"Alright."
Ling Jue: "I'm counting on you, Zhi Yao. Father has never really listened to what we say, so it's all up to you now... Wait, what did you just say?!"
Ling Jue was utterly surprised that Zhi Yao would agree so easily. He was momentarily stunned.
Seeing Ling Jue's dumbfounded expression, Zhi Yao couldn't help but laugh, "I said alright. What did you think I was saying?"
"You're willing to deceive Father?" Ling Jue didn't want to put Zhi Yao in a difficult position. Once, he had lied to Father, saying that Mother had run away from home. At that time, he was young and didn't understand that it wasn't something to joke about. Ling Jue had believed it and rushed out to find Zhi Yi, going almost mad with worry.
He searched for three days and nights. When he finally returned, Ling Jue looked so haggard that he seemed on the verge of falling apart.
But the truth was... Zhi Yi had been at home the entire time, just locked away in her room.
Afterward, Ling Jue beat him black and blue. If it weren't for Mother's merciful intervention, he probably would have ended up dead or crippled.
From that day on, everyone in the family understood how important Zhi Yi was to Ling Jue, and naturally, no one dared to joke about her again.
If Ling Jue were to find out they had lied to him this time, and then failed to bring Mother back, Ling Si didn't dare imagine what the consequences would be.
His sister's skin was so delicate; she surely couldn't withstand a beating. Thinking of this, Ling Si closed his eyes briefly and made a self-sacrificing decision: "How about this, Zhi Yao? If we're found out, just say it was my idea."
Although it actually was his idea.
But he couldn't stand by and watch his pregnant sister get beaten. Besides, Pei Chiyao was there too. At worst, he could drag Pei Chiyao into it as well, and they could share the punishment between them.
Zhi Yao looked at Ling Si's tightly furrowed brows and sighed, "Fourth Brother, you're too anxious. Mother is fine."
"How do you know? Could it be... could it be that you have news of Mother?"
Zhi Yao nodded, "Mm-hmm, do you want to know?"
"Yes!"
"Then come a bit closer."
Hearing this, Ling Si did lean in closer. But then, he saw Zhi Yao raise her hand and lightly brush it in front of his eyes. The next second, he felt dizzy, and then Ling Si passed out.
Zhi Yao caught Ling Si's body as he was about to fall and laid him down on the bed next to the hospital bed. "Sleep, Fourth Brother. Don't worry, I'll definitely bring Mother back."
Based on what Yan Mu had said, it seemed that Xie Qinzhou had secretly mastered a method to absorb spiritual energy.
Because Yan Mu had mentioned that he had wanted to experiment on her before, but for some reason, he ultimately didn't go through with it.
If that was the case... she suddenly had an idea, though she wasn't sure if it would work.
Seeing Ling Si unconscious, Zhi Yao turned to Yan Mu, who was pretending to sleep nearby, and said, "Yan Mu, it's time. I'm counting on you now."
Yan Mu hurriedly nodded, "Don't worry, I'll do my best to complete the task."
Five minutes later, the hospital room still contained a white cat and a person.
The difference was that the person lying on the hospital bed now had a strange expression.
The white cat's paws touched the ground, its movements a bit unsteady.
It was Zhi Yao's first time being a cat, and she felt a bit uncomfortable.
But she couldn't help but marvel at how wonderful it felt to have spiritual energy, being able to transform into anyone she wanted.
It was amazing!
"Yan Mu, I'm leaving. Remember what I told you."
Yan Mu nodded, or rather, she was now Zhi Yao.
"Zhi Yao" looked at the white cat on the floor and said, "Don't worry, I've taken everything you said to heart. You must be careful, absolutely do not get into trouble."
The white cat didn't speak, but darted out in a flash.
Once out of the hospital, Zhi Yao transformed back into her own appearance.
She walked in the sunlight, looking at the scene not far away. She headed straight for the most crowded area.
She walked very slowly, as if putting on a show for someone.
If she hadn't guessed wrong, Xie Qinzhou should be watching her from the shadows.
She took several more steps forward, and finally... Zhi Yao felt a gaze fixed intently on her from behind.
She took a deep breath, trying to suppress the rising tension in her heart.
Don't be afraid, don't be afraid. Xie Qinzhou probably wouldn't kill her so easily; he must have other plans.
Zhi Yao firmly believed this.
As long as she didn't die, there was still a chance to turn things around.
He was getting closer, closer and closer.
Now was the time...
Three...
Two...
One!
With a "thud," Zhi Yao closed her eyes and collapsed straight to the ground.
To make it more convincing, she had completely shut off her five senses. Now, she truly appeared to be unconscious.
...
An hour later, when Zhi Yao regained consciousness, she was still a bit dazed.
She couldn't quite figure out where she was. It was pitch black all around, feeling somewhat like a cave.
Zhi Yao's entire body ached, especially the back of her head. She touched her head, finally remembering what had happened earlier.
That's right, she had pretended to faint so that Xie Qinzhou would bring her back. This way, she could find Mother.
Although she wasn't sure if Xie Qinzhou would fall for such a simple trick, Zhi Yao knew that she still had some value to him. So, whether Xie Qinzhou knew she was faking or not, he would definitely bring her back.
Now... as it turned out, she had guessed correctly.
What she needed to do now was to concentrate and maintain her spiritual energy. This way, she could deliver a fatal blow to Xie Qinzhou at the last moment.
She took a deep breath, calming her emotions. Then, she sat cross-legged on the ground and began to search for Zhi Yi's aura.
But no matter how much Zhi Yao concentrated, she couldn't seem to locate Zhi Yi's position or sense her aura.
Impossible!
Zhi Yi must be here.
He had captured her for no other reason than to threaten her. If he used Mother to coerce and entice her, Zhi Yao would have no choice but to comply.
If she wasn't here, could she be outside?!
Zhi Yao slowly stood up. As she rose, she felt dizzy again, probably because she had fallen so hard earlier.
After all, to fool Xie Qinzhou, Zhi Yao had taken a real fall.
She groped her way out of the place that seemed like a cave. When she finally caught sight of the scenery outside, Zhi Yao was suddenly stunned.
This was a forest, and there was something... oddly familiar about it.
Zhi Yao didn't dwell on this thought. Instead, she quickly walked to the edge of the cliff and looked down.
She hoped to see some familiar figures.
