Chapter 56 Breaking Free (2)
The moment Shi Mingyue saw Shi Shaoxuan, her stomach churned violently, and she instinctively began to feel nauseous.
It seems that Yun Zhan was right.
It was her; she was too hasty...
However, Shi Mingyue was also glad that she had come. Given Shi Boshan's abnormal nature, if she had hidden in Mingyue Manor like a coward, Yun Zhan would have been tortured without a doubt.
Shi Mingyue stood with her back straight, raindrops rolling down her eyelashes, her usual gentle and obedient demeanor completely gone.
Shi Mingyue stared directly at Shi Shaoxuan, her voice as cold as ice: "Shi Shaoxuan, I told my father about my itinerary before I left home. If you dare to touch me, you know what my father will do. Don't do anything that everyone will regret."
She was gambling that Shi Ke wouldn't dare kill her, and that even though Shi Ke was far away overseas, his lingering influence was enough to make these people tremble.
Shi Shaoxuan laughed. The laughter, short and sharp, came through the rain: "Reporting?"
He raised his hand, the edge of the umbrella fluttering slightly, revealing the ferocious bloodshot veins in his eyes. "We never intended to end this alive before we did these things. Shi Mingyue, I am indeed doomed, but I am not afraid at all. On the contrary... I am particularly excited right now."
Before he could finish speaking, Shi Shaoxuan strode forward, grabbed Shi Mingyue by the collar, and pulled her close. Rain, breath, and anger mingled together and sprayed onto her face.
"Besides you, no one in the Shi family is satisfied with Shi Ke!" he roared, his voice drowning out the sound of the rain.
"He pressures us to supply goods, withholds our funds, and even decides the seating arrangement for ancestral worship! If I die today, the head of the Shi family will be replaced tomorrow! This deal is a steal!"
His fingers tightened, his knuckles turning white, as if he wanted to crush Shi Mingyue's collarbone: "Your father? He's barely able to protect himself abroad! It's a consensus among us all to attack him; I'm just the one who started the fire!"
Behind the rain curtain, the doors of the black sedan opened one after another, and several dark figures silently approached.
They weren't stragglers; they were Shi Shaoxuan's private guards, the red glow of gun muzzles peeking out from under the umbrella.
"Shi Mingyue, even if I die, I will drag you down to hell. Even when you're down there, you'll still beg for mercy from me."
Shi Shaoxuan chuckled, straightened his back, adjusted his suit, and gestured for Shi Mingyue to proceed.
"Please, sister, if you don't get in the car, I don't mind breaking your arms and legs."
Shi Mingyue was soaked by the rain, but felt even colder from the cold sweat on her back.
Therefore, this kidnapping was not just Shi Boshan's ambition, but a collective betrayal of Shi Ke by the entire branch family alliance.
"Where is Yun Zhan? Pei Yanxi is standing behind her. You'd better not go crazy at her." Shi Mingyue calmed down.
In that life-or-death moment, she suddenly felt grateful that Pei Yanxi was by Yun Zhan's side.
If I really am... then at least Yun Zhan is safe. I can't be with her in this life, but I hope we can rest together in the afterlife...
"Of course I wouldn't dare kill her, but after you die, the media will report extensively on the news that 'Miss Shi died for love.'"
"You like her, don't you? I'll make her bear the infamy of causing your death."
"I'll feel guilty for the rest of my life..."
...
The thick smoke had not yet dissipated, and the streets outside the convention center were shrouded in a crimson glow from the police lights.
Yun Zhan was protected by Pei Yanxi's bodyguards at the side door. Now that her phone had a signal, she was about to take out her phone to let Shi Mingyue know she was safe when she heard the news reported by 21.
21: Shi Mingyue has been kidnapped by Shi Shaoxuan.
Yun Zhan: He directly kidnapped Shi Mingyue... and he's truly fearless.
In the photos sent by 21, a black SUV is parked across the rain, and Shi Mingyue is surrounded by several dark figures. The umbrella is fluttering, and her thin and helpless figure stands in place.
Yun Zhan's heart pounded like a drum in his chest; he was extremely anxious.
"Shi Mingyue..."
Before she finished speaking, engines roared from the street corner, and three unlicensed vans screeched to a halt. The doors slid open, and more than ten men in black swarmed out.
Pei Yanxi's bodyguard reacted extremely quickly, pushing Yun Zhan against a pillar before taking the first wave of impact himself.
"Miss Yun, hurry up and leave!" The bodyguard was outnumbered and took a heavy blow to the back. He groaned and fell to the ground, his blood mingling with the rainwater and flowing down the sidewalk.
Yun Zhan was pushed against the wall, his phone fell to the ground, and the screen shattered into a spiderweb pattern.
Just as she was about to bend over, a hand wearing a black glove suddenly covered her mouth, while the other hand gripped her waist and lifted her off the ground.
She struggled desperately, her heels drawing futile lines on the wet ground, but she was no match for the brute force of these men.
21 also panicked: "What are you doing?! Beat them up! You can beat them."
Yun Zhan: "If I run away now, Shi Mingyue will be in trouble. Given Shi Shaoxuan's personality, he will most likely tie me up and make me act out a tragic love story with Shi Mingyue."
Yun Zhan is not stupid at all; on the contrary, she is quite calm.
"It will be difficult for me to get in touch with Shi Mingyue in the short term, but following them might give me a chance."
21: "Okay, I'll keep an eye on her situation for you."
"Take him away!" At the order, Yun Zhan was shoved into the third van, and the door slammed shut, cutting off the sound of rain and sirens.
The car interior lights were off, with only occasional flashes of streetlight outside the window, like iron bars of a cage, swiftly passing across her face.
Her eyes were blindfolded with a black cloth, her hands were tied behind her back, and her mouth was stuffed with soft rubber, so even her breath tasted bitter.
The engine roared, the tires rolled over the puddles, and the car lurched as if it were driving into an unknown abyss.
The last glimpse was of Pei Yanxi staggering after him in the rearview mirror, quickly swallowed up by the rain and distance.
"Yun Zhan!" Pei Yanxi's eyes were red, tears and rain mixed together, the salty, fishy, and bitter taste lingering in her mouth. She no longer cared about her dignity.
She immediately called the Pei family's private guards: "Send people over here right now! And arrange for Pei Mi to access all the surveillance footage in the city."
Yun Zhan heard Pei Yanxi's call, and her heart pounded, but she forced herself to calm down.
No, Shi Mingyue is still ahead. We mustn't panic, we mustn't lose our composure, and we mustn't be afraid.
The rain outside the car window was getting heavier and heavier.
A mountain rain was brewing, and the damp fog, like a grayish-white quilt, suffocated the entire mountain forest.
Yun Zhan was tied up and pushed onto a muddy path. His eyes were blindfolded with a black cloth, and his mouth was stuffed with soft rubber. Rainwater slid down his temples and into his collar, like ice snakes crawling along the way.
The laughter of two men ahead cut through the rain: "Young Master said that once we dismember that legitimate daughter, we'll each get several million!"
"Tsk, such delicate skin, too bad I can only look but not touch."
They turned back and grinned at Yun Zhan, their teeth gleaming white from the rain. "Don't worry, we won't kill you. We'll just let you open your eyes and watch how she gets dismembered. Don't be scared out of your wits, hahaha!"
Laughter echoed through the damp woods, like a dull knife scraping against bones.
Yun Zhan lowered his head, the raindrops on his eyelashes trembling slightly, but not a single one was a tear.
"Okay, it's confirmed, Shi Mingyue is here."
21: "Shall we make our move now?"
Yun Zhan: "Of course."
Yun Zhan listened to the rhythm of the footsteps and silently counted the distance. Her knuckles turned white as the rope tightened. Suddenly, she twisted her wrist sharply.
"Click!"
The cracking sound of dislocated finger bones was masked by the sound of rain, and his left hand slipped out of the rope loop in an instant.
Without changing her expression, she used her still-functioning fingers to reach into her clothes and touch the dagger hidden behind her waist. The cold metal against her skin awakened her long-dormant murderous intent.
The wooden house appeared at the end of the rain curtain, and the dim light bulb swayed in the window, casting two swaying shadows.
A flash of cold light.
The dagger flashed out from the left hand, the first line of blood spraying onto the wooden door, followed closely by the second.
The two men's laughter caught in their throats, turning into hoarse groans, and their bodies went limp in the mud, the rain instantly washing away the bloodstains.
Yun Zhan flicked the blood off the knife, twisted his right hand, and snapped his dislocated knuckle back into place.
She ripped off the black cloth, her eyes showing no fear, only a chilling killing intent.
Yun Zhan was soaked to the bone, his black hair stuck to his pale cheeks, a dagger was hidden behind his back, and his knuckles were still aching after being dislocated and put back in place.
She walked to the door of the wooden house and tapped lightly with her fingertips.
"Knock, knock."
The door opened a crack, and the dim light from the bulb shone through, illuminating her wet eyelashes and trembling shoulders.
"Excuse me, I'm a student from No. 11 Middle School. I was sketching on the mountain, and it started raining without an umbrella. Can I come in and take shelter for a bit?"
The man was taken aback, then a lewd glint appeared in his eyes: "Oh, of course, I've been to your school before."
Yun Zhan lowered his head, his voice so soft it seemed to be crushed by the sound of rain: "...Could I borrow your phone?"
She slightly raised her eyes, her pupils gleaming with a damp panic in the darkness, like a young deer that had strayed into a trap.
He couldn't help but grin, thinking to himself, "There's a young lady in the room, two beautiful women, my brother and I have hit the jackpot."
He stepped aside to let Yun Zhan pass, and "kindly" placed his hand on Yun Zhan's shoulder and back: "Come in, don't catch a cold."
The fingertips then slid down smoothly, the intention clear.
The moment he entered the house, Yun Zhan flipped his wrist behind his back, a flash of cold light, and the dagger slid past the guard's neck, splattering blood onto the mottled wooden door.
The body fell to the ground with a dull thud, knocking over a low stool by the door.
Inside the room, another guard stood in front of Shi Mingyue. He had already pulled her outer garment down to her shoulders, revealing a large expanse of pale skin.
"Don't move, I'm taking pictures of you. Wow... As expected of Miss Shi, that waist, those thighs... she's truly a rare beauty."
He grinned maliciously, his yellowish eyes narrowed, and he looked Shi Mingyue up and down.
The medication for myasthenia gravis made it difficult for Shi Mingyue to even lift her hand. She could only stare intently at the hand that was reaching for her underwear with her bloodshot eyes.
The damp, cold air pressed against my bare skin, sending shivers down my spine. The sensation was like countless ants crawling on a wound, and humiliation crept up my back and spread throughout my body.
Shi Mingyue tried to close her clothes, but her fingers felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.
The guard's breath, carrying the stench of smoke and alcohol, clung to her neck like thick pus, slowly eroding her dignity.
But tears still welled up, forced to stop at the edge of her eyelashes, blurring into a bright, indistinct mass.
"Yun Zhan...I'm sorry..."
In that light, she desperately tried to trace Yun Zhan's outline, a glimmer of clarity she clung to even amidst the vortex of drugs and nausea.
"The young master said I can touch you as I please, so I won't hold back."
The guard's hand brushed across her collarbone, sending shivers down her spine and making her feel nauseous. She didn't even have the strength to turn her head away, and could only let her tears fall onto the sheets, spreading out in dark circles.
Every second stretched on endlessly, filled with humiliation, unbearable pain, and unbearable suffering, all mixed together into a bitter taste in my mouth.
Despair choked his throat, but it also made the thought clearer: Yun Zhan, Yun Zhan, Yun Zhan!
"Bang--!"
The wooden door was smashed to pieces, and debris mixed with raindrops crashed into the house.
Yun Zhan held the machete he had picked up from beside the corpse in his hand; the blade was still dripping with someone else's blood.
The guard had just straightened up, the iron rod still hanging in mid-air, when Yun Zhan had already closed in, the tip of his blade piercing his abdomen, the cold iron penetrating flesh and blood.
Using the momentum, Yun Zhan slammed the man to the ground, his knee slamming into the man's chest with a sharp, piercing sound as bones snapped.
Blood was still dripping from the tip of the knife. The moment Yun Zhan turned to look at Shi Mingyue, his breath caught in his throat.
On the bed, Shi Mingyue was tossed into a crumpled sheet, her wet hair sticking to her pale cheeks. The medication made her head turn weakly to one side, but she still stubbornly kept her eyes half-open.
The bluish-purple finger marks were branded on the collarbone, and the scarlet medicine stains meandered along the side of the neck, disappearing into the torn clothes.
Her coat was pulled down to her waist, exposing large areas of her shoulders, neck, and chest to the damp, cold air. The sound of rain poured in through the broken window, sending tiny shivers down her spine like snowflakes scattered by the wind.
Yun Zhan looked down at the guard's face, contorted in agony, and let out a hoarse roar: "You scum! You drugged her? You undressed her? -- You deserve to die!"
She pulled out the knife, splattering blood onto the wall. With each slash, she used all her strength, and for the first time, Yun Zhan experienced the feeling of being out of control.
"Die! Die! Die!"
The blade fell again, embedding itself deeply into the guard's shoulder.
"The best way to deal with people like you is to kill them all! Never let them rise again, that's what you deserve."
A roar echoed through the wooden house, mixed with the muffled sound of bones shattering. The blade was pulled out, and blood gushed out like a fountain. The blood mist sprayed onto Yun Zhan's pale face, staining the cold fire in her eyes red.
Yun Zhan only stopped when the guard's pupils were completely dilated and the body could no longer utter a sound.
She was panting like a broken bellows, but her fingertips gripped the knife handle tightly. Blood dripped from between her fingers, but it couldn't extinguish the raging fire in her chest.
She looked up at Shi Mingyue on the bed.
The skin exposed to the air was covered with bluish-purple and red marks, like white silk that had been roughly torn apart.
Yun Zhan's eyes instantly stung, but he forced himself not to let the tears fall.
She dropped the chipped machete, staggered over, and gently wiped the bloodstains from Shi Mingyue's face with her only clean sleeve, her voice low and gentle: "I'm sorry, I'm late."
She bent down and pulled Shi Mingyue into her arms, using her body heat and heartbeat to gradually dispel the chill and humiliation brought by the drug.
"I'll take you back; everything will be alright soon."
Blood and tears mingled together, and Yun Zhan could only hold the person in his arms tightly, as if holding onto a piece of his own shattered world.
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