Chapter 77

Xixi noticed Qiu An's frustration, casually took off her shoes, and helped Qiu An sit on the sofa.

As soon as he sat down, Qiu An relaxed his tired voice and said haggardly, "Let's... call the police."

Qiu An only discovered last night that she couldn't contact Ranlong, less than 24 hours after she went missing. Ranlong is an adult, and without definitive proof that she'd been harmed, the police might not accept the case.

She and Ranlong are both public figures, and calling the police would always have unforeseen consequences. It's not a good option unless it's absolutely necessary.

Qiu An also knew this, so even though she said this, there was still some hesitation in her tone.

Xixi comforted her, "You didn't sleep all night last night, did you? I'll warm you a cup of honey milk. Drink it and go get some rest first, okay? Xiao Hou and I will continue investigating and wake you up as soon as we have any news."

"no……"

"Why not? You're just worried when you're awake. You've already been sleep-deprived for a long time, and after staying up all night, your body won't be able to take it. How about this, you go to sleep first, and we'll find one last night. If we can't get in touch by dawn, we'll call the police, okay?"

It was a rare occasion for Xixi to be aggressive in front of Qiu An. Qiu An was speechless because of her implicit implication that "it's useless for you to stay awake and you will only cause trouble". He had no choice but to do as she said, drank the milk with honey, took a sleeping pill, and reluctantly fell asleep.

After taking care of Qiu An and putting her to sleep, Xixi didn't feel much relieved. Her heart was also in turmoil as time passed and there was no news about Ranlong's whereabouts.

She still clearly remembered that day when Ranlong was taken away by Chang Yuqing and got drunk.

After all, humans are very dirty creatures. Once they gain a little power, they want to abuse their power.

The entertainment circle where the powerful and beautiful people gather is as glamorous on the surface as it is dirty underneath.

Xixi used to think that these things were just urban legends. The rebellious girl wanted to break free from her family's control early, so she participated in a talent show with full of passion.

Sister Hou always said she was pretty. It was because of her pretty face that she was lucky enough to pass the audition as a "grassroots".

It was precisely because of this pretty face that she soon attracted malicious obstacles.

She thought the dinner was just an ordinary gathering. After all, the people around her were either acquaintances and friends who had competed with her, or the production staff who often looked after them.

That glass of red wine nearly destroyed her.

He was clearly very careful not to drink anything that was out of his sight, but who knew that by the time he turned his head and spoke, the drug had already been administered.

An acquaintance, a habitual offender, everything happened unexpectedly.

That night, when she was almost taken away, she was rescued by Qiu An, who happened to be recording a program and staying in the same hotel.

After waking up, she found Qiu An and thanked him solemnly.

Seeing that she had a good foundation and was a kind person, Qiu An told her that he was setting up a studio and would sign her once it was on track.

Xixi was about to thank me when she suddenly changed her mind and said, "No, I don't want to continue on this path. Let me be your assistant and help you open your studio. I don't need a salary! I studied business administration in college. Although I'm not an expert in academics, I will definitely give it my all!"

In the early days of a studio, there are always a lot of things to do and a lot of deals to make.

So she changed her name, dressed herself more maturely, and concealed her age from others.

So I settled down next to Qiu An.

But to this day, she still has a traumatic fear of opaque drinks, especially red wine, and cannot swallow a drop.

She later investigated for a long time but could not find the person who drugged her, and the perpetrator was at large and not punished for a long time.

Until one victim bravely stood up, holding up his ID card and facing the camera, his tearful accusation was like cutting himself open with a knife and fork, bleeding profusely, which was pitiful but also attracted flies.

Like a moth flying into a flame, he endured the ridicule and abuse from all directions, burning out his dreams and career that had ended before they even began, and finally convicted the sinner.

How insignificant they are, and how bravely they have to sacrifice to gain justice.

How lucky do you have to be to wait for a "coincidence" to save your life.

Xixi doesn't want Ranlong to encounter such a thing again, and doesn't want any girl to encounter such a thing.

While she was gathering people to find out Ranlong's whereabouts, she was praying silently in her heart, hoping nothing would happen, nothing would happen.

At one o'clock in the morning, Qiu An woke up from a nightmare.

Her head felt dizzy, and she walked out of the bedroom, holding on to the wall, and saw Xixi still sitting on the sofa, frowning at her laptop.

"No news yet?" Qiu An asked her.

Sissi shook her head.

Qiu An rubbed his throbbing temples, and just as he was about to call the police, his cell phone suddenly rang.

I picked up the phone again with hope, but when I saw the caller's name, a feeling of despair came over me.

She walked back to her room, closed the door, and answered the ringing phone.

"Qiu An, why aren't you asleep yet so late?" Chang Yuqing's voice came from afar, laziness mixed with a hint of excitement.

An ominous premonition came over me.

"What do you want from me?"

"Hey, what else could it be? You're really patient. You really have to let me come to you, right?"

Qiu An angrily said, "If you have something to say, just say it! I'm not in the mood to argue with you!"

"Oh my, you're so fierce! Okay, I'll just say it straight, Ranlong is in my hands. So, are you in the mood to play with me now?" Chang Yuqing said in the most frivolous tone, words that hit Qiu An's heart straight.

"What did you say?!"

"You're asking even though you already know the answer. I'm sorry to have caused you so much trouble to find it..."

"Don't touch her!" Qiu An was so excited that he almost roared.

Chang Yuqing wasn't annoyed by being interrupted. He just smiled softly and said leisurely, "Come on, let's fulfill our promise~ Now, tonight. I will give you Jiang Ting and Ran Long, both of whom you want."

"I've called the police, please let her go!"

"Huh? Call the police? Are you kidding me? I have the person in my hands now. You've seen the movies, right? You know what we kidnappers do when we see a police car coming? If you dare to call the police, if you dare to let anyone else know about this, you'll never see Ranlong again in your life."

When he said the last sentence, Chang Yuqing's artificial voice had disappeared, leaving only the full threat.

Just as he finished speaking, the call was hung up, and an extra message appeared in the WeChat box. Chang Yuqing sent the location of a hotel.

No matter how much Qiu An asked to video chat or talk to Ranlong, Chang Yuqing ignored him.

Qiu An exited WeChat and opened the dial-up page.

With trembling fingers, she entered the police number, hesitated for three minutes, and finally put her fingers down weakly.

Qiu An walked out of the room and said to Xixi, who was sitting on the sofa struggling, "Go and rest for a while."

"I'm not tired." Sissi shook her head.

"Just now I listened to you and took a rest. Now it's time to rotate, and you have to listen to me too."

Qiu An pressed the screen of Xixi's computer, looking as if he didn't want to talk anymore.

Watching Xixi enter the room, Qiu An sighed, changed his clothes, put on a windbreaker, walked around in the kitchen, took the key and quietly walked out.

She doesn't believe Chang Yuqing.

She knew clearly that Chang Yuqing had set a trap for her, but she didn't dare to take the risk. She had to go, regardless of her innocence and integrity, even if it meant risking her life.

The hotel Chang Yuqing had designated was part of the Changshun Group. Apparently, she was known to act tyrannically on her own territory.

Qiu An was wearing sunglasses and a mask, with no identification on his body. He simply told the concierge, "I'm here to see Chang Yuqing," and then he had a smooth journey.

Following the concierge's instructions, Qiu An took the elevator to the top floor.

When the elevator door opened, a huge and heavy entrance door came into view.

The door was open and the lights were off, but the moonlight streaming in through the huge French windows that replaced the exterior walls was enough to make the objects inside clearly visible.

Through the entrance door you can get a glimpse of a corner of the room: a bar, a dance floor, a sound system, a chandelier. It looks like a place for gatherings.

In the darkened room, even the bright moonlight only made the surroundings seem eerie. The room was as quiet as space, and the doorway was bare, but the sound of heels on the marble tiles was loud and eerie.

"Miss Qiu."

Just as he reached the door, a deep female voice suddenly rang out. Qiu An was startled and subconsciously put one hand behind his waist.

"Song Song, why are you here?"

Qiu An looked at Song Song, who was standing in the dark corner of the entrance where the moonlight could not reach, and asked a question, as if Song Song was a clay figure that Nuwa had just sculpted and had not yet painted.

Song Song didn't answer her and led Qiu An into the room.

The layout of the room is similar to what you see outside. It is a large room, and since its inception, it has been expected to be used to host large and small gatherings.

What's strange is that Chang Yuqing came to her for physical pleasure, but there is no bedroom here.

Chang Yuqing sat leaning in the middle of a pure white sofa, her hands resting on the back of the sofa, her hair loose, and a strange smile on her face.

"Come on," the person on the sofa said, "You don't like beating around the bush, do you? Take it off right here."

In front of me is a person who is sitting low but still holds his chin high and looks at people through his nostrils; on the right is a large, unobstructed floor-to-ceiling window. Although there are no lights in the room, it may have the effect of single-sided glass, but downstairs is a brightly lit commercial street. Although it is early morning, there are still cars and people coming and going. Occasionally, a drunk pedestrian stops and looks up at the 3D screen on the building that should not be turned on at this moment.

Song Song was standing behind him on the left, his eyes fixed on Qiu An, not leaving her for a moment.

She clearly heard what Chang Yuqing said, but she had no intention of avoiding it.

It seemed that Chang Yuqing wanted her to participate as well.

"What are you hesitating about? Take it off! Do you regret it? Are you shy? Come on, you're not so old-fashioned that you have to have a bed before you can have sex, are you?"