’t be as good as what’s cooked at home. Just bear with it for now.”

He opened the lunchbox and brought it closer to me. I pulled my head back. He paused, then seemed to understand. “Oh, right. Your hands are still tied. Then—”

He smiled. “I’ll feed you.”

Wait… wait a minute—

I parted my lips and forced out a sound: “…Water…”

He understood, reached into the bag, and pulled out a bottle of mineral water, twisting off the cap. I was desperately thirsty, so I gulped down a few mouthfuls, some of it spilling from the corner of my mouth. He, for once, was in a good mood and took out a handkerchief to wipe it off without getting annoyed. That felt incredibly unsettling to me—

What kind of act was this? I hadn’t received any script.

He followed my gaze and looked around the room. “The environment here is a bit rough, but we’ll make do for a while. Once I’ve made arrangements…”

“Arrangements… for what?” My voice was still a little hoarse, but I could speak fine. “What are you doing…? Why am I here…?”

He lowered his eyes, scooped up a spoonful of rice, and said, “Eat something. I heard you almost fainted at the police station last time. How did your health get so bad? You need to take better care of yourself from now on.”

I had no appetite right now. The smell of food actually made me feel nauseous. I held back the urge to vomit and said, “You need to tell me first… what are you trying to do?”

He set the lunchbox aside. “You’re right. The food’s cold now, so it really can’t be eaten. Just lie down and wait. I’ll go buy new ones.”

He patted my face lightly and stood up. Startled, I called out urgently—

“Wang Zheng!”

He frowned and turned back. My heart turned ice-cold, and I could only say, “Never mind… I’m not hungry.”

Hearing this, the corners of Wang Zheng’s mouth lifted. He walked back and sat by the bed, looking at me as he said softly, “I knew you hated being alone the most. It’s my fault for being so busy today and only coming back now.”

“Qiri, once this matter is settled, I’ll be able to stay with you often. You won’t have to be lonely anymore, and you won’t have to make friends with those low-class people…” The smile on his face grew wider, his expression showing a rare joy.

The bed was a bit small, especially with Wang Zheng squeezing onto it.

To be honest, in my previous life, the times I had shared a bed with Wang Zheng were few and far between. In this life, I must have some terrible romantic luck—not only did he keep crawling into my bed, but he also liked to wrap his arm around my waist.

“You…” I was about to speak, but Wang Zheng closed his eyes and murmured, “Let me sleep for a bit… There’s been so much going on these past two days.”

With that, he tightened his arm around me, rested his head on my shoulder, and before long, his breathing evened out, as if he was utterly exhausted.

Wang Zheng seemed to be having a good dream—the corners of his mouth kept lifting.

I felt that smile was familiar, and suddenly an image surfaced in my mind.

It was a long time ago, when Wang Zheng and I had just met, and our relationship was still relatively harmonious.

Wang Zheng had always been the kind of child everyone doted on—beautiful and clever, all the kids loved to gather around him. When I first met him, I liked following him too. But I didn’t really participate in the games they played. Sometimes I’d just watch them play by myself, and feeling bored sitting there, I brought out some toys I had received before and played alone.

Surprisingly, when Wang Zheng found out, he came over and spent two days playing with me. Later, the other kids from the relatives also joined in. Children love to play, so they grabbed the toys and played along. Before I knew it, the few childhood playthings I had dwindled even further. Seeing how few toys were left in my cabinet, I never dared to bring them out again.

Things went back to how they were before. After class, I would watch the children play together, with Wang Zheng standing in the center, the most dazzling of all. Especially when he turned and saw me watching him, the corners of his mouth lifted high.

He was particularly beautiful.

——————

Wang Zheng’s visits were irregular. Sometimes, when I woke up, he would be sitting by the bed; other times, he would suddenly disappear for long stretches before reappearing, always looking exhausted, bringing food, water, and some changes of clothes.

Except when I needed to use the bathroom, Wang Zheng never untied my ropes. Whenever I asked him questions, he always changed the subject. At first, I thought he might be under so much pressure that his mind was a little unclear, but in reality, he wasn’t acting all that abnormal.

If I had to point out the biggest difference, it was that Wang Zheng’s attitude toward me was so good that I could hardly adjust to it.

Every time Wang Zheng left, he would lock the door. The room had only one small window, letting in a sliver of light. The long stretches of silence made it feel like being cut off from the world, which was a bit hard to bear. The food Wang Zheng brought these past few times was quite refined, and some dishes tasted familiar. Even though I had little appetite, I unconsciously ate more.

Wang Zheng smiled. “I knew you’d like it. Sister Fang really has some skill.” He took out a handkerchief to wipe my mouth, but that made my heart pound wildly. Then he said, somewhat darkly, “But… we might not be able to eat it anymore…”

I almost choked on my saliva and asked urgently, “You—what did you do? What do you mean… can’t…”

Wang Zheng stared at me for a long time, until I felt my hair stand on end. Then he suddenly burst out laughing. “Why are you so nervous? You’re funny.”

“What I meant was, after we leave here, we won’t be able to eat it anymore, right?” His eyes sparkled faintly, looking innocent. “Or else… did Qiri think I would do something?”

I had just breathed a sigh of relief when his ambiguous tone made my heart jump again.

“What do you mean…?” I looked at him in shock. “We’ll leave… here? Go… where?”

“Where to?” Wang Zheng pondered for a moment, then chuckled softly as he leaned closer to me. I was stunned by the smile on his face. Seeing him reach out his hands, I closed my eyes in fright, only to feel warmth near my ear.

“Qiri, where do you want to go…?” He buried his head in the hollow of my neck, his voice barely a whisper. “But I can’t take you to many places right now. Once we settle down and everything is handled, we’ll go wherever you want.”

My heart raced with alarm. If my hands weren’t tied, I probably would have jumped up and slapped him awake.

What the hell was Wang Zheng thinking?

I tried to soften my tone and communicate with him. “Oh… I see—well, that’s… good…”

Hearing this, Wang Zheng seemed delighted. He let go of me and looked at me, his face breaking into a smile. As if he couldn’t believe it, he grabbed my shoulders with surprise and joy. “Qiri… really? You really think so?”

I swallowed hard, feeling a little guilty, and nodded.

Wang Zheng smiled contentedly, leaned in, and kissed me on both cheeks. The gesture was smooth and natural, as if our relationship had always been this harmonious.

“Wang Zheng… um, I mean—” Wang Zheng looked at me with a puzzled expression, then smiled and pulled my hand, saying, “What do you want to say? You’re always like this, keeping everything to yourself. I can never figure out what’s going on in that head of yours.”

I forced a dry laugh, gathered my courage, and asked carefully, “So when… I mean, when will we leave?”

“Also, won’t it be a problem if we leave without telling Grandma and the others…”

Wang Zheng’s smile faded slightly. Frowning, he pulled me back onto the bed. “Don’t say things that ruin the mood. Get some sleep.”

Another dead end.

I sighed. Maybe I was really getting old—with all this panic, I felt as if I had aged instantly.

Given the current situation, the kidnapper was Wang Zheng, and his motives were unclear. Even if anyone noticed I was missing, no one would ever think Wang Zheng was behind it. Besides, Wang Zheng was clever and meticulous in everything he did. I had no idea what game he was playing now, but he had dragged me into it.

I couldn’t help but space out, sitting there blankly for a long time.

Wang Zheng didn’t seem to be sleeping well—probably the case these days. He even had dark circles. Suddenly, he turned over, his face contorted in pain, mumbling something under his breath.

“…Ren… no…”

I unconsciously leaned closer, straining to hear. I could make out fragmented words from Wang Zheng’s mouth.

“…can’t be… false… it’s false…”

Wang Zheng seemed to be having a nightmare. His body trembled slightly, and he shook his head repeatedly.

“No… lying to me… he won’t… die…”

Die? Who died?

I perked up, my heart pounding inexplicably.

“…no… no—no—don’t—! Qiri—!!!” Wang Zheng suddenly shot up from the bed. “Ahhhh—!!!”

He startled me so much I nearly fell off the bed. His face was drained of all color, even his lips were pale and purple. He clutched his head with trembling hands, panting heavily, tears glistening in his eyes.

I felt a bit worried. I didn’t know what terrible dream Wang Zheng had had, but that last call of “Qiri” made my heart tremble.

“Wang… Wang Zheng…” Wang Zheng abruptly turned his head to look at me. His gaze was fierce and desperate, making me swallow all the words I had been about to say.

He stared at me fixedly for a long time, then reached out and touched my face.

“…Qiri?” As if uncertain, he called out tentatively. I quickly responded with an “mm.”

Wang Zheng caressed my cheek, nodding dazedly. Then, like a death row inmate granted a pardon, he said, slightly choked up, “It was a dream… those… were dreams…?”

“Qiri, you’re alive. You’re warm. You’re alive… yes, those were dreams—how could anything happen to you.” He murmured to himself, his eyes filled with the joy of surviving a disaster. A chill ran through me, but I noticed his forehead was drenched in cold sweat. “Wang Zheng, what did you dream about?”

Wang Zheng shook his head, as if unwilling to mention it. He kept stroking my face with one hand. Seeing me looking at him, he lifted the corners of his mouth and glanced at his watch, then said, “I have to go again today.”

I paused. He spoke soothingly, “Qiri, don’t worry. In another day or two, we’ll leave this place. After that, whether it’s Old Madam Ren or my father, or even… Ren Xiaoyun, no one will pressure us anymore.”

Ren… Third Master?

As before, Wang Zheng planted a kiss on my forehead, then walked out, locking the door behind him as usual. The door was old, and the lock was probably flimsy, which was why Wang Zheng had tied me up so tightly.

After Wang Zheng had been gone for a while, I slumped onto the bed in defeat.

I had no idea what was happening outside. I only had a vague sense that something had changed.

Wang Zheng knew how to enjoy life. After the first day, he replaced the bedding with something much more comfortable. Even though we weren’t planning to stay long, he added more things to the room—useless decorations, a small nightlight, a hot water kettle, and cups…

Wait.

I opened my eyes and turned my head to look.

Cups…

On the small table not far from the bed sat a hot water kettle and two glass cups.

My eyes flew wide open, as if I had spotted a glimmer of hope.

As it turned out, wriggling required skill.

Every time Wang Zheng left, he wouldn’t reappear for at least five or six hours, so I had to make the most of that time.

This time, I was mentally prepared. When I fell from the bed to the floor, it hurt less than before. I fixed my eyes straight ahead and clumsily twisted my body.

But physical labor was never my strong suit. After wriggling for a long time, I was still a fair distance from the small table.

I was sore all over from the effort. When I was just a few steps away, I roughly estimated the distance, then laboriously rotated my body, changing direction until my feet faced the small table.

Alright—

I took a deep breath, then kicked hard at the table leg.

“Bam—” I watched the cups and the kettle shake, sliding closer to the edge of the table. That gave me a boost of morale, so I tried a few more times.

“Clang—”

Fall down, fall down…

“Bang—smash!”

Staring at the shards on the floor, after a moment of joy, I went blank again.

In the end, I hardened my resolve, twisted my body, and carefully turned over to approach the pile of broken glass.