Qiao Chuchu glanced at the villa and asked, "Are you going to tell Lin Shen about this?"
"No," Lin Qing replied without hesitation. "My brother is a naive fool when it comes to love, just like my mom. They’re both hopelessly waiting for others to come back to them."
"But I’m different," she continued, pulling out a cigarette from her pocket. "I take after my dad—ruthless and cunning."
Lin Qing lit the cigarette, enveloping herself in a cloud of smoke, and fell silent.
Her eyes were filled with resentment and worry as she coldly stared at the villa, lost in thought.
After finishing the cigarette, Lin Qing suddenly asked, "Do you have Weisheng Huailing’s WeChat?"
Qiao Chuchu nodded.
Lin Qing picked up her phone. "Send it to me."
Without hesitation, Qiao Chuchu forwarded Weisheng Huailing’s contact to Lin Qing and sent a quick message to Weisheng: 「Lin Qing wants to add you. I’ve sent your contact over. Please accept it.」
Weisheng Huailing replied almost immediately: 「Sure~」
For the next while, Lin Qing chatted with Weisheng Huailing while smoking.
Whatever they discussed, it didn’t take long before Lin Qing stubbed out her cigarette, started the car, and drove off.
Qiao Chuchu was confused. "What’s going on? We’re leaving already?"
Lin Qing smiled faintly. "Let’s go shopping to lift our spirits."
She added, "Can you keep this a secret? My brother mustn’t find out about today."
Qiao Chuchu nodded vigorously. "Don’t worry, my lips are sealed."
【Super-duper sealed!!】
Lin Qing chuckled and patted her head. "Alright, alright, I know you’re tight-lipped."
As they drove out of the villa area and onto a quieter road, several jeeps suddenly appeared, surrounding their car.
Qiao Chuchu’s face paled. "Holy crap, are they here for us?!"
Lin Qing quickly turned the car around to escape, but they were already blocked from behind.
Several burly men in black suits and sunglasses swiftly got out of the vehicles.
Qiao Chuchu grabbed her phone to call the police, but the window beside her was smashed open with a glass hammer!
The sound of shattering glass was followed by a rough hand reaching in.
Her phone was snatched, and a gun was pressed against her temple. "Get out of the car."
Qiao Chuchu froze.
A gun?!
She looked over at Lin Qing.
Lin Qing’s window had also been smashed, and a gun was pressed to her temple as well.
Lin Qing’s face turned ashen, and her body trembled slightly.
Though clearly terrified, she remained calm and patted Qiao Chuchu’s hand. "Don’t be afraid, Chuchu. I’m here. We’ll be fine."
Qiao Chuchu felt a surge of warmth and nodded calmly.
【Lin Qing, don’t worry. Even if we die, I can bring us back. I still have five rebirth chances left!】
Lin Qing couldn’t help but smile faintly as she stepped out of the car.
Qiao Chuchu also raised her hands and reluctantly exited the vehicle.
They were both marched to the front of the car.
A man grabbed Qiao Chuchu from behind, holding a gun to her temple to keep her in place.
Lin Qing, with a gun pressed to the back of her head, snapped, "How much do you want? Name your price."
The man holding her chuckled coldly. "We don’t want money, Miss Lin Qing. We want you. Cooperate, and you won’t suffer. Your friend here won’t be harmed either."
Lin Qing frowned. "You want me?"
Qiao Chuchu’s mind raced.
【Holy shit!】
【I remember now! Lin Qing was kidnapped once, but that was supposed to happen much later in the story. During the kidnapping, she was repeatedly assaulted, which completely shattered her mentally. After that, she went insane and ended up crashing into Xia Xuechun.】
【The novel never explicitly stated who sent the kidnappers. It was like they appeared out of thin air, dumped a naked Lin Qing on the street, and vanished. She was only rescued after someone called the police.】
Qiao Chuchu’s breathing quickened. 【But that was supposed to happen in the middle-to-late stages of the story! Right now, the main couple’s relationship hasn’t even developed yet. Why is the timeline shifting?!】
【When I read the novel the system sent me, I thought these men were sent by Ji Yanchuan. In the story, Lin Qing went crazy and did a lot of terrible things that disrupted Ji Yanchuan’s business and family, so he sent people to deal with her. But now it seems I was wrong.】
【The people behind Lin Qing’s kidnapping… it’s not Ji Yanchuan.】
【Then who is it?!】
【Who would send people to hurt Lin Qing but leave her alive?】
Qiao Chuchu glanced at Lin Qing in shock.
Lin Qing’s face had turned deathly pale, and her body trembled under the man’s grip.
Was she going to be assaulted?
By multiple men?
And then left naked on the street?
Lin Qing looked at the men holding guns on her and suddenly felt nauseous, retching uncontrollably.
Qiao Chuchu snapped out of her thoughts, watching Lin Qing’s agony with bated breath.
【These men aren’t after me. They’ll probably knock me out and dump me on the side of the road. But if I really pass out, it’s over. To save Lin Qing, I need to pretend to faint, make them think I’m no threat, then follow them and call the police. That’s our only chance!】
Lin Qing’s heart clenched as she stared at Qiao Chuchu in alarm.
No!
That’s too dangerous! Let the police handle it. She can’t risk herself!
It’s already a miracle these men aren’t targeting Qiao Chuchu. If she falls into their hands, she’ll suffer the same fate!
But before Lin Qing could signal her, Qiao Chuchu suddenly "fainted."
The man holding her felt her body go limp and turned her face toward his boss. "Boss, this one’s passed out from fear."
The boss glanced at Qiao Chuchu irritably. "Throw her on the ground. Let me see."
Qiao Chuchu was tossed onto the ground like a sack of garbage.
The boss walked over and stomped on her fingers, grinding them into the dirt.
Qiao Chuchu thought, 【Holy crap, that hurts like hell!!!!】
Lin Qing’s face drained of color, her heart aching as she watched.
She saw Qiao Chuchu’s fingers being crushed, yet Qiao Chuchu didn’t even flinch. Lin Qing cursed inwardly.
【You son of a @#%￥@#&￥*@#%￥*￥#￥!】
Lin Qing almost laughed.
If she hadn’t been able to hear Qiao Chuchu’s thoughts, she would’ve believed she’d really fainted.
The boss confirmed she was out cold and sneered, "Well, well, this little rich girl really did faint."
His men laughed mockingly. "Spoiled brats. She’s lucky she didn’t wet herself."
The group erupted in laughter.
The boss yanked Lin Qing toward the car. "Let’s go, boys. Time to have some fun with the rich girl!"
Lin Qing was dragged roughly to her feet but walked calmly, her head held high.
If her fate was sealed, she would endure it.
They only wanted to violate her body and break her spirit.
But she wouldn’t break.
Nothing was more important than her life!
She could handle being hurt, but she couldn’t let Qiao Chuchu suffer the same fate.
Qiao Chuchu, a delicate rich girl, wouldn’t be able to handle such trauma.
Lin Qing couldn’t face the Pei Family or Pei Youchuan if something happened to her.
Without struggling, Lin Qing shouted, "Qiao Chuchu, when you wake up, protect yourself! Don’t come after me!!"
Qiao Chuchu lay on the ground, her fingers twitching slightly.
Lin Qing was shoved into the car, screaming at Qiao Chuchu, "Protect yourself! Nothing is more important than your own safety! No matter what happens to me, I’ll survive! Do you hear me?! I, Lin Qing, will never be afraid! I’ll live on! You have to live too! Don’t come after me!!!"
