kidnapping

"Wake up, don't cross that divide between you..."

The smell of rust and mildew, the dampness, and the biting cold...

Where is this?

As consciousness gradually returned, Wen Xubai's body stiffened slightly, instinctively curling up due to the cold. But the chill, creeping down the floor, relentlessly penetrated his thin shirt, seeping into his skin and reaching his very bones…

It's so cold...

"It's so cold..."

He wanted to touch his trembling shoulders, to roll himself into an airtight ball to ward off the cold... but he moved instinctively and suddenly woke up!

In the darkness, in complete silence, Wen Xubai felt the binding of his hands; his wrists and ankles were bound by hemp ropes, and he could not move at all!

Where am I?!

Amidst the immense shock, Wen Xubai's chaotic thoughts cleared. He tried desperately to break free, but aside from the pain from the rope chafing his bare wrists, it was utterly futile. A fine, stinging sensation spread through his heart, and Wen Xubai couldn't help but shudder.

He thought: There must be blood already...

With his arms feeling a little sore, Wen Xubai changed his posture, forced himself to sit up from the ground, carefully moved to an obstacle, relaxed his strength, and leaned back against it to catch his breath.

With a crisp "thud," it sounded... like a shipping container.

He laboriously reached out, wiped away a handful of dust from the ground, and rubbed it between his fingertips.

The dust layer is very thick; people probably don't come here often. The sound when he bumped into the container echoed, indicating that this place is quite large... It must be an abandoned factory or warehouse.

"Is anyone there...?" Wen Xubai asked tentatively.

Apart from the countless echoes that bounced back from hitting the wall, there was no response.

It was so dark here, without a single ray of light. Wen Xubai wasn't sure if there were people hiding in the shadows, let alone who his kidnappers were or what they wanted to do.

His mind raced, and Wen Xubai forced himself to calm down. Countless figures flashed through his mind, but none lingered. After reviewing them once more, Wen Xubai leaned weakly against the box and sighed deeply…

There are too many...

Whether it was the former "Wen Xubai" or the current "Ruan Xu," both have offended far too many people. Countless individuals want him dead, not to mention those who hold grudges against his "brothers." If they can't find the real culprit, they might seek revenge against him...

Images flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern, showing the faces of all those who might have grudges against him, and the looks in their eyes: anger, ferocity, hatred... Suddenly, his gaze stopped on a pair of affectionate eyes.

Qi Zui...

Wen Xubai was lost in thought.

Did Qi Zui notice he was missing? Or was he busy entertaining guests?

If he found out, wouldn't he be very anxious and worried? Would he... already be on his way to find him?

He struggled to move his arm, the rough hemp rope pulling painfully on his wrist. The awkward posture bent his shoulder blades, and he finally managed to touch the pocket beside his hip, but his heart sank.

It was completely empty; there was nothing there...

I should have thought of that... How could the person who brought him here be so stupid as not to even put themselves away?

Wen Xubai closed his eyes weakly.

The next second, a familiar voice suddenly rang in my ears: "Are you looking for this?"

With a "snap!" sound, his eyes were suddenly illuminated, and a huge light shone directly on his face, startling Wen Xubai into dodging.

Having adjusted to the darkness, Wen Xubai's eyes were stung by the sudden burst of white light. He instinctively tried to raise his hand to block it, but as soon as he moved, he suddenly remembered that his hands were bound. He could only turn his head away with difficulty to dodge.

A tall figure stood behind the white light, seemingly in no hurry, quietly waiting for him to adapt.

Only after the stinging sensation subsided did Wen Xubai manage to turn his head, and at a glance, he saw the smile on the other person's lips.

“Wen Xushi…” he called out.

Hearing him call his name, Wen Xushi's smile widened even more, as if he were in a very good mood. He turned down the bright lights a bit, then slowly moved to Wen Xubai's side and squatted down.

The glass lens reflected a faint light. Wen Xushi's gaze was deep as he met Wen Xubai's eyes and smiled, "Hello, Xiaobai."

Wen Xubai frowned slightly, instinctively wanting to back away, but there were shipping containers behind him, leaving him nowhere to avoid them. Sensing the danger, he met their gaze coldly.

Before he could even speak, there was a "ding" sound, and Wen Xushi tossed something in front of him, saying softly, "Carrying such a dangerous thing on your person isn't a good habit, is it?"

That was his knife...

Wen Xubai felt a slight tremor in his heart. He looked up at Wen Xushi, whose eyes were clearly smiling, but there was no trace of a smile in the depths of his gaze.

Seeing his expression, Wen Xushi raised an eyebrow in dissatisfaction, then suddenly grabbed his chin, leaned close to him, and said with a smile, word by word, "I know you too well, Xiaobai."

His hand gradually slid down his chin, touching his Adam's apple, feeling the trembling of the person beneath him, then moved to his chest: "Every habit of yours, every thought... what kind of clothes you like to wear? What kind of jewelry you like to wear? What kind of books you like to read... and where you like to keep your self-defense items, I know it all perfectly well..."

Sensing the man's increasingly intense gaze, Wen Xubai angrily said, "Get out of here!"

"Heh, get out of my way?" The man's eyes instantly darkened, a cold glint flashing in them. Instead of being angry, he laughed: "Xiao Bai, have you forgotten? You were the one who held my hand and said you needed me, said you didn't want me to leave. Have you forgotten everything in just a few short years?"

As he spoke, the man's gaze grew colder, his eyes flashing with murderous intent. "Did that Wen Xuchi bewitch you? Did he try to sow discord between us in front of you...?"

"Enough!" Wen Xubai interrupted angrily, "He's not the kind of person you describe!"

Looking at the person before him, whose appearance was no different from before but now felt strangely unfamiliar, he felt a slight, almost imperceptible pang in his heart.

"Oh? What kind of person is he?" Wen Xushi's smile vanished. "He wants to take you away from me, Xiaobai. You and I should be on the same boat, you and I... should be the closest of friends!"

The mask of refinement shattered completely, leaving only a狰狞 (zhengning - ferocious) face and almost crazed eyes. He grabbed Wen Xubai, pinched his face, and said viciously, "Xiaobai, your heart and your body should have belonged to me! Why? Why wouldn't you wait for me, wait until I killed Wen Tingyi and Wen Xuyuan, wait until I completely controlled the Wen family..."

"Enough!" Wen Xubai exclaimed in shock, "Lin Xi... Wen Tingyi... a person who can even kill his own parents, how can you expect me to believe you?! Wen Xushi, you're too ruthless!"

"Ruthless?" Wen Xushi seemed amused: "Wen Tingyi could kill his wife and daughter to climb the social ladder, and Ruan Xing could hand over his own sister to curry favor with the upper class! Why can't I?!"

As he spoke, a hint of hurt appeared in his eyes, and his touch on Wen Xu's pale face softened. He said painfully, "But I never intended to harm you..."

"You never intended to harm me?" Wen Xubai seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world. He flung his hand away and said angrily, "Who pushed me into the river the day Jiang Hui died? Wen Xushi, do you really think I knew nothing about it?!"

Wen Xushi panicked instantly, as if his thoughts had been exposed. He grabbed Wen Xubai's struggling shoulders and said anxiously, "No! I didn't! Xiaobai, I just wanted you to leave first, to leave the Wen family temporarily! Only when you leave can I completely destroy the Wen family without any worries, and only then can I unleash my power without any concerns!"

Wen Xubai stopped what he was doing, looking at the person in front of him in disbelief. "So your concern for me... is that you won't even share a shred of wealth with me, won't even share a shred of trust with me?! Am I just a bird you want to keep as a pet??? You deceived me, drove me away, and now you want to imprison me... Is this what you call love? Then I'd rather not have it!!!"

"What kind of love do you want?! Like Wen Xuchi??? He's both stupid and incompetent. If it weren't for Ruan Xing and Wen Tingyi's support, he'd be completely useless! What's so good about him that makes you so devoted to him?!"

Wen Xubai felt a pang of sorrow, but as Wen Xushi frantically grabbed his collar, he sneered, "At least... he won't go against my will and force me to do things I don't like..."

He glanced meaningfully at Wen Xushi's white-knuckled hand, his eyes filled with undisguised mockery. He clearly saw the man's expression stiffen for a moment.

Just then, a subordinate ran in, glanced at the two of them carefully, and then, after receiving Wen Xushi's tacit approval, whispered something in his ear.

He deliberately covered his mouth, so even at such a close distance, Wen Xubai was unable to guess what he said.

After he finished speaking, his subordinates respectfully stepped aside, and Wen Xushi's expression calmed down a bit.

Suddenly, he let out a cold laugh, whether it was self-mockery or laughter at Wen Xubai, then slowly released his grip on Wen Xubai's hand, elegantly straightened his disheveled cuffs, and said while buttoning his sleeves, "It's okay, Xiaobai, we still have a lot of time. As long as this troublesome obstacle between us is gone... we can definitely go back to our original relationship."

Wen Xubai's eyes widened suddenly. "What do you mean?!"