kidnapping

Gu Nan rested her chin on her hand, leaning against the edge of the bed, her eyes lowered, gazing at the sleeping person on the bed.

The third hypnosis session was far less effective, and the claim of a total of five hypnosis sessions was utter nonsense. She was merely using it as an excuse to keep Lu Yushi from harming her for the time being, nothing more.

Time ticked by, and Gu Nan's arm, which was supporting her chin, began to ache. She slowly looked away.

He turned his head to look out the window.

As dusk settled, her face was reflected in the glass wall, revealing a hint of sorrow.

From the very beginning, they had decided to use Lu Yushi as a breakthrough point to stir up trouble in Beicheng, expose Lin Jianye's evil deeds to the light of day, and make those who supported Lin Jianye suffer the consequences.

Since it involves exploitation, harm is unavoidable.

It's just money; she'll definitely make it up to me after this is over.

But I don't know when it started, maybe it was the warm suit jacket draped over my shoulder on a rainy night, or maybe it was the light shining on the old Wan family house, or that deep concern from the Ping An Hospital.

Like a raging torrent of green bamboo, each drop burst through the heart in an instant.

The moment Shi Nian'an turned away to secretly wipe her tears, the guilt in her heart was pushed into an even deeper abyss.

I lowered my eyes; the person in front of me was breathing deeply and evenly.

His chest rose and fell slightly.

Each rise and fall is like an invisible hand, tightening and relaxing in rhythm with his breathing.

Gu Nan covered her chest, as if that would relieve the discomfort in her heart.

She said that the hypnosis would need to be repeated three times. As the person involved, couldn't Lu Yushi even be aware of his own sleep condition?

"What are you doing..." The voice was so soft it sounded like a sigh, "You let your guard down."

The sleeping person couldn't be spoken to, and Gu Nan didn't expect to get any answers.

My chest feels heavy.

She shook her head vigorously, trying to shake off the inappropriate melancholy in her heart. She sighed deeply, ripped open her sleeve which was almost twisted into a rope, and suddenly stood up, saying, "Wait, I'll go and get revenge for you."

He opened the door and went downstairs without looking back.

She knew clearly whether she was trying to vent her anger for Lu Yushi or using this as an excuse to dispel her guilt.

The night wind swept across my face, chilling me to the bone, sending shivers down my spine.

The maid came forward and informed her that her car had been parked in the underground garage.

She moved her lips, but her guilt intensified.

This must be what Shi Nian'an meant.

"knew."

He picked up the keys and turned to go to the garage.

The maid was puzzled. Had she quarreled with Young Master Lu? In the evening, she saw the wife beaming with joy, boasting to her friends about how wonderful her daughter-in-law was.

Before she could figure it out, at the garage exit, Gu Nan stepped on the gas, and the car shot off like an arrow.

The villa area and the Lu family's old residence were not far apart, and they arrived in a short while.

The gatekeeper didn't recognize her, and she wasn't interested in greeting him. She leaped over the wall, avoided the crowds, and walked briskly along the corner of the wall toward the main house.

In the stillness of the night, when most people had already gone to bed, Old Man Lu gently wiped Lu Yuanzhi's photo, his eyes filled with regret and heartache.

The old housekeeper came over and took the photos, saying comfortingly, "It's late, you should get some rest."

Old Lu sighed, letting him take the photo frame from his hand. With his head bowed, the daytime majesty was gone, replaced by the weariness of an old man in his twilight years, his heart and eyes filled with sorrow for his children.

"Still haven't found a suitable prosthetic limb?"

The old butler's eyes also held a hint of sorrow as he brought up the old matter again: "Otherwise, we could transfer Master back to China. He's all alone there, and he's bound to feel depressed. We can arrange for a doctor to come to the old mansion..."

Before he could finish speaking, Old Man Lu shook his head and interrupted, "His health is deteriorating, mainly because he inhaled too much toxic gas back then. There are no precedents for those pollution sources in China. If he suddenly falls ill, wouldn't I be left to watch him suffer..."

She choked up and couldn't continue.

"Never mind."

The old butler sighed as well: "Since we have nothing to do right now, and the bidding for the traceability system's information sharing meeting won't be until next spring, why don't we take advantage of these few quiet months at the end of the year and go to Ulm to keep Master Attack company? He'll be so happy if you go."

Old Man Lu closed his eyes and said bitterly, "When I was here, Lu Yushi didn't even respect my people. If I go to Ulm, wouldn't he turn the world upside down?"

The old butler advised tactfully, "The Lu family will inevitably..."

"Alright." The sorrow on Old Man Lu's face faded, and he expressionlessly dismissed the man, saying, "You should go and rest too."

The old butler opened his mouth, knowing that persuasion would be useless and would only displease the old man, but he still cared about the old man and always tried to say what was on his mind.

Back then, Lu Yuanzhi was seriously injured in Ulm. The old man believed that Lu Yushi was behind it, but he had no evidence and could not bring Lu back to the old house for interrogation.

Overwhelmed with anger, the old man fainted at one point.

At that time, the group's board of directors was in chaos for a while. Some members followed the old man's lead, some were Lu Yushi's confidants, and some remained neutral.

During the old man's serious illness, the neutral faction gradually turned to Lu Yushi. Later, after the old man recovered, he was concerned about his youngest son and often felt powerless. He reluctantly allowed his grandson, whom he had once disliked the most, to take over the reins.

Currently, while the Lu family is outwardly represented by Old Master Lu, those within the group already understand that what matters is Lu Yushi's attitude.

The old steward gazed at the moonlight and sighed deeply.

As an outsider, he could see things clearly, but he could never persuade the old man.

Looking back, he saw that the lights in the main house were off. He shook his head silently and pushed open the door with faltering steps.

With his mind preoccupied and completely oblivious, the old man was still full of energy when he stepped out the door. How could he possibly stop to rest so easily after just a few steps?

With a creak.

The door closed, and the courtyard became completely quiet.

The icy blade, coated with frost, pressed against the neck, sending a chill down one's spine.

The cold touch did not cause panic in Old Man Lu. He stroked the end of his cane with his right hand and said slowly, "Someone came into the Lu family and took me hostage. They must have some nerve."

Gu Nan remained unmoved by his praise. Holding the knife in one hand and grabbing his shoulder with the other, she kicked aside the obstructing chair leg and said coldly, "Come with me."

"Who are you?" Even the question lacked any hint of curiosity.

"Stop talking nonsense." Gu Nan said impatiently, grabbing Old Man Lu's shoulder and pulling him outside.

The usually composed old man Lu was pulled back by this brute force and staggered, somewhat surprised.

The woman was tall but very slender, yet surprisingly strong.

"Hiss—" The sharp blade cut a bloody gash across his neck.

Gu Nan slightly withdrew the blade: "I didn't mean to hurt you, but if you're asking for trouble, don't blame me for being impolite."

Before he could finish speaking...

"Gu Nan."

Upon suddenly having his identity revealed, Gu Nan paused slightly.

She made a point of going back to change her clothes and wearing a mask and hat before coming, but she was recognized within five minutes of meeting him.

"Lu Yushi sent you?" Old Man Lu's face finally showed some expression, his cheeks flushed. "He's been wanting to do something to me for a long time, hasn't he? I'm his grandfather, how dare he kidnap me!"

The cane struck the ground with a thud.

Gu Nan frowned at him, kicked his cane away, twisted his hands behind his back, and said, "What nonsense are you spouting? Behave yourself."

Old Lu closed his eyes and sulked. Seeing that he didn't move, Gu Nan felt relieved and easily evaded the gatekeeper, successfully taking the man away.

Once seated in the car, Old Man Lu spoke again: "Where are you taking me?"

Gu Nan pulled off her hat and mask. Since she had been recognized, she might as well take them all off.

You'll find out when you get there.

"What does Lu Yushi mean?"

"Is Lu Yushi all you can think about?"

"Otherwise, why would his girlfriend kidnap me when she has no grudge against me?"

Gu Nan was speechless. She opened her mouth, but didn't bother to reply.

Upon arriving at the destination, he kicked the back door and ordered, "Get out of the car."

Despite the danger, Old Man Lu remained calm and even had the mind to observe his surroundings.

A secluded courtyard.

Where is this?

Gu Nan snorted coldly, grabbed his arm and threw him into the house, then pushed him onto a chair, tied him up with a rope, and held the tip of a knife to his throat without exerting any force.

As her gaze swept across his face, she was initially puzzled. Lu Yuanjing was refined and elegant, and Shi Nian'an was intellectual. The two of them together gave off the vibe of a scholarly family. How could they have produced a personality like Lu Yushi, who was so aloof that even ghosts seemed to have a third wheel?

It seems to be the work of some immortal genes.

When listening to Nian'an recall that past event, she realized that during the hypnosis, she had shown genuine concern for the subject for the first time and asked her how she felt.

The answer I received was a single word: "Endure".

This undoubtedly fueled Gu Nan's nameless anger.

“Lu Yushi is your own grandson, you’re not even this ruthless when interrogating criminals.”

Old Man Lu remained calm, even leisurely, as she tied him to the chair, scoffing and remaining silent.

Gu Nan moved closer to the tip of the knife, forcing him to speak.

"You dare to hurt me? Lu Yushi's girlfriend laid a hand on me. Guess how much trouble that will cause him."

The swords slowly circled around Old Man Lu's neck. Gu Nan said slowly, "Do you think I care about causing him trouble?"

Old Lu turned his head away, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Gu Nan sheathed the knife and raised his voice: "I was the one who tampered with that shipment at customs, and I also made Wan Ye my enemy. Do you think I care about his life or death?"

Old Man Lu was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized: "No wonder, no wonder Lu Yushi suddenly turned against the Shen family and didn't give Master Wan any face. I was wondering how capable he was, that he could challenge three out of the five families in Beicheng by himself. It turns out someone was whispering in his ear. It seems he was still blind."

Gu Nan remained unperturbed, slowly sliding the back of her knife towards Old Man Lu's chest: "If I stab you here, how long do you think it will take your old friends to find out?"

Old Lu closed his eyes and did not answer.

"I'm curious, even if he's not your grandson, but just an ordinary junior, why would you be so ruthless as to push someone to their death?"

“Stealing our own company’s secrets, I’m punishing you according to the rules, what’s wrong with that? But you, what’s the basis for kidnapping me?”

"What kind of bullshit rules are these? They're so bad they make you feel like a nobody."

"Young lady, he almost made the twenty million I gave him disappear into thin air. How can such a huge mistake be easily overlooked?"

Gu Nan murmured, "Twenty million."

The hand gripping the knife loosened for a moment as a figure flashed through his mind—a person whose voice was extremely low and whose eyes gleamed with a vicious light.

—It won't take too long, half an hour will be fine.

—As long as nothing goes wrong in this half hour, the 20 million is yours.

He pushed the knife forward: "Explain yourself."

It's like seeking confirmation, a guess that's about to surface in my mind.

If it's the 20 million that disappeared in half an hour, or if it's what Shi Nian'an said about eight years ago...

Then she...

The guesses that had been lingering in my mind gradually became clear.

“Back then, I gave him 20 million yuan in start-up capital, and he promised me that he would definitely acquire the land from Chengyue Group,” Old Man Lu said, seeing her stunned, “which is now Xingzi Building.”

His voice wasn't loud, but each word struck Gu Nan's heart like a drumstick.

All the mental preparations I had built up crumbled.

Gu Nan was struck dumb, frozen in place.

How could it be... her?