Everyone was utterly dumbfounded.
"What happened? Why...why did Young Master Huo run away?"
"What's going on? The inauguration ceremony has only just begun..."
"Has something happened? He doesn't look well."
"Nothing can happen as important as today's inauguration ceremony!"
"Didn't they say that Young Master Huo had been competing with the other two young masters for the position of heir for four years? I heard that the three young masters fought each other to the death, one broke his leg, one fell into a coma, and even Young Master Huo was seriously injured and almost died. Now that he has finally won this position, why is he leaving at this crucial moment?"
"What on earth happened? How could something be more important than succeeding as heir? I'm so curious."
Huo Tianhao stood atop the crowd, his face grim, clearly very dissatisfied.
————
Meanwhile, Mr. Wang, who had been cooperating with the police investigation, suddenly discovered something.
"Oh no! Someone has tampered with the money in my account."
Wang's mother also joined in: "That damned murderer has been living with us these past few days. She must have transferred the money from our account. What is that damned murderer trying to do? If she only wanted money, why did she hurt my child...? If she wanted money, she should have just told me. I gave her all the money... Why did she have to hurt my innocent child..."
As she spoke, Wang's mother broke down in tears once again.
The police, upon learning this news, were visibly shaken.
"What did the murderer want to do with so much money?"
"Is the disappearance of the Gu family's young master this morning related to this murderer?"
"Damn it! The killer will definitely strike again! Who knows what this madman will do? Quickly notify everyone, impose a citywide curfew! Also, warn the general public to be careful recently, and call the police immediately if you see any suspicious persons!"
When Jiang Ran woke up, she only felt a strong taste of blood in her mouth and her throat felt as if it had been cut by a knife.
She slowly opened her eyes and saw a ceiling covered in grime.
The surroundings were quiet, but the sound of water dripping on the ground could be heard continuously, a sound that seemed particularly eerie in the still night.
And...she seemed to smell something—
The smell of blood!
The smell of blood wasn't from her body, but rather emanated from the surroundings. It didn't smell fresh; rather, it smelled like blood that had been fermenting in the air for some time.
Jiang Ran's expression changed instantly, and she immediately looked around warily.
The walls were all made of cement, and there were bloodstains all over the ground and walls. There were no windows at all.
The only exit is the iron gate on the opposite wall.
Suddenly, Jiang Ran seemed to hear faint breathing sounds.
Her eyes searched around, and finally she spotted a figure on a worn-out sofa in the corner.
Jiang Ran narrowed her eyes, her gaze filled with disbelief.
This is... Gu Shifan?
At this moment, Gu Shifan was lying weakly on the old sofa, his white shirt covered with bloodstains. The blood had dried and congealed the fabric of the shirt with the wounds.
Two clear handprints were visible on his face, and even the corner of his mouth was broken, with a trace of blood.
His eyes were tightly closed, his handsome eyebrows were furrowed, and his face was as pale as a sheet of paper. If she hadn't seen his chest rising and falling with each breath, she would have thought he was dead.
Jiang Ran tried to move her wrists, only to find that they were tied to the chair behind her and she couldn't move them at all.
"Gu Shifan..." Jiang Ran tried calling out.
Upon hearing the sound, Gu Shifan slowly opened his eyes, and a look of surprise immediately appeared in them.
"Why are you here too..."
"On my way home, a large truck suddenly crashed into me and blocked my way. Then I lost consciousness and when I opened my eyes again, I was here."
Gu Shifan lowered his eyes, pain showing in them: "How is Shiwen? Is she alright?"
"She cried all day because she knew you were missing. She calmed down a bit this evening after learning that Jiang Xinrou had taken you away and that you were not in immediate danger."
Just then, footsteps suddenly came from outside.
The two exchanged a glance, alarm bells ringing in their minds.
Soon, a woman swayed as she arrived outside the iron gate.
She wore a tight-fitting, sexy little black dress, and her fair legs were adorned with alluring red high heels.
Jiang Xinrou curled her red lips and slowly walked in as she opened the iron gate.
She frowned when she saw Gu Shifan sitting on the sofa with his eyes closed.
She walked over to him and reached out to pinch his chin.
"So, Brother Shi Fan, have you made up your mind?"
Gu Shifan turned his face to the side: "Don't even think about it!"
Jiang Xinrou's smile froze, and the next second her slap landed hard on Gu Shifan's face.
She was incredibly strong, and the loud noise truly shocked Jiang Ran.
Jiang Xinrou is so ruthless to Gu Shifan? Doesn't she like him?
Soon, another slap mark appeared on Gu Shifan's face, but he still stubbornly refused to give her a second glance.
Jiang Xinrou was furious when she saw him like this, and slapped him twice more across the face.
"I'll give you one more chance!" she gritted her teeth fiercely, her eyes bloodshot as she demanded, "Tell me! Do you love me or not! Do you love me or not!"
Gu Shifan closed his eyes and said in a clear and firm voice, "I don't love you."
"Ah!" Jiang Xinrou screamed uncontrollably as if she had been stimulated by something. She swung the whip in her hand, and it fell on Gu Shifan's body again and again, instantly tearing his skin open.
Gu Shifan gritted his teeth, but instead of begging for mercy, he revealed a mocking smile: "Don't you think you're pathetic? You're someone who shouldn't have come into this world at all. You're a thief. Your identity was stolen, your love was stolen, and now you only dare to live on with someone else's stolen face. You're a joke."
After saying that, as if that wasn't enough, the mockery in his eyes deepened: "Even if you were the only person left in the world, I would never love a woman like you!"
Gu Shifan's words stung Jiang Xinrou deeply, and coupled with what happened this morning, she swung the whip even harder.
Thinking about what happened this morning, the hatred in her eyes deepened.
This morning, she specially changed into the dress he once said he liked the most, but no matter how sexy she dressed, no matter how much she teased and seduced him, Gu Shifan remained unmoved and showed no reaction whatsoever.
His reaction was like a slap across her face. The fact that a normal man didn't react to her at all was an insult to her!
So, she lost control and beat him severely.
Now only violence and bloodshed can quell her anger.
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