Just when Zhou Qiqi was feeling somewhat desperate, her ears suddenly became sharp and caught a series of urgent sounds.

It's the rattling sound made when a bicycle chain spins fast!

The sound came from the dirt road in the woods not far away; the rider was riding very fast, with a kind of desperate urgency!

Someone's coming!

Zhou Qiqi's heart skipped a beat, almost jumping out of her throat.

She quickly struggled to turn her head and desperately looked out of the car, following the sound.

Just then, a figure riding a 28-inch bicycle suddenly turned into the woods.

The car was going too fast, and the dirt road was full of potholes. The man obviously lost control of the handlebars. He and the car lurched violently, and he stumbled and fell directly into the bushes by the roadside, where he was mostly hidden by the dense branches.

It was the person who had been following her all along!

Zhou Qiqi could see clearly that the coat the man was wearing was the same style from her factory's "Ink and Wash Splendor" series!

Moreover, this person was clearly not with the kidnappers!

Otherwise, they would have attacked her together when they were catching her earlier. Why would they have chased after her alone on their bikes so desperately, and ended up falling so badly?

Who could it be? Someone they know who just happened to be passing by? Or...?

Zhou Qiqi stared wide-eyed, trying hard to see the person's face clearly.

But when that anxious face came into view, she was completely stunned; it was totally unexpected.

How could it be... Zhou Shuhua?!

Countless possibilities flashed through Zhou Qiqi's mind, but she never expected that the person who chased after her at all costs would be her!

Zhou Shuhua, who was outside the car, obviously saw her niece, who was tied to the back seat, with a rag stuffed in her mouth, looking disheveled.

Her eyes instantly turned red, and her face was filled with terror and heartache!

She struggled to get up from the ground and desperately tried to rush over!

But she had fallen really hard. She struggled for a while before she could barely stand up. She limped and stumbled, not even caring about the bicycle lying on the ground. She desperately tried to rush towards the van!

Seeing Zhou Shuhua's reckless and staggering figure, Zhou Qiqi's tears instantly burst forth and rolled down her cheeks uncontrollably.

She didn't have time to think about why Zhou Shuhua was here or why she was following her; all that remained in her heart was a surge of bitterness and an indescribable shock.

And then there are some worries that I can't suppress.

Because at that very moment, apart from the languid music still playing from the tape recorder in the front seat.

She could faintly hear the loud laughter and footsteps of the kidnappers who had gone to relieve themselves.

They'll be back soon!

If Zhou Shuhua rushes over now, it's like a lamb entering a tiger's den; she won't be able to save her at all.

Zhou Qiqi had no doubt that Zhou Shuhua would fight these desperate criminals to the death to save her.

But she is already over fifty years old this year, and her health is not very good. How could she possibly defeat these strong and ruthless bandits who have murdered people on their hands?

If provoked, they might kill one or two people without batting an eye!

Not only will they fail to save someone, but they might also lose another life!

This is absolutely the outcome Zhou Qiqi least wanted to see!

This group's target is her, and their money!

There's no need to drag innocent Zhou Shuhua into this!

Thinking of this, Zhou Qiqi took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing her surging emotions, calming her mind, and looking at Zhou Shuhua who was limping towards her from afar.

He used all his strength to shake his head desperately at her, signaling her not to come any closer! Go away!

But Zhou Shuhua wouldn't listen.

Although she didn't know exactly what had happened, seeing Zhou Qiqi tied up and gagged from afar, she knew that she was in great danger.

This is her beloved niece whom she finally managed to find. She is the only bloodline left in the world by her brother and the child she loves to the core!

How could she just stand by and watch her fall into the tiger's den while she turned and ran away?

Even if it costs her old bones, she's going to give it a try!

Seeing Zhou Shuhua stumbling and desperately running towards her, disregarding everything else, Zhou Qiqi's tears flowed even more fiercely.

No! We absolutely cannot let her come here!

Zhou Qiqi steeled her resolve, using her tongue to push against the ground, her teeth to bite, and her jaw to move desperately.

The first time a rag was stuffed into her mouth, she was completely unprepared, and it was stuffed in very tightly.

But when the skinny monkey stuffed it back in, she was on guard and used the back of her tongue to block it tightly. In addition, the skinny monkey didn't stuff it in very tightly in his panic, and she actually managed to get through!

With a soft "plop," she finally vomited out the dirty wad of cloth!

However, this time, Zhou Qiqi did not immediately scream for help like she did last time.

She suppressed the discomfort in her throat and the violent pounding of her heart, stared fixedly at Zhou Shuhua who was getting closer and closer, and with clear but desperate lip movements, silently, word by word, said a few words to her.

The moment Zhou Shuhua saw Zhou Qiqi's lip movements, tears welled up in her eyes and she couldn't stop them.

Because what Zhou Qiqi mouthed to her was none other than—"Auntie, don't come any closer, go away!"

Auntie... Qiqi called her auntie!

For so long, no matter how carefully she tried to make amends, Zhou Qiqi never called her name once.

At this moment, in this life-or-death peril, she actually heard—no, saw—the long-awaited address.

Zhou Shuhua felt a mix of emotions, a bittersweet feeling.

This complex feeling caused her to suddenly stop in her tracks.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!